《Fate of Mirithia [LitRPG, Isekai]》


 Chapter 1 - Mirrors Do Eat People

    "That mirror eats people," warned Ruhan, the old watchman with weathered hands and a head full of white hair.


    Meera stood before the rusted metal gates of her family''s old mansion. It had fallen into disrepair after her father had moved the family to the city. For some reason, he never returned here. He had even warned her never to come back here on his deathbed. One of the last things he said to her was never to come here and let the house fall.


    But Meera had to see. She knew her family was wealthy but didn''t fully grasp its meaning until she saw the mansion they had abandoned years ago. Also, mansion was not the word Meera would have used to describe the palace-like house before her. It must have been a hundred feet long, and the grounds were many times larger. In its day, the mansion must''ve been beautiful. It had intricately carved wood exteriors with various floral designs intertwined with other-like structures. It was hard to see it all in the ebbing light of the evening.


    "Step aside," Meera said. "I''m going in there to find my brother."


    "I saw him go to that room," the watchman said with a shake of his head. "I tried to stop him, but Master Neel said he had to see. Some idiot villagers had told him about the rumor of the man-eating mirror. I tried to stop him. I really did."


    "Ruhan," Meera did her best to keep her anger out of her voice but failed miserably. "Neel has been missing for a whole day. I''ve searched everywhere in the village, and you said it yourself, the last time he was seen was in that mansion. In the mirror room, as you so call it. So, you will either step aside or take me to this room."


    Without waiting for his response, which would have undoubtedly involved more warnings, Meera pushed the gates open to her family''s mansion. The gates opened with a loud creak. A sudden gust of wind blew away the fallen leaves in the courtyard as if clearing the way for her.


    Ominous was the first word that came to her. It also didn''t help that Ruhaan whimpered a little as if they were going toward their death.


    "It''s just wind," Meera reassured. She wasn''t sure who she was reassuring. She drew a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and walked to the ruined house. Her instincts screamed at her to run. That this was how people in horror movies ended up eaten by the monster, which in this case was a mirror, that thought gave her some comfort as everyone knew mirrors couldn''t eat people. Also, she was sure Neel was in this mansion, most probably lost, given the size of this thing. And as far as she was concerned, she knew it to be Ruhan''s fault for running away and not staying with Neel.


    They reached the steps of the main door into the house, and Ruhan''s whimpering became even louder. Meera threw a look at him and silenced himself. They went up the stairs and to the door of the house.


    She pushed open the door, and a stale waft of air went up her nostrils. The house smelled precisely how she expected it to smell¡ªmusty with a tinge of rotting wood.


    "Where''s that mirror room?" Meera asked.


    "On the top floor, mistress," Ruhaan quivered. "But I ask you again, don''t do this."


    "And give up on finding my brother¡­I don''t think so."


    He lowered his head at that. "It''s this way, mistress."


    She was about to tell him again, perhaps the fiftieth time, not to call her mistress, but he wouldn''t listen anyway. He moved past her and led her to the stairs. He pulled out his torch and clicked it on. She turned on the flashlight on her cellphone, and they walked quietly into the dirty, old house. The sound of wood creaking under their feet was the only sound that could be heard.


    Meera did her best to peek inside every room they passed but saw nothing. Most of them contained empty beds or dusty tables. Ruhan walked with purpose at a brisk pace. Then he stopped so abruptly that Meera almost ran into him.


    He shined his light at a dark door at the end of the corridor. "It''s that room."


    They were still more than ten meters away. Meera frowned. "Then come, let''s go see this mirror."


    "No, mistress, this is as far as I go," he said firmly. "You wanted me to show you, and so I have. I will say one thing that will be hard for you to hear. Your brother went into that room and has not returned, nor will he ever. No one ever comes back from that room."


    She glared at him.


    The old watchman shrugged. "But what do I know, I''m just a simple watchman? Well, best of luck, mistress. I will pray that you return, unlike all others who had foolishly ventured into that room." He gave her a small smile. "I will wait for you outside." With that, he turned and began walking away.


    "Wait! Where are you going?"


    "I will not stay in this cursed house after dark," he replied.


    Meera''s heart thumped in her chest, especially now that she was soon to be all alone in this dark house, which was supposedly cursed and haunted by a man-eating mirror¡ªa mirror that she was about to see.


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    She gulped and walked toward the dark door. With a quivering hand, she opened the door, and as expected, there it was¡ªthe mirror.


    "Mirrors can''t eat people," Meera said as she stared at the supposed monstrosity at the end of the room. The mirror was a tall, spherical mirror with an edge of bronze or some metal like that. In no way did it look threatening or as monstrous as Ruhan had claimed.


    Meera looked around the room and found no signs of her brother or that he had been there.


    Wait! Are those footprints? She bent down to look at the prints on the dusty floor and gasped. There it was¡ªboot prints. Neel had been here.


    She got up and moved to look around the room, but there was nothing else besides the mirror, which had done nothing to eat her yet. Then she noticed something that made her blood run cold.


    Her reflection was smiling at her.


    Meera''s eyes snapped open as she broke out into a cold sweat. She stepped back from the mirror, but her reflection stayed where it was, still smiling. The girl in the mirror looked exactly like her. She had the same hazel eyes and dark hair that went past her shoulders. The dimpled cheeks, the mole just above her upper lip. The jeans and full-sleeved shirt she wore were all there. She took another step back, shaking all over. But then the door behind her snapped shut.


    Meera jumped at the sound. Her heart thundered in her chest, eyes tearing up. She ran for the door and pulled on its handle, but it wouldn''t budge.


    "Welcome home, Meera," a voice spoke. It took Meera a moment to realize it was her voice.


    Meera shut her eyes and didn''t turn around, hoping it was all a mistake. She hadn''t actually seen her reflection smile or heard her talk.


    "Do not be afraid. I knew you would return one day. I''ve waited so long to meet you."


    It took everything Meera had not to faint. Every instinct screamed at her not to turn around, but she had to see. She fully expected the mirror to be right behind her, ready to make a meal of her. Why didn''t I listen to Ruhan? She gasped.


    "Ruhan!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. He could still be in the house. "Ruhan!" She hollered while banging her fist on the door again and again.


    "He cannot hear you," said the mirror in Meera''s voice, which was the most frightening part. It spoke in her voice. "He''s already left the house."


    Tears welled up in Meera''s eyes as she rested her head on the door. She took a few deep breaths, and with nothing else to do, she turned around to face the mirror.


    A scream escaped Meera''s throat as the mirror had closed the distance between them and now stood only three feet away with a smiling yet terrifying reflection of Meera.


    "There is nothing to fear," Meera''s reflection said. "I do not actually eat people. It''s like you said, mirrors can''t eat people."


    Meera was not convinced. She was hyperventilating as she stared at the girl in the mirror who had her face and spoke in her voice but was not her. It waited for Meera to calm down. The smile never wilted off her face.


    Meera gathered all her courage and asked. "W-Where is my brother?"


    "He''s fine, or was, the last time I saw him."


    "Was that before you ate him?"


    Reflection Meera chuckled. "No, after."


    Meera''s eyes snapped open, and her breath caught in her throat. "So, y-you did eat him¡­"


    "Not in the way you''re thinking," the reflection said. "I''m sure you know by now that I am an exceptional mirror."


    Either that or I''ve gone insane from fear. But Meera did not say that.


    The mirror continued. "I knew you would come ever since Neel decided to step through me, but even still, this is where you were born. It was your destiny to come back here."


    Meera didn''t believe in all this destiny business, but the part about Neel gripped her attention. "What did you say about Neel?"


    "That he came to this room and stood where you are standing and decided to step through me."


    "To where?"


    "You will soon find out, but that is not important. What is important is that Neel is in trouble."


    Meera frowned, fear giving way to worry. "What kind of trouble?"


    "The bad kind. He has a lot of people coming after him. For what he possesses."


    "What does he possess? Where is he? Tell me, and I''ll call the cops."


    The reflection chuckled once more, making Meera angry every time she did that.


    "Your police have no jurisdiction where he is." Reflection Meera tapped a finger on her lips. "They cannot even if they tried."


    "In the mirror?"


    "In a way, yes."


    Meera frowned. "So, you''re saying my brother is in the mirror with you?"


    "No, he''s not with me," she replied. "And it''s really hard for me to track his movements since he got that ability."


    "Ability? You''re not making any sense." Meera held her head in her hands. "I''ve gone crazy."


    "I promise it will all make sense once you place your hand here." The reflection placed her hand on her side of the mirror.


    "If I do this, I will be able to find my brother?" Meera asked.


    "It is imperative that you do, or it will have dire consequences for many people, not just your brother."


    Meera took a deep breath and weighed her options. She was sure that this mirror was most likely a demon mirror, and this was her way of getting to eat her. Maybe it cannot eat me unless I place my hand on the mirror.


    The other option was she could try smashing the mirror and breaking its spell, thus letting her walk out of the room.


    The last and most straightforward option was that she had gone crazy and was hallucinating from fear. Then something came to her.


    "Why did my dad decide to leave this place with you here?" Meera asked.


    "Because he saw what was on the other side, and it scared him."


    "And what is on the other side?"


    "Beauty and magic."


    "Not hellfire."


    Reflection Meera chuckled. "No, I am not a demon, more like a gateway, but also a watchman. I cannot say more about this. I''ll say this without hesitation or malice, Neel is indeed in trouble and will need you, for he cannot do this alone."


    "What can''t he do?"


    "I cannot tell you. You''ll have to find out on your own."


    "Why can''t you tell me?" Meera practically shrieked. All this secrecy was grating on her nerves.


    "Calm, Meera. There are some things that I cannot divulge. Suppose you refuse to come with me. I cannot have you talking about my secrets."


    That almost seemed like a threat. But Meera was sure about one thing. She could not trust this thing, whatever it was. But she also had no other option but to accept. If she were telling the truth, Neel''s life depended on her, and after her father''s death, Neel was the only family she had left.


    Meera gingerly took a step forward, said a silent prayer, and placed a hand on the reflection''s hand.


    The reflection smiled as her hand clasped Meera''s. She felt a gentle tug, and Meera walked through the mirror into complete darkness, and a breath later, bright lights assaulted her eyes. She squeezed them shut and then heard a feminine voice in her head.


    *ding!*


    [Welcome to the Worlds of Mirithia]

 Chapter 2 – Worlds of Mirithia

    Meera snapped her eyes open and shut them again, thanks to the assault of the bright light. She sat on the ground to orient herself better, or she feared she would fall from vertigo. She blinked her eyes a few more times, but those words were not going away. It was as if they were etched into her vision completely. They were like a hologram, but the letters followed wherever she looked.


    [Welcome to the Worlds of Mirithia]


    She gasped. Are they permanent?


    She furiously rubbed her eyes, and two things happened¡ªone good and one bad. The good thing was that the words went away, and the bad was that they were replaced by so many more. These next ones were not just words but more like information, more precisely, information on her.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Species: Human]


    [Class: None$%#^#@^#]


    Meera yelped as many garbled beeps and noises suddenly went off in her head. It was like a robot was twitching and malfunctioning, and she feared the malfunctioning robot was her. Luckily, she knew she was not a robot, so she couldn¡¯t be malfunctioning. It was probably whatever that was shoving these letters in her head. Finally, the noises stopped.


    [Error! Error! Human was not born in the Worlds of Mirithia. Human is not natural]


    ¡°What the¡ªnot natural? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not natural!¡± Meera yelled.


    With a start, Meera realized that if this thing saw her as unnatural, it could try to fry her brains, as it was inside her head. With some more beeps and garbled sounds, which sounded eerily similar to a jammed printer, the computer or robot, or whatever it was, must have realized that she was indeed natural, and it continued in its feminine, almost woman-like voice.


    [You were not born on Rhione, Ealisto or Gethys. Thus, you do not belong here, but by some miracle, you are here. So, you will be granted a Class and an Ability, and you will be able to level up as normal people do. But you will not be able to acquire any skills naturally, nor will you be able to change your class or earn any new classes.]


    Meera just stared at those words. She was sure now that she was a certifiable case. Soon, she would wake up and find herself in a padded room with a straight jacket. It was either that or Ruhan had given her some psychedelics, and she was having one hell of a trip.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Species: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 1]


    [Class Ability: Reflection - You have absorbed the essence of a gateway mirror and can take unto yourself that which others do not want to give. You can absorb one random skill from anyone and use it as your own.]


    Stats


    [Health: 120]


    [Stamina: 90]


    [Mana: 110]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 12]


    [Power: 9]


    [Dexterity: 10]


    [Endurance: 9]


    [Focus: 11]


    [Agility: 10]


    [Perception: 11]


    Skills


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    General Skills


    *ding!*


    [You have been granted the general skill¡ªIdentify. You can scan other beings and objects and identify their levels. You cannot see the levels of beings greater than 20 levels from you.]


    *ding!*


    [You have been granted the general skill¡ªMirror Affinity. This determines how close you are to the mirror element. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 3% boost.]


    Meera waited a few moments, and nothing else was said. Then she reviewed everything again and got even more confused than she already was. She remembered her reflection in the mirror had said that Neel was in trouble for what he possessed and that she could not track him, thanks to the ability the system gave him.


    Then it clicked. The voice she heard and the words in her vision were all from this ¡®System¡¯. The system must have particularly liked Neel that it gave him a good ability because hers was that she could only steal skills from people.


    Meera scoffed. As if I¡¯m going to run around and try to steal things. What sort of place is this?


    She tried to look around, but the words were still in her vision. She snapped her head, left to right, and when that didn¡¯t work, she shook her head violently and gave herself a minor headache¡ªthe wonders of aging.


    She pounded her fist on the ground. ¡°Go away!¡± She shouted.


    The words listened, and her vision cleared. She blinked her eyes a few more times as she could see without the obnoxious blocks of letters obscuring everything.


    The first thing she noticed was the grass she was sitting on. It was pinkish-white. It was as if someone had taken the grass and bleached it to an almost whitish color. A dark part of the mind thought it resembled the tongues of geese without the teeth.


    A shiver went up her spine, and Meera shrieked as she jumped to her feet. There were trees all around her but not in the clearing she was. Thankfully, the trees were almost normal. They did have some crooked-looking trunks that made a chair-like formation as they went up. The colors of their leaves were mostly green. Of course, the fruits growing on them were again pinkish with purple thorns.


    Some meters behind her, she saw an exact copy of the mirror in her family¡¯s estate. She didn¡¯t remember walking that far, but maybe she had when the light assaulted her. She saw her reflection and waved to her, and she waved back.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Meera yelled to her.


    The reflection just stood there with a dumb look on her face. Meera waved to her again. The reflection waved again. She squinted her eyes and jumped left and right. The reflection did the same. It took far longer than Meera would ever admit that what she was seeing was her own reflection and not the one who talked.


    Yes, don¡¯t talk in the strange world that you sent me to.


    It was nighttime, and though there was no lamplight anywhere, it was still bright enough for her to see quite far, even between the trees. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t see any predators, which could be a reason for this grass. But she also knew that blood dried brown, not pinkish-white. But then this was a world¡ªworlds with a System that could invade your mind, so anything was possible.


    She looked around, curious about where all this light was coming from. Then she made the mistake of looking up. She yelped as she saw what was above her. The sky was littered with light, not coming from the sun but from Saturn and two great, planet-sized moons.


    Her head spun, and she fell on her bum, and she didn¡¯t even care as the sight in the sky still held all her attention. On closer inspection, the planet was not Saturn, as it wasn¡¯t yellow, but a grayish white, with the same size of rings or ring, which was just one big uniform, white circle around the planet. She was not an astronomy buff, but she knew that Saturn¡¯s moons were not as close to the planet as the moon she was on.


    I¡¯m¡­on a¡­moon!


    As the realization set on her, Meera felt panic bubbling forth from her soul. She always pictured that being on the moon meant wearing those puffy astronaut suits, but this moon was like a planet in itself.


    She remembered the system saying those three names, which she couldn¡¯t remember right now, but Meera was sure she could see the two moons¡ªtwo worlds. One hung low in the sky to her left, almost hidden by the planet¡¯s rings, and the other was above her, a little to her right.


    ¡°The Worlds of Mirithia¡­¡± Meera said out loud to no one. She looked at the shiny planet again. If the moons were the worlds, then you must be Mirithia.


    Meera lay her head on the whitish grass and slowly started laughing. Her voice rose as she continued to laugh. This was what she did when she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown or if things got too out of hand. She had gotten in trouble for it more than once, but this was something her mother had taught her to do to overcome her feelings when they became too much to handle.


    When she finally stopped, she sat up, wiped the tears from her eyes, and said, ¡°This is a nice dream, but it¡¯s time to wake up now. This cannot be real.¡±


    No one bothered to affirm her belief. So, Meera stood and, without another look, ran straight for the mirror. I¡¯m going to get the hell out of this nightmare right this instant.


    Right as she was about to enter the mirror, a gruff, heavy voice thundered. ¡°STOP!¡±


    Meera skidded to a stop right before touching the mirror but had to steady herself with one hand on the mirror. She snapped her head back to locate the source of the sound. She found him. To say the man was old was to say that summer was hot. He looked ancient yet strong at the same time.


    He had a thick and long, white beard, which went way past his mid-section. He had several scars all over his face. On his broad shoulders rested drab clothes that must¡¯ve been white at some point but had turned grayish and dirt-ridden. The man held one of those strange thorny fruits in one hand and sat in the curve of a tree branch as he ate the fruit.


    How did I miss him?


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You cannot go back that way. It¡¯s a one-way mirror only,¡± he drawled in a voice like a bull. ¡°And if you break that mirror by mindlessly running into it¡­I will break you.¡±


    Meera gulped and looked at her reflection in the mirror, and even though, she had only been here all but five minutes, she looked haggard.


    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± The old man asked in a hushed tone.


    It took Meera a moment to realize that her hand had gone through the mirror. She gasped and quickly pulled her hand back, and around her wrist was a shiny bangle.


    What the hell is this?

 Chapter 3 – Old Man Asterion

    Meera stared at the circle around her wrist, and it reflected the planet above. She brought it closer to her face and could even see her reflection. It was a mirror in the shape of a bangle. It was about a centimeter in width. She ran her finger along the outer edge, winced, and pulled her hand away. It''s sharp.


    She looked back to the mirror, hoping her reflection would do something different, but it did not. It was a boring reflection that followed everything she did. Then in the mirror, a giant appeared behind her.


    She yelped as she jumped forward, turned around, and put her back to the mirror, which was now solid for some reason.


    The older man with a long beard stared down at her. "How did you do that?"


    "I-I''m not sure," Meera stammered. "I just thought about going home, and I¡ª"


    "Do it again!" He commanded. His tone suggested that he would take no arguments.


    Not like Meera was going to argue with him. She was only so happy to comply. She quickly tried to ram her hand through the mirror again, and she couldn''t this time. Frowning, she tried again with the other hand. When that didn''t work, she tried both hands. Finally, she pushed on the mirror with her entire body.


    "Stop," the old man drawled. "For a moment, I thought you were someone special."


    Meera would have been offended if she wasn''t so scared. The man dwarfed her by a good two heads, at least. The seven-foot giant grumbled something and was about to turn when his eyes fell on the mirror or bangle or whatever you would call it on her wrist.


    His eyes widened, and he asked, in a hushed tone, almost a whisper. "What is that?"


    "I don''t know," Meera answered truthfully. "I got it when my hand went through the mirror."


    He squinted at her, making her squirm. "You''re saying that she allowed you to reach in and pull out a gift as mighty as that."


    "B-But it''s just a bangle made out of a mirror. It will break easily."


    He sighed and rolled his eyes, and the entirety of his bushy brows seemed to shake with it. "It''s not just some jewelry. That is perhaps the greatest gift she has given anyone in two thousand years."


    Meera''s eyes popped open. "This. Are you sure? It doesn''t seem¡ª"


    "Use Identify on it."


    She looked at the bangle and then back at the towering man. Without sounding too stupid, she stared at the mirror bangle intently, and nothing happened.


    The giant sighed, and his shoulders drooped. "By the rings of Mirithia, all of you newbies are so idiotic." He spoke to her next as if he were speaking to a child. "Identify is one of your general skills. You must have been granted it. When you were sitting there, staring off into space, you must have been going over your stats, attributes, and skills. Am I correct?"


    Meera gave a single nod.


    "Was Identify one of the skills granted?"


    Again, she nodded.


    "Then use it."


    Meera hated to sound like an idiot. "Yes, but how? I''ve never used it before."


    He crushed the thorny fruit in his hand. "Look at that gift and¡ªlook at it," he snapped.


    Meera dropped her gaze to the bangle and kept it there.


    "Now, think about the Identify skill or even call out its name if you have to."


    So, Meera did as asked. "Identify."


    A ringing sound in her head, like a bell, made her jump.


    *ding!*


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    [You have acquired the Chakram of Echoes. It is a mythical weapon granted only to those blessed by Midiea. A Chakram is primarily a throwing weapon, but you can also use it in melee combat. You can toss this weapon into a horde of enemies, and it will always return to you. This Chakram will multiply into more as you level up.]


    Again, the words in her vision didn''t disappear until she said, "Stop."


    She looked at the giant, who was no longer there. She frowned and looked around, and he was back among the trees, picking another fruit from one of the branches, but curiously, his head was still towards her. She ran toward him. For as much as he scared her, she needed answers. Answers to a whole lot of questions.


    "Wait, please," Meera called as she approached him. Either he didn''t listen or pretended not to, as he kept staring ahead. "I have a few questions."


    He didn''t respond and kept staring intently at something. She followed his gaze, and it turned out he was staring at the mirror.


    "Excuse me," Meera tried again. "I''m sorry for disturbing you, but I had a few questions I was hoping you could answer."


    "No," he replied.


    "But-But, I¡ª" She felt her voice edging towards choking up. She hated appearing weak, but more than that, she was confused. She didn''t know what to say, so she tried for the truth. "Listen, please help me. I came here to find my brother because my reflection in the mirror said he was in trouble. Then I get here, and all this business about systems, abilities, and stats is overwhelming. If you can please answer a few questions, I promise I will leave you alone to your¡­staring."


    "Three questions," the giant replied without looking at her.


    "Yes!" She nearly jumped with joy. "Thank you. A hundred times, thank you."


    He didn''t respond in any capacity, which could''ve been a good or a bad sign. Three questions were little to work with, but something was better than nothing. Now, what to ask?


    She pondered her questions for the next bit, trying to figure out how to word her questions to compile multiple questions into one to save the slots. She thought about asking about the letters in her vision, but she deduced that they must''ve belonged to this system that the mirror was on about. Then there was the error that she couldn''t earn skills. It was definitely system related as well.


    Meera snapped her fingers. "I got it." She turned to the old man, grinning, but the way he sat, eyes fixated on the mirror, gave her pause. He didn''t even care about the juices dripping down his beard. She swallowed and focused on coming back to it if she happened to have some time.


    "My first question is, what is the system?" Meera asked.


    An eyebrow went up slightly at that. "It is everything." That was all that was said.


    Meera feared that he would say no more as he took a bite of his fruit, juices dripping from his lips. Meera waited some more patiently. Her father was a shrewd businessman, and she had taught him that if you kept quiet long enough, the other person would start talking to fill the silence and reveal all sorts of tidbits. The trick was to be patient.


    The old man sighed. "It is what governs everything in this world, from the tiniest of insects to the greatest of dragons. They all have their classes, skills, and abilities. You level up, and you get more skills. Eventually, your skills and classes evolve into better versions."


    "It has put a limiter on me, stating that I cannot earn any skills because I''m not from around here," Meera asked. "So, my question is, does it ever make mistakes?


    There was finally some expression on his face. "All the damn time. It is too much for her alone, but she does not listen. She just had to take up the burden alone. So, yes, there are errors in the system."


    Meera almost asked about who this she was, but something twinkled on her wrist. It was more like a reflection of one of the multitudes of smaller moons above. She remembered that this Chakram of Echoes was given to her by someone called Midiea. Meera wondered if that was who it was in the mirror, back in her world. The one who spoke using Meera''s reflection.


    She had one last question remaining, and so many more questions were burning through her mind. But she couldn''t resist and had to ask.


    "What is your name?"


    He actually took his eyes off the mirror and looked at her before answering. "Asterion¡­though they call me by another name these days. You''ll hear it soon enough."


    She patted her pockets and found her phone. Thankfully it still had half its battery but no connection. She opened the gallery app on her phone and found a picture of her brother. She put it before the man''s face, but he moved his head.


    "You wouldn''t happen to know which way my brother went, would you?" Meera asked, hopeful he would answer, even though she was a dunce and forgot to ask before the man''s name. Now, she might have lost her chance forever.


    He didn''t say anything for a long time. So, Meera hung her head, clicked her phone shut, and put it in her pocket to prolong its battery life. "Well, goodbye, Asterion. Happy staring."


    With that, she turned toward the trees to try and find a way out of this clearing. But Asterion raised an arm and pointed to her left. "A boy resembling that picture went that way towards the village of Belacre."


    Meera''s eyes teared up. There was a vague path she could make out between the trees. She grinned and would have hugged the man if she wasn''t afraid of being thrown into the closest tree.


    "Thank you," she cried. "Thank you so much. But why help me?"


    "No one ever asks my name anymore," said the old fellow.


    A lump formed in her throat for the quiet giant. With immense courage, she patted his shoulder, ready to duck any swings that might have come her way. But Asterion didn''t even bother to look her way.


    "Okay, time to go find my brother." Meera punched her fists together. "After all, he has a day''s head start."


    She began to move when Asterion said, "Not a day¡­six months. I saw that boy jump out of the mirror six months ago."


    Meera froze. "But he only went missing a day ago."

 Chapter 4 – Monkey From Hell

    "What do you mean six months?" Meera asked.


    But Asterion had fallen silent again. It was infuriating to see the man continuously staring at the blasted mirror. Meera wanted to chuck her chakram at it but doubted she would survive the reprieve.


    "Asterion, please, anything you can tell me about him will aid me in my search for him," she almost begged, but the man might as well have been made of stone. She decided to try one last time. "He''s the only family I''ve left. I have to find him, have to save him. Is there nothing that you care about?"


    He shifted in his seat. "There is nothing more I can tell you, girl."


    ¡°Meera. My name is Meera.¡±


    His expression didn''t change as he continued. "As I said, the boy went towards Belacre, and that''s that, and apparently became the saviour." He scoffed. "If he is the saviour, then I am the great dragon Aetheron."


    "Saviour?" Meera frowned. "What''s this about a saviour?"


    Asterion frowned, finally. "You are getting on my nerves, girl. Get out of my sight before I reduce you to a puddle of blood on the ground. Take your questions elsewhere and leave me to my own. She is about to reveal herself any moment now."


    Who is? Midiea? Meera raged on the inside. Does everyone here speak in riddles?


    She glared at Asterion one last time before deciding she would not get anything else out of him. She turned toward the forest in the direction of the village of Belacre.


    She slowly made her way through the curved trees. It was difficult enough to maneuver through them in the flats as they didn''t exactly make walking easier through the rough terrain.


    She turned, and the old man had blended into the trees so well that it was hard to tell he was even there. From here, he looked like a statue carved into the very bark of the tree. Meera looked at the mirror and wondered about what she was waiting for. Just before she turned, she decided to use Identity on Asterion.


    [Ancient - ?????]


    "Looks like Identify is broken too," Meera said. "Thanks, Midiea."


    At the mention of Midiea''s name, Asterion stirred. His eyes turned to her, and she did not like what she saw in those old eyes. Meera quickly ran off into the trees. She kept stealing glances behind to make sure the giant wasn''t following to finish her off.


    When she had run far enough away, and she was sure that he was not following her, she finally stopped and collapsed to the ground. It was then she realized she had the Ancient tag from the notification still up.


    "Stop," she said between breaths. "By god, that''s going to get annoying really fast."


    When she caught her breath, she stood, brushed herself off, and started her journey again, slowly, at a regular pace. The bent trees gave way to regular straight trees with normal leaves and no spiky fruits. The lack of fruits made her stomach rumble, but she was no maniac like the old man to start eating strange thorny fruits.


    She traveled some more and wished for better shoes. Her feet screamed, and she would kill for a pair of running shoes. Maybe I can buy a pair of running shoes in the next town.


    As she traveled some more, the way became very monotonous. One tree blended into the next, and after hours more of walking, she needed to sleep. Her body told her to lie down and take a nap. After all, it was evening when she stepped into the mirror, which meant that it was nighttime back on Earth, and her internal clock was yelling at her to sleep.


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    She sat down in a somewhat clean spot. The tree''s foliage provided a good enough shade from the light bombardment of the night sky. She rested her head on the tree trunk and didn''t even realize when she drifted off to sleep.


    <hr>


    "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Meera screamed.


    She was shaken awake by a creature she could only describe as a monkey, pulling on her hair violently. She slapped at the ''monkey''. After a few hits to the head, he finally let go and scurried up the tree and hissed at Meera.


    The thing had pink teeth, like it had been drinking blood, and its eyes glowed a slight shade of blue. Meera gasped and quickly patted her face and neck. There was no blood, and she relaxed a tiny bit. She shot to her feet, jumped away from the tree with the monkey, and decided to Identify it.


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 8]


    Her breath quickened as the monkey was seven levels higher than her. She was not big into playing RPG games back home, but she knew one thing, that it could not be good.


    Something cold brushed against her wrist, and she remembered her chakram. She pulled on it, and it slipped off with little resistance. This was the only weapon she had, so she might as well use it.


    She aimed as best as possible in the low light and chucked it at the monkey. Instead of jumping away, the idiot jumped for it. The monkey caught it mid-air, and the chakram did more than Meera expected. It didn''t just go through his hands but sliced the monkey in half. Its two halves fell to the ground leaking blood and gore on the ground, pooling by her feet.


    *ding!*


    Meera jumped at the sound and at the fact she had never killed anything before aside from the odd insect or two.


    [You have killed a Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 8.]


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 2. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 2. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 4% boost]


    She waited a moment with bated breath and then nearly jumped out of her skin as the chakram came flying back. She crossed her arms to protect herself. The chakram sliced through her wrist, but there was no blood. She wanted to scream, but there was no pain. She lowered her arm and realized that the sharp bangle had somehow automatically phased through her wrist to return to where it belonged.


    She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Then it happened again.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the general skill ¨C Climbing. You have the ability to climb any surface with ease, whether it be trees, buildings, or rocky terrain. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stared at the text floating before her eyes before remembering that she could not earn skills in any other way. But does this mean I have to kill all opponents to gain skills¡­


    The notification floated in the center of her vision, still awaiting an answer. After a moment, Meera said, "Yes, I''d like to acquire this skill."


    [You have acquired the general skill: Climbing ¨C Level 1]


    Luckily this notification went away on its own, and she didn''t have to yell at it like all the previous times. She looked at the sliced body of the Nightcrawler Monkey and felt terrible for the poor thing, but he had decided to jump for the chakram, which seemed sharper than any blade Meera had ever seen. I have to be careful around this thing.


    Just as she was calming down, she heard the chittering of another monkey, followed by another from the opposite direction and then another. It seemed the whole forest had woken up. One by one, she saw pale blue eyes lighting up the foliage above. What''s worse was that they were getting closer and crowded above her.


    Meera used Identify right away.


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 8]


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 7]


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 5]


    .


    .


    .


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 12]


    The entirety of the treetops was filled with Nightcrawler Monkies, ranging from level 4 all the way to level 12. A gust of wind blew through the trees, chilling Meera''s sweat-soaked body and sending a shiver up her spine.


    Then she saw a monster of a monkey. Back home, it would have easily been qualified as some form of great ape-like a chimpanzee. His lower incisors were jutting out and upwards like a sabretooth tiger. His arms rippled with muscles, which she could see even beneath the fur and the dim light. His tail was twice as long as his body, ending in a tuft of blue fur.


    [Nightcrawler Monkey ¨C Level 20]


    This one didn''t chitter, he growled as he took in his prey, which was Meera. So, Meera did the best thing she knew to do in these situations. She screamed at the top of her lungs and ran for her life.

 Chapter 5 – Please Dont Shoot Me

    The monster monkey roared, and the rest of the monkeys began hollering and screeching. The whole forest got into motion as they ran after a screaming Meera.


    She did her best to keep her eyes on the ground as she ran for her life. One trip up, and she would be monkey dinner. If they were anything like the monkeys back home¡ªthese seemed worse than the monkeys back home¡ªshe would be ripped up and shared between the group of them. Thankfully, it was bright enough to see where she was going.


    She ran with the monkey on her heels or on top of her, almost. She tried to find an exit from this place, but all she could see was a sea of trees. She groaned and kept running, swerving between the trees to avoid her pursuers.


    She made the mistake of looking behind her, almost making her trip on a small root. The quick glance was enough to make her redouble her efforts, even though she was nearly out of breath. The monkeys were on top of her. Some as close as three feet behind. The worst part was that she didn''t see them fully, just the glow of their pale blue eyes¡ªlike a sea of angry fluorescent bulbs coming after her.


    A monkey screeched and jumped for her. She barely avoided him, but he still left a scratch on her arm as he fell. Meera cried out, clamped a hand on the red streak on her forearm and kept running.


    Just as she was coming to the point where she was about to collapse from exhaustion, something went whizzing overhead.


    Thwack.


    A monkey cried out and fell dead to the forest floor. Another whizzing sound, this one closer to her cheek, had a similar result. Another monkey dropped out of the foliage above. Seeing their dead comrades only made their screeching and hollering worse.


    Needless to say, Meera was on the verge of panicking.


    "Duck!" someone yelled.


    Meera ducked. Actually, she tumbled to the floor as she tripped on something. The fall was short, but the best part was that she didn''t land on roots, rocks, or stones. Only her knees and wrists took the brunt of the fall. Something told her she would have to get used to the pain.


    Overhead, more wheezing sounds, which she now figured to be arrows, and more monkeys dropped dead from the branches. These were too fast to be arrows, which made her frown. She got her answer a moment later as two men, holding big long bows, stepped out from behind the trees.


    Meera watched with wide eyes at the speed at which their arms moved and arrows flew from their bows. One after another, nightcrawler monkeys fell dead. It was like a hail of arrows, and each found its mark. It wasn''t long before the bodies of the monkeys began piling on the forest floor. There was a loud roar, silencing the chittering. Meera''s hand shook as she knew it was from the leader monkey, the Level 20 monster.


    Instead of being scared, the two bowmen chuckled, took aim, and let their arrows fly. The roar of the leader was cut short, and a monstrous monkey crashed to the ground. Two arrows were sticking in his mouth, and one was coming out the back of his head.


    Meera stared as the two men high-fived each other, laughing as they stepped out to inspect their kill. One of them had long, blonde hair that went a little past his shoulders, and the others were cut short. They wore a little leather armor on top of their dark clothing, which made them blend in quite nicely with their surroundings.


    The short hair fellow sat on his haunches and looked at the arrow that went through the beast''s head. "Tch, you punctured the head again, Silas."


    The long-haired fellow, the one called Silas, groaned and kicked dirt at his partner. "That was you. You always do this and blame it on me."


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    "Now, this fine specimen just lost half its value," the short-haired fellow said, ignoring his partner.


    "But we can just plug the hole with dirt or something," Silas said. "Maybe we can pass it off as a previous wound."


    "Mum should have plugged the holes in your nostrils when you were born and saved me the trouble of having to deal with you."


    "And she should have left you in the gutter where she found you."


    Meera watched their exchange, unmoving and unsure of what to do. They hadn''t noticed her lying there yet, and she wasn''t sure whether they were friendly or not. But they seemed like nice people, even though they were dressed like medieval hunters.


    Meera started. What if this is like a fantasy world¡­


    However, this made her twitch, and she broke the twig under her hand. Both archers snapped to her, arrows notched in their bows.


    Meera held up her hands. "Please don''t shoot me! I''m harmless."


    The short-haired fellow scoffed. "Clearly, you are if you couldn''t deal with a bunch of monkeys."


    "Cossus!" Silas hit his friend, or rather brother, as they pretty much had the same faces. If it weren''t for the hair difference, it would have been hard to tell them apart.


    Meera would have frowned at the odd names if not for the adrenaline pumping through her veins.


    Silas put his bow over his arm. "Hey, you have nothing to worry about with us. We''re just a couple of hunters out here on a job. It''s a good thing we ran into you."


    "Understatement of the century," Cossus grumbled.


    Silas shot his brother another look before continuing. "Don''t mind my brother. He''s an asshole and doesn''t know how to talk to ladies."


    "And yet, I still have more game than you."


    Silas rolled his eyes and offered his hand to her. "My name is Silas, and this is my brother, Cossus."


    Meera stared at his hand for a long moment.


    "It''s okay. I don''t bite, I promise."


    She took his rough, calloused hand and stood. "T-Thank you."


    "No problem, miss¡­Your name?" Silas asked.


    Meera opened her mouth to answer but paused. These two were clearly strong if they could bring down that monster with just two arrows. They could do just about anything with her, especially given her lack of how the system worked and what all those stats and skills meant. Asterion had hardly explained anything to her. She could get all the information she needed if she played this right.


    "I¡­ I''m¡ª" Meera put on her best act of looking confused. She rubbed her temples and did her best to bring tears to her eyes, which given her recent brush with death, was not hard. "I can''t remember."


    They both frowned and exchanged glances.


    "What do you mean?" Cossus asked. "Are you saying you lost your memory?"


    "I-I don''t know¡­I don''t remember anything." Meera gripped Silas''s arm. "You have to help me. Please help me. I don''t know who I am."


    Silas frowned and looked at her hands first and then back to her. His eyes held a flicker of disbelief. His brother, Cossus, looked like he was buying none of it. So, Meera amped up the tears and went into full-out bawling. She fell to the ground again and sobbed with her head in her hands. Again, another thing that came easily because it was a good outlet for the stress she had been feeling.


    "Okay, okay, don''t cry," Silas said, "We believe you. It''s okay. Calm down, miss."


    "You do?" Meera asked, controlling herself and wiping her tears.


    "Yes, miss. Now, please¡­just¡­ don''t cry," Silas got out. Meera nodded and composed herself. "Our camp is not far from here. We''ll take you there, get you some food, and we can talk."


    "O-Okay."


    "Just wait here, please, while we go secure the kill," Silas said and walked off toward the big monkey.


    Cossus, however, walked towards her, face impassive. Meera shirked away, and he continued to walk on, eyes directly aimed at her. She had the strong urge to scream and run away once more, but Cossus picked up a bag, pulled some rope out of it, and started walking back.


    Meera''s eyes widened at the rope. Is that for me?


    She was just about ready to run when Silas called. "Stop trying to scare her and toss me the rope already."


    "Yeah. Yeah." Cossus tossed his brother the rope and walked by Meera, whistling a tune.


    When he had walked off and was helping his brother, Meera used Identify on them both.


    First was Cossus, as he scared her and seemed less trustworthy of the two.


    [Hunter - Level ??]


    Meera breathed a silent sigh of relief as they were telling the truth, and then she scanned Silas just to be sure and almost pissed her pants.


    [Assassin - Level ??]


    She stood there frozen on the spot until the brothers finished their business of trussing up the big monkey. Then, for some strange reason, they also went to all the other monkeys they had killed, cut off the ends of their tails, and stored them in their bags. Once they finished with that gruesome task, Cossus lifted the big monkey with one hand and rested it on his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.


    Silas dusted off his hands and smiled. "Let''s go back to camp."


    Meera felt much like the monkey, all trussed and being taken for slaughter.

 Chapter 6 – No Need To Yell

    "Here we are. Home," Silas exclaimed, stretching his arms towards a lone tent.


    "By the gods, I''m so excited," said Cossus, sounding not the least bit excited.


    Meera stayed quiet and pretended not to be there. After all, she could very well have walked to her death. Silas'' happy-go-lucky attitude had begun to feel fake, or she wanted it to feel fake, but it didn''t. It was hard to picture this guy as being anything as cruel as an assassin.


    That Identify skill had to be wrong. Meera reassured herself. It did the same for Asterion¡­and those question marks. No, the system is broken. That is final.


    "Come," Silas gestured for her to follow.


    Meera gave him an uneasy smile and followed. Cossus deposited the monkey''s body to the tent''s side and laid a tarp over it.


    "We need to move this quickly," Cossus said to no one in particular. "Once the worms dig into the meat, it will be worthless."


    "Yeah, I know. Try carving the monkey''s skin. After all, that is what everyone cares for." Silas turned to Meera, and she almost flinched. "Let''s get our guest something to eat because I don''t know about you two, but I''m starving."


    The next hour or so passed like a flash of lightning. The brothers worked in such synchronicity that hardly a word needed to be said. They just happened to know the next thing they had to do and got to it without complaint.


    As they worked, Meera tried to process the night, how the circlet on her wrist had killed someone, sliced a monkey in two, and she did not see even a drop of blood on the shiny piece of jewelry. Meera could see her reflection in it. Though she had been in this world for less than a handful of hours, she looked haggard. Her hair might as well be a rat''s nest, with loose hair falling about her face. She collected them up in a ponytail.


    Then she tried to remember the notifications she had gotten after the kill. There was something about free stats and how she gained the new skill or rather stole the skill from the monkey, thanks to her ability. If she had an ability, that meant the others might have them too. She had to figure out how that worked and so many other things. She made a mental list of all things she would ask the two brothers. After all, she was playing an amnesiac, so she might as well squeeze out all the information she can.


    Soon, Silas had a fire going and brought a bowl of stew with some floating meat pieces. The smell alone was enough to give way to any inhibitions she might have about its contents or taking food from a stranger, one which was likely an Assassin.


    Silas and Cossus found their spots by the fire with their own bowls. By that time, Meera had already finished with her bowl and had almost licked it clean.


    Silas laughed lightly. "Hey, if you were that hungry, we could have given you some dried meat."


    Meera chuckled. "It''s okay. I''m quite full now. Thank you."


    "Now then, let''s hear your story," Cossus said. "Whatever you can remember. Anything, anything at all. Let''s start with how you ended up in the Forest of Rothedon."


    Meera gulped. "I woke up in this clearing with a mirror behind me. This pinkish grass was everywhere, and the trees had curvy trunks, almost in the shape of a chair." She almost told them about Asterion but decided to withhold information about him.


    "And you remembered nothing?" Silas asked, slurping from his wooden spoon.


    Meera shook her head. "No."


    Cossus looked to his brother. "She could be meant as a sacrifice?"


    Silas tapped the spoon on his lips. "Most definitely. But this is the first time I''m hearing of a sacrifice where they stole their victim''s memories and left them whole." He looked at her. "What about your classes? You still have those, right?"


    Shit. Shit. Shit. What do I say now? Without meaning to, Meera nodded. "I have a class, but was this mine before? I cannot say."


    "What is it?" Cossus asked.


    "Umm¡­Could you explain what a class is?" Meera said.


    They both frowned at that.


    "Not knowing what a class is like, not knowing how to shit," Cossus said. "And even babies know how to do that."


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    "Relax, we don''t know what happened to her," his brother came to her rescue. "For all we know, she''s the victim of a cult who drained her of everything and left her like that in that place."


    So, they do know of the gateway mirror. Meera kept quiet before offering anything more, especially not after Silas had come up with a pretty convincing story on his own.


    "Listen, uh¡­sorry, forgot, you don''t remember your name." Silas smiled. "Classes define your abilities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. They are everything. Everything you are and everything you will be. Everyone can take up to two classes. There have been rare individuals in history who''ve forced the system to give them a third, or so they say. I''ll believe it when I see it. But anyways, let''s talk about what is real. For example, Cossus here has a hunter class, which lets him earn skills related to hunting. Classes define your role in the world, and with each class comes a class ability. It''s sort of a skill, but it''s unique to that class alone, and luckily it doesn''t take up a skill spot."


    "Everyone has a class, then?" Meera asked.


    "That''s right. I''ve never heard of a person not having them."


    "What sort of classes are there?"


    "Anything and everything you can think of. Most adventurers take up a class geared towards fighting, like a warrior or mage class. Some take support classes, such as scouts or healers. Cossus here could serve as a scout in a group of adventurers."


    Cossus grumbled something under his breath that Meera couldn''t catch.


    Silas continued. "Most kids take up a class when they are young and begin to cultivate stat points and make themselves stronger whether they be warriors or farmers."


    "Sorry, stat points?" Meera asked. She had gotten three for killing the monkey. She needed to know what to do with them and how.


    "Stat points are like the result of experience gained when you accomplish a certain task. You saw us kill all those monkeys, right?"


    Meera nodded.


    "Well, we earned experience from those kills. You gain experience for specific skills as well as for your class, and once you''ve gained enough experience, you level up and gain two stat points per level up."


    "Two? Not three?" Meera asked with a frown.


    Cossus scoffed. "Did the monkeys take a bite out of your brain? It''s always been two. Everyone gets two stat points per level."


    "Okay, thanks," Meera squeaked. Then why did I get three? All this sounds a lot like those RPG games Neel is so fond of playing. She never got into gaming, let alone those types of games. Now, she wished she had, but who could have guessed they would become important one day?


    Silas glared at his brother. "Would it kill you to be nice? She is going through a lot as it is."


    "Yes, it would."


    Silas glared at him some more. Meera was about to ask how to use them when he answered without even asking. "As I was saying, you get stat points when you level up, which you can put into your attributes. Let''s go over them. Tell me what they are."


    Meera tried her best to remember her attributes, but she couldn''t. She frowned deeply and tried to remember what they were, but she was not paying attention then, as she was busy getting overwhelmed by the influx of all this new information.


    "Attributes!" she said out loud.


    Cossus laughed while Silas threw his spoon at him.


    "You don''t have to say it out loud to bring them up," Silas explained. "All the notifications and your stats, skills, everything is controlled mentally. You can bring them up at any time."


    Meera felt heat in her cheeks. "Okay."


    So I don''t have to keep yelling STOP like an idiot. Meera was sure she was turning red like a tomato. To curb the embarrassment. She pulled up her attributes.


    Stats


    [Health: 120]


    [Stamina: 90]


    [Mana: 110]


    Attributes (3 Free Points)


    [Constitution: 12]


    [Power: 9]


    [Dexterity: 10]


    [Endurance: 9]


    [Focus: 11]


    [Agility: 10]


    [Perception: 11]


    She verbally told each point to Silas, who listened intently and nodded along as if taking mental notes. Once she was done, he rubbed his chin and eventually looked to his brother, who also looked to be in thought. They must''ve arrived at the same conclusion as they both nodded simultaneously.


    "What is it? Is it something bad?" Meera asked as if she had some disease and was asking the doctor for a diagnosis.


    Silas sighed. "Well, I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but¡ª"


    "¡ªDid you never level up in your life?" Cossus interrupted. "All of your stats and attributes suggest you''re at level 1. How the hell did you grow up and never gain any levels? Even if you were a basket weaver, you would still gain levels, albeit slowly compared to an adventurer but still something. What are you playing at?"


    Meera flinched at his gaze. "Nothing. I''m being serious. Those are my attributes. I promise."


    "They must have stolen her experience as well, somehow," Silas mused.


    "Is that possible?" Meera asked, playing the concerned yet dumb role.


    "There are all sorts of things possible with witchcraft."


    "And they call themselves sorceresses." Cossus spat on the ground.


    "But can you explain the attributes, please?" Meera asked to stay on topic. There was enough going on at the moment to add a fear of witches on top of it.


    Silas smiled. "They''re simple. Constitution governs your health stat. Each point you put in there increases your health by ten points. Power governs strength and physical damage dealt to your enemies. Dexterity, as its name suggests, is the nimbleness of your movements. Endurance is your stamina and how much punishment you can take. Focus is the playfield of mages. This stat governs your mana and spell damage. Agility is your speed, simple as that, and Perception, as its name suggests, is the awareness of your surroundings."


    "Which in your case is pretty shit, despite the stat." Again, Cossus, with his helpful insight.


    Silas sighed. "You really were dropped as a baby, which is why you never learned the ability not to offend every time you use your voice." He turned to Meera. "I know, it''s a lot to take in, seeing as how you''re learning this stuff for the first time again. You better rest up. You can have the tent, and tomorrow, we''ll pick a name out for you and can talk some more."


    Meera gave him a slight smile. "Okay, thanks."

 Chapter 7 – It’s The Truth

    Despite being tired beyond belief and given the tent, which mostly smelled of body odor, she could not sleep. Something about sleeping with someone who had an Assassin class was hard to do. Another thing that kept coming to her was the number of stat points she had.


    She pulled up her attributes again, and there it was¡ªthree points. She pondered what she should put her points into. The fact that she could not earn skills made it hard to decide which attribute she wanted to excel in. So far, she has three skills, and all of them are general skills. Then with a start, she realized that she had forgotten to ask them about the difference between the two types of skills, but it seemed self-explanatory. General skills must be that are available for all, and the other must be class-specific skills. Neither of these skills should be a problem for me since I can¡¯t learn either of them.


    The two men outside seemed to have turned in for the night as there were no more noises. She moved the flap of the tent, and there they were. They had done nothing to make her fearful of them, but the way Cossus looked at her with those suspecting eyes made her shiver. Then there was Silas, the nice one, who was an Assassin.


    I think it¡¯s best if I get out of here.


    Meera moved the flap of the tent as gently as she could. A slight drizzle started the moment she was out of the tent. She snapped her head to where the two men were sleeping in what could only be categorized as medieval sleeping bags. She tip-toed away as quietly as she could, making sure not to step on any twigs or crunching leaves underfoot.


    They were in a small clearing, so it didn¡¯t take her long to get to the trees under cover of darkness, but the planet¡¯s light above helped. By God, that is going to take some time to get used to.


    She moved as silently as she could. The rain picked up speed. Any second, it would wake the two brothers, and if they checked the tent, they would know that she was gone. Would they chase after her or let her go? But then again, she didn¡¯t know what sort of enemies these two had. Given that one of them was an Assassin, she very well could be considered an enemy.


    The thought of those arrows coming for her made her pick up the pace. She weaved between trees, ensuring she kept a tree to her back. Stealth gave way to speed as she dashed through the night, but she kept an eye upward among the foliage to look out for any blue-eyed monkeys.


    And that was the mistake she made.


    Something constricted around her ankle. There was a hard yank. She lost her balance and fell face-first. Her wrists took the brunt of the blow. Before she could register anything, her world spun, and she was being pulled up by her ankle. Meera screamed. Blood rushed to her head as she hung upside down.


    ¡°Screaming will only draw predators to you,¡± said a man¡¯s voice.


    Meera stopped screaming right away. If the monkeys in this forest were that bad, she could only imagine what the actual predators would be like.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Meera said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t hurt me. I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Blood pounded in her ears. Her wrists screamed in pain, and she knew her death was here when A hooded man stepped out from behind a tree, twirling a small knife in his fingers.


    Meera begged some more as the man stepped closer, there was a flash of lightning, and the hooded man was revealed to be none other than Silas. Meera¡¯s blood ran cold.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t done anything, then why did you run?¡± Silas asked. The warmth in his voice was replaced by ice. Even his expression marked him as a different man altogether. The nice man was gone, replaced by the assassin.


    ¡°I-I got s-scared,¡± Meera sputtered out.


    ¡°Did you now?¡± Silas stepped closer to her and twirled his knife close to her eyes. ¡°And how do you feel right now?¡±


    ¡°Deathly scared.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s very good.¡± He took his time saying those words. Each word sent tendrils of fear crawling into her heart. ¡°Now, I want the truth from you, not the hogwash you fed us back at camp. Let¡¯s start with your name.¡±


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


    ¡°M-My name¡­I told you I can¡¯t remember anything.¡± Meera dribbled out.


    ¡°Tch, tch, tch¡­¡± Silas shook his head. He gripped her arm tightly.


    Meera¡¯s heart beat like a drum. He held out her arm and made a cut on the inside of her forearm. She screamed and wriggled, but the pain was not unbearable. She had worse injuries when she went mountain climbing, but she had to make him think it was unbearable.


    ¡°See this.¡± He thrust her arm in front of her. There was a thin line of blood traveling down her arm. The water from the rain diluted it as soon as it left the wound. ¡°Now, every time you lie, I¡¯m going to make another cut, a deeper one, in this exact spot, until I hit your bone. Do you understand?¡±


    Meera gulped. The blood rushing to her head made it hard to think, and being upside down didn¡¯t help either, but she nodded.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s try again. Who are you?¡±


    Meera told him the truth as if her life depended on it. Silas listened intently but didn¡¯t let go of her arm or move his knife away. She thought of changing some things up as her story would have sounded fake, as it sounded unbelievable even to her ears, but his blade was all the motivation she needed not to lie.


    ¡°¡­and that is when I ran into you and your brother. This is the truth. I promise you. Nothing but the truth.¡±


    Silas stared at her for a moment without saying anything. Then his knife moved for her arm.


    ¡°No, please, no!¡±


    But instead of cutting her, his hand moved for her Chakram. He ran his palm along its edge, cutting himself. Blood dripped from his hand, and Meera tilted her head as she frowned.


    *ding!*


    [Class ability activated. You have stolen the skill Ambush Tactics. Ambush Tactics ¨C Type: Passive. You excel at setting up and executing traps and ambushes. This skill will maximize your damage output during ambushes and help you catch your enemies off guard. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    ¡°What skill did you get?¡± Silas asked, not caring for the blood dripping from his fingers. He had cut himself way deeper than he must¡¯ve intended, but still, he cared little for it.


    ¡°A-Ambush Tactics,¡± Meera replied.


    His eyes widened slightly, but he got his expression under control immediately. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Meera had no time to react as the rope became lax on its own, and she fell, but Silas caught her before she hit the ground. He helped her get steady and even took the rope off from around her ankle. When she was free, only then did he take a cloth out of his pocket and wrap it around his hand.


    ¡°Wait, but do you believe my story?¡±


    ¡°That remains to be seen. Accept the skill and show me your ambush tactics.¡±


    Meera gulped. ¡°I accept Ambush Tactics.¡±


    Then someone laughed from above, which meant Cossus was here and listening. She wanted to slap herself. Of course, they would both be here.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say everything out loud,¡± Silas said, with the corner of his lips struggling not to break out into a smile. ¡°As I explained earlier, everything system related is done mentally.¡±


    Meera nodded and thought of accepting Ambush Tactics.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 1]


    ¡°What am I ambushing?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°Ambush Tactics also lets you set up traps,¡± Silas said. ¡°Set a trap for an unsuspecting deer with the things you see here. You don¡¯t have to actually do it. Just walk me through what would you do?¡±


    She felt like she was standing for an exam for a subject she had never studied. She looked around, and all she saw were trees, some bushes, and maybe some fruits. How am I going to trap a deer? I¡¯ve never even managed to trap the family dog, and he knew me.


    Silas¡¯ eyes bore down on her. She quickly looked around some more. No, that was not just it. She found Cossus sitting on a branch high up in the tree, his bow around his shoulder. There was the knife in Silas¡¯ hands and then the rope they used on her. All of a sudden, it clicked.


    She snapped her fingers. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll use those bushes and fruits as bait and place them in a clear spot like here.¡± She pointed to it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll use your knife and cut some branches into sharp stakes and place them between the trees, blocking off its escape route. I¡¯ll cover those stakes with more shrubs. All the while, I¡¯ll be sitting on a branch up high, waiting with a bow in hand to strike when the moment is right.¡±


    She drew a few deep breaths and waited for Silas¡¯ response. A little smirk formed on his lips right before he looked at Cossus.


    ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    The Hunter jumped down and landed on a knee, blowing up leaves and splashing mud. ¡°Not quite. Are you certain she was telling the truth? Are you sure your skill or your brain wasn¡¯t malfunctioning?


    Silas rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡±


    ¡°Skill?¡± Meera couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°I have a skill called True Touch from back in my days with the¡­¡± He paused as he realized what he was about to say. ¡°Well, I just got it in the past. It lets me know when someone is telling the truth or not, as long as I¡¯m touching them.¡±


    Meera¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So, you knew¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, from the start, that you were lying. But we had to know why. Besides, you wear some really odd fashion. Now, we know why.¡±


    Cossus picked up from there. ¡°If she is from a different world altogether, which means there are others of her kind, like her brother. By the way, you never told us his name.¡±


    ¡°His name is Neel. Neel Singh.¡±


    Both their jaws dropped. A moment later, they looked at each other and then back to her.


    ¡°W-What happened?¡± She asked in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Your brother is the Saviour of the Worlds.¡±

 Chapter 8 – Savior or Destroyer

    "He is what?" Meera cried.


    "The Saviour of the Worlds," Silas repeated.


    "Or their Destroyer," Cossus added. "Depending on which version of the prophecy you believe."


    Once again, her heart began to race for perhaps the fiftieth time since she had been here. So, this is what that mirror meant. Neel was indeed in trouble. They didn''t have any prophecies about saviors or destroyers back home, but they did have fantasy books with these kinds of prophecies. Life was always challenging in these books for those the prophecy was about or any directly involved with them.


    "What is this prophecy? Meera asked.


    Silas scratched his head and looked to his brother, who sighed. "And you''re supposed to be the one who keeps track of these things. Honestly, did the Scythes teach you nothing?"


    Silas shifted uncomfortably on his feet at the mention of the Scythes. "No, they didn''t teach me about the prophecy of Serenya. They had other things to cram into my head."


    Surprisingly, Cossus didn''t have a snide remark or a retort for that. She would have expected to call him stupid or something but nothing. Whatever this Scythes place was, it was off-limits when it came to snide remarks.


    Meera crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Um¡­still waiting?"


    The Hunter brother spoke this time. "I don''t know the exact words, hardly anyone does aside from the mages and the scholars, but we know what it states loosely. Serenya was an Oracle¡ª"


    "I heard goddess," Silas interrupted.


    "Do you want to tell her?"


    Silas raised his hands.


    His brother glared at him, even as he began talking again. "Serenya was some important lady back in the day, thousands of years ago. She recited the golden lines that have haunted the worlds ever since. It basically goes that when the Great Dragon Aetheron is ready to swallow the worlds, a Champion with powers unlike anything we''ve ever seen will rise. Then there is some stuff about killing or dying. Sorry, like I said, I don''t know the whole thing. Anyways, the gist of it is that your brother or the Champion is supposed to banish the great dragon and protect the worlds. There is also the part about leading us to a utopia, but most people think that was added later."


    Meera swallowed. "And where is this dragon?"


    Silas smiled and pointed up. "Right above our heads." From in-between the rain, Meera got peeks of the massive planet.


    She gasped. "The dragon is the planet?"


    "No, no, that''s Mirithia, mother of all," he clarified. "You see the ring around her? That''s Aetheron. Or his body, at least. You see, the dragon is so huge, it encompasses the entirety of the Mirithia."


    Cossus continued. "The prophecy states that when the Champion reveals himself. It is the signal of the end times. That Aetheron will wake and judge the worlds one by one and find them unworthy. By unworthy meaning, he''ll make a meal of them. It would be up to the Champion to save us or let us die."


    It took everything Meera had to stay rooted to her feet. "But-But those are the ring of a planet. How is someone supposed to defeat something made of ice and dust?"


    They both frowned and exchanged glances.


    Silas leaned in. "How did you know that Aetheron is an ice dragon?"


    Meera had to resist the urge to slap her forehead. Because that is what those rings are made of! That was what she wanted to say, but she already had enough to deal with, coming to terms with her brother being the Champion of this supposed prophecy. She couldn''t sit here and explain the science behind it all. So, she focused on another topic.


    "When I first got here, the system took some names. I''m sorry, I don''t remember. What are these worlds?"


    Their frowns lightened. "There are three of them, Rhione, Ealisto, and Gethys. We are on Rhione," Silas explained. "If not for these clouds, we can see Ealisto and Gethys on most nights."


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    Meera remembered seeing two large moons in the night sky when she got here. She could figure out which was which later on. She even had questions about how they travelled between the worlds. If they had rockets for interplanetary travel, or was there some teleportation magic involved? Then something struck her.


    "Does the prophecy tell us if the Champion is he or a she?" Meera asked.


    They both shrugged, and Silas replied. "Like we said, we''re not that learned in the prophecy''s details. You would need to confirm that with someone learned in this field. Most likely another Oracle."


    "Where do I find one of those?" Meera asked.


    Cossus answered this time. "Oh, it''s simple, you exit this forest, take a left and walk until you hit a wall, and then a right from there and you''ll come to Oracle town."


    "There''s an entire town for oracles?" Meera asked.


    Cossus looked to his brother. "This one is dense, isn''t she?"


    "Or you''re just an asshole," Silas countered. "Sorry, Meera, my brother was being a dick. We don''t know where to find an oracle. They''re extremely rare. Even most mages and sorceresses don''t know where they are. The best I can tell you is the sorceresses of Akhessai might know. They are the lead covenant of mages in the world."


    "More like worlds," Cossus added. "But going to them for help is like going to a bloodthirsty lion and hoping he won''t eat you for dinner."


    "So dangerous, noted."


    "Very dangerous," Silas said. "Even my guild made sure to steer clear of them."


    Your assassin guild. She almost blurted out, but given how they had recently strung her up and that it seemed to be a sore topic for Silas, she didn''t broach the subject further.


    "Going back to your question of whether the Champion is male or not," Cossus said. "I know where you''re going with this. You''re thinking your brother might not be the Champion, maybe it''s you, but you''re not the Champion."


    "How come?"


    "Because the prophecy says the Champion will have world-hopping powers on top of other equally awesome powers." He scratched his head. "I think it even states his class, and though I don''t know the exact name, I''m sure it''s not a stealer class."


    Meera''s face fell. He had cut to the heart of it. She hoped her brother was not the prophesied one, and maybe it was her. But given what her reflection had said, how she couldn''t keep track of him because of his ability, and now, they were saying the Champion had world-hopping powers. It would be understandable why Neel was so hard to find. And he already had six months of a head start.


    But there was nothing to it. She had to find him at all costs. She would first go to the village of Belacre, and if that didn''t work, she would go to these sorceresses. Even if it meant throwing herself before a lion, there was nothing to it. She had to save Neel, or her dad would never forgive her.


    Silas clapped her on the back. "Don''t look so glum. Sometimes, it''s best to not be the important one."


    Meera frowned. "No, that was not what I was sad about."


    He went on. "Besides, your class ability is one powerful ability, perhaps the most powerful one I''ve ever seen. You took my Ambush Tactics with just a simple cut. It took me weeks to earn that skill."


    "Yes, with that ability, you can steal the most difficult skills with just a cut," Cossus said. She could almost see the gears turning in his head. "I wonder if you could steal someone''s class ability. If they had no other skills."


    "Doubt it," Silas said. "It''s not a skill but an ability, and her ability only lets her steal skills. Am I right?"


    Meera nodded. They debated what she could steal and could not when something struck her. Something she had failed to realize in the rush of the moment. She didn''t need to kill Silas to take his skill. Just a simple cut was enough. Relief flooded her to the point that she almost wept with joy.


    "¡­very well become the strongest adventurer I''ve ever seen," Silas said, snapping her attention to his words.


    "What do you mean?" She asked.


    "You have no limitations with that ability," the Assassin explained. "We all are limited by our classes. We cannot earn skills beyond what our classes allow. A warrior cannot earn any mage skills and vice-versa, but you could. You could be a warrior fighting on the front line while wielding the strongest magics. You could try any possible combination of things."


    "How do you know that?"


    "Because that Ambush Tactics is specific to a handful of classes, like mine and some other hunter or¡­"


    "Assassin classes," his brother finished for him, earning a mighty glare from Silas. "What? You don''t think she didn''t see your Assassin tag when she Identified you. Why do you think she ran?"


    Silas looked at her, and Meera nodded quietly, making him sigh. "I really have to be rid of this class one of these days."


    She wanted to ask him why, but that delved into his history, which was off-limits, and besides, they didn''t know each other that well. So, she asked for something that wasn''t off-limits.


    "Which way to Belacre? I''m sorry all this running away from monkeys, and then, well, you guys, I seem to have lost my way."


    Silas chuckled. "It''s okay. We''ll show you the way. We''re headed there anyways to offload the corpse of that ape we killed. If you want, you can travel with us, and we can show you more of how this system works, and maybe you can gain some levels along the way."


    "That is if you can trust a pair of hunters who just strung you up by your feet." Cossus grinned, which was somehow more alarming.


    "Quit doing that. You''ll scare her off," Silas said.


    "Sure thing¡­Assassin."


    Seeing these two bicker brought a smile to her face. It was almost like how she and Neel used to be when they were kids. It seems they never outgrew their bickering phase.


    "Fine, I''ll come with you as long as you promise not to scare me half to death or hang me upside down from a tree."


    The Hunter stretched. "Can promise the second part, but the first part not so much, given Silas'' ugly mug."


    Then the two were off bickering again.

 Chapter 9 – Run Like Hell

    Meera sat and watched as the brothers once again fell into their rhythm of breaking down camp. Seeing them work so silently when they would not stop bickering the night before was amazing. Well, mostly, Meera had to sleep wet as she didn''t have a change of clothes. Thankfully, the morning brought with it the sunlight and the dissipating of the rain clouds.


    Mornings here on Rhione were just as magical as the nights. Seeing how the camp was in a bit of a clearing, she could see the other two major moons or planets or worlds¡ªas the locals called them. Beyond them, a little faded in the sun''s light was the planet Mirithia and circling it was its rings or the Great Dragon Aetheron.


    Seeing the ring soured her mood. How could anyone in their right mind look at those rings and picture a dragon? They resembled the chakram on her wrist more closely than a dragon unless dragons looked like sharp rings here. Mythology definitely worked in special ways.


    But after some thinking, she had arrived at one conclusion. She needed to gain more skills and get stronger in order to help Neel. She couldn''t show up at Level 2 and think things would turn out much the same as they would on Earth. Everything was about levels and classes here. Thinking of classes, she brought hers out.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Species: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 2]


    [Class Ability: Reflection ¨C Level 1]


    Stats


    [Health: 120]


    [Stamina: 90]


    [Mana: 110]


    Attributes (3 Free Stat Points)


    [Constitution: 12]


    [Power: 9]


    [Dexterity: 10]


    [Endurance: 9]


    [Focus: 11]


    [Agility: 10]


    [Perception: 11]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 1]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 1]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 2]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 1]


    It was nice to see that Ambush Tactics had joined the skill list and Climbing was there. But her main focus was on the three unspent stat points. She didn''t know what she should spend it on, aside from one stat that was significantly lower than the other two¡ªEndurance.


    If she remembered right, Endurance was what governed stamina. She almost put a point in it, but then there were two people here who knew how this system worked, so why not ask them for pointers?


    "Hey, Silas," she called, because one, he was closer and two, because he was less likely to make fun of her for asking stupid questions.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Coming." He finished packing up his things and headed her way. "What can I help you with?"


    "I was about to allocate my free stat points, but I thought I could use some advice."


    "Of course," he smiled. "I would say put a point in Endurance. To be frank, your stamina is sorely lacking."


    "I was thinking the same thing," Meera said.


    "As for your other points. You can put them wherever you want at this point because it''s hard for us to predict what skills you will get, thanks to your ability. But having said that, a point in Agility cannot hurt. People undersell this attribute but being able to move faster than your enemies will save your life in more ways than one. The last point, I will leave to your discretion."


    Meera nodded. "Thanks. You must have really thought about this, huh?"


    "Well¡­" Silas scratched the back of his head.


    "This is his part-time passion," Cossus called. "Min-maxing stats to get the most juice out of his skills. Trust me, he bores me to death with the details."


    Meera snorted. "Thank you, Silas."


    "You''re most welcome." With that, he went to the monkey''s corpse and checked on its bindings.


    She took his advice and put the first point in Endurance, which also increased her stamina by ten points. She decided to check that out later to see if it had made a noticeable difference. Then the second point went into Agility, bringing it up to eleven.


    This only left her with the last point. At first, she almost put it into Power, seeing how it was her lowest stat, but she paused, remembering a comment from Cossus about her Perception being bad, which made her stop.


    But then, if I don''t have enough Power, I won''t be able to hit as hard. She looked down at the chakram. This was a mythical weapon that sliced the monkey in half, which was seven levels higher than her. Looking around her surroundings, she decided to go with Perception.


    It was better to know who was coming for her and react quickly than not know and take a bad hit and die. With all her points allocated, she stood and thanked the sunlight once more for drying up her clothes. Cossus was cooking something on the vat above the fire, which smelled heavenly. She was about to make her way to eat, only to realize she didn''t have any toothbrush.


    I really should have thought of these things before coming through.


    <hr>


    "Run!" Silas shouted.


    Meera did her best to put her newly gotten speed and stamina to the test. She ran as fast as she could. Her lungs were wolfing down air as she sifted through the trees, trying her best not to trip and break her neck. She didn''t dare to look behind as the chittering got closer. She pushed everything she had to her legs and picked up speed. She didn''t think she had gone any faster than this in her life, but she was sure the monkeys were faster.


    "Now!" Cossus shouted.


    Even though everything screamed at her not to, she swung around a tree and came to a stop, huffing. The monkeys dashed past her. Nothing like the sea that was chasing her yesterday but more like a small wave. A dozen at best. Arrows flew from overhead, and the monkeys fell one by one. There was one who noticed her and stopped midway through his dash and came for her.


    She flung her chakram at him. That day she learned that either the monkeys were extremely stupid and jumped for shiny things, or she was really good at throwing death frisbees¡ªthat was the name she gave her chakram.


    The chakram flew in an arc and sliced the monkey in half, only for it to continue and lop the head of the one behind it and imbed itself in the flank of the third, which was taken care of by an arrow from above.


    The familiar dings of the kills went off in her mind, but she decided not to look at them now, and to her surprise, it worked. She decided to try something else as well. She raised her hand and called her chakram back, and she was surprised a second time in a row. Like Thor''s Hammer, Meownir¡ªshe wasn''t sure that was the name, but she was going with it¡ªher chakram came zipping back to her hand.


    Hey, and no sliced fingers, either. She quickly put it on and ran to join the brothers who had jumped down from the tree.


    "Next time, someone else better be bait!" Meera huffed.


    Cossus stifled his laughter. "I didn''t think it would work this time, either. But who would have guessed you Earthians, or is it Earthanites, could be so stupid?"


    The correct term would be Earthlings, but she didn''t correct him and let him make a fool of himself for her pleasure.


    At least Silas looked apologetic. "I''m sorry, Meera, but this was the fastest way to get them to come out of hiding."


    "You two have some particular hatred towards these things, or do you just like killing monkeys?"


    "No hatred, nor do we like killing these things¡ª"


    "¡ªbut we do like money," Cossus finished for him. "We''ve got a contract for all these things. Each one we kill is worth a shiny silver coin, and the big brute is worth a gold coin. In short, we''re making money hand over fist."


    "There''s been an infestation for some years, given that they have no natural predator in these woods," Silas explained. "So, we were contracted to curb their population."


    "You''re getting paid to kill all these?" Meera asked.


    "Are you hard of hearing as well?" Cossus, of course. "Yes, we are."


    "Seeing how I''m acting as bait, I deserve fair pay."


    The Hunter scoffed. "Yeah, right."


    "I will take half of all the monkeys you kill, using me as bait."


    Cossus squinted his eyes. "You should be content that we''re letting you tag along. Not to mention all the experience you''ll get from our hard work."


    "And what happens when we go our separate ways? I need some money to sustain myself."


    "Seems fair¡ª" Silas was about to speak when Cossus raised a hand.


    "You will get twenty-five percent."


    "Fourty-five percent," she countered.


    "Thirty."


    "Forty."


    "Thirty-five percent. Final offer or take a hike." Cossus crossed his arms.


    "Fine, but I get the bounty of those I kill myself, including those two."


    "Fine."


    Meera gritted her teeth and nodded, extending her hand, hoping this gesture was also widely used in these worlds.


    Cossus smirked as he shook her hand but didn''t let go. "I would have done it for forty."


    She returned the smirk and leaned in. "And I would have done it for the experience."


    Silas laughed out loud. "She got you there."


    "Shut up and get their tails." He looked to Meera, clearly miffed. "You too. Get the tails of the two you downed if you want the pay."


    Meera''s smirk wilted off her face. Silas patted her arm. "It''s easy. Come, I''ll show you."


    They walked to the monkey closest to them. "We only need this blue fluffy part, so we don''t need to lug the whole thing around." He gripped the tail''s end, held it taunt and cut it clean off with one jerk of his blade. "Now, just squeeze tightly to get all the blood out, tie the end with a rag, and toss it in your bag¡ªOh, you don''t have a bag. You can have one of mine. Here." He held out his dagger, hilt first to her.


    "It''s okay." She showed him her chakram.


    He smiled. "Of course."


    Meera went to her kills and did what Silas had taught her. But unlike his time, she ended up spraying herself with blood, which was followed by a yelp and more laughter from Cossus. Meera gritted her teeth and ensured she didn''t mess up on the second one. She had finished when they heard the screeching and the ruffling of leaves.


    "Bait, looks like you''re up."


    "I''m going to kill him if that ends up as my nickname," she grumbled as she made a run for it.

 Chapter 10 – So Many Skills

    *ding!*


    Shut up! Meera snapped to the notifications, and they listened. They had been going off in her head the whole day, driving her up the wall. How do these people live with a non-existent bell in their heads?


    She huffed as she sat on a log, wiping blood and grime off her face. Her chakram zipped through the air, and she didn''t even have to catch it. It just phased through her arm to rest on her wrist.


    This was the fifth attack of the day. If she didn''t know any better, she would have thought the monkeys were running raids on them, whittling them down little by little. She had killed eighteen monkeys so far. Six of them were in this round. She still needed to collect their tails. Simply put, she was too exhausted to move, let alone cut off their tails. She needed a breather, and more than that, she needed food.


    Her other two companions were not looking much better. They had run out of arrows in the third round, so they had to fight with their blades. Silas looked like he had his fill of violence, but Cossus had a huge smile.


    "If this keeps up, we''ll clear the forest before we reach Belacre," Cossus said. "Thanks, Bait."


    "If they don''t clear us first," Silas muttered. "And it''s not thanks to Meera alone. It''s that big boy we''re lugging along. They want revenge for their leader."


    Cossus looked between the alpha''s skin and Meera. "Thanks, Bait."


    Meera sneered, not knowing if that Bait comment was meant for her or the corpse or both. Slowly but surely, he was getting on her nerves. If she didn''t need him to stay alive, she might have flung her death frisbee at him.


    "Don''t mind him," Silas said. "He grows on you, eventually."


    "If you say so¡­"


    She drew a deep breath and went to collect her tails. She was covered with blood and grime from head to toe, so she didn''t care how carefully she cut the tails and where the blood went. She stuffed them with the rest in her small bag that Silas had given her.


    She hoped there was a stream nearby, or she would smell like blood forever. She had never been filthier in her life than right now. She tried to push the filth away as she helped the brothers toss the tail-less monkeys in a pile. Their impromptu funeral, which did not include any cremation or burial, was complete, and they made their way out of the battlefield.


    They didn''t talk much as they followed the sun west as it dipped toward the horizon. The giant planet overhead shone brighter as the sun vanished from the sky. It was a strange yet astonishing phenomenon that some scientists back home would give their arms and legs to observe and document. She was just happy that no monkeys were chasing her at the moment.


    They walked till Meera''s feet were just about ready to fall off. Then finally, Silas called for them to stop. Meera dropped her pack right there and crashed to the ground. Cossus didn''t even look at her and just nodded to his brother. Then he dropped all his stuff to the ground before walking off.


    Meera frowned. "Where is he going?"


    "To scout out the place. Make sure no immediate dangers are lurking about."


    So always scout out the place before going to bed. Noted.


    Something her father had drilled into her from a very young age. Always learn from others, especially when you don''t know what you are doing. She took over Cossus'' responsibilities while he was scouting and was terrible at them. But luckily, Silas was a patient teacher. He told her how to tie the knots properly and where to put the stakes so the tent didn''t fly off at night.


    By the time, Cossus returned to give the all-clear, everything was in place, and Silas was collecting logs to make a bonfire.


    Cossus whistled. "So, Bait has other uses after all?"


    "And you have none," Silas shot back. "You could have brought some wood."


    "Dry wood is going to be hard to find, especially after last night''s storm, so I thought, why bother, and why not let big brother do that for me."


    There was some more banter back and forth, which Meera was beginning to enjoy. It was, after all, more ammunition to use on Neel when she finally found him and gave him a couple of smacks upside the head. They ate some monkey meat that night. She was so famished that she didn''t even think of objecting.


    "You must have gotten many levels today," Silas said between bites. "Best to look over what you got and get things sorted. In case we''re attacked in the night."


    Meera nodded. They finished their dinner without much talking and settled in for the night. They again gave her the tent even though Cossus tried to object, but Silas put his foot down.


    Meera lay down on the makeshift sleeping bag, got as comfortable as she was going to get and let the deluge of dings wash over her.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has defeated 78 Nightcrawler Monkeys. You have gained partial experience.]


    [You have defeated 18 Nightcrawler Monkeys.]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 3. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 4. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 9. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 3. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 5% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 4. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 6% boost]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 6. All of your mirror-based attacks will get an 8% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 2. You can now Identify people up to thirty levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 3]


    This one surprised Meera as they hadn''t used many tactics to ambush the monkeys. It was mostly her running as bait, but in a way that could be classified as ambushing them.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the general skill of Climbing. You already have this skill. You cannot learn this skill again. Hence bonus experience has been added to your skill.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 2]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the general skill of Climbing. You already have this skill. You cannot learn this skill again. Hence bonus experience has been added to your skill.]


    Meera quickly eyed the next few skills she had acquired, and they were all Climbing. She tried a new thing and decided to discard them and save herself the headache of a few bells. And to her surprise, it worked. I''m going to try a lot more things with these notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 3]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 4]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 5]


    Her eyes widened at how much the skill went up for not even using it. She had some ideas on using her class ability to level up skills she didn''t use much. I should talk to Silas about it tomorrow.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the skill Monkey Fist. Monkey Fist ¨C Type: Active. Your fists become powerful weapons, able to strike with incredible force and Dexterity. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Based on the naming of this skill, she worried that her hands would become like a monkey''s. She hoped that wasn''t the case because she did not want to walk around with leathery hands. But then again, a monkey''s hands were not that much different from human hands. She pondered that for a few moments but, in the end, decided to take it as it could end up being an excellent close-range skill.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill: Monkey Fist ¨C Level 1]


    She stared at her hands for a long time, and thankfully, they did not change. They stayed as they were. She breathed out and continued to the next notification.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the skill Tail Whip. Tail Whip ¨C Type: Active. You can use your powerful tail as a weapon, striking your enemies with incredible force, or use it to constrict them. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    [ERROR! You do not have a tail. You cannot acquire this skill. Hence bonus experience will be added to your main class.]


    The next few notifications were all about Tail Whip. Meera sighed in relief as she didn''t want a tail-related skill or a tail.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 10. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 10 in your main class, you have earned a second Chakram.]


    Meera gasped as a second identical sharp circle made of a mirror appeared on her other wrist. She ran her thumb along its edge and flinched. It was just as sharp as the original one. Effectively her weapons had doubled. She smiled from ear to ear.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the general skill, Tree Walker. You can walk on thin branches and even hang upside down from them without falling. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    This skill paired up nicely with her Climbing skill, so she quickly accepted it.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill: Tree Walker ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the skill, Banana Peel. You can drop a banana peel on the ground, causing enemies to slip and fall, allowing for an easy escape or attack opportunity. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    She thought about this one. It could pair up with her Ambush Tactics, but then again, it was very specific about it being a banana and how often she would walk around with a banana in hand. In the end, she decided to pass on this skill. The next few were about this one as well. So, she manually had to say no to them each time. Then came the last notification.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 3]


    .


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 5]


    Now came the arduous task of allocating her stat points to her attributes. She thought long and hard about this, as this would effectively decide what sort of adventurer she would become. She looked at her skills, and a lot of them were related to Dexterity, and all the running she had done today told her she needed more Endurance. More health couldn''t hurt, either. She could effectively split her points into almost all attributes without worry, as she was still quite low-leveled.


    She put points in all the attributes aside from Focus, as she had no magic-related skills. Once she acquired them, she could get points in there, but as of right now, many of her skills relied on Dexterity and Agility. Even her primary weapon was a dexterous weapon. Once she was done, her stats looked like this.


    Stats


    [Health: 170]


    [Stamina: 200]


    [Mana: 110]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 17]


    [Power: 12]


    [Dexterity: 20]


    [Endurance: 20]


    [Focus: 11]


    [Agility: 20]


    [Perception: 20]


    She was happy with how things had turned out for the day. It was a tiring day, but she had leveled up quite a bit, gained a few skills, and felt more confident. With all that settled, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 11 – Hate Being Bait

    Meera stood and waited, even as the screeching, howling monkeys rushed towards her. They were in the part of the forest where the trees were more spread out. So, the monkeys mostly ran after her, though some still jumped about above.


    Armed with her new skills and experience of outrunning these things and leading them straight into a trap, she felt more confident than ever. She readied her chakram, and at the first sign of the monkeys, she let it fly.


    The sharp ring flew straight into the horde, where she had intended it to go. She raised an eyebrow. Is this because of my increased Dexterity?


    The chakram lopped off the head of the first monkey, cut through the next one and finally stopped when it embedded itself in the third''s chest. The notification bells went off in her head. A slow smile creased on her lips as some monkeys stopped to see their downed friends. They screeched and hollered even louder and dashed for her.


    They''re a bunch of idiots.


    She raised her hand, and her chakram flew back, cutting down three more monkeys. That was half their numbers down already. By the time her weapon reached her, so did the other primates. She ducked as a monkey flew overhead, trying to tackle her.


    A part of her said to stand and fight, but she knew she couldn''t take them. Not as she was now. So, she turned and ran. It was like second nature to run through the trees. She tested her new Agility, and to her surprise, none of the monkeys even came close to catching her. Before, they would be hot on her heels, but now she was always two steps ahead.


    She led them to where the hunters were waiting to finish them. Silas had set a trap for them, and they ran straight into the stakes. Three died instantly. A singular ding went off.


    That was where Meera messed up.


    She stopped to see Cossus finish off the rest. Something slammed into her back, driving her to the ground. She grunted as she fell on her hands and knees. A monkey jumped on her back and brought his fists to bear on her back.


    She cried out, having felt the full brunt of the Monkey Fist. She felt like her back was broken, or at least something was. Her health took a dive. She tried to turn around, but the monkey was too heavy and was jumping on her. Then just as his dance had started on her back, it ended. The simian fell dead beside her.


    The chittering and squealing stopped, and all was quiet. Then a shuffling of feet, Silas was kneeling beside her.


    "Meera, are you okay?" He asked, concerned.


    "Golden," Meera groaned. She was anything but golden. Her health had taken a significant hit. Almost a third of it was gone.


    "Stay still," Silas instructed. "Let me check for broken bones."


    She didn''t need to be told twice. Meera groaned as Silas pressed on her back. It hurt but not too bad.


    "No broken bones," the Assassin declared. "There might be some bruises, though. But nothing to worry about."


    Meera peeled herself off the ground. "I hate being bait."


    "It''s your own fault for stopping to gawk," Cossus said, cleaning his short sword. "You knew you had to keep running until you cleared us."


    Meera gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "You know what, I''m done being bait."


    Cossus laughed. "You have no skills helpful in a fight."


    "I can help. If you must know, I killed six of these things." She gave the one who attacked her a solid kick.


    That gave him pause. They exchanged glances.


    "Still doesn''t make you fighter-worthy," Cossus said stubbornly.


    Meera gritted her teeth and walked off to cool herself. She needed to collect the tails of her kills anyways, and it would give her some time away from Cossus.


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    She had walked a few steps when she realized Silas was with her. He didn''t say anything, and neither did she. It was completely fine with her. Then she stopped as realization set on her.


    "You''re here to see if I actually killed six monkeys, aren''t you?"


    Silas shook his head with a smile. "No, just making sure you''re okay. You took a nasty hit back there."


    You can say that again. Her back screamed bloody murder, but she powered through the pain. It didn''t take them long to reach the monkey corpses. She took off her chakram and was ready to go to work on the monkey''s tail, but her back was not complying at all. As soon as she bent down to lift the tail, a jolt went through her.


    "Here, this should help." Silas offered her a small glass bottle.


    Meera eyed it warily. "What is it?"


    "A minor health potion. It won''t completely heal your back, but it should take away the bulk of the pain."


    She took the potion and brought it to her lips.


    "Drink it one go. It tastes nasty."


    She gave him a nod and emptied the bottle. It took everything she had not to gag. The thing tasted worse than any medicine she had ever had.


    "This tastes like death." She slammed the bottle back in his hand.


    Silas snorted. "But it works."


    He was right. She could feel her pain going away and her health filling up again. It was strange that she had a visual meter of her health. Back home, it was more of a feel-it-as-you-go type of thing. Over here, she could see how close she was to death.


    "Yes, it works. Thank you," Meera said.


    "You''re welcome, and you don''t have to be bait anymore."


    Her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"


    He nodded. "This proves that you''ve begun on a path to be a capable warrior."


    "No, not a warrior. Warriors face people head-on, no? I don''t want to do that. I would much rather do what you guys do. Hide and kill. You know, like an assassin."


    His face fell. "No, Meera, trust me, you do not want to be an assassin."


    "Why not?"


    "Because you just don''t."


    There it was again. The way he shirked away as soon as someone remotely even mentioned the word assassin.


    "You are one."


    "Not by choice."


    "But I''m making that choice. I want to be an assassin. I need all the skills I can get to save my brother, so tell me how."


    "No." He turned away from her.


    She went around to block his path. "Why not?"


    "Because they made me do unspeakable things!" He roared. Meera was taken aback. "My father sold me to them to settle his debts. They took my childhood and my youth. I still haven''t left them. I escaped. I live in constant fear that they''ll find me at any moment, and when they do¡­ it''ll be the end of me and Cossus."


    She didn''t know what to say. Silas was on the verge of breaking down, even though the anger in his eyes would shame the sun. All of a sudden, it made sense. The interrogation, why he had to know the truth from her. The way they scouted out places to rest. Why they were out here in this forest. It was so that Silas'' guild would not find them.


    "I-I''m sorry," was all Meera could say.


    He heaved a sigh and gave her a sad smile. "You couldn''t have known, but now you do. My guild¡­or as they like to call themselves, The Scythes of Thanades. The common folk just call us Scythes."


    Meera gulped. ¡°Who is Thanades?¡±


    "No one but the topmost members know who he is, where he rests his head, or even if he is a he. He commands, and we follow. He has eyes everywhere, which is why we''re cautious."


    "How do you know I''m not one of them?" She asked.


    "My True Touch, remember. In the guild, I was¡­I was mostly an interrogator. My job was to get the truth out of the poor sod who ended up on a contract. But after observing you for the past three days, I know you''re not one of them."


    Meera frowned. "How so?"


    "It''s in the way you walk. The first thing we''re taught is to walk unseen, silent among the populace. You walk like a¡ªI''m sorry channeling my brother here, but you walk like a warthog drunk on mead."


    "Hey!"


    "Apologies, once more."


    "But can you not teach me to be you? Walk unseen, silent, and all that. I will need all the help I can get to save my brother from this prophecy business. I also know I''m not cut out for a full-frontal fight. I just won''t be able to take the pain."


    Silas contemplated that while rubbing his chin. Meera was about to beg some more. When a third voice said, "Just do it, or you want her to beg some more."


    Cossus was leaning against a tree trunk, arms folded. When did he get there? Is he an assassin too?


    "Cossus, you know¡ª"


    "I know all the reasons you''re about to list, and honestly, I don''t care, but if this girl truly is the Champion''s sister, then we ought to help her. It might very well be the difference between our survival and death."


    Silas frowned. "Since when have you started believing in the prophecy?"


    "Ever since the Champion showed up."


    Meera hated that they called her brother the Champion when they hadn''t even met him. But if these two lone hunters in a forest at the edge of this world believed it, then she could only imagine the kind of planning happening in the big cities. Neel was indeed in trouble. If only the mirror had started with this, she could have brought a gun or guns. Her dad''s hunting rifle would have come in handy.


    Silas was still considering whether to train her or not. Then another thought occurred to her, even if he did train her, how much would she be able to pick up? It wasn''t like she was going to earn any skills.


    "Fine," Silas said. "I''ll train you, but we''re not doing any killings."


    "No people," Cossus added. "Monkeys are fair game."


    "Yay!" Meera jumped with joy. The only problem was the skills, but she was sure they could figure something out.

 Chapter 12 – Only One Skill

    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 11. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    Meera decided to go through her notifications from yesterday. After all, she had gotten six kills, so she was expecting some good things and, hopefully, a new skill. But she was sorely disappointed.


    She looked through the notifications and found she had gotten one Monkey Fist, one Climbing, and three more Tail Whips. She wondered if these monkeys would eventually give her some skill related to the assassin-type class, but so far, no such luck. Maybe these three are all the skills they have.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 12. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    She put her points into Dexterity and Perception, as she figured she needed it to handle her two chakrams and assassins needed to be wary of their surroundings. She hoped she was doing the right thing.


    She left her tent and joined the brothers for breakfast, which was nothing but stew¡ªmonkey meat stew. She would kill to get toast or pancakes if they existed in this world. Even a piece of regular bread would be heavenly. She put the thoughts of bread away and ate her breakfast in peace. Beggars can''t be choosers.


    Cossus commented on her second chakram, and she explained its ability to multiply as she levelled up. There were some raised eyebrows and impressed gestures at that. They wrapped up camp and headed out for the day. They couldn''t have been far from getting out of this infernal forest and those monkeys, which had surprisingly not attacked them. Either they had given the monkey the slip, or their numbers had significantly reduced.


    Meera waited patiently for her training to begin, but neither brother said anything about it, as if they had forgotten the whole thing. Morning turned to the afternoon as the sun blazed high in the sky, which in this world meant that it was half blocked by the planet Mirithia. And then there were the rings or the Great Dragon Aetheron. Every time she saw them, it quickened her heartbeat. How could a thing of such beauty be supposed to destroy not one but three worlds?


    After walking some more, Silas called for them to stop and take their mid-day meal. The trees in this area had thinned even further.


    "Looks like we''re running out of the forest," Meera commented to start a conversation.


    "Hmm," Silas looked around as if noticing for the first time. "Not really. We''re still two days away from clearing the forest, and then it''s another half-day journey to Belacre."


    Meera''s jaw dropped. "We''re that far away."


    Silas nodded. "Yes, we''re quite deep. The woods of Rothedon mark the end of the known world, at least on Rhione. They cover the entire eastern end."


    "No one knows what lies beyond these woods?" Meera asked. "No one''s even taken a ship to map the world."


    Cossus snorted. "We know what lies beyond, which is why everyone stays very far away from the Rakinyes."


    "The what?" Meera frowned.


    Cossus rubbed his temples. "Sometimes, I hate how much you''re not from around here."


    "In simpler terms, as the people would know them, they''re soul-eating demons," Silas said. "It is said they grant you a wish for your soul. Some also say the goddess Midiea shoved them to the corner of this world when she was fashioning this world. But every so often, one of them leaks out to cause havoc. Anything past Rothedon''s Fist is their territory. Venture past that, and you''re as good as dead."


    Cossus sniffed loudly. "I''ve never heard of anyone coming back to the side of the living once they make it past the Fist."


    "And how far are we from this Rothedon''s Fist?"


    "Oh, we have nothing to worry about. We''re many days away from the Fist. You''ve been closer to it than we''ve ever been. Remember those crooked trees by the mirror? The Fist is right around there."


    Meera blanched. If she had gone the wrong way from there, she would have been resting comfortably in a demon''s belly. To think demons are real in this world.


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    "But I think that is not what we should be discussing," Silas said. "Your training. That is the real topic you wished to discuss, no?"


    Meera nodded quickly.


    Silas gave her a small smile. "You''ve shown remarkable patience in keeping quiet about it so far. That is the first thing you must learn when to be an assassin¡ªpatience. Sometimes an assassin has to wait for days in the shadows for their prey to rear its head, and when they do, that is when we strike."


    "What about skills?" Meera asked. "Those are going to be a problem for me, aren''t they?"


    "I''ve been meaning to try something for a few days. Take off your chakram and give me a slight cut on my arm." Silas lifted the sleeve of his right and presented her with his arm.


    She took off the chakram on her right arm and held it in her hand.


    "Now, be careful not to cut too deep," Silas reminded her.


    She did her best not to cut him too deeply. She left a small cut on his forearm, barely above a scratch. A single drop of blood leaked out from its edge. She raised her eyebrows as she had just touched his skin. But the strange thing was that it did not cut her when she inspected her new one last night. Maybe it only cuts other people¡­


    "So, what did you get?" Silas asked.


    She waited patiently for the familiar bell but nothing. A minute later, she shook her head, doing her best to hide her disappointment.


    "Hmm," Silas rubbed his chin. "Maybe you can only get one skill from one person."


    "That''s¡­annoying."


    "Ha!" Cossus barked a laughed. "The girl can steal practically any advanced skill from anyone without working for it and is disappointed that she can only get one skill per person."


    As much as she hated how he said it, Cossus had cut to the heart of it. She hoped to get all of Silas'' skills and become a full-fledged assassin.


    "Looks like my journey to assassin is not going to be easy," Meera said, trying to keep her disappointment from her voice.


    "Unfortunately not, but we can still get you one more skill," Silas said, smiling at his brother.


    Cossus looked between the two of them as if they had just asked him for his kidney, then he finally sighed. "Oh, alright." He lifted his shirt and offered his forearm to her. "Well, let''s hope you don''t get my Cat-Calling skill."


    Meera paused. "You have that as a skill?"


    "Yes," Silas answered. "Along with the Dumbass skill."


    "At least you didn''t give the girl the Scaredy-Cat skill."


    "Okay, boys, let''s stay focused." Meera cut in before things got out of hand like they usually did with these two. She left a similar cut on Cossus'' arm, though she had to resist the urge to go just a bit deeper.


    *ding!*


    [Class ability activated. You have stolen the skill Eagle Eye. Eagle Eye ¨C Type: Passive. You have gained the eyes of an eagle, and with it comes the ability to perceive details, spot distant objects, and observe your surroundings with incredible precision. Would you like to learn this skill?]


    "I got Eagle Eye," Meera announced.


    "Dammit," Cossus cursed. "You know how long it took me to evolve my Hunter''s Sight to that."


    "Don''t mind him," Silas said. "That is an excellent skill for any class. It should help you on your path."


    Meera beamed and accepted the skill.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill: Eagle Eye ¨C Level 1]


    "Now, can we begin training?"


    "Not so fast," Silas said. "First, tell me what skills you got from the monkeys. You''ve killed a fair share of them."


    So, Meera told him about the three skills she had gotten from them. Now that she thought about it, it was odd that even the animals had skills, but then again, there was a literal Saturn-sized planet hanging overhead whose rings were supposed to wake and eat them one day. Of course, Cossus couldn''t resist making a crude comment about Monkey Fist.


    Silas tapped a finger on his chin as he pondered something. After several moments, he finally said, "Climbing is good. It will help you in many situations¡ªlots of places for an assassin to climb. Tree Walker is mostly situational. Still not too bad. Monkey Fist seems like a melee move, but maybe we can work with it."


    "But I told you, I don''t want to be in many hand-to-hand combat situations," Meera said.


    The Hunter scoffed. "Clearly, Earth is a rosy place where everyone gets along. Well, Bait, you don''t get to decide when you have to use your fists, rather than just killing someone from afar."


    "It might be a rough way of putting it, but he''s right," Silas said. "You''re going to have to learn some close combat moves to save yourself."


    Meera hung her head. "Okay¡­"


    "But before we do that, I want to test something," Silas said. "Meera, go punch that tree as hard as you can."


    She frowned. "What?"


    "You heard me. Now get to it."


    Meera stood and dusted herself off. She punched that tree with everything she had, fully expecting it to break and hurt¡­a lot. But none of that happened. At most, she felt a dull pain in her hand. The tree, however, shook as if she had taken a pole to it. The leaves and some thin branches shook violently.


    She looked down at her Fist incredulously. "When did I get that strong?"


    "It''s the skill," Silas answered. "It''s actually for monkeys which are, pound for pound, much stronger than us, and of course, your strength also adds to it. Remind me, what is your strength attribute?"


    She quickly checked and replied, "Twelve."


    "Hmm, that''s low. You should raise it a little bit more. On the other hand, we could combine the skill with Dexterity and get even more out of it.


    "Huh?" Meera and Cossus said at the same time.


    Silas snorted. "Hold one of your chakrams in your hand and then use the Monkey Fist skill."


    "I can do that?"


    "Let''s find out."


    "But wouldn''t it break?" Meera realized.


    "Let''s find out."


    Meera did as he asked. She clutched the mirror chakram in her Fist. The sharp edge pressed against her palm, and she hoped that the punch didn''t push the chakram through her hand. She drew a deep breath and, using Monkey Fist, punched the tree.


    Her eyes widened as her chakram did some weird things. First, it did not break or rip her hand in two. Second, it went more than halfway through the tree trunk. When Meera pulled it out of the tree, there was not even a scratch on the glass.


    Both the brothers stared, eyes wide.


    "What is in that mirror?" Cossus commented.


    Silas'' smile slowly turned into a grin. "We have work to do."

 Chapter 13 – Climb Little Monkey

    Sweat dripped from her brow as she climbed the tree. Her hands burned as she gripped the branch to steady herself and grabbed the other one to pull herself higher.


    "Faster!" Silas yelled from down below. "No dinner if you fall."


    As nice as the man was otherwise, as a teacher, he was a straight-up bully. He reminded her of Mrs. Kaur, their old caretaker. She was strung up so tight it was a miracle she could breathe. Everything had to be done right, and her dad was all about teaching his kids discipline, so he left Meera and her brother in her care after their mother passed away.


