Thalion had spent the whole night searching for something to feed on but only found a few beasts, which he quickly slaughtered. So far, nothing was his equal in his Umbral Predator form.
Then the long-awaited prompt appeared.
System shop available: Time left 11:59 hours
Finally, he thought while triggering the shop. Shortly after, he appeared before the voice of the system again. He had a total of 109,080 credits, and his plan was to buy armor and weapons for his human form. For the remaining 9,000 credits, he intended to use them on beast evolution and affinities.
¡°Greetings, survivor,¡± the voice said. ¡°What items do you want to purchase?¡±
¡°Please give me a list of weapons worth around 100,000 credits that a survivor with my class would use.¡±
A list of legendary and exalted weapons appeared, each description showcasing extraordinary power. The Amulet of the Soulwarden (Legedary), for example, provided not only enhanced reflexes and regeneration but also amplified spellcasting, mental resistance, and a safeguard against death by allowing the wearer¡¯s soul to escape into the amulet. The Blade of Echoing Spirits (Legendary) came with a sentient spirit that enhanced combat precision and grew stronger when fed with the right materials. Similar descriptions followed for other legendary weapons like the Soulreaver Scimitar (Legendary), Staff of the Whispering Winds (Legendary), and more.
Thalion read through the descriptions with astonishment. They all seemed incredibly powerful.
¡°Isn¡¯t this a little cheap for such strong items?¡± he asked the voice. A legendary item should be powerful and he had no problem buying one at the moment.
¡°Yes, the price reflects the difficulty of gathering credits. Over time, the prices will rise exponentially,¡± the voice responded with a quick explanation.
That made sense to Thalion. These items were absurdly overpowered. If everyone got such a weapon in three or four weeks, it would be a difficult place to survive.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Thalion spent a lot of time analyzing the various items.
After hours had passed, he was torn between buying the Amulet of the Soulwarden and the Staff of the Starborn. The issue was that he could already summon weapons like the vine and the mana blade for melee fighting, and it would feel strange wielding both a staff and a blade. Meanwhile, the amulet had no such drawbacks, buffing all his abilities right away. The only downside of the amulet was that it needed to be upgraded manually, while the other items came with tool spirits that automatically enhanced their abilities.
If he bought the amulet, he¡¯d only have 9,000 credits left. Would it even be possible to upgrade the amulet before the next system shop? Thalion wondered. On the other hand, even if he couldn¡¯t upgrade it, he could potentially craft armor for himself.
¡°Show me a skill that allows me to upgrade the amulet,¡± Thalion asked the system since he very much would like to go for the amulet. He even had some experience working with metal since he worked from time to time in a factory as a side job. With the help of the system, it might be enough to upgrade his items.
Essence Forge (Rare)
This passive skill grants the ability to craft weapons and armor of unparalleled quality by infusing them with the essence of the materials used. One of its most remarkable features is the creation of resonance. The smith can also craft Soulbound items that offer enhanced benefits and customization. [5,000 Credits]
The price was actually affordable. There was just one issue. ¡°Don¡¯t I need some kind of forge to use the skill?¡± he asked the voice.
¡°Not necessarily. A hammer or heavy club and the ability to cast fire would suffice. However, a forge is available for you.¡±
Common Smithy (Common)
A sturdy, iron-clad forge is the heart of any burgeoning settlement. It includes a reliable anvil, hammer, and efficient bellows to maintain a consistent heat for metalworking. [3,000 Credits]
Thalion felt a bit exhausted from reading through all the options, but it seemed good enough. He could even start as a smith in some settlement while going out at night as the Umbral Predator for hunting. In the end, he bought the Amulet of the Soulwarden, Essence Forge, and the Common Smithy.
He asked the voice of the system if he could buy additional information on monster evolution or the Umbral Predator, but everything was far too expensive. With that, he left the system shop.
Thalion appeared back on the tree branch, standing 10 meters above the ground, and pulled out the amulet. It was silver, with almost white runes engraved into the material and a white stone in the center.
Do you want to bind this item to your very soul?
That was easy enough. As he agreed to the prompt, a warm sensation rushed through his body. With that, he equipped the item, and another wave of warmth flowed through him, empowering him to new heights. With this newly earned power, he couldn''t wait to see what the third stage of the tutorial had to offer.
Chapter 38: The Third Stage
Kael¡¯s group fought tirelessly, hunting down the fiercest creatures the jungle had to offer. Each kill brought them closer to their goal, and the camp''s atmosphere grew increasingly tense as the last of them neared the critical threshold of level 25.
Finally, the moment arrived. Together, Kael and his group triggered the evolution that would propel them to the next stage.
When the teleportation finished, they found themselves standing in a lush, alien landscape. A dense forest teeming with bioluminescent flora and towering trees whose canopies stretched high above, almost touching the sky. The air was thick with moisture, and the sounds of unseen creatures echoed in the distance. The vibrant colors and otherworldly atmosphere reminded them of the jungle they had just left, but this place felt even more alive, more dangerous.
Kael took a deep breath, feeling the power of the evolution coursing through his veins. They had made it. They had survived the second stage. But there was no time to rest. The dangers that lay ahead would be greater than anything they had faced before.
Kael addressed his people; his mind was already focused on their next move. "We need to establish a base of operations quickly," he said. "We¡¯ll need shelter, defenses, and a place to plan our next steps."
With that, he entered the system shop looking for a base. Kael navigated through the options with practiced ease, his eyes scanning the list until he found what he was looking for: a fortress, fully equipped with defenses, living quarters, and everything they would need to establish a stronghold in this new stage.
With a final tap, Kael confirmed the purchase. But before the fortress could materialize, they had to make space. The towering trees that surrounded them were too dense, their massive roots snaking through the earth in intricate patterns.
"We''ll need to clear the area," Kael said, his voice steady. "Cut down these trees and make room for the fortress."
The group sprang into action, their weapons flashing as they hacked away at the thick trunks. The trees groaned and creaked as they fell, shaking the ground beneath their feet. It was hard, grueling work, but eventually, they cleared enough space for the fortress to be placed.
Kael stood back as the ground beneath them trembled, and with a low rumble, the fortress began to materialize. Massive stone walls rose up from the earth, and the fortress''s towering gates swung open, inviting them inside.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
As the group moved into their new stronghold, Kael couldn''t help but feel a surge of pride. They had come a long way from the frightened survivors they had once been. Now, they were stronger, smarter, and more prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
Inside the fortress, the group quickly set to work, securing the perimeter and exploring their new home. The walls were lined with powerful enchantments, and the armory was stocked with weapons and armor far superior to anything they had used before. This fortress would be their sanctuary, their base of operations as they prepared for whatever the third stage would throw at them.
But even as they settled in, Kael couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The vibrant forest outside was full of life, but it also hid countless dangers. The enemies they would face here would be smarter, more cunning, and far more powerful than anything they had encountered before.
As night fell, Kael stood on the walls of the fortress, looking out into the bioluminescent jungle that surrounded them. The sky was an inky black, devoid of stars, and the air was thick with an unsettling silence. He knew that this was only the beginning. The third stage would test them in ways they couldn¡¯t even imagine.
<--
Finally, the last of his men reached level 25, and the moment they had all been waiting for arrived. The air around them seemed to thrum with energy, and Thorwald could feel the evolution taking hold, enhancing their bodies, sharpening their senses. It was a quiet, almost primal transformation, one that left them all standing a little taller, a little stronger.
Thorwald took a moment to assess his men. They had been through hell together, and now they were ready for whatever came next. But there was no time to revel in their newfound power. They had a mission, and every second counted.
"We move out now," Thorwald ordered, his voice cutting through the thick jungle air. "Our goal is to find Steven''s camp. He¡¯s somewhere in this forest, and we need to link up with him."
The group set off immediately, moving as a single, cohesive unit through the dense underbrush. The jungle around them was alive with strange sounds and shifting shadows, but Thorwald''s men were focused and protected the craftsman in the middle of them. They had trained for this, and the challenges of the third stage, though formidable, were not enough to deter them.
Thorwald led the way, his eyes scanning the path ahead with a predator''s focus. His thoughts were on Steven. He wasn¡¯t just an ally to be rescued. Thorwald saw in him a potential partner, someone whose strength and cunning could complement his own. If they could find Steven, they could join forces and create a formidable alliance, one that would make them unstoppable in their pursuit of Thalion and Kael.
As they moved deeper into the alien forest, the environment grew more treacherous. The glowing plants cast eerie, shifting light across their path, and the trees seemed to close in around them. But Thorwald''s men followed him without hesitation, their trust in him unwavering.
They send their scouts on the top of the trees to scout for a tower or something that could lead them to Steven. If Steven was so keen on uniting as many humans, he could buy the camp in the system shop, which left Thorwald with more credits for himself.
Finally, after hours of trekking through the dense jungle, they caught sight of something in the distance. A faint glow, different from the natural bioluminescence of the plants. It was the telltale sign of a camp, and Thorwald''s heart quickened.
"Stay alert," he warned his men as they approached the camp cautiously. "We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll find, but we¡¯re not taking any chances."
As they drew closer, the shapes of tents and makeshift structures became visible, and Thorwald knew they had found what they were looking for. Steven''s camp was ahead, and with it, the chance to form the alliance that would change everything.
Thorwald stepped forward, his men fanning out behind him, ready for anything.
Chapter 39: Helping out
Thalion jumped on the top of a tall tree and then used his new ability, mistform, and shot with incredible speed in the air. After a short time, he was over 800 meters above the ground.
He deactivated the spell that had cost half his mana and summoned a mana barrier under his feet to get a good look around.
In the south, he saw a giant ocean. It has to be one this time since there were meter-high waves crashing at the beach.
On it, he saw some kind of swimming palace that looked so much more expensive than the last one of the blue robes he invaded. This most likely were different people, he concluded.
Then there was the jungle everywhere. To the west, he saw a giant white tower reaching at the sky, probably that Steven guy.
In the north did the mountains begin, and from them flowed a river through the jungle, with grassland surrounding the river until it entered the ocean.
He even spotted a big flying creature taking flight from the grassland. It looked like a griffin, identify sadly didn''t work at such a distance.
To his delight, Thalion noticed a lot of trees that were blackened, which should be a nice meal for the umbral predator.
He finished his little Scouting session and was about to go down when he noticed that his mana was full.
That was insane; the combined recovery from the amulet and the sanguine thorn was just too strong. He might be able to hunt birds with this recovery.
But first he would feast on the black plants down there. They should increase his affinity for darkness and after that, he wanted to pay those mountains a visit. Maybe some big flying creature lives there waiting with Thalion¡¯s new flying form.
Back on earth, eagles were the strongest predators from above, and they had their nest in the highest position, so if there were some strong flying predators, they should live on the top of those mountains.
He activated mistform and in a moment he was back on the ground watching how his mana pool recovered.
The recovery was so fast that being out of mana was basically impossible for him if he didn''t use mistform all the time.
Next, he transformed into the umbral predator and quickly moved through the jungle.
It took him longer than expected to arrive at the black trees.
Shadowbark Tree Level 37
The best of those trees were not only the black plants growing on them. Between them also grew many black flowers.
Black Hellebore Level 32
Night Ivy Level 34
Moonflower Level 29
He used abyssal devourer and tentacles made from darkness shot out from his body, devouring everything in close proximity except the trees.
Some plants tried to fight back by shooting thorns, but Thalion just ignored the damage which was healed in seconds and their poison couldn¡¯t really affect him at all.
After devouring over 50 plants, he felt full and had to stop. Thalion waited in his human form until he had digested all the plans as umbral predator. This luckly worked even when he was in a different form. In the meantime, he experimented with his spells. He tried to form the fireball into different shapes but sadly didn''t succeed. In doing so, he could create small edges on the burning ball, but that was it.
Then he switched to some sword fighting with the help of the scroll he had permanently borrowed from a blue noble.
That was how he spent the next two days eating away the plants and the additional training when he was full.
From time to time, groups of survivors passed by, but he ignored them. They wouldn''t bring much credits anyway, so not worth the trouble.
His senses were so sharp, even in his human form, that he could evade the survivors easily.
From all the eating, he had reached level 29 as human and as umbral predator.
He put the free points from his human form in wisdom and the free points from his other form into dexterity.
It was midday, and he tried to learn the second attack form for his sword, which contains three very quick swings and ends in a stab to quickly overpower his enemy.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
The scroll of the blue robe swordsman has proven more useful than he could have imagined.
Then he heard a clash in the distance. There were a few these days, but he ignored them most of the time, completely focusing on himself.
But now he could use a bit of distraction. He wanted to test his sword skill in battle, and with that, he transformed into mist and shot with incredible speed through the jungle.
After a few moments, he reached the battle and ended the spell. Both groups were looking at him in surprise as he appeared on the clearing.
One was one of four humans most likely from earth. The other one were blue robes.
And there were much more blue robes than humans, which made the fight pretty lopsided, with already two humans being captured in some kind of water bubble.
They tried to swim out, but it did not seem to work for them in those water prisons.
One of the blue robes instantly attacked him with a spear. Thalion summoned his mana blade and dashed to the side, unleashing a mana slash at the two mages who were currently drowning the two humans.
The spearman had dashed after him, and his spear glowed in a blue light when he stabbed forward, but Thalion was too fast and moved to the side, stabbed at the leg of the man, turning the stab into a swing while rotating around, which was the first form he learned from the scroll.
His attack was fast and precise and cut open the leg of the man and inflicted a deep cut on the man''s side.
The man screamed in pain, and from the left were two arrows incoming, but Thalion blocked them with a mana barrier while swinging at the man, cutting his head cleanly off.
The two humans who were captured in the water prison came free as the mages turned their attention onto Thalion. The former prisoners arrived at the ground with a wet splash dropped on the ground while vomiting water all over the place.
The four humans were heavy warriors only, and the two heavy warriors still standing were defending their comrades who were trying to get some air with their shields. One of them was throwing a stone attack at one of the water mages, but it had no effect since the mage blocked it with ease.
Thalion had to speed up with the four barley hanging on, and still 10 blue robes left consist of two archers and eight water mages, but they must have different classes since their fighting styles differed a lot.
Anyway, there were a lot of ice shards flying his way, and although two arrows made of water were coming for him.
He decided to go for the many mages first. His incredible speed and reflexes allowed him to dodge between the ice shards.
The arrows completely missed since the archers probably thought he would block again with his barrier.
He unleashed a mana slash with his blade at the mages stacked with mana, so it was not simple to block, and before the spell could hit, he stomped on the ground with tectonic slam.
The effect of tectonic slam was not as good as back in his glowhorn form when he only stomped with his foot, but it was strong enough to let the mages lose their footing for a moment.
Which ended in most barriers failing while the mana slash completely ripped through the last ones and four of the mages.
Thalion turned and moved now to the archers with telekinetic dash. They had two arrows already locked and shot them at Thalion, who in turn deflected one with his blade and with a fast step to the side, dodged the second one.
With one dash, he appeared before the archers, deeply cutting the first one with a swing. His comrade reacted fast by pulling out a small dagger and stabbing at Thalion.
Thalion in turn summoned a mana barrier to shield him from the mages who were already conjuring spells behind him and attacked the archer with his sword.
The man with the dagger probably never had used it before, as he just stabed forward over and over. Thalion had hoped to learn something new, but at least he could try out the second form from the scroll, which he spent perfecting the last day.
Within a second, the archer was dead, after Thalion had perfectly doged a stab and cut the man in two with a fluid motion. Now only three mages remained.
He had gone for the archer since those classes tend to be very fast and he didn''t want to chase them for long. What if they had a good movement skill? It could take hours to catch them.
The mages in panic threw skill after skill at him. He used the ice shards and the water bubbles thrown at him fully for his training.
He cut or deflected the ice shards to the side with his blade, or if it was too much, dodged it with a sidestep.
He wasn''t using any movement skills anymore to focus more on his footing and skill with the sword, or in his case, the mana blade.
He got hit by some ice shards burring in his flesh, but he took the trait. When do you have the opportunity to train like this anyway?
After he had crossed half the distance and the spells of the mages grew weaker, he decided to end it. Thalion activated his movement skill and dashed between the mages, his blade swinging.
In moments, the fight was over with one mage alive for questioning. He was intrigued if that guy was from that giant water palace.
Williams day sucked. First, they were hunting those horses through the jungle, then they got ambushed by those humans from the other planet, and next when everything was lost, the man in the black robe appeared, killing those who had toyed with them with such ease it was incredible.
His reflexes, the skill with the sword, the power in his spells, and the pure speed in which he acted were just too much. How did he get that strong?
The last mage was trying to throw a spell at him, and the man just dodged and cut both of the mages hands off, who went down screaming.
Where is your castle now?" Thalion asked the mage on the ground.
"I am not telling you anything earth scum," the man snorted at him.
Thalion never tortured someone, but the theory was to simply inflict pain on the person without killing them, and this is what Thalion tried when he stabbed the man slowly through his shoulder. He could have used some of his blood skills, but he didn''t want the four survivors who were watching him to know all his abilities.
So, he slowly stabbed the mage until he told him that he was from the blue palace. Which was controlled by the great princess Seraphina, who got blessed by some water goddess.
The man didn''t know more, so Thalion ended his life after storing all corpses and their belongings in his special ring. He turned back to the four heavy warriors, who were back on their feed again.
They were all of a higher level than him, but still, they would have no chance in a fight. Just the buff from the amulet, the sanguine thorn, plus the mythic class, gave him such an advantage that it wouldn¡¯t even be close.
"Thank you for the help. I am William¡±, one of the heavy warriors said with a small bow.
"No problem, good luck in the tutorial," Thalion said while turning around. He didn''t know those people, and it was important that he ate more of those plants to improve his affinity for darkness as umbral predator anyway. If the four were no pushovers, they would be fine.
"Wait, are you part of a camp? If not, our leader is Steven, an incredible, strong warrior even stronger than you," the man said quickly. You could come with us. We can use someone with your abilities.
"Thank you for the invitation. Maybe at a later point, for now I have things to do. Good hunting," with those words, he disappeared in the jungle. He had no intention of becoming part of a camp. At the moment, Thalion enjoyed being out in the wild jungle on his own.
"What a mess, one of the other heavy warriors said while getting back on his feet. Steven definitely wouldn¡¯t be happy."
The others nodded in agreement while turning and hurrying back to the fortress.
Chapter 40: Shadows Before the Hunt
Thalion checked his notifications while continuing his feast on the plant life.
You have killed human Level 31
...
...
...
You have killed human Level 27
You have reached Level 30
He gained an entire level from killing all those humans. It was quite a lot, even though some were of a lower level than him. He allocated his free points into wisdom for his human form and dexterity as the umbral predator. Additionally, he unlocked two new mythic skills. It looked like those mythic classes gave mythic skills too. A skill selection would have been nice
Heartbeat of the Sanguine Archon (Mythic)
With each heartbeat, the sanguine archon''s blood is purified, amplifying their physical and magical abilities. This constant purification enhances strength, speed, vitality, and spell potency, making the Archon progressively more powerful.
The description was brief for a mythic skill, but it seemed to offer a similar function to his sanguine thorn ability, except now, every heartbeat made him stronger until it reached a peak; at least that was his guess. Thalion still had no idea how all the blood skills even worked. Normally he should get weaker using his own blood for the skills, but that was not the case at the moment. All the blood skills were abilities from the sanguine thorn. Even his blood harvest didn''t give him the blood but the plant under his heart. The sanguine thorn should have stored the blood, which he then used in his skills. Well, that was the theory so far. He could already feel how he got a little stronger with every beat of his heart. If there were more ways to increase the power of his blood or improve the amount of blood his veins could hold, might empower him to new heights.
He noted this for the next system shop since he didn''t want to waste too much time experimenting with his blood when he could just ask the voice of the system when the system shop appeared. Best to improve his skills with the sword and eat more of those plants. He didn''t get a lot of stats from the plants like from some of the berries he had eaten before, but he felt so much stronger, and the darkness hopefully helped in more than one way. Eating all those dark affinity plants gave him this strong form in the first place, so he had to be on the right track for the moment. With those thoughts, Thalion moved on to check his other new skill as the umbral predator.
Umbral Predator''s Instinct (Mythic)
This mythical skill allows the Umbral Predator to tap into the very essence of darkness to locate its prey. By blending with the shadows, the predator can sense the life force of any creature within a vast radius, no matter how well they hide or disguise themselves. The shadows whisper secrets of the prey''s movements, fears, and weaknesses, guiding the predator with unerring accuracy. This ability not only reveals the prey''s location but also enhances the predator¡¯s stealth, making it nearly impossible for the hunted to detect the hunter until it¡¯s too late.
This was an exceptional skill for hunting and ambushing. These mythic skills were frighteningly powerful. Thalion hoped they would help him stand a chance against other survivors blessed by gods eventually.
There was still the big question of elves and vampires. He had never encountered an elf in the tutorial, and vampires were equally rare. They probably spawned at higher tutorial stages, which gave them access to more credits. The kind of gear those people could afford after starting in the third stage... he didn¡¯t want to think about it.
The next three days, Thalion focused on devouring as many plants as possible while continuing to practice swordsmanship. Despite his effort, he hadn¡¯t mastered the third attack form yet. Maybe it would have been smarter to hunt down a new beast or try to catch a flying one, but in this new stage, the jungle was a bit more quiet. He hadn''t encountered the manta ray from the earlier stages as any other flying creatures. For now he progressed very fast, and he didn''t want to leave this spot too soon. He could always hunt for more forms and skills at a later point while such an opportunity to munch on dark affinity plants wouldn''t appear too soon. The last time he had to hunt down the blue robes all around their base to get those plants. Well, he also did it to fuck with the people too, but that was not his point. Anyway, enough thinking back to mastering the third technique.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
The technique involved stepping forward, executing a high swing, turning with the motion, then stepping forward again to thrust, which transitioned into a side swing to create distance from the opponent. At normal speed, he could execute the movements perfectly, but as his speed increased, the swings became sloppy, too short, lacking power, or too long, leaving him exposed to a counterattack.
The next day, he shifted his focus to improving his telekinetic dash. He wanted to make it faster. By infusing more mana into the skill and doing it faster, he made some progress, though it was slow and steady. With the system shop opening soon, the hunt for survivors was about to begin again.
He gained two more levels from consuming the plants, which wasn''t much. However, when he transformed into the Umbral Predator, the darkness within him grew stronger. Everything felt more aligned, and he could feed faster. When some plants attacked him with spells, he noticed that a small amount of the poisonous gas turned into darkness when it came too close to his skin. The effect was barely noticeable, but it was there. He aimed to improve this ability, imagining how it could make him nearly immune to many area spells while further empowering him. That would definitely be the dream. Now it was time to properly scout the area and find a good hunting spot for the night.
Switching to his human form, Thalion climbed into the sky in his mist form. From the air, he observed griffins flying toward the mountains, and castles had appeared everywhere, likely bought from the system store. In contrast, the makeshift camps had almost entirely disappeared, either wiped out or assimilated into larger factions. One large wooden fortress lay beneath the mountains, but it was too far away to tell who occupied it. Well, those griffins would be a welcome flying form, but they were so far in the distance it would take days to get there. So nothing he could accomplish at the moment, but getting a flying from would definitely be high up on his list. When discarding his glowhorn form, it was clear to him that he wanted to create a beast that stood on the absolute apex. The power of the umbral predator proved him right, as so far he hadn''t encountered a beast that could rival his might. The only negative part about the umbral predator was that it took a lot of time and resources to get him there. Thalion was not sure how many forms he could empower at the same time without falling behind in levels. A flying form was definitely important for traveling, but the trip to the mountains was long, and he had better things to do at the moment.
He planned to go hunting when the night grew darker, hoping for a big credit boost. The system shop would open tomorrow, after all. Killing survivors would never be more rewarding than it was now. He even considered invading one of those castles.
Currently, he had 14,910 credits, which wasn''t much compared to the last time he entered the system shop, but he didn¡¯t need much this time. His primary interest lay in ways to store more blood in his body and potentially use the purified blood in his attacks to support the sanguine thorn. He also wanted to explore ways to upgrade or create skills. Another option would be blueprints for advanced gear, as the basic equipment he could make so far wasn¡¯t enough. Enhancing his robe or mask was also long overdue.
The sun was slowly setting, and Thalion continued with his routine until nightfall. Then, the hunt would begin.
<--
Steven prepared his attack groups for the night ahead. Since Thorwald had joined him, his army had steadily grown. He had everything, from warriors to smiths, alchemists, enchanters, and healers. His plan was taking shape. The only problem was the competition. This week, several camps had sprung up, along with many castles, palaces, and fortresses, making straightforward attacks much more complicated.
The most irritating obstacle was Kael and his group. The man must have spent all his credits on his fortress, which made any assault a suicide mission. He had even managed to attract people by offering protection from Steven.
Even that teenager and the Orc had taken refuge there now.
The other castles weren¡¯t as well fortified. Steven''s strategy was to assimilate the remaining camps, and tonight, the night before the System Shop opened, he planned to raid the weaker bases to maximize his credit gain.
His first target was Michael''s castle. The guy was a joke, with only minor enchantments to support the defenders. The only issue was leaving enough warriors behind to protect his own base, even if it was a fortress designed by his god. The water, which was a powerful enemy, along with her followers, who kept abducting people from Earth. Then there was the Orc clan under the mountains.
The distance was too far, but Steven wouldn''t take any chances. There was still that umbral predator lurking in the dark. Despite their efforts, they hadn¡¯t located the beast in days. Moreover, a man in a black coat had recently killed a group of ten humans from Veridara.
He wouldn''t take any chances. With fifty of his warriors leaving, while the rest stayed behind, he set off for the night. It would for sure be a bloody one.
<--
Kael watched the surroundings from the walls of his newly bought castle, now home to over seven hundred people, protected by powerful enchantments. Tonight, he wouldn¡¯t risk hunting. The other camps, like Steven''s, the Orcs, and other humans, had warriors over Level 40 who could slaughter most of his forces, and he wasn¡¯t about to risk losing anyone.
The third stage of the tutorial had been tough, but the fortress had saved many lives. However, progress had stalled as, from time to time, griffins swooped down to attack groups of people who were out hunting, and the challenges were getting more intense by the day.
Kael wondered about Thalion. He doubted the man had died. Three days ago, two missing slaves had arrived at his gates, telling a tale of a speaking shadowstalker that had freed them and helped them infiltrate and kill many of the blue-robed people before they escaped through evolution.
It was a strange story. Why would a beast take the time to help slaves? Something didn''t add up.
Then, an orc and a teenage girl joined his group, telling an even more unbelievable story of an umbral predator that had slaughtered Steven''s men with little effort at Level 25.
They insisted the beast wasn¡¯t a threat to Kael. It claimed to be from Earth and had insinuated that it would assist them again if they crossed paths. None of it made any sense. Why would such a creature even think of assisting them in the first place?
Chapter 41: Another Bloody Night
Thorwald had a wide smile on his face. The night was finally there, and he would be part of Steven''s attack group with two mages, three archers, and one light warrior.
All were over Level 39 and radiated pure strength and skill. The last system shop had provided them with the perfect equipment, and today they would raid some of those weak human bases that managed to resist them. He was still furious that this guy Kael had managed to gather enough credits to buy himself such a fortress.
But he could wait. He had hoped that they could catch them on a hunting trip, but that didn''t happen yet, which was tragic because his items must be shit in comparison to the stuff he had at the moment. Buying such a strong fortress and equipment shouldn''t be possible.
His armor and weapons were truly unmatched. He wore the white armor of a heavy knight, but with many enchantments on it against mages attacks. With the last system shop, he had added small shields with sharp edges to the armor on his forearms, making it easier to block range attacks and even attack with them in melee.
Steven was very happy when he had brought this many people to join his camp, and since then he had full access to everything this base could cover, from two alchemists working none stop for him crafting elixirs that improved his toughness, vitality, or strength to healers and enchanters. The craftsmen were, although helpful, by making small throwing axes for him.
Then there was his giant axe, which he had bought and upgraded multiple times with the tool spirit already. It could even shoot lighting from its blade, which had proven very effective against light warriors who were good at dodging.
He already knew that this night he would make plenty use of it.
<--
Thalion saw how the last motes of sunshine disappeared, and he transformed into the umbral predator. The darkness almost vibrated around him, and the pure strength rushing through his veins was intoxicating.
He had flown up into the sky at midday to get some oversight of the battles to come. There were many bases of operation, and it seemed like they were all preparing for war.
He had spotted the city with the tiny palace in it near the shores of the ocean, but it looked like they got assistance from the far more mighty palace that was swimming in the ocean.
With that put into consideration, it would be very unwise to attack them.
The giant wooden camp before the mountains was too far away. If he wanted to hunt there, he should have moved earlier. It would probably take a day, maybe even more, to reach the mountains from his position.
What was left were the human bases that were scattered throughout the jungle, with two being very powerful.
One was a giant fortress completely in white, probably belonging to that Steven guy, and one that was not as strong but still looked very powerful. A fortress built out of gray stone or maybe marble, but he couldn''t identify it from the distance anyway. The second one covered more area and most likely more people, but since space was different in some houses, you could never know from the outside.
One thing every base had in common was that the trees in the vicinity were cut down to spot potential attackers early.
His plans were simple. He would move to a position where he could oversee three of the bases next to Stevens. If the girl and orc didn''t lie to him, that guy would one hundred percent try something this night.
Than he would decide either picking small groups or waiting until the fight was over to go for the winners.
Those people must have a lot of credits since you get all the credits of your opponent after their death.
Thalion didn''t really care if most people there were humans from earth. He had killed so many by now that it did not really make a difference, and in the end, you can only rely on yourself. He would have liked it more to kill orcs or the bluerobes.
Anyway, he was at a point where he would slaughter those groups without blinking an eye or any remorse. They would do the same to him after all, and they were out to kill other humans this night too.
Thalion started to move in the direction of a two hundred-meter tall tree with speed surpassing his wildest expectations, and soon after he arrived at the tree. With a mighty leap, he jumped on one of the lower branches, and in no time, he was lying on a branch directly under the tree crown overlooking the castles. This tree was a bit higher than the others; he couldn''t see everything from his point, but enough to notice if a battle had started.
And it didn''t take long to happen; after not even half an hour, the castle that was furthest away from Steven''s base was attacked from behind.
Fireballs, lightning, and arrows were flung from the walls at the attackers who had something special with them, portable mana shields that kept them safe from long range attacks while they came closer. Thalion had never seen something like this before.
The defenders were untouched and kept firing at the attackers, who were now almost in reach of the wall. What would they do after reaching it? Thalion wondered, but he found out very fast, as with a giant explosion, a hole was blasted in the eight-meter-tall wall, and the attackers entered the castle.
From the forest, more people appeared. Arguably more than thirty, all rushing for the breach in the wall.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Thalion made his move and jumped from the tree. The fall from a height of over 200 meters did nothing to him, and he sprinted for the attacked castle.
It would take him a while to get there, but a skirmish inside the castle was exactly what he was looking for.
He arrived at the castle ten minutes later, and it was almost too late. Most of the defenders on the wall were dead or running. The attackers had the clear advantage.
Thalion activated umbral predator¡¯s instinct. Darkness surrounded him more than ever before amplifying his senses. Thalion could now feel the life of the things around him, and he spotted how five archers were hiding behind the trees, probably waiting for some escapees. He almost regretted not experimenting with the skill earlier instead of sword training, but it should be fine.
He slowly approached his prey, who didn''t notice him, and attacked. With one leap, he jumped two archers who were close to each other. Before they could react, a claw had teared to both their chests, ripping them apart.
The other archers screamed in surprise, but before they could muster any kind of defense, he killed them too in seconds with quick swipes of his claws.
The last one tried to flee, but after a little chase, he also fell. Thalion devoured all corpses with the black tendrils, took their spatial rings, and ran at the breach in the wall.
Those archers had no chance against him. He was too fast and too strong. It was not even close.
While coming closer, he noticed why the attackers had gone for the wall like this and not just jumped over it. An eight-meter-tall wall was nothing for humans after the integration, but on the wall were runes that made a little shield that has gone far up and would probably reject anyone who tried to climb it.
Those runes were even blocking his predator instincts. He shot, through the hole in the wall, and appeared on a wide plaza where still multiple groups were fighting.
He saw how a man was protecting children with his body from three attackers.
Not surprising that those people would kill anyone in here, but still, the children probably don''t even have much credits anyway.
They were too far away, so he wouldn''t be able to help them soon, so he attacked the groups of fighters nearest to him. If he was fast enough, he might be able to save the children.
There were ten heavy warriors trying to push the defenders back who were protecting the entrance to a large building.
Thalion activated shadow claw and ripped through the armor of three attackers from behind, killing them in the process.
The man next to him turned around in shock and stabbed with a red lance at him. Thalion sidestepped it with ease and, with a leap, sprung over the head of the man landing between his teammates who hadn''t noticed him yet.
From there on, a brawl started that was pretty one-sided. Five heavy warriors tried to hold him while the others stabbed him. Thalion bit the head of the first one off and, with a swipe of his claw, injured the one next to him badly. They couldn''t even slow him down at all, far from holding him down, and in moments the guy with the lance was the last one standing.
Nor for long as Thalion charged him, grabbing his lance when he stabbed at him and twisting it out of his hand, next was the shield of the man he ripped from his grasp, and one shadow claw later the man lay dead on the ground.
Thalion threw the shield at one of the mages that had climbed the wall, who had noticed him killing his comrades and tried to alert his comrades.
The shield hit the man in the head, deforming his head and making his neck bend in a very unhealthy way.
The heavy warriors who defended the entrance had already retreated inside the building after they saw how he killed the attackers and closed the big door after them.
He would leave them be since they were not out for blood this night. Sadly, he hadn''t been fast enough to save the three children, which the one man had tried to protect, as all of them lay dead on the ground with the attacker gone. With a leap, he jumped on the wall. There were a few more mages, and some archers standing on the top of the wall, shooting at the defenders of this base who tried to protect the children and the injured.
They most likely had killed the defenders on the wall, which meant they had lots of credits. Thalion shot at the attackers with greed in his eyes; those credits would be his.
The first mage summoned some kind of firewall, but he just ignored it and jumped through it; the flames burned his skin, but it would heal soon and with one bite killed the mage.
With incredible speed, he shot forward at the next archer who fired at him, but he dodged between the arrows, with one hitting him in the back, probably fired from the other side.
After a swipe of his claw, the archer lay dead to his feet. In his last moments, he had managed to stab a dagger in his stomach.
Thalion pulled it out while jumping to the side, dogging one of those charged arrows that could even kill him if it had hit his head.
He jumped down from the wall and charged the archers on the other side. Thalion sprinted to the small streets of this base with incredible speed. On the way, he didn''t spot any more fights, and when he came near the wall, the archers tried to hit him, but it was pointless. He was too fast for their arrows.
Some arrows still hit him from time to time, but they barely dealt any damage. As long as he could dodge the charged ones, everything was good. The wounds the arrows had inflicted earlier were almost fully healed by now.
In moments, those archers lay dead to his feet. When he looked up, he saw how on the highest tower four people were fighting. Those were the ones with the most kills, and with a giant leap, he jumped on the tower wall and started climbing up.
In moments he was on the competitors, and a few swipes later they were all dead. He felt a bit sad that he had killed the defenders there too, but he had no way of knowing which one was the attacker or defender.
Those were strong warriors, but they were already exhausted from the long battle, which made them easy prey for him.
The tower was so high that he could see the other castles. One was burning and the other one seemed to be under attack, and this had to be Steven. The guy in heavy armor was flying with wings of light, firing beams of light at the defenders or white flames out of the top of his lance.
As it looked like the people wouldn''t hold on for long, Thalion climbed down the tower and, with a mighty leap, jumped on the wall and from there on the ground and started sprinting for the fight in the distance. The fights in this base looked almost over, and it would take a lot of time to find some attackers while in the distance skills were flung from side to side with incredible power.
Those must be elite warriors with a lot of credits. He didn''t think that he could fight Steven, but killing his men should be absolutely possible.
He moved through the jungle and soon appeared before the base that was attacked by Steven. There were probably over 50 people, and as it looks like they had greatly underestimated the defenders, they still haven''t managed to enter the base yet.
Even that Steven guy had to retreat for now as he was the only one who could fly. The people around him looked very powerful with armor of high quality.
They all attacked the wall. It seemed like they hadn''t bought something like that wallbreaker the other attackers had.
With every spell that hit the sturdy walls, they lost a bit of their luster. The defenders firing back furiously, but they couldn''t really kill any of the attackers.
As soon as someone got badly injured, a healer stepped out of hiding, and in short, the attacker was fully healed while the defenders had no means to refill the power in the runes. Thalion would watched the struggle for a bit to give the attackers more time to exhaust themselves. The best-case scenario would probably be them breaching the wall, so he could prey on the groups in the city. At the moment they were all balled up. He would just get killed if he attacked now. Sitting on a treebranch high above the ground, hidden in the shadows of perdators insitinct, he watched how the battle unfolded, waiting patiently for the perfect time to strike.
Chapter 42: Night before the System Shop
Steven watched as his men slowly pulled down the walls, the runes only lit in dime light.
This Michael had tricked his scouts into thinking their defenses were weak to bait an attack. They even had magic circles that buffed the mages in them, giving them extra firepower.
That''s why he made a solo attack on the castle. He flew over the walls and attacked the casters and the magic circles with the cleansing flames and light beams from his lance.
It took him longer than expected to destroy the magic circles. At that point he was injured and almost out of mana, but it was worth it.
Without his action, they wouldn''t be able to raid Michael''s base today and would only have delivered free credits, which was probably what the bastard had planned.
Now that the tide of the battle had turned, his mages were doing a good job weakening the defenses. His archers, also helped with fully charged arrows, which even dealt more damage than most spells.
Minutes later he was almost fully healed by one of his strongest healers, and his mana had recovered fully from a talisman one of the smiths had made for him, giving him a strong mana regeneration.
Now it was time to breach the walls. The runes even started flickering. "Thorwald, go smash that wall into pieces," he shouted at the muscular man.
"With pleasure," Thorwald replied with a grin on his face. Thorwald was waiting for this moment the whole night.
He sprinted forward, activating an ability to give him extra strength and speed, and his axeblade grew a large red edge, and with incredible speed and power, it connected with the wall, shattering the 7-meter-tall and two-meter-thick wall entirely.
Thorwald dashed through the breach he just created in Michael''s base and started to massacre the people there.
"Go!" Steven screamed at his people, and they all ran at the breach in the wall.
Steven summoned his wings and rose in the air, helping Thorwald from above, who was attacked from all sides but just ignored it while swinging his axe like a madman.
He landed on the wall and began charging the archers and mages placed there, his shield held high.
They fired at him with all they got, but he blocked it all and pierced the heart of the first defender, then fired a beam of light that threw the corpse into the archer behind him.
He swiped with his lance to the side, throwing the corpse of the man he just impaled over the battlements.
Then he started charging again with his shield forward, crashing into the barrier of the mage and shattering it with his speed. Steven slammed his shield into the mage, throwing him back before his target could get up. He pointed the lance at him and channeled his cleansing flame through it.
This was one of the incredible abilities his lance had; it not only had a tool spirit ability that could be used, but it also allowed him to channel all his skills through the lance and even empowered them.
Otherwise, he had to open himself up by channeling the fire spell with his hand.
The white fire came at the defenders of the wall like the breath of a dragon and grilled over fifteen defenders on the wall.
As more and more of his men were inside, he took to the air again and flew to the higher towers, where some mages, one of them Michael, had set up another magic circle and started bombarding his men.
The fireballs flung from the tower were powerful, and Steven saw how they hit a group of his men, killing most of them.
Steven sped up even more and rammed the two mages with his shield, throwing them off the tower.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
To his dismay, both could also fly, fire shot out of their feet, and they flew around the tower, bombarding him with fire spells.
He blocked them with his shield, and with a beat of his wings, he chased after them.
Michael and that other guy were sadly no amateurs and split up, with one trying to get behind his shield.
Steven tried to stop the one by shooting a light beam at the man, but he was too fast and dodged it.
Michael had turned his body around and fired some sort of red lightning at him. Steven blocked it with his shield, but the impact was so hard that he was thrown a few meters back.
He switched his target, now going after the mage that had positioned himself behind Steven. The guy immediately unleashed some kind of flamethrower at him.
With a beat of his wings, he dodged to the side, but parts of his light wings got burned, and it cost additional mana to repair them.
He blocked another fireball from Michael that threw him downward after impacting with his shield, he had already charged up his light beam before stabilizing and unleashing the beam at Michael.
The man turned into pure flames and appeared a few meters to the right, fully avoiding his spell.
How much mana did those guys have? They flew and kept attacking him, but he was confident that he would win in the end. The moment those two mages were out of mana, it was truly his turn.
At the moment it looked like he was losing, but it was quite the opposite. The other side was wasting a lot of mana for throwing him around without dealing any damage and wasting their precious mana.
He decided to speed things up because he didn''t want to miss out on too much credit from the other defenders who got slaughtered by his men.
His wings glowed more intensely while he was pushing more mana into them, and with a beat of his wings, he shot to the side while shooting another light beam at them with his lance.
The two men were surprised and not fast enough to react, and Michael got hit in the shoulder and flung backward.
Steven turned direction and flew at the other mage that already looked exhausted. The guy reacted quickly by throwing another fireball at Steven that slowed him down when he blocked it with his shield.
It didn''t slow him down enough for the mage to get out of his reach, and with a stab, he impaled the mage on his lance.
Finally, that felt good. Steven thought, turning around to that bastard Michael, and saw him in the distance, flying away at full speed.
He had escaped. It would not be worth chasing that guy. He would miss out on too much credit if he chased him all night, as Michael probably knew.
Steven could just hope that the guy would not join Kael, or at least would create problems for the man.
With that, he dove down to help his warrior. His orders were clear, kill everyone who resisted and leave the others alive to join them. In the end, the people had a higher worth alive than the credits earned by killing them.
Thorwald watched how Steven started attacking the mages on top of the tower. He currently led another charge at the defenders in the streets. They didn¡¯t attack the people hiding in the houses as long as the people didn''t attack them.
Well, they still checked for ambushes, but that''s it, and maybe if the people there looked rich, they often did not survive the safety checks, but most made it.
They had attacked with a little bit over 50 men a base with over two hundred.
Well, most of the defenders were no warriors anyway. Some were weak, and some did flee, so it was pretty easy, and they also didn''t have any elite warriors.
Thorwald hurled his throwing axe at a lone archer that was still alive on the wall. Next, he took his axe in both hands and charged up a powerful cut.
After swinging a cut as wide as the street crashed in the wall of defenders, killing most of them as they were just level 25 and not strong enough to withstand his might.
He dashed into them, swinging his axe, killing the warriors in rapid succession.
After the street was cleared, it was time for another round of house-checking. He wondered what treasure would be waiting for him.
He hammered his fist against the door and screamed, "Open the door if you want to live another day.".
After a short while, the door was opened by an older man who addressed him with fear in his voice. "Please, there is no need for violence. We have nothing to do with this conflict."
"You are a very wise man, Thorwald retorted grinning internally, I just need to check for potential threats. If you do not resist, nothing will happen to you and your family."
With that, he walked inside like he owned the place. The man was at level 25 and the others were not higher.
They were all weak, and Thorwald took his time with the inspection, checking every room and then the spatial rings.
They had potions, but that was it. Well, it was time to leave, and there was no real reason to kill them, even if he would like it. Steven was against it, so after a short time he opened the door to join his men, who were most likely waiting for him to continue the raid. He liked those tiny powerplays, and the battle was over after all, so no worries.
What he saw on the street was not what he had expected. A creature made out of darkness was holding a woman, the only healer in his company, by the neck while the rest of his men lay dead on the ground.
"What the fuck?" he exclaimed, infuriated while drawing his axe.
The creature head spun around and, without much effort, broke the neck of the woman and threw her away like she was garbage.
The next moment, the creature blurred as it appeared before him, striking at him with its long black claws.
Chapter 43: Kills
Thalion watched as the healthy warriors sprinted toward the hole in the wall, the big axe man had created, leaving their wounded and most of the healers behind.
Eyeing the easy credits to claim, he waited until most had passed through. Then he struck. Appearing before the first healer, he tore her head off with a swing of his claws. A few swipes later, the remaining eight lay lifeless on the ground. He looted their belongings and waited for the fight inside the base to progress further. From a distance, he observed Steven attacking two mages who stood atop the highest tower.
The man wasn¡¯t much of a fighter. He flew straight at the mages, getting blasted away every time a spell struck his shield.
Steven¡¯s power could have ended the battle swiftly, but fortunately for Thalion, the confrontation dragged on.
Now, Thalion sprinted through the breach in the wall, ready to slaughter anyone in his path.
The large place behind the wall was empty, save for corpses scattered on the ground. He looted their belongings and devoured the bodies with the tendrils of darkness before seeking more fighters. Eventually, he entered one of the larger streets, where he saw twenty people looting corpses in front of a large house, as though they were waiting for something.
Charging at full speed, he caught them completely off guard. The first three fell instantly under his initial attack.
Most of the group screamed in panic, slashing wildly at him. Thalion retaliated with violent swings of his claws, sending bodies flying like discarded puppets.
One man, wielding a large hammer, lunged at him. Thalion seized the hammer¡¯s shaft and hurled the man into the nearest wall. A sickening crack echoed as the man¡¯s bones shattered.
Some continued to slash at him, while a mage hurled a fireball in his direction. Thalion absorbed the strikes, then flung a corpse into the fireball, causing it to explode near the mage, throwing him off his feet.
Thalion dashed toward the mage, and before the man could rise, he was upon him, ripping him to pieces.
The remaining fighters, already gravely injured during his earlier frenzy, were easy prey. Thalion finished them off one by one.
His health had dropped to nearly 50 percent but was rapidly recovering thanks to his high regeneration.
The last survivors were the man with the hammer¡ªnow fully healed¡ªand a healer standing behind him.
Thalion dashed toward the hammer-wielding man, only to slam headfirst into a mana barrier conjured by the healer. The impact sent him stumbling back. As he rose, the man was upon him, bringing the hammer down with full force.
Thalion rolled to the side, narrowly evading the strike. Springing to his feet, he leaped at the man, his jaws snapping down. The man was too slow to raise his hammer in defense, and moments later, his headless body collapsed to the ground.
Turning his attention to the healer, Thalion advanced as she conjured another barrier. This time, he was ready. He tore through the barrier with his claws, then grabbed the woman by the neck and lifted her into the air. Perhaps she would provide valuable information.
Before he could question her, the door to the large house creaked open, and the man who had destroyed the wall earlier stepped out.
Thalion reacted instantly. He snapped the healer¡¯s neck and tossed her aside before launching himself at the new challenger.
This was no ordinary warrior. His armor gleamed with runes, and his axe radiated a bloody aura¡ªlikely a spirit weapon.
Thalion appeared before the man and lashed out with his claw, activating Shadow Claw.
The man screamed in surprise but managed to block with the shaft of his axe. Thalion grabbed the axe¡¯s handle and, with a swift rotation of his body, hurled the man across the street, slamming him into a house on the opposite side.
Thalion leaped after him, aiming to strike before the man could recover. But the axe-wielding warrior was fast. He rolled aside, rising quickly, and swung his axe at Thalion.
Thalion jumped back, narrowly dodging the red, glowing edge of the axe, which had grown in size.
Suddenly, an arrow struck Thalion¡¯s back, dealing massive damage. It had to be a charged shot.
He dove to the side as another arrow whizzed past and spotted the archer perched on a rooftop.
In an instant, Thalion scaled the wall of the building, reaching the rooftop in seconds. The archer tried to stab him with a short sword, but Thalion dodged and dispatched him with a swipe of his claws. Without pause, he leaped back to the street to face the axeman once more. His wound from the arrow had almost fully healed, but unfortunately, the axe-wielding warrior was back on his feet as well.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Both charged at each other. Thalion dodged beneath the man¡¯s swing and grabbed the man¡¯s leg, hurling him into another wall before the axe could strike.
The man¡¯s enchanted armor saved him again, allowing him to rise quickly. This was annoying since any weaker warrior would have died after such a throw.
The axe began to glow as the warrior unleashed a massive, magical slash. The attack resembled the active ability of a mana blade and would have killed Thalion instantly if it hit.
Thalion leaped onto the nearest wall, narrowly dodging the spell. The man unleashed a second slash. This time, Thalion dropped to the ground as the attack obliterated the house behind him.
He sprinted at the warrior, closing the gap before the axeman could swing again. Grabbing the axe¡¯s shaft, Thalion wrenched it aside while slashing at the man with Shadow Claw.
The warrior managed to evade by releasing his weapon and diving away, but not completely¡ªThalion¡¯s claws tore through his armor and nearly severed his arm. The man screamed in agony.
Thalion pounced, driving his claws into the man¡¯s chest and pinning him against the wall. Activating Abyssal Bite, he prepared to end the man¡¯s life.
Before Thalion¡¯s jaws could close around the man¡¯s head, a beam of light struck him, hurling him into a nearby house.
A figure with radiant, glowing wings descended, unleashing a torrent of white flames at Thalion. Recognizing the danger, Thalion pushed his body to its limits, dashing aside to evade the flames. With a powerful leap, he landed on the roof of the large house and fled across the rooftops. A final jump carried him over the wall, where he landed on soft grass and sprinted toward the jungle. He glanced back but saw no one pursuing him.
Thalion sprinted deep into the jungle, the dense canopy swallowing him in shadow. His wounds healed rapidly, thanks to his regeneration ability, though his body still bore the lingering ache of the intense battle. As he reached a familiar clearing where many plants with dark affinity had fully regrown.
Tonight had been a complete success. His credit score now stood at over 90,000¡ªenough to purchase advanced materials and items for his experiments. More importantly, he had gained two levels. He carefully allocated his free points. Dexterity for the umbral predator and wisdom to enhance his human abilities. The increased speed and precision would make him deadlier, while the wisdom would bolster his spellcraft.
As he leaned back against a gnarled tree, Thalion allowed himself a rare moment of reflection. The raid had gone almost too well. The warriors had been disorganized and the healers were woefully underprotected. Even the so-called elite fighters had fallen far too easily. Was this truly the best the settlement had to offer?
He closed his eyes, sorting through the scattered memories of the fight. The winged figure. That one was different. The radiant energy he had wielded was potent, almost holy in nature¡ªan unusual challenge for Thalion as umbral predator, whose power thrived in darkness. That man would need to be dealt with carefully.
<--
¡°Are you alright?¡± Steven asked Thorwald, who was slumped on the ground, visibly drained, as two healers worked to mend his injuries.
¡°Yeah, the healers are doing their job. But what was that thing?¡± Thorwald replied, his voice strained and his teeth clenched in pain.
¡°I think that was the umbral predator,¡± Steven responded grimly. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re done here. Michael has escaped, and the rest of the citizens either joined us or... didn¡¯t make it.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hope Michael doesn¡¯t join Kael,¡± Thorwald muttered as he slowly got to his feet, still unsteady but determined.
¡°Maybe we can use that to our advantage,¡± Steven said thoughtfully, his expression darkening.
¡°Kael¡¯s too smart to get taken out by Michael,¡± Thorwald replied, though there was doubt in his tone.
¡°No, I mean something else. The fear of the umbral predator might work in our favor,¡± Steven mused, lost in his thoughts.
¡°That could work,¡± Thorwald said, a sinister smile creeping across his face. ¡°Kael¡¯s soft. He wants to protect everyone and bring them to the next stage. If a monster is stalking humans in the jungle, he might even ask us for help.¡±
<--
Kael stood atop the highest tower of his fortress, his piercing gaze fixed on the dark expanse of the forest. The night was unusually quiet. No one had dared attack his base tonight, though other settlements hadn¡¯t been so lucky. News had already reached him that some survivors intended to seek refuge with him by morning.
But things weren¡¯t so simple anymore. Kael couldn¡¯t accept every stray wanderer seeking safety. They could be spies sent by Steven or assassins lying in wait. Especially tonight. He¡¯d ordered anyone arriving at the gates to remain outside until sunrise.
Tomorrow, Kael planned to search the system shop for a solution. Perhaps something like a binding contract or restraining cuffs to neutralize potential threats. But even that idea posed challenges¡ªthose with combat skills would gain an unfair edge in negotiations.
His thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected flash of light in the distance. A fireball streaked through the sky, arcing toward his base. It was still hundreds of meters away, but its trajectory was unmistakable. Activating Ranger¡¯s Sight, Kael focused his enhanced vision and saw the figure in front of it. He looked utterly exhausted.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kael murmured.
Moments later, Michael landed outside the gates, collapsing to his knees. He shouted up to the guards, his voice hoarse and desperate.
¡°Steven raided my base! Everything¡¯s gone! I have nothing left. Please, Kael¡ªI want to join you!¡±
Kael leapt down from the tower to the wall below, his movements fluid and powerful, a testament to the system¡¯s enhancements to his body. He regarded Michael coldly.
¡°Explain yourself,¡± Kael demanded, his tone sharp. ¡°You knew how close your base was to Steven¡¯s. An attack was inevitable.¡±
¡°Yes, I knew,¡± Michael admitted, desperation thick in his voice. ¡°But we prepared for it! He was too strong. Please, Kael, you¡¯re the only one left who can stop him. I can help you. I¡¯ve fought him before!¡±
Kael studied him in silence for a moment before responding. ¡°You¡¯ll wait here with the others until morning. I need to verify a few things before deciding whether to let you in.¡±
Michael hesitated but nodded reluctantly, stepping back toward the other refugees waiting outside the gates.
Later that night, Kael stood with Kai, one of his best friends in this new world, surveying the fortress grounds.
¡°We¡¯ll need to expand,¡± Kai said bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s already getting overcrowded.¡±
Kael sighed in frustration. ¡°I know. But Steven will attack us long before the next system shop. The other bases won¡¯t be able to hold him off much longer.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not so sure he¡¯ll come after us immediately,¡± Kai replied calmly. ¡°There¡¯s still the Water People and the orc clans. They could slow him down.¡±
¡°Maybe. But I don¡¯t want to gamble on it.¡± Kael ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought. ¡°Let¡¯s consult the others. I don¡¯t want to burn through all our credits on expansion again.¡±
Kai nodded, though his expression was grim. Both men knew the fortress needed to grow if they were to survive what was coming. But the cost¡ªboth in resources and time¡ªwas a heavy one.
Chapter 44: Forces Aligning
Seraphina Marquess sat on her throne, reviewing the reports from last night. As expected, the man who owned the White Fortress had attacked one of his direct neighbors, and his camp would probably grow in power. There were even rumors that the man was blessed by a god, and that was where his strength came from. But she didn''t need to worry. Here on the sea, he had no chance of fighting her.
Last week, they had gathered many slaves and even found that stubborn girl, Nerissa, who had set up an outpost in her empire after teleporting to the third stage. Seraphina had grown strong, but she wanted to make sure she got a class of high rarity when evolving to E grade. Therefore, she used the slaves to dive down to harvest pearls and corals. Those pearls were important for her body-tempering and could even improve her water affinity. Since last week, she had been using her body-tempering manual that helped her regenerate mana and allowed it to flow faster through her body.
She had, moreover, learned about aura control and was pretty good at it. Now she could feel the aura of others and gauge their strength. She could also amplify her aura to make herself stronger and even release some killing intent. In this last aspect, she needed more improvement.
<--
Grommash Bloodcleaver sat on his throne of bones. The night had gone well for him. He had united all orc clans under his rule. Grommash had killed two chieftains last night. No one could match his strength or brutality in combat. This was not only his doing but also that of his patron, Garlmok the Warbringer. This god was the strongest orc he had ever encountered, strong, smart, and brutal, which was everything Grommash admired in life. The epic blessing also helped him reach this position, giving him additional strength no orc could match.
Around his neck, he wore an iron chain adorned with orc teeth and some from the greatest beasts he had ever killed. Planning in secret was difficult for him because he enjoyed killing his enemies in front of observers. However, his patron had advised him to be cautious, so he followed his god''s instructions. Now that he commanded all nearby orcs, though the vast tutorial area likely contained many more orcs. It wasn''t worth traveling so far just to add weaklings to the horde.
It was time to kill some humans, but they needed to act strategically. An all-out attack would be unwise, especially on the three fortresses: gray, white, and blue near the ocean. Over the coming days, he would raid between camps, though he knew that eventually all humans would gather in the large fortresses. It seemed the humans were divided and even fought among themselves, as three of the smaller bases near the White Fortress were burned to the ground overnight.
The negative was that there were fewer humans to kill; the positive was that the survivors were stronger, making it more fun. Today, the system shop would arrive, and his god had already told him what he needed to tear down those big fortresses. The humans wouldn¡¯t know what hit them.
<--
Thalion had fully recovered from last night¡¯s activity and had already started eating the dark plants. He had many goals, one being to continue eating those plants. The good thing was that as long as he was the only one consuming the flora here, the small flowers and vines would fully regrow by the time he made a full circuit. His main concern was the quality, fearing that it might not be high enough. He might need an alchemist or a similar skill to enchant the plants for a better boost to his dark affinity.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
One option was to check the system shop or visit one of the human bases and consult an alchemist. Additionally, he wanted to improve his swordsmanship. He enjoyed the precision, speed, and strength required for mastery. Another goal was to enhance his skills as an umbral predator. If the axe-wielding warrior from last night had shown even a little skill, Thalion might not have survived.
A third goal was smithing. With the skill he had acquired, he could forge weapons and armor and even enhance them with special properties, and he wanted to craft the perfect armor. He had many weapons and pieces of armor in his spatial ring from last night to practice on. Just because he had the skill didn¡¯t mean he could instantly craft every weapon he wanted.
The final points on his list were two new forms, one for flying and one for swimming. After visiting the system shop, he planned to travel to the mountains in search of a powerful flying beast, possibly stopping by another fortress not under Steven¡¯s control to get advice from alchemists or smiths. Another item he hoped to buy from the shop was a body-tempering scroll for both forms. He had first heard about it from the scroll bought on his first visit to the system shop. Those should allow him to upgrade his race in both forms.
He had plenty of goals but fortunately had earned enough credits last night to confidently expect useful items from the system shop. Another thought crossed his mind: since he was training with his mana blade, there might be a scroll on advanced spell use, which would be very valuable.
He was currently close to perfecting the third form of swordsmanship on the scroll. It wouldn¡¯t be long until the system shop opened. Then, a message appeared on his quest screen.
Special Quest:
In three months, four catacombs will open across the fifth tutorial stage. Each catacomb contains a ritual pillar linked to the rebirth of Ankhet Sekhmara. Destroying a pillar will weaken him. Prepare for the challenge, as his power must be diminished before the final confrontation.
Ah, yes, he had completely forgotten about the special quests cooldown. But what was happening? Four catacombs and a final confrontation¡ªall this sounded ominous, but he wouldn¡¯t be deterred. He would become immortal, and no quest could stop him.
<--
Solarion sat on his throne, preparing for the coming war when he sensed something unusual. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but an ancient presence had appeared. His foresight blurred when he tried to predict the tutorial¡¯s outcome, which intrigued him. Unfortunately, he could no longer view the tutorial, as the system blocked the gods¡¯ visions after the second week and erased the memories of any survivors observed. He could, however, ask his blessed ones, although communication between gods and their blessed was limited and was mainly used to provide guidance on their path or purchases in the system store.
Now, he reached out to those within the tutorials, asking if something unusual had occurred, and his eyes widened at their explanation. In one of the tutorials, a special quest had emerged related to the rebirth of Ankhet Sekhmara. Ankhet Sekhmara was one of Amun Ra¡¯s core disciples. Amun Ra was one of the four great beings who ruled before the extinction. Almost nothing remained of their empires, with insights provided only occasionally by the system. Many believed Amun Ra to be the most powerful, as the ruins of his empire were the most formidable by far.
His disciples were known to attain immortality in late F-grade, an achievement unheard of since the extinction. Reaching this level required a divine rarity in class or race, a feat no one had managed in the current era. Of all his disciples, it had to be Ankhet Sekhmara, known by the system as a master of the soul, undead, and sand. To be titled ¡°master¡± by the system was rare. He was the god of war and light, and that honor came right after receiving the title ¡°master.¡±
Ankhet Sekhmara¡¯s age was unknown, though it was believed Amun Ra¡¯s direct disciples did not evolve for millions of years, only evolving when they reached perfection. This meant that if he appeared with his original strength, everyone in the tutorial would undoubtedly fall. Solarion decided he may need to invite the gods of the alliance to form plans for this tutorial, especially since Amun Ra¡¯s direct disciples had earned another title: the killers of god''s chosen.
Chapter 45: Blood and Shadow
Thalion was pretty happy with himself despite messing up four items with his smithing skill while trying to build a sword, but it was only natural to fail the first few times.
Gladly, the system shop would open soon, and he had a lot of credits available for shopping.
He appeared before the voice of the system after the system shop opened and instantly asked, "Hi, can you give me body-tempering manuals for my humans and beast form?"
Instantly, a lot of items appeared in front of him, but two drew his attention immediately.
Crimson Vein Codex
This manual channels the user¡¯s blood essence into a powerful weapon. It strengthens the blood vessels and heart, allowing the Blood Mage to control their blood with greater precision and intensity. As the body is tempered, the user gains the ability to harden their blood into protective armor or sharpened spikes. [21,000 Credits]
Shadowforge Doctrine
This manual teaches the user how to infuse their muscles and bones with shadow essence, significantly increasing both their strength and resilience. As the body is tempered, the user¡¯s physical form becomes more powerful, allowing them to deliver devastating blows while remaining nearly imperceptible in darkness. The combination of enhanced strength and stealth makes the practitioner a formidable force, capable of overpowering enemies in both direct combat and surprise attacks. [28,000 Credits]
Another way to power up his blood and gain better blood control that would push his power to new heights. The second sounded even better; to infuse shadow essence into his muscles and bones sounded very powerful and exactly what he needed to achieve a good evolution in E grade. Both were just perfect. As he looked greedily at the two manuals, it took all of his control not to buy those two right here and now.
For now, he would actually ignore the forging stuff and go for items that had the most synergy with his current path; forging was something of a side profession. So, he asked the voice of the system, "Could you show me items that enhance my abilities as a mage and improve my combat skills as an Umbral Hunter?"
Scroll of Arcane Mastery
This ancient scroll contains the knowledge of battlemages, offering guidance on mastering combat techniques that blend martial prowess with magical control. When studied, the scroll imparts crucial insights into controlling mana in high-stress situations, enabling the mage to cast spells with greater precision and speed. It also outlines defensive techniques for close combat, transforming the mage into a formidable opponent in both ranged and melee engagements. [31,000 Credits]
Scroll of Predatory Control
This ancient scroll, inscribed with the secrets of shadowy hunters, is designed for a predator. It teaches the user how to harness and control their predatory instincts, allowing for more efficient and lethal strikes. The scroll also enhances the predator¡¯s ability to manipulate mana to cloak themselves, track prey, and deliver devastating attacks with unerring accuracy. With this knowledge, the predator can dominate the battlefield with unmatched precision and deadly efficiency. [18,000 Credits]
He liked both scrolls, but with the first, the price was 31,000 credits, which was just too much for him. He could buy so much stuff, and he already had a scroll that explained the basics.
He got another idea. "Do you have things that could teach me blood magic or how to better control the sanguine thorn?" Thalion asked, with all the abilities that already were purifying his blood to a remarkable degree. A lesson about blood spells would be welcome.
Scroll of Sanguine Mastery
This unique scroll, bestowed by the vampire god Tenebrice, is the pinnacle of blood magic mastery. It contains the secrets of the most potent blood spells known to exist, granting the mage unparalleled power and control over the life force of others. [22,000 Credits]
That would be perfect, Thalion thought; he desperately needed some clues to better use his blood abilities.
As he was contemplating whether this was everything and if he should buy it and leave it at that, the voice spoke, "The vampire god Tenebrice has invited you. If you decline now or after the talk, all memories of the meeting will be lost for the god."
"Oh, this is not good," Thalion thought aloud. He asked the voice, "How does he know of me? Can gods freely watch the tutorial?"
To his surprise, the voice answered without charging him, "No, they can only see you in this space. After the system shop ends, all information about you will be lost to the god. The only option for the god to keep the memory of you is if you allow him to by accepting his blessing."
"Can the god force me to take his blessing by some sort of mind control?" he asked the voice, as it was currently in a talkative mood.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings."No, they have no way to influence you beyond their words. They can¡¯t even touch you," the voice answered.
"Well, great then. I accept. Let¡¯s see what the guy has to say."
With that, he was teleported away for the second time that day and stood before a vampire in space. Behind the vampire, he saw a giant red palace, bigger than a planet, rising into the sky... or into space, since they were not on a planet after all.
The eyes of the vampire glowed a deep red as he spoke, "You are not even a vampire but received my sanguine thorn. Interesting. How did you get it?"
"Well, I killed a vampire," Thalion answered, crossing his fingers behind his back, hoping the system had not lied to him.
"Do you wish to become a vampire? The system has restricted me a lot, so I can¡¯t sense much of your body, but I can smell your blood, and it is strong for your level," the god asked him, his hands corssed before his chest.
Thalion was surprised. He had thought the god would be angry for killing one of his blessed, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t care in the least.
So he answered honestly, "No, not really. I¡¯m already a shapeshifter and prefer to keep my human form."
"A pity," the god retorted. "So why did you come here if you¡¯re not interested in a blessing?" The god asked, still completely calm.
"Well, I¡¯ve never met a god before and wanted to see what¡¯s possible. I was also hoping for a few pointers," Thalion replied, though he thought maybe he should have asked for pointers before declining the god¡¯s offer.
"Hmm, I will forget this conversation until you allow me to remember it. But even if you are not blessed by me, we can work together in the future. I am the strongest blood mage in existence," the god said, still very calm. Thalion started to believe the god was holding back some anger and internally was cursing him.
"Sure, I don¡¯t seek enemies. Can you tell me something more about the sanguine thorn?" He asked the god, hoping to get some information.
"The sanguine thorn is a combination of a tempering method and a spirit weapon. What it becomes in the end is up to you. Just feed it well, and you should have no trouble," the god explained.
"How can I control the evolution of the sanguine thorn into what I want?" Thalion asked the god hopefully.
"Like with every evolution, push as many stats into it as you can. Affinities can also influence it. Once its awakening is fully complete, you can speak with it. That should make things much easier," the god answered, the red glow in his eyes spiking a bit. "Now, to business. Have you noticed that your tutorial has a special quest?"
"Yes, is that not normal?" he asked, puzzled why a god would be so interested in his tutorial.
"Yes, quests are normal, but not this one. Do you know who Ankhet Sekhmara is?" Tenebrice kept asking.
"No, I have no idea," Thalion replied, now confused about why something at F grade would even be important to a god.
"Ankhet Sekhmara was one of the core disciples of Amun Ra. He is late F grade and has already reached immortality," Tenebrice explained in a serious tone. "That means his race or class, likely both, are of divine rarity or even higher. Since the four great gods disappeared after the extinction, nothing like this has happened. Ankhet is recognized by the system as the master of soul, undead, and sand, which is extraordinary, and he likely possesses long-lost knowledge."
"Wait, how did someone like that end up in a tutorial? I thought it was for newly integrated planets," Thalion exclaimed, now worried.
"Yes, but sometimes the system throws materials from regions where the apocalypse has occurred into tutorials, and it seems Ankhet''s survival plans have succeeded," the god answered. "The core strength of the undead faction is grounded in the remains of Amun Ra''s empire. If Ankhet is allowed to awaken, even at half his strength, despite the massive backlash from his rebirth, he will kill or turn everyone in this tutorial. The undead faction would very much like for him to do exactly that."
"Aren¡¯t you also undead?" Thalion asked, trying to play the stupid one, which would hopefully force the god to explain a bit more. It was funny that one of the earlier civilizations had a god named Amun Ra. Wasn''t Amun the god of life back on earth... well, whatever.
"Yes, which is why I want you to help the undead faction to ensure Ankhet''s resurrection. It should be impossible for Ankhet to die if one of the pillars remains active. As an ally, you would be left alone and could continue your journey," Tenebrice said, calm as ever.
Thalion continued with his plan, but his bullshit radar had been tripped. Playing along, he said, "I¡¯m only at the third stage. I probably won¡¯t be of much help, and won¡¯t the undead attack me on sight?"
"Well, if you give me permission to remember this conversation, I can tell them, of course," the god replied, still feigning calm, though Thalion could sense his frustration.
"So, how does communication work, and how often can you talk with your blessed?" Thalion inquired.
"Often enough, don¡¯t worry about that," the god replied, still composed.
Amused, Thalion thought of testing his limits, curious to see how much he could irritate the god.
"The other thing is, I don¡¯t have a map or anything. It would probably take me a long time walking around until I find the undead. So far, I¡¯ve only met some vampires, and that¡¯s it," Thalion said innocently.
The vampire god finally exploded and the space around him lit up in a red glow. "Then fucking run, you... you... you think you can make fun of me? I am the leader of all vampires! Nothing comes close to my might! And don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten that you killed one of my blessed and stole the sanguine thorn. The vampires on the higher levels are already instructed to use your sanguine thorn to power up their own. You will die like the good cattle you and your race are."
With those words, Thalion reappeared in the system shop. The god had ended the conversation, much to his disappointment¡ªhe had a perfect comeback ready. But, well, what could he do? He hoped that the god had lied about instructing the other vampires on the higher stages. It shouldn''t be possible since the god had already forgotten the conversation. Or this had already happened after the god had noticed that one of his blessed with the sanguine thorn had died.
This whole business with gods and whatever the undead faction was planning was unnerving. Nothing he could do about it for now, but he would have to accelerate his plans.
Thalion bought the Crimson Vein Codex, Shadowforge Doctrine, Scroll of Predatory Control, and Scroll of Sanguine Mastery. After saying goodbye to the voice of the system, which didn¡¯t respond, he was teleported back onto the soft moss of the third stage.
This was definitely a change in plans, and he would head for the fortress in the north immediately, beginning his journey in the form of the umbral predator.
Chapter 46: Blessings and Rivalries
Kael exited the system shop with mixed feelings, as he was surprisingly invited by a god for a round of talk that, in the end, got him an ancient blessing and solved all the problems he had worried about last night.
The god who blessed him was Aeta, a god with a ranger class like him. It was really nice meeting the guy.
They had a long talk; he even gave him an orb that bound him closer to nature and allowed his body to absorb mana more easily. Then they had a little archery lesson, and the god told him a lot of tricks for hitting moving targets.
The negative part was the talk they had about the special quest. Ankhet Sekhmara was a mortal who defeated time and lived before the great apocalypse, which happened over 500 eras ago, erasing all life.
Somehow, that guy had survived, and his soul was repairing itself slowly, and the undead faction was supporting him in all aspects. The gods couldn¡¯t see into the tutorial, but the worth that guy held for the undead faction meant all their gods were probably trying to bless as many survivors as possible.
A group of powerful gods didn¡¯t want to sit by while the undead faction gained such an asset, mostly the stronger gods and those close to the undead faction.
This also led to him being blessed. A blessing weakens the god if he doesn¡¯t get his payout when the mortal fails to reach godhood. So, even though the situation was urgent, even the strongest gods could only bless a few people in the tutorial.
Another message that disappointed him was that his god was on good terms with Solarion, who apparently was one of the oldest and strongest gods in existence, and to his dismay, was also the god who had blessed Steven.
This forced them into some kind of alliance. At least he didn¡¯t need to interact with that guy too much. The only good thing was that war and attacks were out of the question now.
The open question was, what were the orcs or those other humans up to? His patron would inform him if he got news. The blessed at F grade could only talk twice a week with their gods, but it should be enough to give them a big advantage over those without a blessing.
Being blessed by a god gave so many advantages. First, he bought some extra districts for his settlement and one whole district where he would place the new citizens. The district was isolated, and leaving it was not possible without permission. They could of course go out hunting but not enter the living district of his current citizens.
This was exactly what they needed. Next was the equipment. He had a new bow, dagger, short sword, and an enchanted cloak that could even block weak strikes and made it harder to notice him when he didn¡¯t move.
Oh, and all three weapons were spirit weapons, which was great and overpowered. He had 110,000 credits, and to be able to buy that much was too good to be true. The reason for it was that he could now buy items in the systemshop related to his god that were reserved for only those with a strong blessing.
He turned to Kai and Sylas, who had all evolved together with him, and both had new equipment and big smiles on their faces.
"I guess you also got blessed," Kael asked with a smile on his face.
"Seems like it," Kai nodded. No wonder Steven had it so easy with such power.
"Let¡¯s check what the others got," Sylas said excitedly while moving to the door. Kai and Kael followed him.
After a short walk, they met Annie and Jakob. Both were in some kind of sparring match, completely destroying the room.
"Hey, stop," Kai yelled, which was unusual for him since he was normally the calm one.
"Yes, sir," Jakob said, stopping instantly as they looked at them.
"So you got blessed too?" Kael asked, pointing out the obvious since both had new clothing, and Annie was wearing a diadem with a blue crystal in the middle that glowed with blue light.
"Yes, there is just one thing: I was blessed by the same god as those water witches," Annie blurted out.
"That is actually not unwelcome. We need to contact them anyway at some point," Kael said deep in thought. "So I guess we don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore?"
"I don¡¯t know. The godess just told me that I need to go there because of the natural treasures in the ocean and that the blessing would keep me safe," Annie said, looking at the ground. "I don¡¯t really want to go there¡ªthey enslaved us."
"See it like this: you are just there to steal their resources, and then you leave," Kai said calmly.
"Which god blessed you?" Jakob asked Sylas since the mage had a completely different outfit than before.
"I¡¯m blessed by Eryndor." He explained proudly.
"I guess they truly don¡¯t want this Ankhet to survive this tutorial," Kael murmured deep in thought.
"Let¡¯s check in with the orc and the girl. If we¡¯re blessed, they are too," Kai said while walking in the direction of the other tower where the two were residing.
<--
Steven was very unhappy with the situation. His all-mighty patron was now throwing out blessings left and right. Even that brute Thorwald had gotten a legendary one, which powered him up even more.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.The worst thing: he was forbidden to openly war against Kael and his people because the gods were in some kind of alliance against the guy from the special event. He was even ordered to share resources with them.
This whole tutorial should have been his show. When he conquered it, he would join Solarion''s chosen with a powerful army after the tutorial.
Now, a lot of people were competing for this spot, especially Thorwald, who straight-up baptized everyone who didn¡¯t have a blessing.
He said it was for their survival, but Steven knew it was just for his power and to get in the good graces of the people. It was also his first move against Steven because everyone knew now that he could have baptized them too, giving them a significant power-up.
Steven also wanted to use this to reward the loyalists among his followers, but now he could forget about that. He had to tell them a story where he was advised by the god not to baptize people lightly, but this had changed now with the appearance of the special event.
With that, he, Thorwald, and some light warrior named Joe were in a battle over who could baptize the most people.
Joe, sadly, was Thorwald¡¯s biggest fan and helped him with everything. Another thing that deeply annoyed Steven was that he had shown weakness by not baptizing his people in the first place, making Thorwald seem more competent, which infuriated him. That brute being better than him? Unacceptable.
At least he still had a few levels on that guy and, at the moment, was stronger. He also made sure that some of his followers were spreading the story that he had saved Thorwald from the umbral predator, which Thorwald didn¡¯t manage to fight, showing everybody that he was stronger and the recent power-up meant nothing.
To his disdain, many rumors were spreading that it was only due to Steven having a blessing at the time. Some even said he could only defeat the umbral predator because Thorwald weakened the beast significantly.
Anyway, it was time for some hunting and leveling. Thorwald still hated Kael, and maybe an opportunity would present itself where he could get rid of both troublemakers. He just needed to keep his lead on them.
With a beat of his wings, he flew into the air to hunt his first beast of the day.
<--
Mazu was worried. She was one of the gods closest to the Eternal Dominion and not a weak one either. Near her was a faction of liches, one of the most powerful undead factions. At first, she thought herself quite lucky at the arrival of the integration. As she found, on one of the innumerable worlds integrated into the new universe, people with high water affinity.
This was quite rare since most of the planets with dense water-affinity mana were often dominated by beasts. She had given some of the Marquess family her blessing, but now she was forced to invest heavily in one of the tutorials to hopefully prevent the rebirth of one of Amun-Ra¡¯s direct disciples.
This situation was almost hopeless, but she needed to believe that it was possible. If that being was allowed to join the Eternal Dominion, it could get very dangerous for her. Most undead factions were part of the Eternal Dominion, and they all would go far to help Ankhet. Luckily, she was not the only god who didn¡¯t want the Eternal Dominion to gain such an asset¡ªa living being that had survived the extinction. Hopefully, that thing would never exit the tutorial.
Normally, if special events happened in the tutorial, she told her subjects to create a base in the ocean. There, they were safe, as most beings struggled with fighting underwater. Especially in the early grades, and her blessed could use the unlimited supply of water to fuel their spells more effectively. This event was different. Her people would definitely not be safe from Ankhet Sekhmara, even on the ocean.
She was a goddess of water, specializing in killing the undead. While she was very good at healing miasma wounds or inflicting massive damage on the undead, she knew that none of her skills passed down through her blessing would help them much in fighting Ankhet Sekhmara. Her only hope was that they could eliminate the presence of the undead faction and then unite to kill Ankhet, though with great losses.
That was a price she was prepared to pay. If he was allowed to exit the tutorial, the whole new universe would be in danger. Another thing that helped her mission significantly was that the strongest gods in almost every integration gave out their divine blessings to gather more endless energy.
Those projects were now in danger because Ankhet would easily kill the chosen ones of those gods. The chosen ones had many advantages, especially from the stronger gods, making it almost impossible to kill them. Most of the time, the only way they died was when they fought against another chosen of a different god.
This was a means for gods to weaken their opponents, because losing someone holding a divine blessing meant that the god wouldn¡¯t get back their investment, which would permanently weaken the god. This explains why many gods put their grudges aside for now and invested heavily in the tutorial to kill Ankhet Sekhmara. She could only hope they would succeed in their mission.
Chapter 47: Reunion
Thalion switched to his human form as he neared the fortress and walked out into the clearing. There were many people waiting in front of the gate. He even spotted that fire guy from yesterday¡ªthe one who fought Steven¡ªwaiting by the gate.
Thalion approached the nearest group. ¡°Hey, what are you all waiting for? Aren''t they opening today?¡±
¡°Yes, they said they bought something from the system shop, so we can all enter,¡± a woman said happily.
¡°Do you know who owns this giant fortress?¡± he asked the group, assuming they were Steven¡¯s enemies since the fire guy was seeking a new home here.
¡°It¡¯s Kael¡¯s. He¡¯s some sort of ranger,¡± the woman replied, pointing to a large tower integrated into the wall. ¡°You can see him up there.¡±
They had progressed further than he expected.
Thalion was not someone who typically experienced strong emotions, and even when he did, he rarely showed them. He had learned the hard way during his time at the orphanage, where any sign of weakness was quickly exploited by kids who had veered toward a more criminal path. Many of them sought fast, easy money and craved recognition, yearning to be accepted in a world that often looked down on them. But Thalion had never cared about such things.
From an early age, he realized that true happiness came from doing what you loved. An excursion to the beach solidified this belief for him. The serene atmosphere and the salty breeze washing over his face gave him a glimpse of what he truly wanted in life. This realization eventually led him to pursue a career as a marine biologist.
Now, with the arrival of the system, a new and thrilling goal presented itself¡ªimmortality. While Thalion wasn¡¯t willing to abandon all morals in pursuit of it, he was prepared to go far to achieve his ambition. After all, friends were good to have. They kept you grounded, especially during the difficult times. Though he rarely relied on his friends for help when facing trouble, he deeply valued the moments they shared.
Thalion especially enjoyed drunken evenings at the bar, which often ended with the group lounging on the beach, sipping beer and wine, and indulging in wild fantasies about how the world could be and what they would do if...
His time with Sylas and the others had been genuinely enjoyable. Having someone to share jokes and moments of camaraderie with had made everything feel a little brighter and he was looking forward to a nice reunion.
"Thanks for the info. I hope you find safety here,¡± he said, then leaped into the air, propelling himself forward with a telekinetic dash. His training paid off as he shot up toward the tower with telecinetic dash.
He had to be careful not to touch the runes forming a transparent barrier above the wall, extending much higher than the actual stone structure.
He heard shouts from the ground and battlements as he shot up to the tower. With another dash, he reached its height. Since the last system shop, bases have expanded greatly. Previously, walls reached up to ten meters, but now this one stood at around twenty meters, with the tower probably around forty or fifty meters tall. It wasn¡¯t even the tallest. Inside the base, buildings reached double the tower''s height.
Moments later, he stood on a mana barrier before Kael and two archers, both staring at him in disbelief.
¡°Hey there, you¡¯ve come a long way,¡± he greeted Kael, who was standing on the tower with wide eyes.
¡°Thalion, is that you? We haven¡¯t heard from you in ages!¡± Kael exclaimed. ¡°Come on in, it¡¯s great to see you!¡± With a wave of his hand, the shield in front of Thalion disappeared.
¡°Cool trick,¡± Thalion thought as he stepped onto the battlements. Before he could say more, Kael pulled him into a big hug.
¡°Wait, this is Thalion, the fire mage who attacked Thorwald after he hunted two vampires!¡± one of the archers exclaimed in surprise.
¡°Speaking of Thorwald, what happened to that guy? Did you kill him when he was chasing you?¡± Thalion asked Kael.
¡°Sadly, no. He joined Steven and is much stronger now,¡± Kael replied, clearly still hating the man who tried to kill him.
¡°Wait, does he by any chance wear heavy white armor with a big axe and small forearm shields?¡± Thalion asked, wondering if the guy he failed to kill last night due to Steven¡¯s interruption could be Thorwald. Nah, that couldn¡¯t be... what are the chances?If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
¡°Yes, exactly. Did you encounter him on this stage?¡± Kael said, confirming Thalion''s suspicion.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Thalion muttered aloud. He said, ¡°I saw him from a distance yesterday, smashing into a castle wall.¡±
¡°Ah, that was Michael¡¯s base¡ªthe guy outside the gate.¡± Kael nodded downward at the fire guy, who was yelling, wondering why Thalion was allowed in while he was still waiting outside.
¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate. Now you¡¯re the only one maintaining the resistance, and there¡¯s that special quest coming up. Ankhet is strong enough that even some gods are worried about him,¡± Thalion said, spinning the story a bit. He couldn¡¯t openly tell them he was invited by the greatest vampire god.
¡°Oh, so you already know? Not surprising you got blessed, too,¡± Kael nodded.
¡°Wait, you got a blessing? I thought blessings were rare,¡± Thalion said in surprise.
¡°Normally, yes, but the special quest changed things. Nearly every strong warrior here got blessed,¡± Kael replied. ¡°Which blessing do you have?¡±
¡°Well, the blessing offered to me didn¡¯t fit my path, so I had to decline,¡± Thalion said, avoiding the subject.
¡°You¡¯re the first I¡¯ve heard of rejecting a blessing,¡± Kael said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve got organizing to do with all these new recruits. Here, take this,¡± he continued, handing Thalion a white crystal. ¡°It grants you full access and allows you passage through the shields.¡±
¡°Kai and Sylas are training in one of those halls. If you want to spar or catch up, we can talk later. We¡¯ve got so many stories to share! Would you believe that some slaves joined us after a wolf-tiger hybrid spoke to them?¡± Kael said, heading toward the gate.
¡°Nah, I can¡¯t,¡± Thalion replied, chuckling as he kept a straight face. He was glad the slaves had made it, but he wasn¡¯t ready to reveal his secrets.
With a wave, he said goodbye to Kael, who leapt from the tower to the gate below. Turning inside, this wasn¡¯t just a fortress. It was more like a city, much larger than the Blue Robes'' base.
He dashed toward the building Kael had pointed out near the wall, almost as tall as the tower. Entering the three-meter gate, he was stunned.
Thalion had seen strange space effects before, but this was beyond anything he¡¯d experienced. The building was over a hundred meters high and even wider. Multiple sparring matches were taking place on the ground. In the distance, he spotted Kai fighting with two other warriors and nearby, he saw mages experimenting with powerful spells, far more potent than his fireball unless fully charged.
He walked to the side, observing the fighters. Some were even learning the second form of the sword, though they were far from perfect. He wondered how many lived here. It could be close to a thousand.
At the mage station, Sylas noticed him. ¡°Thalion, no way! You¡¯re alive!¡± Just then, Sylas was hit by a lightning bolt that slipped through his defenses, knocking him back three meters, his chest smoking.
¡°Oops, sorry,¡± the other mage¡ªa beautiful woman¡ªsaid.
¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, it barely hurt,¡± Sylas gasped, using a healing spell on himself, and the last sparks of electricity faded along with his pained expression.
¡°Did you buy a healing spell from the system shop?¡± Thalion asked, surprised by Sylas''s newfound strength.
¡°Yeah, I was blessed by a mage god who gave me a rundown on the essentials. I even got a movement skill!¡± With that, he demonstrated a wind dash.
¡°Up for a spar? I¡¯m curious how much you¡¯ve improved. Surviving alone must have been brutal,¡± Sylas challenged him with a grin.
¡°Sure. What are the rules?¡± Thalion asked, though he didn¡¯t plan to use his blood spells.
¡°No lethal hits, and we fight until one of us can¡¯t continue,¡± Sylas replied casually, motioning for Thalion to step in the circle.
Thalion stepped into the twenty-meter-wide circle, and Sylas activated something that made runes on the ground glow. A shield rose around them, isolating them from the rest of the hall.
¡°You can start,¡± Sylas said with a confident smile.
Thalion summoned a small fireball, tossing it at Sylas to gauge his strength.
Sylas countered with a gust of wind, turning the fireball into lingering flames. Thalion disrupted the fiery wind with a mana wave, noticing Sylas casting lightning from the tip of his staff.
Thalion dodged by a hair. Sylas was stronger than he¡¯d anticipated.
Sylas cast more lightning. Thalion, testing something, summoned his mana blade and swung it to block the lightning.
It worked well. He was thrown back a few meters but was pleased with the result.
Thalion threw another fireball, slightly larger, aiming just above Sylas''s eyes to briefly obscure his vision. Sprinting after it, he knew the wind might affect the fireball at any moment but trusted his reflexes.
When the fireball erupted, Thalion used a strong mana wave to blast the fiery wind toward Sylas. Sylas quickly summoned a mana barrier, blocking the flames entirely.
Thalion approached, not at full speed. He didn¡¯t want to reveal his full strength.
As he got close, he stabbed at Sylas through the barrier, but Sylas wasn¡¯t there. He¡¯d dashed into the air, lightning glowing on his staff. With a swing, he unleashed a lightning wave at Thalion.
Thalion sprinted forward, dodging between bolts with telekinetic dashes. Those he couldn¡¯t avoid, he deflected with his mana blade, precisely catching each spell with his sword and redirecting it aside.
Sylas¡¯ eyes widened as Thalion closed in, throwing gusts of wind to push him back, but Thalion dodged to the side, then forward.
Sylas tried a mana barrier, but Thalion cut through it and punched Sylas, sending him to the ground.
¡°Ouch! You didn¡¯t have to punch that hard,¡± Sylas exclaimed, channeling his healing spell.
¡°I could have thrown a fireball if you¡¯d prefer that,¡± Thalion joked while landing on the ground before Sylas.
Sylas had grown strong, but he seemed to be holding back as well.
Then Thalion noticed the training had stopped around them, and everyone was watching.
He overheard murmurs, "How is he that fast?¡± ¡°Who is that guy?¡± ¡°Is he stronger than Kael?¡±
He hadn¡¯t meant to draw so much attention. To ease the pressure, he waved at a small man near the shield. ¡°Hello, Kai, long time no see!¡±
Chapter 48: Reunion and Surprises
"Hey Thalion, you have grown in power," Kai commented, stepping a bit closer.
"Dude, not only grown. Did you see how fast he is?" Sylas exclaimed loudly.
"Thank you very much. So, can I get a little tour of this giant fortress?" Thalion asked with a smile. It felt good reuniting, but he also felt that this might only be temporary. He needed to find new forms and travel to the mountain so he couldn''t stay for too long.
To reconnect with people you had experienced so much with was very nice, but he already noticed that the desire to squeeze the maximum progress out of every hour was slowly decreasing. Maybe it was just in his head. Owning a room here, he could still go out and come back after a week of hunting.
"Sure, we have a lot of smiths, and your equipment looks pretty bad, my friend," Sylas announced, dragging him along.
"Those sword movements looked skilled. Did you train with the sword?" Kai asked while moving with Sylas and Thalion to the exit.
"Yeah, I got my hands on a scroll that taught me some forms," Thalion responded.
"At which attack form are you at the moment?" Kai asked, interested.
"I''m close to perfecting the third form," Thalion answered. "Where are you at the moment?"
"I''ve got some kind of teacher in a crystal who can talk with me, but to put it in forms, I''m close to finishing the fourth," Kai said with a smile. Yeah, no wonder that guy was better than him when it came to the sword, Thaloin thought.
"Okay, anyway," Sylas threw in while opening the gate, "welcome to our home. Over there are the smiths. Don''t get irritated that there are only seven buildings. In every building are many forges and multiple smiths working."
"Yeah, I noticed already. This space alteration is so cool," Thalion replied. "So, what are the other buildings, and who lives in the big one in the middle?"
"We live there, of course. Kael does too. Before yesterday, it was just a big house where we held our meetings, but his patron has special buildings for his blessed ones, so we got this giant building that wasn''t even much more expensive than the house before," Sylas concluded with a big smile.
"Over there are the alchemists. They can make potions and enchant matireals," Kai informed him.
"And we have tailors and enchanters, both placed in front of the smiths. The rest is living space, but now I want to introduce you to two of my new friends, and I swear you won''t believe it," Sylas excitedly said while dashing toward the building in the middle.
"Okay," Thalion managed to get out while dashing after the mage, with Kai staying behind, smiling broadly.
They opened the door of the tall building where Sylas and the others lived. Both entered the massiv entrance hall, with statues of some ranger in a green-brown cloak and a bow on his back standing everywhere. The ceiling was over thirty meters high, with two big chandeliers hanging down.
Thalion even had to speed up because Sylas didn''t even turn around as he rushed up the stairs. After a short sprint, they arrived at a big door over three meters tall with many decorations on it. Sylas was already about to open it when they finally caught up. There was a lot of noise coming from the room. Someone was definitely fighting, and a lot of water was involved, at least from the sound of it.
Sylas opened the door and stormed into the room, with Thalion and Kai right behind him. In the middle of another giant room, which was bigger than most houses on earth, two people were fighting: a woman with a snake staff and a boy in some kind of stone armor.
"Hey Thalion, meet my new friends, Jakob and Annie," Sylas introduced the two.
To say that Thalion was shocked was pretty accurate, as he stood frozen in the middle of the room.
Shit, this is bad, Thalion thought. On the way to the fortress, he''d decided that if he met Kael and the others, he would come clean and tell them about his true class. At some point, it would come out anyway, but he wasn''t ready to do it now. So what should he do?
Luckily, Jakob took him out of the spotlight as he excitedly shouted, "Thalion, you made it! We were so worried that they got you."
"Yeah, it all worked out pretty well for me. I heard the alarms. What happened on your end that night?" Thalion said. His heart was racing, and somehow it empowered him. He felt stronger than ever. It had to be his passiv skill heart of the sanguine archon.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Sylas asked slowly, his eyes wide.
"Yeah, do you know the story we told you about breaking into the city of the blue robes?" Annie chipped in. "It was all his idea. Without him, we would never have reached this level of strength, and we managed to get revenge on many of the people who wronged us."
"Wow, that''s so cool! Since I already know your story, Thalion, please tell me what you''ve been up to since we parted," Sylas eagerly asked. "And I want to know everything that happened in that city."
"Well, Kael already promised me some time to tell my story later, so I''ll wait until then. Telling a story twice in a row sucks," Thalion answered, his heart still pounding.
"We have a meeting later this evening. You''re, of course, invited. Afterward, we should all be free to talk," Kai calmly said, who now also arrived in the chamber.
"That sounds great," Thalion said, relieved to have more time to think it all over. "I''m going to check out the smiths. I''ve also acquired a skill for smithing."
"But first, I want to introduce you to my other new friends. You won''t believe it. It''s an orc and a young girl who were traveling together! They''re even friends! I couldn''t believe it myself, but the orc is actually a swell guy. His name is Kargul," Sylas concluded excitedly, almost jumping on the spot.
Thalion felt his heart hammering again. How was that possible? And why did it affect him so much? He had killed humans before without a second thought.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"That is truly something special," Thalion stammered, feeling all eyes on him. "I''m curious to hear their story tonight. See you later." With that, he quickly exited the room.
"Well, normally, he isn''t like that," Jakob said with concern. "Do you think he got hit on the head?"
The others just shrugged, all with smiles on their faces.
"I''m really interested in what he''s experienced," Kai said, watching the man who had once saved his life.
Thalion exited the home of his friends, sweat running down his forehead. "That was close," he thought. "But I managed it well. They didn''t even notice anything was amiss. Good job, Thalion."
On to some smithing. He walked down the road to the first smithy, and when he entered the door, he had another shock. Inside, there were little streets with multiple smithies on either side. This is so cool, he thought.
He entered the first one, where an old man was hammering a sword. The smith probably didn''t like it that much, according to the power in every swing. This is way too much force, Thalion thought, but the sword barely changed its shape, so maybe it wasn''t too much? He wasn''t sure anymore.
What is that sword made of? Thalion wondered. The old man was so focused on his work, and Thalion didn''t want to disturb him, so he took a seat on one of the chairs in the corner and watched the smith at work.
He hadn''t anticipated how long the smith would take to forge the sword... it took over four hours, and the meeting would soon start. The positive side was that Thalion had learned much just by watching the old man. The heat he used, the way he shaped the sword. It was the peak of smithing for Thalion.
He now realized many of the mistakes he had made back in the woods when he destroyed weapon after weapon. And leaving the technical aspect aside, the man had also infused mana into the sword while forging. Truly magnificent, Thalion thought while watching the smith.
The old man held the sword up in the air, inspecting his work. Then he noticed Thalion and screamed in shock, stumbling back.
"Who are you?" the old man asked Thalion, still in shock.
"I am Thalion. How did you do that? I''ve never seen anything like it," Thalion introduced himself with a light smile on his lips. He kind of thought that the smith had noticed him but didn''t want to say anything because he was so caught up in his work.
"Ah, well, I just did what I learned from my class and the scroll," the old man mumbled.
"Can you show me how sometime? I also have a skill related to smithing," Thalion asked, hopeful.
"Sure, sure, but first I need to finish this beauty here," the man said, now smiling.
"Nice, see you later," Thalion said and left the smithy. This man was truly a genius. The ease with which he formed the blade was astonishing.
Thalion was looking forward to seeing the old man again. Now it was time to meet his friends, but he needed a moment to gather his thoughts. He sat down on one of the benches in front of a house, deep in thought.
He had already made the decision to tell them about his class, but now it was about how deep into the details he could go. It made no sense to lie to himself, but he had trust issues, even back on Earth. Relying on others made you vulnerable. As he reflected, he wasn''t even sure what he feared so much. In the end, he did what he thought was right. In this new reality, wasn''t it normal to be wary of everyone? The system even rewarded killing other humans by giving you their full credit score.
There he was again, grappling with trust issues. But at least they were reasonable to some degree.
With that, he made his way back to Kael and the others. He hoped he wasn¡¯t late, but how could you be late when there were no clocks?
When he entered the large conference room at the top, over fifteen people, including everyone he had met earlier, even Evelyn and the Ork, were already in a heated discussion.
"We can''t be allied with Steven! He will kill us!" Michael shouted in anger. "Didn''t you see what he did to the people living in my base?"
"There is no way around it," Kai interjected in a calm voice. "The orders are from the gods themselves. They have invested heavily to give us a fighting chance against the undead."
"Hello, Thalion, you''re a bit late," Kael greeted him. "Don''t you have a notification crystal?"
"Uh, no. What is that?" Thalion said, feeling uncomfortable as all eyes turned to him.
"By the way, who is that guy, and why is he allowed to be here?" Michael exclaimed, clearly infuriated, as he recognized Thalion from the gate.
"This is Thalion. He helped us earlier and even saved our lives once. You should treat him with respect," Kai said calmly.
"The crystals are tools of communication. You can send telepathic messages, but they only work within these walls," Kael explained as no one else spoke, tossing one over to Thalion.
The crystal was black and round, no bigger than his fist, which was pretty large for a crystal.
"To a new point," the large man, likely a heavy warrior, said. "There¡¯s still the umbral predator out there. If it¡¯s strong enough to kill twenty of Steven¡¯s men, we also need to worry."
"This is a lie!" Michael shouted. "How can you trust a man like Steven? He made that story up to lure us out."
"No, it''s not," the man retorted. "Evelyn and Kargul also encountered it."
"Yes, and it is completely harmless to us. It killed Steven¡¯s men and saved our lives. It can even talk, so I don''t think it will be a problem at all," Evelyn said energetically.
"The umbral predator isn''t the only one," the muscular man added. "There¡¯s also a man in a black cloak and mask who killed over ten blue robes without a struggle and saved four of Steven¡¯s men. We need to find that guy too."
"Yeah, sure, one against ten," Michael laughed mockingly at the man. "You really believe every fairy tale Steven tells you? And when that guy saved Steven''s men, he¡¯s definitely not on our side. We should be wary of him."
"Well, you don¡¯t have to be. I¡¯m right here," Thalion said, sensing the conversation heading in a dangerous direction. But this was something he could share with everyone in the room. He didn''t want the people here trying to survive to worry about something like that.
"Hahaha! You? Haha, that was a good one, mate. But we¡¯re having a serious discussion here about our survival," Michael laughed, though the last part came out as a scream.
Thalion just shrugged his shoulders. "I don¡¯t really care if you believe me."
"What? Seriously, throw that man out! He¡¯s clearly making fun of us, not understanding the seriousness of the situation!" Michael shouted, his head turning red.
"What are you talking about? I just said I was the guy who killed the ten blue robes. How is that not serious?" Thalion said, amused. He was never easy to throw off, and this guy clearly had issues.
"Okay, enough," Kael said. "I believe Thalion if he says he killed those ten blue robes. Now, onto the other point about the umbral predator. What are our plans for that creature? We can¡¯t let such a beast roam freely, killing our people. It¡¯s already dangerous in the jungle without some apex hunter roaming the lands.¡°
Thalion watched as Michael''s face turned bright red, looking as though he was about to explode, but he controlled himself and said nothing more. Thalion made a mental note to keep an eye on that man.
"There¡¯s not much we can do," the muscular man said. "No one has encountered that beast. For now, I¡¯d say we form larger hunting parties for more safety."
"As for the Umbral Predator," Thalion said after contemplating whether to speak, "I¡¯ve also met it, and we had a short conversation. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s interested in killing more humans."
"Ah, you had a conversation with the umbral predator? Nice fantasies, mate," Michael scoffed, shaking his head.
"How did you meet, and what did you talk about?" Evelyn asked happily, while the Ork also leaned forward, clearly intrigued.
"It showed up after I killed some bull beetles, and we talked about fighting and which monsters are best for hunting," Thalion freestyled, hoping that it was good enough.
"When we met it, it was also super relaxed," Evelyn added, still cheerful.
"Which beasts does it like to smash the most?" the Ork asked in a deep rumbling voice.
"It said that big beasts are the best to kill because they provide the most food," Thalion answered, making up a believable story. It seemed to work as Kargul nodded in agreement.
"Anyway," the muscular man said, "I still think we should advise people not to go too far and to go out hunting in larger groups."
Most in the room nodded in agreement to that statement.
"Okay, then we¡¯re finished for today. Good luck, everyone," Kael ended the gathering.
When the others had left and only Sylas, Jakob, Annie, Evelyn, Kargul, Kai, and Kael remained, Kael announced, "Okay, let¡¯s go to my place. Time for some storytelling.¡±
Chapter 49: The Council of Gods
Solarion teleported into a room full of gods, all sharing the same goal, for now. There was Mazu, the Mistress of the Tides, one of many water gods but undoubtedly one of the most powerful. She was skilled in fighting the undead, as her domain was close to the Eternal Dominion. Next to her stood Amoja, Flamebearer of the Eternal Pyre, a goddess of fire. Then there was Atheos, a stone-turned warrior of incredible strength and one of the first to reach godhood after the extinction. Beside Atheos was Shargas, the blood-frenzied Ravager, a giant orc who had killed many gods since his ascension. To his right stood an archer in a green-brown cloak with a bow slung around his shoulder: Aeta, the Pathfinder. Next to Aeta was Maher, a blademaster who fought with two curved short swords.
The last two were Erynodor and Isis. Erynodor was one of the strongest mages in existence and his wife Isis, a healer who had achieved godhood.
"So, what is the current situation?" Solarion asked the group, it shouldn''t be too good.
"It is fine; the humans got a significant buff and might be able to fight the undead in the tutorial," Amoja said with a smile.
"It is not fine," Mazu interjected. "The Eternal Dominion has mostly blessed survivors at the fourth stage, while most humans still reside at the third stage. They are not gaining power fast enough. Are you ignoring the fact that they got integrated with an entire planet of vampires?"
"True, but there are also the elves," Solarion said. The elves were their own faction, thinking themselves superior to everyone else. They immediately began blessing their kind upon entering the tutorial.
"They haven¡¯t responded to our messengers, and the elves and the undead at the fourth stage have some kind of non-aggression agreement," Mazu explained, hiding her anger.
"Don¡¯t they know the undead will come for them too?" Aeta asked confused, but the elves had always been a weird race.
"They do know, but they see it as an opportunity to reap more rewards after both sides are weakened," Solarion said. "They most likely believe themselves superior to everyone else since they were the first to achieve godhood."
"We need them on our side. The elves have already been gathering human slaves since the beginning of the tutorial," Isis mentioned; this can''t continue."
"Indeed. When the humans have to fight both the undead and the elves, the future looks bleak," Erynodor agreed in a serious tone.
"When they¡¯re already planning to reap rewards after we defend against the undead empire, they could even instruct the elves in the tutorial to attack the humans when they advance to the next stage," Maher added, worried.
"What about the other orcs?" Solarion asked Shargas, the only orc in the room.
"They also don¡¯t want to pick a side. Most likely, they¡¯re hoping for war too," Shargas rumbled with killing intend mixed in his voice.
"Could you bless the orcs on the third stage?" Mazu asked hopefully. She had already blessed many, but without the support of the other gods, it would be useless. She alone couldn''t match the undead dominion.
"Yes, only one, but he is with the humans. The other orcs on that stage are already blessed by other orc gods. You know my standing with the other orc gods isn¡¯t good. If I bless someone, they¡¯ll just get killed," Shargas answered with burning hate in his voice.
"It¡¯s not just the orc faction; it¡¯s every faction. The witches, the Spider Queen, and the TechnoSyndicate," Solarion thought. And those weren¡¯t even all of them, but probably the most powerful.
"This situation is getting out of hand. We need to prepare for war. If we let the Eternal Dominion gain this asset, they might become the strongest gods in existence."
<--
After a short walk, they entered a room resembling the entrance hall of a small palace, with many couches around a fireplace and even a bar.
"So, what do you want?" Kai asked with a smug grin from behind the bar, which was slightly out of character for the calm light warrior.
Thalion took a beer, like most of the others, except for the orc and the teenage girl, who grabbed several bottles of vodka. They then sat down in front of the warm fireplace and began sharing their stories.
"So, we went after one of the blue robes who messed with us when we were slaves and often whipped us," Annie started, with Jakob nodding along.
"We snuck into his house, and when he noticed us, we struck. After a short fight, we killed him. Next were the slaves in the basement. It broke our hearts, but there was no way to save them," Jakob continued.
"Wait, you killed slaves from Earth?" Sylas asked in surprise. "You never told that part of the story."
"Well, we¡¯re not proud of it, but the plan of the blue robes was to kill them and feed their bodies to the fish. We had no choice; they would have died anyway," Jakob said, looking at the ground.
"We managed to break into four more houses until we were noticed, and after too many came, we triggered the evolution and escaped," Annie finished their story.
"How many slaves did you smash?" the orc, Kargul, asked laughing after downing two bottles of vodka.
"We killed around thirty slaves before we left," Annie answered, still upset.
"Cool. No wonder you had so many credits," Kargul nodded, reaching for another bottle.
"You already know our story," Kael said with a smile. "After running from Thorwald, we made camp and leveled everyone to level 25. Then we teleported to the third stage. We had a few clashes with humans and orcs, but nothing we couldn¡¯t handle."
"For me, it was different," Evelyn said. "I was in a party of ten humans. Then a woman named Cathrin, a mage, started murdering everyone after we teleported to stage two. I managed to run from her and hide until I found Kargul."
"Where is that woman now? She could have been blessed by a god back then," Thalion said, deep in thought.
"No idea, and I¡¯m happy I haven¡¯t seen her since. She always had an evil look in her eyes," Evelyn said, shuddering.
"Don¡¯t worry, Eve. If we meet her again, I¡¯ll smash her for good," Kargul said, patting her shoulder.
"I, the great Kargul Blackrock, was betrayed by my two brothers. They tried to kill me, but I was stronger, so I smashed their heads," Kargul roared in triumph. "But they managed to injure me badly, and I was out of health potions. Then I met Eve, and since then, we¡¯ve been smashing people together. Well, mostly me, but she¡¯s getting better."
"I haven¡¯t smashed anyone yet; I¡¯m a healer," Evelyn laughed, and the others smiled as well.
"Yes, but I can see that you want to," Kargul continued with a grin. "One day, you will become a great head-smasher."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
After they laughed for a bit, Kael asked, "What¡¯s your story, Thalion? I think you have the most interesting one of all."
There it was, the moment Thalion had thought over for some time. What should he say? How could he explain that he had lied? But he decided that telling the truth was best. The only detail he wouldn¡¯t share was that he once had a glowhorn form. If it were up to him, that detail could be lost in the river of time, never to appear again.
"Before I tell you about what happened after we parted, I need to come clean about one thing," Thalion began. "When I said I was a mage, that might not be the truth. I¡¯m actually..."
But he couldn¡¯t continue, as Kargul interrupted loudly, "Because you¡¯re a berserker! Why else would the umbral predator talk with you?"
"Wait, no, I am not a Berserker," Thalion said in confusion. Just what was up with that orc?
"So, you''re a light warrior mage," Evelyn interjected before he could continue. "Sylas said you were super fast and dodged all his spells."
"No, not really," Thalion replied. "My class is a little different..."
"A pyromancer! I knew it!" Sylas cheered. "That¡¯s why you used the fireball and the other spells. You must have been setting your blood on fire to give yourself extra speed."
"Okay, can you let me speak for one sentence without interrupting?" Thalion said this was getting really annoying. "It also has to do with the umbral predator. I didn¡¯t really meet it because..."
"You lied!" Kargul concluded. "You never met it because you''re not a berserker, and you''re not strong enough for the mighty being to show itself. Ah, you humans are truly so easy to read."
At that moment, Thalion was holding his head with both hands. He had fantasized about how this would go, but nothing like this had crossed his mind.
"But if you didn¡¯t meet it, how could you tell everyone that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem?" Kael asked confused.
"Oh, because of all the flowers," Jakob exclaimed. "Now I understand!" Jakob and Annie both started laughing loudly.
"Wait, we still don¡¯t know how you met it, and why do you know more now?" Evelyn asked, still puzzled.
"You should just use the skill and scare them a bit," Annie suggested with a big grin.
"This is getting way out of hand," Thalion thought. Whether in a good or bad way, he couldn¡¯t tell.
Thalion tried again, "So, my class is actually a shapeshifter."
"What does that have to do with the umbral predator?" Kargul exclaimed, shaking his head. "Ah, those silly humans."
"That sounds so cool! Can you transform into me and use my spells?" Sylas asked, his eyes gleaming. "I really want to fight myself one day."
"Well, no, actually. I can only take the form of beasts after I kill them or if they let me," Thalion explained. "But the second part has never happened so far."
"Okay, you''re not a mage but a shapeshifter. So, what¡¯s the big deal? And why did Annie and Jakob already know?" Sylas asked while taking a sip from his drink.
"You were the speaking wolftiger," Kai said in a calm voice.
"Bingo!" Annie and Jakob shouted in unison. "He killed the guard, but we didn¡¯t manage to destroy the cuffs fast enough, so he sprinted with us in a different direction so the others could escape."
"Wait, but if you spin the story further, are you saying he''s the umbral predator?" Kael asked, pushing his chair back.
"Haha! Silly humans, you truly have a great sense of humor. I almost fell for it!" Kargul laughed loudly.
"What happens when you shapeshift?" Kai asked, intrigued. "Do you feel a surge to kill or something like that?"
"No, I stay the same. Just my body transforms. There are no negative effects," Thalion explained, wondering what was happening at the moment.
"But what happens with your human body? Do you even get skills?" Kai pressed the issue.
"Well, I¡¯m not just a shapeshifter since I got to F grade. But until then, yes, I pretty much didn¡¯t get any skills," Thalion said. "Ah, wait, I got a skill that lets me transfer attributes from one form to another, but that¡¯s it. The rest I bought from the system shop."
"Okay, doesn''t sound that strong anymore," Kael commented with a smile.
"So, which forms do you have? I say you¡¯ve got at least twenty," Sylas guessed.
"Never! I say five," Evelyn interjected.
"I bet he''s got more than thirty," Kael mentioned.
"Haha! You humans are funny. I want to guess too," Kargul laughed, clearly feeling the effects of the seven bottles of vodka.
The others joined in with their guesses, the wildest being Kai''s, who said sixty-one forms.
"You¡¯re all wrong. I just have one," Thalion sighed a bit embarrassed.
"Wait, only one? That sounds like you''re not really using your class," Kael laughed and grabbed another beer.
"For me, it¡¯s all about quality," Thalion replied, trying to explain his situation.
"Enough talking! I want to see what the umbral predator looks like," Annie shouted. "Was it the normal path of evolution or all those flowers you ate to boost dark affinity?"
"I think a bit of both, I guess," Thalion said as he triggered the shapeshift skill. In the next moment, the umbral predator was sitting on the armchair.
"What the fuck?" Sylas exclaimed, almost falling off his chair.
"Okay, enough! Umbral predator spit our friend out again, or I¡¯ll have to smash you," a completely drunk Kargul mumbled.
Thalion didn''t want to push the issue further and transformed back.
"How does it feel?" Kai asked, very interested. "And how many times can you transform?"
"Well, strong, of course," Thalion said, shrugging his shoulders. "The mana I used for the skill has already regenerated, so many times, I guess."
"Haha, it would be so funny if you had transformed in front of Michael. That would have scared the guy for good," Kael laughed loudly.
"Well, I would like it if you could keep it a secret. I don''t want everybody to know," Thalion said, trying to stay serious.
"That''s understandable," Kael said. "The umbral predator could actually be a big thing, keeping Steven away from us."
"Yeah, that guy is super pissed after I killed a lot of his men when he slaughtered the people in Michael''s base, Thalion commented. So, better not tell that guy."
"Wait, so you fought him?" Kai asked, surprised.
"Not really. I fought Thorwald after I killed his group. Just as I was about to finish the guy for good, Steven saved him, and I had to flee," Thalion said with a shrug.
"Wait, you fought Thorwald after killing his entire team? How many were there¡ªten?" Kael asked in surprise.
"Uh, more like twenty," Thalion replied, or were it more. He didn''t remember.
"What? Twenty? Just how strong is that form of yours? What rarity is it?" Kael questioned quickly.
"Yeah, not telling," Thalion smiled. "But you could actually help me a lot with that. Can you order everyone out there hunting to put the corpse of the beasts in a special ring and bring it back?"
"Sure, I can do that, but a lot of the beasts are used by all the craftsmen," Kael explained the current situation.
"Hm, that sucks. How about plants that can increase dark affinity?" Thalion asked. That would be very important for his E-grade evolution.
"Actually, we already have a whole granary filled with that stuff," Kael said. "Since we don''t have enough alchemists for everyone and there is no money, we made rules that the more you contribute, the more access you gain to an alchemist or craftsman."
"So you wouldn''t mind if I snacked a bit on the stuff?" Thalion said with greed, the understatement of the year; he would devour everything.
"Sure, it¡¯s one of the things the alchemists haven''t used yet, so it should be fine. I could even give out some instructions to look out for those plants," Kael mentioned with a lazy wave of his hand.
"That would be perfect," Thalion urged the man on. This was going better than he could have ever imagined.
"There¡¯s still one other thing," Thalion sighed, "and it has to do with the gods."
"Wait, why with the gods? We already know about Ankhet Sekhmara," Sylas said, confused. "Everyone in the room except you is blessed by a god."
"Do you remember back at the makeshift camp when the orcs attacked and later Thorwald?" Thalion asked Kael.
"Yes, of course. How could we forget?" Kael nodded while taking a big sip from his bottle, with Kai and Sylas nodding along.
"Well, after I killed the two vampires..."
"What? You killed them?" Kael interjected loudly, almost shooting out of his chair. "How is that possible?"
"Yeah, I did. Anyway, when I did, I got a plant that is now in my body and feeds on blood and also allows me to cast blood spells," Thalion continued. It was maybe a bad idea to tell them his secret like this, but they should know about what the undead were planning on the higher stages. He could only hope that it wouldn''t backfire in the future.
"Okay, what is so special about it? So you can use blood spells?" Sylas asked, one eyebrow raised.
"It¡¯s more about the god that invited me," Thalion said. They were pretty chill when he told them that he could do blood spells, but in the end, why was it so special? Others were burning people with fireballs. How you killed someone probably didn''t really matter as long as it got the job done.
"So you do have a blessing, Sylas exclaimed. Now this all makes much more sense."
"No, I don¡¯t. I rejected the god," Thalion replied, regretting that he had mentioned it.
"Why would you do that? A blessing gives so many benefits," Sylas argued, now confused again.
"I was invited by the vampire god Tenebrice, and he told me about the plan of the undead gods," Thalion explained with a sigh. Maybe they should have talked before getting drunk.
"What? How? What is their plan?" Kael exclaimed with wide eyes.
"They will be waiting for us on the fourth or fifth stage, and they will help Ankhet Sekhmara. He tried to recruit me for that job, but I declined," Thalion explained his situation.
"This is bad," Kael said. "We need to speed up a lot. It will take at least two weeks to get everyone to 50,000 credits, and the undead should be stronger or, even worse, could have already set up traps."
Chapter 50: Plans and Preparations
"I think the most important thing is to have the stronger elite fighters in battle. They have the most impact," Thalion thought out loud.
"I agree," Kael nodded while waving his beer bottle around. "There are pentagrams called war arrays that gather the power of many into one person, boosting the individual to crazy degrees, but I ignored them for now and only went for the normal magic circles."
"What is the difference?" Thalion asked interested. This must have been the same Michael had used.
"It''s a magic circle that slowly gathers mana from the environment and gives the person who uses it the ability to pool on those deep resources," Kai explained. "When we first arrived on this stage, we let everyone who had some mana to spare infuse it into the circles in case we were attacked."
"You need to stay within the magic circle to use it. With the battle arrays, only the supporting individuals need to be in the pentagram," Kael finished the explanation.
"This would come in very handy, but don''t forget the undead probably have the same tools," Thalion said after thinking it all over. "I would be surprised if they aren¡¯t using something similar."
"Last night, I saw some people who attacked one of the cities use some item to completely destroy the wall in one go," Thalion explained. "They had some kind of mobile shield around them that was strong enough to block arrows and magic attacks until they arrived at the wall."
"Yeah, I saw those items in the system shop too," Kael said, "but the shield is only this stable because it is not a round shield and can only be moved slowly. So if a troop intercepts them, their group under the shield is done for."
"The item is also not that good; it drains the runes on the wall of mana so it could be destroyed like a normal wall," Kael explained. "One of those under the shield must have thrown an attack at the wall when it was weakened enough."
Interesting, so it was way harder to break the walls, even with good equipment, than Thalion first thought.
"You mentioned body tempering before. What is that?" Kai asked. "Is it the reason why you are so fast?"
"My speed should also be improved after I cultivated them, but I haven''t had a chance to use them," Thalion said. "The way I think it works is that you use mana or special materials and integrate them with your body, making it stronger."
"Okay, we definitely need something like that. Can we both use yours, or is it soulbound?" Kai asked interested.
"Maybe, but I''m pretty sure that my bodytempering method wouldn''t work on you," Thalion said after a pause. There was no way he would show them the crimson codex.
"Well, probably best this way. Hopefully my patron will give me some good advice on the matter," Kael sighed.
"I have something similar. It¡¯s called soul tempering, and it¡¯s mostly used by mages, my patron said," Sylas announced.
"Good to know. Another thing we should get done as fast as possible," Kael added while finishing his next beer in one go.
"So what are your plans for the future? Is anyone going out hunting tonight?" Kael asked the group.
"I would go for a round of hunting," Kai said, with Sylas, Annie, and Jakob nodding along.
"I will try some of the bodytempering methods, and I want to visit the mountains soon to acquire a good flying form, and after that, travel to the ocean for something that can swim," Thalion explained now also feeling the alcohol.
"I need to visit the blue robes anyway," Annie said, looking down. "My patron said that I will progress much faster there."
"Wait, to be enslaved or what?" Thalion asked in confusion. What was up with her patron to send her there?
"No, my patron had blessed many of the blue robes, which made me an ally," Annie explained, also not liking it one bit.
"That¡¯s pretty good. Let''s go together. I could use some water mages to help me slay one of the stronger beasts lurking in the ocean," Thalion said, already making up his mind how he could force the blue robes to assist him.
"Sure, just don¡¯t take too long with your travel to the mountains," Annie said now a bit more happy. "I probably need to go after the next system shop at the latest."
"That should be fine," Thalion nodded. There was no way he would miss such an opportunity.
They talked for a while longer. Kargul and Evelyn were already sleeping in the chairs. Kargul because he had passed out and Evelyn probably because she was tired. The girl wasn''t drunk at all and had constantly healed herself to keep up with the orc. Then the nice evening ended and Kai showed him his room. It was a guest room that was also gigantic, like Kael''s chamber they had spent the last hours in.
They gave him a few more crystals for communication so he would be informed if they were under attack.
He sat down before his fireplace and tried to use the body tempering method for his human form, the Crimson Vein Codex. At first, the method provided a way to drain blood from a fallen enemy, but that was irrelevant for him since he could already do that. With that out of the way, he could start with the first stage, which was called the refinement stage.
This proved to be very difficult since he only had the information in his head but he needed to feel his blood and then use it to slowly push all the imperfections out. He would notice those imperfections in things that slowed his blood down, making it less powerful. To do that, there was a meditation method where he would blend his surroundings out and fully focus his attention inside. It was kind of weird that this was not a skill but just pure information, but it worked pretty much the same.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
It took him the better part of an hour to fully focus all of his attention on his blood. His blood was like a red river flowing through his body, and everywhere it came by, his cells hummed with power and recognition. This was not something he had not experienced before. How was it possible for him to feel his body like that?
You can say all you want about the system. The kill quests were not nice, but the rest was so damn awesome. He could jump higher than any human being back on Earth. No, way more than that. He could basically fly and cast spells, and now he could even see inside his body and perfect it like a mechanic.
He dove into the bloody river and his consciousness was washed through his body. Now he could feel how the branches of the sanguine thorn were connected to his veins. The sanguine thorn had started growing around his veins, but it was far from finished, and everywhere it touched, his blood was infused with power... truly magnificent.
He tried to stay by the sanguine thorn and watched what changed in his blood that made it more powerful. Simplified, he would say that the blood got hotter or more potent. Maybe denser was the right word. It was hard for him to grasp. Thalion didn¡¯t know how much time had passed as he sank deeper and deeper. Then he felt something that made the blood kind of sticky. It was like a stone in his blood cells, and he tried to push it. It worked slowly. It was pushed out and left his body. He immediately felt a very small, almost unnoticeable power-up that rushed through his body. He probably needed to repeat that feat many more times.
Then he was thrown out of his meditation when someone touched his shoulders.
"Hey, can you hear me?" Sylas said loudly and slowly in his ear.
"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you," Thalion answered a bit annoyed to get interrupted right when he had his first breakthrough. "Did something happen?"
"Not really. It''s just the next day and I wanted to take a look at what you were doing. Why are you sweating so much?" Sylas asked, looking down on him.
Then Thalion noticed it too. He had sweat all over his right forearm, which was the place where he had purified his blood. "Was he pushing out the water?" Thalion thought for a moment, but that probably couldn¡¯t be it. Otherwise, his blood would become a powder. Well, it didn¡¯t matter at the moment. It had worked, which was good enough for him. He felt that he was stronger now, not by much, but he noticed the improvement. He felt like after having a good sleep following a hard training session in the gym.
"Yeah, I tried out something new," he answered, still enjoying his newfound power. "What are your plans for the day?"
"First, I will spar a bit with Lisa. She is a mage too, and then we will go hunting for a bit. We found this new wasp hive. It can be dangerous, but they die almost instantly from fire spells, so it should be fine if not too many stings hit you before you kill them. After we kill half of them, we¡¯ll leave. They regenerate super fast and are still growing, even when we kill so many almost every day."
"Sounds like a good hunting spot. I will check on the plants with dark affinity. After that, I don¡¯t know yet. Maybe work on the body tempering or leave for the mountains," Thalion said, deep in thought.
"Are you not worried that you are getting too far behind in levels?" Sylas asked, worried.
"Nah, it¡¯s actually pretty good to be a bit lower," Thalion explained his theory. "The beasts are getting stronger every day, which gives me more experience when I kill them."
"But it¡¯s also more dangerous to fight those beasts at a higher level," Sylas said, still worried.
"I think I will be fine," Thalion said with confidence. He truly believed that this was the way for maximum progress.
"Okay, but don¡¯t cry too much when I am stronger than you," Sylas said with a grin on his face.
"Sure, I will keep it down," Thalion answered while Sylas was leaving the room.
Shortly after, he also left and went for the place with all the delicious plants. He entered the hall that was used for the storage of those plants and saw ten spatial rings on top of an altar in the middle.
A big smile spread across his face when he saw the mountains of plants with an obvious dark affinity in the rings. In this new reality, it was truly funny how there was literally no fear of using too much space. You could just put the stuff into your spatial ring, and then you could put that ring into another one. The only drawback was that you would lose all the items if that one got destroyed.
Thalion placed the two rings filled to the brink with plants into his spatial ring and made his way back to his room. Those spatial rings had a lot less storage room than his own, but it still was a lot of plants. He didn¡¯t want to transform in that hall. The chance that someone would see him was just too high. Back in his room, he locked the door and filled almost one quarter of it with the plants in the spatial ring. All were around Level 29.
Next, he pulled out the shadowforge doctrine and transformed into the Umbral Predator. He didn¡¯t know how it would work when he used the item in his human form. As the umbral predator, he hadn¡¯t lost anything, as he could remember every detail about the crimson codex. He still didn¡¯t understand anything about how this transformation worked. All his items he wore were gone. They were not in his spatial ring, which was weird because he could check what was in his spatial ring but not put anything out unless he was wearing the ring.
Maybe it was an item from the system and was kind of soulbound since no one could take something out of a spatial ring if the wearer still lived. Anyway, he activated the shadowforge doctrine in his hand and was rushed by an influx of information.
In the first stage, he had to absorb the darkness from his surroundings into his skin to connect his cells to the darkness. He hoped that eating the plants would be enough. This tempering method had five stages, and the last one was called the Master of Darkness, which looked truly scary, but it was a long way until he would reach such levels of power.
So next, he started devouring the plants. After finishing almost all the plants, he felt full and started the meditation. He managed to enter meditation much faster than before and looked inside. Thalion saw how the darkness from the plants was passing through his body. His skin had already absorbed a lot. Now his job was to push even more into it.
He could even feel motes of light still lingering and purified it by pushing them out. Next, he did the opposite of what he did with his blood and pushed the darkness into his skin, waiting until it had fully absorbed the first part. Then he took the next mote of darkness and repeated the process.
After two an hour, he had used all the darkness he ate before and started his feeding frenzy again. His skin was already mostly purified, probably through his early eating frenzies in G-grade. Thalion still managed to push more darkness into it, and now dark mist was slowly rising from his skin. With this technique, he was able to digest much faster and push it exactly where he wanted. Now he truly realized how strong the abyssal devourer really was by turning everything he ate into the essence of darkness. This effect was amplified when the stuff he consumed already had a strong affinity for darkness.
After four more hours, he was finished and made his way down to get the other spatial rings. He changed the two for the remaining eight, even if the last two were only half full. Back in his room, he continued his work. It got harder and harder to push the darkness into his skin. It felt full, like it couldn¡¯t hold more darkness. It was already dark outside when he finished his body tempering¡ªthe last darkness coursed through his body into his flesh, which was the beginning of the second stage.
He was about to continue his blood tempering in his human form when he got a mental message from Kael: ¡°We need you. orcs are in the jungle surrounding the base.¡±
Chapter 51: Unseen Threats
Thalion dashed toward the big tower where Kael and Sylas were standing.
"Hey, so where are the attackers?" Thalion asked as he looked around, seeing only some movements behind the trees after landing besides the two.
"They''re gathering. I don¡¯t know what their goal is, but I don¡¯t think they want to attack. They are waiting for us to go out hunting," Kael said with a sour face.
"So you want to attack them?" Thalion asked a bit excited. This was a problem and could be a big indicator that they were supporting the undead faction. Which did not make much sense. Why would orcs support the undead?
"Are we completely surrounded, or is it just this side?" Thalion said while pointing in the direction where he had spotted movement.
"We are completely surrounded," Kael said in dismay, "and as long as they keep their distance, it will be very difficult to get rid of them."
"The good thing is that most hunting parties had already returned before the orcs did arrive," Sylas commented, "but Lisa is still out there, along with Evelyn and Kargul."
"I could rouse them a bit and search for the others," Thalion suggested, trying to be helpful. Why did they not just fly over it? This all would give him a chance to travel to the mountains too. Well, just in case he couldn''t help more, and a flying form would be very helpful in the fight against the orcs.
"How do you want to break through? The orcs have archers that will shoot you out of the sky when you try to fly over them," Kael said, shaking his head in disagreement.
"What were you even doing the whole day? No one saw you," Sylas asked, interested. Which was a bit of a weird question given the current situation.
"Cultivating," Thalion answered both their questions. "I think I will be fine." In no world would he wait here until the orcs had left. Yeah, it was definitely time to get a bit crazy.
With that, he shot into the air. After he had climbed over 300 meters, he deemed it high enough and dashed over the forest. The moment he had left the fortress, three-meter-long arrows were launched at him from the ground. His reflexes were so fast that he could dodge them easily at this current height.
He dashed over the orcs in the jungle. From above, he saw some tents between the trees. They definitely planned to stay here for a longer duration. After he passed the tents by over 500 meters and no arrows were fired at him, he dashed down. Thalion landed on a tree branch and transformed into the umbral predator. Let''s see how strong those orcs were. It was time for carnage, Thalion thought with a crazy smile playing around his lips.
Kael looked on as he saw the crazy one fly off, just soaring over the orc blockade hiding in the jungle, dodging all the arrows shot at him with ease. Every other mage he knew would have died multiple times at that point.
"Holy shit, how is he doing that?" Sylas said in disbelief, standing next to him.
"Doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s prepare. When we see the fighting start, we will go in with small groups to slowly break the blockade," Kael said, his confidence rising. If Thalion didn''t manage to create an opening for them, they might have to wait for the systemshop.
Thalion jumped from tree to tree. He could already hear the voices of the orcs. He noticed the effect his body tempering had. Even if it was only his skin, he felt how his power had grown, and his senses were sharper. His speed had also improved a bit. He wondered how strong the effect would be when he had fully infused his flesh and muscles.
He kept moving through the trees. His goal was to catch a group that was patrolling the perimeter, and he soon got lucky as a group of four orcs were moving in his direction.
<--
Thrazz was scouting for that stupid human who managed to break through their blockade on his side. His comrades Grommuck, Vorgar, and Krushnak were all berserkers, like most orcs. Thrazz was one of the archers who tried to hit the quick human and close to Level 39. He enjoyed hunting humans. They died with one arrow and gave a lot of experience and credits.
After the special quest had arrived, their leader ordered them to march here and block the human settlement. Now, over a thousand orcs were camping here, starving the humans of experience. They were not finished building the two ring walls, which should surround the human base. They needed to watch out for attacks from behind. His leader said that the gods could communicate with the humans, and they might get attacked from the outside.
They were not worried, though. Orcs were stronger than humans, and they had almost finished their blockade, which would provide them with a great advantage if the humans would try to leave their base. They had stopped sending their healers with the group of fighters who tried to catch the humans in the jungle since they were the first who got attacked and most often even died. To counter this, they protected the healers in their camps. When a fight got too rough, they would just retreat, and after a short healing session, they would be back at it again. It took a lot of damage to kill an orc at F grade. Humans needed to work together to take one down, while orcs only needed one solid hit.
Fighting against humans almost went the same way. They got stung by a few arrows or those spells, then they started smashing humans, and next, most of the surviving humans started running. It was easier than killing beasts, especially with the slightly bigger humans. This exact scenario happened often since they had arrived in front of this giant human base. It was even easier to hunt those humans because they were coming home after a hard day of hunting, so most didn¡¯t even manage to outrun them.
"Should we split up?" Vorgar said in a deep voice. "I know one of the chieftains said we should go as a group because the human might be an elite warrior, but what can a human do against us? This is embarrassing."
"I don¡¯t care what you think; we will stay together. There might be more, after all," Thrazz rumbled. Not that he didn''t agree with the other orc. It was definitely a waste of time, but such powerplays were needed to stay in control.
Vorgar looked to the ground, and they kept searching for the humans, hopefully finding some additional runaways hiding.
Then Thrazz heard the ripping of flesh and bones, and he looked back. Was this an ambush by other orcs? But what he saw startled him more than he thought was possible.
A being of otherworldly darkness was standing behind one of his Berserkers, holding his head in his hand while the body was already falling to the side. His eyes and the violet ones of the beast met. They were cold and uncaring. It did not even stop for a moment as it blurred to the side where Krushnak almost wasn¡¯t fast enough to get his spear up. As its claws clashed with the shaft of Krushnak''s spear, the orc was still pushed back a few meters. Just how strong was that thing? Thrazz thought in shock. Thrazz drew the bow with one of his arrows, which were almost longer than a human. However, the beast was smart and fast. It moved so that he didn¡¯t have a clear shot, always having the Berserker between them. Krushnak was just barely holding on, and before Vorgar could help him, flesh and blood were already flying left and right. The beast was ferocious and with every strike of its claws, it easily ripped through the orc''s skin. Normally, an orc didn¡¯t need to fear melee fighting since their hide was thick and they were stronger than even most beasts. Well, not with this opponent.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Krushnak''s spear couldn''t do much in close range, and it looked like the beast was stronger than even Krushnak¡ªbut not by much. The lighter Vorgar engaged with his axe, swinging down on the head of the beast, but at the last moment, as it had waited for the attack to come, it exploded with speed, almost too fast to watch. It dodged to the side, grabbed Vorgar''s axeshaft with one arm and his shoulder with the other, spinning around, and the whole orc was flying at him while his sword arm was dangling at his side, probably broken.
Thrazz dodged to the side and saw how the beast bit down on Krushnak''s throat, but the orc was fast enough to redirect it down, where the jaws bit into his flesh. From the teeth, a deep black mist was rising, and it left some of the festering darkness on the wound. Thrazz loosened his arrow. He didn¡¯t care anymore if it would kill Krushnak too. The orc was already badly injured and wouldn¡¯t help him in this fight. His arrow pierced through the orc''s back and the chest of the beast, which screamed in agony. With a triumphant smile, Thrazz drew the next arrow, only to see the beast rip out the whole arrow in one go, the wound closing with visible speed as black tendrils shot from its body, turning the corpses of Krushnak and Grommuck into darkness before the tendrils returned to its body.
In fear, Thrazz let go of the arrow, but it was too late, the beast easily dodged the arrow by stepping to the side, and within moments, it was on him, ripping with its claws through his flesh. Soon enough, everything turned black.
Thalion stood in the place where he had just devoured the four orcs. Even though he had a stealth attack, the fight was much harder than expected. That arrow, however, did a great deal of damage. He didn''t expect the archer to just sacrifice his comrade to get a shot in. He needed to learn to fight much better. He had speed and strength on his side. It should have been impossible for them to wound him in such a fight if he had more skill in fighting as a monster.
In the end, the gains were worth it.
You have killed Orc Level 39
...
...
You have killed Orc Level 37
You have reached Level 33
You have gained 1 strength
A whole level and permanently one strength more in the bucket was great. One thing he didn''t understand about his forms was that the stats he gained counted for all his forms, while the affinity was only with the body and didn¡¯t transfer.
There would shortly be more orcs here, so he sprinted a bit back, looking for survivors belonging to Kael''s base while he kept umbral predator''s instinct running, but he didn¡¯t find anyone in the surroundings.
After a bit of thinking, he decided on more orc killing than searching for survivors. If they had managed to hide until now, then they should be safe anyway. Time to get some more exp, credits and help out the people in the base.
With that, he started searching for orcs, and he spotted the next group pretty quickly, but this one was obviously not informed that some had breached the blockade, as they stood on a small wooden platform on one of the tree branches, completely relaxed and talking.
Thalion snuck up on them, using his instinct ability to shroud him even more and taking a quick look around, but they were the only orcs in the area.
When he came closer, he saw what they were holding. It was a human head, and they had one of their giant arrows sticking out of one of the trees thirty meters away from them.
One of the orcs threw the head at the tree and failed to hit the arrow, if that was what he aimed for.
The head exploded on the impact with the tree a bit below the arrow, spraying blood and brain on the ground.
The other orcs laughed loudly, and then it was the turn of the next orc, and he also threw another human head, this time missing the tree altogether.
Thalion was slowly sneaking up on the orcs. It was difficult to get close unnoticed since there were torches on the trees next to them, which lit up the perimeter.
The orc who missed was angry and channeled a powerful fireball, throwing it at the tree, almost completely destroying the arrow that was stuck in the tree and most of the tree trunk on that side, but it was not enough to fell the tree.
Thalion was pretty close now. He slowly pushed his body through bioluminescent leaves of vines that were hanging from the branch above while the soft moss under him suppressed all sound he would have made.
Now he was five meters above the orcs and jumped down, aiming for the mage who had thrown the fireball before. With one strike of his claws, the mage''s head flew off, and shortly after, before the last two orcs could act, they also lay dead on the ground. Thalion devoured the orcs, earning him one permanent point in strength. Killing the three orcs, even when they were over Level 35, didn¡¯t even bring him another level. Leveling had become way harder than he had thought. The amount of plants he had devoured only pushed him a bit over halfway through the next level. Those orcs must have killed a lot to be this high leveled.
Thalion kept moving, he didn¡¯t want to get too close to the orc camp for now. Slowly, after he killed the three orcs, he found another outpost with orcs on it. They were a bit harder to kill since they were four, but after he killed the archer and heavily injured one orc, the fight was pretty easy. His stealth attacks were devastating, giving his target almost no chance to survive. If the next stage was some kind of desert, it would make life harder for him in his umbral predator form. Well, he was still fast and strong, and his passive healing made most mortal wounds a joke for him.
But if they saw him first, he was not even sure if it was possible for him to win this fight. Those orcs had absolutely powerful attacks if they managed to hit, and they could take a lot of damage before going down. After a bit of searching, he gave up on finding another lookout. So, it was time for the main course, Thalion thought while he was moving in the direction of the blockade.
Chapter 52: Bloodshed
Grommash Bloodcleaver was inspecting the blockade around the human fortress. His patron had ordered him to starve the humans and when possible, kill them. The orcs were supporting the Eternal Dominion in their endeavor to bring Ankhet Sekhmara back. He didn''t care much for the politics. He just wanted to kill the humans and advance in his class, the blood berserker. The idea was to block the humans from going out hunting, and when they were too far behind in levels, they would attack. In the meantime, they would send squads to attack the remaining human bases, but most were almost half a day¡¯s walk from this base. He had also ordered some scouts to build outposts so they couldn''t be attacked from behind. All in all, the situation was good. Since he united all orc tribes around the mountains under him, his power had skyrocketed. All the beasts that were killed were brought to him, and he used those in rituals to empower his blood. Almost every time he was not hunting, he bathed in the blood of fallen beasts, slowly giving him strength. He was now at Level 42 and could easily kill beasts close to Level 50 alone. He had also ordered to bring the humans to him after they died, but it was not really worth it. Most of the time, they lost most of their blood on the way. The bodies of the humans were just too weak and got utterly destroyed when the orcs killed them, which was a pity for him.
So far, he was happy with how it went. They could build the blockade almost unnoticed and had even managed to kill over five parties who wanted to return to their safe home behind the walls. They died so fast he could even use some of their blood since their bodies had been almost intact. He wondered what the humans would try. They were just weaker than the orcs in every aspect. He would see no issue with fighting two parties of humans by himself. He was fast and strong, and his axe was hungry. His spirit weapon also hungered for blood and materials. Grommash had managed to upgrade it two times now, from epic to exalted and from exalted to ancient.
At the moment, the smiths were working on his armor. He had one, but it sucked in battle. It didn''t really block many attacks before breaking apart and was not much harder than his skin at the moment. That''s why they only used parts of the armor and enchanted them as well as possible, but that would take time. One of his metal gloves took four smiths over a week to finish. In the end, it was all worth trouble and in the end, no orc was his match. Even with more orc gods giving out their blessings, it just didn''t matter. He had his blessing for too long and had accumulated too much for them to catch up anytime soon.
It was not just his armor and political power. It was also his skill in fighting and his spells that made him the strongest. He was confident that he could kill every orc in a one-on-one battle without any of his equipment. He already had been a honored warrior before the system and now he had turned into a true monster noone could face.
When he let his gaze wander, he saw one of his advisers approaching him.
"Great chieftain, I have news," his adviser Tharkul said with a bow.
"What is it, Tharkul?" Grommash answered with a deep voice. What could it be? Everything should be done now.
"All the preparations are finished, and I have 8 groups ready to send out to hunt the last survivors," Tharkul reported.
"Great, do that. Was that all?" Grommash added after he saw that the orc was still bowing. There better was no complications. He really wasn''t in the mood for something like that at the moment.
"Yes, the orcs that were sent hunting after that mage have disappeared," Tharkul said, bowing even deeper.
"So he had managed to kill four orcs. Do you have any tracks to follow or find the place where they fought?" Grommash asked. The last thing he needed was an assassin lurking in the dark.
"No, we didn''t find anything until now. I just got the report after I left my tent," Tharkul said in fear.
"Don''t send the groups out hunting. I don''t want to give that guy the chance to pick off more orcs one by one," Grommash finally said after a pause. "Use the manpower to finish our lookouts and position more guards there."
"As you wish," Tharkul said with another deep bow. He had already turned around when a young orc was running at them.
"Great chieftain, adviser," the orc said out of breath, bowing deeply to both of them. "Two lookouts have been attacked and killed."
After this, it was silent for a while until Grommash spoke. "Build new ones near the camp and place the other ring wall we brought behind us. I am not taking any chances here, and do so fast."
"Yes, as you wish, great chieftain," both said, bowing deeply, and disappeared into the camp.
Grommash then turned around and walked into the jungle. He would go on a solo hunting trip. There was nothing out there that could fight him, and he would slay those bastards who were starting to make problems this early.
Thalion was hiding on one of the tree branches and watched in dismay as one of the orcs put out a wall from his spatial ring, with many guards watching.
They even had some kind of earth mage. He was dancing, and something was happening with the earth. After a short rumble, the ground under the wall was rising a few meters, though covered in the same runes as the wall. They were weak in comparison to Kael''s fortress, but still strong, and he wouldn''t break them in short order. Jumping over it would probably also trigger an alarm.
He could fly over it in his human form, but then they would spot him anyway, so that was not an option.
Before he could make a decision, he saw an orc with red skin that was far bigger than all the others, jumping over the wall and moving into the jungle with a fast walk.
While passing, all the other orcs bowed deeply to that one. Thalion couldn''t identify him because then he would be noticed, but that guy was no joke. He passively took a step back into the shadows.
The guy was still over 500 meters away from him while he walked in his direction, and there was no way he would win against that guy.
Thalion contemplated whether he should attack the camp when this warrior was missing, but there were so many orcs on the wall, and this couldn''t be the strongest orc. None of the strong humans were running in the jungle all alone. They always had a group that followed them. That meant there were still stronger warriors than that guy, but it couldn''t be that many. Otherwise, they would have already attacked the fortress.
So he would wait for the red one to pass by and then search for other survivors. Maybe with some assistance, he could break through.
He was slowly turning back from the red orc that was moving in his direction. Normally, he would just sprint away, jumping from branch to branch; they were so thick that you could easily move like that. The problem was that he feared the orc would notice him when he moved too fast. The orc was only 100 meters away at the moment. When the orc came closer, he stopped, took a deep breath with closed eyes, then looked up directly at Thalion.
"What the fuck?" Thalion thought in shock. "What is wrong with that guy? It must be someone with a blessing or other special means."
Meanwhile, the orc exploded with speed and smashed his giant, brutal red axe that appeared in his hand through the whole tree trunk. The trunk was over eight meters thick, and the orc smashed through like it was nothing. Thalion got his thoughts together and jumped on a branch from the tree next to him, a blood spike ripping through the wood where he had been standing one second ago.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
The orc also jumped up and unleashed a red slash at him that traveled fast. Thalion started running away, jumping from branch to branch.
The orc''s attack ripped apart the branch he was standing on and dug deep into the tree trunk. The crazy orc landed on a branch behind him and jumped after him. Thalion changed direction and jumped down on the ground again, starting to run. There was no way that brute was faster than him. The red orc roared in anger, and his body started to glow in red light as he sprinted after him. He was almost as fast as Thalion.
To his dismay, the red orc was slowly catching up because Thalion had to dodge the occasional blood spike that was fired at him. He needed to do something, and after a red slash got fired from the orc''s axe, he ducked under it and changed direction. The orc was only 15 meters behind him. At that speed, Thalion was beside the orc in an instant and swiped with a claw over his leg, ripping the skin open. He had hoped to perhaps break the bone or rip the whole leg off, but the skin of that orc was so hard he only left flesh wounds. Then, before he could jump back, he got hit with a backhand swing and the axehead ripped open his chest. Pain was rocking through Thalion''s body, but he kept it together and used abyssal bite on the bicep of the orc, ripping a big piece of flesh out.
The orc roared in pain and kicked him away. After Thalion crashed into the tree, three blood spikes were fired his way, and Thalion ducked but still got hit by one in his right shoulder, which didn''t stop it either. Thalion gasped as blinding pain shot through his body as something in his shoulder broke when the spike ripped through. He just turned around and kept running as fast as he could. He couldn''t allow his dream to end here. The red orc was no longer chasing him. He saw how the guy slowly picked up his axe. He probably had dropped it out of pain. His body slowly stopped glowing red. As their eyes met, Thalion saw a storm of uncontainable hate. Great, now there was Steven, Thorwald, and the big bad red orc chieftain on the list of enemies. What a day, Thalion thought as he disappeared into the jungle.
<--
Sylas stood behind the battlements. The orc blockade was now easy to spot. They had even built a wall behind them. They truly thought that they couldn''t be attacked from that side. Sadly, those green bastards were right, as one mage tried to bombard them with a fireball. Not only did the attack get completely blocked, but the mage was also killed the moment he stepped out behind the shield. They had archers always keeping an eye on them. They had never seen something like this coming. Kael was blaming himself for this situation because he had invested in more space rather than in more defensive tools.
They were prepared for an attack, but not for people basically camping on the outside. Surprisingly, the orc archers still had the range advantage; their bows were more like mobile ballistae. Another problem was that Michael was stirring up the people. Sylas already saw a new Thorwald coming. Michael found a lot of supporters running through the streets, putting the blame on Kael by saying things like, ¡°With him as leader, something like this could have never happened. Who doesn''t buy proper long-range defenses first?¡± Michael even had a group of over 15 people spreading his nonsense and even attacking Kael''s supporters. All this time, Michael didn''t even lift a finger to help the community in any way.
Today was even a gathering. He was told in Michael''s house near the wall, and he would pay it a visit. There was no way he would let something like Thorwald happen again.
He looked out into the jungle with sorrow. Four good friends were probably fighting for their survival at the moment: Evely, Kurgal, Thalion, and his almost girlfriend, Lisa.
Thinking back a few days, he was very happy to be integrated into the system. He had a completely boring job after failing in school. Then the system came, and now he was essential, had superpowers, and was one of the strongest mages in this base. He could almost fly, which was absolutely awesome, and the last days it looked like they finally had a safe home. But within days, everything had turned around; now everything was going down fast. Enough contemplating, he told himself and jumped off the battlement and flew to Michael''s house. Their meeting must have gone on for a while now. Until now, no one had argued with that guy and shown that he is full of bullshit. He hoped he could convince some of his followers that Kael is the better leader.
If this approach didn''t work, he needed to convince Kael to find a way to get rid of the guy. He and Kai already had some ideas, like assignment to one of the attack groups on the orc blockade in the future, which looked promising. The other options were throwing the guy out or killing him if he didn''t want to leave. He didn''t like any of them, and that''s why he tried to talk some sense into them tonight. He approached the house, and it was one of the bigger ones. No wonder this Michael probably had one left in his spatial ring before fleeing his old base. He landed in front of the luxuriously designed door that was over two meters high.
He knocked on the door, and one of Michael''s goons opened it. "Sylas, what are you doing here?" he said, surprised. "Just here for a talk. Can I come in?" Sylas said calmly, holding back the urge to scream in the man''s face about what, in the name of God, they were doing here when they could train for the coming fight or help the builders or on the wall.
"Sure, but Michael won''t like it," the man said while stepping to the side.
Sylas didn''t respond and just walked through the next door into the giant living room, where, on a small podium, Michael was talking. "What is this?" Sylas thought. The man clearly had a few screws loose.
"I say we need to wait for the appearance of the system shop or many people will die in the coming days. Kael doesn''t care about your lives; he only cares about his progress," Michael exclaimed loudly while the twenty people stood in a semicircle around the man listening.
"True, we will die when we attack. What does training do? Did you see those orcs? They are stronger than us. It''s not just the strength and durability; their mages are also stronger," a man in the front row exclaimed loudly.
"Oh, and as we have it, one of the nobles of this city is here," Michael said with a grin on his face. "Tell me, why do we have to die against the orcs?"
"First, who is saying you have to die? We are not planning on a front attack at the moment. The only thing we said is to train hard for the conflict to come," Sylas said, trying to stay as calm as possible. "You need to level as fast as you can, or the undead faction will kill us."
"Sure, the undead faction. What can they possibly do to us when we are safe in this base?" Michael said with determination.
"Don''t you want to save our fellow citizens who are stuck behind the lines of the orcs?" Sylas said. "Thalion broke through the blockade and is now fighting for us and your families while you are talking here instead of training."
"This Thalion is long dead. There is no way he survived," Michael said with a smug smile. "That arrogant whelp got what he deserved. Now you want to use his stupidity to send us into certain death? Not with me! We should always act with reason."
"What reason to allow you to sit around doing nothing when you could be helping others?" Sylas screamed. "And Thalion and the others are not dead."
"There you have it! Those upstarts just want to use you for their own good," Michael said with an innocent voice, "or they are just too dumb to see the reality."
The room started with murmurs of agreement; then the first got loud and started to insult Sylas.
At this point, Sylas just left. There was no way he was going to stay. It was pretty clear that Michael wouldn''t back down; he wanted to take this base from Kael''s hands. They needed to plan for the future. There couldn''t be another Thorwald.
Chapter 53: Into the Jungle
Thalion ran through the jungle. His body was still in pain from the fight earlier. He activated predatory instinct to blend with the darkness and to scout the area so he wouldn''t run into any surprises.
He had fed on some plants on the way, which had almost fully healed his injuries, but now he faced a lot of problems. He couldn''t go back to the fortress when the orcs had such strong fighters.
Their reaction was fast and very efficient. The orcs had reinforced the blockade and the camp instantly, making a stealth attack almost impossible.
For now, he was trying to find any survivors from the fortress. He needed more men to break through if something like that was even possible, or maybe some had good connections with one of the human bases.
If he didn''t find anyone, maybe he would just travel the mountains and hunt for a good airborne form; maybe then he could do more to help Kael.
Asking Steven for help was also not an option; he feared that he had some similar skill as the orc and would instantly notice that Thalion and the umbreal predator were the same person.
Michael had already tried to use him as an excuse to bring more people under his wing. If he knew his true class, Kael could get a lot more problems.
While he was running through the jungle, his sharp senses heard the sound of a fight in the distance, and he pushed his speed to the limit.
He soon arrived in the area and spotted Evelyn, Kargul, and a young woman who was firing fireballs at their attackers.
The attackers were insects¡ªsome kind of wasps but with a red mist rising from their bodies. Especially after they died, this was some kind of blood spell, he realized perplexed. The wasps were not undead, but they didn''t look alive either.
Thalion transformed into his human form and approached the clearing, where more and more wasps were entering. Kargul, now with a big mace, kept smashing every single and clearly had a lot of fun doing it. Thalion also engaged in the fight by throwing a charged fireball at a group of insects that completely destroyed at least seven of the wasps, but they just kept coming.
"Hello," Evelyn happily greeted him. "Did Kael already kill the orcs in front of the city?"
"No, the situation is looking dire," Thalion said while throwing another fireball at another group of wasps, destroying their bodies.
The red mist was rising, and it had to be blood, as he felt the desire of the sanguine thorn, but it was odd, like the blood had a mind of its own.
After a time of them destroying wasp after wasp, the attacks slowly subsided, and after a bit more, they ended completely, and the red mist hung high in the air. Evelyn had to constantly heal herself, Kargul, and the woman since for them the red mist was some kind of poison. For Thalion, it was perfect nourishment as the sanguine thorn was gobbling everything up with glee.
Since the attacks had ended, the others were running from the red mist, except Thalion; he walked right into it, with Evelyn calling him stupid for doing so.
When he stood in the middle of everything, he activated Crimson Harvest and drew all of the red mist to him. The sanguine thorn was devouring all of the blood with glee.
Thalion also ripped all the remaining blood out of the wasp corpses, leaving only empty shells.
The sanguine thorn was almost humming with delight after devouring all the blood.
"How are you not dead?" Evelyn said with surprise. "This mist should have killed you many times over after entering the clearing with Kargul and the young woman."
"It''s a skill of mine that makes me immune to the mist," Thalion answered, trying not to give too much information. "So what were your plans?"
"I don''t know, Evelyn sighed. And how are Kael and the others?"
"They are fine, but the orcs are slowly starving them in experience, but so far, so good," Thalion answered. "There are no plans. The situation isn''t looking good."
"We should go and smash them!" Kargul said with excitement.
"That won''t work; there is at least one orc at level forty and too strong for us to handle," Thalion said, shaking his head. "Do you know any of the human bases that are close? We will need an army."
"I know one," the woman mage said. "We could definitely find help there."
"You''re confident to do that alone? I need to pay the mountains a visit," Thalion said after a bit of thinking. He really didn''t want to do politics, and gaining a new flying form could allow him to be more useful anyway.
"Yeah, we should be fine," Evelyn said. "I think Kael will get help anyway since the gods will for sure inform their blessed that the orcs are on the move or even order them to help Kael."
"That would be perfect. Good luck! When I am finished, I will come back as fast as I can," Thalion said, and with that, he disappeared into the jungle.
This was a turbulent day, but it should be fine. If they managed to get help from a human base, breaking the blockade would be entirely possible.
Thalion used his mist form to race for the mountains, flying with incredible speed in that direction, but they were so far away and probably it would take the whole night to get there.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.After his mana was almost empty, he landed and continued his travel in the form of the umbreal predator.
The surroundings blurred while Thalion pushed his body to its limit, and he came closer and closer to his destination, wondering what great beast would live on the top of those mountains. Sometimes you could see beasts fighting far up in the sky, but that was very rare. One was the big griffins that were, from time to time, flying down to the grassland, but he hoped for some kind of bird form that was faster and more mobile in the air.
Something like the manta they met at the beginning of the tutorial or some kind of falcon or eagle
<--
Evelyn was walking with Lisa and Kargul in the direction of the next base while Lisa was talking nonstop about how cool the leader of the base, Garrick, was.
"The poor Sylas," Evelyn thought, thinking back on how Sylas spoke about Lisa, who now that they had left Kael''s base, wasn''t even mentioning him once.
"You probably aren''t talking about how great the muscle structure of another man looks when you are already in love with a different one," Evelyn wondered, but does she know about such stuff.
"How long will it take until we arrive at Garrick''s base?" Evelyn asked Lisa after a while. Maybe they should rest before arriving there to be at full strength. The day had been very exhausting.
"Not much longer. We should arrive in two hours," Lisa excitedly answered.
"You should have seen how Garrick had handled two troublemakers who didn''t want to contribute to the camp. He just moved forward, grabbed their heads, and completely crushed their skulls," Lisa excitedly explained with stars in her eyes.
Evelyn was worried now; something was very wrong with this woman, and she stepped to the side to put Kargul between her and the woman. She didn''t want something like that with her first party to happen ever again.
So they traveled for two hours and arrived at a small castle with probably over 300 survivors in it. This could be enough to make a difference. Evelyn thought with hope rising.
They stepped out of the jungle into the clearing the castle was built on, with their hands in the air. It was always difficult to approach human settlements with Kargul.
One of the guards used one of those magic stones that made their voice louder: "Why did you come here?"
"Hi, it''s me, Lisa," Lisa shouted excitedly back. "Just ask Garrick. He should know me, and these are Evelyn and Kargul. We bring very important news."
After a short while of silence, the guard spoke again: "Please come in. Garrick is waiting for you." With that, the gate slowly opened, and they stepped in.
They walked through a narrow alley and arrived at the residence of Garrick, which looked very luxurious.
A servant or butler of some sort opened the door and invited them in: "Greetings, Lady Lisa; welcome back."
Evelyn didn''t like what was happening one bit, stepping a bit closer to Kargul, and together they followed Lisa into the entrance hall where Garrick was waiting.
The man looked not nearly as good as Lisa had described him. He was definitely a heavy warrior, and he looked strong, but he was just level 36, which was not impressive at all.
"Hello, nice to see you again," Garrick said while hugging Lisa. "And you must be Evelyn and Kargul. It''s very rare for an orc to travel with humans."
"Hello, nice to meet you," Evelyn said, trying not to show her unease. "We are here because Kael needs your help. They are attacked by hundreds of orcs, and we need a strong fighter like you to break free. If you don''t help, the orcs might come for you next after destroying Kael''s base."
"Hmm, this is a very peculiar situation," Garrick said coldly. "Is the situation really this bad, Lisa?"
"Yes, they have a blockade and will probably attack the base soon," Lisa nodded along.
"Then we will help you, but we need two days to prepare," Garrick said with confidence. "And we can fight with a maximum of a hundred men. I need to leave some for protection here."
"This will be enough," Evelyn said happily. This had gone way better than expected. Probably because she was so good in negotiations.
"Great! So if you don''t mind, I and Lady Lisa have something to discuss. Albert will show you your rooms," Garrick said with a smile on his face.
With that, the servant came and guided them to their room upstairs. It was a big room with nice furniture.
"I don''t trust that guy," Kargul said with a low, deep voice after the servant had left.
"Me neither," Evelyn nodded. She contemplated sneaking down and spying on the conversation, but she feared that she would be discovered by the servants.
In the end, she decided against it. The consequences could be dire.
"So what are we doing? Should I smash the guy?" Kargul offered his eyes, lighting up at the last sentence.
"No, then we lose the army he is already providing. But the two are planning something, and I don''t like it one bit," Evelyn said suspiciously. "I hope the others are fine, and when it comes to Garrick and Lisa, we need to keep our guard up at all times."
Chapter 54: New Form
Thalion had traveled all night until he arrived at the mountain. The thing made the biggest mountains of Earth look like a child in comparison.
The first was easily over ten kilometers high, and he already had spotted a griffin enterering his den with its prey between its claws. The beast was powerful at early level 40. It had the beak and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The tail ended in one big spike. All of its feathers were brown, and its eyes glowed with a dark red. Thalion was contemplating if he would be strong enough to fight the beast. Anyway, he needed to act fast. Nobody knew how long Kael and the others could hold on. There were also a number of birds living on the mountain, but clearly under the griffin. They came in different sizes and colors. Some birds looked like they were made of fire, others sparked electricity coursing through their feathers. All the birds were around level 35 and looked strong in their own right, so Thalion would go for them, but he needed to observe them for a bit longer. He wondered where they flew off to hunt.
The griffin was mostly seen hunting on the grassland that surrounded the rivers, but the other birds were very rarely seen, most of the species he had never seen before. After watching for a bit, he noticed that most birds were just flying straight into the air. It seemed they were only resting here. Thalion couldn''t see the peak of the mountain because the dense clouds were obscuring his vision, but all the birds that were flying up were making a wide arc around the griffin''s cave and the peak of the mountain.
He contemplated following them in his mist form but decided against it. They were a higher level than him and also often hunted in groups. This situation could turn very quickly. The speed of the birds was also inspiring. They shot into the sky with the speed of a rocket and disappeared into the clouds.
As most birds had disappeared into the sky, he made his move. Still in the form of the umbral predator, he sneaked up the mountain to the first birds who were still resting on the trees. They were normal eagles without any special attributes at level 33. Thalion could sneak up on the eagle until he was in striking distance, and with a quick jump and a slice of his claws, the eagle died. The eagle didn''t even have a chance. All the other birds flew into the air in panic after seeing him kill the bird and disappeared soon after into the clouds above. This had gone better than expected. He thought that they might attack him. Instead, they all ran away. Thalion quickly took the form of the eagle, and it was nothing special.
Status:
Name: Thalion Walker
Age 30
Wingspan 2.10 Meters
Level 33
Race: Uncommon Wind Eagle (F)
Health Points: 450/450
Mana Points: 210/210
Stamina: 1763/1800
Expience points 7.602/9.090
Stats:
Strength: 60
Agility: 210
Endurance: 180
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 8
Perception: 150
Toughness: 6
Vitality: 45
Fate: 6
Skills:
Acquire form (Exalted), Shapeshift (Exalted), Identify (Common), Echoes of Worlds (Common), Gust Beak (Common), Feather Glide (Uncommon), Whirlwind (Common)
Titles:
none
Form:
Umbral Predator (Mythic) Level 33
Human (Exalted) Level 33
Bloodline:
none
This form was not strong at all. Thalion was even afraid that he could die with a single surprise attack. It would be ironic if he died in the form of the eagle by one sneak attack after he had just slain it the same way. But he had no choice now. All the birds on this mountain had risen into the air, and he didn''t want to spend hours traveling to the other mountains and searching there for a better species. The skills the eagle had, however, were not promising. gust beak didn¡¯t do much damage, and whirlwind was just for slowing others down, not dealing any damage at all. Feather glide was the only good spell, which sped the eagle up significantly. There was nothing he could do about it, and with a beat of his wings, he was shooting into the air.
The speed at which the eagle could travel was impressive, and it was even faster than the umbral predator, but it was to be expected that a beast fully built on speed would be fast. Thalion thought about how easy it was to fly. Before reaching the layer of clouds, he spun around and tried some maneuvers; flying was just so much fun. He must have inherited some of the eagle¡¯s memories for this to be possible, or it was pure instinct. Anyway, Thalion loved it. This might be even better than surfing.
When he approached the cloud, he transformed into his human form and used Mist Form to dive into the cloud. He didn¡¯t want to get killed by a beast that was lurking in the clouds. He passed through the clouds and witnessed an awe-inspiring sight. This high in the sky, there were white crystals floating above the mountains, and there were all kinds of birds, even some kind of flying snake. Those crystals attracted a lot of attention, as white swirls of wind, which Thalion identified as air elementals, were seemingly munching on those crystals. The other beasts were trying to protect them by killing the air elementals or straight up gulping them down. This must be the reason many birds had white feathers. It must come from those crystals, which were first consumed by the air elementals, who were in turn eaten by the flying beasts.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It was kind of weird that those crystals only existed above the mountains and that underneath them were often thick layers of clouds. No wonder that he didn¡¯t spot most flying creatures. They were all up here. With a quick look around, he transformed into the wind eagle and flew in the direction of a tiny crystal one of the elementals was feeding on.
Air Elemental Level 29
Thalion flew at the elemental and used Gust Beak, killing the air elemental instantly when he flew right through it. That was easy, he thought, but the experience gain was very little. No wonder, the elemental was weak after all. He watched the other birds while he was circling around the crystal. He wondered if he could eat the crystal as the umbral predator. He tried to put the crystal in his spatial ring, but it didn¡¯t work. He spotted one of the bigger crystals a kilometer up in the sky that had no birds near it but some elementals, and he flew up to it.
Thalion didn¡¯t want to attack the birds yet when he didn¡¯t know much about aerial combat and didn¡¯t want to risk anything since the speed of the birds was very high. He didn¡¯t have any skills that were good at hitting those birds. Maybe the Blood Thorn in his human form could work. The elementals around the crystal were stronger, all above level 35, and it took over eight flybys to kill one. The experience was still bad, but in the end, those elementals didn¡¯t even fight back or have any way of attacking; at least Thalion hadn¡¯t seen any so far.
It seemed that the biggest crystals were far up in the sky while the tiny ones were down at his level. Thalion continued watching the other birds. Normally, they were friendly and didn¡¯t attack each other, only feeding on the air elementals. As he watched the birds, he saw how the crystals were absorbing the dead air elementals and started to glow a bit brighter.
