《The Witch Hat's Quest for Curse Curing Magic》 Meeting an Ominous Witch Hat Chapter 1 Meeting an Ominous Witch Hat "I want to be immortal." This sentence is a sentence spoken by all magic wielders. Kailey has uttered it many times throughout her life of trials and tribulations. One day, Kailey, a witch apprentice in magic, stumbled upon a desolate ruin while searching for a magic technique to cure her curse. As she examined the exterior of the ruins, she discovered an oddly placed stone covering the entrance, obscured in countless abstract illusion runes that must''ve faded with time. After inspecting the entrance, Kailey decided to enter the ruins. She walked down numerous flights of uneven, cracked stone stairs. As she continued down, strange lights started appearing, surrounding Kailey. The stairway, once dark and only illuminated by Kailey''s lantern, was now illuminated with countless colorful lights. While examining the mysterious lights, her consciousness suddenly blacked out. When Kailey came to, she found herself inside a tube filled with strange liquid. As she searched for clues on how to get out of the tube, she spotted a strange-looking witch hat on a table moving around! Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Kailey gasped in shock, choking on the liquid in the tube. It felt like a gelatinous substance, similar to the outer layer of a slime. The hat noticed the commotion and swiftly hopped over to a group of control panels with runes that would have been able to pioneer the next generation of magic users. The panels were complex and featured never-before-seen theories. As the hat deftly imbued magic into the groundbreaking runes, the liquid surrounding Kailey dispersed, flowing out of the tube and onto the chamber ground. It congealed into a monstrous slime, towering over Kailey. It then shrank to the size of the nearby witch hat. As the liquid in the tube holding Kailey began to liquefy and stream out, she thought of ways to escape. Initially, she tried breaking the tube with her bare hands, but then she remembered she could use magic! She began incanting a spell to break out. Unfortunately, her mana was gone. It left her with only enough for useless physical movement. As she started to despair, the strange witch hat made an unintelligible noise, causing the mana circuits in her body to go wild! Kailey felt herself becoming paralyzed, unable to move. Despite knowing she couldn''t stop what was happening, Kailey tried her best to stay calm. However, she also continued to struggle because she understood not doing so would mean she wouldn''t survive this encounter. Taken Captive Chapter 2 Taken Captive After her continued struggle, Kailey resignedly admitted defeat and lay prone inside the tube, giving up. Eventually, the witch hat finished manipulating the runes and arrived in front of the tube, holding the now dejected Kailey. The hat tried to communicate through the opening in its jagged maw. However, only unintelligible noise came out. It decided the action of speaking through its mouth was pointless. Then, it decided to use the spell [Mind Speech] to speak directly into Kailey''s mind. Using the spell, [Mind Speech], the hat spoke directly into Kailey''s mind, "Why have you come to this place? Is it to take the research buried in this laboratory, or is it for me?" Kailey was startled, hearing the voice, causing her to stir. She began surveying the area to catch sight of the person who spoke. However, Kailey found no one other than the slime that previously held her captive and an ominous witch hat directly in front of her. In the middle of Kailey''s confusion, she heard the voice again, "You brat, how long do I have to wait until you answer me?" the hat exclaimed in an exasperated tone. While the slime curiously prodded the tube holding Kailey, the words that Kailey had previously heard finally sunk into Kailey''s mind, her imagination filling with hopes of finding a remarkable curse-curing technique hidden deep inside these ruins. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The possibility that the previous owner could have entrusted the voice with long-forgotten knowledge and possibly a library''s worth of information left Kailey believing she would find an ancient tome that held knowledge of ancient curses within. While imagining this, she started envisioning all the possible ways to force the voice to give her the information she needed. However, she soon realized she had no power and lacked the strength to fight, but she remained determined. A conspicuous creepy grin crept onto Kailey''s face as an ominous aura of desperation, recklessness, and boldness exuded from her body. This aura caused the witch hat in front of her to have a bad premonition about this weird girl. Kailey then spoke strangely. "How do you do, Miss Voice? I accept your offer of the research! Might you lend me some of your research so that I might be able to cure the curse that has been plaguing me for some time?" The hat was chilled by how strangely the girl spoke and quickly backed away, catching the eye of Kailey. Words of Possession Chapter 3 Words of Possession Seeing the frightened hat, Kailey thought, ''Could it be this hat is the voice?'' with this crossing her mind, she desperately shouted, "I shall take you... I will study you!" As these words rang out in the laboratory, the hat started backing away even more fiercely in fear, as if it had found a predator. "Hold on, wait a second, little girl. You do not understand the power behind these words of possession," the hat said in trepidation. "Words of possession?" Kailey said quizzically. "Words of possession is a form of contract that is only usable on special legendary grade and above tools or objects that have souls trapped inside them. Furthermore, tools with words of possession placed on them cause any miscreants who try to wield an object other than the contracted one will receive retributions. The tools may smite them, leaving them with permanent scarring, or even dismember their limbs," The hat said while responding to Kailey''s question. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Woah, that''s some serious punishment," Kailey said with a slight tinge of fear in her voice. "Indeed." "So what must I do to use these words of possession?" Kailey dumbly asked but to her surprise the hat answered her question. "Forcefully speak in a way that makes it clear to any beings surrounding the object you wish to possess, said object." After a few seconds, the hat realized it was revealing how to use the words of possession. Then the hat understood it had made a terrible mistake. But even so, it would gladly live with this decision. "Heh, so I only need to say something like, ''Oh deities and beings us mortals can not comprehend, I shall take over the previous owner''s will, so shall this object before me become mine until the day my soul no longer lingers in rebirth." As Kailey jokingly spoke aloud the words of possession, the area around the witch hat started glowing with spiritual essence, causing the soul of the hat to emerge. Sensing danger, the hat swiftly moved to stand in front of Kailey. It didn''t want to be mistaken as a soul without a vessel by the hellhounds sent to retrieve lost souls. Suddenly, Kailey''s soul quickly shot out from her body to meet with the soul of the witch hat, providing a sanctuary for the fleeing soul. Kailey''s soul rapidly constructed a temporary dwelling for the hat''s soul. As Kailey''s soul finished creating the dwelling, the soul of the hat impatiently entered Kailey''s soul. The Hellhounds Chapter 4 The Hellhounds Just when the hat''s soul merged with Kailey''s, a bloodthirsty and scorching aura filled the laboratory, breaking the silence with howls of ferocious hellhounds. The hellhounds howled with rage, seemingly enraged by their failure to capture the lost soul that was here previously. They began emerging from a crack in space that suddenly appeared in the middle of the laboratory. The pack''s leader barked orders as they ran out of the gate like a drill sergeant. They unleashed their innate flames while exiting the crack in space, which created a blaze that scorched everything in its path. The fire even spread to some adjacent rooms, burning the contents inside. Kailey felt the intense heat and quickly crouched on the floor to hide from the wolves and not inhale the smoke. Typically, a person''s body would melt under such conditions, causing severe and irreversible disfigurement. However, as an apprentice witch, Kailey had natural protection through the development of her mana. By manipulating the mana within her, she could make her protection denser by focusing it through the mana circuits in her body. Manipulating it this way allowed her to withstand the heat from the fire, which only managed to melt some of her skin. However, as a precaution, she cast an element-based barrier spell to encase herself if the situation worsened. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The hellhounds sensed the activation of a spell and prepared to attack the magic caster. However, when they saw that it was a little girl, they stopped their aggression. They continued their search, scouring every nook and cranny, finding nothing. Despite not finding anything, they solemnly retreated into the crack in space, aware they would face punishment from their superior for not catching the loose soul. When Kailey confirmed the hellhounds had vanished, she cast a wind spell to clear the ashes and smoke left behind from the paper, furniture, and lab equipment. After transferring all the debris out of the ruins through the air, Kailey noticed that the witch hat on the ground was somehow unharmed, bearing only some scorch marks. With the area''s safety now confirmed, the soul that had merged with Kailey came out from her body with a contract stating, [The one who signs this contract is the sole owner of this object''s soul until the day the initiator of the contract soul is destroyed and is unable to come back with reincarnation, in addition, any knowledge and abilities held within the object will only be given to the initiator of the contract if the contracted soul wishes to divulge the knowledge and or skills it has within itself]. Accepting The Contract Chapter 5 Accepting The Contract The soul of the witch hat politely asked Kailey if she wished to accept the contract. Upon hearing this, Kailey questioned the soul on how to sign the pact. She asked if she needed to stab the soul of the hat with the contract or if she needed to cut her finger and let the blood drip onto the hat''s corporeal soul to accept the pact. The hat responded to Kailey''s concerns with slight disgust, stating. "To accept the contract, you don''t need to perform a physical ceremony like cutting yourself or stabbing me. Instead, we need to etch the contract into each other''s souls. All you need to do is sign the contract, which I have already done, so it will be simple for you to do the same." Kailey pondered the soul''s words for some time, then asked it a question, "How do I go about etching the contract into my soul? Will you be the one to do it for me?" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yes, I will use the power of our souls to etch the words of possession contract into your soul, but you need to sign it yourself. After that, our souls will link with the contract connecting the two of us," the hat said, affirming Kailey''s guess. Kailey agreed to the contract''s terms and etched the contract onto her soul with the help of the hat. Without Kailey''s knowledge, the hat added additional conditions during the etching process. As the contract was etching into Kailey''s soul, she went through a short and excruciatingly painful process. During this time, she saw her entire life flashing before her eyes. She remembered the grueling training that she underwent to build up her stamina. She recalled how she learned to refine her magic energy to fortify and increase her strength. She also remembered her family, who aided her even while being criticized for helping a cursed child. As the process of remembrance happened, the hat witnessed everything Kailey recalled during her pain, feeling the heartache she had to endure. As the painful memories echoed within, the hat decided not to use her as a test subject. Kailey opened her eyes, seeing the soul of the witch hat had returned to its rightful place. The hat was attempting to get on Kailey''s head, but it failed miserably, which made her laugh. However, suddenly, a piercing headache came over her, causing Kailey to black out once again, dreaming of a past. Not of her own. Dreams of Someones Past Chapter 6 Dreams of Someone''s Past When Kailey woke up, she saw three children playing in a field of dandelions and enjoying a simple yet thrilling game that involved running beside each other, trying to surpass one another while shouting words filled with magic power to boost their speed, the children''s goal was a tree as big as a two-story house. Kailey watched them play while trying to figure out what they were running to. Spotting their destination, Kailey swiftly ran to the children''s destination with long strides. When she arrived, she tried to get the attention of one of the children at the front of the group, but she went unnoticed. The boy she stood in front of didn''t see Kailey at all! Feeling dejected, Kailey thought of different ways to gain the boy and his group''s attention. Meanwhile, the boy reached the tree and looked back at his friends while they raced to the giant tree. A girl surprisingly fast bounded toward the tree like a leaf in the wind, causing a thump as she landed on the tree''s trunk, becoming the second child to reach the tree. The last child, a girl with hair the color of a raven''s feather, reached the tree not a second later, causing another thump as she roughly landed on the trunk next to the other girl. As Kailey tried and failed to capture the attention of the children lying beneath the cool, shaded area, the scene abruptly shifted to an auditorium. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. When Kailey regained her senses, she found herself in an auditorium filled with students wearing uniforms that indicated their study of magic. When the teacher walked in, the once noisy room fell silent as the students stopped chatting and turned their attention toward the teacher. Meanwhile, Kailey was adjusting to the situation, observing the students around her as the teacher began creating formations with incomplete diagrams on the board. Just as the teacher finished her first diagram, a flood of information suddenly hit Kailey''s mind. The sensation was similar to tripping over a rock and instinctively regaining balance the next second. The information that Kailey gained explained why the teacher was creating incomplete magic circles and not complete ones. The test was performed regularly in the class, where the teacher would present incomplete diagrams to the students, challenging their knowledge. The students would come to the podium after being called on. They would then choose from several magic formation circles. Each student would then try to add runes to complete the magic circle in front of them. As they did this, they would release a small amount of their magic energy to test the flow inside the magic circle. This action helped to identify any incorrect spots in the magic circle and prevented the incomplete circle from fully activating. But when enough residual magic had accumulated within the magic formation to activate it, the teacher would disperse it before the incomplete magic could explode and cause harm to the students. After dispersing the magic, the students would return to their seats, and another group of students would come from the rows of seats, then test the magic circle and add to it. This process would continue until the magic flowed smoothly through the circle without interruptions. Only then would the circle be considered complete. Found Out! Chapter 7 Found Out! The teacher selected six students from the seats to examine and add to the incomplete magic formations. After some time and discussion, the students started taking notes on the side of the magic formation they were working on to record their understanding of the specific circle. After some quick consideration, they inscribed the incomplete magic circle with the newly added runes they made. When the first few students were satisfied with their inscription, they started infusing their energy into the magic formation to identify the spots where the energy got stuck. The students then went to those spots to find the error in their runes and corrected their mistakes. As one of the magic circles got to the point where it would activate, the teacher walked over to the board and dispersed the mana from the circle. When the mana was gone, she called another group of students to the platform. After two extra tests, the students felt drained and exhausted. The teacher then asked them to take a break, rest, and regain their energy. Meanwhile, the notes they took were automatically saved and transmitted to a device that sent a personalized document with the recorded information to the library for future reference. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! After two more groups of six students were called up to the platform and finished their part of the task, they went back to their seats, as usual. Meanwhile, Kailey, who was watching them, became bored of observing the people on the platform, so she started messing with the students'' uniforms, hair, and shirts. Since she was invisible to them anyway, she didn''t think anyone would notice. However, she was suddenly called up to the platform along with five other people to examine the incomplete magic circle. Kailey was surprised and hurriedly joined the group, not expecting what would happen to her. As Kailey made her way to the platform and past the teacher, the teacher''s voice suddenly entered Kailey''s mind: "I don''t see a student uniform on you, and you also don''t have the mark that is on accepted students who study in this esteemed institution." The teacher''s stern tone made it clear to Kailey that she could see her. The other students on the platform noticed the strange behavior of the teacher but not of the girl. Three of the five students on the platform began searching for the cause of the teacher''s behavior. During their search, they noticed a distortion of Kailey''s silhouette. Strangeness Chapter 8 Strangeness When the three students noticed the strange flickering mirage in the direction their teacher was looking. They immediately grabbed their wands and cast different spells to attack the hazy figure. The students used different spells [Water Pellet], [Air Blade], and [Earth Bind] with varying levels of skill. Meanwhile, the two students who didn''t see the strange phenomenon continued walking to the magic formation as if nothing had happened. The rest of the students acted as if nothing happened either, continuing as usual, not responding to the action in front of their eyes. This oddity bothered the teacher. Kailey was surprised at being seen, leading to her inaction, allowing the magic aimed at her to hit her. Surprisingly, the magic didn''t affect her at all! She effortlessly passed through the rock encasing her legs, and the water pellets that hit her had no impact. However, the [Air Blade] cut her skin, revealing she wasn''t invulnerable to wind magic. The pain spiked Kailey''s adrenaline, enabling her to think faster and become aware of something about the teacher and the three attacking her. Stolen story; please report. The teacher noticed something odd in the room. No one reacted as the three students on stage attacked the girl in front of them. Instead, they were focused on the board or taking notes. No one responded to the use of magic either. It was very unusual to the teacher as nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Even the two students who came up with them didn''t react to the use of magic so close to them. They didn''t even acknowledge their presence. As a test to see if anyone would respond, the teacher used a spell to create a massive explosion. The explosion only produced noise and bright visuals. After casting the spell, she sent it off, and everything exploded. Kailey noticed something about the teacher and three students. They were aware of her presence. But when she tried to interact with the children and the other students, she was invisible to all of them. But these four people. Only four people out of the many she had tried to interact with could see Kailey and interact with her. That made these four people special in some way. Suddenly, a loud explosion racked the auditorium. Gradually recovering from the blinding light and loud noise, Kailey quickly began chanting a spell to create a barrier around herself. Just as the barrier formed around Kailey, the teacher approached her. Kailey prepared herself, fearing another battle. But instead of the fight she expected, the teacher spoke to her using [Mind Speech]. "This is strange. Why is no one else reacting to this explosion besides you and me?" Combat Chapter 9 Combat Kailey was surprised by the question asked by the teacher, but before she could respond. The three students started casting wind-related spells at her. The wind spells flew through the air to attack Kailey. At the last second, Kailey dodged the attacks, although she was stumbling in every direction in panic. When she thought their volley of attacks ceased, she tried to catch her breath. But then a surprise attack of [Wind Arrows] assailed her. The hail of [Wind Arrows] struck Kailey, but instead of being hit, her protective barrier blocked the attack. However, the repeated assaults caused the barrier to collapse in on itself. Kailey panicked and quickly attempted to conjure another barrier, casting another barrier spell, this time adding a reinforcement spell. With the improved barrier protecting her, Kailey could answer the question given to her by the teacher, "I''m not a student here. I was previously in a ruin. I don''t know how I''m here." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The teacher thought over Kailey''s words and accepted them, deciding to help the girl. She tapped into her magic and created a magic circle of solidified mana. She began to chant two types of spells simultaneously, activating magic formation and verbal magic. The two magics combined both water and lightning elements in a two-stage attack. The water reservoir within the circle began spraying in a forceful stream, drenching the three students. She formed a rope from the water that covered them and tied them up. When the teacher finished chanting the incantation, she released lightning from her outstretched hand, striking the water and creating an electrified current. This current resulted in shocking, burning, and paralyzing the students who had been attacking Kailey. With all the problems settled, the teacher could finally contemplate what the girl had just said. With the evidence given, the teacher came to an outlandish conclusion and began formulating a plan to escape from the space, believing the classroom they were in was not where she thought she was. Kailey was shocked and awed by the teacher''s power. She timidly approached the teacher to ask if she could assist her in returning to the ruin. But before Kailey could speak, the teacher took Kailey to a door and exited the classroom into the hallway. The teacher took Kailey to the building''s exit. Before they could reach the door, the space around them began warping strangely, bringing the teacher along with Kailey. The White Space Chapter 10 The White Space The teacher and Kailey found themselves in a vast, white space with only a table and chair occupying a small portion of the area. They couldn''t see any way out of the place. The teacher took the initiative and began exploring the area. After walking in a straight line for a few minutes, she came across the table and chair again. Indicating the space they were in was limited and had a spherical shape. Since these objects were the only visible things aside from Kailey and herself, the teacher examined both to see if they held any clues to escape from this white space. Before the sudden location change, the teacher had been dragging Kailey around. Due to that, the teacher was brought along with Kailey and found themselves in this strange place. To Kailey, the room resembled a place for signing contracts, with nothing to distract them except maybe for the furniture. Kailey sat on one side of the table while waiting for the teacher to finish her inspection. When she completed her inspection, the teacher sat on the other side of the table across from Kailey. Suddenly, the surroundings transformed into a beautiful pond surrounded by flora, resembling something from a nature reserve. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The sudden change in scenery surprised both Kailey and the teacher. Kailey was grateful for the breathtaking view after the blank emptiness they had experienced before. However, the teacher became even more cautious. Before long, a scroll appeared out of nowhere and floated above the table before descending to lay flat on the table. The scroll contained the same contract the witch hat had spoken of earlier. The teacher carefully examined the contract, searching for clues to understand the situation. After reading it, the teacher realized it was similar to a Words of Power contract. But with a crucial difference. This contract required the contractor to sign an agreement, giving the tool a fragment of their soul. The contract employs a fragment of the contractor''s soul to give the tool a superficial soul. It supposedly enables the object to instinctively aid its contractor in battle or facilitate their learning and improvement of abilities, similar to muscle memory. However, if the contract process fails, it could permanently damage the user''s soul. It would undoubtedly significantly weaken the contractor, as the soul serves as the source of energy from which the body and raw magical talent derive their power. Suspicion Chapter 11 Suspicion As Kailey looked up from the scroll, she could feel the teacher''s eyes staring at her. Trying to figure out why they were in this mess. Feeling uncomfortable with the intense stare from the teacher, she suddenly spoke, attempting to break the tension, "Is there something on my face?" The teacher responded to Kailey''s attempt at conversation, "No, there''s nothing on your face. It''s this contract. It looks similar to a Words of Power contract, but this contract is something that I have never seen or heard of before; it''s baffling. There is no conceivable way to separate a piece of a person''s soul without severely damaging the soul. The soul operates many things we don''t understand. But with a piece of it missing, it could leave an irrecoverable tear, leaving the vessel or body unable to operate." While Kailey was processing the teacher''s explanation about the soul, the teacher continued with her speech. "It would be like losing the ability to feel or operate parts of a limb or having to move with shattered bones across different parts of the body, feeling the never-ending pain every time you breathe. The only possible way to perform this contract without leaving a massive hole in the soul. Would be if the person forming the contract had a cursed knowledge on how to extract souls, which is highly unlikely." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. After hearing those startling words, Kailey wanted to question the distinction between the Words of Power and the Words of Possession contracts. However, without a proper understanding of these contracts, no one could give Kailey an answer. But surprisingly, information popped into her head at that moment in time. The Words of Power contract and the Words of Possession contract are two distinct types of contracts. The former allows the bestowed to wield the power granted by a contracted demon, religious faith, or demi-deity. The other contract is a forbidden contract that is barely known and barely used by anyone alive. Because it has unintentionally been wiped from any historical records by greedy magicians coveting the knowledge and waging war on each other for shreds of information In the present times, it is practically impossible to come across items that bear Words of Possession. They are often mistaken for other classifications, such as a hero''s sword or a national treasure. These items are infused with Words of Possession unconsciously by the most skilled blacksmiths, who have attained godlike proficiency in their craft. These blacksmiths pour their hearts and souls into the creation of these objects and speak of the dreams, knowledge, and power they wish to bestow upon them. As a result, they unintentionally wield Words of Possession through their unwavering dedication. Out of Body Experience Chapter 12 Out of Body Experience While Kailey was contemplating the difference between Words of Power and Words of Possession, she snapped back to the present moment. Kailey redirected her thoughts toward the contract before her and considered signing it. When she tried searching for something to write with. a strange sensation overcame her. Kailey suddenly felt her skin start to pulsate, and then her skin began glowing radiantly. The teacher, noticing the strange glow in the corner of her eye, swiftly rose from her seat, quickly jumping away from Kailey and bracing herself for any unexpected events. Kailey''s body started emanating a mesmerizing bluish-white light, and soon after, her soul emerged from her body, assuming the likeness of her physical form. Suddenly, the edges of her soul began to shed off like dead skin cells. The sensation was excruciatingly painful and incredibly itchy. The feeling was reminiscent of being swarmed and viciously bitten by fire ants. After some time had passed, the process stopped. The specks of soul energy that had fallen on the ground during Kailey''s ordeal began to float and converged together, taking on the form of a delicate-looking piece of chalk. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. After the process concluded, Kailey gradually managed to overcome the lingering pain. Upon regaining her composure, she found herself suspended above her own body. Astonished by this new experience, Kailey tried to think of a way to return to her body. But before that, she just had to experience flying around. After fooling around for some time, Kailey drifted to where her body sat. However, when she tried to re-enter her body, she found herself unable to do so. While Kailey was making the most of her new form, the teacher approached the chalk formed from soul energy. After cautiously examining the object with her heightened senses, she marveled at this discovery, dreading all the possibilities this single item contained. ''What would happen if this furthers the research into forbidden soul techniques? What would other people do if they got their hands on this object? And the girl who managed to create this object using her soul, what would happen if someone received information on this girl''s ability? Would they do something as cruel as torturing the information on how to do something similar out of her? Should I kill this girl now to keep this information out of other people''s hands?'' The teacher thought in her head, depicting the darkness lurking within society. Your Name? Chapter 13 Your Name? Feeling panicked, Kailey tried various methods to return to her body. She tried to merge with it and even wrapped herself up with her body, but that didn''t work. After hundreds of failed attempts, Kailey began feeling apathetic. Kailey''s last hope was to attempt to create an opening to enter her body. She brought her hands as high as she could and swung them down with every ounce of her strength. However, the motion was futile because she still couldn''t even touch her body. With that last action, she became depressed. The disappointment of hundreds of failed attempts left Kailey feeling frustrated and on the verge of giving up. She let herself drift in the air, limp and dispirited. Suddenly, a thought struck her: ''Why did my soul leave my body? Why did my entire body feel like someone was using a dull knife to skin the pelt of a dead animal? Surely something was left behind during that process!'' With this thought in mind, Kailey gained a new vigor, deciding to search for what her soul might have left behind during her ordeal. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Seeing herself some distance away from her physical body, Kailey began to fly back towards it. After a while flight, she returned to the area with the table and chairs. She saw the teacher completely engrossed in examining the object in her hand. Kailey instinctively realized that it was a fragment of her soul. Confused, she descended from the air to greet the teacher, wanting to know what the teacher had found about the soul fragment. As Kailey descended from the air, the teacher finished her inspection. When she looked up and stretched her neck, she was surprised to see Kailey land before her eyes, startling her. The teacher then expressed her annoyance at being surprised without any warning. While Kailey was taking the brunt of her hostility, she tried to dissuade the teacher''s anger, "Do you mind if I ask what your name is?" With this question in the air, the teacher finally calmed down enough to disclose her name. "I am Aleshia, a magician who wields the powers of the elements - an Elemental Witch, you could say. Since I have introduced myself, what is your name, little miss?" Surprised by Aleshia wanting to know her name, Kailey proudly proclaimed, I am Kailey, an apprentice witch. I was cursed when I was born by a person who was presumably pursuing immortality!" Curse鈥檚 Conditions Chapter 14 Curse''s effect Confused by Kailey''s assertion, Aleshia sat down on a seat near the table to mull over what Kailey just said. After a while of contemplation, she asked Kailey, "What kind of curse do you have, and what effects has it had on you?" Kailey hesitantly answered Aleshia''s question, "I don''t know what kind of curse is on me, but I know it rapidly consumes my mana and energy. Making it so I must manually maintain the mana within me. Otherwise, it would disperse into the void." After learning about the curse on Kailey, Aleshia questioned her about the drawbacks of not maintaining control over her mana flow. After a momentary pause, Kailey responded, "If I don''t manually control the output of my mana, I will experience something I like to call mana deprivation. This condition leaves me weak and unable to do stuff normally. When I don''t actively control my mana, my body feels sickly like thick mud. When moving, my limbs feel like they are wading through mud while wearing heavy iron armor. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. While Kailey was complaining about her curse, Aleshia wrote down the curse''s effect using the chalk made from the flakes of Kailey''s soul. After listening to Kailey''s rant for a while, Aleshia began highlighting the effects that she recognized from other curses such as [Mana Influx], [Binding], [Mana Asphyxiation], and so on. Now, with a list, she could lock down the effects and possibly create a cure spell for the curse. With a way to help mitigate or cure the curse, Aleshia began formulating a framework for Kailey''s curse. While pondering a hypothesis for Kailey''s curse, Aleshia faintly heard some alarming remarks made by Kailey: "I have noticed that it''s becoming increasingly difficult to control the mana within my body. The sensation of mana flowing through me is weakening, possibly due to the regularity with which I manipulate it. I am also afraid that if I can''t find a way to cure this curse, my life force will leave my body instead if I can''t hold onto the mana naturally produced inside my body. After hearing Kailey say something so terrifying that it sent shivers down her spine, Aleshia immediately went to Kailey and gently placed a comforting hand on her head. Moved by Kailey''s distress, Aleshia felt a renewed determination to find a solution to the curse that tormented Kailey until then she would try and help her in any way she could. Not Chalk Chapter 15 Not Chalk After sharing a heartfelt moment, the two girls separated and resumed their previous activities. Kailey recalled her plan before being interrupted by Aleshia''s scolding. She believed that if she found the object that must have fallen during her crisis, she could do something with the remaining soul residue. Kailey was confident with Aleshia helping her search. They could find it faster because two people searching would be more effective than one. However, When Kailey saw Aleshia holding a fragment of her soul, she knew they didn''t need to search for it anymore. She changed her plan and approached Aleshia, asking how she obtained the soul fragment. Aleshia explained from the beginning, not wanting to be misunderstood, stating that she was worried about Kailey''s situation and had kept a close eye on her. Aleshia described seeing what looked like flakes falling from Kailey''s glowing body. She kept a careful watch on it while observing Kailey. After Kailey stopped looking pained, the soul dust that had fallen from her body merged and solidified into the chalk Aleshia was now holding in her hand. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Kailey felt touched by Aleshia''s concern and thanked her with a hug. After finishing up, she got to business and asked Aleshia for the soul fragment. When Aleshia handed it over to her, there was an audible crack. When Kailey turned the chalk over, she found out that the chalk was a mini capsule resembling a piece of chalk. Suddenly, a revelation hit Kailey. Realizing she had to put the contract into the tiny capsule, Kailey approached the table, grabbed the large scroll, and began rolling it up in a feeble attempt to make it fit into the capsule. To her surprise, when she finished rolling it up, the scroll started to shrink the size of the capsule. When Kailey put the now-tiny contract into the capsule, nothing happened. After waiting a few more moments, there was still no activity. Confused by the lack of activity, Aleshia approached Kailey and whacked her on the head. "You dunce, what are you doing just staring at the thing? Now that I think about it, knowing that there is something inside the capsule, it reminds me of a pill container, a storage implement that apothecaries prescribe to the rich folk." After being given an indirect suggestion from Aleshia, Kailey tried consuming the capsule. As she tried to swallow, the entire space around her began to tremble. Mayhem In the White World Chapter 16 Mayhem In the White World The previously beautiful scenery became obliterated as powerful shockwaves cascaded from above by the forceful expulsion of space, violently stripping the leaves from the majestic trees and uprooting tufts of delicate flowers nestled in the shrubbery. The ponds and streams surged and overflowed, quickly muddying the ground. As the shockwaves descended from above, the force pushed both Aleshia and Kailey''s bodies violently to the ground. The sky or space above them slowly began fracturing, revealing a plane of existence entirely different from their primitive world. They could see tiny shards of technology too vast for one to comprehend. Aleshia experienced psychological damage when she attempted to understand the fractured inner workings of a device made from the higher world''s magic. The Being who came from the shards felt heartache upon witnessing the mayhem it had caused to the beautiful scenery of the lower world''s dimension space with its entrance. Meanwhile, Aleshia regained her senses after feeling as if she was hit in the head by the [Rock Bullet] spell. She hurriedly got up from her crumpled position and widened her stance to improve her balance. When she felt satisfied with her stability, she began looking around for Kailey, knowing she would not fare well in these harsh conditions, similar to the chaotic and indiscriminate winds that the wind beasts who ruled the skies produced on the mountains. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. When Aleshia finally found Kailey, she noticed that Kailey was still on the ground and not moving. Worried, Aleshia rushed over to her. Suddenly, Kailey''s body lifted into the air and started floating like her soul. Aleshia was concerned that Kailey might float away, so she quickly cast one of her ensnaring spells, which she usually used on wild animals to catch them. She cast a wind spell in the form of a net, which swiftly covered Kailey. However, when Aleshia tried to retrieve Kailey''s body, the magic previously cast was dispelled. When she tried to cast another spell, she felt a significant restriction in her mana flow throughout her body, as if a dampening barrier covered the whole area. The pressure Aleshia felt was unlike anything she had experienced before. The academy''s mana-restricting field, which they had been designing for centuries as shields against the demons proficient in wielding magic, was far less powerful, even though it had received funding from the kingdom during warring times and even involved researchers from kingdoms of other nations. The restriction she felt before couldn''t even be compared to this. The Higher Being Chapter 17 The Higher Being After witnessing the destruction of the dimensional space''s beauty, the higher being transformed into a semi-translucent, rough amalgamation of a human as a container for its power. It did not wish to destroy anything else of the lower realm with its vast power. It descended gracefully from the shattered sky, landing without disturbing any dust. The being gazed at the floating body of Kailey, comprehending the situation. It located her unconscious soul. With its ability, the being brought the loose soul some distance away, closer to the body. The entity gazed into the soul and examined the capsule-shaped container. "Hmm, so a form of transcendence possession is being initiated here," muttered the being in a deep, ethereal voice. It made a grabbing gesture with both of its malformed hands and caused the capsule holding the contract to dissolve into Kailey''s soul. The capsule merged into Kailey''s soul like a pill dissolving into the body. Eventually, the contract settled within Kailey''s soul and would forever remain. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. After the capsule fully dissolved into Kailey''s soul, the being grabbed Kailey''s human body and soul and meshed them together. The process looked simple to an observer, but in truth, making the soul able to inhabit a vessel is very difficult if one forces an unwilling or unconscious soul. The only way for a soul to possess would be if they wanted to in the first place. The being had to adeptly manipulate the soul body to integrate into the right places; otherwise, a person would have their entire circuitry messed up. The mana circuits could be entwined inside out or be unable to function in some parts of the body, leading to areas being inoperable. Aleshia observed in silence as a being descended from the sky and united Kailey''s soul form with her physical body. She witnessed Kailey''s soul form glowing brightly before being absorbed by her body. To Aleshia, the absorption of the soul form appeared like a slime merging with another slime to form a larger mass. When the business was complete, the being left without a word and abruptly flew upwards toward the broken sky, then returned to its plane of existence. When Aleshia saw the being leaving, she ran over to Kailey. She shook the unconscious Kailey, and her eyes fluttered open. Kailey knew that this reality wouldn''t last much longer. She hugged Aleshia one last time and was about to wake up, but something unexpected happened. Aleshia started dissipating into light, and when Kailey tried to grab onto her, the light began absorbing into her! Soul Energy Chapter 18 Soul Energy The glowing particles entered Kailey and seemed to merge with her. At first, she felt panicked and tried to dodge them. However, because she had not used her body for a while, she couldn''t avoid the particles and subsequently lost her footing, falling onto the muddy ground. Regaining her composure, she sat still and felt a sensation of reinvigoration as she noticed the particles entering her. She thought that these particles might be some form of soul energy. As she pondered this, the remaining particles all disappeared into her. Suddenly, a new string of thoughts sprung up in her mind. It was like someone was talking in quiet, fragmented voices that weren''t recognizable. The thoughts were similar to her own but divergent as if she was thinking two times at once! Recalling that she had read about a situation similar to her own in one of the few ancient scripts she found during her travels to ancient ruins, she dug through her memories only to find a tale that depicted old stories of children who were descendants of proud warriors and heroes. They were said to have memories or thoughts that were not their own. As they grew up, the children who turned into men were known as having an older mentality, but they were said to have the latent talent of past heroes. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After recollecting what she had read in the ancient tome, she tried one of the vague techniques used to disentangle the jumbled-up thoughts of the people in the story. Kailey began suppressing her thoughts through meditation, which allowed her to calm her mind. Although she didn''t believe it would help her understand the situation, she acknowledged that if there was peace in her mind, she might be able to think of a way to hear the thoughts of the second mind. After taking a few minutes to calm her mind, Kailey opened her eyes. She still couldn''t completely comprehend the thoughts swirling in her mind. Realizing that her approach wasn''t working, Kailey gave up on the idea and patiently waited for the realm to break apart. As she waited, she surveyed the once beautiful scenery, now desecrated by the shockwaves. As her eyes started to lose focus, she blinked. Kailey found herself in a stone room, sprawled on a bed. Upon standing up, Kailey noticed she was wearing the typical dress of a town girl. Looking around the room, she found herself in a dimly lit chamber. Exploration Chapter 19 Exploration Upon getting up from the bed, Kailey examined the room, discovering it to be spacious and somewhat luxurious despite not having much inside. As she inspected the bed she had slept on, Kailey thought it was similar, if not better, than the somewhat expensive room she had stayed in during her previous travels. After finishing her look-over of the bed, she scrutinized other furniture occupying the room. Seeing a chest in the corner of the room, Kailey discreetly slinked over to the chest and tried to open it, hoping to find some treasures inside. When she tried to open the chest''s lid, the elaborate-looking chest made a *chink* sound. Detecting that it would not be able to open, Kailey soon lost interest and left the chest alone. After inspecting the other furniture in the room, Kailey discovered some long robes that vaguely resembled the academy uniform from her dream. She also found some well-preserved clothes that she decided to wear because the outfit she was currently wearing didn''t match her sense of style. When Kailey tried on the clothes, she noticed something incredible. To her delight, the clothes adjusted to fit her perfectly. The revelation sparked a sense of greed within Kailey as she imagined how much money she could save by studying the magic embedded in these garments. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Feeling joyous about her discovery, she calmed herself down, then opened the door to the room, expecting to find the witch hat''s laboratory. Instead, she walked into a long, labyrinthine corridor filled with doors. This unexpected turn of events caused Kailey to panic, fearing she might be lost in the hallway forever. Once again, she calmed down and unsteadily walked down the corridor, her steps faltering as she heard the echoes of her footfalls. As Kailey briskly walked down the maze-like corridor, she occasionally opened doors to satisfy her curiosity. She discovered an assortment of places, including a private study filled with shelves of decayed cobwebs covering dust-covered books. She also found ritual rooms covered in experimental, archaic-looking magic formations that covered the entire floor. The only items in these rooms were candles and scattered books with extremely yellowed pages that looked like they would turn to dust if touched. While Kailey wandered through the rooms, she couldn''t help but notice several distinct items that seemed to be still in good condition. Intrigued, she took a closer look, inspecting each item to learn more about its purpose and potential uses. Hut and the Graveyard Chapter 20 Hut and the Graveyard Kailey was holding two items. One was a caged-in sphere with multiple taut chains holding a magical stone of a powerful creature that commanded the element of earth. The purpose of this object was still unknown to her because she did not dare to test the ability in case the power brought the whole ruin collapsing onto herself. The other item was a somewhat rusted but still usable short sword with ritualistic-like engravings. Kailey assumed the runes increased things such as sharpness or durability. She quickly stashed the blade on her person to have a way to defend herself in case something attacked her in this bizarre place. As she walked through the maze-like corridor, Kailey came across a door more ornate than the others she had seen in the hallway. Intrigued, she decided to open the conspicuous door, which led to an unknown destination. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find a graveyard. It held five very old-looking tombstones. Unsettling Kailey, still she bravely continued exploring the area. As she got closer, she tried to read the inscriptions on the tombstones, but because of their age, much of the writing was illegible. One inscription read: "H#r@ l*es t4e Re5#rch of *S#^!-&0dy" A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. After spending a few minutes decoding the text on the gravestone, Kailey muttered, "Here lies the research of ___-body." Unable to fully make out the last part, she considered the words she could decipher and tried to guess the missing part. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed throughout the room as if something had fallen and clattered to the ground. Preoccupied with deciphering the letters, Kailey shuddered in shock because of the sudden noise. She quickly turned her head and spotted a large, dilapidated hut with a fallen door hinge, which must have caused the noise. Curious about the hut, Kailey cautiously peeked inside but not before casting a spell to create an orb of light to illuminate the room. Chanting a daily spell, Kailey summoned a magic light to illuminate the darkness inside the hut, which the dim hallway lights couldn''t reach. Feeling more confident now that the darkness couldn''t conceal anything, Kailey ventured inside the dilapidated hut. To her surprise and somewhat horror, she discovered several golems shaped like humanoid bodies, varying in size from children to adults, resembling human, demi-human, or animalistic forms. Upon closer examination, Kailey found that these figures had movable and manipulatable joints. Rencounter With the Witch Hat Chapter 21 Rencounter With the Witch Hat When Kailey tried to touch one of the golem bodies, a golem she hadn''t noticed upon entering the hut dropped down from above the door, resembling a spider in its web. It gradually crawled down the wall like a spider crawling down its silk but with the shape of a child''s drawing of a human. The disjointed limbs of the humanoid golem would have appeared like a demon from a person''s nightmares, with its face lacking any features, just smooth indentations of clay. It slowly approached Kailey while making no noise or sound from its clumsily applied limbs. When the unknown creature was about to grab Kailey with its long arms, it suddenly stopped moving. Kailey had set a trap using a spell when she first sensed it approaching. She quickly moved to a different location when she heard the audible hallucination of a rope becoming taut, checking to make sure she was somewhere out of the creature''s reach. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When Kailey thought she had reached safety, she gathered her scattered thoughts and turned to confront her mysterious attacker. Instantly, she regretted looking at it with the sight of its inhuman and uncanny form, which made her stomach churn. Gathering her bearings, she cautiously approached the creature, looking it over and realizing that it was identical to the golems she had recently studied. Upon seeing the golem, Kailey felt alarmed and intrigued by the chance to observe an unliving golem. Her mind raced as she realized that a summoned golem should not have been there, as summoned golems typically only last a few minutes to a few hours. She was excited at the prospect of learning about a type of golem that could operate autonomously for centuries without ever disappearing due to being conjured. The golem, confined by Kailey''s magic, had previously alerted the territory master to someone''s presence inside the restricted room. Unaware of this, Kailey enthusiastically dismantled the golem while another observer watched her. As Kailey inspected the remains of the organized golem, she was suddenly lifted into the air by a mysterious, formless magic she couldn''t perceive or comprehend. Looking around frantically, Kailey spotted a witch hat with a slightly brighter hue. Which somehow made her think it was blushing with embarrassment. "How are you in this chamber? How were you even able to enter this hut?! The hut should have locked with my magic!" The hat embarrassedly demanded. Questions and Answers Chapter 22 Questions and Answers The hat bombarded Kailey with questions, further deepening its misunderstanding of Kailey''s thoughts about the things inside and leading it to desperately string out words to explain the things in the hut. However, Kailey''s inner thoughts were entirely dissimilar from what the hat had envisioned. ''Oh, cool! What kind of magic is this that has lifted me into the air? How is it that I am unable to detect the distortions that are always evident when casting?'' Kailey inwardly cheered. While still in the air, Kailey shouted to the witch hat to lower her down, but the hat became startled and dropped her due to its flustered state. As Kailey felt her body plummeting to the ground, she thought of which spell to cast to slow her fall. At the last second, before hitting the ground, Kailey used the [Air Shield] spell to create a platform to land on and reduce the impact. After landing somewhat clumsily, she dusted off her clothes. Following this action, Kailey complained about the rough treatment she received but relented after seeing how remorseful the hat was. Kailey collected herself and questioned the hat about the golems in the room. She also sought information about how the previous golem had gained the ability to act independently. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The hat, still caught up in its delusions, spoke in a voice that started to calm down as it gathered its thoughts. "During the first few weeks of finding myself in this hat form, I explored what I now know to be a mana-powered bunker or base, which had a maze-like structure. This location we are in was already occupied by golems when I arrived. When I first studied them, they weren''t as functional as they are now," The hat''s tip drooped as it remembered the past filled with exciting exploration but also with persistent loneliness. Upon seeing the witch hat tilted to the side, Kailey felt sympathetic, knowing that it must have been lonely with no one to talk to since gaining consciousness. Having been alone for most of her travels, Kailey felt she could relate to the hat. Kailey had avoided forming close relationships, understanding that attachments would not last long. Kailey seldom allowed herself to become too close to others, as she knew it would only bring them earlier grief. Kailey felt an affinity with the hat and wanted to make the most of her time in the ruins while with it. She thought it wouldn''t be so bad to form a close relationship with the hat. The Witch Hats Story Chapter 23 The Witch Hat''s Story In the somber atmosphere of the room, Kailey and the witch hat sat in silence, each absorbed in their thoughts. After a prolonged silence, The hat decided to continue the story. "When I finished examining the place, I explored the other halls and eventually stumbled upon the entrance of this ruin but found myself unable to go beyond the entrance. My naivete and curiosity compelled me to try and break out of what I felt was a cage. For the first few months, I remember I would constantly ram through the entranceway only to be pushed back into the ruin. After a month or two of persistence, I realized I must have been a soul bound to the location or the lingering corpse of the woman who wore this witch hat." Intrigued by the story, Kailey found a comfortable position and casually spread her arms and legs, much like a child settling in for a bedtime story. Seeing that Kailey was trying to get comfy, the hat paused her story so Kailey could find a good resting position without worrying about missing the details. It felt like she was a mother reading a child a story and bringing warmth to her soul. Once Kailey had settled down, the hat continued with her story. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "After several decades, I thought I had explored almost the entire labyrinth. One day, while studying magic from the spell tomes I had found during my exploration, I accidentally fired magic at a random wall, triggering a mechanism within the labyrinth. This mechanism caused the wall to rotate, revealing a hidden passage. When I managed to squeeze through the slight opening, I was astonished to have discovered a collection of tomes and writings presumably belonging to the person who wore the witch hat. The numerous scrolls in the room had information on theories and studies on soul research, which I studied for many more decades. As I delved deeper into the nature of souls, I discovered a way for a soul-bound entity to leave its bounded area. This discovery led me to create more golems, and the one you disassembled was one of my first creations as part of my research into soul-infused bodies research." Kailey felt guilty after hearing the hat''s last remark, lowering her head sadly. Seeing that Kailey felt down because she mentioned the golem, the witch hat apologized, saying, "I''m sorry if my words upset you. I truly apologize." Soul Bond Chapter 24 Soul Bond Feeling relieved that the hat had forgiven her, Kailey''s anxiety washed away. She nodded in appreciation and acknowledgment of the hat''s apology. Now informed of what the golem hut was for and learning some history about the witch hat, Kailey''s mind began to churn as she mulled over the recent events that felt like a few days. Recalling the strange events that transpired during her life-like dream, she remembered Aleshia wondering if the hat knew anything about her. Eager to learn more about this person, she decided to ask the hat if it had come across the name Aleshia in any of the scrolls. "Excuse me, witch hat, but have you ever come across the name Aleshia in one of the scrolls you have read in this place?" When Kailey asked the sudden question, the witch hat was slightly confused. Despite the confusion, the hat still responded. "Hmm, I recall coming across the name Aleshia before, but I can''t quite recall where. Perhaps it was in one of the scrolls I''ve perused. Do you have any descriptive traits of the person, such as their deeds, profession, or what they studied, so that I might be able to recall which scroll that name was on?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. After receiving the response from the hat, Kailey used it to organize her thoughts. It helped her tap into a new way of thinking and helped create a structure for her thoughts. It also helped her remember events that had been hazy in her memory. Kailey spent some time sorting out her thoughts in response to the question posed by the hat. When she was ready with her thoughts organized, she spoke. "From what I remember, she is a school teacher for a noble''s academy, and she was able to cast two magics simultaneously with the elements of water and lightning. She also mentioned that she was a witch who could cast all the elements, calling herself an Elemental Witch." While recounting what she knew about Aleshia, Kailey suddenly recalled the phenomenon that transpired at the end of her dream just before she woke up. "And I believe she soul-bonded with me." Kailey''s last statement surprised the witch hat, making it suspicious and a bit worried. The hat wondered what could have caused her to assume such a strange thing. It asked Kailey why she thought she was soul-bound with that person. "Soul-bonded? Are you certain that has happened with you and that person? Do you have any idea how that happened?" Wearing the Witch Hat Chapter 25 Wearing the Witch Hat In response to the hat''s doubt, Kailey hastily nodded and explained her reasoning, "While I was in the white realm with Aleshia, I remember accepting the [Words of Possession] contract. When I did so, I blacked out. Upon regaining consciousness, I noticed that the white realm was deteriorating. I saw that Aleshia had looked after me while I was unconscious. However, when I attempted to embrace her in thanks, she transformed into essence and passed directly into me." Kailey''s account of accepting the contract caught the attention of the witch hat because it only had to absorb the contract and did not black out or have another person accompany it. The hat grew suspicious of Kailey''s words. But after considering the situation, the hat asked Kailey to put it on her head to confirm the truth of her words. Kailey picked up the witch hat by the brim and placed it on her head when she heard its request. She was surprised to discover that it fit perfectly atop her head. As the hat completely covered her head, she felt a current of mana running through her, starting from the crown of her head where the hat now lay, all the way through her body, centering on a single point near her navel. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The moment the hat settled comfortably on Kailey''s head, it connected with her mana circuits, stabilizing itself. Soon, it became aware of the odd presence of another soul within her body. It delved deeper into Kailey''s soul space, drawing on its vast knowledge of souls, established itself in the space, and started observing. It soon confirmed Kailey''s claim to be true. Meanwhile, the additional soul within Kailey''s body sensed the new presence, perceiving it as a threat. As a result, it instinctively fought back with its power. The hat felt disoriented as it was directly attacked in the soul by the second soul''s immaterial power. Despite this, the hat remained calm while skillfully employing its soul to forcefully subdue the attacking soul without damaging the metaphorical membrane. Interestingly, the second soul permeated the witch hat''s soul and entered its sea of memories, somehow restoring parts of memories previously inaccessible to the hat. However, before the process could finish, the hat hastily leaped off Kailey''s head, ending the experience. The hat was caught off guard by the sudden flood of new information and hastily leaped off Kailey''s head, leaving Kailey confused. As the hat drifted towards the ground, Kailey tried reaching for it, concerned. However, before she could do anything, her movements were halted by an invisible force. The Draining Existence Chapter 26 The Draining Existence Kailey found herself unable to move. She attempted to look around, hoping to identify the cause of her confinement, but all she could see was the witch hat in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a glowing light emanating from her skin. The light pulsed in a manner reminiscent of when it had in the white space before her soul emerged from her body. Panic set in as she feared that if her soul materialized outside of the white space, it wouldn''t be safe from the natural laws of the mortal world. However, instead of her soul emerging, her mana began rapidly draining by an unknown existence within her. When she composed herself, she felt a nauseating feeling welling up from within due to her mana rapidly draining into some unknown existence. She tried to prevent it, fearing it would have terrible consequences if left unchecked. Drawing on her expertise in mana manipulation developed over nearly two decades of constant experience. she first attempted to halt the flow of mana by forcibly blocking the areas through which mana could pass. However, this approach proved unsuccessful. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Realizing that her initial attempt had failed, Kailey attempted a different method. This time, she tried to redirect the mana devoured by the existence, moving it out from her body and into the outside world, allowing it to spread. Unfortunately, this also failed because the voracious existence, intent on consuming the mana, prevented the mana inside Kailey''s body from fleeing. The witch hat, recovering from its sudden mental attack, observed the mana in the air being forcefully expelled by Kailey, then violently drawn back into her body. The hat was concerned that this back-and-forth movement of so much mana in the air could cause a tremendous explosion within the hut. To mitigate this, it decided to take Kailey to a safer place and use its invisible hands to encase her in a bubble to prevent the uncontrolled mana emanating from Kailey from disrupting the stable natural mana in the air. Knowing it had no time for pretenses, the witch hat rose from the floor into the air and started flying swiftly. A pale-looking Kailey enveloped inside a reflecting bubble, followed closely behind. After a few minutes of flying through the unchanging scenery of doors, they finally reached an area that looked like a dungeon. The hat promptly rested Kailey within one of the many chambers inside the dungeon and went inside with her. As they arrived in a secure area, the hat wasted no time carefully analyzing Kailey''s physical condition to comprehend the situation. The moments seemed to stretch indefinitely as the hat delved into its examination until finally it unearthed the truth: the mana within Kailey''s body was coalescing in a distinct region of her soul, gradually taking form as a completely new individual. The Curse and the Existence Chapter 27 The Curse and the Existence The witch hat calmed down and relaxed on a table near Kailey. However, a sudden thought crossed its mind: ''What would happen to that girl if her mana ran out?'' Fearing the worst. The hat urgently rushed out of the chamber. Before leaving, it summoned the slime that had previously encased Kailey inside a test tube as a temporary measure to ensure the girl''s safety. Alone in the room, Kailey fought to keep her consciousness and stay awake. Through her long and arduous years of learning to control her mana, she was staving off the drain. However, the inevitable exhaustion of concentration would soon catch up with her. Within Kailey''s body, parts of her soul were divided and reintegrated with mana as a substitute. The Existence devoured the freed soul fragments and the mana flowing into it from within Kailey. The soul fragments it devours act as a blueprint, and the mana it absorbs as the soul''s power for the Existence. But all this came at a cost for Kailey. The amount of mana needed to convert to soul power was enormous. However, due to the rampant consumption of mana from both the Existence and the curse, Kailey became increasingly exhausted as her body couldn''t generate more mana. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ten minutes whizzed by in silence, with Kailey''s concentration waning. The witch hat finally reappeared, this time carrying an uncountable number of relics, each holding a surprising amount of mana. The hat carefully placed the relics around Kailey, ready to be used. After finishing all the preparations, the hat reexamined Kailey to assess her present condition. Kailey''s condition was stable, but the hat found that Kailey''s mana reserves were declining. The witch hat began activating a few relics around Kailey, expertly manipulating their mana to be absorbed into her. Generally, the body cannot absorb external mana without perceiving it as a threat. However, some items and spells can rejuvenate mana, such as potions, wild herbs, or revitalization spells. In Kailey''s case, she has two obscure things currently feeding on her mana: the Existence within her and her curse. The Existence pulls in and eats the mana surrounding Kailey. Her curse, however, absorbs the mana within Kailey''s body and then expels it for the world to soak up. These two factors create a balance that allows Kailey''s soul to devour external mana. Unknowingly, the curse has helped Kailey and the Existence within her. Regaining Awareness Chapter 28 Regaining Awareness In Kailey''s soul space, the Existence greedily absorbed the mana in the space. Using the mana it absorbed, the Existence began to form what it believed to be a body it could inhabit. In reality, the Existence was unconsciously reassembling its memories by using Kailey''s incomplete soul fragments as the blueprints. While the Existence continued to absorb the mana from the unknown source, it sensed an anomaly¡ªthe source of the mana it fed on had slightly changed. The Existence didn''t pay much attention to this change because it couldn''t retain complex thoughts. However, it suddenly flinched when the world exploded with flashes of scenes depicting a father and a son working the field, a man in knights'' armor with a contingent of other knights fighting wolf-like beasts. While absorbing the strange new mana, the scenes that played in its head became more varied, and emotions started flowing into the scenes, causing them to last longer and become more vivid and clear. The memories it saw were few, but they exponentially grew in number as it began absorbing more of the strange mana that had flooded into this space. The scenes that filled the spirit-like Existence intrigued it. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The inherent instincts of the spirit-like Existence yearned to discover more memories. The only way it knew how to witness more scenes of memories was to absorb more mana and consume more fragments that fell into its small realm. With each absorption and consumption, the scenes became more diverse. It continued this uninterrupted action, solely absorbing mana and consuming the fragments. Eventually, it witnessed the most vivid scene it had ever seen before and the most heavenly voice it had ever heard before resonating throughout the space. "I am Aleshia, a magician who wields the powers of the elements - an Elemental Witch, you could say. Since I have introduced myself, what is your name, little miss?" The memory bestowed its name upon the Existence. With its newfound identity, the memories scattered in the sky experienced a surge in vibrancy and color. They extended delicate threads that connected to the Existence, now named Aleshia. These threads anchored the being, imparting thoughts, a voice, and a purpose. The will of the memories bestowed a new grandiose goal, filling the space with an imposing atmosphere. Aleshia, who had just been an unaware beast with no consciousness moments ago, now had awareness. She immediately began observing her surroundings upon regaining consciousness to understand the situation. Then she remembered what had happened before all this happened. She tried to speak to collect her thoughts but found herself unable to. She tried to move but found herself unable to. When she looked down, she found only sky and white space. She soon realized she had no legs, torso, arms, or anything beneath her! Preconception Chapter 29 Preconception Aleshia was shocked to find herself without limbs or a body! Taking some time to cool down and collect her thoughts, she assessed her situation and found many clues to her predicament in the space that could guide her. Although she couldn''t remember what had happened while she was a beast, she still felt the lingering emotions. She recalled the awe when she looked at the sky shards that seemed to be playing in the sky and looked up to see if they were still there. As she stared at the memories, she realized they were still present. She took a few minutes to search for any clues about her situation within them. To her amazement, she discovered many memories, several of which she did not remember experiencing. Regardless, she felt a connection to the emotions embedded within the memories. It was as though she was reliving those moments herself. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. When she finally snapped out of her daydream, Aleshia was surprised to see that she had somehow moved. Finding this odd but welcome, she tried to move again but could not. Reflecting on what she had just experienced, she realized she shouldn''t try to move in the way a physical body moves. Remembering the girl who had been with her, she recalled how effortlessly that girl could move around in soul form. Aleshia realized she was too stuck in her way of thinking, needing to move like a human, and didn''t realize that the body she had now did not work like a human''s. When Aleshia gained that understanding, she immediately cast aside her inhibition and let herself go. Surprisingly, this action worked, and Aleshia was now drifting across the never-ending sky. Aleshia attempted various methods to learn how to fly in the sky. Some failed, but some succeeded. The process was exhilarating for Aleshia, and she gained the freedom of flight. Aleshia steadily grew accustomed to her new way of movement, giving her all in learning and letting nothing distract her. She felt a silly urge - an urge to fly high and fly fast! As the thought of being free overtook her, she realized why the girl played around so much in her soul form. It was fun; it was freeing to be unburdened by the ground, to feel the wind. While Aleshia was having fun in the sky, she didn''t notice the strings still attached to her dragging along the memories that were her key to getting out of the soul space. Executing Objective Chapter 30 Executing Objective Aleshia happily played in the sky for who knows how long without a care. Suddenly, she felt intense pressure overwhelming her. It seemed the memories wanted to be freed from this place, urging her to wrap up her fun and find a way to leave the space as soon as possible. When Aleshia looked back to see what was causing the pressure, she finally noticed the threads connecting her to the memories and was astonished. She hadn''t seen the threads before, only becoming aware of their existence when she felt the pressure emanating from the memories seemingly having a will of their own. Upon the not-so-friendly urging from the memories, Aleshia soon conducted her plans that she set aside for her fun. As she carried out her plans, the area''s mana got consumed by her like a vortex, much faster than when she devoured the mana unconsciously. While absorbing the mana, she found herself having nothing to do, so she began to ponder ways to address the situation caused by the girl named Kailey while coming up with more plans. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. While spending hours contemplating how to deal with Kailey, Aleshia flew around the space, absorbing as much mana as possible. She intended to absorb it and recreate her soul in this world. Eventually, she settled on a way to perform her idea. She also had some ideas on how to anger Kailey while having some fun at her expense. Although she didn''t typically enjoy being mean-spirited, light teasing at someone''s expense was something she didn''t mind doing. The mana in the surroundings began to dwindle as Aleshia concluded her thoughts. She soon left the area and searched for a new location. However, when she tried to absorb more, she found that the mana in the air was not regenerating. Aleshia soon realized she had to face the consequences of her actions and find a new solution to make a soul for herself. Aleshia should have known that space wasn''t unlimited. Despite having to deal with this consequence, she wasn''t worried at all. She knew of a way she could solidify her soul. When she was in the white space with Kailey, she inspected a piece of chalk that Kailey had produced with her soul when it had shed itself. Aleshia based her hypothesis on the piece of chalk she analyzed. She found it helpful to have this knowledge in this situation, as she was aware of a hypothetical way to lay the foundations of the soul. Creating Soul Construct Chapter 31 Creating Soul Construct Equipped with the knowledge of soul chalk using its hypothetical theory, Aleshia started creating a soul construct using her mana as a source of stability. However, when she stopped supplying the construct with mana, it dissipated. The reason for the failure was her insufficient understanding. Aleshia made several more attempts with the same result. Frustrated, she realized she was attempting something too advanced and decided to start with simpler constructs, such as lines, curved lines, and acute angles, before working her way up. Aleshia spent three hours in space, creating numerous constructs ranging from simple lines to complex three-dimensional objects. These constructs were floating all around her as she continued to make more and expand her understanding. However, despite her efforts, mental fatigue caught up with her. Aleshia shifted her focus and took a break, clearing her mind with a refreshing technique. After composing herself, she examined her constructs and began thinking of new ways to piece them together, eventually creating prefabricated constructs. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. After finishing the prefabrications, she grasped how to create a soul. It was akin to a magic formation, but instead of drawing on a two-dimensional platform that isn''t self-sustainable, she was drawing on a three-dimensional field that revolved the source of power around itself, tempering itself and becoming more tempered. Understanding this idea, Aleshia started connecting the prefabricated constructs she had made and began testing her theory. With an anticipated *swoosh*, Aleshia activated the dormant power within the constructs. After a few silent moments, the construct activated. It didn''t fizzle out! The mana within them started revolving throughout the set path, clashing with itself like a blacksmith hammering ore to separate the impurities. As Aleshia basked in her newfound success, she increased the amount of mana within the construct and observed as it sparkled and sparked with each collision. As the mana stabilized, its initial colorless form began to deepen in color, taking on a blackish hue reminiscent of the night''s abyss. As Aleshia watched this process, she took notes to understand the limit of the construct and replicate it in the future. Sometime later, Aleshia created a soul construct with the exterior of a bubble, but the interior resembled a museum, encapsulating all the memories she had gathered and tethered with. Inside this enclosure was her domain - her memories, experiences, and emotions. Now, with all of her being inside this sanctuary, she could finally explore outside the space while still keeping her entirety intact. The Return of Aleshia Chapter 32 The Return of Aleshia While Aleshia was creating constructs within Kailey''s soul space, the witch hat, watching Kailey''s condition, became shocked at how quickly the soul formed. It was greatly worried because if its guess was correct, the soul might accidentally overtake the other soul and erase its will. The witch hat feared that the girl she was caring for might never be able to recover. With this fear, the witch hat quickly exited the chamber. It went to an area Kailey hadn''t seen before, where it stored its completed prototype golem body. The witch hat had this body in its closet just in case it found a way to exit the ruin. It had been an hour since the witch hat had left for the room with the vessel. Unexpectedly, when it returned to Kailey''s room, it found half of Kailey''s soul and another soul intertwined, creating a black-and-white symbol. Astonished by the sight, the witch hat stumbled and dropped its load of golem parts. It witnessed two shapeless souls locked in a fierce struggle for control. Although it didn''t seem like a fight to the death to the witch hat, it looked more like two children squabbling over who gets to play the hero. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After reaching this conclusion, the witch hat witnessed the end of the dispute between the two souls. The scuffle ceased, leaving the two souls separated from each other. As the two souls caught their breath, the space between them filled with sparkles, resembling a portal manifested between them, visible only to the witch hat. To the eyes, or vision of the witch hat, the two souls were encased in a membrane-like barrier. When the two souls finally caught their breath, they both rose from their sprawled state and lunged at each other, giving the impression that they were about to fight again. However, this didn''t happen. It seemed through the fight, they both had come to an understanding. "Hey, are you the girl from the class you disrupted?" one of the souls fiercely shouted. "Huh, what class... Oh! Is that you, Aleshia?" shouted the other soul with slight uncertainty. "So it is you. How come I am in this dreary place? Where is this anyway?" Aleshia said, concerned. "No clue about the first question, but I do know a bit about where we are," the other soul muttered. The powerful aura silently emanating from the witch''s hat startled the two souls. They turned their attention to the witch hat. One of the souls recognized it and rushed towards it, followed by the other soul. However, as they were about to reach the witch hat, they were stopped by a membranous wall. The slower soul burst into laughter as they watched the faster one rebound from the wall. Soul Transformation Part 1 Chapter 33 Soul Transformation Part 1 The soul that had rebounded against the wall quickly regained its composure and felt embarrassed by its actions. It swiftly ran to a nearby table and hid behind it, resembling a cat soaked in water. The soul watching it laughed even harder. Soon, the watching soul realized that the other soul had become a cat. Wondering how this change occurred, it asked the soul, "Kailey! Do you know how you transformed into a cat?" "Huh, what do you mean transformed into a ca-" The words she was saying abruptly cut off as she looked down at herself and saw four legs. Kailey was struck with astonishment as she beheld her new form. The first thing she checked was her paws. As Kailey anticipatedly looked at her paws, she excitedly shouted, "Toe beans!" Aleshia, not understanding what Kailey meant by shouting out "toe beans," didn''t question her further, as it didn''t want to ruin her excitement. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Kailey began excitedly prancing around the table, adjusting to walking on four legs. As soon as she felt comfortable, she leaped atop the table she was circling and began crouching, preparing to jump to another platform across the room. Once prepared, Kailey released her crouch and sprang towards the platform like a springboard. As she finished landing, she sprung up with laughter. Several minutes passed, Kailey''s excited giggles filling the room. As she played around in her new form, she soon grew tired and decided to lie down. However, the Aleshia''s question remained unanswered. Aleshia was patiently waiting for Kailey to explain how she transformed. She decided not to interrupt her fun despite her waning patience. However, she eventually asked the question once again. "How did you transform into a cat?" With the question in the air, Kailey realized she had ignored the Aleshia''s question and apologetically walked toward her with cute, teary eyes. "I''m sorry, I don''t have a definite answer for you. I think I subconsciously went to my comfort place and remembered the cat I used to play with on my way to purchase foodstuffs. That might have been the trigger for me transforming into a cat." Kailey''s teary eyes didn''t sway Aleshia, but she was grateful for the information, as any information was better than none. The Aleshia pondered Kailey''s words and thought deeply about them. Realizing to transform into things, one needed a strong emotional attachment to them, strong enough to think about them subconsciously. Soul Transformation Part 2 Chapter 34 Soul Transformation Part 2 Aleshia understood Kailey''s explanation and attempted to replicate the actions Kailey had described. She thought about all the animals she had encountered. At first, Aleshia tried to remember her interactions with intelligent beasts and monsters, but Aleshia couldn''t recall feeling any attachment. Then, she remembered the common household pets of nobles she had encountered during the mundane social events she had to attend - some being dogs and others cats - but Aleshia still didn''t feel the same emotional attachment that Kailey had described for the cat. Finally, she remembered the animal she had cared for during her adventures in the world. The animal she had been most fond of was her horse, which she had been with since childhood. It had helped her traverse the world and had always been by her side. The feeling of fondness emanated from Aleshia''s soul as she reminisced. Soon, her soul slowly began to morph into a small-sized horse. Kailey watched in amazement as Aleshia transformed, imagining how she had transformed. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. While Aleshia transformed, she carefully observed the process, mentally noting every detail. She was determined to remember how it felt to transform so she could do it again if necessary. Once the transformation was complete, Aleshia found herself with four limbs. She quickly adjusted to the feeling of standing on those four limbs. After this, Aleshia tested her new form''s capabilities, checking to see if they matched or exceeded those of a regular horse. She found the transformation appeared to be around 3-4 years old. She then realized the body she had transformed into wouldn''t solve the main problem. The soul power within would only last for a short time. She realized that the spiritual body she had created would only delay the inevitable unless she could inhabit a physical body. With these thoughts in mind, she asked the witch hat if it had any corpses she could inhabit. But before she could speak, she was interrupted by the witch hat. The witch hat, patiently waiting to speak, finally found its chance and spoke up. "It seems both of you are familiar with each other and require bodies to inhabit. How about we allow Kailey, the original owner of the body on the table, to return to her own body and the other soul to try to inhabit the golem I prepared in case something unexpected happened," said the witch hat in an unsure manner. Substitute Body Chapter 35 Substitute Body After everyone in the room understood the terms, the souls agreed with the witch hat''s plan. However, Aleshia had numerous concerns about the process, so she questioned the witch hat further about the possible aftereffects. She expressed her worries to the witch hat, "Witch hat, do you know if your plan will unfold as you expect? Are you certain the body you have prepared can contain the power for souls like me and Kailey without imploding?" "I''m not sure what will happen when the soul inhabits the golem, as I haven''t tested for any occasion like this before. Let me explain how I tested the golems. I hopped onto the topmost part of the golem, the head, and puppet them around using fine mana control to move their limbs. However, I haven''t been able to grasp the facial expressions, as there are too many and too difficult to manipulate." The witch hat went off on a tangent, but Aleshia got it back on track. "Alright, I understand. I will try to inhabit the puppet you have prepared," Aleshia agreed. With those words, Aleshia promptly went around to the scattered golem parts and started to enter them. However, she was stopped only moments later by the witch hat, which had noticed a problem with the golem part''s arrangement. Using its magic, it swiftly organized the golem parts into proper alignment. With that slight matter out of the way, Aleshia continued to absorb into the golem''s body, filled with precisely layered spiritual circuitry, not unlike the soul constructs circuits she had created in the soul space. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She absorbed into the golem''s body lying on the ground. The golem''s body twitched to life with a slight jerking movement. First, the palms moved, then the toes of the golem puppet, and the eyelids fluttered open with a glassy look. The body slowly lifted its upper body, head, and arms, attempting to stand up. However, when it became upright, the head''s weight caused it to slump forward, short-circuiting the body. This incident would have happened to anyone since manipulating the golem was intricate an process, requiring Aleshia to deliberately maneuver every part of the body that a human would typically operate unconsciously, including tendons, muscles, and joints. Despite lacking organs, the golem''s body replicated the human form. While Aleshia practiced manipulating the golem, she made a puzzling discovery - her soul force was depleting at an alarming rate. This realization sparked a profound understanding within her: she couldn''t live without being connected to another soul. Merging Two Souls Chapter 36 Merging Two Souls Aleshia quickly left the vessel that had contained her and returned to the room as a soul with the same appearance as before. She promptly explained her situation to the witch hat: "I feel like my soul can''t sustain itself without being connected to another power source. I believe that Kailey has the same feeling we may need each other to power both of our souls." Upon hearing this, the witch hat responded to Aleshia while making a contemplative expression, scrunching up the folds of the witch hat. "Hmm, I think I understand. The soul was originally one, but now that a piece has broken off to form a new person, it won''t be able to function normally. Without one to connect the other, it will remain incomplete, causing failure for both souls." Coming to an understanding, the witch hat considered merging the two souls back into one body. However, it needed approval from Kailey to proceed with the idea. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Kailey had been off to the side, staring blankly into space while listening to the conversation. With everyone''s attention now drawn to her, she snapped out of her daze, responding with affirmation, agreeing to their idea of housing Aleshia within her. Aleshia approached Kailey and entered the body with the witch hat''s help. Kailey felt a rumbling sensation overcome her surrounding her stomach, causing her to blush in embarrassment. It dawned on her that she hadn''t eaten for what she could only presume to be a few days now. Realizing this, Kailey was about to ask the witch hat if it had any food stored somewhere. However, her words suddenly cut off as the jumble of thoughts she had pushed to the back of her mind came rushing back with great force, causing damage to Kailey''s psyche. Amidst the echoing thoughts in her head, she could discern, ''I feel reinvigorated.'' Kailey was slowly recovering from her damaged psyche. However, as she was healing her mind, she lost her footing. Her body moved, and she caught herself at the last moment as if someone else was controlling her from another place. After regaining her balance, Kailey could hear another voice inside her head growing clearer and louder, from little whispers to an invasive noise. "Whoops, we don''t want to fall and sprain an ankle." The sentence pervaded her mind as her body continued moving on its own, returning to the table where she had been lying during her ordeal. Slight Misunderstanding Chapter 37 Slight Misunderstanding As Kailey staggered and stumbled, the witch hat watched intently without intervening. It was curious to see how the other soul inside Kailey would respond to help her. The hat could see two distinct, vague colors within the body and observed as the less dominant color took over, steadying Kailey''s legs and returning her to the table. However, due to the new soul''s inexperience, Kailey accidentally hit the table with a yelp of pain, causing the vague color to recede as the dominant one took over. Kailey reacted to the pain in her side, and clarity washed over her, allowing her to collect her thoughts. Once she had done that, she spoke to Aleshia with a hint of irritation at her actions. "I appreciate you trying to help, but I would prefer if you didn''t do anything too extreme until we have fully figured things out. Let''s practice in an area that isn''t slippery to avoid sustaining permanent bruising," she said, ending with a light joke. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The scolding unintentionally attacked Aleshia''s soul within the soul''s sanctuary, causing her to shrink back as she felt the irritation that was multiplied due to being inside the sanctuary made by Kailey''s soul. The sanctuary was filled with Kailey''s raw emotion, causing Aleshia to misconstrue her true intent with her last joke. Aleshia replied apologetically, "I''m sorry I didn''t mean to hurt you. You slipped, and I tried to move you to a safer place." Upon hearing Aleshia''s words, Kailey was slightly confused but still forgave her. This caused the emotion that surrounded Aleshia to abate, leaving it calm for some time. Kailey appeared to be talking to herself, but no one else was around to find it odd aside from the witch hat. Surprisingly, the hat observed Kailey without confusion, as it expected such a situation. After watching for a while to ensure nothing went wrong, it returned to its golem out of curiosity, as it had not interacted with it for decades. The hat proceeded to pick up and examine each object, looking for any necessary changes. After discovering multiple flaws, it released the objects it was inspecting with a long groan, contemplating how naive and easy it would have been to be seen through by the people outside. It then went back to see how the girl was faring. As the hat watched the girl speak to herself, it calculated the possibilities of leaving the ruins. Two Choices Chapter 38 Two Choices The witch hat was in its mind thinking over things while watching the progress the soul and Kailey were making. The two ran across the room as they constantly shifted their control to refine their jerky movements as they adjusted to walking in the same body. The two of them practiced in the room for hours. They moved around the room while getting accustomed to each other''s presence. They even tried using magic, which surprisingly worked quite well. However, since the two shared one person''s mana pool, simultaneously casting two spells proved quite taxing for Kailey''s body. As a result, she exhausted herself sooner than expected. While lying on the ground, Kailey questioned Aleshia about how she appeared in this world. She thought she was just a figment of her imagination. In response, Aleshia said. "I know this won''t sound sane, but I believe I was in a space inside your soul. I was an unconscious beast for a time in there, without a will. But after absorbing an amount of mana and soul fragments containing memories. I returned to being myself. After that, I experimented with the concepts in the space and created a domain that held the memories in the space like a shell. Making up my being." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aleshia''s statement surprised Kailey. After a few moments, Kailey responded by saying some words to comfort Aleshia and then ended the conversation and approached the witch hat to ask it a question, interrupting its thoughts. The hat acknowledged her presence with a noncommittal noise. Kailey then asked a crucial question: "You gave me two choices before it was to choose to take you or your knowledge, correct?" The hat twitched in surprise as it heard Kailey''s words, remembering what it said when it first met Kailey. While in despair, The witch hat thought about what to say before responding. "Yes, I guess you''re right. Since you have contracted me and chose the knowledge I held, it would be fair to assume you have custody over me. But I said that as a joke. That was the first time we''d ever met. I haven''t talked to anyone in a while, so I made a joke." The hat sputtered as the words rushed out. Kailey wasted no time and asked the witch hat to take her to the research, holding unique, long-forgotten knowledge. "I see you''re quite eager for this knowledge," the hat said while giggling. The hat brought Kailey out of the room and into the hallway, leading her down many corridors. Into the Tunnel Chapter 39 Into the Tunnel The two walked for a few minutes until they reached a non-descript wall resembling any other wall in the corridor. But when Kailey stopped to question the witch hat why they had stopped there, the hat paused and activated some magic. Some of the rocks in the wall began to enclave into the wall and then extend back to their normal position like a pressure plate contraption. After several more sequences, the hat huffed in exhaustion, exclaiming, "Whew, I believe that did the trick." As the witch hat sagged in exhaustion, the illusion enchantment disappeared, revealing a tunnel in front of them. The tunnel was small, only big enough for a child. Due to her curse consuming most of the nutrition from the food she ate, it meant she hadn''t grown much. She was smaller than other girls her age. Kailey knelt to examine the tunnel, asking the hat, "Do you know if this tunnel can bear my weight? I mean. You are as light as a feather. How do you know if it can support my weight." "I can assure you that the tunnels and walls in this ruin are still as strong as ever. The only things that have broken in this ruin or eroded were the perishable foodstuffs," the hat explained, quelling Kailey''s doubts. Kailey, unsure, began crawling through the unlit tunnel that was lightly filled with dust, sneezing a bit as the dust went into her nose and mouth. Just as she thought of turning back, she saw a dim light ahead of her. Now, with something to look forward to, Kailey persevered onward. After a few more minutes of crawling, Kailey reached the opening. She gently lowered herself to the ground and checked her surroundings. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. She saw a room filled with various old and weathered books, showing time had taken its toll on them. As Kailey was about to approach the books, she felt something hit her in the back. When she turned to see what had hit her, she saw the witch hat drifting to the floor. Curious about the place, Kailey asked the hat about it. "Wow, this place is amazing! I''ve never seen anything like it. Even the ruins I''ve trekked through never had spaces like these. Or maybe I never found the hidden path to them. Anyway, what is this place? It''s amazing!" The hat responded to her question smugly, with pride. "Well, after exploring the entire ruin, I started collecting the random scraps of paper and books I found and stored them here. I have, of course, read all of the stuff in here and have categorized them, but I don''t think I''ll be able to tell you the book''s content, just where they are stored." While the hat was explaining things, Kailey began impatiently fidgeting, wishing she could go to the shelves to find a cure for her curse. Immersion Chapter 40 Immersion After the hat finished speaking, Kailey rushed to the shelves as though fleeing from bandits and began frantically searching the books for a cure. Kailey spent hours searching through countless books and couldn''t find a solution and felt disheartened after putting down books one after the other. As this continued, books were scattered haphazardly around her as she immersed herself in reading. The hat looked on, puzzled by Kailey''s frantic search. Then, it remembered Kailey''s request when they first met: "Might you lend me some of your research so that I might be able to cure the curse that has been plaguing me for some time?" After recalling what she had said, the hat hopped over to Kailey and tried to strike up a conversation to cheer her up. "I''m pretty sure this library has many books in a wide variety. You will likely find what you''re looking for." With this attempt to help boost Kailey''s spirits, the hat left the library through the tunnel, but not before leaving some magic bags containing food and water, knowing that Kailey would require them. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Kailey had spent several days searching the library for a cure to her curse. The area was filled with countless books littered throughout the ground, giving the impression that a tornado had hit the place. She sat against the wall, skimming through the piled books. Her eyes had lost their spark as she turned page after page, finding no solution to her predicament. The only sound was the flutter of pages as she sat in silence. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled, breaking the silence and reminding her she needed to eat. Just as she lifted her head, she noticed the provisions left at the tunnel entrance by the hat before departing. Just as she rose to her feet, she stumbled, realizing how weary she had become. After regaining her balance, she went to the unopened bags and found bread and water inside them. She retrieved the bread from the bag and drank some of the water before eating the bread, taking small bites. While she ate, Kailey began looking around the room to see if she had missed any books. To her surprise, the room, which had initially looked majestic, was now messy, with many books open and on the ground. She regretted making the room lose its grandeur and decided to clean before doing anything else. She got up from her seated position and began reorganizing the books scattered throughout the room. Hours passed as she diligently put the books back where they belonged, although she didn''t know how they were organized before. She did the best she could in making up her own arrangement. Cursed Tome of Desire Chapter 41 Cursed Tome of Desire Kailey was finished organizing the books when a single grimoire fell from one of the shelves. She went to pick up the fallen book, but as her hand reached toward the cover, it quickly swooshed open, catching her off guard. Startled, she jumped back, feeling an unknown pressure and thinking it was dangerous. A moment later, the fluttering pages finally reached the book''s center. Kailey cautiously approached the book, picked it up, and tentatively read the open contents of the book. She came across what appeared to be a spell book that contained various spells she had not encountered before, many of which were ethically questionable. The book was filled with numerous spells, and the page Kailey stumbled upon contained the exact spell she needed to cure her curse. However, the magic incantations in the book were illegible to her, making it impossible to read the words to activate the spells. However, the descriptions of them were still quite legible. As she delved deeper into the book to understand the underlying principles, she felt the book pulling her into the ink on the pages. The book itself, filled with curses, seemed to be a curse in its own right. Simply reading the book inflicted ailments on the reader, depending on how long and intensely one gazed at its pages. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As Kailey was about to be consumed by the book, it was suddenly tossed from her hands, causing her gaze to be broken from the words sucking her in. Aleshia watched as Kailey picked up the book and began to read it. Aleshia also wanted to know what was inside, but she noticed that Kailey was reading things that weren''t on the page. Aleshia couldn''t see any of the words that she heard as Kailey read through it, and she realized that something strange was happening to Kailey. Aleshia quickly took control of Kailey''s hands and swiftly tossed the book away before moving Kailey away from it. The witch hat who periodically came to check on Kailey noticed her far-off expression and immediately saw the open book. She quickly used her magic, realizing what the book was, and instantly moved the book to a deeper part of the library. Kailey appeared dazed, as if she was lost in thought. At that moment, the hat approached her and expressed concern, warning her about the cursed tome of desire she had opened. "Kailey, you shouldn''t have opened that. That tome is known as the Tome of Desire. It ensnares its victims by using their desires and will trap anyone who tries to study its pages, feasting on their soul to increase its understanding while keeping the victim''s souls inside of them trapped for as long as the book survives." Unconscious Chapter 42 Unconscious The hat continued expressing concern, not noticing anything wrong with Kailey until it was too late. Kailey''s body slumped as if puppet strings had been cut. The witch hat noticed the movement and hurriedly approached her, frantically searching her using its senses. It only saw one of the previous two colors controlling the body. The color the hat knew as Kailey was barely perceptible. It found her color coalescing in the space where it previously saw the new soul being formed as if it was recuperating in that spot. The hat immediately called out, "Are you there?" futilely, hoping for a response. As the hat thought its efforts were futile and nothing would happen, the color it knew as Aleshia began spreading out, reacting to its voice. However, Aleshia''s control could only reach the extremities, such as the arms and legs, and it couldn''t go above the shoulders to where the head was located. The hat, aware there was another soul inside the body, immediately considered going on top of Kailey''s head to communicate with that soul, believing it would know what was happening or what it could help with. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The hat propped Kailey''s body up in a chair in the room using its magic and levitated itself above Kailey''s head before gently settling on her head. As soon as the hat landed, it began manipulating its mana and connecting itself to Kailey''s mana circuits, essentially taking control over her body and allowing it to hear her thoughts. The hat immediately felt overwhelmed by panic as it exerted its control. The panic was consuming its mind and causing its emotions to go wild, making it struggle to regain composure. It couldn''t communicate with the soul of Aleshia due to its current unstable state of mind. After some time, the hat regained its equilibrium. All it could hear was Aleshia''s increasingly panicked sobbing voice, "Kailey! Are you still here? Please be alive. You will be alive, right?" These words kept echoing in the hat''s mind. Finally, it gained enough composure to announce, "Elemental Witch Aleshia, please calm yourself. You need to be calm so we can understand what is happening to Kailey." Kailey''s limbs jolted as an unconscious reaction Aleshia had when she heard the voice speak to her. As Aleshia processed these words, she began attempting to calm herself down. She now understood that her panic could not continue. With a guiding voice, she calmed herself enough to have a coherent conversation. Conjecture Chapter 43 Conjecture Before the hat had come to speak with Aleshia, the entire soul space had been shaking violently, filled with Kailey''s hopelessness, bewilderment, and anguish. As mentioned earlier, the space within Kailey intensified her emotions, acting like an echo chamber for Kailey''s raw feelings. However, because Aleshia was still a part of Kailey, she could influence or change the emotions inside the space by using her own emotions and reasoning to overcome Kailey''s feelings. With the guidance of the witch hat, Aleshia suppressed the emotions that had filled the space. "I understand now. Thank you for helping me get out of the predicament and calming me down," Aleshia said with gratitude. She felt calmer and more capable of changing the situation and expressing her thoughts. The witch''s hat asked Aleshia what she could see happening to Kailey inside her soul since they were connected at a soul level. The soul space Aleshia currently occupied was distinctly different from the one where she had made her soul. The previous space was only characterized by bright blue skies, while the current space was filled with land, hills, and forests. Aleshia calmed down and found herself in a space filled with grassland. Despite being outdoors, the scene seemed unreal. Various panels were displayed around Aleshia, showing the vision of Kailey''s eyes. They also held reports of Kailey''s condition. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. With the question from the hat in her mind and the emptiness inside her, Aleshia fervently scrolled through the feeds the panels showed. She dissected the images on the screen to better understand the nuances and came to a conclusion. She announced it to the witch hat that was connected with her. "Let me start by saying, I heard you say the book Kailey read was called The Tome of Desire, am I correct?" The hat replied, "Correct." With the hat''s agreement, Aleshia continued with her monologue. "I believe, from what I have been told by Kailey, she had wished to find a cure to a curse she had and pinned her hopes on finding the cure in this ruin since all of the evidence pointed to it having said cure. Another reason might be that we are connected in the soul, which could have caused the Tome of Desire''s effect to work differently than in other cases. The hat digested these words and responded with its own conjecture. "The more likely reason Kailey was affected differently than the others might be because her soul was connected to yours. Since your two souls were intertwined, the connection between you and her could have caused it to affect her differently." Unlocked Memories Chapter 44 Unlocked Memories After a few minutes of further discussion, Aleshia and the hat reached a consensus. The hat concluded their dialogue by saying, "Until Kailey''s soul is healed and reconnected with the mind, the chance her body will be able to function without being used will be very slim. But since we have another driver in the seat, you, Aleshia. The body should be able to carry out its normal functions without weakening or atrophy. We should be thankful that you could throw the Tome away from her hands before she was too deep into reading it. We should probably let Kailey recover on her own for a while. If we try something now, we could lose her since I don''t know much about healing broken souls. In the meantime, how about we discuss how some of my memories were unlocked?" The atmosphere in the room took on a subtle shift the moment the hat spoke those words. After a few moments of silence, Aleshia tried to understand what it meant but still did not understand. She asked the hat to elaborate since she did not understand what it meant. "What do you mean by memories unlocked? I am certain I have never met you before today." The hat was momentarily puzzled by Aleshia''s reply but swiftly recovered and proceeded to explain why it said those words. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "I assumed that you wouldn''t know. Let me explain. When Kailey mentioned that she believed she was soul-bonded with you, I initially thought it was impossible since she was unconscious inside this place. I knew there shouldn''t have been any other sentient creatures besides me and her to contract with. However, when I investigated whether there was a soul link between Kailey and you, I was surprised to indeed find one. What she claimed was right. However, when I approached to examine it, your soul must have perceived my presence as a threat and tried to attack me. When I defended myself, something seemed to have latched onto me, traveling through Kailey''s mana circuitry and into my mind, where it uncovered some of my memories." Aleshia listened attentively to the witch''s hat as it explained why it had made its previous assertion. What she heard baffled her. She now understood why the witch''s hat asked that question, as her soul somehow unlocked the hat''s sealed-away memories. With these thoughts swirling inside her mind, she had to sit back down to reorganize herself. Increasing Awareness Chapter 45 Increasing Awareness It had been several hours since Aleshia and the witch hat had last spoken. There had been no change in Kailey''s condition except that Aleshia had been able to spread her awareness some more, allowing her to have some ability to move Kailey''s fingers by herself. As the recovery period grew longer, Aleshia began to worry about what would happen if Kailey didn''t wake up. She thought that if the body became inactive, it would decompose and be unable to create energy. Similar to an unconscious person. She was reluctant to live in this new body. She knew she would be robbing Kailey of her life. Kailey would be unable to experience the world as she likely would. Aleshia felt she would be a sham and would tarnish Kailey''s image. However, she knew if she stopped inhabiting the body, it would succumb to rigor mortis and perish before Kailey would have a chance to live again. Aleshia realized she needed to stay active since leaving the body inert was not an option since it could lead to the body decaying. As that thought crossed her mind, she started working on gaining better control over the body. She began spreading her awareness to other areas and took control of the muscular system. She first concentrated on moving the arms, then focused on controlling each of the fingers separately, and finally managed to move all of them simultaneously. The activity was incredibly challenging. In addition to refining her capabilities and fine motor skills, she had to manage resources for different organs. Fortunately, some functions, like the immune system and other systems of that nature, were automatically managed by her and Kailey''s intertwined souls. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Compared to the puppet she had tried manipulating earlier, the human body was equally challenging but far more effortless to control. Instead of manually controlling the puppet''s parts with unintuitive movements that were disjointed due to the lack of proper foundations, requiring a lot of mental effort and making it difficult to use, the human body moved with much more fluidity. It had a better foundation, making the process much less demanding. Additionally, the human body could generate its energy by breaking down consumed substances, allowing it to function without direct input from the user. Instead, with the puppet, she would have to have it recharged every so often with an immense amount of mana, which would not be so commonly supplied, which could be disastrous if in the wrong situation. Expanding Awareness Chapter 46 Expanding Awareness With the help of the hat, Aleshia, in Kailey''s body, returned to the chamber. Upon reaching the room, she began slowly extending her awareness until it reached her legs. As her awareness finally reached the legs, Aleshia, feeling impatient, tried to stand up by herself. However, she failed to do so and fell face-first to the ground as she couldn''t steady herself without being able to move her feet. After a moment of self-pity, Aleshia was disappointed to realize the moment her concentration slipped, the awareness she spread withdrew from her legs. At the moment, Aleshia was unsure how to get up from the floor. She lay sprawled on the ground, but she knew the witch hat would come to check on her in a few hours and would fix the mess. When the witch hat entered the room a few hours later, it was surprised to see Kailey sprawled on the ground. After a few moments, the hat used its magic to bring her back to the bed and continued to check on Kailey''s condition as usual. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. A few weeks later, Aleshia''s awareness finally enveloped the entire body, excluding the head. Allowing her to walk. She quickly became accustomed to walking and went to check on the books in the library. Continuing Kailey''s research, Aleshia stumbled upon fascinating books on theories and subjects she had never encountered before. She was amazed by the contents, and upon checking the publication date, she was surprised to find that the book was published in a completely different century! The book''s contents that showed its publication date said it was created at least a century in the future. This confused Aleshia, but given all the current happenings and gaps in her memory, the shock she experienced was less intense. Aleshia took a break after making this discovery and rested on the chair in the room taking a break. She was training, refining her awareness because each time she did so, she gained better control over her body. If she lost her grip on the reins, Kailey''s influence would surge back, causing all her progress to revert. If this happened, it would cause numerous delays. The witch hat appeared in the chamber at least once every few days to ask about Kailey''s condition. Today was like any other. Aleshia responded with an emotionless face, as she still couldn''t influence anything above the shoulders. "Kailey''s condition has not changed." The hat drooped in apology. This had happened every time it came to check on Kailey. The hat left the room, but not before reminding Aleshia about the plans they made. Leaving the Ruin Chapter 47 Leaving the Ruin As the witch''s hat hopped to the door to leave, it reminded Aleshia of their earlier conversation. "When you believe you have enough control over the body, you can leave the ruin. Until then, work on strengthening your control. Avoid losing control if something unexpected happens, leaving you unable to move." With these last words, the hat finally shuts the door, leaving Aleshia to continue working on gathering control over the body. Aleshia laid back down on the table and resumed her training. Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and Aleshia could finally operate the body as if it were her own. However, she still couldn''t move anything above her shoulders, leaving her face expressionless. She considered various ways to hide her face, but with most of the clothes in the ruins either rotted or torn, she couldn''t think of a way to conceal her expressionless face while still inside the ruins. Aleshia had explored more of the ruin during the months she was there and found many areas that Kailey hadn''t seen. She discovered fields for crops, farming buildings, and an armory holding many rusted weapons. These were only some of the structures she had found. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Aleshia and the witch hat stood at the entrance of the ruin. The witch hat was beside Aleshia, who was covering her eyes with her arm as the bright light momentarily blinded her, having been in a dimly lit room for the past few months. Aleshia took a breath of fresh air, feeling like a new person as she exited the ruin. However, as she moved forward, the hat slammed into an invisible wall. It let out a mumble of complaint before coming up with an idea, and a moment later, it dispiritedly expressed its thoughts. "It seems that I can''t leave the entrance of this ruin no matter how many times I try. I even made a Words of Possession pact, but I am still unable to leave, even though I am so near the holder." As frustration built up in the hat''s mind, a new plan came to mind. "Aleshia, what if I link up with you? If I sync up with you, I might be able to leave this ruin along with you. How about it?" Aleshia gladly accepted the hat''s offer, allowing it to sit on her head. She didn''t want to be alone in this new world she was about to enter, and she also believed that wearing the hat would somehow conceal her. Nickname the Witch Hat Chapter 48 Nickname the Witch Hat "Ahh, fresh air! How lovely," Aleshia exclaimed as she exhaled. The witch hat replied, "Yeah, I suppose so. Although, as an object without my five senses, I sadly can''t taste that ''air'' you speak of. But I do understand the feeling." Aleshia''s eyes adjusted to the bright light dancing between the leaves of the trees, and she remarked how beautiful it was. "Witch hat, this view is so gorgeous. The colors of nature all around us and the breeze lightly tickling the skin!" As she expressed her gratitude for the outdoors, she noticed something that had bugged her. "Witch hat, your name is a bit weird. Would you like to be called something else?" The witch hat turned downward, looking at Aleshia with a questioning tone. "Hmm, a different name? Sure, I wouldn''t mind being called something other than ''witch hat'' or ''hat.'' Do you think you could come up with a name for me?" Aleshia was ecstatic at the hat''s acceptance and immediately began thinking of what she could call the witch hat. ''Maybe Susan would work. Hmm, or maybe Daniel? Wait, what is the hat''s gender anyway?'' As Aleshia thought that, she immediately blurted out her thought, catching the hat off-guard. "Hey, witch hat, do you know what type of name you want?" The witch hat didn''t quite understand what Aleshia meant, so it said, "A short one is fine, but nothing too grandiose, as that would take too much time to say." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Aleshia sat there, puzzled after hearing the words, and quickly rephrased what she had said. "No, I didn''t mean it like that! I meant to say, do you know if you want a guy or a girl name?" The witch hat quickly understood what Aleshia meant upon hearing that and turned a bit brighter in hue in embarrassment for misunderstanding her. "I don''t know, but I feel a girl''s name would be better. If you get caught suddenly saying a guy''s name in the middle of a crowded area, it could lead to misunderstandings with anyone you find yourself attracted to." Aleshia blushed slightly after hearing the hat''s last remark. She replied to the witch hat with indifference. "I don''t believe anyone I had feelings for would be alive until now, so I don''t think that would be a problem." As she began to brood on her words, she changed the topic. "Anyway, how about we start thinking up a new name for you?" Your Name Is Lucia Chapter 49 Your Name Is Lucia Aleshia glanced at the witch hat resting on her head. The two of them began to discuss coming up with a name. "I don''t see the appeal in saying a man''s name. I mean, sure, it''s short and to the point, but girls'' names sound delicate and have many ways to say them that almost always sound pretty," the witch hat began listing qualities that names had, which were previously unknown to Aleshia. She let the hat drone on for a while. Soon, she interrupted the hat again, asking what type of name it wanted and after a short discussion the hat responded saying. "I know what type of name I want, Aleshia. I want a girl''s name." After several moments of thoughtful silence thinking up a name for the hat, Aleshia declared the witch hat''s new name, "From now on, your name shall be Lucia, or Lucy for short." The witch hat, now known as Lucia, was delighted by its new name. It leaped off Aleshia''s head and started bouncing joyfully in the grass. Lucia, filled with glee, began to leap around the grass, happily chanting its new name: "Lucia, Lucia, Lucia." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. After some time Lucia''s initial excitement over her new name dwindled, she gradually became aware that she was no longer resting on Aleshia''s head, and neither was she linked to Aleshia. With this realization, an unsettling feeling crept over her as a terrifying thought dawned on her. In her unease, Lucia cautiously turned her head, half-expecting to be pulled back into the ruin she had just left. Due to her apprehension, Lucia remained motionless, her gaze fixated on the entrance. After several tense moments, she let out a relieved sigh as she realized her fears were unfounded. Now composed but still wary, she called out to Aleshia, her voice tinged with anxiety, "Aleshia, I''ve had enough time to myself. You can come back now." However, to Lucia''s confusion, there was no sign of Aleshia. A few minutes earlier, Aleshia had been watching the witch hat near the ruin''s entrance. She couldn''t help but notice the genuine joy it displayed upon receiving its new name. Not wanting to interrupt its moment of happiness, Aleshia decided to step back and explore the area around the ruins. She realized she had only taken a quick look at the surroundings before being captivated by the beautiful view of nature. Aleshia walked towards the entrance she had come through and noticed faint traces of illusion runes. After examining it closely, Aleshia discovered various types of runes layered over the illusion runes. She concluded that a powerful magic user had concealed the ruins, as carving an assortment of intricate runes atop one another would require significant skill and precision. Additionally, the fact that the place had remained hidden for centuries supported her suspicions. Green Wolf Chapter 50 Green Wolf Aleshia had just finished her search and was heading back to where Lucia was when she suddenly felt the presence of a monster nearby. "Wait, how could there be a monster so close by? Was it attracted by someone or something...?" she muttered. Aleshia quickly ran to a nearby bush and waited for the monster to approach that spot. Just as planned, the beast soon came into view. A green wolf appeared in Aleshia''s view, and she muttered. "From the looks of it, it seems to be a variation of a wolf, but I haven''t seen this type before. Judging by the type of pressure coming off of it, it seems to have a lot of wind and nature element energy stored within itself. If I were to fight it, I don''t believe I could beat it without harming myself, or rather Kailey''s body." Aleshia silenced her breathing, not knowing if it could sense her breaths. The green wolf was slowly skulking toward where Aleshia was hiding. It used the wind to muffle its footsteps. Just as the wolf reached Aleshia, it suddenly turned its head toward Lucia''s location. Just as if it had spotted another prey. It quickly concealed itself in the tall grass, blending in with the color of the forest. ''Oh no, isn''t that where I left Lucia? I got to divert its attention before it reaches her,'' Aleshia thought. She crawled to another set of bushes, causing them to rustle gently. That caught the attention of the green wolf. Its ears perked up, and it swiftly jumped toward the noise This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Aleshia prepared to use her mana for the wolf''s oncoming attack. At that moment, a rabbit suddenly intervened, kicking the wolf. Aleshia couldn''t help but be surprised, quickly regretting getting distracted. She refocused on the task and cast [Lightning Bolt], sending a beam of light that paralyzed the airborne wolf. However, as the lightning bolt passed the rabbit, one of the lightning bolts branched off, striking the rabbit. To her surprise, the rabbit and the bolt of lightning suddenly disappeared. Aleshia quickly scanned the area to locate the rabbit when she heard the wolf cries. Recognizing the danger, she made a decision and quietly approached the immobilized wolf. Not having any weapon in hand, she picked up a nearby fallen branch and repeatedly stabbed the wolf, channeling mana into the branch to increase its toughness, and successfully killed the wolf within a few seconds. Wolf Pack Chapter 51 Wolf Pack "Tch, darn it, I can''t believe that wolf. I''m lost, and I''ve already spotted two other animals here. Also, the cries of that dying wolf should have attracted more of its kind to this spot. I need to get back to Lucia before those wolves arrive." Aleshia tried to skin the wolf for its fur using the stick she had in hand. However, the stick was not sharp enough, and her attempt only resulted in jagged and uneven cuts on the fur. Realizing she was wasting her time, Aleshia decided to give up and tried to make her way back to Lucia. As she walked through the forest, trying to retrace her steps, Aleshia realized she didn''t know where she was. Audible mutters of irritation escaped her, "Why did I wander so far from where I killed that wolf? That was so foolish of me!" Frustrated, she kicked a nearby shrub, unable to contain her exasperation. "I need to calm down and think," Aleshia muttered as she steadied her breath and relaxed. Now, with a clear head, she had a clear direction to go towards. After several minutes of walking, wary of alerting the creatures around her, she finally arrived at where the green wolf had died. To her surprise, the wolf''s carcass was no longer there. The only evidence remaining was some bits of fur she had cut off and some of its blood on the ground. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. After what seemed like an eternity, Aleshia''s eyes finally caught sight of some faint footprints on the forest floor. To her dismay, alongside the familiar footprints, several sets of paw prints, unmistakably belonging to a pack of wolves. A sense of dread crept over her as she pondered the implications. "Could the cries of the wolf I killed have summoned its pack to seek revenge?" Aleshia''s mind raced with worry. "If these prints are here, the wolves will trace them back to Lucia!" Without a second thought, Aleshia sprinted through the forest, her heart pounding with fear and determination as she followed the distinct tracks before her. As she pressed on, the dense trees gradually gave way to an open clearing, and she recognized the familiar surroundings of the area. The hill nearby, concealing the ancient ruin, served as a silent confirmation of her location. Suddenly, the howls of wolves echoed through the air, causing Aleshia to hasten her pace toward the source. Her breath caught in her throat as she witnessed a terrifying scene unfolding before her eyes. Lucia was in the middle of a fierce attack by a pack of relentless wolves. Best Course of Action Chapter 52 Best Course of Action Aleshia stopped herself just before calling out to Lucia, realizing that it could attract the attention of the nearby pack of wolves and set off a chain of unpredictable events. While devising a plan and considering different possibilities, she took a closer look at the situation. She noticed something peculiar: the green wolves seemed to be fighting each other, but it didn''t appear to be a fight to the death, and they were leaving Lucia alone. Aleshia suspected that they might be fighting over the witch hat. Concerned about the situation, she wanted to contact Lucia using [Mind Speech], but she was too far from the witch hat to use that magic. Aleshia decided the best course of action was to move closer and observe the green wolves as long as they didn''t bear their fangs toward Lucia. She carefully made her way down the slope, mindful not to make any noise. Aleshia then hid behind some trees at a distance from the green wolves, providing her with a better view of the situation. Initially, she thought the green wolves were fighting over the magical power contained in the witch hat. However, she now suspected they were engaging in a mock battle to prove themselves worthy of serving the witch hat. It seemed like they were demonstrating their combat abilities to gain the privilege of being the witch hat''s subordinates. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Just then, a stray wind blade flew from one of the battles and hit the tree Aleshia was hiding behind. The sudden impact and noise startled Aleshia, causing her to yelp in surprise. In an instant, all the green wolves in the vicinity pricked up their ears and turned their attention toward the source of the unexpected sound. A low growl rumbled through the assembled pack, a collective display of dominance and a warning to the would-be challenger. The wolves'' fur bristled as they sought to intimidate their unseen adversary. The green wolves slowly walked toward Aleshia, organizing themselves into neat groups. Aleshia discerned that the first and closest group used their fangs, claws, and jaws to kill or injure their opponents, causing them to bleed out. The second group utilized their ability to manipulate the wind, launching ranged attacks. Adding credence to that speculation, Aleshia noticed distortions in the air, indicating impending wind attacks from the sky. She guessed these wolves supported the first group by launching additional attacks, keeping their opponents on edge. Aleshia couldn''t discern the role of the last group but quickly formulated a plan to defend and counteract their actions. The Neutral Approach Chapter 53 The Neutral Approach The pack of wolves cautiously approached the tree, their senses on high alert. They split into two groups, strategically positioning themselves on both sides of the tree, effectively cutting off any possible escape route for the intruder. As they crept closer, the tension in the air was palpable. With swift and calculated movements, the two groups of wolves simultaneously lunged at the area behind the tree, their razor-sharp claws slashing through the air with perfect synchronicity. Their movements were well-coordinated, demonstrating years of experience and numerous battles working together. As they closed in on the target, they expertly dodged each other in mid-air, narrowly missing collision by mere inches. However, as the wolves landed and skidded to a stop, they realized their quarry was not there. Their eyes locked on the spot they had just attacked, and they cautiously assessed the situation, coming to terms with the fact that their target had eluded them. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The pack of wolves was on high alert, unable to understand why the intruder wasn''t taking advantage of the wide opening they had left themselves vulnerable to for a potential counterattack. Just then, a faint rustling noise from above caught the wolves'' attention, causing them to prepare for an impending attack. From a distance, the other pack members noticed the subtle shift in the trees and began howling to warn the specialized ranged wolves. Without hesitation, the ranged specialists synchronized their wind attacks with impeccable precision, aiming at the source of the disturbance in the foliage. However, the wolves'' attack only made contact with the foliage. Moments before the attack, Aleshia carefully considered her options in the face of the looming threat of the wolves. She knew she had limited options. Even if she managed to outrun them, they would track her down. She understood they wouldn''t give up on their pursuit easily. Equally, Aleshia understood trying to attack the wolves would likely prove deadly for her and Kailey. Her only hope lay with Lucia, the witch hat who seemed to have made a connection with the wolves. Making up her mind, Aleshia decided to have a neutral approach and wait for Lucia to make a move. Aleshia observed the wolves drawing near, ready to pounce the tree she hid behind. Aleshia silently cast a concealment spell, making her more difficult to see. She then swiftly and silently started climbing the tree. Meanwhile, she began crafting a timed explosive using her lightning element and some dirt she collected from the ground. After creating the makeshift bomb, she threw it. A few seconds later, it exploded. However, to Aleshia''s disappointment, it was too weak and only caused the tree to shake slightly. The Aftermath Chapter 54 The Aftermath The wolves cautiously turned their heads toward the rustling, only to be struck moments later by a wave of sound that left them incapacitated. It was a surprising, previously undiscovered effect of Aleshia''s lightning power. The lightning she had infused into the clump of dirt created a bomb with an unexpected special aftereffect that proved beneficial. The lightning must have made a wave of sound that only affected that particular type of creature. Fortunately for Aleshia, it seemed that the explosion stunned the wolves and rendered them temporarily unable to fight back. Aleshia quickly recognized this as a unique effect of her lightning power, noting its peculiarity since her lightning had never exhibited that ability before. Aware of the looming threat of the wolves'' reinforcements, she decided to retreat until she could better understand her magic new quirks. Aleshia carefully observed the first wave of wolves, noticing they seemed disoriented. As she quietly descended from the trees, she was sure to climb down with utmost caution, staying out of the wolves'' line of sight. Aleshia knew that her concealment spell might not be foolproof against the keen senses of the wolves, so she took extra care. Aleshia stealthily moved away from that part of the forest, taking an arcing path to Lucia to avoid potential threats. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The group of wolves farthest away, known among the pack for their exceptional hearing and sight, were also affected by the sound wave from Aleshia''s lightning-infused bomb. However, they recovered more quickly than the wolves closest to the noise. The scout wolves saw the presence in the trees vanish. When they confirmed their target had escaped, the wolves decided not to pursue. They signaled the ranged wolves to stand down and turned their attention to the melee group. The scout wolves noticed that they were in bad shape. They then instructed some of the wolves in the ranged group, who were skilled in tending to wounds, to go and assist the injured group. Three wolves from the pack approached the dazed and wounded wolves. These healer wolves could draw energy from the environment with their mastery over nature. They transferred this energy to the dazed wolves, helping them heal quickly. The healer wolves focused their attention on the wounds inflicted by Aleshia''s bomb, which had caused internal injuries to the affected wolves. After a few minutes, the stunned wolves snapped out of their daze. One by one, the healer wolves assessed their condition and rejoined the pack. Lucias side Chapter 55 Lucia''s side A few minutes before the attack. Lucia was worried about where Aleshia went and began to panic. However, she knew that staying near the ruin''s entrance was her best bet for survival. Lucia believed Aleshia was exploring the area for threats and would be back soon. Lucia patiently waited for Aleshia to return. While doing so, she soon noticed the different colors in the world, where it had only been dull and dark in the ruin. Outside, there were many other colors to see and explore. Lucia now understood Aleshia''s sentiment and agreed with it. Just as Lucia was standing near the ruin''s entrance, she heard sounds of fighting coming from the forest. She wanted to find out what was causing it, but she was worried that she might miss Aleshia if she left without warning. As the fighting intensified, Lucia couldn''t remain still. She was pondering whether or not she should depart when she heard the cry of a beast, which echoed throughout the forest. Lucia hoped that Aleshia would return soon. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Somewhere in the forest, a pack of twenty wolves was near a water stream for a drink. Suddenly, they heard one of their pack members crying out for help. The wolf howled in distress, signaling that it was in danger and a human was involved. Some within the group of twenty wolves became enraged upon realizing that one of their own was facing death. But others had calmer minds. Even so, they all abandoned their leisure and rushed to the wolf''s location. Despite their efforts, they were unable to save it from being slain. Some of The elder wolves tried to locate the human responsible for the attack, while the younger wolves mourned the loss of their companion. The rest of the wolves left the younger ones to grieve and began preparations to honor the fallen wolf and send it off into the afterlife. After the young wolves finished mourning, the pack used their power over nature to let the earth take in the fallen wolf''s body, allowing it to return to the earth''s cycle. Once the ceremony finished, the wolves prayed for their fallen kin. The pack''s tracking and scouting wolves explored the area and found footprints that they believed belonged to the human who had killed their pack member. After sharing their findings with the pack, the group journeyed through the forest, following the prints to a clearing. As they gazed at the open area, the wolves found something unexpected: a single peculiar witch hat. The Dangerous Entity Chapter 56 The Dangerous Entity A low growl came from the pack leader, alerting the others to the enormous amount of power that seemed to be emanating from a being just below the slope. They all lowered their heads in compliance, notifying the leader of their consent, then followed into a crouch. Following the leader''s command, four groups moved away from the main pack, with five wolves in each group. The wolves skulked in different directions, each encircling the creature from far away while staying cautious not to be detected. While the other packs were relocating, the leader pondered how to confront this mysterious but dangerous entity. Despite all its preparations, the wolf did not know if it could convey its wish for peace and knowledge of the human. After splitting apart from the primary group, the four groups took their positions and waited for orders. The leaders of each group reported to the pack leader that they had moved into position. Armed with this new knowledge, the leader of the group ventured forward. The wolves started down the slope, and when two of their number saw the hat. Their first reaction was to mock it, but they faltered as they approached, sensing the menacing aura flowing from the strange hat. When the leader realized the hat had noticed them, the wolf released a harmless bark to express its intent. "We have found you through your presence. This wolf wishes to seek your knowledge of any humans that have come through here as it has slain one of our kin." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The hat turned to face the wolves in front of it, it spoke into their minds. The wolves heard an odd noise. The wolves were unable to comprehend what had been spoken. The strange buzzing in their heads startled the wolves, making their fur stand on end. Nonetheless, the group''s leader managed to understand a few of the words that the hat pronounced, even though they were in the human tongue. As the leader wolf had grown, it had seen its fair share of humans in its lifetime living in and around the forest and had learned a few things. It struggled to produce complex human speech; nevertheless, The leader made every effort to communicate with the entity before them. It tried to speak human but spoke in a broken tongue, with a growling tone that contrasted with its earlier soft barking. "Warning, wolf. We pack like wolves. Ask for your permission of knowledge of the human who slay our kind." Afraid of Little ol Me? Chapter 57 Afraid of Little ol'' Me? "Oh? So these wolves can speak." Lucia said it with curiosity in her voice. She looked around the group and noticed the other four wolves trembling quietly. She wondered, ''Well, it seems the only one available to speak with me now is the one in front. But why are they afraid of little ol'' me?'' Puzzled, Lucia began examining herself. She melded a thread of consciousness away from the witch hat and turned to observe. ''Oh, so that''s what I look like. Hmm, quite scary if I say so myself.'' she thought with a light chuckle. The image Lucia saw at first was just of some ordinary hat, albeit one tailored for witches. But as her threaded consciousness pervaded the minds of the wolves before her, Lucia eventually started to see an aura of undulating, monstrous darkness around the witch hat she inhabited. Similar to the aura of corruption and death the undead produced. As Lucia inspected her witch hat, she felt a sudden pull on her consciousness. She sensed the danger of several unseen entities from another plane of existence attempting to slip into her consciousness. Lucia frantically tried to recover the thread of consciousness before it was too late. When the thread re-entered her mind, she immediately sealed it away in the recesses of her mind. After a brief moment of calm, Lucia remembered her prior engagement before she was overwhelmed by the impending danger. She struggled to recall why she wanted to interact with these wolves. Just then, a fleeting thought from the previous few seconds glowed in the back of her mind. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ''The way that wolf spoke didn''t seem to be fluent human. Still, if I am to speak with the wolf, it should be when we can both fluently understand each other. It would be too bizarre and uncanny to speak with a wolf that gives off such an air of confidence with its limited human vocabulary. I might as well go into their heads and learn some of their native tongue.'' Lucia recalled the passing thought and started projecting her consciousness again, now with added layers of protection. The consciousness appeared as an unnoticeable, faintly glowing thread with tiny, delicately crafted hexagrams covering the thread. It snaked through the air like a Will-o''-the-Wisp. As the glowing thread reached the leading wolf, it quickly bounded back to its group as if it instinctively sensed something was wrong. The wolf then shouted with indignation at the witch hat, "Monster! What are you planning with this strange ambush?" Wolf Communion Chapter 58 Wolf Communion Lucia saw the wolf jump back to its group and quickly returned her loose thread of consciousness. When it returned, Lucia began to speculate about the limitations in her mind. ''So the thread will be noticed by the heightened senses of a beast. It would likewise be unable to escape the notice of individuals more powerful than me. However, this should not be a problem as I do not require information from anyone that powerful yet.'' As she finished her thought. she heard the wolf speak once again. "Monster! What are you planning?" Lucia pondered over the question and then innocently responded to the wolf, "I was only trying to enter your mind to learn your language." The wolf only seemed able to grasp parts of what Lucia said, but it tried its best to understand. After pausing for a moment, the wolf curtly responded. " "I understand," as it advanced toward the witch''s hat. When it reached a few feet from Lucia, she outstretched her consciousness in a thread, reaching the wolf before her. After a few moments, she acquired the wolf''s language and knowledge. Lucia was now equipped with the language of the wolves of that region and began to speak to them fluently, this time through the jagged maw of the witch hat. "Hello, group of wolves. Is the one in front of me your leader?" The inexperience of speaking using the witch hat caused Lucia''s words to be quite loud, allowing all the wolves far away to hear her. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Some birds far away were startled by the sudden loud noise and flew off into the sky, with only the rustling of wings interrupting the silence. "Indeed, I am their leader," said the wolf in front of Lucia. Lucia heard a pleasant voice, different from the gravely one she had heard earlier. Confused, she disregarded the wolf leader''s affirmation and slowly spoke, growling through her maw, "Your voice is completely different from when you were using the human language." And after hearing the difference in her voice, she added. "And my voice sounds different as well." The wolf leader interrupted Lucia to give a brief explanation of the difference. "The way wolves communicate is unlike human language. Since you have spent time in my mind, understanding our language through my memories, you may have intuitively grasped the intricacies of wolf communication. It could explain why you perceive your speech as unfamiliar." Subordinate To Me? Chapter 59 Subordinate To Me? Lucia pondered the wolf leader''s words and muttered, "I suppose that does seem to make the most sense." With that small question cleared up, Lucia asked the wolf leader why they had come to meet her. The wolf leader nodded and responded, "There was a lone wolf from my pack who died some time ago, and near his corpse, we traced human tracks back to this spot. We want to know if you know where the human who killed my kin is." The group behind him drooped their heads in grief, affirming the leader''s words. Lucia heard the wolf and felt pity about what had happened, but she didn''t know where the human was. Then Lucia remembered something: she was traveling with a human. Lucia didn''t want the wolves to mistake Aleshia for the human that killed one of their pack members when she returned, so she told a small lie: "I do believe there were humans here a while ago, but I have not seen one recently. I only just came to this area. I do have another companion with me, though. The companion appears human but is truly a ghoul, an undead creature attached to a human corpse." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The wolf leader listened to the hat, carefully considering its words. ''The strange hat is mysterious when it comes to its companion. It might suggest it knows something about our fallen. But it could also be anxious that we would attack it and its so-called companion. But if the hat already knows of our number and unconsciously gives off such an aura, I wonder how powerful of an aura the companion gives off.'' The wolf thought if they became subordinate to these powerful entities, it and its pack might reach a higher plane of existence and evolve. The wolf leader declared its intent. "Is that so? You do not know where the human is. If that is the case, we have nothing else to discuss related to this topic. Since we''re all here, will you allow us to become your subordinates? As a leader, I want my wolf clan to prosper and grow even stronger. I believe that with your strength, we can evolve." Lucia was stunned by the sudden proposal and wondered, ''Why does this wolf want to subordinate to me? What power do I have that a beast doesn''t already possess?'' With a hint of hesitation, Lucia asked, "Why would you wish to subordinate to me?" Corrupted Aura Chapter 60 Corrupted Aura "The reason is simple. My pack and I see an opportunity to increase our innate power. If you empower us with your dark and corrupted aura, our nature will be able to cleanse the corruption within the aura and use it like energy to strengthen ourselves. It would undoubtedly improve our proficiency and understanding of our power," explained the wolf leader. Lucia found a part of the wolf''s explanation puzzling but then recalled the strange aura she had seen around herself, realizing that that was what the wolf was referring to. She now understood why the wolf wanted to become her subordinate. However, Lucia did not believe she needed anyone other than Aleshia to accompany her. Then, a simple thought struck her: ''If these wolves become mine, then I could ride them to find a village even faster.'' With that idea in mind, she was on the verge of announcing her acceptance but had a change of heart. Instead, she uttered something that sparked greater interest. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "I want to assess your abilities before I accept you and your pack as my subordinates. Would you mind demonstrating your strength through mock combat?" Upon receiving the request, the wolf leader consented to the terms and let out a resounding, commanding howl to call forth the other four groups of wolves, strategically concealing themselves within the thick underbrush. The howl prompted the wolves to emerge from hiding. They moved with vigilance and caution as they approached their leader. Lucia was surprised by the sudden emergence of fifteen more wolves. She put her guard up, intending to fight. However, when the wolves sat neatly before the wolf leader, she lessened her guard slightly. The wolf leader noticed the discomfort and began speaking. "Alright, listen here, all of you. We are to demonstrate our abilities to the witch hat beside me. If we capture its interest, the witch hat will allow us to become its subordinates, and in doing so, it will let us become stronger than we have ever been before." Some of the wolves in the audience attempted to question why they needed to gain the interest of the witch''s hat, but they failed to do so because the excited howls of the other wolves masked their voices. The other wolves were eager for some excitement after the period of mourning. Once things had settled, the gathering dispersed, and the wolves established a training ground to showcase their powers in practice. After being set up, four human-shaped dummies made of dirt and grass stood. Another area was enclosed with compacted soil to create a small barrier wall for the wolves'' arena. Scout vs Mage Part 1 Chapter 61 Scout vs Mage Part 1 Lucia looked upon the newly constructed arena and dummies made of mud, dirt, in approval. The wolf leader stood tall as he accepted the silent praise from the witch hat. A moment later, a wolf approached them, announcing the completion of the arena. The surrounding area was cleared of any obstacles, such as grass, weeds, and rocks, which were pushed deeper into the forest using the wolves'' innate power over nature. The softer materials, such as grass, weeds, and fallen leaves, were set aside for the contestants to use. The area had been cleared, flattened, and prepared for the demonstration, with apparent care taken to avoid damaging the environment. The two individuals, one a witch hat and the other a proud wolf, strolled to the spectator area, bereft of protrusion. They watched as the wolves prepared to demonstrate their abilities. Lucia received a general explanation of the wolves'' skills and nodded thoughtfully, even though she did not fully understand how the skills performed. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. From what she could understand, the wolves'' abilities seemed comparable to human elemental magic but were unique in that they didn''t require incantations or visualization. The wolf leader explained that, for their kind, the magic they could use was instinctual. The leader theorized that this was due to their attunement and close connection with nature, which humans had moved away from. Lucia was excited to learn this; it explained why some people who didn''t initially have the potential to use magic were able to develop it later in life when met with dangerous situations. Lucia was confused by the concept she thought of, as she couldn''t recall hearing of it before. She didn''t remember ever coming across that idea in her extensive library or gaining any knowledge about it. Lucia pondered on it for a while before the wolves ahead began to howl, indicating the start of the match. A sudden gust of wind materialized above the wolf, bringing forth the grass and leaves set aside in neat stacks, causing the gale to become deadly sharp. The razor-sharp wind then slowly started tilting towards the opponent. The opponent did the same magic, although it was much calmer and steadier. Instead of the wind above the wolf, it was on the ground, primed near their hind legs. The grass and leaves on their side of the arena began to flow towards the calm and steady winds, gently covering the wind like a shell. Scout vs Mage Part 2 Chapter 62 Scout vs Mage Part 2 When the wolf, surrounded by a whirlwind of wind, grass, leaves, and sharp objects, saw that the opposing wolf had prepared itself, it directed the cyclone accurately toward the other wolf. The opposing wolf then used its gathered wind to swiftly increase its speed, enabling it to dodge the initial attack. However, hidden behind the elaborate cyclone attack were many smaller versions of the attack. The wolf spotted them while in the air in the peripheral of its vision and managed to narrowly avoid the assault by contorting its body. The attack missed, only nicking some of its furs. After landing on the ground, the wolf immediately started running toward the magic-oriented wolf and swiftly closed in. But before it could attack, the magic-wielding wolf suddenly vanished, transforming into clumps of leaves and grass. The leaves slowly drifted to the ground, capturing the wolf''s attention as it watched intently. The magic-wielding wolf did not miss this opportunity and quickly conjured blades of air filled with clumps of grass, releasing them to fly toward the wolf. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The battle ended at that moment. The wounded wolf only sustained minor injuries, which could be healed in a few hours or even in a few minutes if the wolves used their power over nature to extract the life essence from the surrounding forest and imbue it into the wolf. However, the wolves chose not to do that, as it would have been a needless waste of nature''s bounty. The mage wolf hurriedly ran over to the wolf lying on the ground, worried that it might have severely injured the prone wolf. The mage wolf thought it might have put too much power into the attack since the other wolf was still lying on the soft dirt. However, its concerns were needless, as the fallen wolf jumped back up joyfully. When they turned around, both wolves looked at each other and gave a simple nod, accompanied by a quick bark, conveying their mutual respect. Lucia was amazed as she watched the entire duel. It was a completely new experience for the witch hat, who had only recently left the inside of the ruin. She was especially fascinated by the way the wolves before her fought. They used the magic of a completely different nature from her and how she had seen Aleshia use hers. Intrigued by their magic, Lucia attempted to manipulate the surrounding nature as the green wolves did. But after a while, there was no evidence of anything like that happening. Despite this, she persevered and kept at it. Indelible Mark Chapter 63 Indelible Mark The wolf leader noticed the witch hat beside it was moving strangely and was about to approach it but hesitated because it sensed something emanating from it and into the surroundings. The wolf warily watched the hat in curiosity. The hat''s folds began swirling in unusual patterns as if trying to sync with the natural mana permeating the surroundings. The wolf observed with interest, letting the hat do whatever it was doing. After approximately a minute, the swirling motion ceased, and the hat started absorbing the mana from the surrounding wilderness. Shortly afterward, the flow of mana decreased. Then the witch hat spoke, startling the wolf, "Drat, this is difficult," it said in an irritated tone, seemingly unaware of what had just happened. Lucia felt frustrated but calmed down a moment later with a heavy sigh. She noticed the wolf leader watching her and turned in its direction with a questioning gaze. The wolf saw the question in the hat''s posture and answered. "Since your outward appearance started strangely swirling, I have been observing you. Also, the surroundings seem to have been affected by whatever was going on with you." Lucia wasn''t sure what the wolf meant and asked. "What do you mean, did something happen to me?" She cocked her head and murmured, "I don''t see anything has changed." "Look to your surroundings, not yourself," the wolf clarified. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The wolf''s words prompted Lucia to look around herself. She looked around in shock, feeling the distortions that the wolf had mentioned earlier. Lucia noted the distortions felt recent. "Were these distortions here before we came here, and when did these distortions start appearing?" Lucia asked. The wolf responded, "These distortions started appearing a few minutes ago when strange stuff started happening to you." the wolf paused, licking itself before continuing. "It seems like whatever happened with you has affected the nature in this area. Even with my power, I can not change it. It is permanent, indelible." the wolf said solemnly. "Watch out!" shouted one of the wolves in the arena as a stray wind blade flew past the erected barrier of one of the arenas where the wolves were fighting. It struck something in the trees, and a loud cry came from the direction where the wind blade hit. The cry caught the attention of all the wolves in the area, and they prepared themselves cautiously. The wolves started making a plan and got ready for a fight, warily watching the tree from which the cry came. Disturbance Chapter 64 Disturbance Lucia observed as the wolves organized themselves into three teams: one in front, one in the middle, and one at the back. A few wolves remained behind, most likely the more skilled ones, seeing the situation as trivial and a learning opportunity for the younger wolves. Nonetheless, they still participated in the intimidation, their growls filled with bloodlust. Lucia felt excitement build within her as she sensed the bloodlust and tension in the air created by the wolves. Knowing that their menacing gazes were not directed at her, she remained calm. Lucia could feel the experience imparted to her as she watched the wolves prepare for the imminent battle. Even though she only saw it as entertainment, she still believed it could provide practical experience for her in the future. The wolves pounced on their target in a well-coordinated attack. Lucia was confident that the fight would end in an instant. She was right, but it wasn''t her side that won. The wolves suddenly collapsed to the ground. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lucia completely forgot about the matter they were discussing. In an exaggerated display of shock, she shouted, jumping to conclusions, "Wait, what? Huh? Why would they collapse like that after taking down their adversary? Did they collapse because they were exhausted or something?" After the short and anticlimactic battle, Lucia watched some wolves sent to treat the collapsed wolves. The strange glow coming from the wolves'' treatment piqued Lucia''s interest. She wanted to go down there and see up close what caused it, wishing to learn the intricacies that made up the luminescence. She decided to make her way to the area to check for herself. She felt the mana of a familiar presence as she drew near where the battle took place. As Lucia thought back to where she remembered sensing this mana signature, she instantly realized it belonged to Aleshia. Worry washed over her as she muttered, "So that was her. Hopefully, she wasn''t gravely wounded since I can heal her if it isn''t too bad." Lucia began to doubt her theory, hoping that the intruder wasn''t Aleshia. As she rounded the tree where the wolves had pounced, to her dismay, she confirmed that it was indeed Aleshia''s mana. Lucia quietly tried to disguise the mana Aleshia had left behind, hoping to make the wolves lose her trail if they found it. After successfully hiding the trace, Lucia whispered to herself, "Alright, so where could she have run off to?" Zap Chapter 65 Zap Back in the present, Aleshia was resting on a sturdy branch. She was engaged in exploring a new byproduct of her lightning. In the palm of her hand, a multicolored and lively spark danced and crackled with a mesmerizing brightness, creating a cacophony of detonations. Despite the commotion caused by the energetic spark, the surrounding area remained undisturbed by the loud noise. The area around the tree was isolated by a thick layer of water, which acted as a barrier created by Aleshia''s water magic. This power effectively dampened the sound produced by the crackling spark, ensuring that it remained unheard by any curious monsters "I suppose that even though I trained with Kailey using a mixture of her magic and my own, there will still be unique qualities to them that will never discovered until they have a target," Aleshia said as she closed her palm, dispelling the spark of lightning. Now confident in using her magic, Aleshia hesitantly dropped from the tree, rolling twice to cancel her falling momentum. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Several items spilled out of Aleshia''s clothes as she rolled. These items were different variations of her newly refined lightning bombs. The bombs were strewn about after a rough landing. Aleshia felt the emptiness when she got up. She then realized that the explosives she was carrying had fallen out onto the ground. As she picked up all the items that fell from her clothes, she carefully placed them back in her pockets. After confirming she had everything, she started walking back towards the ruins, now occupied by wolves. Equipped with the knowledge of several new, unique effects, she prepared herself for what lay ahead. Aleshia was near the outskirts of where her last battle took place. It seemed the wolves had forgotten their previous encounter and were now roaming around the ruined entrance. She spotted Lucia sitting in the shade of a tree. As she focused on her, Aleshia used her lightning power to create a fast bolt of harmless lightning, which she named [Zap]. The name was inspired by the many times she had been shocked by the lightning before she mastered the precise control of it. The harmless lightning quickly struck the witch hat. Startled, the hat awoke feeling as though something had pricked it. Lucia looked around to find the source of the prick but found nothing to blame. As she was about to leave, she felt another prick. Lucia started to worry about the unexplained pain. This time, she felt an even deeper pain with the third prick. Finally, activating her senses, she realized the attacks contained Aleshia''s mana signature. Unresolved Issue Chapter 66 Unresolved Issue The bewildered witch hat regained its composure when it realized Aleshia was still alive and nearby. It had seen the wolves fighting, and based on that demonstration, she feared that Aleshia might have been seriously injured or even killed. Lucia examined the marks left on her hat form and used them to determine where Aleshia might have launched the magic. Using her ability to see beyond her physical body, she detected some traces of Aleshia in the area where she was looking, allowing her to pinpoint Aleshia''s exact location. Lucia hesitated to emerge from the shade of the tree and reunite as she didn''t want the wolf leader to discover Aleshia''s location. She was afraid that the leader would order its wolves to attack Aleshia. Lucia pondered how to reach Aleshia without alerting the wolf leader but couldn''t put forth a plan. Suddenly, the wolf leader''s voice interrupted her thoughts, "It seems you are awake," it said. Startled, Lucia flinched before turning toward the voice. In a sour tone, she replied, trying to make the wolf forget her slip. "I sure am awake now." Stolen story; please report. The wolf seemed to disregard her slip and spoke about the recent events. "None of the wolves that had collapsed were seriously injured. Thank the spirits of nature. But the perpetrator did get away. Disregarding that, we should try and fix those distortions over there," the wolf said, glancing toward the distortions that Lucia had made. Lucia had been trying to put that matter in the back of her mind and had an excuse to leave the matter unresolved. However, when she looked at it again, she saw that they had grown a sizeable amount since the last time she saw it. "Oh my," she said in surprise, unconsciously backing away. "''Oh, my'' certainly is an apt way to describe it," the wolf said in agreement. Lucia agreed with the wolf in need to quickly address the distortions and urgently began leaping toward the location, with the wolf trailing behind. As Lucia got closer, the world around her started to look and sound distorted and wavy, similar to a mirage. She soon arrived near where the distortions were seen the clearest, with the wolf leader behind her. "Alright, so how can I help with this?" Lucia said. "I''m pretty sure I do not know how to resolve this issue." The wolf thought on the matter, giving a rough explanation. "Since you brought this about, you might be able to reverse it. But rest assured, you won''t be alone in the struggle to undo this, as I will be helping you. Twisted Knots Chapter 67 Twisted Knots "That sounds promising," Lucia said slowly, thinking, ''I should be able to resolve the issue with its help.'' Lucia prepared herself, waiting for the wolf leader to command her however needed. She affirmed her determination and declared her readiness. "All right, let''s begin," her adrenaline rapidly rose, making her dive in headfirst. However, when she glanced at the wolf, her enthusiasm soon plummeted as the wolf beside her stood still, seemingly doing nothing. "Hey!" she shouted. "Why are you just standing there doing nothing?!" The wolf stood still, looking unblinkingly. Then, the clarity in its eyes regained focus, and it replied in confusion, "I am showing you guidance. Are you unable to see it?" The wolf pondered momentarily before giving up, suggesting, "Try looking with your sight, not your vision." With that cryptic response, the wolf returned to its blank-eyed stare, watching the distortions. It took a moment until Lucia comprehended the wolf''s message, but once she did, she used her soul sight to observe the wolf leader and noticed an assertive energy emanating from it. This newfound insight inspired her to use the same magic to mimic the leader''s effortless energy flow. However, despite her best efforts, all she could conjure was a tangled mass of energy. In contrast, the wolf''s energy flowed smoothly without any snags. Following the wolf''s example, she began untangling the twisted knots. Initially, everything seemed to untangle smoothly as she vigorously pulled and loosened the knots, unraveling them. However, when Lucia stepped back to inspect her work, she realized that the progress she thought she had made was nonexistent. But in reality, she was making good progress, although she could not see it due to her panic and the ever-emerging knots and snags that occurred while harnessing it. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Lucia was brainstorming various approaches to untangle the complex knots in the energy. As Lucia considered a solution, she looked at the wolf pleading, hoping for guidance. Sensing the hat''s desperation and the lack of progress, the wolf decided to step in and offer instructions on how to smooth out the energy. "Hold on. If you rush into this, you might provoke the nature you''re drawing from since the energy you''re working with is interweaved with the natural world. Let me show you how to proceed cautiously. Just follow my lead." The wolf allowed one of the flows of energy to become tangled. When the thread started to become chaotic and drift onto the main energy river, the wolf took control and slowly separated the mess into sections. Lucia watched the process intently, observing closely, paying attention to every detail and every slight movement. Gained Insight Chapter 68 Gained Insight Lucia gained insight by observing how the wolf controlled nature''s energy. She discovered why the power she was trying to use was becoming entangled. Lucia suspected that the energy became tangled due to corruption caused by the distortions. The distortions appeared like tears or breaks in the natural flow from which she drew power. The power was coming out tangled because there was no longer any filter in that part of nature due to the disruptions. The wolf could use the power cleanly because it had employed it all its life and knew how to wield nature skillfully. After gaining wisdom from the wolf''s guidance, Lucia delved deep into the intricately tangled energy surrounding her. Lucia skillfully unraveled the intricately intertwined energy flow, reshaping it into a gentle, meandering brook. By doing so, she effectively crafted a more controllable reservoir of energy for her use. In essence, she was meticulously constructing a filter that the natural world would typically have provided had it not been for this extraordinary occurrence. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lucia continued her work, creating additional streams from the main river. As she did so, a cascading effect emerged, culminating in the formation of a breathtaking waterfall. The energy surged and collided with tremendous force before settling into a calmer state at the base, now more amenable to Lucia''s control. This process of channeling and filtering the energy became significantly more fluid and manageable for Lucia, empowering her to harness and direct this formidable force. The stream took shape before her, the difficulties that had troubled her earlier seemed to have disappeared. "Is this a shortcut?" Lucia murmured; her excitement soared, and her mental fatigue lessened as she felt a sense of joy and achievement. The demanding process of creating many streams had almost pushed her to the brink because of the intense focus it required. Lucia observed the results of her hard work and intricate creation and felt a sense of relief. However, a wave of dread washed over her as she realized she had only completed one part of the process, with the rest yet to come. The wolf leader watched the strange new process of filtration the hat was inventing and silently applauded its creation. The wolf captured the entire process within its memory in hopes of refining the process later to become more efficient, knowing now was not the time to focus on that process as it had to delay the distortions from growing worse. Testing The Distortion Chapter 69 Testing The Distortion The wolf had its focus entirely on the task at hand. With complete trust in the witch hat''s ability to perform its task. The wolf projected its aura, filled with the power to control nature, covering the entire area to contain the distortions. With the distortions contained, the wolf proceeded to the next stage, formulating a plan to revert the distortions and return the area to its natural and undisturbed state. The wolf wanted to test the strength of the distortion, so it directed a small amount of its energy toward it. In return, the distortion rebounded the energy so fast that the wolf couldn''t dodge it. The wolf endured the impact and the pain. It then realized that it couldn''t face the distortion head-on; it needed to find an alternative approach to use its power. The wolf''s eyes glimmered as it made a wry grin, knowing how much it could learn by honing its skills on the distortions. It attacked the distortions again with a few techniques, testing each one on the distortion. The wolf brought up the dirt beneath it, imbuing its power into the dirt and forming it into a human weapon - a spear. Then, the wolf hurled the spear directly at the distortion, striking it dead in the center. The wolf was briefly attuned to the distortion and felt itself consumed by the outside force. However, with effort and willpower, the wolf resisted, not succumbing to the strange force. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The wolf shook its head briefly before making more human weapons, realizing the distortion seemed unable to repel materialized objects. It continued to barrage the distortions with its human weapons. They collided with the chaotic rift, and the continuous force caused it to congeal into a softer, malleable form. Although the wolf saw success with its methodology, it knew it was only a temporary solution. The wolf looked at the witch hat to check its progress and was not disappointed. The witch hat had been making ample progress. It had learned to control its newfound power and had already formed the energy into a sharp blade. But unlike the wolf''s aggressive approach, the witch hat seemed to be taking a slower approach. It transformed another energy into a thin, fast river and carefully placed the energy blade into it. As soon as the blade touched the current, it flashed, gaining incredible speed, becoming almost invisible to the naked eye, shooting forth at a high speed. The Wolfs Theory Chapter 70 The Wolf''s Theory The fast-moving blade struck the distortion, sending a noticeable wave of energy to disperse from the blade and infused into the rift. The imbued energy caused the rift to become malleable and merge back into the world, resembling the aftermath of the repeated strikes of the wolf. However, the witch hat''s attack caused it to blend back into the world instead of softening and warping. The force of the attack pushed the air, creating a small gust of wind. The breeze caused the witch hat to float into the air. However, before the witch hat could be swept away by the wind and into one of the rifts, it was saved and caught in the jaws of the wolf leader. Lucia and the leader wolf landed safely on the ground. The wolf placed the hat on the ground, and once they settled, they combined their findings. The wolf looked at the witch hat in awe of its power, saying, "The distortion you struck instantly turned into sludge with that blade and contraption you created." Even with my power, using human-made weapons, it took several strikes from those to make the distortion I was battling become like that." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Lucia made a mental note of the keywords mentioned by the wolf, but she decided not to dwell on them and instead focused on the present. "What have you found with the distortion you were testing? I doubt I''ve discovered anything that you wouldn''t already know." Lucia said. After saying that, Lucia quickly added, "Could I ask what you found out?" The wolf nodded and explained what it knew. "Based on my findings, the distortion seems impervious unless struck by a material object. I tested the distortion by shooting a bit of raw nature at it. But instead of affecting the distortion as your earlier attack did, it came back at me with even more force as if retaliating. But when I used a material vessel forming dirt into a human weapon and imbuing it with nature''s energy, it seemed effective, although weak compared to your previous attack." Lucia was surprised to hear that she needed a material vessel and interrupted the wolf''s explanation. "That''s strange since the energy blade wrapped in nature I unleashed didn''t retaliate. What could be the reason for the difference between your power and mine?" The wolf responded to the hat''s doubt with uncertainty. It said, "The lack of rebound could be due to the high speed of the strike and the fact that you condensed your aura into a knife-like shape, unlike mine, which was just a show of raw power." After a momentary pause, "Maybe I was wrong about that theory." The Swirling Distortion Chapter 71 The Swirling Distortion The wolf sighed and said, "Anyway, regardless of my earlier statement, how about we finish restoring the distortions to their former natural state?" "That seems like something we should do," Lucia agreed and walked beside the wolf. They soon reached the distortion she had hit with her propelled energy blade. When they neared the distortion, Lucia noticed that it had already begun to fade. "Huh, that''s strange. It looks like the distortion is melding back into the world," she remarked. "You might be right in that observation," the wolf said, responding to her confusion. "But in any case, that should be a good sign. We might understand more about the distortions if we inspect this one." "Right," Lucia said, looking around at all the other distortions in worry, believing they would soon grow out of control. The wolf reassured her that it wouldn''t happen and voiced its confidence. "We don''t need to worry for a while since I have prevented the further growth of the other distortions inside this area by sectioning it off with my power. I would estimate that the limit of my power will be at least a few days." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Lucia''s relief was palpable as she absorbed the information, and then she spoke, her tone determined. "Given that we''re not under any pressure to address the remaining distortions, we could take the opportunity to thoroughly investigate this one until we have a complete understanding of it." The wolf agreed with her, saying, "That sounds like a good idea. We might as well take the chance." Lucia and the wolf stood at a safe distance away from the swirling distortion, observing it closely. Lucia began scanning the actively melding distortion with her aura and felt a strange sense of connection with it. She felt herself losing her sense of self in the distortion, and then her vision was consumed by it. Then she felt her connection to her witch hat about to be severed. The wolf shook her, snapping her out of the strange trance. The wolf asked the witch hat if it was okay, noting that the distortions seemed to be causing mental confusion. The wolf expressed concern, mentioning that the effects may be the same as the distortion it had experimented with. After taking a moment to steady herself, Lucia responded, assuring the wolf that she was unharmed. "I don''t feel that great, but I must admit, knowing your name would make me feel a bit better." Exchanging Names Chapter 72 Exchanging Names The wolf tilted its head in confusion at the sudden question but wasted no time sharing its name. "I was given the name ''Dahdin'' by the former pack leader during the naming ceremony," Dahdin said as he lay on the grass. "You don''t need to know more." Lucia liked his name, although she didn''t understand its meaning. But since the wolf had introduced himself, she felt it was only fair to do the same. Lucia brightened as she introduced herself. "My name is Lucia. You''ll learn more about me sooner or later." "I have a feeling I might, Lucia. Let''s continue experimenting with that distortion now since you seem calmer," Dahdin paused, looking at Lucia before changing his words. "Or rather, completely consumed in your imagination." It seemed Lucia was in her world, overly excited since someone said her name. Lucia felt a sense of completion at the wolf''s, no, Dahdin''s acknowledgment. It was a feeling different from gaining a name from Aleshia. Being given a name felt exceptional, but someone saying your name felt even more special. To Lucia, a name was a special kind of magic. It singled out and made something special. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Lucia''s daydream ended as quickly as it had begun. She searched through her memory to see if Dahdin had said anything during her inactivity, and it seemed he did. Lucia pondered what she would do as retribution for the slight dig at her at the end, but she chose not to dwell on it. She agreed with his initial statement and saw no reason to prolong the discussion. Given the importance of the situation, Lucia decided to continue working on what they had been doing. "Dahdin, let''s continue experimenting on the distortion." Lucia and Dahdin inspected the distortion this time, with both of their auras shielding each other, creating a mishmash of energy that guarded against various attacks. The distortion seemed to have grown smaller and less noticeable during their conversation. "It seems like what you did before seemed to do the trick, so how about you try imbuing your power into the distortion?" Dahdin suggested. "Yes, fill the distortions up with the so-called energy blades." Lucia off-handedly remarked, not thinking much of it. "I think that idea might just work. Let''s start preparing right away." Dahdin acknowledged. Dahdin and Lucia began preparing the energy highway, directing it toward the nearest distortion. Once it was all confirmed, they initiated the launch with a countdown. "3...2...1..." Energy Highway Chapter 73 Energy Highway As multiple energy blades soared through the air, the force of their expulsion created a high-pitched, whistling sound as they hurtled toward the distortion. Upon impact with the distortion, the energy blade dispersed as if nothing were there. However, the energy within the blade was still present and actively absorbed into the distortion. Dahdin and Lucia stood side by side, fixated on the spectacle unfolding before them. Their faces filled with anticipation for the result. After a few tense minutes of waiting, there was a flicker of movement within the distortion. It started swirling faster, but its motion appeared to reverse, creating a mesmerizing and bewildering effect. When Dahdin and Lucia looked at the outer layer of the distortion, they couldn''t help but notice the acceleration at which the distortion seemed to be fading. Dahdin remarked, "It''s fascinating. We should observe closely to understand why this is happening. While Lucia was attentively observing the distortion consuming the energy, she quietly murmured, "It''s almost as if it is using the energy to nourish itself." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They observed the distortion as it was fading, obtaining crucial information, considering it an exceptional result and a solution to the crisis. "That concludes the experiment," Dahdin declared, gradually coming to his senses. Lucia looked at Dahdin; he returned the stare and silently nodded in agreement, in understanding. Almost an hour later, there were multiple energy highways, each accompanied by dozens of energy blades. "Lucia, I believe we are prepared to unleash the blades at the other distortions," Dahdin howled, glancing at the distortion. "I hear you and agree. Release the blades!" Lucia yelled back. With that affirmation, Dahdin began supplying the energy highway with the energy blades lying right next to them. They were dropped in one by one, with various other energy highway supplied similarly, albeit slower. When the energy blades reached the end of the stream, they were ejected from the energy highway, precisely targeting the scattered, unmoving distortions. The distortions seemed eager for the energy within the blades to collide with them; some even spontaneously grew in size to make the cascade come to them faster. The sudden growth in the distortions alarmed both Dadhin and Lucia. They panicked when they felt the spike in growth and quickly turned around to stare at the distortions, hoping nothing would happen that would cause their plan to go awry. They were especially concerned about the distortions dodging the energy blades raining down on them. To their relief, the distortions were not evading the blades but actively chasing them instead. Aleshias side Chapter 74 Aleshia''s side Aleshia watched as Lucia finally noticed her location and silently celebrated, "Yes, FINALLY! Lucia''s awake." But as she was celebrating, the worst possible thing that could happen occurred. An interloper appeared. "Wait, no, no, no! Why is a wolf next to her now!?" Aleshia complained. While she was complaining about the interloper, the wolf whisked Lucia away from the tree. Aleshia had just watched as her only ally was whisked away right in front of her, albeit from very far away. Aleshia slammed her fist on the ground with a small thud. The noise did not travel far, as she had already taken precautions by putting up a water barrier around herself in case anything surprised her and caused her to reveal her position. After grumbling a bit, Aleshia finally decided to wait a little longer for their reunion. Until then, she would have to wait and watch. Aleshia watched Lucia from afar, observing her antics. It was something that passed the time, so Aleshia watched closely. As Aleshia observed the witch hat interacting with the wolf, she sensed a sudden, strange urgency in Lucia''s body language. Aleshia could tell, despite Lucia''s form being that of a witch hat. After all, she had been together with it for a few months. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. When the two left the shaded tree, Aleshia left her position and silently followed behind them, keeping a distance. After a while, she finally caught sight of them again. The figures before her were shrouded in a mysterious, almost ethereal veil, distorting their figures and creating a shattered effect. "That''s strange," Aleshia remarked. She was staring at the place where the wolf and witch hat were. Her view was reminiscent of the fractured white world she and Kailey had encountered. As Aleshia was reminiscing, the wolf stepped forward, deeper into the peculiar zone, and unleashed what she could tell was its aura or a display of dominance. The force from the aura disrupted her senses for a moment. When she regained consciousness, she finally noticed an intrusive energy or a sense of oddness in the air. Intuitively, she knew the strange feeling would be stronger beyond the strange distorting haze. While she was experiencing this odd feeling, things below were progressing. Lucia seemed to have an epiphany about something and was energetically jumping around. Aleshia saw a faint, ethereal glow materialize next to the witch hat, giving the impression of otherworldly magic at work. Meanwhile, the wolf stood transfixed, its gaze locked onto something in the distance with an unwavering focus. Wicked Energy Chapter 75 Wicked Energy As Aleshia watched Lucia experimenting with an unknown power from afar, she could feel a surge of energy emanating from the wolf. Suddenly, the ground before the wolf began to levitate, turning into a hazy, translucent spear. The wolf hurled the spear into the air, and as it flew straight, it disappeared into thin air. "What is that wolf firing at?" Aleshia muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she watched the wolf deep in contemplation. Aleshia stood watching as the wolf created more human weapons and discharged them in the same direction as the first spear. As they collided with something, there was an audible boom, marking the announcement of a mysterious object that seemed to materialize before the wolf. "What is that? That doesn''t feel like a good thing to have around," Aleshia said in apprehension. From the strange pressure she could feel from the thing that suddenly appeared, she could tell it wasn''t of this world; it was from a more demonic part of this world. It belonged to the more wicked races, and sometimes humankind would dabble in it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. She could feel it bending the natural order of this world. The strange sensation she had felt before was intensifying, emanating from that thing. Aleshia descended the hill she had been hiding on and crept closer to the pair, wary of the wicked energy she could sense. As Aleshia descended the ridge, she heard another loud noise. She lifted her head from her focused gaze on the steep ground to look at what caused the noise and saw that another one of those things had appeared. In her peripheral vision, she could see the witch hat floating in the air, whimsically carried away from where she last saw it. Just as it was about to drift away and into the sky, the green wolf bounded forward and caught the edge of the hat in its jaws, preventing it from floating further. The green wolf and the hat both landed gracefully back on the ground. While Aleshia descended the ridge, she kept a close eye on the scene below, glancing now and again. As she progressed down the hillside, she noticed another faintly glowing line facing the mysterious object. Soon, she heard a loud boom coming from it, which startled her slightly. After a while, she finally reached the bottom of the hill, which seemed to take forever to descend. Just as Aleshia was about to step onto flat land, a flurry of ear-splitting booms erupted near where she last saw Lucia and that wolf. Perplexing Problem Chapter 76 Perplexing Problem Aleshia realized that the booming sounds were more numerous than the few she had heard before. This increase made her stricken with worry, thinking that something had gone awry with the otherworldly magic she saw Lucia conjuring. Aleshia ran toward the booming sounds, invoking enhancement and supportive magics that enveloped her body in a shimmering aura. She increased her speed as she adjusted to the enhancement, determined to confront whatever awaited her at the source of the ominous sounds. Aleshia ran for what had felt like many hours. Her steps became faltering as exhaustion began to set in. While she had been running, she had been continuously reapplying her magics. Aleshia''s chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. "What in the world? Why does it feel like I have been running for ages?" she thought, trying to ground herself. Her legs felt heavy, and her lungs burned with each gasp for air. Aleshia blinked, trying to escape her tunnel vision. She looked up to check the sun''s position to estimate how long she had been running, but to her dismay, the sun had barely moved from its position since she last remembered it. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. From there, she tried searching for Lucia. When she finally saw her, Aleshia realized she was closer to Lucia than she had been at the bottom of the hill. When she turned back to look at the hill she had just descended, she noticed it was a significant distance away, confirming that time must have passed. Uneasiness appeared on her face as she tried to make sense of the strange passage of time. Aleshia''s thoughts raced as she struggled to make sense of the situation. ''This shouldn''t be possible. It can''t be that they are moving, as that would be too far,'' she remarked inwardly, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I could plainly see them from the top of the hill, and I should have been running for at least an hour, judging by the distance from the base of the hill that I descended. But the sun has barely changed its position from where I last saw it being," she mused aloud, allowing her mind to grapple with the perplexing problem. Aleshia was confused by the turn of events and finally stopped to catch her breath and focus on the task at hand. She began sketching on the dirt with a stick she found on the ground, creating a graph of the hill, her starting point, current location, and destination. She then traced the distance she had covered. Aleshia sketched the distance she should have traveled and how far she probably traveled and calculated the distance she had covered based on her estimation. With a remark, she added, "I remember feeling an odd sensation on the hill. It seemed like I was descending much more slowly than I had thought." Aleshia scribbled down her thoughts next to the rough drawing and began putting the pieces together in her mind for a better understanding. Dissonance Chapter 77 Dissonance Aleshia pointed her stick at the diagram and said, "While I covered the estimated distance, the sun remained strangely unmoved. In addition, the odd feeling from this area doesn''t feel like the previous location. There is an odd levity and ungroundedness that makes me feel disconnected. That feeling increased when those strange objects appeared after Lucia and that wolf hit an invisible object. Based on that, my only guess is that the dimension here is being restored or destroyed." Aleshia ran these thoughts through her head, scrutinizing every detail until she thought upon an unbelievable idea. After reviewing the diagram several more times and thinking it over, she only felt more perplexed by the situation. Nevertheless, she decided to press on toward where she last saw Lucia and the wolf. Due to the brief respite, she felt a bit rested. Aleshia stood up from her seated position and resumed her journey, contemplating the possibility of altering her approach. "If I haven''t been able to make noticeable progress, then I should try moving in a different direction in hopes of a different outcome," she mused. With this realization, Aleshia veered to the left and began to walk in that new direction. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After walking calmly for a few minutes, the entire area changed entirely. The once-familiar surroundings transformed into a bizarre landscape with vibrant colors and unusual rock formations. "This feels similar to how it changed into that white space," noted Aleshia, her voice filled with curiosity. Aleshia began to look around, fixating on every little detail. The ground beneath her feet felt different, almost permeable as if she were walking on new terrain. Aleshia looked up. She saw that the sun had drastically moved from its previous spot. Its position was now directly above her, whereas it had previously been ahead of her. "It seems there are sections that span several minutes, according to how long I had been walking," she theorized, trying to make sense of the distortion in reality. As Aleshia pondered why there was no change while running, she realized it was because she wasn''t close enough to a trigger to enact this change. Aleshia started searching for Lucia again to find her starting point. She squinted her eyes and scanned the area. After searching for a while, she spotted them again. This time, they were noticeably closer. As she was about to open her mouth, she noticed they were standing still. Her breath caught in her throat as she observed the surroundings. She suddenly realized that everything was not moving. The stillness of the world around her was eerie. "Now, this is strange," she said to herself, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms, her mind racing with questions and apprehension. Realms Periphery Chapter 78 Realm''s Periphery Aleshia poked at the brush with her stick, and the leaves began to sway as if they were still in motion. After a while, they began to stay still again. ''This might have stopped moving because of the strange space, or it''s because of the law of inertia,'' Aleshia thought as she dug up a clump of mud and threw it upward. The clump of dirt flew in the air, but as it began falling, it slowed down. Just as it neared her head, it bounced upward, then abruptly stopped moving altogether for no apparent reason. The clump of dirt was now an arm''s length above her, and when she grabbed it, it completely fell apart, as if it had absorbed all the momentum all at once. She wiped away the dirt covering her with her arm and gathered more dirt. She made another dirt ball, but this time, she strengthened herself with her magic and chucked it harder into the air. The dirt ball rapidly flew up in the air and came back down. Aleshia moved away a bit from the falling ball. As it reached the previous dirt ball''s height, it bounced and abruptly stopped, just like the dirt ball previously. Aleshia walked up to the dirt ball and was about to touch it again, but then remembered the previous outcome. She looked at the stick in her hand but decided it was too short. She began searching for a longer stick on the ground and, after a few minutes, found one that was twice the length of her arm. Aleshia brandished the stick like a swordsman and lightly swung down on the dirt ball. Upon contact, the ball immediately exploded into a cloud of dirt. Even though Aleshia was at the farthest point from the explosion, she was still at the periphery and got hit by some of the flying debris. The force of the blast sent her flying backward and out of the strange realm. After composing herself and clearing the dirt off, she found that she was back to where she was before entering the strange area. "Well, that certainly was not something I was expecting," she said excitedly. Aleshia walked toward the furrows in the ground, passed them, and a few seconds later found herself right back where she had started. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "I might be able to find out more if I experiment on the periphery of this realm," Aleshia thought as she marked the periphery to the realm with the stick she had been holding. Then she picked up another clump of dirt and threw it past the marked spot. She witnessed it disappear from her view. Intrigued, she ventured to the other side and found the dirt had collapsed into a small heap on the ground. After this discovery, she made another lump of dirt on her side and tossed it to the other side, where she found it in suspended animation in mid-air. "This is a neat thing to know," Aleshia remarked. When she grabbed onto it, the ball did not collapse in her hand and maintained its shape. "Judging by this one not becoming dust or collapsing, I can assume it keeps its momentum," she postulated. The Slab Chapter 79 The Slab As Aleshia reached that conclusion, the world shifted around her instantly. She closed her eyes as a flash of light entered her vision. When her eyes adjusted to the new light, she slowly opened them. What she saw in front of her baffled her. The previous luminescence Lucia controlled was now right in front of her! As her brain registered the imminent danger, Aleshia hurriedly dashed to her left, fleeing from the perceived threat. When she reoriented herself, she realized that what she had feared was only an afterimage or energy trail of the actual danger. Relieved, Aleshia fell back on the ground, her tensed muscles relaxing as she realized that the imminent danger she had thought was near would not come. While she lay on the ground, she wondered why things had suddenly changed. She got back up on her feet. Looking around, she noticed Lucia was only a few steps ahead of her, and the wolf was twice that distance away. "Everything is still," she remarked. Then, her gaze landed on the energy trail that she had sensed. It appeared to be a long beam of thin, light energy with a core resembling a mass of daggers. "So that was what made me react so reflexively. I understand now," she said, intrigued. She then looked past the energy trail to the direction the daggers were facing. Although she couldn''t see anything, she could feel something. Suddenly, she got an idea of what it was. "If I''m here and they are there... Then that means they''re firing at the weird slab that gave off that ominous presence." Stolen novel; please report. Aleshia walked over to the ominous slab and began peering at it. She didn''t find anything strange other than it just being a floating slab in her vision, but as she began to use her other senses, she felt the previous aura that she felt on the hill. When she explored with her senses, she could feel that the slab was emitting an otherworldly energy, which was both captivating and unsettling at the same time. Aleshia hesitated before reaching out her hand to touch the surface. When her fingertips made contact, they went right through the slab. At that moment, as the slab crossed with her hand, Aleshia was engulfed by a surge of sensations that seemed to try to convey some images. Aleshia tried to figure out what the sensations were trying to show her, but they were too convoluted to understand. Realm Shift Chapter 80 Realm Shift Aleshia spent some time studying the slab, hoping to find something useful. However, after several minutes of struggling to understand the blurry images it produced, she reluctantly gave up, realizing that the complicated way it conveyed information was beyond her comprehension. As Aleshia''s gaze left the slab, she noticed something odd. The luminescent daggers were closer to the slab than before. Aleshia was confused because she thought the strange realm was always still unless she interacted with it, causing her to consider the possibility of somehow having entered another plane of existence when she crossed the threshold. After having this new realization, Aleshia reflected on the odd movement of the clumps of dirt, which stopped once they neared a certain point. This realization sparked new ideas and theories in her mind. "Perhaps this realm has time dilation," Aleshia muttered aloud. When she spoke those words, the realm shifted again as if confirming her words. Instantly, an even brighter glow than before bombarded Aleshia''s vision. In defense, she shielded her face from the bright light with her forearm and strode a distance away to find refuge to save her eyes. Once she walked a distance that let her see without shielding her eyes, she brought her forearm down. Then, she began trying to locate where Lucia and the wolf were once more. When she saw them again, she noted that they were close but still at a distance. There were many thin luminescent lines around them, accompanied by what she could tell were the daggers she saw that made up the previous beam of light. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After taking a closer look, Aleshia discovered that the glowing lines next to the daggers were serving as containers to hold the daggers. After experiencing the previous beam of light and learning about this process, The new evidence led her to speculate that the daggers were instantly transported to the ominous slabs using the luminescent lights. Aleshia wanted to gain an understanding of the situation, but she was unsure how to approach Lucia and the wolf. Since everything was unmoving, Then, an idea struck her. "Perhaps by using the force of the dirt balls, I might be able to cause one of them to move," She said, exploring the idea. After walking towards them, she began digging up the dirt and shaping it into clumps of balls. Once she had gathered some balls, she threw them into the air. The first few throws missed the target, but eventually, one landed directly above one of them. Synchronizing Chapter 81 Synchronizing Aleshia was filled with anticipation, hoping that the plan would work. As she waited for the ball of dirt to fall and strike one of them, she suddenly remembered that it wouldn''t continue to descend unless she touched it. When Aleshia realized this, she couldn''t help but let out a light chuckle. She picked up her stick, approached the lump of dirt, and gently struck it. When the stick touched it, the ball of dirt continued to fall, but thanks to Aleshia''s intervention, the ball changed direction and headed toward the green wolf instead of the witch hat. Despite the change in direction, it retained its speed due to its previous momentum. Upon impact with the wolf, the ball of dirt crumbled into pieces. However, the green wolf showed no reaction and remained still. "Sorry," Aleshia squeaked out. "Right, that was dumb of me to assume that strategy would work," Aleshia muttered, feeling downcast. As she moped about, a thought suddenly crossed her mind: "I might be able to interact with her if I simply do that!" With that thought in mind, she began walking towards the witch hat. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When she arrived in front of the witch hat, she bent down to pick the hat up. Then, she placed it on her head. After a while, the witch hat unconsciously synchronized its mana to connect with Kailey''s body, aligning with her brain''s processes. As she felt Lucia synchronizing with Kailey''s body, Aleshia noticed that the world around her started to shift and speed up. Aleshia stood in awe, taking in her surroundings as time seemed to slow down before accelerating again. While she enjoyed the sight, a thunderous noise assaulted her ears, causing her to bend over and cover her ears to save them from the sound. Aleshia turned her gaze toward the source of the sound and witnessed multiple beams of light darting across the sky. Each time she blinked, the lights vanished, only to reappear in a different location a moment later. "Huh, why am I up here!?" A voice exclaimed, coming from above Aleshia''s head. When she recognized it, she excitedly cried, "Lucia, you''re back and not motionless anymore!" Aleshia went to grab the Lucia but hesitated. "Lucia, don''t get off my head." "Huh, but why not, and what do you mean?" Lucia asked, leaning to one side. "I fear if you leave my head, you will become motionless again," she desperately explained while waving her hands in a desperate attempt to convince Lucia to stay put. Aleshia and the Green Wolf Chapter 82 Aleshia and the Green Wolf After explaining what she had gone through, Lucia finally accepted Aleshia''s request, nodding in understanding. When Aleshia saw that, she sighed in relief. Just as Aleshia was about to question Lucia about the otherwordly magic Lucia was harnessing, a menacing growl came from behind her. When she turned around, she saw the Green Wolf that accompanied Lucia right behind her, growling. Aleshia jolted slightly, thinking the Green Wolf was about to pounce on her. Before she could react by casting her attack magic at the wolf, Lucia growled in the same menacing manner, stunning Aleshia as she had never known it could do that. Aleshia mistakenly believed that Lucia was shielding her from the Green Wolf. In reality, the wolf was introducing itself and asking for an introduction in return. Unfortunately, due to their language barrier, Aleshia misunderstood the wolf''s friendly gesture as a menacing threat. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. During their conversation, Lucia introduced Aleshia to the Green Wolf, saying, "The language you are using right now, she can''t understand, so it might have frightened her to hear you speak. Also, The person wearing me is the ghoul I was talking about. This ghoul is named Aleshia," Dahdin was overcome with understanding and bowed in apology. "Right, of course, I am speaking to a human, or spirit of one," Dahdin said in his native tongue before looking at Aleshia and speaking in human. "My apologies for frightening you. My name is Dahdin, leader of a clan of wolves. Lucia here tells me you are her companion." Aleshia was startled to hear human speech come out of the wolf. She was taken aback for a moment, leaving her momentarily speechless. But when she regained her senses, she quickly responded, "Yes, I am Lucia''s companion, and I am okay. There is no need to apologize. I only didn''t expect you to be moving as well. It only startled me." "What do you mean by moving''?" Dahdin asked. He had listened to Aleshia explaining to Lucia earlier, but he was at a loss for the meaning of her explanation. When Aleshia was about to explain, Lucia cut her off, explaining that Dahdin couldn''t understand the words she used. Instead, she translated the explanation into his language. "From what she told me, she has been in a limbo realm where everything was unmoving for her until she put me on. She said we were unmoving in her eyes." With Lucia''s explanation, Dahdin nodded his head in understanding. "My Mistake." Chapter 83 "My Mistake." "I believe I understand now," Dahdin said after grasping the situation from the brief retelling. He let his guard down around Aleshia, bid his goodbyes, and left to observe the distortions further, leaving them alone. When Aleshia saw the wolf bounding towards the other slabs, she felt safe to speak. She asked Lucia about the strange otherworldly magics she and the wolf were conjuring and inquired why and how they were shooting them at the mysterious slabs. Although she had a pretty good guess about why they were shooting those conjuring''s, she still wanted it explained from the source. Lucia paused to consider Aleshia''s question. After a few moments, she briefly explained what they were doing. "Dahdin and I are trying to prevent the mana or nature in this area from being destroyed because of my mistake." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Aleshia was surprised to hear that they were in so much danger. Shock crossed her face, but doubt soon crept in. "Are you saying that these slabs will cause this entire area to become mana-less?" "Possibly," Lucia concluded. As her words were resounding, she suddenly spoke once again. "Wait, hold on. Slabs? There isn''t anything that looks remotely like slabs anywhere near us." Lucia was confused and looked around. All she saw were the distortions, visible as ever. She looked back at Aleshia and then asked her about the slabs again. "I don''t see any slabs near us. Are you sure you are seeing right?" Lucia''s question prompted Aleshia to turn around. The slabs were clear as day to her. "My eyes are seeing right. Just look at where I am pointing," Aleshia then gestured towards the slabs. "This is where the slabs I see are." Lucia then looked in the direction Aleshia pointed to. All she saw were the distortions. "I still don''t see anything you have described. I only see a shattered landscape." Lucia watched the distortions closely, as if waiting for an animal to peek out of the distortion. But despite her efforts, Aleshia could not see anything she had described. Meanwhile, the Green Wolf Dahdin closely watched a distortion as it repeatedly changed, shifting between liquid, solid, and sludge. His gaze moved from one distortion to another, all in different locations and distances. Some were even far enough away they were able to exceed the vision of any human. Dahdin concluded that those distortions could go that far because of the power they indirectly expelled. Decision Chapter 84 Decision Aleshia and Lucia could not agree on what they saw and failed to reach a mutual understanding. "Just look right there! It''s as clear as day!" Aleshia shouted, waving her hands to emphasize her frustration. "I still don''t see what you described," Lucia said, shaking, trying to express her frustration. Dahdin glanced now and again, hearing the two bickering. The squabbling was a distraction for Dahdin, allowing him to slightly lift the burden of holding down the ravaging power of the distortions and disallowing their escape from his domain. He left his sight from the bickering pair and glanced worriedly at the distortions far from his view. Even though those distortions were clearly out of his range of containment, he knew it was just a trick of perspective. He could sense that the distortions, which seemed far away, were much closer than they appeared. Dahdin considered how to retrieve the distortions before they escaped into the outside world, but he chose to wait because he believed there was already a good plan in place. However, because of his cautious nature, he began implementing a measure that would activate if things went downhill. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Hey, Dahdin, come over here. We want you to decide on something!" the two shouted simultaneously. Dahdin''s ears pricked up as their shouting startled him. He realized he had disordered something in his conjuring. "Tsk, I messed up. It doesn''t matter anyway," he thought. With this last thought, he left his spot and galloped to the two''s location. When he finally arrived at their location, he looked up to meet Lucia''s gaze and asked what they wanted. "Is there something urgent?" As she began to speak, she faltered when she met the Green Wolf''s stern gaze. However, Aleshia did not understand the seriousness of the Green Wolf''s gaze and shouted about their frivolous trouble. "Dahdin, what do you see over there?" Aleshia pointed once again at the slab she saw. Dahdin gazed in the direction Aleshia was pointing. To him, it appeared differently. Just as he focused on the distortion the two argued about, the world around him changed, distorting his vision until he couldn''t see clearly. Dahdin had felt this way before when he tried to test the distortions using his power of nature on the distortion. However, this feeling the distortion gave off was much more powerful. Dahdin understood that he wasn''t blind. He just wasn''t able to see because of the smog it emitted. *Bonk* *Crack* *Stab?* Chapter 85 *Bonk* *Crack* *Stab?* Lucia quickly noticed Dahdin becoming bewitched by something strange and immediately told Aleshia to do something. "Aleshia, something strange is happening to Dahdin! Poke him or do something to rouse him back up quickly!" Aleshia immediately got serious, changing her demeanor, and sprang into action. She swiftly picked up the long sword-length stick she had dropped while conversing with Lucia and clumsily swung it at the wolf''s head. *Bonk* Surprisingly, the whack appeared not to affect the wolf. The stick bounced right off Dahdin''s green fur. "Quickly, find a way to hit him!" Lucia said in a panic. Urged on by Lucia''s distress, Aleshia cast a strengthening spell on herself and immediately went to strike the wolf again. *Crack* The ends of the stick in Aleshia''s hands snapped, sending wood fragments flying everywhere. Aleshia instinctively moved her arm to hide her face. Lucia followed by covering her with her brim. Moments later, Aleshia slowly lowered her arm, revealing the stick in her hand. It had transformed from its original long size to a shorter length, looking more like a broken sword. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As she was about to discard it, Aleshia examined it more closely and realized the new design could work to her advantage. The once dull and rounded edges had transformed into sharp, jagged points. This meant that instead of simply whacking at the green wolf, she could now stab at it. And Aleshai immediately did just that. The jagged stick easily nestled into the wolf''s mane, and in the next instance, Aleshia could feel it connecting with something solid. Dahdin''s mind immediately cleared after he felt a sharp prick of pain. Dahdin grunted, conjuring nature''s power to shield himself from being further influenced by the distortion. "Thank you," Dahdin weakly said, appreciative of their help. After that weak utterance, Dahdin promptly collapsed with a thud. "Did I kill him!?" Aleshia cried. "I think you killed him, Aleshia!" Lucia shouted back, looking both ways, wary of the wolves Dahdin had come with. Lucia breathed out in relief, seeing no wolves in her field of view. After a moment, she suddenly realized something. "Huh? Where did the¡ª" Before she could finish her thought, Aleshia dashed to the green wolf, interrupting Lucia''s thoughts. Aleshia started to cast a type of magic similar to healing magic meant to replenish lost energy, akin to the power displayed by the green wolves. Aleshia crouched over the green wolf, moving her arms deeper into its fur to transfer the energy. Peculiar Mist Chapter 86 Peculiar Mist As Aleshia shoved her arm into Dahdin''s fur, Lucia looked over, inspecting Dahdin with concern. She wanted to leave Aleshia''s head so she could conduct a more thorough examination to figure out what was happening to him. However, she hesitated because she had been warned that if she left Aleshia''s head, something unexpected could happen to her wearer. Lucia could do nothing, only able to see the surface-level strangeness happening to Dahdin. Aleshia was frantic, her hands fumbling as she expertly manipulated the revitalizing energy she released in Dahdin''s fur. After what felt like an eternity, she finally was able to make contact with the skin. As soon as she did, she began to increase the energy she had been emitting. This increase in energy made the dim glow emanating from the wolf''s fur gradually grow brighter as it increasingly absorbed the energy. After a minute or two, Aleshia fell backward, exhausted, believing she had saved the wolf. However, as she was catching her breath, she noticed something odd. A peculiar fog or mist started to envelop Dahdin, swirling around the areas where her magic had made contact with him. It seemed as though it was trying to break through his defenses. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "What is that?" Lucia and Aleshia slowly muttered simultaneously. Lucia looked down, and Aleshia looked up in agreement. "We should probably not let that mysterious mist cross into his body," Lucia said. "Agreed," Aleshia responded. Aleshia focused her energy, conjuring water to form a protective shield around herself before spreading it to envelop Dahdin. She focused on strengthening the shield, hoping it would provide a formidable defense against the mysterious mist that surrounded him. However, the fog went through the water without any signs of slowing down. Aleshia''s plan had failed, so Lucia took her turn. She conjured her newly created magic and created a barrier of her own. The barrier had interlocking archaic lettering that looked like halos of light. The light dimmed as they turned smaller, condensing into powerful but small in-number wards. The light surrounded Lucia and then floated toward Dahdin, covering him. It seemed like that was the right move, as when the rivers of light connected with the mist, they began to dissipate. But at the same time, it took a massive toll on Lucia. "That seems to be doing the trick," Lucia spoke with some strain in her voice. Aleshia worriedly looked up at Lucia and asked, "Is there something I can do?" in response, the witch hat suggested, "Perhaps try mimicking the magic I am producing." Experimentation Chapter 87 Experimentation Aleshia eagerly embraced the idea and quickly started trying to understand the magic surrounding her. As she focused on the magic, she could see all the intricate details and noticed that the magic Lucia was producing bore a resemblance to the runes and sigils intentionally placed on the exterior of the ruins. She also felt a minor sense of familiarity with the educational experience she was having because it reminded her of learning magic to become an instructor when she was a child. While Aleshia was reminiscing, she was also gaining an understanding of the vague complexities of the conjurings that Lucia was constructing. As she only understood the elemental aspects of magic, she began experimenting with it to deepen her understanding. Aleshia took her first steps into nature magic by manipulating a speck of magic around herself and cautiously experimenting with it. She gently guided the luminescent speck from one finger to the other. After a few repetitions, she felt confident enough to move on to the next step. With newfound confidence, she manipulated a large cluster of Lucia''s excess conjuration and merged the two specks. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Just as they were about to merge, Aleshia had a feeling that something dangerous would happen if the two merged together. She instantly and hurriedly threw them in a random direction. A moment later, possibly due to the erratic movement caused by being flung, the particles within the luminance exploded into one another, creating an implosion larger than a human. Oddly enough, there was no sound at all. Aleshia was puzzled by what had happened, as something as volatile as that should have caused some damage to the environment. Aleshia found it oddly comforting that the implosion did not cause any damage to the environment, as it meant her safety was assured while experimenting. Aleshia carefully plucked another speck of conjuration. This one was a little bigger than the previous one. Despite its slightly increased size, Aleshia struggled to control and maintain the orb''s shape. After a while, she was able to handle the orb smoothly. Feeling satisfied with her progress, she tried experimenting with the orb by infusing it with various elemental magics. After she was satisfied with the result of the experiment, she decided to add another slightly larger conjuration. She brought a stray conjuration near her now-element-infused orb. When it made contact with the orb, it was smoothly absorbed without any problems. "Adding another element into the orb seemed to do the trick," Aleshia noted. The orb no longer felt volatile and fragile to Aleshia anymore. The Orb Chapter 88 The Orb Aleshia began refining and adding more to the orb by using Lucia''s scraps of leftover mana that she couldn''t use to reinforce the river that protected Dahdin. Each time she gave more scraps to the orb, it became slightly easier to control. Aleshia kept experimenting with the orb, transforming the inside into a complex network of strands with incredible uniqueness held within. When Lucia inquired about her progress, the orb had already grown to the size of a human head. "Aleshia, are you finished with your experiments?" the witch hat asked, the strain in its voice palpable. "Not quite yet. Let me add a few more finishing touches to the orb." Lucia was worried about Dahdin as the mist was inching ever closer to his prone body. However, she allowed Aleshia to continue experimenting with her orb for as long as was needed. She felt that if the orb couldn''t perform at its peak, it would be harder for her to trust its capabilities. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. As Lucia finished her thought, Aleshia announced her completion, to Lucia''s relief. "Done, use this orb here." She propped it above her head so Lucia could see. "I guarantee you won''t find anything lacking." she proudly proclaimed With that enthusiastic guarantee, Lucia looked down at the magic orb Aleshia had been experimenting with and was surprised at how much energy it contained. She began meticulously siphoning out the mana and instantly noticed the elements held within. "This is quite impressive," Lucia said, complimenting Aleshia''s work. Aleshia grinned at her praise. Lucia evenly spread out the energy among the sigils. As she did this, her thoughts drifted to experimenting with the newly-fashioned orb. While the mana in the orb dwindled, Lucia began surrounding the orb with sigils, placing some directly upon it. The sigils were placed on the faintly incorporeal orb, resting smoothly on its surface. As they settled, a bright twinkle of light shimmered across the orb, creating an endless feedback loop of winking lights from one sigil to another. Even after letting the orb settle, the sigils on the orb continued to twinkle. Lucia was surprised by this unexpected reaction. Peering closer at the orb, she noticed that the runes seemed to have created an energy loop that appeared to be refining the energy within. Awed by its ingenuity, Lucia asked Aleshia a question about it. "Aleshia, how did you make this orb?" "Oh, I just used some tricks I learned," Aleshia said secretively. Enhancements Chapter 89 Enhancements Lucia was curious about the tricks Aleshia had learned and wanted to ask her more about them. However, from Aleshia''s response, Lucia realized she wouldn''t be willing to answer her questions. Lucia redirected her focus back to the orb, which had captured her interest. However, she soon recalled the sigils imbued with the orb''s power. Instead of continuing with the orb, she decided to explore the potential effects of the sigils instead. Lucia reached for the sigils imbued with the orb''s power that floated around her and started to shape them into thin threads. She wove them into the river of sigils in interlocking patterns to identify them more clearly and watched as they traveled downstream to defend Dahdin against the mist. When they reached the endpoint, they battled with the mist. Lucia watched to see how the new sigils would react to it. And she wasn''t disappointed. The sigils, infused with the mana from the orb, appeared to have their power amplified. Each sigil possessed a mix of unique abilities, reflecting the characteristics of the four elements. Lucia found this discovery fascinating and exclaimed, "The orb''s mana is remarkable." Saying that indirectly complimented Aleshia. Aleshia grinned again at the compliment, but Lucia didn''t see it since she was observing intently how the new sigils were faring against the mist. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lucia created additional sigils without using the orb''s mana. While she observed the progress of those with the orb''s mana in combat against the mist, the sigils piled up behind the orb-infused ones, forming a blockade. Lucia was surprised and astonished by the durability of the sigils, enhanced by the orb''s mana. Surprisingly, it took twice as long for the sigils with the orb''s mana to dissolve compared to the ones without. Lucia was excited by the extended duration of protection the sigils offered. It meant she could defend Dahdins'' body for twice as long, but that could only happen as long as she had the mana of the orb to enhance the sigils'' power. With this assumption in Lucia''s mind, she asked Aleshia when she could produce another orb. "Aleshia, could you start working on creating another orb similar to the one before? With the orb''s power enhancing the sigils, I believe I can protect Dahdin''s body until he wakes up again if you keep producing more orbs regularly." Aleshia thought the inquiry over and then gave her answer. Examining the Orb Chapter 90 Examining the Orb It took Aleshia a moment to think, and she responded, "I believe I can create another orb, but it might be difficult because there isn''t as much residual energy available for it to draw from, as it combines your power and my elements." Lucia was puzzled and did not understand how Aleshia could have obtained her mana. She asked, "How did you get my power? I don''t remember giving it to you." As she finished her sentence, she remembered that they were connected through Kailey''s body and contract and realized the answer herself. However, Aleshia responded with a completely different solution. "I siphoned the unused energy from the rivers of light to power the orb." After she concluded that, she began demonstrating her words. Aleshia repeated the entire process, creating another orb. This time, Lucia eagerly observed her. However, it took longer because Aleshia couldn''t find as many unused pockets of energy as the previous time she made it since Lucia was using the mana to its full extent. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As Aleshia focused on creating another orb, Lucia examined the one she had already made. "This orb''s power still hasn''t faded?" Lucia muttered. She turned the orb around in the air, inspecting it from every angle. Once she had memorized every detail, she finally began experimenting with it. She infused some of her mana into it, and it started to glow brighter, creating an audible sound of wind swirling within. Lucia paused to consider what else she could do to interact with the orb. Lucia attempted to manipulate the mana within the orb, sensing the energy flowing through it as an extension of her hat body. As Lucia manipulated the mana, she heard a clicking sound from the orb. Lucia took her eyes off the orb and quickly realized it began absorbing the surrounding mana. Concerned about the potential consequences, Lucia promptly attempted to reverse what she had done. After waggling the mana back and forth, the orb clicked, indicating its deactivation. Lucia sighed in relief but noticed that the surrounding mana had changed slightly. After investigating the orb, she concluded that it had indeed absorbed some of the surrounding mana. Lucia had a brilliant idea but couldn''t act it out because Aleshia was still creating the other orb. She understood creating the orb was a delicate process and didn''t want to risk the orb blowing up or backfiring on Aleshia, so she waited until Aleshia finished making the orb. Dropped the Ball Chapter 91 Dropped the Ball Aleshia remained still for 10 minutes, focusing entirely on the orb in her hands. After those 10 minutes, she looked up, signaling she had finished creating the orb. However, she wasn''t as confident in this orb as she was in the previous one, as she hadn''t experimented with it as thoroughly, and it didn''t contain as much power. Despite her uncertainty, she believed that Lucia could inspect and improve it. Aleshia hesitantly held the orb above her head and said, "I''m not as confident with this one, but I believe it will work for now. Could you see if you can improve it?" Lucia took hold of the orb from Aleshia''s hands and studied it. She noticed that the orb didn''t hold as much power as the previous one and was comparatively weaker. However, it was still a blessing since it would continue to delay the mist from breaching the sigils protecting Dahdin''s body. Aleshia watched as Lucia studied her orb with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Nonetheless, Aleshia''s face was expressionless, as she still couldn''t control the tiny facial muscles of Kailey''s body. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Aleshia gazed to her left and noticed the orb she had created gently hovering above the ground. Since Lucia was engrossed in studying the new orb, Aleshia decided to grab the orb. She wanted to explore its unique qualities, which she hadn''t had the chance to do before because she had been creating the orb Lucia now held. Aleshia gazed at the orb in her hands. She began tapping its surface as if she already knew what to do. However, she was still unfamiliar with all its intricacies, and many of its features remained undiscovered to her. Suddenly, a faint click could be heard, reminiscent of the sound Lucia had heard when she experimented with the orb herself. The surrounding mana began moving toward the orb in Aleshia''s hands. Lucia felt the disturbance and immediately knew what would happen because she heard something similar minutes before. "Aleshia, you need to reverse what you did immediately!" Startled by the sudden shout, Aleshia dropped the orb. The orb fell on the ground but did not shatter into a million pieces when it collided with the ground. However, now that it was so close to the ground, it began sucking the life from the grassy ground. The life was drained from the ground into the orb, causing the grass to wither. Aleshia stood there, fearful and astonished at the power displayed by the orb. Rampaging Orb Chapter 92 Rampaging Orb "Aleshia, pick it up, pick it up!" Lucia shouted in a panic upon seeing the devastation caused by the orb. She urged Aleshia to pick it up, but Aleshia stood there frozen for some reason. Realizing that Aleshia wouldn''t do anything, Lucia tried to levitate the orb off the ground with her skill. To her surprise, the orb seemed to have absorbed the energy that influenced the skill to work. The orb being capable of absorbing such unexplainable energy meant that the only way to stop it was by physical means. Understanding this, Lucia immediately readied her magic. Instead of trying to stop the rampaging orb, she shot a tiny bolt of mana directly into Aleshia''s system to awaken her frozen body. Aleshia jolted as the mana slithered through her system, causing her to regain her senses. "Thank you, Lucia. It seemed my body was too afraid of the orb and wasn''t letting me move until you shocked me," Aleshia said. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Aleshia lunged toward the orb, swiftly closing her fingers around it. As Aleshia recognized the orb caught in her grasp, her fingers quickly tapped across it for several seconds. Each second felt like a minute as she concentrated on the task. Aleshia''s focus on the orb never wavered. After several intense moments, it finally produced a click, indicating the end of the debacle. Aleshia and Lucia breathed a sigh of relief, signaling the end of the ordeal. After calming themselves down, Lucia brought up the idea she wanted to convey to Aleshia before the whole mess occurred. "This incident has reminded me of something I wanted to talk to you about. Judging by the dead grass, we can assume the orb can absorb any life force or energy if it is close enough to it. And if we use that strange power against the mist." Before Lucia could continue, she was interrupted by Aleshia. "So, with that information, are you suggesting we try using the orb''s functionality against the strange mist in hopes of stamping it out?" Aleshia proposed. "Ye-yes," Lucia was surprised that Aleshia caught on so fast to her idea, stammering as she spoke. However, she warned Aleshia of the plan''s shortcomings. "That is the plan, but there is only one flaw, as I discovered earlier. If you drop the orb while it is active and you freeze again, I won''t be able to deactivate it unless I leave your body, which I can''t do because of your previous warning." Wilting Chapter 93 Wilting With their discussion of the plan in her mind, Aleshia walked toward Dahdin''s body, the orb held tightly in her hand. As she neared the edge of the river of sigils, she asked, "Lucia, can you start a countdown?" Lucia nodded in understanding, and thus the countdown began: "One, two, three." At the count of three, Aleshia activated the orb and rolled it toward Dahdin''s body. The grass wilted as it approached Dahdin''s body, becoming increasingly shriveled the closer it got. This wilting was a testament to the orb''s newfound, voracious hunger for energy, siphoning it like a curse. The orb continued to roll through the grass until it reached the area where sigils and mist were engaged in a battle, devouring and repelling each other. The orb rolled to a stop a few meters past Dahdin''s body. Suddenly, mayhem erupted on the field. A new entity began to disrupt the balance between opposing forces, consuming allies and enemies alike. The sigils, embodying the energy of nature, were drawn into the orb as it absorbed the mysterious mist. However, this had negative consequences; with fewer sigils protecting the barricade, the evil mist was able to advance much closer than before. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Lucia noticed the situation and urgently urged Aleshia to rush to the orb they had left behind. Since it was Lucia''s enhancement, she needed it to summon another strong batch of sigils to replace those lost to the rampaging orb. Aleshia quickly ran to the orb lying on the grass and lifted it so Lucia could grab it. Lucia immediately siphoned energy from the orb and created numerous new sigils. After infusing the siphoned energy into the sigils, she sent them to the river. Lucia was exhausted from the rapid conjuring and collapsed onto Aleshia''s head. "Lucia, are you okay?" Aleshia exclaimed, panicking at her collapsing. She instinctively moved to inspect Lucia but paused, realizing she should not remove her from her position. "Right, since she is out of commission, I have to step up and¡ª" Suddenly, the orb floating by Lucia''s magic dropped onto her foot. Although the pain would typically make someone cry out and cling to their foot, Aleshia only flinched as the pain was lessened by not wholly occupying Lucia''s body. Ignoring the pain, Aleshia ran toward the battle area. However, her foot slipped due to foot drop, causing her to trip and tumble to the ground. Edge of the Barrier Chapter 94 Edge of the Barrier Aleshia quickly got up after her fall and examined her foot, confused about why she had tripped. She couldn''t think of anything that would have caused it until she remembered the earlier blow to her foot. "I suppose I''ll need to consider things like this in future situations," Aleshia thought. Aleshia got back on track and rushed toward the battlefield. Moments later, she arrived at the edge of the barrier. In front of her lay a barren expanse marked by dead grass and parched soil. A constant struggle played out between the mist and the sigils. At first, the fog surged forward, but soon, Its numbers dwindled as the mist''s forces were to be devoured by the orb. The battlefield was chaotic, with neither side able to secure a clear victory because of the orb. Energies clashed, scattered throughout the now barren land. Aleshia looked around, determined to find a way to improve Dahdin''s chances of survival. After piecing together a plan, she realized how she could help him. However, she hesitated to cross the barrier that protected her from the invisible force on the other side of the barrier. The grass on the other side was wilted, representing the orb''s power and the battle raging for Dahdin. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Aleshia prepared herself by closing her eyes and visualizing her plan, steeling herself for the inevitable dangers ahead. When she opened her eyes again, she acted on her plan and cautiously approached the river''s edge. As she crossed the line, she felt an immediate impact on her senses, nearly collapsing under the sudden change in pressure from the various powers surrounding her. Though she struggled to move forward, she found her resolve, letting her body adjust to the new pressure before attempting to walk again. "Right, I forgot to do that," she said to herself. With that remark, Aleshia applied support magic to herself. The pressure on Aleshia eased significantly when she activated her support magic, rendering it almost negligible. However, she could still sense the power swirling around, attempting to push her down. Aleshia cautiously approached Dahdin''s body, carefully following behind the sigils as a precaution against potential threats. She did this because she was unsure of the mist''s power and wanted to avoid experiencing its effects. "So far, so good; nothing has happened to me other than needing to adjust to the environment," she murmured, hoping Lucia could hear her. Degraded Sigils Chapter 95 Degraded Sigils Aleshia continued moving forward until she reached Dahdin''s body. The sigils had pushed the mist away considerably, but Aleshia noticed some small bits of mist still clinging to Dahdin''s fur. She was about to use her magic to try to eliminate the mist but remembered that it could only be affected by the magic Lucia was producing. Keeping this in mind, she guided some of the sigils flowing toward the battle and redirected them to the spots of mist still hiding in Dahdin''s fur. As the sigils approached the mist, they instinctively drew closer. Aleshia watched as the sigils neutralized the mist, realizing that the mist''s power was similar to that of the sigils. By the time the mist was gone, the vitality within two of the five sigils was nearly exhausted and on the brink of disappearing. Seeing this, Aleshia came up with an idea to prolong the existence of the sigils. However, before implementing her plan, she decided to delay the plan, just in case there were more hidden mists around Dahdin''s body that the sigils could target. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Aleshia guided the sigils all over Dahdin''s limp body, concerned that there might still be mists hidden in the spots of his fur that she had not discovered. Once the sigils had thoroughly searched Dahdin''s body and cleared away all the mist, only three sigils remained, with the last two barely clinging to life. The sigils were cracked in places and flickering, their flames about to extinguish, reflecting the intense battle the sigils fought. Aleshia moved forward with her plan to reignite the energy of the surviving sigils she had devised just minutes earlier. Although she did not know how to craft the intricate and powerful sigils, she believed she could provide them with energy. Aleshia called over the two most degraded sigils, siphoning energy from them and channeling the remainder into the least cracked sigil. Once the procedure was complete, she stepped back to observe the newly energized sigil. After scanning it for any leaks, she let out a sigh of relief and satisfaction when she discovered that there were no flaws in the result. Now armed with the new knowledge that her idea would work, Aleshia felt confident and decided on a plan to gather the dying sigils scattered across the field. She planned to renew the less damaged ones and, through experimentation, learn how to restore the more severely cracked ones. However, before proceeding with this task, she needed to determine what she could do for the wolf before her. Return of Zap Chapter 96 Return of Zap Aleshia stood over Dahdin''s body, considering how to wake him up. After a minute, she had an idea: she could use her lightning ability called [Zap] to shock him. Since the power of that lightning was weak, she felt comfortable using it on Dahdin. Even if it caused him some pain, she knew it wouldn''t be fatal. Aleshia stepped back a few paces and prepared her magic, aiming at Dahdin''s body. Once she confirmed her target, she released her magic, and in an instant, a small bolt shot from her outstretched hand and struck Dahdin. When Aleshia looked from her outstretched hand to Dahdin, she instantly noticed that his fur stood straight up, making the wolf look puffy, with his fur swaying in all directions. At the sight, Aleshia let out a small giggle that soon became a full-on laugh. Once her laughter subsided, she attempted to use her lightning magic again. This time, instead of aiming it at his fur-covered body, she aimed it at his nose. She reasoned without any fur to counteract the magic, it might be more effective. She released the spell, and a small bolt quickly struck Dahdin''s padded nose. A visible twitch ran through Dahdin''s body. Encouraged by this reaction, she increased the power a bit more. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Once she had charged her magic, Aleshia readied herself and aimed. She released the spell, and it shot straight toward Dahdin''s face. Unexpectedly, it was too powerful and scorched the fringes of his fur. "Oh no, that might have been too much. Please don''t wake up," Aleshia silently pleaded. Just then, a howl of pain escaped from Dahdin''s maw. Enraged, Dahdin slowly got off the ground, standing up. Dahdin wobbled a moment before catching himself, firmly standing on all fours. "What is this pain I feel on my face and neck?" he roared. Aleshia shrank back, making herself smaller, sensing the anger in his voice. However, Dahdin caught this movement in his vision and prepared to attack the intruder. However, as the haze in his mind began to clear, he suddenly remembered who the girl shrinking away was. Dahdin reflected on everything he had experienced leading up to his last memory. He recalled that the final thing he remembered before losing consciousness was the argument between the girl and the witch about whether they could see something in the distortion. It was then that Dahdin remembered what happened after he had stared into the distortion. Absence of Light Chapter 97 Absence of Light When Dahdin awoke, he was stunned into silence by the complete absence of light around him, momentarily dazed by his surroundings. Turning his head, he noticed a ray of light cutting through the darkness. Fixating on it, he calmed down as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Curiosity began to fill him as he wondered what was happening. One moment, he had been with the hat and the ghoul girl, and the next, he found himself in a space with no light except for that small ray. Trying to understand his surroundings, Dahdin cautiously walked through the dark space, seeking its edge. Although he could see only a few meters ahead, that did not deter him from exploring. After several minutes of searching, he could not find the island''s edge, so he decided to investigate its foundation instead. Dahdin also felt uneasy about being in an open area where he could not see clearly. He began to paw at the ground, digging slowly. Beneath his paws, he encountered the familiar textures of dirt and grass, which were oddly both comforting and unsettling. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. As he continued to dig, Dahdin found himself in a hole he could not easily climb out of. Instead of trying to escape, he chose to dig deeper. After what felt like endless digging, Dahdin suddenly felt air instead of the ground he had been digging through. This was puzzling, as his senses still indicated he was digging downward, while his eyes revealed that he was breaking through to the surface. He searched for the light he had first seen upon waking and quickly found it. Dahdin marked the position he was in now and compared it to the point where he had begun digging. Dahdin dragged his feet as he made his way toward the light, hoping to find the hole he had dug earlier. When he reached the light, he began surveying the area, trying to locate the hole. Strangely, he could not find the hole where he had dug it. Perhaps he had misremembered its location. Nevertheless, Dahdin did not dwell on it for long. Instead, he decided to dig directly beneath the ray of light, marking the spot where he would dig this time. Dahdin once again began digging, this time right below the light. The light shone on the Green Wolf''s fur, contrasting the bright green with the pitch black. Unaware of the danger he had escaped, Dahdin continued digging downwards. Instincts Chapter 98 Instincts After endless digging, Dahdin once again experienced a familiar sensation. As he crossed to the other side of the hole, he scanned the area for the light he had seen before. When Dahdin spotted the light, he walked toward it, dragging his feet to mark his way back to the hole. As he trekked toward the light, his mind replayed everything and considered what would happen if he changed his approach. While he was contemplating, Dahdin reached the ray of light. He found that the spot he had dug was filled in. Finding this strange, Dahdin circled the light a few times while sniffing it, trying to whiff traces of something that might have filled the hole back in. After smelling the area for a while, he couldn''t find any scent that might have restored the hole he had dug. Turning his back to the light, Dahdin searched for the depressions in the ground he had made. When he found them, he walked alongside the marks. While looking down at the ground, he noticed something odd happening ahead on the path he had created. He was puzzled about why the impression had been filled in and smoothed out. Focusing on the section of the trail closer to him, he spotted a depression that had not yet been filled and was gradually being covered. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Dahdin felt a sense of fear regarding the unusual recovery of the land. He sensed no natural force returning the ground to its untouched state. He was apprehensive about what might happen to him if the strange phenomenon that smoothed out the depressions caught up with him, and he preferred not to dwell on it. Dahdin decided to cancel his plan of returning to the hole he had dug to inspect it. Instead, he sprinted toward the ray of light and glanced back at the hole as it refilled. What he saw shook him to his core. The speed at which the indentations filled in seemed to increase as he ran, almost as if it were mocking his haste. When Dahdin reached the ray of light, he urgently began to dig into the ground again, not daring to look back at the horrifying scene behind him; his instincts feared the unfolding natural phenomenon. He broke through the surface again but didn''t look back at the hole, his senses consumed by terror. He just ran toward the ray of light, continuing to dig many times. Silhouette Chapter 99 Silhouette Dahdin kept digging, reaching the surface, running toward the light, and then digging again. After tirelessly burrowing underground, he finally began to calm down. Once he felt at ease, he could finally see clearly before him again, free from the fog of danger that had clouded his mind. With newfound stability in his mind, he was finally able to take a look around. His eye caught some subtle differences from when he had last been conscious. The ground before him was brighter and wasn¡¯t cloaked in as dark a shadow as he remembered. Looking toward the light he had been chasing and burrowing under in panic, he noticed it appeared much brighter and more sizeable now. Remembering the reason for his panic, Dahdin glanced behind him to see if the mysterious phenomenon he had been fleeing had used this brief pause to catch up. Dahdin turned to look back at the hole he had dug. The hole was dug out, with edges bearing many claw marks. The area around the hole was clearly surrounded by mounds of dirt that had been haphazardly thrown about, reflecting his instinctual fear. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dahdin took a deep breath, calming himself as he felt a moment of safety. With a sense of security, he began walking toward the light. As he approached the light, he noticed small changes around the space. A silhouette was now visible, resembling the land that Dahdin remembered from before somehow entering this space. Before long, he reached the ray of light again. With a quick glance, he confirmed that the light had become brighter and expanded. Although not much had changed within the light other than its brightening, examining it sparked an idea in his mind. He then devised a plan to escape the dark space. He intended to keep digging until the light brightened enough to illuminate the entire space, as it seemed to be hindering the mysterious phenomenon from advancing. With that plan in mind, Dahdin began digging again. This time, without the panic that had consumed him before, he felt less urgency. He continued to dig endlessly, and after an indeterminate amount of time, the once-dark room gradually filled with light, radiating from what had initially been just a thin ray. When Dahdin looked around at the space to check his new surroundings after mindlessly focusing on digging, he was surprised to see how much brighter it had become. He could almost see colors from the ground he walked on. The Phenomenon Chapter 100 The Phenomenon Dahdin surveyed the area, searching for spots unilluminated by the light''s rays. He carefully examined the space. While preparing for the impending battle, he hoped the light would weaken the power of the strange Phenomenon. As he waited, he reviewed his plans, testing his abilities within the space before engaging in combat. Dahdin attempted to use his power of nature manipulation, but for some reason, it failed in this environment. Perhaps the strange Phenomenon had consumed the force of nature itself. Knowing that he couldn''t rely on his powers left Dahdin feeling disadvantaged. However, he was confident in his physical strength and believed that with the assistance of the light, he could combat the Phenomenon. Still, he continued to train in the space, viewing it as an opportunity to refine his fighting skills. Dahdin felt he had relied too heavily on his magic, so he used the situation to practice his melee combat. Dahdin began training by envisioning an imaginary target. Swiping his claws at phantom targets, he focused on precision and speed, channeling his focus into those movements. While doing so, he chained those movements with dodges, twisting his body and turning in the air.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. He repeated this action several times before switching to attacking with his hind legs while defending with his front legs. After practicing various methods of attacking and defending against threats, he noticed in his peripheral vision that the hole was closing. Dahdin prepared himself to face the Phenomenon, tamping down his fear. His body felt normal¡ªnothing out of the ordinary other than its feeling¡ªjust ordinary. Strangely, he felt no fatigue in his mind or body. As a precaution, he moved to the brightest spot in the space and patiently waited for the Phenomenon to emerge from the hole to confront him directly. When the Phenomenon emerged from the hole, its form left Dahdin at a loss. Upon seeing its form, Dahdin reassessed the thing he feared. Now aware of the Phenomenon''s true nature, Dahdin adjusted his strategy to accommodate this new knowledge. Dahdin prepared himself to confront the mist by readying up his body. Once it entered his range of attack, determination could be seen in his eyes as he lunged forward, putting all his strength into the movement. Despite its intangible appearance, Dahdin could feel its form against him. His kick pushed the mist back by a few meters, with the rest of its mass remaining closely connected. Is It an Enemy? Chapter 101 Is It an Enemy? Once Dahdin landed, he leaped back toward the light spot. He checked himself over and found that his body was uninjured. This realization gave him new confidence, allowing him to fight the mist without hesitation. When he looked up, the mist had returned within reach. He lashed out his claws at the mist. The mist was sent away. When it came back, Dahdin flung it away again. This exchange was repeated several times, causing Dahdin''s previous expectations of danger to fall short. ''It feels too easy.'' The thought pervaded his mind again and again. Gradually, the peril he had anticipated from the mist diminished significantly. Feeling lost, he wondered why his body had reacted so strongly to the mist back then. He began to consider a plausible explanation for his reaction. At that time, the light had not been as bright when he first encountered the mist. Since it was pitch black, his mind could only interpret it as an invisible force that might revert things to how they used to be, leading his body to perceive the mist as a more dangerous threat than it actually was. As Dahdin pondered this, his guard was lowered, allowing the mist to approach him. It almost had the chance to consume him, but possibly thanks to the light weakening the mist, Dahdin was able to easily sweep the ball of fog away with a swipe of his claws.