    "Move it!" Cossus imitated his brother, which was actually spot on.


    Meera couldn''t help but chuckle. Oh God, I''m getting along with Cossus. Save me, please.


    She focused her attention on the next branch. It was just out of reach. She stood on her toes, and her fingers brushed against the branch. She almost had it. I just needed a little more of a lift. She tried harder to reach it. I almost got it¡­


    Right when she looked like she got it, her other foot slipped. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the branch she was still holding, and that was what saved her.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 3]


    The sound of the bell almost made her lose her grip. But after the level-up, she quickly found her footing. She breathed in a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. She wasn''t far from the ground, maybe three meters at best. She didn''t know if she would die at this height, but even if she didn''t die, it would hurt a lot.


    "What in Aetheron''s scales was that?" Silas barked from down below. "Do you have the Climbing skill or not?"


    "I do," Meera squeaked.


    "Then use it! Stop trying to rely on yourself and let the skill do its work. Remember, you didn''t earn these skills, so you must let them do their work. That''s the only way you''ll acclimatize to them."


    "That''s right," Cossus added. "Climb, little monkey. Climb."


    "I hate you," Meera grumbled.


    "I heard that."


    "Good. You were meant to."


    Meera heaved a heavy sigh. Must let Climbing do its thing. Whatever that means.


    She looked around the tree for a different route up and found nothing that would let her continue or help her reach the branch. Aside from the tree trunk, of course. Unless I hug that thing and crawl on up.


    With no other option, she thought of giving it a try. With a shrug, she shimmied over to the tree trunk. Never in a million would she have imagined that she would be learning to climb trees from a medieval assassin.


    She hugged the trunk and did her best impression of a worm wriggling up a tree. It was slow going at first, but then she decided to do as Silas had said and let the skill take over. Then climbing became smoother. She pulled with her hands and held with her knees and legs. She got splinters all over, but she was making progress. She reached the intended branch and then went past it.


    When her legs couldn''t take it anymore, she moved off to a branch and began climbing as she was doing before. But trusting in the skill and her body made it seem like she had climbed these trees since she was a toddler. It honestly felt like climbing a ladder. She moved the smaller branches aside and kept going up at a steady pace. When she looked down, she couldn''t even see the ground. All she saw were leaves and branches.


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    It was exhilarating being this far up. She was almost at the top. Now, she had to finish this climb. The foliage was thicker up top here, slowing her ascent, but she could easily keep her footing thanks to Tree Walker. The notification bell went off, but she decided to look at it later.


    She balanced with her feet as she moved the leaves aside and continued up, and finally, she was through. Sunlight fell on her. Mirithia was to her left, which meant it was morning still. She could see Ealisto and Gethys as well. Gethys was overhead, a ball of yellow seas with a green landmass. Then there were Ealisto''s polar ice caps which went far south and north than they had any right to. To the point that she was sure that the only habitable zone on the planet was near the equator. The science of it all astounded her. She couldn''t wait to get to a city, find some professors or scholars, and talk to them about it. See what sort of insight they had besides superstition.


    She looked around, and for the first time, she realized how big the Forest of Rothedon was. It was like she was adrift in a sea of green. To the east, this green sea was all there was. To her west, far in the distance, the forest ended close to the horizon.


    We still have some distance to travel, thought Meera. But that gave her more time to spend with the brothers and learn from them.


    After taking in the morning view, she headed down. The way down, surprisingly, was less complex than the way up. Once she cleared the topmost branches, which were the thickest of them all, she headed down, almost hopping from one branch to the next.


    Silas met her with a beaming smile. "See, now that wasn''t so bad."


    "Thanks."


    "Now, do that twenty more times."


    "What?"


    Cossus laughed. "Scurry on up, little monkey."


    "You heard me," Silas said. "But not just this tree. Find more difficult trees and keep on going up and down. You''ll level up your Tree Walker and Climbing skill. Once you have that down, we''ll work on your combat skills. Speaking of skills, you must have gotten a level or two from that."


    Meera remembered hearing the bell, so she pulled up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 7]


    "Tree Walker reached Level 3, and Climbing went to 7," Meera informed him.


    "See now, that wasn''t so bad," Silas said. "Now, let''s keep this momentum going."


    "Also, while you''re climbing these trees, I want you to keep your Eagle Eye active. Let''s get you used to that skill as well."


    Cossus snorted. "Get ready to hurl your breakfast."


    "Why?"


    "You''ll see."


    "Haha. Hilarious pun."


    Meera turned from them, walked to the next tree, activated Eagle Eye, and almost tripped over her feet. Her vision zoomed in a hundred times to the point where she could see the ant, carrying a part of a leaf down the tree, twenty meters away. But it wasn''t like she stood twenty meters away watching the ant. No, it felt like she was standing on top of the ant, with her face a few inches from it. All the colors became more vibrant too. It was like she was blind before and had just begun to truly see.


    Something moved in her peripheral vision, and she snapped her head to it, and she almost got whiplash from the speed at which everything moved. But then everything came into crisp focus so fast, like she had not moved at all. What had moved was a snail going about its way on the ground, between the leaves.


    Something else moved, and she turned her attention to it, and that was when she fell to the ground, huffing. She noticed her stamina had taken a hit as well. The system never mentioned that this skill used stamina.


    Cossus sat on his haunches beside her. She would have thought he would be laughing at her, but he was mostly grinning. "Seems like you just got a taste of what it''s like to have the eyes of an Eagle."


    She didn''t say anything and continued to steady herself. There was a numb pain at the back of her head.


    "See, the thing is, there are two more levels of this skill before Eagle Eye," Cossus said. "You stole a master-level skill, something you''re not prepared for. So, take it slow. Turn it on and off, and don''t even think about moving with it, despite what this lumbering oaf says. You''re not ready for that yet. Oh, and another tip, you can choose how much the eyes zoom in. Start slow. That''s all I got. Oh, and one more tip, this skill guzzles stamina like a thirsty camel, so keep an eye on your stamina, or you''ll find that all of a sudden, you can''t move. Now, I''m done."


    Meera stared wide-eyed. "Thanks."


    "See, now don''t say all I did was make fun of you." He patted her back. "Now, get to it. Climb those trees, little monkey."


    Meera sneered. "Just when I thought you weren''t a douche."


    "What''s a douche?"


    "You." She got up and moved to the next tree¡ªwithout activating Eagle Eye. She got in position, began climbing, and immediately got many more splinters. Ugh, I hate this place.

 Chapter 14 – Bait Again

    Meera walked on the tree branch as if she were on the ground. She had levelled Tree Walker up to Level 10. This skill was levelling up faster than even Climbing, which was at Level 11. The combination of these two had given her enough confidence to walk on the branches upright and hop from tree to tree like a¡ªshe hated to admit it¡ªa monkey.


    She walked to the edge of the branch and jumped off to catch the next branch, and swung herself around to plant her feet firmly on the branch. The only thing missing was the vines, or she would have been swinging in the trees like Tarzan.


    She dusted her hands and ran for the branch lower than the one she was on. It was a difficult jump, but she executed it as she knew she would. The branch creaked from her weight, but it held. A few jumps, and she was back on the ground.


    Silas didn¡¯t even turn as she moved the ladle around in the vat, which prepared their food.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, did all the tree hopping you asked for and circled around to ensure we¡¯re good and alone?¡±


    Now, he smiled. ¡°Well, brother, it looks like you¡¯ll have someone helping you when scouting.¡±


    Cossus didn¡¯t even listen, as he was snoring away.


    Silas just shook his head. ¡°Come, eat.¡±


    Meera thanked him as she took her bowl and had her lunch. They ate in silence until Silas kicked his brother awake, and then they bickered about who was adopted and who was found in a ditch. Just the basic sibling banter, which, given their history of Silas being sold to the guild, they never got to do in their younger years. Then Cossus fell back down to nap.


    ¡°How¡¯s Eagle Eye going?¡± Silas asked.


    Not good. That was what Meera wanted to say, but she said. ¡°Not too bad. I feel like I¡¯m getting the hang of it.¡±


    Silas nodded and slurped a spoonful of his stew. ¡°See, this is where we hit the disadvantage of your ability. You can steal any skill, but you¡¯re not necessarily prepared for it. As Cossus said, two more skills before this prepare you to take this one on. You didn¡¯t get the advantage of having prepared yourself, but regardless, we¡¯ll make the best of it. I think I have a way of getting you up to speed with Eagle Eye.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Cossus asked, somehow getting up at the right time. ¡°How?¡±


    Silas smiled knowingly. ¡°It¡¯s the same way you got used to it.¡±


    ¡°Target practice.¡±


    After lunch, the pots and pans were washed and squared away. Silas called her over, and she practically skipped over to him.


    ¡°So, what do I do? Am I going to learn to shoot from a bow and arrow as well?¡± It was hard for Meera to contain her excitement.


    ¡°Truth be told, you don¡¯t have the strength stat to even pull back the string on my bow,¡± Silas said, almost ruining her mood. ¡°No, we¡¯ll be using another weapon suited for you.¡± He gestured to the gleaming circles on her wrists.


    She had used these as throwing weapons to kill a bunch of monkeys before, so why not make it her primary form of throwing weapon? After all, that was what a Chakram was.


    He pointed to a tree to their left. ¡°Now, see that leaf sticking out on the tree trunk.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Hit it with your chakram. But do it without activating Eagle Eye first.¡±


    She nodded and looked at the tree, which stood more than ten feet away. She got into position and launched the chakram like a frisbee. Safe to say that the chakram hit the tree but not the tree that Silas had pointed to, but more like the third tree to its left, which of course, Cossus found hilarious.


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    She raised a hand to retrieve the chakram, but Silas lowered her hand. ¡°Leave that for reference and use your other one.¡±


    She took the other chakram off and took aim, but before she threw it, Silas said, ¡°Activate Eagle Eye.¡±


    Meera gulped.


    ¡°And when you do, I want you to focus on that tree and on that leaf alone,¡± he added. ¡°Nothing else should matter. You hear me. Eyes on that leaf alone. Let the rest of the world fall away.¡±


    She nodded and activated Eagle Eye. Once again, her vision became clear and zoomed in a hundred times. The colours that were muted before became sharp. She had tried to get a handle on the zoom before but not with much luck, and this time was shaping up to be the same.


    ¡°Focus on the leaf, Meera,¡± Silas said from behind her. ¡°And only the leaf.¡±


    She had to move her eyes a little, which was not a fun experience, but she found the leaf and focused on it. At first, her entire vision was the green of the leaf, as if she had zoomed in on it too much, but she willed herself to pull back, and after a few tense seconds, it worked. Her vision pulled back to the point where she could see the leaf fully. She pulled back some more, where she was comfortable enough to throw her chakram at it.


    She took a deep breath and threw her death frisbee at the leaf. It flew straight and true. A moment later, the chakram wedged itself in the tree trunk, right above the leaf.


    Meera let out a shout in excitement and jumped up. ¡°That was so close. I almost did it!¡±


    Eagle Eye did its thing where it hit her with vertigo, but not as much as before. She almost shut it off but decided to keep it on a little longer. She turned around and focused on Silas, and her vision zoomed out till it was about the same as her normal vision.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 2]


    ¡°I think I¡¯m getting the hang of this,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Silas said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s bump everything up a notch. I want you to climb trees, find a target ten feet away, activate your Eagle Eye, and shoot. Once you¡¯ve built some confidence and more levels, I want you to start doing that on that run.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Meera waved and ran off to find a new tree, all the while keeping her Eagle Eye active. It¡¯s high time I stop playing things safe. My journey with them will end soon, and I need to get as strong as possible, for Neel¡¯s sake.


    <hr>


    Meera jumped from tree to tree, throwing her chakram at random branches and trees. Her aim was drastically getting better with each throw. Eagle Eye was a boon to any archer. She knew why Cossus never missed. With eyes like these, it was almost impossible to miss.


    That¡¯s not all they helped with. They let her see almost as well as day at night, though it never truly got dark here, thanks to Mirithia.


    She aimed at the next branch and let her chakram fly. It zipped through the air, creating a whooshing sound, and cut the branch in half, which tumbled to the ground. Meera recalled it and ran for her next target. She even punched tree trunks with her chakrams, using the power of Monkey Fist. The trees were thicker here, so she had no trouble leaving behind big gashes while still leaving the tree intact.


    She heard the notification bells go off but didn¡¯t look at them yet, deciding to get to them when she returned to camp. She practiced some more throws and punches while jumping from tree to tree. To the point, she realized that she had come quite far from camp. She would have been worried about finding her way back, but luckily, she had left enough marks on the trees to know which way to go.


    She decided it was time to make her way back when her stomach grumbled. She took a sip from her waterskin, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blue flower about thirty feet away. She had never tried to hit anything that far away.


    She zoomed in a little with her Eagle Eyes, making sure that blue furry flower was her only focus, got in position, and threw her chakram at it. Her chakram was on the right path, and just as it looked like she was about to hit it, the flower disappeared. Her chakram impaled itself in the branch the flower was on.


    Meera frowned, zoomed in further, and gasped when a Nightcrawler Monkey was poking at her chakram.


    Shit! She instinctively called her chakram back. The monkey was definitely surprised at the shiny flying disc, and then he did what all monkeys did when they found something they wanted¡ªhe began hollering and squealing, which alerted his friends.


    After two days of peace, the monkeys had found them again¡­all thanks to her.


    She saw the trees shake and leaves rustle as the monkeys¡¯ brethren heard its call. Many joined him on his branch, and others popped their heads down to look straight at her. There must¡¯ve been three dozen or more.


    The worst part was she had to deactivate her Eagle Eyes, or she was going to run out of stamina, and she had a feeling she would need it. But before deactivating them, she launched both her chakrams simultaneously with her right hand. She didn¡¯t trust herself to throw well enough to hit anything with her left.


    Her first chakram ended up beheading two monkeys and leaving a bloody gash in the third¡¯s neck. The second chakram only managed to kill one monkey before embedding itself in the subsequent branch.


    More notification bells went off, and she knew her class ability had been activated. The monkeys began hollering, and she ran, recalling her chakrams as she ran and shut off Eagle Eye. The world went dark¡ªnot totally dark¡ªbut compared to Eagle Eye, it might as well have.


    She didn¡¯t need to turn around to see the monkeys chasing her.


    Why am I the bait again?

 Chapter 15 – What is that?

    Meera ran¡ªby ran, she actually ran on branches¡ªshe jumped and hopped trees when needed to, but things were not looking too good. No matter how much her Climbing and Tree Walker skills were, the monkeys were far better than her.


    They were made for this environment, and she might share the same skills as them, but she was nothing compared to them. They went over and under branches and around tree trunks like they were no hindrances at all.


    She decided she would have a better chance on the ground, where she could run without having to watch for her footing. The chittering of monkeys got closer, and she tried pulling her chakram off her wrist, but she couldn''t manage in the rush.


    "Just come off!" She yelled in frustration.


    She pulled on it inadvertently, and to her surprise, the chakram phased through her wrist like it did when it would come on her wrist. She grinned, and without looking, she half-turned and launched it. She heard a couple more bells, which meant at least two were down. She recalled the chakram at a run and hopped to the ground.


    But it didn''t go as well as she would have hoped. Her foot tripped on a loose branch. Meera yelped and fell face-first onto the ground. Her arms bore brunt of the blow, but her nose wasn''t spared either. It took a chunk off her health.


    She groaned, and her vision was disoriented. She turned to find a monkey about to smash his fists into her face. She rolled to the side, just in time, but couldn''t avoid his second attempt. His fists landed on her arm.


    She cried out, her left arm felt like it was broken, or her shoulder was dislocated at the very least. She was still moaning when the monkey tried to smash his fists into her face, but before he could, an arrow found purchase in his neck.


    Then arrows flew from the brothers'' bows, and the monkeys surrounded them while the rest were still hollering in the branches.


    "Meera, get up!" Silas barked, arrow notched and aimed at the foliage.


    Meera groaned and peeled herself off the ground. She wiped her eyes which were watering like someone had opened the faucet behind them. Aside from the bleeding, she never knew being hit on your nose had that reaction.


    "You''ll live," Cossus said. "So, couldn''t resist being bait, could you?"


    "Not my fault." Meera shot back. "They just showed up."


    "Sure, they did."


    As they talked, the monkeys started dropping from the trees and closed the circle. Silas and Cossus kept their bows nocked. Meera pulled off her chakrams and was about as ready as she would be.


    "Meera, we''ll create an opening for you," Silas said. "When you see it, run and don''t look back."


    "But¡ª"


    "Didn''t you say that you hated full frontal confrontations?"


    He had her there, and he was right. She did hate them. The thought of facing all these monkeys head-on made her hands shake something fierce.


    "O-Okay," Meera said, feeling like a coward.


    "Cossus, formation two," the Assassin said.


    His brother grunted in reply.


    Meera didn''t know what any of that meant. She focused on the crowd of monkeys, who were now blocking out the light from the planet above.


    "Meera, When I give the call, run South."


    "Uh, South?"


    Cossus laughed. "That''s behind us, Bait. Hopefully, you draw the attention of a few of them."


    "Enough talk. Get ready, Meera."


    She didn''t know if she could be more alert than she already was. Ultimately, she tightened her grip on the Chakrams and got in position to run. This would have been an excellent time to train, but she knew when she was outclassed.


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    "Now!"


    She ran without even looking and trusting the brothers completely, and the monkeys in her path fell dead with arrows sticking out of their necks. She hoped she still got some experience from it. She had nearly left the clearing when a monkey jumped in front of her. He didn''t last long when Meera launched her chakram at him.


    She heard the familiar sound of the notification bell. She ignored it and ran for her life. A glance behind her and the brothers were raining arrows on the monkeys in the trees. The monkeys fell one after another. It was a sight to behold. They were doing it. Just the two of them were winning. She almost stopped to watch, but a monkey jumped on her from above.


    She yelped and jumped back, swinging her arm in an arc, slicing the monkey from neck to groin. The monkey shrieked and died a moment later. Back in the fight, things were going smoothly mostly.


    She pulled up her stats.


    [Health: 136/170]


    [Stamina: 102/200]


    [Mana: 110/110]


    Meera snapped her fingers. This is the perfect time to eliminate some enemies in an assassin style. Her stamina was not doing too well, but if she kept the use of Eagle Eye to a minimum, she could do this. She ran a little farther away, and when she was sure, no one was following her, she climbed up a tree and returned the way she had come.


    She stopped outside the clearing and took stock of her surroundings, and this is where Ambush Tactics shone, even though it wasn''t as high-leveled as she would have liked it to be. She activated her Eagle Eye as well so as not to miss anything. There was hardly anything she could miss. Nightcrawler Monkeys were everywhere. They lobbed those thorny fruits and rocks and stones at her hunter friends. They barely did anything, as the brothers dodged them all while launching arrows at the same time.


    Their arrows were not infinite, and they would run out soon. Already, their quivers were half empty, if not more. Cossus didn''t get enough time to refill their inventory fully in the last two days of peace.


    She noted the outer line of monkeys and decided to work her way through. She shut off her Eagle Eye and moved as silently as she could, which was basically moving just about as freely as she wanted, as the monkeys were creating enough racket to wake the dead.


    She spotted the first trio of dark-haired, blue-tailed monsters chucking those thorny fruits. She got in position with her chakrams, activated Eagle Eyes, and let them fly simultaneously. The first two died instantly. The third made the mistake of rushing her. She held out her hand, and her death frisbees sliced him into four pieces on the way back.


    With that, she moved on. Found the next group and downed them just as quickly, if not faster. The third and fourth groups were the same, but by then, her friends must have noticed the random monkeys that kept dropping from the trees with severed limbs or sliced in half.


    "Meera!" Silas roared. "I know you''re up in the trees."


    Meera almost replied and gave up her position, but one of the first things Silas taught her was never to give up her position, no matter what.


    "Hey, let''s make a game of it," Cossus said. "Whoever can stick the dead weight first doesn''t have to do the dishes for a month."


    Meera stopped in her tracks. If this was coming from Silas, she might consider it a joke, but he hardly joked about anything. With Cossus, she could never be sure.


    "I''m joking, of course¡­or am I?"


    Silas spoke. "Meera, whatever you do, be careful and call out if you need help."


    She nodded as if they could see her. Then she moved about her assassination business. The next cluster she ran into was a quintet, and they were also bunched up together. She paused and was about to go around them but didn''t want them to fall on her back if she was spotted further down the line.


    She breathed deep, activated Eagle Eye, and let her chakrams fly. They sliced three to death quickly, but the last two saw her. They moved around to box her in instead of coming straight at her. She recalled her chakrams and threw one at each of them. The right one found its mark, but the left monkey jumped aside.


    Then before her chakrams could return to her, she felt the branch she was on shake. She moved at the last second as a monkey came flying at her. It would have taken a bite out of her shoulder if she hadn''t moved.


    She flicked a chakram at it, finishing its life, but the last monkey came rushing in. She recalled her chakram to her hand and, using Monkey Fist, drove it into the monkey''s abdomen. The attack was so devastating that her hand went in through in one end and came out the other.


    A shiver went up her spine as all the warm blood and organs touched her arm. She pulled her hand out and resisted the urge to scream in disgust. She settled for wiping it on the tree trunk, and when that didn''t help, she wiped her arm off on some leaves. Her arm was still sticky, and streaks of red were evident. I guess this is about as clean as I''m going to get.


    She moved on to more target practice. That was what this was to her. The monkeys hardly even knew where she was, and those that did did not last long. She quickly peeked down every so often, and the brothers were almost out of arrows and targets.


    A group of monkeys was running away, which Meera couldn''t resist taking down. After all, it was easy experience, and the more they took down now, the less that would come after them later on. She took down four in two throws. The other three noticed her but didn''t come after her. They kept running.


    She recalled her chakram, but by then, it was too late for her to take them down. She wondered why they didn''t try to come at her. Then she heard it¡ªa roar like none other.


    Down below, Silas and Cossus were more confused than concerned, making Meera wonder if a predator was coming towards them for all this free meat.


    She felt a thump in the ground. Even being this far up, she felt the vibrations. The hunters notched their bows as a gorilla burst out of the bushes. Her eyes threatened to pop out of her head.


    "What is that?" Cossus barked.


    She immediately Identify''d it.


    [Alpha Nightcrawler Ape ¨C Level ??]

 Chapter 16 – How Do You Kill That?

    Meera stared at that monstrosity that had jumped out of the bushes. The Nightcrawler chimpanzee, the brothers had killed on the night they met her was not the Alpha. This thing was. She had seen a gorilla in her many visits to the zoo. This gorilla dwarfed them in size and build.


    It had the same dark fur as the monkeys but long upper and lower incisors sticking out of its mouth. There was a circle of blue fur around his eyes. Its arms were as thick as Meera''s body, and his torso must''ve been as broad as Silas and Cossus if they were standing shoulder to shoulder. The only difference from the other monkeys was that he did not have a tail like a normal gorilla.


    The brothers took a careful step back. The monster''s eyes were on them, and he stared down at them like they were his meal, which might not be far from the truth. As they hardly had half a dozen arrows left between them.


    "Silas, I think we should run," Cossus practically whispered, but it was dead quiet thanks to a monster gorilla, so Meera heard.


    "And run where?" Silas countered. "That thing will be on us the moment we run."


    "I do not fancy getting eaten by that monster."


    "Don''t worry, you won''t die. I''ll make sure of it."


    "You see his level, right?" Cossus shot back. "Not even you can kill it."


    "It''s only level ninety-seven," Silas said, chilling Meera to the bone. "I''ve killed people higher than that."


    Now, Meera didn''t know who to be, more scared of, the gorilla or the assassin. But level ninety-seven meant the monster was almost ninety levels higher than her. It would be like throwing a kid in a ring with a professional boxer.


    Cossus looked like he wanted to argue some more, but the ape shut off all conversation with a growl that reverberated through Meera''s chest. If she were down there, she would have pissed her pants by now.


    Silas was not deterred, and despite Cossus''s earlier hesitation, he also stood his ground. They gripped their bows tightly, and it looked like it would begin at any moment. Silas was the one who fired the first shot.


    His arrow whizzed through the air and into the ape''s chest. It hit the left side but only went in slightly, not even an inch. Meera gulped. The speed at which the arrow flew, it should have come out the other side.


    The alpha ape huffed, gripped the arrow, pulled it out like he was pulling out a splinter, and crushed it in his mighty hand.


    Cossus didn''t delay a second as he let fly back-to-back arrows aimed at the monster''s head. The ape raised a hand, and the arrows got embedded in his palm. There was a slight show of pain on the beast''s face. But after that, he crushed those arrows as well.


    Then he roared.


    And it took everything Meera had to stay rooted to her spot. Every instinct told her to run, or she would die, but she had to stay for her friends. She couldn''t just run and leave them alone at this point when they might die.


    The ape charged them, and Silas and Cossus spread out, running in different directions, shooting arrows. Every single arrow hit, but they might as well have been pestering it with pebbles. The ones that hit its hide did not even find purchase and fell to the ground, while the rampaging ape tried to kill his prey.


    The brothers going in the opposite direction did help as it bought them precious few moments, as the ape was confused about which way to go. More arrows, this time, all aimed at the monster''s torso.


    One shot by Cossus hit him in the center of his chest, and he roared as he staggered back. The Alpha ripped the arrow out, and a small stream of blood followed, but the big monkey did not care for it. What he did care for was Cossus, as he roared a blood-chilling roar and charged the Hunter.


    Meera thought of hitting him with her chakram in the back of his head, but she was far too up, and the gorilla moved too fast for her to target. She remembered the notifications. Maybe, I''ve leveled up something that can help. She pulled up the notifications, and there were a lot of them.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 27 Nightcrawler Monkeys]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 13. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


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    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 14. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 18. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 7. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 9% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 8. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 10% boost]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 12. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 14% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 12]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 11]


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 12]


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 4]


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 5]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 3]


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 4]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 2]


    To say she was thrilled to see all her skills level up was to say the light was bright, but she couldn''t focus on the thrilling part. Her friends were literally in a life-and-death battle. That calmed her down quickly.


    Next were the notifications for the Reflection ability, and for each hit, she had stolen an ability. She sifted through them quickly and discarded the duplicate skills, and they were all duplicate skills save for one. Ultimately, she had earned six Climbing, eight Monkey Fists, Six Tail Whips, and three Tree Walkers. Once she went through those, her levels increased even more, thanks to the duplicate skills.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Night Vision. Night Vision - Type: Passive. You have gained the ability to see clearly in the darkest environments, making it harder for opponents to hide. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera gave the notification a blank stare. You come now after I already have Eagle Eye. Regardless, she accepted the skill.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Night Vision - Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 14]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 15]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 16]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 14]


    [Congratulations. Tree Walker has reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 3]


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 4]


    .


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 6]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 19. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    She was confused at her main class leveling up, but then she remembered that she couldn''t acquire Tail Whips, so that experience was added to her main class.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 6]


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 7]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 10]


    She got nothing special for Reflection as she did with Image Stealer for reaching level 10. She wasn''t too saddened by it, but she had hoped she had earned something, like letting her absorb two skills simultaneously.


    She put that out of her mind as the tree next to hers shook violently and dipped to the side, thanks to a blow from the Alpha Ape. She gulped and decided to hurry along and put her points in her attributes as those would be the real difference between useless and maybe not-so-useless in this fight.


    She quickly allotted her stat points by putting some in Dexterity, Endurance, Agility, and a few in Constitution. She needed to survive the coming fight and could only do so if she was fast and had enough health to take a hit from the monster gorilla, though she doubted she would be able to, no matter how many points she put into Constitution.


    With her skills and points sorted. She surveyed the battlefield below her, and things did not look good. The Alpha was bleeding from several puncture wounds, but none looked serious. He even had some slashes from Silas'' blade as he had dropped his bow for his short sword. Meera''s respect for his abilities grew even more upon seeing those slashes. How he managed to get close to that monster was a thing of mystery.


    Silas and Cossus had tried to contain the Alpha in their small clearing, but it was more like the Alpha contained them. Whenever either of them tried to sneak into the bushes to lay a surprise attack on him, he would be there in a flash. For a monster the size of a car, he could move fast.


    Despite how fast the Alpha moved, the brothers moved faster and stayed one step ahead of the beast.


    That was until now.


    Meera saw it happen a moment before it happened. The Alpha charged Cossus. The Hunter faked to the right, thinking it would fool the ape, but he didn''t fall for it. Instead, the monster waited for Cossus to move left. The Hunter moved to stab the ape in its side, but the beast griped Cossus by the arm and twisted it upward.


    Cossus screamed as his arm broke at the elbow, then the gorilla tossed him aside as if he were a rag doll.


    Cossus crashed into a tree and did not stir.

 Chapter 17 – It Finally Falls

    Meera''s heart thumped in her chest, and tears welled up in her eyes as she saw Cossus'' broken form lying at the base of the tree. You can''t be dead! Wake up, please!


    "No!" Silas roared and rushed to his brother''s side, sliding on the ground to duck a sweeping fist from the Alpha. Silas shook his brother while calling out Cossus'' name.


    Meera couldn''t see what was happening with Silas'' back blocking her view, but what she did see left her limbs frozen. While the Assassin checked on his brother, the ape descended on him, walking leisurely as if he knew the fight was over. He had taken care of one brother. All he had to do was kill the second and go home.


    "Silas!" Meera shouted when he didn''t turn.


    Both Silas and the Alpha turned in her direction. It was good that all these leaves covered her so she didn''t expose her position to the Alpha. But now, she had given up her element of surprise. The Ape knew there was another combatant on the field. But before he could make a move for her, Silas took his chance. He plunged his blade deep into the ape''s shoulder.


    The beast roared and swung his massive arm at the Assassin, but what Silas did next made Meera''s jaw drop. He somehow timed it perfectly, landed on the gorilla''s arm, and used the swing''s momentum to pivot around to the beast''s back while holding onto the sword. The Alpha roared as the blade ripped more of his shoulder open. He swung around wildly, and Silas saw his chance and kicked off the Alpha''s back, taking his sword and a chunk of the Alpha''s shoulder with him.


    His nimbleness alone was enough to make Meera respect his skills for eternity. She had never seen anyone move like that. Not even the best gymnasts at home could have done what he did. Not while attacking a two-thousand-pound gorilla and delivering the first major blow to him.


    The Alpha whimpered a little at the massive cut on his shoulder. His left shoulder pad was cut open and hanging by four inches of skin. Even the muscle underneath was flayed. Blood ran down the creature''s arm in rivulets, matting his dark hair. The sight was so gruesome that Meera had to look away.


    Then the Alpha gripped his muscle, which was hanging, and ripped it off, roaring while he did it. That was gruesome and amazing at the same time. He chucked it aside and stared down Silas, huffing.


    Then instead of charging Silas, the Alpha went for Cossus. Meera''s blood ran cold. Silas roared and dashed for the ape at blinding speed. He ran so fast that he was an actual blur. One moment, he was standing there, and the next, his sword had impaled the beast''s already ripped shoulder. His sword went in till the hilt to the Alpha''s roars.


    He swung wildly and tried to beat Silas with his good arm, but Silas was too fast. He skipped away but had to leave his sword. The Alpha ripped the blade out and tossed it away. It skittered on the ground and got lost in the bushes.


    Meera gulped for Silas. He was left without a weapon. But she was more scared than he was. He remained calm and didn''t take his eyes off the beast. The Alpha seemed just about done with the human who had caused it so much trouble. He tried to lung for Silas only to find empty air.


    Silas pulled out more blades. These were throwing knives with shorter blades.


    I''m not sure what he''s thinking, but I don''t think they will work on him.


    The Alpha attacked again, only to find nothing, but Silas launched a couple of his throwing knives as he dodged, which got implanted in the Alpha''s open shoulder. He roared from the pain. Another throwing knife went straight into his mouth and embedded itself in the roof of the beast''s mouth. The gorilla couldn''t even shut his mouth. Each time it tried, the butt of the knife clashed against its yellow teeth.


    As the Alpha was trying to smash the knife with its teeth, Silas jumped up and launched his final throwing blade right into the Alpha''s right eye. The monster roared, cried, and whimpered, trying to get the knives out.


    I take that back. Throwing Knives can do a lot, it seems.


    Silas rushed off to the bush where his blade had slid off to. As the Alpha swayed on his feet, Meera finally got her chance. He was still enough that if she could get a good hit, she might even take him out.


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    She pulled off her chakram, activated Eagle Eye, took aim at his neck, and let the chakram fly. But the monster moved at the last moment. Instead of hitting his neck, the chakram embedded itself in the beast''s left shoulder. It was getting to the point where she almost felt bad for him. She heard the familiar bell of the notification and longed to see what she had gotten, but she needed to retrieve her chakram first.


    The Alpha roared, and his right hand immediately went to rip out the chakram. She almost called it back but stopped and let him pull it out himself. When the chakram was firmly in his grip, she called it back. It sliced off two of his fingers as it zipped back to her. The Alpha cried in pain, but his eyes never left the chakram. She had sliced off two of his fingers, but now he knew where she hid.


    He dashed for her tree, and Meera was ready to hop on to the next tree, but in his mad dash, the ape forgot about the Assassin at his back. Silas sprinted for the monster at his top speed, meaning he was a blur again, and stabbed the beast in his back. Another roar and a swing. Silas ducked, but the ape''s mighty fist continued on to hit her tree.


    Meera held onto the branches tightly. The tree rocked but held. As the Alpha and Silas were dancing, she quickly checked what skill she had gotten from the Alpha.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Primal Power. Primal Power ¨C Type: Passive. You can use all your innate power to deliver devastating blows and overpower your enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Primal Power ¨C Level 1]


    She didn''t even think about it much. She needed a new skill anyways, and this could be useful. Given the fight they were in, any skill would help, even if her Power stat was sorely lacking. She hoped this skill would make up for it.


    She quickly moved the leaves aside to survey the battle below, but then an earthquake hit her. She grabbed onto the branches once more. It took her a moment too long to realize it wasn''t an earthquake. The Alpha had hit the tree hard enough that it was toppling over, and she was too late to jump off.


    The tree crash-landed almost on top of her, pinning her down. The Alpha''s roar felt like he was right next to her. Through the gap in the leaves, she saw the Alpha pounding his chest, and Silas was nowhere to be found.


    Her heart thumped. Oh no, is he¡­did the Alpha¡­


    She couldn''t finish her thought before a throwing knife hit the gorilla in the side of his head. It didn''t embed itself, thanks to its tough exterior. She tried her best to look around but was stuck, thanks to the tree pinning her down.


    She tried to push out from under the tree, but her legs wouldn''t move. There wasn''t much pain, so she knew they weren''t broken, just stuck.


    "Meera, are you okay?" Silas asked in a brash voice.


    "Yeah, just stuck under the tree."


    There was the sound of exertion and heavy feet stomping on the ground.


    "Can you get out by yourself?" Silas finally asked.


    She was about to say no but remembered her new skill. "I can try. I got a new skill from the Alpha."


    "Okay, get out from under there and then run," Silas said. "I can only hold this thing off for so long." There was a pause and some grunts of exertion from Silas and some roars from the Alpha. "Go around and check on Cossus and take him with you if you can."


    "O-Okay."


    She wasn''t sure if she could avoid the mega-gorilla, but she owed it to the brothers for keeping her fed and giving her a place to sleep.


    She activated her newest skill¡ªPrimal Power. She didn''t know what she was expecting, but suddenly, all the veins in her arms bulged out. She snorted like a bull, and she knew that this tree would be of no concern.


    She jammed her arms underneath the tree and pushed. It was the heaviest bench press anyone had ever done. If she had done this back home, she would have set a record that would never have been beaten. It took a moment, but the tree lifted off her, and she tossed it aside. By tossing it aside, she meant throwing it over her head, where it missed crushing her by a mere foot.


    She deactivated the skill and felt famished. Like she had used all her energy and needed food to sustain herself, that was not all¡ªher stamina took a considerable dive.


    But Meera had no time to ponder on this. She stood pushing through the tree''s branches, getting many scrapes and cut. By the time she was out of the tree. She noticed it was oddly silent. She turned around, and the Alpha towered over her with his mangled shoulder and missing eye.


    Even without those, the thing was mortifying. Meera gulped. She had no speed skill to make her avoid the thing''s attacks. She was done for.


    The Alpha raised a fist to smash her into the ground. She had to make a run for it. But if she ran too soon, he would follow and finish her. She had to time this right. When his fist was falling, she had to run then. But his fist never got a chance to fall as Silas, bleeding from a gash in his forehead, jumped onto the gorilla''s back. His short sword pressed into the Alpha''s throat. The ape tried to reach for him and shake him off, but Silas wouldn''t let go. His sharp blade was cutting into the beast, but Meera knew it would take too long.


    "Meera, run!" Silas roared.


    Meera was done running, and she was done being bait. She took a chakram off, held it in her fist, and activated Primal Power. The veins popped out again. She ran for the Alpha''s exposed chest.


    "What are you doing?" Silas roared.


    At the last second, using her superior strength, she jumped and drove her chakram through the center of the Alpha''s chest using Monkey Fist and Primal Power. Her arm went in up to her elbow. That''s how she was sure she had done it.


    The ape gasped, and with a single cry of agony, the beast was gone. She pulled out her arm and jumped aside as the Alpha finally fell.

 Chapter 18 – A Brother Lost

    Meera and Silas stood huffing over the corpse of the Alpha. He was not breathing, but they were not taking a chance with this thing. One hit from him, and they would be done for. Silas did look like he took a hit. The wound on his forehead bled down the side of his face.


    On the contrary, Meera had come out practically unscathed, with some scrapes and minor cuts, thanks to the tree. Her biggest inconvenience would be the splinters in her hands. Meera was so focused on the dead gorilla that she jumped when she got the notification.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has defeated Alpha Nightcrawler Ape ¨C Level 97. For killing an enemy 80 levels higher than your own and delivering the killing blow, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 20. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 21. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 27. You have been awarded 3 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 20 in your main class, you have earned a third Chakram.]


    A third chakram appeared on her wrist. She smiled. It looks like I will have a nice set if I keep getting them every ten levels.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 13. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 15% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 14. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 16% boost]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 18. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 20% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 6]


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 7]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 12]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 3]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 10]


    "No!" Silas cried.


    Meera shut off her notifications and ran toward him. He was on his knees by his brother. Even before she got to them, she knew something was very wrong. Her feet faltered when she saw Cossus'' mangled form. His bone was sticking out of his arm. This was from when the Ape had twisted it, but that was not all. His neck looked like someone had elongated it. There was blood everywhere. She couldn''t see the wound it had come from¡ªone of his legs twisted in the wrong direction. Instead of going straight down, it was wrapped around the tree.


    "Cossus¡­" Silas wept. "Please no¡­ Don''t leave me¡­"


    The sight of Cossus brought tears to Meera''s eyes.


    "Brother, wake up, please¡­" Tears mixed with the blood and grime on Silas'' face and dripped from his chin.


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    Meera wanted to give him a hug. She could hardly look at Cossus without cringing. It was like someone had used the man to bash a nail, which wasn''t far from the truth.


    Silas'' whimpered and rested his head on his brother''s chest as he wept. "N-No¡­ Don''t go, please¡­"


    Cossus coughed. "Quit your whimpering. I''m still alive¡­for now."


    Silas looked up and smiled. "H-How?"


    "I don''t break as easy as you."


    Silas gave his body a quick lookover. "You might want to rethink that statement."


    Cossus coughed and spat out blood, which was not a good sign. "Did-Did you get that bastard?"


    Silas moved aside so he could see.


    "So, not so useless after all."


    Silas ignored that comment, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small metal vial. "Here, take this."


    "Keep it for yourself and the girl. I''m¡ª" he broke down into a coughing fit, which ended with bloody hacking. "I''m-I''m...done for."


    "Don''t say that!" Silas moved to put the health potion to his lips, but Cossus shut them.


    He looked at his brother with cloudy eyes and shook his head. "Don''t waste it...on a dead man."


    "Cossus¡­" Silas wept. "Don''t leave me, please¡­not after it took me so long to find you."


    "It''s okay, brother. Mum is calling me home, and I must go. I''m sure you''ll find your way to us again. I''ll tell her about you¡­and the adventures we had. But take your time¡­ don''t rush¡­live a little¡­for me too¡­"


    Then Cossus'' head fell as he breathed his last.


    "Cossus, no!" Silas screamed and sobbed like a babe, hugging the lifeless body of his brother. "Please don''t leave me alone again¡­" He wept for some time, and Meera could not help but weep with him.


    <hr>


    Meera placed some wood around Cossus'' pyre. Silas had spent the better part of the day cleaning his brother''s body and making him look as he resembled in life, but there was no fixing that broken neck.


    Silas'' tears had dried, but the ache in his heart would not be so easily swept away. She knew. She also had a brother, and if she weren''t so busy fighting these monkeys, she would have been sick with worry for him.


    There wasn''t much difference between Silas and her. They both had lost their parents, and the only family they had left was their brothers, but poor Silas had lost that too.


    Once she finished, she stepped back as Silas placed three coins¡ªone on each eye and one on Cossus'' forehead. She frowned slightly at the custom, as there used to be a similar custom in some cultures back home.


    Silas kissed his brother''s forehead and whispered. "May Virelia take you to the light. May Lorendor show you the path. May Mirithia walk you home."


    With that benediction, he stepped back, picked up a torch, and lit his brother''s pyre, which, thanks to the oil they had doused the wood with, caught on fire immediately.


    Meera watched silently as the flames did their work. A single tear dribbled out of her eye and slithered down her cheek. She didn''t know him very well. But she wished she had. Despite the man''s foul mouth, she didn''t believe he was a bad man. After all, he had shown her how to use the Eagle Eye skill.


    Meera gasped lightly and went to stand beside Silas. "I have his eyes."


    He frowned without looking at her.


    "I took the Eagle Eye skill from him," she clarified. "In a way, I have his eyes. It''s a skill that has helped me greatly, and I will cherish it forever."


    Then once again, the dam behind Silas'' eyes broke as a final send-off for his brother.


    <hr>


    Meera cut off the tail of the Nightcrawler monkey and threw it in her bag. Thanks to the system, she knew how many she had killed, so she didn''t need to sort them out. She could keep her share and give the rest to Silas. She was worried about the Alpha. How will we prove we killed that thing? He doesn''t even have a tail.


    But she still had two dozen monkeys to get through before she got to him. By then, she hoped Silas finished collecting his brother''s ashes. She spared a glimpse at him, and there he was in what, up until yesterday, was his brother''s pyre. He was putting them in an earthen pot. She didn''t know where he produced that from. She hadn''t seen one in camp till now. She set that thought aside as another question to be asked later when Silas felt himself again.


    The afternoon wore off, and as Mirithia grew brighter, the sun''s light waned. Evening was upon them, and soon night would be too, and Meera worried what it would bring. The monkeys had launched an all-out campaign upon them for killing a chimp, which might have been a Beta at best. Now that they had killed their Alpha, what would they do now?


    She plucked the last tail. If she thought her clothes were bad before, they were utterly ruined now. It had been a week since she was here, and, in that time, she had not taken a single bath¡ªshe reeked.


    She turned and found Silas sitting by the fire with the pot of his brother''s ashes in his hands. He sighed and placed the pot in his bag. She figured now would be a good time to approach him.


    "Hey, Silas," she called. "How are you feeling?"


    "Like someone killed my brother, and I could do nothing to save him, even though I promised him that I would keep him safe."


    Meera didn''t know what to say to that. It was what had happened. In his position, she would have been guilt-ridden as well. "I''m sorry. I''ll leave you to your grief," she said awkwardly.


    "I''m sorry," Silas said. "It''s just going to take some time to get through this."


    "I can understand. We all process death differently."


    "That''s just it. I was taught how to process death¡ªtaught how to remove myself from the killing and see the person dying as just another animal for slaughter. But this was my brother. How do I¡­"


    Meera patted his shoulder. "I was like that too when my mother died. Do you know what got me through it?"


    He looked at her.


    "Painting. I used to create all these paintings from memory of my time with my mother. I''m not a very good painter, but I still powered on. They''re still in a room in my house, where I go when I''m missing her."


    "I''m not a very good painter, and I don''t have many memories on account of me being sold off to the Scythes," he said with downcast eyes. "All I know¡­all I remember is from the past six months when I escaped. It was he who tracked me down. He found out I was an interrogator with the guild. The absolute madman posted a contract in disguise to have himself interrogated and requested me by name. No one batted an eye. I was very good at my job¡­something I''m not proud of."


    "When they brought him to me. I didn''t know him. How could I? He was a stranger to me. Then he told me who he was. I thought he was lying to me at first, that this was a test setup by the guild. I even interrogated him to be sure, and sure enough, he was telling the truth. Then we formulated a plan for my escape, and we''ve been on the run ever since."


    "Hence all the brotherly rivalry." Meera smiled. "Something you didn''t get to do growing up."


    Silas smiled. "Yes. That''s why. Now, I''m all alone again." His smile wilted, and pain shone behind his eyes. "I don''t know what I''ll do without him. All my life, I''ve lived alone, ever since the guild took me. I finally found someone I could trust, and he, too, was taken from me. Some days, I think, the gods take special care in making me miserable."


    "I''m right there with you," she said. "Just when I was getting over my father''s death, my brother ended up getting transported to another world and is apparently the savior of not one but three worlds."


    Silas chuckled softly. "My brother might be gone, but yours is still alive. Let''s get you to yours. So, you can help him fulfill the prophecy."


    Meera inadvertently clenched her fists. I am taking him and running back home the moment I get my eyes on him. Prophecy be damned.

 Chapter 19 – You Are Doing What

    Meera frowned at her skills. "Most of my skills seem geared towards a warrior class than a stealth class."


    Silas shrugged. "Well, that''s what happens when you''re not in charge of earning your skills."


    That was more than she had gotten out of him all day. Ever since Cossus'' death, he had grown quiet. Spoke only when spoken to. Though, his eyes spoke plenty. They surveyed every single thing. Every sound, no matter how small or inconspicuous, he would snap his head to it, trying to find its source.


    They were almost out of the Forest of Rothedon. With her Eagle Eyes, she could see past the trees into the farmlands beyond.


    Her heartbeat was faster with each step. After a week of stumbling around in the forest, being rained on several times, being chased by monkeys, and almost dying to a massive gorilla, they were finally almost there, and she could begin asking after his brother.


    Even if he does have a six-month head start on me, I''ll find him.


    Meera thought about what Silas had said and replied, "But isn''t that every class?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Isn''t the system in charge of handing us our skill?"


    Something of the old Silas returned. "Yes, but even if we cannot earn all of our skills, we can still choose our classes, and each class comes with a set of skills, and we can gauge what will be delivered to us through specific actions. For example, the general skills, if you were to learn swimming skills. It''s a general skill, anyone can jump in the water, learn from someone who has the skill, and soon that skill will pop for you, but in your case, you would have to get lucky, and no matter how much splashing around you did. You wouldn''t get it."


    "How do you know that?"


    The corner of his lips curled up. "The perfect example would be the Running skill. With how much running you''ve done in the past week. You should have easily gotten that skill and leveled it up quite a bit."


    "I hate this class."


    Silas chuckled. "But hey, you''ve gotten a fair share of skills in the past few days. Some of which are quite advanced, like Eagle Eyes. Those will be invaluable in your pursuit of being an¡ªto be a stealth-class fighter. If that is what you still want."


    "I do," she replied.


    "A strong case could be made towards a warrior with the skills you''ve already earned."


    "No, thank you. I plan to override them when I get stealth-based skills."


    Silas held up his hands. "Okay, your choice. But I''ll recommend getting a healing skill as soon as possible. Maybe once we''re in the village, you can go to the village healer and try to¡ªyou know¡ªaccidentally cut them with your chakram."


    Meera tried to guess the reasoning behind it. "If I can heal myself, I wouldn''t need to waste money on potions or healers¡­"


    "Correct! Not to mention, if you get a powerful healing skill¡ªnothing you will find in that backwater village¡ªbut if you get one, you could become practically unkillable. Especially since not a lot of stealth skills involve the use of Mana."


    Meera nodded. This was all good information. "Thanks, Silas. I don''t know what I''ll do without you."


    He patted her back. "It''s okay. You''ll manage."


    They walked silently until they reached the edge of the forest that evening. Silas had them camp in the woods, as it was almost a day''s walk to the village from here, and they would leave first thing in the morning. They fell into their similar routine of setting up camp. She would help around as Cossus did his rounds. Something Silas said it was best they forgo this time, danger could only come from one direction, this time, aside from highway robbers, but they never came this close to the forest.


    They had their meal and had finished cleaning up. Meera was burning to ask a question about her stat points, which she still needed to allocate.


    "Silas, given our previous conversation, should I keep putting points into Dexterity, Agility, and Perception?


    He raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you''ve been putting them in? What about Endurance?"


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    "That as well. How do you think I''ve been able to run so much." She almost wanted to say play bait, but she was not ready to bring up those memories, and she needed Silas focused.


    "Given your current skills, also put a few points into Power and Constitution. It was a good thing you were mostly hidden in the fight against the Alpha. It may not be so next round, and I will not always be around to distract such a creature."


    Meera nodded. "Okay...are you planning to go somewhere?"


    Silas sighed. "I was hoping to do this after we got to Belacre, but now''s as good a time as any. Meera, Belacre, is as far as I''ll go with you."


    "What? Why?"


    "You know of my history. Your quest will take you to many places, cities far and wide. I cannot risk those. A village on the edge of the world is as good as it will get for me. Cossus used to do the talking and get contracts while I mostly stayed back and kept out of sight. That will have to change, I guess."


    His reason was solid, but that didn''t mean she had to agree. "But Silas, I need you and your knowledge about the system and skills. How will I learn what you do without having you around to teach me?"


    He smiled. "I''m sure you''ll manage. Now, I suggest you allocate all your stat points and get a good night''s sleep. We have lots of walking to do tomorrow. I''m going to do a quick round and will be back in a few minutes."


    With that, he stood, effectively ending the conversation while pulling the ground from underneath her feet. She stared at his back as he walked away. How much longer did I expect him to travel with me? He was going to go his way, after all.


    Silas returned a few minutes later and gave her the all-clear. She walked off to her tent without another word. It was petulant of her to do so. She understood his decision, but that didn''t mean she had to agree with it.


    She lay down in the tent with a huff and allocated her points as they had discussed.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 27]


    [Class Ability: Reflection ¨C Level 10]


    Stats


    [Health: 250]


    [Stamina: 290]


    [Mana: 110]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 25]


    [Power: 15]


    [Dexterity: 27]


    [Endurance: 29]


    [Focus: 11]


    [Agility: 28]


    [Perception: 27]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 9]


    [Monkey Fist - Level 12]


    [Eagle Eye - Level 7]


    [Night Vision ¨C Level 1]


    [Primal Power - Level 10]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 2]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 18]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 16]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    <hr>


    The next morning, she had calmed down a little, so she was only slightly mad at Silas for leaving. They had breakfast in silence. After their meal, Meera was about to start the arduous process of breaking camp when Silas stopped her.


    "I have something for you," he said.


    "What is it? Another news that you''re leaving right this instant."


    He chuckled. "Still not over that, are you?"


    "What do you think?"


    "Meera, I''m sorry, but you know if I leave with you to find your brother, the savior. I will have so many eyes on me that you and I will die within the week. Us going our separate ways is best for both of us."


    Meera crossed her arms and huffed. "Yes, I know it''s for the best, but I still don''t have to accept it."


    Silas snorted. "Well, I hope you come to terms with it by the time we part ways. But we''ve still got a day or two till then."


    That''s not even that long! It was what she wanted to say but chopped down on her words.


    "I have something for you," Silas said. "A gift for our time together and also because I don''t want people raising their eyes when they see you walking in those strange clothes."


    "What''s wrong with these?" She looked down at her ripped and filthy clothes. Some blood stains had turned brown, and after taking a whiff of herself, she knew why he was giving her clothes. "Actually, don''t answer that."


    He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of clothes. Their color was nothing fancy. They were rather drab colored, but anything was better than what she had on now.


    "Is there a stream or something around here? I don''t want to destroy these nice fresh clothes with my stench." Meera asked. Also, because a washroom is going to be asking for too much.


    "I mean, we can get you a room at the inn in Belacre," Silas said. "They have a bathtub, usually."


    "And hot water?" Meera asked.


    "That''s usually an extra seven silver coins, but after what we''ve earned, I''m sure, you''ll be able to afford it."


    "Last I checked, I only have something like seventy tails. That gives me only seventy silver coins. I don''t know the world''s economy, but I think I should conserve it."


    "I''m sure you''ll be able to afford it." Silas smiled knowingly.


    Meera squinted at him. "What is it you''re hiding?"


    "Well, this was going to be another gift, but I''m giving you half of Cossus'' kills and half the reward from the Alpha''s kill. After all, you brought it down."


    Meera''s jaw dropped. She didn''t even want to do that calculation. "I-I just¡ªI don''t know what to say."


    "Say thank you and accept this gracious gift."


    "Thank you."


    "Good. As for your stench, you can take our remaining water and wash yourself off with a rag for now in the tent. So, you don''t ruin the new clothes too much, and we''ll get you a proper bath in the village."


    "But won''t we run out of water?"


    "There''s a stream a couple of hours out," he replied. "We''ll refill there. Now, get to it. We''re wasting daylight."


    Meera rushed to the tent for her impromptu bath and a change of clothes.

 Chapter 20 – The Village of Belacre

    Meera felt like a new woman in her new clothes. It was like she finally belonged to Rhione. Her clothes mainly consisted of a dark olive shirt and dark pants. Silas had given her, Cossus'' leather armor, which he had somehow outfitted to her size. He had to shave off quite a bit, but it sold the look of an adventurer.


    She appreciated how much it must have taken for him to give away the final memento of his brother. She planned on giving it back once they separated ways. Another thing she was not looking forward to. But she was looking forward to finally getting to Belacre and beginning her search.


    They must''ve passed through the fifteenth farm. They all grew wheat or barley, or corn. Some had farmhouses on the land, while others did not. The way Meera saw it, if you''ve seen one farm, you''ve seen them all. Her family, or rather she and Neel, owned the deed of many farms back home. They had been in the family for generations.


    She activated Eagle Eyes to get more details on Belacre. The houses were painted with various designs, some floral, some had men and women slaying monsters. Then there was a man in golden armor battling a white dragon. Their paint was brighter than the others, which meant they were recently painted.


    She didn''t need to ask Silas what that meant or who the golden warrior was. Seeing this wrenched her heart. How could his myth have spread so far that people painted it on their walls?


    No matter how much time had passed for these folks but for her, not more than a week had passed since she had seen him.


    "Meera, we''re almost there," Silas said, drawing her attention. "Let''s repeat our story."


    "My name is Meera. I am a hunter, or at least trying to be one. I met you in the forest as I was practicing hunting Nightcrawler Monkeys. I joined you and your brother and helped you bring down the Alpha."


    "Good. Let''s hope they believe that, given your Reflector tag."


    "What should I say if they ask its meaning?"


    "Say it''s because of your class which is geared towards reflecting images from a mirror onto real life, that you were forced to work for some sorceress. You ran from her because you couldn''t take it, and for your safety, you will not reveal the sorceress'' name."


    Meera was impressed. "That''s a good one."


    "And I didn''t even come up with that."


    She frowned, confused for a moment. "Oh, interrogator, right."


    "Oh, and one last thing, my name is Nestor from here on out. That''s what I go by in this place."


    Meera nodded, and they moved along. It wasn''t long till they reached the village. The sun shone high in the sky, but the shadow of Mirithia was vast this day. The more she stayed here, the more she wanted to learn about the astronomy of the place.


    They were about to walk in when an intense glare like a lens flare stopped her. She snapped her neck toward it and found a big oval mirror with a simple metal border in the road. She would have bet her money that this was an exact copy of the gateway mirror she had come through.


    Meera pulled Silas'' cloak. "Why is that mirror there?"


    Silas frowned, looked around, and said, "Later."


    The village was what Meera expected. Common country folk were the same, no matter which planet or culture they belonged to. They wore simple clothes, primarily shades of white or grey, and tied them at the waist with a rope belt and similar colored pants. For the women, they wore what Meera would best describe as old-school dresses somewhat. They were again of a similar color and material as the men, but women had the odd flower or roses sewn into theirs. The skirts went below their ankles, dusting the ground as they walked.


    Meera had so many questions, but she kept her mouth shut and followed behind Silas and tried to imitate him as best as she could, despite wanting to run and hide on account of all the eyes on her.


    The village wasn''t huge by any account¡ªbarely three streets to it, if not less. Silas led them to the inn with a sign that read Inn at World''s End. With a start, she realized she could read the language, even though the letters were not in any language she knew, and she knew three.


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    They entered the primarily empty inn, but a handful of older people were sitting about enjoying an afternoon drink. Everyone seemed to be local. They all dropped their mugs to stare, more particularly at Meera. She got the urge to duck behind one of the tables.


    Silas went straight to Innkeeper, an older man in his late forties or early fifties, who stood behind the bar and was missing most of his front teeth. He really should have flossed.


    "Hey Nestor, you''ve been gone a long time," the Innkeeper said.


    "Hey, Lanis." Silas shook his hand. "I''ve just been stuck in the Roth''s Forest, cleaning up the monkeys."


    "Those bastards needed culling. Hope you got them good." He frowned. "By the way, where''s Dion?"


    Silas'' head fell. "He didn''t make it."


    Lanis'' eyes widened. "May Mirithia guide him home. It''s a dangerous business you boys are in, but by the gods, we are thankful for ye. We will raise a toast in his honor in the coming celebrations."


    "Celebrations?"


    "Don''t ya know? You came back just in time. Tomorrow is the six-month anniversary of the Champion''s coming. After all, this is the first place of civilization he deigned to visit, so we throw a feast in his coming every month."


    "I see...No wonder the village was busier than usual. In that case, I''ll need a room for the night," Silas said. "Two rooms, if possible."


    "Why two?" Lanis finally noticed her. "Who''s the lass?"


    "She''s Meera. We ran into her in the forest. She''s trying her hand at being a hunter. Helped me bring down the big one after Dion fell."


    Lanis beamed at her. "If you two brought down the big one, you stay free. Though, I only have one room. Folks from the other villages around our already stopping by for the celebrations."


    Silas looked to Meera. "One room is fine. Please give it to her. I''ll sleep under the stairs."


    Lanis laughed. "Yes, sure you will. I''ll find you another room. Even if I kick someone out."


    After that, Lanis had one of his errand boys show them to Meera''s room. The boy talked too much and kept throwing glances her way. That was another question she wanted to ask Silas. Why did these people stare so much? Had they not seen a woman Hunter before?


    The boy finally left when Silas dropped two bronze coins in his hands. Silas shut the door, and Meera launched her barrage of questions.


    "Okay, so first off, what was that mirror? It looks like the exact one I came through. Second, celebrations? For the arrival of the Champion? What''s going on here? Third, where is the washroom? I really need to go. But not so much that I cannot wait for you to answer my questions."


    Silas laughed for the first time since Cossus'' passing. It was a good sound. She didn''t think he would ever laugh again.


    "Is that it?" he asked, calming down.


    "For now."


    "Let me answer your questions in order. The mirror that you saw is called a Gateway Mirror. They''re all over the three worlds. It''s how people get around. Wherever you want to go, you step in, and you''re there. Provided you''ve touched the mirror of your destination."


    Meera scratched her head. "Wait, what?"


    "Okay, say you want to go to Gethys. As long as you''ve touched a mirror in Gethys, you can walk in Belacre''s mirror and get out of that mirror in Gethys. It''s a way of traveling faster and how we travel between the worlds."


    "But I haven''t touched any mirror in Gethys. How will I ever travel there?"


    He smiled. "Smart. Then you will have to go to a World Mirror. You can find one in Stagford or another in Rockholde, and there are a few others. You can find them in any big city. You touch the mirror, think of where you want to go, and depending on the distance you want to travel, you will have to expend that much Mana. The longer the distance, the more Mana it will require."


    Meera frowned. If I''m correct, it sounds like a fast-travel system, like in RPG games. She wasn''t foreign to all the concepts in those games.


    "So, for me to travel to another city, I will have to touch the mirror of that city."


    "That''s right."


    "But why more, Mana? Shouldn''t it be just a regular fee?"


    "It''s about the number of jumps you''re making. All these mirrors are connected to one another. So, when you jump from one to the next, even though you won''t see them, you''re touching many more mirrors before coming out on the other end. Hence, more Mana cost."


    "This is confusing."


    Silas chuckled. "Yes, I can see that. I''ll show you how it works on the village mirror. Also, one other thing, it''s cheaper to travel off-world from a World mirror. You can still do it from this village''s mirror, but it would be way more costly. It''s easier to hop to one of the big cities and use the World Mirrors."


    "Does the mirror tell me how much Mana I will use?"


    "Yes, it will, and even which mirrors you will touch."


    "O-Okay." Even though it was not mostly okay. A lot of this was confusing, but she felt like she had gotten the gist of it and hoped that it made more sense when Silas showed it to her.


    "As for the celebrations, a bunch of villages around here come to Belacre and celebrate the coming of the Champion. It''s nothing too fancy but still something to be enjoyed. You''ll see. And lastly, there''s not a washroom." He pointed to the cordoned-off section of the room where a divider separated it from the rest of the room. "Behind there, you''ll find a bathtub, so you can finally get that bath you''ve been wanting, and you''ll find a chamber pot, for you know, to do your business."


    She wanted to ask about toilets but felt that would be too much to ask in this world. So, she nodded and thanked Silas for all his help.


    "Now, you freshen up, and I''m going to go collect our pay from the village Headman."

 Chapter 21 – A Mirror And a Healer

    Meera followed Silas through the streets earning more stares, realizing she had forgotten to ask him about this.


    "Why are they staring at me?" she whispered.


    "Hmm," As if noticing for the first time. "Oh, that''s because they''ve never seen a Varshan before."


    "A what?"


    "You look like a Varshan from the Varsha Empire. They rule most of Ealisto. I''ve never seen more bloodthirsty bastards. They raid and pillage their neighbors and kill any who dare come close to their empire. Their Godking has fashioned himself as well, a god and rules with an iron fist. A Varshan outside of their borders is never considered a good sign."


    "So, what should I do?"


    "Change your features and maybe get a shade lighter." Then he laughed at his joke, reminding her that he was indeed Cossus'' brother. "In all seriousness, just stay out of trouble, and you should not get shanked in the night. They probably fear you more than you fear them."


    Meera became weary of the looks she was getting, and whenever someone looked at her for longer than three seconds, she put her head down and pretended to be meek, which was not hard to do at all. After taking a few more turns around dusty streets, they finally arrived at a house made from wood. It lacked the decorations that its neighbors bore.


    Silas banged on the door, loud enough to have everyone on the street stare at them. It took three more loud knocks for an old man to open the door.


    "We''re here to get healed," Silas said, smiling.


    The old man squinted till his eyes were nothing but mere slits. "Never seen you before."


    "Sure you have. I''m Nestor, Dion''s brother."


    "Dion¡­Oh, I know Dion. Good chap, where is he?"


    Silas'' face fell. "He died in Rothedon''s Forest."


    The old healer shook his head. "That is terrible news. I always liked the fellow."


    "Can you heal us, please? We took some beatings in the fight and could use some of your magic."


    "Yes, yes, come in. But I won''t heal no Varshan."


    "Varshan? I see no Varshan here, Doran. This is my friend, Meera. Yes, she''s gotten tanned in the sun, but that''s all."


    Old man Doran squinted some more but finally nodded slowly. "Okay, come in, then."


    They walked behind Doran, who walked at a snail''s pace. He led them to an open-air veranda, with Mirithia shining down on them. He motioned them to sit on the rickety chairs, probably as old as him. Meera felt the legs of her chair would give if she moved too much, so she stayed very still.


    "Now, what''s wrong?" Doran asked.


    Silas showed him the apparent gash and all the cuts, scraps, and bruises he got in the fight with the Alpha or otherwise. Doran touched each spot, and a green light emanated from his finger, and a moment later, Silas'' cuts closed up, and his bruises vanished.


    Then came Meera''s turn. She didn''t have any severe injuries, rather just minor inconveniences, but since they were here, she might as well get them healed. She got her shoulder and arms looked at first, then got her fingers looked at, which were riddled with splinters. Curiously enough, when he healed her fingers, all the splinters popped out.


    She was good to go when Silas said, "Doran, check her wrists as well. She has pain in her wrists."


    Meera frowned at him, but he nodded and mouthed, play along.


    "Yes, it hurts terribly sometimes."


    As Doran moved to grab her wrist, Silas hit her elbow, so her chakram slid, and he gripped them instead, cutting his finger.


    "Yeow!" Doran cried and jumped in his seat. "Watch it, Varshan!"


    "Not a Varshan," Meera corrected him.


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    The old man grumbled as he healed himself first and then moved for her wrist, vary of the chakram. In the meantime, Meera checked her new notification hoping for something good.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the general skill¡ªPotion Making. You have the knowledge of magical ingredients, alchemical processes, and precise measurements to create potions of different types. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera''s face fell as it was not what she wanted it to be, but at least she could make healing potions of her own, so it was not a total loss. Then she focused her attention on the wording of the skill description. It stated¡ªto create potions of different types.


    She looked up at the healer before her.


    "Doran, have you any skills to create any potions?"


    He paused to stare at her. "Of course I do. What kind of healer do you take me for?"


    She glanced at Silas, who was frowning at her. She remembered what he had said before and decided not to say what was on her mind¡ªthat he could create any potion, not just healing potions.


    "Can I buy a healing potion for the road?"


    "Sure, sure. I''ve got one ready." He moved to pull the drawer from the table along the wall. "The lumberjack''s boy never came to pick it up."


    Meera quickly accepted the skill as he rifled through the drawer.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired Potion Making ¨C Level 1]


    Doran came back with a small bottle. "That''ll be five silver coins."


    She looked to Silas, who held her share of the bounty. He fished the coins from his purse and dropped them in his palm.


    "What if I want to make this myself in the wilderness?" Meera asked the healer.


    "I see. Someone is trying to get the Potion Making skill." He snorted. "I can sell you the formula for another two silver coins."


    "Sure."


    He scribbled the ingredients on a piece of paper, and Silas handed him the coins. After saying the pleasantries, Silas and Meera headed out of there.


    When they had walked down the lane a little bit, Silas asked, "What did you get?"


    "Potion Making."


    Silas winced. "Damn, his Healing Touch would have been perfect. I get the feeling you''re not very lucky."


    Meera felt like he had punched her in the gut. He was right. She was not very lucky, and unfortunately, Luck was not a skill, but she would be damned before she accepted that. "Why do you say that?"


    "Because you''ve been getting sub-par skills aside from Eagle Eye. If you had gotten my Stealth skill, that would have set you up quite nicely, or even True Touch would have worked wonders for you in the search for your brother." He shrugged. "But hey, we must work with the tools we''ve got. Speaking of tools, let me show you how the mirror works."


    They walked to the village''s entrance. There seemed to be more people roaming about in the village, and of course, with more people came more stares. To the point she wanted to scream that she was not a Varshan.


    She wondered how did Neel get away with it. It was not like he was any shades lighter than her. In fact, he was probably darker. Are the Varshans like my people back home because they live closer to the equator like us?


    She looked up at Ealisto, and there it was the mostly frozen moon. Aside from a massive green line at the equator, it was frozen white.


    A few dusty streets and a hundred stares later, they arrived at the mirror. She must have seen three geezers sigh simultaneously when they arrived at the mirror.


    "To start, place a hand on the mirror like this." Silas placed his hand in the mirror. "And think of the place you want to go to. Let''s say I want to go to the village of Westacre, on the other side of the continent."


    Dots lit up all over the mirror. Then a golden light originated from the most left dot of the mirror and started connecting dots until it reached the dot on the right end of the mirror.


    "You see all these dots. Those are the mirrors I have touched."


    "Wow, you must have been to many places," Meera said.


    "It was work, mostly," he replied. "Now, you see the golden light connecting the dots. That is the path I will be taking to arrive at Westacre. Of course, I won''t be exiting and reentering. I won''t even know I''ve gone through all these. For me, I''ll just pop out at my destination. And up here is my Mana cost." He pointed to the number at the top right of the mirror.


    It said¡ª852.


    Meera''s eyes popped open. "You have that much Mana?"


    Silas snorted. "If I had that much Mana, I could have fried the Alpha before it even knew I had moved. No, if I were going there, which I''m not. I would have to make several short trips. Focused bursts, rest for a day or so, let my Mana recover, and then move on. Also, I cannot take you. Midiea does not allow you to piggyback off someone else''s Mirror points. In other words, I cannot take you with me anywhere, as you''ve never been to those mirrors before."


    "Makes sense¡­somewhat."


    "Now, you try."


    He wiped his hand on the mirror. Meera placed her palm on the mirror, and only one dot lit up, which she figured was Belacre.


    "See no other mirror points, so no mirror travel. So, whenever you see a mirror, always make sure to touch it. There are some in the wilderness as well. Midiea has strategically placed them, as she knows best. But be careful, some bandits place fake mirrors off the road to slit people''s throats and take everything they have."


    Meera''s eyes widened at that.


    "They also sometimes set up around real mirrors, but as long you''re careful. You should be fine." He patted her back. Then placed a hand on the mirror again, and a moment later, the mirror''s surface began to ripple again. "Oh, here''s your share." He dropped a coin pouch in her hands. "That''s a hundred and thirty-five silver coins. Should be enough for a while, and if not, pick up contracts of your own." He winked. "With that, I''m off."


    "Already?"


    "I didn''t like the look in the headman''s eyes. I better get out of here before I cause trouble for you as well."


    "W-Will I see you again?"


    He shrugged. "You might. You never know what Lorendor has written in our fortunes."


    "Who?"


    "I''ll tell you the next time we meet." He winked and walked into the mirror without even saying goodbye.

 Chapter 22 – The Black Mirror

    Meera stood at the end of the crowd in the village square as more than a hundred people ate, sang, and danced the night away. When the innkeeper had mentioned celebrations, she had pictured a somber affair, but this was something else entirely.


    People were playing a flute-like instrument along with a single-string instrument as a couple sang what were most likely folk songs about a pair of lovers who ran away from home. Even though she knew nothing about the culture of this place, the song was beautiful. It reminded her of this folk song from back home about another pair of lovers who were so in love that they died for it, as the world was not ready to accept their love.


    Once again, she was thankful that she could understand their language and enjoy this. She was about to leave and find someone willing to talk to her when the singing stopped, and the announcer came on stage¡ªor center of the square.


    ¡°After that wonderful performance, stay tuned, my brothers and sisters, because next is the play you¡¯ve all been waiting for¡ªthe slaying of Aetheron.¡±


    The crowd cheered, and Meera¡¯s grip tightened on her earthen cup. She leaned forward with intense eyes. She had to see this. The more she could learn about this prophecy, the more information she would have on saving his brother from this nonsense.


    The announcer left after introducing the actors, which got some cheers from the crowd. Apparently, the actors were famous around these parts. The actors took center stage. There was a man who wore rags, and he looked around as if lost, and his clothes were eerily similar to earthen fashion.


    ¡°Where am I? What is this place? Am I in a different world?¡±


    Then they rolled out a cut out of an oval mirror, with another actor who wore the same clothes as the first, which was meant to be his reflection.


    ¡°You¡¯re not lost, Champion. You have come here to fulfill your destiny. You will be the savior of these worlds. You will face many trials and tribulations but conquer them all to face your greatest foe. The devourer of worlds, the Great Dragon Aetheron, and after an epic battle, you will slay him.¡±


    There was a loud clap and cheer from the crowd, along with lots of hooting and whistling. While all that was happening, Meera wondered if this was how it happened for Neel. If this was what the mirror told him back home. She had been trying to figure out why he would enter the mirror. Tell that to a sixteen-year, and chances are he will jump in to be the hero.


    The play goes on to show Neel walking into the mirror and realizing his powers. One of which she knew was the world-hopping powers, that he didn¡¯t need mirrors to travel. Then something clicked as to why the mirror couldn¡¯t keep track of his movements because he didn¡¯t need to use them to travel anywhere. But he also had other powers, like a glowing sword, and could shoot light beams from his hands. She found all that a little far-fetched, but anything was possible in a world governed by an all-seeing system, where skills had to be earned, and chakrams magically appeared on your arms.


    After several harrowing scenes of Neel slaying monsters and men alike, they finally arrived at the finale¡ªthe slaying of Aetheron. Meera was impressed at how well they executed this scene. A big round, white planet with a ring was shown, which meant a man walked on stage wearing a replica of Mirithia with Aetheron wrapped around it.


    Mirithia ripped off ¡®Aetheron,¡¯ and a man in a white dragon costume ¡®emerged¡¯ from it, meaning he came running out to the square from behind. Then came the three moons.


    ¡°I am hungry, and I have awoken to eat you all,¡± Aetheron said in a fake heavy voice.


    Meera cringed at the dialogue while some kids gasped. I guess this is as good as it gets here.


    Then ¡®Neel¡¯ or the Champion jumped between the dragon and the worlds to defend them. He wore golden armor and held his signature glowing sword. ¡°Not so fast, dragon. I am here to slay you once and for all. Your reign of terror ends today.¡±


    Then they do a great battle¡ªmore like a slow-motion version of one, where one attacks and the other defends. It was honestly quite dull, but the people loved it. Eventually, the Champion slays the dragon by driving his sword through the dragon¡¯s heart and saving the world. Ultimately, she learned nothing new from what Silas and Cossus had told her, nor had she learned which direction Neel had ventured off from this village.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    After the play, there was more song and dance. She didn¡¯t stay for that. She needed to find someone who could tell her about Neel¡¯s whereabouts.


    She approached this man with gray hair and tanned skin. ¡°Excuse me, but would you know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Move off, Varshan. I got nothing to say to your kind.¡±


    Meera¡¯s shoulders slumped, and the man spat on the ground as she walked off. She felt she should take offense at the gesture, but it was so uncommon in her world that she simply didn¡¯t care. She tried another older person, a woman this time, who was talking with a group of other elderly women. But once again, she was brushed off, and most of them turned away as she approached.


    People from three villages were here, and none were willing to talk to her. She smashed her earthen cup on the ground and wanted to scream in frustration. Not only is it hard enough to earn skills for me, but now I must deal with discrimination just for my looks.


    After facing more rejection and having her spirit crushed, she decided to head back to the inn and hoped to meet with the somewhat nice innkeeper. At least, he talked to her, well, to Silas, but maybe he would speak with her too.


    She pushed through the door to find the inn empty. Of course, it¡¯s empty. Everyone¡¯s outside getting hammered.


    She sighed and headed for her room when she heard a rumbling sound. She snapped her head to it and found the errand boy from before, who had shown her to her room. He was rolling a barrel of what she assumed was beer, wine, mead, or whatever these people drank here.


    ¡°O-Oh, you¡¯re back already,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you not have fun?¡±


    ¡°Seeing as how no one is willing to talk to me. No, I did not have fun.¡±


    He scratched his head and gave a shaky laugh. ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯ll talk to you.¡±


    Meera squinted as a lone torch was burning in here, so it wasn¡¯t terribly bright, but she could swear he was blushing. Maybe he can tell me something.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Meera asked, and she wanted to ask after his age, but he was around her brother¡¯s age, maybe a little older.


    ¡°I am Eppie, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Meera.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡± He smiled and blushed even more. ¡°Are you from Varsha?¡±


    Meera sighed. ¡°For the last time, I¡¯m not Varshan.¡±


    The boy winced. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    She let out a deep breath, she couldn¡¯t very well antagonize the only person willing to talk to her. ¡°Eppie, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you need.¡±


    She pulled out her phone from her pocket, which surprisingly had survived all the chaos of the jungle.


    Eppie gasped. ¡°You carry a black mirror too?¡±


    Meera raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who else had one of these?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Champion did, and he showed me all sorts of images on it, even moving ones.¡±


    Meera hurriedly clicked her phone on, making Eppie gasp some more, but she paid him no mind as she frantically waited for the phone to turn on, which it did, after taking too long.


    She went to her gallery, opened a picture of Neel, and showed it to Eppie. His expression was more than enough to confirm what she wanted to know. Neel had been here.


    ¡°Is this the Champion everyone has been talking about?¡±


    Eppie gave a slow nod while keeping his eyes glued to the screen.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Eppie kept staring at the picture like he had seen a ghost. She turned off the phone. ¡°Please, I need to know where he went from here or if you know his whereabouts, anything.¡±


    Eppie swallowed. ¡°H-He went to the village of Ebonton.¡±


    ¡°Is that one of the villages here for the celebration?¡±


    ¡°No, they were supposed to come, but no one showed up. It¡¯s been the talk of the town. It wasn¡¯t like them to not show up.¡±


    ¡°Why did he go there specifically?¡±


    Eppie shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is he went that way. Maybe he went off to one of the big cities after that. I cannot be sure.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard any news of him ever since he left here?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t get many travelers around here, miss. So, the news is scarce.¡±


    ¡°Which way is this, Ebonton?¡±


    ¡°West,¡± Eppie replied. ¡°Though everything is west of here. To go to Ebonton, you need to only go over the hill that comes on the main road and then take a left at the crossroads. You cannot miss it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Meera couldn¡¯t help smiling. She had a direction to head in, and the Champion they spoke of was Neel. So, even if her phone¡¯s battery died, which it would soon, all she would have to say was Champion, and they would be talking about the same person.


    She headed for her room to turn in for the night, but Eppie said, ¡°Wait, Miss Meera.¡±


    She turned to him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°That black mirror¡­the Champion had one, too,¡± he paused and swallowed. ¡°The prophecy states that the Champion would carry a black mirror¡­¡±


    Meera froze for but a moment. ¡°But doesn¡¯t the prophecy also states that the champion has world-hopping powers? That he can go wherever he pleases without using a gateway mirror.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can assure you, I do not have those powers.¡± Or any remotely as handy as those.


    He breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. ¡°I did not want to tell everyone we got the champion wrong.¡±


    ¡°Besides, where I¡¯m from, everyone carries one of these black mirrors.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Miss Meera, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­who are you?¡±


    Meera grinned. ¡°I¡¯m the Champion¡¯s sister.¡±

 Chapter 23 – Another Job For You

    Silas walked out of the mirror, and as always, all the light was disorienting after the mirror''s darkness. A cool breeze rolled on by, and he had to resist the urge to shiver. He hated coming to Ealisto. This damn place is too cold.


    Were it not for his mission, he would never step on this moon. He had not taken three steps, and two massive blades attached to scythes were at his throat. Two lithe but powerful arms gripped the scythes. Silas smiled at the two half-stags, half-man guards. Silas quickly scanned them.


    [Cervos Warrior ¨C Level 98]


    [Cervos Warrior ¨C Level 102]


    "Who are you?" barked the darker Cervos. This one was at level 102.


    Silas smiled. "At ease, brothers. I am a guest of the Great Cervi King, Mirsorus. If you allow me, I can pull out my seal of safe passage."


    Cervos were unpredictable as far as creatures went. They had the head of a stag, complete with antlers, and the body of a man. As if that were not imposing enough, they usually stood around eight feet tall. The lighter one, which supported a beige coat, nodded. Silas reached into his coat and pulled out the forged seal. It was a hoof print of a stag in red wax on an old parchment. But these beady-eyed half-stags were too dumb to discern the difference between the real thing and a fake.


    They bowed to the hoof print and touched it to their foreheads. Silas had to stifle a laugh. If only they''d known it belonged to a baby deer on a farm in Stagford, they would have ripped him to shreds.


    They removed the scythes and handed him the seal back reverently. "You''re free to enter, assassin. But do not cause any trouble, or you will be torn from throat to groin, seal or no seal."


    "You will find I am not a troublemaker," Silas said with a smile.


    That was close, especially because of his pesky assassin tag. He had forgotten toL in the mirror.  He sighed inwardly. If only he had just selected Hunter class like Cossus but Domina wanted him to have the Assasin class for some reason. He shook his head. After all, Domina knows best.


    He pulled his fur coat tighter, rubbed his hands, passed smiles to the non-human guards, and walked out into the shrill streets of Nilundra Kingdom¡ªthe second biggest power player in this world. Or, as most people saw it, the only kingdom yet to stand against the might of the Varshan empire. That was only because they were on an island of their own. This kingdom, too, would have been a vassal state if not for the glacial walls protecting them.


    It was always a sight to behold how much these people¡ªby people the stags¡ªtook their security seriously. Every human was seen as a threat, even the non-Varshan-looking ones. Families of Cervi walked here and there with humans and other non-human races mixed amongst them. And each still looked at him warily, all because his clothes did not bear the stag insignia of their king, which might as well be another Godking, given their reverence to the baby deer, who should grow up to be a powerful leader if the Varsha don''t axe him first.


    The houses and streets were not dissimilar to the ones found on Rhione. Except these were made of wood with several chimneys and roofs covered with snow, as were the roads. On many occasions, Silas almost slipped. If not for his Sure-Footed skill, he would have.


    He passed smiles to anyone who stared for longer than a moment. It was fun to see them quickly avert their gaze. By all accounts, he should have fit right in with the other human population, he had the right skin tone and features, but it was like everyone knew everyone in this small town, and any outsider was seen as a spy from Varsha.


    This suspicious nature of the Nilundrians had kept them safe so far. That and their sky-high glacial walls. It was honestly the most impressive thing about this place. He just had to look up in any direction, and there it was, a wall of ice higher than the clouds. So high you could not even see the top. It dwarfed mountains, and these people called it Frostpeak¡ªa rather dull name for such an impressive feat of nature.


    What could be expected from people with antlers on their heads?


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Silas passed more smiles as he moved through the streets toward the not so nicer part of town. It was another place he wanted to avoid, but his business was always done best in such places. Even the air felt shriller here. He rubbed his hands and blew warm air into them, which returned some feeling.


    He was not an idiot that he would not bring gloves to an all-year-long winter wonderland, but he had to look the part of an idiot traveler. He was moving down the street and saw a trio¡ªa Tauros, a Cervos, and a big man¡ªlounging outside the building he was heading to.


    Silas smiled at them to disarm them, but this was a backwater town in the Northern part of a suspicious kingdom, and he was not exactly in the nicer part of town. So, the suspiciousness of these people was even higher, but these brutes looked like they wanted trouble.


    "You there," huffed the Tauran. A brute ten feet tall, with the upper body of a bull and the lower of a man. He was a hulking mass of muscle with bulging biceps. It was a testament to their fur that he wore a sleeveless shirt.


    "Yes, how may I help you?" Silas said with his ever-present smile.


    "You''re late."


    Silas sighed, and all the tension left his body. They were Domina''s men or people.


    "Yes, I got late doing the job."


    "Well, the other one showed up days before you."


    Yes, because the other one had the luxury of moving about freely. He almost said that, but with the number of times Domina changed her base of operations, it was best to keep friendly with the local help. After all, who but she knew how long she would be here for?


    "Yes, as I said, I was delayed by her orders. May I see her now? Wouldn''t want to keep her waiting any longer than needed."


    The bull-man snorted. "Second floor. Don''t knock. She knows you''re here."


    "Thank you." Silas tilted his head to them and moved on inside.


    Immediately, he was enveloped in a warmth that just hugged him close. He tapped his boot on the door frame to remove all the snow and moved in. As he traveled up the stairs, some feeling started returning to his cheeks. He heard the conversation from the door directly past the landing.


    He raised his hand to knock.


    "Come in, Silas," said the Domina, as he knew she would.


    He opened the door, and Domina sat in a comfy chair. By all accounts, she looked like a regular woman. There was nothing about her that would be off-putting. She had medium-length auburn hair. She was neither too pretty nor too ugly. Her eyes were the only thing that was of note. They were gold in color, but even that could be excused. If they passed her in the street, one would not give her a second look. That is, until they scanned her.


    [Oracle ¨C Level ???]


    In reality, she was one of the few oracles that remained after the culling of their kind five hundred years ago, in an event the bards called the Blood of Seers.


    Opposite her, in a wooden chair, sat an annoying man. "What took you so long, brother?" Cossus said.


    Silas'' upper lip twitched. "Had to finish the job after you pretended to kick the bucket, all so you could get out of there early."


    "I like to think that was one of my finest acts. Pretending not to breathe while the girl watched was no easy task, and besides, I could only take so much of the girl''s constant pestering and dumb questions."


    "So, you''re admitting that you shirked your duty when you should''ve been there with me, helping her prepare."


    "I said, no such thing." He crossed his arms. "I had to prepare her with the realities of these worlds, and death is very commonplace here, so she better step lightly. Hopefully, that went through her thick head."


    "Yes, but when will it go through your thick head that you cannot die every time a job gets boring for you."


    "I don''t have to listen to you. You''re not the boss of me. She is."


    The woman snorted lightly with a light smile on her lips. "You two will never change."


    For once, Cossus didn''t follow up with a stupid question like if she meant that literally because, given her powers, she could mean that quite literally.


    "Come, Silas, sit. Cossus has given me his report of the events that occurred until he died. Please tell me what happened after."


    Being an Oracle, there was a good chance she knew what had happened, but as she told it, she saw things in the broad spectrum of things like she must have seen Cossus would ''die,'' but she couldn''t see how. For someone who had been practicing the seeing arts for five hundred years, that sounded like bull crap to Silas, but maybe that was just his assassin interrogator voice. After all, he had spent far too long with them.


    So, he told her of the events after Cossus'' funeral. She listened intently, her intense gaze piercing him, and Silas had to break eye contact on more than one occasion¡ªanother thing he was not used to.


    "I see," she mused as she got a faraway look in her eye.


    "So, Domina," Cossus leaned in. "Is she the one we''re looking for?"


    "It is far too early to say. Lorendor''s workings are still shrouded from me regarding Meera, which gives me hope that she is indeed the one we''ve been looking for."


    ¡°Pardon me, Domina,¡± Silas said. "But I could have brought her here, and you could have had an easier time looking into her future."


    Domina shook her head. "No, the more we meddle with her, the more likely it is that we will influence her fate. For now, we''ve done what we can, and we''ll just have to wait until she gets stronger. In the meantime, I have another job for you two."


    "Someone else stepped through Midiea''s mirror?" Cossus asked.


    "No, this concerns the Champion." She said in a grave tone. "He must survive long enough to be reunited with his sister, and we will make sure of it, or the worlds will end."

 Chapter 24 – The Hunt Begins

    The exit through Belacre was not as silent as Meera had expected. After she told Eppie who she was, he must have spread the news last night. As the celebrations came to a close, she saw a line of people coming to the inn. At first, she thought all those people were staying in the inn, but by morning, she saw that nearly the entire village of Belacre and a few others from other villages camped outside the main doors.


    She slowly crept outside her room and peered down the stairs. She heard Lanis barking at someone to get out and that if Meera wanted to meet with them, she''d meet with them outside.


    Meera definitely did not want to meet with them. It wasn''t that she feared crowds, but she did fear this one, for she didn''t know what they wanted of her. She ducked back inside and stuffed her things into her bag, which weren''t many. She dropped a silver coin on the table as Eppie''s tip for being nice to her last night.


    Then slowly stepped out of her room and made for the window at the end of the hall. She peered out the window, and no one was lurking down this way. She hefted her pack on her back and let Climbing do its magic. She jumped over the window, and through various timed jumps, she got to the street in no time.


    Meera confirmed no one was coming after her. Then she took the long way around to the main street while keeping her head down. At one point, someone thought they saw her. She jumped over a house fence and hid among the clothes on a clothesline.


    Most of the clothes were just regular clothes, but one stood out amongst the rest. It was a black cloak of super soft material that seemed to drink in the light. She used Identify on it.


    [Traveling Cloak ¨C Fine Quality]


    My class does have a Stealer in it. I''m sorry, whosever this is.


    She yanked the cloak off the line and put it on. It went around her shoulders to cover her completely, and it even had a hood. She pulled the hood on and jumped over the fence after making sure the street was empty.


    The hood limited her vision a little, but it also prevented anyone else from seeing her. A perfect cloak for an assassin. She was sure she could get better cloaks in a big city, but for now, she had to make do with what she had.


    She moved down the road, and although she got double takes, no one recognized her. She left the village of Belacre behind and was onto the main road in no time. She smiled. Oh, I think I''m going to enjoy being an assassin.


    The walk to Ebonton was even more boring than she had thought. There was hardly anyone on the road. The road was nothing more than a well-traveled patch of dirt that did not have grass growing on it. That was it. The day turned to afternoon, and she stopped to eat some berries she had picked along the way. If not for the crowd outside the inn, she would have asked for a meal or two for the road.


    Still, her stomach growled, but with no option, she kept on moving. She swore if she could earn skills, she would have earned the Resistance to Hunger or the Walking skill for sure by now.


    But regardless, she moved on down the road, whistling a sad tune. Overhead, the afternoon had turned to night when she decided to call it a day. Farms had fallen behind, and a forest grew on both sides of the road, or at least woods did. Not as dense as Rothedon''s Forest, neither as tall, but it was a good place to rest her head.


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    She was about to move for this tree when she saw a rabbit hop out from around a tree trunk and in plain view of her. She licked her lips and slowly took off her chakram. Activated Eagle Eye and let her chakram fly. The rabbit tilted its head and was about to jump when the chakram took its head off.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed a Black Hare ¨C Level 2]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Nimble Ears. Nimble Ears ¨C Type: Passive. Your ears will pick up even the faintest sounds and warn you of approaching danger or hidden enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera just stared at the notification for a moment. That was perhaps one of the best skills she had gotten, and she got it from a rabbit. Are you kidding me? She, of course, accepted the skill.


    [You have acquired the skill Nimble Ears ¨C Level 1]


    She turned off Eagle Eyes and activated her new skill right away, expecting a bombardment of sounds, but it was more of a crispness of sounds as if every sound got sharper. She could hear the bird cooing that she couldn''t before. She could also hear something hopping on leaves past these trees. She figured these to be more rabbits or squirrels.


    She smiled. With this and Eagle Eye, there is nothing I cannot hunt.


    She went to the rabbit, drained its blood, skinned it, and stored the skin. Everything was taught to her by the brothers. They had taught her more than just how to improve her skills. They had effectively taught her how to survive in this world.


    She started a fire¡ªanother skill she did not have¡ªand cooked her rabbit over an open flame. It was stringy meat but tasted like chicken. Meera regretted not stealing some salt from the inn, but still, it was better than berries, and in no time, the rabbit vanished into the gaping pit that was her stomach.


    After the meal, she was about to roll out her sleeping bag when she heard a howl in the distance. It was quite far away, so she knew she should be safe but decided to check anyways. After all, she had a new skill just for this occasion.


    She activated Nimble Ears and almost shit her pants. Not only did she hear the howl up close, but she heard the crashing of padded feet on the ground littered with wet leaves. A few moments later, she could even hear the panting of the wolves.


    With no other option, she scurried up the tree to rest on one of its branches. A moment later, the wolves jumped out of the underbrush into her small campsite. There were three of them as far as she could see. She used Identify on them.


    [Gray wolf ¨C Level 10]


    [Gray wolf ¨C Level 10]


    [Gray wolf ¨C Level 12]


    For a moment, she panicked before remembering she was at a much higher level than them. She took off two chakrams and easily killed the two lower leveled ones. The last one ran for the bushes, but it didn''t get a chance to get far. She killed it by splaying its side open and spilling its guts.


    She called the chakrams back and simply stared as the wolves lay dead below her and how easy it was, then she began laughing at the realization that she was not so helpless anymore. She jumped down from the tree as the notification bells went off, but she put a stop to them. She would look at them later. She went to inspect the wolves. If she could get their meat, she could eat for days without worrying about going hungry, aside from the meat going bad.


    Just as she had checked on the first wolf, four more jumped up from the bushes, and Meera''s blood ran cold. Why did I turn off Nimble Ears?


    She slowly straightened. Three wolves were more or less like the Gray wolves she had killed, but one was bigger and had a brownish coat. She used Identify on him.


    [Pack Leader ¨C Level 20]


    Meera pulled off her chakram without care, held it in her fist, and charged the beast. The wolf barked and lunged for her. Using Monkey Fist and her chakram, she ripped off the lower jaw of the Pack Leader. The beast buckled and howled so badly that she ripped his throat open to put him out of his misery.


    If the other three wolves could widen their eyes, they would''ve, but instead, they tucked their tail and ran.


    Meera cracked her knuckles. I guess the hunt begins.

 Chapter 25 - Burning of Ebonton

    Meera activated her Night Vision, and it was exactly like how she had seen night vision in the movies. But instead of her vision turning green, it turned pale blue like the eyes of the Nightcrawler Monkeys. A thought occurred to her, and she also activated Eagle Eye. The effect of Eagle Eye and Night Vision compounded to ensure that she could see everything move. She could easily see the paw prints left behind by her prey. Then if that wasn''t enough, she also activated Nimble Ears. Now, she could hear which direction the wolves had gone in, thanks to their huffing.


    A slow smile split her lips. She could never have done this back on earth. Pulling a chakram off in each hand, she finally ran after her prey. She focused on the prints left behind by the wolves, and it was almost like they were glowing in the dark. But that might have been Mirithia''s light shining down upon them.


    A huff to her right, and she pivoted and took off in that direction. Her ears told her that the wolves were still on the move. They must have heard her coming, but it was no matter. Humans were expert hunters in their own right. She saw a documentary once that they hunted their prey to exhaustion by making it run and run while they continued to follow them at their own pace. Even though she was much faster than before, she had no skill related to running.


    My skills from the wolves I just killed!


    She almost stopped to check her notifications, but if she did that, then her prey would get away. The prints and her hearing told her the wolves had pivoted again and were on the climb. She had always thought of crossing the hill in daylight, but she could do it now and save some time.


    Cresting the hill took far more out of her than she thought. The ground reminded her of the Forest of Rothedom, which had uneven ground, with roots sticking out everywhere. Her stamina took a substantial beating after keeping so many skills active simultaneously. She turned off Eagle Eye, as that was the one that drank the most stamina. Her vision returned to normal, meaning the colors were mostly blue, but lost their crispness.


    But her Night Vision and Nimble Ears still gave her more than enough information needed. She came over the hill, and the first thing that hit her was the smell. It was like something was burning¡ªthe smell of smoke. There was a haziness in the air.


    She slowed down to a jog, turned off Night Vision, and continued slowly on foot, the wolves forgotten. She only had to travel a few meters when she saw the smoke drifting through the trees.


    What is this? Did someone burn an area of the forest?


    She traveled forward toward the smoke with just her Nimble Ears. She heard some growling, followed by whimpering and the sound of running. Something was coming towards her. She took up position and got ready with her chakrams.


    A second later, the three wolves, her quary, came running for her. She threw her chakram toward them, and they ripped through the first two. She didn''t have time to call them back or get the third one off before the final wolf was on her.


    He was hardly arm''s length away. The wolf would pounce at any moment, but instead of attacking, it ran past her, whimpering. She frowned as she looked at its back. He jumped through the bushes and was gone.


    She recalled her two chakrams and activated Eagle Eyes. They would let her see through the smoke and inform her of any coming danger. Thanks to her advanced ears, she could hear the crackling of burning wood.


    She stepped lightly and even pondered, climbing up a tree. As she got closer, the smoke got thicker, and she had to resist the urge to cough. Ultimately, she had to climb a tree, hoping for fresh air.


    She used her Climbing and Tree Walker skills to navigate through the trees and arrive at the source of the smoke and the cause of the wolves'' fear.


    It was a burnt-out collection of huts. Meera frowned, as most had been burnt to the ground while some still stood, charred, and a few still burned. These were the cause of the smoke, but the cause of the wolves'' fear was something else altogether.


    They were beasts of a sort who walked on all fours, with sharp claws which must''ve been four inches long, if not longer. They had charred black skin¡ªif it could be called skin, it felt more like scales. Their back rose in jagged spikes, and a small fire burned at the top. Their faces were the worst thing of them all. Sharp fangs and two small burning coals for eyes. Meera wondered how they could even see.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    [Hound of Rothedon ¨C Level 25]


    There were three of them, all at the same level, roaming about the burnt huts. With a gasp, Meera realized what she was looking at was the village of Ebonton. These things were the reason why the village did not show up for the celebration in Belacre.


    Why was this village burnt? And by whom?


    She stared at the beast, and the name stuck out to her. Her eyes widened. Rothedon was the same name as the forest she had found herself in after coming out from the mirror. Then there was Rothedon''s fist, beyond which the demons called Rakineyes were confined.


    Who is this Rothedon?


    She had to find out, but before that, she had to look for survivors, and to do that, she had to kill these things. But even before that, she had to find out what she had earned from killing the wolves.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 4 Wolves and their Pack Leader]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has reached Level 28. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 19. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 21% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Night Vision has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Night Vision has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill, Wolf Speed. Wolf Speed - Type: Active. You can run like the wind and tap into the wolf''s inherent swiftness and agility, allowing you to move with remarkable speed and grace. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Finally, a running-related skill. Yes, please.


    [You have acquired the skill Wolf Speed ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Tracking Scent. Tracking Scent ¨C Type: Passive. Your sense of smell becomes extraordinary, allowing you to track targets over long distances, detect hidden enemies, or locate valuable items. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera gave a quick nod, and as it turned out, the system understood.


    [You have acquired the skill Tracking Scent ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Feral Bite. Feral Bite ¨C Type: Active. Your teeth become sharp as fangs with you can inflict deep wounds and cause bleeding damage over time. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Sure. At this point, I might as well grow fur and complete my transformation into a wolf.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill¡ªAlpha Aura. You emit an aura of leadership and confidence, which boosts the morale and combat abilities of nearby allies, granting them increased strength and resilience. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at that one. She figured she got that one from the Alpha that she killed. This could come in handy but given that she had no allies to speak of at the moment, it could just sit dormant in her general skills section. So, she accepted the skill.