This was very interesting. Then he noticed that a group of four thunder owls was attacking two ironfeather pigeons, all at level 35.
The fight was very short and lopsided. The pigeons tried to escape in panic, shooting out their feathers to distract their attackers, but the owls were persistent. It also seemed that the ironfeathers were not good at blocking the lightning; on the contrary, after a pigeon got hit by a spell, its whole body spasmed violently. After a short time, the two pigeons were hunted down, killed, and eaten.
The owls even ate the steel feathers. Then, after a quick pause, they made their way up to challenge a different group of birds.
The former friendly feeding had stopped and turned into a battle of life and death; many groups of birds were diving down from time to time, killing weaker birds.
Thalion saw up in the sky the apex hunters circling big crystals almost the size of cities. Those beasts must be over level 40. Luckily for all the others, they only cared for their crystals and rarely interacted with other beasts.
There was one giant skysnake. The scales were pure white, and she must be over fifteen meters long, slowly circling its crystal while every movement unleashed small gusts of wind. Thalion guessed that the snake was a race around mythical.
A bit to the right of the snake was a giant manta; it even owned two crystals, and lightning was unleashed across its wide wings with every slow beat.
There were also a few more giant eagles, all with different affinities, but at the absolute top, even above the snake and the manta, was a giant crystal on which sat a snow-white wyvern. But it was not the normal wyvern you knew from stories. It was very elegant, long, with a slender form. It also had no feet or arms, just two massive wings. It almost looked like a winged serpent.
Cloud Wyvern Level Unknown
This was also the first time he couldn''t identify something, but it didn¡¯t matter much. This creature was so far above him. Even if it was on the brink of death, Thalion didn¡¯t see a way to defeat it. At that moment, two twilight falcons, level 34, were attacking him. Thalion kept circling the crystal while they dove for him. The first falcon''s claws started to glow in light orange, ready to rip his head clean off. The other was flapping its wings, firing some feathers at him. Attacking him was probably not the right decision, he thought with amusement as the attackers came closer.
Before the falcon could impact his body, he transformed into the umbral predator, and with incredible speed, he grabbed both wings of the falcon, stopping its attack right there, and bit its head off. The feathers hit him in the right shoulder and arm, but they didn¡¯t penetrate deep. Those minor injuries would be healed in seconds. This had worked very well and Thalion was now out for blood. While he was dropping from the sky, he took the form of the falcon and devoured it fully. He saw how the falcons comrade screamed in panic and was already flying away, so Thalion transformed into the form of the eagle.
He looked at the status screen of the falcon, and it was even worse than the eagle¡¯s, so he discarded the form. The only thing he transferred was the talon strike, which empowered his claws and could be useful since he didn¡¯t have a skill in that area. Time for some experimenting. He turned to the umbral predator and landed on the crystal, which slowly started sinking. He activated abyssal devourer, and dark tendrils were digging into the crystal, transforming into darkness that was absorbed very quickly.
He absorbed a lot of power. He almost felt full from that single crystal. He transformed back into an eagle as he was currently falling fast. Time to take a risk, he thought. He couldn¡¯t just wait all day, flying around and watching birds hunting. It was time to become the hunter. He dove toward another bigger crystal where two birds were circling it.
Stormreaven Level 34
Stormreaven Level 37
Their wings were lightly crackling with lightning, but it was at a level Thalion was confident in handling. He also wanted to fight in his eagle form this time, at least as long as it was possible without dying. The two ravens spotted him and attacked him. Their expressions looked almost bored. They probably thought they had just encountered the biggest idiot in their lives. One opened its beak and spat lightning at him. It was fast and probably very efficient against birds. Thalion activated Feather Glide and flew to the side in a wide arc, evading the lightning of the first raven.
The bad thing about fighting against two foes in the sky was that when you were chasing one, the other would place itself behind you, and there was just nothing you could do against that. Since Thalion couldn¡¯t keep an eye on both, he stopped the chase and turned around, but then the raven he was just chasing saw its chance and turned around, chasing him again. And so the deadly game continued.
Thalion was annoyed and swore in his mind at the birds. Without a ranged attack, it was very hard to fight those ravens, who both had a ranged attack. The lightning they spat really made life difficult for him. The ravens, in turn, were having the fun of their lives, chirping at him and sometimes flapping their wings like they were drunk.
Thalion tried to get close to one, but he had no chance of even landing a hit, so the next time after he switched targets and the raven was turning around behind him, he transformed into his human form and launched a blood thorn at the raven, which hit the surprised crow in the chest, killing it instantly.
The other raven screeched in surprise, then in anger, as it started attacking Thalion, who stood on a mana barrier with one vine extending out of his upper arm, grabbing the dead raven. The surviving raven flew around him, spitting lightning at him, but after a short while, it died from a blood thorn hitting its wing and another one striking its head.
Thalion took the form of the stronger bird, then he moved his mana barrier to the crystal, and moments later, the umbral predator had devoured the crystal and the two birds.
Thalion transformed into the eagle and slowly flew up, checking out the ravens form, but the eagle still had better stats while only being of uncommon rarity and the raven being rare.
So Thalion transferred the skill lightning bolt, a rare skill, to his eagle form and discarded the form of the raven. He had kind of grown attached to the eagle form and now wanted to see how much he could upgrade it. Yeah, he would make the featherball to true greatness. Was it the best option? Of course not. But he liked it and it was also a bit for science, as he wanted to see how far his abilities would allow him to change the bird.
Chapter 55: Hunting Birds
Thalion found out that hunting birds was not as hard as he first thought. With the new skill, he was able to kill some fire hawks, but they didn''t have any good skills. When things got dangerous, he transformed into a human, which surprised the birds most of the time so much that he could finish one off with his blood thorns. If a big one wanted to go into melee combat, he transformed into the umbral predator and ripped the attacker into pieces.
He was currently hunting for some wind hawks, who hopefully were of epic rarity. He hoped that those beasts had some kind of passive skill that made them faster.
The good thing about attacking a small group of birds was that they didn''t flee and instead tried to kill him.
This time, he had to transform into his human form early to kill the birds since one got a windblade attack. After killing the first bird, he took the form of the bird and placed the corpse in his spatial ring. Then he dove after the other falcon, which was running with incredible speed. Thalion learned a lot about flying while chasing the falcon. It was turning very fast and then speeding in a straight line, with Thalion right behind it, just mimicking everything the hawk did.
It took a while, but in the end, the hawk got away, and Thalion returned to the white crystal it was protecting. He checked out the skills of the hawk and took the skill skydive, a rare skill that speeds you up in one direction. Sadly, the other hawk must have been the one with the windcut ability, or some abilities got lost when he took the form of the beast.
Anyway, he now really enjoyed upgrading the eagle. The hawk got more stats, but he just felt so much more comfortable flying in his eagle form than as a falcon. Thalion saw one problem coming up in the future. He would definitely fall behind all the others, even with his forms getting the same amount of experience. If he wanted to upgrade the bodies with body tempering, he needed triple the amount of resources.
Another thing going forward was that his mythic form needed much more experience than the eagle form, which had already leveled up twice while his other form only got one level. He also didn¡¯t have any free points in his eagle form; every point was put into agility, endurance, and perception. Thalion also didn¡¯t have much time left. He wanted to be back in Kael¡¯s camp tomorrow. The good thing was that he could easily travel the distance now in less than three hours, which had taken him almost the whole night before... maybe even faster. He thought of a new way of fighting the orcs by hovering kilometers above them in the sky and dropping giant rocks out of his spatial ring. Why shouldn¡¯t it work? When they hit the blockade, the damage would be devastating. It''s a shame that he hadn¡¯t thought of it earlier. Well, it didn¡¯t help him now; he had a few hours left to hunt birds and make his eagle great again.
<--
Evelyn and Kargul were now sitting together with Garrick and Lisa, who appeared to be some kind of couple.
"Can we help with the preparations? The orcs know that an attack will come, so the sooner we attack, the better," Evelyn said with worry, hoping the guy didn''t withdraw his offer to help.
"Sure, there is just one thing that is holding me back. I promised twenty of my new citizens, who had all chosen the shapeshifter class, to help them hunt strong prey so they can take its form," Garrick explained.
"The same class as Thalion," Evelyn thought, interested. If they were even close to his level of strength, the orcs were in for a hard time.
"It would even be in our favor if they could take the form of a strong beast. I think it will be worth the time," Garrick added.
"I fully agree," Evelyn said in a happy mood. "Kargul and I would gladly help those shapeshifters, and the sooner, the better, while Kargul nodded along.
"Splendid! Let''s meet at the gate. The shapeshifters should already be waiting there, and I need a bit of time to gather most of my men."
With that said, Evelyn and Kargul left the entrance hall and made their way to the gate.
Kargul bowed down to her and tried to whisper in a deep voice, "They have the same class as Thalion. How strong do you think they are?"
"I have no idea what creatures they have encountered," Evelyn said, but it¡¯s better not to mention that again as long as we are here. I still don¡¯t trust the guy.
Soon they arrived at the gate, where a large group of people was waiting. They all had an arrogant expression on their faces.
"Hello, we are here to help you get stronger forms," Evelyn greeted them with a wide smile.
"You help us?" A man in the front said with a smirk on his face. "And how are you going to do that? Beat the beast to death."
Kargul stepped in front of Evelyn and said in a deep voice, "Quiet, human."
Evelyn had a hard time holding back her laughter. It was always so funny. At one point, the orc was completely simple-minded, almost like a kid, and on the other, he just found the right words.
"What did you just call my husband, you stupid beast?" a woman said, stepping out of the group and glaring daggers at Kargul.
Kargul responded with all his wisdom, "Quiet, human," while starting to scratch his back and looking around as if the humans in front of him didn¡¯t exist.
The head of the woman instantly turned red, and she was breathing heavily while her husband held her back.
"Do you think she is trying to shapeshift?" Kargul instantly asked Evelyn, who now couldn''t hold herself back and started laughing. This situation was just too funny. Luckily, before both of them could do anything, Garrick and Lisa approached the gathering with over seven fighters behind them.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original."Great, so you already met each other," Garrick said with a loud voice, as if he didn¡¯t notice the current situation.
"Those two insulted us," the man said with a huff. "We demand that they be punished."
"We don¡¯t have time for something like this," Garrick said. "We need to get your forms as fast as possible. Then we will go to war against the orcs. You can bring that up after the fight."
"This is not over," the woman said while looking at Evelyn and Kargul.
Evelyn and Kargul didn¡¯t respond, and so the group set out for a hunt. Some of the shapeshifters were transforming into wolves or leopards and disappeared into the jungle in search of strong beasts. The others were following them into the jungle. Evelyn made sure to stay near Kargul so no one could harm her with a surprise attack. Since that woman had killed the first party she spawned in the tutorial, she had a hard time trusting anyone. What irony that the one she trusted the most was a bloodthirsty orc.
Soon after, a leopard came back and said in the voice of a woman, "We found one¡ªa night bear, a giant beast at Level 39. It¡¯s 500 meters in front of you in a clearing, eating another beast."
"Great! Let¡¯s go," Garrick said, and their group sped up significantly, soon spotting the bear, which, to their dismay, spotted them too, as a heavy warrior unfortunately stepped on a twig that broke with a loud crack.
The bear roared and charged at their group. Evelyn was already moving to the side; the movement skill she got would make it very difficult for the bear to catch her.
Kargul, however, stepped a bit to the side, clearly not wanting to risk injuries when they couldn¡¯t fully trust the group.
A lion jumped after the bear and bit into one of its back legs, making it spin around with an angry roar. Multiple arrows were piercing its hide, and a fireball from Lisa threw it to the side. The fight was quick, and only two shapeshifters got minor injuries, which Evelyn, of course, didn¡¯t heal. She didn¡¯t like those people, and at the moment, only Lisa knew she was a healer, and she didn¡¯t mention it, so everything was fine. The shapeshifters all gathered around the bear with glee in their eyes, everyone putting their hands on the beast, and soon they started to eat the bear in their beastform. It looked gross, Evelyn thought.
Next, they kept hunting. The two injured shapeshifters had already healed their wounds and disappeared into the jungle. They hunted a few more beasts. One was a big orange lion, and the other was some kind of insect that was over 4 meters tall with sharp claws. Evelyn wondered if those forms would help much in a fight against the orcs, as orcs were pretty good at killing big things¡ªnot that Evelyn cared much for the well-being of those people. After those fights, they were back at Garrick''s base. The man had acted very professionally, and until now he was a good leader. If she hadn¡¯t heard the stories from Lisa about him killing people for pleasure.
"So, everyone, recover and prepare yourselves. Tomorrow we will leave this base and attack the orcs that are attacking Kael¡¯s fortress," Garrick reminded everyone and went back to his building.
The woman walked up to Evelyn, who in response was moving behind Kargul, and said in a sinister voice, "This is not over, especially not after today¡¯s boost," then the shapeshifters left.
"Don¡¯t worry, Evelyn," Kargul said. "I was holding back almost everything of my strength. If they want to do something, I¡¯ll smash them badly."
"Let¡¯s see what will happen. Maybe the other orcs will solve this problem for us tomorrow," Evelyn nodded. Then they made their way to their rooms. There was much to prepare until tomorrow.
<--
Thorwald was hunting with his new group, and life was very good to him right now. He was growing in power steadily while Steven had trouble keeping his lead, and even when he was not allowed to kill the man, he could make his life hard and prepare until the struggle with the undead faction was over. As it looked, Kael¡¯s base was surrounded by a lot of orcs, and their patron had ordered Steven to help Kael break free. Unluckily for Steven, Thorwald had decided to go on a hunting trip that had gone a bit longer this time.
This all helped Thorwald even more; he had people who were spreading his propaganda that he was currently out saving new survivors, even if he was falling behind in levels from not hunting enough. He of course didn¡¯t even think for a moment to save survivors; he was only out there for the levels and if someone happened to run his way, he would bring them back and tell everyone that he had wandered the whole night to find some survivors, and thanks to his efforts, those lives could be saved. All while Steven was hunting for levels and now wanted to go to war against the orcs. Oh, this was even better! Thorwald was of course against the war, because many people would for sure die.
Steven didn¡¯t have much choice since he was ordered by his god directly, and it probably wouldn¡¯t end well if he denied the direct command of a god. Thorwald could only chuckle. He had hunted the whole day, and according to one of his scouts, Steven hadn¡¯t left the base until today busy working on gathering people for an attack.
This was perfect! If the god withdrew his blessing, Thorwald could kill the man and then march to Kael¡¯s base, and after killing the orcs, he of course needed to take control of that base if the management was that poor. Thorwald was close to level forty right now, and he made sure that his direct men were close behind him. With Kael already starving for almost two days, he should be much stronger right now. He could already see his revenge when he grabbed the fucking ranger by the neck and cracked it with one twist.
Same with those mages, Sylas and Thalion, and that fucker Kai. The cracking of a branch brought him back, and a giant bear was charging at him. This beast was also cursed, as it seemed. It had that red mist rising from its body, which made it extremely dangerous. Thorwald had encountered multiple of those beasts the last few days. Was it some kind of disease that was spreading like rabies? He wondered. In the end, even that level 42 beast was no match for him, especially not when he had his men with him. After a few swings with his axe, the bear lay dead on the ground.
The red mist almost had no effect on him since the armor was cleansing his body all the time, which made him almost immune to all poisons and, it seemed, even against curses. Time to hunt even more, Thorwald thought. This was perfect: Steven was trying to get enough men to follow him without starting a riot, Kael and the others were stuck in their base, and he was leveling faster than everyone else. He would be the new leader of humanity after this was over.
Chapter 56: The Sky Battle
Thalion had changed his plans again, which was almost a habit of his¡ªto want to do one thing and then do a completely different one. Something had changed massively. The sun was about to go down, and he wanted to fly back. Then it happened. The wyvern just disappeared. Probably, it had gone to the next state of the tutorial, if something like this was possible for beasts because they didn¡¯t have a system shop, at least as far as he knew.
The other beasts were surprised, but then it erupted. The manta was leaving its crystal, as was the sky snake and some of the stronger birds on the top layer. It was pure war. The snake attacked the manta, which fired a giant blast of lightning at the snake that sent it down, the body twitching until it regained control and shot up again. But this was just the beginning; massive crystals were free for the taking, and a lot of the birds were now trying to take that new position.
Thalion still had not found out why those crystals were so important for them. The bigger crystals were attracting more of the elementals, but why the birds were always flying around them he hadn¡¯t figured out. The only thing he noticed when flying around one was that it was easier, and his stamina recovered a bit faster, but that was it. Thalion, however, did go for the newfound opportunity. This was his chance to upgrade his eagle form even further. He was still one kilometer below the absolute massacre that was happening above him, but slowly the other birds were also picking up on what was happening and starting their ascent.
The manta was already close to dying, as was the snake, as a group of eagles were attacking both of them. The manta was already barely hanging on and would probably die soon. Thalion couldn¡¯t wait to see what awesome skills that beast had, and he shot up into the sky with glee in his eyes, always keeping his distance from the crystals so none of the birds would pay him too much attention. He was now approaching the upper layers. The tension was visible. One wrong move could mean his death. The power of the birds fighting was far above him, and he could easily be one-shotted. The good thing was that he was not the only one ascending in the sky, and he was by far the weakest that had flown that far up.
The others were fighting for crystals while he was trying to get a hit on the big players and maybe take their form. He still didn¡¯t know how much he needed to contribute to a fight to take the form of a beast or maybe it was enough if he used the skill after the death of one of the big guys. Well, he was about to find out, as the manta just got more and more injured by the second. Its lightning was already weak, and its speed was reduced. One of its wings didn¡¯t function like it should. The two eagles were both of some fire sort, as they burned the manta with fire breath and cut it open with quick flybys. The question was: Would they ignore the corpse falling down? Normally, those beasts always ate their prey after a fight without exception, so Thalion had an idea¡ªprobably not a good one, but good enough if it would work.
He attacked two storm hawks who had killed the previous owner of the crystal they now controlled and shot a lightning bolt at them, hitting one of them in the back and screeching in hope of taunting the bird. Next, he activated Skydive and shot up in the air toward the battling manta. The two birds followed him with angry screeches. He only heard how thunder was now crawling below him as they flew up at him. The next thing he gave a little shock was the big manta in a flyby. The other eagles looked at him puzzled. The situation didn¡¯t get any better as the two hawks were following him trying to kill him. He tried to be as close to the manta as possible while evading the hawks and avoiding getting hit by the manta or the two fire eagles.
The two eagles barely saw him as a threat, but the two hawks were something else, as they ignored the manta, who was almost dead and started to chase the two hawks.
Thalion changed his tactic again. All four birds were occupied for the moment, and he dove down on the manta, landing on it in the form of the umbral predator.
He bit and clawed into the large form of the manta until he got the kill notification, took the form, and jumped off the manta, which was now falling like a stone. He transformed into the eagle and flew away. He didn¡¯t try to eat the corpse to give the eagle another target. Thalion gambled that the eagles would prefer to devour the corpse of the manta instead of chasing him down to the lower layers. While he dove down, he saw how the two fire eagles were already on the manta¡¯s corpse, eating it pretty fast. The two hawks were nowhere to be seen. While he was diving down away from the action as best as he could, he checked the skills of the manta. The manta even had two epic passive skills; both were, of course, instantly transferred to his eagle form.
Stormborn Resilience (Epic)
The manta passively absorbs electricity, converting any incoming lightning damage into a temporary shield. It also regenerates health more quickly during storms, becoming stronger in harsh weather conditions.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Electric Glide (Epic)
The Lightning Manta can glide through the air without flapping its wings, using natural electrical currents in the atmosphere. This passive ability allows it to conserve energy while making its movements incredibly difficult to predict, increasing evasion against attacks.
The other spells all looked very promising too.
Tempest Shroud (Epic)
The Lightning Manta cloaks itself in a stormy aura, making it harder to hit while increasing its flight speed. The shroud also passively discharges electricity to any enemies that come too close.
Skybolt Barrage (Legendary)
The lightning manta charges the air around it with intense electrical energy, causing the atmosphere to hum with static. After a brief delay, lightning bolts erupt from the charged air, homing in on nearby enemies. Each bolt deals significant lightning damage, with the intensity increasing based on how much electricity has been stored in the surrounding air. This attack is unpredictable and can hit multiple enemies, chaining between targets.
Eye of the Storm (Legendary)
The manta calls forth a massive thunderstorm in the area, generating strong winds and pelting lightning strikes. The storm lasts for a significant duration, providing cover and damaging all enemies caught in its range.
He transferred all the spells to his eagle form. He didn¡¯t want to be a big manta. This form would suck big time when it came to fighting the orcs, and he had already set his goal to upgrade the eagle. Next, he discarded the manta form and made his way back to Kael¡¯s base. He didn¡¯t want to risk his life anymore, and it was already getting dark. Thalion could easily travel long distances with this form, and the next system shop was already close. Maybe he could find a way to change the race of a beast without the evolution to E grade. Maybe something like a mutation.
He liked flying a lot. The feeling of wind pressing against his feathers was great. He didn¡¯t even need to beat his wings to travel with incredible speed back to Kael''s base. He could already see it in the distance. The high perception came in handy. From here, everything looked good. The orcs, however, had built some high towers, but that was it.
Thalion was focused on the electricity in the air. With his passive skill, he was slowly absorbing it, and he felt the tingle in his feathers. Thalion tried the same method as with the body-tempering techniques and attempted to feel the electricity and push it into his feathers. It seemed to work, but he barely absorbed any electricity, so he didn¡¯t feel any improvement. The night was coming faster than he had anticipated. Maybe he could arrive at Kael¡¯s base before nightfall. Hopefully, the orcs wouldn¡¯t attack before he arrived.
<--
Kael had worked very hard the last day. He had hoped that Thalion would find a way to do enough damage so they could break open the blockade, but it never happened. He sincerely hoped that his friend was okay. He asked his patron for help, who assured him that help would arrive soon and he just needed to hold on. The orcs, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care much. They had built their own base and now had strong walls with multiple runes and giant towers that could oversee the perimeter. Now, no jungle was dividing the bases any longer. They had cut it all down. Not only that, they had also created a giant perimeter around them, which would make a surprise attack impossible. Kael didn¡¯t see a way their helper could break the walls down unless they had something like a mana disruptor. Even then, it would be almost impossible. If the orcs had something, it was strength. Even their mages had much more power.
Kael didn¡¯t see how a group of people could get close to the orc blockade, even with special items. The archers were more like mobile ballistas that killed every human with one hit and when they charged their arrows even more, nothing could stop them. He now also wasn¡¯t sure if they would win after the system shop. At least a few orcs were also blessed by some gods and would have access to terrifying siege equipment. The orcs also got the opportunity to hunt all day while they didn¡¯t level up at all, except for their craftsmen. Kael and the others only had improved their skill in fighting with sparring and practicing, but he doubted it would do them much good.
He needed to calm down. It was just a bit over a day. They were blocked from progressing, but the orcs couldn¡¯t have that much of a lead. The other thing that bothered him was that guy, Michael. It seemed the guy was trying to become the leader of this base. The tales his lackeys spun were urging his people to act against him. Kael just wanted to provide them with a safe harbor and wasn¡¯t charging anything for them to stay here. Yet some just didn¡¯t care for survival that much if it didn¡¯t benefit them. First Thorwald, now this Michael. Why were so many even listening to that guy? He just spouted nonsense all day and had even lost his first base to Steven, leaving everyone to their fate. Now many saw him as a wise leader. Maybe he should challenge the guy to a duel to get the matter out of the way. Kael could already see the answer of the guy: leadership is not about who is stronger. It is about who can make the better decision for the people. Michael was also spinning a story where he ordered Thalion to attack the orcs and the dumb mage had listened to him and died in the process. They had ordered the guy to guard duty all day, but it had made it even worse, as now his men added how tireless Michael was working for the well-being of everyone out of the goodness of his heart and that no orc could breach the walls when he was on patrol. He couldn¡¯t wait for the orcs to attack, but it seemed that it would take a long time until the situation was solved. Until then, he needed to stay in power. He was not losing his fortress to someone like Michael or Thorwald ever again.
Chapter 57: The Messenger
Thalion shot to the sky with incredible speed. He didn''t even have to beat his wings once. It felt marvelous. He was now only two kilometers above the jungle and would soon arrive at Kael''s base. The position they were in was not good. It looked like a big ring had been built around the man''s fortress, with the occasional high tower in the mix. The orcs must have planned this for a very long time. He already saw his two friends standing on one of the high towers integrated into the wall, ready if the orcs would try something. When he was above the base, he went into a dive, holding his wings close to his body. Just before impacting the ground, he transformed into his human form and dashed upward to slow his fall. Kael and Sylas spun around with a surprised look on their faces when they saw him land on one of the battlements.
"What? How did you get here?" Sylas exclaimed, already drawing his staff.
"Well, I flew. I said I wanted a flying form, and since there was no way to kill more orcs, I went for it," Thalion said, since Kael was still in shock.
"Ah, on the flying stuff, did you ever try to put some heavy rocks out of your spatial ring when you were high up in the sky?" Thalion asked, hoping the Ork problem would be solved very fast.
"Yeah, we already tried it," Sylas said. "It doesn''t work at all. You can only put it out near the ground."
"Oh, did you try digging under the orcs'' buildings?" Thalion asked, wondering if they could go on hunting trips. Then most of what the orcs had done was straight-up useless.
"Yes, Jakob is currently with three other earth mages on it, but no one has a skill that is very good at it, so it will take at least two days until they are finished," Kael said. "So, what happened since you breached the blockade?"
Thalion told them about the red Ork that had almost killed him and that he had met Evelyn, Kargul, and that mage woman, and that they were currently trying to get some help.
"This is very good," Kael said.
"What? Very good? This is perfect!" Sylas exclaimed. It couldn''t have gone much better. Anyway, you didn''t tell us about what flying form you took.
"Oh, it''s a wind eagle," Thalion said, telling them about what all the flying beasts were doing in the past weeks.
"By the way, do you have some stuff like wind or storm crystals?" Thalion asked them.
"Not anymore. We used most of it since we can''t go out hunting," Sylas said.
"Could you fly over to the base Evelyn and the others were traveling to so we can coordinate an attack plan?" Kael asked. "We need to attack as soon as possible if we don''t want to fall behind any further."
"Sure, I can be your messenger pigeon," Thalion said with a grin. "Since it will come out that I am a shapeshifter, can you tell everyone that the bird is my only form if someone asks?"
"No problem, we will cover for you," Sylas laughed.
"Okay, then I am off," Thalion said. "If they are not attacking this night, I will come back tomorrow. I mean, you are prepared for war anyway."
"That should be totally fine as long as you arrive a few hours before the attack. We will be ready," Kael said looking pleased to finally be able to do something against the orcs.
With that brief interaction, Thalion transformed into eagly, as he called his new form, and used sky dive. With incredible speed, he shot straight into the air until he reached a kilometer in height. Then he made his way to the city in the distance where the others should reside if everything had gone to plan.He only needed a few beats of his wings to reach top speed. Then he just glided on the wind without doing anything. It felt like sliding down a big waterslide, just that he could freely move where he wanted to, and he didn''t slow down; on the contrary, he even got a bit faster. Soon he arrived at the base, which didn''t have enough runes on the wall, so he could just easily fly over it. He made the same move he had back at Kael''s camp. The guards were turning around on hearing the gust of wind, and when they saw him, one screamed in surprise while the other drew his weapon.
Thalion created a mana barrier between them just to be safe; after all, they were the same level, and he spoke, "Calm down. I am just here to talk. If I wanted to kill you, I would have had enough time to do so."
"How did you get up here?" one of the guards shouted, still spooked.
"I flew here. Listen, I don''t have much time. Is Evelyn and Kargul here?" Thalion asked the guard.
"Yes, they arrived yesterday," a woman said. "What do you want here?"
"I am from Kael''s base. Since they are still here, I guess you have accepted helping us against the orcs," Thalion asked, kind of ignoring their question.
"Yes, we will help you against those orcs," one of the guards proudly announced. "After all, we humans need to stick together."
"Great! Can you call your leader so I can have a talk on the specifics? I promised Kael that I would inform him at least a few hours before the attack," Thalion asked the guard.
"Sure, sure," the guard said. "I already sent him a message. Until he replies, can you teach us how to fly?"
Since it was the nice humans-need-to-stick-together guard, he answered, "I am a shapeshifter and can transform into a bird."
"Wow, that''s so cool! How does it feel to fly?" the guard asked with interest.
"It''s a bit like swimming, just way cooler," Thalion said with a grin.
"Oh, Garrick!" answered the guard. "Just fly over to the big building in the center. He is waiting for you," the guard said, also grinning.
After a goodbye, Thalion jumped off the tower and dashed over. It was not far, and he didn''t want to show off his powers yet.
The big doors opened for him before he could knock, and some kind of servant invited him in. After opening a few other doors, he entered a giant entrance hall where already Evelyn, Kargul, the mage woman, and a man who was probably Garrick were waiting.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site."You are back! How is Kael doing?" Evelyn welcomed him happily.
"Fine. The orcs have strengthened their defenses, but other than that, everything is okay so far," Thalion answered. "What are your plans for attacking?"
"We will attack the orcs with all of our might," Garrick said, "with multiple magic circles to empower our mages, and we have charged shield arrays from the past weeks that can shield us.¡°
That didn''t sound too bad, but Thalion worried about what would happen if the red orc made a move. They needed to concentrate their attacks on that guy.
"Do you have something prepared to take out elite warriors?" Thalion asked, hoping for an easy solution to this dilemma.
"No, this will be on us. We couldn''t prepare more than that," Garrick explained. "We will attack tomorrow at midday. Then everything should be fully charged."
"Great! I will inform Kael that you are coming so he can also attack the orcs," Thalion said. This had gone better than expected.
"Excellent! Do you want to stay here for the night, or do you need to travel? Garrick asked with a lazy wave of his hand.
"I will leave after catching up with Evelyn and Kargul. I need to prepare some things on my own," Thalion said after a moment of thought. He didn''t want to give the man too much information about him.
"Understandable. Good travels," Garrick said, nodding along. With that, Thalion, Evelyn, and Kargul left the big hall and entered their room.
"So, what do you say about that guy helping us so freely?" Thalion asked Evelyn. He found it odd. There would be a lot of dead tomorrow, and he was helping without asking for payment or anything like that.
"Something is wrong here," Evelyn whispered. "Lisa told us stories about him killing some people without making a ruckus, but since we are here, he has been very professional and helpful. I think his true goal is something else."
"Are you in danger?" Thalion asked, now worried.
"No, we should be fine. If push comes to shove, I am confident we both can at least run away."
"Okay, I will tell Kael to stay back and let the others fight. There will definitely be something happening after the fight is finished," Thalion remarked. "If that is all, I want to do some more hunting before tomorrow."
"Yeah, we also need to prepare some last resorts," Evelyn nodded.
"Okay, great! I will see you tomorrow. And Kargul, why have you been so silent?" Thalion asked the orc.
"I am tired. So much smashing and talking," Kargul said, exhausted.
"Haha, never mind. See you," Thalion said while jumping out of the window. He instantly transformed into eagly and shot into the sky.
He needed to gain more levels as fast as possible before the fight tomorrow. The problem was he didn''t know where to hunt, as the mountains were too far away and he didn''t want to fly for hours. So, he flew over to the grassland and the river. It didn''t take long for him to spot some beasts with his high perception. A group of vine horses were eating some green, bioluminescent plants while some mudwallers were munching on some sea grass in the shallow waters of the river. Thalion not only wanted to gain some levels but also test his new abilities and how to fight against someone on the ground as eagly, which was not that easy because he couldn''t use his melee attacks and needed to watch out that he didn''t get hit by a single spell, or it would be over.
Thalion activated both Feather Glide and Tempest Shroud, and his speed increased by a large margin. A small thundercloud began to build around him, loaded with electricity, which should make it harder to spot him. Next was skybolt barrage, and the air around him was overloaded with intense electric energy. Shortly after, while he was flying above the horses, over eight lightning bolts erupted and hit the horses, throwing them off their feet. The ability was very powerful. The only problem was that he could not aim with it. He just overloaded the air with electric energy until it created the lightning bolts that shot out at random targets. The horses got back on their feet and started running, glowing with a green aura, but their top speed was nothing to him as eagly, and he easily kept his position above the horses, shocking them over and over until he cast eye of the storm. Strong wind was unleashed, even making some of the lonely trees bend a bit, and constant lightning bolts erupted from the sky until the horses were dead. Thalion landed beside them and fed their blood to the sanguine thorn, putting the free points he got from the last level up into wisdom. The synergy between his lightning skills was incredible. The pure damage was just insane. The problems were, first, he couldn''t aim with the lightning bolts. Second, he was the eye of the storm, meaning every skill was cast around him, and he needed to move very fast so he did not get hit by an attack. The final issue was the mana cost: the skill eye of the storm was powerful, but it almost cost half of his mana in his eagly form, which was bad since he got no free points with the level-ups and couldn''t improve his mana pool this way. Luckily, in his human form, the mana was regenerating very fast. It was pretty funny that by using over 100 mana in his bird form, which was a bit over half his total mana, transforming back into his human form meant he had lost 800 mana since he had a bit over 1500 mana.
He really needed to watch out. His bird form didn''t have much health as well, and he didn''t want to find out how the proportional damage transfer would feel.
He spent the rest of the night purifying his blood while sitting under a tree. He didn''t want to waste more mana as eagly, and he was tired. The day had been very long. Normally he didn''t need to sleep anymore, but this only counted when he was in his human form, which was a side effect of the sanguine thorn and the amulet. He already felt how his tiredness was swept away by a warm feeling in his chest. He hoped his strength was enough to make a difference in the upcoming fight. After a few hours of meditation, he took to the air back to Kael''s base. He wanted to give them enough time to prepare, and they needed to know about that Garrick fellow.
Chapter 58: Arrival
Thalion arrived at Kael''s base after an hour of traveling. He had used tempest shroud and feather glide to increase his movement speed. The synergy between both spells was almost perfect. He hoped that he would find a way to merge both spells into one strong one. What also helped was his passive skill electric glide, which made him even faster and lessened his stamina cost. He didn''t even need to beat his wings to move with this ridiculous speed. Thalion watched the moss and flowers, which were glowing in the typical blue bioluminescent color at night. He could already spot Kael''s base, and shortly after, he landed on one of the great towers in the wall. The guards were surprised, but he just showed them the crystal Kael had given him, and everything was good afterward. Next, he dashed for the big residence in the middle of the small city and opened the big door. Soon after, Kael, Sylas, Annie, Jakob, and Kai were sitting around a table discussing the current situation. It seemed that this Michael had created a lot of trouble for Kael in the meantime.
"This is getting more dangerous by the hour," Kael muttered. "A lot of people want my position. Maybe we can set them up against each other."
"Just kill them! The last time we were almost killed by Thorwald," Sylas interjected. "Why are you so naive when it comes to those people? They would kill you the moment an opportunity presented itself."
"I agree with Sylas. You are way too soft with those fools," Thalion commented. "You might not even have a chance tomorrow. You definitely need to put them among the first attackers and not let them attack something important. I have a feeling that they would rather hide and come for you after the fighting is over when you are weakened instead of defeating the orcs."
"Okay, you are right. Sylas, can you give me the names of his closest followers?" Kael said with determination in his eyes. "I kind of thought that being blessed and set up against the big threat of the undead and Ankhet Sekhmara would let us all work together, but it seems that it was the exact opposite of what happened.
We need to keep a watch on that guy through the fight," Jakob added. "I don''t trust him a bit."
"Kael should stay behind. He is also an archer and can back us up. This way, he should be at almost full strength if someone is coming for him," Kai said, agreeing with Jakob.
"Then they will just spin the story even more that I am using everyone and not caring for their lives," Kael muttered.
"Why are you talking like they are even allowed to say something? This is your base, and this is not a democracy! You should throw them out or just straight-up kill them," Thalion said. "This new world is different. If you don''t show strength, you will end up with a dagger in your back.
On another topic, I encountered a red orc that was easily stronger than me as an umbral predator. We need to watch out for that one."
"Why can it never be simple?" Annie exclaimed, disappointed. "We can''t even fight the orcs without worrying that someone from our people might kill us for power."
"So we will build a team, just like in the old days," Sylas said with a hopeful smile.
"I think it''s best if you stay with Kael. Thalion, Annie, Jakob, and I will join another team," Kai argued.
"So, everyone gets a bit of sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard one," Kael said tiredly, everyone nodding in agreement. Thalion thankfully didn''t need to sleep and used the time to utilize one of the scrolls he bought from the system shop: The Scroll of Sanguine Mastery.
Completing the first layer is identical to the skill sanguine perception. It was all about feeling the strength not only of his own blood but also from the blood of other people. This layer would make him some kind of bloodhound, but it was necessary before he could try the second layer, which would teach him how to form constructs with his blood. The scroll also informed him that he didn''t need to create a special place in his body for a blood reservoir, almost like a spatial pocket, but this job was already covered by the sanguine thorn. With that, he combined his blood purification with the task of feeling the blood more and more. He hoped that it would work. Another interesting thing was that he was able to cast his blood spells through the sanguine thorn. With that, the skill vine of the sanguine thorn was meant. This sounded very strong; if he managed to pierce the skin of the enemy with the thorn or the vine, he could deal some insane damage if his target didn''t get it out fast enough. He worried that the orc might also have some kind of blood sense and would immediately notice him with his purified blood. Maybe it would turn out for the better if those red slashes were made out of blood; he was maybe able to absorb the skill before it would reach him.
He kept pushing the impurities out of his blood, now faster than the first time, while the sanguine thorn was infusing it slowly with power. The last time he barely felt any difference, but now, after only five hours of practice, his mind already felt clearer, or maybe sharper. It was hard to describe the feeling while his body felt warm. Purifying his blood felt like a blockade in his veins had been destroyed and now his true capabilities were unleashed. It was already close to the first light and he wanted to test another thing the scroll taught him: to change the shape of the vines of the sanguine thorn. At the moment, there were crimson red vines with small black thorns on them. Using the skill, he tried to communicate to the sanguine thorn how he needed the vines to be. Slowly, the vines transformed, and on the top of the vine, two long almost black thorns began to grow. Thalion happily looked at the progress. Now he could use the vines for piercing attacks. The vines had also strengthened with his blood, and with the sanguine thorn, he could feel the power stacked in the one vine, enough to break orc bones.
Next, he experimented with the blood thorn. He tried to not only build one thorn with the spell but multiple to hit multiple orcs or to do more damage to one single orc. He managed to conjure seven at once, but they looked a bit weaker. Overall, the skill was stronger now. Next, he tried to only summon a single one and modify it to make it longer and thicker, forming sinister spikes on the sides. The finished product was almost two meters long, broader than his leg at the thickest part, and with up to fifteen-centimeter-long spikes on the sides that would make pulling out the thing a real pain. He hoped that the orc didn''t have a skill to absorb blood spells. That would be bad for him since most of his skills were blood-related.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Therefore, he experimented with the fireball spell next. Instead of summoning a fireball, he tried to change it to summon a kind of flamethrower by sinking in the spell and trying, instead of collecting the fire in his hand and compressing it into a ball, he pushed it away from him. Slowly, the fire that assembled in his hand began moving away from him. It wasn''t a great success, but at least it was something. The problem was that after a short distance, the fire began to fizzle out, and a fireball still formed in his hand. There was still much to improve. Sadly, he didn''t have enough time to work more on the spell. The sun was already rising, and soon the slaughter would begin. He had already received a message from Kael to gather on the tower next to the gate.
<--
Evelyn stood above the gate with Kargul and watched the masses assemble. They all didn''t look like experienced fighters. She worried that this would end in a bloodbath. In front of the army stood Garrick, his party, and Lisa, hyping up the people.
"Today we will move out to kill some ugly orcs who are attacking Kael''s base," the man screamed at the crowd. Everyone had lost their loved ones or party members to an orc attack, but not anymore! Today we will fight back. Today we teach them to fear humans!"
The crowd responded with a loud Garrick chant that grew louder and louder until Garrick raised his arms.
"Now go to your parties, and all focus on your task. I don''t want to lose anyone today."
After a short time of people getting in order and a final scream, "Time to kill some orcs!" all moved out, leaving only a few people for protection behind.
Evelyn spotted the shapeshifter who moved within the group like entitled brats. Some looked up at her with an evil smile on their faces. She definitely needed to watch those people. She jumped down from the gate and followed the army at some distance since Kargul didn''t want to fight in a war when almost no one could distinguish his face from the enemies. So they stayed back and would help to defend the pentagrams from orcs that managed to break through the layers of defense. The situation was already tense; Kargul had pulled out his big mace while he walked beside her. Both knew that this would be a very long day.
<--
Grommash came back early in the morning after a long night of hunting, raising his level to 45. His muscles had grown since he fought that black beast¡ªthe first one that had managed to injure him like that. It took a healer to heal the flesh wound it left. He also managed to gather a lot of blood, which raised his strength in addition to the level-ups. Currently, he was submerged in his blood pool for faster regeneration and further strength as his adviser, Tharkul, was entering his tent.
"What is it, Tharkul?" Grommash said in his deep, almost angry voice.
"We have completely finished the ring walls. The humans have nowhere to go, and we have placed the towers so that we can easily set up the siege equipment to harvest the humans," Tharkul said after bowing deeply.
"Good, well done," Grommash acknowledged. "How are the warriors doing?"
"They hunger for blood; it''s been too long since they had a good fight, and the beasts here are not strong," Tharkul answered.
"Perfect. Where is the weakest point of the fortress?" Grommash asked, looking forward to defeat the humans.
"There is no real weak spot; every wall is fortified to the maximum, and the towers are placed at regular intervals," Tharkul answered, looking at the ground. "Best would be to break open one part of the wall and quickly get into a melee fight; then we will slay those humans without mercy."
"Great! Make sure no warrior is slacking off with leveling. I don''t want any complications," Grommash growled.
"As you wish," Tharkul said and left after a final deep bow.
Grommash sank back into his blood bath, fully focused on absorbing as much blood as possible. He couldn''t wait to break down this fortress.
<--
Thalion met the others on the top of the tower. "Did things change?" he asked.
"No, we are just waiting for Garrick to make the first move," Kael said, looking at the wall in the distance. The wall the orcs had built was completely empty of any runes, standing over 10 meters tall, a bit over one kilometer away from their position. They saw the archers and mages patrolling on it; behind it must be the orc camp, where there could easily be close to a thousand orcs.
Thalion looked inside their own base. All the warriors were ready, hiding behind the wall so the orcs wouldn''t get a chance that something was coming.
"Where do you think we should attack first?" Kai asked.
"Just straight at the wall and kill the archers and mages first," Thalion answered. "When they lose the high ground, many of their ranged fighters will be in big trouble.
"We also need to take control of those towers so no one can bombard us from above."
"Could you just fly over and conquer the tower?" Sylas asked, hopeful.
"Sure, but there would be the danger that I wouldn''t find you after the battle has begun. It only works when they are distracted by the fighting. If they see me coming, I¡¯m in trouble," Thalion explained. "By the way, are you trying to throw me out of the party?"
"I also think it is best if you stay back with us at the beginning and then clear the towers. You are the only one who can fly high enough," Kael agreed with Kai.
"Fine, I will go for the towers," Thalion nodded reluctantly. It probably was the most efficient plan, but he would have preferred to stay with his buddies. On the other hand, he could kill a lot more orcs this way.
"Can you fly up and check where this Garrick is at the moment?" Annie asked.
"I don''t want to risk it in daylight. They could notice me. At least if I come back, there are basically no flying beasts in this area. It would be obvious," Thalion said after a bit of thinking.
"Yeah, true. I just can''t wait any longer," Annie said nervously.
Chapter 59: The Fight begins
Michael was annoyed. He had worked so hard to overthrow Kael, but now a war was about to begin, and he was given a place at the frontline. It all worked so well, and the blockade came in very handy to spin his tales. He had gathered over 40 loyal followers and gained a high standing among the other survivors. Then first, this Thalion didn''t die, and now they would even get help. Both things weakened his current position, but it was fine. He had played the options for the future fight against the orcs many times. Fighting was an option and could crown him a hero who turned the tide of battle in their favor while Kael was probably standing back¡ªat least that¡¯s what he would do if he were in Kael''s situation. The second option was standing back for safety and later trying an attack on Kael. Most of his close friends would be in the mix of battle and would probably be very exhausted or dead.
The last option was fleeing and opening another base with the help of the system store in a few days. He liked the last option the least, and the first and second were both promising. Maybe he would decide on a mix of both: first standing back until most archers were eliminated, then flying above the battlefield and raining fire on the orcs, only to fall back after doing a bit of a show to have enough strength left to fight Kael later. He had already briefed his men that they would let the others break through the wall first before they would make their move. There was no reason to risk his life just because Kael had commanded him. Then there would be more casualties during the attack since a few groups were depending on his men. Yeah, nothing to worry about; in fact, he would blame it on Kael if the bastard survived the day. He and his loyal followers had also created a list of who was best to fall in this war. There were, of course, the friends of Kael, but there were also more simple men and women who trusted Kael better if they died too. Close to the system shop, their credits would be very appreciated. In fact, he couldn''t wait for the war to begin. No matter what happened, as long as the human side won, he was confident that he would come out on top. The idea that the orcs could win never even crossed his mind.
<--
Kargul watched the humans sneaking up on the orc blockade. This would never be a surprise attack. The only good thing was that they had those shapeshifters to scout the area. Even when the orcs spotted them, they wouldn''t think that something big was coming for them. He didn''t feel bad that he would kill his own kind soon. They were not from his clan, and even if they were, his brothers had tried to kill him often when they were younger, and his father had always punched him or encouraged his older siblings to kill him. After all, he was an embarrassment for his clan. He had never done anything wrong, but his muscles didn''t grow as fast as they normally should. Luckily, this all changed with the system. He hunted like no other orc, and every level-up made him stronger, and with additional points in strength, his muscles had grown more and more. He was even strong enough to kill some of his siblings when they ambushed him. He only learned about friendship and trust after meeting Evelyn, who healed him, and he liked it. In fact, he had never been happier. Actually, he couldn''t remember that he had ever laughed in his life. Okay, maybe that one time when his brother tripped and smashed his head into a wooden wall¡ªthat was funny. Still, to laugh about someone''s pain and laugh with someone to share his happiness was much better. After Evelyn brought him so much happiness, he returned it by teaching her how to drink and to kill. She was a very good drinker, but he had the suspicion that she was cheating by healing herself when she got too drunk after the second bottle of vodka. What does he know? Maybe she was just special. On the second part, he had tried very hard to teach her how to kill something. He had even insisted that she should smash one of the wolf babies after he killed the mother wolf. Kargul even made a special stick for her so she could smash the baby the right way, but she didn''t want to since then. Kargul had always tried to leave the weak beast alive for her to gather some experience in smashing beasts; she couldn''t always run away from trouble.
Still, she had declined, but after two weeks, he had made progress in bringing her to smash the corpse of a beast with the stick. Since then, he had tried to argue that there really was no big difference between smashing a corpse and a living beast. It doesn''t matter because he would never give her up, as she was his best friend. Friends were supposed to look out for each other and always tell the truth; she always told him that, and he would take her word to heart. Evelyn watched while they were preparing the magic circles they had charged the previous day. They were actually very close to the wall, but they had two mages who could do illusions, which allowed them to get this close. But soon it would begin. She feared that the shapeshifters were coming for her. There was already one missing. He was one of the shapeshifters who had been sent to scout the wall and the area around it, but he never returned.
She had already told Kargul, who was now also watching the area for sudden movements. The circles were finished, and Garrick was ordering the teams around with whispers or hand signs. It seemed that he didn''t intend to fight at all, as he too was staying back. The illusion was very impressive, to be able to hide the whole army must take a lot of mana, and she saw how exhausted the mages who cast it already looked. But all twenty magic circles were set, and for every circle, there was a little defensive array to block incoming attacks.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"This is the time, show them our wrath," Garrick screamed. His voice carried far and wide, and the illusion dropped.
His men started screaming loudly some battle cries while they were running at the wall.
To say the orcs looked surprised was an understatement, but they didn''t fear the humans; one of them even had a smile on his face, which seemed to say, "Wow, are they really this dumb?"
One of the orcs put a horn to his lips and wanted to sound the alarm as a giant fireball hit him and blasted him off the wall, with a bit of the wall collapsing.
The mages had begun their attack, and fireballs rained down on the orcs. She had never expected that it would work so well. The fireballs were the most powerful spells she had ever seen, and they now flung them over the wall to hit the camp that was made in the free space between the wall in front of her and the wall on the side of Kael''s base. She heard the explosions and surprised screams of the orcs, but the mages didn''t stop and kept slinging spells at the orcs without mercy.
Thalion thought about eagly why they were waiting for something to happen. He had those amazing spells, but they would be so much better on his human side since it had more mana. On the other hand, eagly was nothing without those spells, and he liked the eagle form, so he wanted to wait with the decision until the system shop would arrive in a few days. Hopefully, he would be able to upgrade the eagle''s mana reserves. Maybe body tempering was enough. He had already succeeded a bit in pulling electricity into his feathers, but the problem was there was not enough around to have a strong effect.
Maybe after the fight, he could order some of the young mages to shoot him with lightning spells. It should work when his passive skill was absorbing it. Then he just needed to gather it and push it into the feathers. The question was how much lightning his passive skill could absorb without him getting damaged, or was it even bad if you got hit by lightning? It runs through your body anyway. The problem was that it also leaves it pretty damaged. The sound of a giant explosion brought him back to the real world. The attack had begun.
He looked over as fireball after fireball was fired, crashing into the orc camp and ripping the tents into pieces.
"This is it! Go, go, go!" Kael gave the command to every unit in the base through his crystal. Thalion transformed into eagly and shot into the air with skydive, and in moments he was over eight hundred meters high. The attack was focused on one part of the giant ring that surrounded them, but they were now attacking on all fronts. It should work; he heard how Kael was already focusing his men on this part of the wall while calling the others to wait a bit until the orcs had left their posts. With that, over a hundred men were sprinting to the wall that saved the orcs from outside attacks, and Kael''s men were attacking from the other side.
Thalion focused on his job. On every orc tower were around six orc mages and archers who were readying their spells. The good thing was that there were only four of those towers placed at regular intervals around the walls surrounding Kael''s base. He dove down on the first. The archers were already firing at Garrick''s attackers, but they had strong defensive arrays running that blocked the first ones with ease. Thalion transformed into his human form when he was above the orcs and shot out two vines of the sanguine thorn that pierced the hearts of two orcs and hungrily shot at the other orcs stationed on the tower. Thalion was already casting crimson harvest and drained the blood out of the two orcs, who died moments later. Two other orcs who didn''t react fast enough were ensnared and sucked dry too.
One of the mages jumped off the tower while the last one summoned a shield in front of him and charged a fireball in his right hand. Thalion conjured the empowered version of the blood thorn and shot it at the heart of the orc. The thorn shattered the barrier with ease and killed the orc with a surprised look on his face that his barrier was overcome so easily. Thalion grabbed the orc corpse with a vine and drained it of blood. Next, he landed on the tower and started sniping the remaining archers and mages who were standing fifty meters under him on the wall. Some were hiding under the battlements since Kael''s mages were bombarding them with spells.
His thorn hit the orcs in the head, killing them instantly. In moments, he killed over fifteen orcs without much effort. Next were the orcs leaving the tents. After shooting a few more orcs, he saw the red orc exiting the big tent, shouting loudly to the other orcs.
Thalion conjured a powerful blood thorn and shot it at the red orc. He aimed for the head, but at that distance it was difficult, and he hit the orc in the heart.
The red orc took a few steps back with the red thorn stuck in his heart, his eyes wide. Then the demeanor turned into pure rage. He started to glow with red light, and red mist was rising from his skin. The thorn was losing its form, and soon after it was fully absorbed by the red orc, the wound was now closing with speed visible to the eye.
"Ah, shit," Thalion muttered to himself. It would have been too easy to kill one of the strongest fighters, probably even their leader, that easily.
Even when the orc had absorbed his blood and activated some skill that increased its strength, it still looked a bit weakened. Maybe he had destroyed something important with the heart that couldn''t heal fast enough. The red orc raised his arm, pointing at him, and over fifteen orcs were charging for the entrance of the tower while two archers were shooting their spear-like arrows at him.
He needed to duck down to avoid those lethal attacks. The orcs who entered the tower would need a bit until they arrived here, and when they were on top, they probably didn''t even have ranged attacks, making them completely useless in the fight raging below them. He turned to the other side, where the orcs still hadn''t noticed him and started firing blood thorns at them, killing many orcs instantly. But before he could finish off any more, he heard the loud footsteps of the orcs¡ heavy footsteps. Time to go, and he jumped off the tower on the side where the tower was blocking the view to the red orc and transformed into eagly, activating feather glide and sky dive to shoot into the sky with incredible speed. Soon, he was two kilometers up in the sky, watching the fight unfold itself.
Chapter 60: The Offensive Starts
Kai watched Thalion diving down unnoticed by the orcs. It was always fascinating how good the man was with his sneak attacks. Soon after, one orc was sent flying from the tower, crashing on the ground. Before it could get up, one of the archers finished it off. The mages had started the bombardment of the wall so they could get closer. Kai, Annie, and Jakob were still standing back for a bit to check for elite orcs. Annie was also firing ice spells at the orcs, but they ducked behind the battlements, which infuriated her since she was not able to land any of her spells. The next time an orc came up behind the battlement, lightning dancing around his hand, but before he could unleash the spell he had charged up while hiding, a red thorn hit the orc in the head from above, killing him in an instant.
This happened to multiple orcs on the wall, and he saw Thalion standing on the tower, firing spells at the orcs. The precision and speed were just insane, the guy was even faster than himself. But enough time thinking, "Let''s go, I¡¯ll take the lead," Kai said and sprinted for the wall. The other men had already arrived and climbed it in seconds. The ten-meter-high wall of stone was nothing for a human after the integration into the system. Kai jumped to the top of the wall in one go and ran for the archers in the distance. Even though it looked like they were winning hard, it was just one section of the blockade. They needed to help their people soon.
Kai was running as fast as he could on the wall that completely circled Kael''s base. The first orc reacted too slowly, and Kai cut his head off before the archer could react.
The two orcs next to him didn¡¯t fall as quickly. It took a bit longer to cut them into pieces. Before the blessing, it would have taken him much longer to eliminate the orcs, but now it was different. He was different. He could almost anticipate their attacks by watching which muscles were starting to move. He was never where the orc swung its sword, and his blade cut through the orc''s flesh like butter.
He glanced into the camp of the orcs and saw how the red orc Thalion had warned them about screamed, pointed at the tower, and began running at Garrick''s attackers.
This was bad, but there was nothing he could do from his current position. Annie and Jakob, however, could. They were casting spell after spell. Annie fired icicle after icicle at the orcs below, wounding them and sometimes even killing them. Still, the icicles were not as strong as Thalion''s blood thorns. The man clearly was in a league of his own. Jakob summoned spears made of rock, almost in the shape of a harpoon, and fired them at the orcs. The three-meter-long spell hit the orcs with the power of a truck, throwing them around like children. The downside was that it took him way longer to conjure the spell than Annie, but soon the orcs saw them and started attacking. They didn¡¯t have much time since their men were also climbing the wall and jumping down to fight the orcs in melee. Kael''s men were just so many, swarming the now desperate orcs.
Kai spotted a group of healers hiding behind a wall of orcs who tried to block their view so they could heal their comrades. Kai signaled to Jakob and Annie where the healers were hiding, and soon after, they were bombarded with spells. Jakob''s first attack completely ripped apart the defenses and even speared the healers hiding behind the big warriors.
With the breach in the defense, Annie bombarded them with icicles and speared multiple healers. Their guards tried to protect them as best as they could, even blocking the spells with their own bodies, but it wasn¡¯t enough, and they all fell to the bombardment. The whole area was now swarmed with warriors from Kael''s base. It was a good thing the red orc had left a moment before. The big fireballs had stopped their bombardment a moment ago. He hoped Garricks fighters were fine.
<--
Kargul saw how the red orc and his minions were attacking their mages. With every swing of his giant axe, he slaughtered the humans. Kargul was still staying back, hoping that the mages would hit the big orc with one of their spells, but the orc was cunning, fast, and strong. The red orc dodged the spells with ease, and every red wave slaughtered dozens of human fighters. The tremendous output of energy wasn¡¯t even weakening the orc. Instead, it strengthened him. With every dead human, the orc got even faster and shrugged off minor hits with ease, the wounds on his skin healing quickly.
Kargul grabbed his mace. It was time to fight. The humans were now running away from this beast of an orc after the first groups were slain. At least they had breached the walls in a different area, but the bad news was that the mages were the next target of the furious orc. The red one charged a new giant slash with his axe and fired it in one big swipe at the mages. Most defenses were still strong enough to block the attack, but some were breaking down after.
"Wait until I slow him down," Kargul said to the mage next to him, who had conjured an ice shard in panic to attack the red orc.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.The red orc was throwing out a red slash again, but Kargul jumped in and smashed the spell into pieces with one swing of his mace.
"So you are a traitor to your own race!" the red orc screamed in anger.
"Quiet," Kargul retorted in a deep voice, positioning himself in front of the mages.
The red orc didn¡¯t take his response well, screaming in anger, "I am Grommash, the great chieftain. You are nothing!"
"Quiet," Kargul said again. What was up with this guy? Just attack.
The red orc''s eyes widened in rage, and he charged at Kargul, who grinned wildly. This close, it should be easier for the mages to hit the guy, and he would smash him real good before that. The axehead glowed with red energy as it swung at his head. The orc was the same height as Kargul but had more muscles. Kargul blocked with the shaft of his mace, deflecting the blow to the side, but his hand vibrated from the strength gathered in that one blow.
The orc was faster than him and was already swinging again, but Kargul intercepted, not fast enough to strike, so he smashed into the orc with his shoulder, throwing Grommash to the ground. Kargul raised his mace and swung at the orc''s head. He had done this move multiple times, and it had worked well so far... just not against this enemy. The orc rolled to the side and sprang to his feet, only to be hit by a charged fireball empowered by a magic circle. The orc was sent flying a few meters back. The fireball was even burning Kargul a bit. The other mages started firing at Grommash, but the orc sprang back to his feet. The burn marks and the broken bone in his right arm were healing with speed visible to the naked eye. The red orc huffed in pain as the bone snapped back into place, summoning a red barrier to block another fireball.
"Quiet," Kargul said again after hearing the yelp of pain. The other orc screamed in rage like a furious animal and charged him again, now even faster and dodging the spells with ease. The burn marks that Kargul had from the fireball earlier had also healed, thanks to Evelyn, and he felt as good as new.
When the red orc was close enough, Kargul stomped on the ground, making it vibrate and causing Grommash to stumble, losing his agility. Kargul activated a skill that allowed him to speed up for a short duration and shot at Grommash, swinging down with his mace. Grommash dodged to the side and swung back, slicing Kargul''s right arm almost to the bone. Kargul didn¡¯t miss completely. His mace partly struck the orc¡¯s shoulder, smashing his bones into pieces, making the arm useless. Grommash screamed in pain from the shattered bones.
"Quiet," Kargul said, swinging again to finish it, but the orc jumped back, his bones rearranging and healing. Thankfully, he got hit by another spell, this time a giant boulder the size of a small car crashed into Grommash, throwing him back over ten meters. The boulder on top of the orc exploded, leaving a heavily injured Grommash. Then it happened. All the corpses nearby were drained of blood, and the blood shot at Grommash in small rivers.
The mages didn¡¯t let him finish the spell and threw fireballs at the orc. Grommash tried to block with a shield, but it got smashed by the first fireball, forcing him to dodge to the side. All the while, Evelyn fully healed the cut on Kargul''s arm, and he was ready to go for another round.
The orc summoned a blood spike and shot it at the mages, who no longer had the protection of the defensive arrays. Some dodged, others were speared and thrown out of the circle, and some summoned mana barriers only to be pierced as the blood spear broke through. One arm still hung limp, but the orc already looked healthier by the second, so Kargul charged at him.
The mage next to him, luckily still protected by the defensive array, shouted, "Just throw him to the ground or make him stumble, and I can hit the fucker!"
Kargul nodded, rushing forward to smash the red orc for good. But the red one was slippery, dodging and throwing red spikes at him whenever he had the chance. Of course, they didn''t make Kargul scream when they hit him. He was an expert in smashing and had focused on fully using every ounce of strength he had, while ignoring the pain. But he didn¡¯t manage to land a big hit on the orc, so he tried to go for smaller hits. After swinging with his mace using one hand, he pushed the damaged shoulder of Grommash with the other, making the orc scream in pain as the almost-healed shoulder shattered again. The pain distracted Grommash long enough to be hit by a giant wind blade from one of the mages, cutting deep into his chest and causing the orc to stumble back.
"Just how much can the fucker tank?" Kargul thought. He would be dead many times over if he got hit by so many attacks head-on, even with Evelyn healing him.
Kargul swung at Grommash and followed up with a kick that sent the orc stumbling back. Grommash managed to dodge an even stronger wind blade with a quick step to the side. Then, an icicle pierced his skin from behind, and Grommash turned around to see four human mages standing on top of the wall, firing spells at him.
Grommash summoned a blood barrier surrounding him completely and looked at Kargul with eyes burning with hate. "This is not over!"
"Quiet," Kargul retorted, swinging his mace at the barrier. But before the other orc could reply or his mace could hit the shield, Grommash simply disappeared into nothingness. Kargul began smashing the ground where the red orc had been standing, just in case he had turned invisible, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.
"He teleported to the next stage," Evelyn said, exhausted from healing all the mages who hadn¡¯t died instantly from the blood spikes.
"But he just said it wasn¡¯t over," Kargul said. "Do you think he lied to me?"
"No, he meant that you would be fighting again soon," Evelyn sighed.
Hmm, that makes total sense, Kargul thought. Sometimes he was a bit slow when it didn¡¯t involve smashing things. With that, he stayed with Evelyn and the healed mages. If someone attacked them now, they had no chance, especially since he hadn¡¯t forgotten about the missing shapeshifter.
Chapter 61: Tower Assault
Thalion was up in the sky again, on his way to the next tower. He saw that the breach from Garrick''s side was progressing, and Kai''s team was winning decisively, while the others hadn¡¯t made much progress at all. He dove down towards the next tower, where orcs were firing arrows with grins on their faces at the attacking men, who were running fast from side to side to dodge the arrows.
Thalion transformed into his human form a hundred meters above the orcs and fired blood thorns at their heads, which was pretty easy since they weren¡¯t moving at all. He landed on the tower and fed the blood of the orcs to the sanguine thorn, which hummed with desire. Then the door opened, and a mage sprinted out. Before the orc could react, a vine with a black thorn pierced his heart and began draining his blood. Moments later, the mage orc fell to the ground dead.
Thalion began bombarding the archers and mages on the wall below him and managed to kill over ten before they noticed him and started shooting. Thalion moved to the other side of the tower and continued bombarding the archers and mages. There, he managed to kill even more orcs before they noticed him and began shooting upwards. The human warriors, thankfully, weren¡¯t sleeping and had climbed the wall, attacking the orcs with furious strikes, probably as revenge for the earlier bombardment.
Thalion¡¯s job was done. He turned into an eagle and shot into the air, moving quickly to the third tower. He saw that no attack was happening at the fourth tower, with over thirty human corpses lying on the ground.
¡°What had happened? Where are all the fighters? Was this Michael¡¯s side?¡± Thalion thought with worry. Sadly, he didn¡¯t have much time to search for them, but he hoped they weren¡¯t making a move on Kael and Sylas. He was confident they could handle Michael and a few others, but there were over forty fighters missing¡ªthat would be too much.
As he approached the third tower, the orcs noticed him and began firing arrows and fireballs at him. From this distance, it was easy to dodge with his eagle form, as the reflexes of an eagle were just too fast. He transformed into his human form mid-flight and started dashing, firing blood thorns at the orcs on the tower. One got hit in the head and died instantly, while the others were blocked by a manashield from one of the mages.
Thalion charged a fireball and threw it at the orcs. The explosion destroyed the manashield and threw two of them off the tower, leaving only one mage, who had blocked his spell earlier. Thalion prepared a stronger version of the blood thorn and shot it at the orc, who again tried to block it with a manashield while his right hand was surrounded by lightning. The shield wasn¡¯t enough to stop the powered blood thorn, but it slowed it down, so it only ripped open the orc¡¯s arm.
The orc unleashed the lightning at Thalion with an angry roar, and Thalion wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge it. He was hit in the side and thrown back, his body spasming from the lightning. He quickly transformed into an eagle, which absorbed the electricity with his passive skill stormborn resilience and slowly healed him. Thalion shot up into the air, activating feather glide and tempest shroud, speeding up significantly while still absorbing the lingering electricity. He dodged an ice shard the orc shot at him.
He dove down at the orc, activating lightning bolt, and shot a streak of lightning out of his beak. The orc blocked it with another manashield while countering with a swarm of ice shards. Thalion circled the tower with incredible speed and began to cast eye of the storm. The surroundings turned dark, and a storm rose around him. The orc mage was struck by a lightning bolt from above. "Sucks to be the highest point," Thalion thought with a grin. The bad thing was that all the other orcs on the wall had now spotted him, making the situation much more dangerous.
He rose higher, now circling 50 meters above the tower, dodging all the spells and arrows being fired at him. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as he first thought, since his speed was already too fast for the orcs to hit him, so they just shot in his general direction. He then activated his second thunder skill, lightning bolt barrage, and soon after, lightning bolts rained down on the defenders. Thalion watched as the powerful area attack hit multiple orcs, and the mage was sent flying from the tower as three lightning bolts in rapid succession smashed into his shield. An additional bolt hit him while he was falling, ensuring a not-so-safe landing.
Thalion landed on the tower and transformed back into his human form. He had nearly spent all of his mana and needed to recuperate. He sped up the process by drinking two mana potions, restoring his mana to roughly fifty percent. He already heard steps on the stairs below and waited for the orcs to approach. Thankfully, his mana and health were regenerating quickly due to his purified blood, the sanguine thorn, the amulet and his passive skill, heartbeat of the sanguine archon.
He patiently waited until the orcs arrived at the door. Then he shot a charged blood thorn through the wooden door, hoping to kill the orcs behind it. Thalion heard pained screams and activated vine of the sanguine thorn, which ripped through the door. He could almost locate the orcs by feeling their blood, and the vine pierced the chests of three orcs standing behind the door. Before they could cut the vine, he activated crimson Harvest. For the first time, he felt strong resistance from all three orcs.
Thalion fought against the combined will of the three orcs, while he moved the vine to injure them more. It was pretty even, but then, with a beat of desire, the sanguine thorn made itself known, and with a pulse, the orcs were completely overpowered. Soon after, three dried husks fell down the stairs. Thalion felt the satisfaction of the sanguine thorn as it fed on the orcs¡¯ blood. He wondered what the plant was capable of after fully awakening.
Next were the orcs on the wall, who had mostly turned back to the approaching humans now climbing the walls. Thalion started bombarding them with blood thorns, piercing multiple orc skulls and making it easier for the humans to climb and attack the orcs.
It helped that most orcs were now running to aid in defending the breach in the wall, making it easier for the humans to overcome their defenses. After some more fighting, this part of the wall was almost under their control. The orcs from the fourth tower, not needing to defend their post, were now helping the other orcs and attacked fiercely.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Thalion soon faced real problems as two archers started aiming for him. "Time to check on Kael," he thought. He placed some of the large orc weapons in his spatial ring, turned to mist, and shot in the direction of the gate where Kael should be.
<-
Kael stood on top of the gate, watching people throw themselves at the first ring wall the orcs had built, completely surrounding his base. He just wanted to help those who hadn¡¯t managed to do as well in this new world and give them a place of safety. Then Thorwald had happened, and now this Michael was probably trying to do the same. He didn¡¯t understand these people. They sacrificed everyone¡¯s lives for their personal gain. He had hoped that, at least through the threat of the undead, humans would unite, but the opposite was the case. Michael even used the chaos for his own gains.
Now, Kael had already received reports that Michael hadn¡¯t attacked, and only a few groups of people were lying dead on the grass. But there weren¡¯t any of the big arrows the orc archers used, nor signs of large magic spells. Had the man ambushed the citizens of this base for political power and credits? He watched as Thalion cleared tower after tower with ease, and Kai and his group were doing a good job too, at least as far as Kael could see. After clearing that part of the wall, they jumped down to help the people on the ground between the two orc walls.
¡°Should we help them? It looks pretty won already,¡± Sylas said with a shrug.
¡°No, let¡¯s find where Michael is. I don¡¯t want to get backstabbed,¡± Kael replied. At the beginning of the fight, he had coordinated some groups for a more effective attack, but now the battle had turned into a brawl, and the humans were clearly winning.
Sylas flew them both up to the highest tower of Kael¡¯s base, which was almost in the center. When they arrived, Kael used ranger¡¯s sight and scouted the area for Michael. Was this guy hiding in a house or something? There was no trace of him, as if he had disappeared. Kael had already notified the guards remaining on the wall and declared Michael an enemy, to either be captured or killed if he resisted. So far, no one had found Michael or any of his followers.
With that, Kael turned his attention back to the battlefield. He saw that some orcs were even running now. There were still a few positions where battles were taking place, mostly on the sides where the orcs hadn¡¯t been attacked, but even there, the orcs were not winning. It was more of a stalemate.
Then the situation changed. Human mages, probably Garrick¡¯s people, placed their magic circle on top of the tower Thalion had cleared first. Giant spells began raining down on the orcs, completely destroying their formations and killing many by the second. After that, most orcs were fleeing. Some barricaded themselves in the last tower, and Kael received a final message from one of the guards. They had found Michael. His group had been hiding under an illusion, positioned to defend the base if the orcs attacked.
Kael could already sense a headache coming, but this time, he would listen to his friends and throw the fucker out.
<--
Evelyn and Kargul were waiting at the entrance of the tower where the remaining mages had set up the magic circle, which had now completely turned the tide of the battle. She was tired from healing all the humans, but it was good to see Kai and the others again. They had even spotted the shapeshifters, who were staying away from the battle, waiting outside. At least, that¡¯s what they had done after the first attack, when they quickly fled and hid in the forest after spotting the red orc.
Now, the battle was already won. It would just take a bit of time to defeat the last orcs. Over a hundred orcs had already fled into the forest, while some simply disappeared, like the red one had at the beginning. This was the exact moment when Garrick and his group of five attacked, pushing back the already exhausted orcs for maximum dramatic effect. The guy was even screaming his skills out loud. What an idiot.
The shapeshifters saw their opportunity and attacked the already retreating orcs. Their beast forms were faster than the orcs and perfect for intercepting their retreat.
Evelyn wondered what the aftermath of this battle would be... at least all her friends had survived.
<--
Thalion was flying toward the high tower, where he had spotted Kael and Sylas standing. "How is it going?" he asked the two after reforming into his human form. Kael had already seen him arrive and didn''t scream in surprise like Sylas.
"Better than expected. The orcs are retreating, and the last ones have barricaded themselves in the last tower, but it won''t be for long."
"So fast? Great! I thought it would go on for longer. Did anyone see the red orc?" Thalion asked, curious about what had happened to that guy.
"He didn¡¯t fight the people from my base. I think this Garrick dealt with him," Kael answered.
"How¡¯s the Michael situation going?" Thalion asked, intrigued. "I haven¡¯t seen him all battle, and he didn¡¯t attack."
"Yes, they¡¯ve gathered in his home, saying they don¡¯t want to lose their lives," Kael said, clearly annoyed.
"That¡¯s great. Just say that, with his actions, many good men and women died, and then throw him out," Thalion advised, with Sylas nodding along and smiling.
From the battlefield, shouts of joy and victory echoed up to them. "Seems like it¡¯s over," Thalion said while looking over the scene. They had defeated the orcs, and the remaining ones had either left or were staying in the tower. After a talk with Kargul, they had given up and thrown down their weapons. Maybe they didn¡¯t need to kill the last ones.
"So, what¡¯s next?" Thalion asked, looking at Kael.
"We welcome this Garrick and have some talks about the future in the great hall," Kael said and gave a mental command to the guards to open the gates and show Garrick and his people where they could stay until the evening, when they all would meet in the great hall.
"This went better than expected. How many died?" Sylas asked Kael.
"We lost around two hundred fifty people," Kael answered. "This is way better than I expected."
"There should be over five hundred orcs dead. The rest managed to flee. The surprise attack and the firepower from those magic circles made a big difference," Kael explained.
"Why didn¡¯t you buy some of those magical circles that were movable?" Sylas asked Kael.
"The ones I bought are integrated into the wall. Otherwise, everything would be much more expensive, and I would have had to miss out on some of the defensive tools," Kael stated.
"I just told everyone that we will gather tonight in the great hall. I have a lot to do until then," Kael said, turning away.
"Do you need help with anything?" Sylas asked.
"No, I¡¯m good. I¡¯ve already instructed those who stayed back to check on the stuff left behind by the orcs. Maybe we can connect the ring walls around us with this fortress. Ah, but we¡¯ll meet a bit before the others in my room. I¡¯ll send you a message," Kael said before jumping down over the battlements.
"What are you doing until then?" Sylas asked Thalion.
"I¡¯ll try to upgrade some spells and do a bit more body tempering." Thalion said after a bit of thinking. This was a good time to get stronger, and he had much to do.
"Would you mind if I joined you? And what spell are you upgrading?" Sylas asked, interested.
"Sure, no problem. I¡¯m trying to change the fireball skill into some kind of flamethrower," Thalion explained his thoughts.
"Uh, that¡¯s cool. I already changed my fireball into a flamespear," Sylas eagerly explained, and they both headed off to Thalion¡¯s chambers.
Chapter 62: Spellcrafting Struggles
Thalion and Sylas sat on the ground in the chambers Kael had gifted him, wildly discussing the easiest way to change a spell. Thalion argued that you need to feel the flow of mana and change its flow, while Sylas argued that you need to change the skill fragments altogether, so you program the mana from the start and not while it''s flowing.
"But how do you know how to change the skill itself when you don¡¯t know how the mana needs to flow for, say, a flamethrower?" Thalion asked Sylas.
"It¡¯s a bit of a gamble. You need to rearrange the skill fragments in the right way. Instead of condensing, you need to form the symbol for some kind of firestreak," Sylas explained.
"And how does this symbol look?" Thalion sighed.
"Well, that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a bit of a gamble. For my skill adaptation, I added more at the end to condense it longer, so I built some kind of spear," Sylas said with a shrug.
"And how did you see these so-called skill fractals?" Thalion asked, intrigued. Until now he had never heard the term before.
"You don¡¯t see them; they¡¯re basically the blueprint of a building that tells you how to channel the spell. When you push mana into the skill, the skill uses the mana in exactly that way, and you need to track the mana you use to then change it," Sylas explained as it was the easiest thing in the world.
"Isn¡¯t that exactly what I¡¯m doing?" Thalion said, exasperated.
"Well, kind of. My patron explained it to me, but I might not have fully understood the difference between the two concepts," Sylas said, scratching the back of his head.
With that cleared up, another round of testing started. They had moved all the furniture out of the way so they had an area of approximately twenty meters where they could test spells without hitting anything.
Thalion summoned fireball after fireball with only small progress. Before the fireball fully formed, he managed to create a very tiny flamethrower, maybe enough to warm his tea¡ªbut once the fireball fully gathered, he couldn¡¯t change the spell anymore. It felt like his access to it was blocked. Sylas had similar struggles. He wanted to turn one of his wind spells, which pushed enemies away, into a windblade, but even when the wind condensed more than before, it wasn¡¯t a real improvement. After an hour of trying, they at least had a lot of fun. One would cast the skill they wanted to change while the other commented on it, or they¡¯d simply laugh.
"This time it will work," Sylas said, his chest puffed up, trying not to laugh while Thalion was nearly rolling off the chair he sat on.
"Behold the power of the windblade!" Sylas announced, casting the spell. A strong windblade cut deeply into the wall on the other end.
Thalion nearly choked on his laughter as he saw the powerful skill unleashed. "Hey, how did you do it?" Thalion asked after a brief silence. Sylas was equally flabbergasted¡ªhe clearly didn¡¯t expect the skill to work like that.
"I think we were trying too slowly. You need to change everything at the same time, almost before you cast it," Sylas said after a short pause.
"Change it before I cast it?" Thalion asked, noting that Sylas really sucked at teaching.
"Yeah, you just need to feel it, have it in your blood," Sylas exclaimed, as if it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.
"Great, then I¡¯ll do just that," Thalion muttered, moving to the center of the room as Sylas bounced around him like a little fairy.
Thalion channeled another fireball and tried to transform it, but this time, he cast it faster. It actually worked¡ªnot fully, but much better than before.
"There, did you see it? I told you! Just listen to your instincts and your blood!" Sylas excitedly said.
"Yeah, you did," Thalion nodded. "Next time, instead of saying I need to feel it or listen to my blood, just tell me to cast the skill faster."
"Yes, exactly! That¡¯s what I meant," Sylas happily agreed.
"One more thing¡ªdid the description of your skill change?" Thalion asked.
"No, it was the same with the other skill I changed. You just upgrade its rarity, meaning that for an F-grade skill, it grows in power."
"Interesting, but can you do it again?" Thalion wondered.
"Yes, of course," Sylas said while casting another windblade into the wall. "Even better, I can do both with the skill." Soon after, he cast the skill again and changed it into a windball, and a gust of wind rushed through the room.
Thalion continuously cast his skill, even drinking a mana potion to keep the pace up. He felt close to a breakthrough, and then it worked¡ªa strong, constant flame shot out of his hand. He could even empower it by fueling it with more mana. The downside was that the wall had now turned from white to black.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Damn, that''s sick," Sylas said, giving him a high-five.
After another round of improving their skills further, Sylas left, saying he wanted to check on some things before the gathering. Thalion was almost out of mana from repeatedly casting his fire spell with only brief pauses, so he switched to purifying his blood. He had been thinking a lot about the past few days. He wasn''t the strongest; he even had to run from the red orc. Was his approach wrong? He had invested a lot in his future through scrolls and information but barely had time to use them with the constant fighting. His leveling had slowed down considerably. He only managed to reach Level 36 as a human and Level 37 as an umbral predator, while eagly reached the same level. Thalion put his free points into wisdom as a human and into dexterity as an umbral predator. Sadly, eagly didn¡¯t get free points from leveling up.
His next concern was whether he had messed up by pushing eagly to such a level and gathering skills from other birds instead of discarding eagly. The manta creature had more mana and wisdom to keep thunder skills active for longer but was much slower than eagly and a poor match against the orcs. It should be fine and he really liked the form of the eagle. Flying with it just felt so smooth.
His original plan had been to focus more on skills and technique, killing higher-level enemies to gain more experience and level up faster. In the end, he thought his actions were fine¡ªthey had brought him to where he was now, and he liked it. Being stronger would always be better, but focusing on technique and body-tempering had given him high rarity classes and significant advantages. Even if he could have been ten levels higher, he didn¡¯t think it would be worth it if his class hadn''t been of high rarity. His mystic skills made him much stronger and faster than most fighters he''d encountered, many of whom were blessed by gods. Maybe he was doing exactly the right thing.
It was only a few days until the system shops appeared, and he already knew what he wanted to buy: a soul tempering method and some things for eagly that might trigger an evolution. If such a thing was possible, he would take it. Another thing he hoped for was a body-tempering method for eagly to align him more with wind and lightning, and hopefully give him some mana so he could cast his skills for longer.
For now, Thalion fully immersed himself in blood purification. Even though he was faster at noticing blockages in his blood, it still took time. He sat by the fireplace until he received a message from Kael that they would meet in his room in half an hour. Shortly after, he left for Kael¡¯s room to discuss some points before the big gathering.
When Thalion arrived, everyone else had already gathered: Kael, Kai, Sylas (who looked a bit sour now), Kargul, Evelyn, Annie, and Jakob.
"So, what¡¯s the plan for tonight?" Jakob asked.
"There are a lot of things to discuss. I still don¡¯t know what Garrick wants, since he said he was very exhausted from the long battle and needed rest," Kael said, "so that will reveal itself at the gathering."
"And what about Michael?" Thalion asked. "Have you thrown him out yet?"
"No, he will also be at the meeting. It would reflect badly on us if we threw him out after losing so many. As long as he doesn¡¯t mess up when I confront him, I won¡¯t throw him out or kill him," Kael said. "We aren¡¯t facing an existential crisis, so I¡¯ll give him a chance."
"Hold up," Kael said before the others could retort. "I think I have a good solution for this mess. I¡¯ll give him tasks to redeem himself, like gathering materials for the craftsmen and alchemists. A lot of work. He¡¯ll fall behind in levels, for sure¡ªor at least his followers will. And if they don¡¯t meet their daily quota, I¡¯ll throw them out for good."
"That¡¯s actually a good plan," Thalion thought. The others probably agreed, as most nodded in agreement¡ªexcept Sylas, who thought it would only bring trouble, and Kargul, who probably didn¡¯t even know who Michael was.
"So, what are your thoughts on Garrick? Can we trust him?" Kael asked the group.
Evelyn answered immediately, before anyone else could. "No, the guy is hiding something. He knows a lot of people living here, besides Lisa. Given time, he might be even more dangerous than Michael. He was also holding back during the whole fight, only engaging at the end to make a show."
"And they have shapeshifters trying something on me and Kargul," she added.
"Wait, you mean shapeshifters like Thalion?" Sylas exclaimed in surprise.
"Well, yes, they can take the form of beasts, but they¡¯re much weaker," Evelyn said. "If anyone comes close to that monster¡ how many orcs did you even kill today?"
"I don¡¯t know, a lot. Didn¡¯t count the kill notifications," Thalion shrugged. "Tell me more about those shapeshifters and their forms."
"They all have a bear form, then it differs. Some are wolves, others are big cats. One even transformed into a beetle the size of a cow," Evelyn explained.
"Those could be very problematic when they attack hunting parties in beast form. We can¡¯t be sure if it¡¯s them or a wild beast," Kai mentioned, deep in thought.
"Those forms are pretty fast, so they''d be great for gathering materials," Thalion said with a smile.
"I don¡¯t have a reason to give them such duties at the moment," Kael said. "And it would weaken my position against Garrick if he¡¯s really aiming for my job."
"I can put all the newcomers in restricted areas to start with," Kael thought aloud. "That way, at least, we can keep an eye on them."
"You should put Michael and his gang there too," Sylas nodded.
"That will happen anyway," Kael said. "I¡¯m not letting someone who most likely killed survivors in this base roam free."
"What are you doing with the two ring walls the orcs built around us?" Kai asked.
"We¡¯ll integrate them into the base. I¡¯ve spoken with many craftsmen and some mages. They can add runes to the walls. I¡¯ll also have some bridges available when the system shop arrives to connect our walls with the two ring walls that surround us. Once we deal with the orcs in the tower, I can add crystals to the walls and directly upgrade them using the system shop."
"Speaking of the orcs, what are we doing with them?" Annie asked.
"It depends on what the people at the gathering decide," Kael answered. "The orcs have already surrendered. I¡¯d give them the opportunity to join us, and if not, they¡¯ll have to leave."
"Sounds fair, but you should do it at the end, since it will help Michael and Garrick with their plotting," Kai interjected.
"Sure. So, those are the most important things. After the system shop, our defenses should be good enough to prevent something like this from happening again," Kael said, frustrated.
"There¡¯s still Steven, Thorwald, and many other small factions," Kai mentioned.
"Yeah, but their patron forbade them from fighting us, just as mine gave me similar orders. And our protection will be strong enough that they can¡¯t fight us, even if they wanted to," Kael explained. "For now, we need to get as strong as possible. I¡¯m planning to advance with the whole base in four to five weeks. Then we should have seven or eight weeks until the special events start on the fifth stage."
Everyone nodded in agreement. It would be a long road ahead, with plenty of killing before they moved to the fourth stage. Thalion wondered how many would turn into murderers when every single person in the base had around 50,000 credits.
Chapter 63: The Gathering
Thalion entered the great hall. Everything was full of survivors, and most were even higher level than him because most had spent their days only hunting and leveling, while he was consuming plants or going for a new form. There were already easily over a thousand people in the hall. He was slowly making his way forward to the podium, where Kael would speak. They had decided that only Kael, Kai, and Sylas would stand on the podium for the speech. Immediately in front of the stage stood a group of forty people with Michael in the middle. They were surrounded by guards with drawn weapons, which was kind of useless since, after the integration, everyone was dangerous, and there were no real police. There were just fighters Kael was ordering around.
Beside Michael''s group stood Garrick with his men, a bit over fifty fighters, and they looked pretty relaxed, like most in the hall. After all, most had joined Kael for safety, and until the orcs arrived, they got what they came for. Thalion was pushing through the crowd to a position on the side near the stage so he could overlook the crowd. It was on the right side of Garrick''s group. Then Kael, Sylas, and Kai entered the stage and began the gathering.
"Thank you all for attending," Kael greeted everyone, his voice empowered by a crystal in his hand. "This meeting will be about the future of this base and to thank Garrick and his warriors for helping us out in such difficult times."
"To the first point", Kael continued, "We have roughly twenty orcs stuck in one tower who have already surrendered and asked to join us. Their leader escaped to the next stage, and some help would come in handy after we lost so many good people. Everyone, raise your hands if you agree with the orcs joining us, or keep them down if you are against it. Know that I have means that would make it almost impossible for them to attack us."
Thalion put his hand up and watched how the large majority was voting for the orcs to join, but he noticed that not a single one of Garrick''s or Michael''s men raised their hands, like the good opposition they were.
"Great, so with that dealt with, to the second point,I have added the walls and the towers the orcs built to the civilization crystal, and I can upgrade the buildings in the system shop, which will upgrade our defense power by a large margin. In the future, this impregnable fortress will ensure our safety against the undead. In the fourth stage, I plan to teleport to the next stage in up to four to five weeks, depending on how fast your progress is. If you don''t want to fall behind and you can''t gather enough points, you might skip one system shop. I can''t wait for every single one, but I want to keep us all together."
Most of the survivors in the hall started clapping their hands and nodded in agreement. Only Michael''s and Garrick''s men stayed silent.
"Until then, we will gather as many materials and upgrade this base as well as we can. Every one of you needs to push yourselves. We expect harsh resistance from the undead on the fourth stage," Kael continued.
"Next, we have a traitor in our base," Kael announced with a voice like steel. "Michael and his men didn''t attack the orcs, but instead stayed behind, and we found corpses near our wall without any wounds an orc weapon would inflict. If you don''t bring up a good defense, you will be thrown out, and when we encounter you again, you will be killed. Before we founded this base, we were already betrayed once by Thorwald, who killed the survivors in our camp for credits before the system shop. This will not happen again."
"This accusation is outrageous," Michael protested. "I would never kill anyone. I only cared for the survival of my men. How many died by your reckless attack on the orcs? No, I just wanted everyone to survive and not die in an attack we didn''t need when we bought stronger magic circles to attack the orcs after the system shop had arrived."
"Because of your actions, many people died. Everyone who wanted to give that man a chance to stay here, raised their hand. They will be brought to the outer district and will have to fulfill a quota of materials every day to be allowed to stay, or they will be thrown out," Kael announced with cold eyes.
Most people raised their hands, probably because of the additional materials the forty men would gather every day for them. The many dead, however, didn''t affect them as much since most families were split by the system already, and only a few had found their loved ones.
"You can''t do that," Michael interjected. "This is not fair."
"Not fair is how you let the people on your side die. Your possessions will be taken, and you and your supporters will be brought to a house in the outer district. You did nothing since you were here; this is your chance to redeem yourself," Kael said. "I want to hear nothing. You came here for safety, and since arriving here, you have done nothing. Bring them to their new home."
The fighters surrounding Michael''s group escorted them out of the hall. Michael hadn''t gathered as much support as they first thought, and maybe this was one threat eliminated, Thalion wondered while watching silently.
"To the last point, I want to thank our helpers," Kael said. "Garrick and his fighters had helped us in a time of need. Is there something we can do to return the favor?"
"Thank you for the hospitality," Garrick said. "You all have fought very well today. I don''t have a concrete need at the moment, but my humble base won''t be enough to defend against the undead in the next stage, so I hoped to join you and the brave people in this fortress."
This was a surprisingly humble suggestion, Thalion thought, and it would even boost their strength even further.
"This is the entire purpose of this fortress: to unite us and be a place of safety in this new world. Do you want to join right now? I heard you left some people back in your base," Kael nodded in agreement.
"Not right now. I first need to gather everyone, and I don''t want to leave anything of value behind, so I will join you in roughly two weeks, if that is fine with you," Garrick said with a light bow.
"Great! With that, the gathering is concluded," Kael announced. "I wish you all the best. Good luck to those who are hunting tonight."
Thalion didn''t like the smile on Garrick''s face when he turned around. It had something predatory in it, but it was only there for a second before it disappeared.
Thalion made his way back to his room and started training. They had spoken about the outcome already, and he wanted to progress further in his skill creation and body tempering.
So he started to burn the wall of his room with his new personal flamethrower, trying to intensify the flame, making the skill more powerful. Every time his mana pool was at 50 percent, he switched to blood purifying. He was now at a point where there were almost no impurities in his blood that slowed it down, so he could start with the second phase, charging his blood with mana and making it more powerful than before. That was very similar to what the sanguine thorn was already doing. Through the scroll of sanguine mastery, he learned that the sanguine thorn was storing all the blood he absorbed, which he used for his blood skills. That was why they were so powerful but almost cost no mana. He still had no contact with that blood reservoir as long as the sanguine thorn was not fully awakened, which would take a while. But it was fine for him; his blood skills were already very strong anyway, so whatever the thorn was doing, it worked.
Since he was now pouring his mana into his blood, he had to stop with his skill practice. It would be better to test the skill in his next fight since he didn''t want to destroy his room anymore. The one black wall didn''t look good in the otherwise completely white room. To infuse the blood with mana was very difficult since he needed to hold the mana in the blood until the mana was absorbed permanently. It all was a long and exhausting process.
Close to midnight, his door opened, and a drunk Sylas came in and mumbled, "Hey, are you still awake? I need someone to talk to."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road."Sure, but first, how much did you drink?" Thalion asked after being thrown out of his meditation. Getting drunk after the system was very hard. That guy must have really downed some liters to be this drunk.
"Oh great! I drank the extra strong vodka Kargul and Evelyn always drink," Sylas answered, while slowly swaying in his direction, swinging from side to side like a ship on high seas.
"So you know Lisa? We really had a great time and were doing everything together. We even kissed, but then this new guy, Garrick popped up and now she doesn''t even talk to me," Sylas exclaimed, waving his hands in the air.
Thalion had had this experience multiple times with women: the moment someone more interesting came around the corner, they were off. Thankfully he never had to make such an experience. At least not like Sylas; right now he must have found a true whore.
Thalion never got too attached to women in his former life on earth. He had his principles, and when they didn''t care that much for him, the sooner it came out, the better. So he repeated the stuff he had said to so many guys on the beach: "Sylas, don''t be this glum. This would have never worked out; you were way too good for her anyway."
"Why are you so sure? It felt so good," Sylas said while looking at the ground.
"Yeah, one hundred percent. She was so weak, and you were so strong. She was just with you because of your power, and now that someone appeared who has more, she left. You are lucky it happened so early; it would have been more painful if it had happened later," Thalion said, trying to make it simple so Sylas would understand it in his drunken state. Okay, most of it was made up to build the drunk guy up for a bit. He probably wouldn''t remember it anyway. He only barely remembered the mage woman from the forest, but it should be close enough. That she was with Garrick was a very bad sign. Was she perhaps a spy from the start? But then it would be pretty bad to let go of Sylas like that.
"I am way stronger than that, Garrick," Sylas said with annoyance.
"Maybe she doesn''t know that. You were going pretty easy on her in the sparring sessions," Thalion countered. "Anyway, it doesn''t matter; she left, so be glad that she is gone and focus on yourself. This whole tutorial is just beginning, and when you are not strong enough, you might die soon with Michael and Garrick plotting something."
"But I can''t; I am too weak!" Sylas whined, burying his head in his hands.
"Oh God, this is more difficult than I first thought," Thalion thought while saying, "Life is like a coin; it doesn''t matter what happens to you; you can always flip it. This is an opportunity for you to become the strongest there is and show that bitch how wrong she was."
"Yes, yes, you are right! I will not waste any time and will work on myself right now. You don''t mind if I stay? I can''t waste any time walking back," Sylas said with determination and sat down on the floor, starting to meditate. As good as it was possible for a drunk guy, he almost slumped over after a second.
"Sure, no problem," Thalion murmured. "By the way, what are you training right now?"
"Aura control," Sylas said so fast Thalion almost didn''t hear it.
"Wait, what is aura?" Thalion asked, perplexed. He vaguely remembered hearing the term before, but he didn''t know what it was.
"Everyone is emitting an aura that others can feel," Sylas said without looking up. "You can discern the strength of your opponent through their aura, and it can also give a hint to what class they have."
"And how are you doing that?" Thalion asked, interested.
"You may have felt it when beasts unleash their strongest skills or heavy warriors buff themselves with some berserker skill. It feels like weight on your shoulders," Sylas exclaimed, still talking very fast. "So you gotta feel it in the air and then just push it very fast."
"Good Lord, Sylas and his explanation! He was better off buying the information in the next system shop," Thalion thought. Out loud, he said, "Can you maybe explain it a bit better?"
"It is like a field surrounding you, and when you are able to build a connection with it, you can control it. Think of it like your body is a machine, and when it''s working hard, there is a lot of heat, and when it exits your body, others can feel it," Sylas explained slowly while trying to sit upright.
"Damn, that was a very good explanation for Sylas," Thalion thought, now also thinking in meditation so as not to disturb Sylas anymore, who was now very concentrated on his task again.
He also tried to feel his aura. He had experienced it multiple times. After hearing Sylas''s explanation, the last time was with that red orc who had basically radiated power. With enhanced aura, it was probably possible to trick someone into being weaker or stronger than he actually was. He actually made good progress in that department and was able to suppress his aura a bit so that he seemed a bit weaker than he actually was. He also could feel Sylas''s aura, which felt pretty strong but not close to his. The blood enhancement and the sanguine thorn did provide too much power. Good thing he now knew how to hide it. Assassins were most likely able to completely hide their aura so no one could feel it. That would be a goal for him in his form of the umbral predator. He wondered if he was already doing it naturally when he activated predator instincts, which made him blend in with the darkness surrounding him¡ªanother thing to test. It was already morning, and he switched to infusing his blood with mana. He also needed to read the scrolls he bought. They sadly didn''t speak with him like the first ones he got.
Thalion had so many things on his list: blood purification, sword training, more body tempering as umbral predator, and smithing. He was waiting to upgrade eagly after the system shop when he had more information. Close to midday, Sylas rushed out of the room, only briefly mentioning that he would go slaughter all the beasts in the fucking jungle. So Thalion concentrated on blood purification for now. He asked Kael if it was possible to let Michael and his men gather some moonflowers or, in general, plants that buffed one''s affinity to darkness. And that was exactly what they would do for the next few days since Kael had given them a hell of a list. They really didn''t have time for leveling. Thalion also used the crystal Kael had given him for telepathic communication. It was basically like a handy where you could call someone, just that you needed to think your thoughts very hard. He found that very distracting, so he always spoke them out loud to make the process smoother. So the whole day was blood purification until Kael informed him that the orc corpses were in the spatial ring in one of the storage halls locked away just for him.
Already in the evening, after he exhausted most of his mana, he did go for a short walk. He wanted to visit the smith he had watched and then get the ring with the orc corpses. He also wanted to check how many flowers Michael and his followers had managed to gather. While he walked the streets, he concentrated on hiding his aura to make a weak impression. It was truly marvelous; with both his aura and blood training, he could very accurately assess the strength of the people around him. First, the aura, and then he could also feel their blood and the power in it. Well, if you can talk of power, most were not really strong, especially not for their level. Most were higher levels than him, but they probably got worse classes and didn''t cultivate for the last day nonstop without sleeping. He arrived at the smithy, and after a short greeting, he watched the smith doing his work, with the smith explaining what he did and why he did it. For Thalion, this was very helpful, and they talked for hours. It seemed that he had a very good smithing skill compared to most other smiths, who probably had bought a low rarity skill for fewer credits. He already thought of ways to build armor for himself, and he wanted to craft a sword like the knights of the church had a few hundred years ago back on earth. He hoped that he could combine it with his mana blade skill, but those were things for another day. For now, he kept his plans to himself.
After he left the place of the smith, he transferred all the plants and corpses into his spatial ring, which were a lot, and made his way back to his room. Back in front of his warm fireplace, he still thought about what to do with the orc corpses. After he drained their blood, they wouldn''t be any good for the umbral predator, and he had to gain some permanent strength when he devoured them. Thalion locked the door so no one could enter, transformed into the umbral predator, and started devouring the orc corpses, which were forming five big corpse hills. It had to be hundreds and still fresh, probably due to the time distortion in the spatial ring. Black tendrils shot out of his body and started to turn the corpses into darkness before absorbing it completely. This way he would probably not gain much permanent strength, but he also wanted to progress with the body tempering, so it should be a nice solution. After twenty corpses, he paused and started to work on the second layer of the Shadowforge doctrine, forcing the darkness into his flesh until it was fully absorbed and hummed with power. This was not easy, as often the darkness did not fuse with his flesh. Instead, it left shortly after, making the whole process very draining. The next days until the system shop''s arrival, Thalion absorbed the corpses and plants Michael and his men were gathering, which were a lot. Sometimes he made a pause and switched to blood purification since devouring most things also refreshed his mana. He hoped that the cultivation was fast enough to keep his lead in the coming struggles.
Chapter 64: Tempest Unleashed
Thalion made great progress with the umbral predator. His strength had skyrocketed, his flesh hummed with power, and his strength had increased by a large margin. He had injured himself to test how the self-healing had improved and if he would lose some of the darkness if he got injured. Nothing of that kind happened. The darkness had fused with his being and couldn''t be separated. As long as no one was biting flesh out of him, he would lose nothing, and the healing speed was even faster now.
If he had to fight that red orc today, that fucker would be dead for sure, and he hadn''t even used the scroll of predatory control, which hopefully would help him with his fighting style. Kael''s base had helped him greatly with all the materials provided for his body tempering. He would gladly stay and gobble up some more materials. The system shop would arrive soon, and he had spoken with the old smith, whose name was Lucan, about the sword he wanted to build, and the man had gladly shown him an even better way. His first plan was to somehow transfer his skill, the mana blade, to an actual weapon to strengthen it. But the smith told him how he could build not just a sword that was good for fighting but also amplify his skills. Now he just needed some awesome material to build it. But first would come the stuff he needed for eagly, and he most likely wouldn''t have enough time to train his smithing skills enough to use some of the special material, but in case he got some credits over, he would start stacking some of the materials for later use. He wanted to build the armor after all. Hours later, he entered the system shop. He already had 87,610 credits from all the orcs he had killed. That should definitely be enough to get the stuff he needed.
"Hey, did you miss me?" He addressed the voice of the system with a smile on his face.
"I can''t answer your question; just tell me what you want to buy," the voice answered bored.
"I acquired an eagle form and want to upgrade it to a better race. Is this possible without an evolution?" Thalion asked the voice, completely ignoring the "I won''t answer any questions" part.
"You cannot afford the items that allow an evolution in the same grade for beasts; they cost millions of credits," the voice answered. "You can buy the body tempering manuals. It is the same for beasts as for humans if you want the best evolution, but since beasts don¡¯t have a class, it''s the race that is changing."
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it."You got me curious. Normally, no one is buying so many body tempering manuals as you since it takes a lot of time and resources. Most are doing it after reaching the level cap and didn''t fulfill the evolution requirements. So where did you get all those materials from? I can tell that you have reached quite far with your human body," the voice asked, intrigued.
"We had a war with orcs. It looks like many gods have plans now for this tutorial after the special quest had popped up," Thalion answered.
"On another note, I can now use the skill fireball like a flamethrower. Why is the skill description not changing, and is there a skill like fire control that can do what I learned the past days?" Thalion asked, hoping he would get an answer. He really didn''t want to buy that information.
"You cannot buy skills like fire control. That is something you need to learn. There are scrolls that are teaching the process, though," the voice answered quickly.
"Thanks, you did answer a lot of questions. I thought you were not allowed to do so," Thalion said, curious after asking all the important stuff.
"It has to do with the interference of the gods. If they help too much, I can assist the ones without a blessing a bit more, but my help cannot compare to the input of the gods," the voice explained.
"Great! My plans for eagly are to create a bird of storm by combining wind and lightning affinity. Is that possible?" Thalion asked, hoping for the best.
"Sure, it is just a bit expensive since you need two manuals and a lot of materials. And this is the last tip I can give you in this shop: speak with an alchemist on how to purify the materials you are consuming. It will be essential for the future," the voice said.
"Thank you very much. Please show me the options for eagly. It doesn''t matter if they are expensive; I have 86,000 credits to spend on those two and maybe one scroll that teaches a bit about flying," Thalion requested.
Immediately, one manual popped up in front of him: "Manual of the Tempest Beast: Wind and Lightning Body Tempering."
This advanced body-tempering manual is designed for flying creatures that seek to harness the full power of the skies. It contains two distinct paths: The Wind¡¯s Grace and The Lightning¡¯s Fury, which, when mastered, merge into the ultimate transformation: The Tempest¡¯s Wrath. [84,000 Credits]
Chapter 65: Path to Power
This sounded great. It looked like both manuals were fused into one. The description looked straightforward and would help him greatly in transforming eagly into a powerhouse. One step closer to godhood, he thought with excitement: slow but steady. All his forms would become very strong in a short time. When reaching E grade, he wanted to have every form at mythic rarity.
"One last thing: was the flight scroll too expensive to add?" Thalion asked curiously.
"This is the best option for you with your current credits. There is knowledge on flight in the scroll, and if you want to buy something about flying, you would have to buy a worse body tempering, which I wouldn¡¯t advise," the voice answered.
That made sense; after all, the body tempering was way more important than flight lessons.
"There is one other thing, the eagle form was weak when I got it and almost has no mana regeneration. How can I upgrade my intelligence, or is the body tempering already helping with that?" Thalion asked the voice.
"A bit. Having a high affinity means that your skills cost less mana and become more powerful. Otherwise, you could go for soul tempering, or you could keep natural treasures in your body that replenish your mana reserves. Otherwise, you need to wait for the evolution," the voice explained.
"This wasn¡¯t good. He had hoped that he could change something, but it seems that having a low race or class does narrow your possibilities a lot," Thalion thought. In the end it shouldn''t matter. Was it the best action to buff eagly instead of taking a new form? Definitely not, but he liked eagly much more than his other option, and he wanted to make it as powerful as possible. It shouldn''t slow his cultivation too much and would benefit him in the end.
"Do I need to temper my soul in every form?" he asked the voice. If that were the case, he would be in trouble. Body tempering already took a lot of time, and doing the same for his soul would be even more time-consuming. He was not sure he had enough time now with the special event and the confrontation with the undead coming closer.
"It depends, but you only have one soul core that you need to strengthen for all your forms. There is work you need to do for every single one of your forms, but it doesn''t require many resources," the voice explained.
Those were good news. Next week, he would look for a soul tempering manual.
"Thank you for your help. See you next week," Thalion said after buying the Manual of the Tempest Beast.
When he was about to get teleported away, the voice said, "Don''t forget my advice: your tutorial will get very dangerous very soon. Use this period of peace to advance as far as possible."
Thalion appeared back in his room. This was bad; when even the voice was warning him, he opened his new body tempering manual. He needed to get going.
Manual of the Tempest Beast: Wind and Lightning Body Tempering
This advanced body-tempering manual is designed for flying creatures that seek to harness the full power of the skies. It contains two distinct paths: The Wind¡¯s Grace and The Lightning¡¯s Fury, which, when mastered, merge into the ultimate transformation: The Tempest¡¯s Wrath.
Part 1: The Wind¡¯s Grace
This manual focuses on tempering the body through the gentle yet unrelenting power of the wind. By learning to become one with the air, the beast enhances its speed, agility, and control while flying.
Stage 1: Whispering Winds
The beast meditates while in flight, learning to feel the currents of the air and synchronize its movements. This builds flexibility in the wings and feathers, allowing for precise control during high-speed maneuvers.
Part 2: The Lightning¡¯s Fury
The second manual focuses on harnessing raw lightning energy, tempering the body with the volatile power of storms to increase strength, reflexes, and offensive capability.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Stage 1: Thunderstrike Pulse
The beast absorbs ambient electrical energy from the air, learning to store it within its muscles. This gives it a slight electrical charge and increases its reflexes and reaction time.
The first stage of the wind''s grace would teach him a lot more about flying than he had expected for the whole manual, while the Thunderstrike Pulse was very similar to what he was doing with the umbral predator. He hoped that the experience he already had in the area would allow him to speed his body tempering significantly. Both parts had three stages, and after completing both, he could start with the third part: the Tempest''s Wrath. Though he was worried, the first part with meditating while flying didn¡¯t sound safe and was very difficult to accomplish. For the lightning part, he needed to find a storm. But how strong were the storms in this new world? Since he was in this world, it didn¡¯t even rain. Maybe he could ask some mages to shoot him with some lightning. He shouldn¡¯t really take damage from the lightning. He could already absorb lightning due to the skills he got from the manta, and now with the improvement from the body tempering, it should be even better. Thalion stood up and made his way to the alchemist shops in the city. He wondered what they could do with his materials. After the voice had mentioned them, it must be a lot.
<--
Steven exited the system shop with a new set of special jewelry and a body tempering that only followers of his god could buy. He had decided to focus on his improvement to stay ahead of Thorwald and ignored the orcs who were attacking Kael''s base. He was delighted when he heard that Kael had managed to defeat the orcs on his own, which lifted a lot of pressure from his shoulders. He couldn''t ignore the instructions of his god for long. It also strengthened his political position since Thorwald was spreading rumors that he was forcing everyone to fight against the orcs against their will. Since nothing of that had happened, it resulted in Thorwald losing support while he was gaining followers. He also had men who were spreading rumors about how bad Thorwald was as a leader since he lost twenty warriors against the umbral predator, while the beast was now so frightened of Steven that it wouldn''t even attack his people.
This of course, was speculation, but since no one had seen the beast for some time, he would claim the reward of being the reason for the predator''s absence.
He looked down at himself: his armor was upgraded, his lance was glowing with power, and he had learned so much about fighting humans and beasts from manuals provided by his god. In his eyes, he was almost the perfect warrior. Thorwald would have a very difficult time defeating him in a fight. The idiot still hadn''t picked a flying skill, which should ensure Steven''s escape if he lost. Not that it would come to such a showdown anytime soon. They all needed to prepare for the future and for the next stage. He was very happy with his accomplishments and was now helping his most trusted followers to improve since he barely leveled against the beasts in this area. They were all slowly rising in levels but not fast enough, and he needed to get as many people into the next stage for the fight against the undead. He needed to make a plan with the water princess and Kael, who were the biggest organized factions in the area his scouts had discovered.
Out of the 200,000 survivors, only 110,000 were left. Most were probably on the lower stages. In his camp, there were up to 1,400 survivors, the water princess had around 1,500 survivors, and Kael could have the most, depending on how much he had lost in the fight against the orc, with up to 2,000 people. He hoped that it would be enough to defeat the undead. How many could they possibly have on the fourth stage? Where did they even come from? He rarely heard stories about vampires and none about any other kind of undead. The vampires, though, were strong and most likely already on the fourth stage, which would make them very dangerous with the undead gods helping them. The fourth stage would be very dangerous. These were worries for the future. First, he had to arrange some meetings between him, Kael, and the princess. Steven was truly looking forward to what Thorwald would try since he hated Kael and that Thalion guy so much. Hopefully, he would mess up badly. After all, he was not the type who could hide his thoughts well.
Chapter 66: Unexpected Encounter
Thalion walked through the streets. The base had grown a lot after the system shop. Kael must have invested a lot of credits. He got a message from Kael that they would be meeting this evening and maybe discussing some things and then going to hunt some beasts. Thalion would probably skip hunting in groups since it was already known that you get more experience from hunting alone, and he was more than fine alone. Of course, if someone asked him to help out, he would do so, but he mostly would work on his skills rather than killing the beasts. If there was danger, his reflexes were so fast that it shouldn''t be a problem. He, of course, would help more if the others wouldn''t manage, but he wanted to grow as much as possible from the fight.
He arrived at one of the alchemist shops. It was the same as with the smiths. In one of the shops, an entire street opened up with additional shops inside. Just marvelous how space worked with the buildings from the system. There weren''t even runes, at least none he could spot. Thalion entered the first shop. It looked small from the outside, but on the inside, it was the size of a supermarket. Plants were growing everywhere. It was pure chaos. On the other end, a middle-aged woman sat in front of two cauldrons. The green steam that exited both smelled like bad and almost hurt his nose.
"Who are you? I have a lot to do," the woman said in a sharp tone after noticing him.
"Hi, I am Thalion. Who are you?" Thalion answered while walking up to the woman.
"I am Zyra, and you are not the guy who was one of the most important fighters against the orcs. Your aura is too weak," Zyra sneered. "Leave my shop. I don''t want to get scammed."
"This was unexpected," Thalion thought. Should he leave? He didn''t want to show off in front of the woman. She could tell others about his fighting power if she had mastered aura reading to such a degree. But he decided against it. He still got some crystals from Kael that should be enough to prove his point.
"I am not going to show off my powers, and I have access to a lot of resources you could be interested in," Thalion said calmly.
"Hm, okay, good enough for now. So what do you want?" Zyra asked with suspicion.
"I got a lot of plants that, on consumption, give you a higher affinity for darkness. Can you make the effect stronger, and how are you doing that?" Thalion asked, interested.
"Sure, I can do that. On to how¡ªit''s mostly magic circles and a process where I remove the imperfections," Zyra said. "How much do you have, and what are you paying?"
"So you infuse it with mana through the magic circles?" Thalion wondered. "On the payment, what do you want? I thought it was impossible to transfer credits."
"If you really were Thalion, you wouldn''t need to pay me. Since you are not, you need to bring additional plants and attuned crystals. You can find a list on the wall over there," Zyra said while pointing to the side.
"Hey, I am Thalion!" Thalion exclaimed. "Why would I get it for free?"
"Well, because you are close to Kael, and we have to support the top powerhouses of the city because they are actually protecting us," Zyra said, her chin held high. "I heard Thalion can transform into an eagle, so why don''t you just prove it now?" she added with a smile on her face.
"How widespread is that information?" Thalion asked. Well, it was not really a secret; he had transformed into eagly in front of a lot of fighters¡ªnot all of them¡ªbut it was still interesting how many knew.
"I guess everyone. Thalion is a very mysterious figure since he is almost never seen and hunts alone. To my knowledge, a lot of rumors are spreading, so why don''t you transform now or pay me?" Zyra said, still smiling with confidence that she had won. Thalion decided to end her amusement and transformed into eagly, which made the alchemist fall off her chair with a surprised yelp.
"Enough proof," Thalion said after transforming back into his human form.
"Yes, that''s enough. It''s an honor to meet you. Please just bring me the ingredients and tell me exactly what you want from me," Zyra said after a quick bow.
"Come down; no need to be this formal," Thalion laughed, watching the woman staring at him, as if she wanted to gather every secret he was carrying around.
"Ah, really?" Zyra said, clearly unsure of what to think of him.
"Yeah, relax. Why do you even have so much respect? I don''t really have an important position in the fortress. I just help friends," Thalion shrugged.
"You are joking, right?" Zyra said in disbelief.
"No, I am not," Thalion answered. Was he really an important figure in the base?
"You really think you don''t have an important position?" Zyra exclaimed. "You know that a lot of people saw you killing the orcs like they were insects. The one orc who came by the last day said you were a demon and even stronger than their chieftain."
"Well, that''s probably a bit exaggerated. What other rumors are spreading about me at the moment?" Thalion asked. He really didn''t want to stay in the spotlight. Thalion still wasn''t sure if telling Kael and the others that he was a shapeshifter was the right decision after all.
"Not many. Some are saying that you are blessed by some extremely powerful god. Ah, and there are the shapeshifters who are claiming that they would defeat you in a real fight," Zyra said with excitement.
"Interesting. What were those shapeshifters doing since the fight? I heard nothing good about them," Thalion asked.
"Yes, they are annoying. They were even demanding from another alchemist that he should only work for them since their contribution in the fight was so great," Zyra said with annoyance.
"By the way, how does the shapeshift class work?" Zyra asked. "They are claiming that it is by far the strongest class, and since you are one too, something about it must be true, right?"
"Depends on what class they have. Basically, you can take the form of a beast after you kill it," Thalion explained. "The good thing is that you can get a fast power-up when you take the form of a strong beast, but you need to be comfortable in your forms, which can be difficult."
"I see. Do you think you can beat them? They will come after you at some point if they don''t stop telling people that they are stronger than you," Zyra said with worry.
"I saw them, and I think I will be fine, especially if a skilled alchemist is helping me out," Thalion said with a smile.
"Great! So what do you need, and how many materials do you have? You are lucky; I have a lot of free time at the moment, and I would rather make stuff for you than for those shapeshifters," Zyra stated.
"Everything is here in these crystals. Though, if you have stuff that can boost lightning and wind affinity, I would take that too," Thalion said while giving Zyra the crystal filled with the stuff Michael and his followers had gathered.
Zyra opened her eyes wide in surprise when she saw the mountains of plants stacked in the crystals.
"That''s a lot, but I should be able to finish all of it tomorrow," Zyra said, still with a wide look. "How did you get that many?"
"That is not so important. Can you share the magic circle you are using? That could help me a lot," Thalion asked. If he could use it to recover his mana faster, his cultivation would speed up a lot.
"Maybe some other time. With this, I have a lot to do for today. I should be finished with this around tomorrow midday," Zyra said, deep in thought.
After a bit more talking about preparing plants and affinities, he left the shop. Zyra was probably right; those shapeshifters would definitely become a problem in the future.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.Next, he wanted to check on the smith. He didn''t have much time until the meeting, and going hunting would probably not be worth it.
When Thalion was approaching his shop, he could already smell the smoke from the fire, and the sound of a hammer hitting metal was heard even outside.
The smith, who went by the name Lucan, was hammering on a breastplate. Thalion understood that it was not only to form and strengthen the material; the smith was also pushing a lot of mana into the plate. The armor was so powerful it almost had its own aura. After a bit of hammering, Lucan noticed Thalion, and after a bit of talking, Thalion also started hammering on one of the great swords he had taken from the orcs. He wanted to make the big, clumsy great sword into a two-handed sword like the crusader had used, combining speed and power in one weapon. Lucan was giving pointers here and there on how to swing the hammer to get more force into the blow.
In the end, it was just practice for Thalion until he would get his hands on better material or until he made one himself. He already knew from his further purchases in the system shop how to extract essence from the material, and fuse it with the new material to strengthen its properties. After an hour of work, he got the sword down to a length of one and a half meters, plus the handle, and tested it by cooling it down. He did the first and second forms he learned in swordsmanship, and it didn''t feel good at all. His mana blade was lighter and more powerful by far than his crafted weapon. It was also purely balanced, which made it very difficult to control the swing. So he tried to alter the form of the blade, making it a bit slimmer and the handle a bit longer, and he immediately felt the difference when he swung the weapon; it was already way better.
Lucan had watched him and came over after finishing with his piece, even gifting him some materials to integrate into the blade that would make it harder and lighter. He also taught him a few runes that would store mana in the blade, strengthening the material by absorbing the mana from the air itself. It took them over four hours to carve the runes all over his weapon. After that time was up, he needed to get going if he didn''t want to be late to Kael''s meeting. He left the sword at Lucan''s smithy to slowly absorb mana until he had time to work on it again. He left when the sky already began to darken. Thalion had promised to look out for nice materials for Lucan when he was out hunting, and he gave the smith all the weapons and armor he had picked up from the orcs as thanks for all the help.
The smith had promised him anyway to help him craft his weapon, so why not give something back? Lucan at first didn''t want it, as he had already got experience for helping him and felt like he owed him after his big contribution in the fight against the orcs. Crafters could level up by simply doing their craft, and to build good stuff for the people that ensured their safety was just natural these days, since they couldn''t really sell it; there was no money they could trade with. Some solved the problem by demanding additional materials for their work, like Zyra, but for people who were often working in the guard or fighting for their lives, they didn''t really care. Kael normally had a lot of people out to gather materials for the crafters so they could level fast. Thalion took a deep breath of fresh air while looking into the clear sky; still no clouds or any sign that it would rain soon. He wondered what the others had done in the last few days.
<--
Sylas was running through the jungle. Thalion was absolutely right with what he said: the only thing that mattered was strength, and he would become the strongest mage there was. His patron was almost delighted when he told him about his conversation with Thalion and fully agreed with his friend. Sylas had the credits to buy two new skills from the system shop and a new robe that would amplify his powers even more and was just perfect for mages. But what else to expect? They were made by a mage god. It was just natural that they were extraordinary. He spent the whole day hunting; the only thing that stopped him was his mana, even when his equipment was recovering his mana pool very fast. He wondered how Thalion could keep his cultivation speed up; the guy had no help from gods but was still stronger than Sylas himself. And that was just his human form; he wondered how powerful his other forms were. For now, he only knew about the Umbral Predator and the eagle, but he most likely had more.
Sylas had heard about the shapeshifters in the city who were bragging about how many forms they had, so Thalion must have more than them; he was stronger after all. Sylas ended his line of thought when he saw beasts in the distance; it was time for more hunting and leveling. He was already close to level forty, and most beasts couldn''t really put up a fight. This sounded great, but his leveling speed was slow since they barely rewarded any experience. He wouldn''t go out hunting for a while and would focus on his soul tempering or fighting style in the meantime. The beasts he was currently dashing to were spiders with long legs that ended in sharp spikes.
They had captured some deer-like beasts and were starting to devour them fast. It almost looked like the half-dissolved bodies of the beasts were sucked up to the small hairy mouths under their two giant fangs, which were dripping with blood. The spiders were not weak, and he needed to watch out; both were around level 38, which was already one level under him, and they both had strong auras. His patron had told him that it was more important to use his aura sense to find out the real strength of beasts. Some beasts that were low level but were strong variants were much stronger than beasts of higher level that had a lower rarity race. Those spiders were strong, to say the least. When he came closer, they dropped their prey and spun around to face him. Did one of their eyes spot him, or was it the vibration in the air? Did he touch a part of their net?
The last one was highly unlikely since they didn''t have a net. At least he didn''t see anything, and they also didn''t use it to ensnare the beasts they had killed. Sylas didn''t waste any time and shot a windblade at the spider nearest to him. The spider, in turn, used two of its front legs, which were glowing with an almost red light, and stabbed at the wind blade, destroying it. The other four spiders were charging at him with incredible speed; this was probably not the best idea to fight all of them at once without a sneak attack against them. He used the wind to fly up while throwing lightning at the spiders, but one just shrugged it off while another dodged to the side.
Their auras continued to rise; this was getting worse by the second, he thought, while fueling his movement skill with more mana to increase his flying speed. He needed to escape; they were almost too organized for beasts approaching him fast from different directions. Sylas used his wind blades to cut off thicker branches the spiders were jumping on. This at least slowed them down enough for him to fly above the treetops and escape those beasts. Maybe he could come back here with Thalion or one of the others to kill them. When beasts got too strong, they could be a serious threat to the survivors, especially to the non-fighting classes who were just out to find materials. Sylas threw multiple fireballs at the trees until they began burning. It wouldn''t burn for long. Those trees would extinguish the fire soon, but the smoke would lead them the way when he came back with reinforcements. Sylas wondered how much they had progressed since the last time he saw them.
Chapter 67: Gathering Shadows
Thalion entered Kael¡¯s living room, where comfortable chairs surrounded the fire pit. Kael and Kai sat eating some grilled beast meat.
"Hey there, where are the others? How many are coming today?" Thalion greeted them.
"Only Sylas is missing, and the others are out hunting," Kael said.
"Your base has grown a lot in the last few days. How many actually live here?" Thalion asked while sitting down in one of the chairs.
"We are close to two thousand survivors," Kael said. "Good thing we now have two extra walls thanks to the orcs. Otherwise, it could be difficult to fit them all."
"But they are so far from our walls. Are they really that useful?" Thalion wondered.
"Did you not go out hunting?" Kai asked with amusement.
"No, I was focused on different things," Thalion answered. He still didn''t want to tell them too much. Even if they had given him no cause to not trust them, he was still wary. Sharing that he was the umbral predator was maybe a bad decision he should not have made. Thalion knew that he had done it back then to ease their mind, to help out, but now, after having some time to think about it, it probably was not the best idea.
"No wonder; then you would have seen it. After the system store, I was able to pull the ring walls closer to us and even attach bridges. We could even build another housing district in the space that is not occupied, which is a lot," Kael explained, "but it doesn''t look like we need it anytime soon."
Before the conversation could go on, an exhausted Sylas entered the room. "Sorry that I am late," Sylas said while sitting down in a chair next to Kai.
"God, I just had to run from four giant spiders. Can you believe that they were even close to level forty?" Sylas added. "Oh, do you have some meat for me? I am starving."
"Sure," Kai said while pulling another plate with delicious grilled meat out of his spatial ring and handing it to Sylas, who started eating it with much fervor.
"This is bad, most beasts are weak, but some have grown too strong. They could be a danger to the weaker survivors," Kael said, worried.
"Not only to the weaker. I probably have little chance of defeating them, but don''t worry. I marked the spot. From there, it should be possible to hunt them down," Sylas said with a full mouth.
"There is currently no party available, and Kai and I can''t go out hunting tonight. Do you think you two are strong enough to hunt them down?" Kael said with worry.
"Yeah, we should definitely be enough," Sylas said with confidence while grabbing one of the meat sticks.
"I can go for a little hunting trip tonight," Thalion nodded. Those high-level beasts were a good opportunity to gather lots of experience.
"Great! There is another thing we need to talk about: I want you to help out with the training of the guards," Kael said. "Since we are this many people, we need guards patrolling, and I have to pay them for their services. One way is teaching them from the stronger ones."
"How often do you want us to teach them?" Thalion asked, hoping it was not too often.
"Not that much, maybe an hour or two a day. You don''t have to only train them. Just use them for sparring or give them some pointers while they are working on spells or fighting," Kai said calmly.
"We need them now more than ever. The higher the credit score of the people, the more murder will happen within these walls, in addition to the normal troublemakers," Kai explained.
"That''s fine with me," Thalion said. Sylas also nodded in agreement.
"By the way, did you hear about the shapeshifters in this city?" Kael asked Thalion. "They say that they are a lot stronger than you."
"Yeah, an alchemist told me today. Did they improve much since the fight against the orcs?" Thalion asked.
"Actually, yes," Kai said. "They had paid hunters to take down strong beasts and took their forms, which made them quite powerful. They also have a pretty high level since hunting in those new forms seems to be very easy."
"Are you taking the form of the spider? They should be at least as powerful as their forms," Sylas asked before Thalion could say something.
"No, of course not! I already have enough work with my two beast forms," Thalion rejected. Maybe it would be smarter to hunt for a better flying from like the griffin, but he liked it that Eagly was so small and difficult to hit.
"Okay, but don''t you worry that they would get too strong? You are already behind in level; there are rumors they want to take the bird form from you," Sylas said with a worried look.
"It should be fine," Thalion said. "I will be here tomorrow for some training, and then I will go out hunting for a while to catch up in levels."
"Can I train a bit later tomorrow with the guards?" Thalion asked. He liked helping out others but first he had to do some stuff for himself.
"Yeah, sure. I am not that strict, just give them some pointers," Kael laughed.
"We need to talk about one other thing that will happen very soon: we will start talks with the other camps," Kai said.
"Why are you so afraid? Nothing should change for you," Thalion asked.
"The others could try to become the leaders of this alliance, and that could bring trouble along the way," Kael said. "After the special quest, it is likely to be an all-out war between the survivors."
"I think you will do fine," Thalion said, not worried in the slightest.
"There is still the situation with Garrick and the shapeshifters. They will slowly start to grab for more power. In five days, Garrick and his base will arrive here and fuse with us. I fear something could happen," Kael said with a pointed look at Thalion.
"What do you want from me?" Thalion asked, puzzled.
"If you could deal with the shapeshifters before Garrick arrives here, it would strengthen my position greatly," Kael said. "I don''t want them roaming in the jungle around my base in beast forms; there are already rumors spreading that they are waiting for survivors outside the walls."
"What do you mean when you say I should deal with them?" Thalion asked.
"They are already challenging you, and since you are my close friend, it reflects badly on me. If you could beat them up openly, it would be great," Kael explained the situation.
"Okay, but I have a lot of stuff to do first. Maybe an opportunity will come up when I start to openly train the guards," Thalion thought out loud.
"True; that would be even better. Remember, you are not alone and have our full support, so don''t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it," Kael said.
"It should be fine, but in the future, I could need more help, like gathering blood from dead beasts, gathering plants with darkness, wind, or lightning affinity, and maybe some mages that shoot me with lightning," Thalion said with a smile.
"Right, I kind of forgot to tell you, but I already gave orders to gather blood from beasts. Here are the keys to the spatial crystals," Kael said while scratching the back of his head.
"Great! That''s awesome," Thalion said with elation. Having access to so much blood would speed up his cultivation a lot; maybe even fully awaken the sanguine thorn.
"It¡¯s not a big deal, only a few alchemists are using the blood for experiments," Kael shrugged.
"There will be a lot happening in the next days; the others are back from their hunting trips soon. I would like another meeting in two days," Kael said, mostly about when Garrick is joining us.
"Sure, I would go for some spider hunting. How about you, Sylas?" Thalion said.
"Yes, let¡¯s go," Sylas said, almost jumping out of his chair, still with one of the meat sticks in his hands.
"Good hunt; take care," Kai and Kael waved.
With that, Sylas and Thalion left the building to hunt for some big spiders.
"Can we fly there?" Thalion asked; he really wanted to get this over quickly since he heard that there was a lot of blood waiting for him.
"Sure, but I won¡¯t be much help in a fight when I have to use a lot of mana in traveling there," Sylas said.
"It should be fine," Thalion said while he transformed into eagly and, with a beat of his wings, shot into the air.
Soon after, they were on the way to the still smoking trees far in the distance. It would take some time to get there since Sylas couldn¡¯t fly as fast as eagly. Thalion was basically lying on the wind and didn¡¯t even need to beat his wings to fly in the direction while Sylas had to keep his movement skill active to fly at his current speed. If he used more mana for traveling, he might not have enough to fight against the spiders. It still was an impressive show of strength. Sylas¡¯ mana regeneration could be higher than his own. In the meantime, Thalion was trying to meditate to start with the first stage of eagly''s body tempering. They were almost there when Thalion finally managed to enter meditation. It felt like diving underwater. The wind was all around him, and he could feel how he was very slowly losing speed while traveling. He tried to adjust the position of his wings but before he could find the optimal position, they arrived at the still smoking trees. Thalion tried to spy through the canopy of leaves for clues, but he couldn¡¯t make out any movements or spiders.
Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on."This is the place," Sylas said while landing on a tree crown.
Thalion followed him and transformed into his human form. Sylas had told him that the spider had eaten a beast here, and he hoped he could hunt them down with his blood sense. As soon as he was in his human form, he could sense where the beast had died. This worked better than he thought, and he also had a clear direction where the scent of blood was going.
"In that direction," Thalion said while jumping from tree to tree with his movement skill. When his blood sense was right, they shouldn¡¯t be that far. He motioned for Sylas to stay behind him while he started to move fast through the jungle. Thalion followed the scent of blood. It was already midnight, but he had no trouble seeing in the dark. In front of them, they heard the sound of fighting. Thalion jumped to the ground and sped up significantly. He soon entered the battlefield, the smell of blood was intoxicating, and the sanguine thorn urged him on to feast on their blood. There was a fight in front of him between five people who tried to avoid the spiders as best as they could, with already five humans lying dead on the ground and one stuck in the mouth of one of the giant spiders. The other spiders were playing with their food, running around them with incredible speed, making it impossible for them to escape.
Thalion wanted to use the moment and shot a blood thorn at the spider who was currently sucking down the human corpse, but the spider reacted with incredible speed and, without looking, jumped forward to avoid the thorn. The spider was not finished; by avoiding the thorn, the next jump brought it directly in front of Thalion, who smashed his fist into the ground, activating tectonic slam, which turned out to be worse for the spider than he thought. The spider lost its footing and was thrashing around like it had lost its vision. Thalion used the distraction and shot out a vine of the sanguine thorn and pierced the forehead of the spider with the black spike, killing it instantly. He also drained the spider of any blood, which almost happened automatically since the sanguine thorn wanted that blood badly. The other spiders turned around with anger in their eyes upon seeing one of their comrades fall and rushed at him. In his dismay, he had to watch how none of the spiders touched the ground, jumping from tree to tree, all coming at him from different sides; none ran at him in a direct line, which made them difficult to hit. One of the spiders jumped on a higher branch and shot hairs at him that ripped through the air like metal spikes.
Thalion dashed to the side and dodged the hairs the spider shot at him and attacked one of the spiders that sped at him with incredible speed, summoning the manablade in his right hand, swinging at the spider. The spider he attacked reacted fast and moved back out of reach of his blade, but Thalion used the active ability of manablade, and a blue mana slash shot at the head of the spider, which didn¡¯t manage to dodge. The slash ripped deeply into the head of the spider, almost cutting it in two. Thalion spun around to address the other spiders who were coming at him; at this time, Sylas had entered the fight and fired lightning bolts at the spiders, hitting two of them and throwing them off their branches, but they failed to inflict serious injuries. One of the humans they just helped fired arrows at the spider hit by Sylas¡¯ lightning, but it seemed that the spider had extremely hard skin and the arrows didn¡¯t pierce deeply.
Thalion used his fireball skill; he had worked so hard to improve it and shot a constant stream of fire at the spider, which tried to avoid it but still got hit and burned on the side. Thalion stopped his skill and immediately fired a blood thorn at the spider and one at the spider that got hit by the arrows. The first spider now had a thorn stuck between her eyes; it was hard to say where the brain of spiders was, but that spider should be out of commission for sure. The other spider got its abdomen ripped open, and black blood was spilling on the ground. Thalion used telekinetic dash to charge the last spider, which was now back on its feet.
It stood up on four legs and used its other legs to stab at Thalion.
He deflected the blow to the side and spun around, cutting the leg off with a swing. Next, he slashed upward since he was close to the spider and activated mana slash, cutting the spider in two. This fight was over faster than he had anticipated. The spiders were intelligent and powerful, but his skills had turned out to be very effective against them. Maybe they also were a bit exhausted from the fight against the humans, but he doubted it. The fight made his human and umbral predator forms catch up with eagly, both reaching level 37. Thalion put his free points into wisdom, and as umbral predator, it went into dexterity. Then he consumed all the blood in the area with crimson harvest, trying not to pull blood from the other survivors. Sylas landed next to him, and together they walked up to the survivors who were sitting on a branch, breathing heavily. They had come at the right moment; a bit longer and they would all have died to the spiders.
"Hey, are you okay?" Thalion asked the five survivors.
"Yes, we should be fine. It will take a bit of time for the healing potion to fully restore our health," the archer said while jumping down from the tree branch.
"Thank you for saving us. I am Rowan. I started working as a guard for Kael. There are many rumors about you, Thalion, but I didn¡¯t expect that you would be that strong," Rowan stammerd while reaching out with a hand.
"Nice meeting you," Thalion said while shaking Rowan''s hand.
"Can you travel safely, or should we stay?" Sylas asked.
"If you could escort us for a bit until the wounds have fully healed, would be great," the archer said.
The others were now also jumping from the tree, introducing themselves.
The other four guards were Brennan, Talon, Cormac, and Roderic. They were a mix of medium and light warriors, with the mages and heavy warriors of their group being killed by the spiders first.
"We got a message from Kael this evening that you would train with us this week, is that true?" Talon, a light warrior, asked.
"Yeah, that¡¯s correct. I have some stuff to do before, so it probably will be around midday or afternoon," Thalion said.
"I will be around earlier," Sylas said with a smile. "I don¡¯t have much to do tomorrow, at least nothing I can do in a training session."
"Awesome; I am looking forward to it," Cormac said with elation, the other guards also nodding.
"I was a bit caught up cultivating; could you update me on rumors?" Thalion said. Those guards had eyes and ears everywhere; he was curious what they had picked up.
"So far, it seems fine. The fucker Michael and his men are gathering plants like madmen to prove that they are useful," Rowan explained. "The shapeshifters are dangerous. Did you know that they are claiming that they could easily defeat you?"
"I heard about that," Thalion sighed.
"Don¡¯t worry too much. Guards are everywhere, and we are getting new members by the day," Rowan said with a confident smile. "We got over a hundred new members in the last two days."
"Don¡¯t worry; I am fine," Thalion waved it off and continued with a grin. "Could you spread that the shapeshifters are shit compared to me? I would like to see their faces if they hear those rumors."
"Haha, it will be our pleasure," Cormac said with a loud belly laugh. "I don¡¯t know how strong they are, but it would greatly surprise me if they could defeat you."
Chapter 68: Flight Training
After the guards had recovered enough, Thalion turned into an eagle and shot into the air. He tried to stay close, circling around their position while working on his body-tempering wind''s grace. He managed to enter meditation quickly and felt the wind like he was swimming through water. While flying in circles, he always tried to change the position of his wings and felt how he got faster and faster without using more energy. He circled with incredible speed while he only beat his wings slowly. Next, he tried out different maneuvers, diving down or making fast changes in direction, and he was at the beginning again.
Soon, he managed to improve his movements; the quick turns were more difficult since the moment when he beat his wings was crucial to gain maximum speed. He tried out a lot, but the best result was when he just leaned in with all of his body in the direction he wanted to go without beating his wings, and immediately after he finished his turn, he started to beat his wings to speed up. He kept on training even after Sylas and the group had reached the base. Thalion improved quickly and tested more scenarios. If he was chasing someone or got chased, it took him some time to get the perfect response, but he learned faster than when he was flying circles, which was good.
Satisfied with his progress, he returned to his room. The sun would rise soon, and he wanted to absorb some of the gathered blood. He also wanted to improve his blood spells since the fight with the shapeshifters would happen soon. He planned to let some mages shoot him with lightning tomorrow in his bird form so he could advance in the lightning part of his body tempering, the thunderstrike pulse, which essentially was all about him getting hit by lightning and absorbing it. He entered the material warehouse in his human form, taking the two vials of blood that were stored in the spatial crystal.
The vials were tiny, but each of them stored easily over sixty liters of blood, and the time dilation made sure that it stayed fresh. Those would be easily enough for this night. Back in his room, he opened the first vial and started consuming the blood. It was all gobbled up by the sanguine thorn, which hummed with delight. It was like a black hole in his body as it sucked down the whole vial without any sign of being full. He should have brought more vials along, Thalion thought while he took out the next and fully fed it to the sanguine thorn, which happily devoured it.
Thalion felt how the plant in his body was slowly growing in power; this was very good. While the plant would digest all the blood or whatever it was doing with it, he would try to become better at controlling blood. His goal was to form armor or a weapon with blood; the first step he had to accomplish to unlock further stages in the scroll of sanguine mastery was the ability to harden blood. For practice, he had left a bit of blood in the second vial and now slowly moved the blood out of the vial. He had practiced sensing blood, and it turned out that moving it was not difficult at all. In some way, he had already done the same with blood harvest. Now, to harden the blood, he had to press the blood together and let them fuse into each other, creating a solid object in some sense. It worked out the first time he tried, and he shot the spike he created at the wall. The blood spike got completely destroyed while only leaving a small mark on the wall. "Could have been worse," Thalion thought while he summoned the blood back and let it flow in front of him, now in its liquid form again.
He tried out different forms, but the solution was to amplify the blood with mana. He tried to purify the blood, but it was not possible outside of his body. However, he could charge it up with mana, which made it stable enough to pierce into his wall and even keep the form for fifteen minutes before it turned liquid again and ran down the wall. It was about time; the sun had already risen while he had trained, and he soon would pay Zyra a visit. But before, he wanted to do a bit more smithing; he was almost out of mana from all his blood training, and he wanted to hammer something while he was recovering. He was also intrigued by how much the material of his sword had changed since he had left yesterday.
"Hey, Lucan," Thalion greeted the hard-working smith, who nodded in response, not stopping his work on a helmet. Thalion walked over to his sword and touched it. He felt how the material had even changed a bit; it managed to absorb a lot of mana to the point that the sword had a very weak, distant aura. He decided to let it absorb more and took one of the materials out of Lucan''s stock, starting to work on it.
It took him hours to make another sword and incarved some runes only along half the length of the blade. He wanted to see the difference in weight and power. Then he left the smithy and made his way over to the alchemist Zyra; he was curious how much the plants had changed after he had brought them to her yesterday.
"Hi, you said the stories about you were exaggerated and you are not that strong, and only a few hours ago a guard told me that you easily killed four giant spiders close to level 40 alone after their group of eleven people didn''t have a chance," Zyra accused him while pointing a finger at him. Before he could answer, she continued, "Now there are rumors spreading that you don''t really care about the other shapeshifters, and you are much stronger anyway."
"Yeah, the night was long," Thalion answered, smiling internally at how fast the rumors were spreading. "Now show me what you got and how you did it."
"Sure, follow me," Zyra said, still annoyed while guiding him down a trapdoor into the cellar. The cellar was giant, and multiple magic circles were on the ground with materials in the middle of them. Zyra guided him over to a spatial crystal that was placed in the middle of one of the bigger magic circles.
"After some refinement, I did place the crystal in this circle; it is made to gather the mana from the surroundings and push it into the crystal and the materials in it."
That was simpler than he thought. He definitely needed one of these circles in the future, or could he use some of the magic circles placed on the tower and walls to empower his blood? He definitely needed one to put the vials of blood inside to push more mana into the blood, which should strengthen it a lot and power up the sanguine thorn even more.
"Could you give me the plans to draw such a circle? I got a lot of use for it," Thalion asked the alchemist.
"There doesn''t exist a plan. It took me a lot of time to learn the runes, and I put them together for the best effect," Zyra explained, "but I can draw one for you in your apartment if you want."
"That would be perfect," Thalion nodded. It was not perfect, but he still was happy with the outcome.
"Do you have any preference for the affinity? This one here is targeting mana with dark affinity," Zyra asked.
"No, normal mana should be fine," Thalion said. He wanted to keep it secret that he planned on enchanting the vials of blood. He had already spilled way too many secrets the past days.
"Okay, but it will take me some time, and I have a lot to do today. Can I come by in the evening?" she asked.
"Sure, that''s fine; I am in Kael''s building," Thalion said. Then he grabbed the spatial ring with all the plants in it; a quick look inside confirmed that the plants were humming with power. Zyra had done a lot of work.
"Oh, I got another batch of plants; could you do the same here too?" Thalion asked while giving her another spatial ring he had picked up before leaving. It was even fuller than the last one. Michael and his followers were working hard indeed.
"Sure, it might take a bit longer, though. I''ve got a lot to do today; the guard got many new members who all need some stuff," Zyra explained.
"Great, that''s no problem," Thalion assured her while they left the basement.
"See you tonight," Zyra winked. "And take care; the shapeshifters will definitely do something soon."
"Sure, I will," Thalion answered while he left the shop, making his way back to his room. He wanted to devour those plants immediately.
Back in his room, he transformed into the umbral predator and immediately felt the pure power the body held. Mists of darkness were slowly rising from his skin; he had completely forgotten how strong this form was. Next, he put out the first hill of plants, which were almost radiating energy. He could swear that the shadows around the plants were growing darker, but maybe it was just him. Tendrils of darkness shot out of his body, absorbing the hill of plants while he sat down and focused to make the darkness he absorbed fuse with his flesh. After he was halfway through the hill, he was already full, and it took him over an hour to absorb all the darkness in his body, even with him actively pushing it into his flesh and muscles. He had five more of those hills in the spatial ring; this would take a lot of time.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Maybe he needed to stop for a bit to go and train with the guards. Thalion tried to speed up; after he fully devoured the first hill and pushed the absorbed darkness into his flesh, the most time-consuming part was keeping the darkness inside his muscles and flesh until they completely fused. He tried to force the darkness into multiple parts of his body, but it was very difficult. The good thing was that he was not losing any of the gathered darkness since nothing could escape through his skin. Thalion slowly managed to speed up the process of absorbing darkness, and after six more hours, he was finished with the whole process.
It was already evening, and he really needed to get going for some training with the guards. He felt light like a feather when he stood up; the power-up from the body tempering was extraordinary. He felt much stronger than before; the body tempering in this form was the most successful one until now. He transformed back to his human form and made his way to the new training hall Kael had bought in the system shop. He left an information crystal at the entrance so Zyra knew that he would be training with the guards. Thalion opened the door to the training hall and was flabbergasted. Why were there so many guards? The hall was even bigger than the gathering hall, and there were easily over sixty guards training, who all stopped and looked at him with anticipation.
"Hello," Thalion said, now unsure of himself. Maybe he should have sought more about what would happen here.
"Hey! What took you so long?" Sylas said while he was flying over, landing by his side.
"Well, it took me a bit longer than anticipated. Why are there so many?" He whispered in Sylas'' ear.
"They are here because of you. The guards from yesterday have told everyone what happened and how strong you are," Sylas said with a smile on his face, clearly enjoying the whole scenario.
"Great! So what are we doing now? Kael said we should just give them some pointers," Thalion whispered back.
"Well, just let them train. We''re going to spar with some and give them tips when they mess up or, in general, help them out if they ask us something," Sylas explained.
"Okay, everyone back to training!" Sylas addressed the crowd. Some started sparring against each other, some were trying out new skills, and in an area in the back, archers and mages were shooting at targets to test the power of their strikes. This was the area where Thalion headed first. After a bit of watching, he made out multiple mages who had lightning spells. He had totally forgotten that he wanted to get hit by some lightning.
"Hey, you two, I could use a little help," Thalion addressed two young mages who were firing lightning bolts at some dummies, which was probably better than casting spells against walls like he and Sylas did in his room.
"Sure, what do you need?" One of the mages said with eagerness.
"Can you hit me with weak lightning?" Thalion asked.
"What? You want to get hit by lightning? Head on?" the mage asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, exactly that. Can you do that for me?" Thalion confirmed and transformed into eagly. A few of the observers were watching with interest.
"Sure, whenever you are ready," the mage said, unsure if this was just a joke.
"Okay, go ahead, but first don¡¯t put much power into it. I don¡¯t know how much I can handle," Thalion said. He still wondered which part was the best to get hit¡ªprobably the wings.
"What do you mean by pulling more power in? I can channel the skill faster, but I cannot pull more power in the skill itself," the young mage asked.
"Okay, just hit me. I¡¯ll explain stuff later," Thalion said, but if they didn¡¯t know how to pull more mana in, they probably didn''t know how to make the spell weaker. It should be fine; he had the passive ability stormborn resilience that was helping him, on top of the body tempering method.
The hand of the mage began to sizzle with energy, and shortly after, the first lightning bolt flew at him and hit his right wing. To his astonishment, he fully absorbed the lightning. Thalion did his best to store the lightning in his muscles, like the first stage of the body tempering method instructed him, but it was not as easy as with the darkness. It felt like the lightning running through his body had a mind of its own, and some escaped before he could use it to temper himself.
"Are you okay?" the mage asked, worried.
"Yeah, I¡¯m good. Keep firing," Thalion said, and so the next hour passed by with multiple mages throwing lightning spells at him while he was trying to absorb the lightning as best as he could. Between some pauses, or when the mages changed, he gave them some tips on how to improve their spells. Some never really tried to push more mana into the spells. Most had focused on casting the spells faster instead of charging them up since firing more spells was more efficient for a mage than charging them. There were, however, some who already could charge their spells. Here, Thalion tried to teach them how they could change the skill to better fit their needs, but the results differed a lot, just like when Sylas and he had tried it back in his room. One good thing was that there were mana circles on the ground that recharged one¡¯s mana fast, so they didn¡¯t need to use mana potions... another advantage of this training hall.
Thalion made great progress in his body tempering and was also trying the second stage if he failed to pull more lightning into his muscles. Stage two was called the Storm Hardened Scales and was all about hardening the feathers with lightning to better withstand lightning and magical attacks. This already worked very well with his passive skill, but when he wanted to make eagly a creature of the storm, he probably needed to withstand a lot more lightning than he did right now. He already had to drink a healing potion after some of the mages shot lightning bolts at him that were charged up, which sent him a few meters backward and burned his feathers a bit. But thanks to his flight training yesterday, he just opened his wings, made a quick turnaround, and soon after landed in the same position he had just been blasted from. There were no more than three mages shooting at him at the same time since that was the maximum he could handle.
With time, it turned into a game after he shot a lightning bolt back at a mage who failed to hit him two times in a row. After that, he shot back a lightning bolt from time to time so they could train to raise their mana barriers fast enough. Since he was an expert in using his mana barrier, he gave them some pointers on how to change the shape of the barrier. The other fighters had also mostly stopped their training. They had already been training for some time and watched him get blasted with lightning, laughing when he managed to hit one of the mages with a weak lightning bolt. After a bit more time, they had six mages firing lightning at him, which just showed how fast his body tempering was progressing. The bolts didn¡¯t even hurt anymore. Even the stronger ones were just gobbled up and didn¡¯t even throw him back anymore. He even started to improve the lightning bolts he shot out of his beak. First, he did it like the mages and just charged it with more mana. Then he tried to condense the lightning before he shot it at the mages, which warned them before him since his beak and neck were starting to glow with electricity.
Those lightning bolts were powerful, good thing he shot those at one of the dummies first since he was not sure if a mana shield of the mages could fully block one of those empowered bolts, and there was no need to accidentally injure someone. Sylas, in the meantime, was sparring against multiple mages at the same time and got his butt kicked, partly due to him holding back a bit too much. Thalion was confident that Sylas would win in a real fight, but he liked how the mage pushed himself. It was truly inspiring. The levels of the mages Sylas was sparring against were on par with his own, but they didn¡¯t have a blessing and were probably also of a weaker class. It seemed that Sylas could cast spells without having any trouble running out of mana. Was that the effect of soul tempering? Thalion thought while he absorbed more lightning.
With every passing hour, more guards left since it was close to midnight and the shift change was about to happen; others were going out hunting. At some point, Thalion stopped his body tempering and started to watch Sylas spar against other mages. He was almost finished with the second stage of lightning tempering. Maybe he was faster as eagly with his body tempering because his body was smaller; well, what did he know?
He started to spar with two light warriors to train his swordsmanship and not only help out the mages, but it proved to be more difficult than he anticipated. Most of his skills were lethal, like all his blood skills, and he couldn¡¯t blast the warriors around with tectonic slam or mana wave. Although he couldn¡¯t use the active effect of manablade, which made it very difficult to respond to two warriors at the same time while only using his sword and movement skill. But even when he got wounded, it was very good training. The wounds healed quickly, and he could absorb the lost blood back into his body. He also really discovered the true power of heartbeat of the sanguine archon. The faster his heart beat, the more strength and speed he got. It was almost like he got stronger the longer the fight lasted and the more exhausting it was.
After another hour of fighting, he said goodbye to the ones left in the training hall. Sylas, even when bruised and exhausted, stayed to improve his fighting. That guy really was driven. Maybe that woman leaving him was the best thing that could have happened to him, Thalion thought while he made his way back to his room. On the way, he gobbled up all the vials of blood stored in the storage crystal. Hopefully, the alchemist would have built the circle so he could empower the blood even more before he consumed it. There would definitely be some power-ups coming before the conflict with the shapeshifters, he thought with amusement.
Chaper 69 (1): Blood Control
Back in his room, he saw two large magic circles on the right side. He grabbed an information crystal that Zyra had left behind. "Hi, this is Zyra. I prepared two circles for you, just in case you need more materials to upgrade." That was great news, and Thalion began placing the vials in the center of the two circles. The circles hummed to life, and a fine mist slowly rose, enveloping the vials and the blood. He immediately sensed the blood growing stronger by the second, and the sanguine thorn almost seemed to hum with desire as it detected the blood becoming more potent.
Thalion wondered, What if I put my sword into one of the circles¡ªor even sat down in one¡ªwhile purifying my blood? An almost unlimited supply of mana would be an incredible advantage. While the vials were charging, he turned his attention back to crafting weapons, now using his own blood. However, as he prepared to extract some blood, he felt a thrum from the sanguine thorn. He sensed the plant more vividly than ever before, along with the vast blood reservoir it had accumulated.
This newfound connection allowed him to tap into the blood stored by the sanguine thorn for his training. Though the blood wasn¡¯t as potent as freshly purified samples, the sheer quantity¡ªhundreds of liters¡ªmade it invaluable. If only I had discovered this earlier, he thought, but perhaps it was due to the plant slowly awakening. Regardless, he began infusing the blood with additional mana to shape it into the desired forms.
To his surprise, he barely needed to add mana. The blood was already infused, and not with ordinary mana¡ªit had a clear affinity, likely for blood. Thalion started shaping weapons and guiding rivers of blood around himself.
The Scroll of Sanguine Mastery contained many advanced skills, but he knew he first needed to master controlling the blood on his own. One skill he aimed for was blood mist. This ability would release a bloody fog over a wide area, which could be enhanced with poison or curses to create a deadly zone. Another advanced technique allowed the blood to develop its own sentience, seeking out and draining the blood of surrounding beings. These higher-stage abilities were powerful, but they would require considerable practice.
Thalion also wondered how skill rewards worked. Would I receive the skill outright, or would it evolve similarly to how my Fireball skill upgraded in rarity? Either way, he needed to improve quickly. This was his last free day to train before facing the shapeshifters. Tomorrow, he planned to return to the mountains, to hunt as eagly, hone his flying skills, and gain levels. He was also eager to test the upgrade he had received from nearly completing the second stage of his body-tempering manual. But first, blood control.
At the moment, he was moving a river of blood around him like a snake, spinning it faster while gradually adding more. Since the blood was already mana-infused by the sanguine thorn, it cost him no additional resources to manipulate. The only potential issue was encountering another blood cultivator. Such an opponent could theoretically steal his blood during combat¡ªa significant risk. Nevertheless, he managed to control almost a hundred liters of blood swirling around him.
Next, he compressed part of the river beneath his feet and stood on it, effectively surfing through the room. It was exhilarating, reminding him of surfing with his friends back on Earth. They used to meet on weekends or after work to catch some waves. He missed those simpler times, but now he lived in a world where magic was real. On the other hand, he could fly, shapeshift, and now even surf on rivers of blood, which more than made up for the downsides in his opinion. And his ultimate goal of defeating time itself remained worth every sacrifice.
Laughing, Thalion pushed the bloody river faster and faster. Could I use this technique to launch myself like a rocket? It might be worth experimenting.
He adjusted the density of the blood and let the river slow to a halt before absorbing most of it back into himself. Only a thin layer remained, coating his body except for his head. This layer was sufficient to let him hover in the air, as though standing on a mana barrier. He began moving experimentally. It worked, but it wasn¡¯t practical yet.
Everything he could currently do with blood control, he could achieve through other means. Landing on the ground, Thalion hardened the blood into armor around his body, only to realize it immobilized him completely. He painstakingly broke down the hardened blood around his joints until he could move again. Testing its defensive capabilities, he slowly sliced at the armor with his mana blade. To his surprise, it resisted well. Overloading the blood with mana made it even more durable, allowing it to reflect the blade entirely without taking any damage.
For the next three hours, Thalion stood in front of a mirror, crafting his own blood armor. The hardest part was memorizing the precise areas where the blood needed to harden for proper coverage and mobility. It took him an additional two hours of summoning and dispelling the armor to get it right. He even managed to create a helmet, though every time he summoned it without the mirror, it looked slightly warped. Still, it was good enough.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
By the time morning arrived, Thalion had intended to begin working toward the blood mist skill. Ironically, it required the opposite technique he had practiced all night. Instead of compressing the blood, he would need to disperse it¡ªa task that would have to wait.
He had managed to construct his armor and had significantly improved his blood control. All in all, it had been a highly successful night, he thought as he left his room and made his way outside. There wasn¡¯t much time left to hunt as Eagly because Kael had requested a meeting later in the day. Furthermore, the flight back from the mountains would take at least two hours. There was no time to waste.
The moment he stepped outside, he transformed and shot into the air, heading toward the mountains. Almost immediately, he fell into meditation, focusing on the first stage of wind body-tempering for Eagly.
The second layer of this technique required withstanding strong winds, which was supposed to harden his bones and muscles, according to the body-tempering manual. Thalion had already perfected his flying to a point where further improvements were marginal, which made him confident he was ready to advance to the second layer. To build resistance against strong winds, he used his whirlwind skill, creating turbulent winds in front of him, and then propelled himself straight through them.
Passing through the whirlwind at full speed felt like being struck by a hammer. The sheer force threw him off course repeatedly, making him spiral wildly. Anyone observing him would likely think the bird had lost its mind.
As he sped toward the mountains, he continued summoning whirlwinds in his path and crashing through them. Now, he understood what the body-tempering manual had meant. His bones and muscles ached, and it felt as if his feathers were being torn from his body, but he knew it was worth it. Each time he forced himself through a whirlwind, the pain lessened, and he began to retain his trajectory more effectively.
Although he couldn¡¯t yet articulate the changes in his body, he could feel them. It was as though his body had begun to ignore the wind¡¯s force or had grown strong enough to resist it outright.
With that determination, Thalion pressed on toward the mountains, where the flying creatures resided, summoning and crashing through whirlwinds all along the way.
<--
Jakob had trained with the guards almost the whole day. He liked the long sparring sessions, and he also liked to make new friends. He met a guard named Brennan, who told him the story of how Sylas and Thalion had saved them and how easy it looked when Thalion had killed spider after spider. The man looked a bit sorrowful when he told the story. He probably blamed himself because he was not strong enough to save his teammates. To make the man a bit happier, he told him that Thalion had saved him and Annie too.
He also told the guard that Thalion was looking out for them when they hunted beasts. When he saw how the man''s face lit up, he continued and told him about how Thalion had saved Kael, Kai, and Sylas, and the bits he heard about how Evelyn and Kargul first met Thalion. The guard now even started laughing, and they began another sparring session. Jakob didn¡¯t even use a weapon in the sparring session; his skin was hard as stone, and his patron had given him many tips on how he could get stronger.
His fighting style switched between absolute defense, where he hardened his body even more, and attack, where he fired rock spikes at the enemy or punched them with bone-breaking force. It was very difficult for most to fight against him since he could almost tank any blow without taking damage. This often created an opening for a counterattack, which he gladly used.
Until now, none of the guards had truly defeated him. If he lost a sparring match, it was mostly his fault because he wanted to try something new, like whether he could block a swing of a giant hammer with his head. It turned out he could, but it knocked him out for a few minutes. The alchemists were also helping him out greatly by enchanting stones he then swallowed, which made his body harder and stronger. Another thing he did nowadays to become stronger was letting the guards hit him so his body would learn and grow stronger. It hurt, but it was worth it.
The guard he was fighting now was a light warrior, which was a very good matchup for him. Heavy warriors could be dangerous since their swings sometimes went through his defenses. Light warriors didn¡¯t have a chance in that regard. The sparring started, and the guard rushed at him with two short swords. Jakob held back from using a skill that would make the earth rumble and throw the man off his feet. Instead, he took a step back and entered a defensive stance, as a scroll from his patron had told him. So, Jakob blocked every swing of the blades with his bare hands or with another part of his body, trying to find out how to best block the weapons.
When the guard became careless and just started swinging, he stepped forward and slammed the man so that he flew a few meters back. This continued for a few rounds until the guard gave up and left for one of the magic circles that would help with recovery. Jakob also left, he wanted to get some new stones from the alchemist. He really liked how life was now: he trained with his friends, sometimes went out, and helped hunt down strong beasts that were preying on the weaker ones in the base. In his free time, he went out to eat in this new bar that made absolutely delicious food from beast meat. He also was looking forward to seeing the whole group again tonight. Jakob wondered what they all had been up to in the meantime.
Chaper 69(2): Blood Control
Thalion arrived kilometers above the mountain where the white wind crystals gathered after a bumpy flight. There were more white crystals now and bigger ones, probably grown by the death of countless elementals. There even were more birds who were fighting over them. The strongest predators in the surroundings were the two eagles who had conquered the four biggest crystals and the giant one the wyvern had guarded before it disappeared. Those two birds were close to the level of the wyvern, probably also close to E grade, and every other bird tried to stay away as far as possible. A new addition to the fight above the crystal was some sort of flying sea turtles who were swimming through the air and were faster than one would believe possible. Their necks were also able to shoot out for a meter to grab birds.
The last time he was here, it was almost peaceful¡ªat least before the wyvern had left. Now, there were multiple groups of flying beasts who were killing the defenders of Windcrystals, and after a quick rest, they moved on. The swarm of eight sky turtles was very effective with this method, killing birds, flying mantas, and snakes left and right.
And now Thalion was joining the fun. He was much stronger than last time, and he already found a flying snake that was a bit away from the big hunting groups circling two small crystals. He flew at the snake with full speed and started to charge up a lightning bolt. The snake realized too late that it was being attacked, and Thalion hit it with a fully charged lightning bolt, which threw the snake a few meters back and made it fall down with a twitching body.
Thalion followed and pierced the head of the snake with his talons, which instantly killed the snake. He put the snake in his spatial ring and flew up to the wind crystal, landing on it and looking out for new targets. While he was looking out, he tried to crush the wind crystal with his talons and eat it, but his claws didn¡¯t even leave a dent in the crystal. So he transformed into the umbral predator and devoured the crystal. He stopped his fall from the sky by turning into eagly and shooting up into the sky after a quick turn. His next targets were two hawks circling around a crystal.
He was still in the area with small crystals, which meant he should be safe from the stronger beasts. He did exactly the same as with the snake, but one of the hawks spotted him and started screeching, which made the other hawk turn around. Upon seeing Thalion shooting at it, its wings started to glow in a blue hue.
Before the hawk could do anything drastic, Thalion unleashed his charged lightning bolt, and the air crackled around him as he shot at the hawk, which in turn managed to conjure a barrier that was ripped apart like it was paper and hit the hawk''s right wing, ripping through it and making the hawk spin to the side. The other hawk screeched with anger and shot a blue mana slash at him, similar to what he could do with his manablade.
Thalion dodged it by turning to the side, before the Body Tempering, he would not have been able to avoid the attack¡ªat least not from this close distance¡ªand countered by throwing a whirlwind at the bird. The whirlwind distracted the bird long enough so he could sky dive and crash into the smaller hawk. Thalion easily ripped the hawk into pieces and dove for the still-falling hawk, finishing it off with a final lightning bolt that killed the unconscious bird. Sadly none of the birds had a skill which was weird. Was the slash mana manipulation or couldnt he take all skills from the beast he had killed.
The experience he gained from the two kills was enough to push eagly to level 38, while the umbral predator and his human form remained at level 37 since they needed more experience to level up¡ªprobably one side effect of the mythic class and race. Thalion continued after devouring the crystal as umbral predator and made his way to a bigger group of ravens who had just killed a little swarm of seagulls.
He again didn¡¯t manage to get a surprise attack in since there were multiple ravens flying around the newly conquered crystals, none under level 36. He wanted to try what he was truly capable of, and so he went all out by channeling feather glide and tempest shroud, eye of the storm, and lightning bolt barrage while flying directly at one raven. The raven screeched in defiance and attacked him. One even fired a fire breath at him. But the storm was rising, and most of the skills fired at him missed, and then the lightning bolts started to strike from above.
Thalion was flying at full speed almost around them while firing a charged lightning bolt in the middle of the swarm, with the lightning bolts striking down randomly at the ravens. It didn¡¯t take long until all the ravens were dead. It took a while for him to put them all in his spatial ring. The fight only lasted minutes, but to keep his skills active for such a long time would have drained him greatly, now his mana was half full, which was much better than he had thought. He also had never anticipated that he could defeat the swarm of ravens as eagly without much effort. The powerups were clearly showing.
He had anticipated that he would have to turn into his human form and shoot them with bloodthorns. It turned out eagly was an absolute monster. Now his flying speed was faster than any of the ravens, also, his mobility was higher, which allowed him to take sharp turns without losing much speed. Then there were the lightning bolts striking from the sky and the strong winds from eye of the storm, which had thrown the birds around and made their skills miss while it didn¡¯t affect Thalion at all.
The mana cost had also dropped significantly through his body tempering, as the voice had told him. He had kept almost all of his skills running for the whole fight, and it had only cost half of his whole mana pool, which was a big improvement. Without the body tempering, he would have already been out of mana and could only dream about doing the maneuvers he had done in the fight. The last kill gave enough experience so that his other forms also reached level 38.
He rested a bit after landing on the flying crystal. Above him, a swarm of turtles had killed three high-leveled hawks by ripping them into pieces like a swarm of piranhas. It was so weird to watch. On another crystal, a manta was devoured by some kind of flying worm, which swallowed the manta alive without a care in the world. What would come next? Flying snails? Thalion thought in amusement.
After his mana pool was almost full, he changed form and devoured the crystal, and soon after, he was off to search for his next target. He decided to go for the ten-meter-long worm that had swallowed the manta before the worm could speed up for a short duration. Its mouth was designed for grabbing and swallowing its target, and even when its level was at forty-three, Thalion was confident he could defeat it.
His speed should be superior, and when the worm, against all odds, managed to grab him, he would turn into the umbral predator. He doubted that he couldn''t rip the worm into pieces even when he was stuck in its mouth. He tried to attack the worm from behind, but the worm without eyes, of course, spotted him and turned around, flying at him with incredible speed. He really needed to improve his stealth attacks in the air, Thalion thought while turning to the side and firing a lightning bolt at the worm, which shrugged the lightning off like it was nothing.