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Dahdin no longer felt the fear he associated with the mist, but he sought another explanation for the space''s ability to regenerate. ''It couldn''t possibly be an action from the mist, could it?'' Dahdin wanted to find out if the mist was responsible for regenerating the surroundings or if it was simply another habitant of the space. He left the brightest area and pushed the mist aside, giving himself time to dig several holes in the ground. After several minutes of digging and throwing the fog away, he felt pleased with the number of holes he had created for experimentation. He then waited for the mist he had displaced to come hovering back. Eventually, it arrived and slowly moved across the field of holes, hovering above them without falling in. As it passed over the holes, they were refilled, but only after the mist moved across the covered area. From these observations, Dahdin concluded that the mist was responsible for regenerating the land, but he wondered why it was there. Was the mist trying to attack him? Was it attempting to drive him out of this strange space? Was it an enemy? These thoughts swirled in his mind. Unable to reach a conclusion, Dahdin pushed these thoughts aside as he sought to learn more. The Ancestor Chapter 102 The Ancestor Dahdin was unsure what to think, so he left the safety of his spot and cautiously walked toward the mist to scrutinize it. To his surprise, it had a familiar smell that felt calming and soothing. Dahdin could sense that the mist was hiding something familiar, something he had been searching for. As he continued to examine the mist, it crept closer, preparing to devour him as it bared its fangs after sensing that Dahdin had let his guard down due to its feigned weakness. Just as it was about to consume Dahdin, the mist abruptly dissipated, illuminated by a radiant beam of light. Dahdin instinctively closed his eyes to shield them from the brightness, and when he opened them again, he realized someone else was present with him. The creature was a wolf that resembled Dahdin, but when the creature spoke, Dahdin realized it was, in truth, a being far greater than himself. "I suppose I''m on time," it said in an ancient voice. Dahdin could feel the ancient power in the wolf''s voice, even though it spoke briefly and was oddly similar to his own. Dahdin prepared for an attack, fleeing, gaining distance from the being. However, the being did not attempt to fight him and was not offended by his reaction, patiently waiting for him to understand and ask questions.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. After trying to comprehend why such a being would choose to communicate with him, Dahdin finally asked, "Why would a great one such as you come to speak with me? The being appeared pleased to hear Dahdin''s question and responded, "I''ve heard about certain events that are happening around you, and I would like to offer you my assistance. All I ask in return is that you allow me to see through your eyes. That''s all." Dahdin was perplexed by how the being knew about recent events that had taken place over just a few days. He was also uncertain how the being was intending to provide their aid. Dahdin wanted to ask why the being wished to witness the world through his eyes, but he hesitated, not wanting to disrespect such an ancient and powerful being. He then noticed something about the being in front of him. It resembled him closely, but there were slight differences here and there. ''Could he be an ancestor? Dahdin thought. As if sensing Dahdin''s thoughts, the being answered. "You are one of my descendants. And for why I wish to see through your eyes, it is simply because the world above is not as entertaining as the one down here." Dahdin sensed that the ancestor was withholding something but chose not to press the matter for fear of retribution. He thanked the ancestor for answering his unspoken questions and asked, "Great ancestor, why are we in this space?" The Task Chapter 103 The Task "I cannot provide an answer. Not at this time." The Ancestor turned his gaze to the area where the mist still lingered, the light unable to fully disperse its last remnants. He stepped closer to the spot where the mist hovered and opened his jaws wide, preparing to bite down. As the Ancestor clamped his jaws down, the feeling of safety and calm Dahdin had been experiencing abruptly vanished, and his true emotions rushed to the surface, overpowering the previous eerie calm he had. He felt more vigilant and sensed great danger within himself. It felt as though something had been subtly manipulating his thoughts since the very beginning, ever since he entered this space, but then the transmission abruptly cut off, becoming inert. In the meantime, the Ancestor swallowed down the invisible substance, recoiling in disgust at the sensation of what he had consumed. He briefly muttered something under his breath that Dahdin couldn''t understand, perplexing him. Once he had finished, the Ancestor returned to Dahdin and repeated his question: "Will you accept my request?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Dahdin hesitated, his expression revealing his doubt as he confronted the unrest within himself caused by the Ancestor''s actions. Sensing his distress, the Ancestor spoke up. "There was something subtly influencing your thoughts. I¡¯ve temporarily suppressed whatever was controlling you but you need to face it to remove your unease fully." the Ancestor said hinting at an objective. Dahdin felt puzzled by the Ancestor''s ambiguous statement but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he pressed for clarification regarding the kind of assistance the Ancestor could provide, having doubts about his abilities. "Great Ancestor," he began, "given that you are dead, would your abilities not be significantly limited? From what I¡¯ve gathered from the elders in my clan who have passed down their knowledge, I''ve learned about the ancestors. Considering you are in another realm, would it not be difficult for you to assist me in this situation?" Doubt was evident in Dahdin''s voice, yet his words did not provoke anger from the Ancestor. The Ancestor appeared troubled, struggling to convey the nature of his assistance. After some thought, he responded, "I am indeed on another plane. I can offer you my power through a contract. However, until then, you will need to complete a small task. Once you do, you will receive my power." With this condition laid out, Dahdin began to ponder whether or not to accept the offer. The Parasite Chapter 104 The Parasite The prospect of gaining additional power made Dahdin inclined to accept, but he felt reluctant because the Ancestor had not explained what kind of power he would provide or what the task entailed. Dahdin felt suspicious, as the Ancestor had been very cryptic about the details. However, Dahdin sensed that the Ancestor might be unable to reveal the power due to some possible limitations on him. Deciding to change the subject and eager to learn about the task, he asked, "What is the task? I want some details before I consider accepting." The Ancestor responded positively. "I suppose you remember the black mist you had been running from?" Dahdin gave a slight nod. "You were right to fear it and made the right choice to run away from it," he plainly stated. "The mist is a type of parasite that comes from in-between the layers of dimension; they feed on the minds of weak-willed creatures and take over their bodies, making them their own. Integrating into small societies like packs or groups of beasts. And if they''re lucky, they might be able to take over one of the intelligent races and take over a small village." The Ancestor paused, letting the words sink in. "Your task will be to battle the parasite that has invaded your mind."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The words registered with Dahdin, but given his description of the parasites, he wondered how they had not already taken over the world. Seeking further clarification, he asked, "How have these creatures not already invaded the world and established dominance over it?" The Ancestor sighed and briefly explained: "In the past, small events occurred between layers, which allowed parasites to intrude into this plane. However, the intelligent races in this realm took notice of the unusually rampant growth in the monster population and took care of them before they could infect more monsters. Dahdin now understood why the parasites were not already the dominant species on the planet and his small connection to it. Based on what he was told, he concluded that the parasite was attempting to take control of his body. He expressed his thoughts: "From your explanation, it seems that there is a parasite within me. Once I defeat it, I will be granted the power to close the distortions since you cannot be on this plane. In other words, are you saying that the power you offer me will enable me to create and close the distortions caused by my companions?" The Ancestor nodded as if complimenting a child on completing a riddle and said, "Exactly. And not only that, but I will reward you with what your clan has desired. Accepting the Task Chapter 105 Accepting the Task With the Ancestor indicating the reward would relate to the clan''s long-held goal of reclaiming the ancient wisdom that had been lost to time, Dahdin realized he had no choice but to agree. He understood the stakes involved and what he potentially stood to gain. "I have decided on my decision. I will accept." As Dahdin announced these words, the Ancestor smiled and approached him. He then outstretched his paw and placed it on Dahdin''s forehead. Once he had firmly pressed his paw against Dahdin, he declared, "Once this pup has defeated the parasite within him and returned to his plane, my power shall be bestowed upon him, along with the knowledge that he and his clan desire." Once he finished his proclamation, the beam of light in the center of the room brightened. The room flashed, and the beam gradually shrank until it was the size of a small ball. It then began to float toward Dahdin, illuminating the previously shaded areas as it moved closer. As the orb approached, the Ancestor stepped aside, allowing it to be absorbed by Dahdin.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Dahdin felt a new power rise within him, then was tamped down and locked away. Despite this, he could still sense some of the power slipping free from its cage, flowing throughout his body and enhancing his abilities. He checked his magic to see if he could cast any spells. He felt satisfied when he successfully tested his wind and earth-type magic. However, when he attempted to use his nature magic, he realized he couldn''t, as there were no natural elements in the space around him to manipulate. After feeling satisfied with his use of magic, he looked around and realized that the Ancestor was no longer with him, and the once-bright space had dimmed. ''I suppose this task won''t be as easy as I thought. However, using magic will still increase my chances,'' he reflected. Dahdin roamed the area again, searching for the parasite but finding nothing. Undeterred, he dug deeper, tirelessly excavating the ground in his quest. After digging numerous holes and thoroughly examining each area, Dahdin came across a much larger cloud of mist than the one he had encountered before. ''I finally found the parasite he was talking about,'' he thought. He lowered his body deeper into the hole and began formulating a plan. Eventually, he started circulating magic around himself to enhance his abilities with his elemental powers and strode forward, ready to confront the parasite. Battling the Parasite Chapter 106 Battling the Parasite Upon noticing his presence, the parasite swarmed and congealed, forming a grotesque creature. Its mass was assembled from countless monsters, with limbs and extremities flailing in all directions. Dark, misty tendrils squirmed from its body as it hovered a few inches above the ground. Dahdin was appalled by the sight, but instead of retreating as he once had before, he continued moving forward unswayed by the hideous form. He gathered his magic within himself, preparing for the parasite to launch an attack on him. Noticing that its form did not intimidate the wolf or make it cower in fear, the parasite returned to its mist-like shape. It then transformed into a physical form it believed would be more effective for battle. The parasite took the form of a human, its form obscured by its mist. As the fog was subsumed into its body, four arms were shown instead of the expected two. The human-like creature then conjured rudimentary weapons from its surrounding mist established on its knowledge of human weapons. However, instead of taking on a solid form, the weapons it created were blob-like and amorphous.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. This prompted Dahdin to create his own weapons; however, unlike the parasite, which formed misshapen and blobby figures, he crafted weapons with solid shapes. Once the weapons Dahdin created had hardened and solidified, he floated them to rest behind his back for easy access. In contrast, the parasite had connected its several oddly shaped weapons to its body. The weapons were protruding from its mist-shrouded limbs, extending across its arms down to its hands. Dahdin could only view it as a crude attempt to replicate humans, lacking any fundamental understanding of what they were and how they wielded their weapons. ''Perhaps this parasite does not possess enough intelligence or has never encountered a human before; maybe it only learned about them from other parasites,'' he thought briefly before shaking it off and focusing instead on the battle ahead. The parasite conjured misty, oddly shaped armor for itself and charged forward, screeching in a mind-numbing noise as if trying to replicate a war cry. Dahdin staggered for a moment but quickly floated one of his weapons to his side and hurled it forward at tremendous speed. The shot was a test, and as he suspected, the spear he threw pierced straight through the parasite. However, it was lodged into the parasite instead of passing straight through. As if to mock him, the parasite then enshrouded the spear he made into itself. As it was absorbed, the various malformed weapons protruding from its form began to refine, transforming from malformed lumps of mist into more solidified objects. Boomerang Chapter 107 Boomerang As Dahdin watched the parasite consume the spear, he strategized in his mind. ''So, using weapons like these will only strengthen the mist constructs, making it easier for the parasite to acclimate and construct better-formed weapons.'' Dahdin deformed the weapons he had created, allowing them to fall to the ground in heaps of dirt. Instead, he tried producing a weapon composed only of his element, without any physical matter accompanying it. He conjured an arrow made of earth, then discharged it, striking the mist. At the moment of contact, the arrow dispersed along with some of the parasite. ''That was unexpected... But it seemed to have worked out. So there won''t be a complaint from me. It looks like the parasite won''t be able to deconstruct anything it can''t consume,'' he concluded. To test his theory further, Dahdin conjured daggers and other consumable weapons with and without the accompaniment of the soil. He threw a single dagger, accompanied by earth, at the parasite, aiming for its armor. Upon impact, the poorly formed armor shattered, causing the dagger to bounce off and preventing the parasite from absorbing it. The parasite then absorbed the shattered remains of its armor bit by bit and reformed its once-broken armor, which now appeared more developed than its previous iteration.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. This action left Dahdin with questions. Was it the consumption of better-crafted weapons that allowed for its refinement, or was it the repeated process of remaking that led to progress? Regardless, the strike from the dagger seemed to dispel some of the mist surrounding the parasite, though it did not disintegrate as it had with the pure element. Dahdin conducted another test, this time targeting the parasite''s exposed body. He threw a disk-like object that he had heard humans call a boomerang. Having observed it in action before, Dahdin remembered that it could return to the thrower, which led him to believe it would be the perfect tool against the parasite. The parasite was now stumbling toward Dahdin, unused to its legs but quickly gaining momentum as it learned. Dahdin threw the boomerang at the parasite and made contact. However, the boomerang dropped to the ground and did not return to Dahdin''s side. "Tsk, I was mistaken to trust in a human invention," he muttered. As he reflected on this, the parasite bent down and picked up the weapon on the ground, consuming it through its hand. Once again, the weaponry along its four arms was refining and taking on a proper shape. Among the new assortment of weapons was the boomerang that Dahdin had thrown. It mimicked his action, though clumsily, which resulted in poor aim, missing Dahdin entirely. Going Berserk Chapter 108 Going Berserk Even though the boomerang missed him, Dahdin backed away from the weapon. He countered by throwing one of his weapons, composed entirely of his mana, at the boomerang. To his delight, it destroyed the boomerang, including the parasite attached to it. Dahdin smirked, hoping the parasite would be foolish enough to attempt the same thing again. Another boomerang emerged from the parasite''s mist, and once again, it threw it at Dahdin. Unlike the previous throw, which was weak and poorly aimed, the parasite''s aim and power had significantly improved this time. Dahdin needed to dodge; if he didn''t, the boomerang would strike him. He quickly grabbed one of his spare weapons and threw it at the incoming boomerang. As he dashed away, he ensured that he destroyed the parasite inside it. Turning his attention back to the parasite''s main body, he noticed it had already retrieved another boomerang. Before he could react, the boomerang was already in the air, cutting through it with a swooshing sound, a small indicator of the parasite''s significant improvement.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Dahdin dodged just in time and countered by throwing two weapons, one at the boomerang and the other at the parasite. With the brief moment he had gained, he began to organize the new information in his mind. ''The parasite must have a very high learning capability in exchange for its stupidity. In that case, I must defeat it before it learns something more lethal.'' Dahdin felt he no longer had the chance to experiment. He threw most of his weapons at the parasite, excluding the material ones, and they hit their target. Spears and swords were sticking out of its body; however, something Dahdin didn''t account for was the parasite''s ability to consume. Dahdin felt dread wash over him as the parasite slowly absorbed his weapons. At that moment, Dahdin''s instincts flared. Dahdin resorted to letting his wolf side take over, going berserk with quick and agile movements. Dahdin viciously approached the parasite, slashing, clawing, and biting it. At first, he could feel the parasite in his maw, but when it turned into incorporeal mist, he felt danger encroaching in his body. His beastial instincts surged his mana throughout his body to extinguish the intruding force. The mana flowed like lava, vaporizing a chunk of the parasite''s mist. The parasite hastily retreated from Dahdin, but as it tried to flee, fluctuating its amorphous form, Dahdin clung to it with his mana, which raged like lava, clinging onto it like a serpent. Awakening Chapter 109 Awakening The parasite struggled fiercely, shifting between a mist form and a physical shape, trying to squirm from Dahdin''s hold. However, it was futile, as Dahdin''s primal instincts had firmly anchored his mana to control the parasite, holding it tightly in place. While the parasite struggled to escape Dahdin''s grasp, it suddenly acclimated to its situation and underwent a subtle evolution, transforming its substance into an opaque, gelatinous liquid that resembled slime. Dahdin could sense the shift in the parasite and panicked. Instinctively, he channeled his mana more forcefully, amplifying its strength significantly. The sudden surging mana briefly halted the transformation by disintegrating much of the parasite''s mass, considerably reducing its size. However, this action did not stop its transformation. As Dahdin realized he couldn''t stop the transformation, he made mental preparations. The parasite''s new body was finally complete. It quickly wriggled free from Dahdin''s grasp and hastily dashed away. Dahdin hadn''t expected it to escape so suddenly, but he immediately gave chase. Dahdin pursued the parasite-like prey, and just as he was about to catch it, the slime-like parasite squished into itself and sprang back at him.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Dahdin couldn''t dodge in time, so he kept running. As the parasite neared his maw, he burst forth his mana from his mouth like breathing out fire. The outer layer of its slime dissolved but retained most of its mass. It landed on Dahdin''s head and clung to him, lashing out with painful mental and physical attacks. As it clung to Dahdin''s head, it violently attempted to submerge him in its slime, trying to suffocate him. It also seemed to be attempting to penetrate his mind. Fearing what the parasite was doing, Dahdin increased his mana output, breaking through his limits, and suddenly felt electrifying shocks coursing through his body. Believing this newfound energy held significance, he pushed through the pain and continued to expand, incorporating this new power into his mana. As the shocks intensified, Dahdin finally unleashed his attack, seemingly fueled by the electrifying power he was unconsciously encountering. In what felt like a dream, he suddenly found himself back where he had been before he was in the dark space. When Dahdin awoke, his mind was in a daze, unable to discern left from right. ''Where is that parasite? Did it defeat me?'' he thought, his mind in shambles. Suddenly, some words escaped him, though he hadn''t consciously uttered them. Just then, a slight movement caught his eye. Mistaking it for the parasite, he tried to lunge forward. But before acting on that instinct, a sense of dominance washed over him, warning him of the danger. At that moment, the haze clouding his mind began to recede. Ending the Battle Chapter 110 Ending the Battle Dahdin recalled his last experience before waking up in a dark space. He remembered that he had come to meditate or answer a question posed by the girl with the witch hat about what he could see inside the distortion. Then he remembered something obscuring his vision and waking up in a dark space. As he reflected on what had happened, his killing intent gradually faded, and the heavy pressure he had felt began to lift. Instinctively, he searched for the source of this receding pressure. When his gaze fell upon the girl, he understood that the previous weight was coming from the witch hat she wore. Remembering their names, Dahdin slowly said, "Lucia and Aleshia." Aleshia sighed in relief and asked curiously, "Are you feeling alright now? Are you experiencing any pain?" "Just a slight pain, but that''s nothing to worry about," Dahdin calmly replied. He noticed Lucia, the witch hat, was silent and asked why. "Is something wrong with Lucia? She doesn''t seem to be awake."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Understanding his confusion, Aleshia told Dahdin, "Lucia is incapacitated because she has been supplying the defenses with most of her mana while you were unconscious, leaving her with low mana." Upon hearing this, Dahdin looked around and observed various swirling symbols and traces of the parasite. After surveying the land and witnessing the devastation, he said to Aleshia, "Wait here for a moment while I cleanse the battlefield." Dahdin sprinted to the remnants of the battle, surveying the battlefield with grief and sorrow at the loss of nature in the land. He considered various ways to restore the land but realized he couldn''t do it himself. Feeling helpless, he channeled his anger toward the parasites whenever he spotted any traces of them and dispersed them. In the process, he discovered he was unconsciously using some of the power the Ancestor had alluded to. This realization solidified his belief that he defeated the parasite within him. Dahdin used the powers granted to him along with his abilities to disperse the parasites. When he reached the center of the battlefield, he observed several sigils infused with Lucia''s mana fighting and struggling against a vast mass of parasite mist. Without hesitation, he joined the fight to defeat it. When Dahdin finally returned to Aleshia, Lucia was awake and recovered, partly thanks to some of Aleshia''s mana. There were no longer any signs of the parasite mist. As the green wolf approached, Aleshia noticed something unusual surrounding it but attributed it to her fatigue. Still, she remained cautious and asked, "Were you able to defeat the remnant mist?" the wolf replied, "I believe there won''t be any more once I close the distortions." We Are Bystanders Chapter 111 We Are Bystanders With that last word, Dahdin turned to face the multitude of distortions and waved his paws, trying to coax the remnants of nature still in the soil. Eventually, the traces slowly rose from the ground and surrounded him. He began to form these into symbols and started incanting in an unknown language. As he did this, the symbols began to glow. He then pushed them outward until they reached the many distortions. Once they neared the point of being sucked in, they solidified in their positions. When his incantation ceased, the world grew silent. Then suddenly, a rupturing sound echoed from all around. The sudden noise caused Aleshia to cover her ears and crouch down for cover. As the sound faded and the ringing in her ears subsided, she slowly lowered her hands and stood up, revealing the view before her. Previously, the land appeared as if it were a battlefield, but as her eyes adjusted, the vast majority of what she could see was a lifeless expanse. She gawked at the altered landscape until, a few seconds later, she noticed the change in the distortions around her. They had become significantly smaller.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Something strange was happening to Dahdin, and it wasn''t until the mist overtook him that Aleshia noticed; however, Lucia felt it far sooner than she did. Upon sensing the mist coming from Dahdin, Lucia quickly conjured a barrier to protect Aleshia and instructed her to move away from Dahdin. Aleshia, clearly understanding the danger of staying, worriedly glanced at Dahdin before backing away and running. When exhaustion finally caught up to her, she turned to look back at the place she had just fled from. A massive swirling dark mist was erupting from that spot. With concern in her voice, she asked, "Will Dahdin be okay?" In response to her concern, Lucia said, "There isn''t much we can do right now; we should just chalk this up to an unfortunate accident and accept that we were merely bystanders. I''m sure many people have felt this disturbance, so they will eventually come to check it out and resolve the issue." With those words, Lucia urged her not to dwell on the whole mess. Aleshia solemnly accepted her role as just an onlooker, shifting responsibility. However, tears began to flow from her eyes, and she was unable to move. It was as if Kailey had heard and seen everything that had transpired but was unwilling to accept this outcome. Aleshia tried to reason with her inwardly, attempting to coax her into acceptance. Eventually, as if in understanding, her tears stopped flowing, allowing her to move again without the feeble restraint that Kailey had imposed on her. Aleshia began running again, distancing herself as far as possible from the disaster, trying not to look back or remember. Upstream or Downstream? Chapter 112 Upstream or Downstream? Aleshia continued walking for hours after leaving the disaster area with Lucia perched on her head. They had traveled a considerable distance from the swirling mist with the application of support-type spells now and then. However, they could still see wisps of mist rising above the forest foliage whenever there were large gaps in the leaves. Aleshia didn''t dare to stop; she kept moving forward, knowing it was in her best interest not to return to the area for a long while. Lucia appeared preoccupied with the magic she had learned during the event. The magic was hovering just ahead of Aleshia, allowing her to see it, observe, and perhaps learn a few things about this new magic. Occasionally, Aleshia would chime in with some suggestions for Lucia, some of which were tried and tested, with other tests failing, causing Lucia to be unable to use her magic for several minutes. After some time, Lucia perked up and alerted Aleshia to some things in the sky. When Aleshia looked up, she saw winged creatures that resembled horses, though she was unfamiliar with them. Upon closer inspection, she still didn''t know what they were, but she could make out figures riding atop them, although they were too far away for her to identify.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "That''s interesting," Aleshia said. "You were right about people coming to investigate." With a deep sigh, she released the last bit of tension she felt. Now that she could entirely leave the burden to the figures on the flying horses, she felt relieved and returned her gaze ahead. Aleshia returned to walking, and a few more hours passed. During that time, Lucia continued her previous activities, testing and experimenting with her new magic. As her skills advanced, she was able to incorporate more elements into her practice. Occasionally, Aleshia joined in, adding her lightning magic to Lucia''s efforts. "Hey, isn''t that water?" Lucia said, bringing Aleshia out of her absentminded walking. "Yeah, that is most definitely water! I wonder if there will be people there," Aleshia replied excitedly. With a newfound vigor, she was about to break into a sprint but paused to ask, "Are villages constructed upstream or downstream?" Lucia was confounded by the question. She had never considered it before and asked, "You don''t know? Do you not have knowledge of this?" "I don''t," she answered with concern. After taking some time to sift through her memories, she added, "That''s odd. It seems like I have some gaps in my memories." River Cleaning Chapter 113 River Cleaning After careful consideration, they decided to set the memory gap aside for now, as it wouldn''t affect their decision on which direction to follow. After a short discussion and using natural deduction, Aleshia and Lucia decided to follow the river''s flow. This decision turned out to be the right choice. After a while walking beside the river, they soon spotted a visible footpath. However, the trail was on the other side of the river, which presented a small challenge. However, they quickly found a way to cross when they looked further down and spotted several rocks visible above the water. They decided to use these rocks to make their crossing. When they reached the rocks, Aleshia was about to cross the river when she noticed her dirt-covered clothes and expressed concern, "If I don''t tidy up and clean my clothes before meeting other people, they might think I''m a runaway or a ragamuffin." Lucia wholeheartedly agreed with her judgment and even helped her clean her clothes using magic. Aleshia handed her clothes to Lucia and stepped into a shallower, calmer part of the river, enjoying the cold, refreshing water on her skin. She splashed around for a bit before deciding to wash her hair. Using water magic, she floated the flowing river water around her, allowing it to mingle with her hair. After rinsing away the dirt and grime, she slowly stepped out of the cold water. Feeling chilly from the residual water, she used magic to remove the excess moisture from her hair and body, effectively drying herself in the process.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. In the meantime, Lucia firmly held the clothes with her magic, allowing them to float in the river as the water washed away the dirt and grime. While the river cleansed the fabric, Lucia experimented with her new magic, testing whether it could restore the small tears and repair them. Unexpectedly, Lucia''s idea proved successful. Once she finished using her magic on the clothes and wringing them out in the air, they looked as good as new, shining even brighter than when Aleshia had first worn them. When Aleshia returned, she was astonished by how clean and new the clothes appeared and praised Lucia, saying, "Wow, these look much cleaner than when I last saw them!" Aleshia grabbed the floating clothes and eagerly put them on feeling refreshed by their warmth after her cold dip. As she enjoyed the warmth, night soon approached, and the light of day began to fade. For the first time since leaving the ruin, Aleshia and especially Lucia experienced the twilight of the night symbolizing the freedom she had gained. Lucia had never seen the stars in their entirety before; she could only gaze at those who peeked through the entrance while trapped inside the ruin. Now, she could freely admire the entire sky filled with stars. For Aleshia, the approach of night marked the conclusion of this tumultuous chapter, and the new day would be the start of the next adventure. Fishing Chapter 114 Fishing As Aleshia was reminiscing over recent events, she began looking for sticks and stones to make a campfire. When she gathered a sufficient amount, she began placing them near the river, arranging the rocks to create a circle, and casually tossing in the sticks she had found. Once she finished all her tasks, she stepped back to admire her work. Feeling satisfied, she ignited the sticks with her lightning magic, as odd as it sounded. Aleshia watched the flame, making sure it wouldn''t be snuffed out, and once she was confident in it not going out, she turned to Lucia and asked, "Can you create a barrier to keep animals or intruders away from our campsite?" Lucia nodded and began to create a barrier; sigils and other symbols emanated from her as she worked on it. Meanwhile, Aleshia searched for a flat patch of land where she could settle down to sleep. When Lucia finished creating the barrier, she noticed that Aleshia was already lying on the ground, waiting for sleep to take over. Realizing there was nothing else to do, Lucia hovered above Aleshia and lay down on top of her, offering a small blanket of warmth. Eventually, sleep took over Aleshia, and Lucia noticed her steady breathing. Since Lucia did not need to sleep, she stayed awake, keeping watch for any intruders or animals that might try to attack them.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Upon waking up, Aleshia discovered that Lucia had covered her while she slept, and she thanked her for the thoughtful gesture. Just then, an audible rumble came from Aleshia''s stomach, breaking the morning''s quiet daze and prompting her hunger. Remembering that she was beside a river, she insisted that Lucia help her catch some fish, even though she already had food supplies tucked away in her pouch. An hour later, Aleshia was now accompanied by a basic fishing line with two freshly caught fish at her side, still twitching slightly from the electricity. A short distance away, Lucia had a mountain of fish beside her, which she periodically froze. Aleshia continued to fish despite feeling extremely hungry. Eventually, Lucia approached her, carrying the massive pile of fish through the air. Driven by her grumbling stomach, Aleshia decided to set aside her competitive spirit and embraced the future of food, grabbing the two still-twitching fish at her side. When they returned to the smoldering campfire, Aleshia prodded the flames and reignited them with her lightning. As the fire blazed hotter, she took salt and various spices from the pouch at her side and generously sprinkled them on the fish they had caught. Meanwhile, Lucia searched for additional sticks to feed the fire and some to use as skewers for the fish. Cooking Fish Chapter 115 Cooking Fish When Lucia returned with the sticks, a pile of fish was cooking around the campfire, some slightly charred at the ends. "Perfect timing! The fish is just about done!" shouted Aleshia, who eagerly watched over the food. Lucia moved to Aleshia''s side while examining the fish nearest the edges and remarked, "Have these fish been gutted and cleaned?" Aleshia tilted her head in confusion and replied, "Do we not just eat them after cooking them all the way through?" After hearing this, Lucia stuttered, "Well, yes and no. Humans and other races similar to them usually gut the innards of prey before cooking to enhance the flavor." After thinking deeper on the topic Lucia added, "That is as far as I know." After considering Lucia''s words, Aleshia decided to experiment. She took a few pieces of fish that were still cooking over the campfire and grabbed a rock she had been fiddling with to pass the time. The rock had been sharpened during her moments of absentmindedness, and she began to cut into the fish with it.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. As she awkwardly tried to cut through the cooked fish, she occasionally nicked her fingers. Although slightly pained by the small cuts, she persevered. Afterward, the stomachs and other organs of the fish were clumsily removed and moved to the side of the fire away from the cooking fish. Aleshia looked at her mangled pile of cooked fish, though a bit colder now because of the passage of time, and felt a sense of accomplishment for having done it herself. She had not even tasted any of the fish yet because she had been so focused on the task at hand. Now, with her mind finally free to wander, her hunger surged back with a monstrous growl. Giving in to the temptation of her stomach, she eagerly dug into the fish. Despite the fish not being as hot as it would have been straight off the fire, she was pleasantly surprised by its taste. While she could taste slight hints of an iron taste in the fish, it was masked by the salt and spices she had used for seasoning. When Aleshia finished eating her pile of fish, she glanced back at the campfire and felt a wave of sorrow wash over her as she realized the fish still cooking by the fire was probably all burnt. However, her sadness quickly turned to joy when Lucia presented her with a perfectly prepared and cooked fish. Rock Crossing Chapter 116 Rock Crossing Aleshia patted her stomach, full of the fish she ate, and burped to release some of the pressure. The sun was now high in the sky, forecasting sunny and perfect weather for traveling. With her hunger satisfied, Aleshia felt ready to move on from her camp and return to the road. She slowly got to her feet, feeling slight discomfort from all the food in her stomach, and called out to Lucia. "Lucia, I''m ready to leave this camp and explore the road," Aleshia shouted, not entirely sure where Lucia was. Just then, she heard Lucia''s voice coming from beyond her sight. "I''ll be right with you just a moment." A few moments later, Lucia returned with more fish preserved in ice. She returned to Aleshia''s side, stored them in her pouch, and floated up to perch on her head. With a full stomach, clean clothes, and especially a witch''s hat, Aleshia now looked like a respectable person¡ªor at least a witch in training.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. After double-checking her appearance in the reflection of the river water, she tried to smile and make a face, but she still couldn''t create any expressions aside from her perpetually fixed deadpan expression. She worried that her inability to show emotions might make some people suspicious of her, but after receiving reassurance from Lucia, she decided to let go of her concerns. Aleshia and Lucia were cleaning up the campfire and the surrounding area. Aleshia still attempted to make faces all the while. Eventually, the site looked as good as new, as if no one had ever disturbed the space. The only noticeable difference was that this area was much cleaner and tidied up than the other areas a short distance away. After leaving the site in better condition than when they arrived, they moved on to their next goal: the other side of the river. Aleshia approached the rock crossing, which served as a natural bridge to the other side of the river, and began hopping from rock to rock. Aleshia nearly slipped on one of the rocks, almost falling into the raging river below. Fortunately, Lucia caught her with her magic. After taking a few breaths to regain her composure, Aleshia continued jumping across the remaining rocks. When she successfully reached the other side of the river, She paused to catch her breath and looked around for the footpath she had seen from across the river. Bandits Chapter 117 Bandits With Lucia''s help, Aleshia quickly found the foot trail and moved through the bushes and grass that lay between it and them. When they arrived at the trail, Aleshia glanced toward the river to confirm where it flowed before walking along the path. As they strolled along the footpath, Aleshia and Lucia noticed the ground, although not heavily used, bore signs of having been used recently, with fresh hoofprints present along the path. As this discovery briefly occupied their minds, they continued following the path, carrying on their long and tedious journey, quickly forgetting the prints. During their walk, Lucia resumed her magical experimentation, with Aleshia gradually rejoining her as they returned to their previous guess and test routine. It wasn''t until they heard the clash of metal that their dulled, autopilot minds sprang back into activity. "Hey, Aleshia, do you hear that noise?" Lucia asked, puzzled as she tried to recall what the noise was called.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Yeah, I hear it. I think it might be people battling," Aleshia replied, unsure. She quickened her pace and broke into a sprint while Lucia prepared her magic in case of a confrontation. The scene they stumbled upon involved three people fighting, one standing protectively in front of his horse while the other two attacked him. The man protecting his horse was clad in typical adventurer armor, which was scuffed and marred from his fall. Beside him lay a fallen horse, neighing in protest and struggling to rise. The horse must have thrown its rider after being startled by a sudden sneak attack from the group of bandits. Aleshia was concerned for the horse and soon learned the reason for the horse''s inability to get back up. A few arrows were protruding from its body and legs. Despite this, the horse struggled to stand, shaking as it neighed defiantly. Giving the impression that it was valiantly trying to rise solely out of will and loyalty to the man confronting the bandits. Returning her gaze to the man and his fight, he looked to be in a defensive position. He skillfully dodged and defended himself against the two bandits wielding swords and daggers. As Aleshia was admiring his skills, something caught her eye. There were two more bandits concealed in the brush: one, Aleshia suspected, was the one who had shot arrows at the horse, while she had no idea what the other one specialized in. Aleshia decided to wait until the man was on the verge of defeat or seriously injured; she didn''t want to be mistaken for one of the bandits or find herself overwhelmed. However, she still prepared her spells in case the situation escalated. The Fight Chapter 118 The Fight "What is our plan here?" Lucia asked as she noticed Aleshia preparing a spell. Aleshia shared her plan. "I am considering finding a good spot to observe the battle without being noticed by the bandits hiding in the bushes. If those two in the bushes attempt anything, we will use our magic to stop them." "Alright, I understand," Lucia said. Aleshia moved closer to the fighting, finding a vantage point nearby. She was ready to cast her spell at any moment, with Lucia by her side. The adventurer dodged the dagger thrust aimed at him. He seized the bandit''s wrist, applying pressure until the bandit dropped his weapon. Just then, a sword slash forced the adventurer to retreat, but not before he managed to grab the fallen dagger.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With his new dagger now in hand, the adventurer closed the distance to the sword-wielding bandit and swiped at him. The bandit, unable to react in time, failed to block the attack. The adventurer''s dagger cut into the bandit''s hand, forcing him to lose his grip on the sword''s hilt. A moment later his throat was sliced. When the other bandit saw his companion''s throat getting sliced, He let go of his throbbing wrist, picked up his remaining dagger, and urgently ran to his friend, shouting, "You bastard!" The adventurer did not respond to the bandit''s cry. Instead, he casually picked up the dead bandit''s sword and brandished it with ease. As the bandit charged at the adventurer, he seethed with rage and hatefully swiped at the man. However, the adventurer effortlessly deflected the attack, sending the dagger flying from the bandit''s grasp. Then, with one swift move, the adventurer struck the bandit on the head with the pommel of the sword, knocking him out cold. Aleshia and Lucia were sitting on a tree branch, watching the fight from afar while using a concealment spell to hide themselves. "Wow, the adventurer guy barely broke a sweat," Aleshia whispered excitedly. Adding to Aleshia''s observation, Lucia remarked, "It seems the adventurer is quite skilled in combat. I wonder why such weak opponents are pursuing him." A moment later, they noticed one of the bandits hiding in the brush, drawing back his bow and aiming it at the adventurer. Just as Lucia was about to cast her spell at the bandit, Aleshia stopped her, curious to see how the adventurer would react, especially since he had effortlessly defeated the other bandits. "Hold on, Lucia. I think the adventurer can handle this on his own," Aleshia said. Brutal Chapter 119 Brutal Understanding Aleshia''s intention to learn the adventurer''s skill, Lucia cut off the mana supplying the spell without saying anything, and returned to observing the battle. Moments later, the bandit released the arrow from his bow. As it whizzed through the air, the adventurer dodged it by dashing to the side. He looked to where the arrow landed and quickly swiveled his head in the opposing direction, scanning the area for the bowman. The adventurer''s mouth curved into a smirk, and his eyes gleamed as if he had found his prey. He casually rotated the dagger in his hand, gripping the blade instead of the handle, and flung it toward where he presumed the bowman to be. With a thunk and a cry, the adventurer knew he had struck his mark. The wails of the bowman bandit echoed through the forest, masking the rustling and hurried footsteps that fled the scene. The adventurer picked up the remaining dagger on the ground and threw it at the fleeing bandit. However, since he didn''t know the bandit''s exact location, the dagger struck the bandit''s leg instead of its intended target. The bandit''s cry of pain betrayed his position, making it clear to the adventurer where he was hiding.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The adventurer picked up his fallen sword, casually slung it onto his belt, and ran toward the bushes where the bowman was, and the fleeing bandit had been. He passed the bowman without a second glance. As the adventurer ran deeper into the forest, Aleshia remarked, "That was brutal, wasn''t it?" She timidly backed away from him, even though she was hiding in a tree and cloaked in camouflage. "I suppose the man has his stance on bandits or at least those who seek to attack him," Lucia said grimly. "Maybe I should adopt that perspective, or you could assist me in making such a judgment if the need arises," Aleshia suggested, watching the bowman bandit struggle to pull the dagger from his chest. A minute later, Aleshia heard the screams of the bandit being chased by the adventurer, and she chose not to look in that direction for a while. The bowman bandit, upon hearing his companion''s screams, quickly picked up speed and managed to dislodge the dagger from his chest, muffling his cries of pain. Just as the bandit thought he had escaped the adventurer, he heard the adventurer''s voice behind him. "Who sent you? I might spare you if you answer." Restraints Chapter 120 Restraints The bandit frantically searched around before turning his head at the sound of the adventurer''s voice. Spotting him, he shrieked in fear and tried to scramble away, shouting, "Stay away from me! You, you monster!" As the bandit desperately crawled away from the adventurer, the adventurer smiled devilishly and watched as the bandit struggled to run away and stumble. The bandit''s fear soon overwhelmed him, causing him to faint and collapse hard onto the ground, much to the adventurer''s displeasure. As the adventurer considered ways to extract information from the unconscious bandit, he recalled the other bandit he had knocked out earlier. After making his decision, the adventurer prepared restraints for the bandits. But before doing that, he carried each bandit, one by one, to a secluded spot away from the path. He cast magic that shackled the unconscious bandit''s arms and legs together, then retrieved a thick rope from his bag and tied the two bandits together facing opposite directions. Once satisfied with the rope''s tautness, he rushed to his horse''s side and retrieved multiple ointments, medicinal salves, and a red potion from his bag.