    [You have acquired the general skill Alpha Aura ¨C Level 1]


    She hoped that was it, but it looked like the system was extra generous on her today.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Wild Instincts. You tap into your primal instincts, sharpening your senses and gaining heightened perception, allowing you to detect danger. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    With all these skills, how are wolves not at the top of the food chain? She wondered.


    [You have acquired the general skill Wild Instincts ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 11]


    She quickly put two points into Agility and one point into Endurance, and she was ready to take on the Hounds. She located the three hounds. They were not doing anything, just walking about as if ordered to keep watch, but keep watch over what. Why leave these behind when you''ve turned the place to ash?


    Meera watched them do their rounds a couple of times while Ambush Tactics formulated a plan of attack. She saw all the possibilities in her head. Where they could attack from, she had to assume they had some flamethrower or fireball attack.


    Oh, I would so love a fireball skill. Even if it did not go with the stealth-based class she hoped to create.


    After reviewing all her options, Ambush Tactics did its trick. I''ve got it. She rubbed her hands and smiled. I wonder what skills I''ll get from them.

 Chapter 26 – Give Me Your Skill

    The first thing Meera had to do was change her vantage point. From where she was, visibility was low, and she needed to ensure she didn¡¯t get ganged up by all three of them. Despite her newly attained skills, it was better to make sure she took care of them one at a time.


    She climbed up a few branches, letting her hop to the next tree. From there, she jumped to the next, and so on, until she had pretty much come to the other end of the village. A large collapsed hut was here, with nothing more than ash where it once stood. Worst of all, there were the half-charred bodies of its residents¡ªtwo adults and three children. These poor folks had been inside when these hounds or their masters set the hut to flames.


    Her heart went out to them, especially the children. Just what sort of monsters are these?


    Well, it was time these hounds paid the price for it. She pulled off one of her chakrams and waited until her first target appeared. The monstrous hound, looking like a miniature flaming mountain, walked through the street and was about to turn when Meera threw her chakram.


    It wedged itself into the tree a few feet from the monster. She wasn¡¯t trying to hit the beast, only to get its attention, which it did. It jumped and snapped toward the shiny chakram, which glinted in the night.


    As it moved cautiously towards the chakram, Meera waited patiently, hand at the ready. Right when the monster was about to rip the chakram out of the tree, she recalled it. The chakram came whizzing back, ripping through the monster¡¯s teeth and almost taking off its lower jaw.


    She heard a notification bell and was about to look at it when the beast howled, looking directly at her with his burning eyes. A moment later, the other two hounds showed up, running not for their kin but for her. Somehow, they knew where to find her.


    Three fireballs raged toward her. Meera jumped down just in time, and something told her she would have stayed rooted to the spot if not for her new skill¡ªWild Instincts. It forced her into action, saving her life. The hounds dashed for her, and the sulphuric smell they reeked was overpowering.


    She would have gagged if she had the time. She wanted to run into the forest, but they would have burned it down to hunt her. She didn¡¯t want to be trapped in the woods with smoke and reduced visibility. Her best option was to fight them here. So, she ran around the burned hut with the bodies.


    She hoped Wolf Speed would do its trick, and it did more than that. Meera ran faster than she ever had in her life. She ran at the speed of an Olympic athlete. She had to slow to make the turns through the still-standing houses. She knew one beast was on the verge of going down, so she stopped, waited with chakrams in both hands and launched them the moment the beasts showed themselves. Luckily, the one with the ripped jaw was in the lead, and both chakrams tore through it, killing it instantly. The other two paused seeing their brother go down. Meera did not wait that long. She recalled her chakrams and ran again, picking up speed and leaving them in her dust.


    There was a hut with a somewhat open door. Meera squinted, and an old man held the door open and waved her inside. She looked behind, and the hounds were nowhere to be found.


    Meera jumped into the hut and ran straight into the wall. She grunted as quietly as she could. The old man quietly closed the door behind her. The beasts roared a few times at having lost their prey. Then once they fell silent, she activated Nimble Ears, and she could hear them prowling outside, growling in a low tone. Their feet crunching the dirt. If that were not all, their smell was enough to tell her they were still outside. She shut off Nimble Ears to conserve her stamina.


    She opened her mouth to thank the man, but he placed a finger on his lips, and Meera got the message. The balding man¡¯s hair was gray, what little he had left. His left hand was burned black, and a purplish bruise was on the left side of his head. Needless to say, the man had been through a lot.


    It was hard to see anything else as no candle or torch burned in the house. She didn¡¯t know how long they sat like this, but it was enough for her to want to doze off, and she must have because the next thing she knew, light was peeking through the barricaded window. A closet had been moved before it.


    She activated Nimble Ears again, and the hounds were still there but far off and not in their immediate vicinity. As in, they were still in the village but prowling elsewhere.


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    Meera shook the man lightly. He woke with a gasp and looked around as if the hounds had found him. She raised both hands to tell him it was fine. It was just her. He breathed a silent sigh of relief.


    She once again opened her mouth to speak, but he motioned for her to keep quiet and told her to follow. He stepped lightly as he moved through the wooden hut. She hoped the wood wouldn¡¯t creak for their sake, so she stepped where he stepped, and through a couple of heart-attack-inducing creaks, they made it to the ladder.


    Meera followed the man down the ladder and into an empty cellar. There were a few empty baskets and some barrels. They moved into the corner away from the ladder, and then finally, the man spoke in a shallow whisper, but thanks to Nimble Ears, he might as well have been screaming. ¡°Please talk in a very low tone. We have to assume they can hear everything.¡±


    It was not a bad idea. ¡°I am Meera. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Oril, the village healer, which was why I somehow survived.¡±


    ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°A massacre. Rakineyes, led by their king, attacked us.¡±


    Meera¡¯s eyes popped open. If she remembered correctly, Rakineyes were demons and were supposed to be confined to the forest beyond Rothedon¡¯s Fist.


    ¡°Are you sure? Last I heard, they were confined to Rothedon¡¯s forest past the Fist. How did those demons get here?¡± Meera asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°I know, not how they got here, miss. Only that it was indeed them. No one but them could have wrought such cruelty upon us.¡±


    Meera was about to ask more questions, but she heard some growling from above, which sounded close. She put a finger to her lips so the man got the message.


    She didn¡¯t know whether their voices brought the beast here or if it was making another round, but this conversation would have to wait. She had to take care of the threat, something she should have done in the first place.


    Before Meera left to kill the remaining two, she looked at her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Hound of Rothedon ¨C Level 25]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Charred Body. You have withstood heat that would melt the muscle off the bones of most creatures, thus earning you a body that is resistant to heat and flames. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    [You have acquired this general skill Charred Body ¨C Level 1]


    There was no question about it that she would not accept such a remarkable skill. She had hoped for a fireball, but this was equally good. She smiled inadvertently, making Oril frown. She shook her head and motioned for him to wait here.


    She paused. ¡°Did you say you were a healer?¡±


    He nodded, making Meera grin.


    ¡°Please cut yourself on one of my chakrams.¡±


    He gave her a look that said she was crazy, but she continued to give him her best smile, which in this situation, probably came off as psychotic.


    ¡°Hurry up, please.¡±


    He brought his hand forward warily. He was taking too long. She ripped one of her chakrams off, gripped his hand, making him shake all over, and gave him a very shallow cut on his finger, closed her eyes, and waited for the notification.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Vitalize. Vitalize ¨C Type: Active. You can heal yourself, restore limbs, and even cure ailments using Mana. The cost will depend on your injury. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    She frowned slightly at the wording of the skill. It said yourself, which meant she could only heal herself. So, if she ever wanted to heal anyone else, she must rely on potions. Luckily, she had a skill for that.


    [You have acquired the skill Vitalize ¨C Level 1]


    When she opened her eyes, she saw that Oril had returned to his corner. At first, she frowned, and then she realized why. She had just asked for his blood, then closed her eyes and smiled. To the already scared man, it must have looked like she was getting stronger with his blood, something a demon might do.


    She smiled apologetically at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯m not a demon or a¡­Rakinyes. Let me take care of the ones above, and I¡¯ll explain everything.¡±


    She climbed up the ladder, keeping her Nimble Ears active. The beast was close. Meera walked slowly to the door, and once again, the wood on the floor only creaked a couple of times. She pulled off her chakram and opened the door. Her eyes snapped open.


    The hound was right there, waiting for her.


    She launched her chakram at the same time the monster shot a fireball at her. They both connected at the time. Her chakram hit the beast in the face, and the flames washed over her.


    She screamed and patted herself, putting out the flames, only to realize she wasn¡¯t burnt. It just felt a little warm at most.


    Charred body, of course.


    Of the two of them, the hound was more surprised, even with the chakram sticking in its snout. Meera pulled off her remaining two chakrams and threw them at the beast before it did anything else. It fell dead in the street.


    The third showed up instantly, roaring as it charged Meera. She recalled her three chakrams and activated Primal Power. Veins stuck out of her forearms and the rest of her body.


    The hound tackled her, but she held her ground. She gripped it by its side, yelped from the heat, and tossed it aside. She then launched all three chakrams to kill it as it was still flailing about on its back.


    She huffed as she shut off all her abilities. Her hands burned and were charred black. She frowned. I guess the things were hotter than they looked.

 Chapter 27 – Through Burning Eyes

    The pain in her hand was rising now that the adrenaline was slowly leaving her. They burned something fierce, and it was only worsening. This was a perfect time to try out her new healing skill.


    She thought about healing herself, and Vitalize kicked into gear. At once, her pain lessened as the skill took from her Mana. By the time she was fully healed, all that was left on her hands was blackish soot. She shook it off, and underneath her hands were just as they had always been.


    Meera beamed. Now, that is fun. Maybe I can incorporate some magic skills into my class. She looked at her stats to see how much the skill had cost to heal this minor injury.


    [Health: 250/250]


    [Stamina: 249/300]


    [Mana: 84/110]


    Her eyes popped open. It took that much Mana. She didn''t realize healing herself would be that expensive. She decided to talk to the healer in the basement to confirm if Vitalize took that much Mana or if she was just terrible at it. It may get better as I get used to it.


    Then she checked her notifications, and there were quite a few.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 2 Hounds of Rothedon ¨C Level 25]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 29. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 30. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 30 in your main class, you have earned a fourth Chakram.]


    Meera grinned as her fourth chakram appeared on her left wrist. Now, she had two on each arm. It was nice to have more ammunition.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 20. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 22% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 4]


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 5]


    .


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Charred Body has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Charred Body has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wolf Speed has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Wolf Speed has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 2]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Fireplosion. Fireplosion ¨C Type: Active. You can channel your Mana into a fierce explosion of fire and wrath, burning all¡ªfriend or foe within a certain radius. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


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    Is this what I think this is? It wasn''t a fireball or flamethrower, but in a way, it was even better. She could use this to create some distance between her and her enemies. She quickly accepted the skill.


    [You do not have any open skill slots. Please decide which skill you would like to forgo to make room for this skill.]


    She looked through her skills, and the only one she could think of¡ªFeral Bite. It seemed like a good skill, but biting her enemies didn''t seem like an effective way of fighting when she could rip through them with her chakrams. She let go of Feral Bite and accepted Fireplosion.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Fireplosion ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Eyes of Your Kin. Eyes of Your Kin ¨C Type: Passive. Your vision becomes a conduit for connection, allowing you to perceive the world through the eyes of your kin. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stood frozen on the spot. This skill was how the hounds knew where she was. Without howling or roaring or anything, the other hounds always knew where she was. But she could use this skill to figure out where Neel was. After all, he was the only kin she had in this world or worlds. This was the best skill she had ever stolen. She quickly accepted it, but the message about not having any open skill slots popped up again. She looked through her skills and decided to let go of Night Vision. With Eagle Eye and Mirithia providing enough light at night, she could do without that skill. She had a feeling she would come to regret it, but it was either that or give up Tracking Scent. She paused.


    Or I can give up Tracking Scent. She paced to and fro, contemplating which one to give up. With Eagle Eye was another vision skill, she didn''t need two vision skills. A scent-related skill would be nice to have. But realistically, how often would she be in a situation where she needed to track someone with their scent?


    Given this freaky world, it could be many times. In the end, she decided to give up on Night Vision.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Eyes of Your Kin ¨C Level 1]


    She also quickly allocated her six stat points, splitting them equally between Focus and Endurance. The bulk of skills were stamina related, so she needed enough to last long enough to finish the fight. Though, she did want to put more points into Constitution as well. Having more health couldn''t hurt, but, in her case, with her healing skill. She might be okay for now. In the end, her stats looked like this.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 30]


    [Class Ability: Reflection ¨C Level 11]


    Stats


    [Health: 250/250]


    [Stamina: 249/330]


    [Mana: 84/140]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 25]


    [Power: 15]


    [Dexterity: 27]


    [Endurance: 33]


    [Focus: 14]


    [Agility: 30]


    [Perception: 27]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 10]


    [Monkey Fist - Level 12]


    [Eagle Eye - Level 7]


    [Eyes of Your Kin - Level 1]


    [Primal Power - Level 10]


    [Nimble Ears - Level 7]


    [Tracking Scent - Level 1]


    [Fireplosion - Level 1]


    [Wolf Speed - Level 3]


    [Vitalize - Level 3]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 2]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 20]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 16]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 1]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 2]


    [Charred Body - Level 3]


    Meera smiled at her progress. Finally, she had collected enough skills to fill all her skill spots and gained quite a few general skills. Now, she had to focus on leveling up attributes to use her newly acquired skills.


    "Are they dead?" Said a voice from behind her, making her jump.


    She placed a hand on her beating heart. "Y-Yes, all gone. There were only three, right?"


    "Yes, only left three of them." Oril spat on the ground. "Fucking monsters tore apart the entire village. Didn''t even spare the children."


    Meera had seen the charred bodies and could understand the man''s pain. She was about to ask him who had done this, but her curiosity and need to find Neel won.


    "Hey, do you mind watching over me?" Meera said, walking inside the house. "I need to try something, and I''m not sure what it will do?"


    He frowned. "Huh?"


    "Just shake me or something if there is trouble."


    With that, she sat down, closed her eyes, and activated the Eyes of Your Kin.


    At first, there was nothing but a warm sensation in her eyes, which grew warmer and warmer until it became unbearable.


    Then, her eyes lit on fire. Meera screamed as her eyes snapped open.


    She screamed, but there was no sound. She looked around, and the world was on fire, covered with an orange-red hue. It took her a moment to realize she was no longer in the healer''s hut. Although the world was still on fire, everything remained as it was. The tapestry on the walls did not burn to a crisp.


    Is it me or Neel that is on fire?


    That thought was so disturbing that she almost cried. She looked down and realized that her or rather Neel''s face was too close to the ground, and he had claws. Dark claws that seemed to be made to rip into her foes.


    "We must find this, Neel?" Said a deep, rumbling voice.


    Meera snapped her attention to it. It belonged to a big man who wore dark armor that glowed red in between through its various cracks, like a charred, burnt-out, smoldering piece of wood. He wore a skull-shaped helmet, and his eyes glowed red underneath. Two others were standing beside him.


    Maybe it''s because I am so low to the ground or that these people are enormous.


    With a start, Meera realized that she was looking through the eyes of a hound, and these people were the ones who had burned Ebonton to ashes. The skill Eyes of Your Kin meant that quite literally, but this skill must''ve been made specifically for Hounds of Rothedon.


    Meera was relieved for one that it was not Neel who was burning but also saddened that she hadn''t found him. She tried using Identify, but it wouldn''t work.


    "My lord Rothedon, we will find him. I assure you. I have my best dogs searching for him." The man standing to Rothedon''s right spoke. He had a broad chest and wore the same charred armor as Rothedon. He wore a bull-shaped helmet with real bull horns attached to his helmet.


    The third also wore a similar armor, though he had some feathers along his neck, and his helmet had no holes for eyes. He held a staff with a small hexagonal mirror attached to its top.


    "Your assurances are useless, Warnorinth," Rothedon replied.


    Meera''s heart skipped a beat when she realized that this man was Rothedon, who had an entire forest named after him, let alone the Fist that marked the demon territory.


    "I will not disappoint you, father," said the third man.


    "You better not if you know what is good for you. Your mother can only buy so many favors for you. Fail me again, and you will know firsthand why I am feared. Do you understand, Mirageiros?"


    The man with the staff stiffened. "Yes, Father."


    Rothedon stood. "If this Neel Singh is indeed the Champion, then I will find him, take his power into me, and finally be free of these chains."


    Meera didn''t see any chains. Maybe somebody cursed him. She wouldn''t be surprised if he was cursed. He looked like someone who should have been cursed.


    Then something cold fell on her, distorting her vision, and she was snapped back into her body. All her clothes were wet. But something was seriously wrong. Everything was dark. There was an intense pain in her eyes. She brought her hands to her face and would have wept if she could''ve.


    She had empty holes where her eyes used to be.

 Chapter 28 – Not Enough Mana

    Meera didn''t even realize that she was hyperventilating. Her eyes were not the only thing that had been damaged. Her face felt rough, and it burned with intense pain. She could imagine that it looked charred black.


    "Breathe," said Oril. "Calm down and breathe."


    "M-My eyes! What happened to my eyes?"


    "We can talk about that later. First, let me do all I can to heal you. I may not be as experienced as some big city healers, but I have a skill to regenerate organs."


    "Vitalize!" Meera spoke and wished she hadn''t as her face screamed in pain.


    "No, that only works for me¡­I have another skill that works for others. Try to be still as I place my hands on your face."


    Meera clenched her fists and waited for the coming pain. She almost screamed when his hands landed on her face. His hands felt cold to the touch, which was a boon to her fire-ravaged face, but the pain was so intense it almost made her pass out.


    Then relief flooded her face as the healing began. She added her power to his as she used Vitalize with her remaining Mana. She focused on her eyes, as she wanted those to return as fast as possible. She had a healing potion for the rest if Oril could not heal the rest.


    It was slow going, but she felt something take up space in her sockets and push her eyelids open, which was another pain jolt through her face.


    Then the orbs grew bigger, and the world began to come back into view. It was hazy at first as if she was seeing through a thick liquid, and even turning on Eagle Eye did nothing. Meera dropped Eagle Eye and focused on healing. Her power added to Oril''s brought her eyes back in a few moments.


    She wanted to weep with joy when she could finally see again. She was back in Oril''s hut with soaking wet. Oril''s face was drenched in sweat with a furrowed brow.


    He let go of her face. "I''m out of Mana. I''ve done all I can. The rest, we''ll have to wait until my Mana returns. In the meantime, I''ll try to find some healing potions for you."


    Meera had a healing potion in her bag. She ruffled through her bag to get it out. As she was doing that, she saw herself in her mirror chakrams, and she looked like something that had walked out of a nightmare. Her face was in four shades¡ªregular skin, burnt, mottled flesh, and charred black. She would have run away from herself if she had seen her coming down the street.


    She found her healing potion and guzzled that thing down. Oril returned with a couple of healing potions of his own. She downed those too. They had a bitter taste, but not too bad. She checked herself in her chakram again and sighed in relief. She was just about back to normal. She had some scabs left here and there, but otherwise, no one could have said her face was a burnt horror.


    "What happened?" Meera asked again.


    "Your eyes lit up on fire when you sat down. It was slow initially, but then they were raging coals burning intensely. They-They melted your eyes and slowly burnt most of your face. I tried to wake you many times, but you were in a deep trance. When I couldn''t take it anymore, I poured some water on you, but by then, the damage was done. What was it? Some curse those things inflicted upon you."


    "Something like that."


    Meera''s Mana was empty, and she was sure it was the same for Oril. Plus, she had to take three healing potions, which meant she was nowhere near ready to use the Eyes of Your Kin skill again. This skill must''ve been created specifically for the hounds. She could only switch with other hounds, as the skill only saw them as Kin. She would have ripped the skill out of her and chucked it at the wall if she could''ve.


    "No, not a curse," Meera confirmed. "It was a skill."


    "Just what sort of skill melts your eyes and burns your face? And as a matter of fact, why do you have it?"


    "I sort of picked it up along the way," she replied, without getting into details as it would surely open up questions about her class, which she figured she best kept quiet about. "It was my first time using it. I did not expect that sort of reaction. Thank you for healing me. What do I owe you?"


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    "Nothing at all. You got rid of those monsters. That is more than enough, so thank you."


    Meera nodded, but the ordeal of losing her eyes had shaken her, but even more, than that was the revelation that those three figures in charred armor were hunting her brother. Is that what the mirror meant by trouble?


    "You mentioned before that Rakinyes and their king destroyed this village," she said. "What is the name of their king?"


    "The scourge of the worlds," Oril spat on the ground. "Rothedon."


    The words chilled her to her core. That is who she had seen on the throne¡ªthe one with the red eyes and skull helmet.


    "Tell me about him."


    "Rothedon was a Cosmarian, one of the Old Ones. They were the first sentient race to inhibit the world. Some even say they came from the stars to seed the worlds with life."


    "Rothedon did?"


    "No, he came much later. His race, the Cosmarians, was here thousands of years before Mirithia first created humanity. Cosmarians were beings of much beauty and even greater intelligence. They were the shepherds of the worlds. They worked to make the worlds a better place. It is said they created the system to bring order to the worlds. But that is false. Everyone knows it was Midiea who blessed us with an opportunity to grow strong."


    Meera squinted her eyes. "What did they look like? These Cosmarians. Did they have glowing eyes and wore fiery armor?"


    It was time for Oril to squint. "How do you know Rothedon and his forces wear fiery armors?"


    She shrugged. "I''ve heard some stories about them. Nothing in great detail, though."


    He nodded in acceptance. "Everything was going fine until Rothedon became the Cosmarian king and decided that being a shepherd was not enough. In his bid to rule the world, he was crushed by the gods and confined to the ends of the world by Midiea and others. She also cursed him and all the other Cosmarians into the wicked forms they are in today. The ones we call Rakinyes."


    "And if this happened thousands of years ago, how is Rothedon still alive?" Meera asked.


    The old healer shrugged. "I don''t know. I am unfamiliar with all the details of the fall of the Cosmarians. It is better to ask one of the more learned folks in the big cities. I just knew what my old Nan told me. She said Rothedon was working with Aetheron, which was why he was banished to those woods. She also said he is still alive, biding his time until he can escape his chains and begin his reign of terror again."


    "It seems he has decided to begin his reign of terror by hunting down the champion," Meera said.


    Oril sighed. "Aye, it would seem so. That''s why he was here. The Champion had returned to the Forest of Rothedon for some business, and when he was done, he headed to Belacre and then to us."


    Meera frowned. "Then why wasn''t Belacre attacked?"


    "Because Neel didn''t stay in Belacre for a month. He stayed here with Niryn. The two had formed a friendship when Neel came here for the first time. Back before, we knew he was the Champion of prophecy."


    "Can you tell me what did he do while he was here? The first and second time both."


    "The first time, he hardly stayed for a few days. He collected some food from Niryn and moved on. It was about a month or maybe more after we heard the news of the Champion revealing himself, and better yet, it was the stranger Neel. We were overjoyed, and of course, the celebrations and all that. If you''re coming from Belacre, you know about those. The second time he came through, we only knew about his coming once he left Niryn''s hut on the day of departure. He stayed for a month, and the two were busy hatching up schemes or, so old Ressa said. I didn''t know how true it would come out to be."


    "What schemes were they hatching?"


    "No one knows. We just knew that Niryn had a guest. Someone he was keeping secret from all of us. When we found out it was Neel, we were all cross with him. It was like he was hiding the Champion from us, as if we had plans for his life. Neel told us of his travels, how he dined with kings and people famous and influential, but now, he had work to do¡ªprophecy work." His voice grew hard and serious. "I''ll tell you one thing, that boy was not the same bubbly lad we had sent off six months ago. He had changed. There was a pain behind those eyes of his. Like he had grown years in a matter of months."


    Meera knew her brother, and he was never serious about anything. The last time he was serious about anything, it was his ex-girlfriend, and their relationship had ended badly, to put it mildly. She hoped this wouldn''t end similarly.


    "How long ago had Neel shown up at your village last?"


    "Three months ago."


    So, whatever prompted that change in him occurred between those three months.


    "Meera, but why this interest in the Champion?" Oril asked. "I understand he is famous, but you''re not a bounty hunter or something, are you?"


    "I''m his¡ªwait, did you say, bounty hunter?"


    He nodded. "We''ve got a couple of those in the past few weeks. The king has put a bounty on his head."


    "Dead or alive?" Meera asked, trying her best to keep her voice steady.


    "Only alive. Everyone knows the seriousness of the situation. However, some refute his claim as the Champion despite the obvious truth. Some fanatics, like the cult of Aetheron, wish to kill him, so he cannot complete his part in the prophecy."


    "That is¡­" She was about to say idiotic, but she had seen a political divide among the masses back home. Even things that would be for the betterment of all were seen as negative by some people. So, of course, there were people here who would welcome the advent of the planet''s rings¡ªwhich were clearly not a dragon.


    "Yes?" Oril raised an eyebrow.


    "Sorry, I got lost in thought. I was going to say that is¡­I don''t know. People are weird." She let it go. "Can you show me to Niryn''s home?"


    "If it still stands."


    Oril led the way, and she followed him out of the healer''s meager hut.

 Chapter 29 - Champion Has Traveled Everywhere

    Meera stood before the still surprisingly intact hut of Neel¡¯s friend. It was a small hut. Smaller than the healer¡¯s hut with a half-burnt thatched roof. There was a body lying on the steps leading to the door.


    Meera gagged when she saw the condition of the poor man. His right arm was missing, as were his eyes, and his tongue looked like it had been ripped out of his mouth. His guts were hanging out and looked like they had been chewed upon. There was blood everywhere. This was perhaps the only body that was not burned.


    Almost as if he was left as an example.


    ¡°That was Niryn,¡± Oril said sadly with downcast eyes. ¡°He was a good lad. Had a bit of a land. Was set to marry Faeli from Belacre. They had a love as fierce as the summer sun. The poor girl will be devastated when she learns of this.¡±


    It somehow brought tears to Meera¡¯s eyes. Not because she had some fianc¨¦ waiting for her back on earth but because this could have been her brother.


    ¡°Did he ever tell you what Neel was doing here?¡± Meera asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, the lad was always mum about the month the Champion stayed with him. Wouldn¡¯t tell anyone¡ªnot even Faeli. She is-was good friends with the headman¡¯s daughter, and that girl liked to talk. She couldn¡¯t stomach one little thing. The worse braggart I¡¯ve ever seen. Alas, she will talk no more, and it¡­¡±


    The poor man sobbed and was about to break down but controlled himself.


    ¡°Why did they do this to him?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°Rothedon and his Voidborn, more commonly known as the Charred Riders,¡± Oril said.


    She didn¡¯t need to know why they were called the Charred Riders after having seen their armor.


    Oril went on. ¡°They were not seen in over a hundred years, but then, with the arrival of the Champion, they¡¯ve returned. That is why poor Niryn suffered such a painful death. They had somehow learned that Neel stayed in this village for a time, and so they took apart the villagers one by one until they divulged Niryn¡¯s name. Then what those bastards did to him, I did not have the heart to watch. He screamed at first, then whimpered towards the end.¡±


    Meera placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort the man. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. In your situation, I would have done the same thing.¡±


    Oril nodded sadly, said nothing, and wiped the budding tears from his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for showing me the way. I¡¯ve got it from here,¡± Meera said. She didn¡¯t know how long he could control himself, and it was best she did this alone.


    ¡°Wait, you still haven¡¯t told me who you are?¡± Oril eyed her suspiciously.


    ¡°I am looking for the Champion, that much is true, but not because I am a bounty hunter. I am his sister.¡±


    Oril¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You cannot be serious?¡±


    Meera smiled. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s the truth. Now, I have some investigating to do, and you can return home and prepare to head to¡­Belacre, I guess. Seeing as how the neighboring villagers should be there still, you can spread the news and tell them to be careful.¡±


    Oril nodded, staring intently at her. In any other situation, she would¡¯ve considered it rude. ¡°Okay, bye now.¡±


    ¡°L-Let me help you look. I might know things that you may overlook.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Sure. Two sets of eyes are better than one.¡±


    Meera led the way in, ensuring not to step on the blood slathered all over the steps. The inside of the house was ransacked. All the furniture was turned over. The two chairs had been smashed against the wall. The wooden closet had a missing door, and all the clothes were littered everywhere. Most of them were dirty and stepped on. There was a half-wall which held a kitchen beyond. All the pots and pans were smashed, and his grain spilled to the ground.


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    In other words, it took them a total of two minutes to realize there was nothing in here that would point Meera a way to Neel. The Voidborn had destroyed everything she could have used or taken anything useful for themselves. But there is one thing for certain they did not gain anything of use, for Rothedon did not know where to find Neel. That had cost Meera her eyes, but at least she knew they hadn¡¯t gained much from this endeavor.


    ¡°Looks like they found nothing,¡± Oril stated the obvious.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Meera was elsewhere. Her thoughts were with her brother. Neel, what sort of a mess have you gotten yourself into? She hoped and prayed that her brother was still alive and had not fallen into the hands of vicious bastards like this Rothedon.


    Oril placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your brother. The Champion is not meant to die by the hands of a common man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a common man that chases my brother. You said so yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but compared to Aetheron, he might as well be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely helping.¡±


    Oril snorted a little. ¡°Yes, I suppose not. But in a situation like this, it should. Besides, the Champion wined and dined with the best of them before coming here, and if he survived that pack of vultures, then I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll survive whatever is coming his way. After all, when things get tough, he can just teleport away. It¡¯s an awesome power. You have to see it to believe it.¡±


    Meera nodded and took a look around. ¡°Well, let me take all this food, which will just go to waste now.¡±


    Oril just shrugged and stepped aside. Meera got to work and packed any fruit that wasn¡¯t stepped on or rotten. Same with any bread. She even took some vegetables as well. Oril helped as well. As she was about to leave the kitchen, something creaked underfoot, and she felt the floorboard shake a little.


    She was about to disregard it, but then she remembered the cellar that Oril had. She set her bag down and pulled the rug out of the way. It was heavy but manageable. There it was, a latch of a trap door.


    ¡°Oril, I think I found something,¡± she called.


    The healer came running. His eyes widened. ¡°I never knew Niryn had a cellar.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    Together they opened the door to the cellar, and underneath was a dark basement with a ladder that led the way down. Oril pulled a torch off the wall and quickly lit it. Meera hovered the torch over the cellar, and she couldn¡¯t see anything moving down there nor hear anything with NImble Ears.


    Finally, she decided it was safe to go down there. She went down the cellar first, and unlike Oril¡¯s, this one was relatively spacious. It had a bed for a single person, a table, a chair, and a singular thick tome on the table.


    She thought of trying something. She walked over to the bed, activated Tracking Scent, and breathed in deep, and there it was. The bed smelled unmistakably like her baby brother. It was hard to describe, but he always smelled of a citrusy smell, though most of it was covered by body odor and pungent clothes. It was funny, but her nose was sharp enough now that she could even ¡®see¡¯ where he walked and how he traveled up the ladder. It was good that her eyes were shut, or she would have leaked a tear.


    She made the right call to keep this skill and eliminate Night Vision. She shut off her Tracking Scent and went to the tome.


    ¡°By the light of Mirithia, I never knew Niryn had anything of this sort in the house,¡± Oril exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, and it is good for us that neither did the Voidbornes. Come, let¡¯s check out the book.¡±


    The book was more like a diary. Each page had a date and what Niryn did that day. Some pages also held the account of his trades. How many coins were spent and gained? She asked for the date of Neel¡¯s departure from the village. Meera flipped to that page and found it¡­missing.


    Not just that page, but the entirety of the month of Neel¡¯s stay was gone. Niryn or Neel himself had ripped the pages out. It was, of course, to keep Neel¡¯s movement a secret, but this was her best chance to find out where he had gone. Her grip tightened on the book, and she tossed it into the far wall with a frustrated shriek.


    ¡°Calm, Meera,¡± Oril said.


    ¡°What is there to be calm about? This was my best chance to find out where he¡¯s gone, and they ripped the fucking pages out.¡±


    Meera fell onto the bed with her head in her hands. Why Neel? Why are you so infuriating sometimes? Every time I think, I¡¯ve found you, you¡¯ve done something to make sure, I¡¯ve been an idiot, chasing my own tail.


    Oril set the book on the table again and reviewed the diary. Meera shook her head. It was pointless to check those pages unless he wanted to learn how much grain Niryn had sold or how much cooking oil he had purchased.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Oril reread something. His eyes skimmed through the page. ¡°Oh no¡­Meera, come here.¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± She shot up from the bed and was by his side in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Here.¡± He pointed to a line towards the end of the written pages. ¡°Read here.¡±


    I hope my friend finds a Reflectora, but the only two places, he has any chance of finding it is with the Shadowsteel Warlord or the Sorceresses of Akhessai. Though I hope he has more luck elsewhere, but the Warlocks of Winter¡¯s Embrace are not any less dangerous. Wherever you are, please be safe, my friend.¡­ I must remember to burn this page later¡­


    It was the third last entry in the journal. There were no more entries after that. Thanks to Meera¡¯s luck, Niryn never got around to destroying this page.


    She looked to the old healer. ¡°I know of the Sorceresses, but who are these other two people or peoples that Niryn mentioned.¡±


    Oril looked like he had seen a ghost. He shook his head lightly. ¡°If he¡¯s going to any of the three people mentioned here. Your brother might already be dead.¡±

 Chapter 30 – A Dangerous Trio

    "What do you mean, he might already be dead? Oril, who are these people?" Meera asked again. His words had made it uncomfortably chilly in here.


    "These people that he is supposedly going to meet are people you only go to when you''ve exhausted all other means. And I do mean all other means. I can''t think of a more dangerous trio in all the worlds."


    Meera gulped. "You''re not making this any easier to bear."


    "Because I want you to understand the seriousness of the situation. Since your brother has gone to seek out these individuals, I presume you will as well. These people are not to be trifled unless you don''t value your life. I am nothing but a lowly villager on the ass end of the world, but even I know there are some people you avoid at all costs."


    She waited for him to continue. Silas and Cossus had warned her about the Sorceresses of Akhessai and said they were to be avoided at all costs, and now she had no option but to go to them. Not to mention two other equally dangerous people.


    Oril continued. "Narikas, the Shadowsteel Warlord, is, as the name suggests, a Warlord and a malicious one. His crimes would be too many to list in this diary. He has some dark, nefarious powers that have the populace scared. I heard one time he slaughtered an enemy''s forces so devastatingly that the river ran red for days. Some even say he has the power to steal others'' souls and take them into his blade, thus enhancing his own dark powers. Kings surrender when they find out he''s coming to fight them, hoping he takes mercy on them."


    "Does he?"


    "What do you think?" Oril shook his head. "He''s left carnage like this village in many places that in some corners of Rhione, his name is more feared than even Rothedon''s."


    "Which king does he serve?"


    "King Rokibor the Great."


    "Someone called the Great has such a man under his employ?"


    "He has to, Narikas is King Rokibor''s younger brother, but they''re both equally mad if you ask me. The Great is a title Rokibor gave himself as he didn''t want to feel inferior to his father, who was actually great, and the populace loved him. These two, however, are just hell-bent on conquering every speck of land they can get their hands on."


    "Trying to match the Varshan Empire, are they?" Meera said, to appear like she knew of the lands'' politics.


    Oril stared at her a moment. "If I didn''t believe you to be Neel''s sister, I would have figured you to be a Varshan, and they are not seen kindly in any world aside from Ealisto. But one word of advice, don''t even mention Varsha in Rokibor''s lands, not even as a joke. Coming from you, it''ll seem like a threat."


    "I understand. Where will I find Rokibor''s kingdom and this Shadowsteel Warlord?"


    "The kingdom of Azeria lies to the west of us, like everything else. As to where exactly Narikas'' lair is, you will have to find that out once you get there."


    There were a lot of names she had to remember, so she flipped to the last page of the journal and made quick notes with the feathered quill and ink. She had seen it done in movies, but using it herself was pretty annoying. But still, she got the work done.


    "Okay, the next people I need to know about are these Sorceresses," Meera said. "From the name, I can tell they are in Akhessai, but where is that?"


    "On Gethys," Oril said. "That is all I know. You''ll have to find out where they are once you get to Gethys. Your best shot will be to try the city of Drurith. It''s the biggest city in all the worlds, even greater than the capital of Varsha, and that''s saying something."


    "Get to Drurith and find out about Akhessai." She made a note on her parchment.


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    "Of course, you can find out about them elsewhere in your travels. I''m sure some people can inform you about all these much better than I can."


    Meera smiled. "But still, I''ll take all the help I can get. Lastly, these Warlocks, do you know anything about them?"


    Oril shook his head. "I''m sorry, that is the only name I do not recognize, but given it says¡ªof Winter''s Embrace. I will bet all I''ve left that it is somewhere in the wintery hell called Ealisto if it is indeed on Ealisto. Make sure you use your Varshan looks. They might come in handy."


    They had talked about the places and the people but not about what Neel was looking for. "You wouldn''t happen to know what a Reflectora is, would you?" She asked hesitantly, knowing what the answer was going to be.


    "I do not. That''s the first time I''m hearing of such a thing. Sorry, that''s about all the help I can offer."


    "You''ve helped plenty. Thank you. I wish I had some way to repay you."


    He smiled and patted her shoulder. "You''ve already saved my life, I cannot ask more of you. Just when I thought those monsters would eat me, you came like a Hero of the gods and saved my life. I will tell all that will hear of Meera, the champion''s sister."


    "Uh, actually, could you not, please," Meera said. "The less people that know about me, the easier I will be able to find my brother. I already made the mistake of blabbing my mouth to the people in Belacre. I don''t want to make the same mistake again."


    "Then your secret is safe with me," Oril replied.


    "Also, can you not mention the places Neel might have gone to? As you know, his life is in danger, and it could be fatal if the wrong people get wind of this."


    "That secret will go with me to the grave."


    "Thank you."


    "Now then, I will take my leave and head for the protection of city walls after informing Belacre of what happened here." He smiled once more and headed up the ladder and was gone.


    Meera looked around some more, and there was nothing else of note in the room. She did find a drawer that had various maps of the three worlds. She rummaged through them and found one that said East Rhione. She found Belacre and Ebonton and traced a path west to what looked like a city called Harkim. From there, roads lead to Stagford and Rockholde and a few cities to the north, but nothing west.


    Maybe I can get better maps in the Harkim and a gateway mirror to either city, Azeria, Gethys, or Ealisto. Silas had told her that most major cities had Gateway Mirrors to the other worlds. But then it clicked. She couldn''t use the mirrors to travel to Azeria as she had not touched a mirror in that realm.


    She groaned. What kind of system is this? It lets you travel to another world without touching the mirror but not another city in the same world.


    She checked the other maps but found no places mentioned Winter''s Embrace or Akhessai, but she did find Drurith. Either the illustrator took some artistic liberties when painting this city on the map, or it really was the biggest city in all the worlds. Its marker was huge compared to the other cities, which were nothing but basic dots or a collection of miniature buildings. But Drurith was more than just a collection of buildings. It also had a dragon resting on top of the clouds.


    Suddenly her desire to visit this city peaked. To the point, she wished Harkim had a Gateway mirror to Gethys and specifically to Drurith. After all, it couldn''t hurt to take a look.


    She stuffed all the maps in her bag and activated Tracking Scent again, breathed in deeply, and smiled when Neel''s scent finally reached her. She followed it up the stairs and out of the house, where she lost it, as it was replaced by the overpowering smell of blood from Niryn''s body.


    She sat on her haunches. "Thank you for helping my brother. I cannot do anything for you in return, but I can do this."


    She activated Fireplosion. She had hardly recovered any Mana, so she wasn''t expecting overly dramatic, but she was so wrong.


    Meera exploded like a bomb. Fire and destruction shot out of her, eradicating Niryn''s body. Only a blackened silhouette of where he lay was left, and without meaning to, she also set his house ablaze.


    Sorry, Niryn. She cringed as she made the mental apology. Behind her, his house or whatever remained crashed in on itself.


    She heard a couple of notification bells. She frowned and checked them quickly.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tracking Scent has reached Level 2]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 2]


    Oril came running down the street. "What happened? Are they back?"


    "No, they''re not back. One of my skills ended up being more powerful than I thought."


    The healer sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Mirithia. I thought we were done for."


    She stepped away from the burning house, said goodbye to Oril again, and moved for the main road briskly before Oril asked her about Niryn''s missing body.


    Note to self, do not light people''s pyres with Fireplosion.


    She reached the main road and touched the Gateway Mirror of Ebonton, which surprisingly stood unscathed in the village of the dead. It gave her pause as she wondered about the strength of these mirrors. But she put that thought behind her as that was not important at the moment.


    Just wait, Neel. I''m coming.

 Chapter 31 – Frainds Inn Junction

    "Fraind''s Inn Junction?" Meera cocked her head to the side as she stared at the wrong spellings of the inn. She was also sure that it should''ve been Friends Junction Inn, unless it was a Junction of owners of friendly inns, or it could even be a chain of Fraind''s Inns, and this was their Junction point. After much thought, she concluded that the spelling was wrong.


    The building was the biggest in the collection of wooden huts that wasn''t even a village as it was not on her map, but her map could be wrong or dated. It was like all the six houses in this village. Wooden log houses with windows and a stone chimney. It was quite a view or would have been quite a view if she hadn''t already gotten so used to the countryside. It had been two days of following the road out of Ebonton, and she had seen enough countryside to last her a lifetime.


    She drew a deep breath and moved for the inn. She pushed the wooden door open, which opened with a creak, and inside, the place was jam-packed. She always figured it would be like a scene in the movies where she would open the door and all conversation would stop, but here, people were shouting over each other to be heard.


    Most of them were men, with few burly women among them. They sat on wooden tables and downed tankards of frothy beers. There was a lot of food on each table. A couple of serving girls were carrying orders to the tables and swinging between the rowdy customers to avoid overturning the contents of their trays. It was quite impressive.


    I wonder if I can steal that skill¡­


    To Meera''s right was a band singing some tunes loudly while drunken men and women danced. On the other side of the inn came grunts and hollers of excitement. She had to stand on her tiptoes to see a brawl in a circle of people.


    "What sort of place have I wandered into?"


    "The best kind, missy," said a drunken fellow with whitish blond hair in a braid, as was his filthy beard.


    Through the chaos of this party or whatever it was, she found the bar where the barkeep, an equally crazed-looking fellow, was taking orders from three people simultaneously. The serving girls were coming back to him to pick up orders and deposit coins.


    She plunged into the crowd of smelly people and headed to the bar. After some close calls of having beer spilled on her only clothes, she finally reached the bar. There was a wall of people trying to get the barkeep''s attention.


    She deflated and made her way away from the wall. She found a quiet corner and was about to slunk down when the table beside her opened. She lunged for it and finally found a seat. It didn''t take her long to wave down one of the server girls.


    "What can I get you, dear?"


    "Just a beer and whatever you have cooking."


    "Sure thing."


    She was about to move off when Meera grabbed her wrist. "Wait!" The server turned with a frown. "What''s the party for?"


    She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn''t believe it if I told you." A drunken man hollered as he stumbled behind the waitress. "This here is a logging outpost, and these fools are loggers. A supposed monster has recently occupied the woods, stopping all the work."


    "And they''re enjoying themselves because they''re out of work?"


    The server snorted. "This is their first day off since they came here. Their master works them like a slave. They toil from dawn till dusk. So, the day the monster took their master, they''re like this."


    Meera gasped. "The man''s dead?"


    "The last they heard were his screams, and no one is willing to enter the woods after that, especially not to look for that crafty little shit. Don''t worry about him, love. That man is not worth your worry."


    Meera nodded her thanks, and away the server went to fulfill the orders while dodging drunken patrons. It wasn''t long before she returned with her food and drink. Meera had just touched her beer to her lips when the door to the inn crashed open.


    This time, everyone did fall silent. Even the brawlers stopped fighting to look. Meera had to stand on her tiptoes again to see three buff men in armor saunter in. Everyone shuffled back to make way for them.


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    They all wore a dark-brownish uniform under their steel armor. Their breastplate was rounded, making it look like they all had considerable paunches. Even though she hated to use the word to describe someone as such, they were ugly. The first had a bushy brow, a massive bald patch, and scars on his forehead. The second had warts all over his nose, making it seem twice its size, and rotten, yellow teeth. The third was a bony man with an eye patch.


    They walked in as if they owned the place. All the frainds had fallen silent. The only sound was the clink of their boots and armor.


    Meera quickly used Identify on all three.


    The bushy brow was [Soldier ¨C Level ??]


    The eye-patch was a [Warrior ¨C Level 59]


    And lastly, rotten teeth was a [Brawler ¨C Level 54]


    The fact that she could not see the soldier''s level meant he was greater than sixty, but just how greater, she could not know. He could very well be level 100, and she would have no way of knowing. She hated how slowly the Identify skill leveled up compared to the others.


    "Why did you stop the merrymaking, eh?" Barked the one in the lead with the bushy brows. "Don''t think I don''t know you lot are celebrating your master''s demise."


    There was no reply from the lumberjacks. Heads turned to the ground. No one wanted to look the soldiers in the eye.


    "Their employer goes missing, and they''re throwing a ball," said the one with rotten teeth.


    "Doesn''t seem right," said the last, sucking on his teeth and shaking his head. "Doesn''t seem right at all."


    Bushy Brows pushed his way to the barkeep and thrust some pieces of paper on the table. "Post these all over the settlement. So, we can find out who among you axed your master."


    Meera figured these were the local bullies turned guardsmen and were trying to push their weight around. She wanted nothing to do with them, but Bushy Brows saw her, and his eyes widened.


    He drew in a sharp breath. "And you are so drunk that you''ve got a Varshan in your mix, and you don''t even know it."


    For the thousandth time, I''m not Varshan! Meera wanted to scream, but something told her it was best to be meek.


    There were some gasps and turning of heads her way. Most talked in hushed whispers as they misjudged her to be something she was not. She had figured that as she moved about in the world and reached bigger settlements, people would care less for Varshans, but considering their looks, she was wrong. If anything, the looks thrown her way were worse.


    "I''m not a Varshan," Meera said. "And please, I don''t want any trouble. I''m just a weary traveler stopping by for a meal."


    "Don''t think you can fool me," said Eye Patch. "I may have only one eye, but I still see good enough to recognize you lot."


    "She''s probably a spy sent to infiltrate our lands," Rotten Teeth said.


    Bushy brows stepped toward her. His heavy boots caused a loud boom in the silent room. Meera quickly slipped a chakram in her hand and moved it behind her back to not be seen by the potential enemy.


    "I''m not a spy or anything of the sort for any nation," Meera clarified.


    "Oh," Bushy Brows'' brow went up. "Then what are you?"


    ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m¡­¡±


    "Yes¡­"


    Meera decided on telling the truth or a version of the truth that these people would believe. "I''m not a spy nor anything remotely like that, but I am willing to buy a round for you and your men."


    Both his brows went up this time. "Never saw a Varshan willing to part with their coin so easily. Fine, but a drink won''t do. My men and I are parched from patrolling the woods, keeping you lot safe. What do you say, boys?"


    "A bottle would set me nicely," said Rotten Teeth.


    "Yes, a bottle."


    "Sure. Barkeep, please give them three bottles of your finest ale," Meera said, hoping she had enough money to buy the bottles.


    The barkeep hurriedly pulled out three bottles from behind the counter and ran to give them to the soldiers. They gave him a mean stare as they snatched the bottles from his hand. Rotten teeth pulled the cork with his teeth and took a hefty swig.


    "Ahh!" He exclaimed. "This really is the good stuff."


    Bushy brows examined his bottle and turned to Meera and laughed. "Thanks, Varshan, and don''t go causing any trouble, or even a barrel of ale won''t save you from us."


    With that, the three laughed, pushed people out of the way for no reason, and left the inn. There was a collective sigh of relief. One or two looked out the window as they followed the soldiers'' movements, hoping they wouldn''t return.


    "Okay, they''ve left the settlement!" One man announced to the cheers of everyone in the inn. Even the barkeep was hopping up and down, reminding her of one of the crazed Nightcrawler monkeys.


    "Thank you, sweetheart," said one of the serving girls who had appeared next to her table.


    "Yes, thank you, Varshan," said another bald, drunken lumberjack.


    The rest of the room took up his cry of thanks until the band sang her praises. It all felt a little too much, but she was happy that it hadn''t dissolved into fighting as she was not prepared to take on people that many levels higher than her.


    Soon, the drunk people started doing what most drunken people did. They started talking about other things, and Meera refocused on her food. Now that she didn''t have people coming to her to offer their thanks and clink their mugs with hers.


    Just as she had finished, the barkeep came to her. "Enjoy the food?"


    "Yes, it was delicious." It was actually quite bland. The most seasoning he had done was salt and pepper, which made Meera wonder if they did not have spices in this land.


    "Good. Then I guess it''s time you settle the bill."


    "Okay. How much do I owe you?" Meera sounded calm, but on the inside, she dreaded the number and hoped she had enough silver coins to cover the expense.


    The barkeep rubbed his chin and looked to be doing a mental calculation. "Since you ensured those assholes did not cause trouble, I''ll throw in a discount." He winked. "You owe only a hundred and nine silvers."


    Meera hung her head as that was most of her coins.

 Chapter 32 – Five Gold For Missing Person

    Meera woke to the rooster''s crows. She yawned and noticed it was mostly dark, and Mirithia shone brightly in the sky, though the eastern sky was glowing brighter. She had fallen asleep behind the inn. She moved her neck, which was stiff¡ªanother thing she had yet to get used to.


    She remembered there was a tiny well on the other side of the inn. She could wash up there. Washing up meant rinsing out her mouth and washing her face. Three days since her last bath, and she reeked.


    She made her way to the settlement''s well. It was only three feet wide at most, just enough that a person could throw a bucket in.


    Luckily, there was no one there at this early hour. So, Meera took the bucket and tossed it in the well. She didn''t realize how much strength she needed to get a full bucket out. She almost activated Primal Power but feared she might break the pulley. So, she trudged along as best as she could.


    "You''re up bright and early," said a woman behind Meera, making her jump and nearly drop the bucket.


    Meera took a few calming breaths as she held on to the rope.


    "Sorry, I should have announced myself." It was the girl who had served her the last night.


    "It''s okay," Meera replied. "I was just lost in thought, I guess."


    Nimble Ears could have really helped now.


    "I thought you had drifted off in the night," the girl said. She was about Meera''s age, if not a little younger.


    "I''m sorry, I never got your name last night," Meera asked.


    "It''s Sirala and yours?"


    "Nice to meet you, Sirala. I''m Meera."


    "So, how are¡ª"


    But Sirala could never finish her question as she was interrupted by a loud banging noise. Meera tilted her head to get a look around Sirala''s head. It was the barkeep hammering a parchment into the wall with a nail. He had several other pieces of paper tucked under his arm.


    "What is that?" Meera pondered.


    "Oh, that''s the posters those soldiers left with my Da last night."


    "What''re they about?"


    "It''s an award poster for information on the missing master''s whereabouts. Say, are you an adventurer of sorts?"


    "Of sorts."


    "You should go check it out. The award money is five gold coins."


    "Is that a lot?"


    Sirala laughed. "Are you really a Varshan? Five gold coins are worth five hundred silver coins or a¡­ or a lot of copper coins."


    "Got it," Meera finished for her. She was strapped for cash after last night''s extravagant purchase. "I''ll have to take a look at that poster right after I wash up and get changed. You wouldn''t have a women''s bathhouse in this small settlement, would you?"


    Sirala smiled. "I''ll do you one better. Come. Follow me."


    Meera followed the girl to her home, where she let her use their washroom. It was small and cramped, but it was leagues better than changing outside with the chance of someone peeping in on her. Not to mention, she even got to take a bath, albeit with the icy cold water of the well. Meera changed, said her thanks, and left.


    She arrived at the post near the well, and now that she had a good look around, the barkeep had plastered the posters to every wall or standing structure in the settlement.


    The poster had a sketch of the ''master'' whose name was Gidran Carleth. It said missing in bold letters, and any who provided information about his whereabouts would be awarded five gold coins, just like Sirala had said. Meera took a poster off the wall and kept it for safekeeping. After all, she needed proof so Gidran''s family wouldn''t back off from the prize.


    She looked about and headed for the lumberjack barracks as to who better to point out where they last saw their master.


    <hr>


    Meera activated Nimble Ears and Eagle Eye. Nimble Ears were more for her protection. She didn''t want anyone getting the jump on her. The forest came alive to her senses. She heard the chittering of squirrels in the trees and the padding of feet as a heavy animal ran after something. She didn''t know how far this animal was, but it was moving away. So, she had nothing to worry about.


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    With that out of the way, she focused on her task. She was at the site where the loggers were working last. A lot of the trees had been cut, leaving only stumps behind. It saddened her to see this, but this was the cost of civilization.


    The loggers said they lost him closer to the edge of the woods.


    She walked through the stumps and, after some time, arrived at the edge of the logging site. That was she saw her first sign of blood. It was dried blood that had turned a dark brown. She bent down, pulled off the grass leaves, activated Tracking Scent, and took a good long sniff. It was hard at first, and she had to look around a few times, but like a bloodhound, she got the scent.


    I hope this is Gidran''s blood.


    The scent pointed the way, and Meera followed. She took nearly five steps and found her next drip of blood. She took a whiff of that, and it was the same blood as before. This made the smell she was following stronger, so she shot off down the way it pointed. A few steps later, she found her next drops of blood. It went like this for a while until the forest grew thick around her and began to get dark, not just because of the foliage around her but also because the afternoon quickly became evening.


    Eagle Eyes helped her see well enough, so she wasn''t worried about the darkness, as long as it didn''t get cloudy, which it tended to do on a lot of nights on this moon.


    She took a deep breath to get her next heading when she heard a notification bell. She frowned and took a quick look.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tracking Scent has reached Level 3]


    She smiled at how easy it was to level this skill. Pretty soon, she could have it high enough that she might not even need to wait for the next clue. One whiff and off she went, if that was how the skill worked.


    "AAAAAAAHHH!"


    Meera flinched when she heard the faraway scream, thanks to Nimble Ears. She turned her head in that direction.


    "Let me go! Please!" It was a woman''s voice.


    Meera almost moved in that direction but paused and looked down at the blood on the ground. If I leave now, it might be hard to find this trail again.


    "Help! Someone help. Please!"


    Meera groaned. If I found it the first time, I could find it again. That woman sounds like she needs help urgently.


    She took off in the direction of the screams. When she was close, she paused and looked up at the foliage. It was thick enough for her Tree Walker to help her navigate up on the treetops. She climbed up a tree all the while the poor girl screamed, who sounded familiar.


    Once up top, Tree Walker and her dexterity did their thing, and she ran on the thick branches. Hopping from tree to tree using the branches. She was reminded of her time with Silas and Cossus when she mostly ran away from monkeys.


    Thanks to Eagle Eyes, she saw the girl and what trouble she was in from far away, and it made her pause. The girl was Sirala, which was why she sounded familiar. There was a claw mark on her forehead, which bled profusely. But the worst part was what was carrying her away. It was a shadow monster.


    That was the best Meera could describe it. Its body was made of black shadows, and its eyes glowed a fearsome red. It had to be about the average height of a man, but it was built stoutly with a broad chest. Other than that, there were no other features Meera could note, as it was covered in shadows.


    She quickly used Identify.


    [Umbraclaw Brawler ¨C Level 54]


    Meera''s eyes widened at that thing''s level. She had never killed anything that high-leveled, aside from the Alpha Ape, but then Silas had done most of the work. She almost decided to turn around, but Sirala''s screams stopped her feet. If for nothing else, the girl had been nice enough to take Meera to a bathroom.


    She took off after the Umbraclaw Brawler, keeping to the treetops and running as slowly as possible. She didn''t know what kind of hearing the thing possessed. Meera hoped that Sirala''s screams kept it occupied.


    As she got closer, she slowed down and checked her surroundings. There was nothing like a cave or anything of the sort in sight. Nothing that looked like the creature''s lair. Meera also grew suspicious that it was the same thing that had taken Gidran.


    Once, she was a few trees away from the beast and Sirala. She activated Ambush Tactics as there was no way she could take this thing head-to-head. She had to assassinate it or set a trap.


    Ambush Tactics gave a straightforward solution to dealing with the shadow monster¡ªhitting it with her chakrams from up above in quick succession.


    The only problem was Sirala, who was not making it easy for the monster as she thrashed around so much that Meera feared she might accidentally lop off one of the limbs.


    Meera had no option, for if the monster saw, it would be over for her. She could not face the thing head-on. So, she got as close as she dared and pulled all her chakrams off her wrists. It was good that Sirala was on the other side of the Umbraclaw''s head. Meera aimed at the Umbraclaw''s neck and focused on it alone like Silas had taught her.


    She shot the chakrams at the monster in quick succession. Each one found its mark. The monster dropped Sirala after the first hit, shrieking in pain. She recalled each chakram as soon as it hit, so she never ran out of ammunition.


    The monster shrieked as it rolled around, trying to find the source of these death frisbees. But by the sixth one, he was done. Meera had severed half its neck by then. Then just as it was about to get its chakram in the neck. The thing disappeared in smoke.


    Meera paused for a moment and then sighed in relief. I must''ve killed it.


    "Meera?" Sirala was frowning at her. "Did you kill it?"


    "I think so, though I am a little worried it didn''t leave a corpse behind."


    "Should it have?"


    Meera shrugged and jumped down, landing on a knee. "It was made of shadow, so it must''ve just turned into a shadow. After all, who knows¡ª"


    Meera never got to finish her thought for two reasons. The first, she heard a notification bell, and the second, two more shadow monsters materialized out of the ground. Despite her terror, she Identify''d them.


    [Umbraclaw Warrior ¨C Level 59]


    [Umbraclaw Soldier ¨C Level ??]


    Sirala shrieked at the sight while Meera could do nothing but stare.

 Chapter 33 – Youre Those Pricks

    It was a testament to all the dangers Meera had been in so far that she didn''t immediately piss her pants. The two shadow monsters stared down at her. Sirala moved behind her as she whimpered. Meera should have been scared but was more concerned that Nimble Ears had failed her. They were her safety measures. They were supposed to inform her of any coming dangers. Dangers like the two shadows towering over them.


    "Let the girl go," Meera said. "I''m the one you want." She didn''t know where those words came from as she wanted to say the opposite.


    "Fine," said the Soldier, whose level Meera could not read. His response was a surprise as, one, she expected the monster to give her grief, and two, she didn''t think they could talk.


    "Sirala, run. I''ll follow as soon as I''m able."


    "O-Okay," Sirala said, hugging Meera''s back. "T-Thank you."


    Then the barkeeper''s daughter took careful steps back. Meera didn''t need to see. Nimble Ears told her everything she needed to hear. Then when she was a few feet, she broke off into a run. She expected the monsters to charge Sirala. Meera gripped her chakram and got in position to attack if they did.


    "Now, come with us, Varshan," said the Soldier.


    Meera frowned slightly at being called Varshan by a monster. "Sorry, not going to come that easy."


    She used her most deadly combo, Primal Power and Monkey Fist, and lunged for the Soldier. But before her chakram could connect, he vanished into smoke again. Meera looked around and leaped for the second one¡ªthe Warrior- but he was also gone. As she turned around, a heavy fist laid her flat on the ground, taking a chunk of her health. Her jaw felt like it was broken or dislocated. She quickly checked once the world stopped spinning.


    Then a cold hand gripped her arm, and the next thing she knew was in a dark room, with chains around her wrists, tying her to the wall, and her bag was gone. Meera quickly looked around, and she was in a stone room with a low ceiling that the Umbraclaws had to duck to stand in.


    Then Meera screamed.


    Beside her was a half-eaten corpse that smelled so vile that the smell alone made her gag. The most horrid part was she knew it to be Gidran, thanks to her Tracking Scent. She quickly shut it off, but it was too late. She threw up on a pile of bones.


    Meera tried to back away from the bones but couldn''t, with her back to the wall. The two monsters laughed, only they weren''t monsters but men dressed in soldier''s garbs.


    Meera''s eyes widened. "You''re those soldiers from last night."


    "You''ve got some powers of observation," said the Soldier.


    "Well, nothing less can be expected from a Varshan spy," said his Warrior brethren.


    "You''re monsters?"


    "That''s right," said the Soldier. "Though we like to call ourselves simply Umbraclaws. My name is Haez, and this is my brother Vath, and the one you killed was our brother Dirr."


    "And you''re going to pay dearly for that, Varshan," said Vath, the Warrior.


    "Oh, that''s right," said Haez. "You see, we Umbraclaws can feast on our prey for days, prolonging their suffering, and you¡­you are going to be in so much pain that you will be begging for death by the end."


    He came closer and closer, and Meera leaned away from him.


    "Get away from me!" Meera yelled.


    "Relax, sweetie. I''m only getting a taste." His finger turned shadowy at the end of which was a sharp, curved claw. With a quick flash of his finger, he ripped Meera''s cheek open. She cried out, and her hand shot out to her cheek, only to be stopped by the chains.


    Haez chuckled and took a whiff of her blood, and sighed contentedly. Then he licked the blood off her cheek. "This is the stuff. Never knew a Varshan to taste so sweet."


    "Step aside. Let me have a taste as well."


    Haez moved aside, and Vath quickly lunged for her as if to kiss her, but he sucked at her cheek. Meera almost threw up again from his rancid breath, but she held it down this time. When the monsters in human form were done having a taste of her blood, they moved for the exit.


    "Enjoy your time off. We''ll see you at dinner." Haez chuckled as he picked up her bag off the ground and left with his brother.


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    Meera activated Vitalize immediately and sealed the cut on her cheek, hoping it didn''t get infected by the monster''s spit. She couldn''t see or feel her cheek but knew her cheek had sealed when Vitalize stopped using her Mana.


    With her initial shock wearing off, she looked around the room again. This time a little more carefully. She was disappointed as she hadn''t missed much the first time. This must''ve been the room that they kept their ''meals'' in, as the floor was littered with human bones and nothing else. There were two other chains on the opposite wall, which were empty.


    She had to get out of here, but she had no way of getting her chakrams to her hands, and even if she did, she had no way of knowing if they could cut through steel chains. So, she sat there for a long time, trying to figure out how to escape these chains.


    With a start, she remembered that she had killed one of them, which meant a skill awaited her. She grinned as she pulled up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed an Umbraclaw Brawler ¨C Level 54. For killing an enemy twenty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 31. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 32. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 21. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 23% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 11]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 8]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shadow Step. Shadow Step ¨C Type: Active. You can instantaneously teleport short distances through shadows, allowing you to move swiftly, unpredictably, evading enemies or closing in for a surprise attack. Mana cost will depend on distance. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera would have to be raving mad not to accept this skill. She figured this was how Haez and Vath got away from her when she was attacking them. This would be a deadly skill to have. As she accepted the skill, she got a familiar message putting a damper on her excitement.


    [You do not have any open skill slots. Please decide which skill you would like to forgo to make room for this skill.]


    Meera sighed and rolled her eyes. She hated how she could only earn ten skills at most, and she knew she couldn''t have been the only one who thought so. She pulled up her skills, and her first thought was to get rid of Eyes of Your Kin, but she paused. This skill could help her spy on Neel''s enemy, but the cost of it was losing her eyes, and she needed more Mana to regrow them by herself. Last time, she had gotten lucky by having a healer nearby who could regrow organs. Even then, it might have been touch and go there.


    There was another skill she could give up, like Wolf Speed. If she had this teleporting skill, then she would no longer need the speed skill, but then there could be other uses for the speed skill. She chose to get rid of Eyes of Your Kin in the end.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Shadow Step ¨C Level 1]


    Meera brought up her stats.


    [Health: 250/250]


    [Stamina: 216/330]


    [Mana: 132/140]


    She smiled. Now, to get out of these chains.


    She didn''t rightly know how this skill worked and couldn''t really ask the shadow monsters. So, she pictured herself out of these chains and mentally activated Shadow Step. There was a poof of black smoke around her, and the next moment, she was standing free.


    The chains rattled loudly against the stone wall, making Meera cringe. She pulled off a chakram in each hand and readied herself, but the monsters did not return. She breathed a silent sigh of relief and checked her Mana which had only gone down by a few points.


    It must be because the distance was so close. I will have to figure out the distance-to-cost ratio by making longer jumps.


    With that squared away for later, she made for the exit. There was a lone torch burning in the tunnel outside. She crept along the wall as silently as she could. Light came from an offshoot tunnel or a room at the end of this tunnel. There was another closer opening in the wall down the way. She didn''t know if it was a room or another tunnel.


    She stepped as quietly as she could. Meera got closer to the dark empty tunnel, which was, in fact, a room. She squinted and could see nothing. Even when she activated Eagle Vision, she hardly saw anything but a faint glint of something shiny as the light of the lone torch reflected off it. She feared stepping inside and knocking over something.


    One part of her told her to leave it and continue moving along, but then it could be an exit. In the end, curiosity won, and she sauntered back to the torch, pulled it off, and brought it with her.


    A few moments later, she stood in the opening again, and her jaw dropped. Before, she was a pile of treasures that would make even King Midas drool.


    The glint she had seen earlier was from a pile of coins of all three varieties¡ªgold, silver, copper, and a few others that seemed to have a mix of three. Off to the side was a table with a pile of jewelry¡ªexpensive-looking necklaces, bracelets, and even more expensive jewels studded in them. To her left was a bunch of swords, maces, spears, and other such weapons. Some were of high quality, while others were rather rugged looking, but they all had one thing in common. They all had gleaming blades.


    The Umbraclaws must''ve polished these.


    She walked inwards, and there were a bunch of nice-looking garments, some dresses, cloaks, and even leather armors, all put up nicely on wooden mannequins. It was like a medieval store with the nicest things. One thing caught her eye. It was a black leather belt with four small pouches hanging off it, like a utility belt. She used Identify on it.


    [Lunar Hoard Belt ¨C Capacity 150 Units]


    "Now, that is a nice one you''ve picked," said someone from the entrance to the room, making Meera freeze up. It was Vath in his human form with the eye patch. "But you really should not have gone through our stuff."

 Chapter 34 – Chase Through the Woods

    Meera quickly pulled off a chakram but still held on tight to the belt. She even thought of launching the chakram immediately, but the second Umbraclaw, Haez, stepped out from around the corner. She cursed herself for not activating Nimble Ears. She would have been alerted to their presence if she had.


    "Would you like to know how that belt works?" Haez asked, taunting her as he stepped into the room.


    Meera wasn''t sure how to answer that, but she gave a slight nod.


    "In return, you will tell me how you got out of your bonds so fast."


    "You first," Meera said.


    Haez shrugged. "That is a hoard belt," Haez explained, voice calm. "They are pretty common among adventurers of worth. It''s good for storing all sorts of stuff in there. Food, armor, precious items, monies¡­"


    "Is that where all this came from?" Meera asked, waving a hand to the contents of the room. "From dead adventurers."


    Haez grinned, showing off his yellow teeth. "Now, your turn."


    Her first instinct was to use Shadow Step, but she couldn''t let go of such an excellent belt. She quickly put on the belt around her waist, which changed the monster''s demeanor.


    "No one said you could take it, bitch," growled Vath.


    "He''s right," added Haez.


    Meera gulped as the two men got engulfed with shadows and turned into monsters of darkness. They lost all color as darkness swallowed them, and a wisp of smoke emanated from their bodies. Their mouths became sharp jagged fangs, and their hands extended into claws. This was different from last time. They didn''t have the jaws and the claws.


    "Now, hand over the belt." Haez extended a clawed hand.


    "Don''t you want to find out how I got out?" Meera asked, biding for time as she focused on a spot behind them.


    "Don''t care," Vath barked. "You''re going to end up in our belly any¡ª"


    Meera used Shadow Step and ended up outside the room, at the tunnel''s far wall. Light black smoke was coming off her, which dissipated almost instantly. The Umbraclaws looked around Haez''s eyes fell on her just as the smoke disappeared. His eyes widened when he saw her. Vath was quick to follow.


    She didn''t waste any more time lingering there. She took off at a run, activated Nimble Ears, and used Shadow Step again, landing at the mouth of the lit room, right where the torch''s light stopped. She frowned as she had picked a spot a little further in.


    "How can she use that?" Vath sounded perplexed. "That''s our technique."


    The next thing she heard was a fsss, which told her that one of the monsters had also used Shadow Step. Not wasting another second, she jumped into the room and ran. This was their living quarter, it seemed. There were three beds, a table, and a chair, and on one of the beds lay the body of the Umbraclaw she had decapitated. His blood soaked the linens red.


    She raced out of the room with them both behind her. She had to create some distraction, or they would have chased her down, as she was sure their Mana was greater than hers. Without even thinking about it, she used Fireplosion.


    She hardly put any Mana behind it, but the effect was devastating. It blew the room apart and caused a cave-in behind her. She didn''t wait to see if the monsters were entombed as she raced up the stair leading to a wooden door. She activated Primal Power and punched the door off its hinges. It flew off into the night and landed with a heavy thud.


    Behind her, she heard a vicious roar, followed by another. She had to deactivate Nimble Ears, or her eardrums would have exploded. She ran off into the night, but she soon stopped.


    What am I doing? Meera pondered. This is the perfect time for me to set a trap for them.


    She backtracked, keeping her Nimble Ears on full blast. She heard the various animals moving about the woods, but she focused on the scratching sound. Once she was close enough to the stairs, she found a tree and climbed up the tree, where she had a good vantage point and waited.


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    It didn''t take long for the Umbraclaws to shift enough rock to emerge from the cave. But instead of running out, they teleported into the night, making Meera frown.


    Does Shadow Step only work if you''re watching your target area? I will have to test that out later.


    The Umbraclaws looked around, almost sniffing for her. Her heartbeat fastened because if they could sniff her out, then she had signed off on her death by hiding this close to them.


    "The bitch could have gone anyway?" said one of them, who sounded like Vath.


    "She couldn''t have gotten very far. I''ll look this way." Haez pointed to his right. "And you go that way." The way she had gone before turning back. "And if you find her, don''t attack. If she does have Shadow Step, we must be careful, or we could lose our heads like that idiot back there."


    Vath grunted and took off at a run before making a few short jumps with Shadow Step. His brother Haez did the same. Now, she had the choice to go after the stronger Haez, whose level she did not know, or Vath, who was level 59, almost double her level.


    She decided on Vath as she did not want to tangle with a monster who could be as strong as the alpha that killed Cossus. She followed Vath''s trajectory, running at almost top speed, unlike his more level-headed brother, who stopped occasionally to check for her tracks. Too bad he had gone in the wrong direction.


    She wasn''t going to go after them without a plan. She closed her eyes and set all the variables before her, and after a few tense seconds, Ambush Tactics worked its magic. She opened her eyes and smiled. I know how I''m going to kill them.


    She jumped down from the tree and ran after Vath without care of being spotted. The monster might as well have been a raging bull, for he only looked straight ahead. She didn''t use Shadow Step, as she needed to conserve her Mana, and used Wolf Speed instead.


    It was rather comical how obvious it was that she was behind him. They were far beyond the point that she had turned around from. It took her a little longer to get close. She whistled to get his attention. He stopped and snapped his head to her. His nostrils flared, red eyes burned with hate, and he rushed her. She took off all her chakrams and backed up to a tree. Then when he was within range, she launched her chakrams one at a time. They all missed, thanks to Vath''s Shadow Step. He used the technique to dodge them all. The chakrams sailed on by to embed themselves into a tree.


    Vath laughed. "You''re dead, bitch, and those nice shiny circlets will make a nice addition to our treasury."


    Meera backed up into the tree, looking scared. Her back hit the tree. She looked around as Vath used Shadow Step, and before she could make a run for it, he was on her. He gripped her by the throat and slammed her into the tree. Her head it with enough force to make her see double.


    Vath barked a laugh. "Try to escape out of this."


    Meera punched and kicked frantically as she tried to flee from his grip. He dug his claws into the back of her neck, and Meera stilled.


    "Now, that''s more like it." Vath licked his jagged fangs. "Any last words before I take a bite out of your face?"


    "Y-Yes," Meera whimpered. "Can you please tell me your brother''s level?"


    Vath tilted his head and squinted his red eyes.


    "I can see your level, but I cannot see his, and I''m the type of person who must know someone''s level, even if I''m about to die."


    The Umbraclaw howled with laughter, and he stopped digging his claws in. "You are one strange girl. Maybe that''s why your blood tastes so sweet."


    "Can you please fulfill this last wish of mine because I''m surely about to die after this?"


    "Fine. He''s level 70."


    Meera smiled. "Thank you."


    Then she activated Primal Power, and with her left hand, punched his hand away from her neck and, with her right, gripped the shadow monster''s throat and squeezed. His eyes widened at the outburst of strength from her and probably also from being unable to breathe.


    "Return," Meera said.


    Vath didn''t understand her meaning, but a moment later, he felt it as all chakrams began drilling into the back of his neck to reach her arm.


    Vath shrieked, and she let him. After all, how else would his brother know of his demise? Blood flew everywhere, and Vath tried to pull himself away, but she didn''t let go. He clawed at her arm, leaving bloody streaks up and down her arm, but she didn''t let go. It didn''t take long for him to lose all strength, and his shrieks died down, followed by her chakrams ripping through his backbone and the front of his throat to rest on her wrist.


    Vath''s body returned to normal and fell to the ground while his head was still in her hands. It, too, returned to normal, and Meera dropped it immediately. She would have thrown up if she hadn''t seen the carnage in Ebonton.


    She huffed and deactivated Primal Power. But she didn''t have a moment''s rest as she heard huffing along with poofs, which meant Haez was coming. She looked up and didn''t have time to climb the tree conventionally. She focused on a branch and Stepped to the branch.


    Three breaths later, Haez arrived.


    It was hard to tell expressions, with their faces covered in shadow, but the monster fell to his knees before his brother''s head. It wasn''t hard to know that he would have been crying if he were in human form. Meera prepared the next attack and prayed to all the gods of this land and earth that it worked.


    "Don''t worry, brother, I will avenge you," Haez said. "The one who took you from this world will breathe her last soon."


    He set Vath''s head down and stood. "I know you''re close, Varshan. Show yourself!"


    Meera shrugged. This was about as good a time as any. She used Shadow step, and the next instant, she was on his back, with her arms around his neck. Please do not survive this.


    She unleashed Fireplosion with almost all her Mana.

 Chapter 35 – Rich Once Again

    Meera expected her skill to be less devastating, given her small Mana reserve. But she was so wrong. By the time the white spots cleared from her vision and she could properly see again, she was standing in a massive, charred crater. Trees had been blown away into nothing or were ripped from the ground, root and all, and thrown several feet away. Small fires burned here and there. If Meera didn¡¯t know any better, she would have thought a meteor had crashed here.


    She swayed on the spot as she tried to find the Umbraclaw Soldier. She also couldn¡¯t find Vath¡¯s body anywhere. Did I blow it to smithereens, too, like poor Niryn¡¯s body?


    Then someone coughed behind her. Meera snapped her head in its direction. It was Haez lying on the ground, spitting out blood. To say he did not look good was like saying the sun was a massive, burning ball of gas.


    His back was charred black, and he was missing his left arm. At first, what she thought was his hair was his skull, but it, too, had been burned black. She took a few steps towards him and gasped. His face was an even more horrid sight. Half his face had melted, and the other looked no better.


    I did this¡­


    Meera could only stare at her handiwork and be disgusted with herself.


    Haez coughed and spat on the ground. ¡°You going to keep staring¡­¡± he took a deep breath, making a wheezing-like sound. ¡°Or put me out of my misery.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± She was about to say sorry, but if she hadn¡¯t done that, he would have killed and eaten her.


    ¡°You going to apologize for killing me.¡± He laughed, which devolved into a coughing fit.


    ¡°Why did you do that? Kill all those people?¡±


    He glared. ¡°They did it to us first. You humans came into our home and hunted us down, all because we were different. You labeled us monsters and put prices on our heads. If you want to know why we killed all those adventurers, well, we had no option but to fight back, and as it turned out, you lot are delicious.¡± He laughed. ¡°Once we got a taste, it was hard to resist. I told my foolish brothers not to go after the people of that new settlement, but they wouldn¡¯t listen. The hunger for man flesh drove them mad. I knew sooner or later, an adventurer would come who would do us in. Didn¡¯t expect it to be one of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of you,¡± she left it at that.


    Haez frowned slightly. ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me. Whatever you are, kill me and free me from this pain.¡±


    Meera¡¯s hands shook. She had never killed someone like this before. She did what she had to survive but never killed a person. She looked at her chakram and knew she had to pull it off, but her hands wouldn¡¯t move.


    Haez snorted. ¡°Not easy killing someone when they are facing you, huh? It¡¯s simple, take your blade and run it across my neck.¡±


    Meera pulled off her chakram with a shaky hand and got on her haunches. With a deep breath, she brought her chakram to his neck but couldn¡¯t do it. She couldn¡¯t willingly take a sentient life.


    Haez laughed. ¡°They sent me someone who would rather watch me suffer than end her task.¡±


    He spat bloody phlegm in her face, making her jump. She was about to get up to clean herself, but he gripped her wrist with his remaining hand and drove her chakram across his neck. She tried pulling back, but he was much stronger than her.


    A red line opened up on his burnt throat, which opened a rivulet of blood, and he gurgled a couple of times, and then he was gone.


    A tear leaked from Meera¡¯s eye, not for him but for what she had done. She might have very effectively ended a race of people. After a few moments, when she could no longer stare at her handiwork, she walked away from Haez¡¯s body.


    Her right arm was still bleeding from when Vath had clawed her, trying to free himself. She used Vitalize, and the wounds began to close, but the healing stopped midway. Instead of bleeding slashes, she had long streaks of red going up and down her arm.


    It will have to do for now.


    She walked back toward the Umbraclaws¡¯ cave. She had enough stamina remaining to run but no Mana, meaning she couldn¡¯t use Shadow Step. Wolf Speed helped her out enough as she ran like the wind. Despite each step flaring the pain in her arm but she could bear it.


    It didn¡¯t take her long to find the cave again, and Eagle Eye helped. The brothers had moved away the stones she had dropped on them, but not enough that she could walk through. They cleared enough so they could Shadow Step through it. She didn¡¯t have that luxury, so she punched her way through with Monkey Fist and Primal Power. It only took two punches for the rocks to be blown to bits. Before long, she had enough room to walk through. Thanks to her, the room was a mess, but the tunnel beyond was just like she had left it.


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    She went to the treasure room and stood before the massive pile of coins. She sighed deeply. Now, how do I store you in my belt?


    She gingerly touched the top of the pile, not wanting to cause a spill that would ruin the pile, and then she would have to collect each coin separately.


    Go into the belt¡­


    It worked. There was a whoop, and all the coins disappeared. Meera checked her belt, and a screen showed up in her vision. In the top right, it showed her how many coins she had.


    [519 Gold] [1671 Silver] [3804 Copper]


    Meera¡¯s eyes pooped open. Guess I¡¯m rich again.


    Then she went around the room putting everything in her belt, starting with the jewelry, then moving to the weapons, none of which she ever planned on using, but she could always sell them. She paused at the armors. One piece of armor must¡¯ve belonged to a female assassin or a hunter. She used Identify on it.


    [Light Assassin Armor ¨C Rare Quality]


    The armor was all black, with a firm leather armor covering all the essential parts. Meera smiled and put it into her belt, deciding to wear it later once she cleaned up. The other armors took up quite a bit of weight, but she took them all, regardless. Then she took the various assortments of belts and pouches. They all had some unique properties but nothing that stood out to her. Then next came a bunch of health and Mana potions, ranging from regular health potions that recovered a moderate amount of health to enhanced health potions that she assumed were better quality. The same with Mana potions. By the time she was done, she only had 30 Units remaining in her belt.


    Once she was sure the room was empty, she put her back to the wall, slid into a comfortable position, and pulled up her notifications, hoping she got something good from the two Umbraclaws.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed an Umbraclaw Warrior ¨C Level 59. For killing an enemy twenty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    [You have killed an Umbraclaw Soldier ¨C Level 70. For killing an enemy thirty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 33. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 34. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    .


    .


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 38. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 22. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 24% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 23. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 25% boost]


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 25. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 27% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 8]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 11]


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 12]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 12]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 3]


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 4]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 3]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at that. When had she used this skill and not even realized it? The only instance she could think of was when she barely escaped up the tree before Haez arrived. But regardless, she was happy to have leveled it up.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shadowmeld. Shadowmeld ¨C Type: Active. You can meld seamlessly with shadows, blending into your surroundings and becoming nearly invisible, granting you superior stealth and the element of surprise. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Even though Meera was unfamiliar with the Stealth skill, she figured it couldn¡¯t have been too different from this one. She definitely wanted this one. But as soon as she accepted, came the familiar message telling her to forgo one of her skills. This time it was tough as she liked all her skills. In the end, she decided to let go of Wolf Speed. Seeing as she already had Shadow Step, she could use that for evasion.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Shadowmeld ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Shadow Affinity. This determines how close you are to the shadow element. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 3% boost. Would you like to acquire the skill?]


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Shadow Affinity ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 12]


    Even though she didn¡¯t have any shadow attacks, that could change in the future, and since it was a general skill, there was no reason not to accept it. Meera was happy with all these skills and levels. Her body was tired to the point that she wanted to curl up and take a nap right here, but she had to return to the loggers¡¯ settlement and make sure Sirala made it back okay, and to collect her reward. She didn¡¯t need the money anymore, but her father would be disappointed if she didn¡¯t exhaust every avenue of profit.

 Chapter 36 – Did You Say Champion?

    Meera heard the people before she saw them. She was not far from the settlement. The faint glow of torches could be seen in the distance. Her arm, which still hurt pretty bad, bled into her shirt to the point that it was soaking. She wasn''t sure how she was still standing. Still, she forced herself to the edge of the settlement.


    The whole settlement was out in front of the inn¡ªall the loggers with torches in hand. A light rain pattered on their heads as they surrounded someone who was yelling frantically and trying to pull people into the woods.


    "Why don''t you understand?" Sirala shrieked. "You heard that blast. We have to help her. Now!"


    "It couldn''t have been easy, Sirala," said another woman. "Being taken captive by those monsters, but there is nothing¡ª"


    "I''m back," Meera said, interrupting the conversation and making the burly man beside her nearly jump six feet high.


    "Meera!" Sirala exclaimed and tackled Meera with a tight hug. It was good that Meera hadn''t broken any bones, or Sirala would''ve definitely broken them.


    "Hey, I''m alive, please don''t unalive me," Meera groaned.


    Sirala chuckled nervously. Then her hand brushed against Meera''s right arm, which was wet with blood. The poor barmaid''s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What happened?" Before waiting for an answer, she turned to the woman she was talking to. "What are you standing around for? She''s bleeding. You''re a healer, Soraya. Heal her."


    The woman looked a little older than Sirala, and they looked similar enough that Meera was sure they were sisters.


    Soraya shook out of her daze and hobbled forward. "How badly are you injured? Let''s get you inside and get these dirty clothes off before you get infected."


    "Sure, as long as you can sell me some clean ones."


    "You saved my life," Sirala said. "You can have all that I own."


    The two sisters helped her even though she didn''t need any help. The loggers parted ways for them as they walked to the inn. She was more excited about getting out of these damp clothes than when she got all those treasures in the Umbraclaws'' cave, which reminded her of the assassin''s armor. She might not even need to borrow clothes from Sirala.


    She almost made it to the inn''s door, where Sirala''s crazed father stood at the open door, watching with disbelief. Meera wasn''t sure if he was unsure about her survival or Sirala''s stories about shadow monsters, which she must''ve told them by now.


    When they reached the door, he didn''t step aside. His eyes bore into Meera. "Did you kill them?" He asked. "Did you kill the bastards that took my daughter?"


    Meera nodded. "Yeah¡­"


    "Good." He stepped aside.


    Before they could go in, someone called from behind her. "Did you find out about the master?"


    Meera turned her dead. "He''s dead."


    The news hit the loggers like a blast. Some gasped, others whispered amongst each other, but most just stared. There was no hollering like last night, no sounds of celebrations. The only sound that could be heard was the pattering of rain.


    "Someone go fetch, Miss Carleth," the barkeeper called. "She''ll want to know what''s happened to her brother."


    Inside, the sisters took Meera to one of the rooms in the back of the inn. It was around the same place their washroom was at. Meera wouldn''t mind a warm bath, but it felt rude to ask, but she wouldn''t have said no if they offered.


    Soraya helped her take her shirt off, and as it were, there were many bruises that Meera had forgotten to heal. She didn''t know how proficient Soraya''s healing skills were, but they were good enough to make her as good as new. By the time she finished, Sirala had returned with an assortment of clothes.


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    "These are all my new clothes," Sirala said. "Some, I stitched myself and haven''t even worn. You can have your pick or take them all."


    "Thank you, but I don''t need them all. Maybe a pair of shirts and pants should suffice, that is, if you have a pair of pants," Meera said, as all she saw were smocks or skirts.


    "Oh, of course, you''re an adventurer, after all. I''ll get you a nice pair of pants. In the meantime, you should take a bath. I''ve set out some hot water in the washroom for you."


    Meera could kiss the girl. She happily went to the bath, cleaned all the blood off her, and then soaked in the warm water until someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Meera,¡± it was Sirala. "Mistress Carleth is here. She''s asking for you."


    "Who is that? Can''t she wait?"


    "She''s not exactly the type to wait¡­for anyone."


    Meera groaned. Time for this rich girl to meet another rich girl.


    She quickly got dressed in the clothes Sirala had brought her. The pants fit nicely, as well as the shirt. She wanted to try out her armor but decided there was no rush, and she had no mirror beside her chakrams, which were too small.


    When she was finally done, after taking her time, she left the bath with Sirala and headed to meet Miss Carleth.


    The inn was packed, but there was one person that everyone kept their distance from. Sirala didn''t have to point her out. Even if Meera knew very little of the fashion of this world, she could tell Carleth was dressed very well. She sat on a chair facing the open fire of the chimney. She wore an exquisite green colored dress adorned with a gold chain with intricately designed links.


    Meera took the empty chair opposite her¡ªwhich she was sure placed there for her.


    "You do look like a Varshan," Carleth said.


    Those were the first words out of her mouth, which soured Meera''s mood immediately, and she thought nothing could ruin her mood after that bath.


    "Well, I''m not," Meera said. Then she pulled out some attitude of her own. Something that her mother had beaten out of her. She had taught her never to throw her weight around just because she was rich. "Are you this, Carleth?"


    Her upper lip twitched. "It is Miss Carleth to you."


    "Well, Carleth, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your brother is dead. Three monsters who were posing as soldiers took him. You can send a man west into the woods, and you''ll find him in a cave. Mind you, he will not be in a good condition."


    "I see." Her face did not even show a lick of emotion. "Tell me everything that happened."


    Meera sighed and told her and every single logger apparently as to the fate of their master. Sirala also pitched in about how the Umbraclaws captured her and how Meera came to her rescue. Then Meera finished the tale by telling them about her fight with the remaining two Umbraclaw. The loggers confirmed hearing the blast. She left out the part about her returning to the cave for the treasures.


    Carleth listened to the whole tale without ever taking her eyes off the fire. Meera wanted to rage and ask if she did not care about her brother at all. In the end, she couldn''t resist at all.


    "How can you sit there so stone-faced?" Meera asked. "Do you not care that your brother is dead?"


    Some people gasped, and their reactions told her that Meera was crossing a line.


    Carleth was quiet for a long moment. "I''ve shed my tears already. I knew he was gone the moment he vanished. I told him not to come to these woods, but he wouldn''t listen. Now, he''s paid the ultimate price." She pulled a small pouch off her waist and tossed it to Meera. "Your coin."


    Meera caught it with a raised brow. "You don''t even know if I''m telling the truth?"


    "You are, and if you''re not. I''ll find you and put you down myself."


    Meera squinted at that threat and used Identify.


    [Banker ¨C Level ??]


    It took everything Meera had not to burst out laughing. A threat from a banker was like getting threatened by a five-year-old, no matter her level. Carleth turned and made for the door, and the loggers scrambled to get out of her way. The tension left the room with her, and the loggers were more than happy to see her go, but Meera was not done with her yet.


    "Hey, wait," Meera said as she used Shadow Step to end up at the door, which made the room gasp. She followed the Banker out into the rainy night. "One last question. Do you know which direction Azeria is in?"


    Carleth stopped moving. The only sound was the pattering of rain, and even her two bodyguards who were waiting for her at her carriage stared wide-eyed at Meera.


    "That is not a name to be taken lightly," Carleth said, turning to face her. "Why do you want to go there?"


    Meera paused, she almost told her she was after Narikas, the Shadowsteel Warlord, but somehow expected that would not go well with this rich girl. She remembered Oril mentioning something about bounty hunters after the champion.


    "I''m on the Champion''s trail, and last I heard, he was headed in that direction."


    "Why are you after the Champion?" asked the banker, which launched her two bodyguards into a flurry of hushed whispers.


    "I am a bounty hunter. My employer has put up a considerable reward on information for his whereabouts." Meera crossed her arms. "Do you know which direction Azeria is in?"


    Carleth snorted as her lips curled up slightly. "Just because you''ve avenged my brother. I''ll do you one better. There was news of the Champion meeting with the witch of Cliffshield Valley. It''s a two-day walk from here. You can ask the barkeep for directions."


    Meera nodded. "Thanks."


    This was new, but Carleth could also be lying, seeing how easily she had given up this information. But if Neel had been there, Meera had to follow this lead, and if this Banker had wasted her time, she would have to watch out for Meera.

 Chapter 37 – Mirror Golems of Cliffshield Valley

    Meera activated Eagle Eye. She didn''t need it to enjoy the view before her, but she liked to survey what she was getting into. Before her lay a serene valley with farms in the basin, a river crossing through them, and woods thick as any that climbed the cliff off to the side. It wasn''t a true valley but quite close to it. She could see how it got its name as the cliff rose high into the sky, acting as a shield.


    Upon zooming in with her eyes, she saw huts in the village similar to what she had seen in the loggers'' settlement. It was too far for her to see people milling about, but she was sure they were there. She saw a lone hut in the woods, not too far from the village. Smoke rose from its chimney.


    Meera shrugged and made her way down the valley. It was easygoing. The main road was a well-traveled patch of ground where the grass did not grow. She followed it down to the valley, humming the tune of her favorite song. She pulled out her phone from her belt, which gave new meaning to the term traveling light. She hoped she could get some lightning skill to charge the thing. By now, it must have lost all its charge.


    The morning sun beat down on her, and Mirithia was faint in the sky but still ever-present. She was sure being out in the sun for long periods of time was not doing wonders for her complexion. If anything, it was making her more like a Varshan.


    She put those thoughts behind her and focused on her journey. Neel was her sole focus. She had to get to him, and if she faced a little discrimination, then so be it. Maybe I should pay someone to sew the letters¡ªNot a Varshan¡ªon my shirt.


    She started and looked down at her and slapped her forehead. She was still wearing the clothes that Sirala had given her. She never bothered to change into the armor she had found in the cave. This is just like me. Mom would have lectured me to no end.


    Meera picked up the pace and headed to the forest as she was not about to change out in the open, where anyone could be watching from the woods. It didn''t take her long to get to the woods, even without Wolf Speed.


    She surveyed the woods with Eagle Eye once more, ensuring no one was about. Over the last two days, she had learned that even the belt worked through mental commands. She just had to open the flap, and a screen popped up in her vision, letting her see the contents of the belt and pull out whatever she needed.


    She focused on the four pieces of the light assassin armor and pulled it out. It appeared on the ground before her. The armor was black as night, light but firm. This would work perfectly since she had her attributes focused on speed and dexterity.


    She quickly removed her clothes and put the armor on, and to her surprise, it was a perfect fit. She stored the clothes back in the belt. Since she was standing in the shadow of the tree, she decided to try her new skill, Shadowmeld.


    It only took a spark of her Mana, but she, like the name of the skill, melded with the tree''s shadow. Her hands and body became smoky and translucent, like looking through a dirty pane of glass. If she stood still, it would be hard to tell her apart from the shadow of the tree. She didn''t feel any different, but it was a surreal experience.


    She moved her hand out of the shadow and into the light, and it returned to normal. She shut off the skill and made a mental note to play with it later. Next was her attribute points in her hurry to get here. She had forgotten to allocate those as well.


    Her first thought was to dump them into Dexterity, Agility, and Endurance, but she stopped herself as she needed Mana as well. After a careful look at her stats, she could use some health as well, not to mention, more Perception couldn''t hurt as she was on her own and didn''t have others to watch her back.


    Ultimately, she ended up putting points in everything aside from Power, as she had Primal Power to make up for it.


    Stats


    [Health: 280]


    [Stamina: 390]


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    [Mana: 210]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 28]


    [Power: 15]


    [Dexterity: 29]


    [Endurance: 39]


    [Focus: 21]


    [Agility: 33]


    [Perception: 30]


    Just as she was done putting points, she heard something. Her Instincts screamed at her to run. She lurched forward and bent down, and just in time, the tree behind exploded into splinters. A massive crystal club, almost like a mirror, was sticking out of the tree trunk. She could see her reflection in it. The tree must have been three feet wide, but the club still came through it like nothing.


    The club got pulled back, creating a massive hole in the tree. Meera activated Eagle Eye, Nimble Ears and pulled off two chakrams, one in each hand. A moment passed nothing happened. Meera stood slowly, took a step back gingerly, and stepped on a stick that cracked loudly.


    There was a guttural roar, and something smashed against the tree, uprooting it and making it fall toward Meera. Her eyes widened, and she jumped out of the way of the falling tree. The tree crashed against another nearby tree.


    Nothing could''ve prepared Meera for what she saw next. Firstly, the club was not a club but an arm, and what she thought was a huge man or bear was a massive creature made of a mirror-like crystal. She could see the surrounding reflected in its body. It must''ve stood about seven feet tall, with a broad torso, and even had a sort of head attached to the body but no neck. She spared no time in scanning it.


    [Mirror Golem ¨C Level ??]


    She wondered how to take this thing down. It would be no easy task considering she didn''t even know its level. If it was too much, she could always run. She launched her chakrams at the golem. It raised its arm to defend. The chakrams got embedded in its arm. She heard the notification bell but had no time to see what skill she had stolen, even though she wanted to.


    She recalled her chakram and used Shadow step to put some distance between the two of them, but it didn''t take her where she wanted to go. It only took her to the shade created by the fallen-over tree.


    What the hell?


    It was the wrong move as the golem smashed his arms down on the tree trunk. Meera used Shadow Step again, but she only moved a few inches. She jumped out of the way of the crashing tree. It was a very near miss. Her shoulder took a slight blow, but for the most part, she made it out okay. The tree shook the ground as it fell.


    The golem didn''t give her any respite as he extended an arm and shot her with a sharp, spinning mirror. Meera threw her chakram at it and blew the golem''s mirror to pieces. She didn''t wait a moment after that and ran. She recalled her chakram as she ran. The golem roared and came for her. His feet thud heavily on the ground, which made her wonder why she didn''t notice it before it attacked. She should have heard these even without Nimble Ears.


    The heavy thuds stopped, and Meera didn''t stop to see what gave the golem pause. She heard a slight sound thanks to Nimble Ears. It was like glass rubbing against glass. Meera''s instincts screamed once again.


    She saw the nearest tree and used Shadow Step, hoping it would work correctly this time, and it did. She stood in the shadow created by the thick tree. The next moment, a barrage of mirrors hit the tree trunk and even flew past the side of the tree. It was like a barrage of triangular, razor-sharp mirrors.


    As she cowered behind the tree, she realized why Shadow Step did not work as she wanted it to. It was in the name¡ªShadow Step. She could only Step into areas shrouded in shadow. She remembered it being stated as such in the skill description as well.


    I really ought to read these skills more carefully.


    The golem''s barrage continued, and she used that time to get up to the high branches using Shadow Step. Luckily, there were more than enough shadows for her. The mirror barrage stopped a few moments later. She prayed that the golem hadn''t seen her, even though it had no eyes.


    The golem took its time coming to check if she were dead or not. In the meantime, she hoped Ambush Tactics would find a way to bring the creature down. There were several options. She could use Fireplosion. If it worked on people, it could very well work on a walking mirror. She decided to keep it as a last resort.


    For now, the golem was standing right below her. She held two chakrams in one hand, tightened her grip, and activated Primal Power. She would take it down the same way she had taken down the Alpha Ape.


    She jumped from her branch, and the golem noticed. Its body shifted so that it was ''looking'' at her. She activated Monkey Fist and crashed onto his head, or she would have if not for the giant circular mirror that appeared between them.


    She broke it, and another appeared closer to the golem''s head. Another punch, and she broke it too. A third mirror showed up. This one was thick like a shield. Meera saw her image as a hooded rogue with a raised fist. She roared as she brought her fist crashing down on it. The golem didn''t have a chance to erect a fourth as the momentum of the blow carried her fist directly into its head, cleaving it into two. She landed with her feet on the golem''s shoulders when it broke into a million pieces like a piece of glass dropped from a height.


    Meera fell to the ground but luckily avoided any serious cuts. She lay on her back, breathing heavily. "The head is its weak point. Got it."


    Then she heard another roar and felt the heavy thudding of feet coming closer.

 Chapter 38 – No End To Them

    "Not again," Meera groaned.