Thalion even had to activate feather glide to prevent the worm from catching up to him while he spit another lightning bolt at the worm to damage it, but it barely had any effect. After he shot another eight charged lightning bolts at the worm, it slowly started to get weaker, and it tried to fly away. Thalion, of course, saw through the charade; it was just a bait.
The worm was definitely injured, but at this point, it was probably just waiting for Thalion to come close so it could snatch him with a surprise attack. He, of course, didn¡¯t give the worm the satisfaction of making that mistake and stayed at a distance while blasting it with charged lightning bolts. Thalion praised the day he got that skill from one of the birds he killed. Without it, fighting would be such a pain. The worm probably had the exact opposite thoughts as its body started to weaken, and in a final attack, it turned around and flew at Thalion with full speed.
But Thalion had already expected that response and was ready to turn around, and after a little hunt, the worm died. Thalion put the worm in his spatial ring. It was no wonder that, the worm didnt have any skills. When he turned around to devour the crystal, he saw that the swarm of turtles was flying around it. They had stolen his prize while he fought the worm. Thalion circled for a bit above them to give his mana pool a bit more time to recover before he would attack the fuckers. The shells were extremely resistant, and they were moving fast in the air with an ability to boost their speed for a short duration.
They could also extend their heads to grab their prey. The good thing was their level was not that high; the strongest was at level 38. The bad thing was that the swarm was quite large; Thalion counted over twenty sky turtles. Whatever. One last fight, and if they turned out to be too dangerous, he would flee and return to Kael''s base.
He was confident that if he couldn¡¯t defeat them, he could definitely outrun them. With that, he dove down to the turtles circling his crystal, channeling eye of the storm and skybolt barrage while charging up his lightning bolt skill. The turtles noticed him and shot at him with incredible speed.
Thalion had anticipated this and turned to the side, unleashing the lightning bolt that hit one turtle right in the face and threw it back, spasming. The other turtles were short on his heels as he flew at top speed after activating feather glide. It took a moment until the storm was rising, but then it was difficult for the turtles to keep pace in the storm, also they got hit by the lightning bolts. It all gave Thalion enough time to charge up another lightning bolt and shoot it at the turtle in the front.
The whole fight turned out to be a lot easier than he thought; the storm slowed the turtles down so much that he could easily avoid them while he got even a speed boost inside of the storm, as his body almost hummed in delight. Thalion circled the turtles and blasted them with lightning until only five were left, who decided that it was best to flee.
He decided against chasing the last turtles and instead flew over to the crystal hovering in the sky. He landed on the crystal to recover for a bit before he would fly back. One of the turtles had used a skill where a wind spiral was summoned around the turtle, mixed with sharp, condensed wind blades on the edges. He wondered if he could do the same with his blood river. As of course none of the turtles had any useful skills. He really didn''t like that development.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
He was really happy with what he had accomplished so far with eagly. With the current level of power it felt almost like he was a completely different beast. He checked his notification: the sky turtles had given him a lot of experience, probably a high variant race if they gave so much experience to push eagly to level 39 and his human and umbral predator to level 38, which was much appreciated.
He transformed into the umbral predator and devoured the crystal. Then he was on his way back to Kael''s base while summoning whirlwinds from time to time, but it barely impacted him anymore when he was close to the fortress. The whirlwinds even gave him a slight speed boost. It was almost relaxing to shoot with crazy speed through the sky without even beating his wings once. It already started to get dark when he was above the base, and he quickly dove down to pay a quick visit to Zyra and bring her the new plants Michael and his lackeys had gathered this day.
Thankfully, the shop was still open when he approached. He also wanted to thank the woman for creating two magic circles instead of just one. The lights in the shop were still on, so he entered and saw the woman sitting behind her desk, drawing runes on a piece of paper before her.
"Hey, how was the day?" Thalion greeted Zyra, who looked up with an almost annoyed facial expression.
"Good, first you told me the rumors were exaggerated, and now I have to hear that you were the master of Jakob and Annie after saving them from slavery," Zyra said with annoyance. "But that''s not all; you also saved Kael, Kai, and Sylas once, and Evelyn and the orc Kargul, who are basically the strongest people in this camp."
"Well, what does it matter? I don''t really care much," Thalion said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Could you use the corpses of rare flying beasts?"
"No, you don''t understand; there will be a lot of people targeting you. I heard that even Michael was thinking about challenging you. Whoever defeats you in sparring could potentially be the strongest one in this base, and your aura is not really impressive," Zyra exclaimed.
"Well, that''s because I am suppressing my aura, and if they want to come after me, they are welcome to try," Thalion said with a grin. "You really don''t need to worry about me."
"Ah, sure, just don''t be naive," Zyra said. "I really don''t want to work for those shapeshifters or that Michael guy. Oh, by the way, I declined to work for the shapeshifters today, and they didn''t like it one bit."
"Don''t worry; just send them to me if they annoy you too much," Thalion said as long as she upgraded the dark affinity plants everything was fine. Infact to have someone else with the shapeshifter felt like a small bonus. He had to take care of those people anyway, so there was no harm in helping out the alchemist who helped him so much.
"I just don''t like them; they also threatened me. I fear that they could wait for me if I leave the base," Zyra mentioned after a short pause.
"Oh, what did they say?" Thalion asked, curious. Maybe that would be enough for Kael to at least put them on farming duty.
"Well, they didn''t say anything direct, but some stuff I should watch out in the wild; there are dangerous beasts out there and so on," Zyra said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"I would say that is a very direct threat," Thalion said a bit surprised. Just what was up with some people. It was almost like they had gone crazy after integration. "Do you think Kael can put them on farming duty, or should he just banish them?"
"I don''t know; I would bet my shop that even when they get banished, they would stay around preying on people in their beast forms. It''s pretty hard to hunt down beasts when they decide to run away," Zyra explained.
"Well, after they helped us fight the orcs, I hardly can just kill them all. By the way, are you still here in your shop because you fear that a lion is waiting on the streets for you?" Thalion asked suspisous.
"Well, kind of; they were really angry and also mentioned that they would watch me," Zyra said while looking down.
"I will talk with Kael and Kai about this. They will definitely get a nice apartment in the outer district and some special tokens so the guards can track their movements," Thalion said to ligthen her mood. "So, with that issue solved, did you finish the work on the plants I brought you yesterday?"
"Yes, they are finished. Don''t tell me you got another mountain," Zyra said with exhaustion while giving him a spatial ring.
"You are right on the spot," Thalion said with a grin as he handed her the spatial ring. "I guess you are finished around tomorrow evening. By the way, would the corpses of flying beasts be useful to you?"
"I thought you were joking with the flying beasts since they are extremely rare," Zyra said while taking the new spatial ring. "In case you are not joking, I would very much like to have those corpses."
With that, Thalion dumped some birds, a worm, a snake, and some turtles on the ground before her.
"Holy shit! How much did you kill? They are all strong beasts; the turtles are at least epic rarity," Zyra said with excitement while storing the bodies in a spatial ring on her left hand.
"How long are you working today? You could come along and tell the shapeshifter situation to Kael and Kai yourself," Thalion asked the alchemist.
"Normally I stop working like two hours ago," Zyra said with a smile. "I just need to place some stuff in the magic circles in the basement, then I am ready to go."
"Perfect, I will wait here," Thalion said while Zyra was hurrying down the stairs.
Thalion started to experiment with a small ball of blood and tried to turn the blood into mist, but he didn''t get far until Zyra finished her work.
"Are you ready to go?" Thalion said after absorbing the drop of blood and looking at the alchemist, who stood behind the table as if she wanted to say something.
"Well, there is one other thing," Zyra said while playing with her hair. "I kind of didn''t tell you everything about the shapeshifters. There is one called Maik, and he kind of said that he wanted to sleep with me, and when I rejected him, he got angry. It could be that he attacks you if he sees you with me."
"This is perfect," Thalion cheered in his thoughts. If the guy would actually attack him, he would travel beside Zyra through the whole city to finally get his business with those shapeshifters done. Maybe they could even make some extra rounds around the block were the shapeshifters live.
Loudly, he said, "Like I said, don''t worry about me. Let''s go; we are getting late." So probably no extra rounds maybe later, he thought with a smile.
They both left the shop. It took them almost ten minutes until they were back at Kael''s place. When he opened the door, everyone was already there. He was late again, but at least he had a good excuse this time.
"Hey everyone, I hope I didn''t miss something. This is Zyra, an alchemist who got threatened by the shapeshifters," Thalion introduced Zyra after entering the chamber were all the others were hanging out.
"Wait, they threatened someone?" Kael exclaimed while Zyra and Thalion were sitting down in the empty chairs around the fire.
Jakob and Sylas were both munching on some stuff that almost looked like a burger, only actional, raising their heads up while Zyra told everyone her story that she shared with Thalion before.
"I said from the start that I don''t like them," Evelyn interjected.
"Does it mean you would like to smash them?" Kargul said hopefully. "I can hold them for you so it''s easy for you to hit them, not like with the little kittens you always missed."
"Oh yes, I would like to smash them," Evelyn said eagerly, "but we need to be smart with this, and as I heard the rumors growing, it looks like this is Thalion''s job."
"I will deal with them tomorrow," Thalion nodded. "I say we place them in the outer district and send them gathering materials with tokens that give the guards their location, like you did with Michael."
"This will be the best course of action," Kael agreed. "So, I am curious, what are your plans for dealing with the shapeshifters? We only have one witness with Zyra. I would like to have more than one reason to banish them; otherwise, Garrick could become very annoying."
"I will be training tomorrow with the guards and when they don''t show up to fight me, I will pay them a visit to get things straight," Thalion said.
"Say if you need help," Kai added. "They are over twenty; it could get dangerous if they all attack you."
"I plan on getting some additional upgrades tonight. Then I should be able to deal with them," Thalion said. He really didnt need any help with those people. What should happen he punched them a few time stick blood thorns in their legs. Then the shapeshifters will start crying like little babies and stay in the outer districts while collecting plants.
"Very good. I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow," Kael nodded a bit worried.
"To the next point: Garrick will arrive in two days. Then things will get difficult; he will most likely be even more annoying than the shapeshifters," Kael said.
"Why not send him off to Steven or the water mages to negotiate?" Jakob asked.
"We have already sent people there, and I can''t send the leader of another base that has helped us so much as a messenger. That would reflect poorly on me," Kael explained.
"We need to make sure that we keep an eye on his people," Evelyn said, clearly disliking the guy.
"It will be difficult when they join the guards," Kai said after a short pause.
"I think we should focus more on strengthening the guards so we can ensure their safety and they can''t threaten citizens," Zyra added, a bit shyly.
"Not a bad idea," Kai nodded in agreement.
"I think most things will align themselves in the coming days," Kael sighed.
"Great! So what did you do the last days?" **Evelyn happily announced while opening a bottle of vodka.
"Thalion has killed flying turtles today," Zyra burst out while pulling out a drink from her spatial storage.
"No way! Where did you find flying turtles?" Annie laughed with the others, except for Jakob and Sylas, since they had full mouths.
"I killed them above the mountains where all the flying beasts are fighting over the wind crystals," Thalion calmly explained.
"The turtles were at least epic rarity and even close to Level 40," Zyra said quickly. "Wait, what do you mean by wind crystals?"
"There are white crystals that are hovering a few kilometers above the mountains," Thalion shrugged.
"You didn''t bring some along? They could be very useful to me," Zyra said slowly after taking a sip of her drink.
"Nope. I can''t place them in my spatial ring," Thalion answerd quickly.
"But can you carry them over?" Zyra insisted, already a bit drunk.
"I could try, but I won''t travel there in a while," Thalion said after a bit of thinking.
"I would like to smash flying turtles," Kargul laughed loudly after finishing a three-liter bottle of vodka.
"We heard that you killed some strong spiders," Jakob said with a smile on his face. "The guards are talking about it nonstop."
"Yeah, I heard," Thalion sighed. "Can we stop talking about me? What were you all up to?"
"Placing stuff I bought in the system shop," Kael sighed. "You have no idea how draining that is."
"I finished the eighth layer of the scroll about swordsmanship," Kai said while smiling at Thalion.
"I smashed a big black bear," Kargul roared. "You should have seen it! First, the bear thought it could kill me, but then I hit it on the head over and over. It was so much fun."
"Did you test the new soups from Lars? They are so delicious," Sylas said after finishing his feeding frenzy and started to drink.
"Yes, I did, and I fully agree. That man knows how to cook," Zyra nodded.
"We definitely need more inns. They made life so much better," Sylas nodded. "So sad we only got one."
"Well, who is crazy enough to focus on cooking when your life is on the line every day?" Annie interjected.
"I think he still has a heavy class but bought skills from the system shop," Sylas said.
"Does he get experience from selling meals?" Thalion wondered out loud.
"Definitely, but it is less effective than hunting. It, of course, depends on how good you are at hunting," Zyra said. "I got most of my experience from working in my shop."
"How are the other alchemists doing? Will you be able to reach 50,000 credits until we move on to the fourth stage?" Kael asked.
"Without a doubt, at the moment I get between 30,000 and 70,000 credits a week depending on how fast the progress is," Zyra said. "The others might have to skip one or two system shops, but if they don''t get greedy, they will all come along."
"That''s good to hear," Kael nodded while starting to drink.
Thalion watched the others having a good time while leaning back in his chair. It was nice to relax from time to time. Sadly, he needed to get some stuff done tonight, so he left half an hour later and went to his room. Time for some training. It was time to give the shapeshifter the beating of their lifetime.
Chapter 70: Confrontation
Back in his room, Thalion took a look at the blood, which now hummed with power in his blood sense, but he would wait a bit before consuming it. First, he wanted to try some things out. He began by creating blood mist from the blood the sanguine thorn provided. It was actually easier than he thought, and after a few tries, he could switch the blood between liquid and mist form.
Next in his training was controlling blood rivers and moving them through the room with incredible speed, gradually increasing the river in size. Then, he tried to alter parts of the river to form sharp spears, intending to use the entire river as a giant weapon to destroy his enemies. But he couldn¡¯t make it happen. Every time he tried, he partly lost control of the river, and liters of blood fell to the ground. He could change it a bit, but not enough to pierce armor plating or reliably use it as a weapon.
Thalion summoned his blood armor a few times to make sure he didn¡¯t forget it and practiced some maneuvers with his mana blade, strengthening his strikes by controlling the blood armor. The control wasn¡¯t as good as he had hoped, but it was good enough for now. With that done, he finished his blood training and moved on to his regular skills.
He wanted to improve his fireball skill¡ªmore precisely, his flamethrower. Not only did he want to intensify the flames, but he also wanted to try moving the flames around him, like he did with the blood river. To increase the heat of the flames, he poured more mana into the skill. The challenge was that the skill had a limit to how much mana it could take, and Thalion was slowly working on increasing that limit. The wall he and Sylas had used for training was now completely black from the onslaught of flames, but he didn¡¯t care. The only thing that mattered was making the skill stronger.
From time to time, he stopped to regenerate mana and then worked a bit on his swordsmanship to recover. After hours of constant training, he switched to something he hadn¡¯t trained in a long time¡ªhis mana barrier. He altered the form of the barrier, making it thicker and more stable, so that spells would have a harder time penetrating it. His blood training had helped him a lot in this regard. Sadly, time passed quickly, and before he could start training the mana wave, which he also wanted to do, it was already morning.
That meant it was time for body tempering. He transformed into the umbral predator and began devouring the plants Zyra had prepared. These plants held even more energy than the last ones, meaning it would take much longer than last time. He even had to take a pause and fully focus on his body tempering after devouring a fourth of the first hill of plants. It took him over ten hours to finish them all, but the effect on his body was immense. He could feel power rushing through his veins, the sheer strength in his muscles. He would have loved to have a rematch with the red orc right now.
He could tell he was nearing the end of stage two of his body tempering method for the umbral predator. The difference in how much energy he could absorb as an umbral predator compared to earlier stages was insane, and it definitely had to do with the rarity of the race. He didn¡¯t have any more time¡ªhe needed to get to the training hall. Thalion thought this while transforming back into his human form. The body tempering had taken far longer than expected. He felt the desire from the sanguine thorn to devour the vials filled with blood when he left his room, but he ignored it. He wanted the blood to absorb as much mana as possible. There were easily around 500 liters of blood stored in those vials, and it would take time until they were fully loaded with mana. He hoped it would be enough to push the sanguine thorn even further.
He was extremely lucky that no one else needed that blood, so he didn¡¯t have to share it and had it all for himself¡ªnot even vampires should have such a luxury. When he arrived at the training hall, he immediately noticed something different: four guards were standing outside.
¡°Hey, what are you doing out here?¡± Thalion asked the guards.
¡°We were waiting for you,¡± the woman said. "There are over twenty shapeshifters waiting for you inside."
¡°What? I thought the training hall was for guards only,¡± Thalion said perplexed.
¡°Yes, but they were quite aggressive, and we didn¡¯t want to throw them out since they belong to Garrick¡¯s force,¡± the woman replied.
¡°Not like they would train anyway,¡± another guard interjected. ¡°They¡¯re just watching and waiting.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡± Thalion said with determination as he stepped inside, ready to throw them out himself.
¡°There you are! We thought you¡¯d never show up,¡± a muscular man shouted at him the moment he entered the training hall. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to watch the conflict unfold.
¡°I guess you¡¯re the shapeshifters from Garrick,¡± Thalion sighed. At least would be done with those people after today and could do more important stuff.
¡°Yes, and we think it¡¯s an embarrassment that so many people look up to you, and¡ª"
¡°I hadn¡¯t finished,¡± Thalion interrupted the man in an ice-cold tone. ¡°You¡¯ve not only annoyed most people in this base, but you¡¯ve also threatened an alchemist, and now you¡¯re standing in a training hall reserved for guards. You people are no longer welcome here. You¡¯ll be moved to the outer districts where Michael and his followers live, so we can keep an eye on you.¡±
¡°You want to do what?¡± the man screamed in anger. ¡°You¡¯re useless! Your only form is that of a bird. What are you going to do against us? I think it¡¯s time we set the record straight.¡±
The shapeshifters all stood up, their eyes radiating hatred. Damn, he¡¯d really hit a nerve, Thalion thought. It was time for some slaughter¡ªthis behavior should be enough to justify killing them outright.
¡°You just threatened another member of Kael¡¯s base. If you don¡¯t leave now and accept your new situation, I will bathe this hall in your blood,¡± Thalion said with determination, motioning to the guards in the hall to stand back. The hall was almost empty compared to last time, with only about ten guards training, and Thalion didn¡¯t want any of them killed.
The shapeshifters looked surprised by the threat, but before the man could say anything, the woman next to him spoke up with an arrogant sneer on her face, ¡°You and what army? Do you think those low-leveled guards can help you at all? Why shouldn¡¯t we just kill you all right now? We came to show you your place, but it seems we were too benevolent after all. Why shouldn¡¯t they believe us when we say you went crazy and attacked us? After all, we¡¯ve fought hard to help you against the orcs and¡ª¡±
She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because Thalion had made his move, firing a blood thorn through her head, silencing her for good. There was no real reason for talking any longer so why not start in exp farming.
After that, the hall erupted into chaos. Some of the guards fired spells at the shapeshifters, who all transformed into different beasts. Thalion yelled at the guards to get out of the hall and to block the entrance, which they did reluctantly, seemingly not believing he could kill them all on his own. Most shapeshifters transformed into variants of black bears, while others became black lions. Each form differed slightly¡ªsome had longer claws, others were bigger, and some even had bone spikes protruding from their backs. There were a few outliers: two transformed into hornets, and one into a large snake. The most powerful were definitely some of the bigger bears and two lions, who radiated strength.
Their levels were higher than his¡ªnone of them were below level 40¡ªbut Thalion was confident he could kill them. None of these beasts were a match for the umbral predator, which he would use if his human form couldn¡¯t handle them. There was already another group of shapeshifters: those who hadn¡¯t transformed at all because they were dead. Four shapeshifters lay lifeless on the ground, blood thorns lodged in their heads or hearts.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Thalion fired blood thorn after blood thorn, triggering his movement skill with full power, dashing back and to the side to avoid the charging beasts. Then he leaped into the air and unleashed a dense stream of flames at the shapeshifters. The large bear in front charged through the flames and tried to bite him, its eyes glowing with hatred. Thalion reacted quickly, firing a blood thorn into its open mouth, causing the bear to fall to the ground, screaming in pain.
On the side, Thalion saw the last of the guards leaving the training hall and closing the door. Good¡ªnow he could use his other forms without any concern. Thalion triggered his movement skill to keep distance between himself and the shapeshifters, who were now splitting up so he couldn¡¯t avoid them for long. He summoned his mana blade while firing blood thorns at the shapeshifters, who tried to dodge but often weren¡¯t fast enough and got badly injured whenever a thorn hit them. Normally, their recovery would heal them quickly, but the blood thorns happily prevented any healing.
Thalion summoned his blood armor and unleashed a mana slash at the feet of the faster-moving lions. Some managed to jump over it, while others lost their legs and fell to the ground, screaming.
Thalion dashed to the side to avoid one of the lions'' claws, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough, and he felt how the claws scratched along his left arm, leaving deep cuts. Thankfully, the armor had prevented most of the damage; otherwise, his situation would be much worse. In turn, he cut the lion in half with a charged mana slash and dashed to the side to at least keep his distance from the bears. The two hornets were moving in surprisingly fast, but they both died just as quickly as one mana slash separated their heads from their bodies.
Sadly, the swing gave another lion an opening to strike at him, ripping his belly open with a swipe of its claws, which made him scream in pain. Thalion quickly summoned blood armor around the wound to stop his organs from falling out. The damned strike had been powered by some skill, as the talons had glowed in orange light; otherwise, his armor should have blocked it since he had infused it with extra mana. Thalion returned the favor by letting a vine of the sanguine thorn pierce the side of the lion and, with a swing, rip the whole beast in half, while the sanguine thorn greedily drank all the blood it could get.
It was getting more and more difficult to keep the distance. Even flying up wouldn¡¯t help him much since most of the cats could easily jump to the ceiling. When he kept the fight near the ground, they at least blocked each other from attacking, but time was up. One of the smaller and faster bears reached him and slammed him with its shoulder, throwing Thalion against the wall.
¡°This is just getting too dangerous,¡± Thalion thought and transformed into the umbral predator. The bear, who had charged him to hopefully finish him off, only had time for a quick surprised look before Thalion ripped its whole face off with claws of shadows. Thalion grabbed the bear, which must have weighed tons, and threw it at the attacking lions.
Next, he activated the umbral predator''s instincts, and shadow gathered around him while he now could feel where every living shapeshifter was. He charged at the last four bears. The bears had a shoulder height of over three meters, but Thalion didn¡¯t fear them in the least as he ripped the bears into pieces. A lion wanted to attack his back as he tore out one of the front legs of one of the bigger bears, while the shapeshifter roared in pain, but Thalion felt the lion¡¯s approach. He turned around, and with a swipe of his claw, ripped through the head of the lion like it was butter.
The last two bears activated some boosting skill, which sent them into a frenzied state, but he didn¡¯t care. He was much faster than the bears, and even when he got hit by the claws, so what? His wounds healed in seconds. Shortly after, he finished off the last two bears. The six lions and the snake who were still alive stood back, watching him in fear.
¡°What are you?¡± one lion asked in fear, its voice female.
¡°Please, mercy! We give up,¡± the snake tried when Thalion didn¡¯t answer.
¡°There is no mercy,¡± Thalion said in the deep voice of the umbral predator, like it came from darkness itself, while blurring forward. He grabbed the lion by the head before it could dodge and ripped it off. A second swipe with his claws ripped another lion almost in half. They all fled in panic, running toward the door, except for the snake, which wasn¡¯t really good at moving fast.
¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± the snake begged, but Thalion ended her life with a swipe of his claws, ripping her head into pieces.
The surviving lions arrived at the door, which was over three meters high and made out of steel, smashing against it with full force, roaring in desperation. The guard had locked the entrance to the training hall and was most likely pushing with all their might against the door from the outside to make it harder for the lions to break it open. The struggle didn¡¯t last long. Thalion appeared behind the lions, and his long claws made of darkness ripped through them. Two tried to fight back, but after a short exchange of blows, they lay dead on the ground, completely disfigured.
Thalion looked around. Blood and corpses, completely ripped apart, lay everywhere. One of the bears, whom he had fired a blood thorn at, was still twitching on the ground, and Thalion flashed over and ended the life of the bear. He contemplated if he should devour the corpses, but he decided against it. Let¡¯s make an example of these people, he thought, and maybe the alchemists could even use the corpses for crafting. He looked down at his form; there was no blood on his skin. The dark mist that was rising from it had turned all the blood that had spread on him into darkness and absorbed it. The power of a mystic creature was truly astonishing.
Thalion transformed back into his human form and knocked on the door. ¡°It¡¯s over. You can open it now.¡±
A second later, the door swung open, and he walked out. There were over forty guards waiting outside, all looking at him with surprise and shock.
¡°Please send an alchemist to gather the materials,¡± Thalion asked Rowan, who had joined the guards holding the door, before he transformed into his eagle form and shot into the air, heading back to his room to do some more blood training.
<--
Zyra was excited when a guard asked for her help to clean up the training hall after Thalion had dealt with the shapeshifters. She and four other alchemists were on their way to the training hall, one of them complaining that they didn¡¯t need so many alchemists to gather a bit of blood. She agreed with the old man but was too curious about what had happened, so she sped up a bit, hoping to see the body of the shapeshifter Thalion had beaten. She hoped it was that Maik.
In front of the training hall, the area was full of people, and the guards had to push many aside to make way for them.
¡°What has happened? Is Thalion all right?¡± Zyra asked the guard, now worried that something might have happened to him. What else could attract so many people?
¡°Oh no, he didn¡¯t even have a scratch on his body after fighting all the shapeshifters on his own,¡± the guard laughed.
¡°Wait, he fought all the shapeshifters?¡± Zyra exclaimed, her mind racing with questions.
Before the guard could answer, they arrived at the entrance of the training hall. The tall doors were open wide, the scene inside visible to everyone standing near it. Zyra remembered the conversation yesterday where they talked about banishing the shapeshifters to the outer district and giving them tokens, maybe even beating them up a bit. She never would have expected a scene like the one in front of her. Blood was everywhere in the training hall, and corpses lay scattered about¡ªsome ripped apart so badly that body parts were lying everywhere.
¡°What exactly happened here?¡± she asked the guard, still in shock.
¡°According to the other guards, the shapeshifters had waited for him in the hall and even threatened Thalion¡¯s life,¡± the guard explained. ¡°Then the fight started. The guards fled and barricaded the door while, as you can see, Thalion killed them all.¡±
¡°You¡¯re sure? How could he kill all of them alone?¡± Zyra asked, still unable to comprehend.
¡°I¡¯m sure. I was close by and helped the guards who fled from the training hall to keep the door closed,¡± the guard said. ¡°When we opened the door, he was the only one alive, walking out like nothing special had happened. Then he transformed into his bird form and flew away after telling us to get some alchemists to gather the important materials.¡±
¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯ll get to work,¡± Zyra said to the guard. Inwardly, she wondered what Kael and the others would say when they heard what had happened here today.
<--
Kael stood at the top of a watchtower, overseeing the fortress while holding a map in his hands. He wanted a better connection between this wall and the other ring walls the orcs had used as blockades. Maybe they could connect the towers with bridges too. Why was this all so difficult? In general, building upwards might not be a bad idea. The best idea he had so far was the outer districts for people they couldn¡¯t trust and the tokens that tracked their location in real time. It was one of the best tools to keep troublesome people under control and use them for the benefit of his citizens.
Every day, new people were joining his base. Over a hundred just yesterday. For those people, he had created what he called the second district, and after some time with tokens, once they had proven their worth and shown that they weren¡¯t psychopaths secretly planning to kill their comrades, they were allowed to move on to the first district. This was where most survivors lived, and where all the craftsmen had their shops.
Kael got distracted by the door opening behind him and Kai stepping out.
¡°Did something important happen?¡± he asked Kai. The swordsman rarely interrupted his sword training when he came up here, so it must be something important¡ªor he couldn¡¯t improve and wanted to talk a bit.
¡°Thalion killed all the shapeshifters alone,¡± Kai said calmly.
¡°He did what?¡± Kael shouted in surprise.
Chapter 71: A Day of Growth
The rest of the day, Thalion focused on purifying his blood. His progress filled him with satisfaction. Killing the shapeshifters earlier had netted him around 80,000 credits and brought Eagly to Level 40, with his other forms close behind at Level 39. Still, maintaining his concentration on blood cultivation proved challenging. The sanguine thorn pulsed with hunger, its presence tugging at his focus as it yearned for the blood stored in the vials nearby.
He shifted techniques, abandoning the manual process of pulling mana into the blood and holding it there until it fused. Instead, he used heart of the sanguine archon, a mythic skill that vastly accelerated the infusion process. The results were staggering. Using this ability, he could upgrade his blood permanently in less than half the time it had taken before. Mythic skills truly lived up to their reputation, their terrifying efficiency reshaping the pace of his cultivation.
His meditation was interrupted by a message from Kael, requesting another meeting to discuss Garrick¡¯s impending arrival. There were also reports of strong beasts near the base that needed to be hunted. Thalion welcomed the distraction. After briefly contemplating the tasks ahead, he returned to his cultivation.
As he worked, the progress became tangible. Every breath seemed to deepen his power; every heartbeat sent mana-infused blood coursing through his veins like a torrent, strengthening his body with each rhythmic surge. The sanguine thorn hummed in harmony with his heartbeat, amplifying the flow of power. Hours passed in peaceful intensity as he tempered himself further, until it was time for the meeting.
To Thalion¡¯s surprise, he was the last to arrive. Zyra was already seated, along with Sylas and Jakob, who were slurping down bowls of steaming noodles. Kargul and Evelyn sat nearby, drinking vodka.
¡°So,¡± Thalion asked as he settled into a chair, ¡°what beasts have appeared?¡±
Zyra eyed him skeptically. ¡°You¡¯re really fine?¡± she asked, her tone sharp.
¡°Yeah, why shouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Thalion replied, confused.
¡°She doesn¡¯t think you could¡¯ve handled the shapeshifters alone,¡± Kargul declared loudly, the alcohol thickening his voice. ¡°Good job, by the way. Maybe you should give Evelyn some smashing tips¡ªmy teaching hasn¡¯t done much yet.¡±
¡°Ah, yes,¡± Thalion said with a relaxed smile. ¡°That did get a bit out of hand, but it was well deserved.¡± His attention flicked to Sylas, who was noisily devouring noodles. The rich, savory aroma¡ªalmost like spiced beef¡ªdrifted through the air, momentarily distracting him.
¡°A bit out of hand?¡± Zyra exclaimed, her voice rising. ¡°Blood and body parts were everywhere!¡± She took a large sip of her drink, as if to steady herself.
Kael, ever calm, intervened. ¡°We heard what happened. Good job. Thanks to you, our position is much stronger for Garrick¡¯s arrival tomorrow. We¡¯ll assign him to the second district; his men can¡¯t be trusted after the shapeshifters screwed up this badly.¡±
Kael leaned forward, his expression serious. ¡°Everyone knows what you did today. Now, most people are questioning how much help Garrick¡¯s men really provided, seeing as you wiped out twenty-six of his so-called ¡®best fighters¡¯ without a scratch.¡±
¡°Sucks for Garrick,¡± Evelyn interjected with a laugh. ¡°Those shapeshifters had been bragging everywhere that they were his elite¡ªhis trusted warriors, only deployed for the hardest missions.¡±
Kael smirked. ¡°Yep, he¡¯s going to curse their names when he hears about this.¡±
¡°How many strong beasts are we hunting tonight?¡± Annie asked, cutting through the laughter.
Kael handed each of them a map, its surface marked with several red dots. ¡°These maps are for the strongest fighters in the base. Each red mark represents sightings of strong beasts, reported by other fighters.¡±
Thalion examined the map. Three red dots clustered in one area, all labeled ants.
¡°Uh, do we have an insect problem?¡± Sylas asked, scratching the back of his neck.
Kael nodded. ¡°It looks that way. I think it¡¯s one big hive. We need to clear it before it gets too strong.¡±
¡°When you¡¯re done with that,¡± Zyra said, turning to Thalion with an innocent expression, ¡°could you bring me one of those white crystals you mentioned last time? Or, at least, some corpses of high-variant flying beasts? I gained almost four levels making elixirs from them.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Thalion replied, intrigued. ¡°What do these elixirs improve?¡±
¡°Strength, toughness, and agility,¡± Zyra said proudly.
¡°How long do the effects last?¡± Thalion asked, unimpressed.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zyra asked, blinking. ¡°They improve your stats permanently.¡±
¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t been using elixirs?¡± Jakob burst into laughter. ¡°Monster. Absolute monster.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Thalion said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve been buffing yourselves without telling me.¡±
¡°Well, we thought you knew,¡± Kael said, shrugging. ¡°Everyone in the base knows about elixirs.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t miss much,¡± Zyra added quickly. ¡°They lose efficiency over time, and you need higher-rarity ones for them to have an effect.¡±
¡°If you bring me wind crystals, I can make elixirs that increase your wind affinity,¡± Zyra offered, throwing out the bait.
Thalion raised an eyebrow. ¡°And do you know any alchemists who can make ones that improve lightning affinity?¡±
¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Zyra admitted. ¡°We¡¯d need beasts with a strong lightning affinity, or a specialized mana-attunement circle, but I don¡¯t know anyone capable of setting one up.¡±
¡°Oh, can you bring me a flying turtle?¡± Kargul interrupted suddenly. ¡°I want one as a pet.¡±
Thalion stared at him, puzzled. ¡°You want a sky turtle as a pet?¡±
¡°Yes! Most great chieftains have pets, like big wolves,¡± Kargul said eagerly. ¡°So, can you bring me a sky turtle?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Thalion said slowly, ¡°but don¡¯t expect much.¡±
Evelyn frowned. ¡°How are you going to make sure the turtle doesn¡¯t just fly away?¡±
¡°Obviously, I¡¯m going to train it very well,¡± Kargul declared, nodding sagely. ¡°Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t train such a mighty being like a sky turtle.¡±
Annie grinned. ¡°I think what Evelyn meant was how you¡¯re going to train the turtle.¡±
¡°I give commands to the turtle, and if it doesn¡¯t obey, I smash its head,¡± Kargul explained with a self-assured grin. ¡°When it follows orders, I reward it with vodka and head pats. Evelyn said turtles like water, so when the turtle behaves, I¡¯ll give it a big vodka bath.¡±
¡°Okay, now I definitely have to bring you a sky turtle¡ªno matter the cost,¡± Thalion laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. The others couldn¡¯t help but join in, their laughter echoing in the room.
¡°Thank you!¡± Kargul exclaimed, nodding eagerly. ¡°Please bring me the biggest one you can find!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Thalion replied with a grin. ¡°Though I might need a plan¡ªand some equipment¡ªfor that.¡± He glanced at the group. ¡°Do we have beast tamers in this base?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got three,¡± Kael replied with a chuckle, ¡°but they¡¯re weak, and I doubt they¡¯ll be much help.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯ll need chains to bring the sky turtle back,¡± Thalion mused, half to himself.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve got you covered!¡± Kargul declared triumphantly. From seemingly nowhere, he produced several enormous chains, their links gleaming like dull silver under the dim light. Together, they must weighed over a hundred kilos.
¡°With that much chain, it won¡¯t be a flying turtle anymore,¡± Jakob quipped, earning another round of laughter.
Thalion stored the chains in his spatial inventory. While they were functional, he couldn¡¯t help but think they were overkill. He made a mental note to visit Lucan, the smith, in the morning for something lighter versions.
After more lighthearted banter¡ªand witnessing Evelyn completely drink Kargul under the table by healing herself mid-drinks¡ªThalion returned to his room. The sky outside had begun to darken, the last streaks of sunset fading into twilight. He spent the remaining hours practicing his fire skill and honing his mana barrier. The room filled with faint, fiery light as he pushed his control to its limits, the air shimmering with heatwaves. By the time the first rays of dawn peeked through the window, he was ready.
After a brief visit to the smiths, Thalion left with four sleek metal chains. They were sturdier and far lighter than Kargul¡¯s cumbersome links, their blackened finish designed to resist the wear of prolonged use. Confident in his preparations, he launched himself into the sky with a powerful beat of his wings.
As he ascended, Thalion summoned whirlwinds to temper himself. The air around him shimmered with spiraling mana, and the winds howled in response to his command. However, the basic whirlwinds he could summon weren¡¯t strong enough to challenge him anymore. Channeling more mana into them, he pushed the spirals of air to near hurricane strength, each one slamming against his body like a physical barrier.
Every pass through the enhanced whirlwinds felt like smashing into an invisible wall, the resistance forcing his muscles and mana pathways to adapt under pressure. It took nearly two hours to reach the mountain range where the wind crystals floated, but by then, he could feel the results of his training. His body thrummed with newfound strength, the mana flow within him sharper and more refined.
Thalion hovered among the massive wind crystals suspended in the sky, their surfaces shimmering like frozen gusts. The air around them was alive with energy, crackling faintly and stirring his feathers. He scanned the area, searching for the elusive sky turtles.
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After some time, he spotted his first swarm. A dozen turtles circled lazily around one of the larger crystals, their shells gleaming like polished stone. Thalion grinned but held back. Hunting would be cumbersome with a sky turtle chained to him, so he decided to secure a crystal first.
He dove toward a crystal over a hundred meters below the turtles. The faint hum of the wind crystal grew louder as he approached, but his attention was on the four massive worms coiled around its base. He knew their tactics well¡ªthese creatures couldn¡¯t touch him in the air, making them easy prey for his lightning.
The first bolt struck with precision, a flash of light splitting the sky as it tore into one of the worms. The creature writhed briefly before going still. The others responded sluggishly, their serpentine bodies wriggling as if to intimidate him. It didn¡¯t work.
A few well-placed lightning strikes later, the battle was over. The last worm attempted to flee, its elongated form slithering frantically toward the edge of the floating crystal. It didn¡¯t get far before a final bolt ended its struggle.
Thalion stored their remains in his spatial ring, leaving the crystal untouched for now. He glanced upward, already planning his next move.
After clearing the worms, Thalion encountered two eagles patrolling the area. The fight was laughably short¡ªbirds weren¡¯t built for endurance. A single lightning bolt sent one tumbling to the ground, while the other barely had time to react before it joined its companion in death. He stored their corpses in his ring, noting with some satisfaction that they were both over Level 40.
As he continued hunting, a new challenge presented itself: a swarm of aggressive seagulls. He spotted them descending on a hawk, their frenzied attacks overwhelming the larger bird until it fell from the sky. Thalion didn¡¯t hesitate, unleashing a Skybolt Barrage to scatter the swarm. The air exploded with streaks of electric energy, and several gulls dropped instantly.
The battle took longer than expected. Catching the falling corpses was a tedious process, and the gulls¡¯ erratic flight patterns forced him to expend more mana than usual. Still, by the end of the skirmish, the entire swarm was stored safely in his spatial ring.
When he returned to the first crystal, he noticed a new occupant: an owl, larger than any he¡¯d seen before, circling possessively around the crystal.
Thalion narrowed his eyes. This wasn¡¯t negotiable.
The owl noticed him too and dove to intercept, its talons gleaming like blades. But it underestimated him. Thalion¡¯s lightning bolt struck before the owl could close the distance, a sharp crack echoing as the electricity coursed through its body. He followed up with a fierce dive, his claws tearing into the stunned bird and ending its struggle instantly.
With the owl dispatched, Thalion stored its remains in his spatial ring. Hovering above the crystal, he suppressed his aura completely, scanning for any other potential threats. Beasts rarely concealed their presence, but Thalion¡¯s control over his own energy gave him a distinct advantage. Satisfied that the area was secure, he landed on the crystal, his sharp eyes already seeking his next prey.
<--
Kael sat perched on a weathered chair atop the battlements, the board of chess between him and Kai illuminated by the golden light of a setting sun. The faint hum of activity from the bustling base below blended with the rhythmic rustle of jungle leaves in the distance. They were killing time, waiting for Garrick to arrive. It couldn¡¯t be long now.
Beside the board, they had a clay pot filled with Lars¡¯ signature rice dish¡ªentirely crafted from ingredients scavenged during the tutorial phase. It was simple yet flavorful, with the rich aroma of smoked spices wafting up from the bowl. Kael took a bite, savoring it as he thought. Lars was a treasure, but his inn was overwhelmed, with crowds lining up daily. As much as Kael hated it, he had taken to pulling rank as the base leader to skip the line, a practice he knew left a bitter taste in people''s mouths.
Kael¡¯s thoughts wandered back to Garrick. How would the man react when confronted? After all, Garrick had given up a lot to come here. The credits granted daily to a camp leader weren¡¯t a small thing to forfeit. And what was his motive? To join a stronger force, or to undermine and conquer from within?
Kael¡¯s gaze shifted to the walls surrounding the base, now a formidable stone fortress rather than the vulnerable wooden camp it had once been. Over the past weeks, the community had flourished¡ªhealers, craftsmen, guards¡ªall working toward a shared vision of survival and prosperity. He wouldn¡¯t let one ambitious opportunist jeopardize their hard-won progress.
¡°You¡¯re distracted again,¡± Kai¡¯s voice broke through his reverie, accompanied by the sound of Kael¡¯s king falling with a soft clink onto the board.
Kael blinked, realizing too late that his queen had been taken earlier. ¡°Damn it,¡± he muttered, leaning back and running a hand through his hair.
¡°You should concentrate a bit more on the game,¡± Kai said, his tone carrying an edge of amusement.
Kael sighed. ¡°You know what¡¯s coming. It¡¯s hard not to be distracted.¡±
¡°What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Kai countered, crossing his arms. ¡°Garrick¡¯s elite fighters attacked one of our own, and we handled it. That¡¯s why they¡¯re confined to the second district. They¡¯ll prove themselves or they won¡¯t. Simple as that.¡±
Kael shook his head. ¡°I just don¡¯t trust him. What if he plays the nice guy until I start giving him real authority?¡±
Kai shrugged. ¡°Those are problems for another day. We¡¯ve got ways to keep things in check.¡± He smirked. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m more interested in seeing if Thalion actually brings back a flying turtle.¡±
Kael laughed despite himself. ¡°Yeah, that might actually be the highlight of my week. Though I¡¯m still skeptical about the vodka training.¡±
Their banter was cut short by the sharp ring of a messenger¡¯s voice. Garrick and his people had arrived.
Kael and Kai descended from the battlements, their boots echoing against the stone as they moved toward the outer ring wall. Beyond the gates, Garrick stood with his people¡ªa far larger group than Kael had anticipated. Many of them were armed, their weapons glinting in the afternoon light, though their expressions varied from guarded to openly wary.
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally join your camp,¡± Garrick said, his voice carrying a practiced warmth as he stepped forward.
Kael didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. His tone was cold, clipped, like the edge of a blade. ¡°Good to see you arrived safely. But we¡¯ve had trouble¡ªserious trouble¡ªwith your elite fighters. They threatened my people and even tried to kill one of my best.¡± His eyes bore into Garrick¡¯s. ¡°I don¡¯t think you had anything to do with that, but you can understand why I can¡¯t simply trust you or your people now.¡±
Garrick¡¯s confident facade crumbled for a moment, his face draining of color. ¡°Wait, what? I had nothing to do with those people, I swear!¡±
Kael remained unmoved. His voice was firm, his stance unyielding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t reject you, but you and your people will be confined to the second district for now. You¡¯ll carry tokens at all times, and I¡¯ll expect you to keep your people in line. Until you¡¯ve proven yourselves trustworthy, you won¡¯t have access to the main district.¡±
For a moment, Garrick seemed at a loss, his mouth opening as though to argue. Then his face flushed red, his voice rising. ¡°You think we¡¯re not trustworthy? After all I¡¯ve sacrificed?¡± His arms spread wide, his tone tinged with both anger and disbelief.
Kael¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I think.¡± He took a step closer, his voice dropping but losing none of its intensity. ¡°You could have had a hero¡¯s welcome, but your elite fighters ruined that chance. If you or your people threaten mine again, I won¡¯t hesitate to act.¡±
Garrick inhaled deeply, visibly reigning in his temper. When he spoke again, his voice was steady, his posture deliberately deferential. ¡°I assure you, I had no knowledge of this attack, and I would never threaten your people. I hope to prove my loyalty quickly so we can move past this.¡± He finished with a slight bow, his movements careful and measured.
Kael didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he signaled to the guards positioned along the wall. The heavy gates creaked open, and Garrick¡¯s people were led toward their designated quarters.
¡°That was annoying,¡± Kai muttered as they watched Garrick¡¯s group disappear into the second district.
Kael sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. ¡°That guy¡¯s going to be trouble. I can feel it.¡±
¡°Should we have just turned him away?¡±
Kael considered it, then shook his head. ¡°No. Turning him away would¡¯ve made us look weak or paranoid. This way, we keep control and give him a chance to prove himself¡ªor hang himself.¡±
Kai clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I think you handled it well. Now, how about we head out for a hunt? Maybe we¡¯ll finally find that ant hive this time.¡±
Kael chuckled, some of the tension lifting from his chest. ¡°Exactly what I need right now. But we¡¯ve got to be back early¡ªI don¡¯t want to miss Thalion¡¯s return. Flying turtle or not, that¡¯s going to be interesting.¡±
Chapter 72: Chase in the Sky
Thalion was having the time of his life as he pursued a manta ray through the open sky. The creature moved with mesmerizing grace, its sleek body slicing through the air like a blade, barely twitching its fins as it glided effortlessly on the currents. At first, Thalion had planned to kill the beast, but now he was utterly captivated. He wasn¡¯t hunting anymore¡ªhe was learning.
The manta performed one daring maneuver after another, trying desperately to lose him, but Thalion was relentless. With each twist and turn, he came closer, his movements growing smoother, more fluid, as if he were absorbing the art of flight itself. He was no longer chasing the creature to conquer it but to master the skies as it did.
Despite its agility, the wind manta seemed to have little in the way of offense. It lashed out occasionally with a weak mana blade, a sluggish and feeble attack that barely tickled Thalion¡¯s defenses. Instead of dodging, he flew straight through the blades, using them to temper his body.
After five exhilarating minutes of pursuit, Thalion decided to let the creature go. He had strayed too far from his original objective¡ªcatching Kargul¡¯s new pet. With a wistful sigh, he turned away from the retreating manta and soared back toward the flock of flying sky turtles.
Thalion loved flying. It was liberating in a way nothing else was¡ªa marriage of power and elegance that made him feel invincible. As he sped through the air, he noticed a notification. Both his umbral predator form and his human form had reached level 40. He had hoped the milestone would reward him with a new mythic skill, but nothing came. Perhaps higher-rarity classes were stingier with skills, or maybe he just needed to work harder. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter.
He soon arrived at the crystal the swarm of turtles had been circling. His eyes glowed briefly as he identified the leader:
Skyglide Turtle ¨C Level 43
The turtles had already switched their target crystal eight times since he started tracking them, killing the guardian of each with ruthless efficiency. He would need to be cautious. Some of the turtles could spew a strange, viscous acid¡ªnot lethal on contact, but disorienting. Birds that were hit would stagger mid-flight, their movements drunken and clumsy, before the turtles caught up and tore them apart.
Thalion positioned himself 100 meters above the flock, hovering for a moment as he prepared to strike. Then he dove. His body became a green blur, feathers shimmering in the sunlight as he activated a series of skills: Feather glide, eye of the storm, skybolt barrage, and finally, a charged lightning bolt that crackled ominously.
The turtles reacted instantly, surging upward to meet him. But Thalion was ready. He swerved to the side at the last moment, unleashing the charged lightning bolt directly into three of his attackers. The force of the impact sent them tumbling through the sky, two of them clearly unconscious. It was strange¡ªthough the turtles were massive, they seemed to possess some innate skill that kept them aloft, even when unconscious.
The remaining turtles pressed the attack, but Thalion unleashed chaos in their ranks. The storm he had conjured churned the air into a frenzy, throwing turtles off balance, while smaller lightning bolts rained down from the heavens. These strikes weren¡¯t as powerful as his charged bolts, but they added up quickly, incapacitating any turtle hit multiple times.
Then he spotted it. One of the larger turtles¡ªits shell gleaming like polished emerald¡ªsuddenly veered away, panic flashing in its wide, glassy eyes. It was younger than the others, faster too, and clearly terrified. Thalion grinned. This was the perfect catch for Kargul.
Abandoning the swarm, he pursued the fleeing turtle. The sight that followed was almost comical: a panicked, flailing turtle desperately flapping its fins, pursued by a sleek, predatory green eagle, which in turn was being chased by a vengeful swarm of turtles.
Thalion had to speed up as the swarm closed in, but lightning bolts continued to strike down turtle after turtle. Their furious roars echoed through the sky as they fell one by one. Eventually, the number of pursuers dwindled until only three remained, their determination unwavering. Thalion dispatched them with precise strikes, leaving him free to focus on the three-meter-long skyglide turtle.
Deactivating his skills, he chased the terrified creature through the sky, firing a few more lightning bolts until it finally faltered. Its body wobbled, its flight uneven, before it flipped onto its back, helpless in the open air.
Hovering above his prize, Thalion shifted into his human form. His blood armor gleamed like a second skin as he approached, carrying heavy chains Kargul had prepared. He quickly secured the turtle, wrapping the chains tightly around its massive body until he was certain it couldn¡¯t escape. But the added weight caused the turtle to sink slowly.
Thinking fast, Thalion spotted a nearby wind crystal¡ªan enormous gem over a meter wide¡ªand attached the chains to it. The crystal, humming with latent power, held firm, suspending the turtle in midair. The flock of birds that had been guarding the crystal fled the moment they sensed Thalion¡¯s unsuppressed aura.
With the turtle secure, Thalion reverted to eagle form and began gathering the spoils of battle. He plucked twelve dead turtles from the sky, storing them in his spatial ring, and dragged six wind crystals to attach to the captive turtle for added lift.
Yet, as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Thalion realized he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to transport the turtle back to Kael¡¯s base. After a moment¡¯s thought, he settled on a simple¡ªif exhausting¡ªsolution: wake the turtle up and chase it back.
Thalion hovered near the unconscious beast. He fired a lightning bolt at its shell, careful to avoid causing serious harm. The turtle woke with a startled yelp, flailing wildly as it spotted him. Panic set in again, and it began to flee, dragging the attached wind crystals behind it like an awkward, glittering comet.
Grinning to himself, Thalion followed, keeping close enough to guide the turtle but far enough to ensure it didn¡¯t try anything reckless. The journey back to the base had begun¡ªand it was going to be just as chaotic as the hunt.
<--
Kael, Kai, Evelyn, Kargul, Jakob, Annie, Zyra, Sylas, and Lars the cook gathered in the highest tower of the base, waiting for Thalion¡¯s arrival. Lars had prepared a sumptuous meal, and the group was in high spirits, laughing and chatting as they enjoyed the food and drinks. Evelyn had invited Lars specifically, hoping that good food might serve as a better motivator for training the turtle than Kargul¡¯s infamous vodka. Kargul, however, was insistent: "Education is important," he had said. "Even for animals. Vodka will do the job."
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Jakob chuckled, swirling his drink. "So, what¡¯s the first command you¡¯re planning to teach this turtle?"
Kargul leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Maybe¡ ¡®sit.¡¯"
Kael nearly spat out his drink. "Sit? On what? How exactly should a flying turtle sit?" His laughter rang across the tower.
"Alright, alright," Kargul muttered, scratching his head. "I¡¯ll think of something better."
"Hey, look!" Zyra¡¯s voice cut through the laughter as she pointed toward the sky. "Is that¡ Thalion?"
Kael stood and shielded his eyes from the fading sunlight. "It is him! And he¡¯s got your turtle, Kargul!" He doubled over laughing, his booming voice echoing in the high tower.
The others joined in, their amusement growing as they spotted the scene overhead. A kilometer above, and still some distance away, a completely terrified turtle flailed its massive flippers, bound to eight glowing white crystals. It floundered wildly, as if it could escape by sheer panic, while a bird darted around it, occasionally striking with lightning to keep it in line.
Kargul rose to his feet, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. "What a majestic being! From this day forward, you shall be known as Vorlok the Worldshatterer! Your name will inspire terror in all who hear it!"
The declaration sent the group into hysterics, tears streaming down their faces as they laughed.
Kael wiped his eyes, still catching his breath. "Ah, this is exactly what I needed."
Thalion, meanwhile, was utterly drained. Every muscle in his wings ached, and the constant wrangling of the terrified turtle had tested even his patience. He grumbled to himself as he launched another crackling bolt of lightning past the turtle¡¯s head, forcing it to descend.
When they reached the tower, Thalion guided the panicking turtle in tight circles, forcing it lower and lower until it hovered just above the tower. Kargul leapt forward, grabbing the heavy chain and pulling with all his might. The turtle resisted for a moment, but exhaustion soon overcame it. Its frantic flailing slowed, then stopped entirely, leaving it limp in Kargul¡¯s grip.
As the turtle dangled at eye level, Kargul puffed out his chest. "Vorlok the Worldshatterer¡ sit." With a final tug, he slammed the creature against the floor of the tower, pinning it in place.
"Good boy!" Kargul beamed with pride. He pulled a three-liter bottle of vodka from his spatial ring, then¡ªwithout hesitation¡ªyanked open the turtle¡¯s enormous mouth. The beast¡¯s jaws were easily twice the size of his head, but Kargul poured the entire bottle down its throat.
Vorlok thrashed in protest, his flippers flapping uselessly against the stone floor, but the vodka was gone in seconds. Rolling onto its back, the turtle let out a pathetic wheeze before falling silent.
"Good!" Kargul cheered. "That¡¯s roll! You¡¯re such a fast learner!" He pulled out another oversized bottle of vodka, pried the turtle¡¯s mouth open once more, and emptied it again in the maw of the helpless turtle.
The group was in stitches, rolling on the ground with laughter. "This is the funniest thing I¡¯ve ever seen," Jakob wheezed, clutching his sides.
Standing tall over his unconscious pet, Kargul nodded with satisfaction. "I spoke to the beast tamers," he announced, "and they said it¡¯s important to reward the beast whenever it does something right."
Thalion finally landed, transforming back in a human as he stepped onto the tower. He kept a cautious distance from the turtle¡¯s enormous jaws¡ªhe knew all too well what those could do.
Kargul ran up and enveloped him in a bear hug. "Thank you so much, Thalion!"
"Not a big deal," Thalion muttered, trying to pry himself free. "Now, could you please let go? And¡ just so you know, these turtles can spit acid. You should be careful."
Kargul scoffed, waving off the warning. "Vorlok the Worldshatterer would never do that to me. He knows I¡¯m his friend."
"Wait¡" Thalion blinked. "You named the turtle Vorlok the Worldshatterer?"
"Yes," Zyra snorted, triggering another round of uncontrollable laughter.
It took several minutes for the group to calm down. Every so often, Vorlok would let out a groggy yelp or wiggle his flippers, sending them into fits of giggles all over again.
Thalion surveyed the situation, rubbing his temples. "Maybe we shouldn¡¯t remove the crystals. The turtle could use them for cultivation."
"No way!" Zyra protested. "Can¡¯t you feel the power they¡¯re absorbing? Those are valuable!"
"But Vorlok the Worldshatterer likes them," Kargul said, gesturing to the barely-conscious turtle.
Thalion shrugged. "Fine. If you figure out how to fit them into my spatial ring, I can bring you more later."
"Deal!" Zyra¡¯s eyes lit up. "And did you bring any flying beasts?"
Thalion nodded and waved a hand. A heap of carcasses appeared before them, the massive pile nearly covering the tower¡¯s platform.
Vorlok, still woozy, weakly flapped his flippers at the sight of his fallen comrades, but he was far too intoxicated to do anything more.
"This is amazing!" Zyra clapped her hands, already stuffing the bodies into her spatial ring. "I can make so many elixirs from these!"
"Holy crap, how many did you kill?" Sylas exclaimed.
"Not enough," Thalion said with a tired grin. "I couldn¡¯t catch them all, but believe me, this turtle was the real challenge."
Kai laughed. "We could tell! I¡¯m guessing Vorlok was the strongest turtle you found since you killed all the others."
Thalion hesitated. "Not exactly. When I attacked, Vorlok was¡ the first to run away."
"Because he¡¯s the smartest!" Kargul declared proudly. He slapped one of Vorlok¡¯s flippers, startling the poor turtle, who gasped before passing out again.
"Well, I¡¯m done for today. Vorlok the Worldshatterer needs to rest." Kargul stood, dragging the turtle and its attached crystals toward the exit.
The others burst into laughter once more, wiping tears from their eyes.
"Hey, what do you think¡ªboy or girl?" Zyra asked, giggling.
"Don¡¯t ask Kargul!" Evelyn warned.
"Don¡¯t worry," Sylas said. "There¡¯ll be plenty of entertainment in the next few days."
Changing the subject, Thalion asked, "Any luck finding the anthill?"
"Not yet," Kai said. "It¡¯s probably deeper in the woods, maybe near the river."
Kael nodded. "Clearing out those ants and handling the political talks will be our next priorities."
"And the ambassadors?" Thalion asked.
"They¡¯ve returned," Kael replied. "Seraphina and Steven agreed to an alliance until the undead threat is resolved."
Annie sighed. "I¡¯ll need to leave soon for Seraphina¡¯s kingdom. My patron insists on it."
"Maybe I¡¯ll visit," Thalion said with a smirk. "I could use a water attunement form."
Annie smiled. "That¡¯d be nice. I hate dealing with those people."
"Who knows?" Sylas chuckled. "Maybe Kargul will fly over with his new pet."
Chapter 73: Solo Hunt
Thorwald was out hunting alone. The solitary expeditions had become necessary. His influence in Steven''s base had waned somewhat, though many still revered him for having baptized them. At first, the ritual had seemed like a ploy to gain more followers, a strategic move to cement his power. But it had become something much greater.
The blessing he bestowed was transformative. Those who received it gained far more strength than anyone. Nearly everyone in Steven''s base was now over Level 40, and they hunted beasts with relentless efficiency, their rapid progression bringing them dangerously close to his own level. To maintain his edge, Thorwald resorted to solo hunts. The experience gain from killing beasts alone far outstripped that of group endeavors, and he needed every advantage to stay ahead.
Steven, ever the strategist, had foreseen this necessity. He had started solo hunting long before Thorwald, and his level now approached 50. Thorwald was determined to catch up. He hadn''t encountered a beast yet that could pierce his armor, nor one strong enough to withstand the devastating power of his spirit tool. His axe¡ªa weapon that seemed almost alive¡ªgrew in strength daily, fed by enchanted materials and elixirs crafted by the base''s artisans. Thorwald''s physical strength was unmatched; it allowed him to shred most beasts with ease, and the combination of his skills and his growing arsenal made him a formidable force.
But challenges loomed. The alliance with Kael and the water princess was on the horizon¡ªa precarious balancing act for Thorwald. He had to resist his instincts, no matter how tempting it might be to take out Kael, Kai, Sylas, and Thalion all at once. Thorwald suspected this was exactly what Steven was counting on¡ªa test of patience, a game of restraint.
For now, Thorwald would play along. They needed to deal with the undead in the next stage first. After that, all hell would break loose.
<--
Seraphina stepped into her throne room, droplets of water trailing from her still-damp hair as she emerged from her latest underwater hunt. The ocean had grown more perilous with each passing day. Though most of its creatures were relatively weak, exceptions prowled its depths¡ªmonstrous outliers with strength that could rival her own.
"Princess Seraphina," her adviser greeted her with a deep bow. "A message has arrived from Kael. He wishes to discuss the specifics of the alliance and the ascension to the fourth stage, shortly after the system shop arrives in a few days."
"That¡¯s fine. Anything else?" Seraphina asked, waving her hand dismissively as she moved toward her throne.
"Yes, I met with Lady Nerissa today. She is opposed to allowing the girl from Kael''s base to remain here."
Seraphina¡¯s gaze sharpened, her tone dropping to an icy coldness. "This is a direct order from my patron. The girl will have my full support. If Lady Nerissa makes a move against her, she will face my wrath."
"As you command," her adviser replied, bowing deeply before retreating from the throne room.
Left alone, Seraphina turned her attention to the grand window behind her throne. The vast expanse of ocean stretched endlessly before her, its clarity unmatched. She could see down to depths of over a hundred meters, where shimmering light danced on the water¡¯s surface.
Her homeworld''s oceans had been different. Life clustered near the surface, close to coral reefs teeming with color and motion. Her family had long labored to preserve and expand these reefs, even experimenting with floating ones in the open ocean. But success had been fleeting.
This ocean, though¡ªthis was a world apart. Life thrived at every level. Hovering reefs floated at various depths, glowing plants with bioluminescent hues illuminated the shadows of the deep, and treasures ripe for cultivation were scattered throughout its vastness.
This was her haven. The ocean had accelerated her cultivation, fortifying both her body and soul. She had become the most powerful cultivator her kingdom had ever known, and she wasn¡¯t about to let petty disputes disrupt her path.
The order from her patron to support the girl didn¡¯t trouble her. What could a mere human from Earth do to challenge her power? The alliance with Kael¡¯s base was a temporary necessity¡ªa means to an end to defeat the undead faction in the next stage. After that, things would shift.
Seraphina cast a glance at the ornate walls of her floating castle. The space had grown cramped with the influx of survivors teleporting to the third stage. Upgrades were overdue, but priorities had shifted. Her cultivation materials would have to wait.
Her thoughts turned to Kael¡¯s people. Without a clear ruler, their base was chaotic at best¡ªa disorder she would gladly bring to heel once the struggle with the undead was done.
For now, patience was her weapon. But soon, the tides would turn.
<--
Thalion returned to his quarters, the exhilaration from the earlier activities atop the tower fading into a calm focus. His room was dimly lit, the faint glow of magical circles casting eerie shadows on the walls. He carefully collected the blood vials that had been sitting within the magic circles for days, their power simmering with latent energy. Replacing them with fresh vials of newly gathered blood, he worked with precision, his movements methodical and deliberate.
With a satisfied nod, Thalion turned his attention to Zyra. He had recently granted her unrestricted access to the gathering hall, where plants with dark affinity were stored. This arrangement spared him the effort of constant delivery trips while giving Zyra more opportunities to purify and empower the materials. She seemed pleased with the freedom, as the work provided her valuable experience in alchemical refinement.
Today, Thalion intended to absorb the blood stored in the vials and continue his blood empowerment ritual until midday. After that, he planned to head to the training hall, where he would endure yet another round of lightning strikes¡ªa grueling yet effective method of tempering his body. If time allowed, he hoped to consume some enchanted plants to further his progress as an umbral predator, though that task might have to wait.
His schedule was tight. Annie and Jakob were counting on him to join their hunt for the ant hive later in the day, so there was no time to waste. Without hesitation, Thalion opened the vials and activated crimson harvest, letting its power surge through him. The sanguine thorn eagerly consumed the blood, its presence within him growing stronger with every passing moment. He could feel its dormant power simmering just beneath the surface, tantalizingly close to awakening. But not yet. How much blood would it take to fully rouse this ancient force?
Pushing the question aside, Thalion transitioned into his blood empowerment ritual. He sank into a meditative trance, his heartbeat reverberating like a drum in his ears. The rhythm of his pulse became his entire world, its steady cadence driving the energy deeper into his being. Hours passed in what felt like moments, and when he finally emerged from the trance, midday had arrived.
Every session of blood cultivation left Thalion feeling reborn, his body buzzing with newfound vitality. Yet a sliver of apprehension lingered. How could he keep pace with the others when he would eventually have to juggle four forms, especially if he gained one attuned to water? He resolved that if he did acquire such a form, it would need to be of the highest rarity. He couldn¡¯t afford to expend the same effort empowering a weaker form as he had with Eagly.
For now, that was a concern for the future. His next purchase from the system shop would be a soul cultivation manual. If the voice¡¯s promises were true, the benefits of such a manual would surpass even the best body-tempering methods.
But that was for later. For now, it was time for lightning.
The training hall was eerily pristine, not a trace remaining of the slaughter it had once hosted. Thalion entered the space, the metallic tang of ozone faintly present in the air. The guards greeted him with deference, their respect for him having grown significantly. He couldn¡¯t say he was comfortable with it, but he had more pressing matters to address.
Soon, five guards were blasting him with lightning, their combined efforts crashing against his form like waves against an unyielding cliff. Thalion¡¯s body absorbed the energy effortlessly, the raw power seeping into his muscles, invigorating him rather than causing harm. He stood firm, unflinching as the electricity coursed through him, his body now so attuned to lightning that it felt refreshing rather than painful.
"Increase the output," he instructed, his voice calm and steady.
The number of guards rose to ten, their attacks converging into a storm of lightning bolts. Thalion absorbed it all, his body hungrily drinking in the power. Weak bolts of lightning occasionally flickered from his feathers, but even these carried a potency that rivaled the charged attacks he had used in battle just days before.
The efficiency of his body-tempering method was staggering. After hours of enduring the storm, he called for a pause. The guards, emboldened by his progress, attempted to replicate his method. Their efforts were met with painful screams as they electrocuted themselves.
Thalion smirked but said nothing. The difference lay in the foundation and the bodytempering manual. His passive skill, granted by the manta, attuned his body to lightning. Without that advantage, this level of tempering was beyond their reach.
After his session, Thalion made his way to Zyra¡¯s shop. Her workspace was cluttered yet organized, a controlled chaos of ingredients and glowing crystals.
"How¡¯s the work on the crystal coming along?" he asked as he stepped inside.
Zyra looked up from her work, her fingers still busy weaving threads of magic around a shimmering shard. "Good, good," she replied, her voice distant with concentration. "I think I¡¯m close to finding a way to let you store them in your spatial ring."
"Great. On another note, what elixirs do you have for me?"
Zyra straightened, her demeanor shifting to one of business. "Ah, yes. You missed out on the last batch," she said, pulling several bottles from her spatial ring. "My best ones are vitality elixirs. I also have strength and intelligence elixirs, but for those, I¡¯d recommend visiting the other alchemist. Their specialty is better suited for those."
"Vitality is exactly what I need," Thalion said after a moment of thought. The elixirs would likely benefit all his forms simultaneously, and vitality was a universally useful stat.
"Here you go," Zyra said, placing four more bottles on the counter. "These should bring you to your limit."
Thalion downed the elixirs without hesitation. They tasted faintly of wood and earth, an oddly natural flavor that wasn¡¯t unpleasant.
When he checked his status screen, the results were impressive. His vitality had increased by 48 points across all forms, translating to an additional 480 life points for Eagly alone¡ªmore than doubling his life pool.
"That was incredible. Thanks, Zyra. See you tomorrow," Thalion said, turning to leave.
"Anytime. Let me know if you hear more about Vorlok, the Worldshatterer," Zyra replied with a laugh.
Thalion transformed into Eagly and flew over the base to one of the outer towers, to meet with Jakob and Annie. Both were already waiting for him, and soon after, they were out searching for the ant hive. As Eagly, he soared over the forest, scanning the canopy for signs of the ant hive. The dense foliage obscured much of the ground, but he hoped to spot a clearing that might reveal the hive¡¯s location. While flying, he charged whirlwinds to continue his body tempering.
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When they reached the last marked area on the map, Thalion descended and shifted back to his human form. The forest was alive with sounds, each rustle and chirp a potential clue to their quarry. Jakob had felt vibrations in the earth earlier, and his earth magic would likely be crucial to locating the hive.
Thalion activated his blood sense, attempting to trace the faint trails left by prey dragged back to the hive. Before he could pinpoint anything, Jakob raised a hand, his expression sharp. "I¡¯ve found something."
"I felt it again. We need to head in that direction," Jakob said, his voice steady, as he pointed slightly to the right, his sharp gaze unwavering.
After trudging through the dense jungle for what felt like kilometers, Jakob raised a hand, signaling them to halt. "We¡¯re close now," he said, his tone laced with certainty. "It should be about five hundred meters ahead."
Annie squinted into the underbrush. "Shouldn''t there be ants crawling all over the place by now?" she asked, her brow furrowed.
Jakob shook his head. "I doubt the hive is their only stronghold underground. If I¡¯m interpreting this correctly, they¡¯ve constructed a network of tunnels stretching for kilometers. We¡¯ve likely been following one of those."
"So, there might not even be an entrance nearby," he added, tapping the ground with his hands. "But I can feel the vibrations. There''s significant movement down below."
Thalion nodded and adjusted the straps of his gear. "Let¡¯s keep moving."
They pressed on cautiously, the jungle closing in tighter around them. Eventually, they stumbled upon a gnarled, ancient tree, its base hollow and ominous. Yet, curiously, there wasn¡¯t a single ant in sight.
"This tree must be the entrance," Jakob whispered, crouching low. "It¡¯s probably the queen''s original entry point before she began laying eggs."
Thalion¡¯s form shimmered as he shifted into the umbral predator, his senses sharpening as shadows seemed to cling to him like a second skin. Using his heightened instincts, he probed ahead and spotted a massive ant stationed just beneath the tree, its size dwarfing any he had seen before. Its glossy exoskeleton gleamed faintly in the dim light, and its mandibles twitched as if sensing something amiss.
The creature¡¯s sheer size¡ªa match for a small car¡ªwas daunting, but it hadn¡¯t noticed him yet. Unfortunately, the dense earth muted his skill, preventing him from detecting the swarm below.
Time to strike.
Thalion leaped into the tree with predatory precision, descending on the unsuspecting ant like a shadow with claws. The creature barely had time to twitch in surprise before he tore through its head, silencing it in a single, brutal motion. Its lifeless body slumped, blocking part of the tunnel below.
Jakob¡¯s voice was a sharp whisper from above. "Holy shit, what are you doing? There are probably way too many of them down there!"
Thalion glanced upward, his expression unreadable. "Then stay here. I didn¡¯t come all this way to let the queen live." Without another word, he vanished into the dark tunnel.
Annie called after him. "Fine! We¡¯ll wait up here until it¡¯s safer. Don¡¯t get yourself killed!"
The tunnel opened into an enormous underground chamber, dimly lit by bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls. Below him stretched a platform teeming with activity. Over thirty ants scurried about, some hauling the mangled remains of prey, while others carried vibrantly colored crystals that shimmered faintly in the gloom.
Thalion¡¯s sharp eyes caught sight of a wide tunnel at the far end of the cavern, guarded by two larger ants. The rest seemed to be a mix of worker and miner ants, their smaller frames scuttling to and fro. None had noticed him yet; his shadow-blending ability rendered him nearly invisible in the dim light.
Patience. Wait for the right moment.
For twenty tense minutes, Thalion remained motionless, allowing most of the workers to filter out through various smaller tunnels, leaving only four ants behind: the two guards and a pair of miners.
When the time came, he struck with blinding speed, a blur of claws and fury. The ants barely registered his presence before collapsing under his assault, their thick carapaces no match for his raw strength.
With the immediate threats eliminated, Thalion descended further into the hive. The tunnel sloped downward steeply before ending in another cavern. This one was vast, dominated by five grotesquely massive forms¡ªthe queens. Their bloated abdomens, each as large as a school bus, anchored them to the floor, while their comparatively tiny heads and spindly limbs twitched lazily. Their presence exuded raw power, their auras oppressive and almost suffocating.
So, there are five of them, not just one, Thalion thought grimly, his gaze sweeping the room. Six guard ants flanked the queens, their movements deliberate and watchful. Over a dozen workers scuttled about, tending to eggs or carrying even more crystals to what seemed to be nests.
They¡¯re lopsided, he realized, observing the scene carefully. Some of the worker ants seemed to bite at one queen, stopping only when a guard lumbered over to investigate.
Time to end this.
Thalion crept forward, merging seamlessly with the shadows as he closed the distance between himself and the guards. When the first two lumbered close, he struck with ruthless efficiency, ripping through their defenses like parchment. The remaining guards surged toward him, empowered by an energy radiating from the queens. The hive had finally noticed the predator in their midst.
But it wasn¡¯t enough.
The ants'' empowered strikes glanced off Thalion¡¯s skin, his regenerative abilities mending any damage almost instantaneously. Their poison-tipped stingers dripped with venom, each drop sizzling as it hit the ground, but he deftly avoided their attempts to pin him down.
One by one, he dismantled the hive¡¯s defenders, his movements a blur of lethal precision. The workers scrambled to assist, but they too fell swiftly. Within minutes, the chamber was littered with shattered exoskeletons and the remnants of the swarm. Only the queens remained. Most of the hive must be out hunting at the moment, which left the queens almost with no protection.
Thalion advanced on the nearest queen, but as he did, he felt an overwhelming wave of emotion¡ªlove, care, and a desperate plea for mercy. The sensation froze him in place, tears unexpectedly welling in his eyes.
Why? Why would these creatures care for him after he¡¯d slaughtered their offspring?
The feeling intensified, almost suffocating in its intensity. But then he saw it¡ªa young girl¡¯s lifeless form clenched in one queen¡¯s mandibles, her small frame savaged beyond recognition. The fleeting pity evaporated in an instant, replaced by cold resolve.
Thalion lunged, ready to end it, but before he could strike, the queens began to radiate an unbearable heat. Their bodies turned to ash as raw energy burst from their forms, flooding the room and overwhelming his senses. He crumpled to the ground, darkness consuming him.
Thalion woke up with the feeling of danger. He had never felt something like it before, but it was there. When his eyes opened, he saw why: above his face, were giant pincers about to close around him.
Thalion''s hands shot up faster than he had ever moved and ripped both of the pincers to the side, tearing them out. With a swipe of his claws, the ant died. Thalion looked around. The ant queens were still dead. There were some workers staying at the entrance, but they fled when they spotted him. He could feel every bit of life in the eggs radiating with the beats of their hearts. That was not the only thing he felt; it was like he had a deep connection to nature itself. He could also feel the power in the crystal that slowly entered the eggs after it left the crystals. He had also gotten a message between all the kill notifications.
You have obtained the Title Guardian''s Remnant
This title is exceptionally rare and highly sought-after, signifying an unbreakable bond with a fallen comrade.
"What the hell just happened?" Thalion thought, checking the title on his status screen. To his surprise, it appeared not only under the umbral predator form but on every single one of his classes.
The power of a fallen ally lives on within you, greatly enhancing your senses and perception. Regeneration from all sources is significantly increased, allowing you to recover faster from wounds, fatigue, or mana depletion. Additionally, you can sense hidden threats or opportunities with extraordinary clarity, making you a vigilant and resilient force in the face of danger.
So that explained why he felt so much better now. But the question remained¡ªwhy would those ants sacrifice themselves to give him such a powerful title? He had killed their children; why would a mother kill herself to make him stronger? And not just by a little¡ªthis title was a massive boost. He could feel energy flowing around him, like he had been blind his whole life. Was this a gift to stop him from destroying their eggs? Though, to be fair, why should he kill ant babies anyway? They wouldn¡¯t give him any experience.
As he sneaked out of the hive, his mind swirled with questions, doubts, and a growing sense of unease. Something about this gift felt wrong.
"Uh...how did it go?" Annie and Jakob asked as he emerged from the tree.
"I killed the queens; we should leave in case they follow me up," Thalion said, though he sensed it was best not to tell them what happened in the egg chamber.
"Wait, you did it? That¡¯s awesome!" Annie exclaimed. "Kael will be thrilled to hear this!"
Thalion didn''t return with the two. Instead, he transformed into an eagly and took to the sky. Something nagged at him, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what. Now over five kilometers in the air, he circled while summoning whirlwinds to empower his flight. Infusing skills with extra mana felt so natural he barely had to think about it anymore. He also activated Eye of the Storm and Skybolt Barrage to test how long he could sustain them with the enhanced recovery. To his delight, he realized he was almost regaining as much mana as he used.
Thalion ended the skills, feeling uneasy. Nothing this good came without a catch. Then it struck him: he hadn¡¯t leveled up, even after killing so many ants while sneaking out of the anthive, some even above his level. In a panic, he checked the status screen of his eagle form, as it required the least experience to level up. But to his horror, the experience required to level up hadn¡¯t change much.
That was strange. Thalion sped to the river, hoping to kill something and check his experience gain. Could he be unable to level up? But if that was the case, why would this title be so highly coveted? Soon he spotted a herd of vine horses, familiar creatures at Level 44, which was quite high for beasts. He dived, charging up a lightning bolt so powerful it made the air ripple. On impact, the two horses he struck died instantly.
You have killed Vinehorse Level 46
You have killed Vinehorse Level 44
Ordinarily, this would have pushed him to Level 41 as eagly. He had already been over eighty percent of the way there. Now he was only at about eighty-two percent. Damn it, that confirmed it¡ªhe could hardly level up anymore. But why? Nothing on his status screen indicated any change. He needed a solution, and soon. Maybe the system shop could help when it arrived.
Without a fix, he¡¯d struggle in the fourth stage, where others could easily reach Level 70 in three weeks maybe even higher. Thalion calmed himself as he flew back to Kael¡¯s base. At least he now had a partial solution. He¡¯d been weighing the decision to join Annie in meeting the Blue Robes to acquire a water-attuned form. Before this curse, he¡¯d been against it. But now, he had no choice. Why would the princess or her generals help him take down a strong beast if he was a weakling who brought nothing to the negotiation table? The boost from the title was great, but his future was looking blank right now.
Chapter 74: Dark Instincts
Thalion stepped into his room, the air thick with the lingering tension of his previous exertions. Without hesitation, he began body tempering. The process, once arduous, now felt strangely effortless. He couldn¡¯t deny that the cursed title had its advantages, though it remained a double-edged sword. The power it granted came with an unsettling cost, but for now, it was undeniably useful.
He continued the blood empowerment ritual well into the following day, stopping only when the sun was high. The steady rhythm of mana coursing through his body was invigorating, sharpening his focus. But there were other duties to attend to¡ªtraining with the guards and replenishing his resources from the alchemist.
His first stop was the alchemists¡¯ quarters. Thalion systematically gathered elixirs from various practitioners, navigating the crowded workshops with a calm sense of purpose. Despite his status as Kael''s ally, he knew that his future standing was uncertain. Kael, ever the pragmatist, would shift his support to rising elite warriors if Thalion fell behind. This unspoken reality weighed heavily on him, fueling his determination to prepare for the inevitable. Not that he would judge Kael for it. He had to make the best decision for everyone and when someone can''t really level anymore it was natural to give someone else most of the support.
Fortunately, he had managed to stockpile over sixty bottles of diverse elixirs from multiple sources. The glimmering vials were a testament to his foresight; each one was an insurance policy against the lingering effects of his cursed title. Next, he visited Zyra, who handed him vitality elixirs and several dark affinity plants she had cultivated over the past few days. Her expression was warm, her gestures deliberate, and her invitation to a nightly walk left little doubt about her intentions.
But something about her felt off. The cursed title whispered warnings, subtle but insistent, like the faint crackle of static before a storm. It reminded him of the moment just before the ant soldier¡¯s pincers had nearly ended his life. Polite but firm, Thalion declined her offer and made his way to the training hall. This was weird, he thought a bit confused.
At the training hall, Thalion transformed into his eagle form, his feathers shimmering with latent energy. The guards, hesitant at first, soon relished the challenge of striking him with lightning bolts. Each strike that connected only seemed to make him stronger. The synergy between his cursed title and the lightning¡¯s raw power was undeniable; what was once grueling now felt instinctive.
By nightfall, over fifteen guards had expended their strength on him. The bolts that had once seared through his body now flowed harmlessly, empowering him further with every strike. Merging with the lightning was no longer a challenge¡ªit was his nature. By the end of the day, Thalion had completed the third stage of body tempering. Only the wind component remained before he could begin combining the two forces.
Before heading to Kael¡¯s gathering, Thalion returned to his room to gather blood vials. He placed them carefully on the runed circle carved into the floor, observing how the intricate patterns drew mana from the air. The runes worked in a way that fascinated him¡ªa delicate interplay of pulling and pushing, with the central runes acting as a magnetic core. Mana flowed like mist, rising from the circle to coat the blood vials in a shimmering haze.
The process was mesmerizing, but time was pressing. With one last glance at the glowing vials, Thalion stepped away and headed for Kael¡¯s quarters.
When Thalion arrived, the room was already bustling with conversation. Kael, Kai, Sylas, and five others¡ªnew faces¡ªgreeted him warmly.
"Hello, Thalion," Kael said with a broad smile. "Let me introduce you. This is Kaldrek, a battlemage; Vargan, a berserker; Draven, a light warrior; Lyra, a pyromancer; and Kira, the second illusionist of our base."
"Nice to meet you all," Thalion replied, his gaze lingering on Kael, Kai, and Sylas. Something about them felt... wrong. An invisible tension rippled through the air, faint but undeniable.
Kaldrek extended a hand. "Nice to finally meet you in person," he said warmly.
Thalion nodded but wasted no time on pleasantries. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the important question,¡± he said, his tone cutting through the idle chatter. ¡°Did you invite Kargul?¡±
Kael erupted into laughter. "Of course, I did!"
"What¡¯s so special about Kargul?" Kira asked, tilting her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the orc with the little girl? He seemed nice enough.¡±
Sylas smirked. "You¡¯ll see soon enough. I don¡¯t want to spoil the fun."
As the group waited for the others to arrive, the conversation turned to Thalion¡¯s exploits. Draven listened intently as Annie recounted how Thalion had taken down the ant hive, her story omitting key details about his umbral predator transformation.
"It wasn¡¯t that difficult," Thalion interjected with a shrug. ¡°Most of the ants were out hunting, and I managed to get close enough to the queen to end it quickly.¡± The lie rolled off his tongue effortlessly, but he could feel Zyra¡¯s eyes on him.
"Don¡¯t believe him," Zyra said, her voice playful but firm. ¡°He always downplays his achievements. Trust me, he¡¯s more powerful than he lets on.¡±
The room fell quiet as the main attraction finally arrived.
The doors swung open, and the trio entered: Evelyn, Kargul, and Vorlok the Worldshatterer. Evelyn stepped in first, her calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the spectacle behind her. Kargul followed, a hulking orc with a mischievous grin, dragging Vorlok¡ªa massive turtle¡ªthrough the air like a comically oversized balloon. Vorlok flailed his flippers in protest, his grumbles echoing through the room as if lamenting the indignity of his predicament.
The room erupted in laughter, the absurdity of the scene breaking the tension. But Thalion¡¯s mind remained alert. Beneath the humor, the unease he felt around Kael, Kai, and Sylas lingered, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. Something wasn¡¯t right, and he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the gathering was more than it seemed.
He leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he watched the room. If his instincts were correct, the danger wasn¡¯t in the distant future¡ªit was already here, lurking behind familiar faces.
¡°How did the training go?¡± Sylas asked Kargul, his grin wide and teasing, an air of mischief in his tone.
Before the orc could respond, Evelyn interjected, rolling her eyes with a smirk. ¡°Both very good and absolutely terrible. Vorlok is determined to do the opposite of whatever Kargul tells him¡ªbecause, apparently, he refused to drink any vodka.¡±
The room erupted into laughter, save for the newcomers and Kargul, who scowled in indignation.
¡°I will not feed him things without alcohol¡ªand absolutely no vegetables!¡± Kargul declared, crossing his arms as though making an unshakable decree. ¡°Anyone who eats vegetables is a loser, and Vorlok is no loser!¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Thalion said, stifling a chuckle, ¡°you think he¡¯s a vegetarian?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Kargul huffed, glaring at Evelyn. ¡°She said turtles only eat plants.¡±
¡°Well, not this turtle,¡± Thalion countered. A wry grin tugged at his lips as he gestured toward the turtle with a subtle shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯d argue he¡¯s the exact opposite of a plant eater. And wait¡ªyou haven¡¯t been feeding him anything?¡±
¡°Of course not! I wouldn¡¯t disgrace him with plants,¡± Kargul replied, clearly offended by the mere suggestion. ¡°He¡¯s been getting beer and vodka. Plenty of it. I would never let Vorlok go hungry.¡±
Thalion sighed, rubbing his temples. The situation was absurd, but at least it could be fixed. Wordlessly, he retrieved one of the dead vine horses from his spatial ring and placed it on the floor in front of Kargul. ¡°There. Let him eat this.¡±
Kargul¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try it. Look, Vorlok! Fine, yummy food,¡± he said, pointing emphatically at the vine horse while tugging violently at the chain to get the turtle¡¯s attention.
It took a moment, but when Vorlok finally understood, he dove forward with surprising speed, snapping his jaws onto the vine horse. The sound of crunching echoed through the room as the turtle devoured the creature¡ªalmost twice the size of an Earth horse¡ªin a matter of seconds.
When he finished, Vorlok¡¯s head whipped around, his wide, alarmed eyes locking onto Kargul as though expecting another forced drink. The turtle tried to flee, flippers paddling at the air in desperation.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The room fell into stunned silence as they stared at the living, meat-grinding monster. Even Kargul seemed momentarily taken aback, his gaze fixed on the empty spot where the vine horse had been.
¡°Maybe¡ he was a little hungry,¡± Kargul finally admitted, scratching his head. He pulled out a giant bear from his spatial storage¡ªthis one easily four times the size of the horse¡ªand plopped it down in front of Vorlok.
¡°Yummy, yummy,¡± Kargul said, gesturing toward the bear.
This time, Vorlok wasted no time. He dive-bombed at the bear¡¯s belly, shredding it to pieces within seconds. When the last chunk disappeared into the turtle¡¯s maw, he looked up, his flippers twitching slightly, before settling into a calmer demeanor.
¡°Ha! A hungry one, for sure!¡± Kargul roared with laughter, patting Vorlok on the head as though the beast were a mere puppy. ¡°Anyone who wants to get strong has to eat a lot!¡±
Most of the group exchanged uneasy glances, their fear of the turtle evident. It wasn¡¯t just a creature¡ªit was a terrifying force of nature, bound to a leash only Kargul seemed capable of holding.
¡°From now on, you¡¯ll get rewarded with meat,¡± Kargul announced proudly, rubbing Vorlok¡¯s shell.
Evelyn, still watching the turtle cautiously, let out a relieved breath. ¡°You know, this might actually work. I didn¡¯t have much hope before, but maybe¡¡±
¡°On another note,¡± she said, turning to Annie, ¡°when do you leave for the Water People?¡±
¡°Immediately after the System Shop,¡± Annie replied.
¡°Can I come too?¡± Thalion asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Annie said with a smile. ¡°I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to go alone.¡±
Kael chimed in, mentioning new beasts that needed hunting, and the group shifted into casual conversation. They debated the best food from Lar¡¯s shop, exchanged jokes, and made small talk.
Thalion, however, sat silently. The dark sensation that lingered around Kael, Kai, Sylas, and Zyra gnawed at him like a shadow creeping at the edges of his mind. He couldn¡¯t ignore it, but he also couldn¡¯t discern its purpose. Was the title wrong? It had saved him before, so why did it now point to those closest to him?
When Draven invited him to join their next hunt, Thalion declined, excusing himself for the evening. He had no intention of risking a hunt before the System Shop.
Back in his room, Thalion focused on his studies. The magic circle fascinated him¡ªthe runes intricate, their function almost poetic in design. But after hours of study, his mind wandered back to the dark feeling, its persistence leaving him unsettled. He sank into meditation, continuing his blood empowerment in an effort to push the unease away.
The days leading up to the system shop seemed to vanish in a blur. Thalion was completely absorbed in his blood empowerment training, spending countless hours honing his power. Occasionally, he visited the training hall, where arcs of lightning tore into him, testing and tempering Eaglie¡¯s body with each searing strike. The crackle of energy and the faint scent of ozone became familiar companions.
When the day finally arrived, he stepped into the system shop without hesitation.
¡°Hello, Thalion. I¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± the voice of the system greeted him, its tone oddly warm, as if meeting an old friend.
¡°Nice to meet you too. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this conversation,¡± Thalion replied. His voice carried both curiosity and the weight of his recent struggles.
¡°Go ahead,¡± the voice said, inviting him to speak.
Thalion wasted no time, explaining his frustration with the new title and how it had almost entirely cut off his ability to gain experience.
¡°Yeah, that won¡¯t improve anytime soon,¡± the system replied bluntly. ¡°The lifetimes you absorbed from the five ant queens classify you as a supreme being. The system barely rewards experience to someone in your position. It¡¯s like awarding experience for slaying a baby¡ªit¡¯s simply beneath you now. But once you reach E-grade, things should balance out.¡±
The words hit like a punch to the gut. This was the absolute worst outcome Thalion could imagine. He clenched his fists, realizing how much harder surviving the fifth stage would now become.
¡°Could the Sense skill be wrong?¡± Thalion asked, his tone tinged with both desperation and suspicion. ¡°Did the ant queens somehow twist it to make me believe my friends were planning to harm me?¡±
¡°No,¡± the voice said, firm and unequivocal. ¡°Such manipulation is impossible.¡±
¡°Then why would they give me that title?¡± Thalion pressed.
The system chuckled, a hint of amusement coloring its reply. ¡°Before I answer, do you have any idea how rare that title is?¡±
Thalion frowned. ¡°No, not really.¡±
¡°The only way to earn such a title is when two beings love each other deeply, and one chooses to sacrifice their life to empower their partner. The feelings must be so strong that even in death, they refuse to leave their loved one alone. Because of this, the title is almost unheard of.¡±
¡°As for why they gave it to you?¡± The system¡¯s tone grew darker, its amusement replaced by cold pragmatism. ¡°They wanted to kill you. By giving you the title, they ensured you¡¯d progress slower than anyone else. They likely hoped the title¡¯s creation would incapacitate you long enough for another ant to finish the job¡ªor that the energy overload would kill you outright. Frankly, it¡¯s a miracle you survived at all, and only because you were in the form of the umbral predator.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been smarter to just blow everything up?¡± Thalion asked, his voice edged with irritation.
¡°They likely didn¡¯t have the ability. Support-focused beings like them don¡¯t possess destructive options this early in the tutorial,¡± the voice explained.
The system paused before adding, ¡°In all my existence, I¡¯ve never seen such a powerful Guardian¡¯s Remnant title at F-grade. It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re gaining almost no experience¡ªthe strength of five ant queens together is no joke.¡±
¡°So the only way to fix this is to reach E-grade?¡± Thalion asked, seeking clarity.
¡°Yes,¡± the system confirmed. ¡°Though it¡¯s not just about your age. There are other factors, but explaining them wouldn¡¯t change anything for you right now.¡±
Thalion sighed, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders. ¡°Great. Thanks for the help,¡± he muttered.
Shifting topics, he said, ¡°I have 151,197 credits, and I want to spend it all on a soul cultivation manual. What¡¯s the best one I can afford?¡±
¡°A wise choice, little one,¡± the system said with a laugh. A scroll materialized before him, floating in midair.
Path of the Eternal Spirit
The Path of the Eternal Spirit is a Soul Cultivation manual designed to strengthen and refine the practitioner¡¯s soul. It enhances mental fortitude, spiritual power, and one¡¯s connection to higher realms of existence. Unlike body tempering, which focuses on physical strength, this manual delves into the essence of the soul, unlocking latent abilities and deepening the user¡¯s inner power. [150,000 credits]
¡°You know, if you¡¯d asked a week later, this would have cost over 16 million credits,¡± the voice commented.
¡°Holy shit, why would it be so expensive?¡± Thalion blurted, his shock evident.
¡°For most, it would be around four million at the moment,¡± the system clarified. ¡°But some gods have overdone it, so I can offer it to you at this price.¡±
¡°Wait¡ªwhat do you mean by that?¡± Thalion asked, his brows furrowing. ¡°I thought the Vampire God wouldn¡¯t remember me.¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t about the Vampire God,¡± the voice replied cryptically. ¡°And don¡¯t ask. I can¡¯t tell you more. Just take this.¡±
A tiny crystal, no larger than a millimeter, appeared before Thalion.
¡°This is a spy crystal,¡± the system explained. ¡°Place it in a room, and you¡¯ll be able to see and hear everything that happens there. With a simple mental command, you can destroy it if anyone tries to trace its origin. If you hadn¡¯t received that title, I¡¯d be allowed to tell you whose room to place it in, but I think you¡¯ll figure it out on your own now that you know the title wasn¡¯t manipulated.¡±
Thalion took the crystal, turning it over in his fingers before slipping it into his spatial ring. ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± he said, his voice quieter as he mulled over the implications. He then purchased the Path of the Eternal Spirit scroll.
¡°Goodbye. See you in a week,¡± he said, waving a hand as he disappeared.
¡°Good luck,¡± the system replied, its voice fading as Thalion vanished into the void.
Chapter 75: Hidden Betrayals
Thalion arrived in his room, his body trembling as though he were back on that first night, hiding up in the trees. The eerie sensation clawed at him, leaving no doubt in his mind¡ªthe system¡¯s voice had clearly meant Kael when it hinted at where to place the spy crystal. But why? Why would Kael, someone he trusted, plot against him? He forced himself to see the situation in a positive light: at least he now had some warning. If he could survive F-grade, the title would make him one of the strongest beings around.
"Alright, calm down. Focus. You can still chase your dream of becoming immortal," Thalion muttered under his breath, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. It was official now¡ªif the system itself was helping him, then something truly massive was looming on the horizon. The only way forward was to act decisively. He had to get that crystal into Kael''s room without delay.
The crystal¡¯s design would make things easier; it adhered to any surface and blended seamlessly into its surroundings. Without hesitation, Thalion activated his communication crystal and reached out to Kael, his voice steady despite the storm raging in his mind. "Can I come by? I¡¯d like to talk before I leave with Annie."
As he made his way to Kael¡¯s quarters, Thalion focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, using it to center himself. When Kael opened the door, his familiar, easy smile didn¡¯t soothe Thalion''s unease.
"Nice to see you. How can I help you?" Kael asked, ushering him inside. The warmth of the entrance hall, with its crackling fire and familiar wooden furniture, felt almost stifling in contrast to the tension gnawing at Thalion¡¯s chest.
They sat down before the fireplace, the golden light casting flickering shadows across the room.
"I just wanted to make sure it¡¯s really okay for me to leave. You and the others won¡¯t be in danger, right?" Thalion asked, his tone casual, though his every sense was on high alert.
"No," Kael replied, waving a hand dismissively. "With the supplies I¡¯ll get from the system shop, we¡¯ll be fine. Go focus on yourself and get that water form."
Thalion nodded but pressed further. "I meant more about trouble from Michael or Garrick. Are you sure they won¡¯t try anything while I¡¯m gone?"
Kael sighed and leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I might as well tell you now. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I¡¯ll take a beer," Thalion said, masking his intentions. He wasn¡¯t thirsty, but it would give him the opportunity he needed.
"Ah, beer¡ªalways a good choice," Kael said with a chuckle as he stood and turned toward the bar. The moment his back was turned, Thalion acted. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he threw the spy crystal toward the towering twenty-meter-high ceiling. It struck true, adhering to the surface and shifting to a near-invisible white, blending perfectly into the architecture.
Kael returned moments later, handing Thalion the beer, and they resumed their conversation.
"Garrick is desperate to get out of the second district," Kael admitted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Looks like I¡¯ll have to grant his request."
"Maybe it won¡¯t be so bad," Thalion offered, keeping his tone neutral. "You¡¯ve got plenty of strong guards now. Those who joined us last time were capable fighters."
Kael nodded but frowned. "I¡¯m not worried about an immediate takeover, but I don¡¯t want Garrick gaining too much influence either."
"Understandable," Thalion said, taking a sip of his beer. "And what about Michael? How¡¯s that situation going?"
Kael¡¯s expression darkened. "Not good, honestly. If you could do something like you did with the shapeshifters, it¡¯d be a huge help. With my backing, you¡¯d be untouchable."
At that moment, Thalion¡¯s instincts screamed in alarm. Kael¡¯s assurance of protection felt hollow, a thin veneer over something darker.
"Maybe in the future," Thalion replied smoothly. "For now, I¡¯ll be away for a bit, but I can try to return sooner if needed."
Kael waved him off. "No rush. Just don¡¯t stay away too long¡ªtwo weeks isn¡¯t much time before we¡¯re teleported to the fourth stage."
Thalion nodded. "That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll see you before then."
As he left Kael¡¯s quarters, Thalion¡¯s mind raced. He had placed the crystal successfully, but the encounter had only deepened his unease. Kael¡¯s reassurances rang hollow, and Thalion¡¯s sense of impending betrayal grew stronger.
His next stop was the storage room to collect the blood vials. He couldn¡¯t risk leaving them unattended while he was away. Activating the spy crystal, he monitored Kael¡¯s room, but so far, all he saw were mundane conversations about construction plans.
After securing the blood, Thalion made his way to Zyra¡¯s shop. The air in the small apothecary was heavy with the scent of herbs and elixirs. Zyra greeted him warmly, handing him the plants she had prepared. But even her cheerful demeanor couldn¡¯t dispel the dark feeling that coiled in his chest whenever he saw her. It was there, as persistent as ever¡ªthe same oppressive sensation he felt around Kael, Kai, and Sylas.
Anger simmered beneath the surface as Thalion left the shop. After everything he had done for them, his so-called friends were plotting against him. The betrayal stung, but he couldn¡¯t let it derail him. His dream of eternity loomed larger than any personal grievance. Whatever it took, he would achieve his goal.
He met Annie in front of the gate. The sun was low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobbled road.
"Hey, Thalion, are you ready to go?" Annie asked, her voice bright and cheerful.
"Yeah, we can go. Can you fly, or do we have to walk?" Thalion replied, his tone sharper than he intended. He mentally chastised himself¡ªAnnie wasn¡¯t one of the betrayers.
"Yes, we can fly, but what I do is more like surfing," Annie said with a grin, her excitement almost contagious.
"Awesome. I always loved surfing before the system," Thalion said with a nod. He tried to match her enthusiasm, though his thoughts were elsewhere. "On another note, what will your position be with the blue robes?"Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"Pretty high! My patron assured me that the princess herself will assist me," Annie said, practically glowing with excitement.
"That¡¯s great. So, the chances that the water form I get is one of the strongest beasts in the ocean are pretty high, right?" Thalion asked, allowing himself a small smile.
"Yeah, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll get you something amazing," Annie laughed. She reached into her bag and pulled out a folded brown robe. "I also brought you these, so they don¡¯t recognize you."
"Good thinking. I completely forgot," Thalion admitted, taking the robe and draping it over his arm.
With a swift transformation, Thalion became Eagly, a sleek, predatory bird with feathers shimmering in the fading light. He shot into the sky, his powerful wings slicing through the air. Annie followed closely, standing atop a winding river of water that arched and twisted through the sky like a serpent. Her pace wasn¡¯t as fast as Eagly¡¯s, but her control and manapool were impressive¡ªunlike Sylas, she could maintain her speed for hours.
Thalion used the long flight to his advantage, channeling his focus into completing the third stage of wind tempering. He summoned a strong whirlwind directly in his path and dove through it repeatedly, each pass leaving his body more attuned to the wind¡¯s flow. The progress was exhilarating, the power intoxicating.
By the time they reached the ocean, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of deep blue and gold. The city near the shore, one they had attacked in the past, came into view briefly before they soared out over the open water. Far ahead, a majestic palace rose from the sea, its spires catching the moonlight like polished gemstones. It took another hour to reach the structure, and when they arrived, its scale left even Thalion momentarily awed.
The palace towered over three hundred meters tall, its base merging seamlessly with the ocean. Its harbor bustled with activity; ships docked while blue-robed figures moved with purpose among the piers. Thalion landed on the harbor, transforming back into his human form and pulling the brown robe over his shoulders. No one paid them much attention¡ªthey were expected. His suspicions were confirmed when a young man hurried over, bowing briefly.
"Welcome, Lady Annie. Princess Seraphina is waiting for you," the man said, barely sparing Thalion a glance.
"Thank you. Let¡¯s not keep her waiting," Annie replied, her tone light but respectful. Together, they followed the man into the palace.
As they stepped through the towering twenty-meter gate, the scene inside took Thalion¡¯s breath away. The palace wasn¡¯t just a building¡ªit was an entire city. It stretched vertically for hundreds of meters, with buildings that seemed to grow organically, like stone trees climbing toward the heavens. There were no streets, only rivers flowing with crystalline water, guided by glowing blue runes etched into the walls and suspended stones.
The man led them to one of these rivers, a fast-flowing stream that climbed upward, defying gravity. "Place your hand in the river to travel to the upper layers of the city," he explained. Without waiting for a reply, he dipped his hand into the water and vanished, swept away by the current.
"Do you have any water skills?" Annie asked, a note of concern in her voice.
"Not really. I¡¯ll fly up¡ªit shouldn¡¯t be too hard to follow the river," Thalion murmured, already preparing himself.
"Okay," Annie said simply, then stepped into the river. She disappeared in an instant, leaving him alone.
"Damn, could¡¯ve given me a second to prepare," Thalion muttered under his breath. With a burst of telekinetic energy, he launched himself upward, matching the river¡¯s twisting path as it climbed through the palace. The journey was disorienting but exhilarating.
Eventually, they reached another massive gate, where the young man was already waiting, bowing deeply as they approached. He gestured toward yet another monumental door, this one ten meters high and intricately carved with golden runes. Before they could knock, the door swung open.
They stepped into a throne room so grand it made every Earthly palace seem like a child¡¯s playhouse. The vast chamber was adorned with opulent tapestries, crystalline chandeliers, and murals that seemed to shimmer with life. Yet the room was empty, save for another man, dressed impeccably, who approached with measured steps.
"Please follow me," the butler said, his voice polite but devoid of warmth. He guided them toward the right side of the hall, where a smaller¡ªthough still enormous¡ªdoor stood. This one, four meters tall, was inscribed with golden runes that glowed faintly under the ambient light.
The butler pressed his hand against the door, and it swung open effortlessly. Beyond lay another hall, smaller yet no less magnificent. At its center was a massive pool, its surface dotted with glowing blue pearls that emitted a soft, ethereal light. The atmosphere was serene, almost otherworldly, as if the room existed outside the bounds of time.
In the middle of the pool was the most beautiful woman Thalion had ever seen. "Took you long enough, Annie," Lady Seraphina said. "Is your companion the one who freed you and killed countless of Nerissa''s slaves?"
Thalion didn¡¯t get a bad feeling when he looked at the woman, not like with Kael and the others, so he simply said, "Yes, that was me. How did you find out so quickly?"
"It was more of a guess. So, you are Thalion. I¡¯ve heard much about you," Seraphina said, slowly stepping out of the pool with a grace that didn¡¯t seem human.
"Okay, that¡¯s impressive. I think we never talked about it," Thalion commented.
"It¡¯s easier than you think. Nerissa gave me a very special description of you, and I¡¯ve never heard of anyone else using blood spears as weapons," Seraphina said, now completely out of the pool.
"So, are we good?" Thalion asked, puzzled. But the feeling he got was that they were good; it even felt like the princess liked him.
"Of course, we are. You must be the strongest human from earth I¡¯ve encountered so far," Seraphina said in a delightful voice. "I have a meal prepared for us. You must be hungry from the long flight."
"Thank you, I am indeed very hungry," Annie said.
"Wonderful. Please follow me. I want to hear everything about your adventures, and we need to talk about your training plan," Seraphina said while guiding them to another golden door.
<--
Evelyn feared for her life as she let Vorlok eat out of her hand. Of course, she wasn¡¯t doing this willingly. Kargul had said it was very important for bonding and becoming good friends. She didn¡¯t want to point out that this advice came from an orc who had just fed the turtle with vodka and beer for a whole day.
If she hadn¡¯t healed the poor turtle from time to time, it might have died. To his luck, it seemed Kargul was right, as Vorlok very carefully ate out of her hand. Evelyn could only remember how the turtle had devoured the vine horse. She would just be a little snack for it.
"Oh, such a good boy," Kargul said while patting the turtle¡¯s head, which was how he rewarded Vorlok these days.
Vorlok turned out to like head pats a lot and leaned into the orc¡¯s hand.
"I think it¡¯s time, Vorlok. From this day on, you will never wear chains again," Kargul cheered, removing the chains from the flying beast.
"You sure that¡¯s a good idea?" Evelyn asked. "What will you do if Vorlok just flies away?"
"Nothing, because it will never happen. We¡¯re friends, and friends always help each other. Isn¡¯t that right, Vorlok?" Kargul said while taking the chains off and slapping the turtle on the back.
"So, with that crystal, can you freely fly through the shield of the base?" Kargul explained while laying a necklace with the crystal Kael had given him around the turtle''s neck. Surprisingly, Vorlok continued hovering a meter above the ground.
"You sure that¡¯s a good idea?" Evelyn repeated, still frightened by the giant turtle¡¯s head only a meter in front of her. "What will you do when Vorlok eats me while I¡¯m sleeping?"
"Nothing, because it will never happen. You forgot, Vorlok is your friend too, and I think he really likes you," Kargul announced proudly.
"Gods, please help me," Evelyn thought. She knew she¡¯d never sleep peacefully with a giant sky turtle freely flying through the room they shared. What could she say to get away?
"Oh, I totally forgot that Sylas wanted my help with a midnight hunt," Evelyn lied while slowly moving toward the door.
"Great idea, Eve! Tonight, will be the first day we hunt together! Don¡¯t worry, Vorlok¡ªyou can divebomb into the ground as much as you want. Eve here will heal you up in moments," Kargul announced, hugging both the turtle and Evelyn at the same time.
"Tonight¡¯s hunt will be glorious!" Kargul roared.
"Oh god, what have I done?" Evelyn thought as sweat ran down her back.
Chapter 76: Water Beasts and Soul Cultivation
Annie, Seraphina, and Thalion sat at a giant table with over 50 seats, while butlers brought them food and drinks as they discussed various topics.
"So, is it true that you fought three nobles simultaneously while bombarding the city?" Seraphina asked excitedly.
"Wait, you just told us that you killed a bit more slaves than us, but instead, you fought three nobles in the sky above the city and killed over four hundred?" Annie exclaimed.
"Well, I just didn¡¯t want to talk about it that much," Thalion murmured.
"And you¡¯re a shapeshifter? How does that actually work?" Seraphina asked, intrigued.
"It¡¯s pretty simple. You touch the beast after you kill it and take its form. You also gain all the skills the beast had before its demise," Thalion explained. "On that topic, what are the strongest beasts underwater?"
"Hm, it¡¯s hard to say because it highly depends on whether the beast is a high variant, but there are some sea snakes that are very powerful, maybe sharks too," Seraphina said.
"Would it be a lot of trouble if you two helped me slay one of the stronger beasts?" Thalion asked with a smile. This had gone better than expected; Seraphina wasn¡¯t mad at all that he had killed many of Nerissa¡¯s people.
"Gladly! What water-related skills do you have, and can you breathe underwater?" Seraphina asked.
"No to both. Are we not going fishing with a boat?" he asked.
"Haha, of course not. The strong beasts reside in the depths of the ocean," Seraphina explained with a smile. "That you can¡¯t breathe underwater will make things difficult."
"Shouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem. If I manage to kill a weak water beast, I can take its form to dive down. Maybe I can switch between forms and use the water form just for breathing," Thalion said, deep in thought.
"That could work, but Annie will need some training first. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to protect her from the stronger ones," Seraphina said, waving for her butler to bring another plate of seafood.
"On that topic, did you buy the body-tempering our patron provided in the system shop?" Seraphina asked Annie.
"Yes, I bought it before we started the journey," Annie said.
"Good, then don¡¯t wait any longer. You can use my pond. It should get you to the second stage by tomorrow," Seraphina said.
That¡¯s how their first meeting ended. Thalion was led to the guest room, which was larger than some palaces of the old world, while Seraphina and Annie began their body-tempering. Thalion sat down on a four-meter-long couch and started with his soul cultivation.
Stage 1: Soul Awakening
The first stage involves awakening the dormant potential within your soul. By meditating and attuning to your spiritual core, you begin to sense the true depth of your soul. This stage builds your foundation and allows your soul to start absorbing ambient energy from the environment.
Information flooded his mind after reading the description of the first stage, and he knew exactly what he had to do next. Thalion fell into a deep meditation, searching for his soul. Normally, you would let mana rush through your body, and where it lingered the longest was likely where a large part of your soul resided. But Thalion had a better option. He used the heartbeat of the sanguine archon to let mana rush through his body. In combination with his heightened senses through the Guardian¡¯s Remnant title, he quickly found the parts of his soul.
The soul was like an overlay on the physical body, but it took longer to grow than the body itself. His soul seemed to have torn into pieces inside his body, connected only by thin spiritual veins. His goal in the first stage was to find his complete soul and strengthen the connections between its parts. The second step was to build a soul-body overlaying his real body. The stronger his spirit body became, the better the connection to his limbs, allowing him to use skills faster and more effectively, but that would come at a later stage. For now, the first stage would only result in a crude ghostly overlay, while in the higher stages, he¡¯d have to rebuild every muscle fiber and blood vessel, which would be a massive undertaking.
The largest part of his soul resided in his head, as was normal for most beings. The second largest gathered around his heart. Over time, he found two parts in each of his arms and legs, and a small one near his belly. That seemed to be all the spirituality he had. Next, he worked on strengthening the connection between the different parts of his soul with mana strings, but it was so difficult. It took forever for each part of his soul to absorb the mana he provided, and the mana strings were even more challenging. After six hours, he gave up on the mana strings and focused entirely on growing the parts of his soul.
On the positive side, he didn¡¯t need to alter the form much. After the soul part he worked on grew, it already resembled the part of his body it resided in, and he only had to make minor adjustments. The night passed quickly as Thalion worked tirelessly on his soul without stopping once.
"This was a bad idea. How do I fix it? How do I fix it?" Evelyn desperately thought as Kargul, Vorlok, and herself descended the stairs to go hunting.
"So sad that Sylas wouldn¡¯t stick to his word," Kargul said after Sylas had declined to help with the hunt.
Evelyn desperately hoped that the turtle would just take its chances and fly away the moment they exited the tall building where they and Kael lived.
"Why do you look so exhausted, Eve?" Kargul asked with concern. "Here, Vorlok will carry you."
With that announcement, Kargul grabbed her and sat her on the shell of the giant flying turtle, which didn¡¯t move an inch. It was a wonder the turtle hadn¡¯t tried to fly around in the tall entrance hall, but now she was sitting on the beast, shivering, as Kargul happily opened the gate.
"Oh god, now it¡¯s happening," Evelyn thought, sitting on the turtle''s back, still in shock.
But nothing happened. Kargul happily walked through the streets toward the city gate while Vorlok hovered five meters above him.
"Eh, what?" Evelyn thought, looking around. Could Kargul have been right? This was unbelievable. Kargul strolled through the outer gates like a child, while she was perched on the turtle¡¯s back, fifty meters in the air. It turned out that she actually liked flying. Her class was all about healing and moving quickly, but flying felt so peaceful.
They ventured through the jungle until they found their first prey: some kind of vine elephant, level 45. Upon seeing the beast, Vorlok dove down, crashing headfirst into the elephant''s back while Evelyn was still on the turtle¡¯s back. She managed to roll off just before the impact, landing hard on the ground.
When she looked up, she saw a gleeful Kargul hammering the head of the seven-meter-tall elephant, while a blood-covered turtle fed on the beast¡¯s belly, disappearing inside. It took thirty seconds before nothing of the elephant was left. Vorlok sat contentedly on the ground, a bone from the elephant¡¯s rib in its mouth, which it cracked clean in half with a loud snap.
"That was awesome!" Kargul roared. "What¡¯s wrong, Eve? Why do you look so glum?"
Before she could respond, Vorlok seemed to notice her distress. The turtle paddled over and vomited half of the dissolved elephant onto her while flapping his flippers in joy.
"I can¡¯t take this anymore," Evelyn thought, nearly passing out from the stench as she crawled out of the heap of flesh and bones.
"This is only the beginning. We shall hunt the whole night," Kargul roared and patted the head of Vorlok.
"Come on, Eve, don¡¯t be like this," Kargul said happily as he set her on the back of the turtle.
Kargul moved quickly through the forest while Vorlok happily flew after him, with Evelyn lying flat on the back of the turtle, vomiting from time to time.
"This must be hell," Evelyn muttered as they moved through the jungle, praying they wouldn¡¯t find any more prey. To her dismay, it didn¡¯t take long before they found the next beasts.
Fireborn Grasshopper Level 42
Fireborn Grasshopper Level 44
...
...
...
Fireborn Grasshopper Level 43
They found a swarm of grasshoppers¡ªthese beasts were a meter long, their shells seeming to burn in multiple spots. This, of course, didn¡¯t deter Vorlok or Kargul at all, and they charged at the beasts. Kargul hammered the grasshoppers to the ground while Vorlok gobbled up every single one when they took flight. Evelyn just tried to hang on to the turtle, which performed one crazy maneuver after another to gobble up every single grasshopper. By the time they were finished, Evelyn had passed out multiple times. The only good thing was that her clothing had cleaned itself from that disgusting vomit. She sat down on the ground, leaning against a tree for support.
"Oh, Eve, it¡¯s no fun when you¡¯re staying out of the fight," Kargul said. "You should have seen her, Vorlok. She can make those mana walls, which made it impossible for the enemy to escape¡ªsometimes they even ran into them!"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Just give me a bit more time, then we can go for more hunting," Evelyn murmured, quickly moving away from Vorlok, who looked like he would vomit on her again.
They hunted the whole night, and in the end, she had to admit that it was fun. She liked flying on the back of the turtle, and Kargul had the time of his life, smashing every beast while Vorlok happily devoured everything. The only problem was that not only did Kargul try to train her in smashing stuff, but now the turtle tried to teach her how to eat beasts, constantly dropping half-eaten corpses in her lap and nudging her with its head until she ran away. But the turtle was as stubborn as Kargul when it came to teaching her stuff.
In the morning, the butler informed him that it was time for hunting, and shortly after, Thalion stood on a boat out in the ocean with Annie and Seraphina. The ocean was full of life; even this far out, there were all sorts of aquatic beasts swimming in the water beneath him. There was even a coral reef floating hundreds of meters underwater. Annie and Seraphina dove down to bring him a beast to kill while he waited on the boat with some servants, admiring the beautiful ocean. It felt like he was back on Earth, spearfishing with his friends. It didn¡¯t take long before Seraphina surfaced from the depths, carrying a 3-meter-long blue marlin speared with ice.
Azure-Finned Blue Marlin Level 44
Thalion immediately killed the fish with a mana slash and took its form.
"Looks like I found just the right one," Seraphina laughed, seeing how fast Thalion had reacted.
Thalion quickly checked out the status screen of the blue marlin, and it was not bad. It had no attack skills but a strong passive skill.
Camouflage of the Depths
This passive skill allows the creature to seamlessly blend into its underwater surroundings, becoming nearly invisible to both predators and prey. As the fish moves through the deep, its scales reflect the shifting colors and shadows of the ocean, providing natural concealment. This ability enhances its stealth, making it incredibly difficult to detect in darker or murky waters, especially at greater depths where light is scarce.
This would come in handy when he found a better form, as the marlin¡¯s rarity was only epic. With anticipation, he jumped into the water and transformed into the Azure-Finned Blue Marlin. It had more fins than the marlins from Earth, but otherwise seemed identical.
"Can you talk in that form, or are you just a dumb beast now?" Seraphina asked, curious.
"Nah, I¡¯m still me," Thalion replied, which was strange since he shouldn¡¯t have been able to talk.
"Good. Annie is hunting on a deeper coral reef. Follow me," Seraphina said, shooting down like a torpedo.
Thalion dove after her, every beat of his tail propelling him forward with incredible speed. Swimming felt like gliding on ice¡ªhe barely slowed down even when his fins weren¡¯t moving. Now underwater, there was even more life than he¡¯d expected. There were even coral golems walking on the reefs. They swam past the first reef and spotted another 50 meters below, almost the size of a small landmass. If they wanted to dive deeper, they¡¯d have to use holes in the reef, as swimming around it would take too long¡ªif it was even possible. The reefs were full of life, and they soon spotted Annie, who had just killed a coral golem and was now trying to store the beast in her spatial ring.
"I say we spend the next few hours here to get you more comfortable in the water, then we¡¯ll dive deeper," Seraphina announced, with Annie and Thalion nodding in agreement.
"How do you like your new form?" Annie asked, spotting him.
"I like it¡ªthe way I swim with no resistance from the water feels amazing," Thalion explained.
So they spent the next few hours hunting beasts. Thalion focused on squids, whose skin was easy to rip apart with his beak, and they were all above Level 44. In two hours, he killed over thirty squids and a few fish, finally pushing his eagle form to Level 41, while the others remained at Level 40. Annie had a great time, killing more beasts than Thalion, while Seraphina gave her tips to improve her abilities. Seraphina didn¡¯t hunt at all, focusing fully on teaching Annie, only stopping to gather the occasional pearl growing from the reef.
"I think you¡¯re ready. It¡¯s time to go for the stronger beasts in the ocean," Seraphina said, pointing to a hole in the reef.
Together, they swam through the tunnel into darkness. Thalion could see just fine, though. Without his title, he might have had trouble, but with it, he could see as if it were broad daylight, though only for a kilometer or two. Beyond that, the water grew darker until he couldn¡¯t see anything. Some plants drifted by, glowing with bioluminescence. Annie and Seraphina didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble, diving deeper in search of their first prey. Seraphina even pulled out her staff, engraved with blue crystals and runes. Her staff made Nerissa''s snake staff look like a walking stick. Seraphina pulled out some fish corpses, ripping them apart with a water skill. It didn¡¯t take long until the first shark appeared¡ªa true giant of the deep, over ten meters long.
Ninegill Shark Level 51
This shark was many level above Thalion, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a high rarity creature.
The shark shot toward Seraphina, who waved her staff, firing a water slash that cut deep into the shark¡¯s nose. The shark thrashed wildly, giving Annie an opening to fire an ice spear, which pierced deep into its side. Thalion quickly circled the giant shark but wasn¡¯t sure what to do¡ªhis current form couldn¡¯t harm the beast. If he rammed the shark and couldn¡¯t break free, the shark might even bite him in half. He decided to wait or transform into his human form to attack with a mana slash, likely his most effective underwater skill. But before he could act, Seraphina''s charged water slash cut the shark in half, killing it.
To his surprise, Thalion was able to take the shark¡¯s form without attacking it. Maybe his assumption about needing to fight a beast to obtain its form was wrong. He transformed into the shark and swam around, mostly to experience the difference. Being a shark felt strange¡ªhis nose tingled from all the blood in the water, and he couldn¡¯t wipe or scratch it. Swimming was also harder than in his marlin form, so he quickly changed back and transferred the passive skill tidal surge to his marlin form.
Tidal Surge
The shark can harness underwater currents to increase its movement speed, allowing it to close distances with prey rapidly or escape danger.
This skill had a massive effect, allowing him to speed up without using more energy¡ªa welcome upgrade. The blood in the water attracted more sharks, which turned out to be great for leveling. Annie shot up to Level 49, while Thalion barely reached Level 41 in his eagle form.
"Okay, I think we¡¯re ready to dive deeper," Seraphina said, beginning her descent.
Thalion and Annie followed closely, with the only light coming from the bioluminescent plants drifting in the deep. It was as though curtains had fallen, revealing one of the real big shots¡ªa giant squid swimming slowly around a giant blue pearl that radiated a strong aura.
Giant Squid Level 61
The body, without the tentacles, was already over twenty meters long, and the tentacles were even longer.
"They''re not as dangerous as they look," Seraphina said, very focused. "Aim for the body and try to evade the tentacles; they die faster than you think."
The fight began when Seraphina shot a jet stream of water at the squid, ripping off three tentacles that the squid had used to block the attack. Thalion tried to get behind the squid, using his incredible speed. The squid¡¯s skin was so weak that he didn¡¯t fear getting stuck in its body. Annie dove to the other side, firing ice spears at the squid, which blocked them with its tentacles. The squid had clearly identified Seraphina as the biggest threat and charged toward her. This gave Thalion the chance to get close to the back of the squid. In his current form, he wouldn¡¯t do much damage, so he transformed into a shark and bit down on the squid¡¯s head, ripping a large chunk of flesh out before he had to turn around to escape from a tentacle shooting toward him. Thalion switched back to a marlin and darted away. In the meantime, Annie and Seraphina had also retreated, seeing how badly Thalion had injured the squid, only attacking it from a distance. Seraphina had been right¡ªthe squid couldn¡¯t take much damage, and minutes later, it was so weakened that Annie could finish it off with a giant ice spear.
"Don¡¯t you want to take the form of the squid?" Seraphina asked.
"Nah, I don¡¯t think I can manage that many arms," Thalion retorted. He would also be much smaller since he would only be a squid at level 40, and he didn¡¯t like squids that much in general.
"Okay, then let¡¯s keep going," Seraphina urged them on.
It took some time until they found the next great beast. It was a giant crab, sitting on an even bigger crystal. On its shell, multiple corals grew, adorned with shiny blue pearls. The crab had built its own cultivation garden on its back. There were a lot of pearls on that crab, which was the size of a school bus, and its pincers could cut through steel without a problem.
Shellcrusher Crab Level 62
"Always stay behind that crab," Seraphina ordered. "These crabs are very dangerous and can shoot a jet stream of water that can cut you in half." The crab noticed them and instantly attacked, jumping off the pearl and sprinting toward them, as they were no longer underwater. Seraphina summoned a wall of ice in its path, while Annie dashed to the side, charging up a giant ice spear. The crab broke through the ice wall with ease. In the meantime, Seraphina dove below the crab, positioning herself underneath and shooting a giant water blade upward, but it barely pierced the thick shell. Thalion circled above the crab, uncertain of what to do, as he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even bite through the shell covering its body. Thankfully, Seraphina kept the crab busy, shooting multiple water spells that slowly chipped away at the outer shell. The crab started to glow a bright blue and unleashed a water beam at Seraphina, who managed to twist out of the way. Realizing the danger, Thalion transformed into the shark again and bit down on the crab¡¯s back. Most of his teeth broke on contact with the crab¡¯s shell, and he barely escaped from the giant claw, only managing to get away by shifting back to human form and activating mistform to reappear above the crab. He unleashed a mana slash downward, then shifted back into a marlin and swam for his life. Luckily, the crab didn¡¯t follow, as Seraphina and Annie used the distraction to fire charged water blades at it. Before Seraphina could cast more spells, she had to dodge a giant water beam that slammed into the crab, tearing it in half.
Thalion looked down and saw a watersnake approaching, but this beast was clearly a higher variant. The water seemed to flow along its blue scales. The snake was just six meters long, which wasn¡¯t as large compared to the other beasts they had encountered in these depths, but it radiated pure power.
Tidecaller Serpent Level 61
"Focus up! That¡¯s one of the strongest beasts in this area. They can unleash massive spells, but they¡¯re not tanky. A good hit can deal lethal injuries," Seraphina shouted, her aura rising beyond anything she had displayed before, and the large crystal at the top of her staff began glowing with radiant blue light.
Thalion turned and dove down on the left side of the snake, while Annie and Seraphina kept their positions, casting powerful water magic at the serpent. The serpent darted to the side, dodging the spells with its slim body, making it difficult to hit. It opened its mouth and fired a water cutter at Annie, who managed to dodge, but the snake turned its head and cut her left arm clean off. Seraphina exploded with power, charging at the snake with a shockwave of water in front of her. The serpent countered by whipping its tail, sending an incredibly powerful water slash at Seraphina, completely annihilating her attack. Seraphina dodged at the last moment, firing multiple water beams at the snake, which created a water shield around its body. The shield held against all the attacks and only disappeared when the serpent fired another beam at Seraphina. Then, the attack stopped as a marlin pierced the head of the snake with its beak. Thalion had waited until the snake was distracted enough and sped at it from behind, piercing its head and killing it instantly¡ªlucky for him, as the snake was stuck on his beak.
"Ah, shit, my arm!" Annie said through gritted teeth. "Do you have any healing skills?"
"Yes, where is your arm?" Seraphina asked, more calmly than expected after such an intense situation.
"We need to leave," Seraphina said while healing Annie¡¯s arm. "The blood and mana will attract more beasts, and we don¡¯t want to risk anything."
Thalion was more than fine with that. He discarded the shark form and took the form of the Tidecaller serpent. Maybe this was his lucky day. The serpent was a legendary beast, and without the help of Annie and Seraphina, he could only dream of acquiring such a powerful form.
Chapter 77: Tidecaller Serpent
They all shot up, passing by the reefs, where they had hunted earlier that day and in no time they were back on the boat. The boat was livelier than before as more people had returned from their hunts and relaxed on deck.
"Holy shit, that was so cool! I want to go again," Annie said, excited, the pain already forgotten. "How often have you defeated that snake?"
"Only once before, and I lost one soldier in the fight," Seraphina said. "I would have never expected to see such a powerful beast so far up."
"Awesome! Can we go again tomorrow?" Annie asked hopefully.
"No, you''re strong enough to farm beasts on your own now," Seraphina said calmly. "You¡¯ll progress much faster that way."
"Captain, how many are still in the waters?" Seraphina asked a man lying in the sun.
"We''re waiting for two groups. Should I send someone to fetch them?" the captain asked with a small bow.
"No, we can wait. It shouldn''t be long anyway," Seraphina said, sitting down and working on her insights.
Thalion used the time to get back in the water, transforming into the Tidecaller Serpent to test a few things. The speed of the long snake wasn¡¯t as great as the marlin, but the power that coursed through his body was on a different level. With that, it was settled for him, and he transferred the two passive skills his marlin form currently had to the serpent. Immediately, he glided effortlessly through the water.
There was one more thing he had to do before he could discard the marlin form. The snake didn¡¯t have any fins¡ªnot even the end of its tail had a fin or was flattened like most water snakes. To change that, he used Morphic Adaptation and transferred all the marlin¡¯s fins to his snake body. The marlin had two fins on its back: one tall one behind its head and a smaller one near the top of its tail. There were also the two pectoral fins, and behind them were four smaller fins placed in regular intervals until the tail began. At the end of the tail was the caudal fin. Thalion moved them all to his snake body and then discarded the marlin form. It would be useless anyway without any skills or fins.
Thalion tried a few more maneuvers with his altered body, and the difference was like night and day. He could now accelerate at speeds that even surpassed the marlin, and the long body allowed for faster turns. The only issue he had was with the length of his body, it was difficult to keep track of the whole thing.
Status:
Name: Thalion Walker
Age: 30
Length: 6.10m
Level: 40
Race: Legendary Tidecaller Serpent (F)
Health Points: 1.510/1.510
Mana Points: 1.950/2.130
Stamina: 780/810
Experience points: 0/91.852
Stats:
Strength: 74
Agility: 97
Endurance: 81
Intelligence: 175
Wisdom: 309
Dexterity: 64
Perception: 71
Toughness: 41
Vitality: 151
Fate: 51
Skills:
Acquire form (Exalted), Shapeshift (Exalted), Identify (Common), Echoes of Worlds (Common), Morphic Adaptation (Rare) , Arcane synergy (Exalted), Tidal Surge (Epic), Camouflage of the Depths (Epic), Aqua lance (Legendary), Water shield (Exalted), Waterslash (Exalted), Tsunami Breaker (Legendary)If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Titles:
Guardian''s Remnant
Form:
Umbral Predator (Mythic) Level 40
Human (Exalted) Level 40
Wind Eagle (Epic) Level 41
Bloodline:
none
Thalion reviewed his newly acquired abilities, certain that the serpent''s stats were more than sufficient, especially in wisdom. It was time to read through the skills before testing them.
Aqua Lance (Legendary)
The Tidecaller Serpent focuses its energy, unleashing a concentrated beam of water that slices through the battlefield like a spear. The pressurized water beam is so intense that it can cut through stone and steel, dealing devastating damage to all enemies in a straight line. Anything caught in its path is thrown back by the sheer force.
Water Shield (Exalted)
Summoning the depths to its aid, the serpent forms a spiraling shield of living water around itself. This shield absorbs damage from all sides and pulses with power. The regenerative waters are also healing the serpent.
Waterslash (Exalted)
With a swift flick of its tail, the Tidecaller Serpent summons a cutting wave of water that rushes forward like a blade. The water, sharpened to a lethal edge, slashes through anything in its path, leaving behind a wake of destruction. The force of the slash is strong enough to tear through armor and scales alike.
Tsunami Breaker (Legendary)
The serpent calls forth the force of the ocean itself, creating a shockwave of water that radiates outward in all directions. Everyone caught within the initial impact is not only sent flying but torn apart by the force, sustaining massive damage. The residual energy of the shockwave lingers in the air, slowing the movements of those caught in its wake.
¡°Damn, those skills are unbelievably strong,¡± Thalion thought, noticing something peculiar about his new body¡ªhe couldn¡¯t unlock his jaws like regular snakes. "Yeah, whatever."
"So, how much time do I possibly have left before the boat leaves?" Thalion wondered while swimming back to the boat.
"Hey, how long until the others return?" Thalion asked the captain as he jumped back on deck in his human form.
"They''ll be back any moment," the captain replied.
"So, how''s the new form?" Seraphina asked with interest.
"Just amazing. Thank you for the help. I hope I can make it up to you in the future," Thalion said ignoring that the woman probably had enslaved many humans from earth. It was clear to him that the princess didn¡¯t do anything without a plan, but she didn¡¯t have to help them personally today.
"Maybe you''ll have that chance in the future. I just wanted to find new allies," Seraphina said calmly.
"On that topic, I¡¯d like to meet you two later to speak about some important political figures," Seraphina announced.
Annie and Thalion, of course, accepted. It didn¡¯t take long until the last two groups arrived back on the boat, and they started their journey back to the palace as the sun slowly sank, casting an orange light on the water.
<--
"This night will be even more glorious than the last one!" Kargul roared, holding his mace in the air.
Vorlok made his typical gasping sound, and even Evelyn cheered from Vorlok¡¯s back.
The others wanted to join them, but Kargul rejected everyone¡ªthis was their special bonding time¡ªand they shot into the jungle. Evelyn had spent the whole day eating at Lars'' inn with Vorlok, but the turtle¡¯s appetite seemed insatiable. At least she was now Vorlok¡¯s favorite human after feeding him all day.
She had worked hard to always smile and stay happy; otherwise, the turtle would start vomiting on her. Currently, she and Vorlok were scouting ahead, with the turtle flying about fifteen meters high, cruising between the trees at high speed. It took some time until they found their first beast. Beasts were rare this close to Kael¡¯s base, as so many people hunted them, so they had to travel some distance to find something worthwhile.
When they spotted a pack of black wolves, Vorlok turned around and flew back to Kargul so they could attack together. Kargul turned into a true machine once he began body tempering. His body was as hard as steel¡ªno, even harder¡ªand his stamina recovered faster than he could use it, even with his boosting skills. So, it was no trouble for him to run after the flying turtle once Evelyn told him they had found a pack of wolves around level 47.
Kargul roared as he sprinted at the black wolves, which didn¡¯t seem to fear him. They even dared to attack him¡ªbad idea. He swung his mace in a wide arc, instantly killing three wolves as he pushed forward. Evelyn helped by creating a wall from a tree branch she jumped on, while Vorlok dive-bombed the wolves at the edge of the pack, which were easy prey since all the attention was on Kargul. It didn¡¯t take long for all the wolves to be dead, and Vorlok happily gobbled up the corpses before Evelyn or Kargul could put them in the spatial ring.
"Why didn¡¯t they flee, Evelyn?" Kargul asked, deep in thought. This was very untypical behavior.
Evelyn walked between the bodies when she heard a low whimper. "Oh no, please don¡¯t let it be cute little puppies," Evelyn thought in fear. Maybe they hadn¡¯t heard it¡ªif she was fast enough, she might be able to distract them.
"That was awesome! Let¡¯s keep going!" Evelyn loudly cheered, jumping on Vorlok¡¯s back.
"Just a moment, Eve. I think I heard something," Kargul said, walking through the clearing.
"It probably was me," Eve tried to distract the orc.
"Ha! There you are!" Kargul shouted, ripping a leaf aside to reveal five wolf puppies.
"Oh, they are so cute!" Evelyn said, but before she could add her wish to leave them alive or take them back as pets, Vorlok shot forward, and Evelyn fell off his back, landing hard on the ground.
When she sat back up, she saw the last of the puppies being swallowed whole by Vorlok as they whined in fear.
"What is it you wanted to say?" Kargul asked as she didn¡¯t continue.
"Nothing¡ I just thought they would be cute pets," Evelyn stammered in horror.
"Ha! You¡¯re funny. Why would we ever take those puppies as pets? Flying turtles are much better!" Kargul laughed. "Come on, Eve. Now this glorious hunt can go on."
Chapter 78: Testing Limits
Back in his room, Thalion immediately continued with his soul cultivation. The meeting was moved to breakfast the following morning, allowing him to spend the whole night on his soul cultivation. The night went by quickly as he worked on his soul without stopping for a moment. Normally, one would gain some experience from body tempering, but after his title, it was close to nothing. Thalion changed his form to the tidecaller serpent to see how his soul looked in this body, and it was not that bad. The parts were in a different order, but they had grown like in his human body, which made sense since it was the same soul after all.
It was already morning, and Thalion spent the last minutes better aligning his soul parts in the serpent body until the butler interrupted him by informing that it was time for breakfast.
"Nice to see you again! How did you sleep?" Seraphina asked Thalion when he entered the great dining room. Annie was already there.
"Very good," Thalion said while sitting down beside Annie.
"Splendid! So, what are your plans for today?" Seraphina asked, curious.
"Hunting, of course," they both answered immediately.
"I will tell the captain to take you to the reefs we hunted yesterday," Seraphina nodded.
"Now, about the political stuff. What can you tell me about Thorwald or Steven?" Seraphina asked them, interested.
"I only heard some stories from Kael and former members of Kael''s base. He had tried to kill them after an orc attack, but Thalion had saved them after hunting down two vampires," Annie said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"You hunted down two vampires alone?" Seraphina asked him in surprise.
"They were already injured, it wasn¡¯t really a fight," Thalion said not wanting to dive deeper into that subject. "Thorwald is an ass who does anything for power, and this Steven seems to be very similar from the stories I''ve heard."
"Good to know," Seraphina commented, deep in thought. "How long do the two of you want to stay?"
"I can¡¯t really leave, our patron said I need to stay by your side," Annie said.
"I will leave after hunting," Thalion said, "but I would like to come by before the teleport to the fourth stage."
"Of course, you are always welcome here," Seraphina said calmly.
They talked a bit more about beasts and the tutorial until Seraphina ended the meeting.
Annie and Thalion both stood on the ship, deep in thought, waiting until the captain had found the reef since they could travel quite far through underwater currents.
"Do you want to make a bet?" Annie asked him with a grin.
"About what?" Thalion asked, intrigued.
"Whoever gets more levels today has to eat a raw snail," Annie happily announced.
"Yeah, no. I won¡¯t get many levels today," Thalion tried to play it down.
"Okay, good luck with the hunt," Annie said sadly.
"You too! Don¡¯t dive too deep. You can¡¯t handle those beasts alone," Thalion said.
"Sure, sure! If we don¡¯t see each other before you leave, can you tell Jakob not to slack off?" Annie asked him with a sad smile.
"Of course! I¡¯ll let him dig for some ant queens," Thalion said jokingly.
"We are here! You have twelve hours, then I will leave," the captain roared, and all the blue robes jumped into the water and disappeared. Thalion followed close after and jumped into the water, switching to the Tidecaller Serpent, and shot down with incredible speed. It was time to test his new form. He completely skipped the first reef and dove deeper for the second one, where the bigger beasts resided. He wasn''t confident enough to fight the stronger beasts in the depths since he was already severely underleveled. Maybe it was possible to defeat the big sharks, but he first wanted to get comfortable with his new body and test the skills. Thalion had to watch the blue robes since they didn¡¯t know he was the serpent and would attack him on sight.
He approached a Reef Golem, which was currently smashing a crab into pieces with its big fist. The whole golem was four meters high and looked very tough¡ªin other words, the perfect testing dummy. Thalion activated Aqua Lance and shot a concentrated beam of water at the Reef Golem, ripping the golem into pieces and throwing the body parts back with the sheer force of the skill. "Oh wow, this was better than I anticipated," Thalion smiled. Maybe he could dive deeper.
It took some time until he found another Reef Golem. This time, it was five levels higher than the last one, at level 54. He used his second offensive skill and waterslashed at the golem. The cutting wave shot at the golem like a blade made out of water, cutting the golem in half with some difficulty. The offensive powers of the tidecaller serpent were just insane. It was time to test the defenses. He searched for a bit until he found a shark that attacked him after he bit into its fin and swam away. Thalion stopped, and before the shark could hit him, he activated water shield. The shark, which weighed over two tons, kind of shattered on his shield. The best part was that the shark did not even exhaust or crack his shield one bit.
Thalion thought a bit about the situation; he wanted to find out how strong the shield was, but on the other hand, everything that was strong enough to break the shield would kill him instantly. Well, whatever he was ready for the depths of the oceans. He needed stronger beasts to test his skills, and he was confident that he could flee from any beast. The speed he could reach now was definitely more than the top speed of the marlin, and that fish was already faster than anything he had encountered so far. Before he could dive down, he needed some fresh bait and had one final skill to test.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
When Thalion reached a swarm of evolved goliath groupers, a giant fish that was the apex predator of every reef back on earth, he used tsunami breaker. His whole body burned with power as he unleashed a shockwave of water that completely obliterated the seven-meter-long fish as if it had never existed in the first place¡ªnot only the fish in front of him but everything around him as well. Not bad! So, his new form was a nuclear weapon. He was ready to test its limits. With such a powerful skill, he should easily be able to kill most beasts in the depths.
Thalion gathered some of the remains of the goliath grouper and dove for the depths. It was time to kill some sharks. To his surprise, the first beast attracted by the blood was not a shark but some kind of sea star that floated up to him. Thanks to his passive skill, the over 15-meter-wide sea star didn¡¯t notice him, and he was able to fire an Aqua Lance at it, cutting it apart without any resistance. However, the sea star still lived and started to reform. So, Thalion had no choice but to make a scene and activated Tsunami Breaker, ripping the sea star into pieces.
"This was easy," Thalion thought. He gathered the parts of the sea star. Leaving the blood in the water to attract more beasts. Another thing he noted was his absolutely ridiculous mana regeneration. Both of his skills together had cost a bit over thirty percent of his total mana, but only minutes later, his mana pool had fully recovered. This form could be his ticket to E grade and the key to escaping the negative side effects of his title. The sea star was at level 56, and he had killed it without any effort. When he killed around thirty more sea stars, he would even level up. The higher the level of the beasts, the more experience he would gain, and his mobile nuclear weapon didn¡¯t really care about the level; it just destroyed.
So, Thalion spent the day near the growing pile of corpses, slowly sinking to the depths and killing every beast that dared to show up. The camouflage of the depths proved more useful than he had thought; many beasts didn¡¯t even notice him at all, which made it much easier to rip them apart with his skills.
The biggest problem he faced right now was that the corpse pile had grown so large that multiple beasts approached at the same time, or he was still in a fight while the next beast already appeared from the depths. Now the beasts even came in tiny swarms. It was quite frightening when five 40-meter-long squids appeared around him, hidden by their camouflage.
It would have almost been too late, but through the extra sense of his title, he had noticed the danger early and was able to activate Water Shield. To his delight, it held off the five giant squids, level 67, long enough for him to charge up an extremely powerful version of Tsunami Breaker that ripped four of the five squids into pieces and badly injured the surviving one.
Before he could finish the large squid, a group of eight sharks approached, each easily twenty meters long, and shortly after, a giant jellyfish. This had all gotten out of hand. New beasts arrived from every direction. It was all-out war.
He ran from a giant barracuda that shot at him like a rocket while he was busy ripping one of the many jellyfish into pieces with Aqua Lance. The barracuda got grabbed by a giant squid that had just appeared in the middle of it all. That camouflage was just so overpowered! Anyway, it was time to leave, but not without his prize.
He tried to gather as many corpses as possible in his spatial ring and shot up for the surface. All in all, it was a very eventful day. In the end, he made great progress and reached Level 41 with every one of his forms, except eagly; it had reached Level 42.
He was even close to the next level up. Killing level 60 beasts was so worth it; when things got out of hand with Kael, the depths of the ocean would be his hunting ground. He exited the ocean and turned into eagly, flying in the direction of Kael''s base. Would it be better to stay and gain more levels? Probably yes, but he wanted to use the alchemists and smiths, just in case Kael, Kai, and Sylas were really planning something for him.
Thalion flew through the whole night until he arrived at Kael''s base in the early morning. That was when he realized another big perk of his title: he now didn''t have to sleep in any of his forms. This title was really something else. If all titles were this awesome, he needed more¡ªbut only if they came without any negative side effects.
While hunting in the ocean, he had watched some meetings Kael held, but so far, his name hadn''t been mentioned once. He wondered what level Kael and the others had reached. Most guards were close to level 50.
Why did they level this fast anyway? He had always had to kill so much to gain some levels, but the last few days, it felt like all the other survivors made a giant leap in levels. "Was he still able to fight his way out of the base if he got attacked?" Thalion thought.
He was willing to take the risk. He still had his sword with the smith and he wanted to profit from the blood all the people in the base were gathering for him. Time to pay Zyra a visit to get more resources.
"Hey, Zyra, did you miss me
Chapter 79: Secrets Revealed
Later that night, Thalion sat in a chair with a beer in his hand and talked with the others about how the blue robes were and what had happened in the last two days. He was sure now that something was going on with Kael, Kai, Zyra, and Sylas, but the strongest danger he felt came from Kael. He told them a story about how the oceans looked now but left out how much he had hunted, and he lied about his new form. In his story, he didn''t manage to find a good form, so he had to go for a shark that was just of uncommon rarity.
What surprised him was that Vorlok was completely tamed and was even hunting together with Eve and Kargul, but Eve sometimes looked at the turtle with maybe disgust, he wasn''t sure. Vorlok had grown a lot and was eating throughout the whole meeting. The only thing he noticed was that every time Vorlok looked at Evelyn, she always smiled until the turtle looked away, then her smile turned into a relieved expression. The elite fighters from last time were also there. To his dismay, Thalion saw how everyone in this room was over level 53, which was at least ten levels above him. Thankfully, no one noticed, or if they did, they did not mention it. Thalion left early to further progress in his soul cultivation. Of course, that was not what he told them. He said something like he was really tired from the flight. Good, they didn''t know that he couldn''t be tired anymore.
Back in his room, he continued with his soul cultivation. To say he was driven was an understatement, since he knew that Kael was planning something, his desire to become powerful burned like a hot flame in his heart, pushing him to squeeze the maximum progress out of every minute. In the meantime, he was listening in on the conversation through his spy crystal, but he had to fully stop his soul cultivation when Zyra said, "Did you see how weak he is?" after all the others had left and only Kael, Sylas, Kai, and Zyra were left in the chamber.
"Yes, he had barely progressed at all," Kael said, deep in thought.
"So what are we waiting for? Did you forget what treasures lie within his body?" Zyra said.
"He still is strong, but he will be focused on body tempering in the next few days. That gives us more time to advance in levels," Kael said with determination. "And I want to wait for more shapeshifters to join us so they can take the form of the umbral predator after his death. I bought information on that creature. Its rarity is mythic."
"No wonder he was that strong," Sylas exclaimed in surprise.
"So when will we do it?" Zyra said with expectation.
"I want to wait as long as possible. He saved my life once, and if my patron hadn''t provided an item to mutate the sanguine thorn so that I can make full use of it, I wouldn''t kill him at all," Kael explained.
"But getting that plant and my blessing upgraded to legendary is worth it. With a legendary blessing, I can baptize the people living here, rising their survival chances in the coming war against the undead," Kael said.
"We already knew that, but what if he finds an opportunity and gets a lot of levels?" Sylas argued clearly not a fan of letting him live. "It will be very difficult to kill him then."
"We will do it in two days. Any plans on where and what we tell the people? Everyone likes him at the moment," Kael asked in the round.
"The training hall should be perfect. We can lock him in there. An escape is impossible then. The walls were designed to withstand much more power than that of a mere F-grade," Sylas explained with anticipation of what to come.
"When we kill him, we could say that his mind was consumed by the umbral predator and we had to put him down," Kai spun the story. "I don''t want anyone to speak badly about him. It''s so sad we have to sacrifice him for the greater good."
"So it is sealed. In two days, I take his body after the shapeshifters take his beast form," Zyra said with greed.
"Yes, in two days," Kael sighed.
Thalion had a hard time controlling himself. He had never felt such hate. They wanted to kill him for the greater good. He didn''t believe that for one second. It took him a while to calm down and focus, so he had two days to get away or kill them. They didn''t know that he knew. A surprise attack would be their end for sure, but then there were still the undead on the next stage and he couldn''t make a big difference since he was at such a low level, which could lead to the death of everyone in the base, and it wasn''t their fault that Kael messed up. "Calm down, focus on your dream. Wasn''t it normal that the ride to eternity was a bumpy one?" Thalion spoke to himself.
So he would just run and let Kael and the others take care of the people in the base. But what else would they do for the so-called greater good? One who didn''t need to survive was Zyra. There were enough alchemists, and she had some information on that item Kael had got from his god. Kael would probably never stop hunting him since he would get a massive upgrade if he managed to steal Thalion''s opportunities. This item was probably the reason the voice was allowed to help him, and maybe it was even worth for him. He got rewarded with the amazing soul cultivation manual that no one in the tutorial could afford.
What if he asked Thalion to send people out to gather more blood so he could upgrade the plant in his body? An upgraded sanguine thorn would no doubt be greatly appreciated by Kael, so why shouldn''t he wait to kill him when he had the assurance that he wouldn''t level? It also gave Kael the possibility to get even more ahead in levels. It was definitely something he should try. They had already agreed that they would meet again tomorrow because Lars had a new meal he wanted them all to test before he served it in his inn. If he informed Kael before the meeting, he might tell the others after the meeting, and Thalion could listen in. Otherwise, he could use the communication crystal, and they would never find out if he had some extra time. So what to do with the time he had left? Definitely press the alchemists for more potions, elixirs, and materials. The whole body tempering he could although do in the jungle. The most important thing was working on his sword with Lucan. Maybe he could even finish it with some extra time. With that, he stopped his soul cultivation and made his way to the smithy. He had to break open the locked door, but time was running short; he couldn''t wait for Lucan to return, and a door was easy to fix.
Thalion saw his masterpiece leaning against the wall. It was time to hammer more essence into it. The smith looked surprised when he saw Thalion working on his sword but said nothing out of the ordinary. At first, when he wanted to build a sword, he just wanted a cool, super powerful weapon like Excalibur. But why slowly integrate the essence of other weak materials when he could use his purified blood? His blood was surpassing the lingering essence in the materials by far, and since he was a sanguine archon, it was fitting to have a weapon attuned to blood. With that, he started to use the same process he had used on the other materials, but instead of only using aspects of the materials, he just used his blood instead. At midday, his sword was crimson red and hummed with power, and he hadn''t even used much of his blood. He felt a bit weaker, purifying his blood was not a big deal for him anymore. It was only a temporary weakness that would be fixed very soon. Since it was midday, he had to stop his work for a bit to press the alchemists for good stuff, but after that, he would be back at work. He worked the whole day on the sword, but he still hadn''t finished it. The moment he would start the last process, the sword could be identified, and with that, he could check the rarity of his craft. At the moment, it was just material for the system, but he hoped to change that in the coming days. The progress he made was so great that he changed his mind. He would skip the meeting tonight. Why should he waste his time sitting around when he could use the communication crystal instead?This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Thalion watched Kael laughing with the others when he messaged him, "Hi Kael, do you have time to talk? It''s important."
He saw how Kael took out one of his crystals, and then he heard the reply in his head, "Sure, go ahead."
"Do you remember when we spoke about the gods? I mentioned that I had something from a vampire god," Thalion asked trying to keep calm.
"Yes, I do," Kael responded quickly.
"I am very close to breaking through. This is why I am not leveling that much. If you could order the people of this base to gather additional blood, I think I can break through in three days from now on, but the breakthrough will damage my body, and I will be very weak for a few days and can''t help if someone attacks. But since it wasn''t a problem the last few days, I thought I could go for it," Thalion lied.
"I will arrange everything. You will get that blood, and you don''t have to worry about anything. We will take care of you. Do you need something else?" Kael answered quickly.
"Yes, I need a giant magic circle in my room. If Zyra has the time, that would be very helpful. And I need as many elixirs as you can provide," Thalion answered, hoping that it wasn''t too much.
"Of course, I will inform the alchemist. Why do you need so many elixirs? I thought blood was the only thing needed," Kael asked.
"I also don''t know why it works. They don''t have an effect in the sense of stats, but it speeds up the process a lot," Thalion kept lying.
Elexiers didn¡¯t help him at the moment but maybe they will become very important in the near future.
"Very interesting, sad you are not here today," Kael said and ended the connection.
Thalion grinned, he got three more days to build his sword. He had his own forge if it took longer than expected, but Lucan''s insights were so helpful that he would rather finish it in his smithy. He saw how Kael was pulling out multiple communication crystals, probably telling everyone to gather blood. This had gone better than he anticipated. The conversation between the four later that night would be very interesting. He continued to work on his sword until only Kael, Kai, Sylas, and Zyra were left in the room.
"So, are we doing it tomorrow?" Sylas asked the group.
"No, we will wait another three days from now on," Kael said. He will try to break through and will be weakened after this. This is perfect for us.
"At least we can make it quick then," Sylas said but without any sorrow in his voice.
"So I guess we will level as fast as we can the next three days?" Kai asked calmly.
"Exactly. He also needs more blood. I already instructed all of our hunters to work overtime and to really drain everything of its blood. Until now, only a few people had done that, and we will help them," Kael said.
"Zyra, he also needs a bigger magic circle in his room. Could you do that today?" Kael asked.
"Of course, but it will take around two days. Is it even worth it then?" Zyra questioned.
"Probably not, but I don''t want to raise suspicion," Kael said after some time.
"He also needs all the elixirs. Could you inform the other alchemists to not give out any elixirs to other people than him for the next three days?" Kael asked.
"Sure, it will be done, but many will be unhappy about this," Zyra said.
"Doesn''t matter, it''s worth it," Kael said.
They kept on talking about how they would ambush him in his room and how they could keep the other shapeshifters close since there was only a window of one minute for them to take his form after he died. Those three days should be good enough, but then they talked about the wind crystals and buying a flying ship to travel there, and that gave him an idea. He could maybe turn the wind crystal into a blood crystal with the help of the concept of essence transfer. It was worth a try; Lucan had even told him that he had bought a formation that could be used to shrink the physical body of energy resources like crystals. He had mostly used it on the crystals the ants had used to help their brute, but the wind crystals were much more powerful. If he managed to shrink an over-one-meter-wide crystal down in size and integrate it into his sword, he wondered how powerful his weapon would be. Yeah, he definitely had to try it out. Tomorrow he would get a bit more when he gathered the promised elixirs from the alchemist.
<--
Seraphina sat in her throne room, deep in thought. The girl her patron had forced on her was growing fast in power and would be very helpful in the coming war. That Thalion would also make a good ally. The question was whether she could trust him. Normally she wouldn''t want to have anything to do with a common-born; after all, she was nobility, but in this tutorial, she had no other choice but to play along for now.
It wouldn''t take long until they teleported to the fourth stage; then chaos would rule. They only had two more months to get to the fifth stage to fight Ankhet Sekhmara. In the fourth stage, she should be safe on the ocean since most undead were bad in underwater fights, but in the fifth stage, she couldn''t stay on the safe water¡ªat least not if she didn''t want to be killed by Ankhet or her patron later. The other humans couldn''t be trusted, and the orcs had mostly helped the vampires, and no one really knew what the elves were up to. Even her patron couldn''t guess, but chances were they had already teleported onto the fifth stage of the tutorial. She didn''t like it one bit, and now that little girl Nerissa was scheming against her, which was quite normal for a noble, but in the current situation, why couldn''t she just kill the girl? But an assignment to the more dangerous duties would hopefully do it. Then there were Steven and Thorwald. From what her spies reported, both were respected and very powerful, with no one in their camp coming close. Even when they managed to defeat Ankhet Sekhmara, a bloodbath would definitely happen afterward, and she needed to be ready for it.
Chapter 80: The Blade Forged
"Good morning, Zyra. Do you still have the eight wind crystals I gave you?" Thalion greeted Zyra trying to play the nice guy.
"Yes, of course. Why are you asking?" Zyra asked, puzzled looking up from her work.
"I need them back, but only for two days. Then you can have them," Thalion lied, hoping that she wasn¡¯t good at reading people.
"How about I give you five? I really need three," Zyra argued clearly, not liking where this conversation was going.
"I am sorry, but I have to insist I need every single one," Thalion said in a serious tone, leaving no room for arguments.
"Okay, do you also want the other plants with an affinity for darkness?" Zyra sighed in defeat.
"Yes, please. I also need all the elixirs you currently have." Thalion stated while smiling on the inside.
"Of course," Zyra muttered, giving him twenty-four bottles of elixirs.
Thalion put the wind crystals in his spatial ring with the help of the rune Zyra attached to them and left the shop. He spent over an hour collecting everything the alchemist had, even the materials. They were of high rarity and he could eat them as an umbral predator, so it was totally worth it. He reassured the alchemist that it would only be for two more days, which was good enough for them. At the moment, he had a bit more time since his sword needed to rest or the risk of destruction when fused with the crystals would be too high.
So that''s how he ended up in the training hall with guards shooting lightning at him, but he could only handle a maximum of seven guards since they all were close to Level 50. Nothing he could do about that now. After two hours of body tempering, he went back to Lucan''s forge to do some more preparations. It took him five hours to make a hole for the crystal in the sword hilt. Now he had to let the sword rest for a bit. He would use the time to work on the crystals. He wanted to fuse the eight crystals into one.
Lucan had already left when Thalion entered his cellar, which was essential since he didn''t want him to know what he would do to the crystals. Not that he didn¡¯t trust the man, but better safe than sorry. In the middle of the giant cellar was the formation placed that would alter the size of his crystals.
Downsizing the crystals was necessary to combine before the integration in the sword. Thalion placed the first crystal in the middle and activated the formation, which was powered by six magic circles. The formation awoke like a machine, and powerful mana strings wrapped around the crystal, forming runes.
The net slowly contracted further and further, pressing the crystal together until it was only the size of a small cherry, now radiating concentrated power. This had worked perfectly, and Thalion repeated the process with all the other crystals. Now came the most difficult part: combining all the crystals into a big one and infusing his blood in the process.
For this process, he had made a special template that he now placed on the anvil and started his work. He covered every crystal with a layer of blood and started his work. Every blow of his hammer moved a bit of the blood essence into the crystals. The first problem was the slow progress. The crystals were so powerful that it took much longer for his blood to alter the crystal.
It took a lot of blood and over four hours to complete the process, but it was worth it. In his hand, a crimson red crystal hummed with the power of blood. His blood had made the crystal even stronger than before, and he couldn''t wait to finally finish his sword. Now, for the final process, he carved runes over every surface area of the sword, even the blade.
They would be the veins of his sword and would give the energy of the crystal direction. Thalion was exhausted from blood loss, but he couldn''t pause now. He didn''t have much more time until Lucan came back. He poured more of his blood on the blade to completely fill up the veins of the sword, then he pressed the crystal in the socket while also covering the crystal with his blood.
The crystal attached itself perfectly in the socket, and the whole blade hummed with energy with the beat of the crystal, which shot power through the sword like a beating heart, increasing in frequency with every second. The whole blade started to glow brighter and brighter; if he had done anything wrong, it wouldn''t contain the force and explode in his face. Thankfully, it didn''t happen, but he had to infuse more of his blood to fuel the whole process in which the crystal would finish the last step of the protocol he had carved in the socket.
It was the same as with every magic staff, but the staffs Lucan had built didn''t wield such power. Then the sword released a shockwave, blasting him against the wall behind him. "Ah, shit," Thalion muttered while slowly standing up, his damaged back already healing. Did I fail?"
You have forged a weapon of rare power
Blade of the Blooded Templar (Legendary)
Forged with your own blood, the sword resonates with your very essence, granting you unparalleled mastery over its power. This sword is an embodiment of your unshakable conviction. It grows in power with each battle, consuming the life force of your enemies to strengthen its edge.
More than just a weapon, the Blade of the Blooded Templar can channel powerful skills, acting as a conduit for magic like a mage¡¯s staff. Skills cast through the blade are not only unleashed with devastating force but are also amplified, increasing their potency and effect beyond normal limits.
Bloodbound
The Blade of the Blooded Templar is uniquely tied to its creator. You alone can wield it to its fullest potential.
"Okay, it worked," Thalion murmured in pain. He was drained and needed to do the whole blood tempering all over again. Time to see if the sacrifice was worth it. He could feel the weapon, and with a thought, it flew into his hand, unleashing a pulse of power through his body, regenerating his blood and washing away any sign of doubt or tiredness. "Ah, yes, finally," Thalion said while looking up at the ceiling. It had taken so long to finish the sword, and he couldn''t wait to test it. Sadly, that would have to wait a bit longer. He admired his sword; the blade alone was one meter and fifty centimeters long, with the power rushing through it, almost like it had its own heartbeat. Thalion wrapped the handle with the prepared leather for a better grip. Thalion held his weapon up; it looked like the silver sword Gerald had in the witcher, just a little larger, and in red with vein-like runes curving up the blade. Thalion looked at his sword with pride¡ªnot bad, not bad at all, he thought with an exhausted smile. Than he put it in his spatial ring.
He had one more day here in this city before his former comrades would try to kill him, and he wanted to use that to his advantage. On the way back to his room, he felt how with every beat of his heart he became stronger and stronger. He opened the door, and an exhausted Zyra came out. "Oh, hello, Thalion. I finished the magic circle in your room."
"Thank you for the help," Thalion said with a big smile on his face. This was the perfect timing. The magic circle would help him greatly in recovering some of the lost strength.
"I even did it on the carpet, so you can take it anywhere in case you are traveling in the future," Zyra said with a smile.
"What a bitch; she just wanted to use it after he was dead," he thought while he replied, "Thank you. When I am out hunting, I will bring you some special materials for all the hard work."
"Thanks, that would be great. See you tomorrow," Zyra replied in a sweet tone, knowing that would never happen.
"See you tomorrow," Thalion said to the leaving Zyra, while focusing on staying calm.
Back in his room, Thalion sat down in the middle of the magic circle. He took his blade out of his spatial ring and held on to it while he started his blood cultivation. The power of the sword and the magic circle assisted him. The last day of cultivation started with him sitting in the big magic circle until the sun rose. Then he made his way over to the training hall to get blasted by lightning. This was something he couldn''t do outside the base. After an hour of body tempering in the hall, Kaldrek entered the room, the magic warrior Kael had introduced to him.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Kaldrek said while putting on his gear, making himself ready for a sparring session.
"I am good," Thalion answered while getting blasted with lighting. "How was your day? You look exhausted."
"Yes, I had to hunt a murderer," Kaldrek answered with a loud sigh. "Can you believe that?¡±
Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on."That''s tragic. How did you find the guy?" Thalion asked curiously, he had never heard of a murderer getting hunted down before.
"Kael can see the exact location of every token or crystal he had given out," Kaldrek explained and pured some mana into the armor he was warring, making the runes glow with power. "I followed the communication crystal that was near the victim when his life force disappeared."
"Wait, what do you mean when his life force ran out?" Thalion responded after a nasty lightning bolt hit him in the face and he almost lost his concentration.
"The crystals and tokens are powered by your mana. When you die, they also stop sending," Kaldrek explained, stretching his muscles. "Do you mind if I shoot some lightning at you? I could use the practice."
"Sure, go ahead," Thalion mentioned for the guy with one of his wings.
This information came at the right time; he had to get rid of the stuff Kael had given him, and he probably had to give up on killing Zyra. He wanted to pay her a visit tomorrow, and after killing her, take all of her stuff. That he could forget now. So, was there even a reason to stay any longer? He got multiple swimming pools worth of blood and multiple hills of enchanted dark affinity plants.
Then Kaldrek started blasting him with lightning bolts and that he was not good with lightning was a fucking lie. It became difficult to absorb all the lightning and he had to pause from time to time, when it got too much or responded with a lightning bolt. Sadly, the man was an expert, losing no time attacking after he had dodged with a quick roll to the side.
Yeah, he really didn''t want to fight that guy, not to mention that Kaldrek was over fifteen levels above him. For body tempering, he was perfect. After the other guards left, the two had a lot of fun blasting each other with lightning until the evening arrived. Back in his room, he made his plans for tomorrow. He would pay Zyra a visit and leave shortly after. Hopefully, he would be able to contact Evelyn, Kargul, and Jakob before he left.
He still didn''t know what exactly to tell them, but he would figure something out. There were many issues with the tokens and crystals he got from Kael. Throwing the cyrstals away would mark him as dead and not doing so would alert them that he was leaving the base while he should be working on improving the sanguine thorn.
Neither of those options were good. If he could just put them in someone else''s spatial ring, but could he pass through the shield from the inside without the token?
He had never tried that before, and now was it too late? If Kael would go to such lengths as to kill him for an advantage, one of his former friends was definitely observing him on the last day. If that was possible, this base was a giant trap. Since the last system shop, the shield had evolved to a dome covering the hole base. He couldn''t just fly over it. The dome was just surrounding the fortress, not the two ring walls around it, so if he exited the dome, he was free. He should still have enough time to find something out tomorrow. The best way was to switch tokens with someone.
Thalion spent the whole night with blood cultivation and with the help of his sword and the magic circle, he was almost at his former strength. "Let the games begin," he thought while putting everything he owned in his spatial ring.
He got enough blood to fill three Olympic pools. Kael had really mobilized everyone to get this much blood.