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As he opened each container, he started applying the contents to pieces of animal skin. While he did this, he calmly spoke to his horse, saying, "There''s no need to panic; it''s just me. Please stay still and don''t move while I take out these arrows." The horse obeyed the adventurer''s instructions, lying as still as possible while waiting for the arrows to be taken out of its body. It did its best not to squirm, and as it lay there, its suffering subsided as soon as the adventurer began his care. While the adventurer tended to his horse, he did his best to avoid making any sudden movements while pulling out the arrows. However, to his fury, as soon as he pulled out the last arrow, he noticed that the tip was coated with poison. The adventurer repressed his rage and quickly applied a healing salve to the horse''s wound, pouring a small amount of the red liquid onto it. As the wound visibly healed, it began to exude the poison that had infiltrated into the horse. However, as the poison left the horse''s body, it started flowing down to its other open wounds. Foreseeing this, the adventurer took out a clean cloth and wiped the poison away from the horse and its wounds. Sighing in relief, the adventurer monitored the horse''s recovery, only occasionally glancing at the bandits with a gaze full of murderous hatred. Answers Chapter 121 Answers "Wow, that man truly cares for his horse, doesn''t he, right?" Aleshia said, feeling her heart warm at the affectionate display. "I would think it''s common for people with companion animals to feel this way toward their animal friends," Lucia replied, also feeling a sense of warmth rising within her. One of the bandits woke up from his slumber and immediately began clamoring, ruining the touching atmosphere. Lucia, the ever-pragmatic witch hat, felt her mood sour from the unwanted interruption. She was about to cast a spell that would cause extreme discomfort to the shouting bandit, but before she could do so, the adventurer, who was tending his horse, appeared before the shouting bandit. With barely stifled rage, he clamped his hand around the bandit''s mouth. "I suggest you answer my questions. If you do not, you and your friend behind you will share an ever so gruesome fate," the adventurer said in a low, cold tone.Stolen novel; please report. The bandit, now trembling with fear as he recalled the moment his companion was taken down, immediately surrendered to the adventurer''s threat. He quickly agreed to provide the adventurer with any information he sought, hoping to save his own life instead of facing the man''s cruelty. The bandit blurted out in fear, "I-I will answer all your questions!" With a devilish smirk, the adventurer said coldly, "First, who commissioned you four to attack me?" "That boy! That noble brat! He hired us because he says you insulted him by not bowing to him!" the bandit exclaimed, quickly betraying the identity of his contractor. The adventurer tried to recall the name of the person the bandit mentioned, but he couldn''t, so he asked for it again while feigning familiarity. "Ah, that one. Can you remind me of his name again?" "Certainly, sir!" the bandit unconsciously addressed the adventurer with politeness. "The brat''s name is Stewart Greenbell." "Right, right! Now I remember." the adventurer said gruffly. "Now, can you tell me where he is currently?" After a moment of trying to recall, the bandit soon responded. "The city of Darendale is where we were when he asked for our services. It is just a day or so journey along the path from here. The adventurer smirked, realizing that his destination was this city. Aware of his situation and who was pursuing him, he left the bandits bound together and walked over to his now-standing horse. He did not ride the horse; instead, he walked alongside it, considering its injuries. Destination Chapter 122 Destination As the adventurer walked alongside his horse, Aleshia was having issues with her concealment. The mana in her body was nearly depleted from its constant use and was running low. Aleshia asked Lucia if she could share some of her mana, and without hesitation, she happily obliged, providing Aleshia with her mana to keep concealment going. With the slight debacle behind her, Aleshia now returned to the long, arduous, and tiresome journey of trailing the adventurer to the destination he headed for. Now and then, the adventurer would reach into his bag for medicines and calmly instruct his horse to stay still while he applied them. He frequently strayed to the river so his horse could drink plenty of water, and he, too, would take sips from his waterskin Aleshia could stay hydrated using either her own magic or Lucia''s. She periodically conjured water and drank it without taking her eyes off the adventurer. The darkness of night was approaching, and it seemed the adventurer was preparing camp far earlier than necessary. However, it was clear that he would do anything for his injured horseUnauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "It seems like the adventurer is making camp, Aleshia. Do you think we should do the same or keep watching him?" Lucia aske After being prompted by her question, Aleshia thought carefully and replied, "If you can watch over him while I rest in the trees, my mind will be at ease. "Alright." Lucia lightly hopped off Aleshia''s head and floated to the ground. Just before she landed, she lifted herself with magic and silently drew closer to the adventurer and his horse. Meanwhile, Aleshia began to climb a nearby tree, finding a sturdy limb to rest on, and soon fell asleep as sleep washed over her Aleshia was prodded awake by Lucia the next morning, and she groggily opened her eyes. "Morning, Lucia," she said. "Morning!" Lucia replied cheerfully As Aleshia shifted her gaze, she noticed the adventurer feeding his horse a hay bale. The sight of the feeding made her stomach grumble, so she retrieved some of the fish from earlier that she had stored in her pouch and began eating. A small sigh of delight escaped her lips as she enjoyed the meal. She noticed Lucia watching her. "Aren''t you going to eat some?" Aleshia asked With a hint of envy in her voice, Lucia explained, "I can''t taste foods like humans, but I can subsist on the mana in the air. So, I guess that is a plus." Edge of the Forest Chapter 123 Edge of the Forest Aleshia expressed her sympathy, turning away and hiding her fish. She finished her meal and watched the adventurer eat his, which consisted of dried meats and hard bread soaked in water. After the adventurer finished his meal, he checked on his horse. After reapplying some medicine to its injuries, he returned to the path. A little while down the path, his horse nuzzled him, urging him to ride. After some coaxing, the adventurer decided to comply with his horse''s request. He checked its injuries one last time, then gently jumped onto the horse and tapped its side to encourage it to move forward. Initially, the horse walked, but it soon transitioned to a trot as it became more accustomed to its injuries with the adventurer''s weight. Eventually, it began to run, though it slowed down after a gentle prompt from its rider.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. At first, Aleshia could manage the horse''s speed, but as it began to run faster, she struggled to keep up the pace. Remembering her support magic, she tried to cast a spell on herself, only to realize with dismay that the mana she had expected to regenerate during her sleep had barely recovered at all. She wondered if Lucia could be generous enough to provide her with mana to support the spell. Looking up, she asked, "Lucia, do you think you have enough mana to help me with a support spell so I can keep up with the horse?" "It depends on how much farther the adventurer is planning to travel. Since we don''t have that information, can you tell me the type of support spell you are casting on yourself? Is it a set one or a continuous one, like your concealment spell?" Lucia asked. "It''s a set spell," Aleshia replied. Lucia checked her mana and said, "I believe I have enough to last us even if you reapply it occasionally then." She lent some of her mana to Aleshia, who quickly applied some support spells to herself, which allowed her to catch up with the horse. Once she reached the horse, she found nothing unusual happening; the adventurer was simply fondly petting the horse''s mane. The adventurer made good pace with his horse, and by the time the sun was high in the sky, he was nearing the exit out of the forest. Aleshia was gazing at the wide-open scenery ahead of her and said worriedly, "This is quite a problem. There isn''t anywhere that can hide me on this open road!" Fields Chapter 124 Fields Aleshia hesitated at the edge of the forest, unsure whether to cross into the open land where there were few hiding spots. As her uncertainty deepened, the adventurer she had been following moved further away. She faced a difficult choice: should she continue to follow him and risk being discovered, or should she stay in the forest and wander aimlessly without a clear direction? Aleshia hesitated to cross the boundary, but as she watched the adventurer disappear on the other side, a pressure overwhelmed her, and she decided to step out of the forest and follow him. It took some time for Aleshia to regain the distance lost to the adventurer and his horse, but now she could see him again. She decided to increase her following distance, staying farther back than she had while in the forest. With fewer hiding spots in the area, she felt it necessary to increase her distance. Despite being farther away, she could still see him clearly from her position. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The adventurer reached the top of a small hill and crossed it, with Aleshia sneakily following behind. At the peak, Aleshia was amazed by the breathtaking view. Expansive fields and flourishing crops stretched out in front, and just beyond them stood the towering walls of a city. Peeking over the walls, she could see the towers of what she guessed was an academy. "Isn''t that something?" Lucia gasped. "Judging by the buildings that peek over those high walls, this city must be quite prosperous." Aleshia, excited to explore, responded, "that''s true! I can''t wait to go into the city and see what it''s like inside!" Aleshia stopped admiring the view and noticed the adventurer continuing along the path that led to the city. She resumed following the adventurer, and after a few minutes of traveling behind them, she reached a field of crops. Lucia''s hat body bounced in every direction on top of Aleshia''s head, marveling at the beautiful golden wheat and delighting in its beauty. Aleshia felt the happiness Lucia exuded with every twist and bounce along the path. She tried to smile but couldn''t quite manage it, yet she still felt happy. As Lucia admired the crops, Aleshia kept an eye on the adventurer, following him and occasionally hiding within the field since he would sometimes glance behind him. The adventurer seemed unaware of her presence, and each time his gaze failed to notice her, she felt a sense of accomplishment. With each successful hiding, her thrill grew, making her more bold. Eventually, Lucia noticed Aleshia''s little game. "Hey! Stop that. What if he catches you?" she whispered. "I''m sorry," Aleshia replied sheepishly, rubbing her hands together. "I think I just got too caught up in the excitement." The Queue Chapter 125 The Queue Aleshia continued to hide from the adventurer. After a few more hours of travel, he finally reached his destination. In front of Aleshia stood a large gate. As she gazed at its enormity, she noticed a long line of various types of people waiting to enter. Noting that the adventurer did not join the queue, she decided to follow him from a distance. Meanwhile, Lucia marveled at the many humans in the queue. Some wore leather armor, while others donned armor made of unfamiliar metals. Lucia also noticed that some humans exhibited traits of different animals, though these traits were often obscured by their clothing or hair or had been entirely removed. As Aleshia walked by, Lucia boldly stared at each person, trying to understand why they would choose to sever a part of themselves. Some individuals in the line possessed keen perception and shot suspicious glances at Aleshia. The adventurer she followed seemed oblivious to their scrutinizing looks and continued along another route, which featured another gate, this time surrounded by elegantly dressed individuals. Some of them adorned their outfits with family crests that shimmered with prestige. Observing this, Aleshia thought, ''Are those little ornaments enchanted?''If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As the adventurer entered and progressed along the line, a guard approached to inspect him. "Halt," the guard commanded, eyeing the adventurer from head to toe. "You must wait in either the commoner or adventurers'' line before entering and going through the screening process. If this is your first time in this city, you must be a noble to enter this line or hold an adventurer rank of B or higher. Otherwise, you must return to either of those lines." The adventurer pulled a card from his bag and handed it to the guard. After reviewing it, the guard apologized and allowed him to continue the line. While the adventurer talked to the guard, Aleshia overheard snippets about a strange occurrence in a nearby forest. Listening in, Aleshia quickly realized that the strange events the gathering talked of were partly due to her involvement with the Green Wolf clan and their leader, Dahdin. From what she gathered, the people at the gate referred to the land she had just come from as "The Forest of Beasts." Based on the name and how the crowd spoke about it, it seemed to be a forbidden area. However, some powerful individuals hired by the city were permitted to enter the Forest of Beasts to investigate the unusual disturbances. Crossing The Gates Chapter 126 Crossing The Gates Aleshia was lost in thought but quickly ran after the adventurer after being gently nudged by Lucia. The guard who had bothered the adventurer then stopped her. "Hey, where do you think you''re going?" he asked. Aleshia hesitated before answering and tried to sound confident, quickly explaining to the guard, "Uh, I''m with the adv-guy you just spoke with. I''m part of his group." The guard examined Aleshia closely as if he were using some ability to scan her. Lucia sensed this scrutiny, and in an instant, she created an invisible barrier made of nature. Just as she finished, the guard directed his scanning above Aleshia toward her witch hat. "That is odd. I''m not getting anything from the scan," the guard muttered in confusion. When Aleshia heard those words, she knew something was wrong and immediately began to panic. But before she could do anything drastic, the guard let her go, adding, "If you''re bugging out my skills, then it must be true what you say."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Aleshia felt uneasy about the guard''s unusual behavior but sighed with relief, realizing she could continue in line. She quickly caught up to the adventurer waiting ahead, bypassing others in line. Some shouted angrily, but when they saw who she was approaching, they bit back their complaints. Oddly enough, the adventurer never turned around or acknowledged her presence, as if he were oblivious to the commotion behind him. When the adventurer finally reached the gate entrance, he showed his adventurer''s permit to the guard stationed at the gate and was immediately allowed in without any further incidents. Aleshia, who was sneakily following him, did not face any trouble from the guard at the gate and was also allowed entry. Aleshia thought she heard some mocking remark from the guardsman but chose to ignore them and followed her target. Crossing through the gates, Aleshia became surrounded by a bustling atmosphere filled with people walking in the streets and vendors selling their goods. Lucia was the most excited of all and marveled at everything. Aleshia looked at the many stone and brick buildings. Oddly enough, all the windows appeared new, as if they had recently had damage done to them. Before Aleshia could dive too deeply into her thoughts, Lucia''s cheerful attitude eased her worries. "Oh wow! Look at all those vendors, Aleshia!" Not wanting to dampen Lucia''s excitement, Aleshia set her concerns aside and smiled. "These street vendors seem cleaner and more established than the ones I used to buy from. I wonder if they know of any tourist spots around here." "They just might!" Lucia exclaimed. "Let''s ask the locals if there are any tourist spots to check out!" Vendor Chapter 127 Vendor Lucia urged Aleshia forward, gently pulling her head toward the nearest vendor. The excitement was clearly evident on Lucia''s face. Aleshia finally gave in to Lucia''s urging and approached the vendor. Standing in front of the vendor, Aleshia hesitantly spoke up, "Hi there!" Hearing a voice, the vendor turned to meet his customer and responded energetically, "Hello there, young lass! Would you like to buy some of my wares?" "..." "I''m sorry," the vendor said, trembling in fear. Aleshia''s face was stone cold, and for some reason, she couldn''t speak up. She felt herself shaking, her body trembling in fear. Noticing this unusual behavior, Lucia checked in with her. "Hey, Aleshia, are you okay? What''s wrong?" Lucia subtly shook her, filled with concern. When Aleshia didn''t respond, Lucia used their connection to manipulate her body and walked her away from the vendor.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Once they were out of the vendor''s view and lost in the crowd, Aleshia finally spoke, still slightly trembling. "I don''t know what happened. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It''s strange. It felt like I feared¡ªno, this body was afraid to speak with people." Concerned by her words, Lucia gently patted Aleshia''s head, trying to calm her trembling body while reflecting on what Kailey had said about her past. "Kailey mentioned that she was cursed, right? Maybe she was ostracized by the other humans in her town, which made it difficult for her to communicate with others. But she seemed fine speaking with you and me, and you were able to talk with Dahdin." With this idea in mind, Aleshia and Lucia started thinking as they wandered without direction. Then Aleshia thought aloud, "Maybe Kailey is afraid of humans." "Poor thing," Lucia replied, her voice full of sympathy. "Perhaps we can help her body feel more comfortable talking to other humans so she won''t freeze up.." "I don''t think we can do that right now. We still need to follow the adventurer. Wait, where did he go?" Aleshia frantically searched around her but couldn''t find the adventurer she had been trailing from the forest. Just then, she felt a tap on her leg. "Hey miss, are you lost?" The voice came from a child wearing torn and ragged clothes. Just then, Aleshia finally realized that she had walked into the slums. While Aleshia was stunned, Lucia''s voice was in her head: "Oh, what an adorable little human! Let''s keep it!" "I don''t appreciate your joke, Lucia." Lessers Chapter 128 Lessers Confused by Aleshia''s stern outburst, the child was perturbed but replied, "Huh? I didn''t say any jokes, miss." "Oh, it was nothing. What I said wasn''t meant for you. Please disregard what I said," Aleshia quickly explained. The girl tilted her head and hesitantly repeated what she asked, "Um, are you lost, miss?" Aleshia almost said she wasn''t but hesitated, "I guess I am lost. Do you know of any places where I can find lodging?" The girl''s face brightened up after hearing Aleshia''s response. She thoughtfully said, "Lodgings." After brooding the word for a moment, she added unsurely, "Um, I think you need to return to the gate out of the slums. Then, head to one of the gates that lead out of the city. From there, turn around and continue down the street until you find a sign that has a symbol that looks like a house."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Aleshia considered her words. Given the girl''s uncertainty, it seemed she didn''t know where to find lodging and was answering with second-hand information. However, since she still shared her knowledge, Aleshia recognized that the girl had good intentions. Aleshia asked, "Do you know where the gate out of the slums is?" The girl didn''t respond immediately, but when Aleshia patted her on the head, she gave in. "The gate back to the main city is down the road, but there are many winding paths to reach it. I can take you back. But I can''t enter the city." Aleshia considered the girl''s words but was confused by the last thing she had said. "Why can''t you go into the city?" Aleshia asked. The girl appeared reluctant to share the reason, but with some gentle encouragement, she opened up. "I''m part of a class that isn''t allowed to go to the main part of the city. We are considered lessers, and if spotted in the main city, we will be beaten and punished for simply existing." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, revealing the pain of having witnessed such brutality firsthand. Aleshia faltered before pulling the crying child closer to herself and comforted her. Lucia also helped the girl by using magic. She subtly healed her with the nature magic she had been experimenting with, and by the time Aleshia released her from the hug, the previously gaunt-looking girl looked healthier, but she still needed meat and food. Eating Fish Chapter 129 Eating Fish As the girl settled down, she noticed something had changed within her. Tilting her head, she mumbled, "Why don''t I feel bad anymore?" Hearing the girl''s confused voice, Aleshia looked up at her witch hat and mentally asked, "Lucia, was that you?" Lucia gave a slight nod. Concerned for the child, she added, "You should give the child some of the fish you stored so she doesn''t starve. She looks so thin and fragile." "Right," Aleshia said. She then tried grabbing her bag but discovered she couldn''t move her arms because the girl was still holding onto them. After gently disentangling herself, Aleshia went to retrieve the fish but noticed the girl looking up at her with hopeful eyes. "Can you do what you just did to me again, but for everyone else? I''ll take you to our camp; I think the kids there need healing more than I do," she requested.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With the hopeful gaze of a child staring at her, Aleshia couldn''t refuse, but she wanted to find the adventurer again. However, this issue mattered more to her than tagging along with the adventurer while concealing herself. She gently patted the girl on the head and asked, "Are you hungry?" The girl''s stomach answered with a growl. Aleshia reached for her bag again and successfully pulled out a few fish on sticks, handing one to the girl. The girl was about to dig in immediately but paused. "I can''t have this; the others need it more than I do. I can find food for myself, so please give it to the children," she stammered. Aleshia felt sorry for the girl and pulled out more fish to show her before putting them back in the bag, trying to coax the girl into eating. "I have plenty of fish, so it''s okay to eat," she said. After some more encouragement, the girl reluctantly accepted Aleshia''s invitation and began to eat her fish. Once she finished the first one, she hesitantly asked for another. Aleshia handed her another fish, which the girl quickly devoured. As the girl ate, Aleshia looked around at the many rundown buildings that were far shabbier than those she had seen when she first entered the city. Unconsciously, she muttered, "This really is a slum." When the girl finished the fish in her hands, Aleshia asked for the girl''s name. "Do you have a name? Mine is Aleshia, and my witch hat is named Lucia." The Camp Children Chapter 130 The Camp Children "Your witch hat has a name?" the girl asked, puzzled. "Yes, it does," Aleshia confirmed. "Now, may I ask your name?" "Oh right, my name is Ren. I''m sorry for not introducing myself sooner." "It''s alright. So, should we go to the camp you had talked about?" At the mention of the camp, Ren immediately brightened up and took Aleshia''s hand, dragging her deeper into the slums. As they went along, the people resting on the side of the road looked half-dead and malnourished, even worse than when Aleshia first met Ren. Some of the slum dwellers glanced up at the two as they passed but quickly looked back down, returning to their own business. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Lucia sat atop Aleshia''s head, observing the malnourished slum dwellers who watched the two of them from behind. She noticed as two individuals suddenly got up and ran in another direction when Ren and Aleshia crossed a corner. Lucia cast a preemptive protection spell on Aleshia and Ren to ensure their safety. As Aleshia felt the magic, she slightly tensed but continued moving forward as if nothing had happened. As Ren guided Aleshia through a series of twists and turns, they finally arrived at what looked like a rundown house that had seen some repairs. The exterior of the building featured wooden planks with nails jutting out and tarps hanging from the edge of the one-story roof. As Aleshia took it all in, her thoughts were interrupted by a child''s shout. "Ren your back!." A few children ran out of the building. Two had long, disheveled hair that stuck out at the ends, while one had roughly cut short hair. Immediately after the children ran out, Ren shouted, "Riley, what did you do with your hair?" The girl named Riley, frightened, backed away a bit but was pushed toward Ren by the other two. With no other choice, she said, "I sold it, Ren. Just look at how many coins we received from it!" Riley dashed back into the rundown house, emerging with a tattered bag filled with jingling coins. When she reached Ren, Riley quickly opened the bag, and a silver coin tumbled out alongside nearly two dozen copper coins. Once again, Riley pleaded, "Look at how many coins we''ve got!" This time, the other two joined in excitedly. "Yeah, just look at how much we earned from just selling our hair!" Ren shook her head to shake off the anger welling up inside her and turned her attention to Aleshia. With a sad and pleading voice, she asked, "Aleshia, can you heal them immediately, please? I''m really worried about them, especially Riley." Intentions Chapter 131 "Right," Aleshia replied. She bent down to the children''s eye level and sweetly said, "Hi there! It''s nice to meet you all. I''m Aleshia." After introducing herself, she took off her witch hat and continued, "Look at this hat! It''s a witch hat, and its name is Lucia!" As soon as she introduced Lucia, the hat began to move its brim like a hand, trying to coax the children closer by waving at them. However, the children became spooked by this odd display and retreated a bit back into the safety of their home. At first, the three children were frightened by the moving witch hat. However, one boy bravely stepped forward. He stretched out his hand and reached for the waving brim. When the boy grabbed it, he exclaimed, "Wow, it''s so soft, guys! Come try it!" His shout encouraged the other two children to approach the hat and pet it. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "You''re right, Tommy! It is so soft!" they all agreed. As the children petted the witch hat, it secretly used nature magic to revitalize them as it had with Ren. Meanwhile, Ren was worried about Riley''s hair being cut. "I''m really sorry about this, but I can''t focus on you right now. Aleshia, please explore the house on your own; the others inside will help you." With that, Ren continued to watch Riley, lost in thought. Aleshia watched the children play with Lucia for a while. After some time, she left them behind and walked into the house through the damaged doors. Inside, the interior was modest yet well-lived-in. As Aleshia''s eyes adjusted to the dim light, she suddenly became aware of many eyes watching her from the shadows of the room. The feeling of being scrutinized made her a bit nervous, but she introduced herself with confidence. Aleshia waved her hand as she said, "Hi everyone, I''m Aleshia." No one responded, leaving Aleshia in silence as she felt the weight of watching eyes on her. She grew increasingly nervous. After a long pause, someone attempted to speak but was hushed, and the room fell silent again. Several minutes later, the person who had silenced the first speaker spoke up. "Who are you, and what do you intend to do with us?" The voice asked, his voice steady but laced with danger. After hearing the hostility in the voice and considering it, she stammered, "Um, I was invited by Ren. She said I could explore this house and that she wants me to help the children here." The Deal Chapter 132 The Deal Aleshia felt the individual in the shadows scrutinizing her words for signs of hidden intent. She expected this suspicion and accepted the scrutinizing gaze of the voice. After a period of silence, the one who spoke emerged from the shadows of the dimly lit room, stepping into a small patch of light. Aleshia saw the figure appear to be a boy around the same age as Ren. However, unlike Ren''s tattered clothing, this boy wore sturdier attire suited for the wilderness, adorned with many well-mended patches suggesting it had endured many battles. Looking at the visible parts of his body in the dim light, Aleshia could see that his body bore numerous scars. As Aleshia stared at them, she couldn''t help but recall Ren''s tearful words about being a "lesser" and the supposed punishments they faced for leaving the slums. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "And do we need to pay you for that service?" The boy asked in suspicion. No," Aleshia replied. However, as the boy''s gaze grew sharper and more intense, she could feel the suspicion radiating from him. She added, "In exchange for information about the city, I can help heal the children." "Alright, I can be up for that deal, but I won''t let you near them," he said, making a broad gesture toward the shadows. "Unless you perform your help on me first." He repeated his words, his voice taking on a threatening tone. "I won''t let you near them until then." Aleshia was surprised but expected demands and accepted his terms, extending her hand. "Shake my hand, and we will have a deal. Then, I will demonstrate how I can heal," she said politely. "I won''t intrude unless I have your permission." The boy stepped closer to Aleshia, extended his hand, and shook hers. "Alright, then. We shouldn''t do it here, though. We will go outside, and then you can perform your healing. However, if you try anything funny, you will not be welcome back." With that warning, they made their way back through the front entrance. When they stepped outside, it took Aleshia a moment for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. Once her eyes had adjusted, she looked behind her and saw the boy who had followed her, blinking repeatedly and rubbing at his eyes. "Hey there, Aleshia. I trust you''ve met Daniel. He doesn''t easily trust others, but once you get to know him, you''ll see that he is kind-hearted," Ren said while watching the children play with the witch''s hat. Trust Chapter 133 Trust In a lighthearted tone, Aleshia replied, "Oh, I guess you could say that I''ve had the pleasure of meeting him," she quipped. Confused by her tone, Ren turned around and saw Daniel walking behind Aleshia. "Hi, Daniel! How is the new company I introduced to you?" Ren asked with a cheeky smile. With distaste gleaming in his eyes, Daniel replied, "I won''t comment on how I feel about her company until she has accomplished what you asked her to do." His gaze shifted to the strange hat the children were playing with. "You three, can you tell me what that is? Wait, you all look healthier than the last time I saw you. Did Aleshia do something to you already?" "I don''t know," the children said simultaneously. Daniel sighed and walked over to the children. After examining the three more closely, he made a brief assessment, clicked his tongue, and ordered them to return inside the house.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "But why?" "Can''t we stay?" "I want to pet it more," the three complained. Once again, Daniel ordered them back into the house. Reluctantly, they let go of the hat and slowly returned inside, glancing back longingly at the witch hat. When Daniel was satisfied that all the children had entered the house, he remarked, "I see that you have healed those three and Ren. But still, I want to experience it firsthand before I allow you to heal the others." After saying this, he slashed his arm, drawing blood, and let out a small grunt of pain. "Daniel!" Ren shouted as she rushed to him. She tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to his arm, but a firm hand pushed her away. "Ren, if her healing is trustworthy, then you needn''t worry about my safety." Ren was still worried about Daniel''s well-being, but she reluctantly walked away, choosing to trust in Aleshia. On the sidelines, Aleshia was shocked by the events that had unfolded. She stood still but was stirred from her thoughts by Lucia''s voice. "Should I heal him or let him bleed out? Anyway, the wound he inflicted probably won''t be fatal." "I don''t know about it being not fatal; just look at all that blood pooling beneath him," After a slight pause, she added, "Can you restore his arm?" Instead of replying, Lucia hopped back into Aleshia''s arms, and Aleshia carried her over to Daniel, who now had a bigger pool of blood collecting beneath him. Healing Process Chapter 134 Healing Process When Aleshia arrived next to Daniel, Lucia asked to be worn instead of held in her arms, as it might look strange to him if she kept holding a hat. Understanding this, Aleshia placed Lucia on her head and then settled her hands over Daniel''s bloodied arm. While Aleshia''s hands hovered above Daniel''s wound, Lucia began to prepare her nature magic. Instead of channeling the magic through the air, as she had done with the children, she flowed it through Aleshia''s body. This decision felt like the right choice for Lucia since Daniel was intently watching Aleshia''s every move. Without raising Daniel''s suspicion, Lucia directed the magic through Aleshia''s body and out of her outstretched arms. Once the mana escaped Aleshia''s body, Lucia manipulated it to encircle Daniel''s injury and allowed it to seep into his wound. After most of it had entered his arm, Lucia imbued the nature magic into his bloodstream, enhancing Daniel''s natural healing process. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As Lucia worked to heal Daniel, Aleshia began to conjure clean water from the air, gently cleansing the area around Daniel''s arm. With the blood cleared off, Daniel could now see his injury, and he noticed that it was healing at an unnatural speed. He examined his wounds and remarked, "This isn''t how regular healing by healers usually works. It seems like my healing has been accelerated rather than just being superficially patched up by some strange magic. It looks just like how a wound would heal on its own, but much faster." He murmured while admiring the rapid recovery of his arm. After a few minutes, the wound had fully scabbed over, and his skin was mending over it. "This healing process takes significantly longer than being healed by a spell, but it appears that this method regenerates the wound by utilizing the body''s own resources rather than relying on the caster''s mana supply. This could potentially be extremely dangerous if performed on someone who is near death or in a weakened state. However, it seems a better alternative for developing immunities and defenses, as it promotes regeneration rather than offering mere patchwork healing." After admiring the healing wound for a while, Daniel looked up to find Aleshia watching it intently, just as he had. After a moment of consideration, he declared, "Your healing method seems much more reliable than that of a regular healer, but if you don''t have a way to regulate the strength of the body''s healing, it could overwork the body and potentially harm its target." As he spoke, he observed Aleshia''s expression, expecting to see hints of surprise at his insight, but he was somewhat perplexed by the lack of movement in her face. Two Doors Chapter 135 Two Doors Aleshia was puzzled by Daniel''s expectant gaze but eventually understood and responded, "I have a method to regulate the healing strength." In her mind, she questioned, ''You do have a way to do that, right, Lucia?'' In response to her question, Lucia said, "Eventually, but I''ll need more attempts to perfect the formula." Putting a finger to his chin, Daniel concluded, "That''s a relief, but still, it would be best if you treat the relatively healthiest brats first to see for any side effects before moving on to the less fortunate ones." Daniel walked away and re-entered the worn-out house. Before he passed through the door, he brusquely asked, "Are you coming?" After that, Aleshia began walking toward the door. As soon as they entered, the three children whom Daniel had dismissed ran up to them, eager to ask if they could borrow Aleshia''s witch hat to play with. "Can you lend us Lucia, please? We want to show her to everyone!"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The hopeful expressions on the children''s faces nearly made her reconsider, but knowing she needed Lucia to complete her task, she regretfully declined their request. "I am sorry, but perhaps after I finish with some stuff, I can let you play with Lucia." "Alright." The children pouted, but knowing they could play with her afterward lifted their spirits. They walked back into the dimly lit part of the building, where Aleshia presumed the other little kids were. After this brief encounter, Daniel led Aleshia to another part of the house, which was sectioned off and featured two doors leading in opposite directions. He opened the right door and said, "Once I figure out how your healing might affect the children, we will go through the other door." On the other side of the door were two rooms partially separated by a wall, with many blankets covering the floor. On one side, a group of kids was quietly chatting, while on the other side, some children were sleeping. Aleshia believed the layout would be similar through the other door and watched as Daniel quietly approached the active children. One by one, he asked them to gather in one spot without disturbing those who were sleeping. Once they had all gathered, he introduced Aleshia. "Everyone, meet Aleshia. Today, she will be performing some healing for all of you." Noticing some unease within the group, Daniel added, "Don''t worry; she has kindly offered to heal everyone here, so please don''t fight to be the last one healed, okay?" Treating the Children Chapter 136 Treating the Children The children''s faces reflected a mix of worry and excitement, though most of them wore concerned expressions. Despite their reluctance to accept Aleshia''s treatment, they ultimately agreed to it after being encouraged by their trusted brother. Aleshia approached the sitting children and chatted with them while Lucia focused on healing. As Aleshia attempted to make small talk, Lucia proceeded with the healing process. Daniel was there examining the children closely each time she healed them. When he noticed visible improvements and no ill effects, he allowed her to proceed to the next child. As Aleshia finished healing the last children in the group, a few others on the opposite side of the room, who had been sleeping, began to wake up groggily. When they walked into the next room, they were surprised to discover the small event taking place. Each time this situation arose, Daniel introduced Aleshia, explaining her role and how she would help everyone. Eventually, they would sit down and join the children still waiting for treatment. The children Aleshia had already treated would scoot back to indicate that she had already attended to them.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. After Aleshia had treated all the children in the room, Daniel, who had examined them, approached her to express his gratitude. "It seems that all the children you''ve treated are responding well. Although they are recovering at different rates, I assume you''re adjusting their recovery based on their well-being." He carefully examined each child before turning his attention back to Aleshia with a serious expression. "We will now enter through the other door that we passed earlier. Again, we appreciate everything you''ve done. Please prepare yourself for what you will see." Daniel moved to the door, and Aleshia followed. Just as she was about to step outside, she heard rustling sounds and the children thanking her. "Thank you very much, Miss Aleshia." When Aleshia heard their appreciative words echo through the walls, she felt happiness at their thanks. They both stood in the hallway. Daniel interrupted her enjoyment and warned her again, "Alright now, brace yourself, Aleshia. Be prepared for an unsightly sight." With that, he opened the door to the next room. When Daniel opened the door, Aleshia peeked inside and saw a room marked by numerous bloodstains on the walls, ceiling, and floor. All of them were dried. Aleshia was disturbed by the gruesome sight and felt apprehensive about what she would find. She believed she would discover the injured children sleeping on the partitioned side of the room. His Plea Chapter 137 His Plea Aleshia hesitantly walked across the bloodied floor toward the room she believed housed severely wounded people. As she moved to the partitioned side of the room, she couldn''t help but glance left and right at the dreary, dark walls, which appeared worn and dilapidated. Straining to see in the dim light, she noticed numerous holes in the walls, likely made by previous occupants. Aleshia could hear the rustling from the witch hat above her head, trembling in fear, clearly indicating that the hat was afraid. Concerned, she asked, "Are you alright? Is there something wrong?" "Yeah, no," Lucia replied. "It''s just the mood in here. It feels deathly and reminds me of those hounds. Please think nothing of it." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Aleshia wanted to ask a few questions but refrained from doing so. With her questions still lingering in her mind, she felt distracted. Using this feeling, she moved further into the room. Daniel remained near the entrance, giving her the space to examine her surroundings. Aleshia eventually made it to the other side of the partition and saw many bodies covered in sweat, groaning in pain. The sight horrified her, and she sucked her teeth at the dreadful conditions they were left in. When she glanced at Daniel, she could see the anguish in his eyes for those suffering, knowing he could do nothing for them other than provide shelter. After a while, while Aleshia examined the bodies, Daniel launched into a monologue. "A long time ago, these poor men and women lying here in those sacks were once my brothers and sisters. Now, they are ravaged by poisons and curses from the nobles in the upper districts, punished for daring to step into their territory. I have watched them struggle to protect and feed me and my younger siblings. I have walked the same path they did and experienced similar hardships, though probably to a lesser extent. Still, I can only imagine the pain that torments their bodies and souls. The only thing I can do now is what they did for me and my siblings. Alone, I cannot provide the support they once offered me. All I can give them is a roof over their heads¡ªnothing more," he said grimly. "After witnessing how you healed the children and learning how your power works, I hope you can at least heal the poisons that have infected their bodies. I only hope that will provide them comfort before their inevitable end. I can''t bear to see them suffer any longer, so I beg you, on behalf of everyone here: please help them in any way you can." Aleshias Response Chapter 138 Aleshia''s Response It took a moment for Daniel''s plea to register with Aleshia. As she thought about how to respond, she remembered the goal of the body she inhabited. Reflecting on what she learned of Kailey when they first met, she realized Kailey might know how to lift the curse. Seeking assurance, she reached out to Lucia. "Lucia, do you remember how Kailey had been searching for curse-curing magic back in the ruins?" After a brief pause, Lucia answered, "Yes, I recall she has been searching for a cure for her curse." As Lucia considered Kailey''s goal, she began to reflect on how Aleshia''s question related to the current situation. Just then, a spark of inspiration struck her. "Maybe if we sift through her memories, we could find a way to lift the curses affecting the humans down there." Pondering Lucia''s idea, Aleshia exclaimed, "That''s a great idea! But how do we view Kailey''s memories?" As she posed the question, she vaguely recalled being able to pull up panels of information when she was in Kailey''s soul. ''Maybe if I return to her soul realm, I can find information about curses and how to dispel them.''This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Aleshia asked Lucia if her idea was a viable option. When Lucia confirmed her idea, she turned to Daniel to respond to his question. "I don''t know if I can completely rid them of their poison, but I can try. I also want to attempt to break the curse afflicting them, so would you allow me to do that as well?" Surprised by her proclamation, Daniel looked up to meet Aleshia''s eyes and considered his decision before he replied. "I would appreciate it if you could focus on clearing the poisons first. Dealing with the curses immediately might alert the nobles who cast the spell to their removal, so please start with the poisons instead." "I understand." After that, Aleshia decided to postpone their initial plan until she cleared the victims of their poison. She approached the bodies and inspected them along with her witch hat. As Lucia scanned the sickly bodies around her, she noticed that many were suffering from persistent afflictions that compounded their sickness. She had learned that the poison was relatively easy to cure, but without being able to break the underlying curses, the poisons would return in full force. Through her experimentation with nature magic, she could boost their immune systems to help break down the toxins, but this would require an excessive amount of energy from their already weakened bodies¡ªenergy that they needed to continue functioning. Lucia feared that attempting this would only lead to their demise. Examination Chapter 139 Examination Aleshia pretended to examine the nearly unconscious bodies, aware that Daniel was watching her. She placed her hand on the foreheads of several sickly individuals, feeling their temperatures fluctuate wildly. It struck her as strange, but unable to fully comprehend it, she stopped pretending and began a genuine examination. As she examined more and more bodies, she began to notice a pattern. Many of them were close to or on the verge of death, yet strangely, none of them seemed as though they were going to die. While she could attribute this to their strong will to live or similar factors, it did not fully explain the situation. Remembering Daniel''s mention of the curses that plagued them, she concluded that the nobles were keeping them alive solely to make them suffer and to serve as a grim warning to other residents in the slums against trying to rise above their station. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Until Lucia delivered her verdict, Aleshia couldn''t give her judgment to Daniel on them. She continued to examine their bodies for abnormalities until, after a while, Lucia finally spoke her judgment. "If we obtain medicines from a local herbalist in another district, they can help combat the poisons. Unless we lift the curses, their poisons may return, possibly even more potent than before. If I try to assist in their recovery, as I did with the others here, they would likely die because they lack the resources to support their bodies during such an intense recovery process. Based on my observations, several curses are affecting their bodies, in addition to the one that alerts the nobles, as Daniel mentioned. We can use Kailey''s knowledge to dispel the other curses, but we should refrain from dispelling the curse that alerts the nobles. Additionally, there appear to be several smaller curses intertwined with the main one, which amplify the effects of the poisons within their systems. If I can remove the minor curses, it will aid in recovery without alerting the nobles, which would be beneficial. Please inform Daniel about this." After receiving Lucia''s assessment, Aleshia stood up and approached Daniel. He looked concerned but patiently waited for her to speak. With a tone filled with determination, Aleshia spoke carefully. "I can cure the poison affecting them, but unless I break the curses afflicting them, my healing could lead to their deaths. There seem to be more curses, but to my knowledge, dispelling them won''t alert the nobles. I wish to do that, so I ask for your permission. Confirmation Chapter 140 Confirmation Daniel had doubted the nobles'' words, but hearing Aleshia offhandedly confirm their truth, he quietly muttered, "So there their words rang true." Letting his muttering sink in, he mustered himself to speak. "If you can assure me that it won''t alert the nobles and cause them to make things worse for us, then I''ll allow it," he said, sighing. Aleshia gave him a thumbs-up and then walked back to the sick people. Daniel, recognizing the situation, quietly left the room to allow her to work. He knew he would only be a distraction and trusted that she would not do anything to worsen the situation for his suffering siblings. Once Aleshia arrived at the bedside, she reestablished her connection. "It''s nice of him to leave us to our own devices, isn''t it?" she snickered. "Alright, now let us get to it." After saying that, she relaxed her control over the body, allowing it to slump to the floor. But just before it could fall face-first, Lucia used her magic to prop it up.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Aleshia mentally withdrew into herself, her mind ebbing and flowing like waves on a beach slowly receding. She immersed herself in Kailey''s soul space, and after several minutes of meditative breathing, she finally arrived at her own soul space. She stood in a familiar yet nearly forgotten museum of memories, its exterior shaped like an egg and displaying a membrane-like sheen. Aleshia glanced around, watching as scenes played out in the display cases. "This feels a bit familiar, but I shouldn''t linger here. I need to figure out how to make those panels appear again." She waved her hands wildly, trying to recall how she had first done it, but nothing happened. Next, she attempted to create symbols with her hands, but despite her efforts and numerous hand signs, she was still unsuccessful. "I know it''s been a while, but doing this isn''t working," she muttered. Facing a dead end in her thoughts, Aleshia attempted to remember where she had been when she first saw the panels. "That''s right, I didn''t conjure them," she gasped. "They were already there when I arrived in that place." Aleshia wanted to find a way back to the panels, so she looked around her soul space for anything that could help her escape. After a moment, she noticed a door leading out of the museum. She lightly tapped her forehead with her hand and exclaimed, "Of course, there''s a door here!" Soul Space Chapter 141 Soul Space Aleshia urgently ran to the door and opened it. She expected to see an empty blue-white sky; instead, she was greeted by a vast expanse of land¡ªmuch more ground than sky than she had previously seen. In confusion, she exclaimed, "Huh?" Looking left and right, she observed the familiar woods and shrubs surrounding her. Remembering her meeting with Dahdin and the events that followed, her mind couldn''t help but conjure an unfortunate ending. Aleshia briefly looked away but hesitantly returned her gaze, searching for a way into Kailey''s soul space. Aleshia could only guess Dahdin''s fate, but she reminded herself of her current goal and pushed all thoughts of him to the back of her mind. As she walked deeper into the forest, she wandered until a path slowly began to reveal itself. Without realizing it, she found herself walking along that path. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Aleshia stumbled upon small snapshots of past events shown through the leaves. Intrigued, she paused her walk to understand this phenomenon. However, as more leaves began to display these past events, she noticed scenes that did not match her memories. As Aleshia continued to walk, watching the leaves, the visions they contained became increasingly unsettling. Initially, the scenes varied only slightly from her memories, but eventually, they began to distort entirely, depicting events that Aleshia remembered differently. Eventually, entirely new images emerged that bore no resemblance to her past experiences. She saw scenes of battles, with people fighting against the green wolf. There were images of humans discovering her secret and fearing her for harboring and consorting with a demon, even attacking her as a result. Aleshia couldn''t bear to look at the silent images surrounding her anymore. They depicted her worries: a fear of being discovered and of persecution. Aleshia desperately wished to avoid such outcomes, but her anxieties continued to torment her mind. Overwhelmed by the picture in the leaves, she felt unable to confront them directly. Instead, she hurried down the path, rushing past the scenery while focusing on the ground, deliberately avoiding the leaves. As she walked, it felt as though she was avoiding her fears, unable to confront the haunting visions around her. Finally, Aleshia arrived at a large rock adorned with numerous etchings and talismans. Strangely feeling at ease in the familiar surroundings, Aleshia almost let her body drop to the ground. However, she forced herself to stay upright, knowing she shouldn''t rest until she returned with the knowledge. Returning to the Ruin Chapter 142 Returning to the Ruin Haggeredly getting up, Aleshia climbed the steps into the ruin. Unable to go any further, she paused for a brief rest at the entrance. After a few minutes, she felt ready to continue. As she descended the long stairway, Aleshia could barely see anything except the steps in the dim light. Darkness surrounded her, leaving her alone with her thoughts. "This isn''t usually how I am. Why are my emotions getting the better of me? I am sure I have dealt with fears similar to these long ago." With doubts swirling in her mind, she kept descending. As she journeyed deeper, more worries plagued her thoughts until she eventually reached the bottom of the stairs. Aleshia spoke aloud to readjust her thoughts. "Alright, I need to remember my goal: enter Kailey''s soul space, find the panels, look for information on curses, and then return." She glanced around and noticed many doors lining the corridor. She opened a few, but they were empty spaces devoid of anything but rock walls. This pattern continued with all the doors until she reached the last one.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. As Aleshia walked through, she discovered a test chamber featuring several tubes in the center of the room. Beyond the tubes, she noticed a console. Since it resembled the panels from her memories, she felt compelled to approach. Upon closer inspection, she discovered several glyphs protruding from the console. Aleshia attempted to decipher them but could only understand one glyph, which read: "Start." Not knowing what would happen if she pressed the "start" glyph, Aleshia decided against it. It was then that she recalled the room where she had met Kailey. Using that clue, Aleshia navigated through several corridors, trying to find her way back to that area. Without Lucia''s guidance in the labyrinth, she quickly became lost. Aleshia wandered through the labyrinth, passing numerous corridors and opening many more doors. She discovered several rooms that she had not explored before, but she only took a quick glance inside each one before promptly leaving. Most of the rooms she entered were empty, their rocky interiors bare. Occasionally, she noticed markings on the walls, but she did not investigate them, as her sole focus was finding where she had first met Kailey in person. She couldn''t see outside and had lost track of how much time had passed. Feeling that it had already been a long time since she entered, panic began to set in. However, she persevered, pushing down the fear as best she could, and continued to explore the ruins. Strange Markings Chapter 143 Strange Markings Aleshia had reached a dead end in her search for that place, prompting her to return to the laboratory. On her way back, she encountered the strange markings that had intrigued her earlier. Although she couldn''t decipher their meaning, she felt they must serve a purpose, given their random appearance in various rooms. Aleshia remembered the ''Start'' glyph she had seen on the console and began to ponder why the markings were there and how they might relate to the glyph. "What could ''start'' mean?" Aleshia murmured, furrowing her brow in confusion as she contemplated the nuances of the word. She recalled the various contexts in which "start" could be used and began listing them. Eventually, she settled on an interpretation that aligned with her current situation. "Considering its implications, it suggests an action that initiates something or sets an event in motion." As she paced around the empty room, she reflected on that idea. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. After a few more steps around the room and some contemplation, Aleshia realized the purpose of the glyph. Slowly muttering it aloud, she said, "The glyph is meant to initiate something¡ªperhaps a game of some sort. The markings could be one of the objectives of the game." With that conclusion in mind, Aleshia began replanning things. ''Since I can''t find the room where I first met her, I suppose I should start looking for more markings and note their locations on a map or something,'' Aleshia looked around for a piece of paper and a quill, but after searching for a while, she gave up. "I guess that idea is out of the question," she groaned. Thinking up another solution, Aleshia began memorizing every room she encountered with a marking. However, after a few grueling minutes of trying to remember each door and corridor, she devised another clever trick: she would close the doors to the rooms that didn''t have any marks. Aleshia slapped her forehead in frustration for not thinking of it sooner. She retraced her steps to the farthest point she had reached and started closing doors that were not related to the hallways and markings. After she had finished that task, she proceeded back into the laboratory. "Alright, now that most of that is out of the way, I guess I should press the button and see what other criteria I need to meet. Knowing one of them will be helpful, but since I''m unfamiliar with the game, here goes nothing." With that, she pressed the glyph. Beginning of the Game Chapter 144 Beginning of the Game Something in the room activated, and with a whooshing noise, Aleshia began to hear liquid sloshing. Looking towards the noise, she saw that the test tubes had filled with a strange liquid. Before she could react, the glass holding the liquid began to break down. The sound of cracking glass filled the room, signaling impending danger. Aleshia quickly ran to the open door and darted out into the hallway. As Aleshia exited the laboratory, a loud crack echoed in the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering on the floor. Not wanting to discover what had escaped from the test tube, she quickened her pace. As she ran down the hallway, she scanned her surroundings for any more open doors. After entering several more corridors, her gaze fell upon an open door that bore a familiar mark. Previously dim, it now glowed faintly.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Quickly entering the room, Aleshia briefly wondered what to do next. However, as she heard footsteps echoing through the halls, she felt she had no choice but to take action. Grasping at straws, she slapped her hand onto the mark on the wall, and to her surprise, it began to peel off like paper and fell toward her. Freaked out by the strangeness of the situation, Aleshia backed away, but the mark chased her down relentlessly. It slithered over her skin, making her briefly glow a luminescent blue before settling beneath her arm. Curiously, she examined her arm, holding it above her, waving it around. She could faintly see the mark and remarked, "It''s like a tattoo." However, the echoing footsteps grew louder and closer, interrupting her inspection. Quickly, she ran out of the room in search of another mark. The unknown entity chasing Aleshia showed no sign of slowing down, and neither did she. Surprisingly, Aleshia didn''t feel exhausted at all. Eventually, she came across her second mark. Curious to conduct a brief experiment, she removed one of her shoes and touched the mark with it in her hand. Like before, it fell gracefully like a leaf in the wind until it suddenly gained weight and moved with a new kind of gravity. This time, the mark appeared on her other arm and glowed like the first. As she spread both her arms out, she examined the two marks closely. Now that they were side by side, she noticed that each mark had different scripts etched onto her skin. Exhaustion Chapter 145 Exhaustion While Aleshia examined the markings on her skin, she remarked, "This is certainly peculiar. These marks might be forming a sentence now that they''re so close to each other. But why aren''t they on the same arm?" After thinking for a while, she concluded there must be more to discover. Until then, she could only work with the bits and pieces she had. With that uncertainty in mind, she slipped her shoe back on and moved toward the door, having obtained her second mark. Standing outside the room, Aleshia began scanning the corridor for other open doors. When she glanced at the last door, she tilted her head and murmured, "It doesn''t seem like there are any more open doors besides the one I just passed through or the one I used to enter this corridor." After reorganizing her thoughts, she lightly added, "Alright, I guess I''ve reached the furthest point I''ve explored. No matter; I only need to keep opening more doors." With that resolve in mind, Aleshia opened the remaining doors until she found one that led to another corridor.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. After an unknown amount of time, Aleshia''s pace slowed, and her walk became unsteady. Despite her mental fatigue, she continued to open every door in the corridors she encountered and carefully inspected each room. This thorough inspection only made her mind feel increasingly exhausted. After navigating several more corridors, Aleshia grew tired of opening many doors. She briefly glanced behind her and started to question her fear of the thing that had broken the tubes. She wondered why she had been so afraid of it. Nevertheless, she continued to open doors, knowing she didn''t know when the next mark would appear. In her mind, she decided that once she retrieved another mark, she would return to the laboratory. But until then, she would press on. Standing in front of another door, with hope drained from her eyes, Aleshia slowly opened it. Her eyes lit up slightly at what she found inside, and this brief moment of excitement helped keep her awake despite the repetitive situation she faced. As she stepped inside sluggishly, she tripped but managed to get back up. She lightly tapped the mark on the wall, allowing it to drift onto her skin, which briefly glowed as if accepting the mark. However, as if accepting the mark was too taxing for her mind, Aleshia''s mind could no longer handle the exhaustion and lethargy overwhelming her. With her concentration broken, she collapsed and became unconscious, dreaming of doors. Third Mark Chapter 146 Third Mark Aleshia woke up on the ground and struggled to stand. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, making her body feel full of lead. "Why is it so hard to get up? Why do I feel so drained?" she wondered. As she looked around, she recognized the familiar rock walls. After several attempts, she finally managed to rise, but the effort caused her to stagger forward before she steadied herself. To maintain her balance, she widened her stance. Aleshia remembered her intentions just before losing consciousness: she had decided to return to the laboratory after discovering the third mark. Now that she had achieved her goal and had rested, her mind was no longer clouded by confusion, allowing her to think more deeply about her plan. "I might have missed something important and was too shocked by the commotion that thing made to think clearly. Now that I have my third mark, I should return. But before all that..."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She looked around, trying to locate her new mark. Once she spotted where it had appeared, she muttered, "Now that will be a pain to see." Glancing at her shoulder, she realized she could only see a small portion of the mark within her limited field of vision. To get a better look, Aleshia turned her head in every direction, trying to see the entire mark. After some time, she realized it was impossible to view it entirely and concluded that she needed a mirror to see the rest. Like the other marks, this one resembled a script that she felt she could almost remember how to read, but the meanings of the symbols had slipped her mind. "Since this mark isn''t on a limb, it suggests there are far more marks out there than I had previously imagined," Aleshia said with a dry laugh. Sulking at the thought of having to wander for a longer time, she looked down gloomily. "Maybe I don''t need to participate in this game; I could try to find another way into Kailey''s soul space, or I could always return to Lucia and say, ''I didn''t find what I was looking for.''" Striking her fist in affirmation of one of her ideas, she continued walking through the open doors. "It''s strange I haven''t come across whatever was kept in that tube yet. I doubt I would be able to outrun something capable of breaking through glass like that," Aleshia muttered to herself, realizing that she had never actually encountered the creature. Tubes Chapter 147 Tubes Arriving at the laboratory, Aleshia cautiously peeked her head inside while keeping the rest of her body hidden behind the door. As she scanned the room, she noticed shattered glass scattered across the floor where the tubes had been. The middle tube was utterly destroyed, while the others were damaged to varying degrees. Seeing that the coast was clear, Aleshia hesitantly stepped into the laboratory. First, she approached the console. Remembering her marks, she tried to match them with the glyphs displayed on the console, hoping it might help her understand their meaning. After examining the glyphs, she discovered that a few matched her marks, but she still didn''t fully understand them. Having no luck there, she turned her attention to the partially destroyed tubes. Carefully navigating to avoid cutting herself on the glass, Aleshia positioned herself inside the most intact tube. As Aleshia scanned the interior of the tube, she didn''t notice anything unusual. But, when she looked up, she saw a hole that seemed to connect with the tube. "Maybe that could be a way out," she murmured to herself. Intrigued, she scanned the room for objects she could stack to reach the opening, curious about where it might lead. Unfortunately, even after carefully examining the room, she couldn''t find anything suitable to climb on. From her earlier exploration, she knew there wouldn''t be any furniture she could use. "Hmm, it doesn''t look like I''ll be able to get up there," Aleshia grumbled in disappointment.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. She returned her gaze to the console and made a decision. Approaching it, she started pressing the glyphs one at a time, randomly. The first glyph she pressed didn''t seem to activate anything, but the second one produced a rumbling sound she could hear from a distance. Encouraged by the response she received, Aleshia hastened her pressing, eagerly activating more and more glyphs on the console. After pressing nearly all of the glyphs, Aleshia began to wonder about the changes that had taken place in the ruin, her curiosity growing by the moment. Suddenly, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Huh!?" Aleshia exclaimed. Before she could say anything else, Aleshia was suddenly hugged from behind. "Hey, it''s you! I''ve been searching for you since I left that tube¡­ again?" There was a hint of confusion in the voice. Recognizing the familiar voice, Aleshia turned her head and was taken aback. "Kailey, is that you?" Kailey鈥檚 Return Chapter 148 Kailey¡¯s Return Aleshia managed to escape Kailey''s grapple and turned around to face her. She scanned Kailey from head to toe. "So, is that you? Kailey?" she asked. "I suppose it is," Kailey replied, a frown gradually forming. "The last thing I remember is reading that book and then blacking out," she said, almost as a question. Kailey slowly began to piece together her thoughts. "So, was the book successful in curing my curse?" she asked a hint of dismay in her voice. Hearing the dismay in Kailey''s voice, Aleshia solemnly approached her and wrapped her arms around her to offer comfort. In a calm tone, Aleshia explained, "According to what Lucia told me, I mean the witch hat, it revealed that what you read was a cursed tome called the ''Tome of Desire.'' It is said to reveal people''s deepest desires within its pages, luring victims into a false sense of security. The book then tries to draw them in while they are dazed. I believe because I was present when it began to consume you, it wasn''t able to take you over.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The sudden reality of the situation hit Kailey, causing her to sink to the floor as Aleshia explained what had happened. Her previously cheerful face turned downcast. Aleshia quickly reached out her arms, trying to catch Kailey. When she managed to grasp her, she attempted to lift her back up. However, she wasn''t able to pull Kailey up completely. Instead, she gently allowed her to slide back down to the ground. In a faltering, quiet, desperate voice, Kailey cried, "So, I didn''t find a cure for myself? It was all just a dream? Returning to my family and repaying all their hard work was all a dream?" Guilt washed over Aleshia as she watched Kailey''s reaction to the news. In her thoughts, she reflected, "So that tomb of desire created a dream-like world for Kailey. How can I help her process this?" This question consumed Aleshia. Allowing Kailey to take her time, Aleshia held her in a comforting hug until all of Kailey''s tears flowed. It wasn''t until Kailey had calmed down that she noticed Aleshia''s arms. "What are those?" Kailey asked, her concern evident as she sniffled quietly. Aleshia showed her arms to Kailey, allowing her to examine the marks while explaining her thoughts about them. "I got these marks from a few rooms inside this ruin, but now I''m unsure what to do with them. I can''t read them, but they feel familiar." Distraction Chapter 149 Distraction As Kailey gently traced the marks on Aleshia''s arm, she silently mouthed something while reading each one closely. Aleshia noticed this but decided to let Kailey stay focused, remaining quiet, allowing the distraction to keep Kailey from dwelling on the earlier news and potentially breaking down. Aleshia watched as Kailey''s eyes flitted from one mark to another. After a few moments, Kailey asked, "Are there any more marks on you that are covered by your clothes?" "No," Aleshia replied. "I currently have only three marks on me, as you can see: on my arms and shoulder." She gestured to the areas as she spoke. With a curious expression, she asked, "Do you know what these characters mean, Kailey?" "I have an idea, but as it stands, they are like some random sentences scattered throughout a book. I think I would need a few more to figure out the order in which they should be read to make sense." Kailey responded.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Hearing this made Aleshia feel disheartened, but knowing there were still options eased her disappointment. "Oh, that reminds me. Follow me," she said, getting up and heading toward the console, with Kailey following closely behind. Upon seeing what Aleshia had brought her to, Kailey recalled a faint memory of the device. "Isn''t this the device the witch hat used to control the tube I was in?" she asked. Remembering the witch hat, she added, "By the way, earlier you mentioned Lucia. Is that the witch hat''s name? I don''t remember hearing it before, not even when I accidentally entered that contract." "Yes, that''s the name of the witch hat. After we left the ruins, I decided to name the witch hat Lucia. Once we get out of here, I''ll need to reintroduce you two," Aleshia replied. "Sure, I''d be up for that. By the way, where is Lucia? Did you two part ways after leaving the ruin?" Kailey asked while trying out the witch hat''s new name. "No, we''re still together, but I''m in a sort of soul space, so I doubt she can interact with us here," Aleshia explained. "I came into this space to seek knowledge about curses since we figured you have extensive experience with them, having searched far and wide for a cure for your own." Aleshia suddenly realized there was no need to continue the search anymore. "Since you''re here... Kailey, could you help us with some curses?" she asked. Reasons Why Chapter 150 Reasons Why Kailey lifted her head and replied uncertainly, "I''m not sure if I can help with the curses you two would be facing, but I think my knowledge might be useful." She paused, then added, "However, don''t blindly trust everything I say; it''s not like I know every curse in the world." "I''m sure you would know at least one of them," Aleshia replied confidently. "Based on what Lucia and I have discovered, the curses function like accelerants for poisons: they weaken a person''s immune system and enhance the poisons already present in their body. That is the curse we wish to dispel." Aleshia concluded. She then continued, "Additionally, there seem to be two other curses: one that prevents the victim from dying and another that alerts the caster if any related curses are tampered with or dispelled." A hint of doubt crept into Aleshia''s voice as she continued, "Though the one preventing their victim from dying is merely my conjecture." After hearing Aleshia''s explanation, Kailey closed her eyes, put her hands together with her fingers resting on her chin, and quietly pondered the information, murmuring to herself. When she lowered her fingers, it seemed she had sorted things out in her mind.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Yeah, I believe I would know how to dispel those curses you mentioned. The one that prevents them from dying sounds particularly interesting," Kailey said, her interest shifting in a new direction. However, before her mind wandered too far, she lightly knocked on her temples to refocus her thoughts. "Never mind that for now. Based on what you said about the curse alerting the caster if one of their curses is tampered with, dispelling it without notifying the caster will be quite challenging. I might find myself in a tricky situation if I were to try to dispel it. Is there any reason we shouldn''t dispel it alongside the others?" Kailey asked, her tone inquisitive. Kailey''s question and tone made Aleshia realize she had not clearly explained who they were trying to help or who might come after them if the curse drew their attention. "I apologize for not clarifying earlier," Aleshia said. "The curse might alert some nobles based on information provided by the person responsible for the ones cursed care. We thought we could help them recover, but the caretaker has asked us to avoid drawing attention. Therefore, it would be best not to remove that curse, at least for now. "I suppose I could help you break their curse, especially if we''re planning to raid some noble mansions and storehouses," Kailey said, a gleam in her eyes, blatantly ignoring why she shouldn''t break the curse. Trapped Chapter 151 Trapped Aleshia tried to explain that they were not raiding any noble mansions, but she eventually gave up as Kailey continued to ignore her explanations, lost in her daydreaming. Aleshia scanned the room, searching for the door that led to the stairs she had descended. She quickly spotted the door and walked toward it, but just as she was about to enter, she realized it led to a different area. Kailey absentmindedly followed Aleshia, still somewhat dazed from her anticipation of the raid and the possibility of uncovering ''nobles'' magic books. Kailey quietly walked behind Aleshia but didn''t notice when Aleshia stopped, accidentally bumping into her as she paused in the doorway. Consequently, they both tumbled to the ground in a heap, and the door swung shut behind them. Hearing the click of the door closing, Aleshia immediately got up and pounded on the door before realizing she needed to turn the knob. However, the door did not open. "That''s odd," Aleshia said, puzzled. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After trying various methods, she decided to kick the door down. Aleshia took a few steps back, then ran toward the door and leaped at it with a flying kick. To her dismay, the door didn''t budge, and the impact sent pain shooting through her leg. "Ouch!" she exclaimed. At the sound of her cry, Kailey snapped out of her daydream and asked, "Are you okay? What happened, Aleshia?" Holding her leg, Aleshia replied, "I''m fine, but I think our exit is blocked. I can''t even open the door." "Let me give it a try," Kailey said. She walked up to the door and attempted to twist the knob while pushing against it. But when it didn''t budge, she pulled, but the door stayed firmly shut. "Well, this is a pickle, isn''t it?" Kailey remarked, sounding a bit dissatisfied. Recalling her earlier exploration, Aleshia quickly devised a plan and shared it with Kailey. "I think we should continue down the path of doors and search for more marks." "Alright," Kailey replied nonchalantly. As they walked down the corridor lined with doors, Aleshia provided more details about her discoveries. "I believe the marks I''ve encountered are part of a game. Before I activated the glyph that started this ''game,'' the marks stayed on the wall when I touched them. However, once I activated the glyphs, it unlocked the marks, causing them to fall onto me when I touched them. Since this appears to be our only objective for now, I think we should continue exploring until we find another mark or a new section of this space." The Fourth Mark Chapter 152 The Fourth Mark Aleshia and Kailey continued walking until they reached a corridor with no doors other than the one they had entered through. Aleshia looked around the room and said, "I think this is the farthest section of the maze I''ve reached. Alright, let''s each take a side and open the doors. If you or I find a mark, holler at each other, okay?" "Alright," Kailey nodded. With that, Aleshia and Kailey took their sides and began systematically opening doors. With each door they opened, they improved their dexterity and handling skills. Before long, they had opened all the doors in the corridor, including the one that led to the next room. Finding no marks, they proceeded to the next corridor. They repeated this process several times, growing increasingly skilled at opening doors. After exploring for what felt like hours, Aleshia''s mind began to dull, and she was on the verge of slipping into a mind-numbing state. However, remembering that she now had Kailey with her, she realized she could combat her boredom by talking to her. Believing that Kailey felt just as bored, she broke the silence by initiating a conversation and asking, "So, is there anything we can discuss? Would you like to hear what happened after Lucia and I left the ruin?" She opened a door as she spoke. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Not seeing a reason to decline Aleshia''s offer, Kailey pondered before agreeing. "Well, it beats the boredom of what we''re doing now, so sure, let''s chat. Tell me." Aleshia was overjoyed to hear Kailey''s agreement and began to explain what had happened after they left. "When we left the ruins, I decided to name the witch''s hat Lucia, as I mentioned before. After that, I became curious about the talismans hiding the entrance to the ruins. I examined the rock covered in talismans that you must have noticed," Aleshia said. "Yes, I did," Kailey replied. Aleshia continued, "I ventured deeper into the forest, studying the rock''s facade. While I was doing this, I encountered a green wolf, and we ended up fighting. In the end, I killed it." "Yes, please continue," Kailey replied, feeling slightly dissatisfied with the story''s simplicity but becoming more intrigued. Just as Aleshia was about to continue, Kailey opened a door that led to a room with a mark on the wall. "Wait, Aleshia! Come over here!" she called out. "Is this one of the marks you were talking about?" Aleshia walked up to Kailey''s door and peeked inside. Excitedly, she said, "Yes! That is the mark. Do you want to go in?" Without hesitation, Kailey replied, "Of course, I wanna go in! As long as you let me check it out first, I''ll forgive you for asking that," she teased. Differences Chapter 153 Differences Aleshia nodded in agreement as they entered the room together. Walking up to the mark, Kailey couldn''t help but marvel at it. Since Aleshia agreed she could study it, Kailey stepped closer to the mark. While she leaned in for a closer look, she kept her hands behind her back to avoid accidentally touching it. Having given Kailey time to study it, Aleshia began feeling impatient with her inspection. She asked, "How much longer are you going to take?" "Just a little longer," Kailey replied, glancing back at Aleshia. After a moment, she added, "Could you come a bit closer? I want to check yours as well." Aleshia sighed and approached Kailey, exposing her marks for her to see. "The mark does look like the ones you have," Kailey said. Studying it closer, she noticed something unusual. The mark on the wall displayed only one character, while the marks on Aleshia consisted of several characters. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Hey Aleshia, isn''t it strange that your marks are smaller, but it has more characters? Just look at the one in front of us; it is a large character taking up a section on the wall." At Kailey''s suggestion, Aleshia looked at the wall and then back at her marks, a questioning expression crossing her face. After comparing the two, she realized that Kailey''s observation was correct. "Huh, how did I not notice that before?" she mused. Kailey glanced back and forth between the mark on the wall and Aleshia''s three marks, her mind with questions. She wondered what would happen if she touched it. A strong urge to reach out to the mark tugged at her. Without thinking, she extended her hand toward it. Just as Aleshia had explained, when she made contact with the mark, it began to fall to the ground. Then, as if it had a mind of its own, it shot toward her. However, just before it reached her, instead of landing on her skin as she had expected, it veered sharply away and flew toward Aleshia, attaching itself directly to her. "That''s interesting," Kailey remarked, feeling a mix of intrigue and disappointment. As new ideas bubbled in her mind, she grew eager to see the changes the mark had caused. However, before she could investigate it further, she was abruptly stopped. Aleshia had tightly grabbed Kailey, preventing her from moving. With a dangerous glint in her eyes, she leaned in closer and addressed Kailey directly. "Hey, Kailey, couldn''t you have at least warned me before you did that? What if it caused us some harm?" Breakthrough Chapter 154 Breakthrough Kailey shrank back in remorse upon hearing Aleshia''s cold tone. Realizing she had gone too far, she quickly apologized, "I''m sorry! I won''t do it again!" Accepting Kailey''s apology, Aleshia softened her gaze and helped her to her feet. Still remorseful, Kailey asked, "Aleshia, can I see the new mark?" Aleshia replied, "Sure, you may." With her approval, Kailey quickly changed from her demure, apologetic demeanor to a diligent, serious one. She began searching for the new mark, eventually finding it on Aleshia''s palm after checking several other areas she suspected. Together, Kailey and Aleshia examined the mark and quickly realized that it had transformed into a small string of characters, unlike the mark they had previously seen on the wall. "So strange," they both said in unison. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Aleshia tried to decipher the mark on her own but had no luck. She turned to Kailey and asked, "What have you figured out about the mark, Kailey?" "I think we''ve misunderstood these marks," Kailey said. "They aren''t just words on a page like I initially thought. Instead, they are a magical script used for diagrams. This newest mark seems to serve as a foundation for the other marks. Since it ignored me, I would think that your body is special, acting as a conduit or incomplete magic circle." As she concluded, her voice grew faster and more excited. "That''s crazy," Aleshia blurted out. However, as she considered this new perspective, she began to make sense of it. She changed her tone and added, "But you might be onto something here." Reflecting on Kailey''s explanation about the mark and the possibility that her body could act as a conduit for a magic circle, Aleshia tried to visualize herself as a circle. As she envisioned the circle, Aleshia wanted to draw the circle on the ground but had nothing to sketch with. "Kailey, do you have anything I can use to draw with?" she asked urgently. "I don''t," Kailey replied, puzzled. Disappointed, Aleshia rummaged through her pockets, hoping to find something useful. To her surprise, her hand brushed against an object. When she pulled it out, she discovered it was a piece of chalk. Confused, she tried to remember when she might have gotten the chalk and recalled the last time she and Kailey had been in that white space. Suddenly, it made sense. "This is a stroke of good fortune," she said with a smile. Test Run Chapter 155 Test Run At first, Aleshia was glad she had something she could use to sketch out Kailey''s theory. But when she remembered where it had come from and how it had come to be, she felt hesitant. As Aleshia deliberated her decision, Kailey asked, confused, "Why did you ask me if I had an implement if you already had one?" After a pause, she added, puzzled, "Wait, that looks familiar. Didn''t I swallow that before? How could you have it if I swallowed it?" Aleshia was startled by what she heard and recalled that what Kailey mentioned had happened. "You did swallow this," she said slowly. "It could be a different piece of chalk?" she suggested uncertainly. They were uncertain about where the chalk had come from, but Kailey proposed a solution. "If it is the same chalk, shouldn''t the contract still be inside?" she asked. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Aleshia snapped the chalk in half and looked inside but found it chalk all the way through. "I don''t think this is the same piece of chalk," Aleshia said. She then handed the other half to Kailey, sharing her thoughts. "I guess this chalk was already in these robes," Aleshia concluded. Aleshia began creating a magic circle. After sketching out the construction and drawing the characters of the marks onto the circle, she encountered difficulties inscribing the one near her neck. So she asked Kailey to complete the mark she couldn''t see well. Once Kailey finished inscribing the mark, Aleshia examined it from above and confirmed that Kailey''s theory was correct. From Aleshia''s side, she heard Kailey say, "I think we can test the circle if we flow some mana through it." Kailey then looked at Aleshia and added, "Since it is of your marks, it would be best if you infused it with your mana, Aleshia." Aleshia searched for the foundation mark and hovered her hand over it, channeling her mana into the circle. Gradually, the mana was infused into the chalk, permeating the drawn characters. The script began to glow, signaling that the activation was successful. Aleshia stepped back, pulling Kailey with her as a precaution against the magic circle. Aleshia and Kailey watched the process from a distance, studying how the mana flowed through the markings. They considered having to find additional scripts to adhere to the magic circle. However, during the test run, it became evident that no further markings were necessary, as the circle activated effortlessly. The Book of Spells and Curses Chapter 156 The Book of Spells and Curses Aleshia watched as the magic circle activated, curious about what it might bring. She was unaware of the meanings behind the scripts in the circle and knew that anything could happen once the activation ended. Therefore, she made sure to protect Kailey. Kailey was familiar with the magical scripts and had deduced that the circle was associated with summoning. As the light from the magic circle intensified, a dark silhouette emerged from within the glow, indicating that something was appearing inside the circle. As the light from the magic circle faded, Aleshia and Kailey squinted to see what had appeared. When the light finally vanished, they discovered a book hovering above the circle, suspended by the surrounding mana. Kailey instinctively reached out to grab the book, but Aleshia quickly tugged on her arm, pulling her back. "Let''s wait until all the magic has dissipated from the circle before we try anything," Aleshia cautioned. "Right," Kailey replied, stepping back behind Aleshia. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. When Aleshia sensed all the mana in the circle had dissipated, she walked up to the book with Kailey following her. Picking up the book, Aleshia examined the cover but couldn''t decipher the letters. She handed it to Kailey, knowing she would understand the language. "Here, Kailey, can you try reading this? I don''t know this language." Kailey took the book and read the cover, just as Aleshia had done. Kailey read aloud, "The Book of Spells and Curses?" She remarked, "What a simple and straightforward title. I know I would have read most of what''s in here." Despite her words, she began flipping through the pages. Most of the pages were blank, but she found some filled with text and illustrations that contained instructions on creating and dispelling spells and curses, along with magic formulas, just as the title suggested. Kailey showed the book to Aleshia, who intently scrutinized the formula on one of the pages while ignoring the accompanying words. "I recognize this spell; the spell circle seems to have improved since the last time I used it," she said as she returned the book to Kailey. Kailey flipped through the book, her interest in it deepening. However, after reading a few spells and curses, she began to skim. Frustration mounted as she realized the book held no new information for her. Seeing Kailey''s frustration, Aleshia asked, "What''s wrong? Is there something not right with this book?" "No, there is nothing wrong with the book," Kailey replied. "It looks like this book contains my knowledge of spellcraft and curses, holding most of what I know within its pages. If it is drawing information based on what I''ve learned, the blank pages likely suggest I have not yet learned the spells related to those blank pages. Nonetheless, since the information in the book is numerous and detailed, I think it''s a good idea to keep it and refer back to it when needed." Kailey concluded. "Also, doesn''t this resemble what you needed when we met?" New Room Chapter 157 New Room Aleshia reflected on when they reunited in this space and agreed, "You''re right, Kailey. But as I''ve mentioned before, now that I have you with me, we don''t need the book." Still, she acknowledged Kailey''s point: "Although, if either Lucia or I get separated from you, the book would be useful." After settling the matter, Aleshia sighed and added, "All we need to do now is find a way out of this ruin, bring you back into your body, and help those people with their curses." Now that they had a schedule, Aleshia and Kailey resumed their search for an exit. With no other way out, they continued going through the doors. However, they continued to encounter blank rock walls. Kailey felt an increasing need for distraction, so she began casually flipping through the spellbook, hoping to uncover new information since she had only read a few sections. As she did this, her attention shifted back and forth between the book and the doors she opened, but she continued to see nothing but the same rocky surface. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kailey mindlessly opened doors while flipping through the spellbook, skimming the pages for new information. Kailey was jolted out of her daze when Aleshia shook her and exclaimed, "Kailey, I''ve discovered a new room! It''s not just a rock wall or room with a mark; it has a completely different atmosphere from anything we''ve encountered." Intrigued, Kailey set the book down and followed Aleshia to the door to see the new room she had discovered. As she peered inside, Kailey asked, "What did you find?" Looking through the doorway, she added, as if recalling something, "This certainly isn''t just a barren rock wall; it looks like a graveyard." Aleshia and Kailey entered the room and walked toward the center, where several graves were. In one corner, they spotted a rundown hut. Kailey experienced a sense of familiarity and muttered, "I''m pretty sure I''ve been here before." As she focused on the gravestones, she recognized the inscriptions she had previously decoded, confirming her suspicions. "This is the hut where Lucia experimented with creating her own body. I''m certain this is where she found that wooden body you tried, Aleshia," she recalled from her earlier visit. Then she suggested, "We should search the hut for anything we can use to escape. Since this was Lucia''s storage for her unsuccessful creations, it could contain something we can use. The Hut Chapter 158 The Hut As Aleshia and Kailey approached the rundown building, Kailey noticed that the door hinge, which had dropped during her first visit, had been reattached to the worn door. Aleshia approached the hut''s door and, with some difficulty, swung it open, revealing the interior. The room was dusty and separated by a hallway that led to a side room. Aleshia ventured further inside, trying to reach the side room, but she couldn''t go any farther because it was too dark to see. "Kailey, do you have anything to light up the room?" she asked. Upon hearing Aleshia''s request, Kailey rummaged through her belongings, looking for anything that could emit light, but she found nothing. Then, she remembered the orb of light she had summoned during her first visit. Inspired, Kailey decided to try something they hadn''t done in this space. She began chanting a spell to conjure an orb of light. To Kailey''s delight, she summoned a glowing orb in her hand. She lightly tossed it into the air, guiding it toward Aleshia. "We can use magic here! Look at this!" she exclaimed. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Aleshia watched the orb float to her from the hut, surprised that she hadn''t thought of using magic. As she began to try to produce a spell, she remembered she was in a small room. She stepped outside the building and attempted to cast a spell there. Aleshia successfully created a ball of water, which she drank before summoning a weak bolt of lightning. Just as she was about to draw a magic circle, she realized there was no flat surface nearby. While searching for a flat surface to test her theory, Aleshia was interrupted by Kailey''s impatient voice. "Now that we''ve tested our magic, can we explore the hut?" "Right, I got a bit distracted," Aleshia apologized as she walked to Kailey. She entered the room again, and the light revealed what was inside. As her eyes adjusted, Aleshia tried to make sense of the scene. When she finally recognized what it was, she recoiled in shock. "Kailey, did you know this was here?" Aleshia asked, visibly disturbed. Shyly, Kailey admitted, "Yeah, I did. Sorry for not telling you, though your reaction was funny." With an unspoken agreement, they decided to search different areas. Aleshia ignored the humanoid golems and searched the room for tools and other items while Kailey examined the golem to find anything they could use. Findings Chapter 159 Findings Aleshia searched the room and discovered old, tattered papers with diagrams of the golems. Knowing that Kailey was handling that section, she tucked the documents into her clothes to set aside for Kailey. After some time, Aleshia opened most of the nearby drawers and found various tools, including hammers, chisels, magical artifacts, and items she had never seen before. Intrigued by one of the tools, Aleshia began to examine it closely. As she turned it around, she noticed an engraving on the end that resembled a combination of a magic circle and a signature. She soon lost interest and set it on the desk. She then reached for another magical artifact. After examining the other tools she had gathered, she continued her search. Shortly after, she stumbled upon a bottle filled with ink infused with mana. Aleshia remembered the tool, which had an intricate engraving of a magic circle, and wondered about its possible uses. She decided to explore further and returned to the tool, bringing along the bottle of mana-ink. Holding the tool in her hand, she dipped the engraved end into the ink. When she pulled it out, Aleshia turned it over and was surprised to find no ink on the tool. Looking closer at the engraving, she noticed a new sheen covering the magic circle. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Encouraged by this small gimmick, Aleshia dipped the rod into the ink again, sure to immerse it deeper and for longer. When she pulled it out this time, some ink-stained the rod. After a moment, she noticed a glob of ink beginning to form and slowly slink toward the engraved circle. With her suspicions confirmed, Aleshia pressed the tool against the desk, leaving an ink stain in the image of a magic circle. She channeled some magic into the small circle, and it began to glow dimly. Kailey had been examining the various humanoid golems while keeping an eye on Aleshia''s findings. She returned to studying the golems after Aleshia returned the rod-like tool to the table. A little while later, when Aleshia picked it up again, Kailey became intrigued and paid closer attention to her actions. Kailey got up from her seated position, where she had been investigating a golem with wings, and walked over to Aleshia, who was distractedly holding the tool. When she reached Aleshia, she saw Aleshia flowing mana into the desk. Thinking it was strange, she asked, "Did you find something interesting, Aleshia?" Kailey asked, her curiosity evident. The Signature Chapter 159 The Signature Aleshia turned at the sound of Kailey''s voice. "Yeah, I found something intriguing," she replied, cutting off the mana to prevent the circle from activating. "Look at this small magic circle here," Aleshia said, gesturing toward the ink on the desk. Kailey followed Aleshia''s gaze and noticed the magic circle she had mentioned. "It looks like a brand or something over the magic circle. If I could take a closer look, maybe I could identify the maker," Kailey speculated. Aleshia gave Kailey the tool she held and said, "Take a look at this. It''s the device that copied the magic circle over there. At one of the ends, there''s an engraving of the circle, along with what I assume is the maker''s signature." Kailey followed Aleshia''s instructions and turned the tool over until she found the end with the engraving. She noticed a strange sheen on the surface and asked, "What''s this shiny liquid in the impression?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "The shiny liquid is a mana-infused ink," Aleshia said as she picked up a bottle from the desk and held it out to Kailey. "Here, take this." Kailey took the bottle and handed back the tool, examining it closely. She poked a finger inside, and when she withdrew it, she noticed that it had the same sheen as the magic circle tool Aleshia had given her. Having confirmed it, Kailey placed the bottle back on the table and returned to inspect the signature on the magic circle tool. After contemplating for a moment, she made a sound of recognition. "I''ve seen a signature like this before. It was on another artifact with a similar engraving that I found, although it was from a different ruin and appeared much older. I tried researching the signature on the artifact and discovered that it belonged to a long-dead artificer. I can''t recall their name, but I remember learning that they were said to have created many items long ago. There are no signs of them producing new artifacts anymore, which suggests that they are no longer alive, and their works have been considered rare and valuable," Kailey told Aleshia. A spark of greed flickered in Kailey''s mind. ''Is it possible for us to bring items from this ''soul space'' into the real world? If we could do that, we would have two identical items existing in the same space¡ªwe could keep or sell the real one while still using the powers of the fake.'' Kailey''s thoughts continued to swirl as she considered the implications. "Since this place is a replica of somewhere I''ve been before, everything we''ve discovered here must be real." She was particularly excited by the thought of duplicating rare books. The Golem Bodies Chapter 161 The Golem Bodies Kailey had been silent for a while, and Aleshia remembered that she had documents related to the humanoid golem bodies. She rummaged through her pockets, pulled the papers out, and handed them to Kailey. Aleshia saw that Kailey wasn''t taking them. Confused, she looked Kailey in the eye. It seemed to Aleshia that Kailey was deep in thought, possibly scheming. "Earth to Kailey! I have something for you that I found, and it might be in our interest," Aleshia called out, but Kailey remained lost in her thoughts. Seeing the papers in her hands, Aleshia resorted to her last option. Playfully, she bopped the papers over Kailey''s head. Kailey snapped to attention and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Why did you do that?" Aleshia replied, "You looked like you were plotting something, and I found these papers related to the bodies you were examining." She handed the papers to Kailey, who accepted them. After briefly reviewing the contents, Kailey said, "I don''t understand half of these components or magic theories. You were a teacher, right, Aleshia? You must know more about this than I do." She pushed the papers back to Aleshia. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Aleshia took the papers and read through them. "These do seem too advanced for someone without a formal education." "Hey!" Kailey interrupted. "I certainly have an education, just not one from a bigwig school." "A what school?" Aleshia asked. "Bigwig? Do you not know what that means?" Kailey questioned, noticing the confusion on Aleshia''s face. She realized Aleshia was unfamiliar with the term, so she offered a brief explanation, adopting a pompous aristocratic tone. "The term ''bigwig'' refers to someone or something being of importance." "Alright, I understand," Aleshia replied. "Now, back to the topic at hand. The spell is undoubtedly advanced and is written based on complex theories. Given what we already know about Lucia''s goals concerning these golems, I can only surmise that these documents detail their creation, specifications, the magic circles used, and the magical theorems involved." Kailey nodded in understanding. "Maybe if we start analyzing the formulas described in the paper, we could use them to further our understanding of magic. Do you think these documents would be useful for that?" "Possibly, but no. It seems to focus solely on the golems and how to manufacture them. I''m surprised by how detailed these documents are and that nothing appears to be left out. But that probably means Lucia thought no one would find them," Aleshia replied. After hearing her explanation, Kailey returned to examining the golems, particularly fascinated by the one with wings. She wondered whether it could fly or if the wings were just decorations, considering Lucia could float using magic.