    She sat up and focused with her Nimble Ears to find out which direction the golem was coming from, but it was Eagle Eye that did the trick. It helped discern the shaking of leaves coming from her right, and a moment later, the golem appeared, reflecting the sun''s light in such a manner that if she were standing a little more to the right, she would''ve been blinded by it.


    Meera stepped behind the tree, breaking the creature''s line of sight, and Stepped up to the branches again and waited.


    The golem was near now, and Meera used Identify on it, but it was the same as before.


    [Mirror Golem ¨C Level ??]


    But instead of stopping as it should have, the golem rammed his shoulder into the tree. Meera yelped and nearly lost her balance. The tree tipped over but did not fall, so the golem hit it again and again until the tree fell, and Meera along with it.


    She used Shadow Step to land in the tree''s shadow and then used another Shadow Step to get behind another tree. The golem roared and came for the tree she was hiding behind.


    How does he know where I''m going?


    Meera was gone from the tree''s shadow before he even arrived there. She was in the tree''s shadow that was directly behind him. She could see her haggard form on the creature''s back. She almost used Monkey Fist and Primal Power combo again, but she didn''t want to be within range of its attack. It was a good thing, too, as when the golem was done with the tree, it turned on Meera. But it was a little too late.


    Four chakrams hit the creature''s face one after the other. Each one found its mark, leaving deep gashes. The last one even trimmed its head down a little at the top. She roared and ran at the golem, confusing it, but he readied his arms and threw a punch.


    All it hit was smoke. Meera used Shadow Step at the last moment to appear on the thing''s shoulders. She ripped out two chakrams and began hacking at it like a mad woman and did not stop until the thing shattered.


    She landed on a knee in a million pieces of mirror. She huffed, stood slowly, and put her chakrams back on her wrists when she heard another roar.


    "Just how many of these things are there?"


    This time, she didn''t wait to see which direction it was coming from. She took off at a run in a seemingly random direction. It wasn''t so random as she took off deeper into the woods, but the roars of the golem grew closer. She climbed a tree regularly to avoid wasting Mana.


    The sounds of the golem were growing closer, but it was still a little way off. She had time to check her notifications and the skills she had stolen quickly. After all, these golems seemed to learn from their last brethren''s mistakes, and she could come up with only so many variations with her current skills.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed a Mirage Golem ¨C Level 78. For killing an enemy forty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    [You have killed a Mirage Golem ¨C Level 79. For killing an enemy forty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 39. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 40. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    .


    .


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 47. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 40 in your main class, you have earned a fifth Chakram.]


    Just like the notification stated, a fifth chakram appeared on her arm, making Meera grin.


    *ding!*


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    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 26. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 26% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 27. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 27% boost]


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 33. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 35% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 4]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 9]


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 9]


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 13]


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 14]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 17]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 8]


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 9]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 14]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 4]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 3. You can now Identify people up to forty levels higher than you.]


    Meera stopped her notifications to check on the golem quickly. It had grown closer but still had not got the lock on Meera''s location. She could almost see it through Eagle Eye. The thing was roaming about shaking trees, trying to find out which tree she had hidden. With that squared away, she rubbed her fingers and opened the notifications she wanted to see.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill, Mirror Shield. Mirror Shield ¨C Type: Active. You can form a shield that manifests as a large, curved surface resembling a mirror and can protect against a wide range of attacks and magical spells. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera most definitely did, but she didn''t know which skill she would like to give up for it. She kind of liked all her current skills. But this was a mirror-related skill that, combined with her Mirror Affinity, would make it stronger if she understood it correctly. Even if that were not the case, she needed defensive skills.


    She looked at all her skills, and the only one that stood out was Tracking Scent. She had only used it once to track the blood of Gidran, the logger''s master. It had worked wonders, but that was the only time she had used it. There was a loud roar from the Golem, which sounded closer than before. She sighed and reluctantly gave up Tracking Scent and accepted Mirror Shield.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror Shield ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Tactician''s Gaze. You can visualize all the tactics of any enemy you or your party has already fought and devise the attacks they will use. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill general Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 1]


    Meera figured that was how the second Mirror Golem knew about her strategy to climb up a tree and fall on an unsuspecting enemy. But this was limited to the attacks she had already used, or they would''ve figured out about her Fireplosion and kept their distance.


    The Golem was still a bit out but well within sight that if she made too much of a move, it would see her. Whoever created these must''ve linked the golems together. If one saw something, the memories of it would transfer to another, which was why this knew she would be up in the trees.


    So, if it doesn''t see what killed it, then it cannot transmit that to the next one¡­I seriously hope there isn''t a next one.


    She climbed down from the tree and jumped from one shadow of the tree to the next, using Shadow Step. She stopped when she was close enough to the golem. He sauntered over, shook her tree, groaned in an echoing voice, and moved on. Meera slipped out from the tree''s shadow and tiptoed behind the golem and, at the last moment, lunged for the golem''s back, hoping to catch it in an embrace, but the golem turned around at the last moment, swinging his club-like arm.


    She activated a Mirror Shield right before the club crashed into her. The shield held for a moment before the golem''s arm crashed into her and sent her rolling on the ground. By the time she came to a stop, a big chunk of her health was missing, and she was sure her arm was broken.


    She was about to activate Vitalize, but she had a feeling she would need the Mana, so she used Shadow Step multiple times to put some distance between them. The golem roared and charged after her. She quickly opened her belt and pulled out a regular healing potion which healed her almost completely. The pain in her arm subsided to manageable levels.


    The golem was almost on her. The massive thing didn''t run around trees but straight through them, toppling some and uprooting others. It was a mad charge to end her life. She waited until he was close enough, used Shadow Step, and teleported herself into the air in the tree''s shadow. The golem paused and looked around.


    Before it could figure out where she went, she dropped on his shoulder, hooked her arms around its absent neck or where it should have been, and unleashed Fireplosion.


    In the next moment, the Mirror Golem blew to pieces. She shut off the attack right away to not cause any more damage.


    She fell to the ground on a knee, huffing. There was a silence that followed the explosion. She had just about convinced herself no more golems were coming for her when she heard two distinct roars coming from two different directions. Her eyes widened as she felt vibrations of two golems coming towards her.


    What have I gotten myself into?


    She straightened and cracked her fingers. If nothing else, she was getting mirror-related skills from killing these things, so she might as well kill them all and hopefully get a plethora of skills that will help her in forming more of a structured lineup of attacks versus having only Fireplosion and her chakrams as a mode of attack.


    She cracked her fingers. Come on, you bastards, I have skills to steal.

 Chapter 39 – What Is Going On Here?

    Meera huffed as she hid behind a tree and quickly checked her stats.


    Stats


    [Health: 108/280]


    [Stamina: 74/390]


    [Mana: 42/210]


    She was just about done in every sense of the word. Her arms were bloody, her fingers twitched from the pain, her nice new armor was ripped in several places, and she had gone through most of the potions. She could not have survived as long as she had if not for the potions.


    She had killed nine golems so far, and the tenth one hunted her. She took deep breaths and did her best to make as little sound as possible. With this low Mana, her Fireplosion would be as strong as a half-worn grenade if she could get in position to do some damage with it. She had killed three of their kind with the skill, and the rest had wised up to her attacks. This was the last one, or rather the last one she could take on before she collapsed from sheer exhaustion.


    These things hadn''t even given her enough time to check her notifications, so she could not know if she had received a new skill good enough to kill these things. The earth thrummed underneath her feet, and leaves quivered overhead.


    She pulled off all her chakrams and readied herself. This was it. Either she was going to kill this thing or get killed by it, and if there were any more of these things, then she was as good as dead.


    Meera opened her belt and pulled out a couple of swords. She laid them flat on the ground and stuck them in the ground one by one, with the pointy end up, like stakes. The two swords were enough to close the gap between the two trees.


    She did the same with the following two trees but with spears. She had effectively closed the gap between the trees in this small clearing. Now, all she needed to do was lure her prey, which was even easier.


    She whistled loudly, something Neel had taught her. Thanks to Nimble Ears, she heard the golem''s momentum shift as it ran directly for her. She stood her ground, trying to hide the swords and spear at her back.


    A moment later, there was a small glare, almost like a lens flare, and the golem showed itself, charging like a mad bull. She took notice of all the shadows. When the golem was twenty feet away, she let three chakrams fly. They hit the thing in its chest, and it didn''t even flinch, but it must''ve taken a notch out of its health.


    The golem charged between two open trees. Splinters flew everywhere. Meera took a few steps back. The golem was on her, and at the very last moment, she used Shadow Step to jump behind the spear.


    The golem tried to stop and turn in her direction, but it was too late to prevent itself from running straight into the swords. They impaled themselves deep in its gut, cracks racing outward from the point of impact. But not enough to kill the thing.


    She ripped the spear out of the ground and activated Primal Power, and stabbed the monster in the face with the spear, but it was still not done. She got behind the monster and recalled her chakrams. They ripped through the glass monster, cleaving it in two. The golem shattered but not before smashing his arm into her side.


    If not for Primal Power, Meera flew into a tree and would have died on impact. She shut it off as she slid down the tree and spat blood.


    After taking a few deep breaths, she stood and recollected her weapons, put them in her belt, and limped toward the village. She had almost crossed the forest in her fights, which was good as she couldn''t fight anymore. If another golem showed itself, it would be the end of her.


    It didn''t. She didn''t hear anything for a long time. She almost thought to stop and check her notifications, but she was unwilling to risk it here. Once she cleared the forest and got a good night''s sleep, she would check her prizes. For now, she walked¡ªor limped, hoping she wasn''t ignoring any major injury.


    She had two enhanced quality health potions remaining, but she didn''t want to waste them now when she was almost out of this infernal forest.


    Then the earth shook beneath her feet once again. This time shaking even worse than before, as if the golem had gotten heavier and faster. Meera didn''t wait long enough to find out.


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    She used the last of Mana to jump from one tree''s shadow to the next, which had elongated as the evening sun had almost set. The Mirror Golem appeared to her right. It teleported almost right on top of her.


    That was not even the most surprising part about the golem. She was right when she felt the golem''s footfall to be heavier. This Mirror Golem was about ten-foot-tall and twice as thick as the others.


    She hurriedly ducked his sweeping blow and avoided it by pure luck as she tripped on a rock and went rolling. She stopped and rolled to the side on instinct, and it saved her once more as the golem tried to stomp her into the ground.


    She took off at a run, but the thing was always on her. It had a teleportation skill like her, and she used the last of her Mana to stay one step ahead. Even then, she barely managed. She was almost to the forest''s edge, and it looked like it was trying to cut her off and prevent her from escaping. In frustration, she launched all her chakrams at the golem. Out of the five, only three connected, but they gave the thing enough pause that Meera made it out of the forest by activating Primal Power.


    Once she was under the open sky again, she kept running, even though the golem no longer chased her. She glanced behind her, and indeed, the golem had stopped at the wood''s edge. Meera came to a slow stop and recalled her chakrams.


    She huffed as she stared at the Mirror Golem, and even despite the distance between them, she could see her reflection in its body, and she almost didn''t recognize herself.


    Then the golem turned and walked off into the woods. Meera waited for a few minutes before she could stand no more. All the adrenaline left her body, and she collapsed on the spot.


    <hr>


    The next time Meera woke, she was in a dimly lit room. It took her eyes a moment to adjust as she took in her surroundings. She was in a wooden hut. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, a table with four chairs, some cabinets, and what looked like a closet. A somewhat chubby woman was snoring away on a chair beside her bed.


    Meera was lying in bed with the covers drawn to her chin. She tried getting up and winced, but the blanket fell, and it turned out she didn''t have a shirt on. Meera held her breath as she slowly checked under the blanket, and she had nothing on. Aside from her underwear, she was completely naked.


    The blood drained from her face as she pulled the covers back on and screamed. The woman shook awake, nearly falling from her chair.


    "W-Where am I? Where are my clothes and my things? Who are you? What am I doing here?" Meera shot questions at the woman rapid-fire.


    "Hey, hey, it''s okay, you''re safe. I am Yoana, and you are in my home in the village of Cliffmere. Your clothes were ripped in several places, so I gave them to the seamstress to fix them after I washed all the blood and dirt off them. As to what you are doing here, well, I found you lying half-dead on the cusp of the forest. So, I rounded up some of the girls and brought you here. Bathed you and got Ruby, our healer, to heal you." She counted off something on her fingers. "Oh, and those sharp circlets of yours and your belt are in that cupboard. They looked important, so I kept them safe, and your boots are by the door." She frowned lightly but with a smile. "I think I''ve just about answered all your questions."


    Yoana had an innocent way of talking that disarmed Meera, but still, she Identify''d her.


    [Farmer - Level 18]


    Meera sighed, knowing all her things were safe.


    "Miss, I hope you don''t mind answering a few of my questions?" Yoana asked.


    Meera nodded. "Go ahead, and you can call me Meera."


    "Hmm, that''s a strange name." She started. "Not that it''s strange, strange, it just doesn''t sound like it''s from around here."


    "You got that right."


    "I see." Yoana nodded. "Then I hope you don''t mind me asking what you are doing here. We are far away from just about every stretch of civilization."


    Meera hadn''t decided on a lie as she hadn''t expected to run into anyone who wasn''t the witch, and she didn''t want to say that she was looking for the champion without learning more about where she was. In the end, she decided on a partial truth.


    "I came looking for the witch that''s in this valley. I heard she''s powerful."


    "Oh," Yoana''s face fell. "You must be an adventurer. Come to seek a favor from the witch."


    "Something like that."


    She stood and turned away from Meera, her shoulders stooped, as she sighed.


    "What''s wrong?" Meera asked.


    "Well, you''re the first outsider to make it past the forest in a while, thanks to witch''s golems."


    Meera frowned and got up on an elbow. Her cover fell, and she quickly dropped down to a lying position. "Those were hers. I killed ten of those things."


    Yoana gasped as she turned. "No wonder you were so injured. Now that you''re up let''s get you to the sauna. It''ll be good for you, and we can talk more there." With that, she headed for the door.


    "Umm, Yoana, I''m not wearing any clothes," Meera reminded her.


    "Oh, right. You can drape yourself in that blanket. The sauna is not too far from here."


    Meera frowned. "But-But what about the boys outside? I don''t want to risk it all on a blanket. What if I accidentally drop this thing?"


    "You don''t have to worry about them. You can wear my slippers. Might be a little big for you, but I''m sure you will manage." With that, Yoana walked out the door.


    Meera sighed and stood with difficulty. She was still not back to feeling like herself again. Some parts ached as if the pain was in her bones. She winced through covering herself with the blanket and held on tight. She wore the slippers and headed out the door into a chilly evening. A chill went up her spine as the cool air hit her legs.


    "Come, it''s this way." Yoana led the way, and Meera was only too happy to follow.


    The houses were like the ones she had seen in Belacre¡ªsome made of bricks, others wood but no mud houses. Everywhere they walked, people stopped to stare. It took Meera a moment to realize that only women were out. She saw one chopping wood, another pushing her animals in a pen. Another was tending to her garden. Meera turned her head from side to side and didn''t see a single man. She saw some little boys, but that was it.


    "What''s happened to all the men? Where are they?"


    Yoana kept walking as she said, "The witch took them all."

 Chapter 40 – Trapped In Our Homes

    Meera stopped in her tracks. Another chill went up her spine, and she couldn''t be sure if it was because of the cold evening wind or what Yoana had said and that, too, in such a matter-of-fact manner.


    "Did you say she took your men?" Meera asked.


    Yoana nodded. "It''s the truth. We all saw it happen with our very eyes. Some say she took them to eat them all." She noticed Meera''s shivering and motioned her to follow. "Let''s talk in the sauna. My gran should be there. She spends all her time there these days."


    Meera was happy to oblige. First, it was mirrors eating people, then shadow monsters eating people, and now witches too. What is it with this world and eating people?


    By the time they arrived at the sauna, Meera was shivering like a leaf in the wind. Yoana opened the door, and the warm wind just sucked Meera in. It hugged her close, warming her bones, and this was only the entryway.


    "This way," Yoana said. "Let me get out of these clothes, and I''ll take you to Gran."


    Yoana disappeared into what Meera assumed was one of the changing rooms. She returned a few moments later, draped in a towel. She handed one to Meera as well. So, Meera ditched the bedsheet, which had begun to get toasty and covered herself in the towel and followed the plump woman.


    The whole place was made of wood and dripped water from the steam coming from the room up ahead. It got warmer the closer they got to the room. Meera wasn''t sure if there were any healing properties in the steam, but she felt herself getting better, becoming more alive with each step.


    Yoana opened the door, and they were bathed in a wall of steam. It was like being engulfed in a much-needed warmth, like a tight hug. Meera was in bliss, that is, until she walked in. Then it was true heaven aside from the cabal of women just lounging around, and most of them were old but with a few younger ones here and there.


    All conversations stopped when Meera walked in. This was the reaction she had expected to get when she walked into the inn, and now that she had gotten the reaction, she was not very fond of it. She felt out of place, and her initial reaction was to slowly back out before getting attacked.


    "Ah, you''re up," said an old woman in the center of the group. "Come, dear. We''ve all been waiting for you to get up."


    Meera got over her hesitation and walked into the room. The room was also made of polished wood, or it looked like it, thanks to all the steam which came from a big, smooth, circular stone in the middle of the room. Meera felt heat coming off the rock. A younger woman got up and poured some water over the stone, and it immediately turned to steam.


    Meera ensured her towel was secure and followed Yoana to the group of older women, who had grouped around the one who had spoken.


    "Come, sit, dear." The old woman said in a sweet, grandmotherly voice. She had a head of grey hair and bags under her eyes. Her hands seemed rough, and there was nothing of note besides the towel around her.


    "Meera, this is my gran, Edna. Gran, this is Meera."


    Edna squinted. "Never heard that name before. Are you from off-world, child?"


    "Something like that," Meera said as she sat opposite the woman.


    "How are you feeling?"


    "Much better, thanks to the steam."


    Edna smiled and gave a wizened nod. "Yes, this place is magical. Look, dear, I hope you don''t mind if we skip the pleasantries and get right to the topic of how and why you are here."


    "I would prefer it that way," Meera replied. "I came here looking for the witch of this valley, but as soon I entered the forest, I was attacked by those Mirror Golems."


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    Now that she said it, she was reminded that she still had to go through her notifications and hoped for some good skills.


    "The witches'' guardians," Edna said, and many others nodded grimly.


    "The witch made those? Guess she likes her privacy," Meera commented.


    "You''ve got that right," said another woman to Edna''s right. "The moment we enter the woods, they show up to pummel us into the ground."


    "Well, I took care of ten of them, and then the big one appeared, but it didn''t pursue me out of the woods," Meera said.


    "That is not surprising," Edna said. "Those things have been keeping us penned in. We cannot even leave to trade for grain or other essentials."


    "I also noticed that all of your men are missing," Meera said. "Yoana mentioned that the witch took them. What''s her name, by the way?"


    "We don''t know the vile creature''s name. She never told us much when she arrived, and we don''t want to know her name. Some say those things can hear you when you call out their names. She showed up in the village one day, a few months ago, and offered all the men to live in servitude to her in exchange for eternal bliss, and not a single one refused. They all just got up and left. They dropped whatever they were doing and followed the witch into the woods."


    "She put a spell on my man," said a middle-aged woman. "There is no way he would leave me and his children like that."


    "They all just left. Just like that?" Meera asked. "No word to you, and walked away with her."


    All the heads nodded at this.


    "She even took some of the older lads," Edna said. "We''ve only left the little boys, and we fear she will come for them too once they''ve grown."


    "And you''ve never been to the witch to ask her to return your men?"


    The middle-aged woman who had spoken before scoffed. "We''ve tried several times, and each time those infernal golems have chased us off. You''re the first visitor we''ve had in months."


    "And you don''t know what she''s been doing here?"


    Edna shook her head. "We haven''t had a word with the woman since that day. Every day, we toil and hope that our men will return. Hope that the curse will be lifted off our forest so we can move through the forest like we once did. If it continues like this, we will not last long. Food''s running low. So, you can imagine our desperation. We''ve been trapped in our own homes." She took Meera''s hand in her own. "Meera dear, you''re our only hope. You''re the only adventurer who''s been strong enough to survive those golems. I hate to ask you this after we''ve just met, but we need someone to deal with this witch and bring our men back home."


    "Please, my children keep asking for their Pa and when he''s coming home," another woman with dirty blonde hair said. "I can''t keep saying soon. They think he''s run off with the witch, and she''s turned them into something unholy or has him under her trap."


    "Please, do this for us, and we''ll be eternally grateful."


    Then more women added their pleas to the point that they had to shout to get their voices heard. It got to the point that Edna had to stand to calm them down. She raised both hands and shouted at them to be silent.


    "I''ll do it," Meera said. "I came here looking for that witch anyways."


    "You did?" Edna frowned, and she was not the only one surprised. Several of them frowned or wore looks of disbelief.


    Meera nodded. "I heard the Champion came this way to entreat with her. I was wondering, did he stop by in this village, by any chance?"


    That shook the room like an earthquake. They all stared at each other as Meera told them the world was ending, which was true, given that the Champion had shown himself.


    "You all do know that the Champion has revealed himself, right?" Meera asked.


    A lot of heads shook. Edna, Yoana, and others stared at Meera like she had grown horns.


    "The Champion is real and alive?" Edna asked.


    "Yes, he has been here for six months. It''s all everyone can talk about. How do you not know about this? How long ago did the witch come here?"


    "About half a year ago."


    "What about your Gateway mirror? Do you have one in the village?" Meera asked.


    Edna shook her head. "No, not in the village. There used to be one close by, in this clearing in the forest, but we think that''s where the witch has made her home."


    "So, no travel outside the village. That would explain why you don''t know about the Champion," Meera said, more to herself than anyone else. But it looked like she opened a can of worms as the conversation changed focus.


    "By Champion, you mean the one who is supposed to defeat Aetheron."


    "If he is here, then Aetheron must be waking, which means the end is here."


    Then the conversation lunged into shrieking and lots of hand-waving. In other words, general mayhem. This was the reaction, Meera had expected from the people once they learned their world would be ending, not the celebrations, she had seen in Belacre. It took them some time to calm down, and in that time, Meera decided never to tell them that she was the Champion''s sister.


    Finally, Edna stood and calmed the women again, with help from her granddaughter. "We''ll talk about this later. If the Champion has revealed himself, he brings grave tidings, but for now, we must remain focused on ridding us of the witch''s curse."


    There were some muted aye, but no one openly denied that what Edna spoke was true.


    "Great! Now, I need my armor and things back and point me in the direction, and I''ll go have words with this witch." Meera stood and remembered something. "Oh, and a room where I can prepare before I head out."

 Chapter 41 – Lots of Levels

    Meera was back in Yoana''s room with the blanket draped around her again, but she had retrieved her belt and chakrams from Yoana''s cupboard. She could have put on some clothes she had stored in the belt, but Yoana had gone to fetch Meera''s assassin armor from the seamstress and would be coming back any moment, so for now, the blanket would do. Meera hoped the seamstress was able to fix her armor. She would have preferred to go to an armorer, but there was lots of fabric in that armor, so she might have been able to fix it.


    Meera drew a deep breath and pulled up her notifications, and there were a ton of them.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 7 Mirage Golem ¨C Level 78. For killing an enemy forty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 47. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 48. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    .


    .


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 69. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 50 in your main class, you have earned a sixth Chakram.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 60 in your main class, you have earned a seventh Chakram.]


    Two new chakrams appeared on her arms, making her total number of chakrams go to seven. Meera jumped in the air, making her chakrams jingle. That was not the only thing she was excited about. Her levels had jumped up so much. She had gained thirty levels since she had entered the forest. That was in a day.


    Maybe I should find more places with higher levels of monsters. The rewards are definitely worth it.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 34. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 36% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 35. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 37% boost]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 56. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 58% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 4]


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 4]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 11]


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 12]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Nimble Ears has reached Level 23]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 11]


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 12]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Eagle Eye has reached Level 21]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 17]


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 18]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 20]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 15]


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 16]


    .


    [Congratulations. Monkey Fist has reached Level 18]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 5]


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 6]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 14]


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 15]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 27]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 8]


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 9]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Fireplosion has reached Level 14]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 3]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 25]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadowmeld has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Shadowmeld has reached Level 3]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Shadowmeld has reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 4]


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 5]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 18]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 17]


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 18]


    .


    [Congratulations. Climbing has reached Level 20]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has reached Level 3]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has reached Level 15]


    Meera sighed. That was a lot of skills. It''s confirmed. I''m going to find more places like these to level up. She couldn''t stop grinning. If she could see her improvement in this way back on earth, she could have been the greatest kickboxer or Olympic sprinter, or even powerlifter. Seeing her progress drilled down to a mathematical form was much better than feeling for it. Once I get home, I''m going to take up RPG games.


    But the real addicting part was what was coming next, and she couldn''t wait to see what skills she got.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mirror Blast. Mirror Blast ¨C Type: Active. You focus the light around you and release it in an explosive blast of light and mirror shards, dealing damage to all within a certain radius. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Then came the now familiar message stating that she needed to let go of a skill, and this time, Meera knew right away which one she needed to let go of¡ªFireplosion. It was clear that Mirror Blast was the mirror element version of Fireplosion.


    She always wanted a fire attack, but given this new attack''s synergy with Mirror Affinity should automatically make it stronger. Goodbye, Fireplosion.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror Blast ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Prismatic Distortion. Your body will manipulate light and color, creating subtle disorienting visual effects that can make it harder for long-range attacks to land. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera slapped her thigh. So, that''s why it was so hard to focus and land my chakrams on them from long range.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Prismatic Distortion ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mirror Shard Barrage. Mirror Shard Barrage ¨C Type: Active. You can focus your Mana and launch sharp mirror shards into your enemies, causing severe lacerations and injuries. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera had to think about which skill to give up for this one. The only one that came to mind was Shadowmeld. It was a helpful skill. One that had saved her hide a few times in her encounters with the Golems, but another mirror-focused attack could definitely prove useful. Besides, it''s not like Shadowmeld made me completely invisible. Then there was this feeling inside her that was telling her that she should take this new skill, if not only to add a variety of offensive skills to her skillset.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror Shard Barrage ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Disorienting Flare. Disorienting Flare ¨C Type: Active. You can emit a dazzling flare from your eyes, disorienting and temporarily blinding enemies caught within its range. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera had to think long and hard about this one. It seemed like a useful skill, but she would have to give up one equally useful skill. She didn''t know which one she would be comfortable parting with. The only one she could think of was Monkey Fist, but then she would be trading an offensive one for what seemed like a defensive or utility skill.


    Monkey Fist has saved my life more than one time.


    Ultimately, she decided to forego Monkey Fist as she needed an attack that could disorient her enemies and create an opening for her. That left her with three more notifications to go through.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Disorienting Flare ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Absorption. Your body will absorb the properties of an enemy''s attack or magical spell, gaining temporary resistance for a short period of time. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Absorption ¨C Level 1]


    It was a good enough skill, but one she never got to see in practice as they never survived her one magical attack¡ªFireplosion. She hoped Mirror Blast was worth losing Fireplosion for. But she couldn''t waste time thinking about it. It was done.


    The following two skills were Glass Shard Barrage which she already had, so experience got added to her main class, and the last one was Absorption again, which also added experience to her main class. She hoped it would bring her level to 70, earning her another chakram, but that didn''t happen. She was a little disappointed, but it was okay. She had earned lots of skills that synergized with her class. She was looking to try those out.


    Next came the attribute points, and she could do nothing but stare. She had a total of ninety-three free stat points. She quickly did the math and realized that she shouldn''t have gotten that much but snapped her fingers when she remembered that she didn''t spend the ones from the first two golems that she downed.


    Okay, time to get to work.


    She started with a standard ten-point spread into everything aside from Power, giving it only five points. Then she min-maxed according to her skills which were slowly shifting from more Endurance based skills to Focus based, which meant she would need more Mana. So, she put the most points in Focus, followed by Endurance, as she would like to have her Nimble Ears and Eagle Eye active for longer. It didn''t take her long to finish allotting the attribute points.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 69]


    [Class Ability: Reflection ¨C Level 12]


    Stats


    [Health: 410]


    [Stamina: 560]


    [Mana: 420]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 41]


    [Power: 20]


    [Dexterity: 39]


    [Endurance: 56]


    [Focus: 42]


    [Agility: 48]


    [Perception: 42]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 27]


    [Disorienting Flare - Level 1]


    [Eagle Eye - Level 21]


    [Shadow Step - Level 15]


    [Primal Power - Level 20]


    [Nimble Ears - Level 23]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 25]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 1]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 1]


    [Vitalize - Level 18]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 3]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 56]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 1]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 10]


    [Charred Body - Level 3]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 1]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 15]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 1]


    [Absorption - Level 1]


    With that all sorted out, Meera felt ready to take on the witch and whatever golems she might send Meera''s way. As if on cue, Yoana returned with Meera''s assassin armor, and there was one thing that was massively different from before.


    "Yoana," Meera stated calmly.


    "Yes¡­"


    "Why the hell is it red?"

 Chapter 42 - The Final Mirror Golem

    Meera donned the now red and black armor¡ªif you could call it that. It felt more like a fashion outfit. First of all, the hood was red, and then parts of the arms were also red, and below the waist, there used to be a portion of the armor that hung down to hide weapons and such that was also red.


    "This is great."


    "Really?" Yoana asked.


    "No, she ruined it. When have you seen a red and black assassin tromping around? I''m going to stick out like a sore thumb. Actually, exactly like a sore thumb."


    "I haven''t seen any assassins," Yoana muttered.


    "What?"


    "I think it brings out the color of your eyes." She did her best not to look Meera in the eyes. "At least, that is what the seamstress says."


    "I ought to knock some sense in her head. She ruined a perfectly good armor."


    "I''m sorry. If you want, I''ll go have it changed."


    "It''s fine. It''s getting late. If I leave any later, that golem will be damn near invisible to fight, and I cannot afford to lose another day." Meera sighed, breathing out her anger. "Thanks for everything."


    Yoana smiled. "Best of luck, Meera."


    Meera nodded her thanks, walked out the door, and found herself face-to-face with the entire village of Cliffmere. Yoana''s Gran, Edna, stood at the front of the meager crowd.


    "We came to wish you luck, dearie," Edna said. "We''ll pray to Mirithia that you succeed, for both our sakes."


    Then the rest of the women jumped in, saying their goodbyes and wishing her well. Meera thanked them and moved for the woods. She reached a small stream, which she didn''t remember, but she was unconscious on her way in.


    She hopped over the stream and was at the forest''s edge in no time. She readied a chakram in her right hand, activated Eagle Eye and Nimble Ears, and stepped into the woods. The dry leaves crunched underfoot. The crickets had begun to chirp. An owl hooted in the distance, and overhead, Mirithia was brightening with each passing moment. Night was about to begin in full swing.


    The forest got eerily silent. Meera stopped and surveyed her surroundings. She didn''t see anything, but she knew it was coming.


    She heard the voice of something crystalizing behind her, like the sound of water freezing into crisp ice. The golem didn''t roar like its brethren. It simply swung its club-like arm at her. She used Shadow Step and moved out of its range.


    As she appeared in her desired spot, she saw the monstrosity. It was bigger than the last golems she had fought. Its head touched the branches of the tree. It was wider than two trunks of the big trees around them. Worst of all, this one had a neck, so it could turn its head without turning its body, which would be a problem.


    The golem stared and then vanished. Meera knew it was coming for her, so she vanished too and appeared where the golem was standing, while the golem appeared right beside her, arm coming down on her. She barely avoided the blow as the heavy mirror club smashed into the ground, throwing up dirt.


    Meera used this chance to activate Primal Power and punched the creature''s arm with her chakram. Thanks to her Mirror Affinity and increased levels. Her chakram went in around its elbow.


    It brought its other arm down on her, but leaving her chakram in its arm, she Stepped on the other side of the golem''s arm and recalled her chakram. Her weapon began cutting through the golem''s massive arm, and given its lack of fingers, it couldn''t pull it out.


    It was about to lose its arm when the golem appeared on the other side of Meera, and her chakram flew back out the way she had wedged it, leaving its arm intact. She groaned but didn''t have time to lament as the golem shot a massive spinning star from its chest.


    Meera had to Step away, but the golem came with her, again appearing almost right on top of her. How is this thing doing that? How does it know where I will go?


    Instead of waiting for the golem to act, she raised an arm and showered the golem''s head with a Mirror Shard Barrage. She hadn''t used the skill before, but it had been used on her many times by the golems, so she knew what was to be expected. A barrage of sharp mirror shards, most of them in the form of triangles, shot out of Meera''s hand.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    It took the golem a moment to form a mirror shield. Meera stopped her attack instead of trying to power through the shield. By the time the golem''s shield dissolved, she had Stepped in the shade of a massive tree behind the golem''s back.


    She had expected the golem to follow as it had done before, but it didn''t. The golem didn''t realize where she had gone. It looked left and right. It gave Meera a moment to think. The golem had a teleporting skill and something that let it target her.


    She didn''t have much time before the golem figured out where she was, and she couldn''t keep fighting with the thing on top of her, constantly trying to bash her head in. She had already shown one of her new skills, and the golem would be wary of it.


    Mirror Shard Barrage would be devastating at that close range against a flesh-and-blood opponent, but this thing hardly had any scratches. She decided to use the tactic she had used against the Umbraclaw Vath but a little differently.


    She took off all her seven chakrams and embedded them in seven tree trunks around her. She stepped out of the tree''s shadow and first used Identity on the golem.


    [Mirror Golem ¨C Level 93]


    Meera''s eyes widened. It was almost as strong as the Alpha Ape, they had fought way back, and back then, she had help. But she had to go through this one to get to the witch, so she whistled and waved at the golem. "Looking for me?"


    The golem twisted its body to her. Its face held many scratches from her Mirror Shard Barrage, making Meera smile.


    The golem roared and rushed towards her. For the first time, it didn''t teleport. It made Meera frown. She was right there, the golem could have, but it opted to run.


    Meera was ready for it. She used Shadow Step to move away. She landed in the middle of the small clearing. Her seven chakram waited for the golem.


    Meera waited until it was close enough. The golem formed two sharp, spinning stars, one on each hand, and let them rip.


    Meera just sidestepped them. Her speed had gotten fast enough that she could do this now. Then she raised her hand, ready to use Mirror Shard Barrage, but the golem suspected the move and vanished only to appear beside one of the trees with her chakrams.


    Meera frowned and turned her hand to the golem, but it moved again to the next chakram. Meera gasped. That''s how it knew where I was going to be.


    The golem''s skill lets it transport to other mirrors. Meera''s chakrams were made of mirrors, so the golem could only teleport to them. She noted not using Mirror Shard Barrage as it gave the golem many more targets to teleport. Instead, she recalled the very chakram he was standing in front of. The chakram hit the golem in the back, staggering it forward.


    She stepped toward the golem while activating Primal Power. She recalled a chakram to her hand and punched it in its chest. The force of the blow made it stagger backward, and Meera left her chakram in its chest. Instead, she focused on the one on its back and pulled that one toward her. Her sharp disc began spinning and chewing through the Mirror Golem. It formed cracks on the golem''s back, which snaked outward.


    The golem once again teleported away to another chakram. Meera smirked and shot that chakram into its back as well. Once again, the golem staggered forward. She used Shadow Step, recalled a chakram, and punched at it.


    But she should have known that these things learn attack patterns too fast. The golem met her punch with one of its own. They clashed mirror arm and mirror chakram. She strained against the golem, but Power was never really her forte. She was sent flying into a tree.


    All the breath left her body as she slid down the tree. Before she had a moment''s respite, the golem was on top of her. She still had her chakram in her hand. She Stepped above into the tree branches and dropped on the golem''s head.


    Another strategy, this thing knew as she had used it on its brothers. He raised an arm to protect its head¡ªthe one with the deep cut in it. So, instead of punching its head, she wedged her chakram deep in the thing''s arm.


    It couldn''t feel pain but could tell when it was about to lose an arm and how that would be bad for it. Meera jumped off and sprinted to the other side. She recalled her chakram that was embedded in the creature''s chest, which did its thing. She could play this game this way, where she could recall the one in its chest when she faced her back and vice versa. But that would take too long, and she was worried about one skill that she knew this golem had because she had it too¡ªMirror Blast.


    I must end it fast, or I might make a mistake that will cost me dearly.


    She smiled as a plan formulated in her head thanks to Ambush Tactics and Tactician''s Gaze. She formed a mirror shield before her as she ran to conceal her movement. The golem shot it with a mirror star. But Meera was no longer behind the mirror. Instead, she stepped in front of the golem and used a new skill Disorienting Glare.


    A bright white light shot out of her eyes. The golem staggered back a few steps, but it was blind. That was all Meera needed. She Stepped to the golem''s shoulder, formed a shield on each side of her, and used Mirror Blast.


    Light and mirrors exploded out of her. A couple of her shields were decimated immediately, but the ones that held contained the blast. This skill took a chunk of her Mana, but it did the trick. By the time, the light subsided, half the golem''s head was missing.


    Meera triumphantly jumped off the thing as it fell to its knees. But even then, it seemed, the golem was not done. It punched at her, and she raised a shield, which gave her that life-saving moment she needed to jump away.


    Meera was getting angry now. That last attack should have killed the golem. She Stepped to each tree that still held her chakram, in rapid succession, collected them and came upon the golem''s back. With Primal Power, she punched them all into its already cracking back.


    The golem began to glow, much like she had when she used Mirror Blast. She stepped behind a tree and activated three layers of mirror shields just in time as the golem unleashed Mirror Blast.


    The tree behind her blew to splinters, but her shields held even after the tree had a gaping hole in it. Meera let her shields dissolve and recalled her chakrams, and this time it didn''t take them long to drill through the golem''s back. All five of them broke the monster together, shattering it to pieces.

 Chapter 43 – Smiling Men of Cliffmere

    Meera huffed with her hands on her knees. She kept her observation skills up, expecting more of the golems to come, but none did. In the meantime, she activated Vitalize and healed herself. Thankfully, she had no severe injuries, just cuts and bruises, so it didn''t take much Mana to heal herself, which was already running low.


    After a swig of water from her bottle, she climbed a tree the conventional way to the top. These trees were shorter than the ones in the Forest of Rothedon and also easier to climb. Once she reached the top, she found what she was looking for.


    The women of Cliffmere had told her to look for smoke rising from the north, closer to the cliff wall. She didn''t see the source of the smoke, but she knew it to be a hut. She had seen it before she entered the valley.


    She jumped down from the tree and made her way toward the witch''s hut. As she walked, she checked her notifications while keeping her Nimble Ears on.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed a Mirage Golem ¨C Level 93. For killing an enemy twenty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 70. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 71. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    .


    .


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 74. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 70 in your main class, you have earned an eighth Chakram.]


    A new chakram appeared on her arm, making her total number of chakrams go to eight. She had four on each arm now, and still, there was a lot of room to add more. If this continued, she would soon have to remove them from her arms and hang them from her belt, but there was time enough for that.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 57. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 59% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 58. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 60% boost]


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 60. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 62% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 16]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Primal Power has reached Level 21]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Disorienting Glare has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Disorienting Glare has reached Level 3]


    [Congratulations. Disorienting Glare has reached Level 4]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 26]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 3]


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has reached Level 3]


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has reached Level 5]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 28]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has reached Level 16]


    Meera paused when she thought she heard something. She pulled off a chakram and waited for a few minutes, but when nothing showed itself, she continued walking and checking her last notification, which she was waiting for.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mirror''s Perceptivity. Mirror''s Perceptivity ¨C Type: Passive. You can see in every direction through the mirrors on your person, leaving no blind spots and enabling you to detect threats, opportunities, and movements with exceptional clarity. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera was stumped. This was an excellent skill. It was like the system had expanded her vision to a 360 radius, but she guessed it did not have Eagle Eye''s precision or clarity. If she accepted, she would have to forgo a skill, and she was not about to let go of Eagle Eye after what she said to Silas, that she would cherish Eagle Eye forever. So, it came down to Nimble Ears.


    She would not be able to hear that well, but would she need to? If she could see in all directions simultaneously. After all, that was what Nimble Ears was for. If I don''t like it, I can kill another bunny and get Nimble Ears back.


    With much reluctance, she gave up Nimble Ears and accepted Mirror''s Perceptivity.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror''s Perceptivity ¨C Level 1]


    She activated it right away, and her field of vision ballooned to encompass everything in front of her. She could see from the top of the treetops to the ground all at once. There was no focus on one spot, but she could see everything. Then she started, but she could only see what was before her. She couldn''t see anything behind her until she turned.


    Meera took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She had begun to think she had made a mistake giving up Nimble Ears when she remembered that she could see all around her through the power of mirrors. She looked at the chakrams on her wrist, pulled one off, took it behind her back, and voila, just like that, she had 360-degree vision.


    She could see the trees behind her and the ones in front. There was no spot on the spectrum that was hidden from her. She moved the chakram back to the front, and she lost the vision from her back. She needed a way to keep the chakram behind her so that she could see in all directions.


    After much thinking, there was only one way she could think of right now. She took off her hoard belt and tied it over her armor but not before sliding a chakram through it and making sure it rested on her back. She activated Mirror''s Perceptivity again, and just like that, she could see in every direction. The only blind spot she had, was the top of her head.


    She needed to find a way to get a small mirror sewn into her hood. Maybe even across her back because this way, she would always be short a chakram. Another good thing was that this skill worked off Stamina instead of Mana, so she could keep it active for longer while using her newly acquired mirror skills as her primary method of attack.


    She smiled as her skills were coming along quite nicely, even if she weren''t as stealthy as she would have liked, but it was still better than the random patchwork of skills she had a few weeks ago.


    As she traveled, she did miss being able to hear things in the distance, but her perception had been heightened to new levels, and it would be hard to fall on her without detection.


    The evening wore on and gave way to night. Mirithia brightened in the night sky and became her guiding light in the dark. It wasn''t long before Meera saw the smoke above the tree line, which meant she was headed in the right direction.


    She slowed down, surveying everything carefully before moving along. Mirror''s Perceptivity made sure no golem got the jump on her. She saw a glow in the distance and watched it with Eagle Eye, and it was indeed a hut. There was also one of the oval Gateway mirrors right outside the hut. Her eyes widened a little when she saw men working outside.


    Meera thought she saw something move behind her. If it was another golem, she didn''t want to let it know that it had been spotted. So, she thought of trying something. Without turning around, she focused on using Eagle Eye behind her. To her surprise, it worked instantly. She had to stop herself from jumping up. She surveyed the area around thoroughly with Eagle Eye, focusing on the darker areas, and the greatest threat she found was a squirrel resting on a branch.


    Once, she was sure nothing was coming after her. She began for the hut with Mirror''s Perceptivity and a chakram in hand. The hut was much like any hut she had seen, with a thatched roof and a stone chimney. There were a couple of windows, with light coming from inside. Several torches had been lit along the property line to provide light for the men. The only odd thing about this hut was the number of shiny glass pieces hanging around the house. Back on earth, witches usually had gingerbread houses, but then again, this world was obsessed with mirrors, so they would have strange decorations.


    She saw a bunch of men cutting trees. She slinked her way to them, came up on this man''s back, and tapped lightly.


    "Hey," she whispered, with one eye on the house.


    The man did not stir. Meera tapped harder, but the man kept swinging his axe away. She frowned and moved around so she would be in his vision. The man had an unfocused gaze and a smile on his lips.


    "Hey, I''m Meera." She waved a hand in front of his face, and nothing. "Anybody home?"


    Still nothing. So, Meera moved to the next one, and he was the same¡ªswinging his axe at the tree with a goofy smile. She checked a few more, and they were all like this.


    They must be under the witch''s spell, which explains why they never returned home. Meera sighed. So much for trying to get some information before meeting with the lady.


    She passed more smiling men along the way. Some were stacking the wood. Some were cleaning the yard and doing other things that would have been better done in the daylight. No one stopped her as she made for the hut, but she did reach for the Gateway Mirror and gave it a tap before arriving at the door.


    She carefully opened the door, expecting a mirror golem to punch her in the face but found no such thing. Instead, she heard a melodious tune. A small corridor had two doors on the left side and a door at the end of the hallway. Many flowers and small mirrors were hanging decoratively. Meera carefully stepped into the small hut and followed the sound. It was coming from the room at the end of the hallway.


    She wanted to open the two doors to her left, but they were closed. Finally, the tune coming from the room sounded like it must''ve been from a string instrument. It was a sad yet enjoyable tune.


    Meera blew out the candle outside the door, so she would have someplace to teleport to if this was a trap. She finally opened the door and was not prepared for what she saw.


    "Ah, you''re finally here," the witch said.

 Chapter 44 - The Witch of Cliffshield Valley

    Meera wasn''t sure if she should shut the door and back out of the house or use a Mirror Blast right then and there. The room had all these men standing in a line, eyes closed. The witch had them dressed down to their underwear, and she had a lad who barely looked like he was fifteen on a table. His one leg had turned into a mirror leg, and the other was halfway there.


    With a start, Meera realized the golems had been these men. The witch had been turning these men into the Mirror Golems and sending them after her. It took everything Meera had not to attack the scantily dressed woman.


    She was strikingly beautiful, the kind one would do a double take if they saw her on the street. She had long blonde hair and green eyes. The woman''s sparkling dress covered the essential bits but didn''t leave anything to the imagination. She put down the piece of mirror she was about to attach to the boy and wiped her hands on a towel, which was presented to her by a man who was in a daze.


    The witch turned to Meera, smiling. "You''ve cost me a fair number of these. I should be mad at you, but it''s not like every day you get a visitor wielding a mythical weapon."


    Meera clutched her chakram tighter. "Who are you? And why are you turning these men into your golems?"


    The witch smiled. "To keep my privacy, of course. A woman like me gets many visitors, and I would so like to be left alone."


    Meera''s nostrils flared. "Why? I killed all those golems¡ªno innocent men for your fucking privacy."


    "You should calm yourself. You are talking to a sister of the Arcane Order. A Sorceress of Akhessai. A first-grade conqueror of the Prismatic Arts. If you don''t believe me, you can Identify me, and after that, you better talk to me with respect, girlie."


    Of all the things she said, only one stood out to Meera. "You''re a Sorceress of Akhessai?"


    The witch sighed. "Why is it that everyone only hears that? Yes, I''m a Sorceress of Akhesaai. Now bow down to me but don''t ask for a favor in exchange for your firstborn. I don''t do that. That''s Valentina''s business."


    Meera squinted and couldn''t tell if she was joking about the firstborn part. In any case, Meera Identify''d her.


    [Sorceress of Mirrors ¨C Level ??]


    This made sense as she had created the mirror golems and was turning a poor lad into another one. In no world was Meera going to let her go through with this? But the witch did have all these men under her control. If she made them attack her, then Meera would have to kill or hurt them at the least. She had to play this carefully.


    "I''m not here for any favors, and where I''m from, we''ve done away with the bowing and the scraping. So, you don''t have to worry about that, and I don''t have a kid either."


    "Oh, didn''t know the Varsha Empire had become so advanced that they''ve stopped bowing to their betters," the witch said. "The way I remember, weren''t they the ones that started it all."


    Meera gritted her teeth and repeated the words that were grinding down her soul. "Not a Varshan."


    "Oh, could''ve fooled me. Does this not-a-Varshan have a name, or does she just enjoy killing my precious golems?"


    "Do you have a name?"


    "I asked first."


    Meera hated this woman even more than the rich girl that had sent her here. "I''m Meera."


    "Not a Varshan name, indeed." The witch smiled. "I''m Kalrina of-well, you know my titles already. So, Meera, with no family name, who is not from Varsha, what can I help you with, that you went through eleven of these nice specimens to get to me?"


    "I have a request and a few questions to ask of you."


    "Oh, do tell," she said giddily. "I always love those."


    Meera was not such an idiot that she missed the sarcasm in her voice. "I request you to release these men back to their families."


    Kalrina''s right eyebrow twitched a little. "That seems more like an order."


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    "No, still a request. Their families are suffering without them, and because of your golems, they cannot leave. They are about to run out of food."


    "But this valley is a bounty of food and game."


    "Game that they cannot get to because anytime they step foot into the forest, your golems show up to harass them, which I now know to be cruel as these golems are their very loved ones."


    Kalrina snorted. "Oh dearie, you have no notion what it means to be cruel. I can show it to you, but I want to hear these questions first."


    Meera had only one question until she discovered that this Kalrina was a Sorceress of Akhessai. Now, she had a few more, but she settled on two additional ones, which she was sure would raise a few eyebrows.


    "I''m on the Champion''s trail. Last I heard, he came through here and talked with a witch. Is that you?"


    "How do you know the Champion was ever here?"


    "I have my sources."


    "The sources could have been lying."


    "You haven''t outright said no about the Champion coming here, so it makes me think he was here."


    Kalrina''s lips cracked a hint of a smile. "He could have been, or he could not have. Why do you seek the Champion? You''re not one of his raving fans, are you?"


    "I''m an independent contractor hired by a very wealthy individual to bring Neel to him, so he can ensure his safety until the Champion has to do his thing and save us all."


    "I see." The sorceress nodded. "That wealthy individual wouldn''t happen to be Arhazar, the Godking of Varsha?"


    "No, I have never even seen the man, and like I''ve said, I''m not a Varshan, so I doubt I would be allowed into their borders."


    The witch snorted. "Oh, I''m sure you will be. But let''s set that aside and hear your second question."


    "Do you know what is a Reflectora?


    This got a reaction from the sorceress. Her eyebrows shot up as her eyes widened. "My, my, now, that is a curious question. What would an independent contractor want with an ancient relic of the past."


    Meera frowned. "It''s an ancient relic? What is it used for? Where would I find one?"


    "Oh, I''ve said too much already. Is that all the questions you have for me? Because I won''t lie, I''m quite intrigued by these questions from a person who claims to be an independent contractor and wants to know about such dangerous things."


    Meera did not like the look in her eye. Even though Kalrina came off as cheery and bubbly, her eyes were trying to pierce through Meera''s soul and discover her secrets.


    "My last question is, do you know the exact words of the prophecy?"


    "A very curious adventurer indeed. Most would have asked me the secret to making the golems, but you''re asking about the one thing that hardly anyone asks about. After all, everyone already knows about it¡ªthe Great Dragon will rise and try to end the worlds one by one, and the Champion will stop it."


    "I don''t think you heard me. I want to know the exact words of the prophecy."


    "I heard you, girlie. Now, I want you to hear me. My answer to your request is a plain and simple no, and you can take your questions and run out of my forest before I send more of my golems after you. Now, you can leave my hut, or I can put you on the table and turn you into my pet."


    Meera looked at the unconscious lad whose legs were slowly being turned into those of a golem. She looked to the witch and back to the lad, and something didn''t make sense.


    "Okay, I will leave and fight more of your golems and get even stronger until I''ve killed them all. then I will return, and my request will turn into a demand. Or we can do a trade."


    Kalrina barked a laugh. "Ha! The pup bares her teeth to the lioness. Go on."


    "You say you''re a sorceress of Akhessai, and yet you are here in this untouched forest on a different world when you should have been at home with your sisters. You kidnapped all these men and turned them into your servants and protectors. You don''t let anyone even enter the forest. My question is, why? Why go through all this?"


    Karina''s face grew dark initially, and Meera readied herself for a fight. She quickly surveyed all the parts of the room which had some shadows she could jump to.


    Then Karina relaxed and smiled a little. "So, you''re not a complete dullard, as I thought. My original plan was to lure you in here and kill you for making me waste so much of my Mana and resources by killing my pets. But now, we might be able to make a trade, or at the very least, I can get you out of my hair."


    She stood and moved for the window, and as the light of Mirithia fell on her, Meera was once again reminded of how beautiful she was. Beautiful but cruel.


    "You asked why I am here. The answer should be obvious. I''m in hiding. Hiding from my sisters who are cross with me because I did something I shouldn''t have. The specifics will just bore you. That''s why when I landed here, I took control of the men, made them into golems, and set up shop near the Gateway Mirror. So, if my sisters come knocking, I can get out of here like this." She snapped her fingers.


    "But that is your problem. Why involve these folks?"


    "Simple answer, because I can and must for my survival. Tell me, wouldn''t you do everything you can to protect yourself."


    "I wouldn''t endanger innocent people to save my own hide."


    "How very noble of you. Now, you mentioned something about a trade. So, let''s do a trade, as I can hardly stand your self-righteousness. There is a cave nearby filled with dangerous monsters, but if you could handle my golems, they should not cause much trouble for you."


    "What do you need from the cave?"


    "I''m getting there, my hasty one. At the heart of the cave, you will find a green crystal called the Crystal of Darthin. Bring that crystal to me, and I will release all these men, as I won''t need them if I have that."


    "Why didn''t you go get it yourself?"


    "Because it is entirely bothersome, and putting a few men under my spell is much easier. After all, which man would not lust after me."


    Meera had the strong urge to punch her pretty face. "And you will answer my questions?"


    Kalrina shrugged. "Sure, but for that, you will have to answer a few of my own, but we''ll get to them later. Now, shoo, the Cave of Wraiths awaits."


    Meera gulped. That can''t be good.

 Chapter 45 – The Cave of Wraiths

    After almost a day of trekking through the forest and, thankfully, no golems, Meera stood before a gaping hole in the cliff wall. That''s how anyone would put it. It looked like a semi-circular hole of darkness.


    I wish I hadn''t gotten rid of Night Vision.


    She opened her Hoard Belt and sifted through the menu to see if it had something to light her way. She saw nothing but a ton of gold, jewels, coins, armor, and weapons. She would trade those for a torch¡ªone from earth, not the ones of wood.


    She had no choice, so she looked around the forest for dry wood and stuffed as many as her belt would allow, which was about thirty of them. She figured that should be enough for her to last long enough to find this Crystal of Darthin.


    She lit one torch and had just raised her foot to step into the cave when a whooshing wind made her balance unsteady, and she almost fell. The flames fluttered and almost went out. They would have if Meera hadn''t turned out around to shield the flame with her body.


    "If you disrupt our rest, then we shall be forced to take your life," said a haunting, echoing voice.


    "Please come free us from this eternal torment," said another, more feminine voice.


    "There is nothing for you here but only death."


    "Come join us, brave adventurer. We haven''t had a visitor in so long."


    Then silence. Meera waited for more cryptic words, but none came. Then came a wind blast that dropped her on her ass and put out her torch.


    If I survive this, I''m going to kill that witch.


    She lit the torch again and stepped into the cave. It felt like she had stepped into a black hole, which was not far from the truth. Her torch showed her a cave so vast that she could not even see its ceiling. She saw rocky walls, and that''s about it. This was the exact stuff people did in movies that got them killed. Her heart thrummed in her chest, and all her instincts yelled at her to run away, but she stood her ground.


    Look, Neel, this is what I must do to find you, and once I do, I''m going to give you hell for every single thing I''ve had to endure.


    She activated Mirror''s Perceptivity, and once she acclimatized to the dark, she headed in. As she moved, the only sound she heard was her footsteps. It was a little eery to only hear her footsteps and nothing else. She pulled off her chakram and readied herself for any surprise attack. It was not like she would see the attacks coming from much farther off, thanks to the darkness.


    As she walked farther in, the air got stale, and a putrid smell permeated the cave, like the smell of rotten bodies. Meera snorted. The fact that I know the smell of rotting bodies is something else.


    Then something moved to her left. She wouldn''t have seen it if not for her high Perception and Perceptivity skill. She jumped aside at the last moment as a ball of darkness strolled on by. Meera frowned and tilted her head. It was slow enough that she didn''t even need to jump. She could''ve just stepped aside.


    But it was a distraction.


    A dark, hazy form was coming for her from behind. Her instincts ran wild as what she could only describe as a ghost came running after her. She screamed and ran off down the cave without even looking back with her eyes, but she could still see the thing until it got out of range of the torchlight.


    She huffed as she came to a stop, resting one hand on the rocky wall. Ghosts! Ghosts are real in this world. Oh, my god. What have I stepped into? No wonder the sorceress didn''t want to deal with them herself.


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    She heard an echoing laughter coming from all directions. This took her out of her internal crises and brought her to the present. She looked around and saw no one or thing coming for her. It was as if the ghosts or wraiths in this cave were laughing at her expense.


    She almost had the urge to call them out and stop hiding in the shadows, but she was in no mood to face them, and she was not dumb enough to announce her position.


    She drew a deep breath, steadied her breathing, and walked on. As she did, the laughter died down, and a chill wind flowed through the cave. Her torch fluttered, but it was not strong enough to blow it out. A chill went up her spine. Each moment was nerve-wracking as in this cave of darkness, the wraiths could see her, but she couldn''t see them.


    The wind stopped abruptly, and half a dozen shadowy figures descended on her. Meera gasped, raised her hand, and pelted them with Mirror Shard Barrage. The wraiths paused momentarily as the shards went through their smoky bodies.


    Meera''s breath quickened as the wraiths looked at each other and laughed. A haunting sound that would haunt Meera''s nightmares if she lived long enough to have nightmares. Their bodies were covered in shadows, but what she did see left her nauseous. They had missing eyes, puss oozing from sores, while some had decaying skin, some of which had fallen from their bones. She quickly used Identify on one of them.


    [Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 68]


    The others were all around a similar level. This was like facing many Golems at the same time. She wanted to cry that it was unfair, but then she had come here of her own volition.


    The wraiths zipped to her, and she used Mirror Blast. An explosion of mirror shards and light rocked the cave. But at that moment, she saw that the cave ceiling must''ve been forty feet high, and things were watching her from above¡ªthings that were most likely more wraiths in different forms.


    She had hoped that attack would do something against the wraiths but nothing. They had flinched at the light and the blast, but it did nothing to them. Now, Meera was in trouble. That was her strongest attack.


    She had one last option before the wraiths made her one of them. She pulled off her chakram and launched it at the lead wraith''s head. To her surprise and that of the wraiths, the weapon hit the ghost in the forehead and got stuck there.


    The wraith howled in pain as the others watched their brother thrash about with a chakram stuck in its head, followed by the notification bell from her class ability.


    Meera stared at her chakrams. Then she remembered the weapon''s description. It was a mythical weapon which meant that it could hurt these things.


    She recalled her chakram and a bright light leaked from the wraith''s forehead from where her chakram had hit it. It was like a torchlight washing the cave with light. She let her torch drop and, in rapid succession, cut holes in each of the six wraiths. Light poured out of them, bright enough that she didn''t need her torch of fire to see anymore.


    The wraiths were not done, and neither was Meera. The best thing was now, they feared her. She could tell as none of them wanted to come close to her.


    Then without warning Meera used Shadow Step and appeared behind them. They realized a moment too late. She slashed her chakram across the back of at least half of them. They cried out as more light spilled out of their wounds. The other three descended on her. She ducked and dodged their slashes, but one left a bloody scratch along her left arm.


    She Stepped behind them again, put some distance between them, and started launching her chakrams and recalling them on the go. She was even surprised at her speed and skill. At one point, she thought she would miss catching her chakram and impale herself in the chest, but she never did. Meanwhile, the wraiths kept getting more holes in them, and they couldn''t even get within two meters of her.


    The first one fell or rather evaporated into thin air, and all his light vanished. Seeing this, the others paused, but Meera didn''t. She ''killed'' her next target by the time they recovered. They got wary of her. One of the wraiths vanished. She figured he had run off, so she focused on the rest.


    But the one that had vanished appeared behind her, but unluckily for him, she could see behind her, but he didn''t know. So, she let him come close. Then turned around at the last moment and unleashed a flurry of punches with her chakrams that killed it within moments.


    She turned around in time to block the slash from a wraith with her chakram. The specter injured its hand on her sharp chakram. It screamed and thrashed about, and Meera decapitated it and surprised herself that such a thing was possible.


    With only half their numbers remaining, the last three were not so confident anymore, but they had no option as Meera gave them no chance to run. She teleported behind them and cut them to shreds before they even had a chance to run. Meera threw her chakram at the last one, but it vanished. Just as she was about to recall her chakram, it hit the invisible wraith, followed by an echoing scream. Two more chakrams later, the wraith was no more.


    Meera smiled. Now that was not so hard. I wonder what sort of skills these wraiths gave me.

 Chapter 46 – Some Skills And More Wraiths

    Meera used Vitalize to heal the bloody scratch on her arm. It didn''t take long for her arm to be back to normal. Then she looked around quickly, making sure that she was alone and any other wraiths weren''t coming after her. She was alone. There was no chill wind, no haunting laughter. She was alone for now, so she pulled up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 3 Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 68]


    [You have killed 2 Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 66]


    [You have killed a Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 71]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 75. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 76. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    .


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 78. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 61. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 63% boost]


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 62. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 64% boost]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 17]


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 18]


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 19]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Perceptivity has reached Level 2]


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Perceptivity has reached Level 3]


    .


    .


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Perceptivity has reached Level 9]


    That was it. None of her other skills leveled up. Even though she had used Mirror Blast and Mirror Shard Barrage, they had not worked. She was a little miffed about it, but it was okay. This cave would only be used to level her class and some general skills at best. Though, she should be able to steal some nice skills from these wraiths.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Haunting Presence. You project an aura of unsettling and malevolent energy, creating an atmosphere of fear, dread, and unease in your enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera realized why she was unreasonably afeared of the wraiths. Why she ran from the first one and got herself surrounded by a half dozen. It was all because of this skill. She was definitely going to accept this one, seeing as it was a general skill.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Haunting Presence ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shadow Step. Shadow Step ¨C Type: Active. You can instantaneously teleport short distances through shadows...


    Meera frowned, but she didn''t have to do anything as she quickly got a familiar message saying that she already had this skill and could not acquire it again. It was a good thing as experience got added to Shadow Step. It didn''t level up, but every little bit helped.


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    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Soul Drift. Soul Drift ¨C Type: Active. Your soul can traverse through the ethereal realm and pass through solid objects and barriers, allowing for swift movement. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera''s eyes widened at the skill. This would be perfect, more than perfect. It was a skill that could help make reconnaissance a breeze. She could snoop in on her enemies easily. But then her soul was crushed.


    [ERROR! You are not dead. Your soul is tethered to your body and cannot leave your body without killing you. You cannot acquire this skill. Hence bonus experience will be added to your main class.]


    Meera almost teared up. She was so upset that the rest of the skills didn''t matter, even if she got the slow, moving ball of darkness skill. What was the point of showing her such an incredible skill when she could not acquire it? After sighing a few times, she moved on to her next notification.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Phantom Strike. Phantom Strike ¨C Type: Active. You can harness the ethereal essence of your spectral nature, enabling you to move with unparalleled agility and strike your targets with uncanny speed and precision. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    She knew what this skill was. It had left its bloody mark on her arm. She waited a couple of moments, but the system didn''t give her an error, so she figured it deemed it okay for her to earn this skill. But despite its good description, she didn''t want it. She would have to replace a skill, and there were none that she would like to forgo for this one. If it were Soul Drift, she would have let go of anything.


    The following three skills she had stolen were more of the same with another Phantom Strike and two Shadow Steps, which gave it enough of a boost to level up.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 20]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 14]


    With all the notifications sorted, she quickly allocated her stat points into Dexterity, Focus, and Endurance and moved inwards deeper into the cave. As she moved, she picked up a rock and made arrows pointing the way out. She hoped the wraiths wouldn''t erase them, or she would be stuck here forever until she could actually use Soul Drift.


    The chill wind picked up again, and dread began to set in her, which told her the wraiths were nearby. Now that she had killed them and knew what they were like. It was easier to overcome the fear, and of course, the chakram in her hand also bolstered her courage.


    Then something shrieked. It was a bone-chilling scream that made Meera freeze. She was shaking like a leaf in the wind, and her heart thundered. She had never been this afraid before. She swallowed and did her best to calm herself down. She took deep breaths, but several moments passed, and she was still paralyzed with fear. Before she could move, they appeared.


    There must have been a dozen of them this time, if not more. As one collective organism, they laughed. Sweat dribbled down the side of her face, despite the chill. She quickly Identify''d the wraiths, and it didn''t help her fear.


    [Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 74]


    [Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 75]


    [Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 73]


    They were all like this. All of them were stronger than the last she had fought, and the worst part was that more were being added to their numbers. There must have been twenty of them by now.


    Their haunting laughter died down one by one, and then they all just stared with their deathly, vacant eyes. These wraiths looked like the ones she had fought before¡ªhalf-decayed, shadowy beings. Meera could almost smell the stench of decay coming off them.


    One appeared next to her and slashed her face, and the worst part was she couldn''t even open her mouth to scream. She shivered in place as blood dripped from her cut-up face. Thankfully, the wraith missed her eyes. The next slashed out her abdomen. Once again, ruining her armor. Then the next appeared behind her, and Meera clenched her eyes shut, but she could still see it leaving a bloody slash on her back.


    She fell forward as a scream escaped her throat. As she lay, she realized two things: she could scream, which meant she could move again, and Mirror''s Perceptivity let her see even if her eyes were closed.


    The next wraith appeared, hovering over her, ready to add to her bloody scratches. However, she disappeared using Shadow step, appeared behind the spirit, and left three slashes in its back, followed by a decapitation, which made the specter evaporate.


    All the sounds in the tunnel died. The wraiths laughed no more. Meera began healing herself as she went for the one that had slashed her face. It held up its arms to protect itself. It was pointless. She almost severed its right arm with one slash and took it off with its second. Just like before, instead of blood, light shone from their wounds. It tried to slash at her with its remaining arm, only for her to teleport behind it and leave a chakram in its back.


    She Stepped to the one who was standing bewildered, away from the group. This one had slashed out her back and sent her flying. While at the same time, she recalled her chakram, which did its thing and began to drill through the wraith. The specter screamed and wailed. Its scream distracted the others as she ripped into her new target.


    Her chakram ripped the wraith in half and returned to her hand just in time as she shredded the one in front of her to bits. Once that was done, she hated fighting so many of them head-on. She knew she would be overwhelmed. So, she teleported behind the big group and attacked one quickly.


    Its screams alerted the others, and they turned to her, but she was done by the time they converged on her. She used Shadow Step and moved to the back of the group again. Her target never saw her coming, but the one beside it did. The wraith left a long scratch all along her arm. She began healing it right away.


    She ducked the next blow and left her chakram in its throat. It screamed as it tried to get the chakram out, but whenever it touched it, its hands sizzled. In the meantime, she cut down the wraith she had begun working on. Once she was done, she activated Primal Power and stabbed the spirit with the chakram with two more of her chakrams, and it went down rather quickly.


    By then, the rest had converged on her. Some of them disappeared in smoke only to reappear behind her, using Shadow Step. She launched chakrams in every direction and recalled them on the go, and cut down wraith after wraith. It was like there was no end to them. She took many nasty cuts, but thanks to Vitalize, they healed themselves relatively fast, but her Mana was taking a hit, and she needed to conserve it for Shadow Step, so she only healed the painful ones.


    Soon, she lost count of how many she had taken down and how many she had otherwise cut open, but the cave was bright as if someone had turned on a massive torch. It was becoming increasingly hard for her to stay one step ahead of them. They left many scratches and slashes on her, to the point that she could not tell what part of her armor was covered in blood and what part was actually red, thanks to the seamstress'' intervention.


    It doesn''t matter, it''s only blood. These things are good experience. Have to finish them off.

 Chapter 47 – Dont Come In Here

    Meera huffed. They''ll finish me off before I finish them off. She was sure of this. Blood dripped from her fingertips, and she felt light-headed. She tried to heal as much as possible while ensuring her Mana didn''t dip too low as she needed it for Shadow Step¡ªthe skill keeping her alive.


    [Health: 198/530]


    [Stamina: 258/600]


    [Mana: 221/580]


    Aside from her health, most of her stats were doing okay, all things considered. But it would not be enough to kill the horde of monsters before her. She had to have taken down dozens of them so far, but it didn''t look like it.


    The decomposing, smoky monsters were coming for her relentlessly. Even now, they stared at her while she clung to the far side of the cave. Her torch fluttered on the ground. She was surprised that it had stayed lit in the fighting.


    A couple of wraiths vanished from the group. She knew where they would appear. Tactician''s Gaze had an effective pattern down for these things.


    Meera drew a deep breath. Well, this is as much rest as I''m going to get.


    She turned around and slashed with her chakram. The two wraiths that had appeared at her back got their bellies opened, washing her with white light. They were about to slash at her already ruined back. An arc with her chakram to the back of its neck, followed by a couple of slashes to its back, and it evaporated into thin air.


    She didn''t wait and got to work by throwing herself at the horde. It was not the smartest thing to do, but it needed to be done. She needed to create an opening to get out of there, and the worst part was she couldn''t turn back. She had to go deeper and was sure to find more of these things there.


    She eyed where her torch was, and thanks to the wraiths around it, there were enough shadows for her to teleport to it. She used Shadow Step and emerged from the shadows, slashing with her chakrams. She killed two more wraiths, and the others scattered. Before they could converge on her, she used Shadow Step into the narrow tunnel from where these things had come. While they were still confused, she used Shadow Step several times to go further in.


    Then, finally, one of the wraiths noticed her. He hissed, the others turned, and they teleported towards her. She Stepped a few more times until she exited the tunnel and entered a large cavern. As soon as she stepped in, torches lit with green flames, lighting up the place, throwing a green shade.


    Meera turned around and tossed her torch into the horde of wraiths. Some of the more foolish ones stopped, thinking it was her chakrams. It gave her time to run into the cavern and decide her move. She ran to the middle of the cavern. The torches were placed beside narrow tunnels like the one she had come from.


    There were torches up above as well, like a second floor. She couldn''t tell if it had tunnels as well. She decided to explore it later. The wraiths had begun running again, and their wails and hisses made it harder for her to think.


    "Please, come this way!" cried an echoing, haunting voice.


    Meera nearly jumped out of her skin. None of the wraiths had talked before. She didn''t think they could, and she was sure it had not come from them.


    "No, no, you want to come this way," said a second voice. This one was more squeaky, as if someone was trying to imitate a mouse.


    "I have lots of goodies in my room," said the first voice. It was coming from her right.


    "I have better stuff in mine," said the second voice. This one was coming from straight ahead.


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    The directions were her best guess, as the wraiths were not making it easy to discern their source. If she had Nimble Ears, she might have been able to, but now she had to decide quickly.


    The wraiths spilled into the cavern. A couple disappeared and reappeared to Meera''s right, striking at her. She moved to the left to avoid the blow.


    "No! Don''t go that way!" Cried the first voice. "You must come to me. I''m right here. Waiting with the goods."


    The voice sounded a little too desperate. She didn''t even have time to think as more wraiths attacked, driving her to the left. She slashed and killed a few of them, but unlike the first, these wraiths were more ferocious. They cared little for their safety, only that Meera should be cut down. They drove her to the mouth of the tunnel on the left.


    The two voices shrieked and told her not to enter there and come to them. It was getting to the point where it was hard to think.


    "Stop!" Shouted someone from the tunnel behind her. She didn''t see anything but darkness, but someone powerful had spoken, as even the wraiths stopped at his command.


    "You cannot enter here!" The masculine voice said, and then Meera''s ears played tricks on her, or she heard a little neighing like a horse.


    "See," the second voice said. "He doesn''t even want you to go in there. Besides, you won''t find anything in there."


    That was all it took for the wraiths to return to their ravenous self, and they began attacking again. This time, even more ferociously. Meera had no option but to jump into the tunnel.


    "GET OUT!" Roared the third voice. "I command you. Leave my tunnel immediately, or it won''t be good for you."


    "He has nothing in his room," said the first voice. "It''s useless going in there. No wonder they discarded him and moved on to us. Come to us. We''ve got lots of goodies."


    Now, Meera was sure there was something in this tunnel that they did not want her to find. The best part was that the wraiths had stopped at the mouth of the tunnel. They did not attack or force themselves in. They simply stopped moving and stared at her with their dead, vacant eyes.


    Meera stood, looked into the dark tunnel, then lit another torch from her Lunar Hoard Belt. The tunnel was much like the last few she had been in. Jagged stone walls but at the end of it was a¡­door. She almost couldn''t believe her eyes. She rubbed them and made sure she was seeing it correctly.


    Leaving the wraiths where they were, she moved in towards the door. The other two voices outside begged her to come back, and then there was the one coming from inside the door.


    "Stop! Turn around if you value your life."


    Meera used Vitalize to heal herself of everything but minor scratches. Then she pulled out a Mana potion and chugged it to replenish her Mana.


    "Stop, I say!"


    She didn''t, of course. What was one more wraith after fighting so many.


    "Please stop. I promise there is nothing here. You''re just wasting your time. You could be out there having fun with the wraiths, and I''m sure those two have much more stuff."


    "If you have nothing, then you wouldn''t mind me coming in to look," Meera replied.


    "Uh, uh¡­If you come in here, you will be cursed. Cursed! Cursed to roam these caves like us, and this curse will be unbreakable."


    "Hmm, I''m sure."


    Meera reached the door. It was a door made of polished wood with a brass knob. She tried opening the door, only to find it locked.


    "Ha, see, it''s locked. Now, turn around and be on your way," said the voice from the other side, but it was not nearly as confident.


    "We''ll see about that." Meera pushed on the door and tried ramming her shoulder into it. Nothing worked. The door held. She sighed, stepped back, activated Primal Power, and kicked the door. The door nearly flew off its hinges as it smashed against the adjacent wall with a loud bang.


    Her eyes widened, as inside the room looked like a laboratory. There were some beakers with dark liquids in them. It wasn''t much different than what you would find in a chemistry lab, aside from the dead horse on the table in the middle of the room. The nauseating smell of the corpse almost made her gag. She placed her torch in the holder and covered her face with a hand as she carefully stepped into the room with a chakram in hand, ready to fight whoever had spoken.


    For now, she saw no wraith or specter but knew they could appear out of nowhere and attack her at any moment. She carefully inspected the cobweb-covered instruments and realized it had been a long time since anyone had been there. There was a diary on a pedestal opposite the dead horse. Its pages had yellowed. She moved to the diary while watching the rest of the room with Mirror''s Perceptivity.


    There was something written about maybe extracting the horse''s muscle, which had failed. Then there was talk about removing his heart, which had killed the animal. Apparently, the horse had killed someone named Larth, as it bucked when they tore into its chest cavity. Ultimately, that, too, had failed. In the end, they called it a failed experiment.


    Meera was about to inspect the other contents of the room when white smoke originated from the table, and the ghost of the dead horse rose from its corpse. It had glowing blue eyes and the vague shape of a horse, but only its head had a solid form.


    "You should not have come here. Now it''s time for you to die," the dead horse said.


    Meera should have been readying herself for a fight, but there was only one thing on her mind. "Wait! You can talk?"

 Chapter 48 – A Talking Horse

    Meera could do nothing but gawk at the talking ghost of a horse. It was a black horse with a white mane, or that is what it looked like, thanks to the white smoke coming off the ghost.


    "Yes, I can talk. Why is that the most surprising thing to you?" the horse shot back.


    "Well, horses don''t tend to talk. They neigh mostly, and unless horses work differently in this world, they don''t talk."


    "Well, I would assume all this smoke coming off me and the fact that my body is literally lying below me would be evidence enough that this is a special situation."


    "But still, how can you talk?" Meera asked. "Were you able to do so when you were alive?"


    The horse rolled his head around, which she took close to him, rolling his eyes. "I don''t know. When I died, I gained the ability to talk because I was not confined to the limitations of my body."


    "So, what you''re saying is all souls or ghosts can talk, regardless of the body that the soul came out of," she said, eying the corpse below the ghost.


    "Yes¡­it would seem so."


    "That is amazing. This means that once an animal dies, we would have to wait for its soul to rise, and then we can ask them all sorts of things."


    The horse snorted in a very human-like manner. "Now, you sound like one of the people who did this to me."


    Meera frowned as she glanced at the diary. "The ones who called you a failed experiment. What were they trying to do to you anyway?"


    The horse looked away and did not answer.


    "Come on, you can tell me that much. They were trying to do something since they took out your muscles and heart. Please, what were these people doing here, and who were they? They turned into those wraiths outside, didn''t they?"


    "Why do you care?" the Horse barked. "How come you''re alive? Why haven''t the wraiths ripped you to shreds and made you one of them? Why don''t you answer that first?"


    Meera could tell she would get nowhere like this. She needed to make this horse trust her somehow. "My name is Meera. I come from¡­well, the outside world."


    The horse huffed. "That''s obvious."


    Meera smiled. "What is your name?"


    The horse snapped his head to her, and his eyes stared into hers as it finally spoke after a long silence. "I was called Onyx in life."


    "I can see why they called you that."


    "Why would they call me that, huh? Why? They always said it was the right name for me but never said why. Tell me!"


    "Relax, big fellow. It''s because the color of your coat is black. Onyx is a black gemstone. Hence, they named you as such. Don''t be mad. It''s a good name."


    That relaxed the ghost, or it felt that way. Meera no longer felt that it was about to attack her. So, she probed with her original questions. "Can you please tell me what happened here? What did they do to you?"


    "Master wouldn''t like it. He would get mad."


    "I''m pretty sure your master is dead, along with everything else in here."


    "That doesn''t mean he''s not watching."


    Now, Meera was more than intrigued. "Is he watching us right now?"


    The horse looked at her and then looked away, neighing. "Most likely. He has total command over every cursed soul here."


    This made Meera frown, and she used Identify on the ghostly horse before her.


    [Trapped Soul ¨C Level 72]


    Now, two questions rose in her mind. First, why had this horse not turned into a wraith like the rest of the denizens of this cave, and second, how had it leveled up so much while being dead, or was it already so highly leveled while alive and then died later? Now that she thought about it, another thing stumped her¡ªwhy did the wraiths stop to heed his command, and why did they not enter this tunnel?


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    "Who is this master?" Meera asked. "You can tell me this much, at least. I know from this diary that they were experimenting on you."


    "I-I am not allowed to take his name, but from how the others talked about him. He was a great man who was trying to infuse the skills of us animals into people."


    Meera squinted. "There were other animals experimented on here?"


    Onyx considered a moment, then answered. "Y-Yes."


    "Were it those other voices I heard?"


    "Yes, only two others survived when the cave was inflicted with the curse. What exactly happened, you will have to ask someone else. I was already dead by the time the cave fell."


    Meera thought about what he said for a moment, as she paced the room. Onyx watched her intently but said nothing. "I don''t think your master has any control over you," Meera finally said.


    "How do you know that?"


    "Well, for one, all those wraiths outside their tags were Cursed Wraiths, and yours is Trapped Soul, which means those people were Cursed, yet you were not. Your soul got trapped here because of whatever they did to you. Hence why you haven''t lost your mind and begun attacking me on sight."


    Onyx neighed. "That¡­makes sense, I guess."


    "Tell me, do you feel this master''s influence on you this instant."


    Onyx shook his head, another very human-like behavior. "No, I don''t think so."


    "No voice in your head telling you to trample me into the ground."


    ¡°Uh¡­ no¡±


    "That means you''re fine. Your master cannot do anything to you."


    The black steed relaxed at that and visibly deflated into the table.


    "Can you tell me what they did to you?" Meera asked.


    "They-They were trying to gain my speed and strength, and so they took¡­bits and pieces of me and dissolved them in some liquids and then burnt them in a sort of ritual, I think. I''m sorry I was in too much pain to focus on anything then."


    This matched what the diary had said. They were trying to assimilate skills from animals into themselves, like how she had done in the past. This made Meera wonder if they had succeeded, which was why the witch, Kalrina, wanted this Crystal of Darthin.


    Meera refocused on the horse. "Even though they put you through this. Ripped out your heart, and you still won''t tell me his name?"


    Onyx hesitated.


    "You''re already dead. What more could he do to you?"


    "His name is Edwyn Toller."


    Right when Onyx uttered his name, the whole room shook like an earthquake. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the various beakers quivered and threatened to spill over.


    "I''m sorry, master. She made me do it." Onyx shrieked and dropped back into his corpse.


    Slowly, the quivering stopped, and luckily nothing broke in the room, which was good as there was something here that Onyx did not want her to find or why would he try so hard to stop her from coming in here.


    "You can come out now, Onyx," Meera said. "The earthquake''s passed."


    "Earthquake!" Only Onyx''s head reappeared. "That was more than an earthquake. That was the master''s fury, and it will be more terrible if I tell you anything more."


    Meera sighed. "Say, what is here that you didn''t want me to come in here."


    Onyx looked to the right and then down. "Nothing. I was just scared that you would¡­make things even more terrible for me."


    "Even more terrible than being trapped here after death?"


    "¡­Yes."


    Meera shook her head. "Fine. If you won''t tell me, then I suppose I must take a look myself."


    "No!" Cried Onyx. "You really should not touch anything in this room."


    "Listen, Onyx, either you give me the information I want, and I will make sure you are no longer trapped in this cursed cave, or you stay out of my way. I''m looking for the Crystal of Darthin. Do you know anything about it?"


    "Crystal of Darthin? Never heard about it." He looked at the ground and then back at her. "But can you seriously get me out of this cave?"


    "I think I know of a way."


    "How?"


    "I am going to kill your master."


    Onyx gasped, another human-like behavior, but Meera went on. "I figure this Edwyn Toller is the cause of the curse. He must have played with things he wasn''t supposed to, and those wraiths are the result."


    "I don''t think you can kill what he''s become, even with those shiny circlets of yours."


    Meera smirked. "We''ll see about that. But before that, I need to know what was in here that you didn''t want me to come in here. The other two promised me treasures, but I guess you were the lucky one. So, what is in here? You better tell me if you ever want to leave this cave."


    Onyx looked around and even at the ceiling as if his cursed master was going to pop out of there at any instant. "I''ll tell you but promise to get me out of here."


    "I promise."


    "How can I be sure you''ll keep your promise?"


    "You''ll just have to trust me."


    Onyx didn''t look convinced, but he nodded. "It was because of what''s in that box over there." He motioned to the small wooden box on his right. "Whatever they created in this room is in there. I was dead, but my soul heard them saying the crystal was a failure and did not produce the desired result. Then, an explosion happened outside, and they ran to check and never returned. That''s all I know."


    "I see." Meera made her way to the box. It was a polished, dust-covered box that didn''t look like it had been touched in years. She blew the dust off and opened the box, and inside was a broken crystal. It was dirty orange in color and had various crack-like veins running through it.


    So, this is a failure. Meera picked it up and wondered if it would work but decided to give it a try. She used Identify on it.


    [Failed Crystal of Darthin ¨C This crystal could not be what it was meant to be. It failed to reach the perfection that Darthin would be proud of, but still, one can merge two of their skills into one with this crystal.]


    Meera''s eyes widened. It can do what!

 Chapter 49 – Lets Do Some Merging

    Meera slowly turned her head to Onyx with the orange crystal in her hand. "Did you know?"


    "Know what?" Onyx asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.


    "That this crystal can merge skills?"


    The smoky horse shook his head. "It can? All I knew was that it was important and the researchers had found something here, but it was not what they were looking for. I told you not to come in here thinking it must be important to the master, and hence, he had made me the protector of this room in death." He paused and hung his head. "All in hopes that he would one day release me from this prison."


    Meera sighed. She felt bad for the poor thing and wanted to pet the horse. "I''ll get you out, but first, I need to figure out how to use this crystal, and even before that, I need to look at a whole bunch of notifications. Will you stand watch for me here?"


    He neighed. "Not like there''s anything else I can do."


    Meera smiled and brought up her notifications, and by god, there were so many of them. This could take a while.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 29 Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 68 to Level 77]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 79. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached¡­


    Meera stopped the notifications, as she did not want to sit through what would be pages upon pages of notifications and wondered if there was some way to condense them. She brought up the first notification again, and this gave her an idea. I am not sure if this''ll work, but it can''t hurt to try.


    She mentally gave the command to condense the notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has gained 12 levels and has reached Level 90. You have been awarded 36 stat points.]


    Meera''s eyes widened. At not just the number of levels she had gained but also that condensing the notifications had worked. She grinned as this would make going through her notifications so much easier.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 80 & Level 90 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakrams.]


    Two more Chakrams appeared on her arms, bringing her total to ten. Pretty soon, she would run out of space on her arms if the system kept giving her chakrams like this. But that would be a good problem to have.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has gained 8 levels and reached Level 70. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 72% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has gained 18 levels and reached Level 38]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Perceptivity has gained 16 levels and reached Level 25]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 7 levels and reached Level 23]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 8 levels and reached Level 26]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 5 levels and reached Level 6]


    Meera frowned at that. She wasn''t sure she had used this skill. But then it was a general skill she had obtained from the Mirror Golem, which let her body naturally build resistance to magic attacks, and all those phantom strikes did qualify.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]


    This one didn''t seem like it had worked, as the wraiths seemed quite intent on ripping Meera to shreds no matter how much this skill tried to scare them away. Then again, would this even work on the dead, she wondered.


    Next were the notifications about the skills she had stolen, and there were a lot of them. She stopped her notifications as she did not want to look at them yet. There might be skills she might like but not have space for. She looked at the crystal in her hand and figured there could only be one way of getting this to work. She sent some Mana through it. More cracks formed in the Failed Crystal of Darthin, but she heard a notification bell.


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    *ding!*


    [The Failed Crystal of Darthin has offered you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You can merge two of your skills into one. The higher level of the two skills will be maintained. Please make your selection now.]


    Meera looked through her skills, and at first, she came up with a bunch of odd combinations, such as merging Primal Power with something like Monkey Fist if she still had Monkey Fist. It would have become a powerful skill, but there was no point in dwelling on what-ifs.


    Next, she thought of merging Mirror Shard Barrage with Mirror Blast, but then not only would she lose an offensive skill, it would also drain her Mana to the point that she could only use that skill maybe once. She moved on from that as well.


    She tried to make a good combination with the other skills, but nothing worked quite right in her mind. Disorienting Flare would never work right with Shadow Step. That could negate the effects of Shadow Step, as it needed shadows to work. Vitalize could not work with Ambush Tactics.


    Then she realized she had two sight-related skills¡ªEagle Eye and Mirror''s Perceptivity. On one occasion, she had used them in conjunction with each other. Yes, this could work splendidly.


    She was almost about to merge them when she stopped. She remembered what she had said to Silas, that she would cherish this skill forever since it had come from Cossus. By doing this, she would be getting rid of the skill.


    Meera groaned in frustration. Just when I had found one effective combination.


    Onyx neighed. "Is something the problem?"


    "Yes, there is a big problem," Meera said. "This crystal lets me merge two skills into one. But when I finally found a combination that would work. I cannot eliminate one of them because of what I promised my friend."


    "Speaking from the perspective of someone who has died, I will say promises, dreams, and even words of honor matter a lot less when you are dead."


    Meera stared at the ghost.


    "If this new skill will help you stay alive in this cursed cave, then I suggest you do it and simply apologize when next you meet your friend."


    "Are you sure you were really a horse when you were alive?"


    Onyx neighed in a manner that Meera took as laughter. "Yes, I was. Don''t you see my body?"


    Meera snorted lightly. "Yes, I do. Thanks, Onyx."


    Sorry, Silas. She focused on the crystal. I choose Eagle Eye and Mirror''s Perceptivity.


    The dark orange crystal began to glow with a fierce light. The crystal shook in her hand fiercely as the light became intense. Surprisingly, it was not warm to the touch. The crystal burst. Meera shrieked, and so did Onyx. In her white spot-laden vision, a notification appeared.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity ¨C Level 25. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity ¨C Type: Active. This skill is an extraordinary fusion of perception and cognition. You have attained an unparalleled level of awareness and insight, transcending the limitations of mere mortal senses.]


    A slight smile played on Meera''s lips. She activated the skill, and her vision ballooned to encompass the entire room. Everything became crisp, sharp, and clear as it did when she activated Eagle Eye, but now it was for her entire vision spectrum. That was not all. Now, it was seamless to zoom in on anything. Before, she had to concentrate on anything behind her, but that was not the case anymore. She simply had to focus, and her ''eyes'' zoomed in on the thing in great detail. It was very effective, like having eyes on the back of her head. And she could be wrong about this, but she felt that the sharpness of her eyes and even how much she could zoom in both had been greatly enhanced.


    "From how you''re smiling, I guess the new skill you''ve attained is good?" Onyx asked.


    "It''s more than good," Meera replied. "It''s great."


    "Are you done?"


    "Just about."


    She brought up the notifications of the skills she had stolen. Try as she may, she couldn''t condense them even though she should have been able to. So, she went through them rapid-fire, as many of them were just repetitions of what she had received before.


    She had stolen five Haunting Presence, nine Shadow Step, four Phantom strikes, and two Soul Drifts. She rejected the Phantom Strikes again. Since she could not accept Soul Drift as she was still alive, its experience was added to her main class. The other two leveled up.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Dreadful Wail. Dreadful Wail ¨C Type: Active. You can emit a bone-chilling wail that terrifies and paralyzes enemies, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera thought about this one. She had gone through its effect, and since she had a new open slot, she accepted the skill. She wasn''t sure it would work on the wraiths, but it couldn''t hurt to try.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Dreadful Wail ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Spectral Resilience. You have a deep connection to the ethereal plane, which makes you resistant to most forms of physical damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Spectral Resilience ¨C Level 1]


    The rest was more of the same, with four more Dreadful Wails and three more Spectral Resilience. It leveled up both of her skills due to the added experience from the duplicate skills.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Dreadful Wail has gained 2 levels and reached Level 3]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has reached Level 2]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has gained 3 levels and reached Level 17]


    Next, she had thirty-six stat points to get through. She allocated the bulk of her points in Constitution, Endurance, and Fous, followed by a few in Agility and Perception. Once satisfied, she brought up her stats.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Image Stealer ¨C Level 90]


    [Class Ability: Reflection ¨C Level 17]


    Stats


    [Health: 249/630]


    [Stamina: 228/690]


    [Mana: 195/660]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 63]


    [Power: 20]


    [Dexterity: 43]


    [Endurance: 69]


    [Focus: 66]


    [Agility: 57]


    [Perception: 48]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 28]


    [Disorienting Flare - Level 4]


    [Dreadful Wail - Level 3]


    [Shadow Step - Level 39]


    [Primal Power - Level 21]


    [Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity - Level 25]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 26]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 7]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 5]


    [Vitalize - Level 26]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 3]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 70]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 1]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 10]


    [Charred Body - Level 3]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 1]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 23]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 1]


    [Absorption - Level 6]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 10]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 2]


    "Okay, I''m done," Meera said.


    "That took a while," Onyx commented.


    Meera grinned. "Yes, I have this ability that makes it tedious to go through the notifications after every fight, but it''s super fun, too, when I get something new. Anyways, ready to get out of here?"


    "More than you will ever know."

 Chapter 50 – The Invisible Wraiths

    Meera dusted her hands off with the powdered remains of the crystal and moved for the door when something stumped her. She paused and looked at the smoky steed. "Can you leave this room?" Meera asked. "Or is your soul tethered to this room."


    "I''m not sure," he replied. "I''ve never tried to leave this room, but I don''t think I''m tethered to this room. I believe the master set up barriers around these rooms prior to his experiments failing, so the wraiths couldn''t come in, but I should be able to leave."


    Meera shrugged. "Well, let''s find out."


    She went to the door, opened it, and motioned for Onyx to leave first. Despite their conversation, something still unnerved her about having a ghost at her back in a narrow tunnel where she would have no way of defending herself if he set upon her.


    Onyx neighed and looked uncertain but nodded. Meera didn''t think it was to say yes, but more of an instinctual habit from his life as a horse. Onyx left his body and came out as a full-fledged steed. To say he was huge would be an understatement. His back alone was higher than Meera''s head. His head stood about ten feet high, scraping the ceiling. The door wasn''t tall enough for him to walk out of.


    "How did they get you in here?" Meera pondered.


    "Oh, they strapped me to the table and kept me strapped until¡­you know¡­until I died."


    "You mean, until they killed you."


    "Yes, that is one way of saying that," Onyx paused, looking about. "Meera, I will walk out first, but I must say I am entirely useless in a fight. I am going to rely on you to keep me safe."


    Meera squinted at first and then sighed. "You''re a ghost, Onyx."


    "Yes, and they are wraiths. The more vengeful form of ghosts. I am sure they can cause me lots of harm if they will it."


    Meera nodded. "Okay, but stay in front of me and cause a distraction with your smoke."


    "What for?"


    Meera smirked. "You''ll see. And when I call out to you, you better run after me. We''ll be headed for the other two talking souls. I want to see what sort of treasures they have. Then we''ll go for your master."


    "O-Okay."


    Onyx moved out the door. His head was in the roof, so he bent down to ensure he was going straight. His white smoke was like a smoke bomb obscuring Meera from the waiting wraiths, whose snarls echoed in the tunnel.


    It didn''t take them long to reach the tunnel''s mouth, and Meera patted Onyx''s behind, only for her hand to go through him.


    "Tsss," Meera called, and thankfully Onyx got the signal and stopped. It was rather comical. The horse froze in spot, with his head lost in the rocks above.


    The wraiths snarled some more. Through the smoke, Meera made out that they didn''t try to lunge for Onyx, which meant they saw him as one of their own or Onyx''s prediction about the magical barrier on this tunnel was true. This gave Meera an idea.


    She stepped through Onyx, making sure none of her chakrams touched him, as she didn''t want to send him to the beyond this way. The wraiths immediately went into a frenzy when they saw her. They hustled and tried to get at her, but the invisible barrier on this tunnel didn''t let them come in.


    She pulled off her chakrams and activated her new skill¡ªMirror Eagle''s Perceptivity. Everything went into sharp focus. Then, she started target practice with the wraiths. One after another, her chakrams flew into the wraiths. She heard the notification bells go off as the chakrams cut into them, and they started dying. The world in the cavern beyond was washed in a green light from the burning torches. They provided enough light for her to do her dirty work.


    The best part was she didn''t have to waste any Mana or run for her life as she simply stood there and wasted them. They began evaporating with two or three hits.


    "Wow, that is quite¡­"


    "Ingenious," Meera finished for him. "If you can kill them from a safe spot, then why do all the hard work? Besides, my armor is in pretty bad shape."


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    The wraiths'' numbers began to thin as she worked on one after another. Her aim had gotten so good that she didn''t miss a single wraith''s head. No matter how much it tried to wiggle as they pushed against the invisible barrier. Then, after a few dozen chakram throws later, the last of the wraiths finally evaporated. Meera had an urge to check her notifications, but she didn''t want to stand there for another half an hour looking at them and trying to filter out what she needed and what was useless.


    I''ll do that when I get to the next room, and I hope it has another thing as useful as the Failed Crystal.


    "Okay, Onyx, we''re going to be moving out, but stay close," Meera said. "I don''t think all the wraiths are dead. I saw some in the back vanishing. They will come for us when we leave this tunnel."


    "Understood. Which direction are we headed in?"


    "Good question." She looked at the tunnel on the other side of the cavern and was sure that was where she had heard the first voice from, lay on her right now. "Hey!" Meera yelled. "The other two souls who want to be free of this place. Are you still there?"


    "Yes!" cried a loud voice which echoed through the cavern. "I''m here."


    "So am I."


    "Okay, I''m coming to you, and I''m bringing a friend along, but I need to do this one at a time. I''ve taken care of the wraiths for now, but more will be coming for me. So, keep talking, it''ll guide me to you."


    "Sure thing, miss," said the first voice. It was a heavy voice, but not naturally heavy, but more like someone was trying to overcompensate.


    "You got it," said the second one. "But please come to me first. There are lots of treasures here."


    "No, I have even more treasures than him."


    "You''re a liar," cried the second. "I have the bigger hoard, and you know it."


    Meera sighed and looked to Onyx, who would have shrugged if he could''ve. "Any idea which one of the two bickering idiots we should visit first?"


    "Always heard them talk about room number thirty-nine and how it had some breakthrough," Onyx said. "But I''m guessing these two were also animals and would not know how to read numbers."


    Meera sighed. "Not helping, Onyx."


    He chuckled. "Sorry."


    She turned back to those still going on about whose treasure was bigger.


    "Your treasure is not even big," said the fake heavy voice. "My treasure is so big it would leave you flabbergasted."


    The second snorted. "My treasure is so big that its shadow would block out the sun."


    "My treasure is so big you''re probably standing on it."


    "I can guarantee that my treasure is bigger than both of yours combined," Onyx snickered.


    Meera glared at him. "You just had to go there, didn''t you?"


    The horse shoved his head back into the rock ceiling to avoid her gaze. She turned to the cavern. "Okay, let''s stop this. Which one of you is in room thirty-nine?"


    "I am."


    "No, I am."


    Meera groaned. "You''re both getting on my nerves."


    "Sorry, miss, but it''s the truth. I truly am," said the fake, heavy-voiced one.


    Before the other could but in, Meera spoke up. "If I find out you''re lying to me, I''ll feed you to the wraiths."


    "N-No, miss. You''ll see I''m telling the truth."


    "Fine. We''re coming to you. Just keep talking."


    He started singing, which worked, but his voice broke in so many places that it was more squealing than singing, but it was better than them trying to measure their treasures.


    Meera looked at the headless ghost. "Onyx, we dash to the middle of the cavern and try to figure out where he is, but if the wraiths attack us, you get to the safety of a tunnel. I will try to hold them off as best as I can and join you."


    "Understood."


    Meera drew a deep breath and dashed out of the cave. The clopping of hooves behind her told her the horse''s ghost was right behind her. She had gone maybe two meters when the wraiths descended from the upper floors.


    Meera''s guess was correct. The singing was coming from directly opposite them. "Pick up the pace. Go!"