Thalion did his daily routine of visiting the alchemists one by one. Then he stood before Zyra''s shop one last time before he could finally flee.
"Hello, Zyra, what a beautiful day," Thalion greeted her with a pleasant smile. Oh boy, was he looking forward to making the bitch give him all her materials.
"Yes, indeed! How is your preparation going?" Zyra asked in a sweet tone, which with the help of his title, was in fact an evil one for sure. She probably couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of him.
"Better than I could have hoped. I might be able to do it tonight," Thalion answered, trying to sound proud of his accomplishment.
"That''s great! Kael did ask me earlier if you could message him when you are starting, just in case something goes wrong," Zyra asked with an innocent look in her eyes.
There was no way they were not talking right now through a crystal or token, Thalion thought, so they were watching his every step. Not good, have they already noticed anything?
"Of course, I will tell him when I am ready," Thalion answered a bit too quickly, but Zyra started to draw some runes, so she hopefully hadn¡¯t noticed.
After a few more pleasantries, he took all the materials and left the shop. It felt good stealing all the materials from Zyra. He made his way over to the living district to find some nice fellow for some proper token switching. Thalion knocked on the door of a house that looked a bit worse for wear, and a young woman opened the door.
"Hi, I am Thalion. Can I come in?" Thalion greeted the woman in a businesslike tone.
"Oh, what an honor to meet you! Yes, of course, please come in. I am Maike," Maike happily said, stepping to the side with a wide smile on her face.
"Great, I was searching for you. I already knocked on the wrong house once," Thalion lied while stepping inside. He closed the door behind him so no one else could hear their conversation.
"Searching for me? Why would you search for me?" Maike said surprised and a bit of fear.
"No worries, you have done nothing wrong. Can you please give me your tokens and crystals you got from Kael?" Thalion said, still with the played authority of a guard.
"Yes, of course. I got those four," Maike said quickly, clearly very nervous and handed over three crystals and one token.
"Ah, it''s as we thought. They have been damaged too," Thalion said while holding one of the tokens up. Looking at it like he had spotted a small crack on the surface.
"Here, we made you new ones, but the communication function will take a while to work. It could happen that you will listen in on some conversations of Kael, but this should be fixed in a few hours," Thalion explained while handing over all his tokens and crystals he got from Kael.
"Oh, thank you very much," Maike said, putting his stuff in her spatial ring. Maike was a nice woman, almost a bit obsessed with his persona. She reminded him a bit of a detective with all the questions she asked him. From cultivation to what he did before the system.
Thalion left the house shortly after answering most of her question and made his way to the wall.
If the plan with the switched tokens wouldn''t work, he could still pay 50,000 credits to teleport to the next stage. If he had thought of that earlier, the day wouldn''t have been so stressful, but whatever, it was almost over. He regretted that he was not able to say goodbye to the others because the three were out hunting the whole night and hadn''t returned yet. He walked close behind a group of hunters and passed through the dome shortly after them.
"Hey, how did you get through the gate, Thalion?" He heard Sylas voice from above.
"With my feet; why shouldn''t I get through?" Thalion shouted back while turning around to see Sylas landing on the top of the gate.
"Well, I thought you would be busy with body tempering," Sylas responded, trying to keep a neutral expression. This was not the nice, smiling guy he had known the past few weeks. Sylas immediately jumped again and landed directly in front of Thalion, blocking the way.
"Yeah, but now I''m going for a little hunt. Do you want to come along?" Thalion asked, trying to stay calm. It was clear that this meeting was no accident.
"So you knew; you even switched your token," Sylas exclaimed in surprise after a short pause. He was most likely talking with Kael and the others at the moment.
"On that topic, why do you want to kill me?" Thalion asked interested. There was no reason to hide it now. The group of hunters just looked perplexed at both of them.
"Mostly divine reasons. The gods have looked into your future and you have no potential," Sylas sneered, completely dropping the mask of the nice guy. "I am sorry, but someone as weak as you can''t be allowed to own equipment this strong."
"What the fuck?" One of the hunters screamed, which was also Thalion''s expression. Was that guy doing all this to get his amulet of the soulwarden, or did Sylas know of his sword?
"Silence!" Sylas shouted and unleashed a wave of flames at Thalion and the hunters. This was not the Sylas that had come to him drunk because his girlfriend left him. Had he played the nice guy all the time?
The wave of flames crashed against Thalion''s mana shield, driving him back a few meters. When the flames stopped and he looked around, the other hunters had unwillingly transformed into burning corpses.
"How did I never see that side of you? Was I really that blind?" Thalion exclaimed with sorrow, expecting an attack at every moment.
"Because you weren''t my enemy before, and there can''t be any witnesses," Sylas said with an emotionless expression; "this will be our dark secret and it''s necessary for the survival of the people living in this base."
Before he could respond, he got a sense of danger and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding an arrow shot from a guard on the wall.
"Don''t worry, Sylas. Reinforcements will be here soon," the guard shouted from the wall.
"Idiot, I got the message too," Sylas hissed back.
So there was an extremely powerful mage at level 59, blessed by a mage god, standing in his way and the others were coming too. He could teleport to the next stage, but being only at level 41, it probably wasn''t a good idea, so the only way was to fight until an opening appeared.
"Just let me kill you. I promise to make it quick. You can¡¯t escape Thalion," Sylas offered with a lazy wave of his hand. Sylas staff appeared in his hand and started to glow in green light; additionally it began to radiate a strong aura. Was this to intimidate him? No way something like that would work on him. Time to let lose, Thalion thought while fully focusing on his goal to escape his former friends. If he got injured badly, he could still teleport out even when it was not the best idea.
Thalion summoned his sword and swung it at Sylas, using mana slash, the active ability of his mana blade, but Sylas was fast, and with a wave of his staff, a wind wall rushed toward him.
The power of his legendary weapon really showed off. First of all, his mana slash was red in contrast to the normal blue color, and with triple its normal might, it ripped apart Sylas''s skill like it was a piece of paper.
"Holy shit," Sylas exclaimed with wide eyes, turning into wind and appearing ten meters in the sky, dodging Thalion''s horizontal slash completely.
"Where did you get that weapon from?" Sylas shouted angrily, his face turning red.
Thalion didn''t answer. Instead, he dodged to the side with telekinetic dash, avoiding another arrow. Thalion continued using his movement skill, rushing in the direction of the ring wall.
Chapter 81: Escape
Thalion was interrupted by a lightning bolt shooting at him, and he had to dodge to the side but still got hit in the shoulder. If he had been eagly, it wouldn''t have been a problem, but in his human form, he was thrown to the side, his body hurting all over. He just managed to position his sword between him and the next lightning bolt Sylas fired at him. The sword easily blocked the lightning bolt and even absorbed some of its strength. He had passed Sylas and with a look over his shoulder, could see how Kael jumped from one of the towers down to one of the lower levels.
So Thalion activated mistform and shot with incredible speed into the sky and over the ringwall, but he felt how something no someone was following with identical speed. He exited mistform after he had traveled over fifteen kilometers, and his mana was at ten percent.
"You can''t escape," Sylas said, appearing in front of him. "You are just level 41. What can you even do against me? You are probably out of mana anyway while I am still half full." As if to prove it, Sylas shot a wind blade at him, which was cut apart by Thalion''s sword, which was very effective against skills¡ªor maybe anything.
Thalion didn¡¯t have much time, as Kael would surely be on his way, and with a ranger class, it wouldn¡¯t take him long to arrive here. He shot a blood thorn at Sylas, who blocked it with a windshield that surrounded him. The shield cracked a bit, but Sylas quickly repaired it and shot a fireball at Thalion. Thalion, in turn, just used his movement skill to dodge the fireball and to find a way around that maniac, but Sylas was fast and kept pace.
Thalion was not sure if it was a good idea to turn into eagly since Sylas could turn into wind again and appear close enough for a melee attack, which he couldn¡¯t tank or block as an eagly. He had no other choice but to fight Sylas for real. Maybe he could run after he injured the mage badly, but then he could also just kill the guy. Sylas threw spell after spell at him, probably hoping that he would be out of mana soon and easy to finish, but what he didn¡¯t know was that Thalion''s recovery was just insane. Pushed by the heart of sanguine archon, his title, and his natural increased recovery, he was already at 40 percent.
Maybe Sylas thought that he would be drained of mana this fast because he was standing on air, but he had covered his feet in blood, which was enough for him to hover a kilometer over the ground, and it didn¡¯t cost any mana. Thalion unleashed another red manaslash at Sylas, who had to dodge by flying in the air, and his eyes narrowed after Thalion unleashed a second one while shooting much faster blood thorns at him, which almost managed to break the windshield that surrounded Sylas.
The fight continued, while no one was able to land a clear hit, but soon sweat started to run down Sylas''s face while Thalion got stronger and stronger, pushing further by unleashing one red manaslash after another. Sylas was on the defensive, desperately trying to keep his shield up to not get hit by the blood thorns while dodging the now even faster manaslashes. Thalion had fully claimed the momentum, unleashing skill after skill. His mana was already back at 35 percent, recovering incredibly fast and even faster when he blocked a spell with his sword.
With time, Sylas got more desperate, which led to a heavy injury after he tried to dodge a red manaslash by flying up. Thalion summoned a sturdy manabarrier above him, and Sylas smashed against it with his shield, which stopped him completely, but the manaslash didn¡¯t stop, ripping through the shield and cutting both of Sylas''s feet off directly under the kneecap.
Sylas roared in pain; Thalion saw his chance and tried to finish it with a fast blood thorn to the head, but Sylas turned to wind again and shot back in the direction of Kael''s base. Thalion didn¡¯t waste any time, dropping the tokens and crystals he had taken from Maike, then he turned into eagly and shot in the direction of the ocean, activating feather glide and thunder shroud for more speed.
It was good that he had invested all the time to craft his sword. Without it, he would have been in real trouble. But how could he lose a fight with a sword that blocked every skill with ease, even consuming some of the skill''s mana and recovering his mana pool while completely overloading every skill he shot at the man with power? Today he had almost managed to kill an elite fighter who was almost twenty levels above himself not that bad for a level 41 human.
Maybe life wouldn¡¯t be that hard next week; the powerful camps would move on to the next level, so why should he follow the hunters? Even when the beasts there were at a higher level than on this stage, he wouldn¡¯t get much experience anyway. On the third stage, he was definitely one of the most powerful beings, and he had so many things to do: soul cultivation, building his armor, upgrading his skills, body tempering, and he had enough blood to fill up a small lake. Well, he would rather work on that without a war going on and a ranger hunting him. Yeah, he would definitely stay on the third stage, Thalion happily thought while gliding on the wind at the horizon, finally free. It felt like invisible chains which had bound him before were gone and he could live his dream to his heart''s content.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
<--
"Did you get him?" Zyra asked Kai, who stood on the wall looking into the jungle.
"No, he knew what we had planned," Kai said calmly.
"Why are you not hunting him?" Zyra exclaimed, looking at the completely relaxed man.
"Kael is already after him, but I don''t think he has a chance of getting him." Kai answered.
"So what now? He could come back after he has leveled up and slaughter us like the shapeshifters," Zyra exclaimed in panic, looking at the light warrior in disbelief.
"No, behind these walls we are safe, and he won''t attack the people of this camp. Thalion is only after us," Kai said with confidence.
"This doesn¡¯t make it any better," Zyra exclaimed.
"What will you do with the people who saw how the fight had started?" Zyra asked.
"Only a small group of hunters was there, and Sylas had already killed them," Kai explained. "We have informed the guards the moment it happened. Tomorrow everyone will know that Thalion killed a small group of hunters. Sylas tried to help them, but he already was too late, and after a fight, he and Kael managed to push the monster back into the jungle where it belongs."
"So you already had a backup plan ready. Any idea how he knew?" Zyra asked.
"No, I have no idea how he could have known. Oh, Kael is back," Kai said, pointing at the jungle.
Kael used his movement skill, and shortly after, he stood on the wall beside Kai.
"How is the situation here?" Kael asked.
"Good. Sylas had already killed everyone who saw the beginning of the fight, except a few guards, but we can trust them," Kai reported.
"How is Sylas doing?" Kael asked.
"Fine. A healer is treating him, and he will be up in a few hours," Kai said.
"What has happened here?" Evelyn asked happily, flying by while sitting on the back of Vorlok.
"Thalion had gone crazy and killed a group of hunters," Kael informed her.
They hadn¡¯t told her about the plan since she liked Thalion too much.
"What? Why would he smash hunters?" Kargul roared while jumping on the wall.
"We don¡¯t know why, but it is essential that we hunt him down before advancing to the next stage. He cut Sylas''s feet off," Kael said in a tone that left no room for arguments.
"Okay, we will hunt him down. Come, Eve," Kargul roared and jumped off the wall while a giant sky turtle flew after him.
"Are you sure we should send parties after Thalion? I don¡¯t see how they would kill him," Kai asked worried.
"Maybe no hunting parties, but at least scouts. I need him dead, or we can forget about baptizing our fighters before the war against the undead. If we are lucky, Kargul and Evelyn manage to kill him," Kael said looking after the orc and the little girl happily sitting on the sky turtle.
"Let¡¯s hope for the best, maybe we are the lucky ones next time," Kai said, looking at the jungle deep in thought.
"Eve, I think Kael is lying," Kargul said after they entered the jungle.
"Yep, something was definitely wrong," Evelyn nodded in agreement. "Nice reaction. I don¡¯t think that they think that we think that they lied to us."
"Wow, can you teach me how to be that smart?" Kargul said in astonishment, looking up at Evelyn sitting on Vorlok''s back.
"Yes, I will teach my padawan," Evelyn announced happily.
"But you have to teach Vorlok too. He is also very dumb," Kargul nodded. At that, the sky turtle looked up with confusion. Obviously not understanding a single word.
<--
Aeta strode through his domain, the earth itself quaking beneath his fury. How had they managed to fail so completely? He had provided them with every possible advantage, yet they still squandered it. Mutating the sanguine thorn to empower one of his followers should have given them a significant edge in the war against the undead and Ankhet. But the human, devoid of any real potential, had ruined everything. Aeta hadn¡¯t wanted to intervene directly, but with other gods granting legendary blessings, he couldn¡¯t afford to be the only one holding back¡ªit would weaken his standing in the alliance.
Time was running short. He had already promised to help Mazu against the undead. The Eternal Dominion had noticed her blessing countless mortals in the tutorial, leading to frequent assaults on her domains. As one of the alliance¡¯s stronger gods, it was his duty to assist her. Aeta descended into one of Mazu''s divine battlefields, where towering corpse-lords clashed with the gods of water, who were barely holding the line. The undead general, a Draugr god wielding a frost-white axe, commanded the battlefield. The air around him froze, and every attack against him shattered in midair before breaking apart like brittle glass. Draugr, known for their mastery of ice magic and immense strength, were a noble race of the Eternal Dominion. Luckily, this was a young god.
Aeta remained hidden in the shadows, unseen, as he began charging an arrow specifically crafted to annihilate the undead. When it was ready, he loosed the arrow, which tore through the battlefield. The Draugr was too slow to react as the arrow warped space and time, freezing reality around it before detonating with the force to tear black holes apart.
When the dust cleared, Aeta saw Thulgar, the leader of all Draugr, standing before the younger god¡ unharmed.
"It''s been a long time," Thulgar said, his voice as cold as death, barely containing his rage.
"Good to see you too, Thulgar," Aeta replied calmly.
"Spare me your words, archer. You just tried to kill my son. Let''s see how smug you are when Ankhet joins the Eternal Dominion," Thulgar snarled, hatred burning in his eyes.
In an instant, the undead gods began retreating to their realms. The battle was over for the day.
Aeta sat on the blood-soaked ground, deep in thought. The time had come to pour more of his focus into the tutorial stages. Ankhet could not be allowed to escape.
Chapter 82: The Third Stage can be Brutal
Sachiko, her husband Hioshi, and their sixteen-year-old son Hanako were running from three giant onyxscorpions, each at level 48. They teleported to the third stage of the tutorial after reaching F grade and spending their credits in the system shop. After arriving in a jungle similar to the second stage, they were immediately spotted by the creatures. At only level 25, they had no chance of fighting the massive, schoolbus-sized scorpions, whose deadly stingers were as tall as Sachiko herself. Each scorpion¡¯s stone-like shell was fortified with spikes, and their enormous pincers could easily crush her.
Hioshi, a pyromancer, attempted to attack with a fireball, but the scorpions didn¡¯t even flinch. Hanako¡¯s arrows were also ineffective against their tough exoskeleton. Outmatched in speed and strength, Sachiko felt their deaths were inevitable as the monsters drew closer.
¡°To the right!¡± Hioshi shouted, pointing to a narrow passage between two towering trees.
They changed direction, running toward the gap, hoping the scorpions wouldn¡¯t fit through. Sachiko threw herself into the passage, barely able to continue as her stamina was nearly depleted and her mana reserves were down to ten percent. Her class, bloombringer, was more supportive than offensive, but she used her last energy reserves to summon vines that sprouted from the ground, blocking the passage just after Hioshi and Hanako leaped through. Together, they ran toward a clearing, only to encounter two giant spiders feasting on human victims. One spider was savoring a half-dissolved man, while the other wrapped another person in webbing beside four human-sized cocoons.
Tarantula Level 58
Tarantula Level 63
Sachiko gasped in terror, resisting the urge to flee. The spiders began approaching, but before they could escape, a scorpion burst through the foliage, swiftly slicing Hioshi in half with its claw and discarding his upper body to the side.
Sachiko froze in horror as Hioshi¡¯s body landed thirty meters away, his screams filling the air.
¡°No, Dad!¡± Hanako screamed, tears streaming down his face.
Their only hope was that the spiders and scorpions might begin fighting each other. Desperate, Sachiko thought of the healing potions, clinging to a slim hope that they could save Hioshi.
¡°Quick, go!¡± She shouted, racing toward Hioshi to avoid being caught between the two monstrous groups.
Just then, the other two scorpions entered the clearing, and one snatched Hioshi¡¯s chest with its pincer, beginning to feast on his arm while he screamed. Hanako, overwhelmed with rage, shot an arrow at the scorpion, which barely noticed it.
To Sachiko¡¯s relief, the spiders closed in on the scorpions, outnumbered but unwilling to back down. The scorpion dropped Hioshi and turned toward the approaching spiders.
Sachiko and Hanako sprinted toward Hioshi, desperate to heal him as best they could. Hioshi had stopped screaming, his body almost entirely consumed, leaving only his head, chest, and right arm intact.
¡°Pour health potions on him! He¡¯s still alive!¡± Sachiko urged, tears streaming down her face as she and Hanako poured healing potions over Hioshi¡¯s remaining body parts. His wounds began to close, but it was far from enough. Behind them, the spiders and scorpions were engaged in a vicious battle. The spiders, using their superior speed, attempted to entangle the scorpions in webs while dodging the lethal stingers.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°We need to run,¡± Sachiko sobbed. ¡°He won¡¯t make it, and whoever wins that fight will come after us.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t leave Dad as long as he¡¯s breathing!¡± Hanako cried, pouring another healing potion over Hioshi.
A loud crash sounded as the lower-leveled spider launched itself at a scorpion, dodging a pincer and sinking its fangs into the scorpion¡¯s tail. The other spider joined in, jumping on the distracted scorpion¡¯s back. With a burst of mana, the scorpions retaliated, flinging the spiders off, but one had lost two legs. The initial clash seemed in the spiders'' favor, leaving the scorpions badly injured. The larger spider then turned its gaze toward Sachiko, its eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Then, a man in a black robe covered with red runes and a dark mask dropped from above, landing between the spiders and scorpions. Sachiko identified him in disbelief, shocked that he would step into such a deadly confrontation.
Human Level 42
The beasts were still surprised as a giant crimson red vine covered with almost black thorns erupted from its hand, shooting at the nearest spider with incredible speed. The barbed thorns on the top of the vine pierced the spider''s defenses, and with a twist, the spider''s body got crushed and ripped apart. The injured scorpion rushed at the ominous man, trying to grab the guy with its pincers, his broken tail hanging to the side.
The man pulled out a red sword that hummed with power and unleashed a powerful red slash at the scorpion, breaking the armor and cutting deep into the flesh. Than all hell broke loose, the remaining spider sprinted at the man while the vine was retracting and the scorpions were also out for revenge, charging the man. It looked like the man changed gravity as he was pulled back from an invisible hand, dogging the spider attack, and a thorn shot out of his hand and pierced the remaining spider''s eyes, ripping through the hole body and destroying the abdomen.
A stinger from the healthy scorpion came at him, but he just stepped to the side and, with a swing of his blade, cut the tail with the stinger cleanly off. The scorpion screeched in pain while stumbling to the side. The man didn''t waste any time another thorn was shot at the spider, ripping through the body finally ending its life while jumping on the back of the stumbling scorpion. His sword swung through the back of the scorpion while he swung.
He must have activated the red slash again as the scorpion got cut in two. It didn''t take long until the last scorpion lay dead on the ground and the man walked over to them.
¡°Please, help us! My husband is still alive!¡± Sachiko pleaded, collapsing to her knees, her face wet with tears.
"Yeah don''t worry, the guy is almost stable according to his heart, the man said while raising his hand, which glowed in crimson red.
Bloody rivers rushed at Hioshi, covering his open wounds, and after only ten seconds, the wounds were closed and the legs slowly started to regrow.
¡°That¡¯s all I can do for now,¡± the man said, the blood retracting as his hand stopped glowing. ¡°The rest will grow back with time.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Sachiko sobbed, cradling her husband with relief.
The masked man just turned around and started to go in the direction of the dead beast.
¡°Wait! You can¡¯t just leave us!¡± Hanako called, regaining his composure.
¡°Why not? You¡¯re fine now and should manage until you reach the next base,¡± he replied, continuing toward the corpses. ¡°You were unlucky to run into such powerful beasts.¡±
¡°What base?¡± Hanako asked, confused.
¡°Oh, right¡ªjust head in that direction,¡± he said, pointing to where the spiders had been feasting. ¡°You¡¯ll find a base within a day¡¯s journey.¡±
¡°Who are you?¡± Hanako asked, exhausted and overwhelmed.
¡°I¡¯m Thalion. Good luck to you three,¡± he replied before returning to his task. Sachiko and Hanako watched as he collected the monster corpses in his spatial ring, then transformed into a green eagle, its feathers crackling with power, and disappeared into the sky.
Chapter 83: Progress
Thalion continued to fly for an hour after the fight against Sylas before landing in a clearing to gain some power-ups. He started to roll out the big magic circle and placed all the blood vials in it to infuse the blood with extra mana. Oh, the thorn¡¯s gonna like that, he thought in amusement.
With that done, he began to set out the plants that Zyra had prepared, which were mostly moonberries and nightshade roses. Thalion transformed into the umbral predator and started to devour the plants while pushing his body-tempering method to new heights.
His power grew with every hour. If any survivors came along, they would see a being of darkness sitting in a clearing, munching on plants while its mere presence was devouring the light as the shadows grew longer and darker.
It took Thalion two days to consume all the prepared plants. When he was finished, his body was tempered in darkness; the light almost disappeared a meter around him, and darkness was rising from his skin. The biggest difference aside from the increase in power was that he could feel the darkness¡ªnot just feel it; he could touch it. He activated claws of shadows, and with a swipe, he unleashed five slashes of darkness, ripping a seven-meter tree into pieces.
This was new; normally, the claws of shadow only made his claws longer and stronger, but now it was more akin to the active ability of his mana blade, except it took the shape of his claws. Thalion walked over to one of the trees still standing behind the one he¡¯d felled, and it had five deep claw marks in its trunk. Darkness was rising from the claw marks, and the wood around it turned dark.
The range of the abyssal devourer''s tendrils had increased to 30 meters, and the umbral predator¡¯s instincts had turned into a passive skill. This explained why he was cloaked in darkness¡ªit was not only the body-tempering but also the skill that had evolved. The range he impacted had almost doubled, and he could feel the vitality in a circle a hundred meters around him. The darkness he pulled in boosted all his skills and strengthened him in multiple ways, from channeling speed to the mana cost and the maximum power he could put into every strike.
Then there was the last effect: his darkness was like a curse for everything. He first noticed it after a bite attack and the second time when he was hit with magic attacks, which got partly turned into shadows. Thalion was very satisfied with his accomplishments; with this power-up, he should be able to easily fight level-60 beasts.
The blood vials had been infused with incredible amounts of mana over the past days while Thalion was body-tempering himself, and they hummed with power. He turned into his human form and began to absorb the blood. It would take some time and was hopefully enough to upgrade the sanguine thorn.
It took Thalion until the arrival of the system shop to feed all the blood to the sanguine thorn with the enchanted blood until it woke up. Power surged through Thalion¡¯s body, and then came the pain: the sanguine thorn grew and empowered every cell in his body to a crazy degree. The vines grew inside his bones, and it felt like his nerves were set on fire.
He screamed in pain for ten minutes until the process was finished. The initial rush of power was nothing compared to what he felt right now. His veins had turned from a pedestrian path into a highway, all his senses were sharpened, and the sanguine thorn was now directly connected with his blood and fueled it with power even more so than before. This wasn¡¯t the biggest difference; he felt a presence pressing against his mind, connecting him and the sanguine thorn even more.
Before, he could feel the presence of blood in his near surroundings, but now he sensed the blood of an insect over 100 meters away flying in his direction, and it wasn¡¯t even wounded. Time to see how strong his blood skills had become, he activated blood thorn. He felt the sanguine thorn acting and fueling the process, and the blood thorn was shot with almost double the speed it had before, not to speak of the power as it completely pierced two trees before it got stuck in the next one. That was not all; he still had a connection to the thorn, and with a thought, vines started to grow from the thorn stuck in the tree, fueled by the tree¡¯s vitality.
The tree tried to resist, pushing against it and trying to win back control of its vitality, but now with the sanguine thorn on his side, he wiped away the tree¡¯s resistance like it wasn¡¯t even there. Soon after, vines burst out of the tree, ripping the trunk into pieces. Thalion called the vines back to him, and they flowed like a river to him, being reabsorbed by the sanguine thorn.
That was amazing¡ªone hit with a thorn meant death for most, and when he advanced his soul cultivation to the next level, it should be impossible for most to fight him when he had the opportunity to drain their blood, and with the blood also health, mana, and stamina.
Next were the vines of the sanguine thorn; they had also increased in power and range and were now thicker than his leg, with thorns radiating sinister energies. They could easily extend over 30 meters, and the power packed into the skill was overwhelming.
The best part was he had almost no mana cost¡ªit was mostly covered by the sanguine thorn, and if necessary, he could infuse the skill even more. And he wasn¡¯t the only one¡ªthe sanguine thorn could also push more power into its vines. He would be a very different opponent to deal with than a few days ago.
He had thought about what had happened in Kael''s base, and he was sure that Kael must have bought an item to mutate the sanguine thorn already, because Thalion doubted that Kael planned on cultivating blood. Nonetheless, Thalion wanted that item now. Even if it wasn''t for mutation, an item strong enough to have inpact on a plant created by the strongest vampire god should also be able to upgrade it or could be used for many other useful things.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Now with the system shop appearing, he had a few things he needed for the coming weeks. First was, of course, a body-tempering method for the tidecaller serpent¡ªhis nuclear weapon¡ªand he wanted more information on runes and how to enchant his current outfit. After that, he would hunt for levels and some new, cool skills and push his soul cultivation to new heights.
There would be a lot of natural blood mages on the fourth stage, also called vampires. He doubted that they could have collected enough blood to push their sanguine thorn to such a level and have a powerful soul cultivation manual that could keep up with his current one. In the end, the one with the stronger spirit would take control of the blood, and he planned to use the vampires as blood bags to further strengthen the sanguine thorn.
When he would teleport to the fourth stage, the vampires most likely have gathered a lot of blood from the survivors who were teleporting next week, and he wanted that blood. With that, he would help the remaining survivors and push his strength even further. He could feel it: the sanguine thorn was like him¡ªnot satisfied and hungry for more.
Thalion had felt it the moment after the fight against Sylas. He was always held back by the others, caring too much about them instead of fully focusing on his dream to defeat time and live forever. It was like a switch was flipped.
Finally, he was back on the road to eternity; the title was a fallback for now, but it should be of great assistance in the future. The system shop had arrived, and it was time to say hello to the shopkeeper¡ªthe voice of the system.
"And how did it go?" the voice of the system said with amusement.
"Actually, pretty good. I''m still here, and I squeezed a lot of resources out of them," Thalion said with a smile. He hadn''t realized it yet, but between him and his former friends, it definitely stood one to zero for him.
"Good, good. Now, what do you need?" the voice said, fully focused on selling stuff.
"I need a good body-tempering manual for my new form, the Tidecaller Serpent, and if credits are left, information on runes and how I can enchant my current robe," Thalion explained.
He didn''t have that many credits, since the only time he was hunting was with Annie and Seraphina. After that, he was fully focused on the sword and his former friends who tried to kill him, but it was enough to buy a good body-tempering manual for the serpent and a scroll on enchantments.
The latter one was very cheap, only costing a few thousand credits, so it wouldn''t do that much. Good that the higher-leveled beasts gave a lot of credits. Thalion exited the system shop with a smile. Even without that many credits, he got everything he needed, and the scroll for the enchantments should be good enough.
He had bought the advanced body-tempering manual for the tidecaller serpent, which should suit him well, and the Scroll of Empowered Crafting. Thalion would do a bit of crafting right now and then make a bit more distance from Kael''s base to avoid running into hunters. He wouldn''t hesitate to kill them anymore, but it was just unnecessary death, and Kael probably had made up some horror story to send people after him.
So he went to it, opening the scroll. Flooded with knowledge on enchantments, maybe this would be easier than first thought after checking on his newfound knowledge. He would start enchanting his robe and mask immediately¡ªno time to waste. The process was simple: he was just drawing the runes the scroll had taught him on his equipment using blood the sanguine thorn provided. He spent the rest of the day and night enchanting all his equipment.
On his mask were runes which increased sight and obscured his figure. Thalion had placed the same obscuring runes on every piece of equipment multiple times. It didn''t camouflage him but instead was a mental manipulation.
In the eyes of everyone who saw those symbols, he shouldn''t even exist. But most likely, those runes were far from absolute; it would arguably just take a bit longer for them to realize he was there, and if he didn''t hide his aura, they were useless after all.
Next on the list was a bit more blood training. With the now awakened sanguine thorn, his progress was beyond fast, and he learned to create blood mist. Thalion used normal blood to absorb mana, health, and stamina, which was basically the same thing he did with the vines and the blood thorns. But then he also discovered how to heal with blood, namely by transferring the power of the blood to the body part¡ªin short, the opposite of what he normally did when piercing a target with one of his vines.
After a few hours of training, it was time to go. Thalion put his forge back into the spatial ring and took to the air as an eagle. He had flown in the direction of the ocean, but now he was not so sure if it was the best place to go.
Seraphina and Annie had the same patron, a god who was fighting against the Undead Empire; maybe they would also be after him, even if it was just to help Kael. He saw that Annie would reject such a task, but Seraphina wouldn''t care at all¡ªthat was for sure.
I guess it¡¯s best to wait until they have teleported to the fourth stage before I go for a little swim. So Thalion turned to the left, but he didn''t get far until he saw, in a clearing, three scorpions and two spiders battling¡ªall relatively high-leveled, with two humans cowering on the side¡ªthe perfect opportunity to test his new powers.
The fight was even easier than he had thought, and he was even more powerful than expected. His body burned with power, and his reflexes were even faster than before. The spiders and scorpions had no chance fighting him, and he even got a bit of healing practice on the half-eaten man. He thought a bit about it when the teenager asked for his name but decided on telling them. In the end, it wouldn''t matter much if he told them.
Their description of him would be enough anyway, and he hadn''t hidden his aura through the fight, which automatically deactivated the runes he had engraved in his equipment. Chances were it would even help him in the future; at least it would throw a wrench in Kael''s plans or whatever story he tried to spin. At the very least, it would be a sign for Jakob, Evelyn, Kargul, and Annie that something of what had happened was not as Kael and the others had told them.
Thalion was confident that the three of them would find their way to Kael''s base without his help. They presumably wouldn''t even need to travel all the way alone since there were hunting parties all around Kael''s base. Then there were the scouts he likely had sent after him¡ªyeah, they would be fine. He switched back to eagly and shot into the sky, traveling into the parts of the jungle none of the big human camps had explored before.
Chapter 84: New Plans
Maike made her way to the gathering hall, feeling a mix of anticipation and unease. Kael had summoned everyone to address what had happened to Thalion¡ªand something entirely new that, would change their lives forever. Maike was skeptical.
She couldn¡¯t believe the story circulating among the guards. According to the official account, Thalion had suddenly gone mad, burning a group of low-level hunters to ashes.
Yet to Maike, it didn¡¯t add up. Thalion was intense, yes, and he had used her to switch tokens, but he wasn¡¯t a monster. If he had been, why hadn¡¯t he simply killed her and left no loose ends? Something felt deeply wrong here.
Some of the guards shared her doubt, showing subtle signs of distrust as they awaited Kael¡¯s speech.
Others, though, were focused on the reward Kael had offered for information on Thalion, shifting their loyalty toward Kael''s side in exchange for safety and personal gain.
Maike was curious to hear what the commander had to say but wary of what truths might be bent in the process.
When she entered the grand, ancient hall¡ªa former training facility that had since been remodeled to accommodate up to 4,000 people¡ªshe was amazed anew.
She marveled at the walls; it fascinated her that entire buildings could be created from the system shop with such ease. She had seen the building process once, though "construction" hardly felt like the right term. It was more like a chicken egg hatching¡ªa crystal placed at the desired spot would break open, and the building would rise from nothing.
As she took her seat on the second floor, Kael walked onto the stage, accompanied by Sylas and Kai. His voice, amplified by mana, resonated through the massive hall.
¡°Thank you all for coming. Much has happened in the past few days, and you all deserve to know the truth,¡± he began.
Kael¡¯s voice held the attention of everyone present. ¡°To start with, the Great Aeta has blessed me with an upgrade to a legendary blessing.¡± Some of the audience applauded, while most remained silent, hanging on his every word.
¡°Beyond the boost to my own power, this blessing allows me to baptize others, opening new doors and opportunities for all of you,¡± Kael continued. ¡°With this extra strength, your odds of survival against the undead rise considerably. Of course, choosing this honor is entirely up to you.¡±
The hall erupted into enthusiastic applause, with many rising to their feet and cheering his name.
Maike observed how the lure of these ¡°extra stats¡± had already swayed many in the audience to trust Kael unconditionally.
¡°For my second announcement,¡± he continued after the applause had quieted, ¡°we have seven days until our teleport to the next stage. For those wishing to stay behind, know that we will leave nothing here. All resources are essential for the battle against the undead.¡±
A tense silence fell as Kael transitioned to the next part of his speech. ¡°Lastly, we¡¯ve gathered here to acknowledge a tragic loss. Thalion, one of our strongest fighters and my close friend, has fallen.
He... he lost himself and murdered a group of low-level hunters. Now, he has joined the undead.¡± Kael¡¯s voice trembled, though his face remained stern. ¡°Our mission for the coming days is to find him and end him before he gains enough credits to advance to the fourth stage. The hunters who bring me his body, dead or alive, will receive my unwavering support.¡±
The hall buzzed with murmurs. Greed flickered in the eyes of many¡ªKael¡¯s offer of support was invaluable. But Maike watched uneasily as numerous guards, whom she¡¯d noticed questioning the official story earlier, seemed to shift their beliefs, allured by Kael¡¯s rewards.
She, however, remained steadfast in her suspicion. This puzzle intrigued her, and now, with Kael so determined to hunt Thalion, she felt more driven than ever to uncover the truth.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out as a group of scouts entered the hall. They escorted a teenage boy, a woman, and a man with one arm and no legs toward the stage.
¡°Kael, we found these three in the forest. They claim to have encountered Thalion,¡± one scout called out.
¡°There, you see?¡± Kael announced, his voice dripping with contempt. ¡°This is proof of Thalion¡¯s monstrous nature. We must act quickly!¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± shouted Hanako, the teenage boy, his voice defiant and fierce. The hall fell silent, with whispers erupting as the audience turned their attention to the boy.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
¡°We were attacked by three onyx scorpions¡ªlevel 50, maybe higher¡ªand two giant tarantulas, one over level 60! One of the scorpions started eating my dad alive.
Then Thalion appeared and saved us. He wore a black robe, used blood magic, and after killing the beasts, he directed us here for safety.¡±
As Hanako finished, the hall broke out in heated debate. One side argued for Thalion¡¯s innocence, while others insisted he was a traitor who had sided with the undead.
¡°Silence!¡± Kael shouted. ¡°This is clearly a trick meant to sow doubt in our ranks.¡± He paused, allowing his words to sink in. ¡°The bounty stands.
We will not force anyone to join the hunt, but remember¡ªthis man is cunning, capable of manipulating you into seeing him as a savior while plotting your downfall. Let me remind you: Thalion is none other than the elusive umbral predator we¡¯ve been tracking all along.¡±
Shouts and discussions filled the air until Kael raised his hand for silence. ¡°I understand if some of you are hesitant to fully trust me. But rest assured, my actions speak for my commitment to our collective survival.¡±
As the gathering concluded, many lingered, eager to be baptized by Kael, leaving the hall with visible satisfaction after each ceremony. Maike noticed that the little family still stood in the center, exchanging glances and unsure of their place.
As they moved to leave, they were met with skeptical stares. Some asked them for further details on Thalion, like his level, but most seemed more interested in the bounty.
Maike swiftly made her way toward them, using her assassin skills to slip through the crowd with ease. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Maike,¡± she greeted the family with a warm smile. ¡°Let me show you to your quarters. You must be exhausted after such an ordeal.¡±
¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Sachiko replied. ¡°It¡¯s been two days since Thalion saved us.¡±
¡°Oh, you must be exhausted! Let¡¯s go to my place; I can tell you more about this base and arrange for a healer to help with your recovery.¡± With that, Maike led them out of the hall.
Meanwhile, Kargul, Evelyn, and Vorlok watched from a distance. They had witnessed the entire gathering but held their own council.
¡°What do we do now?¡± Kargul asked Evelyn.
Evelyn took a moment before responding. ¡°Staying here is our best option. The defenses are unmatched, and I¡¯m not keen on wandering through forests with possible vampires around every corner.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Kargul conceded. ¡°Should we head out for another hunting trip?¡±
¡°Yes! I can¡¯t wait to explore the jungle. If we¡¯re lucky, we might even meet Thalion and get our answers firsthand.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes gleamed with determination as they set out for the exit.
Kael, Sylas, and Kai sat together in Kael''s quarters later that day, deep in discussion about their next steps. "Do you really think we even stand a chance of tracking him down? He defeated Sylas, after all," Kai remarked, his expression shadowed by doubt.
"Yes, but remember," Kael replied, his tone unwavering, "my patron, Aeta, granted me the upgraded blessing for a reason. Regardless, Thalion must be stopped." He shook his head, frustration evident.
Sylas, defensive, interjected, "That cursed sword of his¡ª it was unlike anything I¡¯ve encountered. It blocked my spells effortlessly and even absorbed some, enhancing his abilities beyond reason."He clenched his fists, reliving the encounter. "But next time, it will be different. My patron has helped me secure new items and manuals, so our next clash will end in my favor."
"Good. I¡¯ve already sent out scouts to locate him," Kael informed them, "and in the meantime, we¡¯ll collect the sky crystals Thalion previously found."
"Oh, did you go ahead and purchase the flying ships?" Sylas asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
"I did," Kael replied with a satisfied smile, "three large vessels, all equipped with multiple defensive wards and magic circles." He continued, "Along with those, I bought a fleet of thirty smaller ships built primarily for speed."
"That''s incredible!" Sylas exclaimed eagerly. "I can¡¯t wait to use one."
Kai, more serious, raised a point. "Didn¡¯t we overlook something? What do we do about those who think we¡¯re lying?"
Kael shrugged, "Nothing. My intentions are only for their benefit. We need every fighter we can muster for the fourth stage. And did you see how many were ready to hunt for him? They need this focus."
"They¡¯re not strong enough to defeat him," Kai countered firmly.
"True, but I¡¯ve expanded the range of our communication crystals and tokens," Kael explained. "We¡¯ll now know immediately when a hunting party has been eliminated."
"Smart. With that, we might actually take him down before the fourth stage," Kai said, nodding. "So, when do we set out with the flying ships?"
"Tomorrow morning," Kael answered. "The sooner we can start harvesting those crystals, the better."
Sylas smirked. "There¡¯s something else: after you told everyone Thalion was the infamous umbral predator, about fifty shapeshifters are now fervently tracking him down."
"Perfect. I ordered them to come with us tomorrow. They need a proper flying form, not those insect shapes they¡¯ve been using," Kael explained.
Sylas, curious, asked, "How confident are you two in a one-on-one against Thalion?"
"He stands no chance if I get close," Kael replied, his voice full of conviction.
Kai nodded, adding, "He has his strengths, but I have divine guidance, and I''m an expert in duels."
Kael nodded, his gaze hardening. "Most of our elite fighters are now capable of defeating him. Thalion¡¯s progress simply can¡¯t keep up with ours."
He continued, "And we needn¡¯t worry about him seeking revenge. Shapeshifters need excessive resources to cultivate all their forms and become elite fighters. Their primary value is in reconnaissance and adopting powerful beasts¡¯ shapes, but true elite fighters? They¡¯re not."
"Agreed," Sylas said, emptying his glass of wine. "I need to get some body-tempering done, so I¡¯ll take my leave."
"Yes, see you tomorrow," Kael replied, and they all departed for another round of cultivation.
Kael lingered alone in his chambers, staring into the flickering fire. One thing still bothered him¡ªhow had Thalion known they were plotting his death?
He had just recently purchased that item from the system shop, nearly exhausting his credits, and shortly afterward, Thalion made his request for blood. He was missing a piece of the puzzle, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.
Chapter 85: Eternal Dominion
Maike sat with the tiny family on her couch, drinking tea and told them what awesome stuff they had in their base.
¡°We also have four inns now that make delicious food, but the best one is that of Lars,¡± Maike said happily. ¡°Oh, and Kael bought flying ships that will be docking at one of the now fifteen great towers in the fortress.¡±
¡°That is very nice to hear, but what will happen in a week when you all leave?¡± Hioshi asked.
¡°Not everyone will leave. There are so many newcomers joining. You will probably have to build a new base, but that shouldn¡¯t be too difficult,¡± Maike argued.
¡°Thank you for the help,¡± Sachiko said with gratitude. "Most only wanted to know stuff about Thalion, if his aura was stronger than theirs, or what skills he had used."
¡°I don¡¯t really want to fight the guy, so it wouldn¡¯t be relevant for me either way,¡± Maike laughed.
Soon, the healer arrived and fixed Hiroshi''s legs and arm.
¡°Do you think you could tell me where the fight with the scorpions and the spiders was if we were to fly over it?¡± Maike asked, leaning forward.
¡°Sure, but why would you want to find him?¡± Sachiko shrugged. ¡°Why would you even want to know? The last we saw was how he transformed into a green eagle and disappeared into the sky.¡±
¡°It still would be very helpful,¡± Maike argued. ¡°I just want to find Thalion and talk to him.¡±
¡°We can help you, but we don¡¯t want to leave the ship,¡± Hioshi said, and Hanako and Sachiko nodded in agreement.
¡°Wonderful! Don¡¯t worry, you can stay on the ship while I take a quick look around,¡± Maike said happily.
<--
Thalion had traveled for two hours until he spotted a small clearing that would be a nice spot for the night.
He had seen a black spot in the forest, arguably plants with a high darkness affinity, which would be perfect for him. It would take easily three more hours of flying, and he wanted to get some soul cultivation done today.
He had continued the path of the eternal spirit while flying, but it took him way longer, so he decided to fly through some whirlwinds to temper his body further and have some fun.
Now that fun had ended as he sat down on a tree branch and continued to build his spirit body. When the night started, he turned to hunting. He wanted to test how strong the umbral predator now was.
He also used the scroll of predatory control for the first time before he started the hunt. When he touched the scroll, his brain got flooded with information. Damn, what is it always with those scrolls?
Sometimes you have to read them, or they speak to you, and the last one just pushed all the information into your head with the gentleness of a wrecking ball. It took some time to organize all the information, and he was positively surprised by the result.
There was so much information on mana and how it could help to track prey. The natural mana would get disrupted when beasts walked through it, leaving a footprint in the air.
The even more important information was how to see the weak spots of your enemies. Thalion had always thought that the head or joints would be weak points, but now he could feel where the mana in a beast gathered and how it flowed through the body.
Striking one of those veins could deal much more damage than a strike against a joint. Yeah, the head was still the biggest weak point, but some beasts didn¡¯t have a head or brain, like elementals. Another reason was that when he fought bigger monsters, it would have been easier to defeat them by striking those weak points.
In combination with his affinity for darkness, which seemingly eroded the enemy¡¯s flesh, he should make him a terrifying enemy.
What he liked most about all the information he had just been assaulted with, was that it was useful in every single one of his forms. ¡°Time for some fighting. I didn¡¯t just land here to sit on a tree the whole night.¡±
The umbral predator rushed through the jungle with incredible speed. With the help of predatory instincts, he soon found his first target.
Mantis Akridon Level 58
He had already fought against that beast, and it was definitely one of the strongest beasts he had ever faced. This one was around five meters tall, and a strong aura radiated out from its body. This wouldn¡¯t deter Thalion; the stronger the enemy, the more he would learn. He needed those fights to gain power quickly.
Better said, as fast as his current condition with the guardian''s remnant title allowed. The mantis was busy at the moment ripping a delicious lure out of the ground and eating it.
This mantis even had blade-like bones coming out of its elbow; that was new for sure. Thalion was hidden in the darkness of the night while he slowly approached.
He saw problems with how he could ever ambush someone in broad daylight since everything grew dark around him. In the night, he was like a phantom, unseen to every watcher, while his sharpened senses spotted prey at fast distances. Thalion sprinted at the mantis with full speed.
The mantis akridon somehow noticed him fast enough to bring his claw up to block the strike of a shadow claw. At least that was the mantis'' intended action, but Thalion¡¯s attack was too strong, and he cut right through the arm. The arm of the mantis akridon was ripped apart, and shortly after, the body followed as a slash of darkness extended from his claws.
¡°This was easier than anticipated,¡± Thalion thought while devouring his prey. Tonight, he massacred a wasp hive, a few vine horses, and a pack of night panthers, every beast between level 50 and 60. With all his effort, he only got one single level up.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°This is so frustrating; I had killed so many wasps, but since they were all closer to level 50, they barely gave any experience.¡± Slow and steady wins the race, he thought, as he sat down in his human form again. Level 43 was not bad but also not good. He wondered if he could even defeat Kael or Kai.
They must have had a hard training program when a god gave them advice. Thinking back, he had no idea if he could beat them. In their first fight against the orcs, they both were already terrifyingly good with their weapons.
He definitely needed some more insights if he was going to fight them one day. Now it was time for soul cultivation. He had almost finished his spiritual body in his human form. After that, he had to work on the spiritual veins.
This was a task he had avoided for quite some time, as it was just a pain in the ass to slowly grow them. Most of the time, they didn¡¯t grow in the direction he wanted, and one single mistake and the last hours of work would be for nothing.
¡°You can¡¯t run away from the hard work, or your dream will end here,¡± he thought to himself after he finished his spirit body eight hours later. ¡°Every failure brings you closer to victory,¡± he told himself after the third spiritual vein he had tried to create tore off. It was already night again, and he had managed to add one spirit vein to his spirit body.
If he hadn¡¯t failed so many times, he would have had twenty-four, but life was cruel sometimes. He contemplated going for another hunt but decided against it. Most beasts weren¡¯t his match, and he didn¡¯t get much experience from the kills. Best to focus on other improvements until the beasts had grown stronger and he wouldn¡¯t have to kill hundreds of them for a single level.
He also feared that he wouldn¡¯t pay as much attention while fighting anymore when he had such an advantage. That¡¯s why he sat all night on a tree branch seventy meters above the ground, furiously waving his arms around every time a newly created spirit vein ripped off.
<--
Kael''s body hurt from all the training and body tempering he had gone through this night. He only had a few more hours until they would start their journey to the mountains. He had finished the last stage of Aeta''s body tempering manual.
All his senses were sharpened to a ridiculous degree, as was his agility and dexterity. Kael, however, had invested much time in swordsmanship and fighting with daggers.
It didn¡¯t make much sense to work on skills, because he had invested most of his credits to buy skills of legendary rarity.
He had multiple skills which could speed him up in a fight.
Kael, moreover, had gotten a new ability from his upgraded blessing: "Ranger''s Premonition." This skill warned him of danger even when he didn''t see it. A very powerful skill, it would be very useful in the future. Another reason why this skill was so important was that he lacked any defensive stats.
He had high strength, agility, perception, and dexterity, while his toughness and vitality were very low. Kael had put some of his free stat points into vitality, but it was far from enough to have a big impact. He took the bow out of his spatial ring and started practicing, shooting arrows after doing rolls, backflips, and so on. The bow had helped him in so many fights and, in his opinion, brought him many advantages.
It was a very good stealth attack, but since he got a spatial ring, it was very easy to switch between weapons while fighting. So he could quickly take a shot at the enemy while he was airborne and, before impact, switch to his sword again.
That he didn¡¯t need a quiver to hold all the arrows was another bonus; instead, he could just summon them out of his spatial ring with a thought. In his training session, he tried to speed up the time an arrow needed to fully charge up, and he made great progress.
Three weeks ago, it took him almost five seconds to fully power an arrow. Now it was a bit under two seconds. Two seconds in a fight was a long time, but when they fought as a team, it was more than enough.
He, of course, had his own training room, and for the next hour, Kael spent destroying target dummies with charged arrows. He also had different kinds of arrows; some were longer, others were heavier, which of course made it harder to hit. That¡¯s why Kael spent so much time training; perfection was very important in this new world.
"Come, Kael, the skyships are ready," Kai interrupted his training an hour later.
"Great, then let''s go," Kael said. "If we are lucky, one of our scouts will find Thalion, and we can pay him a visit."
<--
Thulgar, the frozen Revenant, stepped through space and appeared in a giant hall. All the other undead gods were already there.
"How is the war going, Thulgar?" Ankhu Ra, the sand wraith, said with his sinister voice.
Ankhu Ra a mummie, was a master of curses and the desert. Arguably, he was even the strongest undead god, but that was always hard to say. One thing he definitely was, was arrogant to name himself after the great one; outrageous.
"Good, the pressure is starting to rise. She already needs help to fight the attackers off," Thulgar reported after sitting down.
"How is the situation in the tutorial?" he asked the group.
He hadn¡¯t managed to find someone he could bless in that specific tutorial. For him to be able to bless someone, special requirements must be met.
"Very good; my underlings are almost finished with the preparation for the fifth stage," Xirnath, the soulbinder, said.
Xirnath was the most powerful lich in the eternal dominion.
"My and Tevebrice''s blessings have secured the fourth stage and will soon move on to the fifth stage," Morrigana, the blood priestess, said.
"My vampires have turned many beasts. Leveling will be more difficult for the humans," Tenebrice said with a smile.
"This is good, but we need to be cautious. The elves and the orcs also have their plans," Ankhu Ra said. "The fights with the living will weaken us, and there are many gods out there who will use the opportunity to gain power."
"Do we have any information about the cyborgs? They have been very silent," Morrigana asked curiously.
"No. The time until the new universe fully opens up will be very eventful," Xirnath said.
"How are your divine champions doing?" Thargul asked. Almost every strong god would give out their divine blessing when a new era began.
"Excellent; mine rules over his tutorial already at the peak of F grade," Tenebrice said proudly.
"Do we know something about the divine champions of the other gods? Especially Mazu''s chosen will be very important," Thurgal asked the other gods.
"No, sadly not," Morrigana hissed. "We are all on the lookout; it won''t be long until we find her."
"How is the training of your incursion forces going?" Thurgal asked partly to annoy Tenebrice. "If necessary, I can help out. There are a lot of promising seedlings in this generation."
"Don¡¯t bother; my forces are more than fine," Tenebrice scoffed.
"If the situation in that tutorial doesn''t change, we will gain much power," Xirnath said with confidence.
With that, they all agreed, and soon after, the meeting was over. Thurgal smiled; the future held so many promises. He wondered, will it be enough to slay Mazu this time?
The water goddess was powerful, but the last eras had been hard for her, and she had lost some of her power. Now she was on her last legs, and Thurgal would gladly finish the woman.
Chapter 86: Too Strong for his Level
"We cannot give you one of the new skyships, you are too weak. What if something happens?" Kaldrek said to Maike.
Maike and her new friend had desperately tried to get one of the new ships, but so far with no success.
"Oh, come on, Kaldrek! You know I am one of the best scouts," Maike said in a sweet voice while leaning forward, showing more of her cleavage.
"Stop that! I won''t let you go out alone with the newcomers. You are all too weak. What will you do when you get attacked by a beast over level 60?" Kaldrek argued his face turning red.
"Why can¡¯t you come with us? I checked, and you are not in the group that is heading for the mountains," Maike said.
"What beast will dare to attack us when you are protecting us?" Maike said with a smile.
"Please, can¡¯t you help us find that man?" Sachiko asked. "This means so much to us."
"Ah, okay, fine, but only this once. There will be no more exceptions," Kaldrek exclaimed already regretting his decision.
"Thank you, Kaldrek; you are the best," Maike said while hugging the warrior, who tried to shy away.
"This is so cool!" Hanako cheered while they were shooting into the sky with the small boat.
It looked like a medieval sailboat. The only thing that was different were the golden runes all over the boat and sail. Within hours, they reached the spot where Thalion had saved the family from certain death.
"Wait here; it won''t take long," Maike said while jumping to the ground.
The boat was hovering a hundred meters over the tree canopy, waiting for her.
"You have ten minutes; I will come down and get you if you take longer," Kaldrek shouted from above.
Maike was searching the ground with her skill scout''s tracking. It was wind-based, and soon after she activated the skill, clouds formed. They soon transformed into the form of a giant scorpion biting Hioshi. It started switching forms into a spider and then into a man with a black mask. His whole equipment was covered in red runes. She watched as the masked man defeated the beasts and then took off into the sky. Maike didn¡¯t see the fight in detail, but well enough to say that Thalion was far stronger than most anticipated. She saw how a threat made out of wind hung in the sky and then turned to the side and disappeared.
"Got him!" Maike internally celebrated.
"We need to go that way," Maike said to Kaldrek when she was back on the boat.
"So how can you be so sure?" Kaldrek asked, puzzled, while the boat picked up speed and shot in the direction of the threat.
"It''s my skill; we are on the right path. I am sure," Maike said confidently while happily nodding.
"This is the wrong path," Kaldrek said eight exhausting hours later.
"No, I am sure that the direction was right," Maike defended herself. "Look, those trees are very dark; wasn''t he always taking those midnight sun roses?"
"You could actually be right," Kaldrek muttered reluctantly.
"I believe in Maike," Hanako said, and I would like to thank Thalion for saving our lives.
"Oh, this isn¡¯t going to end well," Kaldrek thought. Didn¡¯t the guy know that Thalion was a wanted man? They were lucky; he wasn''t hunting that guy; otherwise... yeah, no use in thinking about it."
"Does this part of the jungle feel weird to you too?" Hioshi asked when they were almost over the darkened parts of the jungle.
The darkened jungle was only a few hundred meters wide until the normal green with bioluminescent glowing jungle started again.
"Yes, now that you say it, is someone screaming over there?" Kaldrek said, with sweat running down his back.
He felt fear emanating from that place. This must have been how Luke Skywalker felt before he jumped into the black hole in episode six.
"Maybe we should turn around; I don''t feel safe," Sachiko slowly said, clearly afraid of the place.
No one had time to answer as, with a loud crash, the boat exploded into two pieces.
Kaldrek turned around in fright and saw that a man had flown straight through their boat, breaking it in half, and time slowed down as Kaldrek started to assess the man.
Everything about that guy was off. He wore a black shendyt like the old Egyptians in the movies. His skin was white, like he had never seen the sun before. His body was slim and not very muscular, which would lead to a mage or light warrior class. On the contrary, those couldn¡¯t just smash through a ship like it was made out of paper without getting harmed.
He had a black spear in his hand and a black crown on his head that looked like something Sauron would wear, with five large black spikes reaching up. In one of the spikes was a black crystal embedded, which hummed with a terrifying amount of power.
Then there was the disgusting, powerful aura the man radiated, which awakened the urge to just run from that man. It was not just the strong aura; there was a presence in it that was pushing against his mind, making him shiver in fear.
Time reversed to normal as both halves of the ship were falling to the ground; thankfully, they had all been in the front half. This would make it easier for Kaldrek to protect the others, but he had a feeling that he had no chance against that man. The others screamed loudly in surprise and fear, holding on to the falling boat while Kaldrek and the man started their fight.
Kaldrek summoned his armor and drew his sword to block the black lightning the man shot at him. The power of the skill was immense, and he crashed into the others as he was thrown back after slicing at it with his sword.
Before he could do something else, the man was in front of him, piercing his sword arm with his spear and grabbing him with his other hand by the throat. Kaldrek watched how the boat with the others crashed into the ground below him while fear was seeping into his body from the man''s hand to a point where he couldn''t move at all.
Sachiko had summoned plants around them to shield them from the impact as the boat smashed into the ground.
"Who was that man?" Sachiko shouted in fright.
"We need to run; there is no way we can fight him," Hanako said, wide-eyed.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author."Maybe Kaldrek is strong enough to defeat that guy; he was one of Kael''s best fighters," Maike said in a low voice.
At that moment, a body slammed into the ground in front of them. It was Kaldrek, he didn''t look badly injured.
"Come on, Kaldrek, we need to run!" Sachiko said while running over to him.
Then they saw his eyes. They were wide with fear. He lay on the ground, his whole body shivering, unable to move.
"Greetings, my new friends; we will have a lot of fun together," the man who destroyed their boat said in a hissing voice, now floating ten meters above Kaldrek.
Maike wanted to answer something as black smoke shot out of the man''s hand, hitting all of them.
The smoke entered their minds, rendering them all unable to move.
Maike couldn''t move while the man carried her. Her whole body was stiff as a board. She wanted to move, to scream at the man, but it was like the signals her brain sent never arrived in her limbs.
They arrived in a clearing where a giant black pillar was rising twelve meters into the sky. Her eyes widened as she realized that people were stuck in that pillar. Over forty people were trapped in the pillar; only their heads and sometimes their shoulders were outside of the massive structure. All age groups were represented, as she also spotted a few children trapped in the massive pillar.
All of them looked on in fear as the man came closer and pushed her body into the pillar, with only her head sticking out. The pillar gave way like water, but the moment his hands stopped touching her, everything became solid again, and she was stuck.
The fear not only mounted; it was like all their minds were connected in an endless spiral of fear. She helplessly watched as the man carried all her comrades over and pushed them into the pillar one by one.
"That was a very rude interruption. I was in the middle of my cultivation session," the man hissed after putting the last of her party members into the pillar with only their heads outside.
Maike felt the fear of all the others trapped in the pillar spike to new heights. She had to watch, unable to do anything, as the man shot black lightning at the pillar, and they all started to scream in pain and agony.
<--
Thalion had had enough of all the soul cultivation he had spent so long on and was almost finished with his human body at that moment. That meant he had integrated multiple spirit veins, which made his soul hum with power.
At that moment, he was four kilometers in the air, eagerly flying to the black spot in the forest he had spotted before landing. Time to do one of his favorite things: snacking on plants. The spot didn''t look too big, and he probably would be finished in a few hours, but everyone needs to take some time off. Something was off with this place as he came closer.
It felt like this part of the forest was haunted. How interesting! Time to check it out, he thought, as he dove down, landing in a clearing. He could feel it now; it was like a presence in the air that tried to burrow into his mind. Good thing he had worked so hard on his soul.
He pushed his senses out and felt many people a hundred meters in front of him. One of those had incredibly powerful blood, or sinister blood would be more accurate, while the others were very weak.
"Holy shit! What the fuck is going on here?!" he thought after coming closer. A man was sitting in front of a dark pillar where many humans were captured, all in pain with wide eyes.
The man''s eyes shot open as he must have noticed Thalion''s approach. The next moment, he moved with incredible speed, and the fight began.
Thalion''s sword appeared in his hand, and he deflected the blow of the black spear. When he looked into the man''s eyes, he felt a presence pushing against his soul. With every exchange, the pressure mounted, and with a thrum, the sanguine thorn awoke, completely ripping apart the influence of the other guy. The man was very fast and a skilled fighter.
Thalion was fighting hard against the man, but he was slowly losing ground. He used a mana wave to push the man back and shot a blood thorn at him. The man, sadly, completely blocked the mana wave with a swing of his spear and dodged the blood thorn with a quick step to the side. Black lightning shot out of the man''s hand, but Thalion easily blocked it with his sword while a sanguine vine shot out of his left arm with incredible speed.
<--
Kaldrek watched as the fight unfolded. He had never seen anyone move so fast. The red sword and the spear moved with speed almost too fast for the eye, and both bodies were radiating power.
After minutes of fighting, the man got hit by one of Thalion''s attacks, but the wound closed itself within seconds.
He saw how Thalion, in response, unleashed a powerful mana wave, throwing the guy back, and then he transformed. Kaldrek had heard stories about the umbral predator, but nothing came close to the creature that stood in the clearing. Darkness was gathering around the creature, and the light dimmed in its monstrous presence. With incredible speed, it charged at the man, who shot black mist at the beast.
Black tendrils made of darkness shot out from the Umbral Predator and ripped the skill apart. The next exchanges were fast, and even when the man got badly injured, he recovered in seconds. The Umbral Predator was no different, as its wounds also closed very quickly. The fight grew more intense by the second as the umbral predator applied pressure on the man with fast and powerful attacks.
Then the man managed to hit the Umbral Predator with lightning, driving it back a few feet, but before it could react, the man pushed his spear into the belly of the beast. The umbral predator didn''t seem to notice the spear stuck in its body as it grabbed the shoulders of the man and ripped him in two.
The man screamed in pain, but Kaldrek saw how the half of the body that still had a head was wriggling and started to heal fast. How was something like that possible? The umbral predator clearly noticed that too, and with multiple swipes of his claws, ripped the body into pieces. It even continued to regenerate for a few minutes while the umbral predator continued to annihilate the body of the man. Then it was over.
"What was that guy?" Thalion wondered after he got a kill notification.
You have killed Human Level 57
He pulled the black spear from his body and transformed back into his human form. Thalion couldn''t wait any longer to turn back. The umbral predator couldn''t fight back against the mental attacks of that man since the sanguine vine couldn''t support him in this form. He lay down for a few minutes after drinking a healing potion.
This was by far the strongest enemy he had ever faced. Something was terribly wrong with that dude. What class did he have to gain such power? It had to be above mythic, at least, since his class, the sanguine archon, was not that strong, and he could only keep fighting because of the assistance of the sanguine thorn
Chapter 87: New Plans
Thalion put the spear and the crown in his spatial ring. The crown was a mythic item and still radiated power and a bit of that mental pressure. When he checked the spatial ring of the guy, he found something very interesting.
Scroll of Otherworldly Summoning
This ancient scroll is inscribed with runes and symbols from a forgotten dimension, radiating an eerie, otherworldly energy. When activated, the scroll opens a temporary rift between realms, allowing the summoner to call forth an Outsider¡ªa being from a different plane of existence.
Was this Outsider something like a demon and had it possessed the man? That would at least explain where his power came from. The combination of strength, speed, spells, recovery, and the mental attacks couldn''t be achieved in such a short time. Aside from that, he found nothing interesting in the spatial ring and turned to the black pillar with all the people in it.
"So, how do I get you out of there?" Thalion thought while walking closer.
It seemed they still couldn''t answer, as most were shivering. Well, time to try something out. He grabbed the head of one of the people at his height and pulled. Yeah, this doesn''t work, he thought as the woman didn''t move at all. By accident, he touched the pillar and felt a pull on his mind, as all the others who were trapped did.
"Okay, so that''s how it goes," Thalion murmured as he pushed against it, and all the people dropped out of the pillar, landing hard on the ground.
"Thank you, man," she said after slowly standing up.
"No problem. Hey, don''t I know you from somewhere?" Thalion asked. Was that not the guy who got eaten by the scorpion?
"Yes, you saved us a few days ago from the scorpions and spiders," the man breathed out in pain.
Okay, so it was them. Loudly, he asked, "So do you have an orientation problem? Kael''s base is the exact other way."
"No, they traveled with me to find you," Maike said, slowly getting back on her feet.
"Wait, you are the woman to whom I gave my token. Why would you even want to find me?" Thalion asked, now puzzled. What was going on here?
"I wanted to see if what Kael said was the truth," Maike said, still in pain. "He had sent scouts after you and put a bounty on your head."
"That was to be expected," Thalion said, deep in thought. "What did he say about me?"
"They are saying that you have sided with the undead," Kaldrek said after stepping around the pillar.
"And that you have killed some hunters at the gates," Maike added. "All the guards stationed there proclaimed that it was true."
"That was to be expected," Thalion said. What would he do now? He really wanted to know more about those outsiders.
"Wait, that is all?" Maike exclaimed. "You have nothing to say about it?"
"There is not much to say. Sylas wants my amulet, Kael wants an item in my body, and Zyra wants the rest of my body for experiments. Ah, and they wanted to give the other shapeshifters in the base the form of the umbral predator," Thalion explained. "It most likely has something to do with their patrons."
"Wait, so it''s just greed?" Kaldrek said in surprise.
"Why are you not coming back and killing them, like you did with the shapeshifters?" Maike asked, interested.
"I am not strong enough," Thalion shrugged, "and we can''t afford to lose so many strong fighters before the clash with the undead."
"How are you such a low level and why are you so strong?" Kaldrek exclaimed after identfying him.
"Well, mostly through body tempering," Thalion said, ignoring the first part.
"Anyway, what was with that man?" Kaldrek asked, still shivering.
"I have no idea," Thalion lied. He would keep the scroll a secret.
"Thank you for saving me and my family," Hioshi said with a bow.
"You''re welcome," Thalion answered, not really carrying.
So how many credits do I need to buy something like that scroll? As far as he understood, it was some kind of portal where an outsider would step through, but it didn''t look like there was much space in the circle.
"What will happen now? Do we have to walk back?" Maike asked in fear.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"To walk where? What are you people talking about?" one of the other people Thalion had freed spoke up.
"I triggered a signal. They are on the way to us," Kaldrek said holding his right arm.
"Who is on the way? Hey, stop ignoring us!" The man interjected again with anger.
"Don''t worry. We will take care of you," Sachiko said with confidence.
"You know, maybe you can''t go back now, but in one week every strong fighter will be gone," Kaldrek said while activating a sound barrier around them.
"Oh, and we can talk with many guards to secretly not move on to the next stage," Maike happily timed in.
"Wow, wow, calm down! I am not planning on making my own base," Thalion said. "I need to hunt and gather materials. I am way too busy to organize anything."
"You don''t have to. We just need you to scare off the crazy people, like that man," Kaldrek said with confidence.
"Hm, okay, fine, I can come by in a week, but I won''t be there all the time or invest too much into it," Thalion said after a while, mostly because of one reason.
"Can you tell Lucan that I have acquired two very interesting items he would very much like to see," Thalion said with a grin. That spear would make the old man go crazy.
"The smith? Sure, I can do that," Kaldrek said puzzled.
"On another note, why are you so keen on betraying Kael?" Thalion asked suspiciously.
"I don''t want to follow someone who betrays friends like that. Why shouldn''t he just do the same to me as he did to you?" Kaldrek said angrily.
"That''s a good argument," Thalion had to agree. "Be careful; if they find out, they will kill you."
"Evelyn, Kargul, and Jakob were not part of the plot against me," Thalion continued. "Oh, but the alchemist Zyra was."
"I will only speak to very few people, and that only close to the arrival of the system shop," Kaldrek nodded. "Many will stay behind because of their low levels anyway."
"Fine, I will try to be there after the system shop," Thalion said, deep in thought. "That should be close enough."
"That''s perfect," Kaldrek said with excitement.
"We will also help," Sachiko said, with the others nodding.
"Good, then see you in a few days," Thalion said while moving over to the black pillar.
He had tried before to put it in his spatial ring, but maybe it would work with the rune Zyra had made for him to transport the wind crystals. Thalion attached the piece of leather where the rune was engraved to the tall pillar. The next moment, it was in his spatial ring. This was just perfect. He wondered what Lucan would say when he saw the black pillar.
"When they pick you up, don''t tell them a story where I was the savior," Thalion said before he transformed into eagly and shot into the sky.
"Okay, what story do we make up?" Kaldrek asked the small group.
"How about we say that we defeated the man who held those prisoners hostage?" Hanako tried.
"Nah, that will never work. How about we say he held the prisoners hostage and then ran from us?" Hioshi interjected.
"No, the others were all held hostage by the man," Maike said and they definitely won''t forget him.
"What about if Thalion had defeated the man but was in turn badly injured and ran when we found him here?" Maike said deep in thought.
"This could actually work, but remember, no word to anyone until the system shop," Kaldrek reminded them, while looking upward. This was getting very dangerous.
<--
"I want every single crystal," Zyra said, with greed shining in her eyes.
"They have been busy collecting the crystals and defeating the beast that guarded them for the last few hours."
"We can''t go faster; when the strong ones above us get interested, we are done for," Kael said while killing a two-meter-long frog with wings on its back.
Kai and Sylas were out, fighting for crystals, while the rest stayed on the ships. Sylas could fly and had no trouble killing the birds. Kai, on the other hand, was doing multiple air jumps with one of his movement skills and chased down the birds. This took him way longer because if those birds were good at anything, it was being annoying and fast.
They had three fifty-meter-long battle ships with multiple magic circles on board, which empowered any skill of the fighter using it. Currently, there were over eighty men on board, killing every beast that dared to come too close.
"Kael, we got a message from a scout team; they have found Thalion," Lyara the pyromancer reported after walking up to him.
"What? Where?" Kael exclaimed; he had never expected that they would find him this fast.
"From our current position, it would probably take ten hours of travel," Lyara said.
"Call the others back; we are leaving right now," Kael shouted.
"What about the other two ships? They could get overrun if one of the bigger swarms attacks them," Lyara exclaimed.
Kael pulled out one of his many tokens and sent a telepathic message to his friends: "Kael, Kai, Sylas, come back. We have found Thalion''s location and will travel there with one of the smaller boats while the others continue to harvest those crystals."
A few minutes later, they both were back on the ship, and Kael took out one of the smaller and faster ships he had bought for himself.
"Farm as many crystals as you can; we will be back tomorrow evening at the latest," Kael said to Lyara as he and the others jumped on board.
"Okay, we will do our best. Good hunt!" Lyara waved as they shot away with incredible speed in the direction of the signal.
<--
Cathrin exited her magic circle. She had spent the last three weeks using her blood curse on every beast she could find. That''s why she needed the magic circle. She had begun with a pack of wolves and directed them to new prey. The goal was not to defeat but to spread the blood curse. After days, she had hundreds of beasts with her blood curse roaming the wilds.
"Are you finished?" Lucius Valendris asked her.
The vampire was also working hard, turning as many beasts into bloodbeasts, as the vampire called them. They were more aggressive and simplified¡ªjust a stronger beast variant.
"Yes, I am ready to join the liches at the fifth stage," Cathrin said with a smile.
The price to get to the fifth stage was 150,000 credits, but it would be worth it. In the end, they only prepared this stage to slow the humans down. The real fight would happen in the fifth stage.
With all the curses, they had left many elite fighters with some cannon fodder. The elite fighters could always save themselves with the teleport to the fifth stage. It was important that they had warriors to command the mindless undead roaming the fourth stage.
"Good, then let''s go," Lucius said. "I will leave most vampires behind. They can use the blood of the humans for cultivation."
"Perfect! That will make it difficult for the living to progress," she said with a wide smile. "I wonder what the lich has planned for the fifth stage."
With that, they both disappeared from the fourth stage.
Chapter 88: The Chase
It had taken quite some time until help arrived to bring them back to the base. What Maike didn''t expect was that before they could all get on board, Kael, Kai, and Sylas arrived in an even smaller ship. The ship had a very luxurious design with golden runes all over it.
"Kaldrek, what has happened here?" Kael asked while landing on the ground before their feet.
"We found Thalion fighting and killing another survivor. We tried to get him, but he was too fast," Kaldrek stammered, "but he is injured, maybe you can catch up."
"Thank you, Kaldrek; you have done all right," Kael said in a warm tone. "How did you find him in the first place?"
"Uh, I found him with one of my tracking skills," Maike murmured while looking down.
"I can help you find him if you need a tracker," Maike said with a wide smile.
"No need. We found some of the shapeshifters on the way. He already found Thalion''s track," Kael said with a grin.
"Finally, we can end this. Tomorrow we will celebrate that the bastard is finally gone," Kael announced, even raising his arm in the air. Then he jumped up to the ship that was hovering thirty meters above the ground.
They all looked at each other. Kael was very strong, and with Kai and Sylas, it should be impossible for Thalion to survive. They watched as the golden ship disappeared into the sky with incredible speed.
"How far is he?" Kai asked one of the shapeshifters after they had traveled for half an hour.
"I can''t say for sure, but in an hour, we should be able to see him," the shapeshifter said with confidence.
"I''ve been waiting for a rematch for so long," Sylas said with a grin.
<--
Thalion had a lot of fun. It wouldn''t take long until he would arrive at the ocean. What place was better for mass murder, and there was no better form for this task than his nuclear weapon. He flew many circles to finally finish the last stage of his wind body tempering. Therefore, he summoned whirlwind after whirlwind.
Those had nothing to do with the skill he got when he first transformed into eagly. The power of the wind was strong enough to temper his body. He thought back on what had happened that day. He had defeated some crazy dude and now would help the other survivors create a new base. In conclusion, it had been a very good day.
The freedom he had up here in the sky felt amazing. The last weeks he was pretty stressed out, but since the fight with Sylas, he felt truly free. At the moment, he was doing what he liked the most, which was pursuing his dream of reaching immortality.
He wondered what he could find out about the scroll he had taken from the crazy man, or more likely, the possessed man. Did that guy infuse himself with a so-called outsider? How else would you get such a class? Most classes you got by your actions, which meant that the guy had tortured people early in the tutorial. Nonetheless, integrating such a being into his forms would make him very powerful.
Hopefully, it could even make up for the difference in level. He needed to hunt high-level beasts to get a notable amount of experience. He had no problems killing beasts around level sixty with his powerful attacks. The question was what would happen in a few weeks. Could he keep the pace?
At level 80, the E grade would start, and from there, every level would give a bit more than double the stats of an F-grade cultivator. Then life would get very difficult. Today was a very hard and close fight. If people of that power became common, he would be in trouble. At least he had his title that warned him of danger and in general, gave many advantages. So or so, the risks he had to take for leveling would skyrocket with time.
By the way, what was that feeling of doom behind him? Thalion looked back. At first, he saw nothing, but then he sighted a small golden ship coming at him with incredible speed and on it were Sylas, Kael, and Kai.
In response, Thalion activated feather glide and sped up. How had they found him here? He must have been gone for hours before they arrived at the place where he killed the crazy guy.
They were still coming closer, but he could already see the ocean in the distance. The planet the tutorial was held on must be much bigger than Earth, which allowed him to see further into the distance.
It would be some time until he could start swimming. Thalion was confident that as long as he could manage to dive into the ocean, he was safe. The question was, would he manage to arrive there with his head still on his body? It was time to speed up. He also activated Tempest Shroud, and he sped up even more. Now it was clear, with the shroud active, they must have spotted him. He could only hope that Kael was not in range with his bow.
"He is speeding up, can''t we go faster?" Kael shouted to the guard at the steering wheel.
"No, sir, this is the maximum," the guard answered while working on the sails.
"If we can only get a bit closer, I should be able to reach him with my wind form," Sylas said with anticipation.
"We could try to infuse the runes with mana," Kai said, looking at the golden runes that covered the ship, "but if we overload them too much, it might explode."
"Doesn''t matter. We need to catch Thalion and this is our only chance." Kael said while walking to the back of the ship.
"I can''t help you. I need all my mana for the fight," Sylas said with determination.
"That''s fine," Kael said. "Come on, Kai, let''s see how fast we can make the golden duck, which was the name of the ship."
"How are they this fast?" Thalion thought while flying at full speed. This would be more than close, but he still had his mist form in his human form; but then there was the risk that he had no mana as tidecaller serpent, which could also mean death.
So far, the body tempering, the title, and the little bit of soul cultivation he had done as eagly were enough to keep the mana loss at a minimum. He should easily be able to reach the ocean with most resources before they could catch up.
Or should he just trigger mistform when he was in range? When one of them had bought an item or learned a skill that interrupted his movement skill, he would be screwed. The only one that should be able to reach him should be Sylas, and as eagly, all wind and lightning skills were useless against him. If they kept their current speed, Sylas most likely would be in range before he could reach the safety of the water.
"Do we have a water mage here?" Kael shouted at the three guards.
"No, but maybe the shapeshifters, sir," one of the guards answered.
"Do you have a water form in case he reaches the ocean?" Kael shouted at the four shapeshifters while empowering the runes of the ship. So far, only one of them has been useful in tracking Thalion.
"Yes, sir; we all have one, but there might be a problem," one of the shapeshifters said, looking to the ground.
"What problem can there possibly be?" Kael shouted back.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
"We got our form in a lake. The saltwater could kill us," the man said with worry in his eyes.
"We all have superpowers since the tutorial. I don''t think that saltwater will have an effect on you," Kael answered, not really caring. He needed Thalion dead to transmute the sanguine thorn before binding it to him, which was so important. It was not his fault that Thalion had no potential at all.
"He is using another movement skill. I am going in, or he will reach the ocean," Sylas shouted from the front after an hour had passed.
Thalion was using skydive to get the last meters to the ocean. It wasn''t long until... and he felt how a powerful presence rushed by and materialized out of the wind; it was Sylas.
Sylas immediately started attacking him, and wind blades shot at him. The ocean was only a few hundred meters behind Sylas and a kilometer down. This was truly unlucky, and the wind blades held such power that he didn''t want to fly through. He turned to the side, dodging the blade, and transformed into his human form to use mistform. On seeing him turning human, Sylas raised his staff, which glowed in a deep green, and the next moment, the air started to cut like it had transformed into a razor blade.
"You gotta be kidding me," Thalion thought while transforming back to eagly. He would die the moment he used mistform in that environment. As eagly, he activated every single skill he had to drive Sylas back.
Sylas shouldn''t have that much mana left, and maybe a strong attack could lower his guard long enough for him to slip through. Sylas, sadly, cast an improved version of the windshield he had used the last time that radiated power and blocked all the lightning bolts coming at him with ease. Maybe another tactic was needed, he thought, and shot to the right and down to the ocean with wind and lightning skills active.
This should make it hard for Sylas to contain him. Thalion was right, and he just had to circle back a few times before diving down again because Sylas shot spell after spell at him. He was making great progress and was already close to the water. He just needed to get another four hundred meters down. Time was almost out. The sky ship with Kael and the others was almost here. Moments later, an arrow flew at him, and Thalion could only dodge it due to the danger sense he got from his title.
Shit, time was over, and Kai was already on the way, as were four other people who transformed into two wasps and two grasshoppers. So, they had brought the shapeshifter along to give them his form... awesome. He transformed back to his human form and unleashed multiple blood thorns in all directions before charging at Sylas. Sylas stepped back a bit, which gave Thalion the room he needed to dash down with telekinetic dash.
Then Kai was on him. He tried to deflect his swing and counter with a stab, but the man was too fast and too good. He spun to the side while almost cutting Thalion''s right arm off.
Another arrow flew at him, which he blocked with a mana barrier, but the arrow was too strong. It shattered the barrier and hit him hard in the shoulder, throwing him back.
He needed to do something to escape, or it was over. He tried to grab Kai with vines, but the man was too fast and cut the vines apart that came close. It gave Thalion the space he needed, and he unleashed an empowered Mana Wave and a red slash downward. Then he transformed into mistform and followed the red slash, which ripped through Sylas'' wind domain. The first meters went without issue, but then the sides of his mistform were heavily damaged by the wind. He deactivated the skill close over the surface.
His whole body was bloody, and most of his skin was ripped off. The pain was bad and Thalion transformed into the serpent and dove down as fast as he could. He saw how many skills hit the surface, but they didn''t manage to go further than a few meters underwater. This was bad, his wounds would attract sharks or other marine life.
At fifty meters deep, he transformed back to his human form and drew all the blood back into his body and started to heal his wounds with the blood provided by the sanguine thorn. It took him over 50 liters worth of blood to fully repair his body. Then he was back in his nuclear weapon... the tidecaller serpent.
"Fast! Go after him. He is badly injured!" Kael yelled at the shapeshifters who jumped into the water, transforming into four-meter-long pikes and dove down with incredible speed.
"How unlucky; if he had traveled anywhere else, we would have gotten him," Sylas exclaimed, frustrated.
"He is badly injured. It should be enough for the four shapeshifters to finish him off," Kai said calmly.
Ah, shit. Thalion thought as he saw how the four pikes were diving at him with incredible speed.
Pike Level 56
Pike Level 57
Pike Level 62
Pike Level 54
Thalion was confident he could handle those four with his nuclear weapon. Why not get some information out of them? And if they decided not to kill him... what stops them from lying to Kael and the others?
"Why are you attacking me?" Thalion said to the approaching fish.
"Cause you sided with the undead, of course," one of the fish answered in a matter of fact.
"Actually, I haven''t sided with any undead, or have you seen any in this stage I could join?"
Thalion asked the pike while keeping his distance. In fact, he was even faster than the fish, and with his health fully recovered, he didn''t fear the fish. His mana was already close to full again, so he should be fine.
"He got a point there," one of the other fish said after they had been silent for a while.
"Don''t be stupid; the moment you let down your guard, he will kill us like those hunters," the fish from before answered.
"That was Sylas, not me," Thalion answered a bit annoyed now.
"Kael said you would try something like that," the pike answered quickly.
"Okay, then another thing, to spike your brain activity. I am fully healed and all my resources are almost fully recovered. You are pikes, while I am a legendary creature," Thalion said, seriously. "What is up with you people? Do you even have a skill to attack me?"
"Well, Josh, you got ot admit, he has another point there," the fish from before said.
"Jack, keep quiet. I don''t believe that guy. He is a mindless killer," Josh spat at the other pike.
"On that note, I haven''t attacked or killed you yet," Thalion retorted. He was now hovering 200 meters underwater while the pikes were twenty meters above him.
"Josh, you got to admit... oh, shut up already," Josh interrupted the other fish.
"When you are so smart, why don''t you talk to him?" Josh continued, yelling at the other fish.
"Gladly. Hello, Thalion. I am Jack. How was your day so far?" Jack asked him in a very pleasant tone.
"Ahh, this is not really happening," Josh exclaimed while swimming in circles like he was in pain. The other two pikes shook their heads.
"Kael, can you see something?" Sylas eagerly asked.
They hovered with the boat directly over the water, and Kael was looking with one of his ranger skills at the fight that should unfold soon.
"They are too far down. I only see the pikes... oh no, one of them is moving like it was wounded," Kael said in concentration, "but I can''t see any blood or wounds."
"It could be a mental attack," Kai offered his assistance.
"Hello, Jack, I am Thalion, and my day was okay so far, I would say. How was your day?" Thalion asked while using all his self-control to hold a laughter back.
"Oh, you know, first I woke up, but then there was no food. This is a real downer in the tutorial. I know we don''t have to eat, but I do miss it. Then I met Dory. I said, ''Hi, what''s up, Dory? Nice hair. She had dyed her hair pink yesterday and loves when I complement her," Jack said in a very relaxed mood.
"AAAAAAHHHHH! You must be kidding me!" Josh screamed while thrashing in the water. The other pikes, although groaned and moved around.
"Oh no, it looks like all of them got hit by a strong mental attack. They are all in pain," Kael exclaimed worriedly. "How is this possible?"
"Seems you like that woman," Thalion commented with a grin.
"Oh yes, I like her so much, but she is always with other guys, never really noticing me," Jack said sadly.
"Okay, we gotta stop this right here," the pike to Jack''s right spoke in a female voice. "What are we doing next?"
"Well, we have multiple options where everyone lives, which would be preferable for everyone, I guess," Thalion shrugged, finding the situation very amusing.
"What will happen to us when we refuse Kael''s order? I don''t think he is the type who kills us, but I also don''t want to find out," the female pike said worriedly.
"This is Chloe; she is really smart," Jack happily introduced her.
"Shut up, Jack!" Every pike shouted in unison.
"I still think we should kill him," Josh said. "Look at his level. Even if he got a high variant, we are almost twenty levels above him."
"Either way, we should dive down a bit more. They are maybe listening," Thalion argued while seeing the ship close to the surface.
"That''s acceptable," Chloe said after a moment, and soon later they were two hundred meters deeper.
"They are diving down again," Kael reported. "God, they are giving everything for us."
"Can''t you send them a message?" Sylas asked loudly from behind. "We can''t lose such loyal followers."
"No, they are in their beast form. You need a special token or crystal for it to work."
"I trust them, especially Jack. He is a nice guy," Sylas said with confidence.
"I think we should abandon Kael and the others," Jack said. "I don''t trust them anymore, especially Sylas. I could swear that he is only playing the nice guy."
"Hmm, looks like you can read people even better than me. ?I never suspected anything," Thalion said with a sad smile as far as it was possible in his current form.
"AAHH! Not again! I can''t take this anymore," Josh exclaimed while swimming in circles.
"Concentrate, boys. What are our options here? Eddie, you haven''t said anything. What do you think?" Chloe said exhausted.
"I have no idea. That''s why I said nothing," Eddie shrugged, as good as a fish could.
"Ahh, why is it always so difficult with you? No, this beast is not good enough... better take that one... no, I would like to go there... ahh!" Chloe screamed swimming fast from side to side.
"Before you completely lose it, do you know that there are over eight giant squids behind you?" Thalion asked the confused group.
Chapter 89: New Friends?
Thalion had noticed them a moment ago but didn''t want to interrupt Chloe. They were a lot weaker than those in the depths. After all, they were just level 53. Three of the four shapeshifters shot through the water in panic after seeing the squids.
"Hey, guys, where are they? I can''t see them," Jack asked in confusion while turning around.
"Jack, you idiot, RUN! One is right behind you!" Chloe yelled from afar.
"Wait, what?!" Jack exclaimed as a giant squid appeared behind him, and one of the thinner and faster tentacles shot out to grab Jack. Jack tried to swim away, but it was too late. The tentacle reached him and grabbed his tail, and Jack was yanked back.
"No, Jack!" The other three screamed in fear.
They knew there was nothing they could do to save their friend. Thalion activated aqua lance and shot a condensed beam of water at the squid, ripping the tentacle and the squid into pieces. Squids are very good against most marine life, but against powerful water magic like his, they were just big targets. Their skin couldn''t protect them at all.
"Holy shit!" Eddie exclaimed in surprise after seeing how the squid got destroyed, while trying to evade the other squids, which tried to catch the escaping pikes.
Thalion was on the chase, and his slim, long body glided through the water with incredible speed. Another aqua lance and a waterslash later, all the squids were dead.
"Oh god, you are really strong enough to kill us," Josh said with fear in his eyes.
"Ah, damn it!" Kael screamed in anger, punching the railing.
"What happened?" Kai asked intersted.
"Not sure what, but there is blood everywhere in the water. They must have died," Kael said reluctantly. "Let''s return to the base, nothing we can do here."
"This might be a failure, but the skyships should return soon from the mountains with the crystal. Then our equipment will get significant upgrades," Kai said calmly.
"Although Thalion barely gained any level, he won''t be a threat in the tutorial¡ªjust a treasure chest we need to claim," Kai continued.
"You are right, time to leave," Kael said. A moment later, the ship rose into the air on the way back to their base.
"Hey, what were the options we have again?" Josh said in fright, looking at the powerful serpent gliding through the water thirty meters under him. Josh only now noticed the fins on the side, giving the long creature more speed and maneuverability.
"Well, I am quite safe here, so I don''t really care what you do, but I will kill you if you try something," Thalion said calmly.
"Why don''t we go back and tell them that you escaped?" Josh stammered, still afraid of the serpent. It was astonishing what rarity that serpent was. If a level 42 was this powerful?
"Uh, guys, I just checked the surface, and they are gone," Chloe said in confusion.
"What? They left us?" Josh exclaimed in fear. "Oh no!"
"Hey, look, guys, I¡¯m a giant squid!" Jack happily announced after switching his form.
"Look, look! The tentacles are going crazy!" Jack laughed while letting the tentacles go like a helicopter.
"Jack, it''s not time for that," Chloe interjected, annoyed.
"Oh, I am so dizzy right now, guys," Jack said while coming down.
"Guys, what are we doing right now?" Chloe asked in panic.
Thalion had enough. He needed to get to the deeper parts to hunt, or maybe...
"I have an idea of what we can do," Thalion said. "A few kilometers from here are reefs with pearls on them. You collect the pearls for me, and I keep the stronger beasts at bay."
"But you need to help us get better forms," Eddie said after a while of thinking, and all the other pikes nodded, which looked weird as fish, even weirder as giant squid.
"It will happen anyway; there is a lot of life around the reefs," Thalion explained. He didn''t really know where the reefs were, but it couldn''t take too long until they found the giant reef they passed by last time.
<--
"What item do you think Thalion got for me?" Lucan asked eagerly.
"I don''t know, but he put the pillar we were stuck, in his spatial ring, so maybe that," Maike said deep in thought.
"I am not really a builder, but it would be very interesting to see," Lucan nodded with a smile.
"So what will you do?" Kaldrek asked the smith.
"Stay, of course," Lucan answered instantly. "I am not needed in the next stage anyway."
"I heard Kael said that everyone strong enough needed to come, and you are one of the best smiths," Kaldrek commented with suspicion.
"Well, I must have overheard that. I am already old," Lucan said with a wide grin.
"Hey, Lucan, do you have my new ring ready?" Sylas said after entering the smithy.
"Oh, hello, you two. What are you doing here?" Sylas asked Maike and Kaldrek in surprise.
"Just a paid visit to their friend," Lucan explained. "You need to come by tomorrow. There were complications with the crystal, and it will take a lot longer to make such a strong item."
"Okay, you are the best," Sylas said with a wide smile. "How strong do you think it could get?"
"I am confident that it will be around exalted or ancient rarity," Lucan answered after a short pause.
"That''s awesome! Thank you so much!" Sylas exclaimed, happy. "Good day; see you tomorrow."
"Uff, that was close," Maike said after Sylas was gone.
"What ring are you making for Sylas?" Kaldrek asked Lucan.
"None so far," Lucan answered disgusted. "They are trying to kill my friend. No wonder he had worked day and night in the smithy to finish his sword."
"Wait, that red sword? He built that by himself." Kaldrek exclaimed in shock.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"You have seen the finished product. Tell me, how did it look like?" Lucan asked, interested. "I know that he had used my formation for something."
"The color of the blade was black-red with crimson red runes on it. They almost looked like veins," Kaldrek said.
"Marvelous! I wonder how he did it," Lucan murmured. "Say, what rarity is the sword?"
"If I had to guess, I would say it''s around ancient or legendary¡ªdefinitely powerful," Kaldrek said with confidence.
"Amazing! I can''t wait for him to come back," Lucan said excitedly.
"Remember, no word about this to anyone, okay?" Kaldrek reminded the two.
"Yes, of course. I will say nothing. The other smiths don''t like me anyway," Lucan nodded.
"Hey, Jeff, how long are those three talking?" Sylas asked the smith on the other side of Lucan''s shop.
"I don''t know, but it must be a while," Jeff said with a shrug.
"Interesting. Are they visiting Lucan often?" Sylas asked inocently.
"No, I have never seen them in this area before," Jeff reported, a bit more seriously. "Well, I saw Kaldrek, of course, but he let other smiths handle his stuff. I think the name was Lucas, who has his shop at the end of the street."
"Thank you. It was so nice talking to you. Oh, one last question. How much time would it take to build a ring at ancient or legendary rarity?" Sylas asked is his final question.
"Depends, maybe a few days. If I got access to the formation, it would be even faster," Jeff said with confidence.
"That''s pretty fast; are you sure?" Sylas continued now, very interested.
"Yes, I am. Lucan should be even faster, only a few are as good as him," Jeff sighed, making clear that he was not in that category.
"You must be very talented. What else do you know about Lucan?" Sylas continued his questioning.
"Not much, he is almost working all the time. He helped me from time to time, but that''s it," Jeff shrugged. "Oh, Thalion was always in his smithy before the attack."
"What! Thalion was here every day." Sylas exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, they were close friends," Jeff shrugged, still not really caring.
"Okay, thank you again. You have helped me a lot," Sylas said. "I will talk with Kael to give you more rare materials. We all want to bring as many people through the tutorial as possible, and that''s why we invest in talents like you."
"Oh, thank you. I will not let you down," Jeff promised while Sylas was leaving his shop.
This Thalion must be very evil if such a nice guy like Sylas is worried. What is he doing right now? Jeff thought as he picked up the hammer and continued to his work.
<--
"Ahhh, I hate these damn crabs," Jack screamed in a high-pitched voice. "They are everywhere!"
"Jack, what are you doing? Squids normally hunt crabs," Eddie interjected.
"Yeah, but I am always messing it up with the arms, and those pincers hurt," Jack retorted annoyed.
Most pearls were guarded by some beasts on the reef. They were mostly crabs or coral golems.
Jack was hyped and had grabbed four crabs, level 43, at the same time, but then moved with the wrong arms, which led to the crabs slowly cutting his tentacles off. But he couldn''t let them go after the pain he had gone through and always grabbed them again before they landed on the reef, and the game began anew.
"Thalion, what are you doing? I thought you would help us," Josh yelled at him.
"Against the strong beasts, not against some crabs," Thalion said, annoyed. He was currently working on his soul cultivation. He had the same spirit body in all his forms, but he made it for his human form, which led to a twisted spirit body in his beast forms. To counter this, he had to rearrange his spirit body, which thankfully was not that much work if those four dummies wouldn''t yell at him every few minutes.
"Thalion, I can''t kill the coral golem alone," Chloe shouted while the golem was shooting parts of its body after her.
"Fine, but then I want my peace," Thalion retorted after diving down to help them.
He had hovered a hundred meters above the reef to have a good oversight. A few aqua lances and water slashes later, and the crabs and golems were dead, and he was back on his spot.
He could already feel the effect of aligning his spirit body with his real body. The energies in his body moved a lot faster now. He watched in amusement how they struggled to get the pearls. Eddie, in the form of a coral golem, got superman punched in the face by another golem while Jack was still struggling with the crabs, which were happily eating his tentacles.
Chloe had also turned into a coral golem and was currently stuck in a gap between two corals and was desperately trying to get out. Josh was sitting a bit above her as a crab, laughing at her attempts. Now, with his spirit body aligned, it was time to start with the body tempering manual he had bought from the system shop.
The first layer was very identical to the wind body tempering for eagly. The first stage was all about strengthening the body¡¯s resonance with water. This meant to feel the subtle vibration in the water and prepare the body for a deeper connection.
Meditation time: he sank deep into his body and tried to connect to the natural mana around him.
"Don''t stand up there looking, you dumb crab, and help me out," Chloe hissed at the crab that was dancing in amusement.
"Sorry, I can''t hear you. This form has no ears. Anyway, I think you need to pull a bit more with your right arm," Josh laughed loudly.
"Ahh, when I get out of here, you better hope that the freaking crab is faster than my coral golem," Chloe ranted.
Then a large tentacle appeared above Josh, and a sucker stuck to the back of his shell and pulled him in.
"What the heck! Jack, what are you doing?" Josh screamed in panic.
"Oh, sorry, I didn''t see you there, Josh," Jack shrugged. "I''m really busy killing all those crabs."
"Stop pulling me in!" Josh screamed.
"Sorry, man, I can''t see you. It''s the position of the eyes. I can only feel," Jack retorted. "Ouch, man, those pincers hurt. Take that crab!"
One crab got sucked in, and the giant beak of the squid bit the crab in half and started to eat the inside.
"Are you crazy? That could have been me!" Josh screamed, now in panic for real.
"Ah yes, totally forgot about that," Jack said unbothered. "Okay, what about now? Did something change?"
"No, what did you do differently?" Josh asked confused.
"I let one go," Jack answerd camly.
"Okay, let''s try a different approach," Jack continued. "Do you still get pulled in?"
"Yes, nothing has changed," Josh said with worry.
"Okay, that was to be expected since I started to pull everyone in at the same time," Jack murmured deep in thought.
"Oh no, I don''t want to get eaten!" Josh exclaimed, exhausted. "Do your suckers have thorns on them?"
"Oh yes, I can hold my prey better with those," Jack explained happily. "I have managed before to completely cut through the shell of a crab, at least from the feeling of it; still can''t see anything."
"Yes, I can feel that. Let me go immediately!" Josh screamed in rage.
"I am sorry, but I don''t know which crab you are," Jack replied.
"How about the only crab not cutting your tentacle?" Josh complained.
"Hmm, yeah, I got over ten crabs in here, and those over thirty-meter-long tentacles have so many nerves my brain is overloaded," Jack responded. "I am sorry, Josh, but you have to wait for a bit until this problem is solved."
"Okay, that''s it! I am cutting myself free now!" Jack yelled in frustration.
"Ouch! Hey, stop it, that hurts!" Josh replied while throwing his tentacles around.
"Feel the water, every single vibration," Thalion told himself to sink into a deeper meditation.
"Help! This crazy guy is going to eat me!" Josh yelled at him.
"This is all a big misunderstanding. I am just killing those crabs," Jack yelled back. "Stop being so unprofessional."
"I am a crab! I am a crab, you idiot!" Josh yelled back.
"I feel like you are not listening to what I am saying," Jack said and then continued very slowly, like he was talking to a child, "I can''t see you."
Thalion had managed, even with all the distractions, to sink into a deep meditation and even make some progress as he felt a cold shiver running down his back.
He turned around to look for the danger and saw three people in blue robes swimming in their direction.
"Hey, you four, hide! Blue robes are coming!" Thalion screamed at the four shapeshifters.
"I am stuck in here and can''t get out!" Chloe screamed in panic.
"I am also stuck here against my will!" Josh screamed.
"It was an accident," Jack retorted, "and I can camouflage us. They will see nothing."
"I am already hidden," Eddie said out of a small coral tunnel.
Thalion shot down and circled in the darker waters, a hundred meters away from the reef. He should be very hard to spot with his passive skill, camouflage of the depths. He watched a panicking squid trying to change color. They wouldn''t make it.
"Why are we not invisible, Jack?" Josh yelled in panic.
"Stop pinching me. I can''t concentrate like this!" Jack yelled back.
"A speaking squid? That is something new," the lady in the blue robe said.
In her right hand was a blue staff with a snakehead. She was Nerissa Serwyn.
"I am sorry, lady. I have a crab problem at the moment," Jack said, worried.
"Help! I am stuck in here!" Josh yelled from a ball of tentacles near the mouth.
"Who is stuck in there?" Nerissa laughed, her two comrades joining in.
"I am Josh, please help! I don''t want to die!" Josh desperately yelled.
"I never planned on killing him. It was all an accident," Jack yelled back.
Nerissa summoned an ice blade and cut two tentacles off, and a happy free crab slowly drifted down to the reef.
"Yes! Finally, I am free!" Josh yelled, relieved.
"So you are a talking crab?" Nerissa laughed even louder than before.
"Only for the moment. Normally, I am a human," Josh said with fear when he saw her cold eyes staring down at him.
Chapter 90: The Glorious Hunt
"What do you think, Eve¡ªto the left or right?" Kargul asked.
They had hunted for over a day now and made great progress, with both close to level 70. Vorlok was also close to level 70, and additionally, it had grown a few meters.
The turtle was now over five meters long, and its head was larger as well. It had devoured multiple tons of flesh, but its appetite was just growing with every level.
"I think we should go to the left," Evelyn said after a while. "There are hoofprints on the bark over there, maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and find something big."
At the mention of something big, Vorlok¡¯s head shot up and scanned the area. A moment later, they were on the hunt again. They were so far from Kael''s base that they would need to turn around soon to get back before the system shop.
Traveling the distance was totally worth it. Not many were hunting in these areas, which allowed the beasts to grow much stronger.
They had fought a bullfrog, level 71, yesterday in a swamp area, but Vorlok and Kargul didn''t like the swamp, so they left. Kargul could make great progress in his body-tempering and was now twenty centimeters taller and had built a lot of muscle.
He had also gained a boosting skill that made him faster and stronger. In return, he had to burn additional stamina, but the trait was definitely worth it. Eve also got some new evasive skills and upgraded her illusion and healing skills to exalted.
Vorlok, on the contrary, still hadn''t gained any skills so far¡ªmaybe because he had grown so much? Evelyn thought while sitting on the back of the flying turtle. It was so relaxing traveling like that; you didn''t have to watch out for surprise attacks since no beast would dare to attack the crazy skyturtle.
The aura of Kargul and Vorlok told a story of slaughter and death, and both didn''t care at all to hide it. Actually, Eve didn''t even know if they knew what an aura even was.
That was a topic for another day. She loved hunting with them, and as a healer, she didn''t even have to do much since both of them rarely got injured, but she still got the full experience.
At that moment, she heard Vorlok sniffing deeply. A sign that the turtle had found something and would pursue it with all its speed. That turtle really was a bit like Kung Fu Panda¡ªnothing special until food got involved.
"Oh, you found something good?" Kargul asked with anticipation.
The turtle started to sniff more and more, which was a sign for Evelyn that the rollercoaster was about to begin. The next moment, a terrifying amount of mana was channeled into the ground under their feet, and vines started to grow, catching the flying turtle, which was not fast enough to escape, and trapping Kargul in an embrace.
Only Evelyn managed, with one of her movement skills, to hop onto a tree branch. She had a lot of practice in that move since sometimes the turtle dive-bombed into the ground after seeing a shadow move and mistaking it for prey.
"Look what we have here," an orc said with a wide grin after stepping around a tree.
More and more orcs came forward. Two female orcs looked like they were shamans and most likely had cast the spell that kept Kargul and Vorlok trapped.
None of the over fifty orcs noticed Evelyn, who hid behind an illusion and watched as the orcs approached. Vorlok dealt with the situation in his own way, as he was eating the vines eagerly.
"What is that ugly creature?" the orc who had spoken laughed. "Since when do we keep our food around like that?"
"This is my pet, Vorlok the Worldshatterer," Kargul announced proudly.
"Haha, you must have lost your mind," the orc laughed. "Not that it matters anymore¡ªyou¡¯ll be dead soon."
With that, he pulled a giant hammer out of his spatial ring and started to approach Kargul.
"You dare to mock Vorlok the Worldshatterer?" Kargul screamed in anger, and Vorlok also noticed that something was amiss. The eyes of the turtle narrowed as Evelyn had seen so many times. Vorlok was going to eat every last orc. Before she could finish her thought, the turtle began biting the vines apart.
"Kill the creature first, or it will free itself!" one of the shamans screamed.
"No one can contain Vorlok the Worldshatterer!" Kargul roared, and his muscles bulged.
The vines around him started to rip one by one. Evelyn took her chance and summoned a mana barrier in front of the female orcs, who also stood on a tree branch not so far from her. Evelyn pushed the barrier into the orcs, who failed to muster a defense and got hit right in the face.
"That was a mistake, girl," one of the shamans hissed, pointing a finger at her.
A wooden serpent emerged out of the tree and flew at Evelyn with incredible speed, but it was worth it as she heard the last vines rip. Vorlok and Kargul were free.
"Vorlok, the flesh of those is very soft," Evelyn shouted while pointing at the two women.
"What?" the female orc exclaimed, but it was already too late.
It almost seemed like Vorlok had teleported as a giant maw opened before the female orc. Two gulps later and a twist with his beak-like turtle mouth, and the female orc was gone.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"No! What have you done?" the orc shouted with anger and shock.
"Quiet. First smash, then talk," Kargul said coldly while taking out his mace.
His body burned with power as he blurred forward, swinging his mace at the now far weaker orc. The other orc tried to dodge but completely failed.
His body sank to the ground, completely destroyed. Kargul continued to kill orc after orc until one orc threw his weapon away and pleaded for mercy.
"Please, just keep my sister alive," the orc pleaded while pointing upward to the remaining shaman.
His eyes grew wide in shock as he saw that his sister was already half-swallowed by Vorlok, with only her shoulders and head sticking out. Blood was dripping from her mouth as she said, "Help, please help."
She couldn''t say anything more as Vorlok gulped her down and, satisfied, licked his beak.
"NO, make the beast spit her out!" the orc screamed in anger and desperation.
"Hey, dumbhead, you tried to kill us. That means you get smashed or eaten," Evelyn shouted from the branch she was standing on. The orc didn''t have time to say anything as Vorlok dive-bombed down, landing with his open mouth on an orc archer and starting to swallow the orc alive.
The orcs, who had stopped fighting for a short moment while the young orc tried to bargain for his sister''s life, all attacked. Kargul rushed forward again and started smashing. His skin was so hard that most weapons didn''t leave deep wounds, and even those were healed instantly by Eve.
Vorlok was also like a flying fortress, as every attack on his shell bounced off harmlessly. His mouth would snap forward, biting the orcs. When I say biting the orcs, it was more like biting most of the orc off.
The orcs very soon understood that they couldn''t win, and some exited the third stage by paying 50,000 credits. The others ran, but Vorlok wouldn''t let his meal escape and was relentless in hunting every single one down. When it came to food, the turtle had no problem counting every single enemy and hunting them all down.
Evelyn tried to hide one of the younger beasts in the pack during a hunt yesterday, but it was no use against that turtle. The orcs experienced exactly that as they tried to escape in different directions, but they had no skills to defend against an over-three-ton sky turtle dive-bombing onto them. Have you ever seen an eagle hunt?
When they find their prey, say, a rabbit, they dive down, and when they''re right over the rabbit and it looks like they''ll crash into the ground, they open their wings and their claws shoot forward, grabbing the prey.
With Vorlok, it was almost the same, with the difference that Vorlok didn''t open his wings but just slammed into the ground with an open mouth, with the prey under him.
With his size and weight, he left big craters after every attack. It took the turtle two hours to hunt down every last orc, and he happily landed on the battlefield where Evelyn and Kargul waited. Seeing the smashed corpses, Vorlok flew over happily, devouring every single one.
"I wonder where all the flesh is going," Evelyn muttered in amusement.
"In his belly, of course," Kargul explained while nodding.
"Those weaklings were not enough. I want more," Kargul announced after standing up.
Vorlok definitely agreed, as he was still hungry and flew over to Evelyn, nudging her leg with his beak.
"Okay, okay, let''s go," Evelyn relented and jumped on the back of the turtle, who took off.
She wanted to do some body-tempering and soul cultivation, which was impossible on the back of the turtle. Not that it wasn''t relaxing to be transported by the turtle¡ªit was more about the turtle recklessly dive-bombing the moment it saw movement in the jungle.
To be in deep meditation when the turtle crashed into the ground would definitely not be a good idea. One thing Evelyn really didn''t like about Vorlok was that he hunted down everything, no matter the age or size. Evelyn had to watch multiple times as the turtle swallowed newborn beasts or tiny cute hamsters. Vorlok started sniffing again, turning his head quickly from side to side.
"Ah, you¡¯ve found something again," Kargul said eagerly. Vorlok nodded, his excitement clear as he looked around and soon began to slowly fly forward, sniffing repeatedly.
"Oh, I can¡¯t wait to fight again. The last ones were so weak," Kargul said, trying to spot the prey before the turtle could.
<--
"What do you mean, you¡¯re normally a human?" Nerissa asked, intrigued as she watched the wiggling crab slowly sinking toward the reef.
"Well, I¡¯m a shapeshifter, and today I decided to be a crab," Josh said nervously.
"So, I guess the squid is also a shapeshifter?" Nerissa asked, her eyes narrowing.
"That''s right, powerful lady, but I¡¯m stronger," Jack replied proudly, oblivious to the danger.
"No, you are not," Josh replied angrily.
"Ah, and who was stuck in my tentacles and couldn¡¯t get out just moments ago?" Jack argued, amused.
"It¡¯s just this form. In any other form, I¡¯m stronger!" Josh yelled in defiance.
"Oh, so it¡¯s my fault that you chose to become a crab?" Jack laughed. "Is there even a weaker form?"
"Yes! Why did you choose to become a crab? Wouldn¡¯t it be best to take the strongest form possible?" Nerissa asked, clearly interested.
"Well, I just thought...it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad choice at the moment," Josh mumbled, embarrassed.
"Anyway, you swim over here. You two, follow me," Nerissa said coldly.
"Of course, powerful lady," Jack replied happily, slowly drifting in her direction. Josh tried to swim toward her, but only made small progress with his paddle-like hind legs.
"What are you doing?" Nerissa asked, noticing Jack had started to spin.
"It¡¯s not easy to swim with such a big body," Jack complained. "I need to blow and also position myself right. Then, there¡¯s the problem with the vision! I don¡¯t know who designed this big thing, but I really need some side mirrors."
"Alright, why is the crab taking so long?" Nerissa asked in annoyance.
"It¡¯s not my fault! These paddle legs are not the best for swimming, and if some giant squid wouldn¡¯t blow me away all the time, I would have already arrived!" Josh said, agitated, with a glare at the still-spinning giant squid.
"It doesn¡¯t matter. You are now my personal slaves and will take the forms I tell you to," Nerissa announced icily.
"What? A slave? Why?" Josh exclaimed in shock.
"Oh, Josh, why can¡¯t you just do what the powerful lady says?" Jack retorted. "Why is it always so difficult with you?"
"You will address me as Lady Nerissa Serwyn," Nerissa said coldly. "And now hurry up! I have better things to do than wait for you."
The squid was now spinning like a balloon with a hole in it, while the crab was also being blasted around.
"What are you doing now?" Nerissa said impatiently.
"I am trying to swim fast. It¡¯s just not working! This is exactly how the crab problem started!" Jack exclaimed. "Ohhh god, I am so dizzy right now."
"Please, Lady Nerissa, it¡¯s not my fault! He¡¯s blasting me away¡ªthere¡¯s nothing I can do!" Josh exclaimed, worried that he would be punished while being spun around by the giant squid.
"Help them," Nerissa commanded her guards, who had wide smiles on their faces.
Soon after, one guard carried Josh over while the other stabilized the spinning squid.
"Everything is still spinning," Jack muttered, exhausted, while his large eyes continued to roll.
"Bring them to my chambers," Nerissa ordered her guards. "I have much use for two shapeshifters."
Thalion watched from a distance as the two guards struggled to bring the squid, whose tentacles were over 30 meters long. They tried to push him with streams of water, but Jack just couldn¡¯t swim straight, as he would always start to rotate after a while.
Chapter 91: Lost
"What are we doing now?" Eddie asked after the blue-robed figures had left. "We can''t just let them be enslaved."
"You said you were going to protect us against strong beasts," Chloe accused Thalion, who, now that the danger had passed, approached again.
"I''m too weak to fight them alone," Thalion said calmly. "Didn''t you notice their strong aura? They might be close to level 70."
"Forget that excuse! You blew apart those giant squids with ease," Chloe complained loudly, pointing with one of her giant hands at him.
"Yes, but those were big creatures without any defenses," Thalion argued. "As long as I can keep my distance and attack them with my skills, I''m fine. This will become much harder against trained water mages. If they land even one good hit, I¡¯m dead."
"But what do we do now?" Chloe asked, desperate. "Jack and Josh are too good to be enslaved."
He could try to find Annie or Seraphina at one of the larger reefs. Thalion thought, though he questioned if that was even safe. Kael had gotten an item from his god for the sanguine thorn, so why shouldn¡¯t he ask Seraphina for assistance?
Perhaps her goddess even commanded her to help them, since Kael was seen as a beacon of hope in the gods'' eyes in the fight against the undead¡ªwhile Thalion himself was deemed unworthy.
Why was it that gods held such views? If not for his title keeping him at such a low level, he could potentially kill them all as the umbral predator. Even though he felt good while spending time with Seraphina, he wouldn¡¯t bet his life on it, with so much that could have changed while he was gone.
Although Seraphina had been very helpful, it was clear he wouldn¡¯t get any special treatment. The moment killing him became advantageous to her, she would definitely do it.
There was also Annie, but he didn¡¯t want to drag her into this by pushing the task of freeing the two onto her. Nerissa likely held a high standing among the blue-robed society, and even if Seraphina was willing to help, was it even possible for her to demand that Nerissa release Jack and Josh?
"There''s nothing I can do. You should fly back to Kael and ask him to negotiate their freedom," Thalion said after weighing his options.
"That could take days! We don''t have one of those flying ships anymore, and we were already scouting for you when the other shapeshifters went to the mountains with Kael to find a good flying form," Chloe exclaimed in desperation.
"What are your flying forms, then?" Thalion asked, intrigued.
"I''m a wasp," Chloe muttered, a bit embarrassed.
"And I''m a wasp too," Eddie proudly announced.
"Well then, let¡¯s just hope they aren¡¯t killing all the slaves when they teleport to a higher stage like they did last time," Thalion sighed in sorrow. Even when they were a bit annoying, he liked them.
"They did what?" Eddie and Chloe exclaimed, both looking at him in shock.
"Yeah, but it doesn''t matter now. We can¡¯t do much to help them. By the way, how many pearls did you get?" Thalion asked the important things. He wondered how fast they would help with his bodytempering.
"None. I was stuck in that gap the whole time," Chloe said, annoyed still trying to climb out of it.
"I got one after winning a fight against another coral golem," Eddie said proudly, holding up a single blue pearl.
"After hours of searching, you both found only one pearl?" Thalion said in disbelief. How were those people such a high level? It must have had something to do with the low rarity of their classes, which makes leveling easier.
"Well, Jack and Josh might have found more," Chloe mumbled and blasted on of her new skills against the gap she was stuck in, but it didn''t help.
"Oh, I''m sure the spinning squid and the crab caught in his tentacles have found more than you two," Thalion laughed loudly. He really wanted to try the form of a squid now, just to test if it really was that difficult. Normally, most things came very naturally when getting a new form. He didn''t have to learn flying from the start as eagly, for example. Maybe it was that in science those tentacles had so many nerves, that they could function a bit like brains, too? Very interesting.
Getting now pearls was no big setback for him. He¡¯d planned to dive deeper where the real bigshots resided. Those large crystals were likely far more potent than those tiny pearls anyway, he thought.
"So, what do we do now?" Chloe asked sadly, looking down in defeat.
It was indeed a difficult question. Thalion knew he couldn¡¯t take them with him when he dove into the depths for various reasons. First, sharing the experience would leave him with next to nothing, and they¡¯d be one-shotted by any stronger beast they encountered. Plus, he wasn¡¯t confident he could protect them if things got intense and could those golems even swim?
"You two should go back to Kael¡¯s base and ask for help. There¡¯s nothing you can do here," Thalion suggested, trying to help them as best he could.
"But didn¡¯t we agree to betray Kael by not killing you?" Eddie interjected a bit confused.
"You''re lucky he doesn¡¯t know that" Thalion replied with a grin.
"He tried to kill you. Why wouldn¡¯t he try to kill us too?" Chloe added, still trying to get out of the gap.
"Because it wouldn¡¯t benefit him in any way," Thalion explained. This was taking too long. He needed to get to some killing.
"Okay, but there''s still one more problem¡ªI don¡¯t think these golems can swim," Chloe admitted, embarrassed after finally getting out of the gap.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
"Then let¡¯s find you a new form." Thalion said, happy to have some progress while scanning the reef for a new form. Many fish swam around. Now it was just a matter of finding the best option for them. The most important trait should be speed.
They eventually settled on a tarpon, though it took Thalion some time to catch one. The fish didn¡¯t fight but instead fled at an incredible speed. After that, Chloe and Eddie set off back to Kael to save their friends.
<--
"Oh, he found something, he found something," Kargul exclaimed excitedly, running after the now faster-flying Vorlok.
The turtle flew with increasing speed between the giant trees, always sniffing and searching for potential prey. Then, as it seemed to spot something, it flew straight into an 80-meter-high hill.
"Uh, does he want to eat dirt now?" Kargul asked Evelyn, who landed beside him, both totally confused.
Before she could answer, Vorlok pulled his head back and yanked a three-meter termite out of the hill.
Rock Termite Level 63
"Oh yes," Kargul laughed loudly, "a termite hive! That''s awesome! Good job, Vorlok!"
Kargul charged the hill and started unearthing the whole thing, hammering against the soft earthen walls. Termites upon termites crawled out, and Kargul happily smashed them while Vorlok swallowed everything that came his way.
He struggled only with the larger ones, but then Vorlok acted like a crocodile, tearing them into bite-sized pieces by throwing his head around like crazy. Evelyn stood back and watched the carnage unfold, occasionally healing them. Then, they heard a loud screech from beneath them. This was only the top of the hive.
Moments later, a massive termite broke through, with a huge head, giant pincers, and legs longer than the Kargul. Its shell was covered in earth spikes, and it was over 9 meters long, a true giant. The patterns on many of the other termites started to glow, and threads shot out, connecting to the new creature, which began radiating far more power than should be possible.
Rock Termite Level 69
"Finally, a true apex predator!" Kargul roared. "Our battle will be epic!"
The termite exploded with energy and shot toward Kargul, who charged it head-on. The clash shook the surroundings, and Kargul was thrown back into a tree. Evelyn managed to boost him before the impact and now quickly healed his wounds.
Vorlok had flown up upon seeing the giant termite, but now dive-bombed back onto the smaller termites, fully focused on consuming every one that was empowering the big one.
Kargul sprang out from the crater he¡¯d made in the tree. In front of the termite, he swung his mace at its head. Just before impact, the mace glowed with a brown light, and its size doubled. The termite summoned an extra layer of stone around its head and headbutted the mace.
Another explosion threw Kargul back, but this time he had no chance to stand up. The termite appeared in front of him and bit down. Kargul managed to position his mace between himself and the pincers, screaming in defiance as the termite continued pushing down.
Meanwhile, Vorlok was having the time of his life. The termites couldn''t move while empowering the big one and willingly sacrificed themselves to sustain the larger one, so he easily devoured them one by one.
Kargul and Evelyn continued to struggle with the giant termite. Its power was overwhelming, but Kargul was incredibly resilient, even more so with Evelyn constantly healing him. The termite tried various tactics, but Evelyn healed Kargul''s wounds before they became fatal. Almost out of mana, Evelyn barely held on, healing Kargul after each blow he took.
Kargul smashed at one of the termite¡¯s legs and broke it. In return, the termite kicked him with another long leg, sending him flying backward with rock spikes stuck in his body. The termite followed up by launching another rock at him using an earth skill, hitting Kargul square in the face just as he stood up. He flew twenty meters back, landing with a thud as the termite loomed over him, about to stomp him into the ground.
He caught the foot and pushed against it, but he was too weak, and the foot slowly descended. Kargul¡¯s face turned red as he mustered all his strength to push the termite back, with Evelyn adding her last bit of power to boost him. All of a sudden, Kargul managed to press the foot up slightly.
"Yeah, who''s stronger now?" Kargul roared in triumph and an aura of pure bloodlust shot out from his body. Then he saw something moving on the termite¡¯s abdomen¡ªor, rather, what was left of it. Vorlok had devoured all the smaller termites and had burrowed into the large termite¡¯s back, now feasting on it from within.
The termite screamed in pain and thrashed around, but Vorlok was deeply embedded in its body. Kargul swung his mace, breaking leg after leg to bring the big one down, and then crushed the head with a mighty swing. Vorlok continued his feeding frenzy, devouring the entire termite only moments later.
"Did you eat all the termites?" Evelyn asked in surprise as she surveyed the battlefield, which was remarkably clean.
Vorlok happily shook his head in agreement and started to fly into the nest, but Kargul grabbed him by the flipper and pulled him back.
"First, let¡¯s take a break. Then we¡¯ll kill every last one of the termites," Kargul anounced, exhausted padding the head of the giant turtle.
A deafening roar of anger shook the entire hill, coming from deep within.
"Or we could run and come back later," Evelyn suggested, hopping onto the turtle¡¯s back.
They all agreed since the aura seeping up through the ground was far beyond what they could handle.
<--
Thalion dove down into the depths to hunt, this time taking care not to leave too many body parts or too much blood in the water. To avoid attracting more marine beasts than necessary. He transformed into his human form, from time to time to feed the blood in the water to the sanguine thorn. He still had some corpses from his last hunt and wondered how many stats he could gain from devouring them.
There was something new he wanted to try. He always consumed his enemies using the black tendrils of his skill, which turned the corpses into darkness before absorbing them. So far, this had greatly helped with his body tempering, but it hasn''t given him much stats so far. Now he desperately needed stats to fight stronger beasts.
Already, he¡¯d had to flee from four beasts that were too powerful. His level 42 Tidecaller Serpent was formidable, but against level 70 beasts, he struggled¡ªespecially against higher variants. This meant he had to eat the beast the old to get more stats and be able to fight them hopefully in the future.
The good news was that his passive skill, Camouflage of the Depths, hid him well, and whenever a powerful beast approached, he could just hide and give up on the corpse. He was so weak, though, that he didn¡¯t even dare fight for a position on one of the large blue crystals floating in the depths. Most of the beasts guarding them were powerful, and he didn¡¯t want to attract attention while such dangerous creatures roamed the area.
Thalion planned to spend all his time in the depths until the System Shop arrived. Levels were his top priority right now, followed closely by credits. Currently, he had 70,539 credits from all the beasts he¡¯d killed, and he still had time to gather more until the shop arrived, when he could finally find out more about the outsiders. Maybe this would give him the advantage he needed to fight far above his current level.
Between fights, he practiced some body cultivation, gradually getting better at interpreting vibrations in the water. His title helped him immensely with this skill. Thalion still didn¡¯t know how to feel about his title. Without it, he wouldn¡¯t be this strong or learn this fast at his current level. On the other hand, he hadn¡¯t had to flee from Kael and the others and could have slaughtered them like the shapeshifters if his level was high enough.
For now, revenge would have to wait until after the special quest, maybe even after the tutorial¡ªor longer. If Kael and the others managed to keep their level advantage, taking them down would be difficult. Thalion had always imagined burning down their whole base once he was finally strong enough, defeating all of them and their allies at once. Sadly, that was unlikely to happen. He might have to pick them off one by one or get help through some political schemes.
Chapter 92: A bit Unlucky (1)
"Stay here until we call for you," one of Nerissa''s guards said to Josh and Jack, pushing them into a very small room.
"This is all on you. They would have never found me if I hadn¡¯t been stuck in your tentacles," Josh accused Jack loudly, almost screaming.
"How often do I have to tell you that it wasn''t my fault? Why don''t you try to coordinate so many tentacles," Jack countered, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Why didn''t you shapeshift back to human form? That would have solved all the problems," Josh exclaimed with a red face.
"Yeah, maybe because I didn¡¯t think of it at the moment¡ªthose crabs hurt a lot," Jack explained, you could have said something too.
"I don''t care. It''s your fault we''re slaves right now," Josh said reluctantly.
"Do you feel better now?" Jack asked after a short pause.
"No, I don''t. I¡¯m still a damn slave!" Josh yelled, thoring his arms around.
"I think you just need a hug," Jack said, walking up to Josh.
"No, I don''t need a hug. Get away from me!" Josh shouted, pushing Jack away.
"You can''t always be so negative. You have to see the positive side of life." Jack tried.
"The positive side? I AM STILL A SLAVE!" Josh yelled in anger.
"Maybe it isn''t that bad. She probably just wants to ask us some questions and will let us go after," Jack said with confidence.
"No, she won''t do that," Josh shouted in disbelief. "Do you even know what slaves are?"
"Yes, of course I know that," Jack countered fast.
"So, my dear friend Jack, why don''t you explain what slaves are exactly?" Josh asked slowly.
"Well, it''s some kind of special employment," Jack answered, although very slowly.
"Yeah, the kind of special employment that can get you killed in this new world," Josh shouted loudly.
"Everyone will die one day," Jack shrugged.
"Not in this world. Didn''t you know that we could live forever if we reached a high enough level?" Josh said, praying silently, Please, God, don''t let me die like this.
"You two, come. The Lady has requested your presence," one of the guards commanded after opening their cell door.
They walked around two corners, then they were led into the river again, which the people used as a street in this palace. A few doors later, they were in a great room that was filled with expensive items. It was so full that the great hall that suited Nerissa as a living room couldn''t fit another single item.
Many men and women in expensive clothing were in the room. They all had something to drink and were talking until Jack and Josh, with their guard, stepped through the three-meter-tall door.
"Hello, everyone. This is what I wanted to present to you: my two new slaves, Josh and Jack," Nerissa announced, stepping out of the crowd and walking over to them.
"What is so special about them? They look pretty weak," a man in a golden robe asked, perplexed.
"It''s their class. Can you believe it? They are shapeshifters," Nerissa said, raising her voice so everyone could hear her. "They can take the form of every beast they defeat."
"That''s very interesting, but I would prefer to hear about that legendary golden vase and how you got it," another woman interjected.
"Be quiet. I want to see what they can change into," another man said, very interested.
"Show us your forms," Nerissa said to Jack and Josh, completely ignoring the woman from before.
Josh transformed into the crab, and the whole room burst into laughter.
"A crab? Haha, where did you find these two idiots?" A woman laughed loudly.
"In what will the other guy transform¡ªmaybe a jellyfish?" Another woman laughed with tears of joy in her eyes.
"Are they for sale? My daughter always wanted a crab as a pet," a female voice in the back chuckled.
Josh transformed back into his human form, his face bright red with embarrassment.
"What about the other one? Why doesn''t he transform?" A voice in the crowd yelled.
"Do it. This is a command," the guard said with a cold voice and pushed Jack forward.
Jack transformed into a giant squid. The giant squid filled the whole room, crushing most of the items under his weight. Jack panicked, and his tentacles were flying around, throwing those who were not fast enough to dodge against the walls.
"Jack, stop it! You''re going to get us both killed," Josh yelled in panic while pinned between Jack''s eye and the wall.
"Josh, I can''t breathe! I think I''m drowning," Jack yelled, also panicking.Stolen novel; please report.
"Transform back immediately!" Nerissa hissed with anger.
"I can''t concentrate¡ªsomeone is slicing my tentacles off, Josh!" Jack huffed, as though he had no air, which was probably true.
"Josh, I can''t hold my breath any longer¡ªI need to breathe," Jack exclaimed in fear, while his tentacles thrashed around in panic.
"Please, Jack, concentrate! You can do it!" Josh tried, glancing at Nerissa''s furious expression.
Her face was pale, and her eyes were almost ablaze with hatred as she watched the last of her precious items ripped from the walls, while everything else had been crushed under the squid''s giant body.
Josh thought that the only reason Jack still lived was that she was so angry, that she was frozen in shock, making her unable to react.
"I think I''m passing out," Jack said in a fading voice.
"JACK!" Josh screamed and punched the big eye.
The big squid was so surprised by the pain that he released hundreds of liters of black ink onto the nobles closest to Jack. Soon after, he transformed back into his human form.
"Yes, I made it! God, I was so worried," Jack exclaimed exhausted, before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell over, landing hard on the ground.
This focused the combined anger of all the nobles on the one slave who was still standing. Josh had no doubt they would make him pay for everything. One woman who had been stuck in Jack''s tentacles was covered from head to toe in black ink.
"You will die a horrible death when I''m finished with you," a man yelled at him from behind.
"No, you don''t have the skill for torture. Give me the slave," an old woman hissed.
Nerissa had finally found her voice again. "Bring them back to their cell. I will think of an appropriate punishment."
Josh swallowed. This was not good¡ªnot good at all.
<--
Kael had almost everything ready to ascend to the fourth stage in one day, where the war against the undead would begin. He had a list of defensive equipment he had to buy. Thankfully, being the leader of such a big camp came with many benefits. One was a lot of credits¡ªhe currently had over 350,000. He couldn''t even buy more equipment for himself because he already had the best equipment.
There were some items that were better, but the prize was in the millions, which was not worth it. Instead, he invested in expensive materials that couldn''t be found as easily after the tutorial. The system shop only existed in the tutorials, and without it, progressing could be very difficult. To buy the materials for a good price, you would have to deal with greedy merchants.
Hopefully, his patron would help out and continue supplying him with cultivation manuals and materials. So far, he had done very well, except that he had failed to kill Thalion, but that was something he could still accomplish. If they ever met again, he was confident that he could kill him singlehandedly.
With his equipment all at legendary rarity and his high attributes, he did not see how the shapeshifter had a chance of fighting him. It hurt him, but it was necessary for the greater good and his future.
"Kael, there are two wasps that want to speak with you," a guard said after entering his room.
"What, two wasps? Do you mean shapeshifter?" Kael asked, confused.
"Yes, but they haven''t turned back yet, so I wasn''t sure what class they had," the guard answered a bit embarrassed.
"Did they say what they want to talk about? I thought all shapeshifters were out hunting with Kai to get a strong beast form," Kael said deep in thought. Maybe they were new recruits?
"They said their names were Eddie and Chloe, and it¡¯s about Jack and Josh having been enslaved," the guard reported quickly.
"Never heard of them before. Okay, never mind, just send them up here," Kael said with a wave of his hand.
"You''re alive!" Kael exclaimed after seeing Eddie and Chloe enter his chambers.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, we didn''t manage to catch Thalion. He escaped, and then Jack and Josh got captured by the humans from the other planet and enslaved," Chloe said with a little bow.
"You don''t have to bow for me," Kael said with a wave of his hand. "I will, of course, negotiate a release for Jack and Josh. Don''t worry¡ªthey will be free very soon."
"Really? Thank you," they both exclaimed and left the chamber after a little bow.
Kael immediately sent an ambassador to make sure the two shapeshifters would be freed. He thought about telling the water people to hunt down Thalion as compensation for enslaving two of his men, but then they might reap the rewards, and that was something to avoid. If someone was going to kill Thalion, it had to be him.
"You have to watch out. Sylas is already questioning the smiths," Lucan said to Kaldrek and Maike.
"Do you think he has heard something?" Maike asked in fear.
"I don''t think so. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be asking around," Lucan said with confidence. "But I was thinking about the ascension to the fourth stage of the tutorial. What if Kael waits until every strong one has teleported?"
"That would be very bad for us," Kaldrek said in shock, not having thought of that scenario before. "They could force us into a war with the undead, and we¡¯d most likely end up on the front lines."
"What, we? I''m too weak to be of any use. I''m more worried about you," Maike exclaimed, surprised.
"We should leave the base before the system shop closes," Lucan said to Kaldrek, "or we might get forced to teleport."
"How do you plan to do it? Thalion took my token to pass through the shield," Maike said while walking up and down in the Lucans smithy.
"I already thought of that and started building a teleportation circle that will transport us a few kilometers into the jungle," Lucan said with a wide smile on his lips.
"What if they deactivate our tokens so we can''t run?" Kaldrek asked, won''t that effect the teleportation?
"Then we need a token from someone else," Lucan concluded. "But that shouldn''t be too difficult¡ªyou are an elite fighter, after all."
"When will you be finished, and when do you want to teleport out?" Kaldrek asked, unsure if it was the right decision to teleport.
"Tomorrow night. I need to be very careful now. Many smiths have been allowed to use my supplies, so something is bound to happen," Lucan said, worried.
"What about Evelyn and Kargul? Thalion said they still don''t know what happened. Can''t you ask them for help?" Maike asked Kaldrek hopefully.
"They haven''t come back from their hunting trip, and I don''t want to risk it. What if he was wrong?" Kaldrek argued. "Besides, I think we have a good plan."
"I agree. We should be fine," Lucan said confidently.
"On another note, what if others have the same plan as us? For example, Michael or Garrick?" Maike thought out loud.
"They are actually quite strong. I''m not sure if Thalion can defeat them if they really choose to stay," Kaldrek murmured.
"I''m confident¡ªhe defeated that madman, after all," Maike interjected.
"Yes, but both Michael and Garrick have a few hundred followers," Kaldrek explained. "It''s not much compared to the nearly five thousand people in the base, but when Kael leaves, only the weaker survivors will remain. Although I would be able to fight that man too if not for the mental attack in his aura that weakened me from the start, and Thalion didn''t have such a tool against Michael and Garrick.
"How many will stay here?" Maike asked interested.
"I think it could be around two to three thousand," Kaldrek explained what he had heard at the last meeting with Kael and the others.
"Wait, if so many are staying, why should we worry about Sylas?" Maike said, surprised.
"Because they expect me and Lucan to teleport with them," Kaldrek explained.
"What will we do if Michael or Garrick spawn another base here after Kael has left?" Maike asked, worried. They really should have thought a bit more about it beforehand.
"We need to trust that Thalion is strong enough to defeat them. I would rather fight for Kael than for those traitors," Kaldrek said with anger in his voice. "Those two are much worse than Kael."
"Wait, so we''re gambling on this right now?" Maike said in realization.
"Isn''t that the fun part?" Lucan said with a wild smile. "I wonder how Thalion is preparing right now."
Chapter 93: A bit Unlucky (2)
Thalion was tired. He had fought nonstop since parting ways with Chloe and Eddie. Over the past days, after killing countless foes, he had managed to reach level 46, which was very slow if you took into consideration all the beasts he had slaughtered. Currently, he was fighting a screechfin, level 67.
This fucker tried to kill its prey with sound¡ªmore accurately, with its screams, which sounded horrific but oddly interesting. The fish was infusing its voice with mana, transforming it into a very effective attack that hit everything in the surrounding area. The good thing was that it had no defenses, and one hit with Water Slash was enough to kill it.
This was something he should learn. It could give him the upper hand in a fight, since the opponent would most likely never expect that. Before that, he had to hunt a bit longer. He wanted to reach level 47 before he would fly back. He doubted that the position for city leader was up for grabs without any competition.
He could only hope that they were not already on their way to level 80, because that would make things very difficult, if not impossible. One positive aspect of staying for so long in those depths was the progress in his body cultivation. He could now perfectly interpret the vibrations carried through the water, which was very helpful against surprise attacks. Before, he only had his title, but now it was impossible to sneak up on him.
Not that no one had tried it. There were many fish and sharks who tried to ambush him. Those were the easiest kills, since the beasts never anticipated that he would blast a Mana Slash or Aqua Lance at them without looking. From time to time, he tried to infuse his voice with mana, and thanks to the title, he made great progress.
He was far from dealing damage with it, but it was damn cool, and he could feel the power in his voice. It was more elegant than flaring his aura if you wanted to flex with your strength. Good thing he had always loved swimming and being the tidecaller serpent his nuclear weapon. Something he had often dreamed of when diving.
Now he would have to massacre a few more beasts before he could start his journey to Kael¡¯s camp. It was risky. If Maike and Kaldrek had changed their opinion of him, this could be a trap, and there wouldn¡¯t be an ocean he could escape to.
He had used his spying crystal to watch some of Kael¡¯s meetings, but he didn¡¯t find anything truly important. One meeting was about what weapons they should buy if they had to attack the undead bastions. Another was about when Evelyn and Kargul would come back from their long hunt. It seemed like no one had considered the possibility that someone would secretly stay behind and not advance to the next stage, or they didn¡¯t speak of it in Kael¡¯s chambers. Anyway, he needed to get some levels in.
There was a fight to come that he would very much like to win. The main reason to be the leader of the humans Kael would leave behind was credits. Information or extra pentagrams for those outsiders must be expensive. Depending on how much he could boost himself, now might decide his future. If he were able to fight level 80 beasts or even low E-grade ones, he might level up fast enough for a future fight with his former friends. With that, he put out another corpse. ¡°Come here, fishy, fishy,¡± he said with his mana-reinforced voice.
<--
Their generous mistress, Nerissa Serwyn, had spent the last few days thinking intensively of the best way to torture them. The solution was to cut them into pieces and then heal them to start the process again. Josh and Jack were bound to chairs, and a gentleman stood in front of Josh, holding a pincer in one hand and a glowing metal rod in the other. The pincer slowly moved down to the big toe on his right foot. In the background, a group of nobles waited for the entertainment to begin.
¡°Please, not my big toe,¡± Josh screeched in horror as the pincer neared his toe.
The man didn¡¯t listen, and with a grin, pinched off the first toe. Josh started to scream, which became louder as the man pressed the glowing metal rod onto the wound.
¡°Please, is there not something I can do?¡± Josh yelled in panic, but the nobles just giggled.
The gentleman cut off all the toes of his right foot, which made Josh cry in pain and agony, throwing his body around, but it all didn¡¯t help.
¡°Please, mercy! I¡¯ll do everything you want!¡± Josh cried in pain.
¡°This was truly worth it,¡± one of the nobles laughed as Josh started to lose the toes on his left foot.
¡°Just kill me. What do you even want?¡± Josh cried, with tears running down his cheeks.
It only made the nobles laugh louder, while the man pinched off his other toes and pressed the glowing metal rod on every new wound. Josh screamed and thrashed in his shackles with every toe he lost.
¡°You would be a good gymnast for the uneven bar. I heard tiny feet will give you a big advantage compared to your competition,¡± Jack tried to lighten the mood.
¡°Jack, this is all your fault!¡± Josh cried in pain as the man cut off his tiny finger.
¡°Not everything is bad. I heard for the Yakuza, it¡¯s a sign of strength to have your pinky finger pinched off.¡± Jack tried his best.
¡°Please leave me alone. I can¡¯t do this anymore,¡± Josh cried, which turned into a high-pitched screech when the man cut off the next finger and pressed the metal rod onto the open wound.
¡°I believe in you, Josh. You¡¯re a strong man. Pain is just a construct in your head and doesn¡¯t really exist.¡±
¡°AHHHH!¡± Josh screamed as the man pinched off the next fingers, with only one left.
¡°Why are you even punishing me? I am the crab!¡± Josh murmured, close to fainting.
The man just took his last finger and turned his gaze to Jack.
¡°Yes, continue with the other one until this one has recovered,¡± Nerissa laughed after Josh had slumped over, with saliva dripping from his mouth.
Then a guard opened the door and after a bow, said, ¡°Lady Nerissa, Princess Seraphina has ordered me to free these two slaves. They are warriors of Kael¡¯s base.¡±
¡°You are joking! She can¡¯t do that!¡± Nerissa hissed at the guard.
¡°I am not. In fact, I have orders to bring them to the mainland immediately,¡± the guard said in a commanding tone.
¡°Oh, YES, man! We both got lucky! The help comes before any real harm could be done,¡± Jack cheered happily, while Josh passed out from the pain.
<--
Steven plunged his lance into the head of a mantis akridon, killing the creature.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
You have killed Mantis Akridon Level 74
You have reached Level 70
Finally, he had managed to reach level 70. It took so many hunts, but it was all worth it. His god had already told him that because of his legendary class, he needed more experience for every level-up. The reason was that he got more stats with every level-up than an epic class, for example.
It also would help him in the higher tiers, where it would get difficult to fulfill the evolution requirements. Solarion had told him that just having enough experience was not enough. You also needed to pass a certain threshold of stats, for example. The bad thing was that Thorwald had surpassed him in levels. That didn''t mean that Thorwald was stronger, but it helped him a lot to gain new followers. In the last days, many more survivors had joined his base, but most of them wouldn''t move on with them. It would be very difficult for them to survive, even when most beasts were at level 40.
Some strong ones were at level 70. The survivors arrived on the third stage at level 25. This came close to a death sentence, since hunting those beasts should be impossible. He asked his patron about leaving some warriors behind, but he had declined. They would need every man at the fourth stage to fight the undead. Another point why they needed every man were the elves. No one knew what they were up to. According to the gods, they were most likely already on the fifth stage of the tutorial.
He wondered if anyone had already managed to reach E grade, but he doubted it. Steven had leveled nonstop to get to level 70. Even when on the fourth stage, the level of the beasts was a bit higher, they wouldn''t be that much ahead. Every level needed so much more experience. He doubted he could reach E grade before the tutorial ended. He didn''t even know if he wanted to instantly evolve. The only advantage was that you got longevity, and every level-up would give almost double the stats of an F grade level-up.
It would not improve the body like it did in the last two evolutions. Another downside of instantly evolving was that his evolution options wouldn''t be as good. He might even lose the legendary class. Steven would very much like to upgrade his class to mythic on the evolution to E grade. Those were struggles for the future.
For now, he needed to dominate the tutorial, and the moment the special quest was over, he would kill Thorwald. That guy was just a pain to deal with. He could already see how Thorwald instantly evolved to E grade to finally be stronger than Steven. This would force him to evolve as well, missing out on the opportunity to get a mythic class.
Steven summoned his wings and flew back to his base. It was time to make the last preparations until they would ascend to the fourth stage. It was tragic that they hadn''t found a method to stay in contact with the other camps after the teleport if the distance was too great. This would most likely happen, as every stage was bigger than the last one, according to the gods, with the fifth stage being the biggest.
This would make it harder to fulfill the special quest with all the undead and orcs fighting against them. They had already ordered him to kill that Ankhet at all costs, and the promised rewards were great. To get his blessing upgraded would be a big stat boost alone.
<--
Kaldrek was training the whole day with sweat pouring down his back. Not because the training was though exhausting, but because Sylas had watched him the past five hours. Always being near him, even when he had been eating in Lars'' inn, was he still there. Kaldrek didn''t understand how so many liked Sylas so much.
It seemed that it had only increased after he had defeated the evil Thalion. Now he could see through his facade. Something was off with that young man. He was always nice and told stories of his personal life, but in the end, it was just a means to an end.
He didn''t know what for, but one thing was clear: he wouldn''t trust Sylas one bit. Kaldrek just hoped that the plan with the teleportation circle would work out. Only two more hours, and it would be time. Lucan had messaged him that he was only waiting for the other smith to leave his smithy. This was also troubling. Lucan was ordered to prioritize helping other smiths in their craft rather than doing his own stuff. Good thing he had already finished the teleportation circle yesterday and had already tested it.
It took Kaldrek some time to find the hammer he had teleported, even after Lucan had told him the general position. He would really miss the food here. Lars really knew how to make the best out of the beasts. His favorites were spider legs. They tasted the same as crab meat, and he had always loved crab meat or grilled squids, which were also delicious.
"Hey, Kaldrek, I heard that you have spoken with Thalion after he fled from here," Evelyn said while sitting down beside him.
Kargul stood behind her, and the giant turtle was floating above her. Good thing the ceiling of the inn was over 20 meters high. Otherwise, the almost seven-meter-long turtle would have problems hovering above like a balloon.
"Yes, I did," Kaldrek slowly answered, watching the very interested Sylas in the back.
"So, what happened?" Evelyn asked, leaning forward.
"Uh, he was fighting a dangerous man, and after killing the man, we saw our chance to end him, but he did escape," Kaldrek tried to stick to the story.
"Interesting, which level was he?" Evelyn continued her questioning while crossing her arms before her.
"I think it was 42 or 43," Kaldrek said, not sure, "why are you even so interested in what had happened?"
"Just curious, nothing else. We were also searching for him, but didn''t find him," Evelyn shrugged, leaning back.
"Oh, is this my favorite customer?" Lars exclaimed, coming out of the kitchen, looking up at the turtle.
Vorlok happily bounced up and down in the air.
"Come, I got some new dishes you can rate," Lars said while motioning the turtle into the kitchen.
Vorlok floated over and broke the door when he flew through to enter the kitchen.
"So, what have you been doing the last days?" Kaldrek tried to continue after the turtle left.
"We were hunting and smashed a big termite," Kargul announced loudly.
"Wanna join our celebration?" Kargul said while sitting down beside him.
"Sure, why not, I''m already finished with my guard duty," he said, not sure if it was the right idea.
"Yes, time to get drunk!" Kargul roared and put multiple bottles of vodka on the table. "I really love this human drink."
"What level was the termite you defeated?" Kaldrek asked while waiting for the orc to stop filling up his mug with vodka. It sadly didn''t happen until the mug was completely filled and pushed in front of him.
"No, I swear, the guy had a black pillar with people stuck in it," Kaldrek murmured, completely drunk a few hours later and after many bottles of vodka.
He had never been a good drinker, and the orc was a very good drinker, although not the kind of person who could let you miss out on a round of this superstrong drink.
"What do you mean by completely stuck in it? Did they build the pillar on the people?" Evelyn asked curiously, who somehow was completely sober even after drinking a whole bottle by herself.
"No, I think he could put people in there after it was built," Kaldrek tried to escape the questioning.
"Haha, that sounds funny. I would like to push someone into a wall too," Kargul laughed loudly and hammered with his fist on the table.
"What happened then with the pillar?" Evelyn asked, intrigued, not letting him off the hook.
"Kaldrek, there you are," Maike interrupted the conversation after entering the Lars inn.
"Hello, you two. I''m so sorry to interrupt, but we are both already late," Maike said while pulling the drunk Kaldrek out of the chair and pushing him in the direction of the door.
"It was nice celebrating with you," Kaldrek winked with a big smile on his face before Maike pulled him out the door.
"Have you gone crazy getting drunk like this?" Maike accused Kaldrek. "You need to go to Lucan. He is already waiting. By the way, didn''t you notice Sylas sitting nearby, listening in?"
"Hello Maike, you are looking good today," Kaldrek said while leaning against the wall of the next house for support.
"Ahh, seriously, have you forgotten what you want to do tonight?" Maike hissed, trying not to be suspicious.
"Hey, you two, this is my friend Maike, she is hot." Kaldrek laughed loudly at two people leaving the inn, giggling.
"Okay, just follow me," Maike said, annoyed while pulling Kaldrek along.
"Is it just me, or is this place built on a slope?" Kaldrek said while stumbling along.
"Here, drink that," Maike said and gave him a healing potion.
"Maike, I don''t think I should drink anymore. I might even be a little drunk, hehe," Kaldrek said while putting the healing potion in his spatial ring.
"Ah man!" Maike exclaimed while pulling him through the streets to Lucan''s shop.
"What happened to him?" Lucan said with worry while helping Maike pull Kaldrek inside.
"I''m just a bit drunk, not a big deal," Kaldrek yelled, happy.
"Is everything ready? We need to be fast. Sylas might be on his way," Maike urged them on.
They carried the completely drunk Kaldrek down the stairs and laid him in the teleportation circle.
"So, you are coming with us?" Lucan asked Maike.
"I don''t have a choice. I fear that Sylas might question me when you two disappear," Maike said worriedly.
"Okay then, go into the circle. It will be activated in 15 seconds," Lucan said while stepping inside the circle.
A moment later, the circle activated and they were teleported. It didn''t feel like teleportation but more like they were moved very fast through all the stone walls by force.
"Ahh, god, that hurt," Maike said after they arrived in the jungle.
"A bit rougher than I first thought," Lucan added with blood running down his face.
"Now it''s my turn. Don''t worry about anything. I will protect you," Kaldrek mumbled before falling over.
"I think we are good," Lucan laughed. "We just need to wait for tomorrow to travel back."
Chapter 94: To the fourth Stage
"Are you sure that Kaldrek, Lucan, and Maike have betrayed us?" Kael asked Sylas after hearing his report, both standing on the top of the highest tower overseeing their base.
"Yes, I''m sure they planned to escape in case we forced them to teleport with us to the fourth stage," Sylas stated, looking at the hard working citizens who got ready to fight the undead.
"Let''s see what their explanation will be when we meet again," Kael muttered with anger boiling under the surface. "Everything is prepared. We¡¯re just waiting for everyone to get ready, then I''ll initiate the teleportation."
"What do you think the undead will have prepared for us?" Kai wondered out loud, leaning on the battlements.
"I don''t know. If we''re lucky, it will take them some time to find us. The fourth stage is even bigger than this one," Kael explained, "and we haven¡¯t even come close to mapping out the third stage."
"That¡¯s very unlikely, and you know it," Kai commented, worried. They must have prepared a lot for us.
"Sure¡ Ah, Liara, good to see you. Is everyone ready?" Kael asked as Liara as she joined them on the tower.
"Yes, everything¡¯s set. Why are we waiting for the system shop to teleport? Why not do it now?" Liara asked a bit confused.
"We want to be able to respond instantly to whatever circumstances we face in the fourth stage," Kael explained deep in thought as multiple system notifications appeared on his status screen.
Special quest updated: Three months until Ankhet pillars can be seized.
System shop available.
"What just happened?" Sylas exclaimed in shock.
"Looks like we have more time until we can interrupt the rebirth of Ankhet," Kai said, deep in thought.
"This is great news. Now get ready," Kael said, pulling out a communication crystal. These were essentially similar to the tokens he had, just more powerful. "Hello everyone, we will begin the ascension in 30 seconds. You''ll receive a notification to teleport with us. Don¡¯t worry if you miss it.
Teleporting within the base¡¯s area in the next hour will bring you to the same location on the fourth stage as us. For those staying behind, I wish you luck¡ªhopefully, we¡¯ll meet in the next stage." Kael announced, then triggered the process, initiating the teleportation.
The teleportation took a bit longer this time, as everyone had joined the group teleport, but soon Kael received the notification.
2,807 survivors ready for teleportation
It was fewer than he¡¯d expected, but it was still more than enough. With a thought, the base disappeared from the third stage. Kael looked over the landscape where they had spawned. This time, it looked completely different.
Instead of a lively jungle, they had appeared on a rocky formation. The land beneath them looked more like a desert or the savanna, with giant herbivores roaming the plains. Hunting here would be much harder with everyone having such a clear view over the whole area, Kael thought. One thing was amiss¡ªhe didn¡¯t see any sign of the undead faction.
Could they really be this lucky and have spawned far from any other survivors? The cost of teleporting to the next stage had been steep: 150,000 credits. They¡¯d need to work hard to ensure his people reached the fifth stage.
<--
Lucan, Maike, and a now-sober Kaldrek were slowly walking back toward the center, where Kael''s base had stood only moments ago. Close to 2,000 survivors remained in the middle, with only a few buildings left behind. No towers, no walls, no defenses at all. As they drew nearer, they saw two figures in the center shouting at each other.
"Those are Michael and Garrick," Kaldrek sighed, wondering if Kael and the others left them behind to get rid of them.
"I''m best suited to be the leader! You lost your base to Steven before!" Garrick shouted at Michael.
"You were just lucky he didn¡¯t attack you," Michael countered while both men''s auras began to flare.
Most people distanced themselves from the two as the argument grew more heated. It soon became clear that both had over 200 followers behind them, radiating killing intent. This was a battle that would determine the next leader of this base.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Why don¡¯t you show me what you¡¯ve got?" Michael sneered while a fireball appeared in his hand. "No need to risk our men¡¯s lives."
"I accept, and your death will be quick," Garrick replied, his body starting to burn with power.
Moments later, a giant fireball shot toward Garrick, who blocked it with his massiv shield, the explosion driving him back a few feet.
"If Thalion doesn¡¯t arrive soon, we¡¯ll end up as subordinates to those two," Kaldrek muttered. He should be strong enough to defeat them in a duel, but without any followers, Michael and Garrick won''t agree to one. This situation was bad. Maybe it was best to go back in the jungle and travel alone for a while, but he couldn''t leave Maike and Lucan alone.
Meanwhile, Garrick threw his shield at Michael, who was hovering in the sky. The impact sent Michael back to the ground, though it didn¡¯t seem to injure him. Garrick¡¯s glove glowed with white light, and the shield he had just thrown appeared in his hand again.
The lower-level survivors began stepping back, creating distance as the fight intensified. Then, everything halted as a storm approached in the distance. Dark clouds gathered and started spinning around a tiny object moving at high speed towards them.
"We¡¯re under attack already!" one of Michael''s men screamed in fear.
He didn¡¯t have much time to say more before the storm was upon them. A green eagle dove from the sky, and the lower-level survivors had to lie on the ground to avoid being flung away by the strong winds.
Mid-dive, the eagle transformed into a man in black clothing and a mask with crimson runes all over his equipment. He hovered in the air like an emperor, effortlessly dominating the scene.
"ON YOUR KNEES," Thalion shouted at the people still standing, his voice amplified with mana and the desire of the sanguine thorn to kill everyone and drink their blood.
All the survivors, as well as most of Garrick¡¯s and Michael¡¯s followers, bowed before him after a short time.
"I AM THALION AND I WILL BE YOUR LEADER," Thalion declared from his position above, his voice booming over the remaining survivors.
"You can¡¯t just fly in here and take what¡¯s ours!" Michael tried to object while the fireball he had been holding in his left hand flickered out.
"ANYONE WHO DOESN''T SUBMIT WILL DIE," Thalion announced, his voice and aura now burning with the desire to kill and consume. He was lucky that the sanguine thorn aided him that much, infusing his voice and aura with a thirst for blood that made the people shiver below. He¡¯d thought long and hard during his flight back on how to approach them, but he simply didn¡¯t have the time to convince anyone¡ªdomination was his best option.
It didn¡¯t take long until even Garrick and Michael kneeled, though he still had to decide if he¡¯d let them live. For now, he needed them, though probably not for long.
"What are you all doing lying on the ground? Strength is the only thing that matters here. Form hunting parties and slay some beasts," Thalion commanded, even though he had just ordered them to kneel. "I want everyone out there leveling except for the craftsmen while we build this new base. Also, I want the strong to power-level the weaker ones until they at least reach level 40." This was critical for the weak to survive and would significantly delay those close to level 60 and make it easier for him to hold his current position.
"You two, go to the system shop and buy me a suitable base," Thalion commanded Garrick and Michael with steel in his voice, landing besides them while all the other people started to move for the jungle.
"What do you mean? We can¡¯t see each other in the system shop. What if we each buy a base?" Michael interjected clearly not a fan of using his credits for the base.
"Then make plans on who buys what. It¡¯s not my problem," Thalion replied as the others slowly began forming their hunting parties in the distance.
"This will drain all of our credits. What do we get in return?" Garrick hissed close to start a fight with Thalion.
"You¡¯re allowed to live, and if you don¡¯t disappoint me, you¡¯ll earn benefits I think you¡¯ll enjoy," Thalion said, not taking a step back while his aura of bloodlust spiked a bit more. He had no clear idea what he¡¯d offer but didn¡¯t care too much.
After some discussion, they gave him building crystals purchased from the system shop. Since no time passed within the system shop, everything happened rather quickly and it just looked like their form flickered for a second.
"This crystal will grow the base center and surrounding walls. You need to link Michael¡¯s crystals to your main crystal to place them within the base," Garrick explained, looking very unhappy. Both had bought a lot for him with credits, but he was sure that they hadn''t wasted all their credits on the base.
"Thanks. Now help the others hunt. I can place them here myself. There better be no casualties or deserters today. If that happens, I¡¯ll hunt you down¡ªthere¡¯s nowhere you can hide now that I have your scent." Thalion threatened both of them. It was a bluff, but he hoped it would work. He¡¯d observed Kael in countless meetings talking about him, displaying him as a ruthless, powerful killer, so why not use that reputation to his advantage?
Strolling to the open space, Thalion activated the crystal, and slowly, a large building rose in the center, followed by a thirty-meter-high wall surrounding the camp. He watched the survivors as they organized their hunting parties, seemingly accepting him as their leader.
His status screen flooded with notifications that more survivors had joined him. Time to build some houses. He assimilated the leftover buildings Kael had left behind, now his property like the rest of the base.
There were two inns and some shops for craftsmen, which made sense. Next, he placed additional houses in the open area and watched them rise from the ground. If building on Earth were this easy. He remembered how long it took him and a friend to build a tiled stove¡ªthis kind of crystal would have been very appreciated.
As he finished, he noticed three figures approaching: Kaldrek, Lucan, and Maike.
"I want to see your sword now," Lucan shouted as they got closer.
"Yeah, I will come by later and have some things to do first," Thalion said, turning around and entering his new building. He had to shoot them down for now. Michael and Garrick were planning something for sure. Thalion just hoped that today''s show of force would give him enough time. From the outside, it looked like a twenty-meter-thick tower and stood nearly sixty meters high. This had to be very expensive for Garrick and Michael.
Fascinating what fear could accomplish. He hadn¡¯t even needed to fight for the position of leader. The stories and his little show were enough not only to claim the position but also to send them shopping for him. Thalion entered the tower, which, like most buildings in this world, was larger on the inside than the outside.
The ceiling soared over four hundred meters high, with spiral staircases winding their way to the top. His room was more of a vast hall than a living room. It was large enough to place the pillar here, though for now, he decided to wait with that and entered the system shop to find out what the outsiders truly were.
Chapter 95: I need more Time
"Nice to see you again," Thalion said after appearing in the system shop.
"Greetings. What wares do you seek?" the voice of the system asked in a formal tone.
"First, what do you have on outsiders?" Thalion asked with interest. He had a hard time holding himself back from instantly asking more questions about outsiders.
"Outsiders are forbidden," the voice replied with a serious tone.
"What do you mean by forbidden? Like, in the system? Because I killed one who had something to do with them," Thalion wondered aloud. This was bad. If he had angered the system, could it take away his class?
"No, nothing is forbidden within the system itself. But it is forbidden within every faction, and when it comes to light that someone is using the power of outsiders, they will be eradicated," the voice explained in a serious tone.
"I got a summoning scroll and learned that they come from another existence," Thalion stated but the voice interupted him.
"Outsiders refer to beings born in another plane of existence. They can be anything¡ªfrom ghosts to demons to beings like you, depending on which plane you reach. What''s most important is that the moment you draw someone out of their dimension and use them for your cultivation, it becomes very hard to control their inherent will; killing them would mean that their power would be lost.
"Those who use the power of outsiders are often much stronger than normal cultivators, but the risk lies in losing oneself. It has happened many times that outsiders have completely possessed the bodies they entered, rampaging through the universe until they were finally subdued. There are also planes of existence like yours, and if you open a portal, it might be detected, allowing them to invade your dimension.
"The gods did not want to take that risk and have always worked together to eliminate anyone who used outsiders or became one."
"Are there no ways to keep an outsider contained?" Thalion asked. He didn''t care if outsiders were banned by some faction. If they gave him power, why shouldn''t he get on for himself?
"There are, in fact, many ways," the voice replied. "One is to find an outsider willing to help you. Another is to annihilate their inherent will, turning them into something like your sanguine thorn. There are even more methods, but I don''t have the time to explain every single one," the voice answerd quickly.
"This doesn''t sound so hard. Why do so many fail, then?" Thalion wondered out loud. "And how does it even work if the plane is like ours?"
"Then it doesn''t truly work. You aren''t opening a complete portal, but rather one for your soul. You could try to steal a soul, but that wouldn''t really benefit you. They are technically outsiders, but not the type that would make others hunt you down."
"Okay, so which outsiders are the real threats no one wants me to have, because they''re too powerful?" Thalion smirked.
"Outsiders from dimensions so twisted they wouldn''t survive a second in your reality if their ''soulbody'' also passed through," the voice explained. "For such beings to exist in their dimension, they must have a deep connection to mana, for example. This connection is what you''d exploit, among other possibilities."
"Are there dimensions made entirely of blood or darkness?" Thalion asked while already making plans for the future.
"Yes, there are no limitations," the voice answered seriously.
"So I can already open a portal. Can you provide me with something that would allow me to control such an outsider?" Thalion asked. If this worked, he wouldn''t fall behind that much.
"You can''t afford it. The price for what you seek is 850,000 credits," the voice sneered. "And you should know that if you want stronger outsiders, you''ll need to fuel the portal with incredible amounts of power to reach the more turbulent dimensions."
"What are the current prices for skyships, and do you have something like a signal beacon?" Thalion asked going for plan B.
It seemed he would have to farm credits like never before, and the best way to do so would be to gather survivors. The ships could also help gather wind crystals.
Signal Beacon
Description:
The Signal Beacon is a masterfully crafted structure designed to transmit a highly visible signal across vast distances. Made from durable, arcane-infused stone, this beacon stands at 5 meters tall and is inscribed with glyphs of ancient origin, ensuring long-lasting durability and power efficiency. Upon activation, the beacon emits a bright pillar of light directly into the sky, visible for over 100 kilometers under most conditions. [35,000 Credits]
That would suit him perfectly and wasn''t too expensive.
Aetherwind Corsair
Type: Fast attack & scouting vessel
Size: Medium
Purpose: Hit-and-run tactics, reconnaissance
Offense: Lightning cannons, targeting multiple enemies at once.
Defense: Aetheric shields, agile evasive maneuvering.
Capacity: 30 crew members.
Description:
The Aetherwind Corsair is a sleek, agile sky ship built for speed and maneuverability. With its sharp hull and reinforced silverwood frame, the ship glides effortlessly through the skies, propelled by enchanted sails that harness aetheric winds. Its offensive capabilities come from an array of lightning cannons mounted on its sides, capable of firing short, concentrated bursts of arcane energy to disable enemy ships.
At its core, the Corsair has a highly mobile magic circle that generates speed-boosting arrays, allowing it to outrun larger ships or quickly escape from dangerous situations. Its defensive shielding is light but regenerative, making it ideal for hit-and-run raids. [35,000 Credits]
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Skywarden Bastion
Type: Heavy defense & support
Size: Large
Purpose: Siege defense, city protection
Offense: Mana-flux cannons, arcane ballistae.
Defense: Magic circle with fleet-wide shielding capabilities.
Capacity: 100 crew members, 50 passengers.
Description:
The Skywarden Bastion is a massive, heavily armored sky ship designed to serve as a floating fortress. Built from ironbark and reinforced with magical wards, it can absorb immense damage while holding a strategic position in the skies. At its heart lies a defensive magic circle, creating an invulnerable shield that protects the ship and any nearby allied vessels. The Bastion is equipped with arcane ballistae and mana-flux cannons, designed to bombard enemy ships and land-based fortifications from a great distance.
Its offensive arrays are capable of launching volleys of arcane energy bolts, while its defensive spells can protect entire fleets. The ship is slow but nearly impossible to destroy, making it perfect for guarding cities or key military assets. [75,000 Credits]
Sunfire Dreadnought
Type: Frontline combat & siege vessel
Size: Medium-Large
Purpose: Heavy artillery and direct assault
Offense: Sunfire Cannon, fireball arrays, arcane turrets.
Defense: Heavy armor plating, solar shielding.
Capacity: 60 crew members.
Description:
The Sunfire Dreadnought is a fearsome sky ship equipped with massive solar cannons capable of devastating attacks. Its sails are infused with solar runes, absorbing sunlight and converting it into raw mana to power its weaponry. This ship¡¯s design includes heavy armor plating on the hull and multiple layers of fire-resistant enchantments to defend against magical and elemental attacks.
The Dreadnought''s main offensive array is its Sunfire Cannon, a powerful front-mounted weapon capable of unleashing a concentrated beam of solar energy that can melt through enemy ships and fortifications. Smaller, rapid-firing arcane turrets provide covering fire, while fireball arrays bombard the battlefield from above. Its purpose is to break through enemy lines and cause maximum destruction. [65,000 Credits]
Tempest Gale
Type: Tactical support and healing vessel
Size: Small-Medium
Purpose: Healing, magical support, and crowd control
Offense: Wind and storm spells, crowd control magic.
Defense: Magic barriers, mana shields.
Capacity: 40 crew members, 10 healers or mages.
Description:
The Tempest Gale is a specialized sky ship that excels in support magic and battlefield control. Its design features rune-etched sails and a hull of light, mana-infused wood, making it both quick and magically potent. The ship¡¯s arcane arrays focus on casting powerful healing spells, defensive barriers, and large-scale wind manipulation.
Rather than artillery, the Tempest Gale features a magic circle at its core that amplifies support magic, allowing its crew of mages to heal allies, fortify defenses, and disrupt enemy spells. It also controls the battlefield by summoning tempests and wind blasts, pushing back enemies or disrupting their formations. [45,000 Credits]
The ships were all very expensive, but since Thalion mainly needed a vessel to harvest as many crystals as possible, he would most likely choose the Skywarden Bastion to maximize his gathering efforts.
"I¡¯ll go with one beacon and one Skywarden Bastion," he decided, calculating that he¡¯d still have around 100,000 Credits remaining.
"Do you have blood vials?" Thalion continued, and a red bottle materialized in front of him.
Bloodsiphon Flask
Description:
The Bloodsiphon Flask is a specialized magical vessel designed to extract and store the blood essence of slain beasts, capable of holding up to 200 liters of fluid. Forged from darkglass crystal and reinforced with arcane runes, the flask has an eerie, translucent quality, allowing one to see the swirling essence-infused blood within. [1,000 Credits]
He bought twenty flasks to distribute to the hunting parties so they could collect more blood for him.
"There¡¯s one more question I¡¯m curious about¡ªit feels like I get less experience by the day. Is the title getting stronger with time?" Thalion asked. If that was the case, his journey in this new world would end soon.
"No, it¡¯s simply that the introduction phase of the tutorial is ending," the voice replied, sounding bored.
"What introduction phase?" Thalion exclaimed. He never heard of it before.
"You received more experience in the beginning as part of the tutorial, with lower prices for items. That phase ended a few days ago," the voice explained.
It was clear now that choosing body-tempering before leveling had been a poor decision.
"Thank you. Maybe I¡¯ll have enough credits next week," Thalion said, waving his hand.
He reappeared in his room and sent a message to everyone who held one of his tokens, telling them they would meet that afternoon, roughly in an hour. Moving to the gathering spot in the center of his base, Thalion placed the five-meter-tall beacon and activated it.
A blue beam shot into the sky, visible for kilometers. With the current citizens, he could earn up to 300,000 credits per week, which was a substantial amount, but still not enough. Thalion sat down in the open and began cultivating his soul. The voice had mentioned that soul cultivation was crucial if he planned to use an outsider, so he needed to reach a high level quickly.
He also needed a significant quantity of wind crystals, both for the armor he planned to build and for the ritual that would allow him to harness an outsider¡¯s power. He envisioned creating a soul core¡ªan organ within his spiritual form that would function like his heart, pumping energy through his veins. Currently, he was working on forming these "spirit veins."
It was time-consuming and tedious, but worth it. Just as he was about to complete the fourth spirit vein, his citizens returned and waited for him to acknowledge them. Thalion stood up, noting that a few groups were still out hunting, but this turnout would suffice.
He levitated slightly with the aid of the blood beneath his feet.
"Listen up¡ªthese are our goals for this week," Thalion announced with a strong voice.
"First, we need new citizens. The beacon will help attract them, but I want you to travel far while hunting and keep an eye out for survivors. Secondly, everyone should aim to reach level 50 within five days.
After that, we¡¯ll head to the mountains to hunt flying beasts. I¡¯ve purchased a ship specifically for this purpose. Third, these are blood flasks. Gather the blood of every fallen beast and any useful plants. Everyone should be out there; the only exception is for the craftsmen. That¡¯s all for today. Garrick, Michael, follow me," Thalion finished his first gathering.
He had considered wishing them good luck, but he had to maintain his intimidating persona. Thalion then addressed the matter he¡¯d been pondering all day¡ªwhat to do with Garrick and Michael.
"We have an issue here. We all know both of you want my position," Thalion began.
"No, I would never¡ª" Garrick and Michael stammered.
"Silence. Spare me your lies," Thalion hissed, slowly circling them.
"I want no casualties, understand? I¡¯ve already said it once, but I want to ensure you grasp it fully," he continued, not leaving room for arguments.
"Yes, no casualties," they both muttered, looking at the ground.
"I don¡¯t intend to stay here long. In two, maybe three¡ªfour weeks at the most¡ªI¡¯ll leave. And the one who has contributed the most will inherit the base," Thalion said, watching as both of their heads snapped up in surprise.
"You¡¯ll just... give one of us the camp?" Garrick asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes, to the one who proves the most useful," Thalion nodded along.
"I won¡¯t disappoint you," Garrick said, quickly darting away to get started. Michael looked as though he wanted to say something, but upon seeing his rival already on the move, he too left quickly. This plan had worked perfectly. Hopefully, both would become significant contributors to his cultivation.
Thalion didn¡¯t truly intend to give either of them the base, but he needed to keep them motivated for now. Perhaps he could even use them as experiments to see which outsiders he could attract. It might be possible to activate the ritual and place someone else in the center of the pentagram.
Chapter 96: Final Preparations
"Hey, Lucan, ready to see some cool shit?" Thalion asked while entering Lucan''s shop with a big grin.
Lucan''s smithy was a lot bigger now than before, with many more magic circles to empower additional materials.
"Finally, I have been waiting all day," Lucan exclaimed, a bit more serious than expected. "You know, you got us a bit scared with that entrance of yours."
"That was the plan. Worked way better than I first thought," Thalion laughed.
"Good, good. I trust that you have things with Michael and Garrick handled," Lucan said, worried. He also clearly didn''t like them both.
"For the moment, yes. Wanna see my sword now?" Thalion smiled as he took it out of his spatial ring.
"How marvelous, a blood-bound weapon. Just how powerful is your blood to make it this strong?" Lucan said in admiration.
"Well, it was a big gamble, but it worked in the end," Thalion laughed, remembering how the sword had blasted him after the creation was finished.
"I believe you. So, you said you have something cool for me?" Lucan said with excitement, and that''s why Thalion liked the old man. In his world, all was about creating cool stuff.
"Ah yes, here, take a look at it," Thalion said while giving him the black spear he took from the man who had tortured so many survivors.
"Marvelous, but what is this aura? It''s almost like the spear was bathed in it," Lucan muttered, looking at the spear from different angles.
"Have fun. I have things to do for this week," Thalion waved, turning to leave the smithy.
"Wait, do you want me to build something?" Lucan exclaimed.
"Later. I have a few more things to do first," Thalion said while leaving the smithy.
He needed to get as far as possible with his soul cultivation. He had already looked into how to construct a soul core. A soul core was the power source of the spirit body, and he definitely needed one if he tried to do any outsider stuff. First, he had to add a lot more veins to his spirit body, which would definitely take its time.
<--
Kael, Kai, and Sylas were scouting the land, and what they saw was marvelous. They had spawned on a higher region and were now looking down on a landscape resembling the African savanna if dinosaurs had roamed it. Every beast had evolved. Lions could fly and the skin of a T-Rex looked like it was made out of lava. Kael started to identify a few of the beasts:
Stormhide Stegadon Level 74
Crystalhide Ankylodon Level 71
Windstrider Ostridon Level 69
Spikeback Hyenadon Level 72
Stormback Elephantrum Level 74
Ironhide Rhino Level 71
Gliderfang Lion Level 75
He stopped identifying the beasts as the Gliderfang Lion turned around and looked in their direction. They were all powerful in their own rights. Every one of these beasts he remembered from Earth, like the Spikeback Hyenadon, Stormback Elephantrum, Ironhide Rhino, and Gliderfang Lion, were all at least twice as big as they were back on Earth.
They radiated power and had no reason to fear any of the giant dinosaurs. Some had even changed a lot more, like the Windstrider Ostridon. On Earth, it was herbivorous, but judging by the size of the beak and the predatory eyes scanning the area, the current diet must have changed drastically.
They spent the whole day scouting and observing the area but didn''t find any traces of the undead. Were they really this lucky and hadn''t spawned near the undead? Were they actually safe because of the monstrous size of the tutorial zone? Even without the undead, it would be very hard to level up when the beasts were this strong.
He had spotted a giant river in the distance where the grass was a bit greener instead of the light yellow color most plants had here. There were also the occasional trees, but not enough to hide from any predators. Back in the third stage, it was easy to kill beasts without getting swarmed by other beasts who saw their chances.
It had happened, but not often; here it would happen a lot, and he had no idea where they should go to level up. Of course, Kai, Sylas, and he could deal with the circumstances, but the weaker ones around level 55, like most of the guards, would have no chance. At least there were no vampires hunting them.
<--
They had spawned in a jungle that was not as tall as the last one, nor did the plants glow with bioluminescence. The vampires were everywhere. Thorwald swung his axe from side to side, keeping the undead at bay. The moment they had arrived in the fourth stage, they were under attack as multiple vampires and hordes of beasts launched their assault. The beasts had also been turned into vampires or had that blood mist steaming from their bodies, like the wolves they had encountered in the second stage.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The onslaught was no joke, with most undead around level 60 and the stronger ones close to level 70. Since the introduction phase had ended, it was so much harder to gain experience, and leveling up could take days. Good for Thorwald that he could match those vampires, not just because of his strength. His biggest advantage was his equipment.
His white, glowing armor was made to withstand a lot more than those blood spears the vampires fired at him, and his axe couldn''t be stopped by any hide or scale. All the defensive arrays were running at full power as the mages and archers bombarded his surroundings. It was extremely difficult to kill vampires¡ªthe fight had raged for over half an hour, and he hadn''t managed to kill one. They were most likely holding back, but why?
They were losing hundreds of beasts while they barely managed to kill their elite fighter. Thorwald spun around to kill some kind of blood-cursed gorilla charging at him. With a swipe of the axe, he destroyed the gorilla''s body, and the slash shot out, killing a few more beasts behind the big one. Steven was flying over the battlefield, firing a stream of white-hot flames at the vampires.
They tried to kill Steven with blood thorns, but they all got blocked by his shield or armor. After an hour of fighting, the undead retreated, with almost a thousand of their blood beasts dead, while only a hundred of their men had died in return. They hadn''t managed to kill any vampires in the battle¡ªthey were just too quick and careful, after all.
"What are we doing now? Should we chase them?" a man beside him asked.
Thorwald had no idea. The vampires were fast and powerful, and they were definitely waiting for them in the jungle. What if they had placed traps in the jungle? Then they would be screwed for sure. Those beasts they controlled were also no joke¡ªthey were all above level 60.
"Thorwald, take some fighters and start scouting the jungle," Steven commanded as he landed in front of him.
It was clear he hoped for Thorwald to be killed in a vampire ambush, but he had no choice at the moment, so he agreed and gathered his strongest warriors to scout out the jungle with vampires waiting inside.
Steven grinned beneath his helmet as he saw Thorwald reluctantly entering the undergrowth of the jungle.
Maybe he was lucky, and that brute would get killed. The fourth stage was troubling¡ªthey had no clue where they were or what to do next. This was likely only one squad of vampires and the undead. If not, they were extremely unlucky to be immediately discovered after arriving on the fourth stage. His men were already charging the runes in the walls and the magic circles. To baptize all of his men had been a very good decision as their power had skyrocketed, making the defense easier.
For now, he was confident that they would hold against the vampires. It would be very difficult to get 150,000 credits to advance to stage four. Leveling was also a pain since the instruction phase had ended. The many beasts he killed in the fight didn''t give much exp or credits at all. They had no idea where the vampires had their base, or how strong the beasts in this area were, aside from those blood beasts controlled by the vampires. Those beasts had charged them recklessly without a care for their lives¡ªprobably due to being undead and controlled.
<--
Lucius and Cathrin arrived on the fifth stage. It looked like the fourth stage, except that after they scouted the area, they found a giant desert with multiple rock formations. They traveled for days until they found the first undead. From there, they traveled another two days to the headquarters, where all the high-leveled undead resided. Lucius knew a few of the vampires who lived there, and he didn¡¯t like any of them.
Four even belonged to the same family. The Valencrest were a weak vampire family that stood in hierarchy far below his family, but those four had all received a legendary blessing from Tenebrice, the strongest vampire god. This meant they all stood above him in hierarchy, no matter how much stronger he would be.
The most tragic part was that he was still weaker, even with his head start and the many beasts he had slaughtered. All for one reason: they had all gotten the sanguine thorn from their patron. That plant gave them powers and abilities that surpassed his own by far. He remembered how those vines had ripped apart a level 70 beast like it was nothing. Lucius was a strong fighter, and without the sanguine thorn, he wouldn¡¯t have any problem slaying them, but at the moment he had no chance.
The headquarters was a giant black castle on a mountaintop with a ring wall surrounding it. On one side of the mountain was grassland with a river flowing through it, and on the other side began the desert.
Strong vampires patrolled on the wall with turned beasts. Some vampires had the ability to turn beasts, but not only that¡ªturning them wasn¡¯t special; every vampire could do that. No, these vampires bound the beasts to them with their blood, giving them control over them. It was dangerous when the beast had a stronger soul than you, but most beasts were weak in that regard.
They passed through multiple gateways until they entered some sort of throne room. As with all buildings bought from the system, the space inside was much bigger than the outside¡ªespecially so in this castle.
"Greetings. Did you finish the final preparations?" Elias welcomed them.
They were in a giant room with multiple black thrones positioned in a circle; two were held empty for them. In the room were all the members of the Valencrest, and then there were three more vampires, all blessed by Tenebrice and equipped with the sanguine thorn¡ªeach one more powerful than himself. Then there was, of course, Elias who welcomed them, a lich blessed by Xyrnath the Soulbinder, the strongest lich god in the Eternal Dominion.
Another outlier was Nathaniel, blessed by the mummy Ankhu-Ra, The Sand Wraith. He had been a human from the water world. Now the flesh had started to rot, and his right arm was fully bandaged. Yellow runes covered the bandages, radiating a powerful aura. There were many powerful undead in the castle, but none of them were strong enough to be in this room.
"Everything went as planned," Cathrin answered while they sat down on their thrones.
"Very good. To bring you up to date," Elias said, "we have located three catacombs and each one should hold a pillar. We couldn¡¯t open them and have to wait for the system event to start."
"The humans haven¡¯t appeared on the fourth stage before we left; they will need time to enter the fifth stage," Lucius concluded.
"This suits us very well," Nathaniel stated. "I am almost finished creating sand and wind elementals. This will make it harder for the living to find the catacombs'' locations."
"We will also build fortresses around them to make it harder for the living to enter," Valeria Valencrest explained with a grin.
"What about the elves? They found each other quickly and moved to this stage before us," Cathrin asked, worried.
The elves were generally a mystery since they would most likely be killed by Ankhet, yet still they did not fight against the undead. The gods also had no idea what plan they were following.
"They have built a giant city on the grassland but haven¡¯t done much. It looks like they want to stay on the sidelines," Nathaniel explained.
"Sadly, they are already too strong. If we attacked them, we would lose many warriors. The best strategy is to let them come to us if they want a fight," Sevrin Valencrest added.
"For now, we don¡¯t have much to do besides getting stronger and gathering credits," Elias said. "Nathaniel will search for the location of the other pillar. We need to provide defenses when he finds them."
Chapter 97: New Hope
Thalion had meditated the whole night, working on his spirit body. In the large magic circle beside him stood a blood container Lucan had built for him, which infused the blood with more mana every second. He could feel how the sanguine thorn watched his progress with glee. He wondered when the plant would be able to speak. Back when he had talked with the vampire god, he¡¯d learned something like that should be possible.
Everything in the base was working out better than he could have ever imagined. Garrick and Michael were even hunting at night, gathering blood and survivors. His base had grown rapidly, with over 500 survivors joining him.
The problem was that he still wasn¡¯t getting enough credits to buy something around a million credits after the first week, but he had an idea to fix this problem. And he had to fix it quickly since with every week the prize would rise further.
¡°Can you build me one of these?¡± Thalion asked Lucan, showing him one of the broken handcuffs the blue-robes had used to enslave Annie and Jakob. More importantly for him, they were able to transfer credits. He had no intention to enslave anyone, but he needed their credits or his life could be very difficult.
¡°Oh, wow, what a complex craft!¡± Lucan exclaimed after scanning it. ¡°But what do you want to do with slave cuffs?¡±
¡°I need a lot of credits when the system shop appears,¡± Thalion sighed, not happy about the hole szenario himself. Can you and the other smiths craft some armor and weapons for them, then the credit loss won¡¯t be as bad.¡±
"Sure, only today ten more smiths joined us. They can easily build close to a hundred armors or weapons each day,¡± Lucan said with confidence.
¡°So are we crafting something cool after the system shop?¡± Lucan asked with a grin.
¡°I can¡¯t promise it right now. I have a lot of open projects at the moment,¡± Thalion sighed. ¡°It all depends on what I can buy in the system store.¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make you some cuffs. You only need them right before the system shop, I guess?¡± Lucan asked with a raised brow.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough,¡± Thalion said, deep in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t like doing it one bit, but it¡¯s necessary; things could get dangerous otherwise.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to ask for more stuff, like armors, talismans, or weapons. I¡¯m here for you,¡± Lucan grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you build something like that red templar sword.¡±
¡°Sure, I¡¯m also looking forward to it,¡± Thalion laughed. He liked the old smith.
¡°Ah, one other thing: I¡¯m planning on traveling with a skyship to the mountains to collect a crazy amount of crystals. You still have that formation, right?¡± Thalion asked the smith, smiling.
¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got even better stuff now,¡± the smith grinned with anticipation. ¡°We can build something powerful, maybe even beyond mythic rarity, at least for an F-grade.¡±
¡°Do you know how upgrading such a powerful weapon works? Are the chances high it will lose its high rarity when evolving?¡± Thalion wondered out loud.
¡°Yes, the requirements for high-rarity equipment shoot through the roof in the higher grades,¡± Lucan nodded seriously.
Thalion soon left after a little talk. He had to create his soul core before the system shop, which would be a lot of work until then.
<--
Kargul and Vorlok loved the new stage. The moment they spotted the big beasts, they were on their way.
¡°Just look at those big ones,¡± Kargul laughed at Evelyn, who was sitting on Vorlok¡¯s back, her new favorite place.
¡°I want to smash that big one,¡± Kargul shouted in joy while pointing at a stormhide stegagon that was munching on grass.
The grass was much taller than they first thought. Kargul fully disappeared in the tall grass, with only the top of his head showing.
¡°Where do I have to go?¡± he shouted up at Evelyn after turning around a few times.
¡°A bit to the right, then you¡¯ll see it,¡± Evelyn laughed back. Spending time with Vorlok and Kargul was just too funny.
Vorlok was already bouncing his head up and down in anticipation; it must have been very hard for the turtle not to let loose and divebomb the dino. Finding a stegagon without any other beast in proximity was lucky, and Evelyn could understand Kargul¡¯s excitement as he recklessly charged at the stegagon, which had no idea what was coming.
Evelyn watched as Kargul crashed into the side of the stegagon, breaking its ribs and making the dinosaur stumble to the side, roaring in defiance. Evelyn jumped off Vorlok¡¯s back as the turtle divebombed into the side of the dinosaur, throwing it to the ground and immediately starting to feed.
With every bite, multiple kilos of flesh disappeared down the turtle¡¯s throat. The stegagon thrashed around with its spiked tail, injuring Kargul heavily. Then lightning ran down its scales, shocking Vorlok, who screeched in pain with a full mouth before letting go of the dino. Evelyn started healing both of them as the stegagon¡¯s body bled profusely from the turtle-sized hole. All in all, not the best situation for the stegagon.
It roared in pain while stepping back. Kargul and Vorlok didn¡¯t show any mercy as they attacked again, and moments later the dino lay dead on the ground as Vorlok immediately began to feast. Evelyn stood and watched, just happy there were no baby dinosaurs.
¡°This was glorious! Let¡¯s find our next prey,¡± Kargul roared, while Vorlok nodded excitedly with his giant head. Moments later, Evelyn and Vorlok were back in the air, looking out for lone beasts. As they circled above Kargul, they spotted a pack of five spikeback hyenadons heading his way. Their shoulder height was around three meters, and they definitely smelled the blood of the stegagon.
¡°Five spikeback hyenadons 50 meters in front of you,¡± Evelyn shouted down to Kargul.
¡°What level? Are they punchable?¡± Kargul roared back, still not satisfied after the fight.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
The hyenadons¡¯ ears twitched at the exchange, and they started moving toward Kargul.
¡°Not sure, they¡¯re around level 70,¡± Evelyn shouted back.
¡°What, five of them?¡± Kargul exclaimed in shock and started running the other way, as if the devil were after him. The hyenadons saw the grass moving and began to chase after him.
They were faster than Kargul and were soon close behind him. Evelyn motioned for Vorlok to fly a bit lower and started casting an illusion. Back on Earth, Evelyn had a dog, Lucy, who would jump around the living room whenever she saw herself in a mirror. Remembering this, Evelyn summoned a mirror in front of them, and suddenly the pack of hyenadons saw a reflection pack running at them.
They stopped and growled at the mirror, making themselves bigger. To their surprise, their reflection didn¡¯t fall for the intimidation. It did exactly what the hyenadons did. Meanwhile, Kargul kept sprinting and was soon hundreds of meters ahead of the hyenadons. The mirror had done wonders in distracting them until they finally attacked it and destroyed the illusion. By then, Kargul was already gone.
¡°That was close,¡± Kargul muttered when they landed beside him.
¡°Yes, there are so many beasts in the area it will be difficult to hunt without alerting any others,¡± Evelyn concluded while looking around.
¡°This is nonsense! Now I have to worry about other beasts interfering,¡± Kargul exclaimed, unhappy with the situation.
¡°We can use this to our advantage,¡± Evelyn said thoughtfully. ¡°With bait, we could lead many beasts to fight each other first before we clean them up.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a great idea! What do we use as bait?¡± Kargul cheered. ¡°A bottle of vodka should do the trick.¡±
¡°No, not vodka; I have some grilled meat sticks from Lars,¡± Evelyn laughed out loud.
At the mention of meat, Vorlok¡¯s head shot up, and he stared at Evelyn in anticipation.
They found a piece of rock that stood out from the usual tundra and Evelyn laid the meat stick on it, then they moved back. Kargul climbed one of the larger trees to watch, while Vorlok and Evelyn circled a few hundred meters above.
¡°Okay, we just wait until something comes along¡ªsimple as that,¡± Evelyn concluded.
It turned out that Vorlok wasn¡¯t good at waiting, as after a few minutes he flew down and snatched the meat stick. Soon after, he was back in the air, acting like nothing had happened.
¡°Vorlok, can you stop eating the bait?¡± Evelyn sighed. This was not working well at all.
The turtle just looked up as if nothing of importance had happened.
¡°Okay, we¡¯ll have to hunt the usual way, but we¡¯ll need to scout the area around the beast and finish the fight fast, or we¡¯ll have trouble,¡± Evelyn sighed as they moved on to find the perfect target.
<--
Jack and Josh arrived on a slight hill on the fourth stage after paying 50,000 credits. They hadn''t managed to travel all the way back to Kael''s base before the teleportation, but they had hoped that the token would be enough for them to come out at the same spot as all the others. Sadly, their assumption had proven wrong. Now they overlooked a giant tundra roamed by powerful beasts close to level 70.
"I knew we shouldn¡¯t just teleport and hope for the best," Josh sneered. The last hard days had exhausted him a lot.
"At least you got your toes and fingers back," Jack said comfortingly.
Before they had left the palace, Josh had his injuries¡ªinflicted by the torturer¡ªhealed by a water healer.
"What are we doing now? We can''t fight those beasts," Josh said, deep in thought. The situation was pretty bad for both of them.
"I have an idea; follow me." Jack cheered and transformed into a grasshopper, flying toward a herd of thunderspire gazelles, all around level 65.
"What are you doing? This could be your end." Josh exclaimed in fear while transfoming into a grasshopper too and tried to chase after his friend.
Before he could answer, a gliderfang lion shot out from its hiding spot in the high grass and snapped at Jack.
"Oh god, please not me," Jack cried and flapped his little wings as fast as he could.
Jack was rising fast into the air, while the lion followed, wings beating from the folds between its forelegs and body. Jack climbed higher and higher, but the lion was catching up quickly. When they both reached a height of over two hundred meters, the lion opened its maw, ready to bite the panicked grasshopper in half.
Jack transformed at the last moment into a giant squid, with tentacles over 30 meters long. The lion had just bitten down on one tentacle, and both were pulled down as the squid plummeted from the sky. Another tentacle, covered in spiked suckers, wrapped around the lion and pulled it in, while the beak-like mouth bit the lion into pieces.
"Jack, transform back, or you¡¯re going to die!" Josh yelled, fearing for the life of his friend as he saw the heavy squid fall from the sky.
After the giant squid had dropped twenty more meters, he transformed back into a grasshopper, while nothing remained of the lion.
"Wow, that was amazing! Did you manage to take its form?" Josh shouted at Jack, who was flying in his direction.
"No, I was too confused at the moment," Jack replied cheerfully. Happy that he hadn''t died.
"What! Why! This is a joke, right?" Josh exclaimed in disappointment. How could he mess something like that up? The form of the lion would have ensured their survival for the next few days for sure.
"No, I¡¯m never joking," Jack replied with a serious face.
"So, what now?" Josh sighed, trying to think of the more positive things in life.
"Now we hunt the gazelles," Jack declared. Which was his first target anyway.
"And how exactly are we hunting them?" Josh sighed. He didn''t even want to hear the answer. A plan from Jack couldn''t be good.
"Just watch the expert," Jack cheered and transformed back into a grasshopper, flying toward the gazelles.
The gazelles had run a bit after seeing the gliderfang lion attack the grasshopper. Josh watched as Jack flew a few meters above the gazelles. Then, the grasshopper was gone, and a giant squid dropped on the surprised gazelles. With a loud thud, the gazelles disappeared beneath the squid, and moments later the squid transformed back into Jack, who stood holding his back.
"Oh, my back," Jack groaned, holding his back where blood dripped from tiny holes.
Josh flew over and took the form of the thunderspire gazelle, as did Jack, which was nothing more than a red puddle on the ground.
"I can''t believe that worked," Josh said, surprised. "What do we do next with these bodies?"
"We hunt, of course," Jack grinned and transformed into a gazelle, starting to run toward a lone hyenadon that was sniffing the air, clearly attracted by the blood.
"Isn''t it dumb to run at that beast? Jack, those should be hunting us, not the other way around," Josh yelled after his friend, chasing after Jack as he sprinted toward the hyenadon.
The spikeback hyenadon noticed them and instantly charged the two of them. Jack kept running at the hyenadon, and when they were only ten meters apart, he transformed into the giant squid.
The beast tried to turn around, but it was too late. A massive tentacle grabbed it, pulling it into a mouth that worked like a giant meat grinder. Soon after, Jack stood on the flattened grass. Nothing more than a bit of blood remained where the hyenadon had been.
"Why did you eat it all? Can we even take its form now?" Josh exclaimed in annoyance.
"Oh, I totally forgot. Sometimes I can''t hold myself back, and it did bite into one of my tentacles," Jack shrugged as a matter of fact.
Josh laid his hand on the few blood speckles on the ground and tried to take its form, but it was not possible.
"Don''t worry, my friend, we¡¯ll find a better form," Jack cheered, and they shifted back into the form of the thunderspire gazelle, looking out for the next beast that wanted to kill them.
"Damn, I¡¯m leveling fast over here," Jack celebrated after devouring a small pack of mutated dogs.
"Yeah, awesome... and you''ve eaten them all again." Josh sighed. How was that guy progressing this fast? While he didn''t really progress at all for the moment.
"I¡¯m so sorry, but it¡¯s not that easy. I¡¯m getting better at controlling my tentacles," Jack announced. "Besides, have you watched Thalion?"
"Yes, what¡¯s your point now?" Josh retorted, confused.
"He must be investing a lot of time in his forms instead of switching so much," Jack said proudly, like he had solved a very difficult puzzle.
"Yeah, I also wouldn¡¯t switch forms if I had a tidecaller serpent or an umbral predator," Josh exclaimed, not getting what Jack was after.
"I will keep the squid and train that form," Jack announced proudly. "I shall become the strongest squid."
"Sure, let¡¯s just find the next small beast you can overpower with your size," Josh sighed, his shoulders slumping down. "I don¡¯t want to be out here when night approaches."
Chapter 98: Hunting (1)
Groomash was moving through the jungle of the fifth stage. Because of his patron, he was now part of the undead faction in this tutorial. He had been hunting day and night since his arrival in the fifth stage. Now, he was more powerful than ever, reaching almost level 76. Very soon, he would meet with the leaders of the undead faction present in this tutorial. The reason he hadn¡¯t met them sooner was the sheer size of the fifth stage.
The other stages were also vast, but here one could walk for days without encountering another survivor. One reason might be that most were still in the lower stages, but he doubted that this would change much. According to his patron, the only ones missing were the humans and a few orcs, while almost all elves and vampires were here. Some of the weaker vampires had stayed on the fourth stage to slow down the humans before teleporting to the fifth stage.
He emerged from the jungle¡¯s undergrowth and soon found himself standing in front of a massive black castle. How strong could those undead be? Groomash wondered as he stepped closer. A man jumped down from the wall and landed in front of him. His face had already begun to rot, and his right arm was heavily bandaged.
¡°You must be Groomash,¡± the man said with a calm voice.
Groomash nearly had to step back, feeling the power radiating from the man, particularly from his right arm. The wind grew stronger, kicking up more and more sand due to the creature¡¯s presence.
¡°Yes, I am Groomash,¡± Groomash nodded, trying to hold himself steady.
¡°Good, follow me. I will introduce you to your new team,¡± the man continued, turning around.
After walking through seemingly endless corridors, they entered a large chamber. In the center sat a woman and a vampire clad in black armor.
¡°These are Lucius and Cathrin, your new teammates,¡± the man introduced them.
¡°What is our mission?¡± Groomash asked after a slight bow to his new team. He hated being submissive, but he had no choice.
¡°We¡¯re helping to map out the fifth stage and set traps for the humans,¡± Lucius said, standing up ready to go.
¡°I don¡¯t have any skill suited for creating traps,¡± Groomash added in confusion.
¡°No need; I¡¯ll handle most of that,¡± Cathrin smiled with sinister intent. ¡°You just bring me some beast corpses.¡±
<--
Thalion had been working day and night for the past four days on his soul, more precisely, on his soul core. Following the instructions in his manual, he had formed the core. If he could connect the last 15 spirit veins, which were tightly wrapped around it, the core would activate. If it worked, his spirit body would be flooded with power; if not, it would be torn apart, and he¡¯d have to start over. There was even a chance it could damage his real body, but these were all assumptions in the end.
Thalion took a deep breath. Normally, his pounding heart would distract him, but in this world, it only gave him power. After a final glance at the construct, he began connecting the spirit veins. With each connection, the pressure on the core increased, and when he finally connected the last spirit vein, a rush of energy surged through his spirit body, filling his soul with power.
It had worked! The soul core, positioned in the center of his head, released power that flowed through his body along his spirit veins. Thalion emerged from his deep meditation and cast a few skills. The speed at which he could conjure mana barriers had nearly doubled, as had the efficiency of his blood-related skills. His mana recovery had also skyrocketed¡ªit took only seconds for his mana pool to fully restore, even after casting multiple strong mana barriers. He couldn¡¯t wait to get outside and test his limits by using mist form. But first, he had to check his messages.
To avoid interruptions while progressing, he had placed the tokens and communication crystals aside. There were quite a few messages from Lucan, asking how many slave cuffs he needed and sharing ideas for future projects. Being far ahead in soul cultivation, he could start crafting armor for his human form. Thalion wouldn¡¯t make much more progress in his soul cultivation now, as the next milestones would take far more time than he currently had. Hopefully, it would be enough to dominate an outsider.
He also had messages from the alchemists, saying they had worked on plants with high mana affinity, but he didn¡¯t have time for that now. He sent a thank you note to the alchemists for their great work and informed everyone that they would travel to the mountains tomorrow and needed the strongest 150 fighters ready.
With organization tasks complete, he entered Lucan¡¯s shop. There were even more smiths here than in Kael¡¯s base, but no wonder¡ªhe had close to 8,000 citizens. With no other base nearby, most survivors had no choice but to join his. Although it might have caused chaos, thanks to Michael and Garrick, who both worked hard to help, a small guard had been established, keeping murder to a minimum. The positive side was that Garrick had purchased extremely large houses, each holding over 600 people.
From the outside, they looked no bigger than an inn, but inside, they were enormous by comparison. However, he would still need to buy additional houses if the current rate of new arrivals continued.
¡°Hey, good to see you again,¡± Lucan said as Thalion entered. ¡°Have you decided how many cuffs you need?¡±
¡°Creating them was more difficult than I expected,¡± Lucan continued with a bit of sweat running down his face.
¡°Can you make over 200 before the system shop arrives?¡± Thalion asked deep in thought.
¡°What! How many do you want to enslave?¡± Lucan exclaimed in shock.
¡°None, I just need their credits for an extremely expensive item in the system shop,¡± Thalion explained. He didn''t like it one bit himself, but there was no way around it.
¡°Well, they won¡¯t like that. Do you have a plan?¡± Lucan asked, sounding worried.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got a plan,¡± Thalion nodded. ¡°So now, let¡¯s get back to crafting.¡±
¡°Finally, like the old times!¡± Lucan laughed, and soon they were both working on their projects, giving each other pointers here and there. Okay, it was mostly Lucan helping him out¡ªexcept when Thalion started to use his blood in the crafting process.
He was currently working on the shoulder plates, and if everything went well, he would soon be finished. He only needed to apply runes to strengthen the material overnight. They both had a lot of fun that evening. Thalion finished his shoulder plates, while Lucan completed four swords and a staff. Lucan left shortly before nightfall, while Thalion continued working on the gloves and breastplate. He planned to place crystals in all of them, as he had done with his sword. The morning came faster than expected, as Thalion was completely absorbed in his work.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He met the fighters at the gate, with Garrick, Michael, and Kalderk as their leaders.
¡°It is time,¡± Thalion said, activating the building crystal for the Skywarden Bastion.
They all watched as the flying ship slowly appeared in midair, as it gradually transferred into this reality from a different dimension. The next two days they would spend over the mountains were crucial for his plan to demand every single credit in the base for his own reserve. Thalion had already finished the speech he would give, but for it to work, the impression had to be right¡ªthe image of a ruthless warrior. He wouldn¡¯t give them a chance to say no when he claimed their credits.
The ship that appeared before him was massive. The notion that it could fit only one hundred people and fifty passengers must have been a joke; without any spatial manipulation, it could easily hold over 300 people. Did they measure the space for giants, or what? The ship was over 100 meters long, with magic circles and some magic cannons scattered across the deck. It might be a bit difficult to operate, with three giant masts and ropes everywhere¡ªthis could be very interesting, Thalion thought in amusement.
¡°Everyone on deck! We¡¯ve got some crystals to gather,¡± Thalion shouted to the fighters gathering around the ship. ¡°And bring in some extra people¡ªwe¡¯ve got room for a few more.¡±
The survivors did as he commanded, and soon they were all on board. Thalion kept his mask on so no one could read his expression. He hoped it would help in creating the image of a ruthless figher. Soon, another 50 fighters joined them, and it was time to figure out how to operate this thing. Golden runes covered every surface of the ship, and the steering wheel could even be pulled back¡ That was not normal.
¡°Hoist the sails, ye scurvy dogs!¡± Thalion bellowed, his mana-amplified voice rumbling like thunder across the deck. ¡°Let¡¯s give the wind something to fight! I want every inch of canvas catching air!¡±
This was just Thalion trying to look cool while shifting all the work to the others. He had no idea what would happen when the sails were hoisted. The crew slowly began their work.
¡°I think we gotta pull that rope,¡± one man said, pointing in one of the many robes hanging from the main mast.
¡°No, it¡¯s not even connected to the sail!¡± an archer exclaimed.
¡°Why do we even need sails? The ship is already flying,¡± a mage interjected with annoyance.
¡°I think I got it,¡± a woman said, starting to climb a rope hanging from the mast in the middle.
It only took a few minutes for the sails to be hoisted, but with the new standard, where everyone could effortlessly shoot up the rigging in seconds, it felt like an eternity. The three giant sails had white runes on them that hummed with power, and a moment later, the ship shot through the sky. Good thing Thalion had pulled the steering wheel back from the start.
It almost gave him a heart attack but left him feeling more powerful than ever. It was a bit of a gamble, because if pulling the wheel meant going down, the great flagship would be lying in pieces on the earth, which wouldn''t leave a good expression.
Thalion was sure that, without their newfound powers, half of his crew would have been blasted off the now fast moving ship. Within seconds, they were already hundreds of meters in the air¡ªdefinitely faster than a porsche on the first hundred meters.
After they were two kilometers up, he pushed the steering wheel into a neutral position, and they now shot toward the mountains.
¡°Ye call that speed?¡± Thalion barked at the still-shocked crew with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve seen barnacles move faster! Into the rigging, ye lazy lot! Get them ropes tight, or I¡¯ll feed ye to the sea myself!¡±
This was, of course, completely improvised but worked very well, as most were now working on the sails, pulling ropes here and there to catch more wind.
Thalion grabbed the wheel with one hand, laughing as the wind filled the sails. ¡°That¡¯s it, boys! Now let¡¯s see if the sea can catch us!¡±
¡°What sea should catch us? We¡¯re in the sky,¡± a man muttered, sitting on the mainmast.
¡°Almost a third of the crew are women, but he doesn¡¯t address us at all,¡± a woman sighed in disappointment.
Well, that comment hadn¡¯t worked as well as he¡¯d hoped, Thalion thought as he heard the whispered complaints.
In the end, everything went smoothly as they traveled at an incredible speed. The only question was how to stop the ship. Thalion tried to look relaxed, even sat down for some meditation. But internally, his panic grew with every passing hour, as he still hadn¡¯t found the brakes. Why weren¡¯t there any instructions with the ship? The only solution he could see was to take in the sails.
After three hours of travel, they could see the wind crystals in the distance. After lowering two of the three sails, the ship slowed down immensely. At this speed, it should be easy to maneuver between the crystals. The alchemists had replicated Zyra¡¯s runes and provided them to everyone on board so they could gather as many crystals as possible.
¡°Listen up! We will slowly pass through the wind crystals, killing every beast that guards them,¡± Thalion¡¯s voice thundered. ¡°We¡¯ll start at this level and gradually work our way up.¡±
¡°This ship is new, so if there¡¯s even one scratch on it, we¡¯ll be having a different conversation after the hunt,¡± Thalion continued his voice emplyfied by mana and his conviction. ¡°NOW MOVE!¡±
Everyone sprang into action; some groups jumped off the ship to gather weakly guarded crystals.
It was much easier than he¡¯d expected¡ªthe ship¡¯s firepower was from another world, which meant that every beast was blasted without a chance of survival. Within the first half-hour, they¡¯d gathered over 20 crystals. There had been a shift in the power hierarchy since the two eagles that had ruled over the largest crystals were gone. In their place was a giant jellyfish.
Thalion stood in a magic circle, unleashing devastation on every flying beast that came near. They even had people collecting the corpses and draining them of blood. This was fun, he thought. Just standing on the magic circle, shooting beasts felt refreshing. He didn¡¯t have to steer the ship since, even when crystals appeared in front of them, they were gathered before the ship could ram into them.
Thalion worked on his blood control and his flamethrower, which now easily covered a distance of 30 meters. Once, a swarm of weak insects partly got past the guards due to their sheer numbers, but one blood harvest later, they all died from blood loss while the sanguine thorn hummed in delight. His soul cultivation had helped immensely in applying mental pressure, which was essential for skills like blood harvest, where the target could resist, rendering the skill useless.
The skill was completely broken if his mental strength ruled supreme; the target had no way to defend themselves and usually died soon after. There were likely other ways to protect against blood harvest, but so far, he hadn¡¯t encountered one.
They continued killing beasts and gathering materials. Thalion used most of the time to work on his fire skills. In theory, it should be possible to do the same with fire as with his blood, but condensing fire felt completely different.
This was perhaps due to his deep connection to blood he got from the sanguine thorn. His goal was to use fire in different ways, like powerful fire spears he could throw at enemies, but for now, he had only managed to intensify his flamethrower. Changing a spell with one¡¯s own will was always challenging¡ªeasier now with his strengthened soul, but still difficult.
Thalion still struggled to find the right timing to impose his will on his only fire skill. When the fireball was almost formed, it was too late to change it, and attempting it too early caused the spell to collapse. The only way to adjust was to rely on instinct, like he and Sylas had done back in his room.
Once a variant of the skill had been learned, replicating it was easier, like with his flamethrower. Thalion didn¡¯t attempt too much, though, as he was being watched, and failing repeatedly might harm his powerful leader image.
¡°It is time to enter the higher layers since our warm-up is finished,¡± Thalion announced almost six hours later and pulled the steering wheel, causing the ship to gain altitude.
So far, the creatures they¡¯d fought were around level 55, but on the next layer, beasts would be nearly ten levels higher. This time, they reeled in more sails to slow their speed, allowing more time to kill the beasts, which were now a lot tougher than before. Many of the beasts had long-range attacks, shooting feathers or spitting acid, making it more challenging to defeat them.
Good thing the ship¡¯s mana shields were strong and easily blocked most attacks, while the material the ship was made from was too sturdy for any flying creature to damage. Some turtles attempted to tackle it from beneath, but they couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch before a team of hunters dispatched them. Michael was among the group leaders who descended on the turtles, eagerly killing them¡ªto the dismay of Garrick, who couldn¡¯t do much in the air as he lacked a flying skill.
Garrick primarily activated war arrays and commanded the fighters so no one was in danger of losing their life. They had now spent almost the entire day hunting, and not a single survivor had been lost¡ªwhich was remarkable. Some had been seriously injured, but the healers were quick to intervene and save their lives.
Chapter 99: Hunting (2)
When night arrived, Thalion stopped the ship at a safe distance from any crystals. Even though most survivors didn¡¯t need much sleep, after such an eventful day, it was just safer to give them time to rest. Thalion took the night shift, mostly meditating and switching between his forms to observe where the soul core he had created was located. The creation of the soul core had twisted the spirit veins in his other forms a bit, and he worked tirelessly to bring them all back to their former positions.
¡°Didn¡¯t you need to sleep?¡± Kaldrek asked after the third shift change.
¡°Not at the moment. A bit of meditation is enough,¡± Thalion shrugged; he definitely didn¡¯t want to reveal that sleep was no longer necessary for him.
Kaldrek looked as though he wanted to ask more but just nodded and moved back to his place on the other side of the ship. Three people were enough to scout the area and warn the others if any crazed bird attempted to attack. The rest were below deck, sleeping in their cabins. Thanks to the spatial manipulation within the ship, they had more than enough room for everyone.
It took Thalion the whole night to untangle his spirit body in all forms. He had feared that it would take much longer in the form of the Tidecaller Serpent because he couldn¡¯t breathe air in that shape. To his surprise, however, he discovered he could breathe air and had no trouble fixing his spirit body in his serpent form. The spirit body of the Tidecaller Serpent was even the easiest to repair and only took about an hour.
This would be a very interesting day; he planned to try killing the stronger beasts at the top, maybe even the jellyfish, not just for their crystals but also for any valuable skills they might possess. Another reason was that he wanted his crew to be exhausted when he demanded all their credits. It was time to push everyone to their limits. After the battles yesterday, he had a good sense of how far he could go.
¡°It¡¯s time to hunt some bigshots,¡± Thalion announced when everyone had gathered on deck.
¡°Today, we¡¯re going after the stronger beasts in this area,¡± Thalion continued, his voice amplified with mana.
¡°Our real enemies are the undead on the upcoming stages. If you aren¡¯t strong enough to defeat a few birds, what do you think Ankhet will do to you when he wakes up¡ªnot to mention the many vampires in this tutorial.¡± Thalion planted his first seed if daut.
This was all part of his grand plan to make them willingly hand over their credits to him. He intended to claim that he might have a fighting chance against Ankhet if he could purchase a certain very expensive item. Thalion hoped that the fear of Ankhet, the vampires, and his current reputation would be enough to get what he wanted.
Thalion saw the fighters nod in agreement, determination in their expressions. Soon after his little speech, they were on their way to one of the larger crystals. Flying around it were two giant serpents with backward-curved horns growing out of their heads. The horns radiated power and electricity through the entire serpent. Watching the serpents as they drew closer, Thalion realized the horns might even be their power source.
Their high affinity for lightning was the reason he had chosen the over-twenty-meter snakes first. Those horns might even be worth adding to his eagle form, even though he¡¯d look rather odd with them. The horns would adjust in size to his eagle form, making them a bit more practical when he used his skill. Though they would still look extremely large and misplaced on his head, but what could he do? He wasn¡¯t here to win a beauty contest.
¡°Kaldrek, take the steering wheel,¡± Thalion said, readying himself to unleash everything he had at the serpents.
Thalion transformed into eagly and sped toward the serpents. When the ship was close enough to be seen as a threat, the fight erupted. Lightning crackled along the serpents'' bodies, and shortly after, massive lightning beams were unleashed toward the ship. Thalion activated feather glide and tempest shroud and practically surfed on the lightning.
This was perfect for body tempering, and the beam attack looked very promising. Thalion had mainly transformed into eagly to temper himself and to serve as a distraction. He shouldn¡¯t be able to inflict any real damage to the serpents, as they were most likely immune to lightning attacks.
Ten mages charged one of the large mana shields on the ship with mana, completely blocking the powerful lightning beams. Arrows and spells rained down on the giant serpents. Their bodies were massive, so the crew¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t affect them too much. Now, the serpents began to move quickly to the side, charging up for another attack. Thalion fired a charged lightning bolt at one of the snakes, but it was completely absorbed by the scales.
After the second round of lightning beams, the serpents looked quite tired, with wounds accumulating on their bodies. Then, the first serpent died as Michael fired a lance made of flames at its head. The second serpent roared defiantly and attempted to ram the ship, but Thalion couldn¡¯t allow that.
He had no clue how to repair the ship if it was damaged, so he transformed back into his human form just above the snake and unleashed a red slash with his sword. The already injured serpent noticed the attack too late, and the red slash cut deeply into its head, killing it instantly. Thalion dove down, touched the serpent to take its form, then placed the giant beast into his spatial ring. As he shot upward with telekinetic dash, he checked out the skills of the Thunder Serpent. There were two in particular that he was especially eager to obtain.
Storm Horns (Ancient)
The Thunder Serpent''s horns serve as natural conduits for the raw power of lightning. All lightning-based attacks are amplified by the energy coursing through them, intensifying their destructive force. With each lightning strike, residual energy builds within the horns, empowering the serpent''s next attack to unleash even greater devastation.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Lighting Beam (Ancient)
The Thunder Serpent gathers an immense charge of lightning in its throat, channeling it into a devastating beam of pure electrical fury. The beam is unleashed from its maw, cutting through the air with terrifying precision and obliterating anything in its path. Enemies caught in its wake are not only scorched but may also be left paralyzed by the surge of energy.
He had known that the serpents were high variants, but he hadn¡¯t expected an ancient race and two ancient skills. The first was a passive skill which empowered all his lightning attacks, and the second was similar to his aqua lance as a tidecaller serpent. He had to take the horns first, or the passive skill wouldn¡¯t work even when he transferred it. Thalion made one quick dash to the side, placing himself under the ship so no one could see him.
He didn¡¯t want everyone to know what he was capable of as he transformed into eagly. Morphic adaptation was likely a skill most shapeshifters had, but there was still no reason to show off. Thalion felt the horns grow out of his head and discarded the form of the Thunder Serpent after transferring the two skills to eagly. It had a few more skills, but he couldn¡¯t use them in any of his forms.
Thalion arrived as a human back on deck, thinking back. It was probably a waste to hide his adaptation since the moment he would use eagly again, everyone on this ship would know anyway. Well, whatever. It didn¡¯t take long until they arrived at the next crystal. They slaughtered their way through the beasts guarding the crystals. The beasts were now all around level 70, but against over a hundred fighters plus the giant battleship, they had no chance.
They killed a Fire Raven, two Sky Turtles, a big flying fish, five big hornets, and one worm. Sadly, none of those beasts had any useful skills for him, and he didn¡¯t get a level-up. All others on his crew were on their way to level 70 right now, while he hadn¡¯t even gained one level-up. He did, however, have two upgrades: eagly was now an ancient beast, most likely due to the body-tempering in combination with the new horns, and his human race was at legendary rarity. This must have happened when the sanguine thorn got its power-up a while ago; he just hadn''t noticed until now.
It was time for the final boss¡ªthe big jellyfish on top of the giant crystal. They had just skipped a few crystals since they wouldn¡¯t have enough time to fight them all today. The jellyfish was definitely on the brink of stepping into E-grade, and every one of its tentacles was filled with power.
Thalion and a few mages jumped off the ship to attack the jellyfish from different directions, while the rest stayed on the boat. This beast definitely had a lot of wind affinity, but that couldn¡¯t be everything. Jellyfish back on Earth were known for their extremely potent toxins, and this big boy should have something similar in its repertoire.
Thalion transformed into eagly and shot around the jellyfish, keeping his safe distance since it was not a creature of lightning meant he could test his new skills. He could already feel how the horns shot lightning through his body, empowering it to new heights. It was a wonder that the long horns didn¡¯t pierce his wings while he was flying.
The survivors on the ship started the fight and fired many different skills at the jellyfish. The jellyfish responded by blocking the attacks with multiple tentacles. Next, it started to hum with power, slowly glowing with violet light. Many of the innumerable tentacles that were ripped apart by the first attack regenerated with speed visible to the eye.
Thalion, meanwhile, channeled a lightning beam and shot it at the jellyfish. The power was close to the water lance he had in his water form, with less cutting power; however, lightning had the ability to enter the body and grill the beast from the inside. The jellyfish had high recovery but almost no protection against attacks except its tentacles.
When Thalion¡¯s lightning hit the umbrella-shaped top of the jellyfish, the beast was completely shocked, its whole body freezing for a short amount of time. Steam rose from the jellyfish''s skin, and it started attacking with stingers and wind blades. As additional protection, it summoned wind barriers between itself, the ship, Michael, and Thalion.
The ship continued its assault, with most fighters on board safe behind strong defensive shields. Michael¡¯s fighters weren¡¯t as lucky, as some were hit by the stingers. They died within moments, the poison almost instantly killing them before a healer could save them. The jellyfish was very powerful, but against armored creatures, it was at a disadvantage, and the ship was such an armored creature.
The poison was powerful like its defense, but it couldn¡¯t break through the protective barrier surrounding the giant battleship. The continuous attacks against the jellyfish, along with the occasional lightning beam that hit it from behind, were enough to kill the beast.
Thalion quickly dove down and acquired the form of the jellyfish, putting its body in his spatial ring. Those wind barriers should be pretty useful, and maybe he could add the poison to eagly¡¯s talons or to the claws of the umbral predator. Sadly, the jellyfish had no skill that could conjure something like the wind barrier.
Most other skills required him to have tentacles, and the poison had to slowly build up inside the stingers while the skill was not activated. In conclusion, the legendary jellyfish was useless for him. He thought for a moment about adding the tentacles to one of his forms, but that would just be odd. Overloading a beast with body parts from other beasts could potentially even make it worse. Still, Thalion gathered the big wind crystal and, soon after, jumped back on board, now a human again. It was time to return.
<--
¡°What have you done?¡± Josh exclaimed on seeing the monstrosity before him.
¡°I¡¯m doing it like Thalion! Did you see those elegant fins and the tail of his snake form?¡± Jack eagerly explained. ¡°It must be from a different beast, so I¡¯m doing the same here.¡±
Josh was too shocked to answer; he stood in front of a giant squid that had the horns of a gazelle and giant grasshopper wings attached a few meters behind its eyes.
¡°I can even breathe now!¡± Jack cheered very happy with his decision.
¡°Dude, you¡¯re just a bag of flesh lying on the ground,¡± Josh exclaimed in horror.
¡°I probably need to add more wings,¡± Jack thought out loud.
¡°Although I¡¯m not lying on the ground, I¡¯m standing on my four legs,¡± Jack countered, slightly offended.
¡°I don¡¯t see any legs,¡± Josh sighed in disbelief.
¡°Well, the legs of the gazelle¡ªeven though they are now a bit bigger and stronger. I still can¡¯t really move the body with them,¡± Jack said, still deep in thought.
¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± Josh sighed, close to losing it.
¡°You¡¯ll see! I¡¯ll be the strongest creature there is, attuned to water, air, and the ground,¡± Jack cheered with confidence.
¡°So, I need more wings. Can you go and bring me something like a bee or wasp?¡± Jack asked earnestly.
¡°AAAAHHH, I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Josh yelled in frustration before going to search for something with wings for his buddy, even when he doubted that it would help much. But what else were friends for? Jack would help him too if he had trouble in the future.
Chapter 100: Credits
Thalion and his crew were on their way back to his base; it would only be a few hours until they arrived. Thalion was going over his plan. It was very risky, but well worth it if it succeeded.
Soon, after receiving the cuffs from Lucan, he would send out a message for everyone to assemble and then instruct them to give him all their credits. He didn¡¯t have much choice.
Due to his high body-tempering, he could still fight beasts over twenty levels above him, but it was already getting harder, and he saw the fast progress the fighters on his ship were making. Michael and Garrick were both at level 68, which was near the limit of what he could handle.
This would only get worse over time. When they reached E grade, and every level-up then provided more than double the experience of an F grade. In short, he would have no hope of fighting anyone.
If they kept up their current progress, Garrick and Michael would likely evolve to E grade within weeks, or maybe even sooner if they evolved instantly.
This was a question he needed to ask the system¡¯s voice: how would it affect him? Would he even be able to keep his mythic rarity in his class if he evolved immediately upon reaching level 80? Thalion was running out of time and would grow more desperate with the passing time.
He still had his body-tempering, but would it be enough for a mythic class? Thalion was growing desperate, and the only path that would allow him to be relevant in the future was the power the outsiders offered.
They all landed a few hours later at his base; he only had a short time before nightfall. Most members went to the craftsmen to deliver the crystals and beast corpses.
Thalion was handed the bottles of blood they had gathered over the past two days, and he could already feel the anticipation of the sanguine thorn.
¡°How many did you get?¡± Thalion asked Lucan as he entered the smithy.
¡°I got you close to three hundred. Man, I can tell you, that was exhausting,¡± Lucan sighed, exhausted from the hard work.
¡°Great! That should be enough, and don¡¯t worry¡ªafter tomorrow, we can get to the good stuff,¡± Thalion smiled, not sharing his fear. If this plan fails, he might even die.
¡°Yeah, I heard you gathered close to two hundred of those powerful wind crystals. I am looking forward to building some legendary items, maybe even a mythic one,¡± Lucan said with a grin.
¡°Me too, but before that, come along. It¡¯s about to begin,¡± Thalion motioned for the smith to follow him as he exited the shop.
Next, he sent a message to Kaldrek, Maike, and the small family he had saved, instructing them to meet him in his chambers. It was time to reveal his plan.
¡°You want us to run around placing these cuffs on everyone who has joined this camp?¡± Maike asked in surprise and disbelief.
¡°Gather a few more helpers. The faster this goes, the better,¡± Thalion nodded, confirming that Maike was absolutly correct.
¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Kaldrek asked, looking worried. ¡°Why do you even need so many credits?¡±
¡°I have some sort of a curse on me, and I need an item to break it,¡± Thalion told them. It wasn¡¯t the full truth, but it wasn¡¯t too far off. Outsiders were forbidden, so best if no one knew.
¡°We¡¯ll help you,¡± Sachiko said confidently and even bowed before him.
¡°Great! Then let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡± Thalion said with a grin, fully embracing this absolute crazy situation.
This was the moment that would change his future. If he messed up now, his journey to godhood could be over. Thalion took the master cuff to which all the other cuffs were bound and sent out a message for everyone to gather in half an hour at the open area in front of his building.
He didn¡¯t have a gathering hall, but the space in front of his tower should be big enough to hold the 7,351 survivors who had joined his base for protection. The others had left to gather their friends to get this over with as quickly as possible.
If it worked, they would only need to lock the cuff around each person¡¯s arm, and after the survivor accepted the enslavement, all their credits would be transferred to Thalion.
Afterward, they could open the cuff, which would automatically free the slave, and repeat the process. With this many cuffs, it shouldn¡¯t take long to harvest all the credits.
Thalion sat down in meditation, preparing himself mentally while waiting for the survivors to gather. Michael and Garrick were helping organize everyone in the plaza, both still unsure who would be chosen to inherit the base after Thalion left for the higher stages. In 15 minutes, they had gathered everyone around the tall tower, which was Thalion¡¯s home.
¡°Do you think he¡¯ll announce that you¡¯ll get the base?¡± one of Michael¡¯s most loyal followers asked hopefully.
¡°It must be! Why else would he gather everyone?¡± Michael nodded with confidence. He couldnt wait any longer to become the leader of this base.
Michael looked to the side and saw Garrick watching the door with anticipation; he clearly thought the same thing. Before anyone could say anything, the door opened, and Thalion stepped out, radiating power.
He was still wearing his mask and slowly levitated a few meters into the air before speaking, his voice vibrating throughout the whole camp.
¡°Greetings, everyone! I have been informed that our chances of surviving the tutorial have dropped significantly,¡± Thalion began, his voice full of power and unbounded conviction.
¡°After the special quest is concluded, a being will appear strong enough to slay every single one of us without much effort,¡± Thalion announced with a loud voice emplefied by mana.
Many people still didn¡¯t know what it would mean when Ankhet came back to life, so he wanted to use that to his advantage.
¡°But I have found a solution¡ªa way for everyone to survive,¡± Thalion lied. He didn''t like it, but with this story he saw his best chances of everyone giving him their credits.
¡°An item of such immense power that it can slay Ankhet,¡± Thalion continued, ¡°but I will need everyone¡¯s credits to afford it. With the help of our greatest craftsman, we have found a way to transfer your credits to me.
This is our only way to survive the coming months. If you do not submit your credits, it is an attack on every one of us,¡± Thalion concluded in a sinister tone. He didn''t like that part either, but it was necessary to apply the pressure so no one would dare to just walk away.
Thalion motioned for Lucan and the others to start, who were standing at his side. He saw the shock on most people¡¯s faces: some who hadn¡¯t known about Ankhet, and others who couldn¡¯t believe they had to give up all their credits.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Garrick and Michael looked sick, but so far, no one had spoken up. Some flickered out of existence, probably teleporting to the next stage, but most just gave in. After a few minutes, Garrick offered his help, and soon after that, Michael joined as well, not wanting to lose to his rival. Both were talking about how important it was to give all the credits if it provided a way to defeat Ankhet.
Thalion didn¡¯t need his title to know that many people disliked him at that moment, but as long as it worked, it would be fine. Thalion watched in disbelief as his credit score rose. He was now at over eighty million credits, and they still had more than half the people left. Some tried to sneak away, but Kaldrek¡¯s men were on the lookout and quickly caught the survivors, taking their credits first.
¡°I don¡¯t like this either. Believe me, this item will most likely just kill me when I use it,¡± Thalion said with a mana-infused voice to calm the people. It wasn¡¯t far from the truth, as the ritual to summon an outsider had the potential to kill him. A few gasped in surprise at his words, and an hour later, it was over.
¡°Thank you for your noble contributions. In the past days, we have gathered many strong materials, and the craftsmen will gladly assist you with a weapon or armor,¡± Thalion finished and entered his tower again.
The people were shocked; they had lost every single credit they had gathered this week.
¡°This is bullshit,¡± one heavy warrior shouted after Thalion had left.
¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? He¡¯ll die using the item to save our lives,¡± another man replied.
Such discussions took place repeatedly as the crowd dispersed. Michael stared in disbelief at his status screen; all of his 200,000 credits were gone, and he had nothing to show for it.
He considered killing the man but thought better of it. Thalion could just shift to the next stage, and Michael wasn¡¯t confident in taking him on alone. The power Thalion displayed was impressive for his level.
Michael was close to level 70 and wasn¡¯t fully confident in taking Thalion down; with a bit of help, he was sure that Thalion would stand no chance. Perhaps it was time for an alliance, Michael thought as he glanced over at his rival Garrick, who seemed to have similar thoughts.
<--
"Do you think I can buy a beast in the system shop? Maybe something with wings," Jack said, deep in thought.
"Maybe you can buy something even better¡ªmaybe an item to evolve the squid or a passive skill that can make it hover above the ground," Josh answered, trying to find a way to help Jack.
Josh was exhausted. He had tried to find a flying beast for Jack, but they all flew away whenever he found one, and he couldn¡¯t defeat a phantom-winged quetzalcoatl that was over seven levels above him as a grasshopper.
Jack had continued with his madness while Josh was gone. Some beasts thought the giant squid lying on the ground was already dead, which most of the time ended with Jack eating them. When larger beasts, or groups of beasts, arrived, Jack transformed into his human form and ran.
He still had some skills from his light warrior class and managed to escape with much difficulty. Most of the beasts he had killed and taken forms from were now added to his squid form. The giant squid now had a spiked tail coming out of the top of its head and the mane of a gray lion. Of course, he had instantly eaten them before Josh could take their forms.
Now they were in the middle of a field, waiting for the system shop to appear. Jack didn¡¯t sit but instead stood on his tiny gazelle legs, which no one could see.
"That would be super cool, but I kind of don¡¯t want to lose the original look," Jack replied, also deep in thought.
"Okay, whatever. I don¡¯t even want to know. How many credits do you have?" Josh asked, giving it up. He had tried so hard to get Jack wings or a new creature so that he finally got rid of the squid, and now Jack was talking about keeping the original look. It was just enough for Josh after such a hard day.
"Close to 150,000," Jack proudly replied.
"That could be enough to buy stronger items," Josh shrugged, not really caring anymore. The item Jack would buy would be something extremely useless¡ªhe was sure of it.
<--
Steven had a hard week. The undead were attacking every day with an almost endless supply of turned beasts. The good thing was they leveled up fast; the bad was that they lost soldiers quickly and would soon be overrun.
Thorwald and his men couldn¡¯t scout far ahead, as after a few hundred meters, they were attacked. Flying was also not an option since the vampires could easily fight in the air, too. This left them stuck in the fortress for the whole week, defending against wave after wave of enemies.
At least Steven was close to level 80 now, but he wouldn¡¯t trigger the evolution yet. Their only way out was paying 150,000 credits to advance to the next stage, hoping it would be easier there.
Steven and Thorwald only stayed to keep as many people alive as possible, but with every man they lost, defending against the vampires became harder and harder.
Steven had already lost half of his men, and only a quarter had enough credits to advance to the next stage. He had more than enough credits himself, but he was not sure what he should invest in.
He couldn¡¯t get better armor or weapons; legendary was the best rarity available in the system shop. Here and there, a few mythic weapons appeared, but they weren¡¯t worth the price. In the last system shop, he had bought flying vessels, but the vampires destroyed them when they tried to escape.
The best investment was probably stronger defenses, but he hadn¡¯t figured out what the vampires were planning since they could have bought some of those wallbreakers in the last system shop. It didn¡¯t even look like they wanted to win that badly.
Over the week, they had only managed to kill ten vampires; they were extremely difficult to kill and didn¡¯t take any risks in the fight. The sound of an alarm brought him back to reality, and his eyes widened when he saw how many undead there were.
The vampires wanted to end it before the system shop opened to gain as many credits as possible or force them to teleport to the next stage. It was likely that they wouldn¡¯t be grouped together like last time when they ascended, as he hadn¡¯t had enough time to prepare for group teleportation.
It was crucial that they held the line for as long as possible. Even if they lost, it was vital to allow as many humans as possible to ascend to the next stage. Many of his warriors were close to the threshold of 150,000 credits after all.
The undead came from all sides, and the mages had already begun shooting spells at the attackers. Steven watched the battle unfold. This time, the vampires had brought shield arrays with them, and most likely some items to destroy the wall.
Steven summoned his wings¡ªtime to get some experience and credits before moving on to the next stage. More and more undead poured out of the jungle, with even more vampires. The defenses wouldn¡¯t hold for long.
The moment he left the protection of the shield, multiple vampires attacked him. They launched numerous blood skills at him, but he blocked them with his shield. The power of their attacks stopped his descent and even pushed him a few meters back.
These were the strong vampire warriors, and this would be more difficult than he had initially thought. The vampires were able to use the blood of the fallen to heal themselves or for skills, and there were a lot of dead beasts lying on the ground. The onslaught didn¡¯t stop; even with hundreds of undead beasts already dead, they kept storming out of the jungle undergrowth.
Vampires gathered the blood and launched spears over four meters long at him. Steven dove straight to the ground, piercing the head of a beast with his lance. He activated his fire skill, and white flames shot out of his lance, burning all beasts within forty meters in front of him.
Soon, a wave of blood pushed against his fire and eventually overpowered it completely. He activated his wings to avoid getting hit by the flood, which could have meant his end. The rivers of blood radiated immense power, and any beast that stood in its path was completely crushed.
As he shot up, Steven saw over thirty vampires descending from the sky. It was already night, and he hadn¡¯t spotted them at the beginning of the fight. They had bat-like wings emerging from their backs, long claws, and glowing red eyes.
The first one crashed into Steven, who managed to get his shield in the way at the last second. The vampire¡¯s claws and fangs began to glow red as it tried to bite and slash through his armor. Steven stored his weapons in his spatial ring, completely ignored the vampire¡¯s claws, grabbed its neck, and headbutted it, cracking its head open. Steven didn¡¯t have time to finish off the vampire, as the next one crashed into him from behind.
This vampire grabbed his helmet and began twisting it. There were no weak points in his armor, so the vampire had no other choice if it didn¡¯t want to break it open. Assassinating him with a single attack was almost impossible, but before Steven could grab the vampire¡¯s hands, another one slammed into him, ripping out one of his light wings.
Steven panicked and paid the 150,000 credits to teleport to the next stage. He arrived in an African tundra with giant beasts and even dinosaurs roaming it. He quickly retracted his aura and ended his lightning skill, which had been boosting him.
Before he had time to observe the area he had arrived in, the two vampires that had grabbed him before reappeared two meters in front of him. Damn, they must have teleported too¡ªbut he should be able to handle these two.
Then the vampires did something he hadn¡¯t anticipated. They screamed. It was loud and high pitched, like an alien creature, and the air around them vibrated. Were they calling for help? How many vampires could be out here in the fifth stage? Steven thought, panic rising.
He summoned his light wings again, activated the speed boost, and shot away from the vampires. He wouldn''t risk a fight if the vampires could get reinforcement. Steven was confident in escaping the vampires; in the long run, he got many treasures that would refill his stamina and mana pool fully.
Chapter 101: The Most Expensive Item
Thalion had meditated the whole night, strengthening his soul. He couldn¡¯t believe just how well it had worked. Many hated him now, but looking at his total credit score, it was totally worth it. He currently had a bit over three hundred million credits. This had to be enough to buy the real deal when it came to outsiders.
The last few hours until the arrival went by fast as he was fully focused on strengthening his soul, and when the notification popped up, he triggered it immediately. Thalion arrived in front of the voice, who started laughing in his head the moment he appeared.
"I didn¡¯t expect anything like that. I guess you want the best stuff I¡¯ve got related to outsiders?"
"Show me what you got," Thalion said with anticipation.
A black crystal appeared before him.
Memory Crystal of Xal''Kharoth, The Star-Seeker [300,000,000 Credits]
"What makes it so special?" Thalion asked, noticing there was no description. The price was so high that if he bought it, he would have only 500,000 credits left in his pocket.
"As you can see, it¡¯s the memory crystal made by the Star-Seeker, a being that lived long before the empire of Amun-Ra," the voice began his explanation. "It contains knowledge on different ways to bind outsiders and to completely destroy their inherent will. The most dangerous thing about outsiders is that their will invades your soul like a virus, slowly changing you from the inside without you noticing. Xal''Kharoth found many solutions to this problem. Additionally, there¡¯s a map inside the crystal that will guide you to certain realms. There are many other things, but those are the most important."
"Okay, then I¡¯ll take it," Thalion said with a shrug. This was too good not to buy.
Thalion watched in dismay as all the credits disappeared from his status screen.
"You know, you just bought the most expensive item in this shop¡ªand you¡¯re also the first to do so," the voice laughed in amusement.
"Wait, how is that possible? Three hundred million credits isn¡¯t that much, right?" Thalion wondered in surprise.
It was true; if a god¡¯s chosen got something like those cuffs, with willing followers, the chosen should be able to get way more credits than three hundred million. So why hadn¡¯t anyone bought it before?
"They got reduced due to the interference of many gods. No one in the tutorial would ever know about the outsiders, and even if they did through rare circumstances, they¡¯d lack the credits," the voice explained. "When gods get involved, for example by showing construction plans of slave cuffs, the price of high-value items skyrockets. But for you, it was the opposite: no one helped you, and in this tutorial, gods are frequently breaking the limits. This means that everyone who isn¡¯t blessed receives additional help to balance the scales a bit."
"So, what would the normal price be without any outside influence?" Thalion wondered aloud.
"It would be a bit above one billion," the voice answered without blinking an eye.
"Some nice discount I got," Thalion laughed. Sometimes it really came in handy to have a target on one¡¯s back.
"Since I have over 500,000 credits left, I thought about a few things. Is there an item that allows me to fuse my skills?" Thalion asked, and a moment later, a description of a skill appeared before him:
Skill Fusion (Ancient)
A powerful ability that lets the user merge two distinct skills into a new, combined technique. By channeling energy, the user can determine specific elements from each skill to retain, modify, or enhance. This customization allows for the creation of unique abilities tailored to the situation or the user¡¯s combat style. The fused skill inherits the strengths of its components. [440,000 Credits]
"Okay, I¡¯ll take that one for sure," Thalion said with delight. This was exactly what he needed, especially for his eagle form or when he would go out skill-hunting. This skill was basically morphic adaptation for skills. With his last credits, Thalion purchased housing for the living district. It was only enough for five houses, but they should fit close to 8,000 survivors¡ªmore than enough for the coming weeks. Appearing back in his room, he immediately took out the memory crystal of Xal''Kharoth. Upon contact, the crystal dispersed into black smoke that entered his body, and Thalion was knocked out cold from the influx of knowledge.
<--
Josh saw how Jack appeared before him with a big smile on his face. When someone entered the system shop and returned in the same position, it just looked like the form of the person flickered for a moment.
"And what did you get?" Josh sighed, realizing he probably didn¡¯t even want to know.
"Man, I hit the JACKPOT!" Jack laughed at Josh like he had lost his mind.
"Okay, can¡¯t you just show me what you got?" Josh sighed at the cryptic response.
"Oh yes, I will," Jack laughed and took out a purple crystal, crushing it in his hand.
A purple mist entered Jack¡¯s body, turning the pupil of one of his eyes purple, but nothing more happened after that. Josh watched as Jack''s eyes shifted, clearly reading something on his status screen.
"Oh wow, okay, that''s cool," Jack said while turning around.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
"One final time¡ªcan¡¯t you just tell me what you bought in the system shop?" Josh sighed.
"Okay, here it comes. I got a bit of a discount on an item," Jack cheered happily.
"Still, what item, and why did you get a discount?" Josh asked, now confused. He never got a discout before, so why did Jack?
"First, I asked the voice if it had something nice to eat, but it said it had something better for me," Jack began. "It seems some gods have broken certain boundaries, which allows the voice to offer additional help to those who are not blessed. It guided me to a rare item: the Amethyst Soulshard. This item can only be used by a shapeshifter whose only form is a squid. It allows me to upgrade my class and the squid¡¯s race. My class is now the abyssal herald, which gives me many abilities related to my beast form. However, it also deleted most of my shapeshifting skills. The only one that remains is the shapeshift skill, but I can only shift into my squid form. My beast form is now the Quorithan Abyss Lord¡ªwhich, like you said, should be a flying squid with strong telekinetic and mental powers."
"This is a joke, right?" Josh thought. Maybe the guy had just bought something that changed the color of his eyes.
This thought disappeared as the still-cheering Jack transformed into a giant squid that hovered a few meters in the air. The skin was dark purple, and he was a bit smaller than the giant squid Jack had been before.
"Oh-ho, wow, this is amazing! I feel so strong," Jack said, wiggling around.
"Hey Josh, why don¡¯t you discard all of your forms except one? There must be some special item for you, too," Jack happily announced while shifting back to his human form, which also hovered in the air as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What the hell?" Josh exclaimed. "How is something like this possible? You just got a massive upgrade, and there are no downsides."
"No, I can never change my class except to something that¡¯s a straight upgrade from my current one; the same goes for my race," Jack explained. "Anyway, I think you should place the wings of the grasshopper on the back of the crab, plus the horns of the gazelle on top."
Josh was thinking through all the possibilities he currently had, and he really didn¡¯t like the crab form. So he added the claws of the crab plus the horns of the gazelle to the only form left, the green grasshopper. He also hoped that upgrading the grasshopper race would be less expensive than the crab, since he had only a bit over 90,000 credits left. After discarding his other forms, he entered the system shop hoping for the best.
"Another weirdo! What is up with you humans? Don¡¯t you have some sense of style?" the voice greeted in amusement.
"Oh, honored voice, you gave my friend Jack a crystal that allowed him to upgrade his race and class. Do you have something like that for me, too?" Josh asked with a deep bow.
"You don¡¯t have enough credits to pay for something like that. Grasshoppers are one of the strongest insects in existence, ruling over galaxies," the voice dismissed his request.
"What? How many credits do I need?" Josh exclaimed in shock.
"With all the gods helping out, it should be around 450,000 credits," the system said, "maybe a bit lower after next week."
"Oh no," Josh sighed in horror. This was bad.
"Are there items I can afford that would boost my current form?" Josh asked, trying to mimemize the damage.
"Hm, that¡¯s a difficult one. The best use probably would be some sort of body-tempering... nah, that would be useless after you bought the item. Ah, here¡ªI have an idea," the system said after contemplating for a while.
"You just leave now and come back next week when you have enough credits," the voice of the system said seriously.
"And are you now a super crab?" Jack cheered when Josh returned to the fourth stage.
"I didn¡¯t keep the crab form," Josh sighed, not knowing how he should tell Jack.
"Okay, so you went as a gazelle?" Jack asked excitedly. "So what did you become?"
"I did keep the form of a grasshopper," Josh sighed, looking down at the ground.
"Wait, so you became a grasshopper¡ªone of the most powerful insects?" Jack exclaimed in surprise.
"What? You knew?" Josh asked in surprise.
"Yeah, you know, at some point I said something like ¡®thank god I didn¡¯t take the grasshopper,¡¯ and then the system told me that they¡¯re extremely powerful," Jack shrugged.
"And why exactly didn¡¯t you tell me before I entered the system shop?" Josh said slowly, with rising anger.
"Because it¡¯s your path to walk, and if it doesn¡¯t feel right, you shouldn¡¯t do it," Jack said confidently. "I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re looking at me like that. You¡¯ve chosen the grasshopper, and it should be super strong, so what¡¯s the problem?"
"I didn¡¯t buy anything. I need over 500,000 credits by next week," Josh yelled in anger and embarrassment.
"Oh, that¡¯s sad. But don¡¯t worry, mate¡ªI¡¯ll help you become a powerful grasshopper," Jack reassured him cheerfully.
"And just how much can you possibly do? You can¡¯t even control your tentacles," Josh sighed, looking to the ground.
"Hey, that¡¯s not fair! It really is difficult," Jack exclaimed defensively.
<--
Thorwald appeared with his group of loyal followers on the fifth stage. He had tried to hold on as long as he could, but in the end, the fight was not winnable. To ensure no vampires followed him into the next stage, he had gathered his followers behind the walls and teleported out before they could be overrun, leaving the rest as a feast for the vampires.
This was bad¡ªhe didn''t want to lose so many followers, but in the end, only his survival mattered. The surroundings had changed drastically as he appeared on a mountaintop, and only in the distance could he make out the beginning of a desert-like tundra.
The day passed, and after a few more purchases in the system shop, they all set out for adventure. It was important that the undead didn¡¯t find them early, and they needed to level up. Thorwald was now close to level 80, and he was confident that he could evolve very soon. This time he would wait a bit longer to gain a better class.
A mythic class might be enough to satisfy him, but that depended on how much time he had to kill as many beasts as possible. His followers were in a similar position, as they were all close to their evolution to E grade. The system shop was also getting more and more expensive; he could barely afford one legendary item.
It was good enough for him, though. This time, he had bought a white crystal that raised his affinity for light and would greatly help with his body-tempering. Every one of his followers was also busy with body-tempering; the boost it gave was simply too great to pass. The only downside was that each one needed to enhance their light affinity through Thorwald baptizing them, which also allowed them access to classes and skills of his patron.
Which meant that the competition for items with light affinity was pretty high. He had ten archers, four healers, seven light-warrior variants, fourteen heavy warriors, and nine mages. All in all, it was a good team to battle the beasts on the fifth tutorial stage.
He wondered what Kael and his lackeys were up to at the moment. They shouldn¡¯t be able to hold on as long as he and Steven. There was a chance that they were roaming the fifth stage as well. Sadly, his patron had forbidden any killing of humans since they needed everyone for the fight against the undead and to ensure that Ankhet would not leave this tutorial alive.
It was unfortunate that they had lost all of their craftsmen, but such was life. He luckily had paid the alchemist a visit before the fight had begun and now had an almost unlimited supply of health and mana potions, plus some additional elixirs.
"Look, Thorwald¡ªis that a dino?" A light warrior said, pointing toward the tundra.
Indeed, there was some kind of T-rex. It looked so small from a distance, but it had to be at least 18 meters high. This will be very interesting, Thorwald thought as their group continued with their descent.
Chapter 102: Outsider
Thalion woke up hours later, his head felt like he had smashed it against a wall for an hour.
Now he knew everything about outsiders. For example, he exactly knew what had happened to the guy with the crown and the black spear.
The soul had traveled to a dimension dominated by beings of wrath and pain. Lacking a suitable technique to dominate such a creature, a ghost must have merged with the man''s soul. It was almost like jumping on a ride to travel to the system¡ªor better said, the tutorial¡ªwhere the soul grew in power.
This spirit must have been one that fed on fear and pain, which explained why it tortured all those people. Those beings who were able to still progress in this dimension were rare and powerful. Thalion resolved to keep his distance from such realms; he was not strong enough even with the right rituals to dominate such outsiders.
He had something else in mind: an empire that existed in a dimension very similar to this one, which held rituals to combine one of their strongest warriors with a spirit of power and life. Based on the knowledge he gained from the crystal, the chances were high that they were still around, even with such a long time passing. Before he could send his soul there, he had a few things to do first.
Thalion stood up and shortly after exited his tower to place the houses he had bought in the systemshop. As he walked down the street, still deep in thought, he felt the hate most people felt for him. It was way worse after he had taken all their credits.
This whole base was not really organized. Most people were simply pointed to their new homes by the other citizens, but he had no time for such things at the moment as he felt how time was running out.
Thalion placed the houses at some empty spots at the wall and continued his walk. He took all the materials prepared for the umbral predator by the alchemist. They clearly disliked him too. This was bad, Thalion thought while moving to the only person that might still like him.
"Hey there, how is it going with the crystals?" Thalion asked Lucan after entering the shop.
"Oh, very good in fact," Lucan smiled, "but I hope you have a plan for Garrick and Michael. They are definitely planning something."
"My visit is part of that plan," Thalion said with a shrug, trying to play it cool while his heart was already racing. "I need eight of your condensed crystals."
"Sure, here, just take them. I have more than I can count," Lucan laughed. "With so many crystals, I might reach E grade in two weeks."
"Great, you should be the first one in this base," Thalion replied while sweeping up the eight crystals.
After a bit of small talk about the use of crystals, he left the smithy. On his way home, he felt the eyes of the other people like daggers in his back.
Something was definitely happening behind the scenes, and he needed to hurry up. Thalion barricaded his entrance door to the tower and moved back to his room. He immediately started drawing the pentagram on the floor with the blood provided by the sanguine thorn. From the over-three-meter-wide pentagram, eight curved runes extended like flower leaves. In the middle of those leaves, he placed the eight crystals he took from Lucan as the power source for the whole process.
When he activated this pentagram, his soul would leave his body, breaking through multiple dimensions until he arrived at the coordinates he had engraved in the pentagram. He, of course, had no idea how exactly it worked; Thalion was just copying one of the pentagrams engraved in his head by the memory crystal.
Another thing that would happen was the passing of time. While in the other dimension, time would pass normally for his soul, but the time that passed for his body would slow down significantly.
It was not like the whole tutorial would freeze in time. It was more like after the ritual began, he would exist outside of time, at least to a certain degree. He had drawn this complex pentagram for hours but finally was it ready.
The moment he was finished, he heard the entrance to his tower get blasted open as multiple figures entered. He didn¡¯t have much time left until they reached his room. Thalion sat down in the middle of the pentagram and started the ritual by activating the rune in the middle. The whole pentagram burned with power, and pain ran through his body as his soul slowly left his body.
Thalion''s soul was fired through the dimensions, seeing all weird, twisted forms of reality. Some simply had no laws like gravity or time, as they looked twisted and unnatural. One looked like hell as the dark, empty space was made out of burning flames. Then he finally entered the dimension he had targeted with the ritual.
Thalion tried to keep calm and let it all happen. At least, that was what the memory crystal had advised him to do until he arrived. In this new dimension, his ghostly form got pulled to one of four planets orbiting a giant palace floating in the middle of space.
On the top of the palace was a golden crystal that radiated golden light like a sun and bathed the four planets in golden light. Besides the palace and the four planets, nothing existed in this dimension.
He flew with incredible speed in the direction of the smallest one, which from space looked like a giant desert dotted with many tall mountains. Coming closer, it seemed that every one of those planets was at least four times the size of Earth.
There were many giant cities with millions of citizens and multiple palaces in the center. Of course, none of them came close to the palace with the golden sun on top. The good thing was that this empire hadn¡¯t changed much. The three other planets and the palace looked bigger than in the vision from the memory crystal, but there were no significant changes that should stop his plan.
Now the tricky part of this whole ordeal would begin. In this dimension, he was the outsider¡ªa ghost that traveled through the lands. Now he needed to find a body he could use. According to the crystal, he just needed to fly into the body and overlay the soul body of the being in question with his own, completely suppressing the other soul. When he achieved that, the other soul would fall into a deep sleep and only awake after he left the body.
Why was that necessary? According to the memory crystal, they held a ritual to give many of their strongest warriors in the young generation a chance to bond with a spirit. Since they didn¡¯t have the system here, they instead selected the people according to age and skill. Thalion would take a body and pose as one of the many warriors who competed for one of those slots.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Thalion was currently stuck in the outer layers of the atmosphere and started his descent. He didn¡¯t know how much time he would have with Garrick or Michael, likely both on their way up to his body in the tutorial. Thalion had prepared a failsafe: the moment one would enter his room, he would be brought back to his body, and the ritual would end.
As he descended, he saw that everything he had seen from space actually didn¡¯t look that great. Of course, the palaces and houses were so large they could be seen from space and glowed in golden runes. What he hadn¡¯t noticed were all the slums outside of the city. There were multiple farms with antlike beasts and multiple trade hubs.
It was fascinating. Inside the wall, there were houses kilometers high with palaces surpassing even those. However, the outside reminded him more of pure medieval villages. Only a few buildings reached the height of 60 meters. Instead of golden, marble-like material, they were made out of wood or some kind of sandstone that didn¡¯t look stable at all.
As he came closer and closer, he saw cultivators flying between the high houses, their power radiating. They must have been at stages far above F grade. They looked just like humans, but all had golden skin, hair, and eyes. Their clothing was entirely in gold with white runes.
As he descended, Thalion smashed hard into an invisible barrier surrounding the inner part of the city.
"Ah, shit, what a mess," he muttered. It looked like he would have to go for one of the slum people. The inhabitants of this world shouldn¡¯t be able to see him until they gained the necessary classes or reached a high enough level in their cultivation. He didn¡¯t want to risk anything, so he traveled several kilometers to the side so no city guard could spot him.
The village outside of the main city was actually many times as big as the actual city, at least when it came to the area it covered. What were the chances they would accept a warrior from the outside, someone who was not part of the noble houses? Probably very slim, but maybe he could do something good for the people here as long as he remained.
When he reached the outskirts of the slums, he descended and flew over the antlike farms, watching for a potential host. He saw many people working there, but none really appealed to him.
Then he noticed a boy at the age of 15 getting beaten badly by a man over 30 years old who seemingly enjoyed himself. The boy, of course, didn¡¯t have that much fun as the man smashed his fist over and over into the boy¡¯s face. The man must have had significantly more levels than the boy for this to be possible.
"Well, you gotta follow your guts," Thalion thought as he dove down with maximum speed and entered the body of the boy. Since the boy was almost unconscious, it didn¡¯t take much effort to push the boy¡¯s will to the side and overtake his body in one go.
Everything was black and hurt badly; at least no bones seemed to be broken. The power of his spirit body rushed through the weak body of the teenager and gave him power.
Thalion opened his new eyes to see a plate-sized fist coming down on his face.
It was probably not the smartest thing to take the body of a teenage boy who was getting beaten to death. Thalion kicked at the knee of the man, breaking it and rolling to the side. He activated mana blade.
Nothing happened.
What the fuck? Why couldn¡¯t he summon his mana blade? Thalion thought in panic.
He searched for the information he had gotten through the crystal and found the answer. This dimension was outside of the system, so he had no skills to activate. He still had his blood sense and infused mana in the blood he had¡ªno, the boy had¡ªlost and formed a blade out of it.
"What the fuck!" The brute of a man stammered as he saw the blood blade forming in front of him.
A fireball appeared in the hand of the man, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough as the blade pierced his heart and nailed him against the wall behind him. Thalion slowly pulled on the blood of the man, and when it touched his skin, he absorbed the mana in it, letting it drip to the ground after healing his wounds.
So what should he do next? He had a body but no skills. He had hoped to just turn into the umbral predator when things got nasty, but that was no longer possible. This was bad; first he couldn''t get a noble body, and now he was stuck here. This dimension was sadly the only option to be bound with an outsider of power. Everything else would have taken too long, or he was too weak. He couldn''t give up now; without the power of the outsider, he could even die when returning to his real body.
Thalion loosened the grip of the child¡¯s soul and sent a telepathic message.
"Hey boy, who are you?"
"Who am I? Who are you and what are you?" the teenager responded back in panic.
"Hello, I¡¯m Thalion, and I need to use your body to get access to the ritual that binds a spirit to my soul," Thalion replied camly to the boy.
"Yeah sure, a thief becomes one of the holy ones. Why don¡¯t you just kill me," the boy laughed in his mind.
"No need to be so negative. So can you tell me your name and who your family is?" Thalion responded back.
A thief¡ªthat was just perfect. Wait, was the man right in killing the boy? Maybe he had stolen something important from the man.
"I¡¯m called Rylak. I don¡¯t have anyone; my family got killed years ago," the boy replied back in sorrow.
This brought back some memories. He never had a family, but to have one and see how they got killed was something else.
"Why did that man try to kill you?" Thalion asked, hoping that it was not what he thought.
"I intruded on his territory. He was the lackey of one of the underground lords in this area," Rylak replied, disgusted.
"Interesting. Who are those underground lords?" Thalion kept questioning.
"Just groups of former guards or murderers who make life so much harder for the people here," Rylak answered. "They also sell drugs, which is their main income."
"What level are they?" Thalion asked with curiosity.
"What do you mean by level?" Rylak responded in confusion.
"Ah nevermind. What spells can they cast?" Thalion kept pressing.
"I have no idea, the normal ones, I guess¡ªsome lightning and fire spells," Rylak retorted. "Some are over 500 years old, so they at least got a lot of tricks in their arsenal."
"What about I don¡¯t suppress your soul completely, and you help me out? I really need a guide, and I have saved your life. When I am finished here, you can have your body back." Thalion finished. If the soul of the boy was as obedient as it was now, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.
"Not like I have a choice in the matter," Rylak sighed. "So what is your glorious plan to become one of the holy ones?"
"Well, for now I want to check out the city," Thalion thought while looking down.
The boy had black shorts that had multiple holes and a brown shirt that was also ripped in several places.
"Do you have a home?" Thalion asked the boy.
"A home? What are you dreaming of? Many here don¡¯t have a home," Rylak retorted in amusement.
"Who lives in this house then?" Thalion questioned the boy, looking at the farm behind him.
"This house belongs to one of the lords and is mostly used as a hideout for their lackeys," Rylak sighed. "Another thief brought me here to gather the gold they put out for my head."
Thalion looked around. It was lucky no one had entered this part of the street, and he took a few steps away from the corpse. He only had blood skills for the moment, but that should be enough to defeat those inside the house. It would be very disturbing to fight without his movement skill, but he had to play with the cards he had. Thalion started moving in the direction of the farm.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Rylak said in his head. "Are you stupid? They will kill you."
"I have a dream, and I will achieve it, and those people won¡¯t stop me," Thalion replied with determination.
He had already started to purify the boy¡¯s blood. Even though he felt weak in comparison to his real body, it should be good enough.
"I don¡¯t like this. Please turn around," Rylak started to panic more and more with every step Thalion took.
Thalion didn¡¯t know why, but he could feel the power of his title more than ever. Maybe it was because all his other senses were turned down. Anyway, he instinctively knew that his future lay beyond that door.
Thalion walked up to the building and knocked against the door.
"What are you doing?" Rylak asked in his mind, now utterly confused.
"Well, I knocked on the door. Don¡¯t you people do that?" Thalion responded while he kept hammering with his fists against the door.
"Normally we touch the golden rune on the door and send a telepathic message to the owner of the house," Rylak answered in confusion. "You just triggered the alarm for sure."
Chapter 103: A Bloody Message
Thalion watched to his left as a giant, beetle-like insect with massive mandibles emerged from the ground. Was that some kind of guardian? He tried to identify the beast but quickly remembered he no longer had the skill to do so.
Instead, he did the only thing he could¡ªhe felt the blood of the creature and pushed against it. The three-meter-tall beetle was hurled backward, crashing into the wall of a nearby farmhouse.
¡°Wow, how did you do that?¡± Rylak asked, his voice ringing in Thalion¡¯s mind.
Thalion didn¡¯t have time to respond. Instead, he manipulated his own blood, accelerating his movements significantly, and appeared beside the creature. By throwing the beast back, he¡¯d moved out of range to control its blood.
Now, back within range, he took command of it, ripping the creature apart from within. The beetle collapsed, lifeless. Yet, Thalion received no kill notification or experience points, even though it was clearly dead.
The yellow blood of the beetle pooled behind him as he walked toward the farmhouse door. He shaped the blood into a sharp edge and used it to destroy the door completely. Normally, blood wouldn¡¯t be durable enough for such a feat, but Thalion had drained not only the creature¡¯s blood but also its resources¡ªhealth, mana, and stamina¡ªinfusing the bloodriver with its stolen strength.
¡°Holy shit,¡± Rylak muttered in Thalion¡¯s mind, but Thalion ignored him. He had more pressing matters to handle.
Unlike the houses in the tutorial, this one lacked any spatial manipulation. Inside, ten men sat around a large table, their faces turning toward him in surprise.
¡°Rylak? What the fuck? You should be dead!¡± One man shouted angrily from the table.
¡°Can you tell him I fucked his wife?¡± Rylak suggested in Thalion¡¯s mind, his tone snide.
¡°You should know I fu¡ªah, damn it, I¡¯m not doing that,¡± Thalion muttered, instead calling the river of blood to him.
The bloody river surged forward like a hunting snake, impaling the first man and absorbing his blood into itself. As his enemies began to conjure their skills, Thalion moved faster. Four men were already dead before the first attack was launched.
Using his blood control, Thalion accelerated his movements and dodged the incoming projectiles. Simultaneously, he directed the bloodriver to kill without hesitation. One man hurled a dagger at him, its blade coated in a green, poisonous sheen, but Thalion deftly avoided it. Moments later, all ten men lay dead on the ground.
Thalion searched their bodies but found nothing of value¡ªno spatial rings or items of importance.
¡°Wow, you¡¯re strong, but your strength won¡¯t be enough,¡± Rylak remarked.
¡°We¡¯ll see about that later,¡± Thalion replied. Now, it was time to send a message.
Absorbing most of the blood¡¯s power, he used it to empower Rylak¡¯s blood and purify it. The remaining blood was used to paint a message.
¡°What do you call the warriors who gain access to the spirit ritual?¡± Thalion asked Rylak with a grin.
¡°Oh no. Don¡¯t tell me you¡ª¡± Rylak began in disbelief.
<--
In a luxurious building outside of the city, an underground lord received a report about an attack on one of his farmhouses.
¡°What? All of them dead, and a message written on the wall with their blood?¡± Zequin roared, his face contorted in fury.
¡°What did it say?¡± he demanded.
¡°It read, People of Vorlithas, I, the new Holy Warrior, will bring you power and after the sentence, the attacker had drawn a smiling face,¡± the messenger explained, looking at the ground to avoid Zequin¡¯s wrath.
¡°A smiling face? He added a smiling face to such a threat?¡± Zequin bellowed, his voice echoing. ¡°Find this so-called holy warrior! No one mocks me!¡±
The messenger fled the room as quickly as he could. The aura radiating from Zequin was so overwhelming it threatened to crush him just by standing nearby.
<--
¡°Not that the message wasn¡¯t stupid enough, but why did you put a smiley face at the end?¡± Rylak sighed.
They both sat on a rooftop, watching a crowd gather around the damaged house from afar.
¡°To attract as much attention as possible. Plus, I thought it would be funny,¡± Thalion replied, casually working on Rylak¡¯s blood.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Those were Zequin¡¯s people. He won¡¯t leave such a provocation unanswered,¡± Rylak warned.
¡°You¡¯re way too negative¡ªit¡¯s all part of the plan,¡± Thalion said confidently.
¡°Oh? And what¡¯s the next part of the plan, oh mighty holy warrior?¡± Rylak asked sarcastically.
¡°To fuck with all the underground lords, of course,¡± Thalion replied as a matter of fact.
¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll have sex with you,¡± Rylak sneered.
¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m going to kill their men and write more cheerful messages,¡± Thalion retorted.
¡°I liked the version where you had sex with them better,¡± Rylak quipped.
¡°You really need to learn to be more positive,¡± Thalion said, standing up. ¡°Now, show me where these underlings live.¡±
<--
Princess Thalytra had spent her entire life in the golden palace¡ªa massive structure hovering in space. The only time she left was during the calling, when her people searched for new fighters to train. Her father, the ruler who built the palace, had granted her a position of immense power. At just 18, Thalytra was already well-versed in politics and magic. She had inherited her father¡¯s bloodline, which gave her control over the golden flames.
The upcoming calling meant visiting several cities to recruit fighters. Thalytra found the process tedious¡ªnoble sons always tried to seduce her, as if she would ever stoop so low. She had servants for such pleasures.
Before she could summon one to go for another round, a holy warrior and her guardian named Zehrak entered her room.
¡°Princess Thalytra, I¡¯ve brought information about the cities we¡¯ll be visiting,¡± Zehrak said with a deep bow.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Thalytra said, waving him on as she settled onto a golden pillow.
Zehrak began detailing the politics of each city, warning of potential threats and rivalries. Their spies were thorough, even monitoring citizens covertly.
¡°Has anything interesting happened in these cities?¡± Thalytra asked, bored.
¡°Not really,¡± Zehrak replied. ¡°In one of the lesser towns, someone has been killing the underlings of the underground lords. After every kill, they leave a message written in blood¡ªalways ending with a smiley face. The culprit calls himself the true holy warrior who will bring power to the people.¡±
¡°Can I see the message?¡± Thalytra asked, intrigued. The audacity to claim the title of holy warrior was rare. For someone in the slums to do so was almost laughable.
A screen appeared before her, displaying the message.
¡°What do you think?¡± Thalytra asked, amused. ¡°It looks clumsily written¡ªand they call that a face?¡±
¡°Yes, very clumsy,¡± Zehrak agreed.
¡°Change our plans. I want to visit that city first. I¡¯d like to see who dares make such a claim,¡± Thalytra said with a mischievous smile.
¡°As you wish,¡± Zehrak replied with a bow. ¡°Though no one has yet identified the perpetrator.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll gladly stay until they do,¡± Thalytra said, laughing.
<--
The council chamber of Vorlithas was bathed in a warm, golden light, its towering arches disappearing into the shadows above. Golden flames flickered in sconces along the walls, casting a subdued glow on the room''s occupants. The councilors assembled slowly, speaking in hushed tones, their expressions a mixture of weariness and boredom. The mundane affairs of the outer districts rarely provoked genuine interest.
At the head of the grand table, High Consul Vethorin sat with his hands clasped, waiting for silence to fall. When the murmurs subsided, he began to speak, his voice calm and measured.
¡°Councilors,¡± he said, ¡°Princess Talythra, the Holy Daughter of the Sacred Lineage, has made a request.¡± He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. ¡°She wishes to meet with the self-proclaimed holy warrior from the outer districts¡ªthe one who has been killing the underlings of the underground lords.¡±
Ilyssar, lounging lazily in her chair, raised an eyebrow, though her expression betrayed only mild curiosity. ¡°The one slaughtering criminals, is it? And what, pray tell, does she want with him?¡±
¡°The real question,¡± Rhyvox interjected, his tone laced with derision, ¡°is why we should care. This so-called warrior is just another gutter zealot. He¡¯s taking out thugs from the underground lords¡ªso what? No one of real consequence has been harmed.¡±
A ripple of agreement passed through the chamber. The underground lords, while disruptive, were little more than a minor inconvenience to the elites of Vorlithas. Their petty schemes and turf wars seldom touched the city''s inner sanctum¡ªmuch less their esteemed council.
¡°The outer districts have always been a cesspool of crime and lawlessness,¡± Ilyssar added, her voice dripping with languid disdain. ¡°Let him cull the rabble. Those people are accustomed to violence, and no one cares what happens in that forsaken place.¡±
Vethorin¡¯s gaze flickered briefly, but his demeanor remained impassive. ¡°Perhaps. Yet the princess cares. She has invoked her right to demand a meeting with this man.¡±
Kadris grunted, his irritation plain. ¡°The Princess wants to meet a butcher from the slums? What could she possibly hope to gain from this?¡±
Ilyssar chuckled softly. ¡°Perhaps she finds him intriguing.¡±
¡°But the man poses no real threat,¡± Rhyvox scoffed, leaning forward. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous only to the thugs he¡¯s hunting. If anything, he¡¯s doing us a favor by cleaning up the trash. He¡¯ll never rise beyond his squalid district. He¡¯s no threat to us or our families.¡±
A wave of amusement swept through the chamber. The so-called holy warrior might have been a disruptive force in the slums, but to the council, he was little more than a passing storm¡ªan anomaly confined to a world far beneath their concern.
¡°And what of the underground lords?¡± Kadris asked, though his voice lacked urgency. ¡°Won¡¯t they retaliate if this vigilante continues?¡±
¡°The underground lords?¡± Ilyssar scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°They¡¯re vermin¡ªdisorganized, weak, and irrelevant.¡±
Vethorin¡¯s expression sharpened, his gaze sweeping over the council. ¡°Regardless, the princess insists. Her will is absolute, and she wants to meet this man.¡±
The council exchanged glances, their apathy palpable. The weight of the conversation was dissipating, slipping away as the warrior¡¯s significance dwindled in their minds.
¡°Let her meet him,¡± Rhyvox shrugged. ¡°If it amuses her to consort with rats, so be it. As long as this so-called warrior remains in his place, he¡¯s no concern of ours.¡±
Vethorin¡¯s lips twitched, a shadow of a smile crossing his otherwise cold expression. ¡°Indeed. However, we must ensure his safety. If the underground lords reach him first and the princess is displeased, the consequences will fall upon us.¡±
¡°And if this holy warrior refuses to cooperate?¡± Kadris asked, his tone more curious than concerned.
Vethorin rose, signaling the end of the discussion. ¡°Then he will be reminded who truly holds power in Vorlithas. He may play at righteousness in the slums, but here, in the heart of the city, he is nothing.¡±
The council stood as one, their decision made. The outer districts, the underground lords, the so-called holy warrior¡ªall of it was far removed from their sphere of power. Yet, if the princess demanded it, they would oblige her.
Chapter 104: A New Job
"Say, why do you even want to become a holy warrior?" Rylak asked, his voice curious as they sat on a rooftop, watching one of their schemes unfold.
For four months now, they had continued killing the lackeys of the underground lords, leaving messages at every scene.
"Well, my real body will be under attack the moment I return. I might not survive without the additional strength of the spirit," Thalion replied, his tone thoughtful.
"Wait, then why did you choose to come here? Aren¡¯t there easier dimensions to acquire a spirit?" Rylak inquired, intrigued.
"Easier, yes, but not stronger. The information I gathered suggested that the spirits Holy Warriors bind with are among the most powerful," Thalion explained.
"But still, isn¡¯t it a massive gamble to try and become a holy warrior?" Rylak asked skeptically.
"If I do something, I do it right. How can I expect to become a god in the future if I don¡¯t take risks?" Thalion responded with determination in his eyes.
He was serious. He would either become a holy warrior and bind with a spirit or perish trying. So far, he hadn¡¯t achieved much in the last few months, but recently, things had shifted. The people of the city were actively searching for him, and guards now patrolled everywhere. Additionally, super-strong cultivators with auras beyond E grade were teleporting across the city. Thankfully, no one had any idea who he was, so they remained relatively safe.
Thalion had, however, made significant progress in enhancing the boy¡¯s body. Using power drawn from the blood of his victims. He hadn¡¯t just killed the lackeys of the lords but also the beasts they owned and raised on their farms.
His skill in blood manipulation had improved dramatically, and his combat speed was now impressive. Still, he lacked raw power. His best weapons were two daggers stolen from a corpse, aside from his blood, of course.
"Oh, look, he¡¯s starting," Rylak remarked in Thalion¡¯s mind.
Because of the increased scrutiny, they had been lying low for the past few days, devising a new plan. The idea was to pay some desperate man to proclaim himself the holy warrior in the middle of a marketplace. The man, desperate for coins, had agreed without hesitation, seemingly unconcerned about the risks.
Now, he was stepping onto a podium where a woman had been giving a speech about healing gems¡ªa topic Thalion found mildly interesting.
The man abruptly shoved the woman off the stage, cutting her speech short.
"Even if this doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯ll be entertaining," Rylak chuckled in his mind.
Thalion had to agree. Hopefully, the man would proclaim himself the holy warrior before the woman retaliated.
From a few rooftops away, Thalion and Rylak watched with anticipation as the man began to speak.
"Fear not, people of Vorlithas! I am the Holy Warrior, and I will bring you glory... glory and gold!" the man announced, stumbling over his words. The guy was at least on one of the local drugs.
"Haha, this is even better than I thought," Rylak laughed in his mind.
"Don¡¯t worry that someone might catch me, because I am... I am fast... faster than anyone else!" the man rambled.
"This guy has some talent," Rylak remarked, laughing.
Before they could enjoy the spectacle further, a figure appeared, grabbed the man, and disappeared with him in an instant. The crowd stood frozen, stunned by what they had just witnessed.
"Holy shit, what just happened?" Rylak muttered in disbelief.
"It didn¡¯t even take a moment before someone from the city¡¯s powerhouses took him," Thalion replied, worried.
"Do you think they¡¯ll believe he¡¯s the holy warrior?" Rylak asked in amusement.
Before sending the man out, they had drilled him repeatedly to refer to himself only as the holy warrior. He might have even started believing it himself.
"Probably not, but one can always hope," Thalion said with a grin.
They both had quiet fun in the past, and Rylak also didn''t mind that he was in his body. In the beginning he tried to argue, but now he was more than happy after seeing how powerful his body had become.
"What an idiot," someone on a neighboring rooftop remarked.
The rooftops in this world were often crowded, as they were easy to access and offered good views.
"Yep, I can¡¯t believe they caught the guy," Thalion laughed.
"Who knows? Maybe they¡¯ll actually believe him to be the Holy Warrior," the man added before jumping down to the street.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
<--
Princess Talythra had decided against visiting Vorlithas first since the city lords hadn¡¯t managed to capture the so-called Holy Warrior. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time. However, she was elated to hear that they had finally apprehended him.
Currently, she was attending a ball with nobles¡ªdancing, drinking, and enduring endless political maneuvering. Alliances were being formed behind smiles and hollow compliments.
"When do you think we can leave?" she asked Zerak.
"I¡¯d say in an hour at the earliest," Zerak replied after considering.
"Fine, I suppose I can endure for that long," she muttered, unhappy.
Balls were insufferable to her. The young men constantly tried to court her, while the women sought information to sell to those same men.
When the hour finally passed, Zerak teleported them away.
"Welcome, Holy Princess Talythra, to Vorlithas," Vethorin greeted with a deep bow. The rest of the council followed suit.
"A pleasure to meet you all. May your warriors bring glory to the kingdom," Talythra said. "Now, I heard you caught the so-called holy warrior of the outer districts."
"Yes, indeed. Would you like to see him now?" Vethorin asked with a bow.
"Bring me to him," Talythra replied with a smile.
When she saw the man sitting in the cell, counting the stones in the wall, she was utterly baffled.
"210, 211, 221, 232, 251," the man counted loudly, clearly getting the numbers wrong.
"Bow before the Holy Princess!" Vethorin commanded as he opened the cell.
"As I told you, princess, the ones from the outer districts are not impressive," Vethorin added smugly.
"So, you¡¯re the holy warrior everyone in the city is talking about?" Talythra asked, still confused.
"I am the holy warrior, and... and... 255, 258," the man stammered, continuing to count in the middle of his sentence.
"Why did you call yourself a holy warrior?" Talythra asked, completely perplexed. Was that guy drugged?
"Because I am the holy warrior and... oh, you¡¯re hot. Why don¡¯t you stay while the old people leave?" the man said with a grin.
"Insolence!" Vethorin thundered, slapping the man so hard that blood and teeth flew everywhere.
"Oh wow, is that my blood?" the man murmured before fainting at the sight of it.
"You¡¯re sure this is the man who wrote messages in the blood of his enemies?" Talythra asked, barely holding back laughter.
"We must have been tricked. I¡¯ll order the search for the real Holy Warrior to resume immediately," Vethorin assured her.
"Inform the other nobles that I would be very pleased to meet him alive when the calling begins," Talythra said, motioning for Zerak to teleport her away.
<--
Thalion had refrained from writing new messages with the blood of his victims after the guards stopped hunting for him. Neither of them could believe that it had worked. The parties in the city before the calling would begin tomorrow, and after some discussion, they concluded that the best course of action was to observe the ceremony to gather information.
That was why Thalion was helping a farmer carry his products to the center of the city. He needed to secure a position as a servant¡ªpositions like these were now in such high demand that they would even accept someone from the outer districts.
Thalion had stolen clothes from one of the better-dressed, hoping it would help him blend in and get the position.
In the coming weeks, several parties would be held at these houses before the calling began. Everyone was excited, especially since a princess had visited and promised to stay longer, which was customary. This was a fantastic opportunity for any noble house, and they wanted to leave the best impression possible.
Thalion sat in the wagon beside Farmer Kalvron, with two of the ant-like beasts pulling it in front. They had passed through the city gates without any problems. The city looked magnificent¡ªhe had never seen anything like it in his entire life.
The golden buildings were hundreds of meters tall, topped with castle-like towers. Instead of lamps or candles, glowing crystals illuminated everything with a bright golden light. It reminded him a bit of a city in cyberpunk¡ªjust bigger and more extravagant. The streets were crowded with farmers bringing their goods to the highest bidder. After four hours of travel, they arrived at a giant golden mansion.
"Here we are. This is the residence of the Y''Tharak family. Thank you for your help, Rylak," Kalvron said when they arrived before the gates.
A butler was already motioning for them to pass through the gates. They drove to a small garden before stopping in front of the entrance. Several servants rushed to unload Kalvron¡¯s goods.
"Is this everything?" Tor''kel, the head butler, asked Kalvron.
"Yes, these are of exceptional quality," Kalvron nodded, proud of himself.
"Very good. My master will be very pleased," Tor''kel said with a smile, motioning for the servants to unload the wagon.
Kalvron paused. "There¡¯s one last thing. I heard you were looking for good servants. This is Rylak, and he helped me greatly. He¡¯s always dreamed of becoming a servant working for one of the noble houses."
"Everyone dreams of such an honored position," Tor''kel retorted. "But you¡¯re right, we are in need of help. Can you vouch for him being worth testing?"
"Definitely. He¡¯s worked hard and never asked any questions," Kalvron laughed slapping on Thalion shoulder with one hand.
"Okay, that¡¯s enough for me. Rylak, get off the wagon and help Lornak carry the chest inside," Tor''kel ordered with a nod.
This was the reward Thalion had negotiated with Kalvron for his help, and it had worked out well so far. Thalion jumped off the wagon and helped the servant, Lornak, who gave him a look that suggested he¡¯d just been forced to drink a gallon of lemon juice.
The inside of the mansion had clearly been designed with spatial manipulation in mind. Much like the houses in the tutorial, the interior of the mansion was far larger than the exterior.
"Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be accepted as a servant just like that," Lornak growled at him. "There are plenty of others who want this position, and the competition will be tough. Judging by your current state, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t make it."
Thalion didn¡¯t respond. He simply carried the boxes into the prep kitchen, then sprinted back outside, using blood manipulation to speed up his movements. He arrived at the wagon long before Lornak.
"Oh, you were right. He¡¯s definitely a hard worker," Tor''kel said, raising an eyebrow.
Seizing the opportunity, Thalion grabbed four heavy boxes¡ªmore than any other servant could carry¡ªand moved back inside. When he passed through the entrance, Lornak was just exiting.
"Lornak, what took you so long? The new guy is already back inside! Hurry up, you¡¯re making us look bad," Tor''kel said sharply.
"Yes, of course," the already winded Lornak replied, bowing slightly before grabbing two boxes.
Before Lornak had even finished lifting them off the wagon, Thalion was already back outside without a hint of exhaustion. He quickly moved beside Lornak, grabbed four boxes, and returned to the mansion before Lornak.
"You weren¡¯t exaggerating about the boy. If your goods are as good as his work, my master will be very pleased," Tor''kel nodded approvingly.
Thalion had met many of the other servants, and it seemed that everyone coveted the special position¡ªthose allowed to follow the masters to other balls, parties, and, most importantly, the calling. Proving himself would be essential in the hours to come.
Chapter 105: The New Servant
Thalion and Rylak discussed the current situation and concluded that if they didn¡¯t sabotage the competition, there was no way the mansion¡¯s owners would allow him to stay.
In half an hour, the noble family¡¯s dinner would begin¡ªhis first significant opportunity to make a good impression and eliminate the other servants. The competition consisted of Ornath, Nylok, Vesthi, and of course Lornak. The butlers, as always, had secure positions that Thalion couldn¡¯t hope to attain.
"Rylak, make sure not to mess anything up during the dinner. Everything needs to be perfect." Tor''kel kept insisting while Thalion grabbed the first plate for the dinner.
Each servant carried four plates of food as they entered the grand dining hall. At its center stood a massive golden marble table, around which the noble family was seated. At the head of the table sat Patriarch Lord Xar¡¯vath Y¡¯Tharak, with his wife, Lady Sel¡¯virah Y¡¯Tharak, beside him, and their eldest son, Ka¡¯reth, who would soon compete in the calling.
Alongside them sat two more sons and four daughters, though Thalion had already forgotten most of their names. The aura radiating from everyone in the room was so overwhelming that it made walking in a straight line difficult. They were likely middle- or high-E grade, with the patriarch possibly even stronger.
The first course was a soup made from the horns of a rare beast that lived in the mountains. As they served, the family discussed the princess¡¯s extended visit with loud enthusiasm.
Suddenly, Lornak dropped his plate, spilling hot soup onto one of the daughters¡¯ heads. She screamed, flailing as the scalding liquid dripped down her face.
"I am so sorry! This won¡¯t happen again!" Lornak stammered in panic, frantically trying to clean her face.
"Tor¡¯kel, deal with this servant," Xar¡¯vath commanded with a dismissive wave, but his eyes were burning with anger.
As Tor¡¯kel led the trembling Lornak out of the dining hall, Thalion seized the opportunity. He quickly approached the daughter, offering her a towel to help clean up, preserving at least a shred of her dignity.
Thalion then stood aside, waiting for a command from one of the nobles or for the first course to conclude.
"Can you believe it? The princess came here to see that self-proclaimed holy warrior from the slums," Xar¡¯vath said with a mocking laugh.
"If she¡¯s really that interested in a man, you might have a chance, brother," one of the daughters teased with a sly smile.
"There will be time for matters like that. We have over eight balls to attend before the calling begins, if the plan of the council works to keep the princess longer than needed," Xar¡¯vath replied with authority.
Eight balls? The calling would take place much later than Thalion had initially thought.
"Of course, our ball will be the most important. Never before has a holy princess visited our house. Everything must be perfect. I paid a lot to ask the council to include us in the additional balls before the calling." Xar''vath continued, and the rest nodded in agreement.
The second course¡ªmeat with some kind of fragrant bread¡ªwas served. As they carried the plates, Ornath, walking two meters ahead of Thalion, suddenly stumbled and fell flat on his stomach, shattering the plates. He was immediately dismissed. With the approaching ball, they couldn¡¯t afford servants who made such critical mistakes.
Thalion suppressed a smile. His blood manipulation had worked flawlessly. Earlier, he had subtly moved Lornak¡¯s hand to cause his accident, and now he had ensured Ornath¡¯s clumsy misstep. Rylak was laughing uproariously in Thalion¡¯s mind. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Two servants down, two more to go¡ªand with four courses remaining, there was plenty of time to have some fun.
The noble family continued their conversation, this time discussing marriage prospects. The eldest daughter announced her intention to seduce a nobleman from House Dralithar, a family ranked higher in the hierarchy. A marriage between the two houses would greatly please Xar¡¯vath and Lady Sel¡¯virah.
Two courses later, Thalion struck again. This time, one of the servants slipped and hit her head on the edge of the table, knocking herself unconscious. Rylak¡¯s laughter echoed in Thalion¡¯s mind as he suggested creative ways to eliminate the final competitor.
The remaining servant¡ªlikely high-F grade in power¡ªwas unlucky. As she attempted to serve a chocolate cake to Lady Sel¡¯virah, her hand "slipped," and the plate crashed into several golden glasses. She fainted on the spot, either from shock or from the oppressive aura of the enraged nobles.
"Is there not a single competent servant? Is it too much to ask for someone to carry a plate?" Xar¡¯vath bellowed, his fury shaking the windows.
"TOR¡¯KEL! If this incompetence continues during the ball, I¡¯ll have your head!" Xar¡¯vath roared, his voice reverberating through the hall.
Remaining calm, Thalion cleaned the mess and served a new round of desserts.
"Tor¡¯kel, I want this one to accompany us to the Dralithar ball tomorrow," Xar¡¯vath announced, pointing at Thalion after the dessert was almost finished.
"As you wish, Master," Tor¡¯kel replied with a deep bow. The poor fellow had a pale face and clearly feared for his life.
This had gone far better than Thalion had hoped. He hadn¡¯t even needed to work too hard to eliminate the competition, and now he had a place at the ball tomorrow. The calling, it seemed, wouldn¡¯t begin for some time yet through some sceeming by the city council.
After dinner, Tor¡¯kel pulled him aside. "It must be destiny that you¡¯ve come to us. From now on, you absolutely cannot make any mistakes," he said, his tone firm.
"Yes, I will follow your orders," Thalion replied with a slight nod and bowed.
"Good. Tomorrow, you will remain by Nyssali¡¯s side throughout the ball and fulfill all her wishes," Tor¡¯kel instructed, sweat dripping down his face.
Before retiring for the night, Tor¡¯kel gave Thalion an exhaustive rundown of how to behave around nobility. Thalion tried to remember it all: always bow after every sentence, never look them in the eyes, only speak when asked and so on.
Unfortunately, the man barely got any sleep, as he also had other pressing responsibilities to handle. Meanwhile, Thalion lay on one of the beds in the servants¡¯ quarters, entering deep meditation to continue working on his soul.
The next day was consumed by cleaning¡ªnearly the entire day. It was ironic: he had come here to become a holy warrior, yet he spent his time scrubbing floors and polishing surfaces. As evening approached and the sunlight dimmed, Tor¡¯kel came by to hand him new clothing that marked him as a servant of the Y¡¯Tharak house.
The outfit consisted of a short green kilt and a matching green shirt adorned with golden runes. Shoes were absent, so it was crucial for him to bathe thoroughly before they departed. It seemed to be a tradition among the nobles to wear minimal clothing and forego shoes entirely. Thalion couldn¡¯t help but miss his old body, with its powerful, well-trained muscles, instead of the frail, skinny form he now inhabited.
He followed Tor¡¯kel outside, where a carriage awaited, its noble occupants already inside and only the staff left to board. Several servants were seated inside the carriage. Thalion was directed to sit beside Tor¡¯kel on the top of the carriage. The carriage was pulled by two massive golden butterflies, their mesmerizing wings etched with intricate runes that shimmered in the fading light.
It seemed only the poor traveled on foot in this city; the wealthy took to the skies. At Tor¡¯kel¡¯s command, the carriage lifted off. Despite overseeing many servants, Tor¡¯kel had been demoted in the butler hierarchy after yesterday¡¯s performance, leaving him paired with Thalion.
Thalion didn¡¯t mind. He would do whatever was necessary to gather more information about the calling. From what he understood, noble heirs were required to fight beasts, and their performance would determine whether they were deemed worthy of traveling to the Holy Palace, where the training to become a holy knight began.
The sky was crowded with flying carriages, and they arrived at the Dralithar Mansion amidst a swarm of over twenty others. The mansion itself was an architectural marvel. The outer walls rose hundreds of meters high, covered in golden runes, and the gate was an imposing thirty meters tall.
Noble after noble exited their carriages, their opulence on full display. It was clear that over a thousand guests had been invited to this ball.
"Man, do you know how rich we could get by stealing a few jewels or items?" Rylak¡¯s voice echoed in Thalion¡¯s mind, thick with greed.
"If the opportunity arises and the item is worth it," Thalion replied, his eyes locking onto a nobleman in his thirties wielding a golden sword. Crystals adorned the hilt, and Thalion couldn¡¯t help but imagine inspecting it more closely. Maybe he could learn some new helpful things in this new dimension after all.
Chapter 106: Gathering of Nobles
The Y¡¯Tharak family exited their carriage, immediately engaging in conversation with other nobles, who seemed eager to greet them. Tor¡¯kel, too, was recognized by many of the servants, and he took the time to introduce Thalion to them.
Thalion resolved to avoid making any mistakes. Tor¡¯kel seemed like a decent man, and he didn¡¯t want him to suffer consequences because of his own actions. The other butlers, however, were far less forgiving, barking orders at the servants to fetch trivial items.
After a brief goodbye to the other servants, Thalion hurried after Lady Nyssali. He wasn¡¯t alone; two other servants, from a butler Tor¡¯kel evidently disliked, also trailed her. These two cast disdainful looks at Thalion, their eyes filled with open disgust.
Thalion remained at Lady Nyssali¡¯s side as she greeted almost every person in the room. The ordeal was tedious beyond belief.
Eventually, Nyssali turned to him and commanded, "Bring me some refreshments."
"With pleasure," Thalion responded with a deep bow, moving swiftly before the other servants could act.
Finally, a chance to explore this mansion. No way was he going to stand by her side any longer than necessary.
He hurried away from the lady and ascended the grand staircase. The entrance hall was vast, its ceiling over sixty meters high, supported by gleaming white marble pillars that contrasted sharply with the golden d¨¦cor of the exterior. Multiple floors ringed the space, and towering doors on the sides led to various rooms.
Thalion peeked into the dining area, where enormous tables stretched up to thirty meters long. Another room housed a massive dance floor flanked by bars. Every chamber was larger than any palace he had ever seen on Earth.
Ascending higher, Thalion relished the anonymity afforded by his current form. Back in his real body, standing over 1.9 meters tall, he had always been conspicuous, whether he wanted to be or not. Before the system, he had been an imposing figure, but after it? With people flying or growing in size due to new classes, his stature had become less remarkable.
The boy¡¯s body, in contrast, was a mere 1.7 meters tall, allowing him to move unnoticed¡ªa rarity he was beginning to appreciate.
The wardrobe of this world was quite peculiar; it seemed designed for table dancers or women working on the streets. Both men and women wore clothing that left very little to the imagination.
Thalion reached the fifth floor, over forty meters above the ground. He leaned on the golden railing, enjoying the view. There was no need to rush for a drink, after all. He was sure that the lady would forget about her order very soon.
A man appeared on the grand golden staircase on the first floor, his figure positioned where everyone in the hall could see him. Judging by his presence and aura, he had to be at least a C grade. The man clapped his hands, the sound amplified by mana, reverberating through the entrance hall and commanding the attention of everyone present.
"It is my greatest honor to stand before you on this most exceptional evening¡ªone that shall be remembered for years to come," he began, his voice rich and confident. "Tonight, as the stars bear witness, we are not merely gathered for revelry but for a moment of profound honor and joy. For we are joined by none other than Her Royal Highness, Princess Talythra."
At that moment, the princess appeared beside him, accompanied by another golden-clad individual. The woman was a vision, as though crafted entirely from gold. Her hair, eyes, skin, and even the minimal clothing she wore shimmered with a golden hue.
"In her presence," the man continued, "we find inspiration to renew our sense of duty and pride. Her wisdom and grace remind us that each of us plays a role, no matter how small, in the grand tapestry of this realm. May her guidance light our path, as she does for all her people¡ªwithin these walls and far beyond, to the distant districts.
So, please, enjoy the finest of our fare, the music, and the company of friends and allies. Let us together raise our glasses, not only to celebrate this gathering but to pay homage to our most revered guest, Princess Talythra. May her reign be long, her influence boundless, and her spirit ever triumphant.
To Her Highness!"
Thalion barely managed to stifle a laugh as the man concluded his speech. The princess didn¡¯t look like someone eager to guide anyone, let alone inspire.
Next, the man explained the evening¡¯s itinerary, which turned out to be surprisingly mundane. The massive tables were merely for those who wanted to eat; dancing would come later. Thalion couldn¡¯t help but wonder how these people would dance¡ªprobably on poles, judging by their outfits.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
He watched as numerous people approached the princess, bowing and leaving after brief exchanges. One young woman, probably in her twenties, managed to catch the princess¡¯s attention. The royal followed her to a sitting area where several other women were already gathered, one of them being Lady Nyssali.
Thalion had no intention of interrupting their meeting by bringing drinks, so he remained at his vantage point, observing the crowd. He joked with Rylak about the nobles, passing the time with ease.
In hindsight, Thalion considered himself fortunate to have bonded with Rylak. The spirit had no qualms about Thalion controlling his body, especially after Thalion had saved his life and empowered his body. In the short months they knew each other, they definitely have become good friends.
Thalion¡¯s attention shifted to the two other servants accompanying Lady Nyssali. They stood awkwardly at the edge of the group, clearly unsure of what to do. He also noticed the princess¡¯s growing irritation¡ªsomething none of the other women seemed to acknowledge. Perhaps due to his title, it was obvious to him that the princess was searching for an opportunity to leave.
"Hey, Rylak, I¡¯m about to try something risky," Thalion said, his gaze fixed on the circle of women.
"No, you can¡¯t!" Rylak protested, panic evident in his tone after he realized what Thalion was up to. "That would be insane!"
"Sometimes, you have to embrace the gamble," Thalion replied, leaving his position.
He descended to the bar in the dance hall, picking up a tray of drinks intended for Lady Nyssali. Steeling himself, he made his way toward the circle of over ten women seated in ornate golden armchairs, chatting and sipping from their glasses. As he drew closer, he extended his enhanced senses, provided by his title, and confirmed that the princess¡¯s discontent wasn¡¯t his imagination. Despite her radiant exterior, she gave off a subtle but palpable vibe of frustration.
She doesn¡¯t seem so bad, Thalion thought, at least not from what I can sense.
He took a deep breath, sending a silent prayer to any god who might take pity on poor Tor¡¯kel, and stepped into the circle.
"Here is your drink as ordered, Lady Nyssali," Thalion announced with a bow, standing squarely in the middle of the group.
The effect was immediate. All conversation ceased as every woman in the circle turned to look at him. Not just them¡ªanyone in the hall who had been watching the princess now directed their attention to him.
"Took you long enough. Now leave¡ªwe have important matters to discuss," Lady Nyssali hissed.
"Of course," Thalion replied smoothly. As he turned to leave, he feigned sudden surprise, as though just noticing the princess.
"Princess Talythra! What are you doing here?" Thalion asked in mock disbelief.
Every woman¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he addressed the princess so casually.
"Leave this instant! You will be punished for your insolence!" Lady Nyssali shouted, her voice rising with anger.
"What do you mean, ''what am I doing here''?" Princess Talythra asked in a neutral tone, but Thalion could sense her amusement beneath the surface.
"Well," Thalion said with a shrug, as though speaking to an ordinary acquaintance, "this is definitely the most boring place in the entire mansion right now."
The women stared at him in stunned silence. Gradually, the rest of the room quieted, with more and more people turning to listen.
"And where would I find a less boring place?" Princess Talythra asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. Thalion, however, could feel through his title that she was fully enjoying this and testing him. Damn, this title is good, he thought. He just hoped that he had interpreted it right.
"At the bar, of course," Thalion said with an easy smile, completely ignoring the growing number of eyes on him. "The drinks there are lit."
For a moment, silence hung over the room like a heavy cloud. Then, the princess began to laugh.
"Alright, why don¡¯t you show me the way?" Princess Talythra said, standing up with a smile.
"Sure," Thalion replied with another casual shrug, motioning for her to go ahead.
The entire room watched in stunned disbelief as Thalion and the princess made their way to the bar on the sixth floor. There were bars near the dance floor, but Thalion decided the almost-empty bar upstairs was the better choice.
"Hey, Rylak," Thalion asked his internal companion as they ascended the stairs. "What are the good drinks in this world?"
"I have no idea," Rylak replied, still in shock. "I¡¯ve only ever drunk water my whole life."
Well, that¡¯s not helpful, Thalion thought grimly. He couldn¡¯t exactly ask for a beer at a high-society bar. In this world, they wouldn''t even know what beer is.
When they reached the bar, Thalion leaned casually on the counter and asked the bartender the only thing that mattered for a first drink: "Which of these drinks is going to absolutely wreck me?"
The bartender, clearly nervous in the princess¡¯s presence, hesitated for a moment before replying, "The Stardiver is the strongest we have, but¡ª"
"Great! Two Stardivers¡ªone for each of us," Thalion interrupted, ignoring the bewildered expression on the bartender¡¯s face.
While the drinks were being prepared¡ªeach infused with a substantial amount of mana¡ªThalion busied himself by carrying two golden armchairs to a quieter corner of the room. From this vantage point, they could oversee the entire entrance hall without being too exposed themselves.
When Thalion returned to the bar, a pang of regret hit him as he saw the finished drinks. That looks like it could kill me. But there was no backing out now.
"Don¡¯t worry," Thalion said with a playful grin, handing the princess her glass. "In my infinite grace, I¡¯ll let you choose the next drink."
"How very kind of you," Princess Talythra replied with mock seriousness before ordering two Nebula Nectars for their next round.
They clinked glasses and downed the Stardivers. The drink hit Thalion hard¡ªit was definitely one of the strongest things he had ever consumed, much stronger than Kargul''s vodka.
"Wow!" Thalion exclaimed in genuine surprise. "The taste is actually good!"
"Are you serious? What have you been drinking your whole life?" Princess Talythra asked, laughing loudly.
"Mostly water," Thalion replied with a chuckle, technically telling the truth on behalf of Rylak.
The bartender handed over the Nebula Nectars, and the two of them settled into the armchairs. From their spot, they could easily see the activity below in the hall, where people were clearly gossiping about them. This was about to get very interesting. Would he die if Rylak''s body got destroyed before he could leave?
Chapter 107: Good Talk
Sarnith Dralithar was burning with anger. This servant had stolen her opportunity and was now sitting on the sixth floor, laughing with the princess.
"Lady Nyssali, what are you planning? I thought your house wanted an alliance with us." Sarnith hissed in anger at the other woman.
"We have nothing to do with this. The servant is new and will, of course, be punished," Lady Nyssali stammered in fear.
"We''ll see," Sarnith growled. "I wonder what the two are talking about."
"Wow, did you ever see such big tits?" Rylak exclaimed in Thalion''s head, which was quite distracting.
"Come on, don''t ignore me. At least look down a little," Rylak urged him on.
"I think the Stardiver is really kicking in now," Thalion laughed loudly as he noticed the curious look of the princess.
"I think you''re doing very well. Any other servant would be knocked out cold from the energy alone," Princess Talythra laughed.
"I''m just well-trained," Thalion smiled, hoping that it was not too suspicious, but in the end it probably wouldn''t matter much.
"You just said you only drank water before," Talythra smirked.
"Well, water can be a hardcore drink," Thalion laughed. "It''s kind of funny. I never was in the city before, and now I''m talking to the princess after saving her from boredom like a real hero."
"Wait, you''re from the slums? Do you know that holy warrior?" Talythra asked, very interested now.
"I saw the guards catching the drunk guy who said he was the holy warrior," Thalion laughed amused. "They believed the guy, or at least they stopped searching."
"So how did you end up here in this hall as a servant? Quite a change," the princess asked while leaning in.
"I guess I got lucky. I found a farmer who helped me get this job, and many of the other servants had incidents. Then I was simply the last one left," Thalion explained, not mentioning that he was the cause of all the incidents. "I hoped to watch the calling. There must be some strong fighters participating. Maybe I can copy some of their spells."
"It''s actually not that big of a deal. They just fight some beasts, and we take the ones who seem the best. It''s not about raw strength but about having a strong soul," Talythra explained.
"Really? How do you test the soul? I¡¯ve got a strong one too," Thalion asked, intrigued.
"Sure you do," Talythra laughed before continuing, "There¡¯s no magic involved; it¡¯s more about how focused they are on their target. At least when it comes to the calling later in the palace, there will be some testing."
"That¡¯s a vague description," Thalion sighed faintly in disappointment.
"Sure, but we can take basically anyone. The method to bond with the spirit is very safe," the princess shrugged.
Thalion already knew the method they used, and he even had a better one. The only thing he needed was access to a magic circle created by a god. If he got access to that circle, he was confident he could dominate one of the strongest spirits on the other side. Of course, from the perspective of an F-grade, he wouldn¡¯t dare to touch a spirit D-grades normally bound with.
"What speaks against giving a servant like me the opportunity? I''m crazy enough to handle some spirit," Thalion asked, trying to push the subject a bit further.
"You are crazy, that¡¯s true, but you''re not trained, and some basics are still needed," the princess dismissed him, clearly not taking his request seriously.
This was a tricky situation. How could he prove he had enough strength for the ritual?
"Although everyone goes through a few years of training at my home before they¡¯re allowed to participate," the princess added.
This was bad. He probably had a few years before Garrick and Michael would arrive at his room, but he couldn¡¯t say for sure. Without the bound spirit, he would most likely get killed. That was, after all, the reason why he had chosen this dimension of existence. Were there easier dimensions? Yes, of course. Were they better in the end? No, most of them had massive downsides. In the end, everything had its price.
"Could you invite me to the calling?" I guess my current master won¡¯t keep me alive if I go down there now," Thalion asked after they silently watched the gathering of nobles below them.
"Ah, don''t worry about that. I¡¯ll just make a comment to the young woman you brought the drink about how I¡¯d like to see you again at the calling and everything should be fine," Talythra said without any concern.
"Could you also mention the butler Tor''kel? That guy might lose his head after what happened today," Thalion smiled, unsure if it was enough.
"Sure, any other servant I should mention?" She answered jokingly.
"Na, I''m good so far. Oh, but can you drop something like, ''I have a lot of potential that¡¯s worth nurturing''?" Thalion laughed. "It would be so funny if they had to allocate resources to someone like me."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Okay, they probably think I¡¯ve lost my mind, but sure, I guess it¡¯s funny enough to try it out," she laughed.
"Isn¡¯t it illegal to think something like that about a princess?" Thalion shrugged, wondering how many laws he had broken tonight.
"Sure, but the calling is tomorrow evening," the princess said. "At first, they weren¡¯t sure if it was possible, but after my guard spoke with them, it will be tomorrow. They tried to force me to attend even more balls before the calling."
That was bad for Thalion. What should he do? The calling would be his only chance to prove his strength, and he had hoped for more time to prepare. No one would allow him to fight in there, but no one had ever forced his way to do so. Why not give it a try?
"Great, at least no more of those balls," Thalion exclaimed, leaning back and finishing his second glass of nebula nectar.
"Yeah, I won¡¯t miss those," the princess said, amused. "I think I should get back downstairs. It won¡¯t be long before it¡¯s over. It was nice meeting you, Rylak."
"See you tomorrow evening if I¡¯m still alive," Thalion said with a wave of his hand as the princess stood up and left for one of the groups of nobles on the lower floors.
Thalion, of course, would take his time going down to the wolves. He didn¡¯t really know what his position in the hierarchy was now. Was he an hour away from death, or was he above the noble house he had served? It should be difficult to kill him as long as he was fast enough to leave Rylak¡¯s body¡ªeverything should be fine.
Thalion watched as the princess spoke with several groups while the people around him relaxed in chairs. He had one of the servants bring him another glass of nebula nectar. That drink was so delicious, and he needed it right now after all the stress of the day.
Thalion noticed Lady Nyssali looking at him after the princess had spoken with her for a few minutes. Yep, he was definitely above them now¡ªhow funny. Let¡¯s see what materials he could demand. Soon, the princess was teleported out of the hall by her guard.
That guy was on a completely different level. His aura was fully hidden, but the sense Thalion got from his title sang a song of power. He must be far above C-grade, maybe even B-grade. Thalion wondered if the man had already bonded with a spirit.
After the princess left, the party slowly wound down as the nobles began to leave, though a few were dancing in another room, probably not planning on leaving soon. All this time, some of the nobles had come close, but no one had actually spoken to him, which was quite funny.
They had no idea what position he currently held, so they didn¡¯t want to risk anything. If he was still a servant, it would be embarrassing to talk to him, and if he was on their level and they didn¡¯t treat him with the proper respect, it could backfire.
He spotted Lady Nyssali standing up and saying her goodbyes to all the other nobles with many bows. It was time for him to leave as well. Instead of going down the stairs, he decided on a more dramatic descent. He jumped over the golden railing and managed the perfect Superman landing in front of Lady Nyssali, who stumbled back in surprise. Ten out of ten for style, he thought, smiling to himself.
"So, can we leave now?" Thalion asked, smiling and reaching out a hand to help her stand. Her family had already left the mansion and was probably waiting in the carriage.
As she stood up in shock, still unable to say anything, the entire mansion grew silent a second time. Thalion guided the woman to the carriage. There was no Tor¡¯kel sitting on top of the carriage, and Thalion found out why when he entered the carriage.
Tor¡¯kel¡¯s body lay broken in the corner of the large room that existed within the small carriage. It didn¡¯t look like a quick death either, with his face twisted in a grimace of pain and sorrow.
Well, that wasn¡¯t what Thalion had wanted, but there was nothing he could do about it. In the end, he was here to bond with a spirit, and he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Still, he felt bad for the nice fellow, but in the end, it wasn¡¯t his fault. This family was killing their servants for something they had nothing to do with. The other servants were either passed out from the monstrous killing intent radiating from the nobles, especially from the patriarch and matriarch.
"You! What have you done?!" Xar''vath screamed in anger.
"I had a talk with the princess. You¡¯ve killed Tor¡¯kel. That¡¯s a penalty you¡¯ll pay for later," Thalion said coldly, walking closer.
"You think you can threaten me?" Xar''vath screamed with hatred at him.
"Not at all," Lady Nyssali interjected, her voice panicked. "The princess mentioned that she would like to see him again tomorrow and that he has potential."
"What? How is that possible?" Xar''vath exclaimed in shock.
How hadn¡¯t this guy known? Thalion thought, feeling extremely close to death¡ªif it hadn''t been for the lady''s help.
"Like the lady said, I¡¯m expected tomorrow, and not just me, but Tor¡¯kel as well. You¡¯d better show me your wares back at your mansion if you don¡¯t want me to mention something about his early demise," Thalion said, his gaze cold.
"Only if you speak highly of us when meeting the princess tomorrow," the matriarch said after a long silence.
"That depends on what you¡¯ve got," Thalion replied, maintaining the pressure.
"Dude, first you¡¯re against stealing, and now you¡¯re pulling this off?" Rylak laughed in his head. "You¡¯re way worse than I ever was."
The rest of the trip was silent between them until they arrived and exited the carriage.
"Lornak will show you your new room," the matriarch said with a wave of her hand. "We¡¯ll meet later tonight for the negotiations. I guess we¡¯re all exhausted after such a long day."
"No, I want to see your treasures now," Thalion pressed, not backing down.
"You can¡¯t be serious," Xar''vath said, hatred burning in his eyes.
"Fine, I¡¯ll show you around now," Lady Sel¡¯virah sighed, her feelings hidden.
Thalion was hoping for soul treasures that would empower his spirit body. If not, he would take anything that could empower Lyrak¡¯s body, as he planned to interfere in the calling. Tomorrow would be his chance to travel to the giant palace in space.
Thalion was guided into a giant chamber, filled with innumerable items hovering above runes near the walls.
"What treasures are you searching for? We have many here," Lady Sel¡¯virah asked, her pain evident.
"First, show me all the soul treasures you have," Thalion said, his voice firm.
Soul treasures were the only thing that could help him when he returned to his body, so they were naturally the most important to him.
"No, soul treasures are too valuable," Lady Sel¡¯virah stated.
"What do you think is more important: the soul treasures or the image of your family?" Thalion continued, refusing to let them off the hook easily, especially after what had happened to Tor''kel.
"Fine, this way," she said after a long pause.
They entered a beautiful garden, filled with flowers that hummed with power.
"These are all the soul treasures we have. Don¡¯t use more than one¡ªit can be dangerous when your soul is weak and you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing," Lady Sel¡¯virah cautioned.
"Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for," Thalion said after feeling the power coursing through the plants. They probably had more soul treasures, but this was enough for him until tomorrow. More powerful treasures could be dangerous, and he couldn¡¯t afford a backlash right now.
"We expect that you keep your word. It took over sixty years to grow them," Lady Sel¡¯virah said before leaving.
Yeah, he for sure would keep his word, Thalion thought, with a sinister smile.
Chapter 108: The Thief of Legends
The moment she left, Thalion sprang into action. He could feel through his connection to nature, thanks to his guardian''s remnant title, that most of the power was stored in the leaves of the flowers.
Thalion spent the whole night consuming all the flowers and strengthening his spirit body. Normally, he channeled mana through his soul to enhance his spirit body, but these flowers provided the perfect building blocks, and his spirit body grew much denser after he finished consuming half the field of flowers.
Lady Sel¡¯virah was probably right in her assumption that one flower would suffice for a weak soul. Thalion''s soul, however, was far from weak, and he had one of the best manuals guiding him in building his spirit body.
The remaining flowers he used to wrap additional spirit veins around his soul core, empowering it even further.
It was already midday when Thalion finished with the last flower on the field. The process had nearly doubled the power of his soul. Not gonna lie, those plants were the real deal. He needed something like that back in the tutorial if he managed to survive. Thalion looked around just in case he had forgotten any plants, wondering if it really had taken sixty years to grow them.
He walked back inside, searching for additional soul cultivation materials or body-tempering resources to prepare for the upcoming journey to the golden palace in the city center, where the calling would take place.
There were no servants in the hall, so he took some pearls, the equivalent of elixirs in this dimension, and downed over ten flasks. It was only a minor upgrade, but still worthwhile.
Rylak urged him to swallow every potion in sight, but Thalion hesitated¡ªhe couldn¡¯t identify any of them, and drinking random substances in a magical world was probably not the smartest move. He had a good idea of what the pearls in the flasks would do to his extra sense provided by the title.
Sadly, most pearls were too complicated for Thalion to figure out what they were good for. Instead, he used some of the golden crystals to replenish his energy while continuing to empower his blood to new heights. This process was surprisingly easy with a powerful soul.
Thalion still felt much weaker compared to his original body, but it would have to suffice.
Soon after, a servant informed him that it was time, and he made his way to the carriage waiting in front of the mansion. Instead of entering, Thalion sat atop it with one of the butlers, hoping to take in a final view of the city. If all went well, it would be his last.
It didn''t take long until the noble family and all the servants had entered the carriage, all ignoring Thalion. He wondered if they already knew what he had done to their garden. If they did, their demeanor was calm for nobles at least. Thalion could feel the waves of anger radiating out from the carriage. It was almost funny and made him feel a bit better after remembering what they had done to Tor''ke.
Acutally thinking all over, why not mess a bit more with them? Thalion motioned for the butler to wait for him and ran back into the building. He grabbed a big golden sack the servants used to carry plants to the kitchen and entered the hall with all the natural treasures.
"Oh, no way you are doing that? Rylak laughed loudly in his mind. "I feel like I am watching the master of all thieves."
Thalion didn''t answer as he rushed through the hall collecting the most powerful item he could find. Flasks filled with powerful pearls, crystal humming with energy, fruits of rare plants that were most likely used for gaining affinites, and much more found the way in his sack.
Many of the items were so powerful that he wouldn''t dare to use them, but since he mainly did it as revenge for Tor''kel''s death, it was totally worth it. Thalion was still thinking about what he should do with the items. Should he make it rain valuable items while they were flying to the golden palace, or should he trade them for soul treasures at the calling?
How funny would it be for him to hold an auction with items that didn''t belong to him? Thalion made his way back to the carriage, and when he sat down beside the butler, the final journey began. The insects bound to the carriage started to beat their wings faster and faster, almost like a plane engine and with a jump they took off into the sky.
The city was more crowded than before, with significantly more traffic in the sky. Several times, they had to wait for larger carriages to pass by. Over the golden palace, enormous, snake-like beetles with massive mandibles circled ominously.
The palace itself was over ten times larger than the mansion¡ªan architectural marvel of truly magnificent scale. There were multiple towers rising over a kilometer in height, all in gold and many statues depicting kings and queens attached to the wall.
They flew through the colossal gate, towering over a hundred meters high, and landed in a vast area made entirely of golden marble. Multiple carriages were taking off and landing simultaneously, delivering royals for the city''s most significant annual event.
"If the plan works and you defeat one of the noble brats, can I make a victory dance?" Rylak asked with a smile, trying to ease the tension that had built up the last hours.
Thalion jumped off the carriage, avoiding interaction with the nobles, and strode confidently inside. Still dressed in his servant¡¯s uniform, no one stopped him.
The entrance hall dwarfed the previous one, featuring pillars over a hundred meters tall and multiple floors. The walls were adorned with grand paintings of epic battles. Thalion followed the masses of nobles until he reached a massive arena.
The arena was a vast circular structure, resembling the Colosseum in Rome but far larger and entirely crafted from gold. Even the sand on the ground glimmered in a golden hue. Unlike before, everyone here carried weapons¡ªwands, whips, swords, hammers, and axes¡ªalong with their beasts, indicating that they were beast tamers. Most of the beasts were insects flying around their masters, likely due to their immense power in this part of the world.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Some nobles, unfamiliar with Thalion, barked orders at him, mistaking him for a servant. Amused, Thalion simply nodded but ignored their commands, knowing they wouldn¡¯t remember him anyway. He grabbed a nebula nectar from a nearby bar and climbed the wide ring-shaped staircase, heading to the upper levels.
Thalion enjoyed the look on the bartender''s face as he had given the guy one of the expensive items in his sack. So he continued to give out the items to servants of noble houses. With the last one, he had a little fun as he threw them at the feet of a croud of youngsters who immediately dove after it and some even started to fight.
Rylak enjoyed it, especially when Thalion threw the last treasure over the railing after one of the youngsters had spotted him as the wellspring of wealth and jumped after it with greed in her eyes. Thalion quickly walked away from the railing as he saw how the teenager impacted the ground of the arena hard with her belly first with a loud thumb that was even heard at his floor.
He moved up the stairs to the higher levels to get a good view of the arena. The girl hadn''t died as he watched how one of the stronger nobels healed her broken body in an instant and teleported them both away a moment later.
Reaching the third-highest level, Thalion was struck by the sheer number of people. Hundreds of thousands of nobles filled the palace.
At that moment, Princess Talythra and her guard appeared before him. The guard wore a golden kilt similar to Thalion''s but adorned with intricate runes and no shirt. Talythra¡¯s outfit, to Rylak¡¯s enjoyment, included a revealing top and tight golden pants with multiple decorative holes.
Most nobles in the area immediately bowed deeply, leaving Thalion as the only one standing.
¡°Hey, want to come up to the VIP booth? Took you long enough to get here,¡± Talythra greeted him with a smile.
¡°Sure. Do I have to bow too?¡± Thalion asked, taking a sip of his drink.
¡°Nah, it doesn¡¯t matter right now,¡± Talythra replied with a wave of her hand. A moment later, Thalion found himself in a lavish booth filled with oversized pillows.
In front of him was a window offering the best view of the nobles and the arena below. Thanks to his special connection to mana via his title, Thalion noticed a protective barrier surrounding the arena.
¡°See? Much better. And no one can see us here,¡± Talythra smiled, holding a glass of nebula nectar.
¡°Do you think we¡¯ll have sex now? I¡¯ve never had sex before,¡± Rylak blurted in his head.
¡°No, this is just a viewing booth for the arena,¡± Thalion reassured him, amused. In the end he was just here as amusement for the princess and nothing more.
¡°Don¡¯t you need to make an appearance before the event starts?¡± Thalion asked. He didn¡¯t want to be trapped alone in the booth, especially since he hadn¡¯t seen an exit.
¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t hang out here for too long,¡± Talythra replied. ¡°But we¡¯ve got about an hour.¡±
¡°Great. Can your buddy teleport me out too? Just in case someone forgets me here,¡± Thalion asked. This was crucial¡ªbeing stuck in this room would prevent him from interfering.
"I thought you would like it here more, but fine," Talythra laughed while taking another sip out of the golden glass.
"Will they be fighting each other or beasts down in the arena?" Thalion changed the subject. He wanted to know as much as possible before making a move.
"They will mostly fight beasts. There are thirty slots to become a Holy Warrior, which is enough for the stronger noble families. The others, of course, have the right to challenge the winners for their positions, but that is very rare. The backlash from the powerful noble families makes it not worth it for the weaker ones to try," Talythra explained.
This was perfect for him. Now it was even legitimate to challenge someone who had been chosen.
"Oh, do you want to hear something funny?" she asked, smiling widely.
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Thalion answered, intrigued by what a princess could find amusing.
"I told the council that I¡¯d like to speak to the self-proclaimed holy warrior from the slums.
They sent out search teams, even those who had reached celestial levels of cultivation, but they couldn¡¯t find him!" Talythra burst into laughter. "A rat from the slums, with no knowledge of cultivation, managed to evade the strongest cultivators this city has to offer. Isn¡¯t that funny?"
"I¡¯ve never heard of celestial cultivators. Are they strong?" Thalion asked, curious.
Cultivation worked very differently here than in his dimension. It also seemed much harder, as there were no skills or levels. Killing someone yielded no benefits, and there were no mana or health bars to help gauge your strength. It wasn¡¯t easy to tell when your stamina was depleting, especially in a world where you could leap over twenty meters in one go.
"They¡¯re a few stages away from godhood, but powerful enough to destroy this planet with their pinky finger," she said, still amused.
"Oh, well, I guess they¡¯re pretty mad right now," Thalion laughed. Good thing he had stopped killing people. They were probably watching the slums constantly and could teleport around¡ªmaybe even remain invisible to the naked eye.
"You have no idea! If that guy manages to avoid them for more than a week, he¡¯ll be infamous even in my dad¡¯s palace," she laughed even harder.
They talked for a while about cultivation until Talythra had to leave because the calling was finally about to begin. Thalion appeared on the seventh floor and waited for the spectacle to start. An old, rotund man floated a hundred meters above the arena on a platform.
"Esteemed council, noble families of our realm, and honored guests," he began, his voice booming, "today we stand on the precipice of tradition and valor. We gather for the ancient calling¡ªa ceremony etched into the history of our people.
It is a time when the sons and daughters of noble lineage stand in challenge against the mightiest beasts of our world. Their courage, fortitude, and skill will determine not just their legacy but our strength as a nation.
It is our privilege to welcome a most distinguished guest among us, Her Grace, Princess Talythra, who blesses our gathering with her radiant presence. Princess, your visit honors this hall, and it is to you that we dedicate this calling.
Through your witness, the hopes of our noble youth may ascend beyond mere inheritance to the rare, exalted ranks of the holy warrior.
For generations, the title of holy warrior has been spoken with awe, earned by deeds of valor beyond measure. This is no mere combat¡ªit is a crucible of spirit, where only those who conquer themselves and surpass the beasts stand worthy of the mantle. Those who rise will carry not only the pride of their families but the strength of our people¡ªa living testament to our unyielding resilience and unity.
Let us prepare to witness greatness. As they face the beasts, let each contender carry forward the will and honor of their house. With every strike, every shield raised, and every heartbeat that echoes within these walls, may the trials forge tomorrow¡¯s legends among us."
Thalion knew it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as the speaker made it sound.
The man teleported to another stage, where Princess Talythra, her guard, and several nobles stood.
"Hello everybody, prepare for saughter," the man who sat before the princess and the high nobles shouted into a crystal that had the function of a microphone as the voice was heard in the hole arena. They had their own commentator, Thalion realized with surprise. This was going to be fun.
Chapter 109: The Calling
"The first contestant is Khorvus of House Rhal¡¯varn, renowned for their mental attacks!" the commentator cheered enthusiastically. The energy in the crowd was palpable, and Thalion almost felt like he was back at wrestlemania. If only the Undertaker himself could stride out of the gate, he mused, smash that smug brat, and then crush the beast waiting beyond.
Khorvus was tall and slender, dressed in an ornate golden uniform that gleamed under the arena lights. Moments later, a portal opened in the center of the arena, and a massive plant emerged, striding forward on powerful roots. Standing over fifteen meters tall, it resembled a monstrous Venus flytrap, with a gaping maw in its center. The roots burrowed into the ground as countless vines began to hum with power.
"Ah, and the first beast is Thornlash Vinemaw!" the commentator announced, his voice booming through the crystal amplification system. "These plants are both exceptionally rare and deadly. Known for their sneaky attacks using roots and vines, they¡¯re predators of unparalleled cunning. How will the noble Khorvus fare against such an opponent?"
Roots erupted from the ground, snaking toward Khorvus. He moved aside effortlessly, responding with a golden wave of energy that tore through the air and struck the advancing vines. The collision sent a shockwave across the arena, but the protective runes lining its walls absorbed the force without issue.
Khorvus, clearly an experienced middle E-grade warrior, exuded confidence as his attacks clashed with the beast¡¯s relentless strikes. "It seems Khorvus is deliberately holding back his mental skills," the commentator observed, his tone both curious and impressed. "Perhaps he wants to prove his dominance in raw combat first."
The battle continued, but despite Khorvus'' skill, the Thornlash Vinemaw began to gain the upper hand. The vines, though repeatedly repelled, grew longer and more numerous with every attempt. Then, Khorvus clasped his hands together, directing his focus on the monstrous plant. A moment later, the beast convulsed violently, thrashing in agony despite the lack of visible wounds.
"A masterstroke from House Rhal¡¯varn!" the commentator shouted. "One of their most feared techniques, inducing unimaginable pain directly into the mind!"
With the beast incapacitated, Khorvus conjured a golden spear nearly five meters long. In a single, fluid motion, he hurled it into the plant¡¯s central maw. The spear penetrated deeply before detonating in a brilliant explosion, tearing the Thornlash Vinemaw into shreds. While its vines and roots had shown remarkable durability, the rest of its body was surprisingly fragile¡ªa fatal weakness that sealed its defeat.
"Applaud Khorvus of House Rhal¡¯varn!" the commentator cried. The audience erupted in cheers, though some offered only polite applause, their enthusiasm tempered by bias.
"But is this performance sufficient to earn a place in the holy warrior training?" he continued, raising the tension.
Above the arena, on a raised platform, the princess and council members convened. The man in the center stepped forward to speak. "You have proven yourself worthy," he declared. "Prepare for your training, which begins next week at the holy palace."
Khorvus bowed respectfully to the council before exiting through a gate behind him. The crowd celebrated loudly, with members of House Rhal¡¯varn cheering raucously. Elsewhere in the stands, applause was more subdued, revealing subtle divisions within the spectators.
The tournament pressed on, offering a dazzling variety of contestants and beasts. Pyromancers, water mages, blademasters, berserkers, illusionists, and beastmasters showcased their skills, facing enemies that ranged from insectoid horrors to elemental constructs. Among the most challenging opponents was a rock elemental¡ªthree meters tall, humanoid in form, and constructed entirely of stone. Every time it was struck, it magnetically reassembled itself, erasing any signs of damage. The fight ended only when the mage shattered two rune-inscribed stones at its core.
Thalion observed intently from the stands. The bloodstained sand below called to him, filling him with a quiet, relentless determination. He needed to act soon. With only ten contestants remaining, the Calling was almost over. His heart pounded, fueling his sense of urgency. In his current form¡ªa teenage servant''s body¡ªhe lacked many of the advantages his true self possessed. Time was running out.
After several more bouts, a swordmaster faced a bizarre creature called a Glitterwing Ravage. It looked disturbingly like a humanoid hybrid with insect features, as though a man had merged with a giant bee. Watching closely, Thalion decided the swordmaster was his best chance. While not visibly exhausted, the fighter had just endured a grueling battle and might be weakened enough for Thalion to challenge him successfully.Stolen story; please report.
"Congratulations to Krevos of House Ny¡¯thak! A spectacular display of swordsmanship!" the commentator roared, and the audience erupted into wild applause.
This house was clearly among the most powerful, judging by the thunderous cheers and the council¡¯s rapid decision to accept Krevos as a Holy Warrior.
Thalion seized the moment. "What a disgraceful performance!" he declared, his voice enhanced by mana to reverberate across the arena. "Is this the best you can offer?"
A stunned silence fell over the crowd as all eyes turned to him¡ªa mere servant in ragged attire stepping boldly to the railing. Gasps rippled through the stands as Thalion leapt over the edge, his descent accelerated by blood manipulation. He landed in the arena with a deafening crash.
"You are unworthy," he stated, mana fueling his words with unshakeable conviction. He strode purposefully toward Krevos, who stood motionless in shock.
"A servant has just challenged Krevos of House Ny¡¯thak!" the commentator exclaimed, barely able to contain his disbelief.
"You think you have a chance against me, scum? How dare you speak to me like that!" Krevos hissed, his voice brimming with anger. He drew his sword and lunged, the blade flashing as he attacked.
"There he goes! But what can a mere servant possibly do against such a formidable warrior?" the commentator exclaimed, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Cheers for the noble filled the air, mixed with curses aimed at the defiant servant.
Thalion summoned the blood pooled on the arena floor, channeling its raw power. A whirlpool of crimson liquid rose around him, swirling ominously.
"What? The servant is a bloodmage? How is that even possible?" the commentator screamed, his voice tinged with shock and awe.
Thalion sidestepped Krevos'' strike, using the blood now coating his legs to enhance his speed. The swordsman¡¯s slash parted rivers of blood but failed to harm him. Wasting no time, Thalion leapt onto a stream of blood, surfing through the air with uncanny agility.
Krevos, unfazed, drew a second sword. With a fierce cry, he leapt onto his weapon, using it to pursue Thalion through the sky. The E-grade beast blood, still potent and abundant, made it easier for Thalion to form weapons. He hurled blood spears at Krevos, but the noble deflected them effortlessly.
"Such mastery over blood! Truly extraordinary for a mere servant," the commentator remarked, astonished and unsure if it was smart to say something that would reflect badly on the noble.
Krevos closed the distance, his blades slashing and stabbing with precision. Thalion rose higher, now level with the commentator¡¯s platform, hundreds of meters above the ground. Although Krevos was powerful, his lack of experience in airborne combat became apparent. Thalion struggled slightly to keep the massive amounts of blood under control but managed to maintain his advantage.
A sudden opening allowed Thalion to strike. He launched needles of blood at Krevos. While they didn¡¯t cause significant damage, they pierced his skin. Thalion immediately liquefied the needles, forcing the blood into Krevos'' veins.
The swordsman screamed in frustration, releasing a wave of energy that sent much of the blood scattering. Thalion couldn''t reassert control in time and lost over a hundred liters of blood. Krevos appeared directly in front of him, his blade descending in a deadly arc.
Thalion dodged, his blood forming claws on his hands as he swiped at the swordsman. Krevos missed entirely, and Thalion used the opening to drive more of his blood into the warrior¡¯s body. Their battle continued to escalate as they rose higher, nearing the arena¡¯s ceiling.
Through the chaos, Thalion caught a glimpse of the princess and the council members on their high platform. Their faces betrayed shock as they watched the spectacle unfold. Seizing another opportunity, Thalion launched a blood spear that pierced Krevos'' shoulder, forcing him back.
"Enough!" Krevos roared, his voice reverberating through the arena. He drew a final sword from his back, its blade covered in golden runes. He raised it high, and suddenly, the gravitational field shifted. Thalion found himself pulled irresistibly toward the noble, despite his efforts to resist.
The next moment, Krevos¡¯ blade descended in a devastating strike. Thalion infused the remaining blood with as much power as he could muster, forming a shield in front of his head while twisting his body to the side. The shield shattered on impact, and the blade struck his left shoulder, cutting deeply and sending him crashing to the ground.
The impact was brutal, leaving Thalion momentarily dazed. Though his recovery abilities were swift, his resources were nearly depleted. Meanwhile, Krevos, despite his wounds, showed no signs of slowing down.
"This is your end, servant!" Krevos bellowed, charging at Thalion with murderous intent.
Still lying on the ground, Thalion continued to absorb energy from the surrounding blood. With a final surge of power, he turned the blood he''d infused into Krevos'' body into spears.
One moment, Krevos was sprinting toward him; the next, four massive spears erupted from his skin and impaled him, halting his advance. The noble collapsed, writhing in pain, though it was clear he was not yet dead. This was only possible to the weak soul of the noble and he hadn''t really paid attention to the blood that had invaded his body. Under normal circumstances, such a move wouldn''t be possible. Thalion could have tried to manipulate the nobles blood earlier, but without the additional blood he had added, it most likely wouldn''t have worked.
Thalion rose, forming a blade of blood in his hand as he approached the fallen swordsman. Krevos lay trembling, immobilized by the spears embedded in his body. Thalion raised his weapon high, preparing to deliver the final blow.
But just as he struck, Krevos vanished, whisked away to the safety of the spectator stands by one of his elders.
"The servant defeated Krevos of House Ny¡¯thak! How can this be possible?" The commentator stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.
The arena fell into stunned silence. Thousands of spectators sat frozen, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
Chapter 110: Revelations
"So, when are we leaving? I don¡¯t need a week to get my stuff," Thalion shouted into the silence after he had recovered for a few seconds, glaring defiantly at the ranks of nobles above him.
"Who are you?" the council leader asked, suddenly appearing in front of him, radiating enough power to make Thalion''s knees buckle.
"I defeated that noble brat, so by logic I am a future holy warrior," Thalion responded, his head held high with a smile on his lips, grinning wider when he saw the council leader''s face turn red.
"So this was your plan all along?" Princess Tahlytra asked with a frown, appearing in front of him with her guard.
"Well, kind of. I was confident I could at least win against some of the jerks here," he shrugged in response. Well, it had been a lot more of a gamble, but better to never admit it afterwards.
"Impossible! You¡¯re no servant¡ªhow can you be this good at blood-bending?" The council leader exclaimed in suspicion.
"I had a bleeding nose when I was young, you know. Always when it was cold outside, it just started running. Since then, I knew that bloodbending would be my path," Thalion mumbled, spouting nonsense he had just made up.
A figure appeared before the princess and after a quick bow, began reporting. "We found someone who claims to have seen the self-proclaimed holy warrior."