    She used Shadow Step and had to immediately duck when she reappeared as a wraith used its Phantom Strike on her. She rose with an uppercut with a chakram held in her fist. It left a cut all along the wraith''s body. She slashed it one more time, and it was gone. Onyx had made it to the tunnel, thankfully untouched. She was surrounded by the wraiths already.


    There was still half the cavern to get to. They hissed and snarled while some laughed. Despite having killed so many of them before, more seemed to have returned to take their place.


    "Meera, get here quickly," Onyx cried. "You can''t fight them all."


    He was right. It wouldn''t take them long to overpower her. Just as the first one attacked, she used Shadow Step and teleported up into the air. Found a shadowy spot closer to the tunnel Onyx was in, which was still more than ten feet away as a torch burned right beside the tunnel.


    She Stepped to her desired spot, but before she did, a wraith she had not seen appeared behind her and slashed out her back.


    Meera cried and teleported out of there. A moment after she appeared in her desired spot, another invisible wraith left a deep cut on her left arm. Meera shrieked and dropped her chakram.


    How are they invisible now?


    Without thinking, she ran for Onyx. The invisible wraith was on her tail. It left two slashes on her, one on her shoulder and the other on her lower back.


    "Come on, Meera," Onyx cried. "Just jump."


    Meera gritted her teeth, activated Primal Power, and pushed so hard with her legs that she cracked the rocky ground. She was launched towards the tunnel. She sailed through Onyx and nearly cracked her head on the rocky tunnel wall.


    "Are you okay?" Onyx asked, bending down, which made half of his body disappear into the wall.


    "I will be in a moment," Meera huffed and activated Vitalize.


    Her wounds sealed up after a few breaths. She stood and dusted herself off. She felt around her back, and her armor had three more holes. Maybe all-leather assassin armor is not the right thing for me. I should get some metal added to this.


    "Okay, let''s go see what this soul is and what treasure he has to offer," Meera said as she moved for the door at the end of the tunnel.

 Chapter 51 – Its A Bat This Time

    Meera surveyed the door for a number and didn''t see any. Maybe whichever animal was behind the door had tricked her, but then she was going to go to both regardless. She kicked the polished door with a kick power by Primal Power. The door reverberated, and dust fell from the door, but it held. Meera glanced at Onyx, who had his legs in the ground this time. It made it look like he had no legs at all, just smoke coming off his lower body, which jutted out from the ground. It was weird but still better than talking to a headless horse.


    "Maybe try kicking it harder," Onyx offered.


    So, Meera did. The door shook so hard, but still, the door held. Meera cocked her head to the side. "This is annoying."


    "Hmm, maybe the people locked it before they ran out of there," Onyx said.


    "They locked your door, too," Meera replied. She placed her hands on her hips and knocked on the door. "Hey, can you unlock this door?"


    "I''m a ghost, not a waiter, waiting on your every order. You have hands. Unlock it yourself."


    Meera drew a short breath. "Well, Onyx, maybe the other ghost will be more agreeable."


    "And less rude," the horse added.


    "No, no, wait," cried whoever it was behind the door. "I''ll see what I can do. Hey, wait, don''t you have another ghost with you? Why don''t you ask him to come in and unlock it for you? I am missing the parts needed to unlock this thing."


    Meera looked to Onyx and shrugged. "He has a point."


    "But it''s going to be so dark in there. I hate the dark."


    "Weren''t you trapped in that dark room for, I don''t know, years?"


    "Yes, and I was scared."


    "Relax, Onyx, you''ll be fine." She tried to pat his neck, only for her hand to go right through him. She pulled it back awkwardly, but Onyx was focused on the door as if it were the devil staring back at him.


    He drew a deep breath, neighed, and stepped forward, only for his head to be bonked on the door. "Ow!" He cried.


    Meera frowned. "That hurt?"


    "Yes."


    "But you''re a ghost."


    "I''m not making this up."


    Meera squinted at him. "Are you sure you''re not doing this because you''re scared?"


    "No, seriously, that hurt." He shot back. "Why else do you think I or whoever it is behind this door could not leave on our own? Don''t you think I tried?"


    Meera sighed. "Fine." She turned to the door. "Looks like it''s up to me."


    She looked through her skills, and unfortunately, she hadn''t picked up a lock-breaking skill. That would have been useful. So, it might not work, then magic it is.


    She took two steps back, and Onyx followed along. She raised her hand and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage at the door. Sharp mirrors shot out of her hand and crashed into the door. Some shard blasted back in her direction, and she raised a Mirror Shield to protect her. It wasn''t long before she saw the cracks forming in the wood. Since her Mana was already low, she stopped her attack, walked up to the door, and punched it with Primal Power. The wood blew into splinters, and her arm went through the door.


    "You did it!" Cried the voice of unknown origin from inside the room.


    She brought her arm back out and punched the door a few more times until the hole was wide enough for her to duck through. Onyx followed behind her, quiet as a mouse. Meera placed her torch in the holder and surveyed the room.


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    It was similar to the room where Onyx was experimented on, complete with the beakers and strange liquids. But it lacked a huge table, and in its place was a small table that held the dissected body of a bat.


    "Okay, come out," Meera called to the bat.


    A shadowy figure swooped down from the ceiling. It looked like a ghostly bat, but instead of how Onyx gave off a white smoke, this flying rat only gave off darkness. She quickly used Identify on it.


    [Trapped Soul ¨C Level 65]


    Onyx shrieked and backed into the wall but couldn''t go through it, thanks to the magic in this room.


    "Relax, horsey, I''m not about to drink your blood," the Bat said as he came to rest on the table with its body. The way it sat, with its wings on either side of its body. It looked like it had eaten the dead bat.


    "Relax, Onyx, he can''t even if he tried," Meera told the scared horse, who stayed as far away from the bat''s ghost as possible.


    "Onyx, now, that is a good name," the bat said. "I wish they had named me that instead of Duskwing. What kind of self-respecting bat has a name like Duskwing?"


    "What would you call yourself?"


    "Bloodwing!" The bat shook his head. "No, wait, I''ve got one better, Moonshadow. No, wait, wait, Shade. Yes, that is what I''d name myself."


    "Good enough for me. So, I''ll call you Shade. Hello, Shade, I''m Meera, and this is Onyx," Meera said as she hooked a thumb to the scared horse.


    "''lo to you both," Shade replied. "Now, let''s get out of here."


    "Not so fast," Meera shot back. "You promised me treasures and said this was room number thirty-nine."


    "Yes, well, I might have exaggerated a tad bit about the treasures and¡­and¡­"


    "You can''t read, and this isn''t room number thirty-nine."


    Shade backed up. "Now, listen, it could be room number thirty-nine. Check that book over there. They were always scribbling something in there." He pointed to the table with a large open diary, just like the one in Onyx''s room.


    Meera walked to the diary while watching the bat like she watched the rest of the room with her Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity skill. Onyx was still trying his best to meld into the wall. It was rather comical for a creature as large as him to be scared of a measly, lying bat.


    Meera skipped through the diary''s contents. There were pages upon pages of how they experimented on the bat. What organs they took out, and what liquids they dissolved them in. It was all done in a lot of details, so if they needed to recreate the experiment, they could do it with other specimens. In essence, they were trying to attain Shade''s ability to see in the dark.


    Meera snorted. Clearly, they''d never heard of the saying¡ªblind as a bat.


    "They were running a pointless experiment on you," Meera said. "You can''t really see all that well, can you?"


    Shade shook his head. "Nope, and I would have told the bastards that if I could speak back then. But they got their comeuppance, being stuck as those wraiths out there."


    "What were they trying to do?" Onyx asked in a shaky voice.


    "They didn''t realize that bats don''t use their eyes to see in the dark," Meera said. "They use something called echolocation. They use ultrasonic screams that we can''t hear, and once those screams bounce back and reach their sensitive ears, they know where everything is."


    "That''s right!" Shade cried. He flew into the air and circled the room, exclaiming. "Yes, finally, a human who knows. Yes!" Then he paused and snapped his head to her mid-flight. "How did you know that? Were you a bat in a previous life?"


    Meera chuckled. "Not even close. I''m well-traveled, and my people figured this out long ago."


    "Now, can we leave?" Shade asked.


    "Let me check that treasure of yours," Meera said as she walked to the wooden case. It looked like the one where she had found the Failed Crystal of Darthin. She blew away the dust on the box and opened it. It opened with a sharp creak and inside lay a grayish crystal. Meera used Identify on it.


    [Gem Of Echoes ¨C When held or worn, the Gem of Echoes heightens the bearer''s auditory senses to extraordinary levels. Faintest whispers, distant echoes, and even minute sounds are magnified, granting the ability to hear the world in intricate detail.]


    Meera smiled. Welcome back, Nimble Ears.


    "What are you smiling about?" Shade asked. "Is it something good?"


    "Looks like they did succeed in cloning your ability to see in the dark¡­at least one part of it."


    "Why? What does it do?" Shade asked.


    "I''m about to find out," Meera smiled and picked up the gem.


    Instantly, she could hear everything. The crawling of insects on the floor was like the thrums of a giant''s feet. Outside, she heard the wails and moans of the wraiths waiting for her to return. She even heard the skittering of insects outside the room. There was even a faint dripping sound coming from somewhere outside. She couldn''t make out where, but it was close or felt like it was close. There was a whooshing of wind through the tunnels, which told Meera exactly where these tunnels lay.


    She opened her eyes and looked at her two ghostly companions. "Say something."


    "Can we get out of here, please," Shade said.


    Meera yelped as each word was like a dagger in her ear. It was like when she had first activated Eagle Eye, and it had overwhelmed her senses. She let go of the crystal, and the pain subsided.


    "What happened?" Onyx asked. "Are you okay?"


    "Yes." Meera breathed in deep and dropped the gem in her Lunar Hoard Belt. I''ll figure you out later. If Eagle Eye were any clue, it would take some time to get used to this gem, which thankfully did not take up a skill slot.


    "Let''s get out of here and go to the real room thirty-nine," Meera said.


    Shade coincidentally found something interesting to look at on the ceiling.

 Chapter 52 – The One Who Knows All

    Meera stood at the mouth of the tunnel, once again facing a horde of wraiths. They were sluggish and floating around but became attentive the moment Meera left the cave with her two ghostly companions.


    Onyx must''ve been scared of bats when he was alive and kept his distance, even though he was many times Shade''s size. This horse was as skittish as they came. On the other hand, Shade hung upside down from the tunnel''s ceiling, looking out at the horde.


    "How many do you see?" Meera asked the bat.


    "Now, I can''t see all that well, but from what I''ve scanned with my screams, there are a lot of them, and I do mean a lot, like a shit ton. You sure you''ve been killing them to get here?"


    "Yes."


    "U-Unless, they keep coming back," Onyx quivered. Both Meera and Shade snapped their head to him. He flinched and quickly added. "Or there could be more people on this expedition than we saw."


    "Either way, we need to get out of here," Meera said. "And I''m basically running on fumes. I can''t take on so many at once, and then there are the invisible ones."


    "So, our chances of getting out of here are not good?" Onyx asked in a shaky tone. Ever since Shade, the horse had been shaken to his core.


    Meera didn''t bother answering that question as she didn''t want to bring herself down as well, and she needed all the motivation she had. Her father used to say the only way through a problem was to tackle it head-on.


    "Shade," she called. "Can you quickly fly out and find me a dark spot, somewhere I can easily teleport to?"


    "Ah, the missy has a teleport skill. Nice."


    "What about me?" Onyx literally shook. "Are you going to leave me here?"


    "No, when they come after me, you make a run for it, plowing down any that come in your path," Meera said.


    "O-Okay, but just remember, I''m a ghost, and I''m quite sure they can hurt me just as they can hurt you."


    "Relax, I''ve seen rats with more backbone than you," Shade said.


    Onyx didn''t give any retort. He just stood there, with his head hidden in the rocks of the tunnel. Meera gave Shade the signal by pointing ahead. The bat flew off the ceiling and over the heads of the wraiths. None turned in his direction. They all stayed focused on Meera. She watched Shade circle the cavern a few times before hovering high in the air.


    "The second floor is basically all empty and dark," Shade called. "You can teleport anywhere here."


    "Hey!" Meera yelled. Her voice echoed in the cavern. "You in the last room. Start signing or something to point us the way."


    "Oh, you''re coming to me. Sure, here you go." This was a more feminine and squeaky voice, so this animal''s singing was not so bad.


    Meera nodded to the horse. "Get ready, Onyx."


    "Okay." He had stopped quivering ever since Shade had left.


    Meera stepped to the tunnel''s edge and could see the second floor on the opposite side, which should create enough room for Onyx to run to the singing animal''s tunnel. The wraiths'' activity became feral as they tried to push against the invisible barrier to get at Meera.


    She gave them a smile and a wave as she used Shadow Step and appeared on the second floor on the other side of the cave. Just as she reappeared, the wraiths began to move. Heads snapped to her, and movement began.


    Their slow, sluggish steps had a little bit of energy in them. While the wraiths filed away from the tunnel where Onyx eagerly waited, Meera was also waiting for the invisible wraiths. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity was on full blast, and she scanned every dark corner simultaneously. Her heart thrummed, and she knew which tunnel she needed to Step to, but she needed to wait for Onyx to get there first, who was sprinting full speed across the cavern to the tunnel where the singing came from.


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    The first slash was to her right arm. Meera cried out as the arm''s sleeve fell to her wrist. Meera Stepped away from the spot and pulled off her ruined sleeve. She started healing the cut on her arm while keeping an eye on her Mana, which was coming dangerously close to double digits.


    Down below, she saw her ghostly horse friend almost reach the tunnel. Meera didn''t see the wraith coming her way but felt it in her bones.


    Sorry, Onyx.


    Meera used Shadow Step and arrived at the mouth of the tunnel. The wraiths turned her way in an instant. Onyx snapped his head to the oncoming horde and picked up speed. As it turned out, even in death, horses were faster than people.


    Onyx tried to come to a stop before he barrelled right into Meera, but she didn''t have to worry about much as he sailed right through her and into the wall. The wraiths descended on them a few moments later, screeching and wailing. Thankfully, the invisible barrier stopped them in their tracks. Shade flew over their heads and ''landed'' on Meera''s shoulder.


    "They got you good," the bat stated.


    Meera scoffed. "I hate those invisible ones. I can never tell where they are coming from. Never mind them. I''ll figure out a way to deal with them sooner or later."


    "For your sake and mine, I hope it''s sooner."


    Meera paused at that but wondered why he worded it like that. She was about to ask him why, but Onyx chilled her blood by jumping out of the wall and giving her the mother of jump scares. Thankfully, neither of the animals noticed, and they made their way to the door at the end of the tunnel. The polished door was like the last two in every way.


    She readied herself to blast the door open but decided it was worth a shot to check the door handle first, just to be sure. To her surprise, it opened just like that. All three of them gave each other blank stares.


    "Well, stamp my rump and call me a cow," Shade said. "Would you look at that?"


    "If they left this one unlocked, is it really worth it going inside?" Onyx, of course.


    "No, please come in," said a glowing figure approaching the door.


    Meera opened the door, and it creaked open. The glow got brighter, but they saw nothing until Onyx screamed and scampered back as if his life depended on it. Meera jumped back and pulled out a chakram, and Shade took to the air.


    "What is it?" Meera asked.


    Onyx scuttled back into the wall until only one side of his face remained visible. "It''s one of them."


    Meera looked back to the door to find the glowing ghost of a thick, fat rat.


    Shade howled with laughter and fell to the ground. Meera couldn''t help but chuckle along with him. The rat, however, just cocked its head to the side.


    "My singing couldn''t have been that bad?" the rat said. Now that Meera heard her voice up front, she could tell the rat was a¡ªshe.


    "No, it wasn''t your singing," Shade replied. "We have a horse who''s afraid of small things."


    "Or things that look like rats," Meera muttered.


    "What? I am not a rat. Do these wings look like they belong on a rat?" Shade shot back, clearly miffed.


    "Sorry, didn''t mean it like that." Meera apologized some more before Shade calmed down. I have to remember he has super hearing.


    "Please come in," the rat said. "I cannot leave this place unless you come in."


    Then it clicked why these animals needed Meera. Why they called out to her so desperately to come into their rooms. Despite not being cursed, they were trapped in their rooms. Hence, the tag¡ªTrapped Soul. It all made sense now.


    "Yes, we''ll come," Meera said, walking into the room with Shade flying overhead. Only Onyx remained outside.


    "I''ll just stay here and¡­and¡­keep watch in case the wraiths break through the barrier," Onyx quivered. His shaking had gotten even worse, and he was still mostly inside the wall.


    "Just come through, dear horsey," Shade teased. "We''re already dead, remember."


    "N-No, I''m okay¡­"


    "It''s fine, Onyx," Meera called. "Just give us a shout if you see something."


    Onyx nodded or quivered. She couldn''t tell.


    Meera turned to the room to find the rat had jumped onto the table. "I''m Cinders. Welcome to my humble abode, or as I have known it, my prison for the past ten years."


    Meera''s brows shot up. "You''ve all been here that long?"


    "I was the first animal brought here or, well, one of the first," Cinders said. "Many of my brethren were sacrificed in trying to achieve that bastard''s nefarious dream."


    "You mean Edwyn Toller?" Meera asked.


    Shade gasped and moved away from Meera when she mentioned his name, as if the ground would open and swallow her whole.


    "You shouldn''t take his name in this cursed place," Cinders warned. "He holds sway over all here. He''s sleeping right now, and we don''t want him to wake."


    "Okay, understood," Meera said. "You said you''ve been here for ten years. Is that true for you as well, Shade?"


    "Does it look like I know how to count time? I am a bat, in case you''ve forgotten."


    Meera turned to Cinders with a frown. "Then how did you?"


    "I''ve learned a lot under the master''s tortures."


    "Do you know what he was trying to do here?" Meera asked. "And how this curse fell upon this cave?"


    "Yes, I do," Cinders said. "And much more. Tell me, do you know of Darthin?


    Meera shared a look with Shade, who shook his head. She looked to the door where only Onyx''s head was visible, and he, too, was shaking it.


    "No, I''m sorry, I am kind of new to all this," Meera said.


    Cinders snorted, which made her nose wobble. "I figured not. Darthin is the Master of Skills. The god in charge of creating all our skills, and these people were trying to replicate his powers."

 Chapter 53 - The Truth Behind The Curse

    ¡°Wait, what? Replicate the powers of a god!¡± Shade exclaimed. ¡°That is just absurd.¡±


    Even Onyx slipped his head in the room at that. ¡°A-Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°As much as the pain I had to endure when those monsters pumped their nefarious liquids in me.¡± She breathed out, and again, Meera was reminded of how human that gesture was. She was breathing out her anger. A thing, until now, Meera didn¡¯t know rats could do.


    She eyed the contents of the beakers in the room. There were more of them than the last two rooms combined. That was not all. There were other things in the room that were not present in the previous rooms, like different sets of beakers whose names she had studied in chemistry class but could not recall. There were a bunch of diaries lying about instead of the singular one. Then, there were the cages that contained the rotten corpses of rats. There must have been a few dozen of them, but Meera couldn¡¯t tell which one was Cinders¡¯.


    ¡°How can they attain the power of a god by experimenting on animals?¡± Meera asked as she stared at the cages.


    ¡°We were only the first step of their experimentation,¡± Cinders said. ¡°Once they couldn¡¯t get out of us what they needed, they moved on to experimenting on humans, and by Mirithia, their screams still haunt me.¡±


    Meera frowned. ¡°You were alive when they brought in humans?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I was dead after the first two years, but I wasn¡¯t gone. I was the first ghost of this place. But I didn¡¯t make myself known, or only the gods know what they would¡¯ve done to me. I watched from the shadows what those monsters were doing. I watched them dig more tunnels and bring more animals for their experiments. Each animal was cut into, their parts dissolved in acid to create their crystals. But they were never satisfied. Time after time, each crystal was deemed a failure. And more animals were put on tables to dissect. New organs were removed to try new ways of pulling out their skills. They always found new ways of torturing us. To the point, I was relieved that I was already dead.¡±


    ¡°Did you see us?¡± Shade asked. ¡°Did you see them bring us in?¡±


    Cinders lowered her head. ¡°I did.¡±


    Shade had nothing to say. What could he say? He couldn¡¯t berate her for doing nothing. She might be dead, but she was still a rat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t do anything,¡± Cinder said. ¡°Back then, I was too scared. All I could do was watch. I think the curse had already begun to set on this place, which was why I couldn¡¯t just leave or ascend.¡±


    ¡°When did they bring in the humans?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°About three years before this place went to¡­well, to its current state,¡± Cinders replied. ¡°If I thought the experimentation on animals was bad, what they did to those poor lads and lasses was unspeakable. Those bloodcurdling screams were nothing compared to us animals.¡±


    ¡°All because they wanted to attain Darthin¡¯s powers,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Cinders said. ¡°I saw some of them myself, and I have never seen such acts of butchery ever. They kept them alive and awake as they cut into them. Those humans begged for death, but they wouldn¡¯t give them the release from pain. The head researcher said their pain would be the fuel needed to start the fire that would attain them godhood.¡±


    ¡°But I saw in the diary that they were trying to replicate Onyx¡¯s strength and speed and Shade¡¯s sight,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°Yes, those fuckers took my eyes when I was still alive,¡± Shade added.


    ¡°A-And my muscles and h-heart,¡± Onyx squeaked from the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your pains,¡± Cinders said. ¡°Almost everyone in here went through something similar. Those bastards spared no one. They were doing smaller experiments first, trying to replicate one thing or another in each animal before moving on to more difficult objectives like trying to replicate skills from other humans, and once they succeeded in that. Then they reached for their ultimate goal of duplicating Darthin¡¯s powers of granting skills and creating classes.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Were they able to succeed?¡± Meera asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady. ¡°Did this Ed¡ªthe head researcher able to accomplish his goal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cinders replied. ¡°All I know is that towards the end, I was confined to this room where I had died. One random day about a year ago, my soul was pulled back to this room where I had died, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not leave. It was like I was stuck here. But I heard the people in my room say how the head researcher had placed a spell on all the rooms as he feared the reprisal when they figured out what he was trying to do. They talked of rumors of the dead coming back to life, which, at this point, we know are true.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, who¡¯s reprisal are you talking about?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°The gods¡¯,¡± Meera answered him. ¡°The boss of these sick experiments would have started seeing the signs of anger of the gods for what he was trying to achieve here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cinders said. ¡°Maybe it was Darthin that placed the curse himself, or maybe it was Virelia or the damned fool inadvertently did it all by himself. After being stuck here, I only heard what I could from the three men in my room. The talk of rumors became assured when they spoke of how the returned would not die, even when they burned their bodies. They went away for a while but then returned.¡±


    Meera¡¯s eyes widened, and she glanced at Onyx, and though he was a horse, she could read his face clearly, for she was thinking the same thing. The reason the wraiths seemed unending is because they are. I¡¯ve been killing the same ones again and again.


    ¡°One good thing the researcher did was place these barriers on the tunnels as he must have suspected he might fail and the dead would overrun this place,¡± Cinders said. ¡°This is the only reason we can sit here and talk without the wraiths devouring us, because he wanted to safeguard his life¡¯s work, no matter how heinous it is.¡±


    ¡°But then, how come we can come in here and those decomposing fools cannot?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re animals who the Researcher trapped in here with his protective spells,¡± Meera said. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure the gods only cursed the humans and not the animals, and from what I¡¯ve seen, it seems like the barriers only protect against cursed souls, like the wraiths.¡±


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Shade said, pacing upside down on the ceiling. ¡°ET and his folk experiment on us and other humans and then ended up getting themselves cursed, but not before setting up these safe havens. Oh, and all the humans who died here are cursed and turn into those mindless beasties outside. Now, ET is still here but, like you said, sleeping, most likely with the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Crystal of Darthin,¡± Meera finished for him. ¡°It¡¯s the item I came in here to find. Not of my own volition, but a witch named Kalrina sent me, and now I know why.¡±


    Cinders gasped. ¡°Does she have yellow hair and belong to the Sisters of Akhessai?¡±


    Meera gave a slight nod as her heart raced.


    ¡°She was here¡­almost ten years ago. She helped the researcher set this cave up, supplied him with equipment, and told him no one would find him and that she would help him in any way she could or send helpers along the way.¡±


    That¡¯s how she knew of this place and the Crystal. Meera¡¯s anxiety was slowly turning into anger. ¡°She knew of all this. Everything that happened here, and instead of coming here herself, she sent me as her mule.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so can we leave this place forever, and you can go get your revenge,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we cannot, not until he is still here,¡± Cinders said. ¡°Around the time they brought in humans was when I seriously tried to escape this place. It took me a while, but I found the escape route. But I could not leave the cave, just like we couldn¡¯t leave our rooms, no matter how much I tried. I feel that we¡¯re stuck in this place until the curse of the researcher is lifted.¡±


    ¡°This is not what I was expecting when I came here,¡± Meera said. ¡°And I made a deal with Kalrina that I would bring the Crystal in exchange for information on my brother. Looks like we have similar interests. I will get you all out of here, but for that to happen, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Cinders asked.


    ¡°Survey the other rooms, and if the door is open, go in and find out if there are more crystals like the ones I found in your room. And Cinders¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are two crystals in that brown box over there.¡± She pointed to her left.


    Meera smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Cinders and Shade moved out of the room, with Cinders pointing out directions and telling the bat where to fly so that he could get there through the walls to the next tunnel. Of course, Onyx was nowhere to be found, but he returned as soon as the two had cleared out.


    ¡°Thought someone should be here, keeping an eye on you,¡± he said.


    Meera snorted. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She moved to the box and opened the first one. Inside was a gray crystal.


    [Crystal of Soul Binding ¨C You can bind a soul to you and call upon them in your time of need.]


    Meera frowned, as it was a good crystal, and it wasn¡¯t like she was in short supply of ghosts nearby. Some were friendly, but most were not. She figured she could get a good enough price for it or figure out how to use it later. She dropped it in her Hoard Belt and moved to the next box. It held a bright purple crystal, which seemed to glow slightly in the dark.


    [Crystal of Darthin¡¯s Essence ¨C This crystal has been blessed by Darthin. By running your Mana through this crystal, you can improve your Mana¡¯s potency to the point that you will use a fraction of your Mana for your skills.]


    Meera grinned. Now, that¡¯s more like it.

 Chapter 54 – Time To Move Out

    "You''ve got that look again," Onyx said. "The same one when you looked at the crystal in my room."


    "Because it''s even better than what I found in your room." Meera held up the purple crystal. "This will reduce the amount of Mana needed for my magic skills."


    "It will?" Onyx exclaimed. "So, this must be the breakthrough the people in my room were talking about."


    "It could be." Meera gripped the crystal firmly in her hand. "Time to see how much of an improvement we are talking about here."


    She ran her Mana through the crystal as the crystal suggested. It was difficult at first as she had never done this before, but then it worked on instinct almost. The crystal began to glow, washing the room with a purplish light. Onyx backed up a step, which Meera found funny, as he was already dead.


    Then, the crystal shattered in her hand into many tiny pieces. A ball of purple light emerged from the pieces, floated upwards slowly, and entered Meera''s forehead. She was surprised at herself that she didn''t lean away. For a moment, nothing happened, but then Meera gasped, and her eyes snapped open.


    The world was painted in a purple hue, and she knew it was coming from her eyes. Then she cried out as a sharp pain shot up in her head. She took a deep breath, but the pain rose again, and this time, it traveled downwards inside her. She screamed some more as her arms shone with a dull purple light.


    "Meera, what''s happening?" Onyx asked. "Are you okay?"


    She fell to her hands and knees as the pain rose. She screamed as it peaked. It was one of the worst pains she had ever felt like she was burning up from the inside. She probably was.


    "Meera! Say something?"


    Then, the pain began to subside. Slowly, the heat started to cool from a raging fire to a warm feeling, and a few breaths later, she was back to normal. She huffed as she stared at the dusty floor. The burning sensation had subsided, but she still felt the after-effect of it.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Your Mana channels have been cleansed and purified by Darthin''s Essence. All of your Mana based skills will now use a sixth of the Mana required before. You will also need less charge-up time for your skills, and your Mana will recover at twice the rate.]


    Meera decided to test it out right now. She used Vitalize to close the small scrapes and cuts that remained, and it used a total of three Mana points to heal all of them, and she had a lot of them. Before this, she had focused only on the major cuts to conserve Mana, but now it seemed she didn''t need to. With just three Mana points, all her bruises, scratches, and scrapes, everything just went away.


    She literally jumped with joy. "Oh, this is amazing."


    "I''m guessing you''re no longer in pain."


    "No, Onyx, I''m ecstatic."


    "What does that mean?"


    Meera tilted her head. "Sometimes, I forget you''re a horse."


    He frowned. "It''s not like I can make myself horsier."


    She chuckled. "That is true." She looked around and found a clean spot, which was nothing but a corner far away from cages with the dead rats. Then she brought up her notifications. This time, they came up in condensed form like last time.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 18 Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 73 to Level 78]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has gained 6 levels and has reached Level 96. You have been awarded 18 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 74. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 76% boost.]


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has gained 4 levels and reached Level 43]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 6 levels and reached Level 31]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 3 levels and reached Level 26]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 3 levels and reached Level 29]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 2 levels and reached Level 8]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 2 levels and reached Level 12]


    Given that Meera only used her chakrams to fight, she was happy that she had earned all these levels in these other skills. Once again, she was glad to see how much easier these condensed notifications were.


    Next was what she had stolen. She hoped she had earned something new. But she was sorely disappointed. Ultimately, she had stolen five Soul Drifts, three Phantom Strikes, two Haunting Presences, six Spectral Resistances, and two Dreadful Wails.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistances has gained 2 levels and reached Level 4]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflections reached Level 18]


    She quickly allotted her stat point into Constitution, Focus, and Perception. Meera sighed. "I gained nothing new this time."


    "It''s okay," Onyx said. "It''s not like you earn new skills every time you level up."


    Meera smiled. "Well, it works a little differently for me."


    "How so?"


    "I''ll tell you all about it someday. For now," she yawned mid-sentence. "I want to take a long nap and recover my strength before I have to plunge into the unending horde outside."


    "Okay, I''ll keep watch and wake you if there is trouble."


    "Thanks, Onyx."


    <hr>


    "We should wake her," said someone who sounded like Shade.


    "No, we should not," Cinders shot back. "She''s been through enough. Let''s let her rest a while longer."


    "I agree." Onyx''s voice sounded like he was far away, which meant he had escaped the room again.


    "She should know of what we''ve found," Shade countered. "I''m sure she will want to know what we''ve found. The sooner we get a move on, the faster we can get out of here."


    "Those boxes are not going anywhere, and neither are we," Cinders reminded him.


    "Oh," the bat groaned. "It''s like you don''t even want to leave this place."


    "Shh!" Cinders snapped. "You''ll wake her."


    "Not will wake me. I''m up." Meera sat up groggily and held her head in her hands until the world came into focus. It was like waking up too fast from a nice nap, and she needed a few minutes to steady herself.


    "Great! You''re up!" Shade cried.


    "Sorry if we woke you," Cinders said.


    "No, it''s fine. Feels like I''ve been sleeping for three days," Meera said as she stretched.


    "Well, you''re not wrong," Shade said.


    "Really! I was out for that long?" Her stomach answered for her by growling.


    "You''ve slept for about half a day," Cinders said. "Given all you had to fight to get here, I''m not surprised. You could''ve slept longer if not for an impatient bat."


    "Yes, each moment we spend here is a danger to us all," Shade said. "What if one of those wraiths go wake up the big bad boss of this cave? Then we''re all in trouble. I don''t fancy turning into those mindless husks out there or for our passage out here to kick the bucket."


    Kick the bucket¡ªanother human expression. This made Meera pause as she wondered where a bat had learned it. "Relax, Shade. No one''s kicking the bucket any time soon. Now, tell me, what did you find?"


    Cinders squeaked and wrinkled her nose. "To be honest, not a lot. There are a total of forty-two rooms in this cavern. There might be more hidden elsewhere, but I highly doubt it, as I''ve personally seen some of these rooms being built. Of the forty-two, thirty-six were unlocked with their doors wide open, and six were locked. Out of those thirty-six, we found polished boxes like the ones in this room in six of them."


    Meera perked up at this. "Were you able to get a peek inside?"


    Shade nodded. "Oh, yes, we did. There are crystals in all of them."


    Meera was practically drooling at this point. "What sort of crystals were they?"


    "That is where we failed," Cinders said. "We don''t have the skill that you humans have. I believe it''s called Identify."


    This made Meera frown. "You don''t? None of you do."


    They all shook their head, even Onyx from the door.


    "I believe that is what separates us animals from humans," Cinders said.


    Now that Meera thought about it, it made a lot of sense, seeing as how humans were the de-facto rulers of these worlds. It''s our ability to discern different things and figure out their differences that put us on top of the food chain. In this world, the system just put that in quite a literal sense, in the form of a skill.


    "Okay, we have to hit twelve rooms in total then," Meera said. "The six with the boxes and the six locked ones."


    "Sounds about right."


    "Where is the room where the head researcher sleeps?" Meera asked.


    Cinders exchanged a worried glance with Shade.


    "What? What is it?"


    "We don''t know," Cinders said. "He could be in any one of the locked rooms."


    Meera gulped.


    Onyx neighed. "That''s not good."


    "You got that right," Shade said.


    "There''s something else that worries me," Meera added. "There''s this particular type of wraiths that are invisible. I cannot even see them, and they pop out of nowhere." She raised her naked arm. "The last one would have taken my arm if not for my armor, which, as you can see, I''m sorely lacking."


    "Maybe we can help. Maybe our eyes can see what''s shrouded from yours," Cinders said. "They are ghosts, after all."


    "That could work."


    "Or¡­maybe I can see them," Shade said. "Technically, they are made of the same stuff we are made of."


    "That¡­could work," Meera said. "I mean, it couldn''t hurt to try."


    "Or it could." Shade, of course.


    "Okay, let me find something to eat in my belt, and I have some armor I can replace my tattered one with. Then let''s head out and hope we open the big bad researcher''s room last."

 Chapter 55 – That Was Druvis Power

    Meera stood at the mouth of the tunnel with the waiting wraiths on the other side of the barrier. They had entered a state of frenzy the moment she had appeared from the room. Now, they were piling over themselves, phasing through one another, trying to get at her. She had been here enough times to know what had to be done. She could avoid them easily. It was the invisible wraiths that worried her.


    She had pulled out these metal vambraces from an armor suited for a warrior from her belt. Meera didn''t know what metal they were made of, but they were goldish. If this armor was made with real gold, then she was in trouble, but she figured no adventurer worth his salt would go trampling in the forest with a gold armor. So, it had to provide some protection. The vambraces were a little big for her, so they covered her arms a little past the elbow. She had also taken the shoulder pads of the same armor for added protection. She left the chest piece as that would slow her down too much.


    "So, what are you waiting for?" Shade asked, flying overhead. "Do your thing and get out there."


    "I need you to show me the way, don''t I?"


    "Oh, right. Sorry. The rooms with the boxes first, right?"


    "Right." Meera turned to the rat. "Cinders, you''ll be okay to make it on your own?"


    "More than okay. I can walk through these walls to the next tunnel, as can our horse friend." She turned to look at Onyx, who had stayed far behind.


    "If only we''d known that the last time, eh," Shade commented.


    He was right. Meera wouldn''t have taken that hit from the invisible wraith if they had known Onyx could just run through the walls to come around to this cave. This is how Cinders and Shade had scouted out all the tunnels.


    "You ready?" Shade asked.


    "One moment, please." Meera reached into her Hoard Belt and pulled out the Gem of Echoes, which she had found in Shade''s room. The gem was like a super-charged version of Nimble Ears. As soon as the gem was out of the Lunar Hoard Belt, her ears were assaulted by the wraiths'' wailing and shrieking. Each sound was like a bomb going off in her ears. She closed her eyes and focused, taking deep breaths, trying to focus on one sound, but they were all garbled together that it was impossible to pick one.


    "Cinders, start singing!" Meera cried.


    There was a momentary pause, but then the rat started singing. Meera winced at the new sharp singing sound. Now that she could hear so well, she could tell that Cinders was singing so off-tune. But regardless, Meera focused on her voice and her voice alone. She tried to tune out the noise, and like the Eagle-Eyes zoom-in or out feature, she tried to lower the sounds, and it worked. She smiled as she turned down the sounds of the wraiths and brought Cinders'' singing to a crisp focus. It was not like the wraith''s sounds went away, but they were just background noise at this point.


    Meera opened her eyes and dropped the gem in her pocket. It was about the size of her thumbnail, so it didn''t take up space. She just hoped that it didn''t fall out in the fighting.


    "Okay, now, I''m ready," Meera declared. "Shade, fly away."


    "Let''s get to the rooms on the second floor as there is only one room with the box. Our friends can get cozy and get to know themselves better in the meantime."


    Then he snickered as Onyx practically turned into a whiff of smoke and merged with the wall. Even Meera snorted a little at that. Onyx was a thousand times the size of Cinders, and he was a ghost, but he still brought his fear of rats with him after death.


    "Return to us when you''re done there, and we can move together from here," Cinders said.


    Meera nodded and looked to Shade, who flew out of the tunnel over the heads of the wraiths. The bloodthirsty phantoms barely registered his presence as he flew off to the second floor. Meera waited, heart thumping, as she knew what awaited her.


    Then, something happened that she was not expecting. Shade must''ve used his hypersonic voice as he flew, and she caught it. She could see the locations of the wraiths, as in she could tell where they were. It was hard to describe as a mental picture formed in her head, but it was relative to where she was standing. She was sure she would have been able to tell much more if she stood next to Shade.


    Shade flew in a spot on the second floor, which was her signal.


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


    "Good luck," Onyx managed.


    Meera turned to him, winked, and then disappeared in a poof of smoke. She reappeared on the second floor beside Shade.


    "It''s this one." Shade flew into the tunnel right behind them.


    Meera wanted to follow him. All her instincts told her to follow him as the wraiths were coming, the visible and invisible ones.


    "What are you doing?" Shade shouted.


    "Come out here. We''ve got a wraith to kill."


    "Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me."


    Their first blow fell before Shade even made it out of the tunnel. But Meera was ready. As soon as she felt a cold touch on her abdomen, she teleported back a few steps and threw a chakram. Her chakram hit the wraith and stayed spinning on the spot for a moment before it fell.


    Meera recalled it as the notification bell went off. She heard Shade use his voice again, and the picture of the cavern was painted in her mind. She didn''t need to see below that the wraiths were climbing over each other, trying to get to her. She only had mere moments to get this done.


    "Anything?" Meera asked her bat friend.


    "Wait," he hovered in the air for a moment. Meera quickly checked where the wraith''s blow had fallen. There was a small tear of her leather armor and a thin line of blood, but nothing major.


    "Got him!" Shade cried. "To your left! Duck!"


    Meera ducked in time as she figured the wraith''s phantom strike passed overhead. The scary part was she felt nothing. There was no wind on her face, no whooshing sound, nothing.


    Without waiting, she swung her hand in an arc. Her chakram got embedded in something, and finally, she heard a scream. She didn''t wait to follow up. With her other hand, she pummeled the unseen wraith with her chakram. Each hit brought a fresh scream from the phantom.


    She saw that the regular wraiths had almost made it to her, thanks to Shade''s hypersonic voice and her advanced hearing. She had a precious few seconds left. She upped her onslaught.


    "Jump back!" Shade cried.


    So, Meera did, but she was a moment too late, as the wraith got her. Its attack left a nasty scar from her cheek down to her neck. She activated Vitalize as she threw both her chakrams in front of her. Only one of them hit, and that too for a moment.


    "That was good. You almost got its head," Shade said.


    "Where is it?" Meera yelled. The other wraiths had made it to the second floor and were racing towards her from both directions.


    "Behind you."


    Meera turned, and without bothering to dodge, she launched an onslaught of fist after fist with her chakrams in hand. She hit her assailant, but it got her pretty good as it had buried its claws in her stomach. Pain unlike any other erupted in her gut. But she didn''t stop until she heard a final dying scream.


    "You got it." Shade cried. "Now, get in the tunnel."


    She used Shadow Step, reached the safety of the tunnel, and collapsed to one knee.


    She activated her healing skill, and it took even less time to heal herself than it would before and with less Mana. That last crystal was something else.


    She turned from the wraiths trying to get at her and moved towards the room. Inside, strapped to the table, was an animal she had never seen before, for they didn''t exist on earth outside of skeletal form.


    "Is that a dinosaur?" Meera exclaimed.


    "What the hell is that?"


    "That." Meera pointed to the enormous reptile tied to the table. The dinosaur was about a dozen feet long and very wide. It had a singular horn above its nose, like a rhinoceros. Its skin was leathery gray with spots of green. She couldn''t tell if it was the color of its skin or some form of infection.


    "That is no dino-whatever. That there is a baby Druvis. One that still had a lot of growing up to do. They tend to grow to over fifty feet tall."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "Fifty feet tall?"


    Shade scratched his head. "Which world are you from that you''ve never heard of, Druvises? They are called imperfect dragons, related to their much larger and fearsome cousins. They can''t use magic to breathe fire and other things. Also, given their lack of wings, they cannot fly."


    If these imperfect dragons grow to fifty feet tall, how large are the perfect dragons? She didn''t voice this as she didn''t want Shade to think their savior was an utter fool. Just when I think I''m getting the hang of this world, it throws these things at me.


    "Where did you find the crystal?" Meera asked, changing the topic.


    "This way." Shade flew to rest on a table at the room''s far end.


    Meera noticed the box. She opened the box, and inside was a green crystal.


    [Crystal of Druvis Power ¨C Whosoever crushes this crystal will earn a skill that will make their body more resilient and gain the ability to perform feats of strength far beyond their natural capacity.]


    Meera smiled. "Here goes nothing."


    She crushed the crystal in her hand, making Shade tilt his head, and though she could not read his expression, she could tell he was thinking she had lost her mind.


    A moment passed, and nothing happened. Meera thought she had made a mistake, but smoke hissed from the crystal shards in her hands and breathed deeply.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Druvis Power ¨C Level 1. Please forgo one skill to make room for Druvis Power.]


    Meera frowned as this was different than before, as it didn''t even ask her if she wanted this skill. But based on the crystal, she knew which skill she was going to give up. She exchanged Primal Power for Druvis Power.


    She activated her new skill, and her eyes widened so much that they threatened to pop out of her head. She felt strength like none other coursing through her veins. It was like activating Primal Power but on a dinosaur level.


    She let the crystal shards fall from her hand and half-heartedly punched the wall. A crater formed on the wall at the point of impact. A crater the size of Meera. Cracks traveled outwards from her fist to span the entire wall. It was like she had achieved superhuman strength.


    "Well, looks like I will never have to invest points in Power again," Meera commented.


    "What was that?"


    "That was Druvis Power."

 Chapter 56 – Shroud of Shadows

    Shade whistled. "Talk about an upgrade."


    Meera tilted her head at him. It was another human-like gesture, one that she did not think a bat would be able to do. Of course, this bat was a ghost, and ghosts could do many things beyond the ordinary. She put it aside. "Let me check my notifications, and we''ll get back to the others."


    "You''re the boss."


    *ding!*


    [You have killed a Shrouded Cursed Wraith ¨C Level 102]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has reached Level 97. You have been awarded 3 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has reached Level 75. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 77% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has reached Level 44]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 30]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shroud of Shadows. Shroud of Shadows ¨C Type: Active. You can cloak yourself in an ethereal shroud of shadows, granting unparalleled stealth and the ability to move unseen in dim areas or complete darkness. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at the notification. It was the same skill as the invisible wraiths. It was beyond lucky that she had gotten its best skill on the first try. She was definitely going to accept it. The only problem was which skill to let go of.


    In the end, it came down between Disorienting Flare or Dreadful Wail. One skill let her blind her enemies briefly, and the other paralyzed them. She was confused as they both had their uses. Dreadful Wail''s only problem was that it announced to everyone where she was, but once they heard it, it wouldn''t matter as they would be paralyzed. She decided to give up Disorienting Flare.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Shroud of Shadows ¨C Level 1]


    She tried on her new skill right away. At once, she was gone. She saw herself in a hazy, translucent way, but she was sure Shade didn''t as he looked around.


    "Can you see me?" Meera asked.


    "How can you do that?" Shade asked. "If you could have turned invisible all this time, then why didn''t you do so from the start? What game are you playing at Meera?"


    Meera turned back to normal and grinned. "I just learned it right now."


    Shade gave her a wary look. "What''s your secret?"


    "It''s not that I don''t trust you, and I would tell you, but then I don''t want to risk the master of this cave hearing about it," she replied.


    He stared at her a moment. "Okay, but you will tell me about this later."


    "Of course, I have nothing to hide from you." Meera smiled at him and motioned to the door. "Ready to get out of here?"


    He flew off without a word. Meera feared she might have created a rift that might widen if she didn''t close it soon. But that was not the only reason she didn''t tell him about her ability. Silas had warned her to keep it hidden, and then there was also the possibility that Edwyn Toller might take control of him and make him divulge her secrets. She didn''t know if this could happen, but Onyx thought it might, and if he could control so many wraiths, then who to say he couldn''t control three more?


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    She got to the mouth of the tunnel and activated the Shroud of Shadows, and the wraiths came to a standstill. This was even more curious. Even they can''t see me.


    Then she remembered that Shade couldn''t see the invisible wraith without his vocalization, so it was only reasonable that they couldn''t see her either. She used Shadow Step, appeared behind the wraiths, and jumped to the first floor. She landed on a knee, blowing up dust.


    She was about to uncloak herself when she saw something peculiar. A wraith outlined in faint red lines. Its form was hazy like her own, and it was coming straight for her. Meera pulled off two chakrams and threw one at it. It sidestepped, and the chakram sailed on by.


    "Meera, that''s one of them!" Shade cried from the air. "The invisible ones."


    Her eyes widened, and she got into motion. She knew the wraiths upstairs hadn''t moved from their spot thanks to her Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity. She quickly checked her stats.


    Stats


    [Health: 659/690]


    [Stamina: 591/690]


    [Mana: 681/720]


    She had more than enough Mana and Stamina to take this thing on while keeping her Shroud active. She recalled her chakram, which zipped past the phantom into her hand. She activated Druvis Power and raced for the wraith. It got into action, hands transformed into claws, ready to take her on.


    She launched her chakram, which went so fast that it was a blur. It hit with such power that it severed the wraith''s right arm clean off. The wraith screamed, and Meera was on top of it. She slashed with her other chakram, and despite her speed, the wraith was faster. She went for an overhead strike, but it left her open, and the wraith capitalized on it by slashing her midsection. Her armor was literally lying in tatters now, with stripes hanging and exposing her midriff.


    If it goes like this, I''ll be walking around in full heavy plate armor pretty soon.


    She finished her overhead strike and wedged her chakram in the wraiths'' head. She pulled off another chakram and slashed its head clean off in one swipe, thanks to Druvis Power. The wraith evaporated into nothing. Meera couldn''t tell if it was the same wraith as the one from before or a new one.


    She didn''t have time to ponder this as she uncloaked herself and ran for the tunnel where her ghostly friends waited.


    "How are you able to turn invisible now?" Onyx asked, seemingly having overcome his fear of Cinders and standing within five feet of her.


    "Good luck trying to get the answer out of her," Shade said.


    "Let''s say I picked it up along the way." It wasn''t a total lie and not the truth, either.


    "Well, that''s more than she told me."


    "It''s okay. She''ll tell us when she is ready," Cinders said. "The world is vast, and there are many abilities and skills. That is what my captors used to say. For now, let''s get out of here. The wraiths are coming."


    She was right. Meera could see them through her Perceptivity skill, and they were jumping down from the second level like a waterfall and dashing toward them like bloodthirsty maniacs. Meera activated Shroud of Shadows, and they all stopped in their tracks.


    "Yes, that is not too bad, I''ll admit," Shade said.


    "Next room, please, and hurry. This thing drinks Mana." Meera was right in that. Just in her fight with the wraith, which hadn''t lasted for half a minute, she had spent almost twenty points of Mana. This was after having her Mana refined. She could only guess what the cost would have been before that.


    Meera followed the animals to the next tunnel, three tunnels away from Cinders''. Once inside the tunnel, she dropped the Shroud and returned to normal. It was a bit odd traveling and not seeing her body, but she would get used to it. At least, it was not as jarring as her new auditory sense, which seemed to be on full blast, where every step left a resounding boom in her ears. But it helped her get used to the powers of the gem. The wailing and shrieking of the wraiths outside also helped as she used it to train herself to filter out background noise.


    As Meera entered the door, her anticipation grew as to which animal she would find there, and the room did not disappoint. In here was a lizard, but it was the size of a bull. Its head was sleek, but its open mouth was filled with razor-sharp pointed teeth. Its whole body was covered with shiny black scales, so much so it looked polished.


    Meera was about to ask what it was when Onyx gasped.


    "Gasp from me, too," Shade said, hanging upside down from the ceiling. "However, did they get their hands on that?"


    "I saw them bring it in," Cinders said. "It killed two of its handlers as they struggled to tie it to that table."


    "I''m guessing these things are illusive," Meera said.


    "More than illusive," Shade said. "My colony was close to one of these things'' hunting areas, and let me tell you, even basilisks give these guys a wide berth. Just a flick of their tongue, your muscles will begin to constrict slowly until you are nothing more than a prisoner in your body. I saw many beasts fall prey to their venom. That''s nothing to say about their ferociousness and their hunger."


    "What did you call them?" Meera asked.


    "Drakasaros, more commonly known as a Drake," Cinders said. "A close cousin of the venomous dragons."


    Meera nodded and filed this information for later that if she ever came across one in the wild, she was to run as far away and fast as possible. "Let''s see what crystal they made from this Drake," Meera said.


    "If I had money to bet, I would say it would have something to do with its venom," Shade said.


    Onyx neighed from the door. Meera took that as agreement, and Cinders lay quiet as she watched the corpse of the dread beast.


    Meera opened the box next to the diary, which no doubt contained the intent of the experiment on the predator. She didn''t bother with it and focused on the black crystal.


    [Crystal Of Drakasaros Venom - Whosoever crushes this crystal will earn a skill that will turn their saliva as venomous as a Drakasaros'' tongue. One touch and your enemies will know unimaginable pain as they are trapped in their own bodies.]


    "So¡­" Shade prompted.


    "You were right." Meera dropped the crystal in her Hoard belt and moved for the door. She didn''t even want to entertain the thought of having such a power. It would be downright cruel to put someone through so much pain. She couldn''t just sentence a person or beast to such a fate, no matter how easy it would make her fight. Not after what her mother went through for years.


    "Wait, you''re not going to use it?" Shade asked as he flew from his perch to land on her shoulder.


    "No, I don''t want such a power, and that is all I will say about that."


    "B-But¡ª"


    "Leave it, Shade." Cinders slithered up Meera''s pants to rest on her other shoulder. "She''s making the right call. You''re not the only one who lost kin to those monsters. It''s best if that crystal never sees the light of day. It will not bode well for anyone if humans get their hands on such a vile skill."


    "Show me the way to the next room," Meera ordered.


    Shade sighed and flew off down the tunnel.

 Chapter 57 – More Boxes and More Crystals

    Meera stood before the half-opened door that led to the room with the third crystal. It was not even difficult to get here. She turned on Shroud of Shadows, used Shadow Step, and got out of the tunnel and into this one. The wraiths kept crowding the mouth of the last tunnel until she unshrouded herself. Now, they were hissing and snarling at the mouth of this tunnel. Again, she was unconcerned about them.


    She was more excited about what sort of crystal she would find in this room. Whatever it was, she just hoped it was not as evil as the Drakasaros Venom crystal. She eyed her belt where the crystal lay. She didn''t know what happened inside it, if things moved at all, but if they did, she hoped the crystal would tip over and burst to pieces.


    "Let''s see what other amazing power you can discard in this room," Shade grumbled.


    Meera had some choice words for him but kept them to herself. Instead, she moved inside with the grumbling bat and the wise rat while Onyx waited outside, standing watch, like always.


    There was another creature tied to the table that seemed to have come straight out of a fantasy video game. Its head was pinkish red. The rest of its body was covered in dark blueish feathers. It looked like a giant bird with dinosaur-like feet and sharp claws that would rip open even something as large as Onyx in half.


    Shade whistled. "That thing is a beauty, but¡­what is it?"


    They both looked to Cinders for answers.


    "That is a Cassowary," Cinders said. "The humans must have considered it dangerous as they had it strapped down good, especially its legs. I was intrigued by it, so I watched it for some time. They said it had a strong Constitution and were trying to find out if they could replicate it."


    Meera inadvertently smiled. If I can get more Health through this crystal, that would be nice.


    She moved for the box. It opened with a creak and inside was a reddish crystal, the same color as the bird''s head.


    [Crystal of Blood Magic ¨C Crush this crystal, and you will create a bond with your blood. This bond will let you draw upon your life force to fuel your spells.]


    Meera thought about it a moment. It was like opening another source for her Mana-based skills. Instead of using Mana, she could use her life force or Health. It wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t entirely good either. But she figured she should have this skill, which could be handy in a pinch.


    She crushed the crystal, and unlike the Druvis Power one, this one did prick and cut open her hand, making Meera wince.


    [You have acquired the general skill Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    Meera''s brow shot up at that. I would have crushed it from the get-go if I had known it was a general skill.


    "What did it give you?" Cinders asked.


    "Blood magic." Meera grinned.


    The two ghosts froze, and she heard Onyx clop outside. And thanks to her advanced hearing, she was sure he was moving away from the room.


    "I''m guessing that is not good," Meera said.


    Cinders bowed her head. "It is what caused the fall of the researchers into wraiths."


    Meera''s blood chilled. "W-What?"


    "It is the worst kind of magic," Cinders continued. "Things were going fine, but when they discovered Blood Magic and that they could use it to control others and siphon their life force, the gods cursed this place, and well, you know the results."


    "But this skill only allows me to use my life force to cast spells," Meera said, hoping this would be safe.


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    "Oh, you''re probably all right then," Shade said.


    "Really?" Meera''s face lit up for a moment.


    "Of course not! Blood magic is blood magic," Shade barked. "Didn''t you have legends about the consequences of using blood magic in your town?"


    Well, yes, but that was mostly in movies and books. That was what she wanted to say, but she kept quiet as she didn''t want to explain what movies were to a bunch of ghosts.


    "But if I don''t use it, I should be okay, right?" Meera asked.


    Shade looked to Cinders, who said, "You should be, but we cannot know for certain."


    "But if she doesn''t die, she shouldn''t turn into a wraith, right?" Said Onyx from the door. He was ducking his head to peer into the room.


    "That, too, is a possibility," Cinders said. "Let''s hope that is true, but I advise you not to use Blood Magic at all. Forget that you even possess the skill."


    Meera nodded. "Understood. Let''s head to the next room. Shade?"


    "On it." He flew out of the room, grumbling about using blood magic but not venom. The bat was sore about Meera''s choice of not taking on the Drake''s venom, but she had her reasons.


    Meera exited the room with Cinders in tow. Onyx had backed off to the mouth of the tunnel to avoid the rat. The wraiths flew into activity right away as they saw Meera, so she turned invisible, and they quieted like the dead.


    She Stepped into the cavern and ran to the tunnel where Shade was waiting. It was the fourth room with the crystal. Just two more, then she had to open locked doors and hope she didn''t get unlucky to run into the sleeping Edwyn.


    Cinders arrived at the tunnel by the time Meera got to the door. Onyx was a little late and stayed far back. This room didn''t hold an animal or a new creature but people. The table had a naked man and a woman strapped to it. Their limbs fastened to the table, and their guts splayed open. Their eyes and one ear from each were missing¡ªthe room stank of decomposing bodies. Meera was getting too familiar with the smell, but the state of the two people brought tears to her eyes.


    "These monsters," Meera whispered.


    Shade scoffed. "And I thought they only butchered animals. It seems they didn''t even spare your kind."


    "Yes," Cinders said. "All for their goal. They had lost all sense, thanks to the head researcher''s greed, spurred on by the witch."


    Kalrina, we''ll have words about this if I ever get out of here.


    Without saying another word, Meera moved for the crystal box. It held a clear crystal, almost like a rough diamond. It was different from the others as this one did not have any definitive shape, nor was it as polished as the rest.


    [Crystal of Darthin''s Blessing ¨C Whosoever crushes this crystal can advance one of their skills by fifty levels.]


    In her excitement, without even thinking about it, Meera crushed the crystal, which did not prick her hand even a bit.


    [Darthin''s Blessing be upon you. Please choose a skill you want to level up.]


    Meera knew which skill needed the boost. I choose Mirror Blast.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 50 levels and reached Level 57]


    "You''re grinning again," Shade said. "What cursed magic did you gain this time?"


    Meera turned to him and started. She was about to tell him of the levels she had gained when her eyes fell on the bodies of the man and woman, and she knew where those free levels had come from.


    "They died for those levels," Meera said.


    Shade tilted his head. "Huh?


    "I gained fifty levels for one of my skills," she explained. "And in my excitement to get those levels, I even forgot to realize where those levels had come from."


    "It''s okay, Meera," Cinders said. "You did no wrong. At least this way, their sacrifice was worth something, and they didn''t die in vain."


    Her logic was sound, but Meera still felt like a thief. She nodded, but in her heart, the guilt was still fresh and would be for some time.


    "Shade," she called.


    "On it." He flapped his wings and flew off, making Meera realize he didn''t have the wings to fly. He could fly without flapping them, but she didn''t know how ghosts worked. She followed Shade out of the room after giving one last look to the dead pair.


    Thank you.


    Outside was a similar affair. Meera turned invisible and followed Shade to the next room. It didn''t take long for her to reach the fifth room. Onyx and Cinders were already waiting for her when she arrived.


    Inside was a big wolf strapped to the table. It reminded her of the pack leader she had killed when she had set out from Belacre, which felt so long ago. She moved past the wolf''s corpse to the workstation beyond, which held various beakers and the box with the crystal. She opened the box and saw a jagged, dark orange crystal. Meera felt like she had seen something like this before.


    [Failed Crystal of Darthin ¨C This crystal could not be what it was meant to be. It failed to reach the perfection that Darthin would be proud of, but still, one can merge two of their skills into one with this crystal.]


    "Hmm, it''s the same crystal I found in Onyx''s room," Meera said. "It lets me merge two skills into one." With that, she put the crystal in her Hoard Belt, as she didn''t have any two skills that she would have liked to merge into one.


    "Not going to use it?" Shade asked.


    "Nothing I can use it on at the moment," Meera said. "I''ll save it for later."


    "On to the next one, then?" Shade asked.


    "Yes, let''s get this done."


    Shade flew out, and Cinders followed suit. Meera had just stepped out of the room when she heard the bat, thanks to her superior hearing. "Meera, you''re not going to like this."


    "What''s happened?"


    "I would say you better see this for yourself, but it''s best you stay in the safety of the tunnel."


    "Why?"


    "Three shrouded wraiths are waiting for you at the sixth tunnel."

 Chapter 58 – A Fight To The Death

    Meera stood frozen on the spot, mouth wide agape. The last invisible wraith she had killed was about level 100, and now she had to fight three of these things to get to the last room.


    Damn it! Why can''t things be easy for once?


    "Meera, what''s wrong?" Cinders asked, staring at her from the table.


    "Shade just reported three high-level invisible wraiths waiting for me outside."


    Cinders gasped while Onyx clopped his hooves outside, moving away to the mouth of the tunnel.


    "What are you going to do?" Cinders asked.


    "What can I do?" Meera readied her chakrams. "I have to meet them head-on. That researcher must be more awake than you thought, Cinders."


    Cinders jumped off the table and ran out the door. Meera activated the Shroud of Shadows and walked out of the room. She saw herself becoming more solid when she walked by the torch''s light burning on the wall. Not entirely so, but more translucent than totally transparent.


    She ran through the tunnel, trying to match the rhythm of her racing heart. At the last moment, when she was about to hit the wall of wraiths, she used Shadow Step and landed in the middle of the cavern.


    The invisible wraiths were on her almost instantly. She saw them vanish and reappear on all sides but her back. They used their Phantom Strikes to end her, but she jumped back out of range and threw a chakram in a spinning motion. It hit the one on her right and front. Notification bells went off in her head, making her realize she had already killed an invisible one before, which meant another level and a new skill were waiting for her.


    Can''t focus on that right now.


    The third wraith lunged for, unleashing Phantom Strikes from both hands. She dodged them without much difficulty. A feeling of unease and fear was beginning to set in her, making her want to run away. It took her a moment to realize that it came from their combined Haunting Presences.


    While the wraith was driving her back, the other two recovered and used their Shadow Steps to disappear and reappear on top of her. Meera clenched her fists around her Chakrams and tried to match them blow for blow, but it was getting increasingly hard, even with her Mirror Eagle''s enhanced vision.


    Meera used Shadow Step and teleported herself into the air to get some breathing room. She activated Druvis Power and fell on one of the wraiths, chakram-fist extended. The wraith teleported away only for Meera to leave a small crater in the ground, and cracks raced outward from the point of impact.


    A sharp pain erupted in her back as she pulled out her chakram. She fell forward on a knee. A wraith had gotten a got hit on her back. She Stepped behind it and slashed away with her chakram. She got in two good hits before it vanished into smoke.


    A green slash came from the smoke. She ducked the blow and rose with an uppercut, slashing the wraith vertically from groin to neck. It screamed and wailed as it fell back, and its brothers jumped in on her.


    She deflected their blows with her chakrams but took some hits on her upper arms¡ªthe only portion not protected by the metal vambraces or the shoulder pads.


    Blood slicked down her arm, and she used Vitalize to staunch the bleeding. The flight was not progressing in her favor. The wraiths did not tire, nor did they need to stop to take a breather, but Meera needed to. She used Shadow Step to jump to the second floor. It was a mess of a fight. Her armor was mostly in tatters. Her back and stomach were exposed, not to mention her arms. Only her chest was somewhat still protected.


    Shade flew over to her. "I must say, you''re not holding up too well."


    "You think?" Meera said between breaths.


    "I suggest you find a way to kill them and fast because here they come."


    "Fu¡ª" Meera never got to finish her slur as two wraiths teleported in front of her, and the third was creeping up behind her.


    She went for the two in front. There was no reason to let them think she could also see behind her. She threw chakrams at them both. They both vanished before the chakrams connected. Meera groaned through gritted teeth. She recalled her chakram at the last moment as the wraiths reappeared.


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    She didn''t bother defending against their attacks and turned to face the one behind her. Before the two wraiths could finish their attacks, her chakrams hit them dead center. One shrieked as her chakram cut it in two and evaporated. The other teleported away, but even still, her chakram must''ve done a number on it.


    The third wraith slashed at her with both hands. She jumped back and launched two chakrams into its torso. Only one hit, causing the creature to hiss. She recalled the chakrams and relaunched them, and it danced away.


    The wraith that survived the dissection from her chakram returned to attack her back. She turned at the last minute to catch its attack on her chakram. The creature was strong enough that even with Druvis Power, they were at a stalemate.


    Then it hissed and shrieked as if it was in pain. Meera didn''t understand what happened, but she was not about to let this opportunity pass. She slashed its throat with her free hand two times, killing it.


    It was only when the wraith evaporated that Meera noticed the small form of a ghostly friend. Cinders had bit the wraith''s foot, causing it to scream and lose focus.


    "Thanks, Cin," Meera called as she ran to take on the final wraith.


    "You''re welcome," the rat squeaked.


    "Now, get to the final tunnel, and I''ll meet you there soon."


    "Okay, but please hurry."


    Meera didn''t need to be told twice. One look at her Mana put the bound in her step. She was nearly out. Thanks to the Shroud of Shadows nearly drinking it dry. And if her Shroud fell, all the other wraiths would jump on her like a hungry dog on a juicy bone.


    She was about to use Shadow Step but decided not to waste Mana. The wraith, however, had no qualms about wasting Mana and raced for her while jumping using Shadow Step. She waited for it, with chakrams at the ready.


    The phantom disappeared one last time, only to reappear on her left side. But she was ready for it. Before its slash landed, she jumped aside and punched its back with her chakram and the strength that Druvis Power provided. It did not disappoint as the blow looked to have broken the wraith''s back if it had a back.


    Then, the wraith fell through the floor and sailed up through the floor, a moment later angrier than ever. It was literally frothing at the mouth. Meera gave it a cute smile and threw her chakram at it. She knew it would dodge it, and the wraith did and dodged to the right.


    Right, where Meera knew it would go.


    She shot a Mirror Shard Blast at the phantom. The attack went right through the wraith, but it flinched, nevertheless. She Stepped behind the wraith at that moment and hacked at the wraith''s neck until it evaporated into nothing.


    "Any more invisible wraiths remaining, Shade?" Meera called out.


    "None that I see. Can you?"


    Meera walked to the edge of the second floor. "No, finally. It''s over."


    She deactivated all her skills and huffed from the exertion. She had literally five points of Mana left. If the fight had gone on for longer, she would have been done for. As soon as her Shroud of Shadows fell and she returned to normal, the wraiths snapped their heads towards her.


    Meera''s eyes widened. "Oh, shit¡­"


    She had to make a quick decision: to cloak herself again and race for the last tunnel, which just happened to be on the opposite side of the cavern on the first floor or use the last of her Mana to make one final leap using the Shadow Step skill.


    She placed her bet on Shadow Step as she had a better chance of covering more distance with it. The wraiths dashed for her like demons possessed. She activated Druvis Power, jumped to the first floor, and ran as fast as possible. Her heartbeat thrummed at the pace of a galloping horse. Seeing the ravenous horde coming for her made her hands shake, but she didn''t slow her speed. Just as she was about to hit the wraiths head-on, she vanished, leaving only smoke in her wake. She knew the spot she was going for. She envisioned it and prayed that her measly five Mana got her to cover the distance.


    It didn''t.


    She reappeared in the middle of the shrieking and howling wraiths. There was a moment''s pause as the wraiths realized what had happened. Then, as one, they descended on her. She fought back with chakrams in both hands, hacking and slashing with all her might. Wraiths evaporated, but more took their place.


    Her Stamina dwindled with each swing, but the phantoms'' number did not. She swung her chakrams around blindly. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. Her arms felt like they weighed a ton. She pushed through the vengeful ghosts towards the tunnel where her friends waited for her.


    Animals couldn''t show emotions, but Meera could swear they looked concerned.


    "Come on, Meera," Onyx whispered.


    She heard it flawlessly, thanks to the gem in her pocket, which was still somehow in her pocket. Meera slashed another wraith''s head clean off, making it evaporate. Just when it looked like she could make it through the horde, she took her first slash on her shoulder. She saw it coming but was mid-swing and couldn''t dodge or defend herself.


    Meera cried out, and then the next one fell on her back. After that, she tried to distance them but couldn''t. No matter how much she tried, some wraith slashed bits and pieces off her. Thanks to no Mana, she couldn''t heal herself.


    A wraith cut the back of her knees, and she fell on one knee. Another slashed at her ribs, and she cried out as she felt it pierce an organ.


    Meera looked down at her bloody form with teary eyes. I''m sorry, Neel.


    Something sharp pierced her back. She screamed as she fell face-first into the cold hard ground. She knew she was done for. She would die and become one of these wraiths for eternity. But the only thought on her mind, as her body went cold, was that Neel would never know what happened to her.


    Her eyes closed as she heard a roar that shook the very walls of the cavern. She wondered if the head researcher, Edwyn Toller, had finally awoken and come to kill her himself.

 Chapter 59 – Room Number 39

    "Get away from her, you bastards," a familiar voice roared. Meera figured she must''ve been hearing wrong because it could have only come from Onyx.


    With immense exertion and will, she looked up and saw a bright, glowing horse charging into the horde of wraiths, plowing them under his powerful legs. His light was almost too bright to look directly into. She had to shield her eyes with one hand, and even then, it was too much.


    Between her fingers, she saw Onyx''s glowing form trampling the wraiths like a warhorse charging enemy soldiers. He circled her a few times, making wraiths evaporate. The rest shied away from him, covering their eyes because of the blinding light that Onyx was outputting.


    "Meera, get up! And get on me," Onyx yelled, continuing to do his rounds around her.


    Meera frowned at how she could get on top of him, but she couldn''t ask as she didn''t have the strength to shout over his thundering hooves.


    "Get up, Meera!" Shade shouted from somewhere up above.


    "Meera, you cannot die now," Cinders squeaked from the tunnel. "You''re our only hope."


    Meera tried to move her knees, only for her to slip on her blood and fall flat on her face. She cried out. Time was running out, and Onyx couldn''t hold the wraiths back forever. Meera activated Druvis Power, as that skill ran on Stamina, and she still had some of that remaining. She somehow got on her hands and knees.


    Onyx trotted over, and the wraiths kept their distance. "Hurry, Meera!" He urged.


    With an immense push, Meera got her feet underneath her and stood, holding herself together somehow. The pain was numbing, and she was leaking too much blood. It made her lightheaded. She also tipped over and fell, or would''ve if Onyx hadn''t moved to support her.


    To her surprise, she didn''t pass through his body. It was enough of a surprise to bring her back to her senses.


    Meera stared wide-eyed at the glowing ghost. "How¡­"


    "There is no time for that," Onyx cried. "Hurry, just get a hold of my hair and get on top."


    Meera had been riding horses since she was nine years old. Their estate in the country had a whole stable that raised racing horses. Her parents let her and Neel ride them as training to learn how to ride horses. They could not have known that it would come to save her life one day.


    Meera grabbed hold of Onyx''s mane. He didn''t cry out. Then, using the last of her Stamina and Druvis Power, she jumped on the steed''s back. As soon as Meera was on his back, Onyx moved¡ªby move, it was more like he blasted off, and she somehow kept a hold of his mane, or she would been thrown off to become a feast for the horde once more.


    Onyx''s glow faded the moment he ran, and in the next second, the wraiths returned to their screeching and hollering selves. They ran after Meera and her ghostly friend, trying to slash them to bits. But Onyx was too fast for them. He made it to the tunnel''s safety long before the wraiths, leaving them to trail in his dust.


    This time, he came to a slow stop further down the tunnel, just a few paces from the door. Meera tried to gently slide off her savior''s back but fell flat on her back. She groaned as that sent a fresh new wave of pain through her wrecked body.


    Cinders and Shade were beside her in a second. As soon as they arrived, Onyx backed off towards the door. Silly horse.


    "Stay still, Meera," Cinders said. "You''ve lost a lot of blood. Do you have a healing potion?"


    Meera thought she might, but she wasn''t sure anymore.


    "I know you have a healing skill," Shade said. "Use that."


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­have the M-Mana¡­¡±


    "Right." Shade scratched his head. "What about a Mana potion? Then you can heal yourself."


    Meera paused at that. That was a good idea. As far as she knew, she had a couple of Mana potions remaining. She opened her Lunar Hoard Belt with trembling hands, pulled out the last two blue Mana potions, and downed them. It refilled her Mana to about quarter-full.


    She activated Vitalize right away and laid her head on the ground as her body healed. Cuts sealed up, and bruises withered away. Even the darkness around the edges of her vision flew away as her headache lifted. By the time she was fully healed and good as new, her Mana was back in the double digits.


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    But just because she was healed didn''t mean she wasn''t dead tired. Her Stamina was still negligible.


    "I''m just¡­going to take¡­a nap," Meera said and promptly passed out.


    <hr>


    Meera didn''t know how long she was out, but when her eyes fluttered open, she had a horrible pain in her neck from sleeping in the wrong position. She wondered if she could fix it with Vitalize. She brought up her stats.


    Stats


    [Health: 684/690]


    [Stamina: 591/690]


    [Mana: 645/720]


    She raised an eyebrow at that. Stamina and Mana had both recovered quite a bit. She used Vitalize for her stiff neck and saw her Health fill up as her Mana lost a point. She sat up and yawned while stretching. Looking about, she found Shade hanging upside down from the ceiling. Onyx was seated with his legs folded under him by the door, and Cinders was nowhere to be found.


    "Hey guys, I''m up," Meera said.


    "Well, look at that, and here I thought you would return when we are dust," Shade said, flying down to land before her.


    "But we''re ghosts?" Onyx was also on his feet but didn''t come much closer.


    "Yes, my horse friend. I was making what the kids these days call a joke," Shade said.


    "Oh, right."


    "Where''s Cinders?" Meera asked.


    "Gone to scout out the other remaining tunnels," Shade said. "Hoping to find some clue that would tell us which room rests the leader of these lovely folks." He motioned to the wraiths with his head.


    Meera nodded and looked down at her clothes, which either said she was making a fashion statement or was very down on her luck. Her ''armor'' had been so cut up that it was essentially a crop top from the front with a hefty amount of cleavage, and the back was a cape of tassels. Her pants were ripped in several places. If her mother saw her wearing this, the lecture would have been unending¡ªthe mother of all lectures.


    "Well, we''ll wait for her before we go in¡ª" Meera never got to finish her sentence as Cinders peaked her head out from the opposite wall.


    "Hey, look who is up," Cinders said. "How are you feeling?"


    From the corner of her eye, Meera saw Onyx melting into the wall. She frowned when she realized she didn''t have Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity up and running. She activated the skill, and right away, her three-sixty-degree vision returned.


    "Much better." Meera smiled.


    "That''s good. Considering you''ve been down for a whole day, maybe more."


    Meera''s eyes popped open. "I''ve been sleeping for that long?"


    "Considering what you''ve been through, I would say you needed more, but then I am just a simple rat," Cinders scrunched up her nose.


    Meera scratched her head. "I don''t think I''ve ever slept an entire day away."


    Her mother would tan her hide if she slept that long. Oh, man, who knew being cut up to near death and exhausted would make you sleep that long.


    "Anyways, I think we should check out this last room," Shade said, taking flight. "I''ve been dying to know what this crystal does."


    "As am I." Meera stood, dusted herself off, and moved for the door, wishing this crystal would let her take a bath wherever she wanted, as she really badly needed one.


    She checked the door handle, and it was locked, as expected. She activated Druvis Power, gripped the handle tightly, and ripped the entire frame off, door included, and it didn''t even use a fraction of power. She deactivated the skill to conserve her Stamina.


    Inside, there was no animal but a lot of crystal strewn about the table. There were crystals in all shapes and sizes. Some crystals looked like rubies, some resembling sapphires, and others like emeralds.


    Shade whistled. "You humans consider those things valuable, don''t you?"


    "If they are real." Meera picked up a green one and used Identify on it.


    [Green Crystal]


    "I saw many miners mining for these shiny crystals in the caves where I was born," Shade stated.


    "Unfortunately, these are not real. Probably just colored glass." Meera dropped the green crystal on the ground, where it shattered to bits. "Let''s hope the crystal in this room is worth something."


    As she moved for the box set on a pedestal in the middle of the room. That''s different.


    The journal was open on the same pedestal, and Meera could not help but notice the beautiful writing on its pages. The other journals had handwriting that was nothing special; some were basically chicken scratches, but this was beautiful, as if each letter was written with care and love.


    This necklace is my gift for my beloved Kalrina, for there is no one more beautiful than her in all the worlds. A necklace to match her golden hair and its magics only she would be able to unlock.


    Edwyn Toller


    Meera''s brow furrowed. "This was written by the lead researcher himself."


    Cinders scurried up the pedestal to take a look. Shade hung from the ceiling and squinted. Even Onyx poked his head inside the room, which was saying something.


    "What does it say?" Shade asked.


    "The bastard was in love with the sorceress, Kalrina, and that he made this for her." Meera opened the box, but Onyx interrupted her.


    "Meera, if this is the room Ed¡ªyou-know-who was experimenting in, then could it be room number thirty-nine?"


    Meera snapped her head to him. He could be right. She surveyed the room''s walls, and right above the door was the number 39 etched into the wall. This was the room in which they had made a major discovery.


    Meera''s heart raced as she looked at the box and slowly opened its lid. Inside was a stunning gold necklace with a gold crystal in the center. She quickly Identify''d it.


    [Necklace of Darthin''s Robes ¨C An ornament worthy of the Master of Skills himself. This necklace is meant for only those who can twist mirrors to do their bidding, for only they can bend it to their will and bring forth its unique gifts of turning mirrors into protection.]


    "What is it?" Cinders asked.


    "It''s a necklace, and it seems pretty useless to me."

 Chapter 60 – Time For An Evolution

    Meera shut the box and set it down while she stared at the crystals scattered on the table and wondered if this was where all the crystals came from. These harmless crystals turned into artifacts with the power of a god through horrific experiments.


    "So, you''re really going to make me ask, huh?" Shade fluttered down to land on the table.


    "It says that only the witch, Kalrina, can use its gift and turn mirrors into protection. When I met her, she said something like she was a master of the prismatic arts. It must mean that only she can use it, or she can bend mirrors to come to her aid. I don''t know." Meera shrugged. "It just seems a little confusing."


    "Mirrors to protection?" Cinders asked, twinkling her nose, which Meera took to be her version of a frown.


    "That''s what it says," Meera replied. "I don''t have the power to bend mirrors like the Sorceress of Mirrors."


    "Is that what she is called?" Shade asked.


    "That is what her tag said."


    "I see," Shade said as if that solved a great mystery.


    "Anyways, I''m going to check out my notifications and then rest some before we head out for the locked rooms and pray to whatever gods you believe in that we don''t run into Ed¡ªyou-know-who, first."


    With that, Meera plopped herself in the chair by the table and called up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed 3 Shrouded Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 123 ¨C Level 127. For killing enemies more than twenty higher than your own, you have earned bonus experience.]


    [Your party has killed 11 Cursed Wraiths ¨C Level 74 ¨C Level 77]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Image Stealer has gained 7 levels and reached Level 104. You have been awarded 21 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 100 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakram.]


    [Chakram of Echoes Stage 2 effect unlocked. Chakram Fusion - You can combine two chakrams into a singular, more potent chakram. This process enhances the weapon''s power, versatility, and destructive potential, making it a formidable weapon.]


    Another chakram appeared on her arm. She had five on each arm now, and with the one chakram tied to her belt on the back, she had a total of eleven. But she cared little for that as she couldn''t wait to try the Chakram Fusion.


    "That''s a neat trick," Shade commented.


    "Thanks." Meera grinned.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has gained 5 levels and reached Level 80. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 82% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Step has gained 8 levels and reached Level 52]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 10 levels and reached Level 41]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 21 levels and reached Level 22]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 9 levels and reached Level 10. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 12% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 5 levels and reached Level 31]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 9 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 7 levels and reached Level 15]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 6 levels and reached Level 7]


    Meera paused her notifications and tilted her head as she didn''t remember what this skill did. She thought of bringing up the skill''s explanation, hoping it would work, and it did.


    [Alpha Aura ¨C general skill. You emit an aura of leadership and confidence, which boosts the morale and combat abilities of nearby allies, granting them increased strength and resilience.]


    Ahh¡­that''s why. I must''ve inadvertently provided a boost to Cinders and Onyx when they came to my aid in the last fight.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 4 levels and reached Level 16]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 9 levels and reached Level 13]


    Next came the skills she had stolen, and there was nothing new as expected. She gained three Shroud of Shadows, four Haunting Presence, two Soul Drift, three Phantom Strike, and two Dreadful Wail. And none of the skills leveled up either, which was fine by her.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Reflection has reached Level 19]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 4. You can now Identify people up to fifty levels higher than you.]


    Meera thought that was it when another new kind of notification popped up¡ªsomething she hadn''t seen before.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class evolution: Image Stealer can evolve to Divine Mirror Knight. You harness your healing magic and the mystical powers of your divine mirror weapons to excel in combat. You can take a lot of punishment and remain in the fight until you vanquish your enemies, even to the point of death. Your healing magic and tenacity have been deadly for all those who have raised their arms against you.]


    [A Divine Mirror Knight is one of Midea''s own, the Lady of Mirrors and the caretaker of the System. You will march forth in your quest provided to you by the Lady, be the bearer of her honorable name, and receive gifts befitting a true Knight.]


    [Would you like to evolve Image Stealer to Divine Mirror Knight? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    Meera only had the time to frown slightly as the next notification appeared.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class evolution: Image Stealer can evolve to Mirror Image Hunter. You hunger for skills and have sought out all kinds of foes to satisfy this hunger. You have used this hunger to gain formidable skills that have kept you alive. You have shown no hesitance from where you gain your skills, whether they be foes or cursed items.]


    [A Mirror Image Hunter is an expert thief and can take skills from even those protected by magics. Your hunger for skills will only be satisfied by assimilating more skills from friends and foes alike. You will excel in tracking, hunting, and countering foes.]


    [Would you like to evolve Image Stealer to Mirror Image Hunter? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class evolution: Image Stealer can evolve to Mystic Mirror Arcanist. You have gained many magical skills and used them to their full content. Your path has led you to assimilate a mix of shadow, mirror, and even the accursed blood magic. You''ve used them to better yourself and fight against foes, natural and unnatural.]


    [A Mystic Mirror Arcanist is the first step towards truly mastering the mystic arts. Your magical skills will grow more powerful. You will seamlessly blend your spellcasting abilities with mirrors, creating a synergy that enhances your magical prowess.]


    [Would you like to evolve Image Stealer to Mystic Mirror Arcanist? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    Meera waited for any other notifications of class evolutions. Nothing else appeared, so she figured this was it. She was too mesmerized by the new class evolutions to realize that her animal friends were staring at her.


    "Why are you smiling so creepily?" Shade asked. "You always get like that when you look at your notifications. What''s with you humans and creepy smiles? Why do your mouths even move that way?"


    Meera snorted. "Well, this time, I''ve had a reason to smile. I reached level 100 and got a class evolution, which is surprising since¡­"


    She trailed off as if she had said too much. Once again, it wasn''t that she didn''t trust them. It was this place she didn''t trust and who might be listening. But it was surprising that she got these notifications for a class evolution, seeing as it said that she was an unnatural human and couldn''t get new skills or classes as per the system. But class evolutions were fair game.


    Shade sighed loudly. "Were you about to say that secret of yours that you are so desperate to hide from us?"


    "Not from you," Meera replied. "As I''ve said, I would have told you, but we can''t be sure who else is listening."


    "She''ll tell us when we''re out of here," Cinders said. "Now, let us give her time to focus on her decision."


    "Thanks." Meera smiled at the rat and turned her attention back to the notifications. The three class evolutions waited. She had to make a decision. All three had their merits. If she were deducing this correctly, the Knight class would give her more melee-type benefits. The Hunter class would be the most similar to Image Stealer, but it would let her satisfy her hunger for skills¡ªwhatever that meant. The last was the Arcanist, which was clearly like a mage class.


    The more she thought about it, the more she was drawn to the Hunter class. It was the class closest to being an assassin, which was what she really wanted from the start. She had a bunch of skills that would gain enhancements from the Arcanist class, but being a mage was not what she was interested in.


    I choose Mirror Image Hunter.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Image Stealer has evolved to Mirror Image Hunter ¨C Level 104]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Change. Reflection has evolved to Stalker. You stalk your prey like a true hunter. Your prey will have no option but to give you what you want. You will be given a choice of two skills from those you attack, but you can only choose one.]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at that, and a slow smile spread her lips until she was grinning, which then turned into a chuckle and then before she knew it. She was laughing. But the system or Midiea was not done giving her more gifts.


    *ding!*


    [Stat Points Awarded]


    [Constitution: +15]


    [Power: +10]


    [Dexterity: +20]


    [Endurance: +15]


    [Focus: +10]


    [Agility: +15]


    [Perception: +20]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Change. Shadow Step changes to Mirror Step. Mirror Step ¨C Type: Active. You can instantly teleport yourself to a mirror or any reflective surface within sight, granting swift and unpredictable movement.]


    Now, Meera wasn''t sure if this was an improvement. It did take away the handicap of only teleporting to shadows, but then it gave another handicap of only teleporting to mirrors.


    This is the skill that the final mirror golem of Kalrina had. This is going to slow me down¡­


    She stopped mid-thought as she realized this skill was good for her. She could feign an attack with her chakrams only to appear behind her opponents. Or she could use a Mirror Shard Barrage to litter the area with mirrors and have endless teleporting targets. Though, it reduced the utility of teleporting right away.


    I guess it''s more geared for combat situations than anything, but it did say within sight, and thanks to Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, I can see very, very far.


    She distributed her stat points to Agility, Focus, and Endurance. With that, she was done and ready to move out.


    "Okay, let''s head out to the locked rooms," Meera said, "and pray we don''t run into the big bad wolf on the first try."


    She moved for the door, but Cinders squeaked. "Meera, aren''t you forgetting something?" She stood on the necklace box.


    "Oh, right." Even if Meera couldn''t use it, she could use it as a bargaining chip with the witch.

 Chapter 61 – A Gift For A Witch

    Meera eyed the box the rat stood on. She had half a mind to leave it. But then, even if Meera couldn''t use it, she could use it as a bargaining chip with the witch¡ªmaybe to free the men of Cliffmere or get her to answer some of her questions.


    Meera moved to grab the box. Shade flew down to land beside her hand. "Are you going to just let it slide?"


    Meera frowned with a tilt of her head. "Let it slide?"


    "Are you not even going to try to see what this necklace does?" he asked.


    "I can''t even use it. He made it specifically for someone who can do mirror magic like the witch."


    Shade tilted his head. "I''ve seen you do mirror magic."


    "That''s different," Meera replied.


    "How so?" Shade asked. "Mirror magic is mirror magic."


    Cinders wrinkled her nose. "It makes sense logically. Though, bending the necklace to your will might be a little harder than whatever mirror-related skills you might have."


    "T-They could be right," Onyx whimpered from the door. "I hope he doesn''t get mad at you for wearing it."


    Meera shrugged. "Here goes nothing." She opened the box and picked up the necklace, a gift for the witch. The necklace was beautiful. It had a thick gold chain with a gold crystal in the middle. The gold gem almost shone brightly enough to lighten up the room.


    Meera put on the necklace, and nothing happened, but when she ran her Mana through the necklace, more than a few things happened. First, the gem shone so brightly that she had to look away. Second, the world was rocked by another earthquake. The ghosts were okay, but in the rocking, Meera ended up slamming her hand down on the pedestal with Edwyn''s diary, and all three¡ªMeera, pedestal and Edwyn''s diary took a hard fall.


    *ding!*


    [Please supply more Mana to complete the transformation.]


    Meera frowned. What transformation? I hope it''s not turning me into some strange creature.


    She looked down at herself and found nothing had changed, though the gold gem still shone brightly.


    "Uh, Meera, do you mind turning the brightness down a little?" Shade said.


    "Yes, okay." She gulped and, against her best judgment, did as the necklace asked and gave it more Mana.


    She felt a warmth spreading all over her body. She frowned at first, but a bright gold light was spreading all over her body, and wherever it spread, it left behind a black and gold armor. Once it slowly died down, Meera cried out in excitement.


    She was wearing black assassin armor with studded gold gems.


    Meera jumped to her feet. She quickly patted herself, and it was real. She couldn''t believe it, but there was only one problem. The armor had a massive hole in the chest, showing off too much cleavage.


    She yelped, covered her chest with her hand, and turned from the ghosts. "Oh no, no, no. Cover it up!"


    She threw more Mana into the necklace, and to her amazement, the armor covered up her cleavage with more gold jewels. She had jewels on her shoulders that went around her back¡ªeven the black hood had a line of these gold gems. There were lines all across the armor, giving it an exquisite look. Now, it wasn''t something you would see on an assassin trying to keep a low profile, but by all the gods of this land, it was pretty.


    *ding!*


    [Thanks to your Mirror Affinity, you were able to create the Armor of Mirrors. Armor of Mirrors ¨C Level 1. It is an enchanted set of armor that can will its shape to its master''s desires. Each piece of this armor, from the hood to the boots, is adorned with magically imbued mirrors that serve both protective and tactical purposes. This armor will also enhance all your Mirror element skills by 50%.]


    *ding!*


    [The Mirror Step skill detected.]


    *ding!*


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    [Armor of Mirrors effect unlocked. Stage 1 ¨C Mirror Step Enhancement. Thanks to the enchanted mirrors of this armor, you can create a mirror chain by using the mirrors from the armor, shooting them out, and using them as focal points for your jumps.]


    Meera could do nothing but gawk at the notifications, just when she thought this cave couldn''t have given any more. It ended up doing this. The grin on her nearly threatened to cause a stitch in her face, if that were even possible.


    "YES!" Meera jumped in excitement. "Oh, my god¡­yes! Thank you, you stupid, ghost-infested cave."


    "Anyone else feels like they should be offended by this?" Shade asked the others.


    Meera straightened. "Sorry, I didn''t mean you guys."


    Cinders snorted. "It''s okay. We know what you meant. Meera, what are these new robes?"


    "This¡­" Meera gave them a twirl. "Is the Armor of mirrors."


    "This is what he meant to give the witch as a gift," Shade exclaimed. "You should be thanking me for giving you some sense to use it."


    Meera chuckled and shook her head. "Yes, thank you very much, Shade."


    "I-I think you should take it off," Onyx practically quivered from the door.


    The fact that he was almost entirely inside the room said more than words ever would about the seriousness of his words.


    "Why, Onyx?" Meera asked. "This armor is fantastic. It''s even giving my mirror skills a boost."


    "Because he''s awake. I''m sure of it. Did none of you feel that earthquake? That was no normal earthquake. That was his dong."


    His words had merit. There was another earthquake before when Onyx had said Edwyn''s name for the first time. Meera shared a glance with the other two animals.


    "I say, you keep it," Shade said. "After all, you need an armor. Those rags you had before won''t protect you from a chill breeze."


    "He''s right," Cinders said. "I agree with Onyx that the earthquake was foul play, but we plan on killing that monster, don''t we?"


    "We are," Meera confirmed. "So, why not use his things against him?"


    Cinders'' nose twitched, and from where Meera stood, it looked like she was smiling. "You got that right."


    Meera walked to Onyx. "Don''t worry, friend. I''m fully healed and have a few new gifts. That Edwyn will not know what hit him."


    She winced and looked for another earthquake. When there was none, she mouthed sorry to Cinders.


    "It''s okay," the rat replied. "We''ll be getting to him soon, now."


    Meera smiled. "That''s right. Just need to open six more locked rooms before that."


    "Pray we get lucky enough to open his room last," Shade said. "Ready to head out?"


    Meera nodded. "You and Cinders can decide on which room to hit first. I have something I need to try out first."


    "Sure." Shade flew out of the room, and Cinders followed behind. They bickered about which direction to head in first.


    It brought a smile to her lips. She had stopped behind to do two things. She reached for her Lunar Hoard Belt, nicely secured underneath her new armor. As she reached for the belt, the armor slithered back and exposed the belt. Meera raised her eyebrows, impressed it could do that. She untied the belt, removed it, and pulled off her chakram. She tied her belt along her waist, and her armor slithered back to cover the belt, securing it.


    I must try out different apparel with this armor.


    Next, she removed another chakram from her arm and held one in each hand. Now, how do I do this?


    "What are you trying to do?" Onyx asked.


    She would have jumped if she hadn''t heard his footsteps already, thanks to the Gem of Echoes.


    "I unlocked a new effect for these chakrams. I can fuse two into one powerful one, but the only problem is. I don''t know how to do that."


    "Why don''t you just touch the two of them together?"


    Meera stared at him. "That¡­is a good idea. One I would have thought of if I had any common sense."


    Onyx chuckled, which gave Meera pause as he had never done that before. Maybe he''s picking up a thing or two from me.


    She focused on the two chakrams and touched them together, but nothing happened. It deflated the mood, but then Meera had an idea. "Seeing as they are mythical weapons, maybe all they need is a little Mana."


    She ran her Mana into both chakrams and just like that, the two chakrams fused into one big one. It was twice the size in diameter as her other chakrams, and even its metal ring was twice as thick.


    *ding!


    [Congratulations. You have successfully forged Chakram of Echoes - level 2]


    "I can''t wait to try you out." She looked to Onyx with a wide grin. "Thank you, Onyx."


    "My pleasure."


    She set the chakram on the pedestal and took off the rest of them as well. She closed her eyes and activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, and she could see everything. The Armor of Mirrors truly lived up to its name. She picked up her chakrams from the pedestal and put them back on.


    For the last big chakram, she tried something new. She reached around, put it on her back, and mentally commanded the armor to hold it. To her surprise, the armor again did as commanded and held her chakram and place.


    "Say, Onyx, there is one thing that''s been in the back of my mind," Meera walked to her horse friend. "How could I ride you when you came to my rescue? As a matter of fact, how were you glowing so much?"


    Onyx neighed. "I have skills, too, you know."


    "You have a skill that lets humans, well, alive ones, touch you?"


    "No, not that one. I think that depends on who we permit to touch us. As for the glowing, I have a skill called Light of the Dead, which lets me emit a powerful light that pushes back any evil."


    "I wonder if the others have it, as well."


    "You''re going to have to ask them that," Onyx replied.


    "About time we see if they picked a good tunnel for us." Meera led the way out of the room with Onyx right behind him.


    At the end of the tunnel, the wall of wraiths waited for them. Just as they reached the end, Cinders appeared out of the wall on the right.


    "Picked a tunnel for us?" Meera asked, a smile on her lips.


    Cinders nodded. "Shade''s hovering right on top of it. Just do your thing, and we''ll meet you there."


    Meera activated her Shroud. The wraiths stilled, and she saw Shade hovering a little to the right of the opposite side of the cavern. She took off a chakram and launched it towards the bat, over the heads of the dead.


    Shade shrieked and got out of the way of the chakram. Meera smiled and activated Mirror Step for the first time. One moment, she was in the tunnel, and the next, she caught her chakram mid-air.


    She cried out in excitement. Oh, I''m so going to like this skill.


    "Hey, watch it!" Shade yelled. "I''m not target practice."


    "I''m sorry. I''ll make sure I don''t miss next time." Meera winked.


    "What do you mean by that!"


    Meera let him stew in that as she entered the tunnel and went straight for the door. She dropped the Shroud as she unlocked the door. She had just taken a step into the room when a giant fist, almost the size of Meera, crashed into her, sending her flying into the cavern.


    "TAKE IT OFF!"

 Chapter 62 – The Mad Researcher

    Meera landed in the middle of the cavern, dazed and bleeding. Her head felt like it had shattered upon impact. Her nose was bent to the right, and her shoulder or both shoulders were dislocated.


    She activated Vitalize right away.


    Thanks to Darthin''s Essence for making her Mana more potent, it healed her without using too much Mana.


    "Meera, are you okay?" Cinders appeared to her right.


    "I will be soon." She yelped as her shoulder popped into place. "Cinders, Shade, you two have terrible luck."


    "Well, what do you expect from a bunch of animals who were tortured before death and stuck in their torture rooms after." Shade shot back from up above.


    "TAKE IT OFF!" The voice boomed throughout the cavern. It shook the entire cave complex and made dust rain down on Meera.


    "Let me guess, Edwyn," Meera said.


    "He''s coming," Onyx gasped from behind. He had backed up into a tunnel.


    Meera doubted it would keep him safe from the madman, who was sprinting towards them or, more precisely, her. Each of his footfalls shook the cave, but by the time he emerged from the cave, Meera was up on her feet with chakrams in hand. She was not ready for what came out of the tunnel.


    She was expecting a man, but what stood before her was a rotting giant¡ªtwenty feet tall. His skin had turned a leathery greyish green. Like the wraiths, chunks of flesh were missing, which exposed the bone underneath, but unlike them, he had a solid form. Edwyn was in his own body, where the wraiths were simply ghosts. This man had died but refused to leave his body. His right leg was missing below the knee, and an ethereal one had taken its place. His clothing was so rotten she couldn''t make sense of it. But the most striking article upon him was a green crystal in his much smaller, almost normal-sized left hand, which he hugged close to his chest. Meera didn''t need to identify it to know that was the very thing she had come for.


    That was the Crystal of Darthin.


    "So, you did it," Meera said. "You were actually able to replicate the powers of a god."


    "TAKE IT OFF!" he roared, shaking the cavern again.


    At this moment, the wraiths chose to attack and rush for her. She was ready to go invisible, but Edwyn shouted. "Stop!"


    And they did. They stopped in place. Meera shared a glance with Cinders, and she knew the rat was thinking the same thing as her¡ªhe can control the wraiths. This meant two things: first, that Onyx was right, and second, it spelled bad news for her.


    "Hey, do you mind taking it down a notch and not bringing the cave down on us," Meera offered.


    It was replied with an ear-shattering scream from the mad researcher. Thanks to the Gem of Echoes, it was multiplied severalfold for her. She screamed as she clutched her ears and fell to her knees. Edwyn''s scream reached a crescendo and stopped, but his mouth remained open. She frowned at him, and it was only when she felt the wetness between her fingers that she realized that her eardrums had burst.


    She took that moment to stand, remove the Gem of Echoes from her pocket, and drop it in her Belt. If I survive this fight, I must attach it to my armor.


    Then, when Edwyn''s mouth closed, she healed her ears.


    "Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!" Edwyn screamed again and again as he came for her.


    Now that the gem was put away, his tone had died to bearable levels. She readied to use Shadow Step to move out of the way, only to realize she no longer had the skill.


    Okay, armor, don''t let me down now.


    She ran her Mana through it and willed it to throw mirrors in all directions. The effect was similar to Mirror Blast. Small, tiny mirrors, the size of a coin, shot in every direction. Some even attached themselves to the walls, while most skidded across the floor, giving her ample jump targets.


    Edwyn''s fist came crashing down on her, but she moved away silently. She wasn''t sure if it was the armor amplifying her Mirror Step or if it was Mirror Step''s speed itself, but her teleportation was instantaneous. She didn''t realize it the first time, but now she had Edwyn''s fist as a reference point. His fist was right where it was when she had emerged.