The figure bowed deeper and handed her a crystal. When she touched it, a twenty-meter-wide screen appeared midair, displaying Thalion murmuring to himself while drawing a big smile out of blood on the end of one of his many messages. The guy who brought the crystal hadn¡¯t noticed him yet, but the council leader and the princess had recognized him instantly.
"You¡¯re the guy with the messages!" the council leader exclaimed in shock. Probably a bit embarrassed that they hadn''t found out earlier too.
"Why didn¡¯t you tell me when we were talking yesterday?" The princess asked, a bit annoyed.
"Well, it would¡¯ve been super weird if I just blurted it out," Thalion shrugged, trying to stay casual. "So, when are we leaving for that giant golden palace?"
"Not bad," the princess laughed loudly. "You were here inside these walls the entire time, while everyone searched for you outside. A guy from the slums managed to hide from the best warriors this city has to offer. Too funny."
Soon after, Thalion found himself in a lounge where the other trial-takers were watching the arena, waiting for the calling to end. They all did a good job of ignoring him, and Thalion didn¡¯t mind¡ªthere was a bar and he grabbed himself a few skydivers. It had been a very eventful day, after all. He kept drinking while watching the last fights.
What happened next was a blur. After the final fight ended, Thalion was teleported alone to the Great Golden Palace by the princess¡¯s guard. This all happened without any talk.
Maybe the guy was just bored. The hole situation was super weird. First he was teleported here in this room, and now they just teleported him away?
The guard also just snipped with his fingers while saying, "Off you go to the holy palace." The guy must be a lot more powerful than he had expected. The princess didn¡¯t come with him because she probably had to visit other cities on the planet.
At least that was what Thalion and Rylak told themselves. The other nobles would arrive in a week, which gave him some time to get stronger.
He appeared in a giant hall, so vast he couldn¡¯t even see the ceiling. Many golden pillars stretched high into the sky, covered in runes burning with power.
"Holy shit, we made it!" Rylak cheered. "So, we never talked about it, and I know you saved my life, but... can you upgrade my body even more before leaving, and do you really leave after that ritual?"
"I¡¯ll leave after the ritual. Then you¡¯re on your own," Thalion replied while looking around. He was way too confused with the current situation and hadn''t fully listened to everything Rylak had said.
He spotted multiple figures in the distance. Shouldn¡¯t someone be here to greet him? To pass the time, he sat down and continued his soul cultivation until someone arrived.
There was no point in walking in one direction, as the distance was just too great. It would take days until he would reach the next solid object, which was one of the golden pillars.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
It only took a few minutes. Then a golden man appeared before him¡ªhis skin, irises, clothes, and even teeth were golden.
"My name is Nivrax, and I will be your teacher," Nivrax introduced himself without any emotion. Standing tall before Thalion.
"These are your chambers," he added as they teleported to a massive room, larger than most houses, filled with everything one could desire. Aside from the bed and other furniture, multiple magic circles glowed on the ground.
It should be mentioned that Thalion hadn''t the chance to say anything to the weird guy. If he could, he might have complained about the forced teleportation. He had found out that getting teleported around by others announced was something he really didn''t like.
"These circles will speed up your cultivation, and those are for teleportation¡ªthey lead to the training halls for you youngsters," Nivrax continued in a harsh tone.
"Okay, thanks. When are we starting?" Thalion asked, unsure how to address the man and struggling to understand what was happening. Best to start with the cultivation that was at least something he was good at.
A moment ago, Thalion had been watching the calling. Now, he found himself dealing with this guy who seemed utterly oblivious to social cues.
"It will start right now, of course," Nivrax said, and a moment later, they appeared on a giant platform where hundreds of people were training with different weapons.
Unlike back in the tutorial, these individuals weren¡¯t just training on their own¡ªthey had masters guiding them. Groups practiced with swords, short swords, daggers, heavy weapons like hammers, and more. After a swordform was complete, the masters were teleporting around, giving advice to the figthers.
"So, which weapon do you choose?" Nivrax asked a moment later, his question directed at a still-dazed Thalion, who was trying to process the instant teleportation.
"I¡¯ll go with the sword," Thalion replied after recovering from the shock. This was perfect¡ªhe now had one or maybe even two years to become a competent swordsman.
This training would be invaluable when he returned to the tutorial. These instructors could teach him techniques he¡¯d never even imagined, and the thought of it sparked greed in his eyes.
Instead of the impressive weapons everyone else used, Nivrax handed him a wooden stick, and the training began as the man unceremoniously smacked him over the head.
Well, it looks like he could forget about those masters helping him. Had this Nivrax messed something up, and training Thalion was his punishment?
Nivrax was incredibly skilled at teaching¡ªwell, if you ignored the fact that he almost never spoke and occasionally hit him without warning. Nivrax was initially surprised by how bad Thalion was at swordsmanship, but that changed quickly.
By the hour, Thalion improved. The man showed him multiple forms of offense and defense, and by the end of the first day, Thalion learned more than he had in the entire tutorial with the help of the scroll.
Nivrax was further surprised to learn that Thalion didn¡¯t really need sleep. After the first night, Thalion took only three hours off for meditation and even created a few more spirit veins. However, the next revelation shocked Nivrax even more¡ªThalion couldn¡¯t conjure any spells.
This inability landed Thalion in a class with many other students, where an old fellow lectured on how to conjure a fireball. Everything about this felt surreal to Thalion.
A moment ago, he¡¯d been standing in an arena fighting for his life, and now he was sitting in a classroom. No one paid him any attention, not even Nivrax. There was no camaraderie, no introductions¡ªjust learning. They didn¡¯t even talk to each other.
What a creepy place, Thalion thought. While trying to gobble up as much knowledge as possible.
Despite all of Nivrax¡¯s efforts, Thalion couldn¡¯t manage to conjure a single fireball. Eventually, he let Rylak try, since the guy was now fully invested. He knew he¡¯d be getting his body back soon and tried very hard to conjure a fireball, but Rylak failed too.
To conjure a fireball, one had to form a rune and contract it at the right moment for the fireball to emerge. Whenever Thalion pressed the rune together, it collapsed, and his energy was gone.
It was completely different from swordsmanship, where Thalion made great progress with every passing hour. He could now switch seamlessly between offensive and defensive maneuvers. His attacks were quick and deadly¡ªor as deadly as one could be with a wooden stick.
On the fifth day, Nivrax introduced him to something called body tempering¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what Thalion assumed it was. He was tasked with climbing a giant golden mountain, many kilometers high. The challenge? With every stage, the pressure increased, as if a heavy weight were pressing down on his shoulders.
By the third stage, Thalion was almost unable to move. Blood started running from his eyes and ears, but thanks to his control over blood, he managed to pull it back inside.
"Go! Temper my body more! Don¡¯t be such a loser¡ªthat¡¯s what you call pain?" Rylak ranted in his head, urging Thalion onward. This was easy for Rylak to say; he didn¡¯t feel the pain since Thalion was in full control of their shared body.
"Could you please keep it down for a bit?" Thalion sent back, annoyed. The pain was excruciating, but he refused to stop. He just hoped that someone¡ªmaybe Nivrax¡ªwould teleport him out if he got stuck on one of the stages.
"Go, go, go! I did a lot of climbing back in the slums, and you¡¯re struggling to reach the fourth stage of this mountain. Rylak taunted, clearly enjoying himself.
Thalion was facing serious trouble. It took all his control to empower his body, and even then, blood began seeping out of his skin. The pressure on his bones and muscles was immense, almost as if his bones were starting to bend. After a few more agonizing steps, he fell to one knee and moments later, collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"Ah, this sucks," Thalion muttered through gritted teeth.
"Get up, you sore loser! How dare you bring such shame to my glorious body?" Rylak shouted in his head.
"Yeah, this body isn¡¯t working anymore. I¡¯ve given it everything¡ªI think we¡¯re stuck here," Thalion sent back in defeat.
"Really? Ah, shit. That sucks. But it doesn¡¯t seem like anyone else noticed us," Rylak replied, sounding confused.
Which was offsetting since he might have cried in pain at some point. Just what was up with those people?
Chapter 111: What did just happen?
Rylak was right¡ªthe mountain was enormous, and no one was anywhere near his position. "Those who glanced in his direction didn¡¯t even seem to notice him, which was strange," he thought, recalling how two guys had laughed at someone else who couldn¡¯t move further. Thinking back, did those other classes even know that he was there? He had never spoken to anyone, nor did it look like they had noticed him. Thalion thought that was because he was not a noble, but maybe it had been something else.
"This whole palace is so weird," Thalion sent to Rylak, unsure of his next move. Well, he probably shouldn''t worry too much, as he couldn''t do anything at the moment. It was like he was glued to the ground.
He looked down at his teacher, who just stared up at him, completely devoid of emotion or care.
"He maybe wants you to grow beyond your current limits", Rylak suggested with a mental shrug. "When you reach it, he will save us. I am confident."
Days passed as Thalion remained pinned to the ground after his attempt to climb beyond the third stage. Unfortunately, the pressure held him so tightly against the ground that he couldn¡¯t even roll back down, scream, or do anything besides breathing. His teacher seemed content to just observe, offering no help until, at some point, the man simply disappeared.
"What the hell?" Thalion thought, utterly exhausted. He wanted to scream to vent his frustration, but his body was too weak. Many of his bones were now broken, and without his title, he would have been in serious trouble as he constantly had to empower his body to not get crushed by the pressure.
For a moment he thought about leaving Rylak''s body, but that would have meant death for the boy and his chances of possessing one of the powerful warriors here were more than just a little low. He also liked Rylak and didn''t want him to just die.
"Hey, get over here! Look at this guy," a voice laughed from above him.
"Haha, in all my life, I¡¯ve never seen such a pathetic soul," another person mocked. "Hey, how long have you been lying there, buddy?"
"Oh god, I¡¯m so done. How did it come to this?" Thalion thought, utterly drained. While the others ridiculed him, he struggled to stay alive, focusing his energy on controlling his blood and partially healing his organs to keep them functioning. Thalion wasn''t up for a talk. Why couldn''t those people just teleport him down?
"He¡¯s so exhausted, he can¡¯t even speak," a female voice laughed loudly, joined by others.
Oh, stop talking useless bitch and teleport me down. Thalion started to curse at the female voice in his head. Not much more he could do at the moment.
"Wait, where¡¯s his ring?" The first man exclaimed, suddenly serious.
Thalion would have loved to turn his head to see who was talking about him, but he lacked the strength to move even an inch.
"You¡¯re right! He really doesn¡¯t have one," another voice said in disbelief, and Thalion could hear more people approaching. Their collective auras added to the mountain¡¯s oppressive pressure, and his vision started to darken.
Just as Thalion was about to lose consciousness¡ªafter what felt like days to him¡ªthe pressure abruptly vanished, and a surge of power rushed through his body. Finally, someone had teleported him down. Well, he had learned his lesson and would never expect anything from another person. Maybe a bit harsh, but he was exhausted and angry at everyone after the last painful days.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"Okay, now explain why you¡¯re not wearing a ring. Everyone is required to have one," the female voice demanded sternly.
"What ring? I just got teleported here after the calling and trained under Nivrax," Thalion tried to explain, his body still aching terribly and he just managed to speak with the pressure of the mountain gone.
"Impossible! How could something like this happen?" A man in golden robes exclaimed.
"Someone entered the personal training halls of the holy warriors without a token?" A woman to the left gasped in shock.
"By the way, what kind of name is Nivrax?" Another man said with steel in his voice. "I¡¯ve lived here for over four hundred thousand years, and I¡¯ve never heard of him."
"Uh¡" Thalion stammered, "I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on." At the moment, he really didn''t care much more about what happened and just wanted to sleep for a bit. He reached a point were the constant pain was too much for him to handle.
"There you are!" A man with a small golden crown materialized out of thin air before the group.
"Master Theryx! What an honor," the group said in unison, bowing deeply.
Thalion, still lying face-down on the ground, could only wonder what was happening. It looked like he had to hang in there for a bit longer.
"How could they mess up the teleportation like that? Everyone else is already waiting!" Theryx hissed in anoyance. A moment later, Thalion was abruptly teleported again¡ªthis time appearing before sixty other cultivators. He recognized some of them from the calling.
He hated being teleported without warning, especially since his situation hadn¡¯t improved. He was still lying flat on the ground, unsure if he could stand with so many broken bones.
"What happened to that guy?" The young woman in the front laughed, and others joined in.
Thalion sighed, ignoring them. He focused on repairing his body, though he was reluctant to waste too much blood. Without the heart of the sanguine archon in this body, he couldn¡¯t purify or replenish his blood quickly.
"You must always wear this ring so we can locate you if something happens," Theryx began, starting his lecture, while grabbing one of his broken fingers and pushed the golden ring forcefully on it. If he would not be so exhausted in the moment, he would have screamed in pain. Oh, that fucker would regret it one day, he told himself with his hate for that guy at an exceptional high level.
Thalion glanced around. They were now in what looked like a massive classroom, vaguely reminiscent of a classroom in hogwarts. The room, however, was far larger, adorned in gold, with intricate runes covering the floors and walls.
So began what would become Thalion¡¯s worst lesson ever. While the other students sat in chairs, listening attentively to Theryx as he paced back and forth, Thalion lay belly-down on the floor in front of the teacher and the entire class. Turning his focus inward, he concentrated on healing Rylak¡¯s body as quickly as possible, barely paying attention to Theryx¡¯s lecture.
Fortunately, Rylak was listening closely, allowing Thalion to focus entirely on his task. So that bone is still broken and that one too. Thalion thought to himself while healing himself. The progress was slow, which infuriated him even more. At least he had some riddles to solve. Who was his former teacher, why hadn''t anyone noticed him before and most importantly, why was he currently lying in front of this fucking class struggling to heal himself while it should be more than easy for the teacher to heal him in seconds?
The other students could just give him some kind of healing potion or whatever the people in this dimension were calling it. Well, it couldn''t get worse than it was now, right? He thought while healing himself as fast as possible while trying to ignore the teacher and class.
"Alright, that¡¯s enough theory for now. Let¡¯s have some fun," Theryx said, hoisting Thalion onto his shoulder. The pain was bad, as some of his not fully healed bones broke again. What the fuck was up with those people and why pick him up? They would teleport anyway. Thalon would have liked to scream this at the teacher''s face, but before he could open his mouth, the entire class was teleported again.
Chapter 112: Worst Lesson Ever
They arrived at a training area where many people were dueling. It didn¡¯t look as grand as the one where Thalion had trained his sword skills. He had to hold back a scream of pain as Theryx dropped him to the ground, breaking some of the bones he had just managed to heal.
Okay, seriously, what was up with the people here? He definitely would pay this dimension a visit after he had become a god and mess with them.
"Now we will begin the duels. I will award you points based on your performance. After accumulating a certain number of points, you will be eligible to attempt the final test of the soul. If you pass that test, you may undergo the ultimate ritual to become a holy warrior," Theryx announced proudly.
Theryx called out the names of two individuals at a time to duel, awarding points to the winners after each match.
The battles continued, each more intense than the last. The participants¡¯ power levels were far beyond Thalion¡¯s abilities¡ªeven in his true body, he knew he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against any of them.
"Next, Thalion and Sabrak," Theryx announced at one point.
What the heck? Thalion thought. I can¡¯t even stand. How am I supposed to fight?
Without a word, Theryx grabbed Thalion by the ankle and flung him into the ring. He landed hard, and several of his already broken bones shattered. Pain shot through his entire body, and it took all of his willpower not to scream.
He had been practicing suppressing his screams a lot lately, so no cry escaped his lips even when he wanted to. If the challenge would be to hold the hand above a candle and the first withdrawing loses. He would win for sure. Sadly, it was not.
Sabrak didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately unleashed a burning attack on him. Thankfully, Theryx intervened by appearing before Thalion, blocking the attack with a mana shield that surpassed every skill he had ever seen. Good job you get five points, Theryx said to Sabrak and Thalion spotted how, for a second, a sinister smile appeared on his face.
Next, he grabbed Thalion''s foot and threw him out of the ring without explanation. Meanwhile, the other students erupted into laughter on seeing how Thalion landed on the ground. Some were rolling on the ground, tears of joy streaming from their eyes. Oh, laugh all you can; I will come back, Thalion thought with absolute hate at those people.
"Now, for the last challenge of the day," Theryx said, completely ignoring the commotion around him.
He appeared beside Thalion, grabbed him like a sack of grain, and a moment later, they materialized in a grand hall filled with massive pillars. In the center was a ritual circle over a hundred meters wide.
"This will test the strength of your soul and determine if you are ready for the great union," Theryx announced loudly.
Most of the students stopped laughing, turning their attention to the ritual with interest. Theryx threw Thalion more than fifty meters into the center of the circle, where he landed with a loud thud.
"Seriously, what is wrong with these people?" Rylak exclaimed in Thalion¡¯s mind.
Thalion didn¡¯t have the energy to respond. He was too busy trying to repair his body and manage the overwhelming pain.
"When this circle activates, it will measure the strength of your soul. If all three pearls glow, you will be deemed ready to undergo the grand ritual and become a holy warrior," Theryx proclaimed then continued. "Even if you don''t have enough points, it almost never happens that someone passes this trial without enough points. Those who do are seedlings of rare quality, who inherit a strong will beyond the norm."
So the union was the ritual that bonded an outsider to a host, Thalion realized. The explanation made sense, but his throbbing pain prevented him from caring too much.
"Is it even worth testing that guy?" a male voice sneered as Thalion heard footsteps behind him.
"Everyone must be trained and tested. It is the will of the holy one." Theryx said with a smile appearing on his face for a second.
Thalion couldn¡¯t see who had spoken since his head was turned in the opposite direction. Well, he knew Theryx''s voice, but that guy was on the top of his killlist anyway. What he could see were three large pearls resting on a pedestal connected to the ritual circle by glowing golden runes. He couldn¡¯t help but notice how many different shades of gold there were in this palace. It annoyed him too.
"Yes, please go ahead and test him. Do you think even one pearl will glow?"
Another voice laughed loudly, enjoying himself by the sound of it.The next moment, Thalion was flying through the air, landing hard in the middle of the circle.
The onlookers burst into laughter again, but Thalion focused on the runes beneath him as they began to glow with intense power as the circle was activated. He didn''t even know what to do, or how to flex his mental muscles.
"I don¡¯t think he¡¯s trying hard enough," a woman¡¯s voice mocked. "Here, let me help."
The "help" came in the form of a mana bolt, striking Thalion and spinning him around to face the jeering crowd. Thankfully the attack wasn''t meant to harm him, but at the moment everything hurt like hell as his body still had multiple broken bones, and that his teacher had just thrown him over twenty meters into a magic circle didn''t help the healing process at all.
"I would¡¯ve preferred to watch the pearls," Rylak muttered in Thalion¡¯s mind. Thalion silently agreed.
As the laughter subsided, Thalion noticed the mocking expressions on the students¡¯ faces slowly shift into looks of shock.
"Why are they looking at us like that?" Rylak asked, confused. "Hopefully they are not throwing us again, as I don''t like it when the vision spins so fast."
It took Thalion a lot to not comment on the last sentence, since the guy didn''t have to feel the pain at all.
"Those pearls must be broken," one muscular man muttered, standing in the front.
"No, they¡¯re not," Theryx hissed with annoyance and maybe hate, which was a rare display of emotion from him.
"That¡¯s impossible! How can this guy have a soul strong enough to light all three pearls?" A beautiful woman exclaimed in disbelief.
"What does this mean?" asked another man with long golden hair. "Just look at him! His body is wrecked¡ªhow can his soul possibly be so strong?"
"Thalion, you will now be teleported to the higher stages, where you will gain access to advanced classes and training halls," Theryx announced through gritted teeth, looking as though he had bitten into something extremely sour. Seeing that filled Thalion''s heart with joy and it almost made up for the intense suffering the past few days.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
A moment later, Thalion was teleported yet again. At least this time, he found himself in a room similar to the one his former teacher had shown him. Exhausted, he closed his eyes, ignoring the pain in his battered body. He didn¡¯t need sleep, but after the day he wanted to escape the pain for a while, his body should be repaired enough to survive a few hours on his own.
<--
What Thalion didn''t know was that it wasn''t Theryx who had teleported him. He also didn''t know the pained face the guy made when he recognized that someone much stronger than himself was interested in Thalion. It would have filled his heart with even more joy.
Two beings didn''t miss out on the face as they started laughing loudly after teleporting the little brat away. Xyrolth, the holy one, and the god who had built this palace so long ago had a good laugh with his wife Lymara, who, hidden under an illusion, had acted as Thalion''s former teacher. To have their little fun with the little brat who had acted so disrespectful to her beloved daughter seems only right for them.
"Do you think little Thaly will be mad or will laugh too when she sees the recording?" Xyrolth laughed out loud, holding his belly.
"I think she is going to like it, but we should leave the guy alone for now. In my opinion, it''s fair game now." Lymara also laughed. They both couldn''t even remember when they had laughed so hard that golden tears were rolling down their cheeks the last time.
It didn''t take that long to appoint a trainer for the newbies who hated those low-born brats. They had a few choices, but Theryx was just perfect. All three of his daughter had fallen in love with a rat from the slums. Because his daughter loved the guys so much he had allowed the marriage. It turned out they all didn''t love his daughters and when it came out, almost brought ruin to his noble house.
To this day, the other nobels were laughing at him and his family. It took a few workarounds to bring the guy to the golden palace as trainer without causing suspicion, but it was all worth it in the end.
"Not gonna lie, I kind of respect that brat a little bit after holding on for so long." Lymara commented when they saw how he fell asleep in his new room.
"Yeah, I am curious what he will do next," Xyrolth laughed, still amused.
"Hey, wake up! How long are you going to lie there?" Rylak yelled in Thalion''s mind.
"Ugh, how long was I out? I feel like crap, and some of my bones are still broken," Thalion muttered aloud, still sprawled on the ground where the teleportation had dumped him.
"Maybe an hour? But it¡¯s so weird being trapped as a passenger in my own body when you close my eyes," Rylak replied, sounding thoroughly annoyed.
It should be enough. He wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep again anyway. Thalion turned his focus inward and began to heal his body using his blood. The process weakened him, but there was nothing he could do about that. He already lost most of his strength in the last days, so that last bit shouldn''t matter too much now.
"Alright, let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got here," he thought aloud, turning around after he had finished repairing Rylak''s body. There was a giant bed that looked like it had been built for an emperor. The floor was adorned with several magic circles, one for teleportation and another, probably for cultivation too.
"Great, so I have no idea where the teleportation circle leads. This palace sucks." Thalion concluded with a sigh.
It was time to focus on soul cultivation. After all, he had already been deemed worthy of the final trial¡ªor torture, to be more accurate, but that didn¡¯t matter anymore. He was one step closer to his goal.
According to the memory crystal¡¯s information, he should have at least two years to prepare. However, that information was ancient and might not be entirely reliable. What if they reached his room earlier, pulling him back into his real body? If that happened, everything would be lost. Still, he calculated that one year should be safe, which left him with around nine months for training.
Thalion sat down and activated the magic circle. It began to hum with power, glowing an almost white color¡ªan unusual sight in this overwhelmingly golden world.
It was far superior to the large circle Zyra had created for him. Energy from the circle surged toward him, almost forcing its way into his body. Thalion carefully drew it in. This setup was perfect: the passive effects of the circle enhanced his blood¡¯s strength, while he actively worked on his soul.
Even now, he avoided directly altering his soul core, choosing instead to wrap it in more spirit veins. This process had become much easier over time. He remembered the frustration of his first attempts¡ªwhen the veins constantly tore apart. God, that had been annoying.
Now, with precision, he slowly wrapped his soul core in spirit veins while his blood absorbed the circle¡¯s power. More accurately, his entire body was greedily devouring the energy.
After sitting in silence for half a day, Thalion finally felt strong enough to try one of the teleportation circles. He stepped into the first one and vanished.
When he reappeared, he found himself in a gigantic library. Calling it "gigantic" was an understatement. He couldn¡¯t even see where it ended. Endless rows of books stretched ahead of him, with people appearing out of nowhere, grabbing books, and vanishing again.
Looking around, Thalion noticed a problem. There was no magic circle beneath him. That meant he had no idea how to return to his room. And since his room had no windows or doors, it was unlikely he could simply find his way back.
Well, at least I can read something, he thought. He had always been interested in runes and magic circles. He also wanted to learn more about combat techniques and body tempering. His body felt stronger than before, though he wasn¡¯t sure if that was due to the circle or the mountain¡¯s influence.
Like a normal library, this one had headings to organize the books. There were sections on potion brewing, cooking, and countless other topics he couldn¡¯t see from where he stood. Thalion began running through the rows, searching for a heading of interest. It took him over two hours to find one: "Beastmasters."
This could be interesting, he thought. Maybe there were tips for evolution options for the umbral predator, eagly, and the nuclear weapon.
The shelves were over 50 meters tall, with helpful labels pointing out categories like flying beasts, water beasts, fire beasts, elementals, dragons, and more. Dragons piqued his curiosity.
Dragons were beings of absolute power and majesty on Earth, while elementals intrigued him for entirely different reasons. After some searching, he found a book that promised to answer many of his questions about dragons.
Scales of Time: The Evolutionary Path of Dragons
This book traced the evolution of dragons, from primitive reptiles to majestic, intelligent beings capable of wielding powerful magic. It detailed their adaptations, including fire-breathing, flight, elemental affinities, and even rare psychic abilities.
This was perfect. Thalion sat down, leaning against the bookshelf. The book was thick, its cover adorned with the head of a golden dragon.
Alright, this is better than I imagined, he thought as he began reading. The book explained the different kinds of dragons in extraordinary detail.
First, there were the dragonborn, which were born when two dragons loved each other or one got raped. Then there were self-made dragons. At certain levels of cultivation, beasts could alter their bodies, allowing something as small as an opossum to eventually become a mighty dragon. However, this transformation usually required nurturing by a powerful being and a lot of time.
Why did so many beasts choose to become dragons? The book explained that dragons were exceptional all-rounders. Their scales provided immense resistance to both physical and magical attacks. They were large, strong, and possessed powerful breath attacks, which varied depending on the type of dragon.
These dragons were relatively common at certain cultivation levels but were hunted frequently for their valuable parts¡ªscales, teeth, claws, and even their flesh.
The third type of dragon¡ªthe true dragon¡ªwas a creature of legend. True dragons had all the attributes of normal dragons, but amplified to absurd levels. Entire armies were often required to take one down. They were incredibly rare and required vast amounts of time and resources to reach their peak form.
True dragons couldn¡¯t even be born directly. When two true dragons mated, their offspring were regular dragons. These young dragons could be empowered through rich environments and natural treasures, much like the techniques used by the ant queens for their young.
Finishing the section on evolution, Thalion explored the different types of dragons: fire, ice, wind, earth, water, poison, light, darkness¡ªthe list went on endlessly.
What would be the best form to become a dragon? Thalion mused. The umbral predator was already incredibly strong, but evolving it into a dragon would make it even more formidable.
Eagly had made significant progress since he had taken the form. Thalion considered pushing it toward a wyvern form¡ªthe beast he had spotted above the mountains when he found the crystals. According to the book, wyverns came before the evolution to real dragons, and many beasts used them as stepping stones before becoming full-fledged dragons. However, only a handful of beasts in an entire galaxy managed to become wyverns, and even fewer became dragons.
True dragons were even rarer. The book couldn¡¯t provide an exact comparison, stating that only one true dragon emerged every thousand galaxies or so. This was a weird way to say that something was very rare, Thalion thought while a goal solidified in his mind.
Eagly would evolve from an uncommon bird into a true dragon. What better story was there than that? From the start, he had wanted to empower eagly to unimaginable heights. True dragons were the pinnacle, and Thalion preferred dragons over any other creatures.
Chapter 113: Maybe Life wasnt that Bad
Next, Thalion delved into the elemental book, which turned out to be far more interesting than he had first thought. Although he liked reading books, he preferred it to being bombarded with information by touching the paper, which hadn''t happened in this place yet. He also didn¡¯t trust those talking scrolls; what if they missed something?
Back to the elementals. They were born when undead material, like rock, absorbs too much Atheris, which leads to the formation of a rudimentary consciousness. After this consciousness grows to a certain degree, it is referred to as an elemental.
Elementals don¡¯t follow a path of evolution. In fact, they can¡¯t really evolve. However, that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t upgrade their abilities or bodies. For example, transforming an elemental from fire to water is nearly impossible. While theoretically achievable with enough power, it¡¯s rarely worth the effort.
What often happens is that an elemental acquires a secondary attribute that complements its primary one. For instance, fire and wind or water and ice are prime examples. This secondary attribute can manifest through intense training, special circumstances, or when two elementals merge into one.
The strongest elementals were referred to as primordial elementals. A being on par with, if not greater than, a true dragon in the hierarchy of existence. However, they are exceedingly rare. According to the book, thousands of true dragons might rise before a single primordial elemental was born.
The next part of the book was equally intriguing. It described how high-level beasts sometimes used elementals as armor and weapons. One example involved crabs and coral elementals. The coral elemental would grow on the crab¡¯s shell, greatly enhancing its defense. At higher levels, the coral could completely cover the crab and even attack with spikes.
Thalion found this particularly fascinating. One of his forms, the umbral predator, could potentially use an elemental as armor or a weapon. Being a creature of darkness, it might benefit significantly from absorbing a darkness elemental, much like his sanguine thorn.
Unfortunately, the book noted that this was impossible unless one could rip apart the true soul of the elemental, leaving only its inherent will to grow. This process would grant full control over the elemental, which would transform it into a spirit weapon. However, this was a feat no F-grade individual could achieve, as the process often destroyed most of the inherent will, rendering it useless.
To obtain good results, one would typically need over 100 elementals, depending on their power levels. If a D-grade individual attempted this with an F-grade elemental, it would be much easier, but the power gap would make the effort pointless. Fortunately for Thalion, he knew something the book didn¡¯t. The exact method for ripping apart a soul while leaving only the parts he needed intact.
Of course, he would need a ritual circle and other preparations, but it was essentially the same technique he planned to use with the outsider. The memory crystal¡¯s blasts of knowledge had been invaluable. He would never have understood this process by merely reading.
Satisfied with his progress, Thalion picked up two more books. One focused on creating elementals and another was about beast enchantments. The first book, like most others here, was glittered in gold.
Forging the Elements: The Art of Creating Elementals
This tome served as a step-by-step guide for alchemists and mages eager to craft their own elemental beings. It covered every detail, from gathering pure elemental essences to conducting the necessary rituals.
Thalion read through the book with excitement. According to its pages, he could even create an F-grade elemental. The process required creating zones of absolute darkness in a mana-rich environment. There, elementals would naturally form. To accelerate their growth, one could gather and combine elemental essence to awaken the being.
Determined to master the runes that blocked out light, Thalion practiced drawing them with his blood. After twenty repetitions, he was confident he had memorized them correctly.
Satisfied, he moved on to the second book.
Creature Enchantment
The book was filled with intricate runes and methods for enhancing a beast¡¯s body using natural treasures. After some time, Thalion discovered a manual detailing how to integrate a powerful crystal into a beast¡¯s body. This power source, a crystal of immense energy, could drastically strengthen the beast''s body. There were, of course, more examples of power sources like the hearts of other beasts, but since he already had powerful crystals, he didn''t pay it much attention.
This concept excited Thalion. If he could transmute a crystal into one of darkness and integrate it into the umbral predator, it would be revolutionary. Even if not for the predator, any beast could benefit from such a power source.
The procedure was dangerous and most of the time it ended with the death of the beast. The most important thing was the passive healing of the beast, as that was the only way for the body to accept the crystal. He delved deeper into the manual, studying how to handle larger beasts and determine the appropriate crystal size relative to the creature¡¯s body.
As Thalion closed the second book, a golden figure appeared before him. "You tapped your ring. Would you like to return to your residence?" The figure asked with a courteous bow.
"Wait, you can teleport me anywhere I want?" Thalion asked surprised, looking down on his hand with the golden ring. "Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me this earlier?"
"Yes, I am here to assist you," the golden man replied with another bow, ignoring his second question.
"Awesome and you know what is going on here," Thalion said with victory in his eyes. Finally, he would get some answers.
"What do you mean by what''s going on here?" the man said, confused and turning around as if he wanted to find something.
"When are the rituals for the union happening and am I allowed to participate?" Thalion asked the most important question. Going by the words of his trainer, he could do the ritual at any moment. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
"Yes, just inform me when you are ready and we can go there," the man said with another bow.
"Great, so I can do what I want here, Thalion said with a grin.
"Of course there are even many other masters here to help you in many different tasks," the servant concluded.
"What about swordsmanship?" Thalion asked with a grin, which Rylak although shared.
"Oh yes, we have multiple masters who can teach you. Touch your ring if you need to get teleported and I''ll bring you there," the servant explained and bowed again.
This was just perfect. He ended up in a position where he could read about the multiverse and this new reality, losing no time in the tutorial, get thought new skills, and be bound with an outsider.
Finally his life was hole again and oh boy felt it good.
<--
Princess Thalytra sat in her chair, watching the next calling unfold. She was still shocked after witnessing a weak servant defeat a noble brat using blood magic, a feat she would have never believed possible. In fact, she would have jumped into the pit to save that servant, only to be slaughtered by the noble herself. Thankfully, her guard held her back, allowing the scene to unfold naturally.
Unfortunately, the guard misunderstood her intentions and sent the boy directly to her residence before she could have a proper discussion with Rylak. Instead, she was left at the calling, surrounded by inquisitive nobles who pestered her with questions.
At least it was only a matter of time. In a few months, her tour would be complete, and she could finally return home. Zerak had already promised her that Rylak''s activities were being recorded, and she looked forward to reviewing the footage.
She was intrigued by his power and curious to see how he would handle himself in the palace. After all, Rylak would only have a chance to participate in the union ritual if he managed to gather more than 5,000 points from the teachers. These teachers were highly skilled and mostly the offspring of nobles, who would likely view Rylak as scum and treat him poorly.
This was just one of the many obstacles that would make his journey more difficult. Rylak was still far too weak to compete with the nobles and it was already a miracle that he had managed to defeat that noble in the arena. The noble had likely been trained to fight beasts, not blood cultivators, which had worked to Rylak''s advantage.
Blood cultivators were formidable because they excelled at both close- and long-range combat. Every wound they inflicted strengthened them and they could empower their blood before a battle. She had heard of blood cultivators preparing by infusing their blood with power, then throwing it at their enemies to deadly effect, without weakening themselves in the process.
This power came with significant drawbacks, however. Most blood cultivators relied on two key resources. Their blood reservoir and essence blood. The blood reservoir was a special storage within their body where they kept stolen blood, which they could enhance for later use. Essence blood, on the other hand, was the blood flowing through their veins, imbued with immense power.
Essence blood could be used as a devastating weapon in desperate situations, but losing it would cripple the blood cultivator, leaving them weakened for a long time. Blood cultivators could heal their injuries rapidly by using the blood stored in their reservoir, but fighting them wasn¡¯t about damaging their bodies¡ªit was about targeting their essence blood.
This strategy was highly effective. Another method involved using condensed spells to disrupt their abilities, which required minimal energy, or enchanted weapons. Skilled fighters, such as experienced swordsmen, could become the bane of any blood cultivator.
Poison-based cultivators or water mages could neutralize blood attacks by contaminating or washing away the blood, making it harder for blood mages to find openings. In conclusion, blood cultivators were incredibly strong against weaker opponents and could defeat large groups with ease, but they struggled against elite fighters who could counter their techniques without expending significant resources.
So, what would Rylak do in a class full of such elite fighters?
<--
Thalion had never made so much progress during the entire tutorial as in the last days.
Currently, he was being trained by one of the swordmasters, a muscular man with a long beard who went by the name Miraxy. They had even found a weapon that closely resembled the blade Thalion had forged earlier in the tutorial.
The training was divided into three sessions. The first focused on learning swings and forms for both attack and defense. The second centered on fluid transitions between these forms, ensuring seamless adaptability in combat. Finally, the third session was sparring with his teacher.
Swordsmanship, as Thalion quickly discovered, was incredibly complex. There were countless openings to exploit against different enemies, as well as an even greater number of effective follow-ups. Miraxy also taught him general combat techniques, including methods for dealing with physically weaker opponents, such as ramming or punching. This intensive training elevated his skill with the sword to an entirely new level.
If his progress continued at this pace, he felt confident he could eventually fight Kai and Kael simultaneously from a technical standpoint. However, they would still be far stronger than him and would likely overpower him through sheer force.
Still, his days here were exceptional. His routine began with a teleportation to the library, where he spent an hour or two reading about a variety of subjects. For example, the last book he read focused on spells designed to counter specific types of opponents. From this, he learned that ice mages would pose a significant challenge for him since they could freeze his blood in powerful domain skills.
He also read more about wyverns, discovering that most had a weaker breath attack compared to dragons. A notable difference was that wyverns almost always had fire breath, while dragons'' breath aligned with their elemental nature.
This sparked an interesting idea. What would happen if he used his lightning beam ability in conjunction with a fire breath attack? Could it create something like ¡°stormfire¡±? He had no idea if stormfire even existed. It would be a risky experiment, but one he was willing to undertake in the name of science. Just imagine getting hit by such an attack must be like holding the finger into a power outlet while someone sat you aflame.
After his reading session, Thalion dedicated four hours to soul cultivation. This was followed by an hour-long break with Rylak, during which they explored the palace and ate. Rylak explained that in this world, eating was reserved almost exclusively for the noble classes. Since most beings didn¡¯t need to eat, it had become a status symbol, much like owning a fast car back on Earth.
This trend extended to the food itself, which was often enchanted and could serve as a secondary energy resource during a fight. Thalion mostly let Rylak consume the food, as it seemed to have no effect on him otherwise. Once their meal was finished, it was time for sword training with Miraxy, which lasted for the better part of the day.
Occasionally, Thalion received additional information about the upcoming ritual, though he found it largely uninteresting since he already knew what to do. This was thanks to the memory crystal that had overwhelmed his mind with vast amounts of knowledge. If he had been forced to acquire that information through traditional study, it would have taken him more than a hundred years.
However, there was one new detail about the ritual that caught his attention. Before the main event, he would need to stand on a platform that would project the nature of his spirit body and assess whether he was truly ready. This posed a major problem for Thalion. What if the platform revealed that there were two souls within his body?
To avoid this, Thalion began obsessively gathering knowledge about souls, determined to find a solution. He didn¡¯t want to harm Rylak, so their plan was to temporarily place Rylak¡¯s soul into an item during the test and reunite afterward. Hopefully it wouldn''t take too long for them to find a solution.
Chapter 114: Gift of Love
It took them days to find something useful. Most of the texts they discovered were about soul cultivation, which was much harder here than it had been back in the tutorial. Back then, he had basically purchased a manual that implanted all the knowledge and some of the skills directly into his mind.
One other thing he realized was that his soul body was not composed of ordinary mana. He had always assumed otherwise, since that was how he had constructed the soul body. The process was similar to his body-tempering techniques, where he infused darkness into his skin and waited for it to fuse and harmonize. Thalion had done the same with his mana and soul, but that process transformed the mana into a different type of energy, which the book referred to as soul energy. He had suspected for some time that it was different but had never been certain until now.
One fortunate discovery was a book containing runes that could trap a soul or even capture one when it was unbound from a body. Thalion learned the eight runes required to craft a soulcatcher and hoped to find a smithy he could use. Otherwise, he would have to place Rylak in a bed or a chair. Since there was still plenty of time, he decided to continue reading and training. At the moment, he was completely engrossed in a book about watersnakes.
Tides of Serpentia: The Evolutionary Rise of Watersnakes
This book chronicles the deep and winding history of watersnakes, from their humble beginnings in murky riverbeds to their evolution into powerful apex predators of the ocean depths. Exploring adaptations like camouflage, venom potency, and intelligence, Tides of Serpentia unveils how these serpents conquered diverse aquatic realms. Special attention is given to their elemental affinity with water currents, allowing rare species to achieve extraordinary speeds.
The book reaffirmed to Thalion that he was on the right path with the tidecaller snake. Its ultimate evolution was a creature called Thalassaryn, the Tide Sovereign. A being potentially stronger than true dragons or primordial elementals, judging by its rarity. According to the book, Thalassaryn had only been documented twice in history.
Thalion also learned that he should have swallowed the pearl Eddie found. The tidecaller serpent¡¯s body was highly adept at absorbing and integrating natural treasures, enhancing its power. The book mentioned that at the celestial level, which Thalion estimated to be equivalent to C-grade. These serpents could contain entire oceans within their bodies. This ability allowed them to travel immense distances, even through space, using the water as a jetstream. While the idea sounded strange, Thalion decided to trust the process and assumed it would make more sense when the time was right.
The first month passed without much of note beyond Thalion attending smithing classes. The smiths here were on an entirely different level, teaching him new techniques to refine materials and enhance items. These lessons sparked an idea. He owned the Amulet of the Soulwarden, a powerful item capable of capturing his soul if his body was destroyed. But what if he modified it?
Instead of capturing his own soul, he envisioned feeding the amulet with the souls of his fallen enemies. These captured souls could act as batteries, empowering both the amulet and himself. Currently, souls lingered only briefly before dispersing after death. Why let such a resource go to waste?
Determined to test his idea, Thalion began working on amulets, incorporating the new feature with the smiths¡¯ guidance. At the same time, he prepared an amulet for Rylak¡¯s soul to be used before their union test.
Thalion learned more from the smiths than from his sword training. Their expertise inspired numerous ideas for improving his sword, armor, and even the crown he had taken from the madman. He decided to fuse the crown with his mask, creating a single, powerful artifact. Additionally, he learned how to inscribe runes on his robe and mask for greater effect. With better runes now at his disposal, he envisioned significant upgrades to his equipment.
Lucan, the master smith, was going to love all the work Thalion had planned for him, once Thalion dealt with the intruders currently making their way into his tower.
Three months passed, and while Thalion made significant progress, he began to doubt whether taking so much time to train was the right decision. Everything was ready for the ritual, but what if the crystal¡¯s memories were wrong? What if he didn¡¯t have over a year, as he had thought?
The doubts gnawed at him, but for now, he resolved to trust in his preparations and continue moving forward.
Thalion asked the kind man who was teleporting him whether it had ever happened that someone sacrificed themselves to enhance the soul of a loved one. He hoped to gather information about the Guardian''s Remnant title¡ªperhaps he could even train it.
There was one thing he wondered about. What were titles in this plane of existence? Stats like stamina, health, and strength were pretty clear, but how did concepts like fate or titles fit in?
The Guardian''s Remnant title was so rare that there were only two books about it¡ªboth diaries, written by the two surviving individuals who had been granted the skill. The first was a woman, and the second, a young boy. To Thalion¡¯s dismay, both had died relatively soon after receiving the title.
Neither had been able to progress much. The woman was killed, while the boy died of old age, about a hundred years after gaining the skill. Both had experienced an initial boost and developed some ability to interpret the feelings associated with the title, but it wasn¡¯t enough to overcome the negative side effects.
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This was bad news for Thalion. The boy, however, had managed to truly grasp the title, establishing a deep connection with it. In the book, the title wasn¡¯t referred to as a "title" but as the Gift of Love. Thalion found it strange, recalling the deep emotional connection he had felt with the ant queens.
The boy had achieved a stronger connection with the universe through deep meditation, described as "becoming one with everything." This vastly increased the abilities granted by the Gift of Love, which was exactly what Thalion needed. Unfortunately, the book didn¡¯t provide much detail about the meditation or how the boy had deepened his connection.
Thalion knew it was time for experiments. He could already feel more attuned to the world. The flow of mana and life, as well as a foreboding sense of impending doom when something bad was about to happen. He decided to start with that feeling.
Sitting on the ground, Thalion meditated while one of the smiths threw stones at the back of his head. His goal was to sense the danger and dodge at the last moment. The first two stones he dodged successfully, but the third one knocked him out cold. Not the best start to his training session.
<--
Princess Thalytra watched in disbelief as her teacher picked up Thalion and threw him into the circle. Her mother had played a cruel trick on Rylak, leaving him on titan¡¯s mountain with a broken body.
Now the teacher was clearly humiliating him in front of the class.
Her eyes widened as she noticed all three of Rylak¡¯s pearls lighting up. The last one wasn¡¯t shining fully, but it was incredibly strong¡ªstronger even than her own soul at the moment.
She continued watching footage of Rylak. After repairing his body, he had trained non-stop. He didn¡¯t even sleep, choosing instead to meditate, likely working on something within his body, perhaps even his soul.
She had heard that improving one¡¯s soul to a certain degree could eliminate the need for sleep, but it shouldn¡¯t have been possible so early. His obsession with growing stronger was evident, and his progress with the sword was impressive.
This was why she found it so strange when he spent hours reading about beasts like dragons and elementals. These recordings of his activities over the last few months left her unsure what to think.
Switching to the live stream, she saw a bulky old smith hurling a stone the size of a small chair at the back of Rylak¡¯s head. The stone knocked him out instantly. Thalytra was completely puzzled about what to believe.
<--
Thalion woke up with everything spinning around him. It didn¡¯t take long for him to recover fully by sacrificing a small amount of his empowered blood, and the stone-throwing resumed.
He managed to dodge more than eight projectiles before a helmet knocked him out again. The smiths were clearly enjoying themselves, but they were fair enough not to throw anything too hard, ensuring he didn¡¯t suffer serious injuries.
Over the next few days, Thalion cut back on his reading sessions in the library, dedicating more time to having the smiths throw objects at him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but he felt like he was making progress.
As time passed, he noticed something unusual. The range of his title seemed to expand. He began to partially understand the skill. What he meant by "understand" was that the danger sense granted by the title had grown significantly more detailed.
One day, he felt a strange premonition just as one of the smiths prepared to throw a metal block at him. It was like being struck by lightning as he suddenly saw everything. How multiple threats connected to one another and how a river of life and power flowed through it all like an intricate net.
Thalion easily dodged the metal block, which crashed into the wall in front of him.
He had done it. It worked. Thalion looked down at his hands, the feeling slowly dissipating. Yet the title was now more present than ever. He could no longer see the things behind him, but he could feel them¡ªtheir presence, the danger they posed.
There was too much information for him to track all at once, but one thing was certain. If anyone harbored malicious intent toward him, he would sense it.
He observed as one of the smiths threw a metal glove at him. Thalion noticed the process of intent transferring to the glove. After it left the smith¡¯s hand, the glove radiated danger, while everything else around him faded from his awareness.
Thalion dodged the glove with ease and signaled for the smiths to stop. It had taken two months, but it worked. He was now confident he would sense unease if the time to leave his body drew near. This might have been one of the most important power-ups he had gained so far. Not that he had the smiths throw stuff at him for two months straight, but every time he entered their smithy for a few hours.
However, Thalion had one burning question. Would the title alert him to danger if the attacker meant no harm?
There were still many things to uncover, but that would come later. For now, it was time to conduct the final test and prepare for the grand ritual. The ritual required a god¡¯s power, and luckily, one was always on standby. The only reason for delay would be if all three ritual circles in the palace were occupied, though each ritual only took about an hour.
Thalion planned for five more months of rigorous training before returning to his body. His progress with the sword had been exceptional, and he had also begun taking classes with both a blood mage and a traditional mage. These lessons focused on mastering long-range combat.
He also sought knowledge about plants similar to the sanguine thorn. Thalion was confident he understood what the vampire god had done to create such an obedient plant. The god likely stripped down the plant¡¯s essence, leaving only the desires to consume and assist its host.
The blood mage first taught him how to speed up his movements by manipulating the blood in his veins. It took him an entire month to master this technique.
Next, the blood mage introduced theoretical lessons on how to further empower one¡¯s blood and grant it special properties. While Thalion was already familiar with some aspects, the idea of giving blood specific affinities was new.
Some blood mages poisoned their blood, while others imbued it with unique affinities. It seemed almost anything was possible with blood magic. Thalion wanted to learn more about the techniques used by legendary blood cultivators. If his progress continued like this he would be unstoppable for the near future. Probably until someone reached E grade.
After a large meal of insect legs, Thalion returned to the library, browsing books about vampires. Most of the material was dull or irrelevant to humans, but one name caught his attention: Malakar the Crimson Reaper.
As he read, his eyes widened. Malakar had been a necromancer and blood mage, combining the two arts to terrifying effect. He turned the souls of his enemies into cursed spirits and fused them with his blood. This was beyond anything Thalion had seen before.
Thalion considered incorporating this idea into his own skillset. Perhaps he could evolve the sanguine thorn into a plant capable of harvesting souls and transforming them into curses.
He also speculated that the improved amulet might assist in this task. But for now, it was time to test his abilities and prepare for the ritual.
Chapter 115: Final Preparations
Thalion appeared in a grand chamber with a magic circle etched into the ground, resembling the previous one with the three pearls. Before arriving, he had transferred Rylak''s soul into the amulet, leaving it behind on the bed to retrieve later. Five muscular men stood near the circle, awaiting him.
"When you are ready, step into the circle," one of the men said in a calm tone, his eyes fixed on Thalion.
Thalion walked forward confidently and stood in the center of the circle. He was certain the ritual would succeed. He had spent countless hours refining his soul, leaving no room for doubt¡ªhe was ready for the final ritual and this magic circle would hopefully confirm it.
The five men teleported to evenly spaced positions around the circle, their movements precise and synchronized. They raised their hands in unison, and an overwhelming surge of power flooded the circle. The runes glowed so brightly that Thalion raised his arms to shield his eyes from the intense light.
He stood still for several minutes until the brightness subsided.
"Have I passed?" Thalion wondered, feeling a twinge of doubt, as nothing seemed to have happened.
"Yes, you are now eligible to participate in the union ritual," one of the men said as he stepped forward, his voice steady and firm.
Relief and excitement washed over Thalion. Now he had time to prepare further, with one pressing matter at hand. Rylak had been urging him to explore body-tempering with the mountain, something they had discussed but never fully pursued.
Thalion summoned his personal servant to teleport him to the mountain after returning Rylak''s soul to his body. The process was simple, which was fortunate as Thalion was no master of soul magic. He broke one of the runes on the amulet, pressed it close to his chest, and the soul, having no other escape route, returned to Rylak''s body.
"Man, that was eerie¡ªfelt like I was locked in a cold cell. Can we do the body-tempering now?" Rylak''s voice echoed in Thalion''s mind, slightly strained.
If the mountain could strengthen his body, it was worth the effort. Rylak had no other way to enhance his physical form due to the unique nature of his blood magic, which was not available to him. He probably had to do a lot of classes and hope that they didn''t test his soul again.
"Yeah, we can do it now. But after that, I want some time in the library," Thalion replied after some thought. He was intrigued by the evolution of plants and thought of gardening as a potential side pursuit. He imagined himself tending to a vast, shadowed garden¡ªan ideal environment for nurturing a rare darkness elemental.
Though rare, darkness and light elementals were among the most potent, albeit difficult to create. He wondered what the umbral predator would be able to do after having a rare elemental in his body. Mabye fly, long range attack, maybe even some powerful domain skills.
Their servant teleported them to the golden mountain, maybe identical to the one where Thalion had previously been stuck. Almost immediately, a trainer appeared. The man resembled a dwarf with a bodybuilder''s physique.
"Do you require assistance?" the dwarf asked, bowing politely.
"Yes... but why are we doing this?" Thalion blurted out, curiosity overcoming his composure.
"The great mountain will mold your body and soul under immense pressure. Your bones will harden, your muscles will grow, and your skin will toughen significantly," the dwarf explained, beaming with pride.
"We need to make this a daily practice," Rylak''s voice insisted.
"I¡¯m a blood mage. What happens when I heal myself? Won''t it just restore the original structure?" Thalion asked, his mind racing. Back on Earth, muscle growth occurred through micro-tears that were repaired stronger than before. But with the system, instant healing might bypass that natural strengthening process.
"Active healing is not recommended¡ªit diminishes the effect," the dwarf explained patiently. "Instead, use the formations at the mountain''s base. They enhance passive healing without compromising your gains."
"What are you waiting for? Get back on that mountain! This time, don''t pass out before the fourth stage," Rylak demanded, his tone urgent.
The next few hours were grueling. Thalion endured intense pain as he climbed the mountain, his body trembling under the strain. However, it was worth it. Each time he exited one of the recovery circles, he felt rejuvenated¡ªstronger than before. It was like a power nap after an exhausting day, only far more rewarding.
After enduring grueling walks up the mountain and resisting its immense pressure, Thalion made his way to the library¡ªor rather, he was teleported there. Over the next few days, he immersed himself in studying gardening and plants. He discovered that many plants could evolve into forms as powerful as true dragons.
Learning more and more about beasts and plants seems like every beast has some race that could stand up to a true dragon. The only difference was how often it happened. This inspired him to focus on ways to upgrade the sanguine thorn. The solution was deceptively simple. Rare natural treasures or unique environments held the key.
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Rylak, however, was growing increasingly frustrated. Thalion had buried himself in the library, reading obsessively about cultivating powerful plants instead of cultivating on the mountain.
"Are you finished now?" Rylak asked, his voice tinged with annoyance after days of waiting.
Thalion, deep in meditation, paused to sense an impending shift. Something was happening and he felt that time was running out. It was hard to guess how much time he had left, but at least multiple weeks.
"Yes, I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s focus on combat training," Thalion said with determination. This would benefit him and Rylak the most.
The moment of truth was drawing near. His upcoming fight against Garrick, Michael, and their followers. He had considered fleeing using mistform as a last resort, but that wasn¡¯t what he wanted now. Thalion was determined to win. If he succeeded, the people under his rule would provide the materials he needed to elevate his abilities to unprecedented levels and all the knowledge he had gathered in this place would help him greatly to become a true powerhouse.
He had also read extensively about wyverns. He believed that with the right effort, eagly could evolve into not just a wyvern but a powerful variant of one.
The following week was spent switching between relentless combat and blood magic training. His blood magic instructor taught him new spells and techniques, including methods to inflict devastating damage on his enemies.
One of the most significant lessons was the creation of a blood domain. By releasing a mist of blood, Thalion could weaponize it, forming blades or draining the life force of anyone who made contact.
The most difficult aspect of the training was controlling a large amount of blood at the same time. At the start he could only control one river of blood, but now he was at three, and if pushed, maybe five, but then the control wouldn''t be perfect and the movement of the blood became slower and less coordinated. The most important thing he had learned was how to fight other blood cultivators.
Taking control of the enemies blood was almost impossible, but redirecting the attacks was a big thing. The best way to fight another bloodcultivator was at close range since hitting range attacks was almost impossible. The further you were away from your enchanted blood, the harder it was to control. This would allow the other bloodmage to easily dodge your attacks or even take control of your blood.
In sword training, Thalion learned several new forms and combinations, enhancing his combat repertoire. The training became more intense by the day, but it was all worth it. On the final days, he trained in hand-to-hand combat with the dwarf trainer.
While Thalion¡¯s footwork had improved through swordplay, the dwarf pushed him to a new level. The bulky dwarf, who eschewed weapons in favor of raw physical combat, beat Thalion mercilessly over several days. Good thing he was not in his real body.
Getting beat by someone half his size would be a hard hit to his ego. Despite the bruises, the dwarf shared one of his special techniques. A method to harden the skin further by striking it repeatedly with a hammer.
The dwarf insisted that the swing technique was critical for the hammering to yield results, though Thalion thought running into a wall might be just as effective. Still, he appreciated the dwarf¡¯s generosity in sharing the method.
As the time for the union ritual approached, Thalion swapped places with Rylak frequently, allowing him to gain valuable combat experience. The pure soul would face severe consequences when the union¡¯s failure became evident.
Well, it wouldn''t be too bad, but it should be best if he got some experience in fighting. Just in case he got downgraded after the big ritual. He could feel the shift now more and more something bad was going to happen. It was time for the big ritual.
Before the final ritual, Thalion instructed the servant who had been teleporting him, expressing his intention to undergo the union ritual the next day.
In his final hours, Thalion prepared both mentally and physically for the ordeal ahead. Normally, absorbing the outsider would mark the beginning of a new phase of training in the golden palace, where one would learn to control the outsider.
But Thalion didn¡¯t plan to stay that long. Instead, he would construct a temporary soul array around his soul core. It was made out multiple runes overlapping in different formations. The soul of the outsider would pass through these layers while most aspects of his soul would be annihilated. He would still need a strong will, but it was as safe as it could get.
The problem with outsiders was that to use the effect they bring, you need to accept their soul. Those outsiders, or spirits, as the people here called them, were beings of power and life. They existed in reality with different rules and should have no mouth or any organs. They lived through a deep connection to something no one could explain, but simplified it should be a connection to another plane of existence that overlayed every reality at the same time.
Those outsiders were only bound to some aspects of it, but it should be like a tunnel that provided them with an unending stream of energy. In the golden palace, the training was to control the soul of the outsider and with time to widen the tunnel to get more power at the same time. It was not like a pressure tank conected to you that just filled you with power if you liked it or not.
The effect would increase with the more drained your soul and your body would become. It was almost like it was filling a vacum of power in your body or soul. On that part, he was not sure about how exactly it worked. The memory crystal meant that it was first the soul and from there would empower the body, but what does he know?
The most important thing for him was that those spirits were stronger than the one in the madman he had defeated. If the soul array would work as planned, he shouldn''t have much trouble fusing with the outsider.
How could Thalion achieve something even the palace rulers could not? It was all thanks to the information stored in the memory crystal. Some of the memories were ordered like a skill, and reliving some of them almost constructed the sharder automatically.
This method likely existed for enabling weaker descendants to absorb outsiders without permanently modifying their souls. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be possible for him to do so. This was what Thalion was doing at the moment and he constructed the array while reliving the memories of how to build it. It felt so weird, but it worked very well.
The sad part was that the array would destroy itself if it functioned right, and even without being activated, it wouldn''t last more than a day.
Finally, the time came. Thalion stood ready and was teleported to the massive ritual site. The circle was vast, spanning multiple cities.
It wasn¡¯t just inscribed on the ground but also suspended in the air. Golden rocks hovered above, etched with glowing runes, interconnected by radiant streams of light.
After a final question, Thalion was teleported to the circle''s center. It would have taken hours to reach on foot.
"So, this is it," Rylak said, his voice laced with anticipation.
"Yep. Good luck, buddy," Thalion responded, a confident smile on his face.
"What will happen in your world when you return?" Rylak asked, curious.
"Some people will break into the room where my body sits and try to kill me," Thalion explained. "But if this works, I should survive."
"Alright¡ good luck to you too," Rylak replied after a moment of silence.
Chapter 116: The Great Ritual
The outer edges of the ritual circle began to glow with radiant light. Thalion was fully focused to give it his all. Even with his preparation, it would be difficult. He wouldn''t fall here. This was just one obstacle he had to overcome. Thalion channeled all his emotions into this mission, trying to be at his best. If the memory crystal was correct, he would be thrown into a new dimension brimming with spirits of power and life.
It was one of the most powerful dimensions, which was precisely why he had chosen it in the first place. The risk was immense, but it was worth it. The alternatives were even worse. He had no idea where the portal created by the madman would lead, and he needed an immense power source to pull such a powerful spirit back into his own dimension. This was, in part, what the circle had been designed for, and the magic cirle under and around him was powered by a god and probably not a weak one.
Now, all the runes glowed with insane intensity, and a portal opened before him. This was the moment he had worked for the whole year. With all his preparation done, he walked the last meters to the portal very slowly as the next decision would shape his future.
Either he died or would become a true powerhouse. It might even allow him to achieve immortality and overcome the negative effects of his title. According to the library, such a feat was unheard of in this whole dimension. This was one such reason why he did the ritual besides the upcoming fight in the tutorial. The memory crystal showed him that after bonding with an outsider, he had millions of years to live and maybe even more with such a powerful outsider of life.
There never was a way to check how many years someone had left if one couldn''t check the spark of life that empowered his soul in the first place. If this spark would run out, the only way to keep the soul from collapsing would be a lot of slaughter and leveling, special treasures, and more. There was even a way about stealing the spark of another soul, but those things were far too advanced, which is why he didn''t read those books further.
The portal started glowing with more and more power, and in the middle was just a black sphere surrounded by a golden edge.
Thalion stepped through, landing in a dimension that defied all logic. There were no solid objects. Only arcs of light, either dancing with one another or flying freely through black space. Thalion observed the surreal scene, searching for his target.
The circle had transported him to a part of this dimension populated by spirits close to his own soul''s strength. If something stronger came along, he would die in a heartbeat.
He needed to merge with one, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy. These beings moved with incredible speed. Even though they weren¡¯t feeding or absorbing mana from the environment, their agility made them difficult to track. It took him some time to find out how to move in this dimension, but the solution was blood manipulation. Nothing else worked.
He had to watch out to not absorb multiple outsiders at once and therefore couldn''t dive right in the middle. If that happened, all his preparation to protect his soul and anhilate the outsiders ego would break in an instant. This was what made this so difficult, as the streaks of light were flying around in random patterns and with incredible speed. If he wanted to make contact, he had to move long before the outsider came close.
He tried to get closer to them since at the moment he was in an area where almost no outsider flew around, which was a bit weird because there was nothing in this dimension besides the blackness of space for the outsiders. He was still connected to the other dimension with a golden line made from pure energy. If he would give the command, he would get pulled back in the other dimension. When the struggle with the outsider began, it would be difficult to maneuver and find the way back through the portal.
Well, if he would be able to find one, it was hard to not lose the intense concentration he had built up. The good thing was that he still had his title, which helped him greatly to maneuver through the outsiders. He was now at a position where many of the smaller outsiders were flying around, and he tried not to get hit by one.
Thalion was unsure how much time he had before the others would pull him out since normally you should go for the first mote of light, which wasn''t that difficult. He watched how many of the longer ones were at least five times as long as the short ones, which were currently moving around him.
You would think that the bigger body made it harder for them to move, but it was the exact opposite, as they were much faster than the others. He felt it as he looked at one of the bigger ones which was about to pass by under him very soon.
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Thalion dove toward one of the longer streaks of light, determined not to settle for a weaker entity. The light didn¡¯t even attempt to dodge. It flew in a straight line and collided with him. If the soul was an overlay for the physical body, this streak of light became an overlay for his soul. Thalion wasted no time and activated the circle to pull him back into his own dimension while trying to keep the outsider spirit bound within him.
At first, he had underestimated these beings. He hadn¡¯t thought they possessed much willpower, given their erratic movement, but he was profoundly mistaken. The outsider''s relentless desire to shift and change every moment overwhelmed him, making it nearly impossible to focus.
The formation designed to neutralize this desire was already at work, tearing into the will of the outsider. It was difficult to keep it up at the same time, and he was very glad that the circle pulled him back oautomatically, as he was not really able to do anything besides fighting the desire of the outsider. It was not like the outsider had a consciousness like his and could talk but was more like a natural law that demanded change.
The pressure peaked as they approached the portal. The outsider fought desperately, going so far as to destroy parts of Thalion¡¯s soul with its immense power. If it had the will to control its power, it would become a lot more difficult for Thalion, but for the moment he just needed to accept that parts of his soulbody got annhilated as the outsider rampaged.
As he dropped back on the ritual circle, Thalion drew on additional power as he maintained his formation, channeling the newfound energy.
Normally, this would have been the phase where he stabilized his soul using the circle¡¯s power and the new training began. However, Thalion used the circle to eradicate the outsider¡¯s will entirely. The outsider didn''t have as much survival instinct as he would have expected and just weakened when it slowly got destroyed.
The process cost him dearly. He lost the soul shapes of both legs and one arm. But when the process was finally complete, the power source, now stripped of its own will, became fully integrated with his soul. Before the outsider had full control about his power source, now with its consciousness gone, it was all there for the taking.
Incredible energy surged through him. The damaged parts of his soul rapidly regenerated, though the spirit veins did not return, at least not those completely destroyed. Despite this, his spirit body felt denser and far more powerful than before, even without the many veins. This effect only took twenty seconds after the will of the outsider was gone.
Thalion, now nearly finished, felt an odd sense of calm once the outsider¡¯s will was destroyed. He felt rejuvenated, as though he had just woken from a restful sleep. Strangely, his connection to his title had grown.
Did the two share a common origin, he wondered? The good thing was that his soulcore had protected Rylak''s soul all the time, which is why he only got a minor souldamage that should fix itself very soon. Due to the stronger connection to his title, he felt that time was already over and he needed to go back immediately.
¡°Okay, this is it. Goodbye, Rylak,¡± Thalion said, activating the failsafe that pulled him back to his real body in the tutorial. The transition happened so quickly that he didn¡¯t even hear Rylak¡¯s reply, which was sad. Thalion hoped that they would meet again in the future.
<--
Princess Thalytra stared in disbelief. This madman had actually performed the ritual. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible. He hadn¡¯t even taken any classes on how to control a spirit properly. Yet somehow, he seemed to have succeeded.
She had watched his recording from time to time since he saw no reason to interrupt his intense training for no reason and she also had better things to do.
Her guard teleported her to the ground in front of Rylak once he appeared to have stabilized and was standing, albeit looking a little disoriented. Upon her arrival, Rylak was so startled that he fell backward.
¡°Oh, hello there,¡± Rylak said, awkwardly standing up.
Thalytra didn¡¯t respond immediately, scrutinizing him instead. He felt weak¡ªa lot weaker than before the ritual. His demeanor also seemed to change. What was going on here?
¡°What happened? You feel so weak,¡± Thalytra finally asked, finding her voice.
¡°I messed up. The spirit didn¡¯t merge with me¡ªit¡¯s still in its own realm,¡± Rylak muttered, his response completely out of character in her opinion.
¡°I think it took away my ability to bloodbend. I¡¯ll need a lot of training before I can try again,¡± he sighed, avoiding her gaze and staring at the ground.
¡°What?! How is that possible? Why did you...¡± she shouted, in surprise. Something like this had never happened before.
And so, her relentless questioning continued for quite some time, leaving the poor Rylak drained. Once she finally left him alone, the first thing he did was head to the kitchen. There, he ordered an entire meal of those delicious sand crabs and spent the rest of the day eating and savoring the experience.
They didn''t seem it necessary to check his soul again, so he could use the masters here to get stronger and one day do the great ritual himself. It would take a lot of time though since he would have to begin from scratch.
So all in all, the situation was fine and in his control. He used the time to test the entire kitchens menu. Back in the districts, he had maybe eaten one time a weak and only if he had gotten very lucky. Now, with all the stress and hecticness gone, he felt very good.
In fact, Rylak had never felt this happy in his entire life. He had always struggled to understand where Thalion got his determination from, but now he understood. He had found his own goal. To make it possible for everyone to experience such delicious food.
Maybe he could show it to Thalion one day. Sad that the guy probably didn''t hear his thanks for bringing him to this place and giving him this new life.
Chapter 117: Like Sheep to the Slaughter
Garrick and Michael met in the afternoon. Both were more than just a bit unhappy with the whole situation, now that they had lost their hard-earned credits for the second week in a row.
¡°We should set our differences aside and work together on getting rid of Thalion,¡± Garrick began, starting the conversation.
They were in Garrick¡¯s house, and both had brought ten followers with them.
¡°I agree. What if he does something like that again?¡± Michael nodded, voicing his agreement.
Of course, this wasn¡¯t the only reason they wanted to kill Thalion. He had found a way to steal credits from other survivors without even killing them. Even better, there were slave cuffs available that could bind people to their will. While the control wasn¡¯t absolute, it was good enough for both men to use as leverage. Then there was the mysterious item Thalion must have bought from the system shop¡ªa treasure that both men desired. The power such an item could hold was unimaginable, driving their determination.
This was why they had gathered all their strongest fighters. As night began to fall and a report came in that Thalion had returned to his tower, they knew it was time. Over forty people began moving in the direction of the massive tower.
Michael was at level 68, and Garrick at level 67. Most of their men were in the early level 60s. Of course, they were all angry and thirsted for blood. Thalion had stolen their credits, stoking their frustration. They arrived at the tower¡¯s closed door, and the first man slammed into it but it didn¡¯t budge.
¡°Should we ring the bell, or does anyone have a key?¡± the confused man asked awkwardly.
¡°You idiot, let me handle it,¡± Garrick snapped, his face reddening, before smashing his shoulder against the gate. Still, it wouldn¡¯t move.
¡°You two, help me,¡± Garrick ordered two of the heavy warriors nearby.
Together, they crashed into the gate three times before it finally broke open, and the group surged up the stairs. Unfamiliar with the layout of the tower, they began opening every door they came across, but each room was empty.
Finally, one of the heavy warriors threw himself against the door on the top, the only one that was locked, shattering it and the entire group stormed inside as quickly as possible.
There, they saw Thalion standing calmly, with blood from the floor rising into his hand before disappearing.
¡°Kill that bastard!¡± Garrick roared before anyone else could speak.
The light warriors charged forward. Some wielded long, slender blades, others carried dual swords, and one even fought with just a dagger.
In a blur of motion, a crimson sword appeared in Thalion¡¯s hand. With a fluid movement, almost too fast for the eye to follow, he spun to the side, dodging one blade, deflecting another, and slicing cleanly through the neck of the light warrior to his right.
In just a few exchanges, over six light warriors lay dead on the ground.
¡°How can someone be this skilled with a sword?¡± Michael said aloud, unable to hide his astonishment.
He shouted at his men, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there¡ªafter him!¡±
But Thalion was already moving. Blood thorns erupted from his body, shooting with terrifying speed at the archers. Most managed to dodge, but one mage was hit in the leg and screamed as multiple crimson thorns sprouted from his body, killing him in moments. Even their two healers could do nothing to save him.
With another sweep of his sword, Thalion unleashed a mana wave, throwing several mid-level fighters and one heavy warrior back.
Michael suddenly felt a pull on his blood. Grimacing, he resisted with all his might, pushing back the strange presence invading his body. Most of his warriors managed to withstand the pull as well, but two were drained of their blood and collapsed. The crimson streams flowed toward Thalion, joining rivers of blood from the corpses already littering the room.
It was like a macabre red flower blooming, the blood forming intricate streams behind Thalion.
Michael saw his chance and unleashed a massive stream of flames at Thalion, but the attack was blocked midway by a mana barrier. An archer, seizing the opportunity, fired a charged arrow that shattered the barrier.
Thalion moved fluidly, as if controlling gravity itself, dodging the incoming flames. The blood he had absorbed was nowhere to be seen after the barrier broke.
Swinging his sword in a wide arc, Thalion unleashed a devastating red slash, the attack racing toward the archers and mages with blinding speed.
Three mages combined their power to form a single, strong barrier, which successfully blocked the attack, though Michael noticed the shield vibrating for a moment. Just how much power was in that single attack?
Since the backline couldn¡¯t contribute much at the moment, the heavy warriors charged in for the kill, unleashing multiple skills at Thalion. He deflected most of them with his crimson sword, but a few strikes landed, inflicting deep cuts. These deeper wounds, however, healed with incredible speed, leaving him fully recovered moments later.
¡°How was such a feat possible? Was it the item he bought that healed him?¡± Michael wondered, throwing a lance of fire at Thalion. Thalion spun to the side, dodging the attack with perfect precision. His movement was flawless, adjusting just enough to evade the skill while slicing the leg off a heavy warrior with a single, fluid motion.
Next, he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the room. The wave knocked several fighters off their feet and even fractured the floor beneath them. Michael could only watch as Thalion dropped through the resulting hole.
¡°He¡¯s trying to escape¡ªafter him!¡± Michael and Garrick roared in unison, raising their weapons in triumph as their warriors scrambled to pursue. Some leapt down the hole, while others exited through the door. Michael and Garrick opted for the door; there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Thalion had killed some of their men, an impressive feat, but even he couldn¡¯t hold out against over thirty warriors who were almost twenty levels higher than him. He had most likely used all his mana and stamina and was now trying to escape with his life.
Meanwhile, Thalion was jolted back into his body as he ended the ritual. This time, he hadn¡¯t traversed through countless planes of existence. Instead, he found himself rooted firmly in the present. The power he had drawn from the outsider currently coursed through his soul and body, filling him with overwhelming strength.
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Just as he stabilized, a heavy warrior smashed through the door, with several others close behind.
Thalion felt confident about his chances to win this fight, but his first priority was to recall the blood from the ritual circle. He didn¡¯t want anyone to discover what he had accomplished today, just in case any of them managed to survive¡ªa possibility he would not allow.
It was time to send a message, to make an example of anyone foolish enough to defy him. It was Garrick''s and Michael¡¯s fatal mistake to assume Thalion had broken the floor to escape. While the onslaught had grown challenging, his intention had never been to flee. It was to ensure none of them would escape.
Thalion stepped into the shadows, transforming into the umbral predator. The room darkened as the shadows stretched and deepened, growing heavier under the weight of his presence.
The first seven warriors to jump through the hole didn¡¯t spot him at first¡ªa mistake that cost them their lives. A claw of shadow shot out, tearing four of them apart instantly. The remaining three reacted just in time. Two managed to partially block the attack with shields and weapons, though they were badly injured, while the third crouched low, dodging the strike completely.
Thalion wasted no time, launching himself at them just as two more fighters dropped into the room. His claws slashed from side to side, cutting down warriors left and right. One man, confident in his speed, tried to evade him, but Thalion was behind him in an instant, ripping the man in two.
Garrick and Michael hurried down the stairs as fast as they could, with Garrick and some of his heavy warriors rushing through the already-open, three-meter-tall door leading into the chamber where Thalion and their fighters were battling.
Garrick was eager to go for the killing blow. It would strengthen his position in the camp considerably. He was accompanied by two healers, four archers, six mages who had stayed with Michael, and five additional heavy-class fighters, including heavy warriors and berserkers.
Garrick entered the chamber first with a triumphant roar, only to witness a man being effortlessly torn apart by a creature of darkness. Violet eyes turned toward Garrick, holding the promise of death.
Garrick couldn¡¯t stop now¡ªnot without blocking his men from entering¡ªso he charged forward. What could a level 47 beast do against him, someone close to level 70? With the help of his men, it should be more than manageable to kill this abomination.
Thalion watched as the warriors rushed toward him. He had hoped to block the stairs, but it seemed things wouldn¡¯t go entirely his way. No matter.
Thalion charged Garrick, who looked momentarily surprised. Garrick clearly hadn¡¯t anticipated such aggression, especially against an opponent outnumbered and out-leveled. There were weapons in the group that Thalion preferred to avoid¡ªfor example, the massive hammer wielded by one of the heavy warriors.
Thalion smashed into Garrick¡¯s shield, knocking him backward, then immediately found himself surrounded by multiple warriors. They swung at him from all directions, forcing him to dodge an arrow and an icicle aimed at his head.
Though he was struck several times, none of the blows were strong enough to sever limbs, and his wounds healed almost instantaneously. His recovery speed had more than doubled, allowing him to exchange blows freely with the heavy warriors. The pain was bad, but the golden mountain had pushed his pain tolerance to an entire new level. It allowed him to have a clear mind even with the damage done to his body.
Before Garrick could regain his footing, Thalion had already killed half of his men. An arrow struck him in the shoulder, but the creature just ignored it.
It wasn¡¯t a charged arrow but carried the element of ice, attempting to freeze Thalion''s body. This, however, failed entirely, as the darkness rising from his skin annihilated the ice instantly.
Garrick and Michael watched with wide eyes as over half of their men were killed in mere seconds. Realizing there was no way they could kill Thalion today, they faced a grim truth. With their credits gone, they couldn¡¯t escape to the next stage. There was only one option left to survive: run.
Garrick and Michael turned, fleeing the room and running down the stairs, desperately hoping their men could hold the monster off long enough for them to escape.
Thalion saw them abandon their people and narrowed his eyes. This was unacceptable. He had no intention of letting those cowards escape. Pushing his body to the limit, he continued tearing apart the last heavy warriors. Arrows from the rangers flew toward him, but his heightened senses¡ªan effect of his title¡ªallowed him to distinguish which arrows needed to be dodged and which he could simply endure.
The mages were the first to notice that their leaders were fleeing and already slipped away toward the door. Meanwhile, the two archers and the healers fought desperately, unaware that the rest of their allies were either dead or gone.
Thalion grabbed the last heavy warrior and hurled him at the archers, then unleashed another shadow claw. The attack tore through the remaining fighters, either killing them outright or injuring them so severely that they could no longer pose a threat.
Thalion activated abyssal devourer, sending dark tentacles shooting out from his body. The tendrils engulfed everyone in the room, dead or alive, absorbing their darkness into him. As the tentacles retracted, the room fell silent. The darkness he consumed greatly empowered him, and he shifted back into his human form.
Without hesitation, he activated mistform and sped after the fleeing fighters. Moments later, he materialized outside the tower, spotting seven arcs of fire streaking across the sky toward the jungle. Pulling out a token, he sent a message to Kaldrek, instructing him to kill Garrick or, at the very least, stay close so Thalion could deal with him later.
Thalion triggered mistform again, surging toward the nearest mage. The mage shouted in alarm as Thalion appeared beside him, unleashing a barrage of blood thorns. Still caught off guard, the mage failed to muster a proper defense and fell within moments. A single thorn pierced his foot and grew rapidly, spreading through his body and killing him in seconds.
The other mages, having witnessed this, scattered in different directions, flying as fast as they could. Thalion had no difficulty pursuing them. With his title, the sanguine thorn, the amulet, and the connection stolen from the Outsider, his mana replenished almost instantaneously. It took only ten seconds for half his mana pool to recover¡ªa rate that was truly insane.
Using mistform repeatedly, Thalion quickly caught and killed four of the fleeing mages. However, the other three had gained too much distance, disappearing into the jungle. Thalion had to choose since, after killing one more, the others were likely out of reach for him.
He targeted the fastest, Michael, who had traveled the farthest. Clearing half the distance with mistform, Thalion transformed into eagly. Although his mana regeneration was extraordinary, using mistform for the entire pursuit was too risky, so he opted for flight instead.
With feather glide and tempest shroud active, he accelerated rapidly. Every time Michael transformed into flames to teleport several kilometers ahead, Thalion countered with skydive, closing the distance in bursts.
Soon, Thalion was within range. Charging a lightning beam, a skill stolen from the snake boss, he let the power hum through his body, amplified by his horns and connection to the outsider. He released the beam in a devastating burst of electricity.
Michael barely managed to transform into flames again, narrowly dodging the attack. He reappeared a few meters to the side, but Thalion quickly adjusted, forcing Michael to teleport yet again. The fire mage barely evaded another beam, the attack grazing him as he reappeared.
Thalion wasn¡¯t finished. Activating all his skills, he conjured a storm. Lightning struck from the sky as winds howled, creating a chaotic domain. Michael struggled to launch any attacks, his fire magic disrupted by the storm¡¯s interference. After being struck by two lightning bolts, Michael faltered, and Thalion seized the opportunity.
A final lightning beam hit its mark, ending Michael¡¯s life instantly. Thalion caught the falling corpse and placed it in his spatial ring before turning back toward his base.
By the time he returned, Kaldrek had already sent word. Garrick was on the road, holding a woman hostage in a desperate attempt to escape.
This was perfect. Thalion didn¡¯t need to play the villain anymore. Saving the woman¡¯s life would show everyone he wasn¡¯t interested in enslaving them or stealing their credits. But would assist them in their progress for power. He needed strong citizens to gather materials and blood for himself after all.
Chapter 118: Difficult Choice
When Thalion approached, he saw a circle of hundreds of men and women surrounding Garrick, who was holding a younger woman by the neck. As Thalion flew closer, he noticed Garrick¡¯s supporters moving in, trying to clear a path for their leader by pushing others aside. The entire scene was pure chaos.
He spotted Kaldrek and a few of his allies attempting to flank Garrick from above, but several of Garrick¡¯s men, mostly archers, had already taken positions on the rooftops. The situation was at a stalemate with Garrick still holding the young woman hostage.
Time for action, Thalion thought, as he shifted back into his human form and activated mistform. He reappeared two meter in front of Garrick and the captive woman, standing in the middle of the tense scene.
¡°Kill him!¡± Garrick yelled in panic, gripping the woman tighter and using her as a shield.
¡°Let her go!¡± A girl from the crowd cried out, tears streaming down her face.
¡°You can¡¯t kill me, and you know it,¡± Thalion said, his voice steady and confident as he took a step forward.
¡°What are you waiting for? Shoot him!¡± Garrick shouted at the archers above.
¡°Anyone who attacks me will die,¡± Thalion declared, his tone unwavering as he took another step forward. This was trickier than he had anticipated. He had hoped to simply manipulate the blood in Garrick¡¯s body to end the standoff, but Garrick was currently too strong for that. The archers remained frozen, their bows trained on him, unsure of their next move.
¡°Release the woman, and I¡¯ll give you a three-hour head start before I come for you,¡± Thalion said coldly, his eyes fixed on Garrick.
¡°Sure¡ªand what stops you from killing me as soon as I let her go?¡± Garrick sneered, tightening his grip on the woman¡¯s neck. Her face was turning blue; she wouldn¡¯t last much longer.
Thalion hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to give Garrick any leverage, but letting him walk away unscathed felt like a concession he couldn¡¯t afford. Could the woman survive long enough for a healer to save her, even if Garrick snapped her neck? The thought of sacrificing her life for his goal weighed heavily, but the consequences of breaking his word would be dire. If he broke his word now, would the others still believe that he was not going to take their credits next week?
¡°First, get your people off the rooftops,¡± Thalion shouted, his frustration mounting. ¡°It¡¯s annoying having bows pointed at my head the entire time.¡±
Turning to the crowd, he addressed them with authority. ¡°Anyone who wishes to follow Garrick, leave with him now. If I see you again, you¡¯ll die.¡± Perhaps Garrick would feel safer with his warriors around him. In the end, it wouldn''t make much difference for him.
¡°I¡¯ll take this woman with me until I reach the jungle,¡± Garrick sneered, his eyes burning with hatred.
¡°If you kill her, there will be no safe place in this tutorial for you,¡± Thalion replied, his voice as cold as ice.
¡°Men, we¡¯re leaving,¡± Garrick announced triumphantly, dragging the woman with him as his remaining followers began retreating toward the gate.
Not everyone followed, though¡ªmore than half of his supporters stayed behind, a small victory for Thalion. Still, the dilemma remained: should he honor his word and let Garrick go, or break his promise and hunt him down?
Thalion sighed inwardly as he watched Garrick and his lackeys disappear into the jungle. Moments later, the young woman emerged, injured but alive. He landed in front of her and quickly used his blood to stabilize her wounds.
Against his instincts, he decided to keep his word. As much as he wanted to chase Garrick down and eliminate him, he understood the importance of establishing trust with the people here. Breaking his promise on the first day would alienate them, and he needed their cooperation to build a future support system for his cultivation.
The support system was crucial¡ªhe couldn¡¯t gather enough resources to upgrade all his forms on his own. And while he cared for his fellow earthlings, that care wasn¡¯t selfless. He wasn¡¯t about to risk his life unless it served his greater goals.
In the end, pragmatism won. Thalion clenched his fists, suppressing his frustration, and turned back to the people who now looked to him.
"Okay, I think it¡¯s time for you to know the truth," Thalion announced, leaping onto the gate and ascending slightly into the air so the thousands of survivors¡ªnow awake from the commotion¡ªcould see him. His voice, amplified with mana, rang clearly across the crowd.
"I played the part of a ruthless killer a week ago when I arrived here, and again today when I took all your credits," Thalion continued, his voice steady and sincere. Now hovering ten meters above the ground, he surveyed the crowd. Many of them still glared at him in anger, but others had begun to exchange their anger for curiosity as he spoke.
"Everything I¡¯ve done has been to ensure my survival, as you¡¯ve witnessed today. It¡¯s not just Garrick or Michael I have to contend with, but also my former comrades¡ªKael, Sylas, and Kai." A murmur rippled through the crowd at these names. Many had heard of Thalion¡¯s battles against the orcs and knew of how he had once saved Kael, Sylas, and Kai when Thorwald ambushed them.
"I¡¯ve acquired special natural treasures¡ªtreasures that have slowed my progression despite their power," Thalion explained, bending the truth slightly. He wasn¡¯t about to reveal the existence of his title or the outsider connection. That knowledge was staying with him. "Because of this, Kael and the others are hunting me. Their god has given them insights that lead them to believe they can take those treasures from me."
The murmuring grew louder, but Thalion pressed on. "This is why I lied to you about buying a weapon to kill Ankhet. In truth, it was to give me the power to survive another day." The crowd¡¯s reactions were mixed. While many were still visibly upset over the loss of their credits, some expressions softened as they realized the situation''s complexity.
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"Your credits have guaranteed my survival for now," Thalion said, his tone resolute. "Let me repay the favor. Most of the credits I took will be invested into upgrading this base into a fortress¡ªone strong enough to ensure your safety, even during the fifth stage when the undead arrive." His words caused a ripple of intrigue among the onlookers.
"I want all of you to become as powerful as possible. To do that, we need to hunt and gather as many natural treasures as we can. I have tasks to attend to tonight, but tomorrow morning, we will meet here, and I¡¯ll present the next steps." Thalion concluded with a slight bow to the crowd, then activated mistform and flew back to his tower.
Back at his tower, Thalion got to work clearing out the corpses left behind. Being both a blood cultivator and the umbral predator had its advantages, and the task, though unpleasant, was manageable. He then sent messages to Maike, Kaldrek, and Lucan, inviting them to a meeting at his tower. There was much to discuss, and important plans needed to be set in motion. It was time to begin building his base¡ªor, more accurately, his support system.
<--
"Jack, we shouldn¡¯t be hunting at night," Josh said, his voice uneasy as he followed Jack through the tall grass.
"No way, Josh. We need to keep going if we want to progress faster," Jack replied enthusiastically, striding forward with a big smile.
"Jack, there could be vampires on this stage," Josh stammered, struggling to keep up.
"Then I¡¯ll kill them all!" Jack declared with eerie cheerfulness. "You want to become one of the strongest insects there is, don¡¯t you? We need to rack up credits to make that happen."
Josh couldn¡¯t help but feel unsettled by Jack¡¯s excitement. They were walking beneath a colossal tree¡ªover 50 meters tall¡ªstanding alone in the middle of the tundra. Josh had difficulty seeing in the dark, but Jack moved with ease, his vision enhanced by his mutated eye, which now gleamed with an unnatural hue.
Jack¡¯s new class was mythical and powerful, though highly specialized. It wouldn¡¯t take much effort to evolve it further, but the downside was its narrow progression path¡ªit seemed tied entirely to the form of a squid. Jack didn¡¯t mind that at all. He relished the raw strength his new abilities gave him and was relieved he didn¡¯t have to manage multiple forms, which was both draining and complicated.
Still, his squid form wasn¡¯t without its challenges. Moving all the tentacles properly and flying in the right direction remained a struggle. Josh hadn¡¯t noticed, but some of Jack¡¯s successful captures of beasts were pure accidents. Thankfully, his telekinetic skills compensated for these shortcomings, allowing him to blast enemies away or lift them into the air where he could strike them down with ease.
Most beasts, no matter their level or rarity, couldn¡¯t withstand Jack¡¯s sheer size and power. The real challenge was ensuring Josh got the final blow, which was necessary for his credits. Jack often held back, dropping the nearly-dead beasts so Josh could finish them off with his strange, mutated grasshopper form.
Jack still felt guilty about what had happened to them in the ocean¡ªand after, as slaves. This guilt drove him to help Josh as much as possible, even though they¡¯d known each other only since the system''s arrival. But more than guilt, Jack genuinely liked Josh and wanted the best for him.
Well, that¡ªand Jack couldn¡¯t wait to see Josh fully transform into a giant grasshopper.
At the moment, Josh was adding even more body parts to his beast form. He now had fur growing on his shell and bat wings positioned just behind his insect wings. The weak mandibles had been replaced by lion teeth, which looked strange, almost comical. In hindsight, he thought, maybe Josh should¡¯ve kept the lion form.
"See? Over there¡¯s our next target," Jack whispered, pointing into the distance where a massive creature¡ªsome kind of elephant¡ªstood tall above the grass.
"Okay, but you know I can¡¯t see much in the dark," Josh replied uncertainly, though he trusted Jack¡¯s judgment. Despite everything happening almost by accident so far, their chaotic hunts had worked out surprisingly well. He followed Jack, who was floating in front of him, in his human form. The power Jack wielded was something else entirely. Before this evolution, Jack¡¯s human form had been nearly useless. Now, it seemed almost overpowered¡ªeven though he was missing half his skills. It was crazy how effectively he handled such massive prey.
Josh squinted at the creature as they approached, noticing it was quite different from the last elephant Jack had killed. When he used his identification ability, a name and level popped up:
Sonaphant, Level 71.
"Oh, shit, Jack! Watch out!" Josh shouted, his voice rising in panic as he saw Jack shift into his massive squid form, now hovering directly above the Sonaphant. Things got worse as the sonaphant noticed Jack¡ªand then two more heads rose from the tall grass nearby. The other two must have been sleeping before.
Jack wasted no time, latching onto one of the sonaphants with his enormous tentacles and hoisting the twelve-meter-high beast into the air. The remaining two, however, didn¡¯t take kindly to the attack. Power began to radiate around them, their bodies glowing faintly with energy.
This was bad. He couldn¡¯t let them hit Jack with whatever attack they were preparing. Desperate, Josh flapped his insect and bat wings as hard as he could, propelling himself toward the two sonaphants. His wings, however, beat out of sync, making him slower and clumsier than he expected. Thinking back, maybe adding bat wings wasn¡¯t the smartest idea.
He crashed headlong into one of the Sonaphants, biting down with his new lion teeth and clawing at it with his additional cheetah-derived front legs. To his horror, the creatures didn¡¯t unleash a sound beam at Jack as he had anticipated. Instead, they released a powerful shockwave of sound directly at him.
The impact was brutal. Josh was flung over two hundred meters, his shell cracked in multiple places. His head rang like a bell, and before long, his vision faded to black.
"Josh, wake up!" Jack¡¯s voice pierced through the fog, though Josh could barely comprehend it. His friend was shaking him vigorously and even slapping him in an attempt to revive him.
Josh groaned as his eyes fluttered open, only to see Jack¡¯s face looming over him. Pain exploded anew when Jack slapped him again. Josh¡¯s hearing was gone, replaced entirely by an incessant ringing.
"Jack, I can¡¯t hear you! Stop screaming and punching me!" Josh yelled¡ªor at least, he thought he was yelling, unable to hear his own voice.
Jack paused, then began gesturing wildly with his hands, trying to form letters or symbols. Josh, still groggy, couldn¡¯t make sense of it.
"Dude, just wait until the healing kicks in," Josh muttered, exhausted from watching Jack¡¯s frantic attempts at communication.
He transformed back into his human form and tried to stand, but the world spun around him like a storm. His legs buckled, and he collapsed back onto the ground, his sense of balance completely gone.
Jack, realizing what had happened, quickly helped Josh to his feet, supporting him as he swayed unsteadily. It took time for Josh to regain some semblance of control over his legs, and even then, his hearing was still out of the question.
If their stash of healing potions hadn¡¯t been stolen by those damn blue-robed thieves, Josh knew he¡¯d have been fine by now. As it stood, it would take some time for him to recover fully. But what could possibly happen? They¡¯d just lie low and take it easy for a while.
Josh allowed himself to relax a little, imagining a peaceful sunbath in the heat of the savanna, the tall grass swaying rhythmically in the gentle breeze. Not bad, not bad at all, he thought, letting himself drift into a calm reverie.
Unbeknownst to him, Jack had different plans with him.
Chapter 119: The Hunt Begins
Kargul, Evelyn, and Vorlok had traveled far and wide after arriving at the fourth stage, deliberately avoiding a return to Kael and the others. The memory of what had happened to Thalion lingered, making everything feel wrong. Besides, the others didn¡¯t need their help. Kargul could focus on his body tempering, which conveniently involved smashing himself against hard surfaces¡ªa task well-suited for this harsh environment. Evelyn¡¯s soul cultivation required no external resources, and Vorlok, while he missed Lars'' exquisite cooking, seemed perfectly content devouring the massive beasts that roamed the land.
Still, Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny that Lars'' food was sorely missed. She had caught herself more than once daydreaming about his delicacies. Perhaps they¡¯d return one day, if only to raid his stores. For now, the trio journeyed under the blazing sun, undeterred by obstacles. Evelyn lounged on the creature¡¯s enormous shell, basking in the sun.
¡°Oh, look! A big Magmafang Carnotaur!¡± Kargul¡¯s voice rang out, brimming with excitement. He practically vibrated with energy as he pointed at the hulking dinosaur in the distance.
¡°You didn¡¯t identify it, did you?¡± Evelyn muttered, shielding her eyes from the sun.
Kargul¡¯s silence confirmed her fears. Normally, identifying a beast wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but on this stage, any attempt alerted the creature. Worse, the Magmafang Carnotaur seemed particularly interested in their direction. A tense minute passed before the dinosaur released a piercing screech, summoning five more of its kind.
Kargul, utterly unfazed, called up to her. ¡°Eve, they¡¯re not as strong as I thought! The strongest one is only level 73!¡±
Evelyn sighed deeply. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s give it a try,¡± she said, sitting up. The situation wasn¡¯t ideal. If the fight dragged on, other beasts in the area could take notice, and then they¡¯d really be in trouble.
¡°Yeah! I¡¯m gonna smash you all!¡± Kargul roared, sprinting at the pack of Magmafang Carnotaurs. The massive beasts watched him, their glowing red eyes gleaming with hunger.
Vorlok roared too, taking off with a burst of speed that seemed impossible for his size. Evelyn gripped tightly to its shell, waiting for the right moment. When it came, the turtle dived with incredible force, aiming for the nearest dinosaur.
Below, Kargul collided with one of the Magmafang Carnotaurs, his mace connecting with a thunderous crack that shattered bones and sent the creature sprawling. At nearly the same instant, Vorlok crashed into another, his enormous jaws snapping down on its skull. The sound of crunching bone echoed through the battlefield as he tore off most of the beast¡¯s head in a single, ferocious bite.
Evelyn landed gracefully off to the side, only to find herself the target of another Carnotaur. It roared, its throat glowing red-hot, and fired a molten ball of magma at her. She sidestepped with ease, her movements fluid and controlled. Since her encounter with Cathrin, she had become a master at dodging and running.
The Carnotaur charged, its jaws wide open, aiming to end her in a single bite. Evelyn activated one of her four movement skills, dancing just out of reach every time it lunged. She had turned running into an art form.
The beast, frustrated by its inability to catch her, made a critical error. As its veins began to glow with fiery energy, it prepared for one final charge. But Evelyn had been waiting for this. With perfect timing, she activated a second movement skill, propelling herself far out of its reach.
The Carnotaur, realizing its prey was beyond its grasp, turned its attention to the others¡ªonly to witness the last of its pack disappearing into Vorlok¡¯s throat. Kargul was wrestling with a broken jawbone still lodged in the turtle¡¯s mouth, muttering, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you leave me one tooth?¡±
Vorlok, ignoring him, happily swallowed the rest of the head. Kargul looked around for something else to smash and spotted the lone surviving Carnotaur, which was now frozen in confusion and fear.
¡°Gotcha!¡± Kargul roared, sprinting at it with his mace in hand.
Vorlok, not to be outdone, charged forward with equal ferocity. But before either could reach the dinosaur, it froze in panic, realizing a massive hyenadon¡ªtowering even taller than itself¡ªwas blocking its escape route. The hyenadon bared its fangs, ready to attack.
The last Magmafang Carnotaur turned tail to flee, but it was too late. Vorlok and Kargul slammed into its side like a living avalanche, the force of their impact sending the beast sprawling to the ground.
"Ha! Finally got one!" Kargul roared triumphantly. Before Vorlok could devour the entire creature, Kargul pried loose one of its massive teeth, holding it aloft like a trophy.
Evelyn watched with a satisfied smile as the illusion of the hyenadon she had conjured dissolved into the air. The spell had drained a considerable amount of mana, but it had been worth it. Without it, the Carnotaur might have outrun them, and every second spent chasing it would have increased the chances of attracting other predators.
"This was a good hunt," Kargul declared, slipping the tooth into his spatial ring. "We should head back to Kael and the others. Lars'' inn is waiting, and I¡¯m ready to celebrate with a proper feast!"
Evelyn nodded, her own thoughts drifting toward Lars¡¯ cooking. Vorlok¡¯s eyes glimmered at the mention of the inn. Without hesitation, the trio began their journey back to Kael¡¯s base, the sky dimming as twilight painted the horizon.
<--
Nari and her ghouls trudged through the endless savanna of the fourth stage. She was one of the weaker vampires of the undead faction in this tutorial. Her task was simple yet tedious: find and kill the living, or if the situation grew too dangerous, ascend to the next stage. It was an annoyance, but at least she could amuse herself by hunting beasts to create more undead.
Unfortunately, the colossal dinosaurs of this stage had proven resistant to her craft. Frustration simmered within her as she scanned the horizon. She hadn¡¯t encountered a single human in weeks, an unsurprising fact given the stage¡¯s vast expanse.
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Her boredom turned to intrigue when she spotted a curious scene. A drunken man had been thrown atop a large rock jutting out above the high grasses of the tundra. The man who had thrown him was now sprinting back to a hidden position, seemingly waiting for something to emerge and claim the man as a meal.
From her vantage point, Nari observed the intoxicated man flailing and cursing as he attempted¡ªand failed¡ªto stand. A grin crept across her lips. She signaled her ghouls to wait. Mindless and loyal, her undead puppets were ideal for reconnaissance. They lacked finesse, but their brute strength and speed had served her well thus far.
She briefly considered sending one of her weaker ghouls to finish off the hapless drunkard, but then the true spectacle began.
A massive black salamander, over ten meters long, slithered out of the underbrush, its eyes locking onto the thrashing human. The creature climbed onto the rock, its enormous maw opening to reveal a glistening tongue that shot out like that of a frog. In one fluid motion, it ensnared the man and swallowed him whole.
The man nearby remained oblivious, something clutched in his teeth as he crouched low in hiding. Only when the other man¡¯s screams ceased did the guy realize something was amiss. His eyes widened in panic, and the weird man activated a movement skill, teleporting directly in front of the salamander.
Nari¡¯s amusement turned to fascination. The man moved with a fluid grace, summoning a telekinetic purple blade that sliced cleanly through the salamander¡¯s legs. Moments later, she severed its head with the same ruthless efficiency.
What happened next even shocked Nari.
From the man¡¯s arm, a dark purple tentacle emerged, slithering into the decapitated creature¡¯s body through the stump of its neck. Moments later, it retracted, pulling the drunken man free from the acidic innards of the salamander. His skin was pallid, the acid having already begun to dissolve it.
The man coughed and sputtered, immediately launching into a tirade of curses at his savior. The man, seemingly unbothered, used the tentacle to gently scrape away the remaining acid. The gentleness didn¡¯t last long, though. He began spinning the man at dizzying speeds, slinging the corrosive residue off his body.
When he finished, he plopped the stumbling man back onto the rock, gave him a thumbs up, and disappeared into the former hiding spot. The drunkard, now significantly quieter and barely moving, remained slumped on the stone.
Nari¡¯s eyes gleamed with a mix of intrigue and horror. This human man displayed a brutality she hadn¡¯t encountered before, even among the royal families who hunted humans in the mountains or bought them as slaves. This behavior was something else entirely.
The weak man was excellent bait, Nari noted with approval. Perhaps she would emulate this strategy.
Signaling her ghouls to stay back, Nari conjured a blood spear and crept closer to the man''s hiding spot. As she prepared to strike, the man dropped a piece of meat, turning to retrieve it. Their eyes met. Both moved simultaneously.
Nari hurled her blood spear with deadly precision, but where the man had stood was now a massive squid, its writhing tentacles whipping through the air. The spear struck one of the tentacles but failed to penetrate its rubbery hide.
She didn''t want to infuse more power into the bloodspear at first, as the gathering of energy could have alerted the warrior. She dodged to the side, trying to escape the tentacles, but was struck by a telekinetic wall that smashed her body against the ground from above. The force was so strong that the bones in her right arm shattered.
Before she could get up, one of the giant tentacles grabbed her and, with incredible speed, moved her toward the beak in the middle of the mass of tentacles. On her way to what she knew was certain death, Nari commanded her ghouls to attack. But it was probably too late anyway. The beak between the writhing tentacles grew closer, and a moment later, she was no more.
Jack was surprised when, out of nowhere, he was attacked. Luckily, his reflexes saved him¡ªhe activated one of his telekinetic abilities, sending a crushing wave forward that obliterated everything in front of him. It was perfectly suited for catching fast-moving threats; some might even argue it was designed specifically for moments like this.
Turning back after killing the vampire, Jack saw Josh struggling, surrounded by corpses with sharp teeth.
"Oh, not again," Jack thought as he teleported over, arriving just as the first ghoul sank its teeth into Josh''s arm.
It took time, but Jack managed to kill the undead pretty quickly. Thankfully, they had no skills or special means of escape. Thinking back, he realized he probably shouldn''t have ignored the ghoul that had been chewing on Josh''s arm for so long.
"Well, hindsight is always clearer," Jack thought happily as he walked over to Josh. Josh''s arm looked bad, but it wasn''t life-threatening.
"Jack, get me off this stone immediately!" Josh shouted, his voice exhausted and strained.
"No, this is good! You''re getting a ton of credits and experience¡ªespecially for the salamander," Jack rejected his proposal.
"I said I would help you, and that''s exactly what I''m doing," Jack continued, confidence radiating from him. "In the future, you''ll thank me. It''ll make for a great story to tell."
"Please, just get me out of here. I don''t want to be the bait," Josh pleaded.
But Jack pretended not to hear him. By the time Josh finished speaking, Jack had already teleported back to his hideout. From the safety of his position, Jack reflected on the situation.
"It''s tough, having all the responsibility," he thought with mock solemnity. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing. After all, it was a foolproof method of power leveling: a beast would come to eat Josh, and Jack would swoop in to smash it.
"Sure, Josh might get bitten sometimes, but he could handle it. Josh was always so strong, after all."
<--
Outside the tutorial, whispers began to spread among the gods that Ankhet had appeared in one of the tutorials.
This revelation sent shockwaves through the divine realms. Many gods, especially those near the eternal dominion, took immediate action. They joined Solarion''s alliance and began blessing participants in the tutorial, aiming to prevent the Eternal Dominion from gaining such a powerful ally.
Yet one faction¡ªamong the strongest in the multiverse¡ªremained maddeningly neutral, the elves. Known for their vast reserves of ancient knowledge and a pantheon of incredibly powerful gods, the elves¡¯ refusal to intervene was seen as a slight by their divine peers.
From the perspective of other gods, these arrogant beings were forcing others to invest more heavily in the tutorial. This strategy could have significant implications:
First, every blessing and ounce of power spent in the tutorial would be unavailable for future battles. The gods¡¯ chosen warriors¡ªdestined to clash in the new universe after the tutorial¡ªwould face altered dynamics.
Second, if a god¡¯s chosen warrior was killed during the tutorial, the investment would be gone. The power lost would set the god back by millennia unless they took extraordinary risks to recover it. While this may not sound catastrophic, for gods playing the long game, repeated losses could render them irrelevant¡ªor worse, cost them their dominion over their domains. But one other god''s silence was even more unnerving than the elves'' neutrality.
The Spider Queen, a powerful black spider, was among the first gods to emerge after the apocalyptic event. She was easily one of the most powerful beings in existence. Her vast web spanned galaxies, entrapping lesser gods like flies. In past conflicts, the Spider Queen had often sided with the undead. This time, however, she chose the same neutrality as the elves. But unlike the elves, no one dared question her motives. Her long life was marked by destruction; she had single-handedly obliterated factions of powerful gods. Her daughters were beings of immense power, each rivaling the might of pinnacle gods. If a god saw her web expanding toward their domain, they didn¡¯t fight¡ªthey fled, seeking weaker gods to challenge for territory instead.
This time, though, the Spider Queen¡¯s silence was chilling. What plans could such a being have that outweighed the significance of Ankhet¡¯s rise? The question loomed, unanswered, casting a shadow over the multiverse.
Jo something crazy happend to me
...
Hey guys,
Sorry for no chapters i just moved and dont have internet yet.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
You get the chapters when i can upload them.
Just dont know how long it will take. First they sent the Router to the wrong adress and now they tell me thats not possible for me to get one.
So no idea how long it will take...
Cheers
And here some shit to be able to upload.
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Chapter 120: A New Day
Kael stood atop the tallest tower of his base, surveying the surrounding lands. For four days, they had scouted tirelessly but still hadn¡¯t found the undead. Before arriving here, they had expected fierce resistance, yet the undead were nowhere to be found. Had they all advanced to the fifth stage to prepare for the final battle?
Were they being outmaneuvered? At the very least, his warriors had made significant progress in the past few days. Perhaps they would still encounter the undead on this stage. The fourth stage was far larger than the third, and they had barely mapped even the third stage in its entirety.
Kael was nearing his evolution to E-grade, currently sitting at level 77. Each level now required significantly more experience. But the real question was: should he evolve immediately or wait? Being able to gain more stats by advancing to E-grade would be an incredible boost, and he could take his time on this grade to search for an optimal D-grade evolution.
With his legendary blessing, his evolution was unlikely to result in a poor class, and the blessing granted him significant bonus stats. Additionally, his god had explained that the amount of credits accumulated could improve the rarity of one¡¯s evolution. This was a secret most information scrolls didn¡¯t reveal, and Kael hadn¡¯t shared it with anyone. Maintaining his position of power was his priority.
The doubling of credits earned by every survivor in his base on the fourth stage was a welcome benefit. If it weren¡¯t for the looming threat of the undead, this situation would have been ideal. He could focus on power leveling and honing his combat skills against creatures often of higher rarity than those from earlier stages.
Kael¡¯s ranger class was especially formidable, offering incredible flexibility. His ability to switch weapons mid-fight was one of its strongest features, and his attacks were devastating. He had many powerful options to deal with a threat: ranged strikes, a speed-boosting ability, and another skill that empowered a single attack for massive damage.
On top of this, he had purchased scrolls that taught advanced combat techniques and weapon mastery. These scrolls were exclusive to those blessed by Aeta, and they were remarkably cheap considering their value. He had spent the last four days training rigorously and hadn¡¯t even completed the first layer of what they offered.
Kai and Sylas had also acquired similar items and risen significantly in power. They would likely evolve alongside him soon. Of course, they would consult their gods for guidance on the smartest path forward. When Kael first entered the tutorial, his primary goal had been to bring as many people as possible through to the next stage. That goal hadn¡¯t changed¡ªexcept for one person.
Finding and killing Thalion had become essential. Kael¡¯s patron had warned him that even if the vampire god Tenebrice no longer remembered Thalion, the god was aware that one of his blessed had been slain and that the sanguine thorn had changed hands. Kael¡¯s god would forget Thalion after each conversation, but Kael diligently reported everything, knowing that once the tutorial was over, gods would have more means to gather information in the wider universe.
The sanguine thorn was central to Kael¡¯s plans. He had purchased another mystical plant with the sole purpose of corrupting and consuming the thorn, reshaping it into something that better suited him. With this new plant in his body, achieving a mythic-class evolution would be inevitable. However, the process wouldn¡¯t be easy. He needed to prepare a ritual to neutralize the thorn¡¯s resistance while the new plant fully assimilated its power. Kael eagerly anticipated that day.
Although he didn¡¯t relish the thought of killing Thalion, it was a necessity. With the transformed Thorn, Kael could potentially achieve eternal life. Such a future was too important to jeopardize for sentiment. Sylas was equally eager to see Thalion dead, though his motivations differed. Early in the tutorial, Thalion had purchased an amulet that had since become so valuable it was almost unaffordable. Even Kael had struggled to acquire items worth two million credits. Thankfully, he had already secured near-perfect equipment for himself.
Kai, on the other hand, wished they could avoid Thalion entirely. But Kael was certain that wish wouldn¡¯t come true.
There was one other way to acquire a sanguine thorn, though it was far riskier: killing one of the vampires blessed by Tenebrice who possessed the thorn on the fifth stage. However, Kael¡¯s god had warned him this was unlikely. Such vampires were incredibly powerful and later often reached A- or S-grade. Over five percent of them even ascended to godhood, an extraordinary rate by any standard.
In comparison, Thalion was far weaker. He was still stuck around level 40 for some unknown reason. This anomaly worked in Kael¡¯s favor. His god had suggested several possible explanations: a parasite leeching Thalion¡¯s power, a curse, or something equally debilitating. None seemed particularly convincing to Kael, but it didn¡¯t matter.
All that mattered was that Thalion died¡ªand that Kael gained the sanguine thorn.
<--
Lucius had returned to the headquarters. They had been hunting for days, and Cathrin had infected multiple beasts, which would hopefully spread the blood curse even further. Groomash was now close to reaching level 80, with only two levels remaining. Both he and Cathrin had already hit level 80 and were grinding for a better evolution in the future.
One thing particularly intrigued Lucius: the other vampires. To monitor them, he had planted spying crystals in two of their chambers. His shadowblood ability and strong affinity for darkness gave him a distinct advantage, making such covert actions almost second nature.
The crystals had cost over 800,000 credits each, but he considered the investment worthwhile. They transmitted sound only, which was sufficient¡ªhe already recognized their voices. There was no need to spend extra on crystals that also granted visual feeds.
The information he had gleaned from internal meetings among the Valencrest family was already proving invaluable. For example, he now knew where high-level blood beasts roamed and the locations of important natural treasures. Today, another meeting was scheduled, reportedly regarding a critical message from Tenebrice.
Waiting for everyone to assemble was tedious, but Lucius made use of the time by training and doing some body tempering. He hadn¡¯t progressed far before the meeting began with the arrival of the last Valencrest member, Valeria.
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¡°Glad to see everyone here. We need to discuss the lost sanguine thorn,¡± announced Theron Valencrest, opening the meeting.
Lucius¡¯s ears perked up. A lost sanguine thorn? That could mean only one thing: the vampire who possessed it had died. If his assumption was correct, the thorn was now unclaimed. This presented a rare opportunity¡ªone that could greatly enhance his power. He had witnessed the might of vampires who possessed a sanguine thorn. The strength it conferred was an undeniable advantage, bordering on unfair.
Lucius was confident he could defeat the other vampires in a direct fight if he acquired the thorn. The challenge, however, lay in feeding it. Blood was a scarce resource in their base; the vampires consumed vast amounts of it every day. The best way to obtain blood was through hunting and killing beasts.
There had been discussions about enslaving humans to use them as a continuous blood supply, even feeding them natural treasures to enhance the potency of their blood. However, such plans were unlikely to materialize during the tutorial stage.
¡°We need to find its current bearer before another vampire claims it,¡± Valeria hissed, her displeasure evident.
¡°But who will be allowed to upgrade their own sanguine thorn by letting it consume the lost one?¡± asked Sevrin Valencrest. His tone suggested that he believed himself the most deserving candidate.
This sparked a heated debate as everyone began arguing about who should receive the additional Sanguine Thorn. Lucius learned something fascinating during their discussion: Sanguine thorns seemed to thrive on devouring their own kind. Doing so significantly boosted their power, not just in strength but also by transforming the thorn into a stronger, more evolved race of plant.
The process reminded Lucius of an old myth from his home planet. According to the tale, a vampire once drank the blood of other vampires¡ªa monstrous, forbidden act. No true vampire would stoop to such depravity. Lucius himself found the notion so repulsive that he¡¯d rather sleep with a corpse than drink another vampire¡¯s blood.
The story went on to say that this blood-drinking vampire became vastly stronger and uncontrollably aggressive, requiring the combined might of two royal houses to bring him down. The events supposedly occurred over 20,000 years ago, making it difficult to verify the story''s authenticity. But now, it seemed eerily plausible when applied to the sanguine thorn.
As the vampires argued, Lucius continued listening. They speculated that the thorn¡¯s new bearer was likely an elf, human, or orc. If it were a vampire, Tenebrice would have known. It could also be in the possession of a vampire blessed by another god, but that was unlikely. Vampires could sense the presence of blood and a sanguine thorn in someone¡¯s aura, which would make identifying the bearer relatively easy once they encountered them.
Eventually, the Valencrest vampires stopped arguing over who should receive the thorn and shifted their focus to strategizing. They planned to search a large area when the other races emerged on the fifth stage, where the true war would begin. Their primary motivation, aside from strengthening their own sanguine thorns, was to ensure that no other vampire could claim the lost plant for themselves.
This final reason seemed to unite them, enabling cooperation that was otherwise rare among their kind.
Lucius couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. A sanguine thorn, ripe for the taking. Why shouldn¡¯t he seize this opportunity? Luck would play a significant role in who ultimately found the new owner, but he was determined to take it if given the chance. Scouting would become his priority in the days ahead.
<--
"Where should we place the additional houses we¡¯ll need in the future?" Isolde said, an elderly woman who represented many of the people living in Thalion''s base. "There are also high-leveled beasts attacking our weaker citizens."
The night Thalion killed Michael and saved the woman, he had spent hours discussing with Maike, Kaldrek, and Lucan the best ways to build a strong base. They all agreed that they needed a large group of people working together to thrive. To ensure proper organization, they formed a council with three representatives from each major group: scouts, guards, alchemists, builders, craftsmen, and individuals well-regarded by the community. Isolde fell into the latter category.
Initially, everyone was skeptical about this system, but over the past few days, it had worked surprisingly well. Thalion had distributed tokens to facilitate voting for each position within the council, ensuring fair representation. The only exceptions were Lucan, Maike, and Kaldrek, who were appointed directly by him. Thus far, no one had complained.
Over twenty builders had joined the effort, working tirelessly to construct new facilities such as shops, inns, and even an additional tower. These towers included a minor spatial distortion, making their interiors slightly larger than their exteriors. The builders had also drawn up extensive plans for the placement of new houses and training areas. Progress had been steady, and the future looked promising.
"Do those beasts attack people in the base?" Thalion asked Isolde. If such incidents were happening, he should have heard of them.
"No, but they¡¯ve attacked people a few hundred meters into the jungle. Many are worried because these beasts are extremely high-leveled," Isolde replied, her tone tinged with irritation. "And if you weren¡¯t smithing all day, you might have heard about this sooner."
Thalion couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her bluntness. She wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªwhen he wasn¡¯t organizing city matters, he was working on his armor in Lucan¡¯s smithy. After his latest excursion in the golden palace, his skills as a smith had dramatically improved, to the point where he now helped Lucan with advanced crafting. The sudden shift had taken Lucan by surprise since, just days earlier, the roles had been reversed. Thalion was close to completing his armor¡ªjust a few more days of work remained.
In addition to his smithing, he had hundreds of liters of blood stored in his room, empowered by the magic circle crafted by Zyra. He had asked several mages to develop a similar circle to enhance blood, but their efforts had yet to produce satisfactory results. For now, that was fine. Thalion had little time for body tempering and was focused on crafting and managing the base.
"No need to be so aggressive," Thalion said with a smile. "But I don¡¯t see a solution to the beast problem other than sending out larger hunting parties to ensure their safety. We don¡¯t currently know where the bests are at the moment." He also didn''t want to search the jungle for those beasts. It would be more than just a bit time-consuming.
"He¡¯s right," Edrion, a guard elected to the council by everyone over level 50, interjected with a commanding voice. "We cannot protect people while they¡¯re hunting. Another solution would be to designate zones that only individuals of a certain level are allowed to enter. I spoke with the scouts earlier and they¡¯ve discovered a giant termite hive in the distance. If it continues to grow at this rate, it could become a significant threat within a week."
"That¡¯s correct," Maike added. "However, the hive is the only serious threat we¡¯ve identified for the base so far. There are some strong beasts, around level 70, roaming the area within a ten-kilometer radius. They¡¯ve been preying on survivors and hunting parties. We¡¯ve marked their last known positions on the map, but their movements are fast and erratic, making it difficult for the stronger parties to track and eliminate them."
"How many hunting parties currently have access to these maps? And how often are the maps updated when a threat is added?" Thalion asked, turning to Elise, one of the alchemists and craftsmen responsible for creating the maps over the past two days. The initiative was introduced after several survivors were lost to beast attacks.
"The maps are synchronized," Elise explained. "As long as someone isn¡¯t too far from the base, they can see any updates in real time when a new threat is added."
"How many maps do we have?" Thalion asked, already forming an idea to address the issue. "If we can provide every hunting party with a map, they could call for help when needed. We could station guards or stronger parties in key areas so they could respond quickly¡ªeither to save lives or avenge them."
Chapter 121: Some Serious Crafting
The council meeting continued for a while. There was, of course, another method to establish a connection among everyone¡ªthe upgraded tokens Kael had possessed. However, Thalion hadn''t had the chance to upgrade them, which remained one of his top-priority purchases from the next system shop.
So far, he had handed out 11,043 tokens to his citizens. In this regard, the system had been immensely helpful. Anyone who entered the base was given the option to become a citizen. Every evening, Thalion simply accepted all the pending requests on his status screen, which automatically teleported the tokens to the new citizens. It would have been nice if he had known about this feature earlier, but at least he did now.
After more discussion, the council concluded that the map idea was the best course of action for now. A key suggestion from the guards during the conversation was that stronger parties could mark their current positions on the shared map. This would help lower-leveled survivors coordinate their hunts and ensure that support was nearby in case of emergencies.
The next major topic on the agenda was training areas. Thalion wanted something similar to the Golden Mountain¡ªa facility that could significantly enhance his strength and durability. Combined with his newfound healing powers, this would make him incredibly formidable. The builders were currently debating the best location for such a structure.
However, they also argued against spending too many credits on this project. One of the craftsmen had developed a device that increased gravity, originally intended as a kind of cannon. If scaled up with additional crystals for power, it could fulfill the same purpose as the Golden Mountain. With this in mind, they planned to build two additional body-tempering halls beside the already existing training hall.
The council also discussed constructing new towers and improving guard training. The base had grown so crowded that it was becoming difficult to manage effectively. Mornings were especially chaotic, with the streets packed so densely it was challenging to reach destinations.
Fortunately, many residents could fly or leap across rooftops. Even so, changes were necessary. However, Thalion couldn¡¯t upgrade the base Michael and Garrick had bought for him until the system shop arrived. Those days of waiting would be exhausting.
Some council members even suggested deactivating the signal beacon, but Thalion refused to consider it. With so many people in his base, the amount of credits he earned was staggering, and there was no way he would give up that income.
These were the day¡¯s most challenging topics. The remaining discussions revolved around mundane issues: who could use the inns, how to attract more guards for improved safety, and so on. These matters didn¡¯t particularly interest Thalion.
His priorities were finishing his armor and starting body-tempering training. He had mountains of plants with high affinity for dark energy and hundreds of liters of blood waiting to be consumed.
The looming termite hive in the distance also needed to be dealt with, but Thalion was confident he could handle it. What intrigued him even more was exploring the benefits of the connection he had stolen from the Outsider.
The energy coursing through his body felt like a nuclear reactor in his soul, one that consumed no fuel and generated incredible amounts of power. His spirit core, which he had worked so hard to build, now seemed almost irrelevant.
Curiosity got the better of him at one point, and he decided to test the limits of his regeneration. He cut off his left hand to see how quickly his spirit body would recover. Placing the severed hand back on the stump, he watched as it healed almost instantly.
The regeneration of his spirit body was at least as fast as his physical body¡ªa truly remarkable advantage. His regenerative ability now far exceeded that of the madman he had killed. The only thing he didn''t like was the pain from cutting his hand off. It was still as bad as before.
Another topic of interest was the harvesting of plants. The trick was to take only enough from each clearing in the jungle that the plants could regrow within a day or two. There were no traditional fields¡ªjust small clearings scattered throughout the dense vegetation. Thalion felt the number of dark-affinity plants was still too low, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it.
For now, weaker survivors were assigned to farming duty. After a day of farming, they were accompanied by expert hunters to gain experience and levels while hunting. Deaths during these outings, while not common, were also not unheard of. Most beasts were now above level 35, with the majority closer to level 48.
Survivors arriving at this stage were at level 25, making it almost impossible for them to kill such beasts. If a stronger creature¡ªespecially a variant at level 60 or 70¡ªencountered them, survival was highly unlikely. Stronger guards or warriors accompanied the groups to buy enough time for the weaker survivors to escape.
This tactic had proven effective so far, and no one had come up with a better solution yet.
One unfortunate aspect was that there were a few more individuals who used shadow magic and could therefore make use of the plants with darkness affinity. However, Thalion believed the available supply should be sufficient for his needs.
One of his definite goals was to purchase a giant basement where he could store everything necessary for body-tempering and cultivate a garden of plants with a high darkness affinity. His hope was to eventually birth a darkness elemental that could merge with the umbral predator. With the growing population of survivors in his base, he was confident he¡¯d earned enough credits to afford these ambitious plans.
For now, his mind was preoccupied with numerous tasks. He wanted to upgrade his skills and modify his amulet, transforming it from a soul-saving device into a power source capable of absorbing the souls of the beasts he killed.
This project was particularly urgent, as it would be his most valuable asset in tackling the termite hive. He expected the hive to provide an abundance of souls for his amulet. Regarding his garden, Thalion hoped to acquire plants with a stronger dark affinity than those currently available in the tutorial phase.
¡°We need more skyships to gather more resources. Those crystals will be vital, and we need to stockpile as much as possible before advancing to the next stage,¡± Caelan, one of the smiths, said, interrupting Thalion¡¯s thoughts.
¡°I¡¯ve got too much on my plate right now to fly to the mountains, but I can assign it to Kaldrek,¡± Thalion offered. There was no way he would waste his valuable time hunting while he had so many critical tasks to complete.
¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to do as well,¡± Kaldrek admitted, after considering for a moment, ¡°but I can head out tomorrow and return before the system shop arrives.¡±
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¡°Just remember¡ªno scratches on my ship,¡± Thalion said firmly, irritated at the thought of others damaging his possessions.
¡°Good thing the ship has a repair enchantment,¡± Lucan chuckled. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not completely destroyed, it¡¯ll always restore itself to peak condition.¡±
After a few more minutes discussing safety protocols, the council meeting adjourned. Thalion and Lucan flew back to the smithy, where Thalion immediately began working on the amulet. The armor he had crafted was currently in a magic circle, steadily absorbing mana to enhance its properties. Meanwhile, Lucan was working on teleportation circles to make travel around the city more efficient or to enable instant access to the skyship. These would be crucial in the fight against the undead.
Thalion inspected the back of the amulet, focusing on the intricate runes etched into its surface. At its core, the amulet resembled the device he had used to trap Rylak¡¯s soul, with one key difference: unlike Rylak¡¯s prison, this amulet could allow a soul to enter Thalion¡¯s body. It essentially functioned as an open gate capable of holding one or possibly multiple souls. Thalion¡¯s task was to transform it from a gate into a prison¡ªone that could draw in the souls of defeated enemies and prevent their escape.
To start, Thalion copied the amulet¡¯s existing runes onto a wooden plank and began adjusting them. It took almost an entire day of painstaking work before he was satisfied with the new design. The modified amulet would not only trap souls securely but would also increase its suction power and overall effectiveness with each captured soul.
The next phase involved erasing the old, redundant runes¡ªa process that required nearly a full day. Then came the addition of new runes. Thalion had considered using his own blood as an inscribing medium but decided to use something even better.
In the last system shop, Lucan¡ªwhom Thalion hadn¡¯t taken any credits from¡ªhad purchased a formation capable of liquefying crystals. Although this process diminished the crystals¡¯ power significantly, it vastly improved their conductivity, making them ideal for Thalion¡¯s amulet.
Carefully, Thalion carved the new runes and filled them with the liquid crystal. Once removed from the formation, the crystal took only a few minutes to harden fully. The process was laborious, as he could only use a small amount of liquid crystal at a time to fill the intricate runes.
One critical aspect of liquefying crystals was that it stripped them of their wind affinity. This drawback made the process unsuitable for crafting equipment for wind mages or cultivators who relied on wind-based energy. While the crystals could eventually regain their original affinity¡ªor be imbued with a new one¡ªthe process was prohibitively expensive, and most found it unnecessary if their power sources retained the desired affinity.
For Thalion¡¯s purposes, the lack of wind affinity was perfect. By the night of the second day, he had completed the amulet. It was now a powerful artifact, capable of absorbing and storing souls while growing stronger with each one it captured.
Over time, the former wind crystals would gradually regain their original affinity¡ªor adopt whatever affinity was required. For Thalion¡¯s purposes, however, the lack of affinity suited him perfectly, and he successfully finished the amulet by the night of the second day.
You have forged an amulet of rare power
Amulet of the Soulbinder (Legendary)
The message was identical to the one he had received after crafting his sword. In that instance, the weapon¡¯s activation had blasted him against the wall¡ªa reaction common to all items with integrated power sources. Anticipating this, Thalion had summoned a mana barrier in front of himself to absorb the shock. Amusingly, the process also granted him a small amount of experience, though it was hardly worth mentioning due to his title reducing the gains. Additionally, he hadn¡¯t crafted the amulet entirely from scratch. He had merely modified it.
The amulet had already been of legendary rarity before the alterations. Thalion wondered how many souls it would require to ascend to mythic rarity, as every soul it absorbed would enhance both the amulet and his own strength. Tomorrow, the system shop would arrive, and the following week, he would likely be drawn into the effort to exterminate the termites. Given the approaching challenges, it wasn¡¯t such a bad idea to focus on finishing his armor until then.
Thalion planned to use liquid crystals for the runes on the armor, which would be a time-consuming task. He had already prepared cavities in the armor for three small crystals, which would serve as its power source. Now, he only needed to connect everything and complete the final, most critical piece: his mask.
He had several ideas for incorporating his current mask with the crown of the madman. Thalion was particularly drawn to the concept of a design that instilled fear in the hearts of his enemies, granting him a significant advantage in combat.
To achieve this, he had placed three former wind crystals and the crown into the pillar of fear, where the madman had once imprisoned and tortured his victims. Over several days, the pillar had transmuted the crystals from wind affinity to something completely different, intensifying their power and their resonance with the crown¡¯s own properties. They now put the familiar pressure on him, similar to the madman''s mental attack, just not as powerful.
When properly constructed, the mask would emit a constant aura of fear, affecting his enemies while leaving him untouched. This was thanks to specific runes on his armor that flagged him as an ally, shielding him from the sinister energies.
After nearly a week of exposure to the pillar, Thalion deemed the transformation complete and decided to integrate the tainted crystals into his breastplate. However, completing the mask would require dismantling most of the crown and combining its materials with other enchanted components he had prepared earlier.
It was unlikely he¡¯d finish the mask before the system shop arrived. The process was intricate: first, he needed to craft the mask¡¯s structure, and then he had to etch the complex network of runes that gave it its extraordinary properties.
The armor¡¯s runes were relatively simple by comparison, consisting of three interconnected types spread across its surface. The first type enhanced the armor¡¯s toughness, significantly increasing its durability. The second amplified the armor¡¯s aura, boosting its ability to unleash mental attacks. The final type allowed for self-repair, enabling the runes to restore themselves within minutes if damaged.
Tests had shown the armor¡¯s self-repair system to be highly effective, and with the power of three crystals in the breastplate and one in the mask, the process would be even faster.
The mask would feature additional runes for enhanced vision and would connect seamlessly to the hood and the black cloak he intended to wear over the armor. This cloak, crafted by a skilled artisan, contained multiple powerful runes similar to those on his previous robe. However, these runes would deactivate whenever Thalion chose to reveal his aura¡ªor the armor¡¯s.
Even the soles of his metal boots had been inscribed with silence runes, ensuring that no one would hear his footsteps. He wasn¡¯t entirely certain how effective they would be but was eager to find out.
The next few hours were spent carefully extracting the crystals from the crown without damaging them and dismantling the crown itself. Thalion combined the materials from the crown with those he had prepared earlier, placing them into a container above the forge¡¯s roaring flames. To expedite the process, he used his flame skill, melting the materials faster.
Nearby, Lucan was engrossed in his own project, engraving runes onto a helmet. The runes were designed to release a shockwave upon impact, giving the wearer a brief window to recover. While Lucan doubted the effect would work perfectly, he was eager to test it for the fun of it.
Back at the forge, the powerful materials took nearly an hour to fully liquefy, a testament to their potency. The process gave Thalion valuable practice with his flamethrower skill. Once liquefied, he poured the molten substance into a mold he had crafted for the mask.
The intense heat of the forge was no longer a concern for him; since entering the system, his body had adapted to such extreme conditions, eliminating the need for traditional safety measures. On Earth, he would have quenched the new item in cold water to harden it, but in the system, patience yielded better results. Lucan often grumbled about this inconsistency, finding it illogical, but Thalion didn¡¯t mind as long as it worked.
While the mask was still warm, Thalion began engraving its intricate rune network. The mask had to perform multiple critical functions: it needed to stay securely on his face without straps, maintain the hood¡¯s precise positioning, and support the fear-inducing properties of the tainted crystals. To achieve this, Thalion replicated runes from the mask he had received during the tutorial.
After hours of meticulous work, Thalion had to pause¡ªthe system shop had arrived. It was time for shopping.
Chapter 122: Veil of Dread
Thalion appeared in front of the voice, slightly exhausted from all the engraving he had done. However, he was recovering quickly.
"Good day, voice of the system. Today, I need houses, a new outer wall, ..." Thalion greeted the system by listing everything he needed to buy. The list was long, but he had 3.2 million credits, so it should be more than enough.
After he bought all the supplies necessary for the people living in his base, he had over seven hundred thousand credits left. Over one hundred thousand credits went into his secret cellar. The rest was spent on a bud for a tree that possessed a very high affinity for darkness, and a blood crystal that significantly increased the power of any blood it touched.
At first, he had hoped to purchase more, but this would have to be enough for now. After all, he would receive more credits next week. There were also many tasks to accomplish: setting up his underground garden, which required a significant number of runes to direct energies; body-tempering with blood, soul, and darkness; and finally, dealing with the termites, which he needed to eliminate. Altogether, it was more than enough to keep him busy for a week.
Thalion felt satisfied as he arrived back in the tutorial after spending all his credits.
"So, where to start?" Thalion wondered aloud as he left the smithy and rose into the air. The new outer wall seemed the most logical starting point, he decided.
When Thalion bought everything he needed from the system shop, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that placing everything would take the entire day. Then again, he had purchased quite a lot: houses, new training halls, the outer wall, towers, more shops, inns, and other structures. He even had to expand the base slightly outward using his main building crystal to create more space and widen the streets.
And then there was the fleet of skyships. Two were combat-ready, while over a hundred smaller vessels were solely designed for speed and agility. Despite buying so many, the system¡¯s voice didn¡¯t even offer him a discount. Luckily, the smaller ships were quite cheap.
His entire base now resembled a sprawling city, with a radius of easily over two kilometers. There was now enough space to accommodate at least one hundred thousand more people. Tomorrow, there would be another council meeting to evaluate the progress so far. Until then, he would work on setting up his underground garden. The mask project could wait, and he had even returned the crystal to the pillar to absorb more energy and become more of a fear crystal.
Next, Thalion placed the fist-sized red crystal into his blood container along with ten additional wind crystals. Thanks to Kaldrek¡¯s recent trip to the mountains, they had more than enough wind crystals. Thalion hoped that over time, these crystals would absorb the blood affinity of the stronger red crystal. He also poured the accumulated blood from recent days into the container.
With all the blood currently inside, it could fill an entire lake. Thankfully, the spatial manipulation within the blood container was functioning properly; otherwise, he would have needed a much larger room.
He was finally alone in his tower. Over the past few days, a few families had been living here because they had run out of living space. It wasn¡¯t a problem, though, as he had locked the room containing the blood and pillar, ensuring everything remained safe. The damage from the recent battle had been repaired thanks to the enchantments in the walls, which was an added benefit.
Anyway, he had successfully placed his cellar and was now descending the stairs that had opened up. It was much deeper than he had anticipated¡ªat least a hundred meters. Before he had access to the system, climbing back up these stairs would have left him utterly exhausted.
The cellar he entered consisted of multiple halls, each with a ceiling over a hundred meters high, illuminated by blue light emanating from crystals embedded in the stone walls. It was far more space than he currently needed, but perhaps his requirements would change in the future.
He had eight giant halls in total, one of which was designated as a garden he had purchased from the system shop. The bud he placed in the center of the garden was called Shadeheart¡¯s Blessing. He hoped it would begin to grow within the next few days.
To nurture the tree further, he placed multiple magic circles around it, designed to draw mana into the bud. Before leaving the garden, he scattered small hills of plants with high affinity nearby to serve as nourishment for the bud.
He wondered how quickly it would grow and when the first elementals might spawn. The engraving process had taken so long that he was almost late for the council meeting. Thankfully, there weren¡¯t many pressing topics to address.
It seemed everything had gone smoothly with the new houses and walls. The new tokens made it significantly easier for the guards to catch murderers and other criminals. They had also implemented secure communication systems outside the city, which would hopefully prove more efficient than the maps they had relied on previously.
The most pressing matter arose when Maike asked, "when will we deal with the termites? They are growing faster by the day. It won¡¯t be long before they reach us."
"Maike is right. We need to act quickly; we''ve spotted multiple beasts above level 70," Korven, another scout, added with a grim expression.
Thalion quickly calculated in his head. It would likely take one to two days for the armor and mask to be finished, another two days to devour all the plants as an umbral predator, and perhaps one additional day to feed all the blood to the sanguine throne.
"What about five days, give or take?" Thalion said slowly, still unsure how urgent the situation was.
"That could be risky. I think we should deal with the termites in four days, or the people on farming duty could be impacted," Maike added, her concern evident.
"Alright, four days it is," Thalion agreed. He couldn¡¯t let the termites steal his precious resources, after all.
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The next pressing matter was when to teleport to the next stage. Some members proposed leaving in two weeks, while others preferred one month. Thalion, however, wanted to remain for at least two weeks, depending on how quickly his garden grew. He also doubted he¡¯d have much time for body tempering after the war with the undead had began, especially given the unresolved situation with Kael and the others. Kael would definitely come for him, but for now, that was fine.
"I suggest we leave in one month at the earliest. We¡¯ll need stronger fighters to face the undead and possibly even other humans," Thalion said after careful consideration.
A month should be sufficient for him to complete his body-tempering upgrades and other projects. Most council members agreed with him, and the meeting concluded shortly thereafter. They decided to send out the smaller ships for scouting while the larger vessels would head to the mountains to gather more crystals.
"Ah, Elise, could you bring me a few living plants with dark affinity in the next few days?" Thalion asked as they exited together.
"Of course. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem," Elise replied, nodding with a smile.
Gathering more plants for his garden would, he hoped, help the tree grow faster. Now it was time for some crafting. His armor and mask awaited him. On the way, he retrieved the four crystals embedded in the pillar.
The moment of truth had arrived: had he messed up or created an item beyond legendary rarity? The materials he had used were immensely powerful, with versatile applications such as repair and mental attack capabilities. If the armor didn¡¯t reach mythic rarity, it would certainly be among the pinnacle of legendary items.
It took Thalion several more hours to finish engraving the runes on his mask. Finally, it was time for the final process. Although it was the middle of the night, Lucan remained in the smithy, eager to see the result of Thalion¡¯s work. Now, there wasn¡¯t much left to do except place the crystals into the four interconnected items to complete the armor.
Thalion laid everything on the ground: the mask, coat, and metal armor. He inserted three black crystals into the armor first, which began to hum with power. Further inspection confirmed that the crystals were tightly integrated into the armor.
¡°Just one final piece,¡± Thalion thought, inserting the last crystal while immediately activating his mana barrier and jumping back.
Not a moment too soon¡ªthe armor released a powerful wave of energy that shattered his barrier and sent him tumbling several meters back.
"Haha! Looks like you¡¯ve created something extraordinary," Lucan said with a loud laugh, watching Thalion sprawled on the ground before him.
You have forged an armor of rare power
Veil of Dread (Mythic)
"And what rarity is it?" Lucan asked with anticipation as Thalion slowly stood back up and walked toward the armor on the ground, which was still humming with power.
"It''s a mythic armor," Thalion said, a big smile spreading across his face.
Thalion equipped the armor with a thought. "Veil of Dread" was an unusual name for armor, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. Another unique feature was that no one else could use his armor. The runes on the mask, which protected him from the fear effect, were engraved with his blood. Technically, others could wear it, but they would be overwhelmed by the fear effect¡ªa fate no one would willingly endure.
The armor didn¡¯t resemble the heavy plate armor of medieval times. Instead, it looked more like a sleek, modern combat suit¡ªsomething akin to an Iron Man suit, minus the advanced tech. Veil of Dread was also incredibly lightweight. Thalion hadn¡¯t planned to test the fear-inducing runes immediately, but with Lucan watching him intently, he felt compelled to proceed.
The runes for enhanced toughness were already active. Thalion and Lucan spent the rest of the night testing the armor¡¯s capabilities. Lucan wielded a massive hammer of legendary rarity, one he had crafted for a heavy warrior. It took every ounce of self-control for Thalion not to flinch as the giant weapon came crashing down on his arm.
With a loud clang, the hammer rebounded, leaving only a small dent in the armor. The impact was jarring, but Thalion reminded himself that without the armor, his arm would have been shattered. It didn¡¯t take long for the armor to repair itself.
"Ha! Fourteen seconds¡ªthat¡¯s outstanding for a self-repairing feature," Lucan said in astonishment, glancing at his watch.
"Now, let¡¯s see the offensive skill you¡¯ve been talking about," Lucan urged eagerly.
"Fine, but I¡¯ll only use a fraction of its power¡ªit¡¯s supposed to be pretty intense," Thalion said, nodding as he slowly activated the runes of fear.
"Okay, okay, stop! That¡¯s enough," Lucan said uneasily, beads of sweat forming on his face as Thalion reached approximately ten percent power.
"Wow, I didn¡¯t think it would be this intense," Lucan admitted, now smiling. "Can you focus it on a single target?"
"No, it affects everything in my vicinity," Thalion explained. "But I think I can amplify its effect by flaring my aura even further."
Even Thalion hadn¡¯t expected such potency from just ten percent power. Lucan had started to shiver slightly, his face drenched in sweat. Few would possess armor of such strength. Thalion glanced down at the crimson lines on the gloves, where the sanguine thorn would emerge.
The armor felt like a second skin, and he couldn¡¯t help but be satisfied. Finishing the armor ahead of schedule gave him unexpected extra time for body-tempering. Smiling to himself, Thalion happily returned to his tower.
On the way, he gathered living plants with high dark affinity from Elise and planted them in his basement garden. He retrieved most of the alchemist-empowered plants with dark affinity from the storage crystal, piling them into a hill that filled an entire hall in the basement.
¡°Those alchemists had definitely level up from this,¡± Thalion thought with a smile as he surveyed the massive mound of plants.
Finishing the armor earlier than expected turned out to be a blessing¡ªit gave him more time for this task, which was taking far longer than anticipated. Namely, devouring all the plants as umbral predator. Once satisfied, Thalion collected a bunch of leaves and flowers, arranging them around the plants as fertilizer.
Next, he shifted back to his human form to train his fire skill and mana barrier. Would the body-tempering method be faster to digest the darkness faster? Yes, but he preferred a bit of physical training. His flamethrower now reached over forty meters and burned intensely hot. Even the stone walls began to melt after a minute of exposure.
Training with the first skill he had ever acquired was satisfying, but Thalion knew he had to return to body-tempering. Sitting down as an umbral predator, he began channeling the darkness he had absorbed into his flesh and bones, further strengthening his body.
Days passed quickly in a cycle of eating and meditation until a notification informed him it was time to leave. Thalion had only consumed half of the plants. He carefully placed the remaining ones into his spatial ring before leaving the cellar. They would travel to the termite hive aboard the fast scouting ships.
Initially, they had planned to use the teleportation rune Lucan was constructing, but it didn¡¯t work reliably over long distances. It wasn¡¯t an ideal solution, especially since the larger ships were still out gathering wind crystals, but it would suffice.
There was much to test. The others would use the small scout vessels, while Thalion planned to fly himself in his eagle form. Thalion stood atop his tower, watching as over thirty small ships rose into the sky. Each vessel carried at least ten strong fighters.
This might not be enough, he thought grimly. We may need to regroup and try again later.
The first ships unfurled their sails and shot into the distance at incredible speed. Thalion leapt into the air, transforming into his eagle form. Activating Feather Glide and Tempest Shroud, he soared after them with astonishing velocity. From above, Thalion took in the sight of his vast city. The tall towers, massive walls, countless homes, and the signal beacon casting blue light into the night sky filled him with pride.
¡°Not bad, not bad at all,¡± Thalion thought to himself as he flew after the ships.
Chapter 123: Termite Hive
Thalion was flying behind the ships, occasionally casting a whirlwind to aid in his body-tempering. He had been reflecting on many things during the journey. One of these was the body-tempering technique he planned to purchase in a few days, which utilized gravity, similar to the golden mountain. Then there were his plans for eagly.
Evolving the bird into a wyvern. Once he returned from this trip, he intended to fuse the whirlwind skill with lightning bolt, since he already possessed the superior lightning beam. Two skills that practically demanded fusion were feather glide and tempest shroud. He had also considered merging eye of the storm with lightning bolt barrage. That combination would undoubtedly result in an immensely powerful skill.
For eagly, his next goal was to create a crystal with pure light affinity and fuse it with one of the wind crystals to create a storm crystal. Many beasts consumed such crystals for faster body-tempering, as the crystal¡¯s energy flowed through their bodies, amplifying the preferred affinity. Beasts could also draw on the crystal¡¯s power, making them much stronger and more dangerous. Creating a crystal with lightning affinity would be challenging. The only idea Thalion had so far involved blasting a wind crystal with lightning.
He noticed that the skyships in the distance had stopped, and the first fighters began jumping down. Before the system arrived, it would have been impossible to leap from a skyship hovering over two kilometers above the ground. Some landed on tall trees, while others hovered in the air¡ªlikely mages. Heavy warriors, on the other hand, crashed into the ground, seemingly unaffected. Well, all but one, whose foot twisted at an unnatural angle. Fortunately, a healer carrying a staff quickly mended the injury.
Below them stood a massive hill built by the termites. Termites were scattered throughout the area, screeching loudly as soon as they spotted the intruders in the trees. The battle began in earnest. Thalion sent a message to the group, asking to be notified whenever someone was close to killing a termite or had just done so. He wanted to gather as many souls with his amulet as possible. While he couldn¡¯t see the souls, he could feel them thanks to his title, which connected him to the world in a completely different way.
The fight below intensified as more termites emerged from the hill. Thalion dove down, transforming into his human form. He activated only the toughness and self-repair runes, as his fear-based abilities might have caused panic among his own fighters, rather than the termites. Drawing his legendary weapon, the blade of the blooded templar, which hummed with power, he stood on a high branch and unleashed a red slash at one of the termites. Thanks to his connection to the outsider, he could channel far more power into his weapon without worrying about depleting his resources. The slash effortlessly cleaved a level-60 termite in half.
Thalion jumped down, landing before the fallen termite. The amulet should now do its work. He felt something being drawn from the termite¡¯s body. Moments later, the amulet hummed with a faint surge of power. It wasn¡¯t much, and had he not been paying attention, he might have missed it. Not bad at all, Thalion thought. He wondered how much stronger the amulet would feel after absorbing its first hundred souls.
The battle raged on as termites poured out of the hill¡¯s holes. While some mages and warriors were forced to retreat due to the swelling number of insects, Thalion stood at the heart of the fight. He swung his sword relentlessly, and vines of the sanguine thorn shot from his free hand, aiming for the weak points of the armored insects. Not every warrior retreated. The heavy warriors stood beside him, smashing termites with unyielding force. Meanwhile, mages positioned themselves above, raining down spells, while healers stationed between the mages and archers on the trees tended to the wounded.
Thalion, however, required no healing. So far, no termite had pierced his armor or inflicted any harm. Even if they had, his natural regeneration, enhanced by his stolen connection to the outsider, was likely faster than any healing spell. Additionally, the sanguine thorn stored reserves of blood for emergency healing. He was more than fine¡ªhis stamina and mana regenerated faster than he could expend them.
The termites fell one after another. Thalion continued unleashing red slashes, cutting through them with ease. While he could have employed more of his blood-based abilities, he refrained, not wanting to reveal too many of his skills or his full power. The amulet grew stronger as it consumed the souls of fifty termites. Everything was proceeding even better than expected. Thalion had half-anticipated the amulet to malfunction or even explode, but it worked flawlessly.
The battle was going well; no humans had fallen so far, and Thalion allowed himself a small smile under his mask as he cut down another termite. "Let¡¯s see what this amulet can truly do," he thought.
A giant screech was heard from beneath them, and the ground burst open in multiple places as two giant termites, both level 79, emerged and began attacking. Thin, white threads were connected to them, trailing from the holes in the ground. The aura of these termites was completely different. In an instant, they shot multiple rock spikes from their shells, hitting several mages and archers perched in the trees.
One of the termites sprinted toward Thalion, almost teleporting, and bit down with its massive mandibles. Thalion spun aside in a fluid motion, slashing upward. A red arc of energy cleanly severed the monstrous insect''s neck. If they attacked him so recklessly, without the support of other insects, he could easily dismember them, as he had no trouble targeting their small weak points.
The soul of the beast, however, felt different. He sensed it like a candle being lit inside his amulet. More of the massive termites began to emerge, and Thalion soon understood where the white threads originated. Weaker termites stood motionless, their threads connecting them to the larger defenders, buffing them to terrifying levels.
It didn¡¯t take long for the first warrior to fall under the onslaught of one of these monsters. The wounds inflicted by the mages and archers did little damage and healed almost instantly. Normal attacks or skills couldn¡¯t even scratch these beasts. Their shells were simply too tough.
Devouring them as umbral predator without using the tendrils would undoubtedly be highly beneficial. Still, at the moment, retreat seemed inevitable as more and more of these giant termites poured from the hill¡¯s massive hole. The situation grew increasingly dire, and even with his new armor, speed, reflexes, and healing, Thalion wasn¡¯t certain if continuing the battle was wise. The termites were too powerful and too numerous.
"Retreat," Thalion transmitted through a token to everyone, dodging a spiked projectile by activating mistform. Above one of the termites, he materialized and fired a strong blood thorn at its abdomen, piercing the weaker defenses there. A battle of wills ensued as Thalion and the sanguine thorn struggled to absorb the termite¡¯s resources and let the thorn grow within its body. Normally, this would have been easy, but it felt as though over fifty termites were supporting the larger one, and progress was painstakingly slow.
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The other warriors were retreating, leaping into the trees to reach the skyships. The termites, however, anticipated this and tried to intercept them by firing rock spikes and boulders at the trees and fleeing fighters. Thalion remained on the ground, fighting. He could escape easily with mistform if needed, so there was no rush to leave. Instead, he focused on collecting more souls and stashed the corpses of the larger termites in his spatial ring for later consumption.
Eventually, the larger termites became too difficult to kill. Activating mistform, Thalion slipped between the legs of one and entered a tunnel packed with hundreds of smaller, stationary termites, their threads supporting the stronger defenders. He reappeared beside one and struck with precision. Four vines extended from his back, slashing and skewering as many termites as possible. A message arrived from the others: most warriors were now on the skyships, while a few were fleeing through the jungle. Seven warriors had fallen, and five were badly injured but should recover quickly.
Thalion was deeply troubled. These fighters were some of the strongest in his base, and he couldn¡¯t afford to lose them. He reassured the others, saying he was fine and would join them soon. But before leaving, it was time to test the true limits of his armor.
He unleashed his full aura, no longer concealing it, and a wave of fear rippled through the ten-meter-wide tunnels. The effect was immediate: most of the supporting termites severed their connections and began to shiver, paralyzed with terror. Thalion¡¯s armor and mask hummed with power fueled by the crystals imbedded in it.
For a brief moment, it was a slaughter. The larger termites hadn¡¯t yet joined the fray, and Thalion killed dozens of their smaller counterparts every second, utilizing all his abilities to their fullest. Blood drained from countless insects as they fell to him and the sanguine thorn. Red slashes from his sword tore through others, while his amulet hummed with increasing power, collecting the souls of the fallen insects.
From time to time, larger termites descended from the surface after driving off the other fighters. Even these couldn¡¯t hold out long against Thalion¡¯s relentless assault. They fell quickly, and Thalion decided to take a risk and delve even deeper. Within minutes, he had killed hundreds of insects and absorbed their souls.
To his surprise, he discovered he could charge his armor with additional mana. A feature he hadn¡¯t known before. He needed to investigate this ability further, but for now, it was disastrous for the termites. Already unable to withstand his mental attacks, their resistance crumbled entirely. Only the larger ones could hold out, and even they exhausted themselves in doing so, making them easy prey for Thalion.
He wasn¡¯t expending significant resources and felt more alive than ever. But he hesitated¡ªwas it wise to venture further? What if the queens assigned him another cursed title, or worse, E-grade defenders appeared? The risk was palpable, but the allure of power urged him on.
That could make things very dangerous, but so far, nothing in these tunnels could kill him. Thalion kept slashing and drawing blood from the weaker termites, as it was the fastest and most effective way to kill them.
Thalion fought his way through the tunnels until he entered a great hall, where over eight of the larger termites were waiting. Hell broke loose the moment he stepped inside, as all eight charged him at once. The smaller termites, which normally supported the larger ones, were unable to move due to the fear-inducing aura of his armor. This was fortunate¡ªif all eight had been boosted, defeating them would have been much more difficult.
Thalion had already noticed an improvement in his reflexes through the stronger amulet, and it showed in how he handled their attacks. He easily dodged the earth spikes one of the larger termites launched at him during its charge, countering with a red slash. Then he shifted into mistform, materializing beside the termite on his left, and cleanly severed its head with an empowered slash.
The next moment, Thalion appeared between the stunned termites and unleashed blood harvest, drawing multiple rivers of blood toward himself at incredible speed. At the same time, the remaining seven large termites regrouped and charged again. Thalion fired several blood thorns and a condensed beam of fire at the approaching creatures. However, the blood thorns failed to hit any weak points, and the flames barely affected the termites.
Forced to act quickly, he telekinetically dashed to the side and slashed at a termite on the right. Though powerful, his attack missed a weak point and left only a deep wound rather than killing the insect outright. A moment later, he had to summon a mana barrier to block incoming earth spikes, but the barrier was ripped apart by their force. Thalion shifted into mistform again, dodging the spikes at the last second and reappearing at the termite''s side, where he severed two of its legs and damaged its abdomen.
Despite the ferocity of the fight, Thalion noticed the termites were struggling more and more to keep up. His armor¡¯s passive effect seemed to be taking hold, instilling increasing fear in his enemies. Within a minute, all eight of the large termites lay dead at his feet. Thalion stored their corpses in his spatial ring while their souls were absorbed into his amulet.
He knew he needed to find a way to fuel his skills with even more power. For now, though, he had no trouble managing the costs due to his regeneration abilities. Even after using mistform multiple times, his mana barely dipped, and any reduction was restored in seconds.
Stronger termites continued to emerge from the depths, as the colony remained on high alert. Yet, it made little difference. Thalion¡¯s full-power assaults and the mental effects of his armor incapacitated the weaker termites completely, leaving them unable to act. The battle raged on for nearly an hour, and Thalion grew adept at killing termites efficiently, needing no more than a few strikes per foe. By the end, he had absorbed over a hundred souls from the larger termites and countless more from the smaller ones.
His amulet thrummed with incredible power, its effects greatly amplified. Dodging multiple earth spikes and fighting several large termites simultaneously had become effortless for him. Slowly but surely, he worked his way deeper into the tunnels, heading toward the queen''s chamber. Termites fell one by one as he carved a path forward, his amulet growing stronger with every soul it absorbed.
After two more hours of relentless fighting, Thalion finally entered what he believed to be the final chamber. Inside was a single queen¡ªfat and massive and surrounded by four enormous guards. The queens legs were too tiny and didn''t even reach the ground; it reminded him a bit of a stranded whale. The chamber was vast, filled with hundreds of scattered eggs, far more than he had seen in the anthive.
Before the guards could attack, Thalion raised his hand and used blood harvest to eliminate the workers. However, he immediately felt the queen¡¯s mental presence pushing back against his will. Even with the sanguine thorn and the amulet, it wasn¡¯t enough to overpower her.
The queen let out a piercing screech, her entire body erupting with power, which buffed the workers and guards to incredible levels. The guards didn¡¯t just glow with energy¡ªthey grew over two meters larger. Thalion needed to stop this transformation quickly. He fired an empowered blood thorn at the queen, but a formation beneath her lit up, shielding her effortlessly.
The now-enlarged guards moved with shocking speed and power. Thalion barely dodged their strikes and launched a red slash at one of their necks. Normally, this would have been enough to kill such a creature, but it only inflicted a minor wound, which healed within moments. Another guard lunged at him while a third conjured a massive stone spear.
Realizing the situation was hopeless, Thalion activated mistform and shot back up the tunnel. All in all, it wasn¡¯t a bad outcome, as he had harvested countless souls and bodies. He decided that he would return in a week or so for another attempt if the termites had recovered and he could do a proper soul harvest.
Chapter 124: Life on the Fourth Stage
The fourth stage was great, as long as you didn¡¯t encounter the undead, a nice farming spot, and no one was progressing faster than the owner of a certain inn. Lars was having the best time of his life. He loved cooking, grilling, and baking. Now he had the chance to serve his customers dino meat.
His favorite guest was now sitting in front of him with its giant mouth open wide, waiting for Lars to throw in some of his new creations. It was, of course, Vorlok, who had entered the kitchen again to visit his second-favorite human, the first being, of course, Eve.
While Eve and Kargul were drinking, Vorlok always invaded the kitchen and gobbled up as much food as Lars could throw into his mouth. Lars loved feeding the turtle, and since many people brought him the beasts they had slain, Lars wasn¡¯t even close to running out of food.
Next to disappear was some marinated T-rex leg, swallowed whole by the turtle. Lars had a giant smoker standing in a room behind his kitchen, currently holding a whole hyenadon. Ah, life was great for cooks in this new world, Lars thought with a big smile as he kept feeding the turtle, who always licked its beak after every meal to show its enjoyment.
The inn had grown a lot on the inside since the last system shop upgrade and could now hold over two hundred guests. Two of these guests were Evelyn and Kargul, who were eating, drinking, and celebrating their latest hunt.
Several weaker warriors and children worked in the inn, helping to bring the food to the tables. Evelyn and Kargul had already drunk a few bottles of vodka, with Kargul being visibly drunk, while Eve was still in perfect condition.
"You know, sometimes I feel like you¡¯re cheating," Kargul mumbled while downing another glass of strong vodka, slamming the glass hard on the table.
"I think you¡¯re just a very good teacher," Evelyn replied with a smile, mimicking Kargul and slamming her glass down as well.
"Hey, you two! I heard you were out hunting far from here. Can we ask you a few things? I¡¯m Chloe, and this is Eddie," Chloe said, stepping up beside Evelyn with Eddie by her side.
"Yes, but only if you drink with us," Kargul roared happily, pulling out a few more bottles they had bought from the system store.
"I don¡¯t think I should drink such strong stuff," Chloe tried to avoid the inevitable.
"Oh, don¡¯t worry! Evelyn is drinking it too, and she¡¯s much smaller than you," Kargul laughed, motioning for the two to sit down.
"The reason we wanted to talk to you is that we¡¯re looking for our friends, Jack and Josh," Eddie said, stumbling over his words after finishing his first drink, already a bit drunk.
"Oh? Which direction did they go?" Evelyn asked, genuinely interested. She always liked helping people, so why not these two?
"Well, we don¡¯t know since they weren¡¯t with us but were on their way back from the ocean," Chloe said, her worry evident.
"Huh, why are you so sure they teleported to this stage?" Kargul asked loudly, a bit confused, while trying to push a piece of grilled meat into his mouth.
"No, I¡¯m sure they also teleported. It was hard to hold them back over the last few weeks. They were already fed up with the third stage," Chloe said, tears in her eyes. "They kept complaining that the beasts weren¡¯t strong enough."
"Hm, so they¡¯re shapeshifters?" Evelyn asked, surprised. "What forms did they have before the teleport? Maybe they¡¯ve already slain a strong beast and are doing just fine."
"No, they only had two forms¡ªJack had a squid, and Josh had a small crab," Chloe managed to say, a tear rolling down her cheek as Eddie laid a comforting hand on her back.
"Eve, I don¡¯t think those are good forms for survival," Kargul exclaimed loudly. "We need to help them."
"So, what forms do you two have?" Evelyn asked, curious. "If we¡¯re going to help, you¡¯ve got to tell us a bit about yourselves."
"I have a bear, a panther, a wasp, and a tarpon as forms," Eddie said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"I have the exact same forms," Chloe murmured while taking another sip of the strong drink.
"Wait, why do you two have more forms than Jack and Josh?" Evelyn asked, confused.
"Well, the bear wasn¡¯t good enough for them, and they only wanted to take the best forms," Eddie sighed, clearly reliving some memories.
"A grasshopper and a crab don¡¯t sound to me like the most powerful forms for a shapeshifter," Kargul laughed loudly, holding his belly.
"After the grasshopper and the pike, which was our first water beast, they didn¡¯t want to take any more weak forms," Chloe sighed, staring down into her glass.
"Those sound like funny guys," Kargul chuckled. "We¡¯ll help you, but we¡¯ve got to wait for Vorlok. He¡¯s cultivating very hard at the moment."
"Come on, Josh, it¡¯s only one day until the system shop¡ªyou¡¯ve got this," Jack said, trying to comfort his friend.
After Josh had spent almost two days on the rock as bait, he had finally recovered enough to get off the rock and end his employment as bait. He had been swallowed by a slug and bitten by some beast when Jack wasn¡¯t looking for a moment, but he had survived it all. At the moment, Josh was experiencing an existential crisis, doubting if he was strong enough to get through the last day. What if the 200,000 credits weren¡¯t enough for him to get this special class?
Currently, they were walking through the tall grass in search of easy prey. So far, they had been very lucky that many of the big predators hadn¡¯t bothered with them. Night would soon fall, which meant this was his last chance to earn some credits. He only earned small amounts by assisting Jack as bait or slightly damaging beasts during hunts. It wasn¡¯t much, but if the price of the class didn¡¯t change too much, he should be able to afford it.
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Still, the ordeal of spending two days on the rock as bait had left him feeling uncertain and fearful. So many things had gone terribly wrong over the past few weeks that he didn¡¯t feel like he could push through. Jack, however, was doing his best to help, dragging Josh along to the next battle. All Josh had to do was damage the beast once while Jack fought it to gain some experience and, most importantly, credits.
This pattern continued throughout the night as they carefully made their way through the tall grass. Jack¡¯s class was very powerful and capable of dealing with most beasts. If something came too close, he could transform into his squid form and devour them. The sheer size of his squid form was such a big advantage that almost no normal-sized beast stood a chance once grabbed by one of the giant tentacles.
After an exhausting night and morning, during which Josh was almost sleepwalking, the system shop notification finally appeared. The progress they had made overnight was much better than when Josh had been bait on the rock, enduring constant attacks from beasts.
Josh now had 510,630 credits and felt confident about buying his new class.
"See? You got this¡ªI believe in you," Jack said, nodding with confidence, though he was clearly exhausted from the long night.
"Okay, I¡¯m going in," Josh said, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself before teleporting.
He appeared in the familiar setting of the system shop, with the voice of the system speaking directly into his mind.
"So, I guess you still want to become a grasshopper?" the system¡¯s voice asked, tinged with amusement.
"Yes. Do I have enough credits to afford it?" Josh asked, sounding both hopeful and exhausted.
"Actually, yes. There are different options. Last week, the Warrior variant was priced at 500,000 credits, but it has now dropped to 350,000 credits," the system began its explanation.
"This is only one race option for grasshoppers you can transform into. Of course, there are more, but most are weaker and not worth sacrificing your future for. The second option is known simply as the Hunter. It¡¯s a significant upgrade in almost every aspect compared to the Warrior."
Josh could already feel where this was going¡ªa super-good class with all the advantages, but one he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford.
"This class is now priced at exactly 500,000 credits," the system concluded.
A big smile spread across Josh¡¯s face as he double-checked his credit balance, just to be sure he had enough.
"What exactly are the upgrades?" Josh asked excitedly. It took all his willpower not to immediately purchase the item that would grant him his new class and form.
"Well, it''s better in almost everything," the voice began again. "It is the special unit sent in after brute force and sheer numbers have failed to defeat the enemy. It has a higher rarity, better skills, a stronger body, and all its attributes are better aligned. Maybe this is important to you¡ªit doesn¡¯t even really look like a grasshopper. Here, take a look at both forms."
With those words, two holograms appeared before Josh. One was the Warrior, an over-three-meter-tall bestial creature with powerful mandibles and claws. It had the body of a grasshopper, but it was no longer eating grass. This whole being looked strong and powerful, reminding Josh of a meat grinder.
The second form, the Hunter, looked completely different. It was only two meters tall, with an human-like body, and didn¡¯t appear nearly as dangerous. It had two legs with double knees, the lower ones bending the opposite way, which looked a bit strange. Running with those legs would definitely be peculiar.
It had no skin but instead a strong chitinous armor, more elegant than the Warrior¡¯s bulky exoskeleton. While it didn¡¯t appear to have a lot of muscle, it was hard to tell with the armor. After all, insects didn¡¯t flex their muscles like humans.
There were spikes on its back, but Josh couldn¡¯t spot any wings. The arms looked cooler, though¡ªbehind the elbow, a blade-like spike extended backward. The Hunter¡¯s claws were long and slender, unlike the Warrior¡¯s robust, heavy claws, which seemed far more dangerous at first glance.
Then there was the Hunter¡¯s head. It was only half the size of the Warrior¡¯s, with two antennae on top and large black eyes, each containing three yellow pupils. While the Hunter also had mandibles, they were much smaller and less impressive than the Warrior¡¯s monstrous ones.