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    Not bad for the drawback of needing a mirror to teleport.


    "Here," Meera called, then launched a chakram in his ghostly right leg, making him scream.


    Edwyn stumbled momentarily, recovered quickly, and snapped his head to her.


    "Can we please talk before we rip into each other?" Meera asked, calling back her chakram.


    "Take off the necklace," Edwyn barked, frothing a black goo from his mouth. "It doesn''t belong to you. I made it for my beloved."


    "Yes, I know, but I think your beloved is using you just like she''s using me. She sent me in here to get that crystal you''re holding."


    He looked at the green Crystal of Darthin. "I also made this for my beloved. She''s due anytime soon, and I will give her both as my gifts and profess my undying love."


    Meera almost felt sad for him. She would have if not for all the pain he caused to make that crystal and all others. By the way, he said it made Meera wonder if he was also under her spell like the men of Cliffmere.


    Against her better judgment, she asked him. "Are you under the witch''s spell?"


    He gritted his teeth. "Don''t call her that!"


    He threw another punch at her, but she was long gone before it landed. He found nothing but dust.


    "She calls herself that now," Meera said, "or well, the people of Cliffmere do. Did you also know that she''s put all the men of that village under her spell, and they are her slaves. Did she put you under her spell, too?"


    Another fist fell, shaking the cavern and raining dust from above.


    "She didn''t need to. I love her. I''ve loved her from the first moment I saw her, and I will love her until my soul is down to nothing." He waved his arm around. "I did this all to show her I don''t need to be put under some spell. I promised her that I would give her the powers of the gods, and I will."


    Meera could do nothing but stare. He was the worst kind of a monster¡ªa fanatic. He was a love-sick fool vying for the affection of a woman who probably saw him as nothing more than a tool to be used and thrown away.


    "We don''t have to fight, you know," Meera said. "I''m here because Kalrina sent me to retrieve the Crystal of Darthin for her."


    "Lies! You want it for yourself."


    "No, it''s the truth. She sent me here because it would be entirely bothersome to come on her own." Meera held up her hands. "Hey, her words, not mine."


    Edwyn took controlled breaths. "I will pry my necklace off your body after I rip you to shreds. Liar!"


    Then he moved for her, but she jumped behind him, and in her haste to talk to him, she realized she hadn''t even Identify''d him.


    [Cursed Undead ¨C Level 142]


    Meera gulped as that was the highest level of any monster, animal, or person she had seen. Not to mention, the man was a zombie. Does this mean I go for the head?


    "Meera, now would be the time to fight back," Shade said, drawing Edwyn''s attention. He squeaked and zipped away as fast as he could.


    "Yes, I plan to." Then Meera paused as the gears turned in her head. If he still has a body, this should technically hurt.


    She launched a Mirror Shard Barrage into his chest. It dropped the giant on his ass as he shrieked in pain. Meera grinned ear to ear that finally something other than her chakrams were working again.


    The giant researcher didn''t take long to get back on his feet. He bled dark blackish blood from his chest, though not as much as Meera would have liked. But he was almost forty levels ahead of her.


    As he stood, many mirror shards from her attack fell to the ground, giving her even more targets for her Mirror Step. She patted herself on the back mentally for taking this skill, as even if she didn''t have her armor or chakrams, she could always spray the area with mirror shards with this attack and have infinite jump points.


    Edwyn gritted his teeth and snarled like a wild beast. He extended a hand to her and launched a beam of darkness. She Stepped away and appeared by his fleshy leg and slashed at it three times with her chakrams. Edwyn fell to a knee, and his beam went sideways, destroying many tunnels.


    "No!" he cried and snapped his head to Meera.


    She watched black fumes rise from the beam''s destruction. Most of the rubble, however, had been pulverized to rocks. That was a powerful attack, and she had to steer clear of it.


    Edwyn swung his arm at her, but she appeared on his other side and went to work. She raised a hand and launched another Mirror Shard Barrage into his side. He cried out and hobbled to the side. She threw her chakram at his head, used Mirror Step, moved towards the chakram, caught it mid-air, slashed at his right eye, and Stepped away before he could react.


    His right hand¡ªthe only free one, as his left gripped the crystal tightly¡ªwent to his ruined eye as he shrieked. Meera used this opportunity to Step behind him. She activated Druvis Power, jumped high into the air, and punched him hard with her chakram. Edwyn fell face-first into the ground.


    She threw her chakram into his back, Stepped to it, landed on his back, and went to town with a chakram in each hand. She slashed mindlessly as she made her way to his head. Edwyn screamed, trying to incapacitate her, but she fought through the pain in her ears. By the time she reached his head, she was ready to pass out.


    Meera used Mirror Blast with a big chunk of her Mana.


    The explosion of light and mirrors was so dazzling that she feared it would leave permanent white spots in her eyes. Some of the wraiths shrieked and hissed, but she knew it was discomforting to them at best.


    When the light dimmed, she used Mirror Step and backed away. The back of Edwyn''s head was split open like a dropped watermelon. His brain, which had been rotten black, spilled out with his dark blood.


    "You did it!" Shade cried, flying out of a tunnel on the second floor.


    A smile spread Meera''s face, but two things were wrong here. One, the wraiths didn''t attack or dissipate, and two, she didn''t hear a notification bell.


    Edwyn stirred and whispered in the faintest voice. "Come to me¡­"


    Then as one, all the wraiths were sucked into the mad researcher.

 Chapter 63 – Light Of The Dead

    The wraiths were sucked in from all around the cavern into their master. Edwyn had cost them their life, and in death, he had taken their souls. With the addition of each wraith, he turned more like them. Leathery flesh turned more incorporeal as he changed from the undead to wraith.


    Meera kept an eye on his level and gulped.


    [Cursed Undead Wraith ¨C Level 143]


    [Cursed Undead Wraith ¨C Level 144]


    .


    .


    [Cursed Undead Wraith ¨C Level 154]


    After that, her Identify didn¡¯t show her the madman¡¯s levels, as she had reached her cap of fifty levels. She really wished this skill leveled up as fast as the rest.


    Edwyn, the wraith, stood and turned to her with a menacing glare. His whole body was lit up with dark flames that emanated from his body like an aura.


    Meera couldn¡¯t see his level, but an unreasonable fear began to set in her bones that made her want to run away. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face despite the growing chill. She knew it was Haunting Presence amplified by the amalgamation of so many wraiths into one being. So, she stayed rooted to the spot.


    Edwyn laughed. ¡°With this much power, I can smite you like a god. Kalrina will love me when I deliver the crystal and the necklace that I will pry from your cold, dead corpse.¡±


    ¡°Say, you wouldn¡¯t want to tell me your level, would you?¡± Meera asked, trying her best not to quiver.


    Edwyn laughed once more. ¡°I am more than twice the level you are, and you have nowhere to run.¡±


    Meera was chilled to the bone. She could do nothing but stare. If she fought him now, her chances of getting out of this alive were slim. But she needed that crystal to have the witch loosen her tongue.


    Well, maybe I don¡¯t need to kill this guy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me,¡± Meera smirked when all she could picture was her mangled form like Cossus after taking that hit from the Alpha Ape.


    This time, Edwyn didn¡¯t laugh. He didn¡¯t charge. He punched her from where he stood twenty feet away, and a dark, incorporeal fist came straight for Meera.


    Her eyes widened, and she Stepped out of the way just barely. His fist crashed into the ground and left a small crater that emanated black fumes, which could not be healthy for her to breathe. But before she could blink came another fist. This one did touch her slightly before she moved out of the way.


    The black fumes burned at her face and any exposed part of her skin, but the armor didn¡¯t let the fumes through. She used Vitalize, but the burning sensation would not go away. Then another fist fell. Meera teleported away before another attack. Edwyn kept attacking, and she kept on using Mirror Step to save her hide.


    Edwyn¡¯s arms were leaving after-images, as were Meera¡¯s jumps. Luckily, she had the Mana to spare, but she also had something else.


    She activated Shroud of Shadows and turned invisible. She stopped and looked around. She Stepped to his back and readied a chakram only for Edwyn to turn around at the last moment and blast her, near point-black, with a dark, ghost beam.


    Pain erupted in her body as she felt the life draining from her limbs. Thanks to Mirror Eagle¡¯s Perceptivity, she saw the wall fast approaching and Stepped away to the other side of the cavern.


    The dark energy still burned at her face and hands, but Vitalize did help soothe the pain. Meera gritted her teeth and shot a Mirror¡¯s Shard barrage at the giant wraith zombie.


    She didn¡¯t know if it would hurt him, but she wanted to hit something. She wasn¡¯t surprised when the beam didn¡¯t hit him. It had failed on the wraiths, and Edwyn had basically turned into one. But she did notice his aura fizzle and evaporate into the air.


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    This made Meera frown a little, but she had no time to think on it as Edwyn¡¯s hand formed into a claw, and he launched an incorporeal Phantom Strike at her.


    Meera sneered and used Mirror Step to dodge again. At this rate, I will run out of Mana, just dodging his attacks.


    The next time she dodged, she appeared behind the undead wraith, which put her close to his fully wraith leg. She tossed two chakrams at it and then reappeared in front of him before he turned and recalled her chakrams.


    That is when he disappeared in a big cloud of black smoke.


    Meera groaned and turned as if that would be the only place he could emerge from, but that was it; he didn¡¯t return. Meera frowned, but she realized it too late. She activated her Shroud of Darkness right away and saw the hazy outline of the giant researcher punching down at her.


    She was crushed under his massive fist. She used Mirror Step and, moved away, used Vitalize to heal herself. Her head felt like it had been crushed. Blood poured from her forehead and into her eyes. She pushed Mana into Vitalize to heal her head as it was pounding. Slowly, her world stopped spinning enough that she tossed a chakram into the air and used Mirror Step to move toward it. She caught it in the air and threw it again at a tunnel on the second floor. A moment later, she had the chakram in hand and was inside the tunnel.


    Shade flew in a moment later. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Hiding out,¡± Meera huffed. ¡°So, I can devise a plan to kill that thing.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you have a skill for that.¡±


    ¡°Actually, as a matter of fact, I do have a skill for that. In fact, I have two.¡±


    Shade tilted his head to the side. ¡°Really?¡±


    Meera nodded, wiped a hand over her face, and got all the blood off.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you been using them?¡± Shade snapped. ¡°Waiting for that thing to kill us all or turn us into his humbling servants?¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed¡ªoh, that¡¯s right, you can¡¯t see levels, so let me tell you that monster out there is over level 200.¡±


    Shade¡¯s eyes popped open. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    Cinders jumped out of a wall at that moment, followed by Onyx. Meera practically screamed, thinking it was Edwyn¡¯s fist.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming for you,¡± Onyx quivered.


    ¡°I know,¡± Meera said. ¡°With all those wraiths that he swallowed, maybe he won¡¯t be able to get in here.¡±


    That gave the animals pause.


    ¡°That¡­could work¡­I suppose.¡± Cinders glanced at the other two.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s here.¡± Onyx ran inwards towards the two things he feared the most until now.


    Edwyn¡¯s dark aura fist crashed against the tunnel, but Meera¡¯s hunch was correct. He couldn¡¯t gain entry into the tunnel thanks to all the wraiths he consumed. As he punched madly, the world shook; dust and tiny rocks fell, but the tunnel held.


    ¡°Meera, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Shade asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time before that beast collapses the tunnel down on us. Well, on you, we¡¯ll still be fine, just trapped in here forever with a raving lunatic who is madly in love with a woman who is using him.¡±


    Meera paused to stare at the bat. Then she wasn¡¯t sure if it was her or Ambush Tactics, but so many possibilities ran through her head. The speed at which she was coming up with plans and discarding them, she was sure it was Ambush Tactics. Then, a light bulb went on in Meera¡¯s head.


    ¡°Tell me, do all three of you have the Light of the Dead skill?¡± She asked. All three nodded, and Meera smiled. ¡°Then I know how we¡¯ll beat him.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°I need you to distract him.¡± She looked to each of them in turn. ¡°All three of you.¡±


    They looked unsure and glanced at each other as if Meera had asked them to do the unthinkable. Another fist landed outside, and the walls cracked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. You do want to leave this cave, right?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Said Shade and Cinders in unison. Onyx simply nodded.


    ¡°Good. Your job will be to activate the skill and push the researcher back. Ideally, we want to box him in while I do my best to kill the damn thing. Shade, you will fly out, activate the skill, and push him back. Onyx, you will come from behind him. Cinders, you will stay on the second floor and run around, keeping your Light active and pushing him back if he gets too close. The goal is to keep him in the center. It¡¯ll give me the most openings. You do that, and I will do¡ª¡±


    Edwyn¡¯s fist crashed so hard against the tunnel that a big chunk of the ceiling fell and blocked the exit. Meera responded by throwing two chakrams into his fist. Edwyn didn¡¯t cry out, but more of aura fizzled into the air.


    It¡¯s going to work. It has to. She reassured herself.


    ¡°Well, if we fail, I¡¯ll have all eternity to tell you what a shit plan this was.¡± Shade detached himself from the ceiling and flew out of the tunnel, shining bright as a star.


    Edwyn screeched upon seeing Shade¡¯s light and stamped away from him.


    ¡°Best of luck.¡± Onyx nodded to Meera and disappeared through the tunnel walls.


    Meera stayed rooted to the spot, as did Cinders.


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree with the plan?¡± Meera found herself saying.


    ¡°No, I do agree, but I just cannot help feeling this might be it. After ten years, one way or another, my torment finally comes to an end.¡±


    Meera smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s make it a happy end.¡±


    ¡°This dark hour, too, shall pass.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Something the beast outside used to say to himself after a setback,¡± Cinders said. ¡°Seems fitting, no?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a reply and raced off down the tunnel.


    Once she was out. Meera dusted herself off and threw a chakram down the tunnel. Once it cleared the tunnel, she teleported to it and came to a scene of light containing darkness.


    Shade flew about, keeping the murderous giant of darkness penned in with Onyx running around the giant¡¯s feet like a streak of light.


    Meera saw Cinders at the ready, gave her a nod, and said, ¡°This dark hour, too, shall pass. The only problem is the level 200 Undead Wraith.¡±


    She drew a deep breath and jumped into the fray.

 Chapter 64 – The Hunter’s Wrath

    Meera shot out more mirrors from her armor, which scattered all over the second floor. She took off six chakrams, held them between her fingers, and launched them at the mad researcher, whose eyes were covered with his open hand. She had aimed at his left hand, the one holding the Crystal of Darthin. But he turned, so most of her chakrams hit his sides.


    One flew behind his back, and Meera teleported to that one. She was about to slash his back but didn¡¯t want to touch the dark aura. She extended a hand and drilled a Mirror Shard Barrage into Edwyn¡¯s back.


    Again, he didn¡¯t cry out until she recalled her chakrams, and they cut through his dark aura to cut up his real body. He used Shadow Step to appear on the cavern¡¯s opposite side, but given his mass, it wasn¡¯t much farther from where Meera was.


    Onyx went for his legs straight away as Shade assaulted his head. Before Meera had even touched the ground, she Stepped to the mirrors on the second floor, which was behind his field of vision.


    By now, all her chakrams had returned to her. She tossed them at his head, making more of his aura fizzle. She wasn¡¯t doing any real damage. Her only goal was to get rid of this aura, which was his armor, and then she could kill him. She had almost done it before.


    He turned around immediately and used a Phantom Strike on her, but she was gone to his other side long before his claws fell. He smashed through the floor, crushing the tunnel underneath, making the place darker, or it would have become darker if not for her ghost friends.


    ¡°Meera, we can¡¯t keep this up for long,¡± Shade shouted.


    She figured this would happen. She teleported to the farthest point in the cavern from Edwyn, which happened to be on the second floor. She raised both hands towards him and launched two mighty beams of Mirror Shard Barrage. A mix of light and mirror shards drilled into the Undead Wraith¡¯s shadowy aura, destroying it, piece by piece.


    This time, something happened. Edwyn was thrown against the second floor, and his dark aura armor fizzled at the point of impact. She saw it thinning around the edges. Her Mana fell considerably with each second.


    Come on, just a little bit more.


    Edwyn roared, and a beam of darkness exploded out of his hand and came straight for Meera. She had no option but to get out of the way. She could not tank that hit, even if she put up three Mirror Shields if Mirror Shield could even stop an attack like that.


    She appeared on the first floor below the beam and started throwing chakram after chakram into his leg. She recalled the chakram as soon as it connected and had the next primed for launch by the time the first returned to her hand. She was like a chakram throwing machine.


    Above her, the monster was still shooting his beam without realizing she was down here, nibbling away at his leg. Well, that is what happens when you have no pain perception. Should have thought of that mister torture scientist.


    Meera spoke too soon. The lead researcher¡¯s beam fizzled out, and he found her. He kicked at her, and she dodged, but mid-dodge, she teleported to his other leg and went to work. So, it seemed like she meant to do that.


    Oh, I love Mirror Step.


    He tried stomping this time, but that didn¡¯t work either. Up top, Shade kept trying to dive bomb into his eyes, putting him off-balance. He smashed a hand down on the second floor to steady himself, but Cinders ran for him, shining bright as a star.


    She didn¡¯t stop to scare him away. She jumped on his hand and bit him. Edwyn cried out, and wherever her light touched, his dark aura evaporated. Her Light of the Dead was literally pushing the wraiths away.


    ¡°Cinders, let go!¡± Meera yelled.


    She didn¡¯t. Meera saw it happen before Edwyn raised his hand, turned it into a fist, and smashed Cinders into the second floor.


    ¡°No!¡± Shade cried and dived straight for her.


    Meera teleported to the second floor to get a better look. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have any mirrors close to where Cinders lay. It took too long for Meera to realize that the rat was a ghost, and being smashed against a stone floor should not have done anything to her. Shade made the same mistake and landed beside Cinders, who was mostly okay, aside from a hazy darkness encroaching on her light.


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    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Cinders said as Shade landed beside her.


    Meera breathed a sigh of relief too soon.


    ¡°You damned animals!¡± Edwyn raised a hand and shot them both with the same beam of darkness he had shot at her.


    Cinders and Shade had only a moment to look up as the darkness swallowed them.


    ¡°NO!¡± Meera roared. She jumped from mirror to mirror to get to them. Each moment that passed was too much for either of them to bear. When she was close, she extended a hand and erected a layer of three Mirror Shields, but they did nothing. The beam crushed them like they were nothing.


    Meera threw all her chakrams in quick succession at the giant¡¯s face. Only then did he stop. He faltered a step back, and Onyx pushed him back some more.


    Meera took that moment to tend to her fallen friends and gasped as her eyes teared up. ¡°Shade, Cinders...¡±


    Both their lights were out, and darkness was eating at their ghostly forms. She knew what it was. The same had happened to her when his beam had hit her.


    ¡°T-This is¡­bad¡­I feel m-myself¡­fading,¡± Shade said with much difficulty.


    Meera gasped. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Looks like¡­we¡­don¡¯t have¡­long,¡± Cinders added.


    ¡°So, we d-don¡¯t¡­get to e-e-escape¡­this cave.¡± Shade¡¯s whole form flickered.


    ¡°No, I made you a promise to get you out of here, and I will. Please just hold on.¡±


    ¡°M-Meera, it hurts¡­too much,¡± Cinders said, and Meera could swear she was tears in her eyes.


    Shit. Shit. Shit. My Vitalize won¡¯t work for them. Shit. What do I do? She was about ready to pull her hair out when she yelled, ¡°Onyx, get up here. Push the darkness away with your light.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡± He was busy running between Edwyn¡¯s legs, trying to trip him up.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re deathly scared of them, but they are our friends, and you must help them. We will get out of here together.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± he didn¡¯t sound sure, but he broke off from the giant, dashed up the stairs, and came to a slow stop close to Meera.


    ¡°I know you can do this. You mowed down a horde of wraiths to save me. Now, they need your help. You can¡¯t fail them and let your fear win.¡±


    He moved a little closer and nodded. ¡°I-I will do my best.¡± His light shone brighter as he moved closer. ¡°But he¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    Meera turned her attention to the giant undead, the so-called researcher. She took off two chakrams and, using a bit of her Mana, fused them into one, creating another Level 2 chakram. She reached around and took off the one she had created earlier. With one in each hand, she ran towards the edge, towards the monster.


    Edwyn laughed triumphantly and came for her. As Meera jumped off the edge, she threw both chakrams at him. She was not prepared for what she saw. She was not using Druvis Power, but still, the chakrams blasted out of her hands. Their speed must¡¯ve been double the regular-sized ones.


    The chakrams delivered Meera¡¯s fury to the undead monster. As they collided against his aura, it was shaved in half, much to Edwyn¡¯s shock. His eyes were so widened they threatened to pop from his rotted head.


    Before she landed, she jumped to one of her big chakrams, which was sailing on by. She tossed it back at Edwyn, who had the good sense to use Shadow Step to get out of the way this time. Meera jumped to it again and waited for him to return, and as soon as he did, she threw it at him again.


    He vanished into a big cloud of smoke again, but this time, he didn¡¯t return, and she realized he had gone into hiding by activating Shroud of Shadows. So, she activated hers as well and saw him towering over her, hand extended in her face.


    He blasted her with the same dark beam whose effects Shade and Cinders were fighting against right now. She Stepped away just barely, appeared on his other side, and threw the chakram at his leg.


    By the time he noticed, it was too late; his dark aura had taken another dive. He turned and brought his beam with him, scarring the earth black leaving dark vapor to pollute the air. Meera jumped away with ease. He shut off his beam, and Meera threw her chakram at him, propelled by a Mirror Shard Barrage.


    The two hit like a gong ringing a great temple bell. Edwyn¡¯s whole form shuddered. Keeping an eye on her Mana, she jumped to her other big chakram, which was wedged in the wall to Edwyn¡¯s right. She pulled it off and jumped close to him, where he could not dodge as quickly. She went to work on him, cutting his aura to bits.


    He used Shadow Step to avoid her, but as always, she was ready. She recalled her second big chakram in anticipation. He popped out on the second floor, huffing, but she was on him in an instant. She cut into his dark aura. She stepped behind him when he tried to stomp on her, then returned to his front and continued her assault.


    Edwyn shrieked. ¡°How are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Simple. You¡¯re too slow. As it turns out, it¡¯s the same in this world as the one I come from. The faster you are, the deadlier you are.¡±


    Thank you, Mom, for forcing me to go to the Taekwondo lessons.


    Edwyn used Shadow Step to move down below again. Meera didn¡¯t follow right away. She threw a chakram at him first, which he side-stepped.


    Meera smirked and used Mirror Step and caught her chakram mid-air. Then threw both chakrams at his arm¡ªthe one holding the Crystal of Darthin.


    The first one killed his dark aura entirely and wedged itself in his arm. Edwyn cried and flinched, which threw off her second¡¯s aim but somehow made it better. The second hit the first, which severed his arm clean off.


    The arm holding the Crystal fell to the painful cries of a mad researcher.

 Chapter 65 – Through Unbearable Pain

    Black blood dripped from Edwyn¡¯s stump as he screamed and stomped about raising dust. Meera recalled her chakrams and attached them to her back. The green Crystal of Darthin was still held by Edwyn¡¯s hand in a vice grip. His fingers had not slackened despite the arm not being attached to his body.


    She had taken a step toward the Crystal when Edwyn roared, making the whole cavern shake. Meera tried to reach for her chakrams only to find she couldn¡¯t.


    The bastard¡¯s used a Dreadful Wail.


    Edwyn raged and screamed. ¡°My arm! My precious arm. Now, you die, little thief.¡±


    Meera tried to move her limbs. Anything that would move, but nothing did. Edwyn snapped his head to her in a rage.


    ¡°I will skin you alive and use it to stitch my arm back together.¡± He came closer, taking his time, knowing he had secured victory.


    All the possibilities ran through her head on what she could do to save herself and her friends, who, too, were locked in place. From where she was, she could see them clearly on the second floor. Shade and Cinders couldn¡¯t even shake and shiver like they were doing before. Onyx¡¯s light was still going strong and pushing their darkness away.


    Meera tried to frown but couldn¡¯t, but this put an idea into her head. I wonder¡­


    With her enhanced vision, she found a mirror on the far side of the second floor and used that as her jump target. In the next moment, she was standing facing a tunnel. She could still see behind her thanks to Mirror Eagle¡¯s Perceptivity, but she had done it. She had moved despite being paralyzed.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Edwyn turned to her. ¡°How can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you cannot stop me from using Mana-based skills with your Dreadful Wail.¡± That was what she wanted to say, but it came out more as garbled, sluggish gibberish.


    ¡°No matter, you die now.¡± He made his way to her.


    Meera thanked Mirithia and the other gods of this land that he was stupid enough to do so. He raised his hand as she thought he was about to squish her with his fist, but he was coming to grab her. She was about to jump again, but she let him get closer.


    He grabbed her tightly, threatening to break her bones. He lifted her off the ground and brought him closer to his face.


    ¡°Time to take a bite,¡± Edwyn said. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything in years.¡±


    He brought her closer to his mouth, and she unleashed a Mirror Blast with a big chunk of her Mana. A blinding flash of light and mirrors rocked the whole cavern.


    Edwyn screamed and dropped her immediately. Even in this cave of light, she found a mirror to teleport to and avoided breaking her legs. On the other hand, the undead researcher was not doing so well. His face was a mosaic of jagged mirrors, and he was missing his left cheek, exposing his rotten teeth.


    As the white spots in her vision vanished, the mad researcher growled as he stood, frothing black goo at the mouth, which leaked from his open cheek. He shrieked once more, but this was a normal angry scream rather than another Dreadful Wail, as Meera could finally move.


    Edwyn thrust his remaining hand into the ground. ¡°Rise¡­and fight for me¡­¡±


    This cannot be good.


    The ground shook a little¡ªnothing to cause Meera to lose her balance, but enough to make her worry. The soil shifted, and bones and rotten dead bodies emerged from the ground.


    ¡°Yes¡­rise and finish her!¡± Edwyn commanded. ¡°Rip her to shreds.¡±


    It was not just human skeletons, but animals, half ripped into and rotten, burst out of the tunnels. The baby Druvis, whose power she had acquired. The Drakasaros, whose venomous crystal she still had in her belt. Even the bodies of her friends, Cinders, Shade, and Onyx, were also here, plus a bunch of animals and monsters she had never seen before.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s f-f-freaky,¡± Shade commented, which somehow Meera caught amongst the snarling and hissing.


    She used Identify on as many as she could.


    [Cursed Undead ¨C Level 62]


    [Cursed Undead ¨C Level 51]


    [Cursed Undead ¨C Level 78]


    [Cursed Undead ¨C Level 32]


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    Their range varied a lot, but none were close to her level, but together, they were more than a match for Meera. She took off her two Level 2 chakrams, drew a deep breath, and then went to town on the undead. She threw both chakrams in opposite directions, and they did their work wonderfully. They ripped through the undead like a hot knife through butter. They brought down a whole line of the zombies before embedding themselves into the wall.


    While the chakrams flew, Meera pulled off two more chakrams, one in each hand, activated Druvis Power, and started smashing them to bits. The only animal she kept away from was the Drakasaros or Drake, as she did not want to risk getting licked by it.


    The others were not such a problem, especially the humans. But the one who was a problem was their leader. He stood and waited for her to tire herself out. He knew she could take out all of the undead, but she was wasting precious Mana and Stamina to do so.


    Despite her efforts, the undead were gaining on her, crowding around her and not giving her room to breathe as they kept up their assault. She activated a Mirror Shield on her back and sides to protect herself, but they only lasted a few moments before the undead smashed through them.


    These things were easier than the wraiths, but their sheer numbers were suffocating. Meera recalled her Level 2 chakrams. They ripped open another line as they reached her. She caught them, did a spin, making some room for her, and let them fly out.


    They did their work, and Meera had some room to maneuver, or so she thought. Edwyn extended a hand, and black chains shot out from his hand and wrapped themselves around Meera. The noxious fumes coming off the chains were enough to make her gag.


    Edwyn laughed. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try to move.¡±


    Meera tried to use Mirror Step but couldn¡¯t. She tried pushing against them with Druvis Power, but the chains still held.


    ¡°No more of that speed of yours,¡± Edwyn taunted. ¡°Now, you die and join them.¡±


    Meera felt someone had punched her in the gut. The first thing she noticed was that all her strength was leaving her, making her incredibly tired. Then, one look at her Health nearly gave her a heart attack, or was it her heart failing? Her Health points were taking a dive.


    Edwyn was literally sucking the life out of her.


    Meera raged against the chains, but nothing. She might as well have been trying to move the weight of the earth. As her Health fell, a headache set behind her eyes¡ªa sharp, piercing one.


    Her only option remaining was her chakrams. There was nothing she had seen they could not cut. She raised her hands high, the only direction she could move them. The big chakrams came flying back. She caught them in both hands, twisted them around, and cut the chains.


    It was like she could breathe again, but her headache remained. Her Health had been driven below a quarter of her maximum. Meera activated Vitalize to regain some of her health as she looked at the giant undead, who no doubt had grown stronger by stealing her life force.


    She glared at him with all the hate she could muster. Time to hit you where it would hurt.


    Meera vanished and appeared on the Crystal of Darthin. Mirror Step let her teleport to any reflective surface, and the crystal reflected some things, which meant it counted.


    Meera slashed off his fingers and was about to pick up the crystal when Edwyn washed Meera with a sickly green light. She screamed as pain, unlike any other, raged through her body. It was like cutting her open with an electric knife, sending shocks through her body with each cut.


    She teleported away to the second floor. She landed on a knee, huffing. Without meaning to, she had appeared beside her friends.


    ¡°Meera, are you okay?¡± Onyx asked, trotting over.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. That was¡­unbearable.¡± Meera looked at her friends, even though she didn¡¯t need to, to see how they were doing. The darkness had dissipated from them, but they were still hazy, not entirely whole. ¡°How are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Not good,¡± Onyx replied. ¡°I¡¯ve cleared the darkness, but it took chunks of them with it. It¡­they might not have¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to finish. They didn¡¯t have long. She was not looking too good either.


    Stats


    [Health: 195/840]


    [Stamina: 452/900]


    [Mana: 216/920]


    Meera punched the ground. ¡°He¡¯s just too strong.¡±


    ¡°If you cannot beat him, it¡¯s fine,¡± Onyx said. ¡°You are still alive and can leave the cave. Go save yourself.¡± He looked back at the flickering ghosts. ¡°We¡¯ll understand. You gave it a good try. Thank you.¡±


    Meera was so overcome with emotion that it took everything she had not to cry. Edwyn was pointing at her, and his undead army was coming for her. She didn¡¯t have enough Mana or Health to take them on and their master.


    But then I don¡¯t need to take them all, and I do have two sources to draw from.


    ¡°No, Onyx, we will all leave this cursed cave, or none of us will.¡± Meera smiled at him.


    She knew horses couldn¡¯t smile, but maybe she was projecting her feelings on the ghostly horse, but she was sure Onyx just smiled.


    She was about to Step away when Onyx said, ¡°Meera, whatever you do. Do not use blood magic. That is what cursed them all, remember. If you use it, you will not be able to leave this cave.¡±


    Meera was stumped that he had figured out her plan so quickly. She nodded to him. ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡±


    I will have to lure him in and make it quick, then.


    Meera teleported to the other side of the cavern. The undead paused and reversed course back down towards her. As they did, Meera threw one of her big chakrams at Edwyn. He used Shadow Step to appear closer to her friends, which meant the Crystal was open. So, she moved for it. Only for Edwyn to appear on top of her.


    She raised her hand and shot a massive Mirror Shard Barrage in his chest. She activated Druvis Power, gripped her other Level 2 chakram, and jumped with as much power as she could muster. It left a crater in the ground.


    She roared as she sailed through the air, drove her chakram into his chest, and came out the other side covered in grime and black blood. But she was not done and couldn¡¯t take chances with this monster.


    Meera threw her chakram at the hole in the chest with her Druvis Power¡¯ed arm. If they traveled fast before, now it was a rocket. It sliced clean through his lower chest. Meera appeared on the other side, gripped the chakram, and threw it back at the researcher, this time aimed at his gut. She teleported again. This time, she aimed it a little higher. The chakram went in through his shoulder and nearly severed his remaining arm.


    She teleported again and tossed her chakram again through him. Then again and again and again, until her Mana was down to double digits and Edwyn looked like a fillet fish.


    Finally, Edwyn crashed to his knees, and all the undead collapsed on the spot. Meera wasn¡¯t far behind.

 Chapter 66 – Escape from the Cave

    Meera huffed on one knee as her giant foe bled from a dozen cuts. By rights, he should have fallen, never to rise again, but she had missed his head. Maybe that''s why. Thankfully, she still had some Stamina remaining, even if Health and Mana were down to double digits.


    She pushed off the ground to her feet and walked past the bleeding undead, whose eye tracked her, as she went to the Crystal of Darthin. She extended a hand to pick it up.


    "Stop!" Edwyn barked. "You thief¡­you come into my cave¡­my home, and steal the fruits of my labor, and now¡­" He huffed and took deep breaths. Meera found this odd, as he was technically dead. Edwyn continued. "And now you''re going to take my life''s work." He shook his head. "I won''t let that happen."


    He extended a hand towards Meera and fired his darkness beam. She raised a trio of Mirror Shields and blocked his attack. The beam did go through the first mirror but not the second. Meera didn''t think it would even go through the first.


    "Give it up, Edwyn. You''re done," Meera said, dropping her shields and looking at the beaten giant.


    He was a sad sight. Missing an arm and an eye and leaking his black goo blood from all the holes that Meera had cut into him. She should have put him out of his misery. If she had enough strength and Mana remaining, she would have, and a part of her wanted him to suffer for all the suffering he had caused. She wanted him to watch as she took his prized possession and left him there until the flesh fell off his bones and his soul was the only soul remaining, left to wander these empty caves. Cursed, never allowed to move on. His punishment for his sins. But¡­she was not that cruel. She did decide to finish him off after this.


    Meera bent down and picked up the green crystal that apparently possessed the powers of a god. It was the color of grass and held no cracks or blemishes. Meera could see her disheveled visage in it. It was about the size of an ostrich egg.


    Behind her, Edwyn roared. "Let go of it, you bitch. You dirty it with your filthy hands."


    Meera looked from him to his decomposing hand, which had held the crystal. "And yours were so clean."


    "I will make an example of you by hanging your bleached bones from the cavern''s entrance."


    He tried to get on his feet and turn toward her, only to fall on his face. He wouldn''t be able to walk ever again. She had made sure to cut his hamstrings. But that wasn''t enough to hinder him. He crawled to her, dragging himself forward by his lone hand. His nails ripped and fell, but his hate of her was stronger than the pain.


    It was a sad sight. Meera raised a hand and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage in his other eye, blinding him forever. He roared in pain as he clutched at his other eye.


    Meera ignored him and looked at her friends on the second floor. "Let''s get out of this dank cave."


    Edwyn stopped his screaming and began to laugh. It started slowly but then all at once. "As if I will let you get out of here alive."


    He began radiating a dark aura, which did not give Meera a good feeling. She hadn''t seen this attack before, but maybe it was a last resort.


    "I''m going to bury you in this cave," Edwyn growled. "If I cannot give my life''s work to her, then I will not let you take it either. I will blow you all to smithereens."


    "M-Meera¡­" Onyx whimpered. He didn''t need to say anymore. They had to get out of the cave. Now.


    She Stepped to the closest mirror to them, which was on the wall right below Onyx, and pulled herself up, realizing she should''ve just thrown a chakram. It would have been faster. All the while, the darkness around Edwyn grew, and its very essence began to shake the cavern.


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    "Onyx, you''re going to have to carry us," Meera yelled over the rumbling ground. "I don''t have the Mana left to teleport us out of here. Do you know the way out?"


    ¡°I-I d-d-do¡­¡± Cinders form was flickering like a candle flame in the wind. Shade wasn''t doing any better.


    "Good." Meera hopped to them and tried to pick them up in her arm, only to find that her hand went right through them. "Shit. You have to let me touch you."


    "I don''t-t-t think¡­w-we can¡­anymore." Gone was Shade''s sarcastic tone. It was replaced by this hollow sound that didn''t even sound like him.


    Meera turned to look at Onyx, who looked like Meera had asked him to kiss Edwyn on the mouth.


    "Onyx, please, or we''re doomed," Meera pleaded. "We need Cinders to get out of here."


    "H-Hey!" Shade cried.


    "Yes, and Shade, too."


    Onyx clopped here and there, no doubt trying to come up with some excuse, but in the end, he hung his head. "Okay. But please refrain from moving around too much in my mouth."


    Onyx bent down, picked up the two flickering ghosts, and held them between his teeth with such care as if he were holding two poison vials. Meera gripped his hair and jumped on his back. "Go!"


    The stallion moved like a blur. Meera''s eyes watered so much that if not for her Mirror Eagle skill, she would have been blind. She shut her eyes and relied on it for vision. Edwyn laughed as they blasted past him.


    "There is no escape for you. No matter how fast you run."


    Cinders gave Onyx directions, which Meera had difficulty hearing over the wind and the rumbling. They had just crossed into the first tunnel when Edwyn blew himself up. The skill was the darkness variant of her Mirror Blast.


    But luckily, her horse friend wasn''t much affected by the cavern''s destruction, but Meera was almost knocked off his back. She gripped his hair tighter and leaned closer to his neck. Behind them, the tunnel caved in on itself. Rocks, bigger than Onyx, fell from the ceiling and nearly crushed them, but Onyx managed to stay one step ahead. Many smaller ones pelted her back continuously. She had half a mind to have a Mirror Sheild on, but given that she could see everywhere, she decided to save it for dire situations.


    "Onyx, speed up," Meera said. "You might be able to survive these rocks, but I can''t."


    He got the message and tried to pick up the pace, but he could only do so much with so many twists and turns. He made a tight turn and sent Meera into the opposite wall, but the tunnels were so tight that she kept her seat.


    Behind them, rocks continued to fall, blocking the tunnels. Then the tight tunnel ended, and they came out in a wide tunnel. Meera realized this was the tunnel where she had first fought the horde. Onyx zoomed past it on Cinders'' direction. She saw the arrow she had made, which gave her some relief that they were heading in the right direction.


    Just when she saw a light up ahead, Onyx came to an abrupt stop, sending her flying over his head. She rolled a couple of times, hit the tunnel wall, and nearly cracked her skull.


    She was about to yell at him, but she knew what the problem was when he gently deposited Cinders and Shade to the side. They had reached a barrier. This was as far as they could go.


    "How? The exit to the cave is still around this bend," Meera yelled.


    "Not for us," Onyx said.


    Meera yelled in frustration. I can''t leave them. I wouldn''t be alive if not for them. She had promised them she would get them out of here and was not in the habit of breaking her promises.


    She ran to them and, with the last remnants of her Mana, activated a Mirror Sheild over their heads.


    "M-Meera, you need¡­to¡­g-go," Cinders cried.


    "Not without you three."


    "B-But¡ª"


    "No, buts. When the rocks fall, I''ll handle them," Meera said with conviction, but she didn''t know how as she was running on fumes.


    The rocks continued to fall behind her friends, crushing the tunnel. Meera still had some Stamina, so she activated Druvis Power, ready to pulverize the rocks to stones. But it never came to that. Just as abruptly the rocks had begun to fall, they stopped. The ground stopped shaking a moment later, and Edwyn''s blast had finally stopped.


    Meera looked to her friends and began to laugh, as did her friends. Though, Shade and Cinders mostly chuckled.


    "W-W-Well, your luck¡­i-iss¡­better than¡­ours," Shade dribbled out.


    Meera snorted. "Sure, looks like it, but how come you cannot get out¡­"


    "E-Edwyn is¡­" Cinders started.


    "¡ªNot dead." Meera finished for her, and there was no way for Meera to go back and finish the job. "That hateful, mad idiot doomed himself to an eternity of torture so we could not escape."


    His animal friends had nothing to say to that. Meera was quiet, too. She didn''t know what she could say to make things better. They had run all this while and gone through so much only to come to this bitter end.


    "Looks like we''ll always stay one step away from freedom," Onyx said.


    Meera wanted to weep at her failure. "It''s my fault. I should have killed him when I had the chance." She punched the ground hard. Her hand hurt, and she wanted it to hurt. "If only I were stronger."


    "It-t-t''s not¡­your f-fault," Shade said. Since it was coming from him, Meera really wanted to cry.


    ¡°Y-Y-You go on¡­¡± Cinders said. "You h-h-have a l-life left to live. D-Don''t waste it¡­o-on a¡­b-b-bunch of ghosts."


    Meera couldn''t hold back the dam behind her eyes any longer.

 Chapter 67 – A Tearful Goodbye

    Meera didn¡¯t know how long she cried, but she felt even more exhausted than before by the time her tears dried up. Her friends didn¡¯t say anything. No words for how it will be okay, or they will make it somehow. They stayed silent, wallowing in their own personal hells, which was perhaps the worst fate¡ªbeing so close to freedom yet unable to attain it.


    Her friends didn¡¯t even have enough space to roam around. Shade and Cinders¡¯ forms were flickering more often by the minute. It was as if the wind was picking up, threatening to blow them out forever.


    Meera set her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and shut off Mirror Eagle¡¯s Perceptivity, as she didn¡¯t care about seeing everything right now. Then, without meaning to, she brought up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed a Cursed Undead Wraith ¨C Level 209. For killing an enemy 100 levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    Meera paused her notifications right away. This meant that Edwyn was indeed dead.


    ¡°Edwyn is dead,¡± Meera declared. ¡°I¡¯m looking at my notifications, and it shows that I or we¡¯ve killed a Cursed Undead Wraith, which was his tag.¡±


    ¡°R-R-Really?¡± Shade perked up.


    ¡°Then why are we still trapped?¡± Onyx asked.


    Cinders tilted her head to the side. ¡°E-Either, he hassss¡­returned as-as a w-w-wraith or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or the curse was never attached to him.¡± Meera finished for her. ¡°The curse was always on this cave. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t leave, even after his death.¡±


    Meera deflated. Just when there was a flicker of hope, it was crushed. So, Meera continued her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 24 Cursed Undead from Level 34 ¨C Level 78]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 24 levels and has reached Level 128. You have been awarded 72 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 110 & Level 120 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakram.]


    Two more mirror chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to eleven¡ªnine normal, and the two Level 2 chakrams on her back.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror¡¯s Affinity has gained 14 levels and reached Level 94. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 96% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 23 levels and reached Level 24]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 7 levels and reached Level 35]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 8 levels and reached Level 30]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 8 levels and reached Level 18. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 20% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 15 levels and reached Level 67]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 6 levels and reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle¡¯s Perceptivity has gained 12 levels and reached Level 53]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 6 levels and reached Level 32]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 4 levels and reached Level 61]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 10 levels and reached Level 15]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 11 levels and reached Level 50]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 5. You can now Identify people up to sixty levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 6 levels and reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 6 levels and reached Level 16]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician¡¯s Gaze has gained 6 levels and reached Level 37]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 12 levels and reached Level 25]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 5 levels and reached Level 20]


    She paused at the last two notifications. If I¡¯m remembering right¡­Prismatic Distortion makes it harder for enemies to hit me at range, and Absorption gives me temporary buffs against magical attacks.


    She quickly checked their descriptions, and she was right, and it made sense why they had leveled up. Edwyn could hardly touch her, and his darkness beams did less damage each time. However, it nearly faded her friends out of existence. Seeing her friends¡¯ flickering form made her want to weep.


    Next came the skills she had stolen. It would have made her excited to see what she got, but not so much now.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Void Scourge. Void Scourge ¨C Type: Active. You can shoot a concentrated beam of pure darkness, capable of wreaking physical and spiritual havoc upon your foes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Vampiric Chains. Vampiric Chains ¨C Type: Active. You can manifest ethereal chains composed of darkness and shadows. These chains will bind and immobilize your foes, rendering them temporarily helpless, while they drain the life force and vitality of any living beings and add it to your own. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Please choose one of these skills.]


    Meera had been on the receiving end of both these skills, and neither of them was particularly nice. After seeing what Void Scourge had done to her friends, she did not want to take that skill, even if it were the more destructive of the two. But then she already had a beam¡ªMirror Shard Barrage¡ªwhose power was amplified by Mirror Affinity and her armor.


    Besides, having a skill that would restrict my enemies and give me their Health would be nice, too.


    She chose Vampiric Chains and received the message to choose a skill she wanted to forgo. There was only she could get rid of as all the others were becoming vital to her. She decided to let go of Dreadful Wail.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Vampiric Chains ¨C Level 1]


    The rest of the skills she got from the undead were the same as the ones from the wraiths. She chose Soul Drift, where she could, to add experience to her main class. Otherwise, she chose skills she already had¡ªHaunting Presence and Spectral Resilience. Of course, she had to discard some, as neither choice was what she wanted. It took a long time, but she finally got it sorted.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has reached Level 26]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 2 levels and reached Level 18]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Stalker has gained 2 levels and reached Level 21]


    Meera sighed. ¡°Finally, got that done.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Shade asked, head on the ground. His form was still shivering.


    ¡°My ability¡ª¡± She paused and decided to tell them about her class and class ability as Edwyn was dead, and even if he was alive in whatever form, it wasn¡¯t like he could leave this cave, and no one could go in.


    Once she finished, her friends were more than surprised.


    ¡°Y-You had¡­an¡­a-a-ability like¡­that?¡± Shade exclaimed. ¡°E-Edwyn would h-h-have¡­loved to¡­d-dissect you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t say anything about this in the cave,¡± Onyx said. ¡°Or who knows what he would¡¯ve done to get his hands on you.¡±


    ¡°Even after completing his goal?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Cinders said. ¡°E-Even¡­after.¡±


    Without meaning to, Meera reached into her Hoard Belt and took out the green crystal that had caused her so much trouble.


    [Crystal of Darthin ¨C After many trials and sacrifices, this crystal was born. One that contains the powers of the Master of Skills. But Darthin is not easily pleased with those who try to take his power. Thrice and thrice alone, this crystal will grant you any power you desire, but you must sacrifice an innocent soul each time. This soul cannot be under any spell or magic. They must willingly sacrifice themselves for your greed.]


    Meera scoffed. ¡°This thing exacts a heavy toll. You need to sacrifice a willing soul to get a new skill, and it only works three times.¡±


    Cinders started. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    But Shade interrupted her. ¡°Y-Yes, he would have¡­o-o-opened you up f-f-from¡­head-ad to t-toe.¡±


    ¡°All those deaths for something that only works three times,¡± Onyx said. ¡°The man was a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°I would smash this thing to bits if I didn¡¯t need it for information on my brother.¡± Meera gripped the crystal tightly, and each fiber of her being told her to activate Druvis Power and crush it to pieces.


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± Shade cried. ¡°I o-offer m-m-my soul.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Meera cried.


    ¡°U-Use me¡­and g-get yourself-f¡­a new s-skill,¡± the bat said, drawing the looks of his two ghostly companions. ¡°I-I am¡­f-fading as it is. T-T-Tell her¡­¡±


    Cinders nodded, and her whole form flickered, driving the point home. ¡°O-Onyx might¡­have d-driven the darknessss¡­away, b-but its still¡­e-eating at o-our c-core.¡±


    ¡°N-Now, I d-don¡¯t think¡­we¡¯ll be g-g-going the same p-place as u-usual,¡± Shade said. ¡°B-But maybe¡­we m-might, ifff we¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Meera teared up again. ¡°I can¡¯t use you.¡±


    ¡°H-have to¡­¡± Shade replied.


    ¡°D-Do it for uss¡­¡± Cinders finished.


    Meera felt like she was in hell. She couldn¡¯t sacrifice her friends. She wasn¡¯t that person. She wasn¡¯t like Edwyn. Tears spilled from her eyes. They helped me so much. She wiped at her eyes, but more tears took their place. I couldn¡¯t have gotten out of there alive without their help. I can¡¯t use them like he did.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t let that b-b-bastard¡­dictate h-how we g-go¡­again,¡± Shade said.


    Meera started and looked to her fading friends and nodded through tearful eyes. She didn¡¯t know how she would ever live this down. But she would do this for them. So, they felt some measure of peace if there ever was such a thing after death.


    Meera didn¡¯t know how to use the Crystal of Darthin, but she figured it couldn¡¯t be any different from the other magical items she had used.


    She ran her Mana through the green crystal, and it lit up like a green lamp, washing the small tunnel with a green light. ¡°I sacrifice¡­C-Cinders and Shade.¡± Meera sobbed.


    ¡°I go willingly,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°As do I.¡±


    The crystal flashed even brighter. Shade and Cinders forms coalesced into two balls of light, and they were drawn toward the crystal. The two balls¡ªtheir souls floated around the crystal, circling it for a long time.


    ¡°I accept,¡± said a voice like a bull¡¯s, no, more like a Druvis¡¯.


    Meera couldn¡¯t be sure, but she was certain she had heard the god, Darthin, speak. The two balls floated upwards towards the ceiling.


    ¡°Hey, this is not so bad,¡± She heard Shade¡¯s voice from one of the balls of light. ¡°Meera, you should definitely die sometime. It¡¯s not so bad, indeed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Meera...for keeping your promise,¡± Cinders said.


    Just like that, the two balls of light¡ªher friends shot through the rocky ceiling. The Crystal of Darthin stopped shining, and two major, jagged cracks formed along its length.


    *ding!*


    [The Crystal of Darthin will allow you to choose whatever power you wish. Please describe your wish for your sacrifices.]


    Meera was not in the right state of mind to think of two skills after losing her friends like that. Without even thinking about it, she asked for the first thing that came to her mind. It was something that had irked her ever since she had filled up her skill slots.


    I want five more skill slots.


    There was a long silence as no notification popped up, nor did a god speak in her mind. It went on long enough that Meera thought she might have to speak it verbally or that she had asked for too much, but then¡­


    *ding!*


    [Your wish has been granted by Darthin.]


    Meera yelped when she saw the five empty skill slots in her skill section for a total of fifteen skills. Usually, her first reaction would have been to jump up with joy, but then she saw Onyx, and tears spilled from her eyes again, as she had no way of getting him out.

 Chapter 68 – A Soul Bonded Forever

    "It''s okay, Meera," Onyx said, putting on a brave face, but Meera was sure he was doing his best to stop himself from breaking into sobs. After all they''d been through, Meera knew one thing¡ªthe horse was terrible at hiding his true emotions.


    "I can''t just leave you here, Onyx. To spend eternity all alone."


    "I''m sure eternity cannot be that long," he replied, sounding upbeat.


    Meera had to hold herself back from telling him how true that could be, given all the prophecy nonsense surrounding her brother.


    "You should get out of here," Onyx said. "It won''t do you any good sitting there. Besides, I''ll get used to this¡­eventually."


    Meera wept into her hands. "You saved me¡­but I couldn''t¡­" she sniffed loudly. "But I couldn''t save you."


    "You saved me from that room. If not for you, I would still be locked there in the dark."


    "I would use the Crystal of Darthin, but¡ª"


    "I know you need it for information on your brother. I do hope the witch accepts it like this." He motioned to the cracked green crystal.


    Meera picked it up with shaky hands and opened her Belt. She couldn''t be sure if it were her blurry vision, but she saw a gray crystal twinkle in her Belt. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, placed the Crystal of Darthin inside the Belt, took out the gray crystal, and grinned.


    "Onyx, there is a way I can get you out of there," she said.


    The stallion clopped his feet nervously. "How?"


    "With this." She held up the crystal. "This is the Crystal of Soul Binding. With this, I can bind one soul to myself and call upon them as needed. So, would you like to bind yourself to me permanently?"


    "If it means I can get out of here, I''d be your slave."


    Meera laughed and focused on the crystal and passed her Mana through it. The crystal shone with a dull light, which grew brighter as Meera passed more Mana through it.


    *ding!*


    [Please designate a soul you would like to bind to yourself.]


    Meera looked to Onyx. The crystal shone brighter as Onyx''s form condensed into a shiny bluish-white ball and floated towards the crystal. There was a slight push from Onyx''s ball as it tried to pass through the curse barrier, but it didn''t take long for him to pass and come to rest in the crystal.


    There was a sharp ringing sound as the crystal burst into tiny shards. There was a searing, burning pain on the back of her hand. Meera cried out. Before she could activate Vitalize to stop the pain, it was gone, and in its place was a tattoo of a stallion with long, flowing hair.


    *ding!*


    [Soul Bond-Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 1]


    [The soul you call Onyx has been bonded with your soul forever. You can call upon him at any time by using your Mana, but you will have to expend Mana to maintain him in the physical world. Once your Mana empties, the stallion will return to its resting place.]


    Onyx? Meera tried tentatively. Can you hear me?


    She waited for a long time and nothing. So, I guess we can''t talk to each other like this. She ran her Mana to the tattoo, and just like that, Onyx flowed out of her hand to stand before her. A black stallion that looked more real than before. There wasn''t even much smoke coming off him. From afar, he could even be mistaken for a regular black stallion with white hair.


    Meera threw her arms around the horse''s neck. "Oh, thank god, you''re out of there."


    "And in your soul."


    Meera raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to go back to the cursed cave?"


    "No, no. That was not what I meant. Your soul is a much nicer place."


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


    Meera''s eyes accidentally fell on her hand, and Onyx''s tattoo was gone. "Say, what did you see when you were in my soul?" Meera asked.


    "Honestly, nothing. It was like I was sleeping."


    "Okay, good. Not sure, I want a horse poking around in there."


    Onyx neighed. "So, should we get out of here? I cannot wait to see the outside world again. It''s been literal years since I''ve done that."


    "Sorry, Onyx, I must ask you to return. I feel a certain guest will be waiting for me, given all that commotion we caused in our escape."


    Onyx''s head fell as he sighed. "You''re the boss. But don''t leave me in there for too long."


    "I promise." With that, she called him back, and he returned to rest on her hand. Her tattoo returned to her hand.


    Meera had one final thing to do before she went on to face the witch. She had to allocate her stat points. She put most of her points in Constitution, Endurance, and Focus¡ªher three key stats, Health, Stamina, and Mana. She put the remaining in Dexterity and Agility, which were vital in the last fight.


    Meera drew a deep breath, activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, and exited the cave. It was evening, and Mirithia began shining brighter in the sky as the sun dipped towards the west. After being in the dark for so long, even this much light was blinding. That was until she saw what was waiting for her.


    Standing in the treeline was a Mirror Golem. Once it caught sight of Meera, it stepped out of the trees and strode towards her.


    [Mirage Golem ¨C Level 78]


    Meera almost scoffed at the golem''s level. It was funny that only a few days ago, she was running and hiding from them, and now, she was strong enough to rip through it as if it were made of regular mirrors. But it was not here to fight.


    The golem stomped over to her and stopped. Its seven-foot mass was imposing enough that Meera should have been scared, but after killing a twenty-foot giant, this thing was nothing but cute. She wondered if it was the same boy who the witch was turning when Meera visited her last.


    She Stepped up to his shoulder and took a seat. "Take me to the witch."


    The golem turned without showing any sign of disagreement and took off at a run down the treeline. Meera erected a Mirror Shield before her to avoid getting slapped in the face by branches.


    <hr>


    They arrived half a day later when the sun was peaking above the treeline. Meera had passed out sometime in the night by erecting another Mirror shield and leaning on it. Thankfully, she didn''t fall. She woke to a rooster''s crows and almost went into fight mode right away.


    She was on the ground, and four golems stared down at her with their featureless faces. She jumped up with chakrams in hand, but when she activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, she calmed down as the golem delivered her to the witch''s doorstep.


    Without giving the golems another look, she opened the door and went into the witch''s home. It was cozy compared to the morning chill outside. Like last time, many mirror ornaments hung from the ceiling and were nailed to the walls.


    Meera went straight for the door at the back. This time, she did not waste time with any other doors. She entered and found the room empty. No almost naked men, no almost naked witch, no one, aside from an empty bed and a neatly organized table.


    Meera tilted her head with a frown. She was about to back out of the room when the witch materialized behind her. It took everything Meera had not to jump. She turned around, and then she made a show of flinching.


    "Oh, my god¡ªwhat are you wearing?" Meera exclaimed.


    She wore a blue starry dress with ample cleavage and a slit in the gown that went almost to her waist. It was hard not to stare. The witch literally twinkled.


    "Thank you for the compliment, my golden child." Kalrina gave her a smile that would make any man sigh.


    "I didn''t give you any."


    "Words are not always necessary. Sometimes, the eyes say more than enough. One but needs to listen." She guided Meera to a chair by the window and sat in the opposite chair, crossing her legs. "Now, my champion, I must say I didn''t expect to see you again."


    Meera looked the witch in the eye. "You sent me to my death."


    "And yet here you are. Stronger than ever. My, you should be thanking me. Because of my wise decision to send you there, you''ve returned twice as strong."


    Meera''s nostrils flared, and she saw the true face of this rotten person. She quickly Identify''ed her to see if she could take her.


    [Sorceress of Mirrors ¨C Level ??]


    Meera cursed silently, reached into her Belt, and pulled out the Crystal of Darthin, and Kalrina''s eyes lit up. The green of the crystal matched the color of her eyes.


    "My, my, that is a beauty," Kalrina purred. "Marred it might be." Then, the greed on her face morphed into a frown. "It can only be used once more. Why is that, I wonder."


    Meera shrugged. "You should ask your boyfriend that question. If you can dig him out from under the mountain, he blew up."


    "Yes, I figured it was him." Kalrina leaned in. "And sweetie, he was not my boyfriend. But a sweet soul that proved useful in the end." She held out a hand. "Now, hand it over."


    Meera pulled the crystal away. "Not before you free the men and answer my three questions."


    "Ah, yes¡­" She tapped a finger on her lips. "Don''t remind me. Something about the prophecy, a Reflectora, and oh, yes, about the champion."


    "That''s right," Meera smirked, thinking she had the witch where she wanted.


    "I also remember I said that I would free the men for the Crystal, but for your questions, you will have to answer some of mine. But I will be generous and give you a choice. You can have your questions answered or have the men sent back home."


    Meera gritted her teeth. She had a strong urge to crush the crystal and fight the witch of her answers, but Kalrina was not mad like Edwyn, and Meera would not win. Not to mention, at least four golems were waiting outside.


    Even though every part of her wanted her questions answered, she decided otherwise. She held out the crystal to the witch. "Free the men."


    "Still as noble as ever." Kalrina took the cracked crystal. "Oh, don''t look so down, dearie. I can and will answer your questions, but in exchange, you will have to answer my own." Kalrina clapped her hands, making the stars on her dress twinkle. "Let''s make a pact to answer the questions truthfully, sharing no lies."


    Why do I feel like she was leading me towards this in the first place? Lying to this witch couldn''t be that hard.


    Meera sighed. "Fine. But no cheating."


    "No, I wouldn''t think of it, and these will hold us to our truths." She raised a hand and materialized two mirrors. "Each time we lie, these mirrors will expose our lies."

 Chapter 69 – A Game of Reflections

    "What do you mean the mirrors will pass judgment?" Meera asked.


    Kalrina smiled and motioned to the space between them, and a small table of mirrored glass appeared. One moment, there was nothing, and the next, a table in which Meera could see her reflection.


    Despite the chaos of the cave, she looked okay. Her face was dirty, her eyes had huge black circles from lack of sleep, and her hair was laced with dirt, but she looked far better than she had any right to be. The worst part was it reminded her how badly she needed a bath.


    The witch placed one of the mirrors in front of Meera and the other in front of her. "Now, the rules of this game are simple. I will ask you a question, and if you lie, you will see your reflection change in these lovely mirrors. Whatever your reflection shows will be inflicted upon you. It could be as simple as boils and warts and as bad as a plague that rots your organs from the inside. Now, what will it be? I cannot say. I do not control what the mirror shows."


    "I''m sure you don''t."


    Kalrina chuckled. "Here, a demonstration. Ask me who I am?"


    Meera was in no mood to play this sick game of hers.


    "Please humor me, or do you not wish to know about the champion."


    Meera set her jaw. "Who are you?"


    "I am a toad."


    Meera couldn''t see her reflection, but Kalrina coughed out blood all over her pretty dress. Meera jumped out of her chair. Kalrina''s coughing didn''t stop.


    "I¡­am Kalrina¡ª" her coughing slowed. "A sister of the Akhessai sisterhood. Born in the fishing district of Drurith." With each word, her coughing slowed until it stopped. Kalrina huffed and smiled through bloody teeth. "See, even I cannot stop its effects on me. Now, come take a seat, and let''s play."


    Kalrina waved a hand, and all the blood vanished from her and her dress. It was like she had never been injured. Meera tentatively took a seat and used Identify on the mirror.


    [Mirror of Dorheia]


    "These mirrors belonged to my mentor, Dorheia. A decrepit woman but a more powerful truthsayer, you could not find."


    "But you are a sorceress of mirrors?" Meera frowned.


    "So? Aren''t we all allowed two classes? Mirrors are the best way of showing us our true selves. Now, if you wish to play. Make a slight cut on your finger and drip a little on the mirror."


    Meera didn''t need to ask her what would happen if she didn''t do that. She ran her thumb across one of her chakrams and let herself be hurt, as usually her chakrams didn''t hurt her. She winced at the pain. The thin red line was ballooning to form a thicker line of blood. She rubbed her finger across her mirror, which immediately absorbed the blood.


    Meera healed her cut with Vitalize.


    Kalrina clapped lightly. "Now, we can begin the game for real. Why don''t you ask the first question."


    Meera didn''t want to be too eager and wanted to throw off the witch from asking serious questions from the get-go. Though, Kalrina would definitely ask about the chakrams and maybe even Meera''s armor.


    "How did you get these mirrors from your mentor?" Meera asked.


    Kalrina smirked. "By beating her at the same game, we''re playing."


    Meera gulped.


    "My turn," Kalrina tapped a finger on her lips. "Hmm¡­how did you, a certifiable nobody, end up with a mythical weapon blessed by the Lady of Mirrors?"


    She''s asking that right out of the gate. Best to get it done with.


    Meera had seen the effects of the Mirror of Dorheia and did not want to live through that. Besides, it wasn''t like she had to tell the witch the whole truth. Maybe I can get away with a partial truth.


    "I got it from a Gateway Mirror." An invisible hand tightened around her throat. Her reflection struggled to breathe, and Meera found herself short of breath as well, so she quickly dribbled out the rest. "I accidentally put my hand in a mirror at the edge of the world, and when I pulled it out, I had one of these chakrams on my wrist."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Meera huffed as the invisible hand pulled away, and she could breathe again.


    "Was my bloody demonstration not proof enough?" Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "A Gateway mirror, huh? I''ve traveled through hundreds of them, and none gave me such a unique gift. Which mirror was it?"


    "It''s my turn," Meera said. "Did you help Edwyn set up those sick experiments in the Cave of Wraiths to steal the powers of a god?"


    Kalrina shrugged. "Yes, I did. It was a ten-year investment, only to yield one use."


    "Don''t forget the handicap. You have to find a willing soul to sacrifice, not someone under your spell."


    "Oh, my na?ve one, I have scores of men who would spend eternity in Rothedon''s dungeons for a night with me."


    Rothedon''s name flashed his face back into Meera''s mind. He was sitting on his throne. His fiery eyes in that skull helmet, wearing that charred armor. Meera shook her head to wipe the memory away and focus on the beautiful witch who was rotten to the core.


    "All that suffering and¡ª" Something stumped Meera. "This is why you''re on the run from your sisters. They found out about your cave of atrocities, and they must not have liked what you were doing."


    Kalrina clapped.


    They, indeed, are like witches, sacrificing people for their own gain. Why is Neel going to them?


    The fact that this woman didn''t even show a tiny iota of remorse for all the suffering she caused just rubbed Meera wrong. If she didn''t need the information out of her, she would have severed her head clean off.


    "Speaking of Crystal of Darthin, who used it?" Kalrina asked.


    Meera''s first instinct was to say that Edwyn used it, but that would cause a lot of pain. Meera moved her hands under the table and pulled off her chakram, expecting violence. "I used it."


    Kalrina squinted, then her face returned to normal. "From where did you get two willing souls, I wonder."


    Meera gave her nothing.


    "At least tell me what you got in return."


    "It''s my turn, now."


    "Don''t be so stingy."


    "Ask it on your turn if you really want to know. Now, tell me what the Champion wanted with you?"


    Kalrina smiled. "That sweet boy had a little conundrum regarding the same relic you asked me about."


    Meera''s eyes widened.


    "Yes, he was looking for the Reflectora. As per some oracle, that item will be key in defeating the great scourge of the worlds."


    At first, Meera thought she was talking about Aetheron, the dragon, but then she remembered Oril, Ebonton''s healer, calling Rothedon, the scourge of the worlds. Why is Neel going after Rothedon?


    "Rothedon? But isn''t the Champion supposed to defeat the great dragon, Aetheron?"


    The witch shrugged. "He said he had his reasons, which he didn''t share with me. Say, didn''t you want to know about a Reflectora?"


    Meera nodded. "Yes."


    "Well, ask it on your turn if you really want to know," Kalrina said, imitating Meera.


    Meera gave her a blank stare.


    "Now, what is your relationship with the Champion?" The witch sat back with a smirk. "What? You think I wouldn''t notice your resemblance."


    She had cut to the heart of it. This would open a deluge of questions from the sorceress. Meera looked at the mirror, which literally held her life in its hands, and sighed. "He is my brother."


    Kalrina smiled. "Now, that is some juicy information. You do realize that if this information leaks, you will be hunted just as much as your brother."


    "I know." Meera tightened her grip on her chakram. "And you will sell this to your sisters to get them off your back."


    "I might." She looked out the window. "Unless someone offers me a better price."


    Meera clenched her fists and was about ready to slash her neck, but there were still things she needed to know. "What is a Relectora?"


    "Let me tell you a little story. Now, how much of this story is true, I do not know, but this is what I''ve heard. In the very distant past, when Mirithia had just finished creating her worlds. The gods still walked the three worlds and had not settled into the great big round ball that hangs in the sky. I mean, Mirithia, the world, not the goddess."


    "Yes, I got your meaning."


    "Awesome, and here I thought I would have to spell everything out for you. Moving on, Aetheron was smaller than he is today. Some even believe he was a simple man who gained enough power to become a threat to the gods. While others say he was always a dragon who could take the form of a man. Sorry, these myths are thousands of years old. Hard to say what is the truth and what is not. Anyways, the gods tried to keep him under their control by offering him the hand of the fairest in all the lands, Midiea, our very own Lady of Mirrors. Midiea''s job was to contain him and keep him under control, but the two fell in love, and she told them of the gods'' schemes. Aetheron grew angry, and rightfully so."


    "He waged such a terrible war on the gods that even the Mother of all could not hold him back. He only stopped his carnage for one person. Only his love. Midiea begged him to reconsider, but he wouldn''t listen. Our poor Lady had no choice but to entrap her love in a¡­"


    "¡­Reflectora?" Meera answered.


    "Right you are, Champion''s sister. It was an artifact of Midiea''s creation. She had hoped to seal him in the Reflectora, but Aetheron proved too powerful to contain. The artifact separated the dragon from the world of the living and flung his body into the heavens, earning its name¡ªReflectora. Aetheron never forgave Midiea of this betrayal and vowed that he would return to wreak his vengeance upon the worlds. Midiea could not live with what she had done and joined herself with her mirrors. Never to be seen again."


    I think I have. At least, I''ve talked to her¡­or I hope that was her.


    This story raised more questions in Meera''s mind, which no doubt would raise more than a few eyebrows. So, she kept focus on the thing Neel was after. "So, the Reflectora is a powerful artifact meant to seal powerful beings such as Aetheron."


    "Right again. It''s shown up over the years, and whenever it does, terrible things have happened to those who have used it. And now, the most important person to have ever lived since Aetheron''s defeat is looking for it to defeat an evil about as bad as the great dragon when he should be preparing for the big, bad dragon. The only problem is it hasn''t been seen in more than a thousand years, as far as I know."


    What are you doing, Neel? Why are you chasing after this thing? Meera wanted to ask more questions, but she had to play by the rules of this stupid game.


    "I think it''s my turn¡­" Kalrina rubbed her hands. "Which world were you and your brother born in?"


    Meera''s eyes widened. She tried to think of a way to get out of this but couldn''t see one. So, she said, "Earth."

 Chapter 70 – The Prophecy of Serenya

    Kalrina frowned, sat forward, and rested her elbows on her knees while steepling her fingers as if waiting for something. She looked at Meera''s mirror, then back to Meera.


    "Nothing is going to happen to me. It''s the truth," Meera said.


    "Never heard of Earth before, or have you found some way to trick the mirror."


    "If I had, I would have said something different."


    Kalrina nodded. "Where is this Earth?"


    Meera was about to tell her it wasn''t her turn, but Kalrina interjected.


    "Come on, don''t say it isn''t my turn. After I told you that juicy story about the Reflectora, you can at least answer this one question," Kalrina said.


    "Fine." Meera knew she was making a mistake by telling her this, but if she didn''t, she would ask it on her next turn, and the friendlier she appeared towards this monstrous person, the more information she could get out of her.


    "Earth is¡­actually, I''m not sure how far Earth is from here, but seeing as all the stars are different in the night sky, I will say it''s very far from here. It is the third planet¡ªworld that orbits the sun we call Sol."


    Kalrina''s frown deepened. "You don''t orbit a sphere like Mirithia?"


    "No, though we do have a¡­sphere like that in our system."


    "Oh, you have a system too?"


    "Not that kind of system." She sighed. "We don''t have a magical system, nor do we have magic or a voice in our heads telling us how many levels we''ve gained or that gives us notifications."


    The witch leaned away from Meera as if she had the plague. "How do you people live like that?"


    Meera shrugged. "We''re far more technologically advanced than you. We''ve invented things that to you would seem like magic."


    "Like what?"


    "We carry a device from which we can access all the information in the world." Meera almost reached into her Lunar Hoard Belt and pulled out her phone, but it wouldn''t have a charge anymore, so to Kalrina, it would look nothing more than black glass.


    "That is¡­hard to believe."


    "I''m not coughing up blood or dying, so you know it''s the truth," Meera said. "My turn." Meera was about to ask about the prophecy, but something else popped into her head. There were other things she had to know. "Where can I find the Sorceresses of Akhessai? Your sisters. Where is their headquarters, lair, castle, or wherever they run things from?"


    Kalrina squinted her eyes a little. "A curious question. Most people I know try to avoid us. They go around making sure they never see the dragon keep." The witch shook her head. "To answer your question, the sorceresses live in the body of a petrified dragon, who was once called Akhessai."


    Meera frowned. "How big is this dragon that you are living in it?"


    "Oh, it''s bigger than most castles, dearie. After all, Akhessai was an archdragon. The strongest of its kind. Archdragons tend to grow quite enormous. The analogy of us being cockroaches to them wouldn''t be wrong."


    "But why live in its corpse?" Meera asked, still trying to wrap her head around living in a stone dragon.


    Kalrina chuckled. "Dragons are the epitome of magic¡ªthe highest-leveled beings in all the worlds. Remember, I told you about the story of one waging war against the gods. It is our good fortune that they are solitary beings and stay in their corners of the world and don''t trouble us much, or we would indeed be cockroaches to them. So, when one dies, their bodies remain a strong conduit for magic. A place where we can easily level up our magical skills, which was why Veridiana decided to make it her home after she killed the thing. Over the centuries, more and more sorceresses flocked to learn from her, and hence, we earned the name Sorceresses of Akhessai."


    Meera nodded. "Cool story, but you still haven''t told me where I can find this dragon keep called Akhessai."


    The witch shook her head. "The impatience of youth. I can understand that you don''t find the feat of killing an archdragon impressive, given you''re an outsider. Just don''t show this indifference among some of my more fanatical sisters. Anyways, Akhessai is on Gethys. About a week''s ride northeast of Drurith on horseback. It''s best to stay on the road and pray you don''t run into any of Akhessai''s children. They''ve never forgiven us for killing their mother."


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


    Meera nodded. "Your turn."


    "Oh my, I''d almost forgotten. Thank you, my sweet. I would love to know more about this Earth, but I cannot get my eyes off this dazzling new armor of yours. Tell me about it."


    "That''s not a question," Meera said.


    "You''ve still to ask me about the great prophecy, and trust me, you want my tongue loose for that."


    Meera set her jaw. "I found it in the Cave of Wraiths, in room number thirty-nine. Edwyn made it for the special someone in his life." Meera didn''t want to say anymore, but her reflection was twitching and rubbing at her ears, and Meera was beginning to feel a sharp pain in her ears. "Edwyn made it for you, but I took it as my own."


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow, looked Meera up and down, and smiled. "Keep it. The color suits you. Besides, knowing Edwyn, it''s probably beneath my level."


    The only thing that kept Meera''s anger in check was that they were both horrible people, and she didn''t need to defend the mad researcher.


    "Tell me about the Warlocks of Winter''s Embrace and where I can find them?" Meera asked quickly.


    Kalrina squinted her eyes. "You have some strange questions. Let me guess, your brother is going to them."


    "He might be."


    Meera could see the gears turning in Kalrina''s mind. This game was costing Meera a lot more than she thought. At this rate, she would have to fight and kill this witch once she was done with her questions.


    "The Warlocks are our male counterpart in a way. But they are much more mysterious than us. It''s hard to gauge their true numbers. They are led by three brothers, each a master of their art. From what I''ve heard, they deal in elemental magic mostly. I don''t know their names as I try to avoid the wintery hellscape we call Ealisto. One of these brothers must be well-versed in ice magic as Winter''s Embrace lies at the northern tip of Ealisto, where it snows all year long." She shuddered. "Their nether parts must have shriveled inwards from all that cold and lack of use. They are celibate, you see. All of them." Kalrina made a disgusted face, followed by a smug smile and a wink. "Though, I bet I could make them break their vows."


    Meera ignored her comment and focused on the problem at hand. How will I get to the North Pole in an already near-frozen world¡­


    "Okay, seeing as how you''re quiet," Kalrina said. "My next question is something that you did not answer before. What did you get in exchange for wasting my crystal?" Vitriol seeped into her voice as she spoke.


    Meera readied herself for a fight, but the witch kept a smile on her lips, so Meera stayed still. "Five more skill slots"


    The sorceress beamed. "That is¡­fantastic."


    Meera figured her time was running out. She better ask about the prophecy and get the hell out of here. "What are the exact words of the prophecy?"


    "Ah, so we finally come to it. The famous words of the oracle Serenya that got her and most of her kind killed."


    Meera frowned. "They killed her for warning about the end of the world?"


    "Yes, and most of the other oracles. As it turns out, people do not like to be told how they would die over and over again. It happened about two thousand years ago. Serenya hadn''t unlocked her seeing abilities yet, and what a marvelous way to unlock them by uttering the words of doom. Her fault was not keeping them to herself until she became famous. She went crying in the streets, but no one would believe her. It wasn''t until she went town to town that the people decided they had enough of her. It was in the holy city of Mirithiara, dedicated to the mother goddess." Kalrina scoffed. "It''s ironic that the one who spelled the fate of Mirithia would be chained and stoned to death in Mirithia''s own city."


    "But why were the other oracles killed?" Meera asked.


    "Well, as it happens, oracles before that mostly focused on a single person, read your palms, told you your future, that sort of thing, and maybe said when there would be famine or have good crops. But Serenya opened the floodgates, as they say. After her great prophecy, oracles all over started having visions of the doom. They kept adding little tidbits to it or a way to recognize the Champion or when the Champion would arise. What precisely would happen to the worlds and its inhabitants? Some people began thinking that they were waking the dragon by uttering his name repeatedly, as throughout the centuries, Aetheron has been coming closer and closer to us. And thought that if they put the oracles to rest permanently, they would forestall the doom. All this culminated in the culling of their kind five hundred years ago, in an event we call the Blood of Seers. Only a handful of oracles remain, and they are in hiding for obvious reasons."


    "What are the words of the prophecy?" Meera asked, growing impatient with the witch who loved the sound of her voice.


    "My, my, someone is in a hurry. Now, mind you, the words of Serenya have been added to and modified many times, to the point that I don''t think anyone is alive today who could tell you what they were exactly. But this is the closest rendition of them you will find anywhere."


    The Great Dragon shall rise from his fall,


    Cower and repent, for doom is here for us all.


    Aetheron''s wrath shall be mighty and endless,


    The gods will pay for his love''s malice.


    A Savior or Destroyer shall wake,


    The worlds he shall save or break.


    The Champion shall lose the one he loves most,


    The fault of Midiea burns through the host.


    Meera frowned. "What host?"


    The witch shrugged. "Most scholars believe Serenya meant the three worlds of Mirithia that host life. Hence, host. I don''t think she was very learned and just wanted to make it rhyme. Say¡­how is your relationship with your brother?"


    "What''s that got to do with you?"


    Kalrina smirked. "Nothing to do with me but a lot to do with you. I''m sure you two must love each other dearly, seeing as you came rushing after him here. If I were you, I would be worried about the Champion losing the one he loves most part. For your sake, you better pray, he''s fallen madly in love with a girl in the past six months, or you are fated to die, dearie."

 Chapter 71 – This Game Is Over

    Meera would be lying if she wasn''t scared because of the dying part. Neel was always close to their mother, and he took her death hard, but when she died, he and Meera grew quite close. In these worlds, there should not be anyone else that he loves more than me.


    Meera couldn''t help but sweat, but she didn''t let her facial expression change. She couldn''t let the witch know how much this had shaken her. She almost wished she hadn''t known about the prophecy. But in a way, it was good that she had. Because now, to save her brother and herself, she needed to find him and get out of these worlds.


    "I''ll give you credit for not showing any outward signs of fear," the witch purred.


    Meera was almost done with her. She needed to do one more thing, and then she was out of here, and she knew just the way to get out of this game. She tightened her fist on her chakram.


    "Hmm¡­" Kalrina tapped a finger on her lips. "That is a nice tattoo. I don''t believe you had it the last time we met. How did you get it?"


    Meera shut her eyes. I had hoped she would not find out about this. She will want to know about all the other crystals I got from the cave.


    Meera sighed and told her about the Crystal of Soul Bonding. She left the part about Cinders and Shade and all the other crystals she obtained. She kept her answer focused on how she used the crystal to bond Onyx to her soul.


    "I see. Can I see this stallion?" the witch mused.


    "No."


    "So, stingy. Why, I''m inclined to believe you found more of these crystals in your adventures in the Cave of Wraiths."


    "You''re inclined to believe whatever you want," Meera stated. "My turn. What is the quickest way from here to Azeria? And don''t tell me to travel by a Gateway Mirror."


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow and snorted lightly. "I could tell you, or I could make you a compass that will point the way to Azeria." She held out a hand and played inviable strings with her slender fingers. When she was done, a compass, if you could call it that, appeared in her hand. It had a flat bottom, with a glass globe attached to it, and inside, a thick needle made of a mirror was hanging from a thin thread. The needle pointed to the door.


    "This will always point to Azeria," Kalrina said. "And once you''re there, the needle will shatter."


    Meera eyed the suspicious compass. She knew the witch was telling the truth because of the lack of bleeding, but she had difficulty trusting that she would give Meera such a gift.


    "Why are you just giving me this?" Meera asked.


    "I''m answering your question, and giving you all those directions is going to be exhausting, as there are so many twists and turns. Not to mention, I can''t even remember half the names of all those towns and villages that come along the way. This makes the job easier."


    Meera took the compass and dropped it in her Hoard Belt. "You still haven''t freed the men like you said you would."


    "Oh, right." She snapped her fingers. "There, done." She motioned to the window. "Take a look."


    Meera looked outside the window and saw the men coming out of a shed that was half the size of the house. She wondered how they even fit in that small building. Most of them only wore underwear, like the last time she was here. They looked around, confused, and talked amongst themselves. Meera couldn''t hear and regretted not having the Gem of Echoes on her.


    A Mirror Golem stomped his way to the confused men. They stumbled away and into the shed in terror.


    "Listen, my lovelies," Kalrina spoke, and Meera was sure she was speaking through the golem to the men. "Your service has been greatly appreciated. I will miss you, but a deal has been struck, and its terms must sadly be obeyed. You all run along home now."


    The men stared at each other and back at the golem, but no one dared move for fear of the golem.


    "You promised to free all the men," Meera said. "Then you must free the ones you trapped in those golems as well."


    Kalrina shrugged. "Sure, why not? I''m going to have to move soon anyway." She snapped her fingers again, and the golem outside shattered, and a man fell to the ground from within. Meera heard three other distant sounds of mirrors popping, and so she knew that the other men trapped in the golems had been freed.


    "There, all done."


    Meera watched the men shoot fearful looks towards the house and then run as if the witch would come for them again. If Meera were strong enough, she would make sure that Kalrina never preyed upon these poor people or anyone ever again.


    "Now, I feel you''re not just visiting Narikas'' dungeons or¡­is that precisely where you''re going. Tell me, dearie, will you see dear old Narikas, the one they call the Shadowsteel Warlord?"


    Meera was done answering her questions. She was done playing her game. She had everything she needed. She drew a deep breath. "Screw you."


    Her hand flashed, and a chakram zipped out of her hand and smashed both the Mirrors of Dorheia. She recalled the chakram right before it touched the witch.


    "Now, that wasn''t very nice," Kalrina said, face impassive.


    "The game is over, and I''m gone." Meera readied to throw her chakram out the window, but the witch rose and blocked the window.


    "That was my prized possession," Kalrina said through gritted teeth. "The only thing left from my dear old teacher before she died because of her pride."


    Meera quickly checked all the mirrors in the room. She found one. It was a little decorative mirror about two meters from the door. She didn''t wait for any threats from the witch and jumped to the mirror. The mirror dissolved into sand and fell to the ground in a little mound, as did all the mirrors in the room.


    Meera''s eyes widened. She still had her chakrams, so she threw the one in her hand to the door. She teleported to it, but so did the witch. She appeared in front of Meera, blocking her escape.


    "Interesting, I don''t have any control over these mirror circlets," Kalrina purred. "But if the Lady handcrafted it, they would be special." Her focus shifted to Meera. "Now, to get even."


    She flicked a finger towards Meera, and before she could react, a tiny, almost imperceptible mirror needle ripped through her left cheek.


    Meera screamed as her hand shot to her open cheek. Blood seeped through her fingers. She activated Vitalize, and relief spread through her face.


    "Oh, you have a healing skill." Kalrina smiled. "This will make it even more fun."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Meera''s anger wanted her to get even, but the logical part of her brain said she couldn''t fight this witch. She turned and threw her chakram at the window, only for the witch to raise a series of mirror shields. Her chakram crashed through the first couple but lost momentum after the third and fell to the ground.


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "Now, that is truly interesting¡­Three shields in one throw. No wonder you survived the Cave of Wraiths."


    The witch dissolved her mirror shields, but Meera Stepped to her chakram, as did the witch. She appeared before Meera once more and flicked her fingers in rapid succession, pummeling Meera with her tiny needles.


    Meera raised a Mirror Sheild. It stopped a few, but they broke through and pummeled Meera all over. Even with Vitalize active, it could only do so much. Her armor closed around the wound, but internally, she was still bleeding until Vitalize did its magic. Meera remembered her armor''s ability, and she shot out a blast of mirrors all over the room. Then, all at once, they turned into dust.


    "Tch, tch, tch, when will you realize that any mirrors aside from your divine weapons are in my domain? I can do with them as I please." Kalrina stepped closer. "There is no escape from me, dearie."


    Meera activated Shroud of Shadows and found that she was still mostly visible. Unlike in the cave, her form was translucent, thanks to the morning light. Meera cursed inwardly as she remembered this skill only made her invisible in dim or dark areas. She shut it off.


    Kalrina chuckled. "Was that intended to make you invisible?"


    Meera backed up a step. She recalled her chakram from the floor and punched at the sorceress, but she disappeared, only to reappear behind her. Before Meera could even turn, Kalrina stabbed her with a mirror knife between the ribs. Her armor did little to protect her.


    Meera gasped. Her breath became ragged. The pain was terrible, but she had faced worse. She raised her hand to throw the chakram.


    "Don''t you dare throw that out the window," Kalrina whispered in her ear. "If you so much as move an inch, I will break the mirror knife into tiny pieces inside you, and well, you can imagine what I can do with mirrors inside your body. Now, you don''t want that, do you?"


    "N-No."


    "Good, girl." Kalrina let go of the knife and came around to face Meera. "I''m mad at you for breaking my precious mirrors. They truly were one of a kind. Since you broke something that was one of a kind, it''s only fair that I get something of yours that is one of a kind." Her eyes flicked to the chakram in Meera''s hand.


    "No¡­"


    Kalrina snorted. "Don''t worry, I don''t want all of them. One should suffice. After all, I think that is fair payment for my mistress'' mirrors, or you can try to run and see how far you can get while I ravage your body from the inside. Trust me, there is no healing skill that can put you together fast enough."


    Meera sweated, and not from just the pain. What if I give her a chakram, and new ones stop coming to me when I level up? This was her chief concern, but she also knew she couldn''t fight the witch, nor could she escape with the knife embedded in her. The pain was making it hard to think. Given what she had seen of her skills¡ªwhich were not many¡ªAmbush Tactics failed to come up with a scenario where she could overcome the witch.


    "In the end, the choice comes to whether you want to give up a chakram or give up the quest to find your brother," Kalrina said, raising her hand.


    Once she put it like that, Meera had no choice. She dropped a chakram in the witch''s hand and prayed Midiea didn''t turn from her.


    "Good girl." Kalrina ran a finger along its edge and winced. "Sharp."


    Meera heard a notification bell and resisted the urge to smile because the chakram was still hers.


    "The knife," Meera said.


    "Oh, right." She flicked a finger, and the mirror knife flew out of Meera, making her cry out.


    Meera activated Vitalize right away and turned to the door without another word.


    "Leaving so soon. You should stay for break¡ª"


    Meera slammed the door shut behind her. Anger building up in her with each step. She left the house and kept walking, anger practically steaming off her. Meera didn''t stop until she was out of Cliffshield Valley. She looked back, and the cliff was no more. It had been flattened, thanks to Edwyn''s explosion.


    Meera looked at the smoke rising in the clearing towards the village. She figured the men must''ve made it back by now. She tried to zoom in as much as she could with her eyes, but she couldn''t tell. She collapsed against a tree beside the dirt road. She huffed and opened the notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mirror Wing. Mirror Wing ¨C Type: Active. You can control the trajectory of a flying mirror. By spending Mana, you can guide and direct the mirror''s flight path. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Reflectomancy. Reflectomancy ¨C Type: Active. You can create and destroy mirrors at will, turning these everyday objects into versatile tools for a variety of purposes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stared at the two skills, and she wanted them both. Kalrina had used them both to deadly effect. To the point that Meera was almost completely helpless against her. Creating mirrors and guiding them to a specific point would be perfect for her because it created so many opportunities for her to vary her attacks, not to mention its synergy with Mirror Step.


    But then, as she thought about it, she did have her Armor of Mirrors to create the mirrors for her, and with Mirror Wing, she could guide them to wherever she needed them. Not to mention, she could control the trajectory of her chakrams.


    I choose Mirror Wing.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mirror Wing ¨C Level 1]


    She brought up all her stats and skills to check before she headed off toward Azeria.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Mirror Image Hunter ¨C Level 128]


    [Class Ability: Stalker ¨C Level 21]


    Stats


    [Health: 969/1010]


    [Stamina: 1005/1040]


    [Mana: 978/1170]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 101]


    [Power: 30]


    [Dexterity: 73]


    [Endurance: 104]


    [Focus: 117]


    [Agility: 86]


    [Perception: 74]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 35]


    [Shroud of Shadows ¨C Level 30]


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 1]


    [Mirror Step - Level 67]


    [Druvis Power - Level 15]


    [Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity - Level 53]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 32]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 61]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 15]


    [Vitalize - Level 50]


    [Mirror Wing ¨C Level 1]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 5]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 94]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 13]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 16]


    [Charred Body - Level 3]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 18]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 37]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 9]


    [Absorption - Level 20]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 18]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 26]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond-Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 1]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 24]


    Meera smiled at all the skills she had accumulated on her adventures so far. It felt like years had passed since she stumbled out of the mirror and begged Asterion to tell her about where she was.


    Speaking of that giant old man, I wonder if he is still sitting out there, staring at the mirror and waiting for whoever, and eating those thorny fruits.


    She put aside thoughts of Asterion aside and called on Onyx. The horse appeared with a whoosh and some white smoke. As the smoke cleared, a beautiful and well-built black stallion stood before her.


    Onyx neighed and clopped his hooves. "That felt like a long time¡­" his voice trailed off as he took in the world around him. "I haven''t seen the world in so long," he almost whispered.


    Meera patted his neck with a smile. "Well, get used to it because you''re going to be seeing a lot of it. Up for a ride¡ªa long ride?"


    Onyx turned to her, and though horses couldn''t smile, she felt he was grinning. "More than you know."


    Meera looked to a clearing in the forest where she could almost make out the top of a hut. I will come back for you, witch...once I get stronger. I will come back for my chakram¡­and your head.


    Meera jumped on Onyx''s back and brought out the compass that Kalrina gave her. You better be pointing me in the right direction.


    "Let''s ride." She gave Onyx a little kick, and they sped off toward Azeria and, hopefully, Neel.

 Chapter 72 – A Visit to Remember

    Kalrina watched the humbled adventurer stride off into the woods. She had hung her mirrors all over the woods in this valley to keep an eye on who walked in the woods. It was mainly to ensure she had ample warning when the Daughters of Aksha arrived. The hunters from Akhessai didn''t stop when on a hunt, even if it took them years, and they always caught their prey.


    She took a seat and stared at the mythical weapon in her hand. "Now, why did the Lady give such a weapon to an outsider and a dullard¡­I know she survived the Cave when so many failed all because of you. I will discover your secrets soon enough, but before that, I must deal with some more uninvited guests."


    She looked at her bloody dress and shrugged and recast the illusion to make herself look presentable. In the mirror table, she saw two men enter her house. They were handsome in a rugged sort of way. They wore worn leather armor with a longbow and quivers on their backs. They both had dirty blonde hair. One kept it long and the other short. They were definitely brothers, as they had quite similar features.


    I wonder who I can seduce first¡­probably the shorter hair fellow.


    He had a lecherous look in his eye, and he was pushing past his brother to get through the door first, but the long-haired man got to it first. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could, Kalrina said. "Come in."


    They exchanged glances but said nothing. The door opened, and they filed in one by one. The long-haired one kept his composure, but the other one''s eyes popped open when he saw her. Just like Kalrina thought.


    She smiled at him. No need for me to use my glamor yet.


    "Hello, boys." She deliberately crossed her legs, and the lecherous one''s eyes did not miss that.


    "H-Hello, when I heard a witch lived here," said the short-haired one. "I was expecting an old crone with a warty, hook nose, but you''re¡­"


    "Yes¡­"


    "One of the most beautiful women I''ve ever seen."


    His brother elbowed him. "Close your mouth. Your tongue is wagging."


    That broke the spell, and he glared at his brother.


    The long-haired fellow stepped forward and took the seat opposite Kalrina. "I''m Silas, and this is Cossus."


    "Now, where have I heard your names before?" Kalrina pondered more to herself than them.


    "You''ve heard of us?" Cossus, the short-haired man, said with a grin. "I''m so honored¡­and lucky."


    Silas glared at his brother, which he completely missed.


    "Who do you work for?" Kalrina asked. She was sure they worked for some sorceress. Some used these kinds of mercenaries as helpers to do the things they could not do, like she had Edwyn. Poor Edwyn¡­I could have used him some more.


    ¡°Domina,¡± Silas said.


    Kalrina''s eyebrows shot up. "My, my¡­and you would just tell me that."


    Now, she Identify''ed them.


    [Hunter ¨C Level 83]


    [Assassin ¨C Level 92]


    Kalrina almost laughed at how pathetic their levels were. They were of no concern to her, for she was over level 300 in both her classes. She could kill them with her eyes closed.


    "Of course, we wouldn''t want to start our conversation by lying to you," Cossus said.


    "And we expect the same of you," Silas added.


    "Of course, lads. You will hear no lies from me."


    For I have no reason to lie to such pathetic little fools.


    "Somehow, I doubt that," Silas said, eyeing the chakram on the table. "See, from what little knowledge we''ve gathered about you. We know you''re on the run from Akhessai because you stole a forbidden book called The Intricacies of Skills and Species by Bareem Tirik, which you obtained by killing Isolde, a fellow sister of your order."


    "A powerful and influential sorceress from what we heard," Cossus added.


    "Indeed," Silas said. "Then you funded the operations of one, Edwyn Toller, who ran experiments on animals and people for ten years trying to gain the powers of Darthin for you, which we just heard was successful. You''ve set up shop here because you are worried when the Daughters of Aksha eventually find you, you will have little chance against them unless you have the Crystal of Darthin. But for months, you''ve been unsuccessful in retrieving it despite sending so many of your golems into the Cave of Wraiths."


    "Until now." Cossus leaned against the wall behind his brother.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Until now¡­when our friend Meera got it for you. Did I get that right?"


    Kalrina examined her nails. "You got it right. Though, I wonder how much of that your mistress simply divined for you."


    Silas smiled. "There are a few things we wish to ask of you, and then we will be gone."


    "Ask away. It''s not like I will answer you," Kalrina shot back.


    "You will."


    "Or what?"


    "Or nothing," Silas replied. "You simply will."


    Kalrina breathed out heavily. This man was getting on her nerves. "You know what? I don''t think I will, and there is nothing a pair of pathetically weak hunters can do to make me."


    "Cossus." Silas nodded.


    "Right."


    Cossus stepped around his brother and pointed at the broken pieces of mirror on the table. "Reverse." One by one, the pieces stitched themselves back together until the pair that the uppity brat had destroyed was whole again.


    Kalrina couldn''t hide her astonishment. She focused on the mirrors.


    [Mirrors of Dorheia]


    She gasped. "How did you¡­"


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Silas said. "Now, these will keep you honest. So, let''s play." He cut his finger and smeared blood on the mirror facing him. The mirror absorbed the blood, and the game was on.


    "What did you and Neel converse about?" Silas asked.


    "I think I''ve just about had it with you two." She activated her Glamor skill. It let her take control of anyone who found her beautiful or lusted after her. Her target was Cossus, as he would be brought under her control easily. Cossus immediately stared ahead with a smile. "Now, Cossus, kill your brother."


    Cossus looked at Silas, then back to Kalrina. "Yes, mistress," he said in a monotone voice. He moved for his brother.


    Kalrina sat back with a smug grin.


    Silas stared back at her and slapped his brother''s hand away when he came to strangle him. "Knock it off."


    Cossus laughed. "Honestly, lady, you think a pathetic skill like that could overpower me."


    Kalrina''s smile vanished, and looked between the brothers. Her Glamor skill had never failed her before. Never. She would be lying if she said it didn''t unnerve her. "But you even said¡­"


    He waved a dismissive hand. "You''re far too young for my taste."


    "Young?" Kalrina forgot about being nervous. "I am over a hundred years old."


    "Exactly."


    "Who are you two?" She asked.


    "Seeing as how I fixed your mirrors, you have to answer our questions, not the other way around," Cossus said.


    "That''s not how the mirrors work," Kalrina said. "It''s an even trade."


    "They''ll make an exception for us," Silas replied.


    Now, Kalrina was a little more than nervous. She wanted to get up and slowly back out of the room. Any magician worth their salt had heard of Domina, perhaps the greatest oracle alive. One of the few who survived the Blood of Seers. So, it was only natural that she would attract talented folk to herself, but just who were these two that could repair enchanted mirrors and shirk her Glamor skill like it was nothing?


    The only thing that gave her comfort was that she was three times their level. Even combined, she could rip through them as if they were made of paper.


    "Now, your answer to my question," Silas said. "If you wait longer, the mirror might take that as refusal."


    Kalrina gritted her teeth. She wasn''t used to being on the backfoot like this. That too by a bunch of errand boys. "I could just kill you two right where you stand."


    Silas'' expression remained unchanged. "I wish this doesn''t devolve into violence. We only wish to ask you a couple of questions. That is all?"


    Kalrina stared at the overconfident man a while longer to drive the point home of how much she didn''t like them. "Fine. The Champion came to me as I was the closest sister of Akhessai¡ª"


    "Not for long." Cossus chuckled.


    "Cossus." Silas scolded. "Please continue."


    Kalrina glared at him. "He wanted to know about the Reflectora and where to find it. Please tell me you know what a Reflectora is."


    "We do."


    "I told him about the ancient artifact, but I don''t know where it is. I told him he would have better luck with my sisters in Akhessai. There were also rumors that the Shadowsteel Warlord had recently come in possession of a powerful artifact. It might be a Reflectora or might not, who can tell."


    "So, you basically sent him into the lion''s den and the dragon''s jaw," Cossus said.


    Kalrina shrugged. "I told him what he wanted to know."


    "Is that before or after you tried to sleep with the boy?" Cossus asked.


    She scoffed and imitated him in saying. "He was far too young for my taste."


    "What do you plan on doing with the information about Meera?" Silas asked, drawing attention back to him.


    Kalrina was stuck in a situation where she couldn''t lie. Not without getting seriously hurt or smashing her mirrors again. I don''t have to fear these two¡ªno matter the powers they may have.


    "I plan to sell it to the highest bidder, then hunt the girl down and bring her back alive to the dragon keep as an apology to my sisters for being naughty."


    "And you only let her go now because you saw us lurking about," Silas deduced.


    "Right, you are. Now, I must finish you first."


    "Before that, one final question. Where is the Crystal of Darthin?"


    Kalrina sighed and pulled out the crystal from the folds of her dress. "Here. Have your last look."


    "Your man did it," Cossus said. "Can''t believe that stingy bastard even let something like that come into existence."


    "Who?"


    "Darthin, of course."


    Silas snapped his fingers. "Break."


    The Crystal of Darthin burst into a million pieces.


    Kalrina''s eyes bulged as a scream escaped her throat. "NO! What have you done?"


    Cossus gave his brother a flat stare. "Seriously, we could have taken¡ª"


    "Are we going to sacrifice innocent souls for power again?" Silas shot back.


    "You two won''t be sacrificing anything¡ª"


    Silas snapped his fingers again. "Stop."


    Kalrina froze. She couldn''t move her limbs, let alone speak. Nothing moved, not even her eyes. She tried to call her Mana and teleport out of the room, but even that wouldn''t work. She had never seen, or much less felt, a paralysis skill so strong. Even Aksha herself wasn''t this powerful.


    Just who are these two?


    Silas picked up Meera''s chakram. "A gift for when we see her again."


    Cossus scoffed. "I think we forgot to teach her the lesson of not giving her things to murderous sorceresses. Speaking of murderous sorceresses, we must make her disappear completely, or the Daughters will come looking for us."


    "No, let''s keep them off us and focused on her."


    Silas moved to stand before Kalrina. She did everything in her power to move, but she couldn''t break this assassin''s spell. Her heart thrummed as she began sweating all over. She would be trembling if she could. She couldn''t remember the last time she felt so afraid and helpless.


    Silas snapped his fingers. "Forget. When I snap my fingers again, you will forget that we or Meera were ever here this morning. You freed the men of this valley as you found out the Daughters have discovered your location and are coming for you this instant. So, you will pack up and run."


    Kalrina breath became ragged. No, no, no, no¡­What sort of skills does this man have? I want it. I will find you one day and take your skills, you¡ª


    Silas snapped his fingers again and walked out the door.


    No! How did Aksha find out about me? Waiting for that girl to return was a waste of time. I must get out of here. Quickly.

 Chapter 73 – The Desperation Of Hunger

    Meera nearly fell off Onyx''s back as she dozed off for perhaps the tenth time. It was late at night, but thankfully, it was a clear night. Mirithia''s shone brightly in the night sky, lighting the way for her. But it did little as she rode through the woods. The trees were spread out enough that no branches were slapping her in the face, unfortunately, for they could have kept her awake.


    Her compass had worked tremendously, or she had hoped. For the past few days, the needle had been pointed due west. That was the problem with this compass. It didn''t follow any roads or go from town to town but pointed the way directly to Azeria.


    Meera yawned and stretched.


    "Should we take a break?" Onyx asked.


    "No, let''s keep going for a bit longer," Meera said.


    "What do you think happens if you fall asleep on my back?" The stallion asked. "Do I vanish in a poof, or somehow your Mana supply keeps me going?"


    Meera''s brain was solely focused on keeping her heavy eyelids open, let alone work on hypotheticals. "We might find out in a little bit. Let''s find a good place for me to put my head down."


    "How about that tree?" Onyx motioned with his head. "Or that one. That one to the left looked pretty good, too. I mean, take your pick."


    Meera snorted and got off his back. "I like that one. I can still see the sky from there. We''ll be able to watch out for any rats."


    Onyx neighed. "Very funny."


    Meera set up camp at the foot of this small tree. Setting up camp meant she pulled out her roll from her Hoard Belt, which was running out of space. She had tried to sell some weapons in the last two villages she had passed through, but by their admittance, they didn''t have any money for her stuff. Ultimately, she gave it away in exchange for food and supplies. Not to mention the roll and a woolen blanket.


    They had been riding all day. One great thing about Onyx was that he was leagues better than a real horse. He didn''t eat nor tire and, best of all, did not smell. So, he could go on and on as long as Meera''s Mana supported him. The only problem was that it was easy to forget that she needed to stop and rest her legs, at the very least. She feared she would be permanently walking bow-legged soon if she kept going as she had today.


    "We must''ve covered a lot of ground today," Onyx said. "We can''t be that far off."


    "No, I sure hope not. We''ve been at it for over a week now." Meera got comfortable and pulled her woolen blanket up to her chin. "Good night, Onyx. I''ll see you in the morning."


    "Strange custom you humans have of wishing a good night when you''re just going to sleep."


    "Hmm¡­"


    It didn''t take Meera more than a minute to drift off to sleep.


    <hr>


    Meera felt something pulling on her legs. "Stop it¡­Onyx."


    "Hurry, she''s waking up," said a man in a hushed whisper.


    She frowned lightly at that and opened her eyes, only to find two men tying up her legs. She sat up quickly and moved for him to discover that they had tied her hands together. Focusing on her hands, she realized her chakrams were missing.


    Something glinted off to the side. A woman was holding them up to the light of Mirithia. "Mirrors? Why was she wearing these circlets made of mirrors?"


    "Keep them. Maybe we can get something by selling them," the big, burly man said, who was holding her legs together. "Check the belt."


    Meera noticed her Hoard Belt was missing as well. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. If she wanted to, she could''ve ended the three of them within a blink of an eye. But her father had taught her that anger was a tool to be kept in check and only used at the most opportune moment. So, she played this rationally, surveyed the situation, and activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity.


    Everything became sharp and crisp, and even in the dim light, she could almost see all the details of her surroundings. The group of assailants wore torn rags. There were two men¡ªone big and burly but missing an arm and the other deathly skinny. Many scars peeked out from the holes in the skinny one''s shirt. She had never seen the scars of someone being whipped, but she was sure that was what they were. The woman was dirty, sure, they all were, but Meera could tell she was pretty. She lacked any visible scars or amputations, but there was a big, black bruise on her right shoulder.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She used Identify on them one by one. First was the burly man with one arm.


    [Wrestler ¨C Level 65]


    Next was the skinny one.


    [Cook ¨C Level 28]


    Lastly was the woman.


    [Prostitute ¨C Level 42]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at this odd trio. She didn''t fight as they secured her legs. The rags they had used had come from their filthy clothes, which must''ve been white at one point, but the white only peeked out in spots. The rest was a shade of black to brown.


    "You three are an odd bunch, I must say," Meera stated calmly.


    The wrestler turned to her. "Miss, we have no quarrel with you, but we must take your effects. I personally do not condone stealing, but we''re desperate. If you raise no hell, we''ll leave you alone, but if you decide to cause a stir, things will take a dire turn."


    "I see. Did you use Identify on me before you did this?" Meera raised her tied hands.


    The two men exchanged worried glances. Then both their eyes widened at once, and the woman gasped. The men backed away from her slowly.


    "Now, miss¡­"


    Meera activated Druvis Power and broke through her bonds like they were nonexistent. She looked at her chakrams, and they zipped back to her hands. All three cried out and jumped. Meera casually walked to the woman and held out a hand. She promptly returned the Hoard Belt and scurried away to the men. Meera affixed her belt to her armor, and this time, the armor absorbed the belt and only showed the pouches to protect her property against future mishappenings.


    "Look, love, we''re desperate," the woman said. "We meant no offense, and we were going to leave you be, honestly, but we''re hungry, is all. Haven''t had a bite to eat in two whole days."


    "Please miss, if you can spare anything at all," the skinny cook said.


    Meera reached into the belt, and they shirked away from her. "Relax." She pulled out some salted pork and moved to hand them a piece each. They all flinched as she took a step. "It''s just pork."


    The big man moved first and tentatively took the pork and handed it out to his friends. He took the first bite and nodded to the others before they chewed into their pieces.


    "I have more." Meera pulled out more salted pork, apples, and fruits, laid them on her blanket, and stepped away.


    The three fell on it ravenously. Meera sat with her back to the tree and let the poor people eat. They had clearly been through some tough things. It didn''t take them long to finish the whole thing. Meera was not too worried, as she had a few more days'' worth of food stored in her belt, and as it turned out, the Hoard Belt was the perfect fridge. Even better than perfect as food never went bad inside it.


    "Now, do you mind telling me who you are?" Meera asked.


    "I am Urvan," said the wrestler. "The skinny fellow is Tamas, and that is Leha. Thank you for the food."


    "Yes, truly, thank you, love," Leha said as she tried to shove an entire apple in her mouth and failed.


    "Come on, woman, take a bite, at least." Tamas, the cook, shook his head as he ate at a somewhat normal pace.


    "Well, what is a wrestler, a cook, and a¡­"


    "Whore," Leha said.


    "I was going to say prostitute." Meera finished. "What are the three of you doing here? You''re not criminals, are you?"


    They stopped eating at once. The food stopped halfway to their mouths. They glanced at each other, and if Meera didn''t know any better, she would have figured they were talking telepathically.


    "So, anyone going to say anything," Meera said, looking between them.


    Urvan coughed. "We are¡­King Rokibor''s escaped slaves."


    Meera raised an eyebrow.


    "Let me explain." Urvan set his food down. "It''s a little complicated."


    "No, it''s not," Leha interrupted. "We were regular folk going about our business. But then something crawled up his ass one day. Our only mistake was being close by when said something entered him."


    "Shush, you foul-mouthed woman," Tamas, the cook, intervened. "His Majesty''s hunters are everywhere."


    "No matter how much you kiss his ass, he''s still going to shit down your throat." Leha shot back.


    That''s a good one. I must remember that for next time.


    "What happened?" Meera interjected before it got out of hand.


    "In simple terms," Urvan said. "I lost a fight, so the king took my arm as punishment. He didn''t like Tamas'' soup, so Tamas went from being a chef of Rokibor''s summer palace to, well, that sorry sight. Lastly, we have Leha¡ª"


    "You can imagine what I failed to do that he branded me a slave and tossed me in his dungeons," Leha said. "Still, it could''ve been worse. I could have landed in his brother''s dungeon." She shivered. "Now, that is a true shithole if there¡ª"


    A blade sprouted from her neck. Blood seeped out in droves as Leha choked. Meera was up on her feet in a flash, chakram in hand. A breath later, a man covered in mists appeared behind Leha, pulling his blade out as Leha gurgled and fell, drowning in her own blood. She died a moment later. Meera didn''t know her, but no one deserved to die like that. She didn''t know what quarrel they had with this man, but it just rubbed Meera wrong.


    Urvan and Tamas dropped their food. Tamas shrieked and crawled away. The mist warrior threw a throwing knife at him, but Meera deflected it with her chakram, earning the man''s attention.


    It was hard to see his features as he was covered in mists from head to toe. She wasn''t sure if it was a skill or some form of magic, but it seeped from him. He wore armor that much Meera could tell and had a long sword strapped to his hip, but all of it was covered in mists.


    [Warrior of Whispers ¨C Level 153]


    "You should not have come between us and our prey," the warrior whispered.

 Chapter 74 – The Warrior Of Whispers

    Meera watched the warrior shrouded in mists as he watched her. The two remaining escapees stayed where they were. She felt bad for the poor woman. She couldn''t imagine her life would have been easy as a prostitute, but still, no one deserved to go out this way. Thankfully, she was silent now, no longer in pain.


    "Before we do this, I need to know why. Why are you after them?" Meera asked.


    "You do not need to concern yourselves with that. You do not need to concern yourself with anything anymore," he whispered again.


    "You can at least tell me your name."


    The mist-shrouded warrior said nothing. He removed his sword from his sheath, and the three-foot blade grew to almost double its length. And even the sword was shrouded in mists as if it were made of the very stuff.


    I seriously hope this is not another ghost or ghost-like creature that I can only kill with my chakrams.


    The sting of losing her chakram to the sorceress was still fresh in her mind.


    "He''s not a man," Urvan, the wrestler, said. "He''s mist and fog condensed to look like a man. We call them Mistblades. They guard the borders of Azeria. Constructs created by Queen Nisaya, the Mistweaver. They protect the border and hunt anything that crosses the border."


    "Border?" Meera asked. "We''re close to the border."


    "More like the border is coming close to us."


    Meera frowned and turned to him. It was not like she needed to keep her eyes on the warrior. "Huh? What do you mean?"


    Urvan''s eyes widened. "Watch out."


    Whispers had thrown three throwing knives at her, which she had seen, as she could see everything. Without turning, she erected a Mirror Shield, and they pinged off it. She was happy that the knives didn''t just evaporate into nothing. She wondered if they were real weapons. But her hope was crushed when the throwing knives touched the ground, they turned back into mists.


    She looked at Urvan intently. "What do you mean by the border is coming to us?"


    "There''ll be more than enough time to talk about that. Please kill that thing," Tamas shrieked.


    "I''ll help." Urvan readied his lone arm.


    "No need." Meera smiled and turned to face her foe. "You two just hide behind a tree. I''ll make short work of this guy¡­thing."


    She sent Mana through her armor and unleashed a small blast of mirrors that would give her enough teleportation points for her Mirror Step. One went right through the Mistblade''s body. The mists swirled and closed the hole in the next moment.


    It will be problematic if he can constantly heal himself like that.


    She had her chakram ready. Now that she got a good look at it, she noticed that it didn''t breathe, and the swirling mists gave a sound as if someone was constantly whispering.


    The Mistblade made the first move. He swung his massive sword in an arc, which would have cut her in half if she hadn''t used Mirror Step and moved out of the way. She appeared to its side and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage.


    He moved with uncanny speed and brought his arm up. A mist shield materialized on its arm, blocking her attack. When she shut off the beam, his shield reverted to his arm.


    Meera squinted her eyes. Interesting¡­


    It didn''t need to protect itself if it were made entirely of mists, and yet it did. She made the next move by Stepping to its right and slashing at its head with her chakram.


    Whispers deflected the blow with its sword and almost cut off Meera''s shoulder. She activated Mirror Shield to block the slash. The mist sword broke her shield, and she had to jump back. But she threw her chakram at its body while she did.


    The construct flew away in the wind and rebuilt itself close to the former slaves. He brought his big sword down on the cook, who shrieked. Meera teleported between them¡ªluckily, there was a mirror there. She put up a Mirror Shield and stopped his blade. She took out her chakram and slashed at the warrior, but once again, it dissipated, only to reform a few feet from her.


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    Whispers didn''t move for her, even when she was open. But instead, it released a massive torrent of mist from its body. The white mists swept along the woods, covering all.


    Tamas shrieked and hugged a tree. Urvan, the wrestler, remained at the ready with his single hand turned into a fist.


    As the mists thickened, Whispers vanished completely. Even with Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, Meera could not tell the construct apart from the mists. The mists swirled all around her, blocking her view. She did her best to see, but it was like sifting through white smoke, and she had no idea where her enemy was.


    Whoosh!


    Meera jumped aside at the last moment. But still, a misty sword cut off the tip of her nose. She cried out and healed herself with Vitalize. She looked around, and again, her vision was blocked by the swirling.


    For a moment, she thought about calling out for Tamas and Urvan but quieted as she didn''t want to give away their location, even though Whispers probably already knew where they were.


    Then, a movement in the mists. Like something tunneled through it. She put up a Mirror Shield before her, but it did nothing. Whatever it was passed through the Mirror Shield, only for it to appear on the other side and stab her in the chest, just to the left of her necklace.


    Meera groaned as she reached for the throwing knife. It dissipated into the mists. Healing herself didn''t take long, but it wasted Mana and time. The construct''s next attack came from behind her. His big sword would''ve nearly severed her head clean off if she hadn''t tossed her chakram straight up in the air and then used Mirror Step to teleport to it.


    As she fell, she launched her chakram into a tree with force, and it embedded halfway in the tree trunk, which worked perfectly for Meera. She Stepped to it and hung there. Down below, an area of about ten meters wide was covered with mists. The rest was just a typical forest.


    Meera saw the cook and wrestler taking shelter by the same tree where she had seen them last. Thanks to her superior vision, she noticed the movement in the mists, and it was heading for the escapees.


    She launched her chakram to them. Stepped to the chakram, caught it, and landed beside them. Urvan almost punched her but stopped at the last moment. Tamas just stifled a shriek.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Meera said. "When I give you the signal, you both run in that direction." She had just pointed the way out when pain erupted in her back.


    She groaned and bit her lower lip. She couldn''t be sure, but the mist warrior had just slashed her back. Pieces from her mirror armor skittered to the ground, followed by the dripping of blood.


    "Miss!" Urvan moved for her.


    "Just run! I''ll be fine." Meera''s armor closed around her wound even before Vitalize started healing her.


    She used a Mirror Blast with a small amount of Mana. The former slaves had cleared the blast radius, but Whispers had not. Her blast hit him full tilt, leaving behind a smoky form. Meera turned and launched her chakram to it, but he stepped back into the mists and was gone.


    Meera ran after the escapees. She only stopped when she cleared the mist. But the mist was not far behind.


    "It''s coming for us," Tamas cried as the mist snaked toward them. "We stayed ahead of that thing for a few days, but now¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Urvan snapped. "We did it once. We can do it again."


    "How did you do it last time?" Meera asked.


    Urvan looked away. "By leaving the injured behind¡­"


    The moment he said it, an idea popped into her head, and she knew it was Ambush Tactics at work. She took out her Gem of Echoes, and the world''s sounds became crisp and sharp. If she concentrated, she could even hear the elated heartbeat of the two before her. She placed the gem right below the golden jewel of the necklace and commanded the armor to hold it there, and it did. She could hear the swirling mists on Whispers'' body.


    Meera paused and closed her eyes to concentrate, which didn''t stop her vision. But she could hear the mists on the construct''s body. They moved differently than the regular mists like it was whispering as they moved.


    Meera smiled. "I know how to kill this thing."


    "How?" the wrestler''s voice boomed in her ears.


    "Just run."


    They looked at each other and then ran off, away from the mists. The mists were coming, and Meera stepped aside and activated Shroud of Shadows. She turned invisible and waited. The whispering grew louder as the invisible warrior came closer.


    This was a test to know if it could tell where she was when she was invisible. The mists washed over her, and the whispers were loud enough that they might as well be shouting.


    "She is here."


    "No, she is not."


    "We must find this warrior."


    "And kill her."


    "Then we find the mistress."


    These were said by different voices as if more than one entity controlled the construct. Meera waited, chakram ready, but Whispers didn''t attack. So, despite being in its mists, he couldn''t tell where someone was if they were invisible.


    It''s a design flaw if I ever saw one.


    He turned towards the two running away from the mist. Whispers must''ve thought that Meera had run away, or he was solely focused on his prey. She didn''t see the mists move at all, and neither did she until it left the mists behind.


    Whispers'' body came into view when he was out of the mists. Meera smiled. Took off four chakrams, activated Druvis Power, and launched them all at the mist warrior.


    Her aim had become perfect from throwing these things around so much, so all four cut through the construct''s body. Its whispers became erratic. Some even cried out. But Meera was not done. She activated Mirror Wing. She''d been practicing with this skill over the past few days and knew how it worked. Though, she hadn''t controlled this many chakrams at once.


    She took control of the chakrams, and they zipped through the air as they cut through Whispers'' body a dozen times and then some. Until finally, it fell to the ground.


    Meera deactivated her Shroud of Shadows, teleported to one of the chakrams, and recalled the others. She had figured the construct would be dead by now, but it wasn''t. Not until she showed herself. Then, Whispers'' mists dispersed into the air along with the mists he had created. But she heard one final whisper.


    "We are coming for you¡­"

 Chapter 75 – Borders of Azeria

    Meera looked at the spot on the ground where the Warrior of Whispers died, and the only proof that there was anything there was damp grass. She had to find out more about these constructs. She knew some things that would be helpful, but she couldn''t be caught unawares like last time.


    She pulled out a tiny mirror from her armor and threw it at the still-running escapees. She controlled the trajectory of the mirror through Mirror Wing and appeared before them. They both nearly barrelled straight into her, with some gasps and a shriek from Tamas, the cook.


    "It''s dead," she stated.


    "By the gods, you could''ve just shouted," Tamas exclaimed.


    Meera smiled. "I could have, but this was more fun."


    Tamas grumbled something that was hard to make out, even with her advanced hearing.


    Urvan looked back and spat on the ground.


    "He¡ªIt said we are coming for you. Is that a manner of speaking, or did he really mean that?" Meera asked.


    Urvan nodded solemnly. "He meant it. These things¡­They are like bloodhounds. Once they put a target on you, they never stop. Not until you are dead or within the borders of Azeria where the Bloodstone Watchmen will finish what they started."


    Meera frowned. "You''ll have to explain this to me in detail."


    "But before that, can we, by any chance, return to our food?" Tamas asked.


    Meera gave him a flat stare.


    "What? It could be my last meal, and I, for one, do not want to leave this world hungry."


    Meera sighed. "Fine."


    Tamas made no sounds of happiness or excitement. He simply turned towards Meera''s makeshift camp. She shrugged to Urvan, and they followed behind the cook. Her campsite had been trampled underfoot. Leha''s body still lay there in a pool of her blood.


    "We should move her," Meera said.


    ¡°No time,¡± Tamas said. "We should quickly eat and move along before the next one shows up."


    She looked to Urvan, who gave a solemn nod. "I''m sorry, but this is how we''ve survived. If you''re dead or injured, you get left behind. That was our only rule."


    Meera was appalled as they took their positions, and Tamas started eating right away as if the life-threatening battle had never happened. Meera covered Leha''s body with her blanket and turned to Urvan. "Now, please tell me everything you know about these constructs."


    "I''m guessing you''ve never been to Azeria," he said.


    Meera shook her head. "Though, that is my destination."


    "Azeria is not a nice place," Urvan said. "One step out of line, and you can find yourself in the same mess as us. Lose a wrestling match or create a dish that he doesn''t like, and you get thrown in the dungeons after they whip or maim you."


    "Sometimes, both," Tamas added.


    "About the thing that attacked us¡­" She felt awkward switching the conversation so abruptly, but she needed that information.


    Urvan sighed. "The Warriors of Whispers, also known as the Protecting Winds of Azeria, the Border Wall''s Wrath¡­the Queen''s Mistwalkers. They have many names, but most people simply call them Mistblades. You''ve seen first-hand why. I told you the queen created these abominations. Some say it was a wedding gift for King Rokibor. She is a Mistweaver, someone who can manipulate the mists to do all sorts of things."


    "A horrible wretch of a woman." Tamas spat. "In all my time serving the royal family, I don''t think I ever saw her smile. Not even once."


    Meera frowned. "You served the royal family? Like in their house¡ªerr, castle, palace, or whatever."


    Tamas gave her a skeptical look. "Aye, I was a cook to the royal family. Why do you ask?"


    "No reason. Just curious." She did have questions for him regarding the Shadowsteel Warlord, but she decided to save them for later. "Go on, Urvan."


    "So, the thing about Azeria is that it''s easy to spot. You just need to find the wall of mists. You know how most castles have a boundary wall protecting it."


    Meera nodded.


    "Well, King Rokibor and his brother Narikas, the Shadowsteal Warlord, have made so many enemies that if each one got in line to kill them. They would have to fend off a new foe each day for ten years. So, you can imagine this made the king nervous. So, he had his wife, Queen Nisaya, create a wall of mists along the kingdom''s borders. The queen weaved such powerful magic into the wall that it created a living mist wall that expands when new territory is added to the kingdom. Not to mention, it''s the home of the Mistblades. A place where they are the strongest."


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    Meera would be lying if she said she wasn''t impressed. She must have even a higher level than the witch to create a wall of mists that could spawn such warriors to protect them. Meera wanted one of those skills¡ªthe one to create warriors of mist. That could help if she had a host of warriors to fight by her side.


    "You said earlier that the border wall is coming for us. Did you mean these Warriors of Whispers?" Meera asked.


    They glanced at each other uneasily, and this time Tamas spoke. "No, the border wall itself is coming for us, which means His Majesty or Prince Narikas has subdued this region. So, we don''t have much time. From the gossip I heard in the castle, Mistblades don''t venture far from the wall. So, if they are coming, the wall is not far behind." He shoved another piece of salted pork in his mouth and said, between bites. "We sh¡­should move."


    "He''s right. The wall could be¡ª"


    "Shh!" Meera placed a finger on her lips. She thought she heard whispering. The kind that Whispers was spewing. She scanned the woods with Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity while concentrating on her hearing. She saw nothing, but there was it again, a faint whispering followed by the swirling sound of mists.


    "They''re here," Meera whispered.


    They both jumped to their feet.


    "Already?" Tamas shoved the last piece of meat in his mouth.


    "Where?" Urvan asked.


    Meera wasn''t sure, so she remained quiet, but the whispering had gotten louder. "I''m going to go invisible. You two make a run for it. Don''t worry, I''ll protect you and be close behind."


    They didn''t look too sure, but seeing as they had little choice in the matter, they nodded.


    "Go in that direction." Meera pointed away from the whispers. She hoped and prayed she was right.


    She activated her Shroud and went invisible. She pushed about a dozen mirrors from her armor and flew them to various trees. She attached some to the trunk and the other to branches, high enough that if they obscured the area with mists, she had a clear spot to land.


    She Stepped to one branch and waited. It didn''t take long for the Mistblades to show up. They blew in on the wind. One would have just seen some mist rolling in until the mist condensed and set into the form of two warriors with weapons at their hips. Other than that, it was hard to tell any features of the two Mistblades.


    [Warrior of Whispers ¨C Level 154]


    [Warrior of Whispers ¨C Level 157]


    One bent down to examine their campsite. Meera readied her chakrams.


    "They were here¡­here¡­." They both whispered simultaneously. "Tracks lead this way¡­But no tracks of the Reflection Hunter¡­"


    Meera didn''t wait for them to figure out where she was. She Stepped right between them and used Mirror Blast with a considerable amount of Mana. It got so bright that she was visible again for a moment. Light and mirrors assaulted everything in sight. She hoped the two didn''t just drift away, and even if they did. She had gotten them good.


    When the light finally faded away, she jumped back to the branch she was on and waited. The two Mistblades had drifted away when she attacked, but she had gotten them good. One was missing its entire left arm and a chunk of its torso, and the other, the one who was bending down, was missing its upper back, along with a portion of its head.


    They looked around as they still didn''t know where she was. Their whispering grew frantic, and Meera couldn''t help but smile. She jumped between the two of them, but this time, they saw her somehow as they both tried to swing at her. Their speed astonished her, but Meera was faster. She extended both hands and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage into their guts, and Stepped away before their blades cut into her.


    Mists started emanating from their bodies, obscuring them and the surrounding area. Meera bit back a curse and launched her chakrams at them while they were still visible. With their forms completely covered in mists, Meera knew she had to get them out of the Mists or use bait to draw them out of hiding.


    Sorry Tamas and Urvan. I''m going to need you as bait again.


    She remembered the time when Silas and Cossus used to use her as bait to hunt down the Nightcrawler Monkeys. I hope Silas is doing well wherever he is.


    It didn''t take them long to give up her pursuit, and the whispers moved away. Meera followed the whispers up in the treeline, and they were out of the mists. But only one Mistblade had shown up, which meant the other was still inside the mists looking for her.


    She followed him along on the ground. This thing didn''t run so fast that she needed to use Mirror Step. Urvan and Tamas were running for their life, and the Mistblade had almost caught up to her. As she was about to pounce on him, the thing turned and skewered her with her mist sword, which had extended more than ten feet.


    Meera gasped and spat blood, turning the mists red. But they were not done, and she realized how it had known where she was. The second Mistblade separated from the first and slashed at her head.


    Through intense pain, she brought up her chakram and deflected his blade. She was about to teleport away, but Urvan roared from behind the Mistblade and tackled the second one to the ground. He started pounding his fist into it.


    "Die! You filthy monster! Die!" He roared as he pummeled the Mistblade.


    But it wasn''t for long. The Mistblade dispersed, came up on his back, and pushed his blade through him. Urvan died on the spot.


    "No¡­" Meera didn''t have long herself. She threw her chakram away and teleported to it. She cried out when the blade disappeared from her gut. She activated Vitalize immediately, and the wound started healing, but not fast enough. She was seeing darkness creep up on the edges of her vision.


    She looked at the one who had stabbed her, who was standing still as a statue. She extended a hand and activated Vampiric Chains.


    She had no idea if it would work, but she had to try. Dark chains raced out of her hand and caught the mist monster. A moment later, Meera''s Health began climbing at a much faster rate. Pain shriveled as her wound sealed, and she felt better by the second while the Mistblade withered to nothing.


    Her chains fell to the ground, and the Mistblade was no more.


    The other one had seen what she had done. It started flooding the area with mists. Meera didn''t give it a chance. She threw six chakrams at it simultaneously, finishing it.


    Just when she thought her troubles were over, she was wrong¡­dead wrong.


    Tamas gasped and pointed behind her. "No¡­"


    A mist wall thicker than any Meera had ever seen was coming for them. The border wall of Azeria, the home of the Mistblades, was coming.

 Chapter 76 – Gifts From The Mist

    Meera stood up straight when the wall of mist hit her. She expected to be thrown off her feet, but all she felt was damp. She had just begun taking in her surroundings when Tamas screamed, making her wince and jam a finger in her ears. Thanks to Gem of Echoes, they felt like they would burst.


    He stumbled to his feet and ran away from the mists, but he didn''t get far as the mists were faster. But he still tried to run, and soon, the mists obscured him from Meera''s vision.


    She had to let him go as she had problems of her own. She had to watch out for herself. As harsh as that sounded and felt, she had no other option, as the Mistblades could materialize from anywhere.


    I need to get above this.


    She shot a chakram upwards, Stepped to it, threw it higher, caught it again, and finally, she was above the foliage. All she saw above and all around for miles was mist. There was no end in sight. The world had turned into a gray mist with no end.


    She used Mirror Step to land on the ground safely by making well-timed jumps. If this is now the border of Azeria, then¡­


    She quickly reached into her Hoard Belt and pulled out Kalrina''s compass. As soon as the compass left the safety of the Belt, the needle shattered, signaling she truly was in Azeria.


    She tossed the compass aside. The glass broke with a resounding crunch. With no direction, she headed forward in the direction of her camp. It didn''t take her long to find it. Leha''s body still lay there, covered with her blanket.


    She felt sorry for the poor woman. Her life couldn''t have been easy, and her death was even worse. Meera didn''t know what words to say, but she remembered the benediction Silas had said before lighting his brother''s pyre.


    "May Virelia take you to the light. May Lorendor show you the path. May Mirithia walk you home."


    Meera no longer had a fire skill, and she didn''t think it was a good idea to light a fire in this mist. It would serve only as a beacon for the enemy. She collected her leftover food, which wasn''t much, and made off in the direction she was going in before.


    This better be west¡­


    She walked slowly, eyes watching everything, ears listening and registering even the slight rustling of leaves. There were no Mistblades, at least none that she could make out.


    Meera didn''t bring Onyx out to conserve her Mana. She must have walked for half an hour when the adrenaline finally left her and the tiredness set on her. Her eyes became droopy again. She rubbed them and kept walking until a spot under this one tree looked exceptionally comfortable.


    She shook her head and quickly checked her stats.


    Stats


    [Health: 834/1010]


    [Stamina: 513/1040]


    [Mana: 527/1170]


    Okay, maybe I do need to take a break.


    But she wasn''t going to make the mistake of sleeping on the ground. She Stepped up to one of the thicker branches and got comfortable. She rested her head against the rough trunk. Even pulling up her hood didn''t do much. She was about to drift off but decided to bring up her notifications before going to sleep.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 3 Warriors of Whispers ¨C Level 153 ¨C Level 157. For killing an enemy 20 levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 7 levels and has reached Level 135. You have been awarded 21 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 130 in your main class, you have earned one more chakram.]


    Like always, another chakram appeared on her arm, bringing her total back to eleven. She was so thankful that this effect still worked.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 6 levels and reached Level 100. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 103% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Effect Upgraded. Mirror Affinity will provide a boost of 3% for every level.]


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    Meera smiled at that. More damage was always better, and she had a feeling she would need it for the coming fights.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 6 levels and reached Level 30]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 7 levels and reached Level 43]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 6 levels and reached Level 36]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 22. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 24% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 3 levels and reached Level 70]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 6 levels and reached Level 59]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 3 levels and reached Level 35]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 62]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 4 levels and reached Level 19]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 4 levels and reached Level 54]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 10 levels and reached Level 11]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 2 levels and reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 3 levels and reached Level 40]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 6 levels and reached Level 32]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 2 levels and reached Level 11]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 4 levels and reached Level 24]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mistwalk. Mistwalk ¨C Type: Active. You can teleport short distances by dispersing into mists and resembling at your destination. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mist Strike. Mist Strike ¨C Type: Active. You can channel your connection to the mist element and direct it into your weapon, making it intangible to physical defenses and allowing it to phase through shields and other protective barriers. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Right away, Meera knew she wanted the Mist Strike skill. The Mistblades had used it to bypass her Mirror shield and strike at her with their throwing weapons. But the only problem was that she didn''t have a connection to the mist element. In all probability, it meant that she needed Mist Affinity or something like that.


    But since she didn''t have Mist Affinity or a connection to the Mist element, she took Mistwalk. It was another way of teleporting, and she could find some use of it.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mistwalk ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Mist Telepathy. You can communicate silently with others through mists, allowing for covert strategizing. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    The second skill was Mist Strike again. It was almost like the system was tempting her to take the skill. She had a strong feeling she would be wasting this chance, but in the end, her curiosity won out, as Mist Telepathy was useless to her.


    [ERROR! You do not have the skill Mist Affinity, nor are you made of mists. You cannot earn this skill.]


    Thanks, Midiea, for making me waste this chance. You better give me Mist Affinity next.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Nimbus. Nimbus ¨C Type: Passive. You can step onto the air and walk upon it as if it were a solid surface. You cannot fly or take to the skies but walk above ground-based obstacles or access otherwise inaccessible locations. The air itself will become your pathways, offering a unique form of aerial mobility. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill of Whispering Mists. Whispering Mists ¨C Type: Passive. You can meld with the surrounding mist, becoming nearly invisible. The mists wrap around you, obscuring your presence and making you difficult to detect. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera was stumped. She wanted them both. Whispering Mists had immediate merits as she was stuck in a wall of mists for who knew how long. Not to mention, she was in Mistblades'' domain. But she couldn''t discount Nimbus either. That skill could come in handy in so many situations. For one, she wouldn''t have to worry about falling anymore.


    She chose Nimbus as it had its uses even after she left this mist wall.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Nimbus ¨C Level 1]


    Meera looked around, which was pointless as it was impossible to discern the Mistblades from the mists, and these mists seemed even thicker than the ones they produced. I hope I can get my hands on that skill. That can have its uses.


    She allocated her stat points into Perception, Dexterity, and Focus. She needed all three to survive the oncoming fights, especially Perception.


    After giving another look, she decided to get some rest. Not to sleep but to rest her limbs and recover some Mana and Stamina, but this was not her night. She heard a scream. Meera practically jumped to her feet.


    She listened for the sounds of swirling mists but heard nothing. Then, another scream. This one sounded familiar. She couldn''t be sure, but it sounded like Urvan, who was dead.


    Did he survive somehow?


    The problem was that Meera didn''t stay long enough to confirm. She saw the mists and ran for it. He could very well be alive. Meera cursed herself and readied to jump down, but an idea popped into her head.


    Meera activated Nimbus, walked off the branch into thin air, and did not fall. She waited like a cartoon character for a delayed fall, but no, she stayed there. She wasn''t floating in the air. She felt like she was standing on the ground. She took a tentative step down an imaginary staircase, and it worked.


    She had to stop herself from jumping up and down in joy. It was unreal. She was literally standing in the air. She overcame her excitement, descended the invisible staircase, and landed on the ground. She expected to be attacked right away, but another scream cut through the night.


    This one came from Tamas, the cook. The only escaped prisoner who was still alive. She ran for him and had not gone a few meters when a hand snapped out from the side of the tree.


    Her chakram was in her hand in a flash, and she was about to cut it off when Tamas showed himself.


    "How¡ª"


    He placed a finger on his lips. "Shh¡­" He asked her to follow her through hand gestures. She heard Tamas'' scream again, but he was right before her.


    "Tamas¡ª" She reached for him, only for her hand to go through him.


    Tamas'' smoky form morphed as the illusion wore off, and in its place stood a Warrior of Whispers with a sword in its hand.

 Chapter 77 – Screams Of The Hunted

    They can create illusions, too.


    Meera didn''t wait for the Mistblade to make the first move. She jumped aside and threw a chakram at it. But the construct was fast. It brought up its shield and blocked the blow. Meera swung the chakram around with Mirror Wing and left a deep cut in its throat, which was sealed immediately.


    Please don''t tell me the mists heal them too.


    Tamas'' screams had cut off when the Mistblade revealed himself, and she was sure more Mistblades were on their way, thanks to Mist Telepathy.


    Meera didn''t have long, so she got to work right away. The Mistblade was about the same level as the rest of them. She launched a Mirror Shard Barrage, keeping it aimed at his chest. The Mistblade dispersed, and thanks to all the mists, it was hard to make out where it had gone. She expected him to come up on her back, and he did.


    She used Mistwalk for the first time, and it was surreal. As the Mistblade emerged behind her, she drifted on the mists behind him and slashed its back, followed by two more slashes, before the Mistblade teleported away.


    Its whispers grew more erratic as it always did when it began taking damage. She was ready to throw out Vampiric Chains and suck the thing dry, but only it never reappeared. She still heard the swirling mists and whispers, which meant it was close, but everything was shrouded in gray mists.


    Damn your invisibility skill.


    She turned invisible as well. The mists were obscuring enough light from Mirithia that Meera didn''t even have to hide among the shades of the trees. Using Nimbus, she moved up off the ground by a few inches to not make any sound while she moved. The swirling sounds moved to her left, but she would only attack once she was sure where the Mistblade was.


    She stayed as still as possible. She had a feeling that these things would know if she moved. Meera focused on the ground, and to her left¡ªwhere she suspected her foe was¡ªthe leaves moved ever so slightly.


    She threw her chakram right away. It hit something as it was stuck in the mist, but the construct didn''t make any sounds of discomfort. Meera threw another chakram, teleported to them, and slashed the mists like a mad woman.


    The sounds of the swirling mists shifted behind her, so she used Mistwalk again, appeared behind it, and slashed it a few more times until, finally, the thing died. The Mistblade appeared momentarily before its mists joined up with the rest.


    I hate fighting these things. For once, I would like to fight something that is flesh and blood.


    She kept her feet off the ground as she left. She didn''t turn off Shroud of Shadows until she was far away from there. An idea popped into her head, and using Nimbus, she got around to the branch level and stepped onto a branch.


    It''s best if I stay up here.


    She walked from tree to tree, covering the gaps with Nimbus. It didn''t take long for Tamas'' screams to start up again. Her eyes had begun to get droopy when they started, and she was shaken wide awake once again.


    She had half a mind to take off Gem of Echoes and get some sleep, but that would be equivalent to a death sentence. If their strategy was to tire her out, it was working.


    Her Stamina was falling fast from keeping Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity up, and she felt the Gem of Echoes also used up her Stamina. I will need to test this theory later. For now, it''s one foot in front of the other and ignore the screams.


    She did that for a while until they were grating on her nerves. She couldn''t even be sure; she was heading in the right direction. She cursed Kalrina for making a compass that only worked until it reached Azeria.


    I should have asked for a compass that pointed the way to the Shadowsteel Warlord.


    The screams got louder and more dire. She could feel the pain in Tamas'' voice if it was actually Tamas'' and not another illusion. The last illusion had been so good that Meera didn''t even hear the swirling mist sound, or maybe she had overlooked it because of Tamas'' visage.


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    She shook her head, ignored the screams, and moved on. She walked a little further, and the cook''s cries got even louder. Now she was sure that she was walking towards the screams. Then she heard the whispers.


    "Make him scream louder."


    "We must draw the other."


    "She cannot escape."


    "We will kill her."


    "Kill her."


    "Then we find the mistress."


    All of these were jumbled together, so to anyone without ears like hers, it would sound like hissing. They kept repeating more variants of the same thing. She ignored most of it and focused on only one thing¡ªmake him scream louder.


    She activated Shroud of Shadows, carefully made her way to the screams, and gasped when she saw the scene below. In a small clearing, they had tied Tamas and beaten him so severely that the man was hardly recognizable. His nose was smashed flat. One of his eyes was swollen shut. He had many cuts all across his body. The poor man''s moans were so pitiable that they brought Meera to tears, and she didn''t even know him.


    I have to save him from them.


    But she couldn''t just jump down there and attack as two Mistblades surrounded him, and who knew how many more were hiding in the mists, waiting for her to fall into their obvious trap.


    Okay, Ambush Tactics, show me how it''ll be done.


    The skill popped some ideas into her head, most of which involved figuring out if it was a trap. Once that was done, then she just had to kill them. She activated her Shroud, used Nimbus to walk on the air, and did a sweep of the whole area. As she did, she concentrated as best as she could on listening to the swirling sounds of any hidden Mistblades.


    She didn''t hear any other Mistblades, thankfully. Now, she had to confirm whether Tamas was the real one or another illusion created to lure her in. She picked off a few leaves from the trees, positioned herself over Tamas'' head, and let the leaves fall.


    The leaves fell on Tamas and didn''t go through his body. Meera smiled. The pair of constructs looked up, but they didn''t see her. If they had, Tamas would''ve been dead, and this would have descended into a fight.


    She ran through some scenarios in her head, and there was no solution that didn''t involve fighting these things. She hadn''t forgotten how they had skewered her last time. Whatever she had to do, she had to do it quickly. But Mirror Blast was out of the question, as that would kill the cook, given his delicate situation.


    She smiled as something clicked. She pulled off her Level 2 chakram, landed to the side of the Mistblades, and lined up her throw. She tossed the chakram and decapitated the two Mistblades in one throw. Meera wasn''t sure if this would kill them, but she hoped it would do considerable damage at the very least.


    She recalled her chakram and waited at the ready for the Mistblades to reform. They did. But before they could dissipate into the wind, she threw her chakram again and, with Mirror Wing, chopped them to bits again, and this time, they didn''t reform and joined the mists permanently.


    She let out a sigh of relief and freed Tamas, who wept, holding onto her. "Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I thought¡­I thought¡ª"


    "It''s okay," Meera said. "You''re safe¡­for now. Can you walk?"


    He winced and almost fell, trying to get to his feet. Meera caught him and helped him up. "I got you. I would say take it easy, but we don''t have that luxury."


    Tamas nodded. "I understand. Can you please promise me one thing?"


    Meera frowned a little. "What?"


    "P-Please don''t leave me behind," he quivered.


    Meera finally realized what they had to do to survive this long. They had left others behind just like this. They must have been caught by the Mistblades and tortured, just like he was, to draw the rest out.


    "The things we do to survive," Meera said, more to herself than him.


    He lowered his gaze. "I''m not proud of what we did, but can''t you see there was no other way."


    "It''s okay. I understand. I won''t leave you behind. Now, we need to get out of here. I imagine the others know what we''ve done here."


    Tamas nodded, relieved. "Thank you. I won''t slow us down, I promise. I know a place where we can take refuge from these infernal mists."


    Meera smiled. "Then lead the way."


    Tamas started the arduous task of walking. His left leg must''ve been injured pretty bad as he tried putting any weight on it and winced. She could only watch for so long. She threw a chakram and cut up a branch into a walking stick. His pace picked up from there. Not much, but enough to not make her flinch at every little noise.


    He finally stopped at a big tree and bent down to move a big bush. He was about to tip over, so Meera did it for him. Inside was what seemed to be a small cave. It must have formed naturally as the tree grew around something, or someone could have dug it themselves.


    Tamas entered first, and Meera quickly followed him in. She moved the bushes in place.


    Tamas leaned against a root or a dirt wall. It was hard to tell as it was almost pitch black in here. Places like these made her regret giving up the Night Vision skill. Meera found a spot on the ground opposite Tamas.


    "We used this as one of our hiding spots," Tamas whispered. "We should be okay here for a little while at least. Dawn should be breaking soon. We can strike out then." He moved a little and flinched. "Maybe we can wait a little longer."


    Sleep was already encroaching on Meera''s vision. "Yes, let''s wait a little longer. We both need the rest. Then we can see how to get out of these mists."


    Just as Meera was about to sleep, the screams started again. This time, it was Urvan''s. Even Tamas sat up straight at that but put on a brave face. "That is how they lure you out. Illusions and screams. Pay no mind to them. Urvan is dead. I''m sure of it." He didn''t sound sure.


    Meera nodded and, against her better judgment, pulled off the Gem of Echoes and placed it in her belt. It didn''t take long for sleep to find her after that.

 Chapter 78 – Going The Wrong Way

    Meera was shaken awake and found Tamas'' concerned face blocking her vision. Relief filled his face right away.


    "Oh, thank the Mother, you are okay," Tamas whispered.


    "Wha-What time is it?" Meera asked. "Did I oversleep?"


    "Not just you." Tamas sat back down with a wince. "I''ve done the same. We''ve slept for too long. It is almost evening."


    "What!" Meera cried.


    "Shh!" He threw a fearful eye to the opening. "Or do you wish to bring them down upon us?"


    "Sorry," she whispered. "We slept the whole day away."


    "I''m afraid so. But can we be blamed for it? I mean, look at us." He gave Meera a look over. "Well, look at me. You still look good enough to dine with nobility."


    "How did we sleep so long with those screams?" Meera pondered. The screams hadn''t stopped. They became more distant, but they were still there. She could only imagine the Mistblades doing rounds in the mists while they were hiding in this dank hole.


    The cook shrugged. "This cave or grotto, or whatever you wish to call it, must''ve kept most of the noise out, and then there is also the fact that we were both exhausted."


    Meera saw Tamas was in pretty bad shape through the waning light coming from between the shrubbery. He had multiple cuts on both arms, and his left leg was heavily damaged, though the bleeding seemed to have stopped. His eye was still swollen black. Meera wished she had some skill to help him. Her healing skill only worked on herself.


    "You''re in bad shape," Meera commented.


    Tamas nodded. "Don''t I know it? But believe it or not. I was in worse shape when we fled the dungeons."


    "How did you escape the dungeons in the first place?"


    "It wasn''t just us three, as you may have guessed," he said. "It was a whole lot of us. Three hundred, in fact."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "Three hundred?"


    "Yes, of which, I''m the lone survivor. Though, a lot of us split up after that first night. But those who decided to stay in Azeria were even bigger fools."


    "You''re going to have to tell me this from the top."


    His head fell as he sighed. "All my life, I served the royal family like a good, loyal servant, but then one day, the food wasn''t up to his standards, and the King threw me in this dungeon to be whipped and fed food unfit for a dog. I begged and begged for His Majesty''s forgiveness, but he is not the forgiving kind. Oh, no, not the King nor the queen, and the less that can be said about his brother, the better."


    "You mean Narikas, the Shadowsteel Warlord?" Meera inquired.


    "That''s right. The Shadowsteel Warlord¡­you know he doesn''t even leave Tearsfell Prison."


    Meera frowned.


    "Oh no, it''s not a prison. He just calls it that. In actuality, it''s a dread fortress, the strongest fortress in Azeria, nay, all of Rhione, I would say. It holds his two personal armies, the Shadow Vanguard and the Steel Sentinels. These armies are the terror of any kingdom on this world."


    Meera made a mental note to find out more about these armies. She had a feeling she would end up fighting soldiers from one or both of these groups. And she was practically drooling at all the fantastic skills they had.


    "Anyways, you wanted to know about how we broke out. Call it a twist of fate or a gift from the gods, but we escaped because a lightning bolt pulverized the prison walls. And it happened on the very day the king was visiting for an inspection or a personal torture." He shrugged. "Who can say."


    "It had been raining all day. Lightning lit up the night sky, and I was looking out of my cell when this bright lightning bolt hit the prison. I believe half of the prisoners ran away. As I said, we must have been three hundred, if not more. We were too big a group for the prison guards to round up. And with the king there, they had to ensure his safety first. So, they focused on containing all those poor souls who did not find salvation from that shithole that day. As for us, they figured the Bloodstone Watchmen would round us up."


    Tamas sighed. "By the gods, they were right. I almost wish I was one of the unlucky fools who did not attain freedom that day. Nearly half of our numbers perished on the first day. The Bloodstone Watchmen are thorough, and practically a small army of prisoners is hard to miss. After that, people started splitting up and going their own way. Twenty of us decided to make for the borders and leave Azeria once and for all. We knew the risks that posed, but none of us could have guessed that the mist wall and its guardian would come for us in pursuit. Now, I am the last, and I wonder if I would''ve had a better chance if I had stayed in Azeria."


    Meera gave him a reassuring smile. "We can never know, and my father used to say, you only waste time dwelling on what-ifs. You''re here now, and so am I. That''s all that matters. Let''s find a way to escape this mist and away from those hunting us." She paused. "Uh, those Bloodstone Watchmen, are they people or more constructs like¡­"


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "No, they''re real people," the cook replied. "Fanatics, but they''re flesh and blood."


    "Oh, thank god," Meera sighed.


    Tamas snorted. "You might not be so thankful once you see them."


    "You leave them to me. Now, how do we get out of this Border of Azeria and into the kingdom itself?"


    Tamas''s lone working eye widened. "Are you mad? I go back there, and I''m dead within a day. In case you forgot, I''m a wanted slave who escaped from¡ª"


    "Wait, you said slave, but I thought you were a prisoner?"


    "The terms are interchangeable in Azeria. Rokibor is and has been known to exploit his prisoners in any way he pleases. That is not to say he doesn''t do that to the local populace. That''s why he was in the prison to select his fresh new victims. Some say he sacrifices them to the gods for more power, as whoever he selects is never seen again. You know, despite all the tortures and brutality, I thought he was a good man. That he had his reasons but¡­"


    "You didn''t see his true self until it happened to you."


    Tamas nodded. "Some say he''s been slipping of late. Folk have even taken to calling him Rokibor the Mad. You can imagine what happens to anyone caught calling our illustrious king that name."


    "And his brother is worse?" Meera asked.


    "Oh, believe me, everyone should avoid him like he has the plague."


    Great. For once, I would like to go to someone friendly and helpful.


    "So, how do I get there?" Meera asked. "I had a compass, but it broke."


    "Even after everything I''ve said, you still want to go there?"


    "I have no other choice, and from where I am sitting, neither do you." Meera took this one from the witch and hated herself for it. "You can either come with me to Azeria or make your own luck in the mist wall."


    Tamas was taken aback. "I did not think you could be so cruel."


    "I''m sorry, Tamas, but I''m being realistic. You cannot expect me to give up on my quest solely to help you." He looked away at that. "Let''s say, even if I do the impossible and get you out of this mist, then what? By your own admission, these Mistblades would not stop coming for you as long as the border wall keeps expanding¡­" She paused as she realized something.


    "What?"


    "The border is expanding. That''s it." Meera nearly jumped to her feet. "If the border wall is expanding, we just need to wait out the mist wall. If we keep hiding here, the wall will eventually pass us by. Do the Mistblades not enter the realm?"


    He shook his head.


    "Great. We''ll be free without having to do anything."


    Though the loss of experience from not killing the Mistblades would be keenly felt on her levels, it was the safer option.


    "That is a wise strategy, but¡­" Tamas sighed. "I''m afraid it might not work as well as you think. For one, the border wall is miles wide. We''ve been here almost a day, and it still hasn''t passed us. How do we know it is still moving and hasn''t stopped? And, finally, do you have enough food and water for two people to sustain themselves for days?"


    They were all excellent points. Out of the three, she had only one thing under her control. She quickly checked her Lunar Hoard Belt and cursed internally. All she had left after feeding the three of them was a few fruits, a couple of carrots, and a loaf of bread. If it were just her, she could ration this out for days, but with Tamas. She''d be lucky if it even survived two days.


    "I see your point," she finally conceded. "Then that means we''re headed into Azeria."


    "What else could be expected of a Varshan?" Tamas grumbled. "Always looking out for themselves."


    It''d been a while since she''d been called a Varshan, but it didn''t make it any less annoying.


    "Firstly, I''m not a Varshan, and second, I''m the only thing standing between you and certain death. So, please be nice." She flashed him a dangerous smile.


    "I-I apologize."


    "Accepted. Let me quickly check my notifications, and then let''s head out."


    He nodded and said nothing more.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 3 Warriors of Whispers ¨C Level 154 ¨C Level 158. For killing an enemy 20 levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 5 levels and has reached Level 140. You have been awarded 15 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 140 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakram.]


    A chakram appeared on her arm, bringing her total back to twelve.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 3 levels and reached Level 103. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 106% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 5 levels and reached Level 48]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 3 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has reached Level 23. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 25% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has reached Level 71]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has reached Level 60]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 2 levels and reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistwalk has gained 5 levels and reached Level 6]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimbus has gained 4 levels and reached Level 5]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 2 levels and reached Level 42]


    For the first Mistblade, she got a choice between Mistwalk and Mist Strike, and since she needed Mist Affinity for Mist Strike, she ended up choosing Mistwalk. For the next, she got Nimbus and Mist Telepathy¡ªshe chose Nimbus. And for the last, she got Whispering Mists for the first one, and the second was something new, but the Mistblades had used it on her.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Mistbound Illusions. Mistbound Illusions ¨C Type: Active. You can manipulate the mists in your surroundings to create lifelike illusions to distract and confuse your enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Now, once again, Meera was stumped. Whispering Mists allowed her to meld with the mists and become invisible, which would be amazing in getting through them, but she already had Shroud of Shadows for invisibility. The illusions might be able to fool the Mistblades and let them pass through undetected.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mistbound Illusions ¨C Level 1]


    Once she was done, she stood. "I''m ready. Let''s go."


    "We''ll be going the wrong way, but sure, let''s go."

 Chapter 79 – Dash Through The Mists

    Meera got out of the grotto first and made sure there were no Mistblades around. The sun had set, and the white light of Mirithia shone through the foliage above. It was challenging to differentiate the Mistblades from the mists and nigh on impossible once they had the Whispering Mists skill active. So, she listened for them. When she heard no swirling mists or whispers about killing her, she motioned for Tamas to come out.


    He barely managed with the walking stick Meera had made for him. The man was too badly injured, and she had no potions or healing skills to fix him. I really need to pick up a skill that heals others as well.


    Meera looked at Tamas'' injured leg and then at Onyx''s tattoo on her hand. "I''m going to need you for this, friend."


    "Huh?" Tamas scratched his head.


    Meera brought out Onyx, and he came out like he always did¡ªvery dramatically. A rush of white smoke melded with the mists, and once it cleared enough, in its place stood a powerful black stallion.


    Tamas gasped. "How did you do that?"


    Onyx snapped his head from left to right, looking as confused as he should be. "Where did all this mist come from?"


    Tamas shrieked and hid behind Meera. "How can it talk?"


    "It can hear just fine, too," Onyx replied


    "Ahh!" Tamas held onto Meera for dear life. "That''s a ghost. I can see its tag. It''s latched onto you."


    Meera frowned and Identify''ed Onyx. She hadn''t bothered to do so before, as there was no need.


    [Bonded Spirit ¨C Level 87]


    "Hey, what do you know? Onyx, you''re no longer a Trapped Soul."


    "I guess since I''m no longer trapped in that cave and only trapped in your soul," he replied.


    "Would you like to go back to the cave?"


    "No, ma''am."


    "Good boy." Meera pulled the scared Tamas off her and brought her forward. "Tamas, meet Onyx, our ride out of here. Onyx, this is Tamas. He''s our guide, sort of."


    Tamas shivered all over. "Y-You know this-this¡ª"


    "Don''t say beast, or I''ll bite your hand off," Onyx interjected, making matters worse.


    "Onyx," Meera scolded. "Don''t worry, he''s actually very nice. He won''t hurt a fly." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Let me tell you a secret, bonded spirits can''t hurt anyone until their human commands them to."


    Meera gave Onyx a look, and thankfully, he got the meaning and shut up. "See, he got all quiet because I asked him to."


    "O-Okay, and you''re sure he won''t do anything¡­unnatural to me?" he asked.


    "No, not at all. He''s very nice. Go pet him."


    "I can do that?"


    "Of course, you can. Onyx will let you."


    Onyx neighed. "Sure. Come here."


    Tamas took his sweet time paddling to Onyx while Meera kept her ears open for any Mistblades. The only problem was their illusions. Last time, she could not tell the illusion apart from the real thing. She saw something move to their left, and out from the woods, clutching a bloody wound in his chest, came Urvan.


    "Okay, we need to go now." Meera activated Druvis Power, picked up Tamas, who felt light as a feather, and seated him on Onyx. The cook cried out and made sounds of disapproval, but she had other things to worry about. Urvan''s illusion was moving too fast for someone with a hole in his chest. She promptly jumped up on the stallion''s back.


    "Tamas, hold on tight. Onyx, run. No matter what, you don''t stop. They''re coming after us."


    "Who''s coming¡ª"


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Tamas," the Mistblade posing as Urvan called and doing a damn good impression of him. "P-Please help¡­"


    "Oh, by the gods," Tamas exclaimed. "How are you alive?"


    "Onyx, run."


    Onyx shifted on his feet. "Shouldn''t we help¡ª"


    "No, we should not. Just run!"


    "Meera, Urvan needs our help."


    If Onyx were a real horse, she would''ve yanked his hair out in frustration. "That is a Mistblade, casting an illusion on itself. They''ve done the same thing to me before."


    As soon as she said that, the illusion vanished, and a Mistblade emerged.


    "Oh no, a ghost!" Onyx cried and, thankfully, shot off.


    Tamas nearly tumbled off his back but ended up grabbing hold of Meera at the last minute. He held on tight and hugged her back after that. If the threat of the Mistblades weren''t imminent, she would have told him to back off.


    The Mistblade took off after them, and his speed was nothing extraordinary, but then he started using Mistwalk. He dispersed from one spot only to reform at another, and that was enough to match Onyx''s speed.


    He threw a couple of misty throwing knives. Meera''s first thought was to activate a Mirror Shield, but they had passed her shield before. So, she pulled Onyx out of the way.


    "Onyx, they''re throwing weapons at us. Swerve between the trees to dodge them."


    "O-Okay, but I''ll be slower."


    Shit. She patted his neck. "It''s okay. Just do your best."


    She pulled off a level 2 chakram with difficulty as Tamas wouldn''t let go of her but gave her enough space to take it from her back. She launched it at the enemy.


    The Mistblade deflected it with his sword, which elongated to double its original length. She hated that she didn''t have Mist Affinity. She used Mirror Wing and brought the chakram back to sever its head, but the Mistblade turned at the last minute and stopped her chakram.


    They learn from their failures, which is fantastic for them but not so fantastic for me.


    She tried to get him a few more times, only for him to block or deflect her blow each time. Even though she did not kill the Mistblade, she put enough distance between them that it would be impossible for it to catch up to them. She recalled her chakram and hoped she hadn''t come too far. Her chakram zipped straight for her like a bullet. It cut through tree trunks like they were nothing and was in her hand in no time.


    "Tamas, are we going in the right direction?" Meera asked.


    He looked around and then up at the planet named after the mother goddess. "Seems so¡­I think."


    "We can''t afford to head in the wrong direction¡ª"


    She heard whispering again and started looking about in every direction.


    "W-What?" Tamas asked.


    Meera ignored him and listened intently. The worst part was the whispering was growing closer. Are they catching up to us?


    She scanned the woods up ahead. They were dark and filled with mists, but everything was filled with mists. Since her advanced vision failed her, she relied on her advanced hearing, listening to their whispers.


    "We will kill them both."


    "Yes, we will."


    "They come."


    "Our prey comes."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "Onyx, stop!" She pulled on his hair. She pointed to her left. "Go that way."


    Onyx neighed and, without another word, took off to the left. The whispers cried foul play, but Meera had guessed right. They were lying in wait to ambush them. Four Mistblades appeared out of the mists, weapons at the ready.


    All four threw throwing weapons at them. She swerved Onyx back in their original direction. It saved them from the throwing knives, but the Mistblades vanished into the Mists. She still heard their whispers, but she could not know where they were.


    "Onyx, if you can run faster, now would be the time," Meera said.


    "Hold on tight," the stallion replied.


    Meera gripped his mane tighter while it wasn''t possible for the trembling cook to hold on to her any tighter without suffocating her. Onyx shot off like a blazing missile. He swerved through trees like he had been born to do this. Meera''s eyes watered too much from the wind, so she shut her eyes and relied solely on her Mirror Eagle Perceptivity skill.


    She had to toss her chakrams to cut through some low-hanging branches, or she and Tamas would have been slapped off Onyx''s back. The rushing wind in her ear made it impossible to hear the Mistblades'' whispers.


    They continued at this speed for a little while before Meera pulled on Onyx''s hair, telling him to slow down. He slowed down to a trot, and she listened intently and heard whispers, but they were faint. Nothing immediately concerning, but they weren''t far behind.


    "Tamas, how far until we clear these mists?" Meera asked.


    "I don''t even know where we are, miss." He looked about. "This is all so¡­so confusing."


    Meera wanted to shout and curse, but she kept it quiet. Keep a cool head, Meera. That''s what Dad taught us. She had to figure out a way to get rid of them. When she thought they would get a breather, the whispers intensified again.


    She gave Onyx a light kick. "They''re back. Go."


    "Full speed?" Onyx asked. "You will have to tell me why we''re running from these ghosts when I saw you kill hundreds of wraiths back in the cave."


    Back in the cave, I had safe zones where they couldn''t get in¡­


    Something struck as odd to her. "Onyx, not full speed, but still run." As her stallion friend took off, she turned to the wounded cook. "How did you escape this mist wall the first time?"


    "We went through a gate. There are many in the border wall, with the Bloodstone Watchmen standing guard along with the Mistblades to back them up. Somehow, it makes it easier to sneak out. We hid in a merchant''s wagon."


    "I don''t suppose we''re close to a gate, are we?"


    "No, I don''t think so. The border moved last night, so the watchmen wouldn''t have had enough time to set up proper gates. I don''t think there even are gates in the border wall right now."


    "This night just keeps getting better and better."


    "That''s just it," Tamas cried. We just need to survive the night, and if we can get through to the other side by daybreak, we''ll be safe. As I said before, Mistblades are not allowed in the realm and cannot survive outside the border wall in the day."


    "Why didn''t you say so sooner?" She pointed forward. "Is this still the right direction?"


    He looked up at Mirithia and seemed to be doing some calculations. He nodded. "That is still west. So, we should be headed in the right direction."


    "Onyx, max speed ahead."


    "Leave it to me. I''ll get you out of this scary mist before you can even blink."


    Why do I get the feeling he jinxed us¡­

 Chapter 80 – A Brave War Horse

    Meera gripped onto Onyx¡¯s mane for dear life and hoped the horse hadn¡¯t jinxed them with their proclamation, which the Mistblades must¡¯ve heard as the whispering was constant, but she saw nothing, aside from the gray mists, which somehow seemed thicker as the woods had started closing in on them. It slowed down Onyx, but not enough to scare Meera that he was about to run through a tree.


    Tamas was mostly a trembling mess, but she could sympathize with him. She was taking him back to the very land he had run from. And he was, after all, just a cook. She would have to find a way to keep him safe.


    But that was a problem for another day. The more immediate concern was the invisible warriors hunting them and these mists that obscured them and made them more powerful. She felt the sensation of the wind dying down.


    ¡°Sorry, Meera, I¡¯m going to have to slow down,¡± Onyx said as he slowed considerably. ¡°I can¡¯t see where I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about tripping over a root or hitting a tree. Just keep going.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you do. If we¡¯re not careful, I could hit a tree or a branch and send you rolling.¡±


    ¡°So much for getting us out of here in the blink of an eye,¡± Tamas muttered, still clinging to her.


    ¡°When they show up, I¡¯ll speed up again,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, well, that is the problem,¡± Meera replied. ¡°They could show up as a tree or a rabbit. I cannot detect them if they are in an illusion¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed off as she realized two could play the games of illusions. She activated the Mistbound Illusions skill and focused on creating an illusion that looked like them.


    Poof!


    The mists condensed and formed another version of them riding through the woods. The resemblance was uncanny.


    Tamas gasped. ¡°How did you...¡±


    ¡°I picked up a skill along the way. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    She moved her arm and waved to the illusion, but the illusion did not wave back. Not until Meera willed it to. So, it is not a perfect illusion, but enough to fool the enemy, I hope.


    She created another one to the first illusion¡¯s right side, leaving her on the side, as she figured the one in the middle would be attacked first.


    She didn¡¯t have the illusions match their speed perfectly. The middle one was a little faster, and the other a little slower.


    ¡°There that should delude the enemy some. But no one talks from now on. I don¡¯t think I can make them talk,¡± Meera said.


    They said nothing, but Tamas¡¯s head bopped against her back. They rode in silence for some time. But even in this silence, the whispers were constant and growing louder. Then, without warning, the middle illusion dispersed.


    Both Meera¡¯s had the same reaction¡ªone of shock. Tamas shrieked and whimpered while his reflection didn¡¯t, which, if they were paying close attention, should have given them away.


    ¡°Mistblades! Run!¡± Meera shouted.


    Onyx picked up the pace and dashed through the woods. The Mistblades still hadn¡¯t shown themselves. But it was here, or they were close by. She had no way of telling their numbers. Something zipped through the mists. She moved Onyx to the side, and the throwing knife flew past. Meera tried to figure out where it had come from but could discern nothing.


    Before the next one came for them, she pulled Onyx towards their illusion and the illusion towards them. As they crossed each other, she created another illusion and left it in the middle. They ran for some time, and still nothing. Then, as one, both illusions vanished, and the Mistblades showed themselves this time.


    They weren¡¯t chasing them but stood staring after they destroyed both illusions. This was a trap. Meera pulled on Onyx¡¯s mane hard. The horse skidded as it tried to stop, but it was too late. A Mistblade appeared and sliced through Onyx¡¯s chest. The ghost was fine; he probably didn¡¯t even feel the cut, but Meera did. The Mistblade¡¯s sword nearly sliced off both her legs. She cried out and activated Vitalize.


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    Then, two more Mistblades materialized to her right. The way forward was cut off. Tamas clutched onto her so tightly it was getting hard to breathe, coupled with the pain in her legs, which made it hard to think.


    ¡°Onyx turn around!¡± Meera shouted in the heat of the moment.


    ¡°I can do something better,¡± Onyx said.


    The stallion neighed and plowed through the Mistblade that stood in their path. The Warrior of Whispers was thrown to the ground and trampled upon by Onyx¡¯s hooves. Then he shot off through the woods, away from the Mistblades. This time, they did give chase.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°The thing is, I am a war horse,¡± he replied. ¡°Or was. The reason I was sold to Edwyn was¡­¡±


    The answer came to Meera instantly. ¡°You were too skittish.¡±


    He swerved between some trees before replying. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the bravest horse I know.¡±


    ¡°I am the only horse you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s false. I own a stable full of horses back home.¡±


    ¡°Can you please pay attention to the monsters on our backs? They¡¯re almost on us,¡± Tamas cried.


    ¡°Are they almost on us, Onyx?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°No, they¡¯re not. Hold on tight.¡±


    Onyx picked up speed and left only white smoke in its trail. Trees zipped past them. They were going so fast that Meera didn¡¯t even have time to cut the low branches. She ducked and hoped Tamas followed her example.


    As they rode, Meera put two more illusions of them to confuse their attackers. But it seemed the Mistblades had illusions of their own.


    Onyx swerved past a tree, but it was no tree. It morphed into a Mistblade who was swinging its massive sword at her. She activated Mirror Shield at the last second. It protected her from being sliced in half, but she was still violently thrown off Onyx¡¯s back. She activated another Mirror Shield behind Tamas to protect him from the fall. Given his broken body, this was going to hurt either way.


    They fell and skid on the ground, thanks to Mirror Shield, which protected them from numerous scraps and bruises. Meera¡¯s fall was doubly cushioned, but the poor cook cried out and groaned as she bounced on him before they came to a stop amidst a horde of Mistblades.


    Meera groaned, but thankfully, nothing was broken. She pushed herself to her feet, body aching all over. She activated Vitalize and checked on Tamas. The Warriors of Whispers closed in on them, whispering like madmen.


    ¡°Time to kill.¡±


    ¡°Kill them both.¡±


    ¡°And that horse.¡±


    ¡°Then we find the mistress.¡±


    ¡°Meera!¡± Onyx cried. It was hard to see with all these Mistblades blocking the view, but somehow, her horse friend didn¡¯t stop but turned around, maybe even ran through some trees, and came straight for her. The Mistblades saw him coming and stepped aside, not wanting to be trampled like last time.


    Tamas was in bad shape. He whimpered as he cradled his left arm, and his bleeding leg had only gotten worse. ¡°Tamas, can you stand?¡±


    The cook didn¡¯t even form a proper reply and just shook his head.


    Onyx skidded to a stop before her. ¡°Meera, jump on me. I¡¯ll get you both out of here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Meera said. She activated Druvis Power and picked up Tamas in her arms carefully. ¡°Take him and get out of here. I¡¯ll be along shortly.¡±


    Not wanting to lose its prey, a Mistblade lunged for her back. She pulled a chakram from her wrist using Mirror Wing and deflected its blow, then shot it with a Mirror Shard Barrage from her back. She didn¡¯t even know she could do something like that, but it didn¡¯t hurt to try. The Mistblade was blasted back into a tree.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Onyx asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get them off our backs, or we¡¯ll never make it out. So, just go. I¡¯ll catch up with you shortly,¡± Meera said. ¡°And no matter what, do not come back for me. I¡¯ll find you.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t I just go poof if I get too far from you?¡±


    Meera loaded Tamas onto his back. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± She slapped his rump and sent him running.


    ¡°You better come after us soon, or I¡¯m coming right back,¡± he called as he ran.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Meera turned her attention to the Mistblades, who whispered amongst themselves whether they should go after the cook or stay here and fight the warrior. In the end, they decided on Meera.


    They chose wrong.


    She pulled off her level 2 chakrams, tried to crack her neck, and failed. Well, so much for looking like a badass.


    She activated Shroud of Shadows and turned invisible, as did the Mistblades. Then, at the same time, she started three illusions of her. All three illusions were dispersed in moments. So, that is out of the question.


    She heard the whispers getting louder, which meant they were coming closer. She stayed in her spot, smiled, and activated Mirror Blast. She knew she had hit something as a bunch of notifications popped off in her head.


    Only one Mistblade returned to normal, so Meera launched her chakrams and, with Mirror Wing, made quick work of him. She ran to change her position and recalled her chakrams. But as soon as the chakrams returned to her, she heard another sound. One that she had just heard receding, only now it was getting louder again.


    The sound of horse hooves.


    The next moment, she saw smoke emanating from Onyx¡¯s form as he rushed to her. She ran to meet him and left behind a dozen illusions. She returned to normal, and Onyx¡¯s eyes widened. He dug his hooves so hard that poor Tamas was nearly launched off his back.


    ¡°You really should put a saddle on here,¡± Tamas grumbled.


    Meera ignored him and talked to his friend. ¡°What the hell are you doing back here?¡±


    ¡°So, it turns out you were wrong. I¡¯m not so brave after all. Please get on my back so we can get out of here together.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re never going to leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°I know, but we can make it,¡± Onyx said. ¡°I can get us out of these infernal mists. You didn¡¯t leave me behind in the cave. I¡¯m not leaving you here.¡±


    Meera smiled. All her illusions were gone already, which meant the enemy was coming. She jumped on Onyx¡¯s back, keeping Tamas in front of her this time. ¡°A brave war horse indeed. Now, get us out of here.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±

 Chapter 81 – They Shouldnt Do That

    Meera held onto Tamas as he clutched Onyx''s mane, and she hoped his grip was strong enough to not send them tumbling off the stallion''s back. The Mistblades had reappeared and were running full tilt towards them. They couldn''t match Onyx''s speed. Not when he was running this fast.


    But that''s where she was wrong. They couldn''t match Onyx''s speed, but their weapons could.


    Three shapes came whizzing through the mists. Meera knew right away they were throwing knives. She erected a Mirror Shield to block them, but the worst happened. They disappeared at the last moment, only to reappear after clearing her Shield and embedding themselves in her back.


    Meera cried out. Her fists clenched on Tamas''s dirty shirt. One throwing knife hurt particularly badly as it had grazed her spine. All three dissipated into the mists soon after. Meera healed herself, but the sensation of pain lingered. I cannot take many more of those.


    "You, okay?" Tamas asked over the wind rushing by them.


    "Yes. They just got me good. Nothing to worry about."


    She knew the Mistblades were chasing them as the whispers remained constant. After a few moments, which felt like an eternity, the Mistblades finally showed themselves.


    Two more had joined the pursuit for a total of eight Warriors of Whispers.


    Meera was content with running away, but with how fast they were gaining on them and their infernal Mistwalk, which seemed to be getting a boost from their home turf. And Onyx had to slow so they wouldn''t smash into any trees. It wouldn''t be long before they were on them. So, Meera decided to earn some experience and skills.


    She removed one of her Level 2 chakrams from her back and threw it at one of the Mistblades. It side-stepped, but that was no matter as thanks to Mirror Wing, it didn''t take her long to dissipate it into the mists. She quickly moved for the second one, and once she felled him, the others wised up and turned invisible.


    Meera gritted her teeth and recalled her chakram, hoping to get someone on the way, but she was not so lucky. More throwing knives zipped at her. This time, she erected a Mirror Shield on her back, leaving no space between the two. Her Shield stopped the throwing knife. She felt a slight thud, but that was all. She kept the Shield there, knowing others would try something similar.


    This chase went on for some time. Her Mana dropped considerably from having to keep Onyx out and sprinting. Not to mention, Mirror Shield was also taking a portion of her Mana, albeit a tiny portion.


    The night was in full swing now. Mirithia even tipped to the western sky now. So, whenever she got a peak of the ringed planet, it looked like they were heading directly towards it.


    The whispering had grown fainter but not gone completely. Meera had hoped they would have given them the slip by now, but they could literally spring out of nowhere here.


    Tamas leaned back. "Meera, I know a place ahead where we can stop and rest."


    Meera listened for the whispers, and they were a little ways off. Maybe they could give them the slip. "Where?"


    "In the wagon, we hid in as we crossed the border," Tamas replied.


    Meera wasn''t sure about this, but it had been a while since they had been riding, and a break to rest and recover her Mana was sorely needed. But then her hopes were dashed as fresh new whispers grew louder and louder.


    "Sorry, Tamas. There is no rest for us this night. Mistblades ahead," she replied.


    As soon as she said it, three Mistblades jumped down from the trees, but they didn''t touch the ground; instead, they remained a few feet off the ground thanks to Nimbus.


    "Tamas?"


    The trembling cook finally snapped out of it. "Oh, right. Go right and¡­"


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As he gave Onyx directions, Meera prepared to face them. If it weren''t for Mistblades'' brethren at their backs, she would have stood her ground and faced them then, as Onyx was about to go right and follow Tamas'' directions. Something alerted her. It was not sight or hearing but an instinctual warning.


    "Onyx, just go straight," Meera ordered.


    "You sure?" He asked. "I mean, they are right there."


    "Yes, that is precisely why we should go right through them."


    "Have you lost your mind?" Tamas asked. "In case you''ve forgotten, I have no armor or¡ª"


    "It''s a trap," Meera interjected. "Why do you think we have six invisible or who knows how many at our backs, and these two decide to show themselves? They are goading us to go towards their trap. Onyx, go straight. I''ll take care of them."


    She extended both hands. With one, she shot a Mirror Shard Barrage directly into a Mistblade''s chest, sending him flying into a tree. With the other hand, she shot out Vampiric Chains. They wrapped around the other Mistblade and began sucking him dry.


    Her Health rose higher as the Mistblade withered. This one slashed at the chains with his blade but ended up failing, as when they passed him by, he was dragged behind them. Meera''s Health topped up by the time he was gone.


    The other Mistblade got up, saw what she had done to its brother, and dashed away. He didn''t even bother to give chase.


    "Looks like those chains of yours scared them," Tamas said.


    "Maybe."


    Meera wasn''t sure that was it, but the whispers quieted over the next few hours to the point where she heard nothing. Did my Vampiric Chains scare them that much?


    "Are they still behind us?" Tamas asked.


    Meera surveyed the area with eyes and ears. "Not that I can tell."


    "How can you tell? You didn''t even look behind you."


    "I have a skill for that. I''ll tell you about it someday."


    Onyx chuckled.


    "Say, can we slow down, please," Tamas asked. "All this running is wreaking havoc on my body."


    Meera''s first response would have been no, but seeing his condition and the fact that he hadn''t complained, Meera slowed Onyx to a trot. They traveled quietly with no run-ins with the Warriors of Whispers.


    It was some time since she had heard any sounds of the Mistblades. It was suspiciously quiet. They crossed this tree, and she heard nothing. Before that, she at least heard the chirping of crickets and other noises of insects and smaller animals, and then nothing.


    They passed this corridor of trees, and her Wild Instinct skill went wild. She realized what was up, but before she could even dig her heels into Onyx''s hide, Meera''s eyes widened as she gasped.


    Three Mistblades had stabbed her in the back.


    ¡°Onyx¡­run¡­¡±


    Her friend didn''t question her for one second and took off. The rest of the Mistblades dropped their illusions and stepped out of the trees. Every tree in this corridor was a Mistblade. There must have been more than two dozen, maybe more. Meera activated Vitalize and hugged Onyx''s sides with her legs as she pulled off her two greatest chakrams.


    They had disguised themselves as trees. That was how she had not known about them. Mist Telepathy¡­They informed their brethren about Meera''s ability to hear them, so they cast illusions on themselves to hide.


    Meera wanted to slap herself for slowing down. They should have kept going until they were out of these mists. I got overconfident. Not again.


    Onyx blazed through this area. Mowing down any Mistblade stupid enough to get in his path. Meera covered her and Tamas'' legs with Mirror Shields and launched her chakrams into the horde of Mistblades. With Mirror Wing, she controlled them and cut as many down as she could, which was not many as it seemed they had wised up to her tricks.


    Tamas did the sensible thing of hugging Onyx''s neck. She covered him with Mirror Shields as best as possible. Meera slashed with her smaller chakrams when a Mistblade came closer, firing off Mirror Shard Barrages, one after the other. Her Level 2 Chakrams sniped any foe that came close, but they still crowded them, making it harder for Onyx to run.


    She couldn''t use a Mirror Blast, or she might as well say goodbye to Tamas. So, she brought her big chakrams around to the front to clear a path for Onyx. She groaned and cried out when the mist constructs got a good hit in, and they got in many. One was actively trying to pull her off the horse. She activated Vampiric Chains around that Mistblade and sucked him dry to heal herself while it thrashed, trying to get away.


    The others gave her some distance after that. One stabbed her with its elongated sword through her bicep. Meera cried out, but she was already healing herself. One left a deep cut on Tamas'' thigh, making him scream. Meera shot a Mirror Shard Barrage in its face, and it dissipated into the mists. In every sense of the word, it was chaos all around.


    The level 2 chakrams did their work beautifully and cleared a way for them, and it didn''t take Onyx long to clear them after that. By then, she had killed only four and left cuts on many more.


    Then she realized why the Mistblades had come out in such force. The mist wall ended a few meters after their blockade.


    Onyx ran out into the night, and she could finally see clearly after so long. Meera couldn''t stop grinning.


    "Onyx, stop." She reached around Tamas and pulled on his mane with difficulty.


    He came to a slow stop, and she turned him around to face the Mistblades, who had gathered at the edge of their home.


    "We did it." Tamas didn''t sound sure of himself. "We did it. We escaped the Mistblades." Then he laughed, and Meera laughed along with him.


    Their laughter was cut short as the constructs did something they were not supposed to do or, by Tamas''s account, they could not do.


    The Mistblades stepped through the border wall and into the kingdom of Azeria to finish their hunt.

 Chapter 82 – The Mistblades Weakness

    "I know they cannot hurt me," Onyx said. "But these things are making me nervous."


    Onyx had said out loud what Meera had been feeling for hours, ever since they left that grotto. Almost twenty Mistblades had stepped out of the mist wall, leaving the security of their home to come for them.


    "By the gods," Tamas gasped. "How are they doing this?"


    "You told me they cannot come inside the kingdom," Meera barked without meaning to.


    "They cannot. Not unless the queen wills it."


    "Well, you''ve made your queen really mad, or these constructs are malfunctioning."


    "So, I assume we''re still running from them," Onyx said.


    Meera almost considered fighting again. It would be easier to kill them here, that was until they spread their own mists. Then, it would be about as bad as it had gone inside the mists. And Meera was not fully healed yet. Her legs and sides still supported numerous puncture wounds, which were still closing.


    She checked her stats to figure out a game plan.


    Stats


    [Health: 819/1060]


    [Stamina: 762/1090]


    [Mana: 558/1370]


    Her eyes widened at how low her Mana was, and it was dipping, thanks to healing herself so much, all those skills she had used in rapid succession and Onyx. Of all these, she could only cut back on using magical skills. She needed to keep the other two going to stay alive.


    "Meera?" Onyx asked.


    "Yes, Onyx, we run."


    "Great. Mister Cook, please point the way," he said.


    "Oh, this is going to hurt." Tamas pointed to their right with a shaky finger. "There was an abandoned shack which we took shelter in when we came through here last time. If we''re fast enough, maybe we give them the slip and hide in there."


    Onyx didn''t need to be told twice. He sped off in the direction Tamas pointed while Meera kept an eye on the Mistblades, whose whispers had gotten strange.


    "They head for the mistress."


    "They will hurt her."


    "Kill them."


    "Kill them all."


    "Then we find the mistress."


    The Mistblades ran for them the moment her stallion friend took off. Another great thing about being out of the mists was that they could no longer make themselves invisible at a whim.


    Meera launched one of her Level 2 chakrams at the horde. The first Mistblade deflected it by extending his mist sword to almost triple its length. Oh, I so badly want that skill.


    But the first deflection did not deter Meera. She kept throwing chakrams and used Mirror Wing sparingly to harass the horde of constructs. It slowed them down, if nothing else, giving Onyx enough time to get away from them.


    Onyx made good use of the time Meera bought him. Now that they were out of the mists, Onyx could move faster and maneuver better between the trees. Meera no longer had to worry about a low-hanging branch smacking her in the face.


    "A-Are they still after us?" Tamas whimpered.


    "Just focus on getting us to the shack," Meera said. "I''ll focus on the Mistblades. Onyx, you better pick up the pace, buddy. We''re nowhere closer to losing them at this rate."


    "I''m trying my best," Onyx managed.


    Another unnerving thing about Mistblades. They didn''t hoop, holler, or roar like normal soldiers. They simply ran or dispersed and reformed using Mistwalk and deflected her chakram. She hadn''t gotten a single hit in yet, but she did keep them busy, so that was something.


    Onyx eventually created enough distance between them that she was reaching the limits of Mirror Wing. So, Meera recalled her chakrams.


    The whispers grew fainter as Onyx left them in his dust. But still, the Mistblades were on their tail. Though quite far behind.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "How far is this shack?" Meera asked impatiently because soon, she would have to let go of Onyx to conserve her Mana for the inevitable fight.


    "It shouldn''t be far," Tamas said. "I know this area well. We stumbled around here for a long time trying to escape the Mistblades."


    "Did you always have so many on your tail?" Meera asked.


    "Just the one, but back then, we didn''t have a warrior that could fight back."


    "How lucky for you and unlucky for me."


    Tamas chuckled nervously but didn''t give any remarks and focused ahead. There were no roads, just trees widely spaced. Thankfully, the mist wall stayed where it was. In the end, Tamas was right. They would have died of hunger if they had remained in that grotto, waiting for the wall to pass them by.


    She checked her Mana, which was down by almost a hundred points. Not a good sign at all. She was about to tell Onyx to stop and that they would go on foot when Tamas cried out excitedly.


    "Look! There it is." He pointed to their right. "I knew I could find it."


    Meera zoomed in on the shack. It was a rundown hut, with half its roof caved in and broken windows. She could even see the cobwebs on the windows. Thankfully, the door still held, so that was something.


    "Okay, let''s get off here," Meera said.


    "Huh? But it''s right there. Wouldn''t we be faster on horseback?" Tamas protested.


    "We would be, and we would also lead them directly to us. I have a plan. Let me get off first." Meera jumped down but never landed on the ground. Thanks to Nimbus, she kept herself a foot off the ground.


    "How are you floating?" Onyx asked. "Did you pick up something new?"


    Meera smiled. "Yes, and a couple of other things." She patted his neck. "Thanks for getting us out of the mists."


    "Hey, no problem. If you die, then so do I...again."


    "Onyx, can you do something for me?"


    "Anything?"


    "Tamas and I will get off here and head to that shack on foot. I need you to cause a distraction for the Mistblades. Raise as much smoke as you can. Let them see you, and once we''re at the shack, I will call you back."


    "That should be easy." Smoke rose off Onyx''s body in droves.


    Tamas moved to jump off his back, but she motioned for him to wait. With the way that he was, he would fall and break a few of the bones that were intact in his body. She activated Druvis Power and picked him up off the horse''s back, but instead of putting him down on the ground, she hefted him on her shoulder.


    "I don''t want to leave any footprints for them to follow," Meera said before he could object. "Onyx, you''re good to go."


    "Okay, see you soon." With that, her brave steed ran off in the direction they were running in.


    Meera ran for the shack, and with her Druvis-powered legs, it didn''t take long to get there. Tamas groaned, winced, and must''ve told her to slow down several times, but they didn''t have the luxury of going slow. A few minutes later, she set Tamas down on the steps of the shack. Up close, it looked even worse. The wood was rotted in several places, planks were missing in several places, and when she opened the door, it fell inward with a loud thud.


    She immediately checked behind her toward the small Mistblade army, and thankfully, they were still headed toward her horse friend.


    "Sorry," Tamas said. "I forgot the door was broken."


    Meera had half a mind to give him hell over it, but she just motioned him in. Inside, it was dark and dirty. Insects crawled all over. Meera could see and hear them, which only heightened the creepy sensation.


    "Well, let''s make ourselves comfortable," she said. "At least until dawn, which cannot come soon enough."


    Tamas dusted off a spot on the ground by the window, sat down with difficulty, and gasped immediately. "Meera, they''re coming¡­"


    "Already?" Meera moved for the window, and they were. Not all of them, about six to eight. The rest were still following Onyx, who must have made it quite far by now and was still running, which meant he could go quite far from her.


    "Okay, stay hidden here," Meera said. "I''ll figure something out."


    She activated Shroud of Shadows and left the shack. She activated her armor''s special ability and littered the area with tiny mirrors, giving her enough jump points that she could be anywhere she needed to be. She could have used Mistwalk, but Mirror Step was faster.


    Then, using Nimbus, she moved to about seven feet in the air. Next, she used Mirror Wing and strategically placed most of her chakrams in the area around the shack. Wherever Ambush Tactics said, it would be best. The problem with these things was that they could talk with each other telepathically, so as soon as they saw Meera, the rest would come running, and not to mention they had wizened up to Meera''s tricks.


    They arrived a few seconds later.


    Meera had to make the first attack count, so she jumped between them and used Mirror Blast. The world was shrouded in light. The shack''s front half was nearly cut to ribbons and fell on itself. She hoped Tamas was okay, but she couldn''t worry about him.


    This time, she had deactivated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity before the blast and shut her eyes so she didn''t have to waste time for the white spots to clear up. She activated the Mirror Eagle skill and formed her hand into a fist. All her chakrams came crashing in on the Mistblades.


    Nearly half of them were deflected by the Mistblades.


    Then Meera witnessed a horror. A second Mistblade came out of the ones fallen on the ground, and these were fresh, undamaged by her blast.


    Meera''s eyes widened. There''s not eight Mistblades here, but¡­sixteen.


    That was almost all of them. They had hidden in the bodies of others like the two did when they almost killed her. Shit. Shit. Shit.


    The ones who had taken the brunt of the blast stood to join their brethren. They all started covering the area with a thick mist and assimilating with the mists.


    Meera closed her fist, and her deflected chakrams ripped through the Mistblades. Three of them died on the spot. Only a few teleported away, but the rest, it was hard to tell, as the mist was thick once again. She Stepped away to one of the mirrors she had planted on a tree branch.


    The branch swayed under her weight and a Mistblade must''ve been watching as a misty throwing knife came flying her way.


    She was still invisible, so that must''ve been on instinct alone. She side-stepped into the air and, with Nimbus, stayed there. That one throwing knife was followed by four more. They all embedded into the tree before dissipating.


    They don''t know where I am. I could just stay here.


    Then she heard a whimper and knew the Mistblades had reached inside the shack. She was about to teleport to the shack when they dragged a hysterical Tamas out of the hut and left him on the ground in a clearing.


    "We know you can hear us. Come save your friend," a Mistblade whispered.


    Meera had no option. She readied herself to jump into the mists when their whispers became frantic, almost painful.


    "The light comes¡­"


    Meera turned around to see the sun''s light peeking through the leaves. Dawn was here.


    "Run, you shitheads!" Tamas yelled.


    The Mistblades ran westward, whispering a myriad of things.


    "Run¡­"


    "Run to the mistress."


    "She will save us."


    "We must save her¡­"

 Chapter 83 – A Wanted Poster

    Meera watched the Mistblades disperse into nothing as the first rays of the sun touched them. Tamas sat hollered and yelled more curses. For the first time in what felt like a long time, the threat of the Mistblades was gone, at least, till nightfall.


    With a start, she realized that Onyx was still running away. She called him back to her soul, and the tattoo returned to her hand. She called him out, and Onyx appeared before her.


    "You''re safe!" he cried and nuzzled her with his head.


    Meera chuckled. "Yes, we''re safe. The sun saved us."


    "Huh? Like the actual¡­"


    "Yes, the actual sun. Turns out the Mistblades cannot survive in the sun outside their mists."


    "You''re going to have to explain who they were and why they were chasing us and¡­" He lowered his voice. "And why are we lugging this fellow around?"


    Meera told him of her adventures since she last saw him, how these Mistblades had been hunting Tamas'' folks, and who he was. It took a while, but it gave Meera a moment to rest. Tamas, for the most part, was okay, aside from some fresh new cuts and scrapes.


    "Okay, this kingdom does not sound like a nice place," Onyx said. "Do you think we''ll be able to find your brother here?"


    "Your brother?" Tamas asked. "That''s why you dragged me back to this hellhole."


    Meera winced inwardly. Onyx gave away the one piece of information that she did not want anyone to know, not in a land like this. So much for me posing as a bounty hunter.


    "Yes, he came here for¡­work and hasn''t returned home in a while," Meera said. "I''ve come looking for him."


    "Do you know which town he went to?" The cook asked.


    Meera shook her head.


    "Did he write any letters or give any indication of where he was headed before he set out?"


    Again, Meera shook her head. "I was away on business, and he was gone by the time I returned and left only a letter that stated he was coming here."


    "And nothing else?"


    Meera thought about it for a moment on how to best keep this lie going. Thankfully, Onyx kept quiet and didn''t spill the beans even more. "No, not that I can think of."


    "Is he an adventurer like you?"


    She nodded. "You could say that."


    "Then he most likely went to join one of the Kingdom''s armed forces. We can think about this later. For now, I think we should rest and¡ª"


    "No, no resting," Meera interjected. "Knowing us, we''ll pass out and not wake till they are on us again. Let''s put as much distance as possible between us and that border wall. We''ll rest when we can find some shelter for the night."


    She looked to Onyx, and he neighed. "You know I don''t need to rest."


    She helped a grumbling Tamas get on top of Onyx and jumped up herself, this time taking the driving seat. She asked for directions to the nearest town, gave Onyx a slight kick, and took off at a trot.


    Another great thing about Onyx was that he didn''t need much maneuvering. Once Tamas gave the direction, Onyx took care of the rest. It took them only a short time to get up on a paved path.


    Tamas fidgeted behind her. "Uh¡­ are you sure it''ll be safe for us to be on the road with-with¡ª"


    "With who? Onyx? Yes, we''ll be fine." Meera said. "Tell me where this road leads?"


    "To the town of Rosmis," he replied. "Nothing too fancy but big enough that it gets its share of passersby. We should be able to blend in quite well, provided we walk into the town and not¡ª"


    "Not ride in on a ghostly horse," Meera finished for him.


    "You know, Tamas, you''re really making me regret saving you," Onyx commented.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that," Tamas quivered.


    "I''m sure you didn''t," Meera said. "Now, try to get as much rest as you can and hope they have hotels with rooms for us."


    Tamas frowned. "What''s a hotel?"


    "You know, a place where you can rent a room for the night or maybe more."


    "Oh, you mean an inn. Do they call it a hotel outside of Azeria?"


    "Yes." That was all Meera said. I need to watch my words. Note to self, use more fantasy words.


    The trek on the road got boring soon enough, as there was a winding paved road ahead and trees on either side. With time to kill and to make sure she didn''t go to sleep, Meera caught up with her notifications. By now, she must''ve gained many skills after the amount of Mistblades she fought last night.


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    *ding!*


    [You have killed 13 Warriors of Whispers ¨C Level 154 ¨C Level 158]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 12 levels and has reached Level 152. You have been awarded 36 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 150 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakram.]


    A chakram appeared on her arm, bringing her total back to thirteen. It would have been fourteen if not for the one she lost to the witch. That would sting until she got that chakram back.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 9 levels and reached Level 112. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 115% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 9 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 8 levels and reached Level 56]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 8 levels and reached Level 47]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 10 levels and reached Level 19]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 9 levels and reached Level 32. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 34% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 3 levels and reached Level 63]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 5 levels and reached Level 40]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 3 levels and reached Level 65]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 5 levels and reached Level 24]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 5 levels and reached Level 59]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 8 levels and reached Level 21]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimbus has gained 2 levels and reached Level 7]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistbound Illusions has gained 5 levels and reached Level 6]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 6. You can now Identify people up to seventy levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 7 levels and reached Level 22]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 6 levels and reached Level 22]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 3 levels and reached Level 45]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 7 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 2 levels and reached Level 13]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 2 levels and reached Level 26]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Soul Bond ¨C Onyx the Stallion has gained 11 levels and reached Level 12]


    Next came the task of picking her new skills, and she prayed she got Mist Affinity after killing thirteen of the things and hitting many more. She deserved that much, or her chances of getting it increased. She was sorely disappointed.


    She got the same skills again, for the most part. She accepted Mistwalk every time it showed up. Mistbound Illusions was next, even though it was practically useless now that she was out of the mists. Mist Strike showed up so many times, and she had to ignore it, which crushed her each time. Nimbus showed up a fair number of times, and she was quick to grab that.


    As she had just about given up hope for getting something new, this showed up.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability activated. You have stolen the skill ¨C Mist Concealment. Mist Concealment ¨C Type: Passive. You can cover your immediate area with an ethereal mist, obscuring vision and allowing for strategic maneuvers. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera smiled. Finally!


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Mist Concealment ¨C Level 1]


    She finished up the rest, picking the skills she already possessed. When the last one rolled by, she was almost depressed that she never got Mist Affinity and had to let go of nearly ten Mist Strikes. A skill perfect for an assassin. Sometimes, I hate my ability.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistwalk has gained 2 levels and reached Level 8]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimbus has gained 3 levels and reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistbound Illusions has gained 2 levels and reached Level 8]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Stalker has gained 4 levels and reached Level 25]


    That concluded all her notifications. It surprised her that she had hit twenty-two extra Mistblades and not killed them, on top of the thirteen that she did kill. If only she had killed them all, she would have been swimming in experience. Not receiving Mist Affinity was a blow she would not soon recover from.


    Next, she did the only thing remaining, which was spending her attribute points. She distributed a few points to everything aside from Power. The majority of the points went into Endurance and Agility. Overall, it was coming along nicely.


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 111]


    [Power: 30]


    [Dexterity: 89]


    [Endurance: 119]


    [Focus: 142]


    [Agility: 96]


    [Perception: 91]


    She focused on the road, and as the day wore on, they didn''t see many travelers on the road, for which she was thankful as she did not want to raise any concerns that the ghost of a horse haunted her.


    Around late afternoon, she noticed a brick wall in the distance. Meera squinted, zoomed in with her eyes, and saw the town of Rosmis. The wall was a boundary wall; beyond it, she saw houses. There were two guards with spears posted on the gate. She saw some people milling about, but it was hard to discern anything noticeable.


    "Onyx, go a little faster," she said.


    Tamas, who had been dozing off leaning against her back, sat up straight. "W-What?"


    Meera had seen something posted on the wall by the guards that she wanted to make sure of before she decided to move in. She kept her vision focused and gasped when the poster became clear.


    She pulled on Onyx''s hair. He quickly came to a stop.


    "What is it, Meera?" Onyx asked.


    There was no mistaking it. The poster was a wanted poster of someone who looked exactly like Neel.

 Chapter 84 – The Not So Quiet Town

    Meera''s eyes were fixated on Neel''s image on the bounty poster. It was a sketch, you could call it at best, but the artist might as well have taken a picture with his hands. The only difference in this picture from the Neel she remembered was the wispy facial hair. It made him look older than he was.


    She teared up at seeing her brother''s face after so long. Even though it had only been a few weeks, maybe a month, since she had last seen him, but this month had felt longer than a year. The ache in her heart was renewed at seeing his face again. Memories from years past came rushing back. The first time she held him to the time she would look after him as their mom fell sick. She effectively had to step in for their mom once she was bedridden. Her dad used to say Neel had two mothers, one that brought him into this world and one that raised him.


    "Meera?" Onyx called.


    That shook her out of her daze. Meera quickly wiped at her eyes. "Yes, sorry. I thought I saw something. Well, I did see something. There are two guards posted up ahead, along a wall. I''m thinking that is the town of Rosmis."


    "You can see that far ahead?" Tamas was surprised again.


    Onyx chuckled but said nothing.