All in all, both creatures looked pretty awesome, but Josh couldn¡¯t see how the Hunter was supposed to be better than the Warrior. Maybe the voice had made a mistake. He blurted out, "Did you switch the Hunter and the Warrior? The Hunter doesn¡¯t look that impressive."
"What? How did you come to that assumption?" the voice asked, sounding almost confused¡ªa rare experience for an all-powerful entity.
"Well, the claws aren¡¯t as strong, the mandibles are smaller, and it doesn¡¯t have any wings," Josh summarized, listing all the differences he had noticed while comparing the two classes.
"Wait, are you seriously saying the Warrior is superior to the Hunter?" the voice laughed, clearly amused.
"Okay, young human, here are a few more details. The Hunter has three pupils, which give it almost 360-degree vision. You can also see many more color spectrums, making it easier to spot prey. The antennae on its head can detect smells and vibrations all around you, so no one can ambush you from behind.
"Even though the body doesn¡¯t look that strong, you must have missed the tiny runes etched into its shell. These runes constantly absorb energy from the environment, increasing your strength, agility, and toughness. And as for movement¡ªit doesn¡¯t need wings because it can levitate with ease and has multiple ways to move quickly through the air."
"Wait, like a vampire?" Josh interrupted, surprised.
"Well, not all vampires can levitate," the voice replied, clearly enjoying itself. "And when they do, it¡¯s usually by controlling their own blood. What the Hunter does is far more efficient and doesn¡¯t require any concentration at all."
The voice continued, "Your thin, long claws and the blade behind your elbow are merely conductors for your immensely powerful skills, capable of laying devastation on your enemies in no time. Additionally, the Hunter can burrow with ease, and you¡¯ll even gain bonus stats from eating specific beasts or plants."
"Okay, then I¡¯ll take the Hunter," Josh said in astonishment. If all this was true, it was definitely worth all the torture he had endured over the past days with Jack and his special hunting methods.
He purchased the item that would grant him his new path:
Heartroot Crystal of the Sage Hunter
The Heartroot Crystal of the Sage Hunter is a rare, deep green crystal embedded within a twisted root, pulsing with a subtle, ominous glow. This ancient artifact is said to carry the essence of the supreme Sage Hunter, granting shapeshifters the coveted High Priest of the Hunt class. Only those prepared for true transformation may bond with the Heartroot Crystal, as doing so replaces all previous forms, binding the shapeshifter to the powerful beast form of the Sage Hunter. This class channels both the mystic reverence and lethal prowess of this legendary predator, allowing the bearer to wield its primal strength and divine hunting instincts.
Josh wondered what Jack would say when he saw his new form.
"One last thing¡ªwho has the stronger beast form now, me or Jack?" Josh asked the voice before leaving.
"Hm, I¡¯d say it¡¯s even. Both classes have their strengths in different areas. It will come down to you to decide who becomes stronger in the end," the voice answered after a short pause.
Josh reappeared before Jack with a smile. He was confident he might be even stronger now. Jack, meanwhile, was still moving many of his tentacles randomly while Josh''s form would be much easier to control. Oh yes, he was looking forward to finally being more powerful than Jack.
Chapter 125: So, who is stronger now?
"And did you get what you wanted?" Jack asked eagerly after seeing that Josh returned from the system shop.
"Oh, yes, I did! I¡¯m a Sage Hunter now," Josh replied proudly.
"What? A Sage Hunter? One of the strongest fighters in the glorious grasshopper armies?" Jack exclaimed in surprise.
"Hey, how do you even know that?" Josh asked, confused and slightly suspicious. Why hadn¡¯t Jack mentioned this earlier? Was he hoping I¡¯d go for the weaker Warrior form? Josh wondered.
"Well, I didn¡¯t want you to feel bad if you couldn¡¯t gather enough credits," Jack said with a wide smile. "Now go use the item¡ªI want to see what your beast form looks like!"
Josh took out the crystal entwined with a small root and cracked it open. Power surged through his body as countless system messages appeared, asking if he wanted to accept the new path and several other choices. He confirmed them all. Moments later, his body was consumed by a burning energy, and he felt profound changes. Even his human form seemed altered.
Looking down, he noticed his left arm now sported the elbow blade described in the system''s explanation, but that seemed to be the only visible change on the outside. Internally, though, he felt his bones growing denser and stronger.
His senses sharpened to an overwhelming degree¡ªhe could now detect even the slightest movements within his field of vision. This is what a mythic class feels like, he thought in awe. Absolutely incredible. For the first time, he felt like the one truly in charge, while Jack still struggled to control his mass of tentacles.
"Transform! I want to see your beast form!" Jack said, nearly jumping in excitement.
Josh, brimming with pride, triggered the transformation. He stood before Jack in all his Sage Hunter glory.
"Whoa! That¡¯s amazing! See? Totally worth being bait for all those powerful beasts!" Jack cheered, throwing his hands in the air. Then, he noticed something strange¡ªJosh¡¯s three pupils started to roll wildly, and the sage hunter, one of the apex predators of the multiverse and a pinnacle grasshopper variant at F-grade, collapsed to his knees.
"What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?" Jack asked, now worried.
"It¡¯s these eyes! I see everything! It¡¯s too much! And I can¡¯t close them¡ªI don¡¯t have eyelids!" Josh exclaimed, panic rising.
"Ah, that¡¯s normal. Let me tell you¡ªI still mix up my tentacles half the time," Jack said confidently. "You just need practice."
Jack watched as his friend, now in his impressive beast form, sat on the ground, futilely trying to shield his eyes with his long claws.
"Man, I didn¡¯t expect this," Josh muttered. "Did you know the system voice said our forms are equally strong? It¡¯s up to us who ends up stronger in the end."
"Wait, you¡¯ve got a mythic class too?" Jack exclaimed, surprised. "And don¡¯t get your hopes up¡ªI¡¯m the super squid! Nothing¡¯s stronger than me."
"You¡¯re just lucky!" Josh retorted. "You grab stuff with your tentacles, and most of your telekinetic skills cover such a wide area it¡¯s impossible to miss!" Josh refused to accept that a giant squid could be better than him. He was a noble grasshopper now, and he wouldn¡¯t bow to a squid.
Taking advantage of Josh¡¯s disorientation, Jack bolted toward a nearby group of beasts, eager to gain the lead in kills.
"Hey! That¡¯s not fair!" Josh yelled, but he still couldn¡¯t stand. The overwhelming influx of sensory data was too much to handle.
"Oh, look at this Stegadon¡ªpractically defeated itself!" Jack teased from a distance.
"When I get this body under control, I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s better!" Josh shouted angrily.
"Sure, sure. Oh mighty grasshopper, I¡¯m so terrified," Jack laughed, firing a telekinetic wall at a cow-like beast with razor-sharp teeth charging toward him.
<--
Thalion was down in his cellar, body-tempering as an umbral predator. This had been his primary focus for the past few days since returning from the termites. He had many things to improve, but one of the most pressing issues was his attack power.
While he had enough regeneration to fight at full strength for days, he couldn¡¯t deliver a single, decisive blow powerful enough to crack the defenses of the termite queen or her guards. This meant he had to improve his weapon and hone his skills further.
For his weapon, he already had plans. He had learned about better runes that could conduct his power and skills far more effectively than the ones he currently used. Additionally, he planned to craft these runes using liquid crystal.
Once the sword was finished, he intended to hammer the blood affinity into the crystal runes to retain the effect he currently enjoyed. He particularly liked the red slash it produced, finding it far more satisfying than the blue one.
Furthermore, he wanted to create a more powerful crystal. In fact, he had already discussed this with Lucan, and they were both eager to experiment with combining crystals using Thalion¡¯s technique to see how many could be fused before the whole thing exploded.
Improving his skills, however, was going to be more challenging and time-consuming. It was best to get his physical preparations completed while nurturing the collected blood and tending to the garden. Thinking about it, Thalion realized he had an overwhelming number of tasks to juggle. Fusing eagly''s skills and creating the storm crystal were also high on his to-do list.
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There had been one council meeting recently, and the decision was made to enslave all murderers using slave cuffs and, of course, confiscate their credits. The slave cuffs would also be used for those who misbehaved.
However, Thalion recognized the danger of giving guards too much authority, so he entrusted the oversight of this system to the small family he had saved from the spiders and scorpions. They were grateful and happy to assist. It was also a good excuse to give the nice family some extra resources without anyone complaining.
Another important development was that Thalion no longer needed to purchase defensive arrays for the time being, allowing him to focus entirely on his personal growth. As for his purchases in the system shop, his priorities were clear.
First, he wanted more buds of shadeheart¡¯s blessing. The first tree had already grown to a height of three meters. In its vicinity, all light disappeared, creating the exact environment needed to birth an Elemental of Darkness. This success made him eager to purchase more of these expensive trees.
Second, he needed more blood crystals. He had created a blood pool in one of his cellar halls, which was filled with spatial distortions. A single blood crystal had empowered the pool, raising the quality of the blood to new heights and transforming the other crystals within it into crimson-red blood crystals.
Around the pool, Thalion had placed multiple enchanted circles to draw even more mana into the blood. He had already amassed an astonishing quantity of blood¡ªenough to fill ten Olympic-sized swimming pools. More red crystals would amplify this power further, making them a worthy investment.
The final item he desperately needed was a gravity formation for body-tempering. He believed its effects would mirror those of the golden mountain, if he understood it correctly. He planned to install the gravity array in his cellar, filling the remaining space with trees and red crystals. Both items were exorbitantly expensive, but as a wealthy man, he didn¡¯t need to worry about credits.
This would be the only system shop visit where he indulged entirely for himself. Next week, he would focus on fortifying the walls and acquiring new skyships. As for theories on entering the fourth stage¡ªthat was another problem for the following week. For now, it was time to speak with the voice of the system.
"Greetings. What wares do you desire?" the voice of the system asked in its usual businesslike tone.
For Thalion, it was always a pleasure to return to this place. Standing on the black water while golden light shone down from above always brought him a sense of peace.
"I need a gravity array, and I want to spend the rest of my credits on buds of shadeheart¡¯s blessing and blood crystals," Thalion stated.
"For what purpose do you need the gravity array? As a trap, for body-tempering, an elevator, or simply for fun?" the voice asked, this time with an amused tone.
"Mostly for body-tempering, but now that you mention it... maybe a bit for fun," Thalion replied, momentarily confused.
A short while later, he had spent all 3.9 million credits and exited the system shop with a wave. He now possessed ten Shadeheart trees, one gravity array, and six blood crystals. Upon returning, Thalion threw the blood crystals into the blood pool, alongside an additional twenty wind crystals, each standing a meter tall.
He wondered if the vampires on the higher levels had similar methods. The blood hummed with power, and the sanguine thorn awoke with desire, clearly liking what was happening in the pool. Then, he tended to his garden and planted the buds, trying to maintain an even distance between the trees.
It took him the better part of the day to draw runes in the earth using the blood of the sanguine thorn. These runes were meant to guide the newly birthed elementals to a single location so they could unite and grow in power more quickly¡ªif the plan worked as he hoped. The trees needed to grow first anyway.
Thalion placed the gravity array in another of his halls. Now, only one hall remained empty. One hall contained the blood pool, another was his garden, the next housed the gravity array, and in the last stood the pillar of fear, where nine small crystals were currently embedded, slowly transforming into "Crystals of Fear"¡ªif that was the correct term.
Time was short, as he planned to speak with Lucan in the morning, so he decided it was time to get rid of the termite corpses in his spatial ring. This time, he opted for the old-fashioned way and not the tendrils, which turned everything into darkness.
Devouring something through darkness yielded barely any experience or stats, though it was excellent for body-tempering. Since he had enough plants with high affinity for darkness prepared, eating the termites the traditional way would yield better results. He also hoped to finally reach level 50, as the battle with the termites had brought him tantalizingly close to leveling up in all forms.
Thalion pulled out the first ten termite corpses and began eating. He regretted not using the tentacles of darkness to consume them immediately; the shells were tough, forcing him to rely on Abyssal Bite from time to time to pierce the thick carapace.
It was an infuriating process, and the shell splinters stuck between his teeth eroded only because of his darkness rising from him. At least it was worth it. After consuming the second big termite in this manner, he received his first notification:
You have gained 2 toughness
It wasn¡¯t much, but he had plenty more termites to go. Since the gains applied to all his forms, it would prove more than worthwhile. He pressed on, eating through the entire night and into the early morning. Consuming beasts this way didn¡¯t fill him as much as using the tentacles, but Thalion didn¡¯t mind. He could eat continuously without stopping. Over the hours, he consumed almost all the termite corpses, gaining a total of 38 additional toughness.
The experience gain was enough to finally push him to level 50. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t acquire any new skills¡ªa disappointing outcome, to say the least. A new mythic skill was exactly what he needed, but there was nothing he could do about it. Thalion distributed his free points between wisdom as a human and agility as an umbral predator, prioritizing speed over the other stats.
Feeling energized, he shot up the stairs using Mistform and made his way to Lucan¡¯s smithy. It was time to blow some crystals up. Lucan was already waiting for him, a big smile on his face.
"Let¡¯s do it," Thalion said with a wide grin.
"I say it¡¯s possible to combine eight before they explode," Lucan replied, grinning back.
"My sword already has eight crystals combined, so I¡¯ll aim for twelve," Thalion laughed, enjoying the smith¡¯s incredulous expression.
Before he could add the new crystal to his sword, there was much work to do. First, he removed the crystal currently embedded in the blade. Then, he destroyed the runes on the sword and began carving new ones into the metal. These runes would be infused with liquid crystals. The entire process would take time and require sacrificing a significant amount of his own blood for optimal results¡ªa sacrifice Thalion was more than willing to make.
Thanks to the modified amulet, the sanguine thorn, and his connection to the other plane he had stolen from the outsider, his recovery would be swift. He considered using the blood crystals from his pool for the sword but decided against it.
They were far too valuable, as he needed them to enhance the countless liters of blood he had already amassed. In truth, he wanted to shock the sanguine thorn by absorbing all the blood at once. Perhaps this much blood would finally push the thorn to its limits.
For now, it was back to smithing. Lucan had already prepared some of the crystals, shrinking them down in size using his formation. The power of these crystals far exceeded Thalion¡¯s expectations¡ªthey must have been meters wide before being reduced. This also meant they would require far more blood to alter their affinity. It was best to start the process immediately.
Chapter 126: New Trouble
Lucan helped him in the meantime by filling the runes on his sword with the liquid crystals. It took Thalion nearly half an hour to finish transforming the first crystal. He already felt much weaker, with so much of his blood used for the process. He had previously attempted to use blood from the sanguine thorn, but it had very little effect on the crystal and didn¡¯t change much at all. Perhaps it could work over time, but he didn¡¯t have that much time. He wanted to complete the crafting and body-tempering before their journey to the fourth stage. So, he continued his work on the other crystals.
Thankfully, his blood regenerated quickly, and with the Heart of the Sanguine Archon, the new blood grew increasingly potent. Hours passed as Thalion hammered his blood affinity into the crystals. He stopped after finishing six crystals, knowing the power of these combined crystals would double the strength of the one connected to his blade before.
"I think I need a little pause before the final process," he said to Lucan, who nodded in agreement. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t push through; he simply wanted to be strong enough to withstand potential injuries if the crystals exploded.
Thalion sat down to meditate, speeding up the empowerment of his newly regenerated blood. Meanwhile, he placed his blade inside a magic circle to absorb additional mana. It wouldn¡¯t make much difference, but every little bit helped, so why not use it?
While he was midway through his blood purification, he received a message from the other council members. Maike had called an emergency meeting. So, Thalion and Lucan stopped the crafting and hurried to a large, grand building that Thalion had purchased specifically for council meetings. He hadn¡¯t wanted them always gathering in his tower, even though the underground was well protected by multiple runes.
When they arrived, all the others were already there waiting. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Maike, who looked utterly exhausted. Her hair was burned in places, and her clothing was ripped in multiple spots.
"What happened?" Kaldrek asked, concerned¡ªvoicing the question that was on all their minds.
"We¡¯ve encountered other humans," Maike huffed, still out of breath.
"Wait¡ªI thought we were the only large human camp? We haven¡¯t even spotted a small camp in weeks," Elise exclaimed in shock.
"And why would these humans attack you? Have they gone mad?" Edrion, one of the guards, asked loudly.
"Yes, they have gone crazy," Maike replied. "It¡¯s a human base led by three brothers and their sister. The camp isn¡¯t as big as ours, but it¡¯s fully militarized. They rule with an iron fist. I only spoke briefly with one of their hunting parties. Before I realized the situation, I told them about our safe, peaceful base. Now, I fear they¡¯ll come for us," she said quickly, her voice cracking.
"It¡¯s fine. I believe Thalion can handle this situation," Kaldrek said confidently, attempting to calm the still-shaken Maike.
All eyes turned to Thalion.
"How far is this human camp?" Thalion asked, hoping there was enough time to finish his sword before the fight. A war was really not something he wanted at the moment.
"It took me a little over two days to return here at full speed," Maike answered, tears running down her cheeks. "But they could already be on their way. I have no idea what their capabilities are."
"Didn¡¯t you purchase additional defenses this week?" Kaldrek asked hopefully. So far, their base only had a few magic circles and a dome-like shield surrounding it.
"No, I didn¡¯t," Thalion admitted. "We have a few more problems to consider. What if they invade under the guise of survivors? We¡¯ll need stricter controls over weapons and must detain or monitor any new, strong arrivals," he concluded, realizing the situation was more complex than it initially seemed.
"I¡¯ll notify the guards immediately," Edrion said, nodding with urgency.
"I also want to position the skyships around the perimeter to spot them early enough," Thalion added.
"We should send some scouting vessels in their direction for further reconnaissance," Kaldrek agreed, taking the matter seriously.
"Why did they try to kill you, Maike?" Isolde asked, looking at the still-shivering woman.
"The only logical explanation is that they wanted to stop me from reporting to all of you," Maike replied, her voice trembling.
"I don¡¯t believe that," Elise interjected. "Maybe it was just a misunderstanding."
She was immediately met with disapproving looks from the others. Yeah, no one believed that.
"What should we do next? Is it even safe to send out hunting parties?" Korven, another scout, asked, his voice tinged with worry.
"Nah, in the end, we have the numbers, and the scouting parties could also help us spot these people. It¡¯s important to inform everyone about what happened," Thalion said in a calm tone.
"We can¡¯t do that! What if they decide to help them for better rewards after they conquer this base?" Isolde exclaimed, but so far, no one supported her concerns.
"There¡¯s nothing we can do against something like that," Thalion sighed. He wasn¡¯t particularly afraid of these people. As long as he could finish his sword, he would be more than prepared.
For now, not much had changed. They sent out their scouts, and Thalion informed everyone about what had happened to Maike. Furthermore, they encouraged everyone to train as much as possible, remain wary of new arrivals, and head out in larger hunting parties. They just needed to hold on until the system shop arrived; by then, things should become far more manageable.
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He checked the total survivor score, which was currently at 101,004 survivors. Perhaps this stage was far larger than they had initially thought, and these people weren¡¯t the only ones who might come after him in the days ahead.
Regardless, Thalion had worked hard on empowering his blood during the council meeting and was now ready to finish his blade. Back at the smithy, they had prepared the right template to combine all the small crystals. Thalion began by filling it with his blood, then added the original crystal from his sword along with the new ones he had prepared.
As before, he hammered the crystals together until they gradually fused into one. They had considered combining the crystals in their liquid form and then hardening them into a single crystal, but another smith had already tried that, and the resulting crystal was significantly weaker than expected. That was why Thalion was now hammering the crystals manually into a single entity.
After fusing three crystals, the entire process became increasingly dangerous. The large crystal started to release waves of red mana at intervals. Despite this, Thalion pressed on, undeterred. It was maybe a bit crazy and risky, but sometimes you need to welcome them for greatness.
"Holy shit, I thought it was going to blow up," Lucan said as Thalion finished with the final crystal. A powerful mana wave surged out, nearly destroying half the smithy. They had wisely moved all the important tools and materials aside before Thalion even began integrating the last crystal.
Next came the runes on his sword, now made from liquid crystal that had hardened. This part of the process required a considerable amount of his blood, but it wouldn¡¯t be as taxing as the crystals themselves.
"Haha, let¡¯s get ready for the finale," Lucan laughed loudly once the last runes were finished and turned red after being fused with his blood. The blade now gleamed in a very dark red, with crimson-red runes etched along its surface. The entire weapon radiated power, far exceeding what it had before Thalion began the process.
Lucan was right; it was nearly complete. Thalion waited briefly to allow his blood to regain some of its strength. Then, while empowering the toughness runes on his armor, he prepared for the final step.
Using a vine from the sanguine thorn, he carefully grabbed the crystal and stood nearly thirty meters away from the blade. Slowly, he positioned the crystal above the small indentation in the sword hilt and let it drop.
The moment the crystal touched the blade, Thalion summoned a powerful mana barrier in front of himself¡ªand not a moment too soon. A shockwave erupted from the sword, slamming against the shield. The barrier held briefly but then shattered, sending both Thalion and Lucan flying backward into the smithy walls. The shop¡¯s windows shattered, but the walls absorbed the force of the shockwave without showing any signs of damage.
"Holy shit, did it blow up?" Lucan asked after a moment, groaning as he stood up and downed a healing potion.
Thalion¡¯s vision was still tinted red, but his body healed quickly despite the impact of his head slamming into the wall behind him.
You have forged a blade of rare power
Blade of the Blooded Templar (Celestial)
"Oh my god, it worked!" Thalion cheered, raising his hand triumphantly in the air while still sitting on the ground. "It¡¯s even of celestial rarity!"
"Good job," Lucan said with a grin, "that¡¯s two rarities above mythic. Not bad for an F-grade weapon."
"Wait, you can see that it¡¯s F grade? I don¡¯t see any grades on the blade," Thalion asked the smith, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, it¡¯s something to do with my class. The blade will count as E grade the moment even one material in it reaches E grade," Lucan explained quickly while searching for the sword amidst the dust cloud that had been kicked up.
Thalion didn¡¯t need to see it himself; the blade was still bound to him by blood. He simply called for the weapon, and it flew into his hand. The moment it landed, a surge of power traveled up his arm, almost knocking him out.
The sword looked almost the same, except its color had shifted to such a dark red it was nearly black, with crimson runes etched along the blade. The weapon¡¯s sheer power was overwhelming, and Thalion was eager to test it¡ªbut not here. There was still body-tempering to finish in the gravity field before the impending attack from the other human camp.
Returning to his tower, Thalion placed more wind crystals into the black pillar and made his way toward the gravity array. He would have preferred to experiment with various enhancements, but time was against him. It was crucial to become as strong as possible before the clash with the other humans.
The gravity array had fifty levels, each representing a different degree of difficulty. To Thalion, it appeared as a massive magic circle etched into the ground, far more intricate than any standard magic circle. It could be activated by pushing mana into one rune and deactivated by channeling mana into another¡ªa handy feature, especially if someone became immobilized by the array¡¯s effects.
Thalion activated the circle and immediately set it to the second difficulty level. Even this modest increase nearly overwhelmed him; it felt as though a blue whale had been dropped onto his shoulders. His muscles strained, and he prayed his bones wouldn¡¯t give out.
"This must be designed for heavy warriors, but it¡¯s not bad. Maybe it¡¯s even useful for early E-grade practitioners," Thalion mused, considering its potential applications. He realized he could even use it while in his Umbral Predator form, or perhaps as an eagle. Additional stats would undoubtedly help if he aimed to evolve into a wyvern at E grade. He also considered adding reptilian features to increase his chances further.
Initially, he had worried about becoming too exhausted during the training session. However, his body¡¯s incredible regenerative ability, fueled by the reserves of the Outsider bound to him, quickly dispelled that concern. The regeneration was astonishing, allowing him to heal injuries rapidly and push his body far beyond normal limits.
His muscles were developing rapidly with this training method. Before, Thalion had been a bit over 1.90 meters tall and reasonably muscular, but nothing extraordinary. Now, his physique was changing drastically, though he didn¡¯t yet look significantly different outwardly.
The results were undeniable: after just five hours of training, his strength stat had increased by 32 points. The gains were extraordinary, and though his muscles stopped visibly growing, the strength notifications kept coming. With this, Thalion decided to continue body-tempering. Greater strength would give him a significant advantage in close combat, especially when wielding his new sword.
He stood on the circle for hours until a message from Maike interrupted him. By that point, his strength had increased by 62 points, and his body showed no outward changes¡ªa curious contrast to the initial stages of body-tempering, when physical transformations had been more evident.
Unfortunately, the news was bad enough to halt his training. The enemy had arrived.
Five giant skyships, armed for battle, were closing in. Thalion estimated they were still a few hours away. Determined to make the most of the remaining time, he resolved to complete his skill fusion with eagly immediately. Those could be very helpful in airborne battles.
Activating the ancient skill fusion ability he had purchased in the system shop, Thalion combined Feather Glide and Tempest Shroud.
Tempest Glide (Epic)
Harnessing both the agility of the wind and the power of the storm, Tempest Glide allows the user to soar gracefully while cloaked in a swirling shroud of turbulent air and mist. While gliding, the user is surrounded by a vortex of wind and mist that deflects weaker projectiles and partially obscures their form, making it difficult for enemies to land a precise hit. The tempest veil enhances maneuverability in the air, enabling quick directional shifts and bursts of speed.
"This was better than expected," Thalion noted, marveling at the skill. Its rarity had been upgraded, taking the best qualities of Tempest Shroud while combining them with Feather Glide. Time to get to the other skills those fuckers would regret interrupting his cultivation.
Chapter 127: War in the Skies (1)
Next were the skills Lightning Bolt and Whirlwind.
Stormcaller''s Fury (Ancient)
Unleashing the combined might of lightning and furious winds, Stormcaller''s Fury allows the user to summon a powerful vortex of electrical energy that spirals outward, striking nearby enemies with arcs of lightning.
Okay, this was very similar to Eye of the Storm, but the ability to push enemies away could be a game-changer, making it even harder to pin him down in a fight.
Next were his two strongest skills: Eye of the Storm and Lightning Bolt Barrage.
Thunderous Eye (Legendary)
Unleashing the fury of the storm, Stormcaller''s Fury envelops the user in a powerful vortex of raging winds while summoning a relentless downpour of lightning bolts from the sky.
When activated, hurricane-force winds surround the user, creating a protective barrier that deflects weaker projectiles and hinders enemy movement. Within this vortex, lightning rains down from above, striking enemies in a wide area around the user. The combination of violent winds and unrelenting electrical strikes creates a chaotic battlefield, disorienting foes and dealing significant damage over time.
The user can move freely within the storm, turning the ability into a mobile tempest of destruction. Upon deactivation or the end of its duration
Okay, this ability was just broken. Eagly now had two skills that could target wide areas and wreak absolute devastation on his enemies. The new skills would make it even harder to track him down in the storm. Such powerful domain skills would make him a pain to deal with, and when someone would manage to get closer, he could blast him away with stormcallers fury. Time to get moving and see what these newcomers were up to, Thalion thought with a grin. He couldn''t wait to test his new skills.
Thalion launched himself into the air with Mistform to rendezvous with the other guards and scouts aboard the Skywarden Bastion, their strongest skyship to date.
"Good to see you all. What¡¯s the current situation?" Thalion asked Kaldrek, who stood on the deck behind the steering wheel. Maike and several council guards were also present.
"Five heavily armed skyships have encountered one of our scout ships and are now chasing it toward our position," Kaldrek reported grimly. "We have our strongest fighters aboard the skyships, but I¡¯m not sure we can win a battle. The scouts reported they have heavy cannons and magical weaponry on board."
"Do we have any information on their levels?" Thalion asked, though he wasn¡¯t overly concerned. After his recent power-up, he couldn¡¯t see how these newcomers could pose a real threat to him.
"Yes, most of their fighters are around level 75, but these are likely not their strongest," Kaldrek replied with a sigh, clearly not looking forward to the fight.
Thalion scanned the assembled group, noting that most of his allies were around level 72, with some nearing level 80. All in all, their strength wasn¡¯t bad.
"We know nothing about their classes," Edrion added, his tone heavy with concern. He, too, seemed apprehensive about the upcoming battle.
It was time for a grand speech to get his people in the right mindset.
Thalion flew a few meters into the air and addressed everyone, including those on the two nearby ships. "Listen up! We''re about to be attacked by other survivors who aim to slaughter every last one of us. Those fools clearly don''t realize who they''re dealing with! You all look down, afraid to lose your lives. Let me tell you how I see this threat.
"We may only have three strong ships at the moment, but wait¡ªour generous neighbors are about to deliver five powerful battleships straight to us, along with a bounty of experience and credits!" Thalion''s voice grew louder with each sentence, amplified by mana and conviction.
"They think they can kill us? Let¡¯s show them how wrong they are! And I don¡¯t want a single scratch on this beauty here." He gestured to the ship. "Set all sails¡ªour destiny lies ahead!"
Thalion landed back on the deck as the crew sprang into action, working hard to prepare all three ships for battle. Kaldrek, Edrion, and Maike stared at him with wide eyes. It seemed he had struck the right chord; many among the crew were now animatedly discussing how to divide the loot after their victory. Moments later, all three ships were speeding toward their destination, sails fully deployed.
Thalion sat down and began purifying his blood, pushing out impurities and refining it to new heights. The process came so naturally to him now that he could do it without the need for meditation. He was not back in the same shape before the crafting of his sword, but it was close.
"Uh, Thalion, how exactly are we going to fight those ships? Do we have a plan?" Kaldrek asked after about twenty minutes, his voice tinged with concern.
It was a good question. Destroying heavily rune-protected ships would require some thought.
"First, tell everyone to stay away from me. I don¡¯t need any help," Thalion replied after a moment. "I want as many people as possible on our larger ships, fueling the shields and weapons with power. Our elite fighters should circle the enemy ships, looking for openings. You just need to stall them while I take them down one by one."
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"Are you sure about this? I know you¡¯re strong, but their leaders might be close to E-grade¡ªor even evolved," Kaldrek warned, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.
"Yes, I¡¯m sure," Thalion said with unwavering confidence. "The faster ones will distract them while the rest hold the line, firing every weapon and magic circle we¡¯ve got. This ship will be under your command¡ªmaneuver it so not all of their ships can concentrate fire on one of ours."
Such a fight would be perfect for harvesting more souls for his amulet, and Thalion wasn¡¯t about to waste the opportunity.
Before he could start another round of blood purification, an archer at the bow cried out, "Ships ahead!"
In an instant, Thalion used a telekinetic dash to appear beside the archer and scanned the horizon. Five small black dots loomed in the distance, closing in rapidly.
It was time for slaughter, and Thalion eagerly anticipated filling his amulet with souls. Transforming into his eagle form, he surged forward, activating Tempest Glide.
As he approached, he saw that out of the five ships, three were absolutely massive, each boasting five thick masts. The decks were packed with soldiers, all wearing identical armor adorned with a crimson emblem that resembled a demonic red eye.
"Are they blessed by a demon?" Thalion wondered. "It¡¯s almost certain. Anyone strong enough to command such a fleet would likely have a blessing."
Despite his approach, no long-range attacks came his way¡ªevidence that they didn¡¯t see him as a serious threat. Big mistake.
When he was close enough, Thalion unleashed a charged lightning beam at one of the smaller ships on the left flank. The ship¡¯s shields flickered and cracked in several places under the powerful assault, likely because there weren¡¯t enough crew members on deck to sustain them. Still moving at high speed, Thalion zipped past the formation, hearing shouts and commands erupt from the enemy ships.
Circling back, he observed the damaged ship from behind, keeping a safe distance. The shields weren¡¯t bubble-like barriers enveloping the entire ship; instead, they rose from the railings and could be adjusted to protect specific areas like the sails.
"Not bad," Thalion thought, studying the shields. "But what¡¯s the best way to get onboard? Maybe diving under the ship and blasting a hole in the hull would work."
With that plan in mind, Thalion dove underneath one of the enemy vessels and aimed a charged lightning beam directly at its hull. His body hummed with power as the electricity in his form surged to new heights, feeding off the energy from his horns.
Time to see how strong both his enemies¡ªand his newly fused abilities¡ªreally were.
Sadly, his attack didn¡¯t even leave a scratch, and he could hear shouts from above. He didn¡¯t have much time left before they sent a warrior down to deal with him. The good news was that, despite the strength of his attacks, he hadn¡¯t done any noticeable damage to the ship yet. This was likely why they viewed him as more of an annoyance than a real threat.
When Thalion reached the space directly beneath the ship, he switched back to his human form. Holding himself steady against the hull with vines from the sanguine thorn, he slashed upward. The blade¡ªempowered by its recent upgrades¡ªwas now on a completely different level, easily triple the strength it had before. The force behind the slash was just enough to penetrate the ship¡¯s sturdy hull, creating an opening. Thalion shifted into mist form and slipped inside.
Below deck, the ship was a hive of activity. It seemed they were preparing for a full-scale invasion, with hundreds of soldiers crowding the area. Thalion couldn¡¯t tell how many levels the ship had, but it was clearly constructed for troop transport. The ceiling stretched over 50 meters high, although only thirty people were stationed on this particular floor. There definitely was some space manipulation going on.
They all turned to him in surprise, but some reacted quickly, firing skills at him. Unfazed, Thalion unleashed his power, activating several skills simultaneously. He met the incoming attacks with a slash from the Blade of the Blooded Templar, releasing a powerful red mana slash. The sword vibrated with such overwhelming energy that it was difficult to hold. Forcing him to switch to a two-handed grip to hold on to the weapon.
At the same time, he activated blood harvest on the eleven fighters behind him. Three managed to resist the pull, but the others were drained of their blood, which flowed toward Thalion in crimson rivers. His mana slash obliterated the incoming attacks, killing over eleven fighters in a single move.
Thalion¡¯s speed and reflexes were too fast for the remaining fighters to react. He triggered mistform again, appearing between them and cutting them down in quick succession. Moments later, the last of the fighters on this level had fallen. He estimated there was at least one more level above him before he could reach the deck.
An alarm blared throughout the ship, echoing through its massive interior. Thalion, however, felt no fear. With his connection to the Outsider, his power and healing abilities had increased exponentially. The Outsider, described as a spirit of life and power, had clearly been aptly named.
As the amulet around his neck absorbed the souls of the fallen, Thalion noticed something new: it no longer required him to be near his targets. Souls from across the entire level flowed into the amulet without any effort on his part. Some corpses were over 50 meters away, yet the amulet claimed their souls effortlessly.
A final activation of Blood Harvest drained the remaining corpses of their blood, and the Sanguine Thorn hummed with delight as it fed on it.
Normally, Thalion would have charged up the stairs to kill the remaining crew, but a sense of danger stopped him. He could feel a trap waiting for him at the top. Instead, he turned his attention to the ceiling. Unlike the ship¡¯s hull, the ceiling wasn¡¯t nearly as robust.
Gripping his sword with both hands, Thalion prepared to test its limits. Channeling mana into a slash, he unleashed a mana slash with as much power as he could muster. The attack tore through the ceiling like paper, exposing the blue sky above. The strike was so powerful it even damaged the ship¡¯s mainmast, sending pieces of it crashing to the side.
Satisfied with the result, Thalion didn¡¯t stop. He unleashed mana slash after mana slash, each one further devastating the floor above. In total, he fired over twenty strikes, completely destroying the level above and creating several openings to the deck. The amulet pulsed as it absorbed more souls from the fallen crew members.
Thalion halted his onslaught and activated blood harvest, drawing all remaining blood from the corpses above him. The sanguine thorn absorbed it all eagerly and wasn''t even close to being satisfied.
Using mistform once more, Thalion reappeared on the deck. The captain, a woman clad in black armor, pointed at him and began to shout something. Before she could finish, Thalion activated the fear effect of his armor, combined with blood harvest and the vines of the sanguine thorn.
The scream died in her throat as her blood was violently ripped from her body. Overwhelmed by the mental assault from his armor, she had no chance of resisting. Most of the crew on deck met the same fate, their blood drained in an instant. Those who resisted were swiftly killed by the sanguine thorn¡¯s deadly vines.
With the deck cleared, only a few fighters remained below deck. Thalion could feel his amulet growing in power as it absorbed the souls of the dead.
Taking a moment to scan the surroundings, he saw that all five enemy ships had slowed to a crawl. Turning his gaze ahead, he quickly understood why.
Five hundred meters away, his three ships awaited, bolstered by numerous light scouting vessels. The real battle was about to begin.
Chapter 128: War in the Skies (2)
Kaldrek had watched what had happened on the ship to the left. At first, he had feared for Thalion¡¯s life as the lightning attack had no real effect on the ship. The crew of the ship was still so preoccupied with preparing for the fight to come that they completely ignored the eagle. Then he saw Thalion enter the hull of the ship from below, which was the point where he didn¡¯t see how the guy could survive.
There were just too many people in the skyship. Even though Thalion was incredibly strong, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to fight against fifty, maybe even more, fighters at the same time. At this point, Kaldrek couldn¡¯t watch much longer since he had to command his own ship.
All three ships slowed down, just as the five black ones on the opposite side did, both sides finishing the final preparations for an air battle. Then it happened: the ship on the left, the one Thalion had entered, lost its mainmast¡ªor at least the mast was broken and slowly fell to the side. Kaldrek saw the captain of the skyship shouting at her crew in anger while pointing below deck. This scene put a smile on his face; probably Thalion was already on his way out after destroying some important devices. To his surprise, what happened next was not Thalion exiting the ship through the hull, but instead, large parts of the deck were destroyed by powerful magic attacks.
He was about to ask Maike if she had seen anything like that before, but the next moment, Thalion appeared on deck, and in an instant, everyone on deck died, including the captain. Kaldrek and the others watched in surprise as some simply fell to the ground, their blood draining from their bodies, while the rest, who looked stunned, were killed by red vines shooting out from his body.
¡°How did he get this strong? And what was that attack?¡± Edrion asked him from the side. Everyone had watched what had happened. They could see the surprise and disbelief in the eyes of the enemies on the remaining ships¡ªespecially those on the ship next to the destroyed one. Looking closer, it was not just surprise but maybe fear?
Kaldrek wondered as he observed his enemies. Well, it didn¡¯t matter now. There would only be one victor and one loser. Kaldrek would do everything in his power to avoid ending up in the latter category.
Instead of answering Edrion, he gave his own little speech. ¡°Everyone, get into those magic circles and charge your most powerful spell¡ªor do you want to give all the credit and experience to Thalion? Mages, focus on the shield. I don¡¯t want a single attack slipping through. The fight will begin at any moment.¡±
The last fighters stepped into the magic circles with determined expressions. Everyone knew there was no way back for them. Kaldrek turned the ship to the side so it wouldn¡¯t collide with the remaining four ships, which started the same maneuver, only turning to the other side.
If everyone held their course, they would circle each other while both crews bombarded the opposing ships with incredibly powerful spells amplified by the magic circles beneath them. The scouting vessels they had brought along were still waiting for their chance to drop off their attack group. Kaldrek had commanded them to wait for the initial exchange to reduce the risk and make the approach safer.
¡°We are in range! Fire!¡± Edrion shouted beside him, loud enough to be heard on all three ships. Hell broke loose. All kinds of spells¡ªice shards, fireballs, and even some kind of acid attacks¡ªwere fired. The archers, with their arrows fully charged, unleashed them at the other ships. The enemy ship''s shield vibrated under the first onslaught, but it held strong, with no cracks or signs of weakness showing.
Then it was the enemy''s turn, and even more spells crashed into Kaldrek¡¯s shields, making them vibrate as well. The other ships went even further, sending out groups of fighters flying toward them. Kaldrek had fighters prepared for such a moment and signaled them to engage. He also ordered the smaller scouting vessels to begin their attack. Then the next round of attacks started, as the mages and archers had charged up their next volley and fired again.
All ships had an almost dome-like shield on the side facing the enemy. No ship had the capacity to shield everything at once with such strength, which was exactly why both sides sent out warriors to bypass the protected sections. If some attacks slipped through¡ªor worse, if a group of fighters managed to breach the ship¡ªit could turn the tide of battle. This was another reason why Kaldrek didn¡¯t wait to order the scouting vessels to attack and drop off their fighters after the first exchange, which should occupy most of the enemies attention.
The enemy had more ships, which meant greater firepower, and they needed to compensate for that as fast as possible¡ªor they would lose.
Thalion saw from his position as the fight started, and both ships began bombarding each other with all kinds of powerful skills. He deactivated the fear effect of his armor to avoid affecting his fighters, as many were now trying to attack the black ships from behind.
He activated Mistform, and with incredible speed, he shot around the shield of the black skyship next to him. He appeared on top of the crow''s nest, which on this ship had a magic circle within it, where two mages were firing spells at the ship Kaldrek commanded.
Thalion shapeshifted into the umbral predator and pounced on the mages. One managed to use a teleportation skill and appeared twenty meters below on the deck. The other mage was too slow and died instantly after a sharp claw ripped him in half.
Thalion followed the first mage and landed right in front of him, but the mage teleported a few meters away. He wasn¡¯t worth chasing for the moment, as Thalion switched targets, aiming for the fighters in the magic circles.
He used shadow claw repeatedly, killing as many people as possible. In retrospect, it wasn¡¯t really necessary to avoid using his human form, as none of his fighters had entered this ship. Well, it didn¡¯t matter much. This way, he could work on his fighting skills as the umbral predator. Some might argue that most of the time, it was all pure violence and strength. Thalion didn¡¯t want to change that¡ªhe only wanted to get better at it. He blurred between attacks, dodging the spells fired at him while unleashing shadow claw after shadow claw, killing fighters left and right.
His attacks also damaged the ship, ripping holes in the railing and cutting ropes left and right. Some of the sails were also partly ripped to pieces. One mage tried to fly up, but Thalion still caught him. Now, more and more fighters came from below deck to help their teammates. For Thalion, they were just more enemies to slaughter as he continued his massacre.
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The absurd healing speed of the umbral predator, combined with the power granted by his connection stolen from the outsider, made him nearly invincible. As long as no major skill hit his head, it all would be fine. He could easily dodge dangerous attacks, thanks to his title, which allowed him to sense them in advance¡ªall to the dismay of the enemy fighters.
Then a man landed in front of him. He was heavily muscled and clad in black armor with red runes etched into it. The man wore a helmet adorned with bull horns, resembling something a Viking might favor. Unlike a Viking, however, the man wielded no weapons.
This had to be one of the leaders of the base, but going into a fistfight against the umbral predator seemed like a poor choice from Thalion¡¯s perspective. The man¡¯s armor glowed faintly with red runes, which didn¡¯t seem to represent blood¡ªmore likely flames, based on the feeling his title gave him. Thalion could hardly believe the man was unarmed; perhaps he would draw a weapon at a more convenient moment.
No matter; Thalion had no time to waste and blurred into action. The warrior was no pushover. His armor burned with fire as he punched at the umbral predator. Thalion was willing to trade blows as he continued his onslaught, pushing forward.
No one should be able to harm him significantly with a single punch in this form, and if that happened, he was confident his healing was superior. His claws ripped through the armor and carved deep wounds into the man¡¯s chest until a fiery fist hit Thalion.
The force was immense, sending him flying across the deck and crashing hard into the railing. Flames shot out from the man¡¯s fist before the impact, now trying to burn Thalion¡¯s flesh.
Thalion¡¯s darkness annihilated the flames in seconds. When he looked at the warrior, he saw how his own darkness was almost consumed, burned away as the man¡¯s wound fully healed. This was definitely someone blessed by a god¡ªsuch abilities should otherwise be exceedingly rare in the tutorial. Thalion stood up, ripped off a section of the railing, and hurled it at the man. He hoped the railing might act as a distraction, but the man simply turned into flames and reappeared a few meters to the side, avoiding the object entirely.
Now, more and more warriors were coming out from below deck to support their leader. This wasn¡¯t too bad for Thalion, as he started ignoring the strong enemy and instead focused on the weaker fighters. He moved rapidly, avoiding incoming attacks, and slashed at his enemies with shadow claws. Occasionally, the fire warrior would teleport in front of him and try to land a punch, but the umbral predator was too fast, dodging to target another enemy instead.
Of course, Thalion was hit numerous times by spells and arrows, but never directly; those wounds healed in seconds. So far, everything was going well for him¡ªhe kept killing warriors while avoiding the fire-wielder. The problem was that there were far more warriors on this ship than the other one, and he wasn¡¯t killing them fast enough. It was time to change tactics.
Now, it wasn¡¯t just about killing the people¡ªit was also about destroying the ship. If the ship went down, all those fighters would find it much harder to be useful, and Thalion could continue his fight with the fire warrior in the air or on another ship.
After a short time, the mainmast broke, and all the magic circles and the steering wheel were destroyed. Thalion was hit multiple times, but nothing could stop him; the damage healed in seconds. It was time to leave¡ªbut not before gathering all the resources lying on the deck. Thalion jumped into the middle of the deck, shifted back into his human form, and used manawave, pushing as much mana into the skill as he could manage in that brief moment.
The fire warrior, who was growing increasingly angry as the fight dragged on, was the first to be blasted back. Next, Thalion activated his armor by flaring his aura, blood harvest, and the vines of sanguine thorns, unleashing maximum carnage.
He stood in the center of the deck as multiple warriors perished, their blood violently ripped from their bodies or torn apart by vines. His amulet grew stronger, absorbing the lingering souls of the dead. Thalion didn¡¯t know how long a soul could exist after the body was destroyed or someone died, but it must be at least a minute, judging by the power the amulet gained.
The fire warrior was strong enough to resist the mental attack of Thalion¡¯s armor, effortlessly deflecting both its effects and the efforts of sanguine thorns to drain his blood. Thalion noticed that a red crystal on the warrior¡¯s necklace was glowing with a bright red light. Was it a talisman to protect against mental attacks?
Doesn¡¯t matter. Time to die, Thalion thought as the blade of the blooded templar appeared in his right hand, and he dashed forward. No one should match his level of swordsmanship, and his equipment was surely among the strongest in the tutorial. The man glanced at the weapon in fear before transforming into flames and flying toward the large ship in the center.
Kaldrek followed Thalion¡¯s fight with one eye while bellowing orders. That guy was truly something else¡ªin his umbral predator form, he healed instantly, and his stamina seemed inexhaustible. Thalion just kept attacking and moving at incredible speed. At times, it looked as if he had eyes in the back of his head, dodging empowered attacks aimed at him from behind.
Sadly, Kaldrek had to look away as two figures entered his ship¡ªthe leaders of the vessel in the center. This meant there was still one enemy leader on the main ship. No ships were firing anymore, but fierce battles had broken out on every ship and even in the air between them. Now these two powerhouses had entered Kaldrek¡¯s ship, and he wasn¡¯t sure he could defeat them.
Ever since the integration, Kaldrek had been driven to survive and grow stronger. His reason was simple: he had a great family and a younger sister he wanted to protect. Kaldrek hadn¡¯t appeared in the tutorial without any of his family or friends nearby, and since then, he¡¯d been striving to grow stronger for them.
They must have landed in a different tutorial¡ªor perhaps they were somewhere in this one. At first, Kaldrek had tried to cover as much distance as possible by running and fighting constantly, hoping it would lead to a reunion. But he had given up on that after meeting Kael.
He realized the only guarantee of a safe future for his family was to become as strong as possible. This was why he avoided risks¡ªany time he encountered a beast or human who seemed stronger, he ran. But now, there was no such option. The lives of his men were on the line. He was an elite warrior, and it was his duty to face the enemy¡¯s elite warriors. There was no way around it.
Edrion stood by his side, but he was far weaker. These opponents were likely blessed by gods and already at level 80. The only reason they hadn¡¯t evolved yet was probably that they were aiming for a high-rarity class. Kaldrek himself was at level 72, while Edrion was level 69.
The two men wore powerful black armor with fiery red runes etched into it. One carried a broadsword, while the other wielded a black metal staff. Both appeared to be melee fighters; their muscular builds suggested they weren¡¯t mages.
Kaldrek had never managed to gain a blessing, and he hoped he could compensate for the stat difference with skill. Was that likely? No. Could he find another way to win this fight? Not really. Perhaps if he managed to stall long enough for Thalion to return, but that seemed unlikely.
Kaldrek sent a distress signal with his token to the others, informing them that he would be fighting two elite enemies and needed help. Hopefully, it would be enough to survive.
He drew both his curved longswords, one crackling with lightning and the other burning with red-hot flames. The blades, crafted by Lucan, had crystals embedded in their hilts to amplify the power of his skills. They were still weaker than his opponents¡¯ weapons, but they would have to suffice. He would see his family again, and nothing¡ªno one¡ªwould stop him.
His eyes narrowed, and his grip on the longswords tightened as the four combatants exploded into action, charging at one another with blinding speed.
Chapter 129: War in the Skies (3)
Thalion followed the flaming warrior with mistform, landing a few meters behind him. On the main ship, battles raged everywhere, which was why he hadn¡¯t activated his armor¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to harm his own people after all.
Now, he stood in front of two of the elite fighters. Moments later, he received a message from Kaldrek, stating that he needed help fighting two of the leaders. Thalion would need to finish this fast, but that wouldn''t be easy as he looked at the two elite fighters in front of him. One of the opponents was a woman, some sort of fire mage, dressed in a black robe adorned with red runes and holding a staff crowned with a red ruby. The other was the guy he followed with the Viking helm.
¡°Watch out, this guy is dangerous,¡± the flaming warrior warned the woman, stepping in front of her.
That wouldn¡¯t save them¡ªThalion was on the clock. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose Kaldrek and needed to end this fight quickly. More importantly, he liked Kaldrek, and it was definitely time to let loose and rip those people into pieces. Before the woman could respond, Thalion appeared in front of the flaming warrior, gripping the Blade of the Blooded Templar in both hands. He unleashed a powerful mana slash aimed at bisecting the flame warrior while simultaneously sending the strike toward the woman.
The flaming warrior¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the speed and power of the attack. He transformed into flames and shot upward. The woman, reacting instantly, propelled herself sideways by firing flames from her hands. She retaliated with a dense beam of fire aimed directly at Thalion, while the flame warrior dove down, trying to smash him into the ground.
Thalion countered by firing a bloodthorn over the fire beam, aiming for the woman¡¯s face, and dodged the beam by dashing aside. The woman was forced to halt her fiery assault to avoid the bloodthorn, which narrowly missed her. Meanwhile, the flame warrior crashed into the spot where Thalion had stood just a second earlier.
Unrelenting, the flame warrior charged again, but Thalion summoned a mana barrier in front of him. The flame warrior slammed into it face-first and stumbled back. Before he could recover, a rune-inscribed black sword descended upon him, piercing his forehead and brain.
¡°No, you bastard!¡± the woman screamed, her voice laced with pain and fury, as her aura flared with raw power.
The ruby atop her staff burned with such intensity that it appeared almost molten. A moment later, she unleashed a massive flame spear at Thalion. Even with his reflexes, dodging it completely was impossible. Gambling on mistform seemed too risky¡ªwhat if part of his mist form was consumed by the flames? He spun to the side, raising his sword to deflect the spear. The blade absorbed some of the spear¡¯s energy, filling Thalion with a surge of power. Thalion narrowly managed to avoid most of the skills force by deflecting the attack and partly through his sword absorbing some of it. The rest was tanked by his armor, which had no trouble, and even when it grew a bit hot in there, it was far better than the alternative.
The woman prepared to launch another attack, but Thalion kept her occupied by firing bloodthorns at her. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to maintain her defense. The thorns proved too fast for her to evade entirely, and her flame shields failed to fully block one of them. The thorn penetrated halfway through her thigh bone, accompanied by a loud, painful screech from the woman.
Without hesitation, Thalion seized control of the embedded thorn, commanding it to grow and drain her energy. Her eyes widened in horror, and she must have paid the fifty thousand credits to teleport to the next stage, as her body vanished moments later.
Thalion fired a few more bloodthorns at nearby enemies in black armor adorned with red runes, providing some relief to his allies before leaving. Transforming into an eagle, he flew back to his ship. The sight awaiting him was grim.
Kaldrek was struggling to hold his own against two formidable opponents. Both were far superior in attributes and equipment. Only Kaldrek¡¯s skill kept him alive during the first few clashes, but it was clear he wouldn¡¯t last much longer.
The man with the staff, a highly skilled and precise fighter, pressed Kaldrek relentlessly, looking for an opening. Kaldrek knew better than to block any of his opponent¡¯s swings directly; the sheer force behind them would disrupt his balance. With his fire-related skills rendered useless, he relied solely on his lightning-based abilities.
Kaldrek attempted to maneuver around his attacker to create an opening, but the staff-wielder was too skilled to fall for such tactics. Meanwhile, Edrion faced the warrior wielding a broadsword but was quickly overwhelmed. Only after a few clashes did an upward swing cleave Edrion in half, his body falling lifelessly to the ground.
Kaldrek had hoped to assist with his speed, but his enemy proved too strong. Even a moment¡¯s carelessness could spell his doom. Most of the other warriors were already occupied, leaving Kaldrek to deal with both opponents alone.
The broadsword wielder began charging some sort of fiery skill, his blade burning with intense flames. The staff-wielder capitalized on the distraction, ramming his staff into Kaldrek¡¯s shoulder. The blow shattered the bone, and a follow-up kick sent him sprawling to the ground. Pain overwhelmed him, and he dropped his weapon.
As the broadsword wielder unleashed a slash of pure fire aimed at him, Kaldrek thought with sorrow filling his heart, ¡°This is the end. I¡¯ve failed. I¡¯ll never see my family again.¡± He attempted to roll away, but a lightning beam struck the fiery attack from the side, triggering an explosion that sent him flying several meters back.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a man in black armor engaging two fighters alone. In his right hand was a sword engraved with crimson-red runes that hummed with incredible power. Before the two fighters could react, the man blurred into motion, attacking with astounding speed.
The skilled fighter with the staff was caught off guard, allowing Thalion to exploit an opening. He dodged a swing, and after a brief exchange, delivered a clean upward slash that severed one of the man¡¯s hands. The other opponent attempted to ram Thalion with his shoulder after missing his swing, but before he could connect, Thalion transformed into the umbral predator. Pure darkness surrounded him as the strong warrior rammed into him, which didn''t even move him one bit.
The surprised warrior screamed in panic as he saw Thalion''s open maw closing in on him and unleashed a massive firewave from his body. Flames also erupted from one of his hands, propelling him away from Thalion. Thalion endured the firewave, shielding his head with his claws. The mist-like darkness enveloping his body snuffed out the flames like a candle in the wind. Any minor damage he sustained healed instantly as he launched himself at the warriors.
Fear flashed in the eyes of the stronger opponent. A moment later, both fighters disappeared, teleporting to the next stage.
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With the immediate threat gone, it was time for cleanup. Thalion moved quickly, cutting down the remaining fighters. Seeing their leaders flee, many of the enemy combatants panicked. Those with enough credits followed suit and teleported away moments later. It didn¡¯t take long to dispatch the remaining enemies. Some attempted to escape by leaping off the ship, seeking refuge in the forest below.
Although many enemies escaped, their fleet of five airships remained. The skyships were badly damaged, but each one had repair features that would restore them with time. The cost of victory was steep¡ªthey had lost over forty fighters. Still, those who survived would grow stronger from the experience. That was not the only bonus, as many snatched the equipment of their fallen foes. The credits gained were also good. The mood was not high due to the many dead, and at the moment the anger at the attacker was stronger than any other feelings.
As for mercy? After such a bloody battle, no one was in the mood to offer it to the attackers, and many groups kept chasing the escapees through the jungle.
Kaldrek was back on his feet, though visibly battered. Healers were sent around to treat the wounded, and the crew took full control of the remaining skyships. After some discussion, most of the fighters left, including Thalion. There was no real reason to stay any longer, as all of the enemies had fled to the higher stage or into the jungle. Over half of the survivors stayed behind to guard the powerful skyships until they were fully repaired.
Thalion was relieved. They had won. But the constant pursuit by enemies was wearing on him. He intended to use this downtime productively¡ªto birth a darkness elemental, enhance eagly, upgrade his armor and sword, and expand his underground base with additional rooms. One of these rooms would house natural water treasures for the tidecaller serpent. So much needed to be done before they advanced to the next stage, especially since the war against the undead loomed on the horizon, he thought while flying back to his base. There was no time to waste. It would only get harder in the future, and he wanted to be prepared.
<--
Liam and Alexander appeared on the fourth stage after their harrowing encounter with the man in black armor wielding the powerful sword. That had to be Thalion, Liam thought, recalling the descriptions they had obtained from captives in the jungle.
According to the reports, Thalion was a shapeshifter and blood mage¡ªbut how was it possible for someone at level 50 to be so overwhelmingly powerful? His swordsmanship was unparalleled. Not only had he overpowered them with raw power and speed, but his skill had been undeniable, as evidenced by how he had easily severed Liam¡¯s hand.
They had thought themselves strong enough to conquer the other base, which was filled with many weak newcomers. The credits to be gained from being a city lord or leader must have been astronomical. Normally, wars between humans were forbidden, but this particular base lacked divine protection since its leader was not blessed by any god.
In their minds, nothing could be better¡ªthose without blessings should never stand a chance against the blessed. Their arrogance was fueled by the fact that they hadn¡¯t received mere common blessings but epic ones.
Liam¡¯s thoughts shifted to his siblings. He could only hope his sister and brother were safe, but he doubted they were strong enough to defeat that man. Their patron, Pyraxis, the Blazing Champion¡ªgod of flame and combat¡ªwould undoubtedly be furious upon hearing of their loss. Pyraxis had hoped to gain a favor from the other powerful gods by ensuring his blessed followers played a pivotal role in the war against the undead.
Perhaps they would be lucky. Gods often forgot events that occurred during the tutorial phase, particularly minor details like survivor names. Missions, however, were another story¡ªsuch things were rarely forgotten.
This was the first time Liam and Alexander had been separated from their siblings. They had always been close, even after beginning their careers. Perhaps it was because they had lost their parents so young, or maybe their bond was simply unique.
At seven years old, they had been placed in an orphanage. From that point on, they preyed on the weaker ones.
This was easy for them, as most other kids had no one to stand up for them and didn¡¯t dare mention anything to the adults. For Liam and Alexander, it was fun, and they never stopped their criminal activities. They tried a variety of schemes¡ªwaiting for drunk people on their way home to rob them or approaching older individuals, especially those over 60, and asking them to donate money for people suffering or for supposed medical operations. Of course, they always pocketed the money.
They had a great life on Earth, and when the System arrived, it made things even better. It granted them superpowers, and by the end of the first week after integration, they had reached the third stage. From there, their strength only grew. It took time, but eventually, they founded their own city and received their blessings. The power they gained daily was intoxicating, and they reveled in the fear they inspired in others.
Now, they had nothing. Worse, they had even lost contact with their other two siblings. If they met Thalion again, they would make him beg for mercy before killing him.
<--
Thalion stood in his underground garden. The saplings had grown incredibly fast and now stood at least one meter tall. He wondered how long it would take before the darkness elementals began to form. Moving to the blood pond, he inspected its contents. The blood was potent and ready for consumption. He had two more full containers waiting and didn¡¯t want to dilute the powerful blood in the pond with weaker samples.
He was curious to see how strong the sanguine thorn would become after consuming this vast amount of blood, which likely was more than it had ever consumed before. Having thousands of people gather blood for him certainly had its advantages.
The vines of the sanguine thorn greedily absorbed the blood in the pond. After the first hundred liters, Thalion could already feel the thorn growing stronger. Normally, it consumed blood almost instantly, but this time it took over an hour to finish draining the pond. Every ten minutes, the sanguine thorn experienced a power surge, sending waves of searing pain through Thalion¡¯s body as the plant grew.
When the pain subsided, another wave of pure power rushed through him. With each surge, the pain intensified, but it was worth it. The vine now hummed with incredible energy. Its appearance had also transformed: the small, slender vine that once drank from the pond was now thick and lined with long, nearly black thorns. These were just the visual changes; the power radiating from the vine had increased fivefold. If he unleashed it on someone now, there was no doubt it would kill them.
This was an excellent development, especially since Thalion hadn¡¯t gained a single level in the last fight, unlike the other fighters. In the next two weeks, the first of them would likely evolve to E-grade. Thalion wondered if he would be able to keep up.
Thinking about E-grades reminded him of the termite queen. He needed to kill her in the coming weeks, but it wasn¡¯t clear if that was still possible. Her guards might have reached E-grade as well, and every level-up would widen the gap between them. For now, Thalion believed he was still one of the strongest in the tutorial at the moment.
Several factors worked in his favor. First, the outsider provided crazy regeneration. Without it, he would have run out of mana during the invasion of the first ship. Second, his swordsmanship and combat skills set him apart. With over a year of training, he was vastly superior to most opponents in battle. Finally, his title gave him a critical edge¡ªit alerted him to incoming danger and made ambushes or sneak attacks nearly impossible.
At the moment, Thalion was confident he could defeat Kael in a one-on-one fight. He hoped Kael wouldn¡¯t evolve anytime soon, instead focusing on fighting the undead while Thalion cultivated furiously on the third stage.
The blood supplies flooding in were absurd. Many alchemists were also working on dark-affinity plants for him. His human form and umbral predator were progressing well. However, Eagly and his "nuclear weapon" were falling behind. This was particularly frustrating because he wanted to evolve Eagly into a wyvern.
The Tidecaller Serpent, by contrast, remained powerful. It would likely be in excellent shape once the water cultivation cave was finished. Eagly, however, required a Storm Crystal to empower its form to new heights. Body tempering wouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡ªthere were plenty of mages with lightning and wind skills that he could enlist for help. The real challenge was the Storm Crystal itself.
While some were available in the shop, they were expensive and not nearly powerful enough. He still had the giant crystal guarded by the jellyfish, which was already attuned to wind. The only thing missing was lightning.
This meant it was time for some crazy experiments, Thalion thought with a grin spreading around his face.
Chapter 130: Shadows of Betrayal
Nathaniel surfed effortlessly over the golden dunes of the desert, his piercing gaze scanning the horizon for the final catacomb. The searing sun beat down upon the sands, but its harsh heat was nothing to him now. Regret? Not a trace of it lingered in his soul. His life had taken a glorious turn since he became undead¡ªa transformation that had granted him power beyond anything he had dreamed of back on Earth.
Back then, weakness had been his shackle, and his days were a litany of suffering. Bullied mercilessly in school for his frailty, he could still see the sneering faces of his tormentors, hear their mocking laughter as they stole his belongings and threw punches that left him bruised and broken. His home offered no sanctuary; his parents¡ªboth alcoholics¡ªfrequently lashed out at him, their fists landing as substitutes for their frustration with life. They didn¡¯t need reasons to hurt him. By the time Nathaniel was seventeen, he had already lost three teeth, permanently etched reminders of his misery.
Things had seemed to improve when he moved far from his parents and found a steady job. He even had a girlfriend for a time. But she wasn¡¯t the salvation he¡¯d hoped for. She manipulated him, testing the limits of his devotion and leaving him hollow and betrayed when her games were finally revealed. Four years of lies unraveled in an instant, and Nathaniel, 29 and utterly desolate, stood on the precipice of ending it all.
Then the System arrived.
It was his unexpected salvation, a cosmic twist of fate. Transported to a new world where strength was the ultimate currency, Nathaniel no longer had to bow to anyone. For the first time, he wasn¡¯t prey. He threw himself into the art of magic, mastering the craft and eventually evolving into a sandmage. And when the system shop first appeared, he encountered Ankhu-Ra, the ancient mummy whose promises of power and a home where he would never again be looked down upon ignited a fire in Nathaniel¡¯s heart.
Becoming undead wasn¡¯t just a choice¡ªit was liberation. The day he emerged from the system shop with his newfound power was the day he took revenge, slaughtering his former party members and using their lifeblood to craft the first bandage that adorned his arm. That act marked the beginning of his reign. From then on, no one could defeat him. Nathaniel carved a bloody path through elves and vampires alike, ascending the ranks with a speed that left his enemies reeling.
Ankhu-Ra¡¯s celestial blessing and sage advice molded Nathaniel into a force to be reckoned with, a terror even the proudest vampires dared not provoke. Though allies by necessity, Nathaniel often found himself imagining the moment he could prove his superiority to them all. One day, he told himself, his chance would come.
Surfing over the dunes, Nathaniel¡¯s keen eyes spotted it¡ªthe final catacomb. Its ancient gates loomed ahead, shrouded in an aura of mystery and menace. Unlike the others, this one radiated a sense of power older than time itself. But like the rest, its doors remained sealed against him, taunting him with the secrets they held within. He made a final mark on the shared map and turned, the desert winds swirling around him as he began his journey back.
Nathaniel¡¯s thoughts shifted to bloodlust. He craved the thrill of the hunt, the intoxicating rush of power that came with killing. His travels had strengthened his body through tempering, but it wasn¡¯t enough. It never was. Days ago, he had reached Level 80, but he sought more. Evolution demanded relentless effort, and he was determined to claim an even greater class.
Currently, his mythic class set him apart, though it wasn¡¯t entirely uncommon among those who had excelled in the tutorial. The memory of Ankhu-Ra¡¯s guidance lingered; without the ancient mummy¡¯s insights, Nathaniel might not have succeeded. Accumulating natural treasures, earning a wealth of credits, and delaying evolution¡ªthese had been the keys to unlocking his mythic potential. Few within the council had achieved the same, and Nathaniel reveled in his elite status. Yet, he hungered for more.
Celestial-class? Likely unattainable. But ethereal? That was within reach, and he burned with ambition to claim it. His current class already granted him devastating power, so much so that it felt almost unfair. But an ethereal class would elevate him beyond even that, and Nathaniel could scarcely imagine how it would feel to wield such strength.
As he approached the savanna, his eyes caught sight of one of his sand elementals. The creatures had grown immensely in power, nearly reaching E-grade, and Nathaniel¡¯s smile was one of satisfaction. These beings were nightmares to fight in the desert, their ability to heal from the very sands around them making them nearly invincible. Nathaniel relished the thought of pitting them against the living, watching as they ripped his enemies apart with brutal efficiency.
The wind whipped around him as he sped across the sands, his thoughts brimming with ambition and anticipation. This was his world now, and he would stop at nothing to make it bow before him.
<--
Kael stood at the edge of the tall tower in the heart of his fortress, the cool night air brushing against his face as he surveyed the base below. This vantage point was his retreat, a place where he could rise above the chaos and reflect on his life and the battles ahead. From here, everything seemed small¡ªmanageable.
The scouts had returned with troubling news: they had located the undead faction. However, their carelessness had allowed a vampire to follow them back to the base. Now, preparations were underway for the inevitable assault.
Below, the fortress buzzed with activity as guards scrambled to reinforce the massive defenses. Kael¡¯s base was a fortress in every sense, protected by thick walls bristling with defensive weapons, multiple layers of ring walls, and even a fleet of flying ships poised to intercept airborne threats. But Kael knew the vampires wouldn¡¯t come alone. The scouts had reported hundreds of undead beasts gathering in the distance, their shapes shifting ominously beneath the moonlight.
Despite the looming threat, Kael felt calm. Most of the elite fighters in the base, including himself, were prepared to ascend to the next stage if necessary. Their strategy was clear: hold the line long enough for everyone to amass 150,000 credits. Every second mattered, but Kael couldn¡¯t shake the quiet excitement bubbling beneath his calm exterior. The upcoming battle would finally push him to Level 80.
Yet he planned to delay his evolution. Getting a high-rarity class was far too important. Unlike the fleeting time spent in F-grade, E-grade demanded years of careful cultivation to build a solid foundation for the challenges to come. And Kael wasn¡¯t the only one following this path. Kai and Sylas, his closest comrades, had also reached Level 80 and were now farming to secure the best possible evolutions.
Kael¡¯s own motivations, however, extended beyond personal gain. The Chosen of Aeta, a fellow human from Earth, was dominating another tutorial. Aeta had promised Kael a position at the Chosen¡¯s side if he could prevent the ascension of Ankhet Sekhmara. This alliance would grant Kael protection and time¡ªprecious resources he needed to thrive in E-grade and secure a powerful D-grade class.
But there was a complication. Kael wanted the strongest evolution possible, and farming for it seemed the logical course of action. Aeta had hinted at risks, especially with the sanguine thorn. To obtain one, Kael would have to kill Thalion, a task that weighed heavily on his conscience.
Before the system¡¯s integration, Kael had served in the army for years. Abandoning a fellow soldier, even one like Thalion, went against everything he believed in. But times had changed. Kael had a family now, and he would do whatever it took to protect them¡ªeven if it meant killing Thalion. His brother, though far away now, was never far from Kael¡¯s thoughts. Aeta had assured him that his brother would thrive in this world, but Kael longed to reunite with his family.
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The tutorial had scattered humanity across vast, unfamiliar lands. Aeta had warned Kael that even after the tutorial ended, it could take years to find his loved ones. The new planet Earth would merge with was vast and perilous, rife with conflicts among the chosen of various gods. Kael clenched his fists as he imagined the wars to come. Surviving the tutorial was only the beginning.
He turned his attention back to the preparations below. The guards moved with disciplined urgency, fortifying walls and checking weapons. Every detail mattered¡ªevery moment counted. Yet the absence of Steven and Princess Seraphina gnawed at Kael. He didn¡¯t trust them, but he disliked the undead factions even more.
Kael¡¯s thoughts shifted to the upcoming battle. Was he strong enough to take on a vampire in direct combat? Confidence surged through him as he considered the question. He had yet to lose a duel, though sparring with Kai had tested him more than once. Even so, real combat was different. Kael doubted anyone could defeat him when he fought with lethal intent.
Much of his training had focused on specific weapons. As an archer, he could deal devastating damage from a distance, but tonight, he knew he would be in the thick of it. The vampires and undead would demand more than precision¡ªhe would need strength, resilience, and cunning to survive.
The scouts¡¯ reports had painted a grim picture. The undead forces were vast, a roiling sea of monsters converging on the fortress. Kael suspected the vampires¡¯ strategy was to overwhelm them with numbers during the night, forcing a grueling battle of attrition. But the defenses were formidable, and Kael doubted the undead could breach them before everyone in the base reached their credit goals.
Still, the absence of Evelyn, Kargul, and the shapeshifters weighed heavily on him. They were out searching for more of the enslaved shapeshifters Kael had freed, but their return was uncertain. Every soldier counted, and Kael couldn¡¯t help but hope they would make it back before the undead forces closed in.
As the final preparations fell into place, Kael took a deep breath and steadied himself. Tonight would test his strength, his resolve, and his will to protect what mattered most. And if the undead thought they could break him, they were about to learn just how wrong they were.
<--
Eddie and Chloe were soaring through the skies in pursuit of Vorlok, the massive sky turtle whose imposing presence made the journey perilous. Their first encounter had nearly turned disastrous; Vorlok, mistaking them for food, had almost devoured them. It had taken considerable persuasion from Kargul and Evelyn to convince the turtle that they weren¡¯t snacks in their beastforms.
Now, they had been traveling for days without finding Jack and Josh. Each passing day gnawed at Chloe¡¯s resolve, her fear swelling like a shadow over her heart. She had already lost her family during the integration, and the odds of reuniting with them felt impossibly slim. Jack, Josh, and Eddie had become her new family, the ones she couldn¡¯t bear to lose. The thought of losing any of them made her chest tighten with dread.
Looking back, she knew it was foolish to leave the safety of their base to search for Jack and Josh. The stage was vast, and they could have spawned anywhere, making this search feel as futile as chasing the horizon. Yet Kargul, Evelyn, and even Vorlok hadn¡¯t seemed to mind. Kargul seemed to live for fighting, and Vorlok¡¯s interest was entirely centered on food. Evelyn... well, Chloe wasn¡¯t sure what Evelyn wanted, but the young healer appeared content with her unlikely new family¡ªa towering orc and a gluttonous turtle.
Chloe often wondered how Evelyn managed to stay strong. The girl¡¯s past was well-known, thanks to Kargul¡¯s drunken retellings in Lars¡¯ inn. Evelyn had arrived in this brutal new world alone, her original party slaughtered by one of their own who had gone mad. She was the sole survivor, and yet she had found solace in her new companions. Chloe admired that resilience but couldn¡¯t imagine the depths of Evelyn¡¯s pain.
Her thoughts wandered to Thalion. When they had encountered him in the ocean, he had been eerily calm, even laughing despite everything he had endured. His entire party was gone, his friends now his enemies, and yet he had pressed forward undeterred. Chloe envied that mindset. Without Jack and Josh, it felt as if part of her was missing, and she couldn¡¯t rest until they were reunited.
Their days were relentless, filled with walking and occasional hunting when the group deemed it safe. Each hunt brought new opportunities for Eddie and Chloe to gain forms, but transforming in front of Vorlok was always a gamble. The turtle still hadn¡¯t fully grasped that they could assume the shapes of the creatures they killed, often eyeing them suspiciously, as if deciding whether to make a snack of them after all.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the savanna, exhaustion finally caught up with them. They hadn¡¯t slept the previous night, and the time for rest was long overdue. Perched on the sturdy branches of a massive tree, the group settled down. Kargul leaned heavily against Vorlok¡¯s shell, snoring softly, while Eddie stretched out on the ground at a safe distance, doing his best to avoid touching the skyturtle.
Chloe and Evelyn took the first watch. The air was cool, and the distant calls of unseen creatures echoed across the savanna. Chloe glanced at Evelyn, whose usual bright demeanor had dimmed. Evelyn¡¯s shoulders slumped, her eyes glassy with unshed tears as she stared into the distance. The lively, cheerful teenager who had bonded so effortlessly with Kargul and Vorlok seemed a shadow of herself. Chloe couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this.
¡°Eve, is everything all right?¡± Chloe finally asked, her voice gentle but insistent.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Evelyn replied quickly, too quickly, her tone betraying the truth she was trying to hide.
Chloe¡¯s expression softened. ¡°The integration was painful for all of us. I can¡¯t see my family anymore either, and I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re alive. Just know that I¡¯m here if you need someone to talk to, okay?¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Evelyn murmured, her voice little more than a whisper as she turned her gaze back to the horizon.
But Chloe¡¯s words couldn¡¯t reach the depths of Evelyn¡¯s pain. She had never told anyone the whole truth¡ªnot Kargul, not Chloe, not even Vorlok. The memories of that day haunted her, a wound too deep to share.
Unlike most, Evelyn¡¯s family hadn¡¯t been scattered during the tutorial. She had entered the system with her family, determined to protect them as their healer. Together, they had fought as a team, their bond unshakable. Even Cathrin, the outsider in their group, had been welcomed with open arms. For a time, life in the tutorial had been almost bearable. Evelyn had even chosen movement skills to keep up with her siblings during their games. Running with them had been her joy.
Then, the nightmare began. When they advanced to the next stage, Cathrin turned on them. The betrayal came without warning¡ªCathrin¡¯s first strike aimed directly at Evelyn, intending to eliminate the healer. Evelyn, quick and desperate, managed to heal herself from the bloodcurse, but the fight had only just begun. Her family fought valiantly, but Cathrin was too strong. One by one, Evelyn watched her family fall, the bloodcurse draining their strength and her mana was running dry as she tried to heal them.
The witch mocked her as Evelyn¡¯s attempts failed, intensifying the curse each time Evelyn tried to intervene. Her brother¡¯s final words, ¡°Run, Eve, run,¡± echoed in her mind as his eyes closed forever. And so, she ran. She ran faster than she ever thought possible, leaving behind the lifeless bodies of her family and the mocking laughter of Cathrin.
Even now, Evelyn was still running¡ªnot just from that jungle, but from the memory itself. She pushed it deep into the recesses of her mind, where it lingered like a festering wound, hidden but never truly gone.
Chapter 131: Changes
Evelyn felt relieved when Chloe stopped questioning her about the past. There was nothing more to say, nothing she could do to change it. She loathed herself for her weakness, for not being strong enough to save her family. When she first chose the healer class, it was out of a desire to protect them, to mend their wounds and keep them safe. But as the system evolved, so did her class¡ªbecoming the Evasive Healer, a choice born of her love for running, for freedom in motion.
Now, her patron seemed determined to nudge her down a path she didn¡¯t want¡ªa path of pure healing, shackling her to others, leaving her entirely dependent on teammates for survival. The thought made her stomach churn. No, that wasn¡¯t the kind of healer she wanted to be. Revenge burned in her heart, dark and all-consuming. Evelyn yearned to see the witch who had destroyed her family groveling at her feet, begging for mercy¡ªa mercy that would never come.
But her current class wasn¡¯t fit for vengeance. She knew it. And yet, despite weeks of deliberation, she hadn¡¯t found the courage to act. Level 80 loomed close, the gateway to evolution, and still she hesitated. Her indecision strained her bond with her patron, the goddess Isis, who grew increasingly frustrated with Evelyn¡¯s refusal to heed her advice. Worse, Isis was the wife of the Mage God who blessed Sylas¡ªa situation that tied Evelyn even more tightly to her patron¡¯s demands.
"Assist Sylas," Isis had commanded time and time again. "Your classes are complementary. You belong in his party."
But Evelyn wanted nothing to do with Sylas and Kael or his group of elite fighters. What had happened to Thalion, the drama and betrayal within their ranks¡ªit left a bitter taste in her mouth. She and Kargul were much happier assisting Eddie and Chloe in their search for their missing friends. Friendship mattered more to Evelyn than any divine command, and no friend would be left behind. Her defiance enraged Isis, but Evelyn no longer cared. Why not renounce this controlling goddess altogether? Maybe another god would take her in¡ªa better one, one who understood her pain and thirst for vengeance.
As these thoughts churned in her mind, Evelyn sat on a wide tree branch, staring out at the savanna. The brown leaves before her danced in the breeze, their fragile movements stark against the distant roar of battling beasts. It was almost peaceful, in its way. She remembered something Eddie had said once: ¡°You¡¯ve got to stay true to your path, no matter how rough it gets.¡±
Her path wouldn¡¯t be one of standing on the sidelines, watching her friends fight for their lives while she cast heals or summoned barriers. No. It was time to choose, time to break free. Evelyn inhaled deeply, steadying herself as she reached out to contact her patron. This time, the conversation would be on her terms.
The skill activated, and her consciousness was transported to Isis¡¯s divine domain. She appeared in a sprawling, blooming garden, its plants resembling tall, majestic white sunflowers adorned with runes on their leaves. The air hummed with magic, and at the garden¡¯s heart stood Isis, radiant and imposing. The goddess wore a flowing white tunic that only enhanced her ethereal beauty. If Evelyn ever aged into such grace, she hoped she¡¯d carry it differently¡ªwith more substance, less vanity. She¡¯d never be the kind of god who lorded over her chosen like an untouchable queen.
¡°Why have you come?¡± Isis¡¯s voice was as melodic as ever, but her tone carried the weight of irritation. ¡°Have you finally come to your senses? Are you returning to Sylas and the others?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Evelyn lied smoothly, masking her true intentions. ¡°We¡¯re on our way back to Kael¡¯s base.¡±
The goddess didn¡¯t even bother to look at her, her gaze fixed on a distant horizon as if Evelyn were nothing more than a passing annoyance.
¡°Good. It¡¯s about time you followed the orders of your superiors.¡± Isis¡¯s tone softened, taking on a saccharine sweetness. ¡°Now, listen carefully. I will explain how to upgrade your healing spell¡ªnot just once, but multiple times.¡±
Evelyn listened intently, committing every word to memory. The goddess spoke for what felt like hours, detailing advanced techniques for mana control and spell enhancement. Every word was a gift she would take with her when she left this meddling deity behind.
Finally, Isis concluded with a self-satisfied smile. ¡°I expect to hear from my husbands avatar that you¡¯ve joined Sylas¡¯s party before our next meeting,¡± she said, her tone dripping with condescension.
Evelyn said nothing. The moment Isis finished speaking, Evelyn¡¯s consciousness withdrew, snapping back into her physical body. Not a single second had passed in the real world. Without hesitation, she opened her status screen, her finger hovering over the reject blessing button.
Blessed could renounce their patrons within the first year. After that, it became far more difficult. That shouldn''t be one of her concerns though.
With a deep breath, Evelyn pressed the button. Pain ripped through her body as the connection to Isis shattered. Blood seeped from her eyes and ears, a visceral reminder of the bond she had just severed. But even through the agony and weakness, she smiled¡ªa small, defiant smile.
Freedom had never felt so sweet.
¡°What happened?¡± Chloe exclaimed in shock as she saw Evelyn slump forward for a moment, her body trembling as though she''d just endured a fierce blow.
¡°Nothing,¡± Evelyn replied, her voice calm but slightly breathless. ¡°I healed myself. Now I¡¯m stronger.¡± A faint glow still lingered on her hands, the aftereffect of her healing spell.
In terms of stats, ¡°stronger¡± was a lie. In fact, she¡¯d lost a significant amount, but none of that mattered now. Evelyn¡¯s lips twitched in a small, defiant smile. She had kept the skills she¡¯d acquired from her goddess, losing only the stats tied to the ancient blessing. Was rejecting an ancient blessing foolish? Absolutely. But for Evelyn, it was the best decision she had ever made.
For the first time in this tutorial, she felt truly free. Free to shape her destiny, to move forward without the crushing weight of divine expectations. There were no barriers, no invisible hands steering her fate. She could finally pursue the power she needed¡ªa power not just for healing or running, but for vengeance.
The thought of Cathrin, the witch responsible for her family''s destruction, sent a shiver of anticipation through Evelyn. Killing her wouldn¡¯t just be an act of revenge. It would be a liberation, a reckoning. Healing and running had served her well, but now Evelyn was ready for the other side of the coin¡ªthe edge that cut, the force that shattered. And she would find it, no matter what it took.
<--
¡°All lightning mages, fire!¡± Thalion¡¯s voice rang out, clear and commanding, as he gestured to the nearly one hundred mages gathered in the training hall. His lips curled into a broad grin as he gazed at the enormous wind crystal¡ªtwenty meters wide¡ªstanding at the center of the room like a slumbering titan.
The hall buzzed with anticipation as the mages unleashed their spells. Arcs of lightning crackled through the air, striking the crystal¡¯s shimmering surface with deafening force. The spells seemed to explode on contact, sending bursts of light and energy outward, though faint streaks of electricity clung stubbornly to the crystal¡¯s core.
Thalion watched intently, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. How long would it take to turn this massive wind crystal into a storm crystal? He¡¯d been dreaming of this moment, imagining the power such a transformation would unlock.
When the crystal didn¡¯t respond as quickly as he¡¯d hoped, Thalion decided to take matters into his own hands. His body shimmered, shifting effortlessly into his eagle form. Dark green feathers rippled with latent energy as he hovered midair, wings spread wide. A bolt of lightning crackled between his horns as he charged up a focused lightning beam.
The blast hit the crystal with a sharp crack, energy rippling across its surface like waves on water. Still, the core remained unchanged. Thalion frowned, his mind already working through the implications. This thing is tough, he thought. Maybe too tough for this method. Why not just use it for cultivation, until it was fully changed?
The idea brought a sharp glint to his eye. Without hesitation, Thalion landed atop the crystal, his claws clicking against its smooth surface. Lightning crackled faintly around him, some of the stray spells still grazing his body, but he barely flinched. If anything, the stray strikes only added fuel to his resolve.
He closed his eyes, drawing in a steady breath. The storm around him was wild, untamed, but that was exactly what he needed. Slowly, methodically, he began to harmonize with the raging energies. This was the first stage of the Tempest Beast transformation¡ªa delicate balance between power and control.
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Hours slipped by. The crystal began to change, its core shifting from pale blue to a roiling gray, like storm clouds captured in stone. Lightning danced within it now, alive and feral. By the time the process was complete, the mages were exhausted, their mana reserves nearly drained. Thankfully, the intricate magic circles etched into the training hall floor had prevented them from collapsing outright.
Thalion raised a wing, signaling the mages to stop. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± he called out, his tone warm but commanding. ¡°Your efforts have been invaluable.¡±
With a flick of his talon, he activated Zyra¡¯s rune, storing the newly transformed storm crystal in his spatial ring. But Thalion wasn¡¯t done. He turned to the group of fifteen warriors standing nearby, their weapons crackling faintly with energy.
¡°Your turn,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°I could use a bit more tempering.¡±
The warriors exchanged glances, but none hesitated. They unleashed their attacks, arcs of lightning slamming into Thalion with relentless force. His feathers burned, singed black by the intensity, but the pain was a small price to pay.
Through the agony, Thalion grinned, his body soaking in every strike like a dry sponge in a storm. The connection to the outsider flooded him with vitality, healing his wounds almost as quickly as they appeared. Still, the strain was immense.
The hours blurred together as the warriors pelted him over and over. By the time they were done, Thalion¡¯s horns were brimming with stored energy, so much so that he could fire a lightning beam without charging it. Yet he didn¡¯t. Why waste this precious energy on an attack when it could be used for tempering?
Finally, he signaled the warriors to stop. His body trembled as he pushed the lightning deeper into his muscles, bones, and feathers. The process was excruciating, but by the end, he felt more attuned to lightning than ever before. His wind affinity might have fallen behind, but that was a problem for another day.
As he walked through the streets of the city, Thalion noticed the subtle changes in how people reacted to him. Some smiled, others bowed¡ªa few too enthusiastically. He didn¡¯t mind the adoration, though he couldn¡¯t quite grasp the nuances of their emotions. Was it fear? Respect? Something else entirely? Thalion shrugged. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t matter that much. As long as they were not out to kill him all was good.
His destination lay ahead: Lucan¡¯s smithy. Descending into the basement, Thalion approached the formation they used to shrink crystals. A powerful hum filled the air as mana threads wrapped around the storm crystal, tightening with each pulse. Moments later, the enormous crystal had been reduced to the size of a small football, its energy condensed but no less potent.
Thalion studied it, his gaze sharp. He would implant this crystal into his chest eventually¡ªthough not today. His wind affinity needed to catch up first, and the thought of slicing open his own chest, even with the outsider¡¯s healing, wasn¡¯t something he was eager to face just yet.
Still, the day would come. And when it did, Thalion would rise, not as a mere tempest beast, but as something far greater.
This was a necessary step¡ªan unyielding part of his journey to one day become a wyvern. There was no way around it. Yet, Thalion wasn¡¯t aiming for just any wyvern transformation; he sought to become a high-rarity wyvern, one powerful enough to ascend to a dragon in time.
Thalion had never cared much for money or material wealth on Earth. His focus had always been elsewhere, driven by an obsession with strength rather than possessions. Every natural treasure he discovered here was another brick in the foundation of his growing power. The only downside was the low quality of the F-grade treasures he¡¯d been gathering. Soon enough, they would become irrelevant, and the relentless cycle would begin anew as he stepped into E-grade.
Still, his mood was light as he walked back to his tower. This week had been exceptional. Progress in his cultivation came faster than expected, and he¡¯d secured a major boost for Eagly. Meanwhile, Lucan had been working tirelessly, crafting weapons with feverish dedication to enhance his class before the upcoming evolution.
Building teleportation circles was at the top of Lucan''s list after the evolution to E grade. A project crucial for farming ocean pearls needed for the tidecaller serpent. The process for the serpent would mirror what he had done for Eagly¡ªslicing open his chest and embedding a powerful crystal inside. Thalion smirked at the thought. Convincing water mages to help charge the crystal wouldn¡¯t be effective; water lacked the invasive power of lightning. A better plan was to gather a team of water mages and shapeshifters to harvest as many pearls as possible.
With over 15,000 people now in the base, including more than a hundred shapeshifters in need of water forms, striking a deal should be easy. Thalion could simply command them to help, but building goodwill suited him better¡ªand it wouldn¡¯t cost him a thing.
Reaching his basement, Thalion checked on the crystals embedded in the Pillar of Fear. Almost complete. A satisfied grin spread across his face. Once these crystals were fully converted, he would use them to upgrade his armor, just as he had with his blade. This would be a major boost to his power in human form, and the experimentation itself filled him with excitement. He relished the challenge of fine-tuning the process.
The system shop¡¯s arrival loomed on the horizon, but for now, it was time for strength training. Stepping onto the gravity array, Thalion prepared to push his limits once again.
<--
Cathrin stalked through the dense jungle of the fifth stage, her sharp gaze darting between the shadows. Lucius and the orc Groomash flanked her, their weapons ready as they navigated the hostile terrain. The humid air clung to her skin, but she barely noticed. Here, amidst the chaos and danger, it was easiest to spread her blood curse.
Her thoughts wandered to Evelyn. That little girl is probably dead by now, Cathrin mused, a cold smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Just a healer,¡± she scoffed. ¡°And not even a strong one.¡± A single unlucky encounter in this brutal world would have been enough to finish her off.
The memory of Evelyn¡¯s family flashed in her mind, drawing a surge of satisfaction. One by one, Cathrin had killed them¡ªslowly, methodically, savoring every moment. Those were among the best days of her life. The idea of finding Evelyn again, of breaking her spirit entirely, brought a gleam of twisted excitement to Cathrin¡¯s eyes.
Few truly understood Cathrin¡¯s capabilities. The undead underestimated her, dismissing her as just another witch. Fools. A witch was one of the best ways to farm experience in this world. She had already performed countless rituals in her room, empowering beasts with her blood curse and binding their minds to her will. Every time one of her cursed beasts killed, she gained experience.
With hundreds of creatures under her control, the results were staggering. Unfortunately, the beasts infected in the lower stages no longer granted her experience, but that hardly mattered now. At level 80, Cathrin had already been preparing for weeks to achieve the most powerful evolution possible. Her goal wasn¡¯t just mythical¡ªit was to surpass even that.
Her legendary blessing from the Blood Witch Morgana offered immense potential, and Cathrin planned to exploit it fully. Morgana, though not undead herself, maintained close ties to the vampires, making Cathrin a valuable ally in their eyes.
Cathrin¡¯s fingers brushed against a blood-stained charm hanging from her belt, and her expression softened into a smile¡ªalmost nostalgic. She remembered the moment she received her blessing vividly. Teleporting to the next stage after a grueling trial, her reward had been Morgana¡¯s approval. The memory those family¡¯s screams still lingered sweetly in her mind.
Those screams were her symphony. Pain and desperation from others filled her with a joy she never let show. Back on Earth, she had worked for the police, delivering death notifications with an impeccable mask of sympathy. She¡¯d cherished every tear, every cry of anguish.
Here, in this new world, the system and her patron allowed her to express that part of herself without restraint. Guiding the blood curse into her victims, paralyzing them while inflicting excruciating pain, became her art. The rituals were just as thrilling, though they demanded preparation and materials.
The system shop would arrive soon, and Cathrin intended to use it to her full advantage. Stronger ritual stones were at the top of her list. If she could construct an entire formation rather than relying on the crude blood circles she¡¯d drawn, she would gain far more control over her cursed beasts.
Cathrin¡¯s plan was clear. With the entire stage cursed, spotting survivors would be trivial. The living wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her army. If they thought the fourth stage was hard, they had no idea what awaited them in the fifth.
Chapter 132: First Big Vampire Attack
¡°Here they come!¡± a guard bellowed from the wall below Kael. The night was pitch-black, the silence broken only by the sound of distant howls and the uneasy hum of anticipation. It was the eve of the system shop opening, and thousands of undead beasts were surging toward the city like a relentless tide.
The vampires were relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm them. But the real danger wasn¡¯t the mass of clawing, rotting creatures¡ªit was the wallbreaker hidden among them. That beast had to be identified and taken out before it reached the defenses. If it succeeded, the city would be overrun in moments.
Kael cast a quick glance around. The city was surrounded by three concentric ring walls, their final line of defense. As long as the innermost wall stood firm, they still had a chance. Yet the enemy horde was vast, a terrifying mixture of undead monstrosities: towering dinosaur-like abominations and twisted jungle apes among them. Kael clenched his fists. This would be a brutal battle, but one thing was certain: no matter the outcome, he would emerge stronger.
For the weaker warriors, however, this was a death sentence. Those without enough credits to teleport to the next stage were already as good as lost. It pained Kael to think of them¡ªthose who¡¯d fought so hard but didn¡¯t have the means to escape. Yet, survival hinged on the elite warriors and skilled craftsmen, many of whom had already secured the 150,000 credits required for safety.
Kai, Sylas, and the other elite fighters were spread across the city, each assigned to strategic positions. Above the innermost wall, skyships hovered like silent guardians. Their mission was clear: neutralize any flying threats, whether undead or vampire. Kael¡¯s sharp eyes caught movement in the distance¡ªvampires, their black, bat-like wings silhouetted against the dim moonlight.
He had never faced vampires before and felt a mix of dread and curiosity. What kind of power did they truly wield?
The scouts had all returned, now frantically helping to carry weapons hot off the forges. Every available hand was pressed into service. The walls bristled with defenders, and the skyships above hummed with energy. Even the rune-fire catapults, standing proudly atop the towers, were primed and ready. The smiths and alchemists labored feverishly to produce additional ammunition, knowing full well that what they had wouldn¡¯t last.
The horde drew closer, their numbers blotting out the horizon. Kael¡¯s heart raced as he spotted beasts shrouded in ominous red mist, likely poisonous to the defenders. Among the undead were no flying creatures of real power¡ªno griffins or other aerial predators like those they had fought for the wind crystals in the mountains. Small mercies, Kael thought grimly.
The first wave reached firing range. Spells lit up the night like fireworks, raining destruction on the approaching undead. The mages stood atop the walls, their powers amplified by magic circles meticulously carved into the stonework. These circles ensured that their mana wouldn¡¯t deplete during the onslaught. Explosion after explosion rocked the battlefield, the stench of burning flesh filling the air, but the undead felt no fear. They pressed forward, clawing their way toward the walls with mindless determination.
Kael¡¯s sharp gaze shifted to the vampires, who stood back, safely commanding the horde from a distance. Attacking them outright would be suicide. For now, all they could do was whittle down the advancing undead.
Kael nocked an arrow, his hand steady despite the chaos. His target: one of the wallbreakers. A massive, ostrich-like creature lumbered through the horde, a battering ram with multiple runes strapped to its back. He let the arrow fly, the projectile glowing with mana. It struck true, piercing through the beast and shattering it in an explosion of gore. Without hesitation, Kael nocked another arrow, scanning for the next wallbreaker.
Seconds later, he found it¡ªa hulking undead ape lumbering toward the defenses. Another charged arrow, another direct hit. The creature crumpled as the arrow ripped through its chest. Kael¡¯s accuracy was unerring, and the bodies began to pile up.
But the vampires weren¡¯t idle. One of them stepped forward, raising a hand. The blood of fallen beasts began to gather, forming a massive, rolling wave aimed at the wall. Kael acted instantly, loosing an arrow at the caster. The vampire dodged, but the interruption caused the blood wave to collapse prematurely, killing only a handful of the undead.
For a brief moment, Kael¡¯s eyes met the vampire¡¯s. It was like being struck by a hammer. Pain exploded in his head as he stumbled backward, his vision swimming. Was this a mental attack? Blinking furiously, he struggled to refocus.
A deafening crash snapped him back to reality¡ªa wallbreaker had succeeded. The outermost wall had been breached, and the undead were pouring through. Fighters were already in place to defend the opening, but the situation was spiraling out of control. Kael fired arrows at the vampires who had joined the horde, careful to avoid direct eye contact this time.
The vampires wielded the blood of the fallen undead to launch devastating attacks at the defenders. Each second brought more breaches, more chaos. This was bad. It was the night before the system shop, and the vampires were clearly here for their credits. If the assault continued at this intensity, survival was impossible.
Kael made a snap decision. The base had to teleport.
He sprinted to his chambers, activating the crystal that would prepare the mass teleportation. It wasn¡¯t instantaneous; the process required time. Once triggered, the base would be forced to teleport to the next stage within ten hours.
The downside? Many wouldn¡¯t reach the 150,000-credit threshold in time, dooming them to be left behind. Kael hated this. It went against every principle he stood for, but survival demanded hard choices.
As he made his way back to the wall, messages from Kai, Sylas, and the others flooded his interface. The defenders were stretched thin, and the situation was deteriorating rapidly. Kael gritted his teeth, determination hardening his resolve.
If this was the end of the line, he would make damn sure the vampires paid dearly for every inch they took.
The vampires were far stronger than Kael had anticipated. Not only had they managed to breach the outer wall on his side, but they had also broken through in three other locations. From his vantage point atop the tall tower, Kael watched as fierce battles erupted along the crumbling outer defenses.
He called out, asking if anyone had managed to slay one of the vampires, but the answer was grim: no one had accomplished such a feat. This was worse than Kael could have imagined. How had he misjudged the situation so badly?
Even the skyships, which had seemed invincible earlier, were now under threat. Swarms of undead wasps assaulted them relentlessly, their buzzing filling the air with an ominous drone. Occasionally, a vampire joined the fray, darting through the chaos like a shadow. Kael fired arrow after arrow at the vampires, but their reflexes were inhumanly quick, and they evaded each shot with ease. Still, his attacks served a purpose¡ªthey bought precious time for the defenders to retreat.
Then, Kael¡¯s heart sank. A familiar vampire¡ªthe one who had struck him earlier with that devastating mental attack¡ªstepped onto one of the intact magic circles etched into the ground. The circle flared to life, pulsating with red energy as blood began to rip itself from the fallen beasts nearby. The gathered blood transformed into a thick, roiling mist that surged forward like a living thing, slamming against the shield of the second wall with a deafening roar.
Kael watched in horror as the mist enveloped the fighters caught outside the shield. From his position, he could see the devastating effects: the mist was toxic, tearing into their lungs and flesh. Many began coughing violently, while others collapsed outright. It was fortunate that most of the defenders had already retreated behind the second wall, but those left outside were dying quickly, overwhelmed by the blood mist.
Kael aimed and fired at the vampire, desperate to stop him, but his arrow only managed to destroy the magic circle beneath the vampire''s feet. To Kael¡¯s dismay, the vampire didn¡¯t seem to need the circle anymore. The mist continued to surge forward, curling ominously around the walls and forcing even the farthest fighters to retreat.
The mages on the walls unleashed a barrage of spells, their efforts unrelenting. But the bloody mist obscured their vision, making it nearly impossible to target the undead beasts effectively. It was especially difficult to spot the wallbreakers hidden among the horde.
Kael shifted his focus, abandoning his futile attempts to target the vampires. They were too fast, too cautious, evading his arrows effortlessly. Instead, he concentrated on eliminating the undead beasts that posed the greatest threat to the wall. Thankfully, the magical shield extended slightly above the wall, preventing the vampires from launching direct attacks on the defenders¡ªat least for now.
Above, the battle in the skies was faring better. The skyships were still intact, and though a few fighters had been lost, the ships remained firmly under their control. Yet something about the aerial battle troubled Kael. The vampires didn¡¯t seem to be trying to destroy the ships outright. Instead, they were toying with the defenders, drawing their attention away from the main fight.
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Kael couldn¡¯t dwell on it. He had one priority: slow the vampires¡¯ advance long enough for more people to teleport to the next stage.
The catapults fired relentlessly, launching rune-fire projectiles into the enemy horde. Despite their efforts, it wasn¡¯t enough. Even with half the undead army obliterated, more and more of the creatures pressed forward, their numbers seemingly endless. Kael¡¯s sharp eyes caught sight of another wallbreaker lumbering toward the defenses. It wouldn¡¯t be long before it reached the wall.
Reports came flooding in from Sylas and Kai. Their sides were just as dire, perhaps worse. Kai, ever the bold warrior, had already joined the fray, engaging the beasts in melee combat to buy time for his fighters to retreat.
Suddenly, the vampires unleashed a devastating assault. Massive waves of blood energy crashed against the shield, temporarily blinding the defenders. The shield held, but the crimson tide blocked all visibility, leaving the defenders firing blindly into the mist.
A thunderous explosion shattered the night as another breach was blasted into the wall. Kael¡¯s stomach twisted as he saw the bloody mist pouring through the gap, spilling into the area between the first and second walls. Panicked, he loosed arrow after arrow at the breach, desperately trying to slow the flood of undead pouring through.
The main wall couldn¡¯t take much more damage. Kael knew this all too well. No one could predict what horrors awaited them in the fifth stage, and they couldn¡¯t afford to enter it weakened. How strong would the vampires be in the next stage? He shuddered at the thought. If they were significantly stronger, survival would be nearly impossible.
Kael¡¯s frustration mounted as yet another vampire dodged his arrow with ease. It was a maddening reminder of their superior speed and cunning. Alone, Kael might stand a chance against one of them. But with the horde of undead at their backs, the odds were insurmountable.
Realizing they couldn¡¯t hold out much longer, Kael gave the signal for a full retreat. He adjusted the countdown on the teleportation crystal to thirty minutes. It was the only option left.
The decision weighed heavily on him. Hundreds of people hadn¡¯t yet reached the credit threshold needed to teleport, and leaving now would condemn them to death. But if they stayed any longer, everyone would die. For the greater good, Kael had to make the hard call.
The next half hour felt like an eternity. Kael fired arrow after arrow, his arms aching, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The defenders fought valiantly, but the battle turned into a desperate struggle. The vampires seemed to grow bolder, their attacks more coordinated. The undead were mostly destroyed, but the remaining forces were enough to threaten the final wall.
At last, the teleportation activated. The entire base began to glow with energy as the magic swept them away to the next stage. Kael¡¯s heart sank as he watched the battlefield fade from view. Hundreds of fighters, unable to escape, were left behind¡ªdoomed to become food for the vampires.
Kael clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. He couldn¡¯t save everyone, but he would make sure that their sacrifice wasn¡¯t in vain. If the vampires thought they¡¯d won, they were sorely mistaken.
<--
"We need more defenses! What if another attack like this happens again?" Isolde exclaimed, her voice laced with both desperation and a trace of fear. The assault by the five ships had shaken her¡ªand many other citizens¡ªto their core.
"I don''t think we need to fear another attack," Oliver, the council''s temporary replacement for Edrion, replied, his tone measured. "Thalion killed most of the attackers by himself. Furthermore, our warriors have made significant progress. What we should be worrying about are threats from within. There have been numerous murders lately, and over five slave cuffs have been stolen. The guards haven¡¯t been able to locate the culprits."
"We can¡¯t put all our hopes on Thalion!" Isolde insisted, her gaze shifting to the warrior. "What if he¡¯s no longer strong enough to protect us? Or worse¡ªwhat if someone gets a lucky shot in?" Her voice softened slightly as she added, "I don¡¯t mean to imply that you¡¯re weak or anything negative, Thalion. I just want to be safe."
The stories of Thalion¡¯s exploits in the recent battle had already spread far and wide. People spoke of him as if he were a living legend. They whispered of how he had single-handedly turned the tide against the invaders. The fresh tales only reignited older ones: how he had vanquished the orcs, defeated the shapeshifters, or defeated Michael and Garrick along with their strongest followers¡ªall on his own. These feats had done wonders for his reputation, helping many to overlook the time he had taken their credits.
With the attention of the room now squarely on him, Thalion addressed the discussion with a serious tone. "Isolde, you don¡¯t need to worry about our defenses. I have more than enough resources to buy whatever we need for protection. But I¡¯m intrigued¡ªwho are these people stealing the slave cuffs? We need to find and eliminate them before they cause more damage."
Thalion didn¡¯t know why, but he shared the guards¡¯ unease. Something was brewing beneath the surface¡ªsomething dangerous. He wasn¡¯t afraid for himself. His title provided him with an almost supernatural awareness, making sneak attacks virtually impossible. But Lucan, Maike, and Kaldrek didn¡¯t have such protections. No, this matter had to be resolved quickly.
The base was now home to over 16,000 people, and managing such a vast population was becoming increasingly difficult. Thalion knew they would need far more guards to maintain control.
"Fine," Isolde relented, though her expression remained tense. "But we still need to discuss when¡ªand how¡ªwe¡¯re going to ascend to the higher stages."
At this, the room fell silent. To Thalion¡¯s surprise, all eyes turned to him.
There were several strategies to consider. The first was to give the population a week to gather 50 credits, with the stipulation that anyone unable to meet the requirement wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to survive anyway. The second option involved setting a threshold of 200,000 credits per person. This would allow them to teleport directly to the fifth stage if they encountered serious danger.
Thalion favored the latter option. Credits were much easier to earn now than in the early days of the tutorial. Beasts and other tasks yielded far more rewards. This plan also provided him with an opportunity to deal with a growing concern: the termite queen. Reports indicated that the hive was rapidly regaining strength, and Thalion had no intention of leaving it unchecked. However, he knew not everyone would be able to gather the required credits in time. Some newcomers were simply too weak, and leaving them behind would mean sentencing them to certain death once the termites emerged.
But Oliver''s earlier warning weighed on him. Having so many people carry large sums of credits would inevitably lead to violence. Criminal elements were already stirring in the shadows¡ªmurdering slaves, stealing cuffs, and thriving on fear. Allowing such conditions to fester would only empower them further.
After a moment¡¯s thought, Thalion made his decision. "We need to deal with the thieves and murderers first. Once they¡¯re taken care of, we¡¯ll announce that we¡¯re leaving in three weeks. Anyone who wants to ascend with us will need to gather 200,000 credits by then." He turned to the council. "I also want more guards patrolling the base. We can¡¯t allow any more murders to go unanswered."
"That sounds like a good plan. Are we finished for today?" Kaldrek asked, exhaustion etched on his face.
"No, we¡¯re not finished," Isolde interjected. Her sharp tone cut through the room. "What about the termites? When are the guards going to deal with them?"
Again, all eyes shifted to Thalion. It was a familiar scene¡ªone he had grown tired of.
"I¡¯ll pay them a visit next week," Thalion sighed. His voice carried a note of resignation, though his mind was already racing with the endless tasks that awaited him.
The list was growing longer by the day. Upgrading the armor had become a priority, and Lucan¡¯s imminent evolution promised progress with the teleportation circles. Their initial hope had been to achieve precise circle-to-circle teleportation. But so far, Lucan¡¯s experiments had been wildly unpredictable, with items ending up kilometers away from their intended destination.
While this made teleportation impractical as a battlefield tool, it did have its uses. For instance, they could now teleport directly to the ocean¡ªa boon for Thalion¡¯s ongoing efforts to refine the tidecaller serpent form. But time was a relentless adversary. Each breakthrough in body-tempering demanded more resources and effort, and the pressure to progress was mounting.
Recently, Thalion had spent hours in the gravity formation, pushing his limits. He had also worked to fully embrace his title, which gave him heightened awareness of his surroundings. It was an advantage that often felt akin to a Jedi¡¯s mastery of the Force¡ªan acute sense of danger that kept him alive. However, it came at a cost: leveling up required more effort than it did for others.
So far, he had managed to handle himself well. But with more E-grade warriors emerging every day, Thalion couldn¡¯t afford complacency.
Chapter 133: The Spiderqueen
"What troubles you, my love?" Eryndor asked his wife, Isis. They sat together in one of his grand palaces, their gazes fixed on a newly crafted statue. A lesser god had created it in their honor, depicting the two of them standing triumphantly over the lifeless body of one of the Spiderqueen''s daughters. The Spiderqueen, an ancient deity herself, was still three eras younger than Eryndor and Isis. Yet, within her domain, her power far exceeded even Eryndor''s.
Over two hundred ears ago, one of the Spiderqueen''s younger daughters had dared to assault one of their worlds. It was a bold, almost reckless move for the young goddess. But once Eryndor and Isis, with the assistance of numerous lesser gods, severed the connection between the nascent web and the Spiderqueen¡¯s great network, the ambitious invader found herself trapped in the very snare she had attempted to weave. This was the way of the Spiderqueen''s kind¡ªthey expanded her vast domain by entwining more and more planets into her cosmic web.
Attacking Eryndor and Isis was audacious, to say the least, but the distance of the main web from their realm made it feasible to disrupt the connection. Were it not for the Spiderqueen being preoccupied with a war against another empire of spider gods, such an offense would have spelled disaster for Eryndor and Isis. Since her ascension, no one had managed to defeat the Spiderqueen¡ªa remarkable feat, given how many gods had tried and failed to destroy her after her rise to godhood.
Now, the Spiderqueen''s expansion seemed to have halted, at least in the direction of the apex gods¡ªthose powerful factions she seemed unwilling to confront directly. Little was known about her. How many gods supported her? What horrors unfolded on the planets within her web? Most believed her domain served as a breeding ground for her young, as no gods or other lifeforms had ever emerged from its confines.
"It is the girl I blessed," Isis finally replied, her voice tinged with anger. "After one of my avatars in the tutorial instructed her briefly on how to refine a healing skill, she took all the advice and knowledge I offered¡ªand then rejected my blessing." The final words came out as a hiss.
Eryndor stiffened in shock. Such defiance was almost unheard of. Most gods lost their blessed followers to death, not rejection. For a mortal to spurn a blessing was a rare and intolerable affront. Mortals who dared such rebellion had to be hunted and made an example of. Yet, this girl was in the tutorial, the realm where Ankhet would soon emerge. Every ally was needed in the coming trials. Still, Eryndor''s hatred for anything that wounded his beloved wife burned hotter than any strategic considerations. He already began plotting.
"We can spin this," he murmured. "Make it known that the girl is in league with the undead. It would justify her execution while uniting others against a common enemy."
"She will regret betraying your trust," Eryndor vowed, his tone resolute. He sent out immediate instructions to his blessed and the minor gods who had imbued mortals within the tutorial with divine favor. The girl''s days were numbered. Marked as a traitor to the great and benevolent Isis, her survival in the tutorial would soon be impossible.
<--
"What''s wrong, Eve? You look so weak. Did something happen?" Kargul asked, concern etched into his rugged face. They had just finished a grueling battle against a black tiger, and for the first time, Evelyn seemed drained beyond her usual limits. She had paused her boosting skill midway through the fight to heal Kargul¡ªsomething she usually did effortlessly. Now, sweat beaded on her brow as she leaned heavily against a nearby tree, her breaths shallow and uneven.
"It''s nothing," Evelyn said after a moment, forcing a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. "I''ll feel better after the system shop." Her tone was casual, but her mind churned with uncertainty. She couldn''t bring herself to tell Kargul¡ªor anyone¡ªthat she had rejected her blessing. The consequences of that decision were hers alone to bear. The system shop would appear soon, and with it, the chance to forge a new path. If only she had a clue what that path should be.
Evelyn bit her lip, her thoughts racing. Her agility and intelligence stats were impressive, far outstripping the others. Strength, toughness, even wisdom¡ªall woefully inadequate by comparison. She needed an offensive skill, something to deliver real damage, but what? Even light warriors required a modicum of strength, and she had none. Offensive spells seemed the only viable option, but how could she face Cathrin with something as basic as a fireball or lightning bolt?
Cathrin, the blood witch, wasn¡¯t just powerful¡ªshe was among the top contenders in the tutorial. Evelyn shuddered at the thought of their eventual confrontation. A simple spell wouldn¡¯t suffice. She needed a plan, something clever and unexpected. But regret gnawed at her. Had she been too hasty in rejecting her blessing? At least it would have provided stability, even if it locked her into a healer''s path. But no¡ªher current path felt suffocating. She wanted more. She deserved more.
Her thoughts shifted back to Cathrin. Blood witches were essentially blood cultivators, closely tied to darkness. A counter to such power would logically be light-based skills, capable of dispelling shadows. But was that how it worked? Evelyn wasn¡¯t sure. Alternatively, she could embrace the darkness herself, becoming a predator in the shadows like an umbral assassin. That felt even less realistic. Her current affinities were earth and wind¡ªnot exactly prime candidates for a shadowy predator¡¯s arsenal.
Still, her affinities had served her well so far. Earth granted her enhanced mobility on uneven terrain and a slight boost to resilience. Wind, meanwhile, sharpened her speed and heightened her awareness of incoming attacks by detecting subtle shifts in the air. Perhaps an offensive wind or earth skill was her best bet. Not something to counter Cathrin directly, but something to empower herself further. Her focus shifted as the system shop appeared. She could only hope that the voice of the system would assist her.
She entered without hesitation, her thoughts a tangled web of determination and doubt. "Hello, Voice of the System," she began, her tone firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at her. "I might¡¯ve made some... questionable choices. I need an item or skill to fight a blood witch. More than that, I need something to help me step away from being just a healer. Do you have anything that fits?"
A pause followed, the Systems Voice deliberating. "There are items and skills that might suit your needs," it finally responded, its voice calm and measured. "But more importantly, you¡¯ve received an invitation¡ªfrom a goddess of significant power."
Evelyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. "An invitation? From who?" she asked, her voice sharp with surprise. Why would any god take an interest in her now, after she had rejected divine favor? And how had they even noticed her at this stage in the tutorial?
"Not your former patron," the voice clarified. "And not a god of healing."
Evelyn frowned, her confusion deepening. "Then who?" she demanded. Her mind raced through possibilities, but none seemed plausible. She had no extraordinary qualities beyond her healing and evasive skills. What god would concern themselves with such meager talents?
"The Spiderqueen has invited you to her realm," the voice said, its tone carrying a strange mix of gravity and intrigue. "I believe she may hold the answers you seek."
The Spiderqueen. Evelyn froze, her thoughts colliding in a chaotic spiral. Why would the Spiderqueen¡ªa figure of legend and fear¡ªextend such an offer to someone like her? Evelyn had read about her in some of the books, she had bought from the system shop to learn more about the many factions of gods. Still, the pull of desperation outweighed her hesitation.
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"Fine," she said after a moment, her voice unsteady but resolute. "I accept."
In the blink of an eye, she found herself suspended in the vastness of space, standing on an intricate web spanning incomprehensible distances. Its threads stretched across the void, anchored to planets so far away they appeared as distant pinpricks of light. The stillness was unnerving, broken only by the faint vibrations rippling through the web.
Suddenly, movement caught her eye. A spider¡ªtall but not towering, standing just over two meters high¡ªcrawled toward her with terrifying speed. Each step seemed to defy logic, covering the distance of entire planets. Some sort of spatial distortion must have been at play; no single step from its slender legs should have carried it so far. As it drew closer, Evelyn¡¯s breath hitched. The creature was like nothing from Earth. Its sleek, hairless body radiated an aura of darkness, as though shadows themselves clung to its form. Its fangs gleamed menacingly, but its proportions were strangely delicate¡ªits abdomen small, its limbs impossibly thin.
The spider stopped before her, its multitude of eyes almost level with her own. It regarded her in silence for a moment before its form began to shift. The transformation was seamless, unsettlingly smooth. Where the spider had stood, a woman now appeared¡ªbreathtakingly beautiful, save for the two additional eyes on her forehead and her claw-like, inky black fingers.
"Welcome to my web, child," the Spiderqueen said, her voice silken and chilling. It carried an undercurrent of menace that set Evelyn¡¯s nerves on edge.
"Why did you invite me?" Evelyn asked, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I¡¯ve already rejected one blessing, and I don¡¯t see how yours would help me."
The Spiderqueen smiled, a slow, predatory grin that sent a shiver down Evelyn¡¯s spine. "You rejected a path that was wrong for you," she said, her tone laced with amusement. "But my blessing is different. I offer you power not to heal, but to hunt."
Evelyn hesitated, her fear warring with the flicker of hope ignited by the Spiderqueen¡¯s words. Could this be the path she had been searching for?
"Well, your rejection of your former blessing is what piqued my interest in the first place," the Spiderqueen snickered, her sinister amusement evident. "That Isis and her husband killed one of my daughters, which is why I¡¯ve kept an eye on them ever since. When I heard, through one of my spies, that a mortal girl had not only rejected Isis''s blessing but was also branded as an ally of the undead¡ªgiving the blessed in the tutorial a convenient excuse to hunt you down¡ªI couldn¡¯t resist finding out what kind of person you were."
"Okay... and were you satisfied?" Evelyn asked, her tone laced with confusion. She couldn¡¯t fathom why a being like the Spiderqueen, so foreign and monstrous, would take an interest in her. Sure, rejecting Isis''s blessing might have weakened her former patron, but how significant could such a blow be? The revelation that gods had directly ordered their blessed to kill her left her reeling. It was an escalation she had never anticipated.
"Oh yes, I¡¯m satisfied," the Spiderqueen replied, her tone shifting to something colder, more calculating. "You harbor a considerable amount of hate, don¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you tell me why?" Her voice took on a sharper edge. "Don¡¯t worry; I will forget everything about this conversation if you decide not to accept my blessing."
Evelyn hesitated, her chest tightening. This seemed like the perfect chance to unburden herself¡ªan opportunity to vent her story to someone who, by all appearances, had no stake in her past. The Spiderqueen would forget it all if Evelyn refused her offer. Gathering her thoughts, Evelyn recounted the events of the tutorial, sparing no detail. She explained her reasons for rejecting the blessing and her desire to carve a new path, one that aligned with her needs and goals rather than the constraints imposed by others.
The Spiderqueen listened in silence, her expression unreadable. But as Evelyn reached the conclusion of her tale, explaining her intent to change her class, the deity¡¯s lips curled into a smile¡ªa knowing, almost predatory smile.
"This Cathrin you spoke of must have been blessed early in the tutorial,¡± the Spiderqueen began, her voice deliberate and contemplative. "Only the more powerful gods are bold enough to risk their resources so early. There aren¡¯t many blood witches who have ascended to such high levels. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it was likely Morgana, as the others rarely bless mortals¡ªat least, to my knowledge, it hasn¡¯t happened so far. Morgana would be a worst-case scenario for you. She combines ritual magic with close-range combat, and the blessing this Cathrin received was probably close to legendary rarity¡ªmost likely exalted or ancient."
"I don¡¯t see how that information helps me," Evelyn interrupted, frustration creeping into her voice. "And, for the last time, I don¡¯t want to turn into a spider."
The Spiderqueen¡¯s smile widened, revealing sharp, gleaming teeth. "No one said anything about you becoming a spider, though I think you¡¯d make an excellent one," she said with a sly smirk. "You and I aren¡¯t so different, you know. My attributes are primarily agility, intelligence, and wisdom¡ªmuch like yours. I have skills that would complement your abilities beautifully, transforming you into a force to be reckoned with."
"And what kind of... human would I become if I accepted your blessing?" Evelyn asked, her tone sharpening with defiance. "I¡¯ll also won¡¯t be anyone¡¯s mindless servant."
"You wouldn¡¯t change at all," the Spiderqueen replied smoothly, her tone carrying an undercurrent of amusement. "And I have no need for mindless servants. My only requirement is that you reach godhood eventually so I can recoup my investment." Her voice darkened slightly. "As for the quality of my blessings¡ªlet¡¯s just say I am no less than an equal to Isis. I do not give out ''low-level'' blessings." The last words were infused with a subtle menace, and Evelyn thought she could feel the air around them ripple. Space itself seemed to vibrate, as though warning her not to press further. Perhaps the system was shielding her, as it had promised...
"Alright," Evelyn conceded cautiously, her suspicion mounting. "How many skills are we talking about? And what¡¯s the rarity of this supposed blessing?" She crossed her arms, trying to project confidence even as doubt churned in her mind. Surely, this couldn¡¯t be as generous as it sounded.
The Spiderqueen remained silent for a moment, her many eyes glinting thoughtfully. "I offer you an empyrean blessing," she said finally. "As for the number of skills¡ªwell, it varies from individual to individual. But in your case, it should be more than four."
Evelyn¡¯s breath caught. An empyrean blessing was nearly unheard of¡ªalmost on par with becoming a god¡¯s chosen.
"You still haven¡¯t told me what skills I¡¯d receive," Evelyn said aloud, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain composed. This seemed too good to be true, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the catch might be.
The Spiderqueen tilted her head, her expression almost playful. "Hmm, let¡¯s see. You wish to remain a healer to support your companions, yes?" She appeared deep in thought. "For this to work perfectly, you¡¯ll need to delay your evolution until the tutorial ends and eliminate as many of the blessed from other gods as possible. The system grants substantial rewards for such actions¡ªcredits, experience, and additional advantages when you reach E-grade. And as for the skills..."
Chapter 134: More Crafting
Steven could barely suppress the wave of relief that washed over him as the system shop appeard. For days, he had been fleeing the relentless pursuit of vampires since his arrival at the fifth stage. Every time he thought he¡¯d lost them, their shadowy forms reappeared¡ªsilent silhouettes against the horizon, trailing him like bloodhounds on a scent.
The System Shop offered something he hadn''t dared to hope for in days: sanctuary and respite. It was a rare chance to breathe and to plan his next move. Once inside its shimmering confines, the constant tension gripping his body began to ease. He browsed the glowing panels, his mind racing as he considered his options. He needed escape items¡ªtools to finally shake his pursuers for good.
After spending the full duration allowed in the shop, he was unceremoniously expelled into the harsh, unforgiving jungle. The humid air struck him like a wall, but Steven had no time to linger. He clutched the teleportation token he''d purchased for 450,000 credits¡ªa staggering sum, but one he gladly parted with for even a slim chance at freedom. Activating it, he felt a wrenching sensation tear through his body, pain lancing through every nerve as the world dissolved around him.
When he reappeared twenty kilometers away, Steven collapsed to his knees, gasping. The jungle here seemed eerily quiet, the thick canopy filtering the sunlight into a dim, green haze. He forced himself to stand, muscles screaming in protest, and began moving again.
He couldn¡¯t afford to stop. The vampires were faster than him¡ªswift and tireless, their predatory grace a terrifying contrast to his desperate flailing. Without the repeated upgrades he''d poured into his wing skill, he would¡¯ve been a dead man long ago.
As the hours passed, the jungle¡¯s oppressive heat weighed on him, and soon, he encountered its other inhabitants: beasts with red mist rising ominously from their skin. These creatures weren¡¯t natural. The red mist hinted at corruption¡ªdark magic that seeped into their very flesh, turning them into lethal weapons. They were more than a nuisance; their poisonous clouds could kill him if his armor failed.
Steven couldn¡¯t help but marvel grimly at the vampires¡¯ handiwork. To corrupt this many creatures, they must have been working tirelessly since their arrival on the fifth stage. Dead beasts littered the forest floor, evidence of the vampires¡¯ relentless expansion. Despite the danger, Steven had no choice but to hunt. He needed experience¡ªdesperately.
At level 80, he was strong, but he still hesitated to evolve. Evolving too soon could lock him into a subpar class, and Steven was determined to aim higher. His lance impaled beasts with brutal precision, while white fire seared others to ash. The sun stood high in the sky, casting stark shadows through the jungle¡ªa small mercy. Daylight was his ally; at night, his light-based skills would make him a beacon for enemies.
The vampires, he knew, were still hunting him. And somewhere deeper in this stage lurked their true masters¡ªthe ones he had no hope of outrunning.
<--
Thalion stood on the gravity array, his body trembling under the oppressive force, sweat dripping from his brow as he tempered his body. The weight was crushing, but it was nothing compared to the mental strain of recent days. The System Shop¡¯s announcement ticked down in his mind, a reminder that he had only hours to make his purchases.
The council''s endless debates still echoed in his thoughts¡ªwhat to buy, where to allocate resources. For Thalion, the answer was obvious. Why waste time arguing when the System¡¯s Voice had never steered him wrong?
Initially, he¡¯d planned to start crafting his new armor, but the crystals in the black pillar weren¡¯t ready yet. Patience wasn¡¯t his strong suit, so he threw himself into body tempering instead. The gravity array was brutal, but it worked better than any elixir they¡¯d managed to scavenge so far.
Thalion had handed off his precious elixirs to Maike and the small family he¡¯d rescued from the spiders. They were helping Kaldrek investigate the mysterious murders plaguing the base. The deaths were baffling¡ªtokens that should¡¯ve tracked every soul in the base showed nothing near the victims. This was unsettling in more than one way as most targets were slaves and those people were clearly stealing the cuffs. Whoever was behind it was disturbingly skilled, and Thalion suspected divine interference.
Blessed individuals were becoming more common with each system shop, and with their god-given powers came complications. The gods had their own agendas, and their blessings often caused as much trouble as they solved. Thalion was no stranger to divine politics. The so-called ¡°special quest¡± had set the gods scrambling, each trying to stack the deck in their favor.
For now, though, Thalion focused on his own plans. The system shop finally opened, and he wasted no time stepping inside.
¡°Greetings, Voice of the System. I have a few requests,¡± he said, addressing the golden statue. ¡°First, I need security for my underground lab, something that seals the entrance automatically when triggered.¡±
The Voice offered him an array of options, and Thalion settled on an illusion array to hide the entrance completely. The price of 810,000 credits stung, but it was a small price for peace of mind.
The rest of his credits went toward fortifying the base: magical ballistas, catapults, reinforced wall-walks, and defensive vines that could drag enemies to their doom. Each purchase chipped away at his savings, but by the time he left the shop, he was assured that the base would become a true fortress.
The sun dipped low on the horizon as Thalion placed the last of the defenses. The sprawling base stretched over two kilometers, its walls bristling with new weapons. People crowded the streets, their movements a testament to the growing strength of the survivors.
Satisfied, Thalion turned back to his cultivation chamber. The crystals he¡¯d placed in the black pillar gleamed ominously, their surfaces dark as night. They pulsed with power, and Thalion felt their weight pressing against his mind. Perfect.
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As he examined the crystals, plans for upgrading his armor took shape in his thoughts. The runes required were intricate, far more complex than those on his blade. His mind lingered on the mask he wore¡ªan artifact that left his head woefully unprotected.
¡°Why not turn it into a helmet?¡± he mused. A proper helm wouldn¡¯t make him invincible, but it was better than leaving his head exposed.
For now, though, Thalion had done enough. He gazed out over the bustling base, a small smile playing on his lips. This place wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was strong.
That particular task would have to wait at least a few more days. If he intended to craft a helmet, Thalion was determined to do it right. He had no experience with helmets thus far, and the thought of fusing such a vital piece with his prized mask filled him with unease. The mask was too precious to risk on an untested design, and failure was not an option.
Arriving at the smithy, he launched into a long discussion with Lucan, the resident blacksmith, about empowering the staff Lucan was currently refining. Lucan, who had recently ascended to E-grade and reached level 82, was in an unusually sour mood. His complaints stretched through the night, lamenting how unfair the system was¡ªseveral of his skills had dropped drastically in rarity following his evolution. The adaptation process was notoriously brutal, with some of his abilities plummeting by two full rarities. Despite his grumbling, Lucan''s hands moved with practiced precision, the glow of molten steel reflecting in his sharp, focused eyes.
Thalion found his rhythm and began his own work, first sketching runes onto a thick sheet of parchment. The lines had to be perfect, each placement meticulously documented to avoid disastrous errors later. The runes weren¡¯t mere symbols; they were the foundation of the armor¡¯s strength. Any mistake here could compromise the entire piece.
Once the designs were complete, he moved to the next step: destroying the initial test runes he¡¯d crafted using his blood. Twenty crystals¡ªpainstakingly melted down over days¡ªwere now ready to be used as material for the final runes. Their molten glow was mesmerizing, the liquid shifting with an almost sentient fluidity. Thalion carved the runes into the armor itself, his blade as steady as his resolve, and filled the intricate lines with the molten crystal.
The process spanned nearly two days. He worked slowly, deliberately, each step requiring a level of precision that bordered on obsession. One mistake could ruin the final product, and Thalion refused to accept anything less than perfection¡ªespecially from himself.
The crystals he¡¯d prepared earlier were finally embedded into the armor. Their placement was unconventional: not in a straight line, but arranged in a crescent, with each crystal set slightly higher than the last. The design wasn¡¯t just for aesthetics; it channeled energy through the armor in a way that amplified its power. The hum of latent energy flowing through the hardened crystal runes was almost hypnotic.
Thalion performed the same upgrades on the mask, though the robe remained untouched. He had no clear idea yet how to refine its runes further and wasn¡¯t willing to risk an uninformed experiment.
After bidding Lucan farewell, who was eagerly diving into a new skill he¡¯d acquired from the system shop, Thalion mist-formed back to his tower. His arrival was swift and silent, the mist dissipating as he stepped onto solid ground. Only then did he remember the security measures he had yet to install.
With a few deft movements, Thalion activated the features he¡¯d purchased. The entrance to his cultivation cave vanished, concealed by a seamless illusion array. From the outside, it appeared as though nothing was there at all. Thalion tested the door, his fingers brushing against invisible resistance. Only he, with the control crystal in hand, could access it without triggering an alarm¡ªan alarm loud enough to wake the dead and undoubtedly irritate the living.
Descending into the cave, Thalion approached the ominous black pillar where his armor would rest for the comming days . He laid the almost-finished pieces before it: armor, mask, and robe. The pillar¡¯s energy pulsed as he placed them inside, the dark power enveloping the items in an ethereal glow. Lucan¡¯s recent discovery echoed in his mind¡ªonly when all pieces of a single armor set were fully connected would the true potential reveal itself.
For now, the armor would remain in the pillar, allowing it and the crystal runes to attune further. The longer it stayed, the more deeply infused it would become with the dark energies radiating from the pillar. Whether this process could truly make the armor ¡°fear-attuned¡± was uncertain, but Thalion intended to push it as far as it would go.
With his immediate tasks completed, Thalion weighed his options. The dark affinity plants and beast corpses he¡¯d collected whispered their potential, promising strength through devouring. Alternatively, the gravity array beckoned, a brutal but effective means of tempering his body. There was also the blood pool, enriched with thousands of liters of potent blood, waiting for him to submerge and absorb its power.
Another possibility piqued his interest: building a cultivation chamber for Eagly. Gaining a higher wind affinity as Eagly would be very important right now.
For now, he would continue his tempering on the gravity array until interrupted¡ªwhether by the council¡¯s endless deliberations or the completion of the teleportation circle that would grant him access to the ocean. Either way, Thalion relished the thought of growing stronger, inching closer to the moment he would confront Kael.
He allowed himself a grim smile, imagining Kael¡¯s expression when they finally met again. Letting someone live who wanted to strip his body of its secrets was a mistake he wouldn''t make in the future.
THE ENDLESS EMPIRE FINALLY HAS A DISCORD
DEAR CITIZENS OF THE ENDLESS EMPIRE,
WE ARE EVER-GROWING, BUT SO TOO ARE OUR ENEMIES.
THE ENDLESS EMPIRE HAS BEEN ATTACKED FROM MANY SIDES¡ªNOT THAT THOSE VERMIN HAD MUCH TO SAY BEFORE WE CRUSHED THEM. THEIR PITIFUL EXISTENCE WAS SHORT-LIVED, AND NOW THEIR BODIES SERVE AS FERTILIZER FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL RED FLOWERS.
NEVERTHELESS, WE REQUIRE BETTER COMMUNICATION TO RESPOND SWIFTLY TO THREATS AND TO COLLECTIVELY LAUGH AT THE MISERY OF OUR FOES.
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AFTER GENERATIONS OF RELENTLESS LABOR BY OUR GREATEST SCIENTISTS, WE HAVE AT LAST FOUND THE SOLUTION.
THE ENDLESS EMPIRE NOW HAS A DISCORD SERVER.
IT IS NOT MERELY A PLACE WHERE I SHALL OCCASIONALLY VENT ABOUT OUR LAZY CURATOR¡ªWHO, UNBELIEVABLY, CLAIMED LAST WEEK THAT HE WOULD ONLY WORK 18 HOURS A DAY. CAN YOU IMAGINE SUCH INSOLENCE?
NO, THIS IS MORE THAN THAT. IT IS A GRAND HAVEN WHERE WE SHALL CELEBRATE THE GLORY OF THE ENDLESS EMPIRE, SHARE MESMERIZING IMAGES MADE BY BOBO THE ELEPHANT, AND STRENGTHEN OUR UNBREAKABLE BONDS.
NOW, WITH ALL THAT SAID¡ªREJOICE! CLICK THE LINK AND JOIN THE GLORIOUS DISCORD OF THE ENDLESS EMPIRE!
SEE YOU THERE.
Chapter 135: Karguls Glorious Hunt
Kargul felt a surge of pride as he watched Evelyn dart through the dense jungle, her movements as sharp and fluid as a predator¡¯s. The transformation after her visit to the system shop was astonishing. She had struggled in fights that should have been trivial for her, and Kargul had worried deeply for her safety. But now, she seemed like an entirely new person.
Evelyn had promised she would grow stronger, and she had. Not just stronger¡ªremarkably so. It was as though the system shop had remade her. Her speed had become almost unnatural, and even after a grueling battle with a pack of metal-fanged lions, she showed no signs of exhaustion. She healed Kargul and Vorlok with effortless grace, empowering them both while maintaining her own stamina.
Watching her now, weaving between the trees with a bright smile as if the battle were nothing more than a game, Kargul felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Vorlok, stoic as he was, seemed more at ease. The turtle had tried to mask his concerns for Evelyn with his usual unflappable demeanor, but Kargul, ever sharp, had noticed.
The trio was still on their journey to find Evelyn¡¯s missing friends, two humans Kargul didn¡¯t particularly care for. His focus was on the hunt, the bond with his newfound family¡ªEvelyn and Vorlok. It was a bond he had never expected.
Humans had existed on his homeworld long ago, or so the stories claimed. Weak creatures, easily crushed by orcish might, they had disappeared generations ago. Kargul had always scoffed at the tales, never expecting to call one of those fragile beings family. And yet, here was Evelyn¡ªan enigma wrapped in brilliance.
Not that Kargul resented her. Quite the opposite. Evelyn was clever, far sharper than most orcs he¡¯d known. And Vorlok? The mighty turtle had chosen Kargul as his companion¡ªa fact that filled him with pride. "Let others envy me," he thought. "I¡¯ve achieved something even beastmasters dream of."
The jungle stretched around them, thick and teeming with life. Unlike the glowing blue forests of earlier stages, these trees were enormous but dull, their lack of luminescence a disappointment to Kargul. "If I can¡¯t have the light," he muttered to himself, "I¡¯ll settle for smashing something big."
Vorlok sniffed the air, his massive head swaying left and right. His nostrils flared as he caught a scent, and Kargul¡¯s ears pricked up.
"You found something?" Kargul¡¯s voice softened, playful, as if speaking to a child. "Good Vorlok. Go find it."
The turtle shot forward, Evelyn still perched on his shell, cheering him on. His speed was astonishing, a blur of motion through the towering trees. Kargul gripped his weapon tightly, his grin widening as they approached their quarry. The source of the scent was soon revealed¡ªa monstrous, 15-meter-long serpent coiled around a tree, its scales shimmering like black glass.
Kargul¡¯s heart raced. This was no ordinary foe; this was a challenge. He resisted the urge to bellow, to announce their battle to the jungle, and instead surged forward. His goal was clear: strike the snake simultaneously with Vorlok, their combined strength overwhelming the beast in one decisive blow.
Runepython Level 80
Oh yes, Vorlok had found a worthy opponent. Kargul grinned savagely as he charged the massive serpent, his skin glowing with the faint orange light of runes etched into his very being. The serpent, a looming shadow of power, coiled in preparation, its gaze locked on the approaching duo.
But Kargul and Vorlok were not deterred. "Master smashers" as Kargul liked to call them, their strategy relied not on finesse but on unrelenting aggression. Above them, Evelyn perched gracefully on a sturdy branch, her hands weaving glowing patterns in the air as she cast her support spell. The aura enveloping Kargul and Vorlok grew brighter, a testament to her skill. Before the system shop, Evelyn would have struggled to dismount quickly, let alone cast from such a vantage point. Seeing her so confident and composed filled Kargul with pride.
Suddenly, the snake unleashed a burst of power, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. It hit with the force of a hurricane, throwing Kargul and Vorlok off their feet. Evelyn, quick as ever, raised her barrier just in time, deflecting the brunt of the blast. Kargul¡¯s chest swelled with pride again¡ªEvelyn wasn¡¯t just strong; she was unstoppable.
Farther back, Eddie and Chloe stood rooted to the spot, their faces pale as they watched the battle unfold. At level 74, they knew better than to risk their lives against such a powerful foe. Their greedy eyes, however, betrayed their intentions¡ªthey were already planning how to claim the serpent¡¯s form once Vorlok and Kargul had finished it off.
Kargul crashed into a tree with a thunderous impact, the force splintering the trunk and leaving a deep impression. "Level 80 beasts are always terrifying," he thought as he pushed himself up, shaking off the pain. His shoulder throbbed, and for a brief moment, he wondered if it had broken. But before the thought could settle, warmth flooded through him as Evelyn¡¯s healing magic knit him back together.
The serpent was relentless, surging toward Kargul with unnatural speed, its sinuous body almost gliding over the forest floor. To Kargul, this was ideal¡ªit just made the target easier to smash. Fueled by Evelyn¡¯s newly enhanced boost, Kargul met the serpent head-on, his mace glowing with energy. The impact was thunderous, but instead of the satisfying crunch he expected, Kargul found himself hurled backward into another tree. Pain lanced through his body again, sharper this time.
His shoulder screamed in protest, but Evelyn¡¯s magic was faster. A surge of warmth and energy restored him almost instantly. The serpent bore down on him again, its glowing runes pulsing with malicious intent. It swiped its tail lazily, sending Vorlok crashing into another tree. Kargul¡¯s instincts screamed at him¡ªthis was no ordinary beast.
Determined, Kargul activated every boosting skill he had, his mace swelling to an enormous size. His next strike was precise, smashing into the serpent¡¯s head with enough force to send scales flying. The creature hissed, its movements erratic from the blow, but Kargul could see it was far from defeated. Its wounds began to close, the ground itself seeming to feed its regeneration.
Behind him, Vorlok seized his chance, clamping his powerful jaws around the serpent¡¯s tail and tearing it clean off. The serpent hissed again, this time in fear, its glowing eyes narrowing. Orange light radiated from its body as it released another, even stronger shockwave. Kargul braced himself, but the wave was too powerful. It hurled him thirty meters back, slamming him into yet another tree.
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Groaning, Kargul rose to his feet. His hardened skin had absorbed most of the impact, and Evelyn¡¯s magic took care of the rest. The serpent, its runes now blazing with light, sank into the earth with a serpentine grace, disappearing as though the ground itself had swallowed it. Kargul gripped his mace tightly ready for the snake shooting out of the ground.
"Uh, where is it?" Kargul muttered, his voice uncertain as his eyes scanned the ground where the snake had vanished. He crouched slightly, muscles coiled in readiness, expecting the serpent to emerge at any moment. But the earth remained still.
"It fled¡ªit¡¯s already over fifty meters away," Evelyn¡¯s calm voice cut through the tension. She landed lightly beside him, her expression as composed as ever.
Kargul didn¡¯t bother questioning her; Evelyn was the smartest of their group, and if she said the snake was gone, then it was gone. Nearby, Vorlok snarled and slammed his heavy flippers into the ground where the snake had disappeared, as if sheer force might drag it back into the fight.
"What do we have here?" a snickering voice echoed from above, dripping with smug amusement. Vorlok¡¯s head snapped upward, his sharp eyes scanning the canopy for the speaker.
Kargul followed his companion''s gaze and spotted four figures perched on a thick tree branch, fifty meters above them. Their glowing red eyes pierced through the shadows. Two of them had leathery wings unfurled, like grotesque mockeries of bat wings.
Vampire - Level 80
Vampire - Level 79
Vampire - Level 80
Vampire - Level 80
The status indicators burned bright in Kargul¡¯s vision.
"Haha, one beast has already escaped," Kargul roared, his deep voice brimming with excitement. "But now, the true battle begins!" His skin glowed brighter as power surged through his body, braun runes flaring like wildfire on his skin.
"Yeah, come over here, bloodbag," one vampire sneered, his grin revealing elongated fangs before he let out an ear-piercing screech.
"Quiet!" Kargul bellowed, launching himself upward in a blur of motion. His mace swung in a massive arc toward the vampires. The air cracked under the force of his attack.
The four male vampires didn¡¯t waste time on more taunts. They moved with inhuman speed, their slim builds deceptive as they darted toward Evelyn and the others, bypassing Kargul entirely. Their intent was clear: take out the healer and the weakest members first.
One vampire conjured a sphere of crimson energy in his hand and hurled it at Eddie, who barely dodged in time. The blood orb exploded behind him with a sharp hiss, leaving a smoldering crater. Vorlok sniffed the air and growled, his instincts kicking into overdrive. The moment he sensed the vampire''s blood and the sheer quality of it, the skyturtle charged forward with astonishing speed, his iron-like scales deflecting the attacks aimed at him.
Meanwhile, Eddie and Chloe shifted into their steganosaur forms, the bulky, spiked dinosaurs known for their near-impenetrable defenses. Chloe¡¯s massive tail swung out in a warning arc, the spikes gleaming ominously. One vampire hesitated, clearly regretting his earlier aggression as Vorlok closed in like a living battering ram.
Evelyn had her own pair of pursuers, but she seemed unfazed, weaving through the jungle with an agility that bordered on playful. She laughed mockingly as one vampire¡¯s blood skills missed her, her taunts frustrating him further. Whenever the pair closed in, she would summon shimmering mana barriers in their path, forcing them to halt or redirect their pursuit.
Kargul, meanwhile, was locked in a brutal duel with the vampire leader. His massive mace swung relentlessly, each blow powerful enough to shatter bone¡ªbut his opponent was maddeningly quick. The vampire¡¯s long, razor-sharp claws slashed at Kargul, leaving shallow but stinging wounds.
Snarling, Kargul adjusted his grip on the mace, preparing for more precise strikes. His swings wouldn¡¯t deal as much damage, but at least he¡¯d land a hit.
From the ground, Eddie and Chloe watched the chaotic battle. On one side, Kargul clashed with a vampire, his roars echoing through the forest. On the other, Vorlok relentlessly pursued another, his almost iron scales and shell rendering the vampire¡¯s attacks useless. Evelyn danced effortlessly through her fight, her barriers and evasive maneuvers turning her chase into a game.
Despite the grim odds, Evelyn radiated confidence, her every move calculated and precise. Her speed and precision were on a level Kargul hadn¡¯t seen before. Occasionally, she would glance back, her laughter taunting the vampires as she expertly evaded their grasp. Even when cornered, her barriers materialized instantly, leaving her enemies snarling in frustration.
"Help me!" the fleeing vampire screamed, his voice tinged with desperation as he glanced over his shoulder at Vorlok. The turtle seemed to grow more menacing with every step closer, its sheer presence suffocating. In contrast, the vampire¡¯s strength appeared to wither, his wingbeats growing erratic and labored.
One of the vampires pursuing Evelyn hesitated, turning to aid his comrade. But before he could lift off, he slammed face-first into a shimmering mana barrier that Evelyn had conjured mid-air.
Meanwhile, Kargul''s fight was shifting in his favor. His relentless swings, though clumsy, now landed with increasing frequency. His opponent, previously confident, began faltering under the orc¡¯s ferocious determination. With every missed counterattack, Kargul¡¯s fury only grew, and exhaustion never seemed to touch him.
The fleeing vampire¡¯s cries grew more frantic as Vorlok closed the gap to a mere half meter. Panic seeped into his every motion¡ªuntil a blood-red lance struck the turtle''s head, throwing it violently into a tree.
Then Evelyn appeared, swift and unwavering. Her healing magic knitted Vorlok¡¯s injuries at a speed that bordered on unnatural. In mere moments, the skyturtle rose once more, renewed and enraged, and launched itself at the vampires again.
"What? How is she here?" the vampire who had launched the blood spear hissed, his hatred palpable. He turned to glance at where Evelyn had been moments before, expecting her to be occupied. But his eyes widened in disbelief. Where his comrade once stood, there was now only a headless corpse falling to the ground.
Disoriented, his gaze flickered down to the two steganosaur forms on the ground. Surely, they couldn¡¯t have done this. The idea of Evelyn¡ªa healer¡ªslaying a vampire seemed absurd. Yet, somehow, she had managed the impossible, her swift and deadly precision leaving no room for witnesses or resistance.
It didn¡¯t take long for the remaining two vampires to decide their next move. They exchanged a brief glance before vanishing in a blur, teleporting away to safety.
Now, only one vampire remained, still locked in an intense battle with Kargul. The vampire, so focused on surviving the orc¡¯s relentless assault, hadn¡¯t realized that his comrades had fled.
The fight ended abruptly when Vorlok, renewed and ferocious, descended from above. His massive form smashed through the tree branch where the vampire had been standing. Sensing the impending danger, the vampire dissolved into mist at the last possible moment, reappearing a few meters away. It was then he noticed he was alone. With a hateful glare, he, too, disappeared into the void.
"No! Not again!" Kargul roared, his frustration boiling over as he slammed his mace into the ground. It was the second time today that his prey had escaped. Then he noticed the headless vampire corpse on the ground, moments before Vorlok scooped it up into his maw.
"Evelyn, did you do this?" Kargul asked, his voice tinged with surprise as he stared at the lifeless remains. A beat passed, and then his face split into a wide grin. "Ha! I always knew it¡ªyou¡¯re a born headsmasher!" He pulled Evelyn into a crushing hug, laughing and jumping in sheer joy.
Nearby, Vorlok licked at the blood on the ground, still sniffing around for the vampire¡¯s missing head. Eddie and Chloe shifted back into their human forms, sweat dripping down their faces. The intensity of these fights was something else entirely. They exchanged weary glances, silently acknowledging that without Kargul and Evelyn, they wouldn¡¯t have lasted a day in this jungle.
It seemed the area was clear; no other undead had shown up, despite the vampire¡¯s earlier screech.
"Haha! Let¡¯s continue our glorious hunt!" Kargul roared, his booming voice reverberating through the jungle without a care for who might hear it.
With renewed vigor, the group moved deeper into the jungle, their sights set on finding Jack and Josh.
Chapter 136: Trouble Incoming
Thalion was furious. He had been cultivating in his human form for only a few hours, standing resolutely in the gravity array, when a message interrupted him. It informed him that one of the council members had called an emergency meeting. The subject? Two newly discovered human camps.
It was, to say the least, deeply frustrating. Every single hour was crucial for his cultivation. More and more E-grades were appearing, and Thalion couldn¡¯t predict how much longer he would be able to dominate them. And as if that weren¡¯t enough, the termite hive loomed as a constant threat. This cascade of challenges was becoming suffocating.
With a low growl, Thalion triggered mistform as he exited the tower. The vapor-like transformation allowed him to surge through the settlement''s streets at unnatural speed, heading directly for the council building. He gritted his teeth, knowing that some members wouldn¡¯t even be present¡ªmany were out hunting or scouting. Kaldrek, for instance, was still investigating the murders. Thalion had assured him he¡¯d cover his absence, but now he was regretting that decision.
"In fact, he cursed himself for assigning Kaldrek the task." Tracking killers wasn¡¯t nearly as urgent as leveling up and honing Kaldrek into a formidable fighter. The murders? They were inconsequential to Thalion. A few slaves dead? A negligible loss. "Yes, a few slaves were gone, but they cost next to nothing, and their deaths scarcely warranted his attention."
Lucan was preoccupied as well, laboring over the teleportation circles. Thalion silently willed him to work faster. Those circles needed activation as soon as possible. His thoughts wandered to the tidecaller serpent. Maybe the ocean would serve as an escape route if everything spiraled out of control in the higher stages. Most fighters weren¡¯t attuned to water, and the ocean depths could offer safety¡ªor at least a reprieve. The ocean might even prove to be the ultimate sanctuary if disaster struck.
The council chamber buzzed with agitation as Thalion arrived. The faces of those assembled were etched with panic.
¡°Hello, everyone. I called this meeting because we¡¯ve discovered two new human camps,¡± Vespera began, her voice calm yet tense. She was one of their best scouts, closely aligned with Maike.
¡°What do they want? Are they like the last one¡ªdid they try to attack us?¡± Elise asked, her expression flickering between curiosity and concern.
Thalion frowned. ¡°And what happened to the survivors of the last camp?¡± he inquired, leaning forward. ¡°We took their ships, but I haven¡¯t heard a word about them since.¡±
Vespera¡¯s lips curled in disdain. ¡°The base was empty when we arrived. They slaughtered each other before making their move against us.¡± Her words carried a note of disgust.
Thalion clenched his fists. His mental list of enemies had grown significantly since arriving in this system.
¡°So, what¡¯s so special about these two new camps?¡± he pressed, eager to understand why this warranted a meeting. He itched to return to his basement and immerse himself in cultivation.
¡°They¡¯re friendly so far,¡± Vespera said, though her furrowed brow betrayed her worry. ¡°But each camp houses over 5,000 people.¡±
¡°Okay, I don¡¯t see the problem,¡± Thalion replied dismissively. ¡°We leave them alone, and that¡¯s that.¡±
Vespera hesitated. ¡°The camps are ruled by humans blessed by gods,¡± she finally said. Her gaze darted to everyone in the room except Thalion. ¡°And... you¡¯re not blessed. There are a lot of people living here, Thalion.¡±
The air thickened. So that was it. The gods were staking their claim, rallying followers for the impending war against the undead. This settlement was ripe for conquest, and Thalion¡¯s lack of divine favor made it an easy target.
Thalion¡¯s jaw tightened. The story of his unblessed status must have spread, probably thanks to Kael and the others. If war broke out between his settlement and the camps, the undead faction would be the true victor. What were the god-blessed plotting? Assassination? Mass conversion? He had heard rumors of high-blessing individuals baptizing others, spreading divine power. That could destabilize everything.
And what if he sought a blessing himself? No. The risks were too great. The gods might uncover his connection to the outsider, and that revelation could destroy him.
Another reason was that Thalion refused to copy the path of a god. He would forge his own way, no matter the consequences. He already had plans for his future and would not abandon them merely to appease a god¡¯s whims. There was no way¡ªabsolutely none¡ªthat he would allow such interference.
¡°Okay, but what¡¯s the issue now? We have many blessed in this base, too,¡± Elise said, her brow furrowing in confusion. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be able to attack us; we have more than enough defenses¡ªand a fleet of skyships.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that they want to attack us,¡± Vespera replied, her voice tinged with worry. ¡°But both camps are already sending emissaries to negotiate... about the war with the undead faction.¡±
Thalion¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was obvious to him that these negotiations weren¡¯t as innocent as they seemed. But what could he do? In fact, why not just send the messengers back the moment they arrived? He doubted a war with him was in their best interest.
¡°We won¡¯t negotiate,¡± he said finally, his tone flat and decisive. ¡°Just send them back and tell them to leave us alone.¡±
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¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Vespera asked, her concern deepening. ¡°I¡¯ve seen their warriors. They¡¯re far stronger than those we fought during the last attack.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Arrange for our scouts to intercept them early and turn them back,¡± Thalion said with unwavering determination. He couldn¡¯t risk having individuals blessed with divine power running free in his base. The murders were problematic enough.
¡°And what if they refuse?¡± Vespera pressed, visibly uneasy.
She had a point. If these emissaries brought elite fighters with them, it could cause trouble¡ªat least for whoever was tasked with driving them off.
¡°In that case, change the plan,¡± Thalion said after a moment. ¡°If you spot them, retreat and notify our battleships. That way, they¡¯ll never have a chance to engage anyone. By the way, how far are their camps?¡±
¡°About six days away at full speed with our fastest scouting vessels,¡± Vespera answered quickly.
¡°Good. Then the plan should work perfectly.¡± Thalion allowed himself a small smirk, satisfied with his solution. Finally, he could retreat to his basement and resume his cultivation.
He¡¯d deal with those blessed fools when the time came. For now, his focus was on cultivation and feeding. He had nearly a hundred beast corpses stored in an extra spatial ring, waiting to be consumed. The trees he¡¯d purchased from the system shop had already grown to two meters tall, their forms shrouded in darkness as light vanished around them.
It wouldn¡¯t be long before the first elemental wisps began to form¡ªperhaps one or two weeks until the trees matured fully, and then another week or two for the elementals themselves to grow. The question lingered: how long should he let the elementals develop before integrating them as a soulbound weapon into the body of the umbral predator?
To boost the area¡¯s affinity for darkness, Thalion had instructed alchemists to transmute over ten wind crystals into dark crystals. He hoped this would enhance the mana density in the environment, accelerating the elementals¡¯ growth. If the darkness elementals consumed the crystals as air elementals had above the mountains, the process would be even faster.
Yes, everything was progressing perfectly¡ªassuming nothing else went wrong. Thalion activated the gravity array and began another round of cultivation. The progress he made with it was staggering. He was fortunate his muscles hadn¡¯t bulked uncontrollably, as they had during his first attempts. For this device, natural regeneration was critical, and few humans could rival his regenerative abilities.
He hadn¡¯t even started working on his other forms yet, but that was a matter of time. He was particularly curious about Eagly''s growth potential on the first day. In body tempering, the bird form always outpaced his others, likely due to its smaller size.
And yet, one task loomed ominously on his list: merging his bird form with an incredibly powerful storm crystal. It was a process he had postponed for weeks, knowing it required him to literally open his chest.
The imbalance between wind and lightning affinity in Eagly''s body was still too great. Until he bridged that gap, the operation would have to wait. Eagly was less essential than the umbral predator or his human form for now, so its cultivation had been delayed.
For now Thalion had grand plans to improve his combat prowess as the umbral predator and the termite hive would provide the perfect training ground.
Their massive, sturdy bodies seemed perfect for training, but Thalion couldn¡¯t shake his unease about how far the termites might have advanced. The last time he encountered their queen, he hadn¡¯t stood a chance, and he feared that not much had changed since then.
Still, the only way to find out was to face them again, and he was eager to try. This time, he would push the umbral predator and his human form to their limits, testing his strength against the queen¡¯s guards. Perhaps he could lure them out of the hive chamber and take them down one by one.
His confidence had grown since his last encounter. With his increased power, he was now able to endure the second level of difficulty on the gravity array¡ªa point where even breathing became a struggle. Yet, rather than dread the challenge, Thalion reveled in it. The grind had always been his favorite part of training, and his pain tolerance, honed on the golden mountain, made him relish the exertion even more.
Moreover, his connection to the outsider ensured that his injuries healed almost instantly, making this body-tempering method even more effective. He wondered briefly whether the gravity array would benefit the tidecaller serpent too. While it was more of a spellcaster, the added stats from body-tempering could make a noticeable difference when the time came for its evolution.
For now, he didn¡¯t have the time to experiment, but it was a task he planned to revisit before its evolution. It was strange that water pressure hadn¡¯t shown the same effects¡ªthough perhaps he hadn¡¯t dived deep enough for it to matter.
The rest of the day was spent standing on the gravity array, resisting its crushing pressure while simultaneously infusing the heart of the sanguine archon with mana. Each pulse strengthened his blood further, though the strain made it impossible to fully focus or meditate. Even so, every bit of progress was worth it. With his insane regeneration, he had mana to spare and could afford the inefficiency.
As he trained, he noticed the sanguine thorn processing the blood it had absorbed. Or perhaps it had taken in so much blood that it was now using its power to reinforce its vines. Whatever the case, its vines were growing stronger¡ªa welcome addition to his current power-ups.
With preparation moving at such a rapid pace, Thalion felt confident about reaching E-grade soon. Once he could hunt multiple E-grade beasts, the resulting experience would surely boost his progress even further. He speculated on the creatures that might await him in higher stages. If beasts on this stage occasionally reached E-grade, the higher tiers would undoubtedly feature even rarer, stronger creatures.
The prospect of acquiring new skills thrilled him. With his fusion abilities, he might create something truly extraordinary. For now, he was satisfied with his current arsenal, but more passive skills¡ªlike the one he had gained from the Glowhorn¡ªwould be invaluable.
He decided to dedicate one more day to training his human form before shifting focus entirely to the umbral predator. How much strain would the predator feel under the gravity array? The thought intrigued him.
Meanwhile, multiple alchemists were at work enchanting various plants. These weren¡¯t the same as the dark affinity plants he¡¯d commissioned earlier but ordinary herbs used for agility, vitality, and intelligence-enhancing elixirs. It was crucial that he consumed these plants normally, without using his tendrils of darkness, as doing so would negate their effects on his stats. Conversely, devouring dark affinity plants with the tendrils amplified their potency significantly.
Thalion was already imagining himself sprawled on the ground, stomach full after a feast of enchanted herbs. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t rely on his body-tempering manual to digest them faster. If only he could find a method similar to his darkness-fueled tempering process¡ªit would be a game-changer.
After his feeding frenzy, Thalion planned to finish crafting his armor and embark on a termite-hunting trip. Perhaps it would be wiser to assess their strength first, collect souls for his amulet, and return a few days later.
Even with troubles on the horizon, Thalion felt ready. And should anyone dare interrupt his cultivation, they would quickly regret it.
Chapter 137: New Insights
Maike wandered through Thalion''s base, marveling at how it had grown into a bustling city of thousands. It was hard to believe how far things had come. In the beginning, she had thought they''d made a huge mistake by asking him to return after Kael and the others had left.
Thalion had barely cared about the base then, his attention fixed on his cultivation. But things had taken a sharp turn when he seized the credits of nearly everyone there, sparing only Lucan, Kaldrek, herself, and the guards Kaldrek had vouched for.
Naturally, this sparked fury. At least ten groups plotted to kill him. Before any of them could act, Garrick and Michael launched an attack on the tower, bringing a swarm of fighters. That was the moment Maike considered fleeing.
If either Garrick or Michael survived, they would have control of the slave cuffs, draining the people¡¯s credits endlessly. But then, the unthinkable happened. Thalion obliterated most of their fighters and, after a relentless chase, killed Michael. Garrick escaped only by taking a hostage, hoping Kaldrek and the others wouldn¡¯t strike him down.
Maike would never forget the sight of Thalion descending from the sky, utterly composed as if slaughtering the base¡¯s finest warriors hadn¡¯t fazed him. His decision to spare the woman and let Garrick go turned out to be brilliant. The groups plotting his death scattered¡ªsome no longer felt strong enough, while others saw no reason to oppose him.
True to his word, Thalion poured resources into the city, preparing it for the looming war against the undead. People were starting to see him not just as a leader but as a legend.
Rumors of his feats spread like wildfire: saving Kael, Sylas, and Kai; liberating slaves from the Blue Robes; and even helping two of them rise to become elite warriors in Kael¡¯s base. Then there were the tales of Evelyn, the little girl he rescued, and Kargul, the orc whose life he¡¯d changed.
The most famous story, however, was his annihilation of the shapeshifters¡ªwiping them out in one swift stroke. That wasn¡¯t even the pinnacle of his power; his solo defeat of the attackers¡¯ elite warriors cemented his reputation as unmatched.
Though the public adored Thalion, murders within the base still plagued Maike¡¯s mind. She and Kaldrek suspected one of the E-grade warriors¡ªsomeone who believed they could challenge Thalion once they grew stronger.
Lucan and Kaldrek, both newly ascended to E-grade, frequently discussed the incredible leaps in power each level brought compared to F-grade. They theorized that someone confident in their progress might think themselves superior. Yet Maike doubted any of them truly understood how far Thalion¡¯s body-tempering had taken him.
Among the suspects, she focused on those blessed by gods. Such individuals often amassed followers under their divine banner, exploiting the ignorance of those who didn¡¯t even understand what ¡°blessed¡± meant.
The gods, she had to admit, chose their representatives well¡ªarrogant, ruthless, and more than willing to sacrifice others for their gain. In this harsh new world, such traits thrived disturbingly well.
This city had far too many high-level blessed individuals, each carving out their own sects. To Maike, it felt inevitable that they would eventually attempt to eliminate Thalion and seize control. What baffled her most was how Thalion seemed to ignore the threat entirely. Did he genuinely believe himself to be so far above them? Maybe. But Maike doubted it. Thalion wasn¡¯t reckless; he was a schemer. He always seemed to have a plan, and his decisions, more often than not, had solid reasoning behind them.
She thought back to the day he seized nearly everyone¡¯s credits and killed Michael when their group attacked. That, she was convinced, had been calculated from the start. Now, the question loomed: which of these little sects should she investigate first?
Some sects wielded fire, others commanded plants, and more boasted exotic abilities. Over thirty such groups existed, each led by someone with a potent blessing. The most peculiar, in Maike¡¯s eyes, were the women whose beauty was almost unnatural. Rumors swirled about their power to enthrall men and women alike, and though accusations of mind control surfaced frequently, they always had convenient excuses ready.
Their body-tempering, she noticed, seemed tailored to accentuate their physical allure. In this new universe, people already looked fitter and more striking than they had on Earth¡ªobesity was nearly nonexistent. But even among such a populace, these women stood out. It was unsettling how people gravitated toward them after just a few encounters, showering them with gifts that undoubtedly enriched their cultivation.
Maike couldn¡¯t fathom how they leveled up. For crafters, it made sense¡ªthey gained experience with every item they created, the rarity of the object influencing their progress. But these women never hunted, and their class remained a mystery. Their establishments¡ªa few inns, bars, and restaurants¡ªseemed too mundane to justify their rapid rise. Even stranger, their goddess only seemed to bless women, which added another layer of intrigue.
At first, Maike had been fascinated by these women, drawn in by the mystery of their power. Now, she feared them. They were cunning, targeting the vulnerable¡ªthose who had lost family or were uncertain if their loved ones had survived the tutorial. It was a brilliant strategy, as nearly everyone in the city fit that description.
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With their numbers growing, they no longer needed to be subtle. Now, they were moving on council members¡ªespecially Kaldrek. Maike liked him; all she knew about his life on Earth was that he had no wife or children, but he had a loving and supportive family. It was that love that drove him to push himself so hard. Tragically, it also made him the perfect target for these witches.
Maike had no idea if other council members had been approached, but she was growing desperate to call an emergency meeting and share her suspicions. The only thing stopping her was the lack of evidence. She vowed to raise the issue at the next meeting¡ªunless, of course, the other cities coming for "negotiations" caused too much chaos.
Until then, she watched from the rooftop of one of the city¡¯s larger buildings, her gaze fixed on one of their inns. She loathed admitting it, but their information network was likely more robust than hers.
Most of her insights came from casual conversations and gossip. Asking openly about them would alert their network¡ªsomething she couldn¡¯t risk. A direct confrontation was even less appealing; she didn¡¯t want one of them¡ªor worse, their brainwashed followers¡ªpaying her a visit.
She sighed, leaning back against the rooftop¡¯s edge, her eyes never leaving the inn¡¯s entrance. For now, she¡¯d keep observing. Hopefully, she¡¯d uncover something tangible before the next council meeting.
Kaldrek had too much on his plate to dedicate more time to searching for the murderers. The task was daunting¡ªthere were simply too many people to investigate, and all he could do was question those who had been near the crime scenes. Unfortunately, every single one of them had an alibi.
This meant the murderer must have handed their identity token to someone else before committing the crimes, killing the slaves, and stealing the cuffs. He also consulted Lucan and other smiths, but none of them reported noticing anyone tampering with the cuffs. Of course, they could have been lying, so Kaldrek stationed guards near the smiths to monitor their activities.
The odds of finding anything this way were slim, but he had no better ideas.
In his opinion, this base had far too many blessed individuals. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why no god had offered him a blessing. Sure, he wasn¡¯t the strongest in the base, but others far weaker than him had been rewarded with blessings.
What was he lacking? Or was it something else entirely? After all, even Thalion¡ªarguably the most promising individual in the base¡ªhadn¡¯t received a blessing yet.
Thalion¡¯s obsession with growing stronger was unmatched. The man barely interacted with others, spending every moment cultivating in the tower.
It was a lifestyle Kaldrek knew he should emulate. As it stood, others in the base were growing alarmingly strong. Every day, multiple E-grades were emerging. Most had low-rarity classes, and those who instant-evolved often reported their class rarity being downgraded¡ªsometimes drastically. Some even claimed they dropped from epic to common rarity.
In stark contrast, those blessed by gods managed to retain their class rarity and, in rare cases, even saw it upgraded.
Kaldrek considered himself fortunate. He had only suffered one downgrade, from exalted to epic class. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that others were gaining power quickly¡ªand many coveted his position.
Voices were growing louder, demanding a trial to determine whether he was still fit to lead the guards. Kaldrek didn¡¯t think his role as leader stemmed solely from his strength, but the thought of asking Thalion for support was humiliating. He wanted to avoid it at all costs.
Among the three guards who also served on the council, Kaldrek was confident he was the strongest. But that also put him¡ªand the others¡ªat risk.
Kaldrek¡¯s determination to hold onto his position wasn¡¯t just about pride; it was rooted in a deep, personal resolve. He wanted to grow stronger to protect his family¡ªhis siblings and their loved ones¡ªwhen they finally reunited.
This meant dedicating more time than ever to training and hunting. His recent advancement to E-grade had been a turning point. The transition was strange¡ªhis skills, once categorized by rarity, had all been reclassified as E-grade abilities. Though they functioned as before, the only tangible boost came from his upgraded class itself.
Leveling at E-grade was grueling compared to F-grade, but the rewards were significant. Each level brought more than double the power of an F-grade advancement. The four levels he had gained over the past days were equivalent to nearly twelve in his previous state. Yet, even with this progress, Kaldrek couldn¡¯t shake the unease gnawing at him.
He feared for Thalion¡¯s life. Could he defend against someone who had gained even a few levels in E-grade? Kaldrek doubted it.
Two of the levels Kaldrek had gained had come from consuming rare natural treasures tied to his class. Such an opportunity wouldn¡¯t come again anytime soon.
His thoughts turned to Lucan, the smith, who was already at level 87. It made Kaldrek wonder just how Lucan had leveled so quickly. Could it be the experience gained from working on the teleportation circle?
The implications of that circle were enormous. Once complete, it would allow for swift travel across vast distances, revolutionizing hunting and resource gathering.
Kaldrek¡¯s mind drifted to the other human bases. Thalion had mentioned discovering two more, both powerful. Would this newfound connectivity bring alliances¡ªor war?
If these bases had teleportation circles, they could start sending hunters into the jungles near Kaldrek¡¯s base. Slowly but surely, they might begin an invasion.
This was a chilling prospect. Kaldrek¡¯s base accepted everyone, provided they proved themselves useful. While newcomers were initially confined to a separate area, they gained full access to the city once they contributed enough.
For Kaldrek, this was far too lenient, but he also understood the necessity of monitoring everyone. So far, murders had been rare, and the perpetrators were usually caught quickly. The slave murders were an exception.
Edrion, before his death during the skirmish with the sky ships, had suggested that the killers might be connected to the guard. Sadly, Kaldrek had to agree. How else would the culprits have known about features of the cuffs that even many guards were unaware of?
Something was festering within the base¡ªsomething dangerous and unseen, growing under everyone¡¯s noses.
Kaldrek¡¯s experience told him that bloodshed was inevitable. He only hoped Thalion would be strong enough to handle it because Kaldrek wanted nothing to do with the coming storm of conflict.
Chapter 138: The Final Process
Two days had passed, and Thalion¡¯s belly was full. He hadn¡¯t yet begun consuming the corpses of the beasts to gain additional stats, preferring for now to subsist on the prepared plants imbued with dark affinity. These he absorbed through his tendrils of darkness, savoring their potency. Until now, it had been incredibly challenging to fully merge his body with the darkness, but he was finally at a stage where he could attempt to infuse even the smallest parts of himself¡ªhis claws and teeth¡ªwith this elusive power.
What surprised him most was his heart. It was a void, a black hole hungrily devouring unimaginable amounts of darkness until it was brimming to the point of bursting. Each pulse sent a surge of shadowy energy throughout his body, and he knew a breakthrough was close. The sensation was overwhelming, a paradoxical blend of being on the verge of explosion yet grounded by immense power.
Switching from meditation, he stood on the gravity array, determined to push his limits. Thalion had no idea how much umbral predator could withstand, but it was undoubtedly the strongest of his transformations. Raw power coursed through him, unmatched by anything he had encountered so far.
He cranked the array up to Level 6, the strain on his muscles immediately evident. At Level 7, the pressure became nearly unbearable; every fiber of his body screamed as he fought to stay upright. He gritted his teeth against the crushing weight.
Unlike elixirs or the abyssal devourer form, this training didn¡¯t share its benefits across all his forms. It was a direct test of the predator¡¯s resilience, and Thalion realized with grim determination that perhaps Level 7 was already pushing too far. His vision swam, his legs trembled, and fainting seemed inevitable.
But then came the reckless thought: What if I overload it? Push it to the brink¡ªjust shy of death. If I survive, it¡¯ll be worth it.
His self-healing was formidable, especially in this form, boosted further by his connection to the outsider. Pain was a cost he was willing to pay. So he pushed the array up another level, the weight slamming him to the ground like an unseen giant''s hand.
What he hadn¡¯t accounted for, though, was the raw, nerve-shattering pain. Bones cracked under the pressure, the agony sharp and unrelenting. Yet, as his bones broke, the umbral predator¡¯s insane recovery kicked in, knitting them back together only for the process to repeat¡ªover and over. The relentless cycle of destruction and regeneration tore through him like fire, but he held on.
He had learned to endure pain during his time on the golden mountain, and it served him well now. With sheer willpower, he remained conscious, focusing on channeling the darkness within to fortify his battered body. Inch by agonizing inch, he fought to rise.
Hours later, the struggle ended. A message flickered in his mind¡¯s eye like a triumphant banner:
You have gained 91 Strength
The result was staggering. His form felt sturdier, his muscles thicker, his frame taller by what he estimated to be twenty centimeters. He noted that much of the "free darkness" within him had either been absorbed or expelled, possibly fueling his regeneration. The peculiar thought crossed his mind: Maybe breaking bones and forcing them to heal draws more darkness into them.
Pausing the array, he consumed more of the dark affinity plants. His reserves were vast, enough to sustain such indulgence without waste.
Yet, even as he felt the surge of power, a shadow loomed over his thoughts¡ªa sense of foreboding. Something was coming for him. The presence was intangible but undeniable, a silent threat like a Damocles sword suspended above his head.
Perhaps it was linked to the other two bases, their rejection likely fueling their ire. Whatever the case, Thalion resolved to progress as quickly as possible.
Tomorrow, another council meeting loomed. Maybe there, he would glean some insight. Initially, he¡¯d intended to ignore these gatherings and focus solely on cultivation, but his instincts told him otherwise. He marveled at how days of relentless effort hadn¡¯t bored him. Maybe a possible side effect of his high wisdom, sharpening his focus on his goals. If so, he welcomed it.
A new plan formed in his mind. Next time, he would consume the plants for their stats the traditional way, not through tendrils. The plants with high affinity for darkness had served him well, but now it was time to gain some additional stats with the many other plants the alchemists had prepared for him. For now, though, he returned to the array. Four more grueling hours passed before he finally managed to rise again, albeit shakily. Stumbling from the circle, he feasted on a hill of life-affinity plants, savoring their restorative energy.
When full, he returned to the array, bracing himself for more pain and growth. Hours later, battered but alive, another notification appeared:
You have gained 3 Vitality
It wasn¡¯t much, considering that the plants were enchanted by a healer and had once been far more potent. Perhaps it was like with elixirs, where the effectiveness waned with repeated use over time. Or maybe it had to do with his body tempering, but in the end, it was all speculation. What was undeniable, however, was the absurd power gained from that ¡°stupid¡± gravity array.
The process¡ªbeing pinned to the ground under excruciating pain¡ªwas nothing short of brutal, yet undeniably the fastest way to progress. If someone had been actively healing him during the ordeal, the healer would have run out of mana long ago. It was insane how strong his natural healing was, especially in combination with his connection to the outsider.
Time passed quickly for Thalion as he lay on the ground, gaining strength with each second of torment. His focus remained unshaken, honed to razor-sharp precision as the dark energy intertwined with his very essence. Then the moment came: the council meeting. He wasn¡¯t expecting much of importance, aside from potential issues with the people from the other base. Their absence so far was suspicious.
Did they already anticipate rejection and plan a different tactic? If so, he hoped not. The teleportation circles would soon be ready, but until then, Thalion had other priorities. He needed to complete his armor and mask, and there was still the termite hive to visit. Time wasn¡¯t on his side, but he doubted the hive would pose a serious threat for now, given that it was expanding in a different direction.
Yet the council meeting proved far more eventful than anticipated. The other human camps weren¡¯t even mentioned¡ªa relief, albeit a surprising one. Isolde, however, brought up the termites four times, pressing him about when he intended to deal with the issue, even though it wasn¡¯t an immediate concern. That wasn¡¯t the only strange thing. Maike launched into a tirade, expressing her disdain for a certain group of ¡°blessed women¡± who owned multiple inns, bars, and other establishments. Then Kaldrek raised the topic of how some factions demanded that only the strongest should serve on the council, specifically in relation to the guards.
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Thalion silently reassured Kaldrek through their telepathic link: Don¡¯t worry about your position. Send anyone you don¡¯t want to face directly to me.
Despite outward calm, Thalion couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was sitting atop a ticking time bomb, ready to detonate. The atmosphere was heavy, the tension almost palpable. Thankfully, this ominous sensation didn¡¯t seem to stem from his title¡ªat least not yet. The pressure he felt was far less intense than what he had experienced when his former comrades betrayed him.
It was time to focus. He needed to finish his equipment and deal with the termites. Maike was clearly disappointed that he hadn¡¯t taken action against the women she¡¯d complained about, but he simply had no time to spare. Randomly expelling them wouldn¡¯t accomplish much, and he needed to prioritize.
He had far too much to do, even after handling the termites. There was the matter of creating a cave for eagly and the tidecaller serpent, empowering his forms with unique enchantments, and increasing eagly¡¯s wind affinity. Beyond that, there were the countless abilities he could gain from slaying beasts. Thalion was determined to stack passive skills onto his forms, pushing their power to unprecedented levels. If he ever reached a limit, he could fuse skills to create space¡ªor better yet, to forge stronger abilities. Resources were no concern; his connection to the outsider and other enhancements ensured he could keep casting without worry.
Even his amulet had grown significantly stronger. While it hadn¡¯t reached a higher rarity, its power was immense nonetheless. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much more potent it would become after defeating the termites. Though their souls were weaker, the sheer volume might rival the strength gained from the humans he¡¯d slain on the boat.
He gathered his armor, mask, and cloak from the black pillar. Only the central crystal remained to be placed to complete the set. The task wasn¡¯t without risk, though. The resulting explosion could be catastrophic, and he had no idea how strong it would be. That¡¯s why he¡¯d consulted Lucan, who had eagerly volunteered to assist.
The smith, ever enthusiastic about destruction, had been pestering him daily about when the explosion would take place. Thalion hoped Lucan¡¯s preparations would be sufficient; otherwise, things could get dangerous¡ªnot for Thalion himself, who could heal even if a shockwave hurled him into a wall, but for Lucan. The crystal¡¯s unique properties also carried the potential for a mental shockwave, something vastly different from the simpler crystals used in his sword.
Lucan had boasted about creating legendary weapons, his proudest achievement being a gravity wand with a unique skill that could apply crushing pressure to any chosen area. Essentially, it mimicked the gravity array¡¯s effects, but Thalion could see its devastating potential in battle, particularly against light warriors or mages.
Determined to avoid unnecessary delays, Thalion set out for the smithy. He no longer walked openly through the streets but used mistform to avoid both the crowds and unwanted conversations. His secrecy served another purpose: he didn¡¯t want those plotting in the shadows to know what he was up to. After finishing his armor, he intended to leave for the termite hive as quickly as possible.
There was a good chance there would be more than one fight ahead. Thalion wanted to test their strength and gather new souls for his amulet in the process. After stepping into the smithy, he enjoyed a lighthearted conversation with Lucan, who was confident that he could get the teleportation circles operational within a few days. The primary challenge wasn¡¯t transporting people¡ªit was ensuring they arrived in the correct location. The farther the destination, the more complex the process became.
Now, they stood before a massive, thirty-meter-wide circle with Thalion¡¯s armor resting in its center. Four powerful barriers shimmered around the circle, designed to contain the impending shockwave. Above, a gravity rune was gradually dimming, lowering the central crystal onto its socket. These runes weren¡¯t cheap; they required substantial time and effort from a runecarver¡ªa profession that had only recently emerged. While crafting one rune might take half a day or more, that was already a significant improvement over earlier methods.
Lucan had initially relied on a mechanical arm he had constructed, but stronger items consistently obliterated the device. Frustrated by the repeated destruction, he had switched to using runes. Though these were also consumed in the process, they were much easier to replace.
As the crystal neared the socket, Thalion raised a formidable mana barrier before them, pouring all his strength into the spell. Lucan merely laughed at the display of caution.
¡°You¡¯re overthinking this,¡± Lucan chuckled. ¡°The barriers are more than enough to contain it.¡±
But Thalion wasn¡¯t so sure. While the barriers were undoubtedly strong, they didn¡¯t inspire the absolute confidence their size might suggest. A pulse of energy surged through the runes as the crystal fused with the armor, and in the next moment, a colossal shockwave rippled through the smithy, shaking its very foundation.
It wasn¡¯t just the physical force of the explosion. A wave of primal fear accompanied it, pressing heavily on their minds. Thalion felt a flicker of relief. The armor had to be of the same rarity as his sword¡ªor perhaps even higher. Why was the mental component of this event so significant? The answer was clear when the four barriers collapsed into shards of dissipating energy.
Thalion¡¯s mana shield held firm, easily absorbing the weakened shockwave. The mental aspect, however, was harder to block. For someone like Thalion, with a soul of exceptional strength, it posed no threat. Lucan, however, was a different story. Sweat beaded down the smith¡¯s face, and his hands trembled briefly. Then, just as quickly, a broad grin broke across his face.
¡°Haha, that was incredible!¡± Lucan exclaimed, laughing uproariously. ¡°Now I know exactly how many crystals I need in the future to keep the barriers stable!¡±
Thalion raised an eyebrow in amusement. ¡°Wait, are you telling me you only set this up to test your barriers?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Lucan replied with a grin. ¡°Most of my time has been spent on the teleportation circles anyway.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a reckless genius, Lucan.¡± Thalion¡¯s tone was both exasperated and impressed. Moments later, a notification appeared before him:
You have created an item of rare power
Veil of Dread (Celestial)
Thalion''s thoughts raced like a torrent, his mind performing jumping jacks as he processed the sheer power of the armor and its celestial rarity.
His first piece of celestial equipment¡ªit was more than just a milestone; it was a testament to how far he had come. Even though he suspected it might be downgraded once he ascended to E-grade, the achievement still sent a surge of excitement coursing through his veins. His heart pounded, not just from pride, but from the promise of battles to come, where the armor''s true potential could unfold.
Lucan¡¯s grin faded slightly as his expression grew more thoughtful. ¡°You know, it¡¯s a bit bittersweet. A few weeks ago, I was the best smith around here. Now, I might barely make the top ten.¡±
Thalion¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°Don¡¯t let that drag you down,¡± he said, his voice carrying quiet reassurance. ¡°I know how it feels to be overshadowed. If things had gone differently, I wouldn¡¯t have had to run from Kael and the others.¡±
Lucan¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Are you confident you could beat them if we face them at the fifth stage?¡± His tone was a mix of interest and unease.
¡°Hard to say,¡± Thalion mused aloud. ¡°It depends on how much they¡¯ve improved in the past few weeks. If they¡¯ve already evolved to E-grade, it could get tricky. On the other hand, rushing to evolve would weaken their class progression, leaving them vulnerable in the future. By then, I¡¯ll be far stronger.¡±
Their conversation eventually drifted back to the teleportation circles. Lucan¡¯s explanations, though detailed, quickly became too technical for Thalion to follow. He bid the smith farewell and left the workshop.
The hunt for termites awaited. Thalion was eager to see what his new armor of celestial rarity was capable of. The Veil of Dread wasn¡¯t just a piece of equipment¡ªit was a promise of power, and he intended to make full use of it.
Chapter 139: New Paths
Thorwald and his group, who had managed to reach the fifth stage, were enduring a grueling ordeal. The situation was challenging but arguably better than Steven¡¯s, as it seemed some vampires around him had been teleported away at the very moment the chaos erupted.
Thankfully, the vampires hadn¡¯t realized Thorwald''s group had abandoned the battlefield early. Their departure had been calculated, a precaution taken to avoid unnecessary risks. Now, after days of trekking through the dense jungle, they had stumbled upon an unexpected sight¡ªa saltwater lake, shimmering in the sunlight and stretching for miles, despite no nearby ocean to account for its presence.
Joe, their scout, soared high above the treetops to survey the surroundings, only to confirm their suspicions: no oceans, no rivers leading into the lake. It was baffling, its vastness defying logic¡ªover twenty kilometers wide, and its depths dropping steeply mere meters from the shore.
The group decided to make camp near the lake, hoping to spot beasts coming to drink, but the area seemed eerily lifeless. Days passed, yet not a single creature approached the water. Perhaps it was the saltwater, or perhaps the beasts instinctively knew something the group didn¡¯t. Fish darted beneath the surface but vanished the moment anyone tried to get close.
Frustrated and restless, they ventured further, skirmishing with groups of hostile monkeys that lurked in the jungle canopy. But compared to the chaos of earlier stages, the challenges here were sparse, almost unnerving.
The true surprise came when they stumbled upon a hidden city nestled deep within the forest¡¯s shadows. Before they could investigate further, disaster struck¡ªover twenty towering figures materialized around them, trapping them within a runic cage that hummed with power.
The attackers were humanoid but undeniably alien¡ªstanding a head taller than any man, their muscular builds supported four arms, and their skin bore an unsettling mix of olive green and brown. Runic tattoos snaked across their foreheads and necks, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Thorwald stepped forward, his voice laced with anger as he addressed their captors.
¡°Who are you people? The system didn¡¯t mention a race like yours among the four integrated planets,¡± he demanded, his frustration mounting. Thorwald hated losing control, and the situation was slipping from his grasp.
One of the creatures, clearly the leader, stepped closer. Its two pupils within each eye gleamed with intelligence and otherworldly cunning. It smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in its expression¡ªonly calculation.
¡°You are blessed by a god, are you not? Tell me, which god favors you?¡±
Thorwald puffed out his chest, his tone defiant.
¡°It is the great Solarion, the Blazing Emperor,¡± he declared, his voice booming with pride.
The leader¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but a few of the other creatures exchanged amused glances. A low chuckle rippled through the group, setting Thorwald¡¯s teeth on edge.
¡°Solarion, the Blazing Emperor, blessed you?¡± the creature repeated, skepticism dripping from every word.
Thorwald¡¯s fury ignited.
¡°Of course he did! Why wouldn¡¯t he bless someone with my potential?¡± He roared, his aura flaring in an attempt to assert dominance.
The leader tilted its head, unimpressed.
¡°Then tell us,¡± it said, its tone almost mocking, ¡°what mighty blessing did the Blazing Emperor bestow upon you?¡±
Thorwald glared at the creature, his frustration boiling over.
¡°I was granted a legendary blessing! You should bow before me!¡± he bellowed, his energy surging outward.
The creatures burst into laughter, the sound grating against Thorwald¡¯s pride. His aura flared again, but it did little to shake their confidence. The leader¡¯s voice turned cold, all amusement gone.
¡°Enough. If you are truly blessed by Solarion, prove it. Remove your armor and weapons, place them in your spatial ring, and hand it to us.¡±
Thorwald froze, disbelief washing over him. Yet the creatures'' power was undeniable¡ªthey were all over level 90, and resistance was futile. Slowly, reluctantly, he complied, feeling his pride crumble as he stood in simple robes, his prized armor and axe now in the leader¡¯s possession.
The leader studied the armor closely.
¡°This is indeed the craftsmanship of the Solar Empire,¡± it muttered, its tone sharp and analytical. ¡°So you truly are blessed by one of the many gods. Now, tell me¡ªwho is it?¡±
Thorwald hesitated, his fury battling his fear. Before he could respond, Joe stepped forward, his voice steady despite the tension.
¡°Thorwald is a strong leader, blessed by Solarion himself with a legendary blessing. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate him.¡±
The leader¡¯s piercing gaze shifted between Thorwald and Joe. Slowly, the oppressive killing intent in the air grew heavier. With a curt motion, it signaled to another creature, who stepped forward, holding a spear.
¡°Prove it,¡± the leader commanded. ¡°Baptize this warrior with the power of Solarion.¡±
Thorwald¡¯s heart sank, but he had no choice. Channeling his energy, his hand glowed with brilliant white light, illuminating the space as he invoked the path of the Blazing Empire. The spear-wielding creature gasped, dropping its weapon in shock.
¡°He speaks the truth,¡± the warrior stammered, awe evident in its voice. ¡°He is blessed by Solarion.¡±
A ripple of murmurs spread through the group, their earlier arrogance replaced by disbelief. The leader¡¯s expression shifted, finally showing respect.
¡°We apologize for our rude welcome,¡± it said, bowing slightly. ¡°We are the Raha, and we are at your service.¡± It extended Thorwald¡¯s spatial ring back to him.
Thorwald smirked, retrieving his belongings. This was more to his liking. With his confidence restored, he stood tall, the Raha now his subordinates.
Thorwald savored the shift in dynamics. The Raha now stood deferentially before him, their earlier bravado extinguished. He slipped the spatial ring back onto his finger with deliberate ease, allowing himself a faint, victorious smile.
Stolen story; please report.
¡°Good,¡± he said, his voice firm but laced with satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯ve proven yourselves to be reasonable. Tell me, what is a race like yours doing in this stage?¡±
The leader straightened, his imposing frame seeming less threatening now that submission had replaced hostility.
¡°We are here to prepare,¡± he replied cryptically, his tone measured.
¡°Prepare for what?¡± Thorwald pressed, his patience wearing thin.
The Raha leader hesitated, his dual-pupil eyes flickering with something akin to caution.
¡°The trials ahead,¡± he said finally. ¡°This world is but a proving ground, as you must know. But not all beings who walk these lands were sent here under the same... circumstances.¡±
Thorwald narrowed his eyes, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his axe. He could sense there was more to this story, something layered beneath the leader¡¯s words.
¡°Speak plainly,¡± he demanded.
The leader sighed, glancing at his companions. A few nodded subtly, their expressions unreadable.
¡°We are remnants of a shattered world, cast into this one when our home was consumed by the tides of chaos. The system gave us a second chance. A special quest that allowed the winner to grow in the tutorial and be integrated in the new universe."
The revelation hit Thorwald like a hammer blow. He took a step closer, his voice lowering.
¡°And why attack me, knowing what I represent?¡±
The leader met Thorwald¡¯s gaze, unflinching.
¡°We are here to hopefully find someone with a high blessing. Joining a god''s faction is one of the most important things in the multiverse."
<--
Meanwhile, in another part of the jungle, Chloe and the others continued their hunt. The dense foliage whispered around them as they pressed deeper into the wilds, their steps cautious but determined.
¡°Are we deserters now?¡± Chloe asked, her voice tinged with guilt.
Evelyn shrugged, her attention more on the surroundings than the question.
¡°Kind of. But I don¡¯t think Kael will see it that way,¡± she said dismissively, her tone betraying a lack of concern. Her focus was singular¡ªgetting stronger, no matter the cost.
¡°Kargul doesn¡¯t care,¡± the orc rumbled, his deep voice like distant thunder. ¡°Kael and the others betrayed Thalion. We hunt beasts, grow stronger, and crush the undead in the next stage.¡±
The group fell silent for a moment, their unspoken agreement hanging heavy in the air. Eddie broke the quiet, his voice hopeful.
¡°We really need a good flying form. It¡¯d make scouting so much easier for Jack and Josh.¡±
Kargul nodded, his massive form shifting as he scanned the treetops.
¡°We¡¯ll find a bird strong enough. No beast is beyond us.¡±
The problem wasn¡¯t the lack of birds¡ªthey¡¯d seen plenty. But most were too small to be useful, and the turtle that traveled with them had a habit of swallowing potential specimens whole before anyone could intervene.
Chloe frowned, finally piecing together Kargul¡¯s earlier words.
¡°Wait¡ªyou said Kael, Sylas, and Kai betrayed Thalion? How do you know?¡±
Evelyn¡¯s sharp gaze snapped to Chloe.
¡°We don¡¯t have proof, but there were lies. Too many for it to be coincidence.¡± Her voice turned cold. ¡°Why does that surprise you? You were with Kael when he hunted Thalion, weren¡¯t you?¡±
Chloe hesitated, the weight of her actions pressing down on her.
¡°Well, yes, but... Thalion saved us. There was a swarm of giant squids, and he¡ª¡±
¡°Saved you?¡± Evelyn cut in, incredulous. ¡°Thalion doesn¡¯t run.¡± Her voice was sharp, demanding. ¡°What did he tell you about Kael and the others?¡±
Chloe faltered, her gaze dropping. She hadn¡¯t expected this interrogation.
¡°He said they wanted to kill him for some item he bought in the system shop. That¡¯s all I know
"Ha, so they really did try to go after him," Evelyn muttered, her voice tinged with disappointment. The weight of betrayal sat heavy on her chest. "Probably for the best that we left," she added, though the words felt hollow.
How could she not have seen it coming? She had trusted Kael, Kai, and Sylas. Sylas, of all people¡ªalways kind, always willing to lend a hand. The memories of their camaraderie stung now. They had spent countless hours in Kael''s chambers, laughing, drinking, sharing stories¡ªespecially after Thalion brought Vorlok into their fold. Evelyn shook her head, trying to banish the thought. The bond they''d shared now felt like a cruel joke.
Good thing she''d changed. She wasn¡¯t the same trusting girl anymore. If Kael and the others came after her¡ªand that was very likely¡ªshe could protect herself and her new family. They wouldn¡¯t catch her off guard again. She clenched her fists, a surge of energy flowing through her veins.
The Spiderqueen¡¯s blessing had made sure of that. Most might hesitate before striking a deal with a goddess of such cunning and infamy, but Evelyn saw only opportunity. Where others saw webs of deceit, she saw power and potential. The skills the Spiderqueen had granted her weren¡¯t just potent¡ªthey were transformative. Even without extensive practice, the blessing¡¯s high rarity allowed her to commune with her patron four times a week, strengthening their bond each time.
The Spiderqueen¡¯s voice was so unlike her former patron¡¯s¡ªwarm, rich, and filled with genuine amusement. She¡¯d even laughed when Evelyn shared stories about Vorlok¡¯s insatiable appetite, something no god before had done. Their conversations were enlightening, ranging from tales of the eternal wars among gods to fragments of the Spiderqueen¡¯s own youth. Each exchange was a dance of intellect, and with every word, Evelyn felt their connection deepen.
One story in particular lingered in Evelyn¡¯s mind. The Spiderqueen had spoken with wry amusement of Ankhet, a being over whom other gods were apparently losing their minds. They either wanted him dead or sought to recruit him to their factions. Evelyn had asked why the Spiderqueen wasn¡¯t interested in Ankhet, and her patron had laughed¡ªa rich, knowing sound that sent shivers down Evelyn¡¯s spine.
¡°Secrets? He has nothing I need,¡± the Spiderqueen had said dismissively, her many eyes glinting in the void. ¡°Ankhet may be ancient, but I¡¯ve spun my webs across eternity. Compared to me, even he is but a fledgling.¡±
The Spiderqueen''s confidence was infectious, but it also made Evelyn think. If Ankhet wasn¡¯t important to her patron, why were other gods so obsessed with him? The answer lay shrouded in mystery, but one thing was clear¡ªfew truly understood the power of the gods before the apocalypse.
Amun-Ra was often whispered of as the most powerful god to have ever existed, but the Spiderqueen dismissed such claims as the ramblings of fools. Yes, his ruins were formidable, but they were too few and far between to justify such exaggerated reverence. If he¡¯d been so all-powerful, why had the other three gods of his era survived? The Spiderqueen urged caution, warning against drawing premature conclusions with so little evidence¡ªa sentiment Evelyn wholeheartedly agreed with.
Their conversations weren¡¯t just philosophical¡ªthey were practical, too. The Spiderqueen excelled at mental warfare, a domain Evelyn¡¯s previous patron had all but ignored. With every lesson, Evelyn grew sharper, more patient, more attuned to the art of manipulation. Patience was her greatest challenge. Waiting, holding back¡ªit went against her every instinct.
Now, she had the power to destroy the witch who had slaughtered her family. Every fiber of her being screamed for revenge. She wanted to charge into the night, hunt the woman down, and end her life in a blaze of glory. But the Spiderqueen whispered restraint, urging her to conceal her strength, to play the long game.
¡°Your enemies must never know what you are capable of,¡± the Spiderqueen had said, her voice silken and firm. ¡°Strike when they least expect it, and leave no witnesses. The shadows will become your greatest ally.¡±
Evelyn nodded to herself, determination hardening her resolve. It wasn¡¯t easy to stay her hand, but she understood the wisdom in her patron¡¯s words. Someday, she would make her move. And when she did, the witch would never see it coming.
Chapter 140: Termitehive (1)
Thalion circled roughly two kilometers above the termite hive. He frowned, his flight uneasy. Getting out of the base unseen hadn¡¯t worked nearly as well as he had hoped. In the end, he had activated Mistform from the top of the tower, gambling on the chance that he hadn¡¯t been spotted. The risk wasn¡¯t small, but it was necessary.
Enemies were multiplying in the city¡ªhe was certain of it¡ªand the thought of them checking his basement made his stomach churn. Even if he was notified, the time it would take to return would give those scavengers ample time to flee with anything valuable. He couldn¡¯t afford to let that happen.
Now, below him, loomed the massive termite hive¡ªa grotesque fortress of earth and ambition. The structure had expanded, the network of hills bristling with defensive openings. He could almost picture the legions of termites waiting to swarm, their strategy clear: overwhelm invaders with sheer numbers and suffocating speed.
Thalion allowed himself a small grin. The fight ahead thrilled him. It was the perfect arena to hone the combat skills of the Umbral Predator, to test the limits of what this form could do. He began his descent, dispelling the mana barrier below him.
When he reached the treetops¡ªroughly a hundred meters above the hive¡ªhis sharp eyes caught movement. Worker termites scanned the sky, vigilant against threats. Either they hadn¡¯t seen him yet, or the soldiers hidden within the hills were biding their time, waiting for him to touch the ground.
"Let¡¯s make this interesting," Thalion murmured, his voice tinged with dark amusement. He raised his hand and unleashed an empowered Bloodthorn at the watchers. The crimson projectile sliced through the air, pulsing with the power of the Sanguine Thorn. The results were instant: five scouts fell, their heads obliterated.
The new strength of his blood-based skills was exhilarating. Not only were they more potent, but they responded to his will with far greater precision. ¡°Efficient,¡± he noted, firing another volley.
Mistform enveloped him as he landed silently atop one of the hills. With a thought, he shifted into the Umbral Predator. The transition was smooth, instinctive now. Later, he would switch back to his human form to test his new armor, but for now, this was a moment for experimentation.
"Oh yes," Thalion thought, his grin widening. "Termites, science is coming."
The hive stirred. The deaths of the scouts had already alerted the colony, and now, stronger termites surged toward the surface. Thalion didn¡¯t wait. With precise, brutal efficiency, he tore through the warrior termites stationed near the scouts. His claws raked through their carapaces, splitting the once-impenetrable chitin into shards.
¡°Impressive,¡± he admitted grudgingly. Many of these warriors had grown to Level 80¡ªa remarkable feat for mere insects. Their strength was undeniable, but their attack patterns remained predictable.
Each skirmish was a lesson. Thalion tested various counters¡ªducking, sidestepping, even leaping over his enemies to gauge their reactions. The most effective tactic, he discovered, was the simplest: move just enough to evade, then counterattack immediately. The challenge was exhilarating, though the termite armor made every strike feel like chiseling through stone.
Despite the improved difficulty, the experience gains were disappointing. Thalion cursed under his breath, realizing he¡¯d need to slaughter hundreds¡ªperhaps thousands¡ªjust to reach Level 51. The gap to E Grade seemed insurmountable at this rate.
He descended deeper into the hive, the tunnels closing in around him. The darkness was absolute, wrapping around him like a living thing. But for Thalion, it was no hindrance¡ªit was home. The shadows obeyed him, rendering him nearly invisible to his enemies. Coupled with his blinding speed, he was an unstoppable force, dismantling termites before they could react.
Oddly, none of the workers were near to empower the warriors. Thalion paused, suspicion creeping into his thoughts. Was this a coincidence, or had the hive adapted to his previous attack? He recalled how his armor¡¯s mental attack had rendered the workers useless during his last raid. If this was a deliberate strategy, it was disturbingly clever for insects.
The queen might even be able to communicate.
Thalion¡¯s gaze darkened as he considered the hive¡¯s growth. It had expanded far beyond what he¡¯d anticipated¡ªbut notably, not in the direction of his base. Was this a calculated move, meant to avoid provoking another assault?
He wondered if the queen would be open to negotiation. "Doubtful," he thought, his lip curling. What did he have to offer? A partnership with a predator was hardly enticing. Still, if the termites had discovered more earth crystals, they could prove useful. Enchanted food for their brood chambers¡shrinking the crystals for transport...there was potential.
But not now.
Thalion shook off the thought and focused on the present. Before descending further, he shifted back to human form to harvest the souls of the fallen. Each corpse was a data point, another experiment in his ongoing research.
He tried multiple attack patterns, each strike targeted at different weak points. Hitting the head was the quickest route to a kill, but for drawn-out fights, targeting the midsection or abdomen yielded better control. The hive¡¯s defenses were evolving, but so was Thalion.
¡°Let¡¯s see how much farther you can push me, Queen,¡± Thalion thought, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The real test begins now."
Through his predatory instincts, Thalion could feel the energy veins pulsing beneath the surface, each one converging to fuel the hive¡¯s defenses. Tearing them apart weakened the hive significantly, but the effort slowed his progress.
One of the larger termites charged at him, and he retaliated with Abyssal Devourer. The tendrils lashed out hungrily, but the beast¡¯s sheer force shattered most of them before they could connect. A few, however, found their mark, twisting parts of its chitin armor into festering shadows.
For the termite, the process must have been excruciating; its agonized screeches echoed through the cavern. Thalion watched dispassionately as dark smoke coiled from the wounds, the remnants of the tendrils that had been ripped away by the insect''s violent thrashing. He could have reinforced and regenerated the tendrils faster than they were destroyed, but that wasn¡¯t the point. He¡¯d gathered what he needed: proof that the tendrils were effective even against an opponent at full strength.
The effect wasn¡¯t overwhelming, but considering this was a Level 80 termite, it wasn¡¯t negligible either. With a swift strike, Thalion ended the wounded creature¡¯s suffering, then turned his attention to the five others charging toward him.
"Stay focused," he muttered under his breath. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste too much time on experiments¡ªletting the termites swarm him would still be dangerous. Their jaws, snapping with eerie precision, were a threat he couldn¡¯t ignore.
He dodged their attacks, weaving through the onslaught with the dexterity he had honed over countless battles. While his high agility allowed him to evade blows with relative ease, he felt the absence of a proper movement skill keenly. "I need something faster," he thought, frustrated, as he sidestepped a lunging strike.
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Thalion attempted to mimic the fluid motions he had mastered during his sword training in the Golden Palace. Carving through the termites with claws rather than a blade felt awkward, but some patterns were universal. A slash here, a pivot there¡ªit wasn¡¯t seamless, but it worked.
Fewer termites seemed to be attacking him this time compared to his last encounter. It made sense. The last time he had fought them, there had been more humans on the surface, drawing the queen¡¯s attention. Why send hundreds of soldiers for a single intruder now? It would be inefficient.
Wait. The thought hit him suddenly. Does the queen even send warriors to the surface directly, or does something else trigger their movements? If he remembered correctly, insects communicated primarily through pheromones. Was that why their response was smaller this time?
He shook the thought away. It didn¡¯t matter. The fewer there were now, the more there would be when he reached the lower chambers. That was what he wanted.
Thalion pressed onward, slaying one termite after another as he descended deeper into the hive. Earth-based attacks pummeled him repeatedly, but they barely slowed him. His wounds healed almost instantly, his regeneration keeping pace with the damage. Still, trading blows wasn¡¯t the goal.
He focused on refining his technique, testing his tendrils for versatility. Could they propel him forward by anchoring to the walls? Could they slow his descent? The results were disappointing. The tendrils, corrosive as acid, disintegrated the stone too quickly to serve any purpose other than attack.
When he did use them offensively, he targeted crucial spots like the eyes or other vulnerabilities. A festering wound of darkness on the head was often enough to distract even the most determined warrior termite.
Eventually, Thalion arrived at the vast cavern he had nearly been overrun in during his last raid. The sight stopped him in his tracks. The space had grown larger, more expansive, with additional tunnels branching off in every direction. But that wasn¡¯t all. The number of termites stationed here was staggering.
These were no ordinary defenders. They seemed to be waiting, their postures tense, their skills prepared. The coordination was unsettling. "Were the earlier warriors just sacrifices to slow me down?" Thalion wondered, narrowing his eyes. This wasn¡¯t even the queen¡¯s chamber, yet the organization was far more advanced than before.
He scanned the gathering. Among the familiar warriors, new breeds of termites stood out. The first type was grotesque¡ªa fusion of insect and humanoid. Its upper body resembled that of a deformed human, complete with four arms, while its lower half remained purely insectoid. "So, the queen dabbles in experiments too," Thalion thought with dark amusement. "We might get along after all."
The second type was equally strange. They resembled oversized wasps, but without abdomens. Four pairs of wings buzzed furiously, keeping them aloft. Their elongated arms ended in razor-sharp claws, clearly unsuited for walking. Even stranger were the stingers jutting from their shoulders¡ªawkward and out of place, as if their design had been rushed.
"Miscreations," Thalion noted, smirking. "Unless they can fire those stingers. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point?"
The first type, however, was far more dangerous. Their bodies were etched with glowing runes, and the mana surrounding them was thick, almost tangible. "Magic users," Thalion realized. Six of them stood in a circle, channeling power into a glowing sigil with a warrior termite at its center.
A surge of energy rippled through the cavern, and Thalion¡¯s instincts screamed a warning. The power being funneled into that circle was no joke. He needed to act fast.
With no ranged attacks in his current form, Thalion shifted back to his human form. As the stealth granted by his predator instincts vanished, every termite in the chamber turned toward him.
Thalion was already prepared for the chaos to come as he made his first move. Seven blood thorns burst from his outstretched hand, streaking toward the termites channeling the circle¡¯s energy. He had no intention of finding out how much power the hulking creature in the middle could gain if they succeeded. One blood thorn for each humanoid termite, except the one on the far left, which received two¡ªit was slightly bulkier than the others, a detail Thalion didn¡¯t trust to ignore.
What followed was chaos. Two termites were struck as intended, their chitin cracking under the force of the blood thorns, but the others moved with startling speed, dodging out of harm''s way. Even the bulkier termite evaded both thorns with ease as the ground beneath it shifted, propelling it backward like an unseen force had tugged it away.
Meanwhile, the humanoid termites exhaled a strange brown mist. It spewed from their tiny, fanged mouths and seeped out of their skin, spreading quickly through the cavern. Above, the dragonfly-winged snipers sprang into action, launching volleys of needle-like stingers at Thalion from a distance.
Then, the massive termite in the center of the circle turned its burning gaze on him, raw hatred emanating from its every movement. The hive¡¯s response was far more coordinated than Thalion had anticipated.
Thalion reacted instantly, propelling himself ten meters into the air to avoid the incoming stingers. As he ascended, he unleashed smaller, faster blood thorns aimed at the flying snipers. This strategy worked: the snipers couldn¡¯t dodge while maintaining their assault, and four of the dozen plummeted to the ground, their fragile bodies pierced through.
Below, the massive termite let out a screech so loud it reverberated through the cavern walls. The sound was more than just noise¡ªit carried an unmistakable warning, summoning reinforcements from every corner of the hive.
Thalion¡¯s chest tightened as his title, Guardian''s Remnant, sent a pulse of foreboding through his mind. The sense of imminent doom sharpened his focus. "This is getting dangerous," he muttered under his breath. One mistake, one misstep, and even his extraordinary recovery abilities wouldn¡¯t save him if he was pinned down.
His hand moved instinctively to the hilt of the Blade of the Blooded Templar. The weapon felt alive in his grip, eager for the fight. But before he could strike, the empowered termite vanished, reappearing in front of him in a blink. Was it teleportation? No... just overwhelming speed.
Up close, Thalion noticed new features on the termite¡¯s carapace¡ªstone-like spikes protruded from its chitin armor, jagged and unnatural. "When did those appear?" he wondered, the realization hitting him just as the spikes shot outward like shrapnel. At the same moment, the termite lunged, its massive pincers snapping shut, narrowly missing him.
"Ah, I see now," Thalion thought with grim amusement as he twisted away. "It¡¯s a living grenade. A fun little skill¡ªif you¡¯re not on the receiving end."
Distracted by this revelation, Thalion was slower than usual. The creature¡¯s spikes grazed his armor, sending a jarring wave of pain through him, though the armor resisted breaking. It was enough to jolt him out of his thoughts.
Something was wrong. Why was he so unfocused? Normally, he¡¯d have processed the termite¡¯s abilities much faster. Then he spotted them¡ªthe trio of humanoid termites standing together, their hands raised as streams of energy flowed toward him.
"So, they¡¯re sacrificing their souls to weaken me," Thalion realized, his lips curling into a humorless smile. "Clever, but not clever enough."
Before he could act, the empowered termite struck again, flinging him against the cavern wall with an explosion of force. Pain flared through his body, but Thalion responded instinctively, launching a blood spear at the distant casters. The projectile tore through the air, aimed at disrupting their channeling.
The spear hit its mark, impaling one caster and disrupting their concentration. As the other two fell, Thalion felt his mind clear instantly. The oppressive haze that had slowed his reactions lifted, leaving him sharp and focused once more.
The empowered termite was relentless, charging again. This time, Thalion was ready. He spun aside with practiced precision, dodging a spike launched from its leg and slashing upward with a mana-charged blade. The attack struck true, cleaving through the termite¡¯s chest and leaving it gravely injured.
"One problem down," Thalion thought grimly, turning his attention back to the cavern, where more termites swarmed in.
The snipers were proving to be the most troublesome. Their speed was overwhelming, and they dodged each of his attacks with ease. Meanwhile, the brown mist crept closer, a malevolent presence he had no desire to test.
Desperation demanded action. Thalion activated the armor¡¯s fear-inducing effect, unleashing an unseen wave of dread across the battlefield. The results were immediate. The snipers froze mid-air, their willpower shattered. Even sixty meters away, they succumbed to terror, their agility useless against this assault on their souls.
The mages faltered but held their ground, continuing to spread the brown mist. The empowered termite remained unaffected entirely, which was very impressive.
Thalion seized the opportunity to act. With a burst of speed, he dodged another attack from the empowered termite, spinning gracefully to its blind side. His blade, charged with mana, slashed upward in a brilliant arc. This time, the blow landed cleanly, severing the creature¡¯s head in one decisive strike.
As the massive body collapsed, Thalion turned toward the tunnels where reinforcements were pouring in. "Let¡¯s see what else the hive has in store," he muttered, a fierce grin spreading across his face.
Chapter 141: Termitehive (2)
Thalion radiated an aura of pure, unrelenting fear. The effect of his armor was more potent than ever before, freezing most of the newcomers in their tracks, paralyzed and unable to move. Unfortunately, the mage and sniper termites remained unaffected and continued their relentless assault.
The afflicted snipers, their movements stiff and erratic, dove into the creeping brown mist, continuing to pepper him with projectiles. It became clear that the mist wasn¡¯t merely a visual hindrance¡ªit was a domain skill, one that diminished the suppressive effects of his fear-inducing armor.
Thalion''s mind churned with possibilities, his focus divided as he deftly dodged the barbed spikes fired from the sniper termites with their shimmering, dragonfly-like wings. He considered his options. As the Umbral Predator, he might be able to consume the mist using his dark tendrils, but doing so would likely free the frozen newcomers, creating an even deadlier situation.
The only other choice was unleashing his own blood mist domain to combat the encroaching haze. Yet, doubt gnawed at him¡ªwhat if the two domains merely merged, amplifying the chaos instead of dispelling the enemy''s advantage? Meanwhile, the brown mist thickened, spreading like an insidious tide as one of the mages continued to exhale it into the cave.
The weight of the situation pressed down on Thalion. If these guards were already this formidable, how much stronger would the queen be? For the first time in a long while, his confidence wavered. Not every E-grade beast could be this overwhelmingly powerful¡ right?
Trapped in a battle where the enemy wielded devastating ranged attacks and an oppressive domain skill, an idea suddenly struck him. A red, sinewy vine shot from his hand, snaking toward one of the mage termites he had slain earlier. With a sharp tug, Thalion acquired its form, a grin creeping across his face.
Domain of the Hive Breath (Legendary)
The Chitin Shaper exhales a dense, brown mist that blankets the battlefield. Allies within the mist gain heightened physical resilience and accelerated regeneration. Enemies, however, suffer from a sluggish mind, slowed reactions, and a creeping sense of disorientation.
Subterranean Surge (Exalted)
The Chitin Shaper summons a chaotic eruption of earthen spikes, mimicking the frenzied motion of a termite swarm. These spikes can entrap foes or form protective barriers for allies.
Burrowing Bastion (Ancient)
The Chitin Shaper anchors themselves and their allies into the earth, creating an impenetrable cocoon of stone and soil. While inside, all allies recover health and mana at an accelerated rate.
Thalion¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the skill descriptions. These abilities were leagues above what he¡¯d anticipated. A legendary race? The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. The Chitin Shaper¡¯s domain wasn¡¯t just a defensive advantage¡ªit was a relentless assault on his mind and body, weakening his responses at every turn.
Transferring the skills to his human form, Thalion discarded the Chitin Shaper¡¯s body with a flick of his wrist. He would experiment with these abilities later, once he figured out how to infuse them with darkness and adapt them for the Umbral Predator.
If that were possible, the Umbral Predator would gain a significant power boost. Oh, he had completely forgotten to take the form of the massive termite he had slain earlier. With a burst of speed, he dashed toward its main body, laying his hand on its coarse, chitin-covered surface. A glowing mana barrier materialized in front of him, granting him a precious few seconds as the sharp spikes from his enemies shattered against it.
Spiked Barrage (Exalted)
The Giant Termite Warrior summons sharp earth spikes that form across its chitinous armor. With a forceful movement, the warrior fires the spikes at enemies like earthen projectiles.
Thalion frowned. That was... strange. The massive creature had only a single skill. Had the giant termite temporarily gained abilities from the magic circle earlier? The thought nagged at him¡ªhe¡¯d never encountered anything like it before.
For now, he retained the form of the giant warrior. Perhaps it would let him infiltrate the hive unnoticed, bypassing their defenses without triggering any alarms. While he¡¯d hoped for another exciting skill to add to his arsenal, expecting to hit the jackpot twice in a row was admittedly a stretch, he mused with faint amusement.
The situation in the cavern was growing worse. More termites were pouring in from various tunnels, their numbers swelling with every moment. A few mages had joined the fray, their presence marked by the brown mist thickening around him, spreading like a sentient shadow.
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Thalion''s unease deepened as the mist crept closer, coiling around him like a living thing. He didn¡¯t want to test its effects directly¡ªhis earlier belief that his strong soul rendered him immune to mental attacks had been proven dangerously wrong. Somehow, he needed to counter the domain skill, but for now, no solution presented itself.
He darted through the battlefield, aiming for the mages in the distance, but they proved frustratingly elusive. They dodged his strikes with surprising speed or summoned walls of stone to shield themselves. Frustrated, Thalion unleashed a series of crimson slashes, but the termites sank into the ground, reappearing at different locations before spewing more of that infernal brown mist.
"This can¡¯t go on," he muttered to himself, narrowly avoiding another spray of spikes. The mist wasn¡¯t a simple toxic cloud¡ªit was a domain skill whose potency increased with every caster contributing to it. With the new arrivals, there were likely nine or more Chitin Shapers fueling its expansion.
The mist wasn¡¯t guaranteed to kill him outright, but why take the risk? Thalion decided it was time to thin the enemy ranks.
Dozens of termites stumbled into the cavern through twenty separate tunnels, most paralyzed by the overwhelming mental assault of Thalion¡¯s armor. Unfortunately, as the mist crept closer, many began to recover, their movements becoming more coordinated as they attacked.
Still, most of the termites lacked ranged attacks. Their stone spikes were too slow to hit him, and their charges left them vulnerable once they exited the mist. The moment they stepped out, they froze in terror again, becoming easy prey for his deadly slashes.
In his element, Thalion unleashed crimson slash after crimson slash, carving through the termite ranks. Occasionally, he sent blood thorns lancing toward the mages, managing to catch two off guard. One fell instantly to a headshot, while the other, struck in the leg, writhed in agony as thorns grew from within her, ending her life seconds later.
The current situation was manageable¡ªbarely. Thalion eliminated termites rapidly enough to prevent the domain from expanding too much, maintaining enough space to maneuver and strike.
From time to time, stray spikes struck him, but his armor withstood most of the impact, and any damage was swiftly repaired by its self-healing enchantments.
Still, Thalion knew he couldn¡¯t stay much longer. Delving deeper into the hive was unthinkable. Killing the queen before teleporting to the next stage seemed impossible now¡ªa frustrating dilemma given his curiosity about her abilities.
After all, the queen was likely nothing more than a monstrous birthing machine. Yet, the possibilities left him wondering. If he assumed her form, would her eggs still grow even if he wasn¡¯t in it? Logically, it should work¡ªhis Umbral Predator¡¯s stomach processed everything he consumed, regardless of his current shape.
The termite queen had managed to craft an ability similar to his armor, though far more intricate and suited for underground combat. The only possible counter might be water or wind spells, but wind would only worsen the situation in the confined cave. As for water, Thalion didn¡¯t have nearly enough to nullify the encroaching brown mist.
His Sanguine Thorn contained an abundance of blood, but it was empowered, and he couldn¡¯t justify wasting it on something as mundane as mist. He might need it for a more significant fight later. Then, another idea struck him¡ªcould he burn the mist away with his flamethrower?
Without hesitation, he erected a powerful mana barrier and unleashed a torrent of fire toward the swirling mist ahead. To his satisfaction, it worked¡ªthe mist dissipated where the flames roared, the skill burning away the noxious magic. Unfortunately, his concentration broke as a sharp spike hurtled toward him.
Thalion dodged the projectile at the last moment, relying on the heightened senses granted by his title. It allowed him to evade attacks without needing to see them. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but reflect that if he were closer to level 70¡ªor even 80¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t need to dodge so often in the first place.
Weaving through the chaos with telekinetic dash, Thalion occasionally summoned mana barriers to create space for his next attacks. His empowered crimson slashes still proved devastating, slicing through the termites with lethal precision when they struck vital areas.
At one point, he attempted a tectonic slam, but it had almost no effect. No surprise there¡ªthe termites were clearly attuned to the earth element.
As the fight drew to a close, Thalion scrambled to collect as many termite corpses as possible for a future feast before retreating. However, more and more termites were launching those frustrating stone spikes at him, leaving him with no chance to counterattack.
Deflecting one spike with his sword, he activated Mistform, dissolving into an ethereal vapor and speeding toward the surface with incredible speed. The entire ordeal had been far worse than he¡¯d anticipated. The termite queen wasn¡¯t just powerful; she was intelligent. Her newest spawn wielded abilities that were frighteningly advanced.
It was disappointing that he hadn¡¯t been able to analyze the snipers more closely. Maybe next time.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became. If the queen was smart enough to breed such skills into her brood, what was stopping her from launching a direct attack on his base? He doubted the termites would struggle too much¡ªespecially given their ability to tunnel under walls, rendering most traditional defenses useless.
Reaching the open air, Thalion soared higher and turned toward his base. His mind raced with plans. He needed earth mages immediately to inspect the area for vulnerabilities. And that was just one item on an ever-growing to-do list.
By the time he landed on the tower of his base, Mistform had allowed him to arrive unseen, a faint smile creeping across his face.
¡°Time to improve Eagly¡¯s wind affinity,¡± he muttered, descending into his underground cultivation chamber, ready to tackle his next big challenge. Time was running short.
Chapter 142: Fortifications
Thalion knelt on the cold stone floor, carefully engraving intricate runes into its surface. The system he was constructing was designed to channel energy toward a single focal point in the room. The pentagram sprawled across a massive twenty-five-meter diameter, its symmetry and complexity mesmerizing. It wasn¡¯t Thalion¡¯s first attempt¡ªhe had perfected this design countless times within the golden palace, using his own blood as ink. However, this time, he had refined the process.
Instead of blood, the runes were carved directly into the stone, their patterns etched with precision born from practice. Once complete, he planned to fill the engravings with liquid crystals, their gleaming translucence a perfect medium for capturing and amplifying mana. Around these lines, he strategically placed small wind crystals, their faint hum resonating through the chamber.
The goal was to infuse the system with wind affinity, hoping it would bond seamlessly to his efforts. Hammering the crystals into alignment might have accelerated the process, but time was a luxury he didn¡¯t have. The current method was already progressing quickly enough¡ªthough not without risk.
Despite the looming threat of an attack, two skyships worked tirelessly in the mountains, mining more wind crystals. Thalion smirked at the thought. Handling such materials was akin to power-leveling for the craftsmen under his command. He wasn¡¯t merely constructing a powerful magic circle; he envisioned towering pillars of crystals radiating mana, increasing its density throughout the room. By the time the system shop arrived, over fifty wind crystals would saturate the chamber.
Perhaps he could acquire an altar for the center of the circle. An altar would enhance mana flow, directing energy more efficiently to the exact point where he intended to sit. Yet, priorities loomed larger. His encounter with the termite hive had exposed weaknesses¡ªmental attacks he had no defenses against and the earthy brown mist that nearly overwhelmed him. Both needed addressing.
After a few more adjustments to his work, Thalion finally materialized before the voice of the system, his vast wealth of credits ready to spend.
"Good day! I need a lot of things today. Are you ready?" Thalion greeted with a jovial tone, his eagerness unmistakable.
"Sure," the voice responded, though with a faint note of irritation. "Just tell me what you want."
Thalion pondered where to begin. His base¡¯s fortifications could wait¡ªpersonal survival came first. "When I invaded the termite hive," he began, explaining the situation, "I got hit by some sort of mental attack. Even with my strong soul, I couldn¡¯t defend against it. Do you have anything that can counter such attacks?"
The voice responded calmly, but with authority. "A strong soul alone isn¡¯t enough to shield you from such mental intrusions. Think of it as having a powerful body but no knowledge of how to fight. There are items that can help, but most are not particularly effective. The best solution lies in learning the techniques yourself. For someone like you, who needs these defenses across multiple forms, only a manual will suffice."
Before Thalion, a scroll materialized, shimmering with ethereal light. Its title was The Veil of Aegis, and its cost¡ª890,000 credits¡ªwas steep but not unreasonable.
The Veil of Aegis
This advanced manual combines meditative visualization and energy-focusing techniques, enabling the user to build an impenetrable mental fortress. By mastering these methods, the user learns to shield their thoughts while channeling protective energy to repel and disrupt psychic assaults. The approach offers both passive and active defenses against mental attacks, ensuring comprehensive protection.
The scroll shimmered with runes that seemed to dance and shift when observed, a testament to its sophistication. Thalion trusted the system¡¯s recommendations implicitly; every item purchased thus far had exceeded expectations. Despite the hefty price, he was confident it would be worth the investment.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind¡ªwould the knowledge be transferred directly into his mind, like the memory crystals he had used before? The process was unpleasant but vastly efficient. He decided it was worth asking after addressing other pressing matters.
"I want to align a skill better with my umbral predator form," Thalion said, leaning forward slightly. "Do you have anything to help me with that?"
The voice responded thoughtfully. "You already possess the fusion skill. If you find another skill with a darkness attribute, you can fuse the two, effectively stripping away any incompatible elements, including the earth affinity. But be warned¡ªthis process might alter the skill¡¯s effects when the affinity changes. Alternatively, there are skill creation tools, but those are exceedingly expensive and would take months to achieve the desired results."
Thalion frowned slightly but nodded. Weeks of grinding and experimentation were far from ideal. "I¡¯ll need to think about it," he murmured, eyeing the shimmering scroll before him. Priorities were shifting quickly, and his resources¡ªthough vast¡ªwere not limitless.
That wasn¡¯t ideal¡ªnot ideal at all. Thalion scowled, tapping his fingers against his thigh in frustration. He didn¡¯t have any darkness-aligned skills that could rival the brown mist, at least none he was willing to sacrifice. Creating a new skill was tempting, but if the voice claimed it would take months, it was best to shelve the matter for now.
"Fine, let¡¯s move on," he said aloud, his tone sharp but controlled. "In another reality, I looked into the title Guardian¡¯s Remnant, and no one had survived it there. What¡¯s the status in this reality?"
It was a question he had meant to ask the system ages ago but had always managed to forget. Still, the answer would likely differ. The other reality had been limited¡ªjust four planets and the Golden Palace¡ªwhereas this one offered an infinite expanse of galaxies. Surely, someone here must have ascended to godhood.
The system¡¯s voice answered after a pause, its tone as neutral as ever. "The title Guardian¡¯s Remnant is exceedingly rare. Many have managed to reach S-grade, but none have successfully ascended to godhood. A few achieved immortality but were typically killed in battle before taking the final step."
Thalion¡¯s lips thinned. So much for motivation. He had hoped for a more inspiring answer, something to reinforce his resolve. Instead, all he got was another reminder of how high the stakes were. But in the end, he reasoned, losers were the ones who needed motivation. He didn¡¯t need a pep talk¡ªhe would achieve immortality. He would live forever. Nothing would stand between him and his dream.
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Yet one question still nagged at him.
"Why was it so difficult for them to reach godhood?" he asked, his voice firm. "I thought leveling after E-grade was supposed to be much smoother."
The system responded almost mechanically, as if reciting an immutable truth. "That¡¯s correct. Leveling accelerates significantly after E-grade. However, most individuals acquired the Guardian¡¯s Remnant title much later in their journey. The primary obstacles to reaching godhood are time and risk. Simply put, they weren¡¯t strong enough when it mattered most."
The explanation was vague, unsatisfying, but pressing further seemed futile. Thalion clenched his fists briefly before releasing the tension. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to provoke the system. It was better to focus on practical matters.
"I need a solution to stop termites from attacking my base from underground. Do you have anything for that?"
"Certainly. This should suffice," the voice replied immediately. A faint shimmer filled the air as a crystal materialized before him, glowing faintly with energy.
Earthbane Conduit
The Earthbane Conduit is a sophisticated defense system designed to thwart tunneling attempts beneath a base''s walls. Combining advanced arcane principles with mechanical ingenuity, the device creates a subterranean barrier that disrupts and neutralizes any digging efforts, both physical and magical. The system relies on interconnected nodes that extend protective energy deep into the ground, forming an impenetrable shield. [1,900,000 Credits]
Thalion examined the crystal, his sharp gaze scanning its faintly pulsing surface. It sounded like an excellent defensive measure, but the price made his stomach churn. Nearly two million credits? Absurd.
Still, as much as he disliked the cost, he couldn¡¯t deny its value. Running a base came with its frustrations, and spending credits was one of them. Yet, he had earned those credits simply by being the base¡¯s leader. If that meant footing the bill for high-quality defenses, so be it.
"Fine, I¡¯ll take it," he said after a moment¡¯s thought. "And for the rest of my credits, I¡¯ll purchase some battle skyships. They¡¯ll be more versatile than static defenses. If no one attacks, they can be used to harvest wind crystals."
The system acknowledged his decision without fanfare. "Transaction complete."
"Thank you, as always," Thalion said, offering a casual wave as he exited the system shop. "See you next week."
As he reappeared in his base, a fleeting thought crossed his mind. He really should spend more time in the system shop. The body-tempering options alone were worth exploring, but he always seemed to think of these ideas after he left.
Shaking his head, Thalion set to work. The new skyships needed deployment, and the Earthbane Conduit had to be activated. The process was simpler than he expected¡ªcombining the building crystal with the base¡¯s command crystal triggered a cascade of runes to appear on the inner walls. The protective dome, which had previously shielded the base from aerial assaults, now extended underground.
It wasn¡¯t perfect. If the termites decided to assault the barrier directly from beneath the earth, the shield might not hold indefinitely. Still, it would buy them time¡ªenough to teleport to the next stage if needed.
His tasks complete, Thalion returned to the basement, where he retrieved the scroll he had purchased earlier. Activating it caused the parchment to dissolve into fine sand, which shimmered briefly before vanishing.
A rush of knowledge flooded his mind, overwhelming at first but not as painful as the memory crystal¡¯s backlash. Hours passed as he sorted through the influx of information. Once his thoughts cleared, he began to examine the newfound techniques.
"Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got here," Thalion muttered to himself, flipping mentally through the acquired knowledge.
The future awaited, and he intended to face it with all the power he could muster.
The fortunate thing was that it wasn¡¯t like body tempering; simply learning the concept was enough to begin.
The first step involved constructing mental defenses around his soul. It was akin to hardening the skin, a protective layer shielding the soul from external forces. Another technique focused on generating waves that rippled outward from his soul core, pushing foreign energy out of his soul body. These waves could serve as both a defensive measure and a way to dispel harmful effects after being struck.
It was perfect¡ªat least, it would have been if he hadn¡¯t forgotten to purchase the altar he¡¯d planned to use for this very purpose. Instead, he had impulsively spent those credits on more ships. Thalion let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. He needed to get his priorities in order. Maybe making a list next time would help. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d overlooked something critical.
For now, instead of standing on an elevated altar, Thalion remained grounded in the center of the expansive magic circle. The enriched wind-affinity mana surged around him, flowing like an invisible river. He relished the sensation, letting it sweep over his wings and body, greedily absorbing every ounce he could while inhaling it deeply. The mana¡¯s energy was intoxicating, invigorating, and he focused on channeling its power into himself.
The process mirrored the body tempering methods of the Tidecaller Serpent and the Umbral Predator. However, Thalion believed his approach was more efficient. The manual he¡¯d purchased for Eagly suggested hardening the body by flying through storms, but this method leveraged his experience and yielded better results¡ªat least in his opinion.
After saturating himself with high wind-affinity mana, Thalion turned his focus to soul defense. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient way to push Eagly¡¯s development forward, but hardening his soul was a priority. If mental defenses like these had existed during the termite attack, he might have avoided the worst of it. Progress was slow, though. He had only managed to harden the "head" portion of his soul body so far, and the effort was far more demanding than he¡¯d anticipated. Still, he pressed on.
He thought back to his early struggles with the spirit veins. They had been difficult at first, too, but now they felt as natural as breathing. Hardening his soul would become second nature eventually¡ªhe just had to endure.
The weight of the system''s earlier revelation lingered in his mind: no one bearing the Guardian¡¯s Remnant title had survived to ascend. It only fueled Thalion¡¯s determination to push himself harder. The title¡¯s usefulness in combat was undeniable. It had saved him from Kael¡¯s ambush, warned him of dangerous attacks, and even allowed him to perceive the flow of energy in the air¡ªa skill that was proving invaluable in this process. He could almost "see" the optimal way to harden the outer edges of his soul body, starting with the head. Progress was steady, but completion would take at least two days.
Occasionally, he paused to breathe in more wind-affinity mana, keeping his passive body tempering active. The idea of constructing an altar from wind crystals crossed his mind again. Perhaps he could outsource the task to one of the smiths¡ªtime was a precious commodity, after all.
By the end of the first day, Thalion received a message from Lucan. The teleportation circles were complete, and Lucan had even improved them with insights gleaned from some crystal. These upgrades promised greater accuracy, and Lucan was confident they could eventually teleport directly onto a magic circle aboard a skyship. Installing the circles would take time, but the potential for precision deployment was worth it.
Thalion nodded to himself. Once the soul-hardening process was complete, he would shift his focus to the next stage: gathering materials for the Tidecaller Serpent. But for now, the mental defenses took precedence. The waves he had learned to create would cleanse his soul of outside influences, a safeguard too vital to delay.
If the undead or the people from the other base possessed mental attacks similar to the termites, his life would become far more challenging. This was why Thalion sat now in deep meditation, the wind-affinity mana swirling around him. Days passed as he worked tirelessly in the cultivation chamber, dedicating himself to mastering both his soul and body tempering.
Chapter 143: Schemes in the Shadows
Abigal was a shapeshifter who had entered Thalion''s camp a few days after the debacle with Garrick and Michael. She had already been roaming the jungles of the third stage for a while and had reached level 37 by the time she joined. Upon arrival, she heard the astonishing stories about the legendary shapeshifter Thalion, who had single-handedly defeated Michael, Garrick, and their followers despite being under-leveled. Such a feat was unheard of, and it piqued her curiosity.
Abigal hoped this Thalion could help her find a new form, but he was elusive, rarely seen around the camp. Frustrated, she turned her attention elsewhere¡ªshe was too weak to join the others on dangerous missions, like battling the termite hive or fighting the skyships. Now, however, a new opportunity had presented itself. With the teleportation circles complete, they could finally visit the ocean.
Abigal already had an excellent flying form: a Fireborn Eagle. Her standard fighting form was a sleek black panther. Now, she was eager to claim her third form, one suited for the ocean''s depths. When one of the guards announced that all shapeshifters were encouraged to use the teleportation circle to explore the ocean for new forms, Abigal leapt at the chance.
This was also her chance to meet the legendary Thalion, the man who ruled the entire base. She could hardly contain her excitement as she thought of telling Ellen, her new love, about this opportunity. Abigal had left behind four children and a wonderful husband on Earth, but here, she had found Ellen¡ªa woman who eclipsed everyone she¡¯d ever known. Ellen worked at one of the "nightclubs," though the establishment was much more than that. Abigal and Ellen had spent many magical evenings together, and Abigal was eager to share her news.
"She¡¯ll be green with envy," Abigal thought, smiling to herself as she navigated the streets of the city. This part of town was bustling with life. The streets, more than twenty meters wide, were flanked by towering buildings. Thanks to the wind mages who "pressure-washed" them at night, the streets gleamed with cleanliness. People hurried about their business, the air alive with energy, but Abigal grew impatient with the slow pace. Shifting into her flying form, she soared above the crowds and quickly arrived at her destination.
She landed before one of the tallest buildings in the area¡ªover thirty meters wide and forty meters high. The structure was ornately decorated, with glowing embellishments that made it stand out even in a city full of remarkable architecture. Above the towering three-meter entrance door hung a sign depicting the silhouette of a woman, the words "The Crimson Lounge" glowing in bold red letters.
Abigal shifted back into her human form and entered through the heavy door. Only then did she glance down at her current outfit¡ªa green robe she¡¯d chosen after becoming an archer after entering the system. Quickly, she swapped it for the red dress Ellen had gifted her. The dress hugged her figure, accentuating every curve and leaving little to the imagination.
Inside, the lounge was much larger than its exterior suggested¡ªa common feature of buildings purchased from the system shop. The grand hall was lavishly decorated, with a long bar stretching across one side and numerous couches and tables on the other, offering guests a comfortable place to relax. Multiple staircases led to private rooms above, where more intimate moments could be shared. Abigal had spent many such evenings with Ellen, and each time was more amazing than the last.
Scanning the room, Abigal quickly spotted Ellen behind the bar, her smile lighting up the room. Abigal¡¯s heart skipped a beat, just as it had after her first kiss. She hurried over, unable to contain her excitement.
It was early morning, and the establishment was relatively quiet, with only a few patrons lounging on the couches.
"Hello, my dear Abigal," Ellen greeted her in a sweet voice, leaning forward across the bar and giving Abigal an unobstructed view of her cleavage.
"I have wonderful news! In just a few hours, I¡¯ll be using the teleportation circle to travel to the ocean for a new form¡ªand it¡¯s probably going to be a good one!" Abigal exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. She tried to maintain eye contact with Ellen but found her gaze wandering to other parts of Ellen''s body.
"But who¡¯s going to help you get such a good form?" Ellen asked, her smile fading into a slight frown. Concern flickered in her eyes. "The water mages in the base aren¡¯t very strong, and none of them have any real experience fighting underwater."
"You¡¯ll never guess," Abigal said, her grin widening. "I¡¯ll be accompanied by Thalion himself, the leader of this base!" Her voice rose with excitement as she watched Ellen''s eyes widen in surprise.
"Oh, Abi, that¡¯s amazing!" Ellen exclaimed, her expression transforming into pure joy. She jumped over the bar in a single, fluid motion and threw her arms around Abigal, pulling her into a tight embrace. Their lips met in a long, passionate kiss, and for a moment, Abigal''s world was filled with nothing but the warmth of Ellen''s touch. She didn¡¯t want to let go, but Ellen gently pushed her back before things could go further.
"You absolutely have to tell me everything about Thalion after the hunt," Ellen said, a teasing smile on her lips as she looked at the still-breathless Abigal.
"Of course! I¡¯ll watch his every move," Abigal promised with a nod, barely able to contain herself. She leaned in for another kiss, but Ellen playfully pushed her away.
"Ah-ah, pleasure after work," Ellen teased, her grin widening. "I can¡¯t let you get distracted before your big mission."
Abigal sighed, half in frustration and half in amusement, but she couldn¡¯t help smiling back at Ellen¡¯s mischievous expression. She adjusted her dress and stepped back, her excitement for the upcoming adventure renewed.
<--
For Thalion, the days passed in a blur as he stood in the middle of the cultivation chamber, his form shifting effortlessly into that of Eagly. His focus was razor-sharp, honing in on perfecting his soulshape. The nearly passive body-tempering process had worked far better than he¡¯d anticipated¡ªEagly was now deeply attuned to wind affinity. It wasn¡¯t quite as harmonious as his lightning affinity, but the improvement was undeniable.
Hardening the skin of his spirit body, however, proved to be a far more time-consuming endeavor than he¡¯d first anticipated. From time to time, he would shift forms, curious to see how the changes appeared in his other manifestations. When he first created his complete spirit body, he¡¯d needed to reorganize parts of his soul to fit each form¡¯s unique structure. To his relief, the hardening process required no such adjustment. Once accomplished in one form, it translated across all of them seamlessly.
Still, he¡¯d hoped that using Eagly¡¯s smaller form might speed up the process, but the spirit body seemed indifferent to size. Hardening its outer layers took just as long in his compact avian shape as it did in his towering humanoid or beast forms. Thus, he remained as Eagly, using the time to progress his body-tempering alongside his soul-hardening efforts.
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Thalion also discovered how to create weak pulses from his spirit core, a technique to repel any external influences from his soul. Surprisingly, it was much simpler than he had initially thought. All he had to do was briefly seal his spirit core, letting pressure build before releasing a tiny shockwave. The ripple washed over his entire spirit body, cleansing it of impurities and foreign energies.
Now it was time to gather materials for the Tidecaller Serpent form and focus on leveling. The ocean had consistently proven to be the most rewarding area for leveling in this stage of the tutorial. His plan was straightforward¡ªprovide the shapeshifters with a powerful underwater form and set them to work farming the small pearls scattered along the coral reefs. Meanwhile, he would venture deeper, far beneath the surface, where the massive blue crystals were growing.
Those crystals, larger than anything he¡¯d seen on the reefs, held immense power. He was confident in his ability to gather enough for himself without outside help. Thalion had spent countless hours in the Golden Palace poring over texts about water serpents and beast enchantments. He¡¯d learned that a Tidecaller Serpent could absorb pearls slowly, growing stronger over time. But why bother with mundane pearls when he could shrink down one of the enormous blue crystals instead?
The idea intrigued him, but there was one problem. The serpent¡¯s body, as it stood, wasn¡¯t well-suited to housing such a crystal. It might be better to simply consume the crystals directly, letting them upgrade the serpent¡¯s body as a whole. He also envisioned building a personal aquarium in his basement, a sanctuary where he could continue cultivating his Tidecaller Serpent form long after leaving this stage.
But unease lingered in the back of his mind. Leaving the base openly now might set his adversaries¡¯ plans into motion. He was almost certain that war would break out upon his return from the ocean¡ªor worse, that enemies would lie in wait near the portal, prepared to ambush him.
To counter these possibilities, Thalion had been careful to mislead his enemies. He spread word among the shapeshifters and water mages that the ocean expedition would last three days. In reality, he intended to leave after the first day. Though he would have liked more time to farm and collect resources, the risks were too great. If his enemies were better organized than expected, they might destroy the teleportation circle, leaving him stranded¡ªor worse, raid his carefully hidden basement in his absence.
The trees near his base had grown tall, now standing over fifteen meters. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the elementals began to form, a crucial step for his next major power-up as the Umbral Predator. This process had to continue uninterrupted, no matter what. A notification broke his train of thought, informing him that the mages and shapeshifters were ready and waiting.
Lucan had constructed the teleportation circle in one of the large plazas near the smithies. The plan was to teleport to a ship hovering above the ocean, which had a corresponding circle onboard. Unfortunately, there was no way to confirm the ship¡¯s position¡ªthe range of their communication methods was far too limited.
Thalion suspected that as each week passed, the system shop introduced new items to address their evolving needs. He theorized that the gods were breaking the tutorial¡¯s rules constantly, forcing the system to adapt by providing similar tools to other participants.
Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care about these developments¡ªexcept for Isolde. That woman had made it her mission to pester him endlessly about the long-range teleportation token he hadn¡¯t purchased.
¡°Gods, that woman grows more irritating by the day,¡± he muttered. He¡¯d taken to ignoring most of her messages since they were often irrelevant nonsense, almost as if she were deliberately trying to distract him.
"Oh no," one recent message had read, ¡°there¡¯s another strong beast preying on the survivors a few kilometers outside the base.¡±
Thalion sighed, shaking his head. He had no time for distractions¡ªnot when so much hung in the balance.
¡°We¡¯ve lost another. Go check what killed them¡ªit could be a real danger,¡± someone had messaged. Thalion didn¡¯t bother to respond. Interrupt his cultivation for that? Not a chance.
After ensuring his tower was sealed tightly, with no point of entry for any intruder, Thalion stepped out and began his walk toward the teleportation circle. In his human form, he always wore his armor, robe, and mask, the hood pulled low over his face. It probably looked strange, even intimidating, but that was precisely the point. He wanted no one to see his face or discern any weakness in his expression. Let them believe the myths¡ªthe ones that whispered of his inhumanity and untouchable strength. If fear kept them at bay, it was worth it.
E-grades were becoming more common, much to Thalion¡¯s annoyance. He wasn¡¯t yet sure if he could contend with them long-term if their progress continued unchecked. Thankfully, most of these newly ascended E-grades were of lower rarity, and leveling as an E-grade was significantly harder than as an F-grade. A full week had passed, and most had only managed to gain one or two levels since their evolution. That bottleneck, at least, played in his favor¡ªfor now.
The afternoon sun bathed the crowded streets in warm light as Thalion strode forward. People parted like water around him, their whispers barely audible over the hum of city life. Despite his aura being completely retracted to avoid activating the effects of his armor, those who recognized him still dashed out of his way, fear and respect etched on their faces.
As the teleportation circle came into view, Thalion¡¯s pace quickened. It wasn¡¯t a circle at all, he realized, but a portal¡ªa masterpiece of engineering that stood leagues beyond what he¡¯d anticipated. A massive, vertical metal halo towered over a pedestal, its radius over five meters. Runes, glowing faintly, were etched into its surface, each formed from the same liquid crystal they used for advanced enchantments.
¡°Jo, that¡¯s on a completely different level,¡± Thalion sent to Lucan through the communication token, keeping his excitement private.
Lucan¡¯s response was immediate, and Thalion could practically hear the grin in his voice. ¡°Took me much longer to build this beauty, but it¡¯s flawless. It¡¯ll work perfectly.¡±
¡°How does it function?¡± Thalion asked, his curiosity piqued, as he approached the portal. The crowd around it was massive¡ªhundreds of people, mostly water-class users and shapeshifters, gathered in anticipation.
¡°Simple,¡± Lucan replied. ¡°I trigger the control rune, and the portal activates. It connects to the circle on the ship above the ocean. It can stay active for up to two days straight, but it¡¯ll need a few hours to cool down afterward.¡±
Thalion nodded, silently impressed. The portal¡¯s construction seemed robust enough to withstand attacks, which was critical. His enemies were crafty, and they¡¯d destroy this in a heartbeat if they had the chance.
The crowd shifted uneasily as Thalion approached the portal. Those who recognized him immediately stepped aside, some even bowing, though he ignored the gestures entirely. He climbed onto the pedestal beside Lucan, his imposing figure silencing the murmurs around them.
Thalion scanned the sea of expectant faces. He hadn¡¯t prepared a speech, but improvisation had always served him well.
¡°Greetings, everyone,¡± he began, his voice steady and commanding. ¡°Today, we embark on a journey to the ocean to harvest pearls from the reefs. We don¡¯t know how much time we¡¯ll have in the higher stages to gather materials, especially with undead roaming the land. It is of utmost importance that we collect as much as we can now.¡±
The crowd nodded in agreement, a ripple of determination spreading through the group.
Lucan stepped forward, triggering the control rune. White energy crackled to life, racing along the portal¡¯s runes. Each crystal flared with light, and a mirror-like surface materialized in the center of the halo. Through the shimmering portal, they could see the deck of a skyship hovering above the vast blue ocean. The scene was serene, almost deceptively peaceful.
Thalion¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile. ¡°So far, so good,¡± he thought, nodding to Lucan before stepping through the portal.
The sensation was seamless, nothing like the jarring, invasive experience of forced teleportation. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Thalion muttered under his breath, memories of his time in the Golden Palace flashing briefly in his mind. He had hated the disorientation of being whisked away against his will.
Stepping onto the ship¡¯s deck, Thalion moved quickly to the bow, his sharp gaze scanning the endless expanse of ocean. The mainland was nowhere in sight¡ªthey had traveled far, which was exactly as he had planned. As long as they found the large reef, this expedition would be a success.
Behind him, more people poured through the portal, their excitement palpable. Thalion gestured for the ship to descend¡ªit had hovered hundreds of meters above the water¡¯s surface, far too high to begin their work. The time had come to gather materials, and he wasn¡¯t about to let this opportunity slip away.
Chapter 144: Hmm, what form will I give the other shapeshifters?
Thalion gazed out over the vast, shimmering blue surface of the ocean with quiet anticipation. One of the archers had reassured him that there must be a reef below, judging by the swarms of fish darting about in intricate patterns. Standing near the ship¡¯s steering wheel, Thalion waited as the shapeshifters stepped through the portal. He savored the salty breeze caressing his face, its briskness stirring memories of crisp mornings back on Earth with his friends.
It didn¡¯t take long for over sixty shapeshifters to assemble before him, their expectant eyes fixed on his masked visage.
¡°Listen up, everyone,¡± Thalion began, his voice firm yet measured. ¡°I¡¯ll dive first to bring you a high-rarity form. In exchange, I want every blue pearl you can find, along with the corpses of all the beasts you kill. Down in the depths, there are larger crystals, but the beasts are far stronger. I can¡¯t say how powerful they¡¯ve grown, but remember: never dive alone. The deeper waters are home to predators adept at ambushes¡ªgiant squids being some of the most dangerous among them.¡±
As his words settled over the group, a wave of agreement rippled through them. Some clapped enthusiastically, their excitement palpable. They were clearly eager to see what form Thalion would deliver.
This arrangement suited him perfectly. The shapeshifters would handle the smaller pearls, leaving him to harvest the massive crystals hidden in the depths. Later, he could also collect the pearls and materials gathered by the water mages, though he doubted he¡¯d need them. Strengthening the people in his base meant they¡¯d be better equipped to fight the undead, and he took satisfaction in seeing others improve.
Now, it was time to make good on his promise.
Without hesitation, Thalion vaulted over the ship¡¯s railing, shifting mid-air into the sleek form of the Tidecaller Serpent just moments before slicing into the water. The entry was so seamless that Olympic divers would have envied his performance.
As he descended into the cool embrace of the ocean, Thalion scanned the waters. About four hundred meters below, he spotted a sprawling reef, teeming with life. Schools of fish in dazzling colors swirled overhead, while crabs scuttled across the coral below. Sharks prowled the area, their sleek bodies cutting through the water with predatory grace. Most of the creatures appeared formidable, with levels ranging in the 60s or higher.
Thalion lingered for a moment, entranced by the scene. The perpetual dance of the ocean always had a way of captivating him.
However, the reef was smaller than the last one he had visited, though still expansive. Its disk-like structure sprawled beneath him, a kaleidoscope of colors and movement. As he swam along its edge, Thalion turned his attention to finding a suitable form for the shapeshifters.
Venturing into the darker, more mysterious waters, he practiced sensing the currents as his recent body-tempering training had taught him. It was easier now¡ªhis connection to the title had grown stronger. His passive skills came to life, cloaking his presence from other creatures as he glided effortlessly through the water. His speed required minimal movement, a silent predator in his element.
Thalion mused to himself: At some point, it would be wise to fuse Tidal Surge and Camouflage of the Depths into one enhanced passive skill. Though he wasn¡¯t sure if there was a limit to the number of skills he could maintain, he imagined the possibilities. A perfect blend of strength and efficiency¡ªthat was the dream.
The water darkened around him as he dove deeper, the sunlight fading into an inky blue. Despite the dimness, his vision remained sharp, as though illuminated by a personal sun. Soon, he spotted the faint glow of crystals clustered on the ocean floor, their eerie luminescence casting shadows on the rocky terrain.
One crystal had a massive crab perched atop it, its pincers snapping in anticipation of an unseen threat. Another crystal was guarded by an enormous barracuda, its sleek body hovering like a sentinel.
Coraltooth Barracuda ¨C Level 79
Thalion examined the barracuda with interest. Its teeth indeed seemed to be made of coral¡ªan unusual adaptation, but clearly effective.
He circled the creature cautiously, keeping outside its detection range. Barracudas on Earth had always intrigued him¡ªmotionless stalkers that exploded into action with incredible speed once prey entered their range. This one was massive, over eight meters long, its powerful jaws capable of dismembering prey with a ferocity unmatched by most other fish.
Thalion adjusted his position, seeking the perfect angle to strike. The ocean held its breath, or perhaps it was just his perception as adrenaline sharpened his focus.
When he was in range, he activated Aqua Lance.
The jet stream of water completely obliterated the barracuda, slicing its sleek body cleanly in half. The fish had no chance to react, its life extinguished in an instant. Nearby, the massive crab flinched violently, its coral-covered shell glowing faintly as it turned toward the disturbance. Thalion materialized beside the barracuda¡¯s corpse, his expression calm but focused.
He examined the barracuda¡¯s form with a practiced eye. Its skill set was disappointingly sparse, offering only the ability to bite and swallow prey. Thalion had hoped for more versatility, something that would better serve the shapeshifters on his team. While it could still prove useful, he preferred to offer them a form that was sturdier and more adaptable.
Discarding the barracuda as an option, Thalion placed a prepared rune onto the crystal the fish had guarded. With a faint shimmer, the crystal vanished into his spatial ring. It was only about a meter tall¡ªsmall in comparison to the one currently occupied by the crab.
The crab, now fully aware of the threat, bristled with determination. Its shell pulsed with light, and its claws began to glow ominously. Thalion circled closer, every muscle ready to propel him away at a moment¡¯s notice. He wondered, Does this crab have no ranged attacks?
The answer came swiftly as the crab clapped its claws together, unleashing a sudden shockwave that rippled through the water. Thalion barely managed to activate his water shield in time, the force of the attack dissipating harmlessly against its shimmering surface.
Thalion shot two Aqua Lances toward the crab, each one striking with precision. Moments later, the remains of the crab lay scattered around the now unguarded crystal. He collected both the crystal and the crab¡¯s corpse, stowing them alongside the barracuda in his spatial ring.
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With those obstacles dealt with, Thalion descended deeper into the ocean. The changes in the underwater environment became more pronounced. Floating rock formations dotted the landscape, draped with an array of glowing plants. Long strands of seaweed swayed gently in the currents, while towering flowers¡ªsome reaching over five meters in height¡ªadded an otherworldly touch to the seascape.
¡°These plants don¡¯t belong here,¡± Thalion thought, marveling at their alien beauty.
He recalled how scattered the crystals had been the last time he ventured into the depths. This time, however, they were more concentrated, almost reminiscent of the wind crystals atop the mountains. Below him, multiple crystals sparkled faintly, no more than a hundred meters apart. Each one was guarded by a formidable predator.
One crystal, however, stood out. It was surrounded by a dense swarm of fish, their silvery bodies forming an impenetrable barrier. The faint blue glow of the crystal barely filtered through their shifting ranks.
Thalion observed them with growing curiosity. ¡°Are they hiding the crystal from the other predators? That shouldn¡¯t work...¡±The fish resembled sardines but larger, and their sheer numbers hinted at something more menacing. Thalion resisted the urge to identify them from afar¡ªapproaching recklessly could prove disastrous.
He turned his gaze to other nearby crystals, each surrounded by its own fierce guardians. Two massive squids swam in lazy circles around one crystal, their bodies partially hidden by rocky outcrops. At first glance, there were only two, but a closer look revealed four more, perfectly camouflaged and lying in wait.
¡°They¡¯re fishing,¡± Thalion thought with a wry smile. ¡°Squid learning to fish¡ªit¡¯s almost funny.¡±
Not far from the squids was a colossal octopus¡ªthough it was far from ordinary. Its many tentacles stretched far beyond the usual eight, its size rivaling that of a small building. Its translucent body glowed faintly, evidence that it had consumed a blue crystal.
Sharks patrolled other crystals, their immense forms cutting through the water with predatory grace. A great white, grown to monstrous proportions, loomed alongside others resembling oversized tiger and reef sharks.
Further down, Thalion spotted a massive black crocodile sprawled on a crystal, its jaws open wide as if basking in the sun. It seemed out of place¡ªsurely it couldn¡¯t breathe underwater? But with the system, anything was possible.
Thalion observed in silence, weighing his options. After nearly half an hour, his patience paid off as a new group of predators descended from above. Among them were three dolphins, each the size of a small killer whale. Their movements were fluid, their intent unmistakable as they spotted the swarm of fish guarding the crystal.
Dolphins were masterful hunters with intricate tactics. Thalion watched intently, eager to see how these evolved versions would fare against the enigmatic swarm.
Back on earth, dolphins moved with deliberate precision, encircling the shimmering ball of fish with coordinated grace. They exhaled streams of bubbles, forming barriers that herded the fish into a tighter formation. Slowly but surely, the dolphins drove the swarm upward toward the surface, where each member of the pod took turns darting through, snapping up the closest fish in quick, practiced strikes. Occasionally, one would dive straight through the heart of the swarm, a flick of its powerful tail stunning dozens of tiny fish at once.
It seemed the dolphins intended to repeat this familiar strategy, but the small fish guarding the crystal had no intention of becoming prey. With startling speed, the swarm abandoned the crystal and surged toward one of the attacking dolphins. Before it could react, the fish enveloped it completely. A heartbeat later, the dolphin was gone, replaced by a faint red cloud that dispersed into the water.
The second dolphin met the same fate, swallowed by the relentless swarm in moments. Only the third was quick-witted enough to flee. It darted toward the surface, pushing its streamlined body to the limit as the swarm barely missed it. The tiny fish quickly returned to the crystal, resuming their peaceful orbit as though nothing had happened.
Thalion watched from a safe distance, his sharp gaze noting every detail. It was almost eerie¡ªnone of the small fish seemed to have been harmed during the brief skirmish, though it was possible a few had been eaten. What intrigued him most was the wary glances other predators cast toward the fish.
Clearly, these tiny creatures commanded an unusual degree of respect¡ªor fear¡ªfrom their neighbors. Thalion mused on the consequences of killing one of the crystal¡¯s defenders. A misstep could spark chaos among the surrounding predators, forcing him into a dangerous retreat.
As he deliberated, he witnessed an enormous goliath grouper approach one of the crystals, only to be swiftly ambushed by the octopus lurking nearby. The grouper didn¡¯t stand a chance, disappearing into a blur of tentacles that left no room for mercy.
None of the other creatures seemed capable of challenging the crystal guardians. Thalion''s patience wore thin as he searched for an opening. The faint blue glow of the crystals illuminated the depths, making a stealthy approach nearly impossible. He needed to act quickly and decisively, capitalizing on even the smallest element of surprise.
Thalion''s target was clear: the tiger shark. At twelve meters long, it exuded a powerful presence, its sleek, muscular body radiating speed and strength. It wasn¡¯t as formidable as the great white nearby, which he deemed too risky to confront, but it was far from weak. The smaller sharks circling the crystals didn¡¯t interest him¡ªthey lacked the potential for growth and adaptability he required.
The tiger shark would provide an excellent form for the shapeshifters. Its abilities would enable them to gather pearls efficiently and progress quickly. As the thought crossed his mind, Thalion made a mental note to acquire another room for the aquarium¡ªa detail he couldn¡¯t afford to overlook.
With the decision made, Thalion steadied his nerves. It was strange not being able to breathe in his Tidecaller Serpent form, but he mimicked the sensation of deep breaths to calm himself. The fight ahead would demand precision and speed.
Thalion surged forward from the shadows, his serpentine form cutting through the water like an arrow. The blue light of the crystals caught the edge of his blade as he unleashed a mana slash aimed directly at the tiger shark¡¯s caudal fin. If he could sever it, victory would be assured.
The shark, however, reacted with explosive speed, dodging the attack and rushing toward him with deadly intent. Thalion veered to the left, firing another water slash as he moved. This time, the shark didn¡¯t attempt to evade, a critical mistake. The attack struck its snout, carving a deep gash that sent the beast thrashing in pain.
Seizing the opportunity, Thalion fired another water slash, this one slicing cleanly through the shark¡¯s pectoral fin. The injury crippled its mobility, leaving it vulnerable. A few more precise strikes were all it took to bring the massive predator down.
Killing a creature of this size without damaging the body too much was no small feat, but Thalion managed to preserve it. Wasting no time, he stored the corpse in his spatial ring and propelled himself toward the surface.
His timing was impeccable¡ªjust as he ascended, the great white shark and the massive crocodile surged toward the tiger shark¡¯s lifeless body. Thalion pushed his Tidecaller Serpent form to its limits, racing toward the hovering skyship. It hung just above the water, waiting for his return.
As he breached the surface a few minutes later, Thalion dropped the tiger shark¡¯s corpse onto the deck and signaled the shapeshifters. This was a bit weird since he stayed in the form of the Tidecaller serpent. He had no idea how it would impact the skill to take the shark''s form if his amulet passively took its partly lingering soul. They responded immediately, diving into the water to claim the shark¡¯s form. One by one, they touched the body, transforming into slightly smaller, weaker versions of the tiger shark. The new forms quickly dove back into the water to make room for others.
The tiger shark¡¯s form was decent, but not ideal for Thalion himself. Its passive ability to hover in place was intriguing, a trait sharks typically lacked. However, the skill was useless in his current form, and its other abilities, focused on biting, were ill-suited to his needs. ¡°The shapeshifters will make good use of it,¡± he thought, watching the transformation process with satisfaction.
Thalion allowed himself a brief moment of relief before turning his focus back to the depths. There was still much to do, and the hunt was far from over.
Chapter 145: Those are my crystals now!
Over sixty massive tiger sharks circled around Thalion, their sheer size and numbers creating an almost palpable tension in the water. The situation was precarious¡ªany single bite could spell his end. Thalion¡¯s focus sharpened, every nerve attuned to his surroundings as the nagging paranoia typical of his title crept in.
"Go. Bring me those pearls," he commanded, his voice calm yet authoritative. At his word, the sharks dove toward the reef, their powerful bodies slicing through the water like predatory missiles. Below, water mages were already hard at work dismantling the reef¡¯s defenses, though their efforts were far from seamless. Navigating underwater was proving more challenging than anticipated for some.
Many lacked the passive skill required to breathe underwater, though the system had compensated by granting them the ability to hold their breath for hours. It was astounding how much the system had altered their bodies.
Still, Thalion¡¯s mind wandered briefly, unease settling in. If this so-called tutorial was designed to prepare them for the new world, just how dangerous would that world be? Would they face monsters even stronger than these or entrenched factions with a significant head start? The latter seemed impossible¡ªhow could they possibly compete? No, the real threat had to be something else entirely.
Greed glimmered in Thalion¡¯s eyes as he watched the tiger sharks tear through the reef¡¯s defenders, slaughtering anything that dared protect the shimmering pearls. By tomorrow, he would have hundreds of them. Satisfied with the progress, he began his descent into the ocean¡¯s depths, eager to claim the larger crystals and gain more experience.
He was close to leveling up¡ªkilling all those termites earlier had nearly pushed him over the edge. Just one more kill, and he would reach level 51. As he dove deeper, the colors around him shifted, the light filtering through the water growing dimmer with each passing meter.
On Earth, he recalled, red light vanished completely at around twenty meters, but here in the tutorial, the rules seemed different. Blood in the water still gleamed crimson, though very little natural light reached these depths. Best not to dwell on it, he thought, and instead focus on his true task: slaying beasts and hoarding crystals.
On the way down, he encountered two crabs perched atop glowing crystals. They fell quickly to his water slashes, their broken bodies and the crystals they guarded vanishing into his spatial ring. One crab, however, held a surprise: a skill worth keeping.
Devour Essence (Uncommon)
The crab¡¯s natural affinity for processing and absorbing the vital energies of natural treasures is honed to an extraordinary level. After consuming a natural treasure, the crab¡¯s body immediately begins breaking down its essence, allowing it to absorb the treasure¡¯s full benefits much faster than normal. This includes enhanced integration of the treasure¡¯s properties into the crab¡¯s physical and mystical attributes.
It was the perfect skill for the Tidecaller Serpent form. He transferred it without hesitation, though he suspected there might be a limit to how often he could reassign skills. Each time he switched them in rapid succession, he felt a growing resistance, as if the system itself imposed a cooldown to prevent abuse. Still, the ability would synergize well with the Tidecaller Serpent¡¯s natural aptitude for material absorption.
He made a mental note to be cautious about what he consumed in snake form¡ªthere was no telling how difficult it might be to remove undesirable traits once integrated. The last thing he wanted was to mutilate his own body to fix a mistake, though his passive regeneration would at least heal such wounds quickly.
The familiar surge of power signaled his long-awaited level up. Reaching level 51, he allocated his human form¡¯s points into wisdom and the Umbral Predator¡¯s into agility. With each passing moment, he felt stronger, more in tune with the forms he wielded.
As he ventured deeper, he wondered how far he could push his level today. Aquatic beasts seemed to yield far more experience than the termites he had slaughtered earlier. Perhaps it was due to their stronger souls, or perhaps insects simply lacked the essence required to provide significant rewards.
At last, he reached the spot where the tiger shark had left its crystal. A swarm of small fish now surrounded the gleaming gem, their silvery bodies forming a protective barrier. Otherwise, the crystals¡¯ guardians appeared unchanged. This time, however, Thalion was done with subtlety and restraint.
He flexed his serpentine muscles, his resolve hardening. It was time for carnage. He had no need to escape with a form today¡ªno constraints to hold him back. He would kill them all and claim every crystal in sight.
Thalion dove at the swarm of tiny fish, his predatory instincts sharpening as he unleashed an Aqua Lance. The jetstream of water tore through the mass of tiny fish, but the scene quickly devolved into chaos. It was now obvious¡ªthey had been cannibalizing one another all along.
The wounded or dead fish were immediately consumed by their kin, leaving no trace of weakness behind. The swarm, numbering in the thousands, retaliated with shocking coordination. They split into groups, attacking from every angle like a living tidal wave.
Thalion, unperturbed by their tactics, activated Tsunami Breaker. A shockwave rippled out from his position, obliterating every single fish in its radius. The water around him turned into a swirling red mist, devoid of life.
Sensing the moment, Thalion transformed into his human form, allowing the amulet to siphon the souls of the fallen. The crushing pressure of the ocean bore down on him, his lungs straining under the force. Without the enhanced toughness granted by consuming the termites earlier, the weight might have caused significant damage.
The souls of the fish were surprisingly potent, stronger than he had expected. Each one rivaled or surpassed the essence of the termite workers, their energy bolstered by their collective nature. After a few seconds of absorption, Thalion morphed back into his Tidecaller Serpent form, ready to rejoin the fray. Chaos reigned as the death of the swarm had triggered a feeding frenzy.
A misfired Aqua Lance had severed two of the octopus¡¯s massive tentacles, accidentally injuring a beast lurking behind it. This ripple effect ignited a war between the predators. The white shark tore into a smaller reef shark, sending it fleeing in desperation. Meanwhile, four colossal squids had seized a giant crocodile, dragging it into their grasp. Two squids latched onto its hind legs, another anchored its tail, while the fourth coiled around its thrashing back. The crocodile¡¯s raw power was useless against their overwhelming grip. Its jaws snapped and its hide pulsed with energy, but nothing could halt the inevitable. Piece by piece, the squids devoured it alive.
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Thalion squared off against the massive octopus, eager to hone his underwater combat skills. This time, he refrained from using Tsunami Breaker, opting instead for a prolonged duel. He kept his distance, peppering the beast with Aqua Lances and Water Slashes. The octopus retaliated with astonishing speed, whipping its smaller, lightning-fast tentacles¡ªeach stretching over fifty meters¡ªin an attempt to ensnare him. The creature¡¯s desperation grew with every lost limb, its movements becoming more frantic.
In a last-ditch effort, the octopus camouflaged itself, blending seamlessly with the murky water. But Thalion¡¯s title, paired with his heightened connection to his surroundings, rendered the trick useless. He tracked it effortlessly, anticipating its every move. With a precisely aimed Aqua Lance, he pierced the octopus¡¯s head, ending the fight in a decisive blow. As the beast¡¯s lifeless form drifted downward.
Disappointment flickered across his face. The octopus¡¯s skill¡ªa technique to accelerate tentacle speed¡ªwas entirely incompatible with any of his forms. Shaking off his frustration, he harvested the creature¡¯s crystal and set his sights on the remaining predators.
The battle between the squids and the other beasts had devolved into chaos, and Thalion capitalized on it. His form¡¯s superiority was evident; none of the other creatures could match his long-range attacks or his raw destructive power. One by one, he dispatched them, Aqua Lances and Water Slashes reducing his foes to nothing more than corpses.
Once the waters settled, he tested the available forms but found them lacking. However, one of the small swarm fish had a rare passive skill that caught his interest:
Endless Appetite (Rare)
This passive skill increases the capacity of the character''s stomach, allowing them to consume and store a significantly greater amount of food or items without experiencing discomfort or fullness. The more the character eats, the more efficient their digestive system becomes, slowly expanding the available space within their body for nourishment. This skill works on a variety of consumables, from food to special materials that can be ingested for magical or alchemical purposes.
The implications were promising. Endless Appetite would synergize perfectly with the Tidecaller Serpent¡¯s absorption capabilities or even the Umbral Predator¡¯s feeding-focused abilities.
For now, he assigned it to the serpent form but began to consider transferring it. As the Umbral Predator, the ability to devour more corpses and gain additional stats could prove invaluable. The possibilities were endless, and Thalion¡¯s mind raced with potential combinations.
Why stop there? He mused about merging Endless Appetite with Devour Essence, the crab¡¯s skill he had obtained earlier. Together, they would create a near-perfect synergy for mass consumption and efficient stat gains. That would be a project for later, back in the safety of his lair. For now, the ocean offered an endless bounty of creatures to kill and crystals to claim.
With a wicked glint in his eyes and bloodlust burning in his veins, Thalion dove deeper into the abyss after putting the giant blue crystals in his spatialring. The slaughter was far from over.
<--
Seraphina was in crisis. The situation had spiraled out of control after she had ruthlessly eliminated the other human slaves from Earth. Her mission had seemed straightforward at first, but now everything was unraveling.
The little girl, Annie, had escaped on the fourth stage, slipping away amidst the chaos. It was a disaster. Seraphina¡¯s patron had specifically tasked her with aiding the child, suspecting that Annie possessed a dormant bloodline that would awaken under the right conditions¡ªperhaps through achieving a certain level of power or enduring a particular kind of trauma.
And now the girl was gone, vanished into the vast, perilous ocean.
The sea itself was treacherous, more so than Seraphina had anticipated. Even she, armed with formidable strength and rare equipment, dared not dive into the depths alone.
With her guards, hunting was still manageable, but even a single mistake could mean her death. The ocean teemed with creatures far beyond her current capabilities, their savage presence a constant reminder of her mortality.
To make matters worse, Nerissa, that insufferable young noblewoman, was applying unrelenting pressure. Nerissa was also blessed by their shared patron, which meant Seraphina couldn¡¯t simply kill her and be done with it.
Realizing her immunity, Nerissa had grown increasingly bold, her demands for resources and progress becoming a daily annoyance. Worse still, opposition within the palace was beginning to take root. Seraphina¡¯s options were limited¡ªshe couldn¡¯t kill Nerissa outright, but she often wondered if the girl would hesitate to do the same, given the chance.
The possibility loomed large in her mind: what if Nerissa survived the tutorial? Would she come back for revenge?
Her thoughts darkened further as she considered more drastic measures. Perhaps one of her subordinates could handle the problem. But would her patron see through the ploy? It was a gamble she wasn¡¯t yet willing to take. The patron¡¯s favor was her most valuable asset, and jeopardizing that for a petty rivalry seemed foolish.
Then there was the ocean itself¡ªa monstrous enigma. On the third stage, the strongest beasts were confined to the depths, but here, in the fourth stage, they roamed freely. Vast schools of ravenous fish patrolled the waters, consuming everything in their path.
These swarms were a plague, unstoppable in their sheer numbers. Each fish was nearly a meter long, and their collective ferocity rendered any defense futile. Spells might kill hundreds, but there were millions.
Seraphina¡¯s forces had already suffered devastating losses to these swarms. Entire groups of guards had been wiped out, and over twenty ships destroyed by the more powerful aquatic beasts. She hadn¡¯t dared dive deeper than four kilometers, but she suspected the true terrors of the ocean lay even further below. The thought sent a chill through her.
As for Annie, Seraphina doubted the girl¡¯s survival. The ocean was unforgiving, and the odds were slim. Yet, she had known the risks when she¡¯d chosen to kill the other slaves.
Their experience had been invaluable, but they were liabilities she couldn¡¯t afford to take to the higher stages. Their deaths had been a calculated move to strengthen her own position, and she didn¡¯t regret it. Not yet.
Standing atop the tallest tower of her palace, Seraphina gazed out at the ocean. From this vantage point, the sea appeared tranquil, almost serene. But she knew better.
Beneath the surface, a war raged¡ªan endless struggle for survival. Her palace¡¯s defenses were formidable, enough to repel most aquatic beasts, but a larger swarm could overwhelm them. She would need to invest in more fortifications soon.
Her current situation was precarious. Despite reaching level eighty and unlocking the ability to evolve, she faced critical choices. She wasn¡¯t sure how much experience she earned from kills shared with her guards, nor whether it was worth venturing into the depths to hunt stronger beasts. Staying near the surface and targeting weaker creatures alone might be safer, but it would also be slower.
Her patron would contact her again in a few days, and Seraphina hoped for guidance. Their most recent messages had focused on shoring up defenses against the ocean¡¯s growing dangers. Her equipment, of legendary rarity, was already at the pinnacle of what the system shop could offer.
Since acquiring it, she had primarily invested in knowledge and materials. One skill she had obtained allowed her to cook the beasts she killed, creating meals that granted stat boosts akin to elixirs. The process was so effective¡ªand delicious¡ªthat it had become something of a passion for her.
Cooking wasn¡¯t the only thing on her mind. Hunting, body tempering, and soul cultivation all demanded her attention. Hunting was by far the most efficient for gaining strength, but she couldn¡¯t ignore the importance of the others.
Body tempering was agonizingly slow, and soul cultivation had become a painstaking ordeal after forming her soul core. Still, every effort counted.
Yet, another, darker idea had taken root. Killing the slaves had proven advantageous¡ªwhy not take it a step further? What if she sacrificed the people in her palace, offering their lives in a ritual to amplify her own power?
She had already researched the cost of the formation scroll. It wasn¡¯t prohibitively expensive. The thought of sending the blessed out of the city, then slaughtering everyone else in one fell swoop, sent a shiver of anticipation through her.
The influx of stats from such a sacrifice would guarantee her survival and secure a powerful evolution. A sinister smile spread across her lips as she turned her gaze back to the horizon. It was an idea worth keeping in mind. For now, she would bide her time, but the future was filled with possibilities.
I need your help (Dont worry nothing bad has happend)
Hey loyal soldiers of the Empire,
I just finished editing Book 1, but there are still a few things I¡¯m not entirely happy with, and I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts.
First, the ending of the first book¡ªwhile I¡¯ve planned out the overall story, I never decided exactly where each book should end. Right now, I¡¯m torn between Chapter 81 and Chapter 117 as the stopping point for Book 1.
Second, I¡¯m still not completely happy with the starting classes the MC can choose in Chapter 3. I recently realized that they¡¯re almost identical to the ones Jake can pick in The Primal Hunter. That wasn¡¯t intentional¡ªI just wanted to use the most basic combat classes that advanced ones could evolve from. I¡¯m not sure if this is a problem, but I¡¯d still like to tweak them a bit. If you have any ideas for alternative starter classes, feel free to share!
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Once these two points are sorted, I¡¯ll be sending the book off for professional editing. If you have any other suggestions for improvements, please let me know! You can also send me a private message if you¡¯d rather not post in the comments¡ªI usually respond pretty quickly.
One more thing: Aethon is giving us a new cover! If you have any cool ideas for an image or a scene that would look great on it, drop them in the comments!
Oh, and since I asked before but want to bring it up again¡ªwe¡¯re also getting an audiobook! If there¡¯s a narrator you¡¯d love to hear for this book, let me know. I already have a list from the last time I asked, but I want to make sure we get someone who really tells the story rather than just yelling the whole time.
That¡¯s all for now. Thanks for your help, and see you tomorrow with the next chappie!
Cheers!
Chapter 146: Into the Depths (1)
Thorwald, flanked by his trusted right-hand scout Joe and their band of men, arrived at the colossal stronghold of the Raha. The air was heavy with anticipation as they gazed upon the bastion, hidden seamlessly within the towering trees of the jungle.
Its scale was staggering¡ªmassive steel gates over twenty meters high blended perfectly with the jungle¡¯s hues, making the fortress nearly invisible from afar. The structure appeared to have grown out of the trees themselves, an intricate fusion of nature and design that spoke of centuries of mastery.
Thorwald stood in awe, yet the thrill of command coursed through him. These people, the Raha, had pledged their allegiance to him after he had baptized them in the name of Solarion, the Blazing Emperor.
Despite their overwhelming strength¡ªeach of them easily surpassing his party in power, many at levels near ninety¡ªthey had submitted. Thorwald couldn¡¯t suppress the smug satisfaction rising within him. This was how it should be. He, the chosen one, would rise above all.
The Raha were ancient, seasoned warriors. One of their weaker members, an elder with piercing amber eyes, had revealed that most of them were over a hundred years old. Thorwald¡¯s mind raced with possibilities. An army of such unparalleled strength, experienced in both battle and the mysterious intricacies of the system, was now his to command.
Yet, as they approached the gates, a lingering doubt crossed his mind. For all its grandeur, the bastion housed only seven hundred people¡ªa surprisingly small number.
He had envisioned thousands, a legion ready to crush any opposition. Still, seven hundred elite warriors were better than none. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t need them all to vanquish the undead and conquer the tutorial.
The gates creaked open, revealing a settlement of mushroom-shaped homes nestled within the fortress. As they entered, the Raha paused their work, their sharp gazes falling on Thorwald and his followers. Whispered murmurs filled the air, and the tension was palpable.
¡°What are those... things doing in our base?¡± A stern female voice cut through the silence. From atop one of the towering mushroom homes, a woman leaped gracefully to the ground, landing before the group. She moved with the predatory grace of a seasoned warrior, her emerald eyes fixed on Thorwald with suspicion.
¡°We were fortunate,¡± Bardo, the leader of the Raha escort, replied calmly. His voice rose, commanding the attention of the gathered Raha. ¡°We have found one blessed by the legendary Solarion, the Blazing Emperor. His name is Thorwald, and he will baptize us all. Finally, after decades of bloodshed between our sects and the countless sacrifices we¡¯ve endured, our future is no longer uncertain.¡±
The crowd erupted in murmurs, their expressions shifting from disbelief to awe. The woman¡¯s emerald eyes widened, and she stepped closer to Bardo, her voice trembling with hope. ¡°Bardo... is this true?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± he replied, his calm demeanor unshaken. A knowing smile played on his lips. ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡±
Thorwald stood tall, suppressing a grin as the Raha surrounded him, their reverence palpable. The baptism began shortly after, a process that consumed the next two hours.
One by one, the Raha knelt before him, their fierce loyalty cemented as he granted them access to Solarion¡¯s path. Thorwald reveled in the moment. These were no mere soldiers¡ªthey were killing machines, disciplined warriors honed by decades of survival. And now, they were his.
In the days that followed, the Raha proved invaluable. They shared rare materials, assisted in hunting, and conducted grueling training sessions for Thorwald and his followers. Each day brought immense progress, and Thorwald could feel his power growing exponentially. Their advice, rooted in hard-earned wisdom, shaped his strategies.
¡°Do not rush your evolution,¡± one elder had cautioned. ¡°Hunt and strengthen yourself as much as possible before taking that step. Most of us evolved early out of necessity¡ªon our planet, the competition for resources was brutal. But you have the luxury of time. Use it wisely.¡±
Thorwald learned that their planet had been thrust into the tutorial as part of a world-wide quest. The struggle to claim the opportunity had been fierce, with factions vying for dominance. He also discovered a critical detail: the Raha were not counted toward the survivor score, as they were an established force integrated into the system long ago. This revelation reassured Thorwald. He could grow in strength here, unbothered by the need to protect his allies or ensure their survival.
Thorwald had even begun dabbling in soul cultivation, a practice he¡¯d previously dismissed as too slow. One of the Raha elders had convinced him otherwise, stressing its importance for long-term growth. Every day, Thorwald felt his power solidifying, his confidence building.
He often thought of his rivals¡ªSteven, Kael, Kai, and even that insufferable mage, Thalion. They had dared to oppose his will, and for that, they would pay. Thorwald imagined their faces contorted in terror as he crushed the life from their bodies. He envisioned their heads mounted on spikes, a display of his dominance, a reminder to all who dared defy him.
His future was glorious, inevitable.
As he stood at the edge of the bastion, the jungle stretching endlessly before him, Thorwald¡¯s lips curled into a dark smile. He could feel the power of Solarion¡¯s blessing coursing through his veins, his army at his back, and destiny within his grasp. Soon, the world would tremble before him.
<--
Thalion¡¯s first battle in the depths had been exhilarating, a straightforward challenge that tested his skills without overwhelming him.
But as he dove deeper into the shadowy waters, the atmosphere grew tense, the danger palpable. He was now in a vast underwater expanse, illuminated by the ghostly blue glow of fifty or so crystals. Each crystal was fiercely contested, a beacon drawing predators and defenders alike into a bloody, desperate war.
Beasts of all shapes and sizes darted through the dim light, clawing and biting at those defending the crystals. The defenders, often outnumbered, fought with relentless determination or fled into the darkness.
Others, opportunists lurking in the shadows, ambushed distracted combatants, seeking an easy kill amidst the chaos. The water grew murky with blood, its metallic tang mingling with the taste of salt, attracting an ever-growing swarm of predators¡ªparticularly sharks.
Even E-grade beasts, towering creatures of immense power, joined the fray. These were no mere animals; they were apex predators, tearing through the lesser creatures with terrifying efficiency.
Among them was a grotesque starfish-like monster, its movements eerily fast for its kind. With a flicker of psychic energy, it immobilized its prey, then slowly enveloped its victim with writhing limbs, consuming it whole.
Normally, Thalion knew, starfish dissolved their meals over time, but this creature operated with an otherworldly speed and efficiency, likely a product of the System. He kept his distance, shuddering at the thought of being ensnared by such a creature.
Thalion avoided direct confrontations with stronger beasts, instead targeting weaker E-grades and striking only when he was sure of his safety. In this deadly ballet, one mistake could spell his doom.
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The predators here weren¡¯t just fast; they were brutal, armed with natural weapons that could shred him in an instant. His impressive regenerative abilities, which had saved him countless times before, would be useless if he was torn apart too quickly.
The deeper waters were teeming with life. Marlins, squids, strange tunas, and even predatory jellyfish drifted through the currents.
The jellyfish, though unexpected as predators, radiated a menacing energy, their translucent forms pulsing with bioluminescent light.
But it was the sharks that dominated the scene. Dozens of species darted through the waters, their forms sleek and perfectly adapted for ambush.
The most fearsome were the smaller sharks¡ªonly ten meters long but cloaked in impossibly dark black scales that seemed to drink in the faint light.
Their movements were uncanny, their forms blurring and fading as if they could merge with the shadows themselves. Thalion marveled at their adaptation; before the System, such pigmentation was unheard of in aquatic creatures.
Perhaps they had developed a high affinity for darkness, enabling them to vanish even from his heightened senses. These predators moved with chilling precision, tearing apart even the massive squid with effortless speed.
Thalion couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. If he could acquire their shadowy movement skill, it would elevate his combat prowess immeasurably. Whether through replication or acquisition, he vowed to make it his.
He stayed hyper-focused, his title aiding him in tracking threats as they emerged from the murky depths. So far, he had successfully killed a larger squid and an E-grade jellyfish.
Unfortunately, he had been unable to absorb the jellyfish¡¯s form; a shark had appeared from nowhere, forcing him into a desperate chase.
The shark was relentless. Thalion twisted and turned, his fins cutting through the water with practiced grace, but the predator mirrored his every move.
It was massive, nearly fifteen meters long, with a jaw bristling with enormous, rune-etched teeth that gleamed faintly in the dim light.
Thalion tried firing a skill, but the shark¡¯s speed made it nearly impossible to find an opening. The predator stayed just close enough to strike but far enough to avoid his attacks, its primal intelligence evident in every movement.
Panic began to creep into Thalion¡¯s mind. His water shield shimmered faintly around him, but he doubted it could withstand the crushing force of the shark¡¯s jaws. Its teeth looked capable of ripping through steel, let alone a magical barrier. Knowing he couldn¡¯t win in a prolonged chase, Thalion decided to test his luck.
He surged forward, accelerating as fast as his form would allow, hoping the shark might lose interest. But the beast remained locked onto him, its sleek body cutting through the water like a missile. Realizing he had no other choice, Thalion activated his ultimate skill, Tsunami Breaker. The surrounding water roared as the skill erupted outward, a destructive surge of energy crashing into the shark.
The attack slowed the predator but failed to deal the decisive blow Thalion had hoped for. The shark reeled, disoriented, and in that brief moment, Thalion channeled all his remaining mana into a charged Aqua Lance. The spear of water shot forward, piercing the beast¡¯s side. With a final thrash, the shark went still, its lifeless form sinking into the depths.
Thalion exhaled sharply, the adrenaline coursing through him. In his human form, he imagined he would have been drenched in cold sweat. ¡°That was too close,¡± he muttered to himself, his thoughts racing. The fight had shown him just how vulnerable he was without a proper movement skill. Even his regeneration couldn¡¯t save him if he was overwhelmed.
Inspecting the fallen shark, Thalion found a glimmer of reward. The beast possessed a skill¡ªan advanced bite technique that could prove useful. As he studied the shark¡¯s massive teeth, he noticed faint runes etched into their surface, glowing faintly with latent power. They hinted at something greater, something ancient. A tool or weapon, perhaps, waiting to be unlocked.
Iron Maw (Common)
The shark delivers a single, devastating bite that harnesses the full strength of its jaws. This attack deals massive physical damage, focusing on crushing bones and tearing flesh.
The skill itself wasn¡¯t particularly special, but the teeth he had acquired were extraordinary. Thalion¡¯s current teeth resembled those of anacondas or pythons¡ªno venom, but rows of sharp, backward-curved fangs designed to lock prey in place. Now, he had taken several of the shark¡¯s teeth, which were also curved backward, albeit less dramatically than his own. Still, their strength and sharpness made them a valuable upgrade. He wanted more of these durable teeth, just in case he ever needed to bite his way out of a dire situation.
Using Morphic Adaptation, he began switching his teeth out. He carefully selected only the shark teeth that matched the structure of his serpent fangs, discarding those shaped like serrated saw blades.
Satisfied with the transformation, he discarded the shark''s form and ran his long, serpentine tongue over his new set of teeth. The sensation of the sharp, powerful fangs sent a shiver of satisfaction down his spine. It had been a while since he last improved his Tidecaller Serpent form, and every upgrade¡ªno matter how small¡ªfelt like a step closer to achieving his ultimate goal.
Thalion swam backward slightly to survey the chaotic battle. It was absolute pandemonium. Corpses were devoured almost instantly by the relentless predators, leaving him no opportunity to absorb forms.
The crystal-studded arena had become a bloodbath, with more and more E-grade beasts joining the fray. Their sheer power made it increasingly dangerous for Thalion to act without drawing unwanted attention from the big predators.
Some of the beasts had begun using ranged abilities. One particularly dangerous jellyfish was launching its venomous stingers at anything that moved.
The creatures hit by these projectiles either froze instantly or appeared lifeless as they were dragged into its writhing tentacles. Thalion couldn¡¯t tell if they were paralyzed or dead, but the distinction hardly mattered¡ªthey were consumed moments later. He stayed as far away from the jellyfish as possible. It was even more of a threat than the dreaded sea star, which continued its rampage unchallenged. No beast dared to engage it.
With the environment growing deadlier, Thalion found himself targeted more frequently. While this was annoying, it was nothing a well-placed Aqua Lance or Tsunami Breaker couldn¡¯t handle. He considered testing his mental defenses against the sea star¡¯s abilities but ultimately dismissed the idea.
There was no room for second chances here, and even his impressive self-healing would be useless if his entire body was dissolved faster than it could regenerate.
Instead, he focused on collecting the massive crystals. These towering structures, over ten meters high, radiated an intense, pulsing energy. It was precisely the kind of power he needed. Thalion had already gathered three of them, but each retrieval was a risk.
Transforming briefly into his human form to let the amulet absorb the souls of the fallen was dangerous. The pressure in the depths threatened to crush him, but he summoned an extra layer of Blood Armor, which held long enough for the amulet to feed.
In those fleeting moments, the amulet¡¯s power surged, fueling his strength. Each transformation was brief¡ªa matter of seconds¡ªbut every soul it claimed brought him closer to becoming unstoppable. Afterward, he would revert to his serpent form and rejoin the fight.
One of the most frustrating limitations of his Tidecaller Serpent form was its inability to retreat or sidestep. It was all forward momentum.
While he could turn quickly, there was no way to feint or dodge backward. As a result, underwater combat often devolved into circling duels, where the first successful bite usually determined the victor. Ranged attacks were rare among aquatic beasts, which only added to the monotony.
As the hours dragged on, the blood-soaked water attracted more predators. The frenzy grew, and few seemed to notice that nearly a quarter of the crystals had disappeared during the chaos. Thalion grinned, the satisfaction twisting his serpentine features. He had exploited every opening, darting in to claim crystals whenever the battle provided a distraction.
The most dangerous moment was always the crystal''s absorption. The runes he used took time to activate, leaving him vulnerable, but so far, his strategy had worked flawlessly.
New predators continued to emerge from the depths. At one point, the sea star met its match¡ªa colossal crab. This armored monstrosity propelled itself through the water using powerful jets from its shell and legs. Its erratic, almost comical movements reminded Thalion of an old Earth spaceship¡ªperhaps the Enterprise¡ªbut with none of Captain Picard¡¯s finesse. Instead, this creature barreled into crystals and corpses alike, often crashing into its surroundings as it hunted.
The crab was fast, heavily armored, and utterly fearless. Instead of targeting the jellyfish, it focused on the largest beasts in the area¡ªgiant sharks, oversized fish, and especially the enormous squids. Its hatred for the squids was palpable, and it tore into them with savage abandon.
Fortunately for Thalion, his resources recovered quickly enough to keep him in the fight. Blasting beasts with Aqua Lances became second nature, and the level-80 predators provided a steady flow of experience. He could feel his progress¡ªthough slow¡ªbeginning to show. While leveling up once a day was common for others, his unique form and challenges made every advancement hard-earned. Still, the promise of growth spurred him onward.
Thalion contemplated taking greater risks. Perhaps it was time to dive deeper, where the true treasures¡ªand dangers¡ªawaited. The thought sent a thrill through him, his serpent heart pounding with anticipation.
Chapter 147: Into the Depths (2)
The waters grew more perilous by the minute, teeming with beasts drawn by the blood saturating their surroundings. Most were sharks, their dark forms slicing through the crimson currents, but other creatures joined the fray as well.
Schools of tiny, razor-toothed fish now swarmed the battlefield, their sheer numbers overpowering even the deadliest predators. One such swarm had already taken down the dangerous jellyfish, reducing its menacing stingers to floating remnants. Now, the swarm moved with lethal precision, consuming one massive beast after another.
Thalion, however, had little reason to fear them. A single cast of Tsunami Breaker was enough to obliterate the entire swarm in a roiling vortex of force and water.
Even if a few managed to evade the initial assault, his mana shield held firm, buying him time to unleash another devastating strike. The tiny fish were no match for him¡ªsmall victories in the grand chaos¡ªbut they were not the real threat.
The greater challenge lay with the larger beasts, those with complex abilities rivaling those of any seasoned warrior. Yet, even they had yet to pose a true challenge to Thalion.
For now, most of his foes were sharks, which suited him perfectly. They offered a steady stream of experience, propelling him closer to a long-awaited level-up.
But their abilities left much to be desired; their biting skills were crude and inferior to the ones he already possessed. Still, he welcomed the progress. He was halfway to the next level, and though time pressed against him, he hoped to return before any of his enemies set their schemes into motion.
Annoying as this deadline was, it provided a rare opportunity to shift focus: preparations awaited for his aquatic cultivation and the fusion of his storm crystal with Eagly. Additionally, he intended to investigate the potential emergence of weak darkness elementals or, at the very least, their embryonic aspects. The twilight hours neared, and darkness, both literal and figurative, promised to reveal its secrets.
On this level, only a single large crystal remained. He debated whether to dive deeper, lured by the promise of untapped treasures. How many pearls had the other shapeshifters collected by now?
The remaining crystal would be fiercely contested. Realistically, his spoils here would likely be limited to levels gained and the faint hope of discovering a rare skill. Unfortunately, nothing so far had been particularly appealing¡ªno new digestion skills, and nothing suitable to augment his scales.
A few skills related to shark scales had emerged, but they required a specific compatibility with shark hide, rendering them useless for his current form.
Thalion frowned, his mind churning with calculations. He considered experimenting with a shark''s skin, but the risks loomed too large. Switching to shark scales might compromise his speed and undo the painstaking body-tempering his current serpent form had undergone.
Worse, reverting back might not restore his original resilience. Unless the new skin promised undeniable superiority, the gamble simply wasn¡¯t worth it.
Perhaps diving deeper for reconnaissance alone would be prudent¡ªa glimpse at what awaited below before retreating to the surface.
The E-grade beasts he had encountered thus far were formidable, certainly no easy targets. Still, the allure of discovery nagged at him. He resolved to investigate but with caution, balancing curiosity against survival.
In the meantime, Thalion turned his focus inward, cycling through his body-tempering method. While direct combat had grown wearisome, the technique enhanced his maneuverability, allowing him to weave through the chaos of the battlefield.
He preyed on stragglers¡ªlone fish or scattered remnants of swarms¡ªand unleashed devastating attacks with surgical precision. Surprisingly, the experience gained from annihilating hordes of tiny fish rivaled that of killing a twenty-meter shark.
Between battles, he transformed briefly into his human form, no more than three fleeting seconds, to absorb the souls into his amulet. The artifact, now of mythic rarity, pulsed with the accumulated power of countless fallen foes, its energy coursing through him like a second heartbeat.
After hours of tempered focus and efficient slaughter, Thalion abandoned the battlefield, diving toward the depths. The water grew darker and colder, the faint shimmer of distant crystals illuminating the silhouettes of massive creatures below.
Here, power radiated like a tangible force, the aura of the beasts utterly overwhelming. These predators were on an entirely different level than the sea star or the jellyfish he had encountered earlier.
Thalion kept his distance, his sharp eyes taking in the formidable gathering around one particularly enormous crystal. Among them was what appeared to be an adult Tidecaller Serpent, its length nearly double his own and its scales gleaming with an impenetrable sheen.
Nearby, a colossal crab lumbered through the water, its shell adorned with a verdant tree that radiated a unique, awe-inspiring energy. Next to it slithered a creature that defied simple description: a crocodilian snake, its sinuous body of a snake marked by the head of a crocodile.
The beast¡¯s body was absolutely massive, stretching an intimidating thirty meters in length. Its sheer size dwarfed anything Thalion had encountered so far. Each movement of these beasts exuded dominance, their power a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the depths.
Thalion hovered at the edge of visibility, his instincts urging caution. Identifying these creatures could reveal more about their strengths, but the risk of detection outweighed his curiosity. For now, he would observe, his mind racing with strategies and the faint hope that an opportunity might present itself.
He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if creatures lurking in the even deeper abyss were even more powerful or if this leviathan represented the apex of its kind. The troubling part was that this beast was only in the third stage, yet its leveling speed showed no signs of slowing. If this trend persisted, it could spell disaster for the surface world.
Thalion¡¯s thoughts darkened as he considered the potential implications. Humanity had craftsmen and equipment¡ªtools designed to bridge the gap in power¡ªbut he doubted they were sufficient to counteract such an overwhelming disparity in levels.
The termites on land displayed a similar leveling curve, though perhaps slightly slower. Still, their rapid evolution far outpaced any human¡¯s, and the rarity of termite queens had to be staggering. No human could hope to achieve such heights in this short amount of time.
Thalion wondered if he would have stood a chance against beasts like these if he hadn¡¯t obtained his title. Probably not. Yes, his current level was significantly lower than before, but his body-tempering had advanced above all expectations, bolstered by his title and the connection with the outsider.
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A year spent honing his blood magic and swordsmanship had also sharpened his edge. While he might be weaker now in raw levels, his refined techniques and layered advantages made him far stronger.
The real question was whether this would hold true in the coming weeks. As more humans¡ªsome even blessed by gods¡ªrose to E grade, Thalion¡¯s cultivation chambers and his carefully constructed support system could face serious threats.
An ominous sense of urgency gnawed at him. Something was coming; he didn¡¯t know what, but the air itself seemed charged with impending chaos. Time was running out. He cast one last glance at the colossal beasts circling the great crystal and began his ascent. His decision was clear: return to the skyship, gather the pearls from his loyal helpers, and leave this perilous depth behind.
<--
Meanwhile, Maike was having a hard time. She had warned everyone¡ªrepeatedly¡ªabout the dangers those women posed, but no one had taken her seriously. Not even Thalion. To make matters worse, her reports had been dismissed or downplayed, and she suspected that some members of the council were already compromised. She lacked proof, but her instincts screamed at her to tread carefully. Those witches were far more dangerous than anyone realized.
Maike was increasingly confident that some in the council were aiding the Blessed factions in Thalion¡¯s base¡ªand possibly even collaborating with individuals from rival bases. How could Thalion leave the base so openly?
In her eyes, it was reckless. Nothing catastrophic had happened yet, but it felt like only a matter of time before things spiraled out of control.
She longed to investigate the witches further, but her current responsibilities left her with no spare time. Watching over Kaldrek, that big idiot, consumed all her focus.
Too many guards were clearly under the witches¡¯ influence, or at least sympathetic to their cause. They constantly invited Kaldrek to bars, inns, or establishments controlled by the witches.
So far, Maike had intercepted every attempt, but it was becoming increasingly exhausting. Every hour, a new scheme emerged to lure Kaldrek in.
The tipping point came when one of the witches personally visited Kaldrek at the training hall, offering a direct invitation. Maike had been mentally screaming at him to refuse, and to her relief, he had. Luck, however, wasn¡¯t a reliable ally.
While she appreciated Kaldrek¡¯s loyalty, keeping him out of trouble felt like training an overeager puppy: rewarding but utterly draining. Yet, despite the fatigue, she had succeeded. So far, Kaldrek hadn¡¯t been compromised by any faction.
Her moment of triumph came when Kaldrek flatly told the red-haired witch that he was too busy for ¡°fun.¡± Maike couldn¡¯t help but grin.
Annoying as it was to shadow him constantly, it was worth the effort. She trusted no one else to guard Kaldrek¡¯s integrity, and she genuinely liked him. Sacrificing time and experience to ensure he stayed safe felt like a small price to pay.
Then, everything happened at once.
First, a report came in: six massive skyships from a rival city had been spotted en route to their base, traveling much faster than anticipated. Next, unrest stirred among the Blessed, their probing agitation edging toward outright rebellion.
Prominent clans marched through the streets, shouting slogans and inciting the people against Thalion. They claimed he was too weak to guarantee safety, insisting no F-grade at level 50 could defeat an E-grade warrior.
But that wasn¡¯t their only move. They also challenged Kaldrek¡¯s authority within the guard. One by one, powerful E-grades stepped forward, openly declaring their intent to take his position. Maike¡¯s stomach churned.
This wasn¡¯t just bad¡ªit was catastrophic. Even if they managed to suppress the rebellion for now, the skyships would arrive in mere hours. Their upgraded engines gave them unprecedented speed, leaving no margin for error.
Worst of all, the rebels were closing in on the teleporter. If they managed to disable it before Thalion returned, the base would face insurmountable problems. The situation spiraled out of control, and Maike felt the weight of it all pressing down on her.
She clenched her fists, determination hardening in her gaze. Whatever it took, she wouldn¡¯t let them win.
Kaldrek acted immediately, summoning every trusted guard to secure the portal. The rebels were taking their time, which granted him a narrow window to prepare. Despite their sluggish pace, he knew they would arrive eventually, and the situation would escalate.
Without hesitation, he jumped through the portal himself, attempting to establish contact with Thalion. Frustration gripped him as the communication tokens failed under the pressure of the ocean¡¯s depths. Sending anyone after Thalion was futile. If he was still in the ocean, he had to be deep beneath the waves, likely hunting powerful beasts.
From the rooftop of a tall building, Maike surveyed the chaos below. A seething crowd surged through the streets, their chants echoing through the city.
They shouted promises of change, claiming divine blessings, and vowed that everything would improve under their rule. To Maike, this was laughable. Thalion¡¯s hands-off leadership already granted the people unprecedented freedom. If the Blessed factions seized control, that freedom would vanish.
Her brow furrowed as she picked up a particularly troubling chant: a call for a ¡°legendary warrior¡± to arrive and bring salvation to the base. The idea gnawed at her. A figure like that could rally even the undecided to their cause.
Leaping between rooftops, Maike noted something strange¡ªthis wasn¡¯t a unified rebellion. The factions marching through the city were clearly divided, some even appearing hostile to one another. But the largest group, the one chanting about the legendary warrior, overshadowed the others.
Despite the division, Maike¡¯s unease grew. The rebellion was spiraling out of control far too quickly. Holding out for another two days until Thalion returned seemed impossible.
Yet, what caught her attention most was the rebels¡¯ destination. They weren¡¯t attacking Thalion¡¯s tower or attempting to seize the city outright. They were heading straight for the portal.
The significance wasn¡¯t lost on her. Thalion¡¯s tower had become much harder to breach in recent weeks, fortified with thick metal gates inscribed with powerful runes. Even so, Maike doubted they truly understood what Thalion did in there.
Some believed he merely meditated and cultivated in solitude. Not long ago, the tower had been home to dozens of residents. Thalion hadn¡¯t cared about the space, but now he had fortified it and emptied it of all but his most essential equipment.
As she considered the rebels¡¯ strategy, two glaring issues came to mind. First, why had the skyships been spotted so late? Scouts should have detected them much earlier.
The only plausible explanation was sabotage¡ªsomeone had withheld the report to aid the approaching forces. Second, the rebels must have access to long-range communication. How else could they have known about Thalion¡¯s absence so quickly?
Maike¡¯s jaw tightened as she pieced together the enemy¡¯s plan. Thalion had likely intended to return just before the rebellion reached its climax, making a dramatic reentry to save the day. But he had miscalculated. His enemies had anticipated his strategy and moved faster than expected. They were likely reveling in their advantage.
If things continued this way, Maike doubted the guards would even fight the rebels. Morale was shaky, and many guards hesitated to shed blood unless absolutely necessary.
Even with the skyships hovering ominously over the city, the rebels faced little resistance as they marched toward the portal. Defensive arrays could destroy the ships if they attacked directly, but the risk of internal sabotage loomed large.
After an hour of marching and shouting, the groups finally reached the portal. The guards stood firm in a defensive line, but the rebels outnumbered them significantly. While the guards still had a numerical advantage around the portal, the rebels¡¯ sheer determination made them a formidable threat.
A woman stepped forward from the crowd of over two hundred, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. ¡°Kaldrek, step aside!¡± she demanded.
Maike studied her carefully. The woman didn¡¯t resemble the witches. She was striking¡ªbeautiful, even¡ªbut not in the almost alien way of the witches, whose exaggerated curves and unnaturally perfect features seemed designed to beguile. This woman had a commanding presence, her beauty more human yet no less dangerous.
Kaldrek¡¯s voice boomed in response. ¡°You are betraying everyone in this base. Step back, or you will face the consequences!¡±
Maike clenched her fists, her heart sinking. Even as Kaldrek stood his ground, it was clear he understood the odds. His reinforcements weren¡¯t as reliable as they seemed, and many of the guards could easily waver or even turn against him.
The woman laughed¡ªa sharp, mocking sound that sent a shiver through Maike. This wasn¡¯t going to end well. Neither side seemed willing to back down, and Maike feared for Kaldrek¡¯s life.
Her mind raced, searching for a solution, but the path forward seemed riddled with danger. As the tension thickened, the city itself seemed to hold its breath, teetering on the edge of chaos.
Chapter 148: Riot
As Thalion was swimming up, he saw how all the shapeshifters were hunting the smaller and weaker beasts without any mercy. Their new form gave them a big advantage in those areas where most beasts were pretty weak in comparison to those in the depths.
It looked like he would have hundreds of the tiny pearls for his new pool. He still needed to buy the pool in the system shop or some sort of aquarium, but that shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. He hoped that the voice could give him additional tricks with the aquarium.
As he dove up, he stayed away from the sharks as he didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone and just go back to his base. It was time to fully attune Eagly to the wind affinity, and after that, he would build his aquarium. Hopefully, nothing too drastic had happened in his absence, and he didn¡¯t have too many things to deal with while cultivating.
The level difference was so great now that he even got some exp when killing level-eighty beasts. When his prey was a high-level variant of strong beasts, the exp gain wasn¡¯t even that bad¡ªor should not be that bad, as so far he had only assisted in such a task underwater. At least the system had identified it as such since more beasts had damaged the E-grade beasts in the depths.
As he was only five hundred meters under the skyship, he sped up once more and transformed into his human form immediately after breaking through the surface. There was almost no one on the ship, but those who were looked very tense. He could ask them, but he already had a good guess as he saw Kaldrek and his men standing in front of the portal on the other side.
Thalion activated mistform and shot right through the portal, materializing beside Kaldrek. He could have had a short talk with the people on the ship, but he didn¡¯t want to give the people on the other side a chance to destroy the portal before he could pass through.
"So, what do we have here?" Thalion introduced himself while looking at the hundreds of people surrounding the portal.
"You shouldn¡¯t be back this early," a beautiful woman with a lot of equipment shouted in surprise and anger.
¡°They tried to destroy the portal so you couldn¡¯t come back. Marched through the city for a while, screaming about their patron¡¯s power and that only those guided by gods were strong enough, and so on,¡± Kaldrek reported after nodding at him.
¡°Don¡¯t act like you have a chance. A lot more guards are on our side than you know,¡± the woman responded. Then she turned to Thalion almost like an empress addressing one of her subjects.
¡°Who allowed you to be the leader of this base? A mere level fifty-two, thinking of fighting an E-grade at level eighty-three? Why don¡¯t you step down and put on those slave cuffs? Maybe we¡¯ll let you live if the amount of credits satisfies me. To all the other guards: stand down until we put this guy on trial, and nothing will happen to you. Humanity needs strong fighters to survive.¡±
There was a short silence, and the guards looked at each other unsurely. They were not sure who would help that woman and which was the right side to pick.
¡°Please do as that woman says and stay back. It looks like those people have a lot of credits, and I don¡¯t like to share the prize,¡± Thalion said. His voice was now ice cold and full of determination. So far, he had dared not to push out his aura, as that would partly activate the armor, and he didn¡¯t want to attack his own people¡ªat least partly. The woman and the others looked a bit confused, but they didn¡¯t have much time as Thalion transformed into the Umbral Predator and blurred into action.
There was no need to talk or do anything else besides kill every single one of them. He had chosen the Umbral Predator as the best form for this, as he wanted to train his combat, and he didn¡¯t have any really secret skills in this form. In the end, he was just a beast that liked to rip his opponents into pieces.
While his human form had a lot more hidden surprises should someone try to force a fight in the future, he also hoped that when he bonded with an elemental of darkness in the future, it would give him new tools to defeat his enemies. If those abilities spread, it would lead to everyone underestimating him greatly in a fight later.
The look in the woman¡¯s eyes and her comrade¡¯s was pure horror as they saw the Umbral Predator appearing in front of them, one claw already sweeping. The surprise had worked even better than he had first thought.
Sadly, the woman reacted too fast, managing to block the attack with a golden shield that materialized in her hand. Thalion¡¯s claws extended, dark shadows coiling around them, and with a sharp swipe, he unleashed Shadow Claw.
The warriors closest to the woman were too slow to react; many fell lifeless in the very first seconds of the skirmish. Those in the rear ranks didn¡¯t even see the slash until it was far too late. A few managed to throw themselves to the ground or sidestep, narrowly evading the deadly arc of the skill.
The area was crowded with hundreds of fighters, but the chaos worked in Thalion¡¯s favor¡ªmany couldn¡¯t risk attacking without endangering their own allies. Several guards nocked their bows and began aiming at him from elevated positions.
Thalion¡¯s senses sharpened; he could feel the killing intent directed at him. Four enemy archers perched on nearby rooftops. He assessed their positions quickly. They were not an overwhelming threat, but they required constant monitoring as he fought the others.
The real danger came from the E-grade combatants. As long as none landed a lethal strike, Thalion was confident he could manage. His adversaries wasted no time; they erupted with power and converged on him, surging in unison.
The woman, clearly their leader, lunged forward, a sword manifesting in her right hand. She slashed at Thalion in a fluid motion, forcing him to pivot sharply to avoid the blow.
Simultaneously, an arrow whistled toward his head. He dodged, twisting with practiced precision. Two other arrows missed their mark entirely, but a fourth found its target, embedding itself in his shoulder. Arrows were troublesome; if they lodged too deeply, they could hinder his regeneration.
Yet, the dark energy emanating from his flesh rapidly dissolved the projectile, leaving nothing behind. The wound sealed itself within seconds, the darkness pulsing faintly as it knitted his skin back together.
Above, the rooftop archers found themselves targeted as traitorous guards turned their sights on them, attacking without hesitation. Kaldrek and his soldiers seized the opportunity, engaging the fighters around them with relentless force.
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Thalion narrowed his gaze on the woman. He wanted answers. Closing the distance, he grabbed her sword arm in a vice-like grip. With a savage pull, he tore it clean from its socket. Her scream pierced the air, but it did nothing to deter him.
Shifting his focus, he seized the arm holding her shield and ripped it away as well. Blood sprayed in arcs, and her cries echoed across the battlefield, a mix of agony and disbelief.
The warriors closest to her responded immediately, hacking at Thalion to drive him back. Their strikes were frantic but ineffective. Around them, mages hesitated, unwilling to unleash area spells that could harm their own. One bold mage launched a massive ice shard from the sidelines.
Thalion sidestepped effortlessly, watching as the projectile struck two of their own fighters, impaling them in an instant. One moment, the warriors had been poised to attack; the next, they slumped lifeless, frozen in place.
Thalion¡¯s claws tore through the ranks with vicious efficiency. Each swipe shredded armor and flesh alike. The warriors were poorly positioned, clearly unprepared for a real fight. They must have assumed that defeating Kaldrek in a duel would secure the portal peacefully. Such arrogance was a hallmark of those blessed by gods¡ªconfidence teetering on hubris.
Panic rippled through the rioters. Some scrambled for better positions; others turned to flee. But Thalion¡¯s earlier declaration about the ¡°prizes¡± seemed to have ignited greed among the guards. Many switched sides, their loyalty dissolving as they eyed the treasures the rebels carried.
Thalion¡¯s brutal display only strengthened his dominance. Not only had he torn apart their leader, but he had done so fearlessly, diving into a crowd of hundreds with the chilling words, ¡°Don¡¯t help me. I want the reward for myself.¡±
The sight of their leader sprawled helplessly on the ground¡ªher arms missing, her right knee shattered¡ªdestroyed morale further. Thalion had ensured she couldn¡¯t escape, stomping on her leg during the melee and flinging her aside like discarded prey. She now lay a few meters away, writhing in pain, unable to do anything but watch as her forces crumbled.
For many of her followers, the prospect of receiving her blessing had been the sole motivator. A blessing bestowed not just strength but a guaranteed path of survival after the tutorial. Now, with the woman incapacitated, the dream was dead. Even if they survived, they would leave empty-handed.
Above, Kaldrek¡¯s men maintained the high ground, raining down arrows and spells on the streets below. The remaining blessed warriors attempted to regroup, forming small teams to rescue the woman or take down the mages and archers. It was a losing effort.
The fighting was fierce but one-sided. Blood soaked the streets, and bodies littered the ground. The healers in the crowd were rendered useless. Every time one attempted to cast a spell, they became an instant target, cut down before they could help.
Thalion moved through the chaos like a storm, methodically dismantling his enemies. His claws slashed in deadly arcs, severing limbs and spilling blood with every swing. Occasionally, he dodged an incoming strike aimed at his face, but nothing slowed him.
The battle was far from over, but Thalion felt no rush. He would end this rebellion one corpse at a time.
The cuts on his body closed almost as soon as they appeared, the dark energy within him knitting flesh and muscle together effortlessly. They didn¡¯t even slow him down.
Normally, dispatching enemies of this caliber so quickly would have been impossible, but the tight formation of their ranks left them no room to dodge. Their allies pressed too closely from behind, forcing them into the path of his relentless strikes.
Blocking his claws proved equally futile. For most, his attacks ripped through their defenses as though they were paper. Some fighters attempted to redirect the blows, but such efforts only bought them moments before the next strike inevitably ended their lives.
Thalion moved with precision, sidestepping a spear thrust aimed at his flank. Without missing a beat, he grabbed the attacker by the neck with his right hand, lifting the struggling man into the air.
A sharp twang sounded, and an arrow sank deep into the man¡¯s abdomen, intended for Thalion but intercepted by his unwilling shield. Thalion snarled and tore the man in half with a single motion, a grisly shower of blood and viscera drenching the fighters in front of him.
Next came a heavily armored warrior, then an archer, and so on. Thalion was an unrelenting force, carving through his enemies with mechanical efficiency. The battlefield became a slaughterhouse as he methodically dispatched opponents, his claws gleaming black with shadows and gore.
The heavy fighters tried to wear him down, gambling on him tiring from his relentless assault. But unlike them, stamina was not his concern. Where others might falter, Thalion seemed only to grow more ferocious. He proved them wrong again and again, refusing to retreat, his onslaught as unyielding as a storm.
Within a minute, the resistance crumbled. Some fighters threw down their weapons and begged for mercy, their courage shattered. Others turned and fled, desperate to escape. Thalion spared them no second thought. Hunting down every coward wasn¡¯t worth his time¡ªthat was a task for the guards.
Still, the number of bodies littering the ground seemed far fewer than the force he¡¯d faced earlier. Many had slipped away in the confusion, retreating into the shadows. Annoyance flickered across Thalion¡¯s features. He didn¡¯t care about their lives¡ªwhat irked him was the missed opportunity to grow stronger. He needed more power to confront the undead, and every distraction like this only delayed his cultivation.
At least one enemy remained. His gaze fell on the woman, her armless body slumped unconscious near the still-active portal. Blood pooled beneath her, but her chest rose and fell faintly. She wasn¡¯t dead¡ªnot yet.
Thalion shifted back into his human form, the transformation seamless. Shadows clung to his skin for a moment before dispersing. He walked toward her slowly, his presence commanding the battlefield even in its aftermath.
"What should we do with her, her fighters, and the other faction that fled?" Kaldrek asked, landing beside Thalion. The man¡¯s voice carried a strained edge, the stress of the ordeal evident in his expression.
¡°Other faction?¡± Thalion thought with growing irritation. His fists clenched at his sides. This was already spiraling out of control, far beyond what he wanted to deal with.
¡°How many factions are we talking about now?¡± he demanded, his tone sharp. The thought of simply erasing all opposition crossed his mind.
¡°Well,¡± Kaldrek began, pausing as if considering his words carefully, ¡°the ones who helped today were followers of some golden warrior god. There¡¯s another group too¡ªthey follow a god as well, but they weren¡¯t as aggressive. They started running the moment you appeared.¡±
Thalion exhaled slowly, his annoyance simmering just beneath the surface. ¡°And which factions are problematic but haven¡¯t attacked us yet?¡±
¡°Too many to list right now,¡± Kaldrek admitted, scratching the back of his head. ¡°But there¡¯s one group¡ªthose women running the bars and other establishments. They¡¯ve been gaining influence. There might be more, smaller factions trying to challenge the guards¡¯ leadership, but none seem as dangerous as today¡¯s attackers.¡±
Thalion nodded, his decision clear. ¡°We¡¯ll make an example of these golden followers,¡± he said coldly. ¡°That should be enough to keep the others in line.¡± He glanced at the unconscious woman. At least for now, he could forget about his plans to return to the ocean. This mess would take time to clean up.
Turning to the guards, he issued a simple command: ¡°Hunt every last one of them down. Kill those who resist. If they surrender, throw them in with the slaves.¡±
Kaldrek acknowledged the order with a curt nod but hesitated, stepping closer to Thalion. His voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°We might have another problem.¡±
¡°What other problem?¡± Thalion snapped, his patience wearing thin. His mind raced through possibilities. Had the termites attacked?
¡°One of the other bases must have sent skyships toward us when you left for the ocean,¡± Kaldrek said, speaking low enough that no one else could hear.
Thalion frowned. ¡°And? Ready our ships and destroy them. We have more people and over eight true battleships. What are you afraid of?¡±
Kaldrek shifted uncomfortably. ¡°We¡¯re not sure who we can trust right now. If their skyships carry strong elite fighters, we might not win outright.¡±
Thalion¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Ready the ships. Wait for them to arrive. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±
He turned his attention back to the armless woman near the portal, a chilling determination settling over him. ¡°I¡¯ll have a little chat with her,¡± he said, his voice like ice. His lips curled into a grim smile. He already had a few ideas on how to make her scream.
Chapter 149: Answers
Thalion grabbed the unconscious woman and carried her into the tower. Her arms were still missing, but the bleeding had stopped¡ªthough only temporarily, as far as he was concerned. It was time to finally get some answers about what was going on. He knew time was against him; the skyships were drawing closer with every passing minute.
Still, Thalion doubted any of the attackers had advanced far enough in E-grade to pose a genuine threat. His mastery of both the sword and blood arts had reached a level that made him nearly invincible in single combat¡ªunless, of course, he made a serious mistake. Confident in his abilities, he focused on the task at hand.
Upon entering his underground lab, he shoved the woman into a black pillar positioned at the room''s center. The pillar, faintly glowing, contained only a few wind crystals¡ªnot yet fully charged. It didn¡¯t take long for the woman to awaken, though she was still groggy, her eyelids fluttering as if she were trying to wrestle her mind back to consciousness.
For Thalion, her fate was clear. She would stay in this place until she died. There was no chance he¡¯d let her escape or alert anyone about what he was doing here. Until then, her existence would be defined by fear and pain.
The woman stirred but struggled to see anything, her head lolling weakly. Thalion decided to hasten her recovery. Without a moment''s hesitation, he transformed into his eagle form, green feathers rippling like a living storm. He released a weak lightning beam that struck the pillar.
The results exceeded his expectations. The woman¡¯s face¡ªthe only part of her body visible outside the black pillar¡ªtwisted in agony as she screamed. The electricity coursed through her with violent intensity, sparking wildly along the surface of the pillar.
As Thalion watched her writhe, a thought struck him. The pillar¡¯s glow had grown faint over time; perhaps it was time to "recharge" it with fresh sacrifices. The rioters outside would do nicely.
Satisfied that she was now fully awake, he fired another weak lightning beam into the pillar. Sparks danced across its surface, crackling like tiny explosions. The energy didn¡¯t dissipate immediately, instead lingering, shocking the woman for nearly a full minute after the last strike.
Her screams filled the chamber, echoing off the walls like a twisted symphony. Thalion allowed himself a faint smirk as he observed her twitching. This was going even better than he had anticipated.
¡°Now,¡± he said, his voice cold and commanding, ¡°who are you, and which god has blessed you?¡±
The woman¡¯s eyes were wide with terror, but her lips curled into a snarl. ¡°I¡¯ll never tell you anything!¡± she spat. ¡°When my husband arrives, you¡¯ll pay for this resistance! My pain will be nothing compared to what he¡¯ll do to you!¡±
Thalion raised an eyebrow. Her defiance, while admirable, was misplaced. She must have had some skill or blessing to resist the mental effects of the pillar, though it was no longer as potent as when he had first acquired it. Still, it served as an excellent conductor for lightning.
Without a word, Thalion blasted her again. Lightning crackled as her screams filled the air, interspersed with desperate pleas. Her bravado crumbled quickly, but Thalion didn¡¯t stop.
He wasn¡¯t interested in her limits¡ªnot yet. The woman had already mentioned her husband, a crucial slip, and her earlier threats had given him all the justification he needed to continue.
He used the time to refine his control, practicing weaker lightning beams. Precision was key, and the pillar allowed him to observe the effects in real-time. Minutes passed, the woman¡¯s screams growing hoarse, her face twitching involuntarily even when the shocks subsided.
After nearly ten minutes, Thalion finally relented. Sparks still danced along the surface of the pillar, and the woman twitched as residual lightning coursed through her body. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, filled with raw fear.
¡°Please stop!¡± she finally screamed, her voice cracking. ¡°My patron is the magnificent Ferastomos, a god of war! With his blade, he has struck down countless souls!¡±
Thalion narrowed his eyes. ¡°I assume he¡¯s not one of the undead gods?¡± he asked coldly.
The woman nodded quickly, eager to avoid another round of torture.
¡°Good,¡± Thalion said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the point. What was your plan, and what is your husband planning with his skyships?¡± His tone was sharp, every word carrying the unspoken threat of another jolt of lightning¡ªor worse.
The woman swallowed hard, clearly weighing her options. But something about Thalion¡¯s presence¡ªthe mix of authority and merciless intent¡ªseemed to break her. She began speaking quickly, desperation dripping from every syllable.
¡°My husband is a strong fighter, level 85,¡± she said, almost pleading. ¡°His plan is to conquer this base, of course! If my takeover failed, it was meant to buy him enough time to challenge your strongest fighter to single combat. The winner would claim control of this base!¡±
Thalion observed her carefully as she spoke. He could feel through his title that her words were the truth. He nodded slowly, already contemplating his next move.
Without him, their plan might have even succeeded. The woman could have stalled for time, disrupting the defenders just enough for the rest of the assault to work out in their favor. But things wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly now. Thalion would make sure of that.
Still, he pondered his options. What would stop him from simply accepting the duel offer and killing the man outright? The question wasn¡¯t about the fight itself¡ªhe was confident in his victory.
It was about what to do with the others. They were likely loyal to their leader, perhaps even fanatically so, and many of them were undoubtedly blessed. Revenge would come eventually if left unchecked.
Leaving the leader alive wasn¡¯t an option. Thalion weighed his choices. Perhaps killing the lot of them outright would solve the problem, or sending them back to their city broken and defeated might suffice. Either way, he¡¯d decide soon enough.
"Now," Thalion began, his tone cold and unrelenting, "what class, equipment, and skills does your husband have?" His gaze bore into the woman, whose body trembled against the black pillar. The device was clearly doing its work, her defiance crumbling under its relentless pressure.
"I... I don¡¯t know everything," the woman stammered, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. "I left weeks ago to travel here. He fights with a spear and is fast¡ªso fast. His skills¡ they¡¯re all about making him a better fighter." Her words were a cascade of desperation, her voice breaking as fear overtook her.
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This was excellent news. Thalion felt no pity for her condition. Her choices had led her here, and if she¡¯d succeeded, he would be dead already. She had no right to mercy.
More importantly, her words confirmed his suspicion: this had never been a simple alliance. The so-called ¡°peaceful coalition¡± was just the first step in their plan to seize the base outright.
"One last question," Thalion pressed, his voice a razor¡¯s edge. "Are there other blessed plotting to take over this city?" He watched her carefully, knowing she might seize the chance to throw an enemy under the bus. His title gave him the ability to detect lies, a boon that made interrogation as simple as sorting truth from deception.
"There are so many!" she cried, her voice cracking as she rushed to explain. "The biggest threat is the followers of Lyranea, the Velvet Whisper. They have powerful mental abilities, and once they¡¯ve ensnared someone, it¡¯s almost impossible to break free. They control bars, restaurants, and other establishments¡ªplaces where people gather and let their guard down. They¡¯ve even infiltrated the guards. At least one or two council members are under their spell."
She paused, her eyes darting as if afraid her words alone might summon Lyranea¡¯s wrath. "No one knows how deep their network runs," she continued, trembling, "but they¡¯re dangerous. Then there are the blessed of Drakthar, the Iron Tyrant. His followers are armored berserkers¡ªrelentless in battle. They started recruiting more aggressively when we began our riot. Their numbers are growing."
She kept talking, naming faction after faction, each one tied to some god or another. By the end, she had listed over twenty small groups, all vying for influence and power.
Thalion¡¯s mind raced. The situation had spiraled out of control far beyond what he had anticipated. Most of the factions were too small to act independently, but that wouldn¡¯t remain the case for long. Left unchecked, they would eventually consolidate their power, becoming a force that could rival his own.
The frustration boiled in his chest. This was infuriating¡ªanother distraction he didn¡¯t need. He decided to take out some of that frustration on the woman. Sparks crackled as he fired another round of lightning into the pillar.
Her screams filled the room, blending with the sharp hum of the electricity. She twitched violently as the pillar absorbed the energy, amplifying it before sending it coursing through her body.
She wouldn¡¯t last much longer. That much was clear. But that was fine¡ªThalion had no use for her alive. He continued his assault, watching dispassionately as her life ebbed away. When her screams finally ceased, her body limp and lifeless, he drained her blood, careful to collect every drop.
He sealed her corpse in his spatial ring. The sight of her remains might rattle her husband enough to throw him off his game, giving Thalion the edge he needed in their inevitable confrontation.
With that task done, he left the lab and flew to Eaglie¡¯s cultivation chamber. The space hummed with energy, the perfect place to focus on improving his wind affinity while he waited for the enemy skyships to arrive. There was little else to do for the moment, and honing his abilities was always time well spent.
As he meditated, channeling the currents of air around him, his thoughts turned to the larger problem: the growing number of blessed within his base. The system shop was close, and he made a mental list of what he needed.
First, a way to transform the termites¡¯ mist skill into something aligned with darkness. That would give him an edge in cultivating further. Next, reinforcements for the base¡¯s defenses. More vines, additional ballistae designed to take down flying enemies, and perhaps something to fortify the walls.
But none of that would matter if the base imploded from within. The factions were a powder keg, ready to explode. If something didn¡¯t change, it wouldn¡¯t be long before civil war broke out.
Thalion needed a solution, one that didn¡¯t involve slaughtering half the population. He thought about the followers of Lyranea, their influence over the city.
Perhaps they were the key. If he could strike a deal with them, allowing them to control the other blessed, it might stabilize the situation¡ªat least temporarily.
Of course, there were risks. Allowing them to maintain their stranglehold over innocent civilians was distasteful, but it might buy him time to consolidate his power. With any luck, freeing those under their spell would weaken Lyranea¡¯s hold in the long term.
For now, it was the best option. Thalion sighed, the wind around him swirling in response to his frustration. He¡¯d deal with the coming skyships first. Then, he would address the chaos within his walls.
Thalion knew those women were ambitious¡ªtoo ambitious to simply step aside. They wouldn¡¯t accept defeat quietly. No, they would plot in the shadows, scheming and maneuvering against him, but he felt confident in his ability to handle them.
The key was to weaken their influence. If the truth about their abilities and the horrors they had inflicted on ordinary people were to spread, their charm over others would surely falter.
That was the plan for now, at least. If it failed, there was always the option of killing them outright. For the moment, Thalion considered a more surgical approach: stripping them of their power through exposure and giving them a new enemy to focus on.
While the blessed squabbled over dominance, he could remain below, advancing his body-tempering and preparing for the battles to come.
His thoughts wandered briefly. Killing the woman had yielded more experience than he anticipated¡ªnearly four times what he would normally gain from a kill. It intrigued him. Could it be tied to her blessing? If so, the idea of eliminating other god-blessed individuals became far more appealing. This could even be his ticket to E-grade.
If he could manipulate the women of Lyranea to bring him the brainwashed rebels, it would be perfect. Another resource to exploit within his growing base. And if the woman¡¯s husband gave as much experience as she had, Thalion estimated he¡¯d reach level 53 from that fight alone. For the first time in a while, a glimmer of light pierced the horizon of his thoughts.
Still, there was more work to do. Thalion refocused on his body-tempering. It wouldn¡¯t be long until he could fuse the storm crystal with Eagly. The system still seemed to be guiding him, likely offering better evolution paths inside the tutorial.
Evolving during the tutorial was another key goal¡ªone that could reward him with a higher-class rarity or race upon transformation. He wouldn¡¯t waste that opportunity.
Unfortunately, no one knew how long the tutorial would last. Some blessed theorized that a countdown would eventually signal the final stage, but it hadn¡¯t started yet. The only countdown they had now was tied to the special quest, and that was approaching too quickly for comfort.
The fourth stage might need to be skipped entirely, he realized grimly. The fifth stage would likely be the most pivotal, but before that, they still had to locate the catacombs. If they failed to destroy the pillars in time, they¡¯d be doomed.
Something about the countdown unnerved him. It seemed to adjust itself, speeding up one day and slowing down the next. It reminded him of an old video game download timer, erratically shifting and giving no clear answer on when it would finish.
For now, the changes balanced out, but the unpredictability gnawed at him. If the countdown sped up for two consecutive days, it would signal a worsening situation¡ªbut until then, all he could do was prepare.
The time for war was drawing nearer, and he had to complete his body-tempering before it arrived. A successful evolution at the end of the tutorial would be crucial. If everything went as planned, he would complete his tempering here, gain the necessary levels during the war by killing vampires and undead, and reach level 80 before the end of the tutorial.
Of course, plans rarely unfolded so perfectly. Still, there was potential. And if Plan A failed, he had contingency plans¡ªthough none as comprehensive. If all else failed, he could always flee to the ocean or the jungle and hide until the tutorial ended.
It wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was better than total failure. For now, he pushed those thoughts aside. There was no point dwelling on the worst-case scenario unless it became unavoidable.
Kaldrek¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, informing him that the skyships were only half an hour away. It was time. Thalion left the tower, shifting into mistform and soaring upward to meet the incoming vessels. The air crackled with tension as scout ships began returning, ready to provide support if a fight broke out.
He materialized, standing firm as he gazed at the approaching fleet. His eyes burned with determination, his expression grim but resolute. This was it¡ªthe duel awaited, and Thalion was ready. That fool wouldn¡¯t know what hit him.