    Meera continued. "We will go on foot from here, and before you say something, I''ll help you, Tamas. Onyx, I''ll let you rest for obvious reasons."


    "Hey, I wanted to see a real city after so long," he protested. "But fine."


    Meera jumped off the horse and helped Tamas down before patting Onyx''s side. "Thanks for getting us out of that mess. We wouldn''t have made it without you."


    "No problem."


    She recalled him and his tattoo returned on her hand as he disappeared in a big puff of smoke. She turned to Tamas. "Let''s go find you a healer."


    "Wait. You''re going into town looking like that?"


    She looked down at herself, and her armor was fine. "Why? What''s wrong with it?"


    "Do you not have thieves where you come from?" He asked. "If you go in wearing all that gold, you might as well paint a big sign that says¡ªrob me. Though, your Varshan looks might be a deterrent."


    Meera let out an annoyed sigh. "Firstly, it''s not gold, and like I said, I''m not a Varshan. But I see your point."


    The armor''s description said it could change according to its master''s desires. So, she decided to give it a go. She tried something simple at first, like changing all the gold to black to match the rest of the armor.


    It didn''t even take long. She just had to think about it, and all the gold turned black, making Tamas gasp. Then she decided to take one step further and made holes in her arms and some on her knees and lower legs, followed by a small one on her sides. Wherever she thought about it, her armor receded to give her a look that she had been in one hell of a fight, which she had.


    Tamas'' eyes widened. "How are you doing that?"


    "My armor''s special." She smiled. "Now, let''s go and let me do the talking."


    "Shouldn''t I, seeing as I''m from this country?"


    "No, you''re too injured and a fugitive on the run." Meera tapped her lips with a finger. "On second thought, sure, you can fill in the bits."


    With that, they moved to the town. It was slow going without Onyx, and Tamas winced with each step, but his cane surely helped. But it broke halfway, so Meera put one arm over her shoulder and helped him. In a way, this was better. They looked more destitute. It was almost evening when they reached the wall. The sun gave way for Mirithia to shine.


    Off to the side was the big oval Gateway Mirror, guarded by two big guards in some heavy-looking armor, holding nasty-looking halberds. The two guards at the gate looked more normal. They had average builds and wore leather armor over their brown and blue uniforms. It was rather unimposing. The only difference was that one had a twirly mustache, and the other didn''t.


    "Halt!" One of the guards barked. "And state your business."


    "This here is Tamas, and I am Meera. We ran into each other in the forest where the Mistblades attacked us," Meera said.


    "And the escaped prisoners from His Majesty''s dungeons," Tamas took over. "They took everything we had. And as you know, the border wall moved again a couple of days ago, but it left behind some Mistblades, which weren''t too kind. I only survived as Meera here is an accomplished fighter. But in our hurry to escape, we had to leave everything behind. Please, sirs, we''re desperate. You can see the condition we''re in. I need help¡­we need help."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Meera was impressed. It was a much better lie than she could have ever come up with herself.


    The guards looked them over and then at each other. The twirly mustache guard twirled his mustache even more as he went to his partner and whispered. "So, looks like they hit someone else."


    "It''s been a week, and they''ve been out of control," replied his partner. "Someone has to do something about this. We can only take in so many injured folks."


    "But we must help them. Look at him. He''s near half dead."


    "But his partner isn''t, and she''s¡­"


    "Right¡­"


    Of course, Meera wasn''t supposed to hear any of this, but she didn''t have normal ears. The mustache guard stepped forward toward Meera, and she knew what was coming even before he opened his mouth.


    "What is a Varshan doing in Azeria?" he asked. Upon hearing Varshan, the heavily armored guards immediately turned towards her, grips tightening on their halberds.


    Meera smiled and did her best not to sound contentious. "I''m not a Varshan, sir. I probably got too tanned from being out in the sun for too long. I''m a hunter, you see."


    He squinted his eyes, and she knew he was using Identify on her. So, she did the same on them.


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 83]


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 84]


    [Gateway Guardian ¨C Level 136]


    [Gateway Guardian ¨C Level 138]


    Meera relaxed as she knew she could take them. They were probably more afraid of her. So she did her best to appear meek and tired.


    "Fine," the mustached guard finally said. "But no trouble from either of you or it will not end well."


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tamas chimed. "We''ll get some supplies and be gone."


    Meera smiled at them again, eyed Neel''s poster, and had a strong urge to rip it off but could not risk starting a fight.


    "Head to the healer on the third street on your right. Her name is Dalia. She might be a little gone in her old age, but she''ll fix you right."


    The other guard snorted. "Probably the only healer who isn''t swamped right now, and make sure you find some rooms for the night. It''s curfew after dark. The mayor wants no one outside on account of¡­well, you know."


    "The Mistblades have been attacking your town?" Meera asked.


    "Every night for a week now."


    Meera glanced at the wide-eyed cook. "Um, if you don''t mind, can I touch the Gateway Mirror?"


    The guards looked at each other, and the mustache one started twirling it again. "Usually, we make it a point not to let a Varshan touch our mirror, but who are we to withhold someone from Midiea''s gift." He motioned with his head.


    "Thank you." Meera rushed off and touched the mirror. A day ago, she would have been intimidated by the halberd-wielding Gateway Guardians. Now, she smiled at them as she placed her palm on the mirror and returned to Tamas.


    They said their thanks to the guards and moved in through the gates. The town was nothing much. She could see the opposite wall, which could not have been more than a kilometer away if even that. There were standard slanted-roof wooden houses with stone chimneys. Most of which had smoke coming from them.


    Meera caught quite a few people staring, and she knew why. Just stay calm, Meera. Take deep breaths and walk away.


    They followed the directions to Dalia and didn''t need to ask which was her house. It had a short line of about five people waiting to get healed. Meera quickly fixed the holes in her armor before anyone began staring, which they did, and then the whispers started, which were all rude.


    Luckily, they didn''t have to wait long. Meera let Tamas go in alone, as she didn''t want to waste time explaining to the old healer that she was not a Varshan. As she waited, she thought of getting some gold back in her armor, which would read¡ªNot a Varshan.


    Tamas returned a man rejuvenated. "All healed, finally."


    Meera snorted. "Let''s go find something to eat. I''m starving."


    "You stole the words from my mouth," Tamas said. "You better let me take the lead because¡ª"


    "Because everyone thinks I''m a Varshan."


    "Yes."


    Meera sighed and motioned for him to lead the way. Tamas asked for directions from one of the people standing in line, and off they went. It was easy to find the row of houses which were actually inns. They all had smoke rising from their chimneys. They tried three before finding a table empty for two in the fourth one.


    This one was also packed with people. When the serving lady came for their orders, Meera stopped her before she went away.


    "Wait, why is it so packed?" Meera asked.


    "Well, something awful''s happening in the kingdom," said the plump woman. "Something awful, indeed. Only until a few days ago, we but needed to look east and see the border mists looming and now, the border''s so far gone, I would need a horse to go find it."


    Tamas nodded. "Yes, we saw it move."


    She gasped. "Then you have seen them. The Mistblades¡­"


    "Oh, we saw them, indeed," Meera said. "They nearly made a meal of us."


    "It''s an awful business. Some say the Queen''s lost control of the border and her pets. There''s been no fighting this way. No talk of tensions with our neighbors, yet we''re taking over their lands. I tell you, this could lead to war, and we''ll be the first casualty if those infernal Mist spawns don''t get to us first."


    "Is that the reason for all these people?" Meera asked.


    She nodded. "All the folk out there in the forests who were going about anywhere should have moved on long ago, but now we keep getting more people. At this rate, we''ll starve. The mayor needs to do something about all this and soon."


    "Say, do you have any rooms available for the night?" Tamas asked.


    She shook her head. "Sorry folks, we''ve been all booked up since the day before yesterday. But you two seem like nice folk. I''ll talk to my husband, and maybe we can find you a spot on this floor that he hasn''t rented out. That greedy man would even place people in the attic. Oh, I shouldn''t say that out loud. The man has the ear of a wolf, especially when money''s concerned."


    As soon as she was gone, Meera heard something interesting.


    "Did you hear a thief broke into Tearsfell Prison?"


    The other man gasped. "No, who would be mad enough to steal from the Shadowsteel Warlord."


    "Apparently, the Champion."

 Chapter 85 – Bounty For The Champion

    "That can''t be right," said an older fellow with graying hair. "What reason would the Champion have in breaking into that infernal place."


    His friend, also a man advanced in years, with one milky eye, jumped in. "I heard he stole an artifact of great power."


    Meera squinted at that. Could he mean the Reflectora? Did the Warlord have it?


    "Must be," said the third older man. This one had white hair and tanned skin. "Do you suppose he was behind the prison break as well?"


    Meera looked at Tamas, who frowned. He didn''t have super-hearing, so he couldn''t make out the contents of their conversation.


    "Now, why would he do such a thing?" said the first.


    "Who knows? Maybe it was practice," replied the milky-eye. "Maybe he wanted to take out the King. There is talk amongst the soldiers that the King, Queen, and their son were all visiting the prison. They say the prisoners kidnapped the Queen, which is why he is hunting them so desperately?"


    "Kidnapped? I heard from Corin that they killed her. What else explains the border moving on its own and the erratic behavior of the Mistblades."


    "When did you order the hard liquor?" said the third fellow. "If the prisoners had killed her, His Majesty would have turned the kingdom over. The Bleeders would have run the streets red with blood."


    Bleeders? Do they mean the Bloodstone Watchmen, or is it another group? She made a note to ask Tamas later.


    He continued. "And how does Corin know anything? Is he some general high up in the army? He''s a patrolman and a shitty one at that. The border could have moved because the King might have conquered the land diplomatically or is provoking the neighboring kingdom of Rothrium. Though, why the King wants to take over that accursed land is beyond me."


    "The home of the Rakineyes," the one with the milky eye shuddered. "If the King pushes the border to that cursed forest, then we''ll have a different sort of war on our hands. One that even Prince Narikas cannot win, not even with ten armies."


    Meera stopped paying attention to their conversation and turned back to the chef, who was staring intently at her.


    "How is it that you can be looking my way and still not be paying attention to me at all?" Tamas crossed his arms and huffed. "Let me guess, you have a skill for that?"


    Meera snorted. "I do."


    He shook his head. "You adventurers and your obsession with skills."


    "Sorry, Tamas, I just heard some good information about the Champion. Apparently, he stole something from the Shadowsteel Warlord, and there''s a hefty bounty on him."


    "Wh-What?" His eyes popped open.


    "Heard it from the trio over there." She motioned to the old men behind her, a little to the left. "And that the Queen''s disappeared apparently, which is why the Mistblades are going haywire. They also think the Champion''s killed the Queen, but he would never do that. Never."


    "And how do you know that? You know, he very well, could''ve. Besides, the Queen was as cold-hearted as they came. You saw how ruthlessly the Mistblades hunted us. Besides, I don''t think she''s dead. She''s too powerful to die, especially at the hands of a boy."


    "You''ve seen him?" Meera asked.


    "No, not directly, but he did come to dine with the King once a few months ago when they first realized he was the Champion. But why this interest in the Champion? Aren''t you here for your brother?"


    Meera nodded. "I am, but I am also a bounty hunter. If I see a bounty as juicy as that one, I can''t help but get interested."


    Tamas shook his head and leaned in. "What are your plans from here on out?"


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Meera shrugged. "I think I''ll head to the capital or Shadowsteel Warlord''s home. What did you call it? Tearsfell Prison?"


    "Yes, that''s the name, but you truly are daft if you want to head to that place."


    "Hey, you said it yourself that my brother would go to join the armies, and this Warlord has two, and it seems it''s the best place to get a lead on the Champion as well. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. What are you going to do?"


    "I have some relatives in the north," Tamas replied, with a far-off look in his eyes. "I can stay with them for a while, hopefully, and then take the northern exit and head into the Marith kingdom. King Rokibor never dared to challenge them, not openly."


    "Are they that strong?" Meera asked.


    "Not from what I heard, but their old King, Draros, is a master strategist who has held on to his throne for fifty years and fended off numerous attacks. To the point, his people revere him like a war god." He looked around and whispered. "I don''t think Rokibor or Narikas have the balls to dare challenge him in open war."


    I wonder what sort of skills he has.


    Their food arrived shortly after. The woman wasn''t kidding about the town''s stores running low, as there was hardly any meat in their stew. They finished their meal quietly among the crowd, which had grown rather rowdy, but no fights had broken out yet.


    The plump woman returned, trays of food in both hands. At first, Meera thought it was for them, but sadly it wasn''t. "Hey, you two, so I talked with my man, and what do you know, he''s opened up the attic for rent." She rolled her eyes. "For a gold coin each, you can spend the night."


    "A gold coin," Tamas practically shrieked. "That attic better be the most luxurious attic in all the lands."


    The woman gave a sad smile. "It''s truly not. It''s cramped, dusty, and filled with cobwebs, but I''ll try to give it a quick sweep for you if you want it."


    Tamas looked to Meera. She sighed. "Fine, we''ll take it." She fished out the coins from her Belt and dropped them in the woman''s apron.


    After doing her rounds, the woman returned and showed them the way to the attic, and she wasn''t kidding about the dusty part. The poor woman had to tie a cloth around her nose and mouth to keep herself from coughing as she broomed. It still wasn''t much better once she did her cleaning job, but beggars couldn''t be choosers. Dusty boxes were lying all along the walls. There was only one round window by the stairs, from where Meera could see the last light of the setting sun.


    The woman assigned them a spot by the stairs, and that is when they learned they would have company, which arrived shortly. Judging by the number of people who showed up, the owner must''ve made enough money to keep this place running for a year.


    Meera was so exhausted that sleep found her right away.


    <hr>


    "Come on out, single file!" Someone barked.


    Meera shook awake at the loudness of the voice. She looked around, and there was no one there. She frowned and wondered if she had dreamed that, but then came a resounding boom of someone banging against a wooden door.


    She looked down the stairs, and it wasn''t the attic door. She looked out the window, and it was a misty night, which was not a good sign. She saw some soldiers talking with the folks at the next inn. If it weren''t for the banging on the door, she might have heard what they were saying. The soldier was talking to the man and woman. It must be the inn owners. That must mean¡­


    Meera gasped and shook Tamas awake. He rubbed his eyes, rolled over to his other side, and was promptly snoring again. She rolled her eyes, shook him again, and said, "Mistblades are here."


    He nearly shot to his feet. "What? Where?"


    "Okay, not Mistblades, but¡ª"


    "Open this damn door before we break it down," shouted someone loud enough to wake up several people. Most of whom cursed the man''s mother for having birthed him.


    Meera pointed to the window. Tamas rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, and all color drained from him.


    "T-That''s the B-Bleeders," he quivered.


    "Who?"


    "The Bloodstone Watchmen. Did I tell you about them?" He didn''t wait for Meera to reply. "We also call them Bleeders. They''re like the super police. They have jurisdiction all over the kingdom and are not particularly nice."


    "I''m guessing they work hand in hand with the Mistblades."


    "They''ve been known to, especially around the border."


    "Then they are here for us," Meera whispered. "We need to go now."


    "But where?"


    "Can you get to your relatives using the Gateway Mirror?"


    He nodded.


    "Then that is where I''ll take you."


    "But that is one of the first things they put under their watch when they come into town. No one goes in or out without a Watchman''s permission." Tamas looked out the window again and cowered below as if the super cop had seen him. "What do we do, Meera? The Mistblades just outright kill you, but these people like to torture. Draw it out as they slowly bleed you to death. I knew I should not have come back here."


    "Get a hold of yourself and pipe down," Meera whispered. Thankfully, no one was fully up to see Tamas fretting about. "You''re going to expose us. Now, be quiet, and let me think."


    Meera looked out the window, and people from that inn were lining up in a single file. The loud banging had stopped, which meant the owners of this inn were also being questioned. Meera had only mere minutes to come up with a plan.


    She hated being in such tense situations. Her brain refused to function properly, but thankfully, she had a skill to do her planning for her, but the only problem was it only worked when she was ambushing someone.


    She looked out the window again, and only one Bleeder was interrogating the people at the next inn. He could be ambushed, and just when she thought that her skill started working. Plans formed and were discarded until she finally arrived at the solution to her problem.


    Meera smiled. "We''re going to get out of this town as Bloodstone Watchmen."

 Chapter 86 – No Plan Goes As Planned

    "We''re doing what?" Tamas cried loud enough to wake everyone. Thankfully, Most just shifted in their sleep.


    Though, one added. "Please don''t do something indecent. We''re trying to sleep over here."


    Meera rolled her eyes. "Come, follow me."


    She stepped lightly down the stairs, and still, they creaked loudly. The house was dark, and people were sleeping on both sides of the corridor. Despite one youth''s loud snoring, everyone slept soundly. She could hear the innkeeper and his wife talking with the Bloodstone Watchmen, who didn''t seem friendly.


    "How many people do you have staying at your inn?" The Bleeder barked.


    "I-I''m not sure, sir," the innkeeper quivered.


    "How can you not know that? A man should have an account of all those staying in his home." He made a disgusted sound. "Have you seen a pair of shifty-looking people about? One must''ve worn dirty bloody clothes, and the other would''ve worn a black and gold armor."


    Meera paused. "So, the Mistblades and Bleeders are working together."


    "That''s not good."


    "And I also heard the Bleeder describe us."


    He gasped at that. "We should get out of here, then."


    "My thoughts exactly." Meera motioned for him to follow. They stepped lightly around the sleeping people, making sure not to wake anyone up. Downstairs, the cop was getting fed up with the innkeeper''s cluelessness.


    "Just raise everyone and get them to line up single file out here," The Watchman barked.


    "B-But they must be all sleeping. It''s not polite to wake a man from his sleep. It brings bad luck and is bad for business."


    "Your untimely death will also be bad for business."


    "P-Please, sir," the innkeeper''s wife jumped in. "Don''t do anything to him. We''ll have our guests out in no time."


    Meera had only reached the main stairs that led down to the eating area. "Time to pick up the pace."


    Then, without warning, she picked Tamas up, thanks to Druvis Power, and jumped down the stairs. The wood creaked loudly. It might have even broken, but she didn''t care to check. Thanks to Nimbus, she landed in the air, making no sound. It was the eatery area, and it was also packed with people, some snoring, others not so much. Meera dashed for the kitchen and made it just in time. The main door opened, and the couple returned to wake everyone. Meera was surprised that they hadn''t rented this place out as well. Just as Meera suspected, there was a door that she hoped led outside. She quietly set Tamas down.


    "Wait here, I''m going to quickly check outside. Make sure it''s clear," she whispered.


    "Okay, but please hurry."


    Thankfully, the door was unlocked. It creaked slightly, which meant it was probably silent to others. She activated Shroud of Shadows and stepped into the night. Much hadn''t changed. Though, these red-uniformed Watchmen were everywhere. They were going door-to-door looking for Meera and Tamas. Parents even brought out their kids as they went inside to check.


    Archers were stationed on rooftops, the gate they had come through was shut, and two burly Watchmen stood guard. One odd thing about these cops was that none of them carried weapons of any kind besides the archers. She found it strange, but given what she had seen, she fully expected them to be hiding some weapons.


    Meera walked the streets without worry, looking for two whose uniforms would fit Meera and Tamas. She found a pair whose uniform might be a good fit. However, seeing as they were all men, it would be tough to find anyone who would be a perfect fit for Meera.


    She followed this pair while watching her inn, where haggard-looking guests had begun to form a line. Soon, the Watchmen would go inside and find Tamas hiding in the kitchen. Time was of the essence, so she had to act fast.


    She quickly scanned her targets.


    [Bloodstone Watchmen ¨C Level 119]


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    [Bloodstone Watchmen ¨C Level 123]


    She breathed out in relief as she could easily handle both. The Watchmen was about to knock on the door to this house, but she came up behind them and knocked them out instead. They were out cold before they even hit the floorboards. She quickly checked behind her to make sure no one had seen the pair drop on the porch.


    She had gotten lucky once again. She quickly tossed them over the edge and behind some bushes. She went to work removing their clothes, which didn''t take long. But in her hurry, she made a big mistake. She ripped one shirt and cursed herself. She stuffed the rest in her Hoard Belt, left the two there, and rushed back to the inn. There was no time to find another. She would have to go with her Shroud active.


    The inspection had started, and she was sure a Bleeder was inside already. She opened the door to find Tamas whimpering in the corner with a man in a red uniform standing over him, blood dripping from his fist.


    Meera moved without hesitation, and before she knew it, she had slashed out the back of his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere¡ªmost of all on her. There was so much of it that she stepped back. It wasn''t like she hadn''t slashed out a person''s neck before, but it had been so long that she was disgusted by the act¡­disgusted by herself. The Bloodstone Watchmen fell to the floor with a thud.


    "Thank you. I thought I was done for," Tamas said.


    Meera was shaken out of her daze when she saw Tamas'' bloody face. "Oh no, this is not good. How badly did he beat you?"


    "Not too bad." He touched his jaw and flinched.


    "My plan was for you to pose as a Bloodstone Watchman, and I would go invisible until we got out of town. Then you could have used the mirror to get yourself out of here, and I would go my way." Meera groaned and nearly punched the wall in frustration but stopped in case another Watchmen was in the house.


    "Uh, how bad is my face?" The cook asked.


    "I don''t think this is the time to worry about that."


    "No, it is. Do you think they''ll recognize me that I''m not one of them?"


    Meera frowned. "What are you getting at?"


    "We can still do your plan, but let''s improvise. We had to do that a lot after escaping from prison. One thing I''ve learned is that no plan goes as planned. So, how bad is my face?"


    "Your upper lip is split, and your left eye is swollen a little bit, and the right side of your face is bruised and bloody from the cut on your forehead. I don''t think anyone is recognizing you soon."


    "Perfect," Tamas exclaimed. "I''ll dress up as the Bleeder, and you''ll be my prisoner. You attacked me, and I caught you. You tried to make a run for it as you saw me. It''ll work, you''ll see."


    Meera chuckled. "Oh, it''ll work alright until someone scans us."


    He gave her a blank stare. "Okay now, help me take his uniform off."


    "I''ll do you one better." She produced the uniform of the Watchmen that she had knocked out.


    Tamas grinned and quickly changed into the uniform, which was a little loose on him but nothing that would stick out. Meera listened to the sounds outside, making sure no one was coming for them.


    "I would''ve said you should bruise yourself, but all that blood works nicely. Let''s go," Tamas said.


    They left the dead Watchmen where he was as it would take too long to hide him and then clean the evidence. It was best to make haste and get out of town. Meera quietly opened the kitchen door, and they sneaked out and made for the shadows, where Tamas tied her hands with the belt of the dead Bleeder. The only thing they took off his person.


    "Okay, move," Tamas barked.


    At first, Meera was alarmed, but she hoped and prayed that it would fool the others. She didn''t give him any protest and got moving while he held her by the neck.


    "That''s right. You thought you could run away from us," Tamas spat, drawing eyes.


    "Take it easy," Meera whispered.


    "Relax. I know what I''m doing." He pushed her along, uttering random curses, and said she wouldn''t be getting out for laying hands on a Watchman.


    Meera kept her head down, looking meek, while she watched all the Bleeders, and they were all watching her for all the racket Tamas was causing. Even the townsfolk were looking and whispering if she was the one.


    "Calm down," Meera squeaked.


    "Shut up, you filthy maggot!" he barked. "There will be no mercy for you."


    He moved her towards the closed gate, where she finally got the answer to her question. Where did the city guard go? She had not seen them at all when she went to look for the uniforms.


    They were prisoners, too, of a sort. They were all sitting on the ground to the left side of the gate. A small man sat in a chair, with one leg over the other, as a Patrolman who seemed to be the captain gave an account of events of the past days. A lithe woman, wearing a black uniform rather than red, wrote everything in a journal. Meera scanned them both, starting with the man.


    [Bloodstone Captain ¨C Level 156]


    He was about the same level as her and the highest-level Watchman she had seen till now, as most had hovered around Level 110 ¨C 120. And then she used Identify on the woman, and her feet faltered.


    [Shadow Scribe ¨C Level 213]


    She was about the same level as Edwyn, and it took everything Meera had to defeat him. She was stronger now, but there was also a townful of strong Watchmen to back up the Shadow Scribe.


    Tamas was oblivious to all this. "You think¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Meera hissed. "Be quiet as a mouse, take us to the gate, and pray we don''t have to go to those two."


    "Why?" Tamas looked unsure.


    "That woman there is over level 200."


    He blanched and gulped loudly. "Okay."


    They reached the gate before the Watchmen could even open their mouths. The Scribe appeared before them.


    "Who is she?" She asked quill at the ready, eyes on her leather-bound journal. Her voice was monotone, without any emotions, as if she were a human robot or she could be a robot or construct of some kind, given what Meera had seen of this world.


    "A-A prisoner, ma''am," Tamas said. "She attacked me and tried to flee."


    The woman noted it all down. "Follow me. The captain will like a word." Then, without looking back, she walked to the Bloodstone Captain, and as she did, Meera was enclosed in a purple energy field.


    Meera glanced at Tamas, who barked. "Move it, woman!"

 Chapter 87 – Fall Into Darkness

    Meera tried touching the oval purple energy field, and her hand sparked. She yanked it back, wincing and quickly assessing the damage. There was no visible damage, but it hurt as all hell.


    ¡°I told you to walk,¡± Tamas barked again.


    Meera threw him an annoyed look and followed the Shadow Scribe. Her heart pumped so loud that she feared it would soon be audible to everyone. It certainly was to her.


    The Bloodstone Captain was a spindly man with oily hair that was slicked back, making his forehead look bigger than it was. The Scribe was an unimposing woman. If Meera hadn¡¯t scanned her, she would¡¯ve passed her off as a secretary who was only there to take notes.


    The captain waved the town guard off, who joined his men. ¡°Now, who do we have here?¡±


    ¡°A prisoner, sir.¡± Tamas tried his best to make his voice deeper, but truth be told, it wasn¡¯t working. ¡°She attacked me as I was surveying an inn and tried to run off into the night, but I caught her.¡±


    The captain leaned in as he tilted his head to get a better look at Meera. ¡°Hmm, is this the girl we¡¯re looking for, Perilla?¡±


    Perilla, the Scribe, flipped a couple of pages in her journal. Meera could not see what the woman was looking at. She looked up at Meera for a second, then back down on her book.


    ¡°Clothing is wrong, but the description matches,¡± Perilla said in her monotone voice. ¡°Woman of average height and build, with darker skin tone like those of Varshans, wearing a black and gold armor, and relying on mirrors to attack, namely mirror circlets on her arms.¡±


    Meera shut her eyes. They had her.


    ¡°Yes, she was described as a Varshan, and here we have a living, breathing Varshan before us,¡± the captain said, sitting back in his chair with a smug smile. ¡°So, are you a Varshan spy?¡±


    Why does everyone always think that? Meera hid her annoyance and flashed a brilliant smile. ¡°Not a Varshan, and I¡¯m sure as hell not the person you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then why did you attack my man?¡±


    ¡°He tried to come on to me,¡± Meera lied.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Tamas sputtered. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Am not. So, I gave him a nice little mark to remember me by and ran off as I didn¡¯t want to start a fight with the Watchmen.¡±


    The captain nodded. ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, I guess the Watchman is the real culprit. Perilla cut off his arms.¡±


    Tamas hid his arms behind his back and backed away. ¡°But, sir, she is lying. I have never in my life tried to touch a woman inappropriately.¡±


    The captain ignored him. ¡°Perilla, I gave you an order.¡±


    ¡°Captain Vimpus, I must remind you that though I am assigned to your squad, I am not under your command. I am here to record all the events of this investigation and report them to Commander Dorian.¡±


    Meera bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at his name. She wasn¡¯t the only one who had difficulty controlling their laughter. Some of the town guards were snickering or elbowing their friends to stop.


    ¡°Whose laughing at my name?¡± Vimpus barked, half getting out of his chair.


    The guards shut up immediately. While he was glaring at the guards, an idea came to Meera.


    ¡°Um, if you believe I am innocent, then why am I still in this cage? Meera asked. ¡°Also, if she is only here to record stuff, why is she holding me prisoner in this cave?¡±


    He slowly turned back to Meera. ¡°Because if you are who we are looking for or not. The fact is you still assaulted one of my guards. That makes you a criminal.¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± Someone shouted from down the street. A moment later, a Watchman sprinted towards them. ¡°Captain, someone killed Tarkus. We found his body¡­¡± He trailed off as he noted Meera.


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    They all must¡¯ve been told my description. If they don¡¯t drop this cage, then I need to get out of here, somehow.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Vimpus ordered.


    ¡°Yes, sir. We also found two more of our own unconscious and tied up in the bushes, and they didn¡¯t have their uniforms on,¡± the Watchman finished.


    ¡°Ah, it seems you¡¯ve been particularly busy today, Varshan,¡± Vimpus said. He turned to Tamas and squinted. ¡°And you, how did a level 28 cook capture someone almost seven times their level.¡±


    Tamas shared a glance with Meera. They were undone. Meera had to act now. Instead of making the mistake of touching her cage with her hands, she tried her divine weapons. The cage sparked, and it resisted her chakrams. It was like someone strong was pushing back against her.


    All eyes turned on her.


    Vimpus laughed. ¡°Try as you might, you¡¯re not getting through that.¡±


    Meera finally gave up, huffing. Then she reached around, took off her Level 2 chakram, and activated Druvis Power. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again, shall we?¡±


    As soon as her chakram touched the cage, the Scribe looked up from her book. Sparks flew as if Meera were trying to weld something with her chakram. The cage pushed back, but her chakram was stronger, and it pushed through the cage until the purple force field around Meera shattered and withered away.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Vimpus stood mouth wide open.


    ¡°Well, Vimpy, turns out my chakram is stronger than her cage.¡±


    Some Watchmen gasped, and some town guards snickered, but Vimpus had turned red like a tomato. Veins stuck on his forehead and neck. If Meera hadn¡¯t known better, she would¡¯ve thought he was about to burst.


    ¡°You dare¡­you fucking dare call me THAT!¡± He raged.


    The Watchman stepped back, and Perilla quickly jotted all this in her book. The town guards were all on their feet, expecting trouble.


    ¡°Tamas, run to the gate,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just go.¡±


    Tamas gave her a nod and ran for it; as he did, he had the good sense of screaming. ¡°The captain¡¯s mad! Get out of the way.¡±


    Apparently, the Bleeders at the gate knew what that meant, and they got away from there. Tamas opened the gate, and that was Meera¡¯s cue.


    She turned and threw her big chakram towards the gate. One fool of a Bleeder thought he could block it and ended up getting chopped right through the middle. His two halves fell in opposite directions, leaking blood and organs.


    Tamas screamed, and he was not the only one. She heard some screams from down the street.


    Meera cringed, but she didn¡¯t have time to feel bad for him. She Stepped to her chakram and dashed for the gate. But before she and Tamas could make it out, a dark red beam blasted past her. It hit the gate, and instead of blasting it off its hinges, it spread and formed a new gate of solid red stone.


    She squinted at the fuming red stone and knew why they were called Bloodstone Watchmen. The stone was made of literal solidified blood. A chill went up Meera¡¯s spine.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, Varshan.¡± Vimpus seethed through gritted teeth. ¡°You and that lackey of yours.¡±


    ¡°I would love to stay and fight, but I have things to do.¡± Meera waved and was about to throw her chakram again when he shot his beam again. She pushed Tamas out of the way and activated a Mirror Shield.


    Instead of shattering the shield, the beam engulfed the shield and turned into the same bloodstone as the gate. The heavy shield crashed to the ground and smashed to pieces.


    Meera sighed. ¡°You really don¡¯t want to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, I really do.¡± Vimpus¡¯s hands started to glow red.


    ¡°Well, there is one of me, and you have all your men to back you up, not to mention that Scribe who makes you look like a baby.¡±


    Meera didn¡¯t think he could turn any redder. She was wrong. ¡°No one will interfere in our fight. Not even you, Perilla.¡±


    ¡°I must remind you¡ª¡± Perilla began but was interrupted rather quickly.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Vimpus roared.


    ¡°Are we free to go if I win?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°You won¡¯t win. Now, prepare to die, bitch.¡±


    Meera breathed out, and small mirrors shot out of her armor and attached themselves to the town wall, houses, and various places on the street, giving her enough maneuverability. She even carried some with Mirror Wing and planted them behind the enraged captain.


    She wanted to get this done quickly and leave. She made the first move by vanishing and appeared behind the captain. She slashed at his back, but the town guards gave her position away. Vimpus turned in time and jumped back. As he did, he swung his hand in an arc, and a wave of bloodstone swept towards her.


    She Stepped away and launched her chakram towards him, but he raised a bloodstone shield blocking her blow, but barely. Her chakram shattered through his shield, forcing him to dodge, which was his mistake.


    Instead of jumping away, he prepared for his next attack, which never came. As Meera used, Mirror Wing and cut the captain down into nicely chopped chunks. She felt horrible when his body fell apart into five pieces.


    I have to remember these are people and not constructs or ghosts. One cut is enough.


    The Watchmen, the town¡¯s guards, and even the people watched with mouths agape, thinking what a beast she was and reaffirming that Varshans were indeed monsters.


    She recalled her chakram and launched it at the bloodstone wall the late captain had erected. Her big chakram broke the wall down like it was nothing. This made everyone get over their shock.


    ¡°Tamas, go!¡± Meera yelled.


    He shot out of there like he was on fire. She used a Mirror Blast to deter and slow down anyone foolish enough to come after them. Then she, too, followed Tamas¡¯ example. By the time she got out of the gate, Tamas had already touched the Gateway Mirror and selected his destination.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tamas said, ¡°I hope you find your brother¡­Meera, look out!¡±


    Two cold hands clamped around Meera¡¯s face. Tamas¡¯ face was one of horror.


    ¡°Just go. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Tamas nodded and jumped into the Gateway Mirror. Before Meera could do anything else, she fell into darkness.

 Chapter 88 – A Prisoners Life For Me

    Meera awoke to darkness. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw nothing. Her heartbeat quickened, thinking she had gone blind. She felt around and found she was in a box, where she could not even stand properly. Her claustrophobia set in right away. Her heart thrummed as anxiety built up in her chest. Her chakrams were gone, and she felt odd as if something was missing. She felt for her Necklace of Darthin''s robes. It was gone, too, which meant she no longer had her Armor of Mirrors. She felt around, and all she had on was her undergarments. The anxiety threatened to blow over into a full-blown panic attack.


    She beat against the box, and nothing. She activated Druvis Power; strength flowed into her veins, calming her down a little. She punched at the box with all the might of a Druvis, but the box held. Without her Gem of Echoes, she heard nothing.


    What if they''ve locked me in this box and left?


    She called her chakrams, and they did not come. She tried many times, thrusting her hands out in every direction, and nothing. Then, an eerie thought came to her. What if I¡¯m dead¡­no, no, no¡­


    She shivered as her heart beat at the pace of a galloping horse, threatening to burst.


    "Help!" She screamed. "Somebody help me! Please."


    "They locked me in here."


    "Please let me out."


    "I''m scared¡­"


    She screamed her throat raw, and no response. Tears dripped from her eyes. She didn''t know how long she stayed there like that, for there was no way to tell time in this place. Her anxiety slowly withered away as she accepted her new reality. As her anxiety evaporated, her brain started working again.


    "I''m alive," Meera said to herself. "I''m alive. I''m not dead."


    She breathed out on her hand. "This breath is real. My tears are real. I''m alive¡­but then, why am I not hungry?"


    She was neither hungry nor had the urge to go to the washroom, and it must''ve been hours since she had awoken. Aside from breathing, all her other bodily functions had stopped.


    I wonder if my Mana still works in here.


    She brought up her stats, which appeared white on the black background of the box. Usually, they appeared black.


    Stats


    [Health: 1107/1110]


    [Stamina: 1109/1190]


    [Mana: 1420/1420]


    She smiled at her near-perfect stats and activated Mirror Blast. The box rocked as it was washed with light and sharp shards of mirrors. In that brief moment of light, she saw herself, and she was fine, almost naked but fine, which was a huge relief, even more so than seeing her Health stat.


    This is one way I can get some light in here.


    She used Mirror Blast six more times and poured enough Mana into the attack that even the witch would''ve been riddled with holes. Each time, the box rocked, sometimes quite violently, but it held. No cracks or light seeped in from the outside. All it did was leave white spots in Meera''s vision. But the white spots soon disappeared, and she was left in darkness again, suspended in whatever this was. If she didn''t know any better, she would have said she was trapped in a black hole.


    With nothing better than to wait out her sentence in this horrid box of darkness, she decided to bring up her notifications, as she had killed two Watchmen.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Bloodstone Watchman ¨C Level 121]


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Bloodstone Captain ¨C Level 156]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 2 levels and has reached Level 154. You have been awarded 6 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has reached Level 113. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 116% boost.]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has reached Level 40]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 2 levels and reached Level 58]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 41]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has reached Level 22]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Petrifying Surge. Petrifying Surge ¨C Type: Active. You can release a wave that will encase anything it touches in bloodstone for a short period of time. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Bloodstone Implosion. Bloodstone Imposion ¨C Type: Active. You can concentrate Mana to a singular point inside you and unleash it in a devastating explosion of Bloodstone spikes, damaging everything in the area. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera rubbed her chin. She had seen the first skill in action when the captain turned the gate and her Mirror Shield to that reddish stone. Though the second skill sounded more devastating, she already had a similar skill that worked better with her Mirror Affinity. Besides, having a skill that could petrify her opponents rather than kill them could be handy.


    She chose Petrifying Surge, meaning she had to replace an existing skill. She gave up Mistwalk as she already had a much faster teleporting skill.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Petrifying Surge ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Bloodstone Bind. Bloodstone Bind¨C Type: Active. You can form tendrils of bloodstone to entangle and immobilize foes, restricting their movements. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Ruby Rain. Ruby Rain ¨C Type: Active. You can summon a crimson cloud over your immediate area that will rain bloodstone-infused red raindrops that explode upon contact. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    I''m sorry, it can do what?


    The choice was simple. She wanted Ruby Rain. It would be like having a skill that carpet bombs the entire area, in a way. These Bloodstone guys have powerful skills. I should hunt more of them if I ever get out of here.


    She was going to do that regardless for shoving her in this box. She had a feeling it wasn''t the Watchmen who had done that. It was that Shadow Scribe. No matter her level, Meera would have words with her when she got out of here.


    Off the three remaining skills she had picked up from the Mistblades, she wanted to keep them all. Nimbus, Mistbound Illusions, and Mist Concealment all had their uses. Mist Concealment and Mistbound Illusions could work hand in hand to confuse the enemy. Nimbus had proven its worth more than a few times.


    Ultimately, she decided to give up Mistbound Illusions as she could only create it with mists in the area, which she could make with Mist Concealment. It could even confuse the enemy as she fell on their backs. But she wanted Ruby Rain.


    I really should have asked Darthin for more skill slots.


    Thinking of skill slots brought back memories of Shade and Cinders and how they had asked Meera to sacrifice them so they wouldn''t fade away. Another thing to curse Edwyn for. She had cried for them the past days in the silence of the night. Even though she had only known them for a little while, those were losses she would not get over easily.


    Thinking of her two ghostly friends reminded her of another who was with her¡ªsomeone the Bleeders could not take away.


    She called forth Onyx.


    "Meera?" Onyx called. "Where have you summoned me?"


    Just hearing his voice assured her she wasn''t dead. "Onyx, it''s so good to hear your voice."


    "Why? Are you dead? It feels like I''m back in the room where they killed me, only it''s somehow darker."


    "It''s a bit of a long story¡ª"


    Before Meera could say anything else, Onyx turned on his Light of the Dead skill, washing the whole box with light¡­and they both screamed.


    Meera screamed because Onyx was the size of a raccoon, and he must''ve screamed because to him, Meera was a giant.


    "Why are you so small?" Meera exclaimed.


    "Why are you so big?" He shrieked. "And where are your clothes."


    Meera sighed. "Let me explain."


    And so she did in great detail as she knew she had enough time and nothing better to do.


    "Why do you get in heaps of trouble whenever I leave you alone?" Onyx asked.


    "Trust me, I''ve always been in heaps of trouble ever since I came to this world. But that is not why I called upon you. I needed some help."


    "With breaking out of this box?"


    "This box shrunk you down, which pretty much tells us that even you cannot get out of here," Meera said. "Though I was hoping you could help me figure out a way, we''ll just have to wait for them to let me out. They would have to let me out sometime to take me before a judge to, you know, announce my sentence."


    "Unless this is your sentence, and we''re stuck here to spend eternity together."


    "Not helping, Onyx."


    "Sorry, your other problem. Go on."


    She explained her problem about choosing which skill to keep and which to let go, as she liked all of them.


    "Well, Meera, the question is how you want to build up your skills," Onyx said. "If you want to be a sneakier type of hunter, then I suggest you let Ruby Rain go and stick with what you have, as that will get you to a true assassin. Now, if you badly want Ruby Rain, which is an excellent skill, then drop Nimbus or the Illusions skill. They''re both great, but Illusions combined with the Mist-producing skill is a powerful combo that will come in handy from getting out of whatever hole you''ve dug yourself in."


    Meera sat dumbfounded as she stared at the tiny horse.


    "What?"


    "Where did that come from?" She asked.


    Onyx tilted his head. "Honestly, I don''t know. It just seemed like the right answer."


    "I should consult you more about which skills to keep and drop."


    "I''ll be happy to help," Onyx said. "Don''t tell anyone that you ask a horse for help on your skills. People might think you are what''s the term, not right in the head."


    Meera snorted and decided not to take Ruby Rain. For one, Onyx was right. Meera was in some sort of prison, and she would need all the deception she could get to escape. And second, she was sure to run into more Bloodstone Watchmen, which would give her more opportunities to steal it again.


    Right then, the darkness around her disappeared. The light around her was almost blinding. She recalled Onyx right away.


    "Who are you, and why have you come to Azeria, Meera?" said a deep voice.


    Meera raised a hand to shield her eyes and looked between her fingers. She was in a room lit with torches, standing on a pedestal with her back to Meera was a broad man in shadowy armor.


    "Who are you?" Meera barked.


    "Have some respect." Someone backhanded her across the face, making her cry out. "You are in the presence of His Highness, Prince Narikas of Azeria."


    Prince Narikas? Meera gasped. That is the Shadowsteel Warlord.

 Chapter 89 – The Shadowsteel Warlord

    Meera''s cheek burned where she had been slapped, but her vision was slowly adjusting to the light. They could take her armor and chakrams away, but not her skills. She tried calling her chakrams and still nothing. She was very conscious of her lack of clothes and all these brutish men around her, most of whom were Bleeders, and the Shadow Scribe was there as well, eyes on her book and quill ready. So, Meera stayed on the floor, kept her legs firmly closed, and did her best to cover herself up with her arms. Thankfully, she still had her makeshift bra and underwear on.


    She was in a throne room of sorts. There were torches lit all along the walls. The ceiling must''ve been thirty feet high. Black drapes were hanging from the walls, which had a symbol of two swords, one dark, and the other steel gray, crossing each other. There was a single chair, more like a throne made of a dark metal. It had two swords melded to its sides. So, when one sat in it and rested their hands on the armrest, they could hold the hilts easily.


    What purpose do they serve?


    Lastly was the man with his back to Meera, staring off into the back of the room, which was shrouded in darkness. He was tall, with a broad back, and wore two swords on his right hip. His armor was the most intriguing thing about him. It was a steel armor, but a shadowy darkness swirled around it. Then there was his cape, which somehow was normal. It was dyed black and had the same sigil as the two swords.


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level ??]


    Meera figured she wouldn''t be able to see his level. But she could take a guess at what his level was if he had level 200 people in his employ.


    "How do you know my name?" Meera asked, keeping her tone steady.


    "That is not the answer to my question, Meera." Despite his heavy voice, there was a calmness to it, almost like he could put you to sleep just by talking. She wondered if it were a skill.


    "Yes, but I would still like to know the answer to my question," Meera replied. "Because I don''t remember telling any of your lackeys my name."


    "They''re not under my command. Not directly, anyways. Only Perilla is."


    "The one who put me in the box and stripped me of my clothes and weapons."


    Narikas tilted his head and finally turned to face her. His armor was indeed worthy of a prince but, at the same time, terrifying. The swirling shadows took the shape of screaming people who seemed to be in a lot of agony. The man was handsome with a neatly trimmed beard despite the scar on his left cheek that went down to his beard.


    His dark eyes fell on Meera, and he was immediately angry. The room grew dark and cold. Meera immediately had goosebumps as she did her best not to shiver. Shadows emanated from him, threatening to swallow all.


    "Why was she brought to me like this?" He lashed at the Scribe. "Perilla, you are a woman yourself. Do you not know the meaning of decency."


    Even this emotionless woman could show signs of fear. Perilla shrank before her master''s anger. "Your Highness, she had a necklace that was connected to her magical armor. When we took off the necklace, her armor went with it. Also, it was not my decision to present her to you like this."


    Narikas''s eyes fell on the three Watchmen in the room, and they dared not meet his.


    "Y-Your Highness, she killed Captain Vimpus."


    "Sliced him into pieces. It was gruesome, my lord."


    Narikas nostrils flared. "And you think that gives you the right to toy with her honor. I want you to fall my sight this instant, or I will have three more shadows to add to my armor."


    They bowed and practically ran from the room. When the door shut with a thud, the darkness receded, and the room was back to normal. Narikas stepped off the pedestal and walked toward Meera.


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    She tried to back up but could only do so much before he reached her. He reached for his cape, ripped it off, and put it around Meera''s shoulders, covering her up.


    "No matter what you''ve done, a woman should not be treated like this," he said. "My apologies."


    "Thank you." Meera pulled the cape tight around her and stood.


    "Now, you will answer the question, Meera," Narikas stated. "Why are you here?"


    "Not before you tell me how you know my name?"


    The warlord sighed and nodded to Perilla.


    The Scribe flipped a couple of pages and scribbled something in the book. A black box appeared. It was about as high as Meera''s chest, and Meera knew she was trapped in a similar box, and it was the Scribe''s doing. Those cold hands were hers that pulled Meera into darkness.


    One side of the box became transparent, and inside was Tamas.


    He was beaten and bloodied and cradled his right arm as he winced and wiped tears with his other arm. He, too, had been stripped bare like her. So, she saw the breadth of the bruises they left on his body. He was even worse than when the Mistblades had beaten him.


    "We picked him up a few days after we captured you."


    How long was I in that box?


    "Answer my questions truthfully, and I will send him back to the prison he escaped from," Narikas said. "Or choose not to, and he will stay in that box until madness takes him. I have scores of such boxes filled with people who are delirious and talk to imaginary phantoms."


    Meera couldn''t help but feel that was a dig at her talking to Onyx.


    "So, what will it be Meera? Answer my questions, or leave your friend in there to spend eternity insane and in pain. Time doesn''t pass in those boxes. His wounds will never heal. He will stay like that. In pain. Forever."


    Meera''s nostrils flared as she breathed out roughly. "Fine, I''ll answer your damn questions, but you will heal him before sending him back to prison." She figured they would have to bring him out to heal him. That was when she would make her move and run off with him.


    "That can be arranged."


    "I''ve come here to find my brother," Meera said.


    "I see, what a fabulous way to gain entry into the kingdom, I must say." Narikas climbed the steps and sat in his chair. "What is your brother''s name? Maybe I''ve heard of him."


    Meera snorted. "I seriously doubt that. He''s no one. His name is Jai." She gave him her father''s name.


    Narikas looked to the Scribe, who had scribbled everything they said.


    "That is a lie, Your Highness."


    Meera''s heartbeat elevated. What are you, the Mirrors of Dorheia?


    "How would you know?" Meera barked. "What, you have a skill that tells you when people are lying? Are we to honestly trust the words of this woman?"


    "Yes," The Warlord replied. "Now, let''s try this again, shall we? And the truth this time."


    "I told you the truth."


    Narikas sighed and waved a finger at the box. Perilla scribbled something, and the box shrank. Inside, Tamas banged on its sides and screamed something, but she couldn''t hear what.


    "What is a Varshan spy doing in my kingdom?" Narikas asked.


    "I''m not a Varshan and definitely not a spy," Meera dribbled out. "I really am here to find my brother."


    Perilla gave a single nod, signaling Meera was telling the truth.


    "Then what is his name?" Narikas asked, voice all calm.


    "His-His name is Jai, like I told you."


    "Another lie, Your Highness."


    The box shrank further, packing Tamas in tighter. His legs were squished against the sides of the box. He screamed and cried, but Meera could not hear his cries. If Perilla had shrunk the box any smaller, he would have folded in half.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll tell you the truth." Meera drew a deep breath. "My brother''s name is Neel."


    Narikas'' expression didn''t change. It felt like he was expecting that answer. "Like the Champion?"


    Meera didn''t say anything.


    "Your brother is the Champion," Narikas stated.


    Again, Meera kept quiet.


    "I don''t think your friend has much room left in the box."


    She grinded her teeth and said, "yes."


    "I figured as much. There is a resemblance between you two. Not a lot, but enough, and of course, you were sloppy when you told Tamas about looking for your brother and the Champion."


    "Then you knew why I''m here."


    "I did." The prince spared a look at Perilla, who had her eyes glued to her book. "He was here. He enjoyed the luxuries of my home, and I liked the young fellow. I would even say we were becoming friends, but then he stole from me." The room grew dark again. "Stole something that I had planned to gift to my brother on his birthday, which is coming in three weeks. And because of his spies in my home," he looked at Perilla again. "He knows I''m to present him with a mighty gift."


    "Hence, the bounty posters," Meera concluded, drawing his attention back to her.


    He nodded. "Hence the bounty posters. See this thing your brother has stolen. I need it back. Now, if I were anything like my brother, I would have taken out my anger on his next of kin, meaning you." He smiled. "Fortunate for you, I''m not like my brother. So, I won''t have your skin ripped from your muscles or have you tortured by his Watchmen. I think I might be able to find another use for you. I suggest we do a trade."


    "What sort of a trade?" Meera asked.


    "Tell me what you want to know most?"


    "Why was my brother here, and which way did he go?"


    He pursed his lips. "I can answer those questions. But before I tell you why your brother was here, what he stole from me, you will have to do something for me."


    "Do what?"


    "Find the missing Queen of Azeria."

 Chapter 90 – Deal With A Warlord

    "I''m sorry, do what?" Meera exclaimed.


    Even the Scribe looked up at the Warlord at that but was quick to look down once Narikas'' gaze shifted to her. His gaze rested on her before he finally looked back at Meera.


    "You heard me correctly," Narikas said. "The queen has been missing for over a week now. You''ve heard of the queen, haven''t you?"


    Meera nodded.


    "My brother has over forty wives, so I must be sure we''re talking about the same woman."


    "If you mean Queen Nisaya the Mistweaver, then yes, I know about her, and I''ve had the displeasure of meeting her constructs."


    "Yes, well, you''re not the only one. The Mistblades have been assaulting friend and foe alike. Anyone that comes across their path is seen as a threat, whether they be Azerian or not. They have been doing nightly raids on the border villages. They go from village to village, ransacking people''s homes. Anyone that so much even puts an iota of resistance is cut down. We''re finding entire villages being abandoned. Even my soldiers have been attacked by our so-called protectors." He scoffed.


    Then we find the mistress. The Mistblades'' words came back to her. They were constantly repeating this. "You don''t approve of them?"


    "No, I think it should be people, flesh and blood, that should protect their own," Narikas replied. "The mist wall was a good idea, and when Nisaya proposed it, Rokibor made her the ruling queen. But when she said she could even fill it with constructs that could help protect us, like a living shield, all I saw was a noose around our necks, which would tighten one day, and that day has arrived. With the queen missing, her wall and her beasts have both gone mad."


    "Yes, I remember a bunch of men talking about how the expanding border wall will be seen as an act of war."


    "Not seen. It already has. We''ve gotten letters of warnings to stop from three kingdoms already. They''re telling us to stop grabbing their lands and to return the border wall to its former position or else."


    "But you have two formidable armies and those constructs, not to mention those Bleeders."


    "Yes, even with those, we are not invincible as my brother believes. He thinks the Mistblades alone could handle Rothrium, and I can take care of the other two kingdoms. But the border is expanding on all sides, even the north."


    Meera knew Tamas had mentioned something about the northern kingdom. "And that is bad?"


    "No, that is how we lose the kingdom and our lives," Narikas said in a grave voice. "Have you heard King Draros of the Marith Kingdom?"


    That was it. Those were the names Tamas had mentioned, and how not even he, the Shadowsteel Warlord, would dare to go to open war with him. Meera played dumb and shook her head.


    "Well, people think me a monster, but he is a true monster. A monster on the field of battle. Any kingdom that dared to raise a sword against his has been turned to ash. My grandfather was the only man to have tied with him, and that too because it would have meant utter annihilation of both sides. Since then, there has been an accord that our two kingdoms will not raise arms against each other."


    "But now, you are inadvertently taking over his lands, an act of war," Meera said.


    "That''s not all¡­" he sighed. "Our Mistblades have been raiding his villages, not just the ones that fall inside the border wall but also his. So, if you were a villager who had just had his home attacked in the middle of the night and most of his family killed by a man made of mists, what would you do?"


    "Run to the king for help," Meera replied.


    "And that''s precisely what they did, which led to this." He brought out a scroll from his belt.


    "I''m guessing that is bad news."


    "Terrible news. These are summons to the ruins of Karai tower, where the last war between us ended forty years ago." He paused and looked at the scroll in his hands. "Summons that my brother answered by doing this."


    He held one part of the scroll and let the other drop. There was a purplish stain stamped with a boot heel, most likely from wine. Even Meera knew that was bad.


    "It would have been bad if the royal messenger had reached the aviary so they could deliver this message to the old warrior king."


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    What sort of birds do they use as messengers that could carry a scroll that big?


    "It was lucky that the royal messenger handed this to my spy at the aviary." Again, Perilla paused as she wrote, and Narikas didn''t miss that. A strange game was being played here. If Meera had to guess right, Perilla was not supposed to know all this or write this conversation down.


    "He brought it to me, and I went in my brother''s stead. I went with a retinue of twenty soldiers as the summons stated. I would bring twenty, and so would he. There was only one problem¡ªthe border wall had absorbed Karai Tower. It now lay dead center of the home of the Mistblades." Narikas shook his head. "Tch. Such a pointless waste of life."


    Meera frowned. "But aren''t you a warlord? Isn''t war just that? A pointless waste of life."


    "Just because I am a Warlord doesn''t mean I cannot condone its atrocities."


    "Yes, but you are partly responsible for creating said atrocities."


    Meera had gone too far as the room grew dark again, and even Perilla shifted nervously on her feet. Meera tried to recall her chakrams desperately, but again, they didn''t answer her call.


    Narikas leaned forward. "I do what I must. Not because I want to. And you do not know anything about me, so I suggest you listen instead of passing judgment."


    "Yes, sorry," Meera squeaked, and the darkness receded into the angry prince.


    "As I was saying, to get to Karai Tower, we both had to step into the mist wall. The Mistblades were on us in a flash. It was a brutal fight to get to the tower. I lost half a dozen good men getting there and about half as many getting back. Guess how many men King Draros lost getting to the tower?"


    Meera refrained from making any remark that would get her in trouble again.


    Narikas held up two fingers. "Two. He lost only two men getting to the tower, while I lost six, and we knew what the Mistblades were and what skills they have. This man knew nothing of them, yet he only lost two men. That is the man my brother would have scorned."


    Meera couldn''t hold herself back. "But isn''t he an old man? And couldn''t he have brought more men?"


    "He''s a man of his word. A man, nay." Narikas shook his head. "He''s a Druvis who had been sleeping till now, and we just poked him. And that Druvis is angry. Angry that King Rokibor didn''t come himself. Angry that we are breaking the old treaty and taking over his lands. What made him angry the most was that we are hurting his people. So, he gave us ten days to pull back the border wall, of which three have already passed. And, of course, to stop our Mistblades, or he will bring the might of his kingdom through the mist wall and finish our kingdom off for good."


    "Can he do it?" Meera asked. "Bring such a large force through the wall."


    Narikas had a faraway look in his eyes. "If anyone can, it will be him. That is not all. The other three kingdoms have joined forces with Draros and issued the same ultimatum. We would have had difficulty taking on Draros alone, but with the other three, we''re staring at utter annihilation. So, long story short, you have a week to find the queen for me and bring her here."


    "But-But why me? Don''t you have thousands of soldiers at your disposal?"


    "I do, and I have many people looking for her undercover. As they say, don''t put all your eggs in one basket. Officially, the queen is not missing, as per the king. She is in her chambers, fighting off an illness. All this seemingly erratic behavior of the Mistblades must stem from the illness, and this threat of war is a good excuse to conquer all our neighbors in one stroke."


    "I''m sorry, but has he gone mad?"


    "He very well might have because no one has seen the queen since their visit to his prison." He pointed at Tamas. "And the chambers she''s resting in are empty."


    Meera frowned. "How¡ª"


    "I have spies of my own."


    Again, Perilla twitched. Well, who wouldn''t the prince just admitted to spying on his brother.


    "As for why, I need you to find the queen. Well¡­I can''t openly question my brother and search for his wife when he says she''s fine. So, I need an outsider. Someone who needs to find her brother. So, you find my sister-in-law and help me save my kingdom, and I will tell you about your brother."


    "Even if the fate of the world is at stake?" Meera shot back.


    "Your only part in the prophecy is to die."


    Meera tried to control her shocked expressions but failed.


    "Yes, I know of the Prophecy of Doom. Now, let''s not waste time. Neither of us has much of it, given where your brother was headed."


    Meera gritted her teeth and nodded. "I''ll need my things back."


    Narikas looked at the Scribe and nodded. Perilla scribbled something in her book, and a smaller black box appeared. It hovered to Meera''s feet and disappeared, leaving behind Meera''s chakrams, Hoard Belt, and necklace. She jumped down and quickly put on her necklace.


    Her Armor of Mirrors spread out from the central golden gem. In a moment, she was wearing her black and gold armor again. She reached down to pick up her belt, and her chakrams zipped to her arms. Once her belt was at her waist, did she feel whole again.


    "Your Varshan looks will cause a problem, so use this when you get in trouble." He flipped a small disc to her. She caught it. It was round and made of gold with the sigil of a crowned bird with long tail feathers. "That will mark you as one of Rokibor''s spies. Though, don''t go flashing it about everywhere because if you''re caught, it will mean certain death, and I will deny knowing you."


    "Thanks. Where should I begin?" Meera asked.


    "I would''ve said to ask your friend what happened that night at the prison, but he''s useless, and my brother''s Bleeders have silenced the warden. So, meet up with the only person in the kingdom looking for the queen, Crown Prince Delkoris. He doesn''t believe that his mother is sick, or maybe he knows something about what happened that night at the prison and is not forthcoming with me. Right now, he is in the city of Nelees. My contact in the city has strangely gone silent. You are to make contact with the prince and report back to me. You will be given a kingdom map and are free to take a horse."


    "Thanks, I already have one."


    He frowned and nodded. "Well, that leaves one last thing. Making sure you don''t have a change of heart." He raised his hand, and darkness played on his fingers. She broke into a cold sweat as such terrible dread fell on her.


    What is he going to do to me?

 Chapter 91 – Gifts of Tearsfell Prison

    "Hold out that disc," Narikas commanded.


    Meera complied and did so with a trembling hand. Narikas pointed to it, and a small beam of darkness shot out of his finger and hit the disc. The disc became ice cold as the gold took on a darker hue. Meera immediately dropped the disc. Shadows engulfed the golden disc as it became pitch black before the shadows were absorbed into it, and its original golden color returned.


    "Pick it up," the Warlord said. "I''m sure it''s fine now."


    Meera bent down and touched it gingerly. It was cool to the touch but not cold.


    "That will let us communicate over long distances. No matter where you are in Azeria, all you have to do is call out my name while holding the disc, and I will answer if I am not preoccupied. If I am, then your assigned Scribe will answer for me. Conversely, it will also tell me where you are, who you''re talking to, and what you are saying at all times."


    Meera gulped. It''s like a cellphone that will be spying on me.


    "You said, assigned Scribe. Won''t it be Perilla?" Meera asked. "I figured you''re telling her all this for a reason."


    "Thank you for reminding me. Perilla, your book, please." He extended a hand to her.


    "Your Highness, I promise I won''t tell anyone." The poor girl shivered as tears dripped from her eyes.


    "I won''t ask again."


    Meera''s gaze jumped from the Warlord to the Scribe. What did I do?


    Perilla took a shaky step forward, then another. She was trembling by the time she reached Narikas, who sat still on his throne, eyes on Meera. Perilla set her book in Narikas'' hand, but the girl sobbed like she was parting with her child.


    "You see, Scribes bond with their books for life. When a book is hurt, so is its master." He flipped the book open and ripped out a page.


    Perilla screamed and fell to her knees, weeping. "I won''t tell anyone, Your Highness. Please have mercy."


    "You should curse the god Lorendor for your fate. For he made it so that you would be the one to capture these two." Narikas ripped out a handful of pages.


    Another bloodcurdling scream escaped the Scribe''s throat as she fell face first on the ground, twitching in pain. Meera swallowed as she watched the girl tremble and sob as if Narikas had cut off a limb.


    "Shh, don''t cry," Narikas said in his calming voice again. He set a hand on her head. "I cannot have all this information leaking or you talking to the King''s spies. I''m sorry, but your pain is only just beginning. Azeria, thanks you for your service."


    He closed his fist, gripping her hair tight, and closed his eyes. Perilla screamed and tried to fight him, but he was too strong. She tried to run but couldn''t get free. Meera stood numb, wanting to act, but she was too scared. She didn''t know if it was a skill that induced terror or if it was how strong the man felt. She was glued to the spot, shaking.


    Narikas breathed deep, shadowy tendrils from his armor wrapped around the frantic girl and pulled her towards the armor. Perilla fought and screamed, but, in the end, it was for naught. She was absorbed into Narikas'' armor to join the shadowy faces in agony.


    Narikas opened his eyes and dropped the Scribe''s book to the ground. The thud echoed in the room, making Meera jump. "I hope you won''t disappoint me, Meera."


    Meera shook her head, shaking uncontrollably. The temperature in the room had dropped to that of an icy chill day. Even when the darkness receded into the Shadowsteel Warlord, the room was still cold, and the torches did little to provide warmth.


    "Now, to conclude this meeting." Narikas turned his head to the ceiling. "You can show yourself, Hilnoa."


    A woman appeared standing on a disc of darkness with a book in hand. She floated down to stand where Perilla was standing. She was a woman with greying hair, wrinkles, and a small scar on the bridge of her nose.


    [Shadow Scribe ¨C Level ??]


    Meera''s inability to see her levels meant she was even stronger than Perilla. Just how strong are these scribes?


    "Meera, this is Hilnoa. This is your assigned Scribe," Narikas said. "She will answer if I cannot. Hilnoa, get Meera ready. You know what to do."


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    Hilnoa bowed her head. "Yes, Your Highness. Follow me, girl." Without even looking at Meera, the Scribe moved for the door.


    Meera stayed where she was. "And she can be trusted with this information."


    "I trust Hilnoa with my life," he answered as he stood. He turned his back to Meera, signaling the conversation was over.


    "Come girl, we have lots to do," Hilnoa said. Her voice was not monotone like Perilla''s. She spoke like a normal person.


    "And Tamas?" Meera asked her.


    Hilnoa wrote in her book, and Tamas vanished. "He will be delivered to the prison from where he escaped."


    "And I am to take your word for it?" Meera crossed her arms.


    "Yes. Now, as His Highness said, we don''t have much time. So, you better hurry." She hurried for the door, forcing Meera to follow.


    With her Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, she kept an eye on the Warlord and his shadowy armor, where the faces screamed voiceless screams. Meera wondered which one was Perilla''s. All the stories about him were true¡ªthe man was a monster. And if he had tried to do the same to Neel, she would kill him.


    When they crossed into the hallway, the massive doors closed on their own. Through the gap in the closing doors, Meera saw Narikas fall to his knees and cry out in pain. She only heard it thanks to her Gem of Echoes. Meera''s eyes widened, but Hilnoa showed no reaction and kept walking.


    What was that?


    When the doors fully closed, she heard Narikas scream, making her jump. Again, Hilnoa showed no reaction aside from walking away even faster.


    "Did you hear that?" Meera asked. ¡°I think, Narikas is in pain.¡±


    "That''s Prince Narikas or His Highness to you, girl," Hilnoa said without turning. "And I heard nothing. You must''ve heard someone else''s screams. This place is famous for them."


    Meera kept quiet after that, but she was sure it was Narikas. The hallways were as high as Narikas'' throne room, about thirty feet high. Torches lined the walls, but there were no windows. The walls were made of metal, which Meera figured to be steel, going with the whole Shadowsteel motif.


    There were stark grey drapes with the sigil of Shadowsteel Warlord etched on them, hanging from the ceiling. The sigil was also etched into the wall at regular intervals. The whole place gave a very creepy vibe.


    Hilnoa led her through more corridors and then down three sets of stairs. But no matter where she walked, Meera heard screams. She finally crossed a room and saw a man in shadowy armor fighting with a man in traditional steel armor. It seemed to be a training room as many other soldiers of each faction rooted for their side.


    She couldn''t see much of their fight but wanted their skills, especially the shadow soldiers. The Shadow Vanguard was what Tamas had called them.


    The following few rooms were locked. Then she heard shouting.


    "You can''t keep us here forever," barked a man. "We are Bloodstone Watchmen. The King will hear of this."


    "Now, it is just routine questioning, and then you''ll be free to go," replied a woman''s voice, which Meera figured to be another Scribe.


    They finally came to the room from where the shouting came from, and the door was slightly open, and there must''ve been twenty or so Bleeders in there¡ªarchers and otherwise.


    Hilnoa stopped and pushed the door open. "Phoetera, this should have been dealt with already."


    "Yes, sorry Matron, right away," Phoetera said with a bow of the head. She scribbled something in her book, and every Bleeder in the room was gone, and in their place were black boxes like the ones Meera had been imprisoned in.


    "They were the ones that caught me," Meera said.


    "No, Perilla caught you. These were mere witnesses that needed to be taken care of," Hilnoa, the Matron of the Scribes, said. "But they''ll be put to use eventually."


    Once again, I''m in over my head¡­


    Meera kept quiet and followed the Matron. Hilnoa took her to a room a few doors down. There were items laid out for Meera on a table. There were weapons of different sorts, like throwing knives, a sword, a metal club, and even a spear. All the weapons were made of the same dark steel metal that the fortress was made of. There was even a leather-plated armor, along with Health and Mana potions. But of all these things, only one item caught her eye. It was a belt similar to her Lunar Hoard Belt.


    Meera focused on the belt and used Identify.


    [Dragon Hoard Belt ¨C 300 Units]


    Her eyes popped open right away. "Is all this for me?"


    "Yes. Take what you think you need to accomplish your mission," Hilnoa said.


    Meera smiled and took everything. She didn''t need the weapons or the armor, but she could always sell it and get more money. After all, the rich remained rich only by selling more stuff. She transferred all her things to the Dragon Hoard Belt, even her Lunar Hoard Belt. She had two belts, totaling to a capacity of 450 Units, but even with all this new stuff, she still had half of the units remaining in her Dragon Belt.


    Hilnoa gave her a skeptical look. "Do you really need everything to complete your mission?"


    Meera smiled. "Yes."


    Hilnoa sighed lightly and produced a coin pouch from her robe. "For any expenses. If you need more, you need but ask."


    Meera took the pouch and used Identify.


    [50 Gold] [200 Silver] [300 Copper]


    Well, more money is always good.


    "Lastly, you are to relay all information of your findings to us so it can be spread to others as it may help them in their endeavors. Like His Highness said, if he is busy, then I will respond to you."


    Meera nodded. "That is all good, but what about the Mistblades and Bleeders looking for me? Won''t they be coming for a ''Varshan''?"


    "You don''t need to worry about the Bloodstone Watchmen. We have relayed new information that you were killed, and with Tamas returned to the prison, that matter should be resolved. Now, on your way, you go."


    She wrote something in her book, and a door opened in the wall. Meera squinted as the light was blinding again, as sunlight assaulted her eyes.


    "It''s day?" Meera couldn''t help asking. "Why do you all like to live in the dark? You should think about getting some windows in here."


    Hilnoa didn''t answer her and handed a folded piece of thick paper. "This is a map of Azeria and a picture of Prince Delkoris. Your first stop is Nelees. Establish contact with Crown Prince Delkoris and discreetly find out what he knows."


    "Great. That should be easy." Hilnoa completely missed the sarcasm.


    "Now, be on your way. You only have a week to find the queen. I don''t need to remind you what will happen if you fail."


    "Everyone dies?" Meera asked to be sure.


    "Starting with you."

 Chapter 92 – The Blue City of Nelees

    Meera jumped out the de facto door that Hilnoa had created while waving her goodbye. The woman responded by closing the door shut. She found herself in the outer courtyard of the fortress. From the outside, this fortress would make any enemies'' tears fall.


    Is that why he named it Tearsfell Prison?


    The fortress must''ve been four to five stories high, but again, given the lack of windows, it was hard to tell. The spires were even higher, ending in a conical top with spikes all along its length to prevent climbing. Most of the fortress was smooth, and all of it was made of metal.


    Soldiers were patrolling its ramparts. They must''ve been the Steel Sentinels as they wore steel armor and not the dark armor of the Shadow Vanguard she had just seen. Behind her, there was a wall some forty feet high. Soldiers patrolled its ramparts, too.


    She saw a gate in the wall, and some soldiers stood guard. The massive door must''ve been twenty feet tall and made entirely of the same dark steel as the rest of the castle.


    Meera moved for the gate. The soldiers eyed her suspiciously but relaxed once she produced the king''s seal. They let her pass through a smaller, regular-sized gate. Meera expected to be out of the castle, but she found herself on a bridge that led to a clearing. Trees had been chopped to stumps, and even the grass had been trimmed.


    In a way, it made sense as they would want to see who was coming. She crossed the wooden bridge. Below her was a wide moat that seemed to encircle the fortress. She had always wanted to see a castle with a moat. Now she had, and it was nothing special. Just greenish, dirty water that smelled bad.


    She didn''t bring out Onyx just yet as some soldiers were surprised to see a Varshan or someone who looked like a Varshan come out of the castle, but they didn''t give her any trouble. She touched the Gateway Mirror before continuing. It was placed a distance from the bridge but not too far. Surprisingly, there were no guards posted at the mirror.


    As she walked, she felt like someone was watching her. Good thing she didn''t need to turn to see who it was. She scanned the treeline and then the fortress itself. The soldiers kept doing their rounds. Nothing odd about them, but she noticed around the top there was a window with lots of spikes around it, which she had missed before.


    A man in a shadowy armor watched her from there. She zoomed in, and it was Narikas. How he had absorbed the girl into his armor had terrified Meera. But she also couldn''t resist turning around and waving to him.


    Narikas'' expression was one of confusion. He looked around, wondering if she was waving to someone else, but Meera pointed to him and waved again. You''re not the only one who can watch people from afar.


    With that, she turned around and kept walking as Narikas ducked inside. She quickly checked on her skills while she had the time.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Mirror Image Hunter ¨C Level 154]


    [Class Ability: Stalker ¨C Level 25]


    Stats


    [Health: 1122/1140]


    [Stamina: 1190/1220]


    [Mana: 1401/1420]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 114]


    [Power: 30]


    [Dexterity: 89]


    [Endurance: 122]


    [Focus: 142]


    [Agility: 96]


    [Perception: 91]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 58]


    [Shroud of Shadows ¨C Level 47]


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


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 19]


    [Mirror Step - Level 70]


    [Druvis Power - Level 15]


    [Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity - Level 63]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 41]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 65]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 24]


    [Vitalize - Level 59]


    [Mirror Wing ¨C Level 22]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 1]


    [Nimbus - Level 10]


    [Mistbound Illusions - Level 8]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 1]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 6]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 113]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 22]


    [Charred Body - Level 3]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 32]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 45]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 13]


    [Absorption - Level 26]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 18]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 39]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond-Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 12]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 40]


    It didn''t take long for Meera to reach the shade of trees. Now, she called on Onyx.


    He neighed. "So, what happened? Wait, we''re outside¡­ how did you escape? Where were we imprisoned in the first place? I have so many questions."


    Meera chuckled and jumped on his back. "I''ll explain everything, but we must hurry to this city, as we''re on a tight timeframe."


    <hr>


    The best part about having a ghostly horse was the look on people''s faces as she rode on by. No matter how much Meera asked Onyx to reduce the amount of smoke emanating from his body, enough remained that it was noticeable, and then, of course, there was his translucent body, which was hard to miss.


    The number of people Meera passed on the road was increasing which meant that she was headed in the right direction. She pulled out her map again, holding onto Onyx''s sides with her legs tightly, as she had Onyx running like the wind and the road was not exactly straight. To make matters worse, they had densely populated trees on both sides of the road. She studied the map once more, making sure she hadn''t forgotten to take a turn and got all her landmarks right.


    "We should be close, Onyx," Meera said, eyes still on the map.


    "Does the map state that the city has mostly blue walls?" Onyx asked.


    "Blue walls?" Meera looked up from the map. Her eyes widened. "Onyx, stop!"


    Her horse skidded to a stop just where the treeline ended. A few yards ahead lay the city of Nelees. It had about a fifteen-foot wall with a few soldiers dressed in white and blue uniforms, with swords strapped to their hips and big round shields on their backs.


    The most striking feature of the wall was the blue color. It matched the color of the sky, though the paint was peeling in several places to reveal the stone blocks underneath.


    "Hey, is your horse¡­a-a ghost?" asked a man to her left.


    "Bye, Onyx," Meera said and recalled him. He disappeared from beneath her. She landed on a knee, stood, and smiled at the man. "What horse?"


    His eyes threatened to pop out of his head. "Ghost! That girl controls ghosts!" He screamed and hollered as he ran off towards the city gates. "She''s a witch!"


    She looked to an older fellow with a bald patch whose eyes were fixed on her. "Some people start drinking too early in the day. Am I right?"


    The older gentleman replied by passing out. Luckily, there were other people to tend to him, or they would think she was doing some witchcraft. She left the shocked crowd as they were and headed for the gate, hoping to mix into them before talk of this witch got out of hand.


    The screaming man was talking to the guards at the gate while pointing at her. "There she is. She''s a witch."


    Meera looked at the woman behind her, feigned fear, and ran for the gate as did a few others, following her example. The scared man screamed and ran into the city upon seeing Meera. There weren''t enough people to cause a stampede, but still more than enough for the two guards to stop by themselves without using violence. She quickly Identify''d them.


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 84]


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 78]


    She sighed. Nothing to worry about.


    The guards yelled. "People, stop. We must investigate this claim about a witch."


    Of course, the people didn''t stop. In the commotion and shouting, Meera caught one interesting exchange between the guards.


    "If the Bleeders get wind of this, it''s your neck," said one guard.


    "Yes, like I''m the only one on duty here. Relax, they''re too busy guarding the princeling at the mayor''s house, and all this talk of a witch is just superstition."


    "You better hope so."


    Thank you, guards, for doing your duty so well. Meera smiled. Now, to find the way to the mayor''s house.


    Meera had half a mind to return to the bumbling guards and ask them where the mayor''s house was, but she didn''t want to push her luck too much. She figured she could ask anyone where the mayor''s house was. After all, a mayor should be famous.


    This is my first time visiting a city in this world. I should explore a little bit.


    It was quite fancy. All the buildings were painted a mix of white and blue, like the guard''s uniforms. As she ventured deeper, she could taste the salt in the air, as Nelees was a port city. It was to say something that Meera had come all the way to the west, though she didn''t know how far Rothedon''s forest was from here.


    As she walked, she heard the calls of street hawkers trying to sell their wares. She went to the cart of an older man and asked for directions. After telling her how to get to the mayor''s house, he grumbled about Meera wasting her time. So, she turned and flipped a silver coin his way.


    Hilnoa did say that I could ask for more if needed, so why not be generous?


    He thanked her profusely after that. Meera was ashamed to admit that it took her longer than expected to find the mayor''s house and three more silver coins. It was evening by the time she arrived at the lavish home. It was easily marked by the massive crowd of people waiting outside. Meera found a spot on the boulder, which let her see above the heads of the people.


    It was about three stories tall. It was the only house on the entire street that was so high. There were intricately painted designs on the walls of the house. There was a nicely trimmed yard with various colored flowers. The only things that marred the home''s beauty were the Bleeders and another group of brutish-looking guards. They wore red and gold uniforms. They all had bows strapped to their back and carried various weapons. Some had swords, others spears or halberds, and even maces and clubs.


    Before she could use Identify on them. The door to the upper balcony opened, and a richly dressed boy stepped out. Everything about him said he was the Crown Prince aside from his face.


    It didn''t match the picture that Hilnoa had given Meera.

 Chapter 93 – Meeting with a Prince

    Meera pulled out the sketch of the Delkoris, the Crown Prince, once again to ensure her hunch was correct. The artist had once again done a great job of capturing the Prince''s details. It was almost like they had taken a picture with their hands¡ªa colored picture.


    Delkoris looked about twenty years old and had light skin, no facial hair, and brown eyes. The Crown Prince on the balcony looked thirty with a full beard, tanned skin, green eyes, and a wider forehead than the boy in the picture.


    She wished her phone still worked so she could take a picture and confirm with Hilnoa that it was someone else posing as the Prince.


    "My people," the fake Delkoris said. "To see you all here to come see me has filled my heart to bursting. Just now, I was conversing with your dear mayor and ensuring he is doing his best for you all. For such a welcoming city, nothing but the best will suffice."


    The people cheered, and the fake Delkoris waved his hand. Some women offered themselves to him. Thankfully, that was droned out in the cheering, but Meera had to hear it all. Some people tried getting closer, but the Bleeders erected a wall of bloodstone to keep them back. That killed the mood. After some more waving, the Prince ducked back inside.


    The crowd dispersed, going about their way. Meera was one of the last few people to leave as she stayed there to memorize the position of the guards and figure out their numbers. If she were to make contact with the Prince, she had to get inside the mayor''s house somehow. But with this small army, it would be more than difficult, even if she did go invisibly, as there was a man posted every few feet.


    Meera decided to leave before she drew unwanted attention. She went down a street where she could still see the house for a long time, and even with no crowds or people waiting to see the Prince, the guards stayed where they were. Great. Finding the queen wasn''t challenging enough; now I must waste time finding her son, too.


    She turned a corner, and the house went out of view. She had half a mind to return to the house, flash the disc Narikas had given her, and demand an audience with the fake Prince. If anyone knew where the real Prince was, it would be him. Then again, she could reach out to the Warlord or Hinoa and confirm if the picture they gave her is accurate before doing anything as drastic as breaking into the mayor''s house.


    First, I need to find a quiet place, and what is quieter than a room in a nice hotel¡ªsorry inn.


    It seemed luck was on her side as she saw a group of women moving toward the mayor''s house. A group of women who were dressed very enticingly and drew the gaze of all the men. They stopped on a side street before turning onto the main road. A short man with makeup on led the women with a fancy bottle in hand. A dark liquid swirled inside. It could only be wine or some kind of alcohol.


    "Now, girls, make sure you are on your best behavior," he said. "Prince Delkoris has fine tastes, and you must satisfy all his needs. Make no sounds, save one of pleasure." He went on giving them more instructions.


    If they are who I think they are, that could be my way in. I hoped to talk with Narikas first, but when the opportunity strikes.


    Meera came up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, may I join this group?"


    He turned around, annoyed. "Go away. I''m the only one who can provide girls for His Highness. I will not lower myself by showing him street tramps."


    "But I am no street tramp, sir." Meera smiled, pulled off her chakram, and put it under his throat, making the girls gasp. "Nothing to worry about, girls. I''m just about to have a heart-to-heart with your employer. So, what is your name?"


    ¡°K-Kalkon,¡± he stammered.


    "Nice to meet you, Kalkon. I''m Meera. Now, you don''t have to do anything really. I will be invisible when you gain entry into the house. That should be no problem for you. You just have to present me first."


    "T-That''s not how it works." He shook so much that she feared he was going to slice his own throat at her chakram. "T-The prince picks his own girls." He even nicked himself on her chakram, and she heard a notification bell. "C-Can you p-please take your weapon away?"


    "Fine. But refrain from making any undue noise. We wouldn''t want to dirty your clean robes." She pulled her chakram away from his neck. "Well, let''s make today different, shall we? You will present me first and make sure you do an amazing job of upselling me, or I will hand you your head as a prize." She was about to turn invisible when she took out her coin purse and handed him about fifty gold coins. "For your service."


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The girls gasped and murmured about the wealth Meera had just given him, and the man was visibly less squeamish now.


    He pocketed the coins. "Right, girls, follow me, please. His Highness awaits." His confidence was back.


    Meera turned on her Shroud of Shadows, and it wasn''t so dark that she could be totally invisible just yet. So she turned visible again and walked on the other side of the street until they reached the mayor''s house. Then, as she expected, there wasn''t a single guard whose eyes didn''t linger on the girls.


    Then Meera activated her Shroud, ran towards the house in a darker portion of the street, used Nimbus and easily climbed over the fence and was inside the house. Once the guards finished inspecting the girls and letting them in, Meera turned visible again. But before she did, she willed her armor to change shape.


    Instead of the black and gold armor, it became a black and gold dress with ample amounts of cleavage and a slit in her gown that showed off her legs. She hated dressing like this, but it had to be done.


    Not a single guard or Bleeder raised the concern that they hadn''t seen her before. However, Kalkon''s eyes widened when he saw her among her girls. She followed Kalkon closely as he led them through the veranda to the house''s interior.


    The inside of the house was lavish compared to the interior of most buildings she had seen so far. Various paintings and decorative pots were adorning the house. They took the stairs upstairs and came upon a landing. Kalkon instructed the girls to sit while he talked with the Prince.


    "Not without me," Meera said.


    "But-But I must tell him¡ª"


    "Tell him that you''ve chosen me for him for tonight, and remember what I said about your neck."


    He gulped and rubbed his neck. "O-Okay, follow me."


    He knocked on the door twice. "Come in."


    Kalkon entered and bowed to the Prince, who wore only his silk pants as he sat on the bed, eating an apple. "Just one? Where''s the rest of them?"


    "Your Highness, today I have a rare treat for you that not many men have tasted in this world." He dramatically flourished a hand towards Meera. "A Varshan."


    The fake Delkoris scrunched up his nose. "Why would I want to be with one of them? I heard they''re more frigid than their cold world."


    Meera didn''t know any Varshans, but she took this personally.


    "Then let Meera change your mind about Varshans. Once you''ve¡ª"


    "Been with me, you''ll only demand a Varshan," Meera interjected. It was honestly taking too long. She stepped forward. "Nay, you won''t demand another girl again."


    The supposed Prince breathed out heavily. "My, my, aren''t you a forward one." But a fire had been lit behind his eyes.


    "I apologize, Your Highness. She''s new and doesn''t know¡ª"


    "Out and take the rest of your girls with you," he said as he set the apple on the table. "Come, Varshan, prove your words true."


    Kalkon bowed, gave Meera a sidelong glance, and exited the room. Meera dropped her pretense and walked to the bed, and as she did, her armor returned to its original shape, covering her up. Outside, Kalkon hurriedly demanded his girls to leave.


    The man frowned. "Why have you covered yourself up?"


    Meera took off a chakram and launched it at the fake Prince. His eyes widened at the coming death. She Stepped to her chakram at the last moment and caught it as it was an inch from his eyes.


    "Now, let''s begin," Meera said. "Who are you?"


    "C-Crown Prince Delkoris," he stammered, staring cross-eyed at the death an inch from his face.


    "Wrong answer." She bent a knee, placed it on his groin, and pressed down.


    He winced and flinched but didn''t take his eyes off the chakram. "Ow, please, no. Oh, stop."


    "Then answer my question. Truthfully, this time."


    "I am Delkoris." He winced and cried. "Please, you''re hurting me."


    She shook her head and pressed harder. "Lying again. Unlike the people of this town, I know what the Crown Prince looks like."


    He tried to push her leg off, but she moved her chakram closer to his eyes. He stared, shook in pain, and punched the bed. "Please stop. Please, you''re hurting me."


    "I wonder what you do to those girls. I bet you like hurting them."


    "What? AH! No, never. I-I never hurt them ev-ever. I even tip handsomely."


    "With whose money?"


    He just cried and cringed some more instead of answering.


    "I have a skill," Meera said. "It gives me the strength of a Druvis. If I activate that and use even an iota of it on your boy down there, you won''t be a boy anymore."


    His eyes widened, and he stilled. "I am not Delkoris."


    Meera relieved the pressure a little bit. "Then who are you?"


    "I am Nikander, a friend of his. He asked me to pose as him as he searches for his mother," he dribbled out. "Now, can you please move your knee?"


    Meera jumped off the bed. He put his hands on his groin and rolled around, moaning. She let him recover before asking what she came here to find out.


    "I''ll never be able to have kids now," he moaned. "You''ve broken it."


    "Relax, you''ll be fine. Where is Delkoris?"


    "You mean to kill him, don''t you?" His eyes popped open. "Oh gods, once I tell you, you''re going to kill me too. The rumors are true. The Varshan empire is coming for us."


    Meera rolled her eyes. She pulled out the seal that Narikas had given her. "King Rokibor heard the news that someone was posing as his son, so he sent me to confirm."


    "Why didn''t you show me that from the beginning? I would have come clean right away."


    "The prince must''ve left some way for you to contact him."


    "Listen, if you''re here to take him home, he''s not¡ª"


    "Are you going to answer me, or does your groin need another massage?"


    He cupped his hands over his groin and closed his legs. "He-He said he was cutting off contact to focus on his mission." Meera moved for him. "But!" He held up a hand. "But he said to light the big brazier on the roof if I needed to get in touch with him, and he''ll come when he can."


    "Well, let''s go light a brazier then."

 Chapter 94 – Luck Finally Runs Out

    Meera flourished a hand dramatically. ¡°Lead the way, fake prince.¡± He carefully walked past her with one hand on his crotch. She placed a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch. ¡°If you so much as hint to your guards that I¡¯m from the capital, I will open up your throat and shit down your gullet.¡±


    He swallowed. ¡°U-Understood.¡±


    He opened the door, and on the other side stood a behemoth of a man. He must¡¯ve stood seven feet tall and wide as a bear. He wore a red and gold uniform with a broad sword hanging from his back. He had the same bird sigil as the disc that Narikas had given her. Meera had to crane her neck up to look at his face. He had an eye missing. A straight scar had sewn it shut forever, which added to his fearsome visage.


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 204]


    Meera gulped at his level, which matched his size, and she had counted at least seven others outside. If this devolved into a fight, her chances of making it alive were next to nothing.


    He entered the room without permission, lone eye glaring at Meera. ¡°My prince, it looks like we have an infiltrator.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nikander jumped behind the guard. ¡°Yes, we do. She attacked me as I was about to go to sleep. She¡¯s a Varshan assassin, sent to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Save it, Nikander,¡± Meera said. ¡°We all know you¡¯re not the real prince.¡±


    The Phoenix Protector looked at the fake prince, who began shaking. He reached for his massive sword as he turned towards Meera. ¡°I suppose I must kill you then.¡±


    Meera stepped back. ¡°Now listen, look at this before you do something drastic.¡± She pulled out the royal seal from her Dragon Hoard Belt. ¡°See, we work for the same team¡ªerr, person. The king has sent me to bring His Highness home.¡±


    The behemoth squinted at the seal, then at Meera, and finally huffed. ¡°His Highness will only go home when he wishes to.¡± He pulled off his sword and rested it on his shoulder. ¡°And he specifically asked us to take care of anyone that came from the capital.¡±


    Meera dropped the seal in her Belt and activated Mist Concealment, filling the room with mists. She had seen the Mistblades use this skill enough times to know what would happen. But she didn¡¯t expect to be able to see through the mists. The room was still hazy, but she wasn¡¯t as blinded by the mists as the other two men.


    She shot mirrors from her armor and flew them across the room, and just like she predicted, she could see them. Then she used Mist Illusions and sent three copies of herself at the Protector, who had lit himself on fire and was burning the mists away.


    That¡­is not a bad skill.


    She shook her head. Her only way to survive this fight was to get out of there before the other Bleeders and Phoenix Protectors arrived, which they would be anytime soon as Nikander had started screeching like a dying bird.


    ¡°Protectors! An assassin! An assassin¡¯s come to kill me. I mean, the Crown Prince.¡±


    Meera rolled her eyes. Things can never be easy. Can they?


    So, instead of getting herself entangled in a prolonged fight, she looked for a window. She positioned her illusions to where the giant Protector would see them. He swung his sword, removing two of them in one swing. Meera found a window and dashed to it, but at the same time, keeping an eye on the last illusion.


    She moved it about, protecting it from the Protector¡¯s mighty sword. He swung, and fake Meera ducked and dodged while Meera herself was mesmerized by his movements. However, the illusion didn¡¯t last long once he caught up to it and shot it with a column of flames.


    That was Meera¡¯s cue. She punched open the window and had only stuck her head out when a reddish beam shot at her. She quickly pulled herself back, but the window didn¡¯t catch fire. Instead, it was covered in a scarlet stone¡ªbloodstone.


    Meera squeezed her eyes shut. If the Bleeders outside know, then all the guards know. Shit.


    She pulled off five chakrams and hurled them at the lone guard in the room. Despite the mists concealing most of their movements, he deflected three with his sword. The other two chakrams spun through the mist; one hit his armor, and the other was going to hit his shoulder, which was protected by his armor and fire. So, Meera shifted its trajectory a little higher towards his exposed neck.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    His flames were little protection, but he moved in time to save himself. But she did hear a notification bell, which meant she cut him. She heard multiple footsteps. Nikander hollered as if they had won already. They technically had.


    Four more Phoenix Protectors burst into the room, weapons drawn. They carried different weapons than the giant. He didn¡¯t know where she was, so he glared in all directions.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked one of the protectors. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°In the mists,¡± replied the behemoth. ¡°She can create illusions and is about level 150.¡±


    One of them snickered at hearing her level. She would, too, if she was around their level.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother, she will not escape us. The Watchmen are watching all the windows. We have this place on lockdown. She will not escape us.¡±


    ¡°Watch out for her throwing discs. They went through my Pyro Warding.¡±


    All four heads snapped to him. He moved his hand to show them the cut she had made. It wasn¡¯t deep, but it was bleeding fast, so she hoped she got an artery. It would have been nice if it were a jugular.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t creating mists and illusions something that Mistblades do?¡± The one on the far left asked. He carried a pair of short swords.


    ¡°They do,¡± replied the one in the lead. He wielded a spear. Eyes scanning for a glimpse of Meera. ¡°Time to finish off this assassin.¡±


    Meera was not getting out of this alive. That much was for certain. She took out the royal seal again and created another illusion of herself. This time, holding the seal.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight,¡± Meera said, walking her illusion to them. ¡°That bumbling fool is lying. I am no assassin. I work for the king. He sent me here to bring his son and heir home.¡±


    The Protector heated his spear until it glowed red and speared her illusion through the heart. ¡°Figured as much. If the king sends you, we have orders not to let you see the prince at all costs.¡±


    Then they all lit up with fire, just like the big guy. With so much heat, her mists evaporated much faster.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to have to kill you all,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°As if you could,¡± said the one with the swords. Both his swords heated up, and he slammed them together, creating sparks. He moved both weapons in a full circle, forming a red and gold circle in the air, and blew.


    What happened next was the closest thing Meera had ever seen to dragons breathing fire in real life. She teleported out of the way and just in time as the massive column of flames melted everything in their path. The torrent of fire shot out of the room violently, leaving behind a gaping, burning hole.


    Worst of all, her mists were reduced to vapor, leaving Meera exposed.


    ¡°There she is.¡± He pointed with his sword.


    Meera gulped.


    Wings of flames sprouted out of the spearman¡¯s back. One moment, he was standing there, and then he vanished in a poof of ashes, and the next, he was about to drive his red-hot spear into Meera¡¯s neck.


    Thankfully, Mirror Step was faster, and she teleported to safety, but not for long, as they all sprouted wings. As she reappeared, the one with the club was on her, ready to smash her head into the floor.


    She jumped again, right in the middle of them all, and used Mirror Blast. Her strongest skill and it did nothing, as they blocked it by extending a hand and forming shields of fire. Even the big man, whom she had cut with his chakram, was fine.


    They all laughed as they noted Meera¡¯s shocked expression. All but the spearman. He looked ready to end Meera¡¯s sorry life.


    The giant bent down picked up some ash that one of them had left behind when they teleported and rubbed it on his neck. Meera¡¯s eyes widened as his wound sealed up almost right away, leaving behind a thin scar.


    ¡°Face it, Varshan. You¡¯re doomed,¡± said Nikander as he poked his head in from the door.


    ¡°Not so quite.¡±


    Meera launched a chakram towards him. The spearman vanished in a puff of ash, but before he could kill her, Meera was gone. She caught her chakram, swirled around, hooked an arm around Nikander¡¯s neck, and her chakram pushing on his jugular.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard of hostage situations,¡± Meera said. ¡°Let me go, or your fake prince will lose his head.¡±


    ¡°Kill him,¡± the swordsman said. ¡°He holds no value to us.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Nikander quivered. ¡°I-I am the son of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he the prince¡¯s friend?¡± Meera said. ¡°It would be a shame for your prince to return and find his friend, minus a head.¡±


    The one with the club laughed. ¡°Taking a hostage. Sign of a true coward.¡±


    ¡°And ganging up on me makes you all so brave.¡± Meera shot back.


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t let her kill me, please,¡± Nikander shouted, leaving Meera¡¯s ears ringing.


    ¡°Easy. Your shrieking is going to burst my ears.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sorry.¡±


    ¡°What will it be?¡± Meera asked. ¡°I will die, but take this mewling noble with me.¡± She pushed the chakram in, making a cut and getting another notification bell.


    ¡°Fine.¡± The Spearman dropped his spear. ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now you all move to that far wall, and you, mister noble, move for the big hole in the wall.¡±


    The Phoenix Protectors moved towards the wall, glaring at her. The swordsman spat in her direction. She didn¡¯t say anything. She just needed to get out of here. It didn¡¯t take long to get to the hole.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get far,¡± the spearman said. ¡°The Watchmen have orders to attack anyone that leaves the room.¡±


    Meera smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±


    She activated Shroud of Shadows, which made her translucent because of all the flames. She did a two-finger salute to the Protectors, threw her chakram out the hole, and teleported to it.


    Just when she thought she was free, a burning, stabbing pain erupted in her leg. There was a sword sticking out of her thigh. Somehow, the swordsman had thrown his sword and impaled her leg. She stayed up in the air, using Nimbus. She gripped the sword and screamed as it burned fiercely. The pain was terrible, but she pulled it out somehow and let it drop.


    Her hand was not so bad, even if it felt like it should have been charred black. She activated Vitalize right away. Down below, the Bleeders were looking about, trying to see where the chakram went. Using Nimbus, she ran off into the night.


    The only problem was the swordsman was coming after her, flying on wings of fire. Somehow, he could still sense her even though she was invisible.

 Chapter 95 – Fight With A Phoenix

    Meera had half a mind to throw a bunch of chakrams in the swordsman''s face but didn''t on the off chance he didn''t know where she was, and he was flying on a hunch. She took a sharp left turn in the air towards the darker part of town.


    The Phoenix Protector''s head turned in her direction as he flashed her a vicious smile as if he could see her. He turned towards her at blinding speed. Meera''s eyes widened. She threw a chakram downwards and Stepped to it, landing on the street safely, but the swordsman was close behind.


    How can he see me?


    She went down a dark alley while stepping on air using Nimbus to avoid creating noise. The swordsman''s fiery wings were enough to light the dark alley, but Meera was already gone, running as fast as possible.


    She wasn''t afraid to fight him, but she needed an advantage. An outright confrontation would not end in her favor.


    After taking a couple of twists and turns, she ended up in a wide circular intersection with a dry fountain in the middle. Leaves and dirt lay in the fountain like it hadn''t seen water in years. The houses around the intersection didn''t look like anyone was living there. The whole place was dark as it was a moonless night or, in this world, a cloudy night to block the light of Mirithia.


    Using her armor''s ability, she launched many tiny mirrors and placed them all over the intersection. Then she threw a chakram to the roof of a house and teleported to it. She looked at his wings'' orange glow, which was slow-moving for now. He was looking for her, but the task couldn''t have been easy since she hadn''t left any tracks behind.


    Okay, Ambush Tactics, how do I ambush a person with impeccable defense and a crazy offense.


    The first and the most apparent thing Ambush Tactics showed her was filling the areas with mists, then using illusions to distract him while falling on his back with her chakram. It was a basic plan, but it was as good as any.


    Meera Stepped to the top of the fountain and used Mist Concealment, filling the entire intersection with her mists. It was like lighting up a torch for her assailant to follow, but she had no other option. She threw a chakram in each of the four directions and impaled them in the walls.


    Just as she had finished setting everything up, she saw the swordsman rise into the air. His fiery wings lit up the sky, and he smiled upon seeing her mists. He dove down for her at full tilt. Meera had the urge to dissect him with a chakram then and there, but she didn''t want to give away her position just yet.


    He landed in the mists with his fire armor and wings, burning away the mists. He pulled out his swords, and the metal glowed red hot. The hole in her thigh might have healed, but the pain it had caused still lingered in her mind. It was the worst, second only to the Edwyn''s darkness beam.


    The swordsman''s eyes scanned everything. Meera was safe. She was on the far side of the street, away from his line of sight. Come on, just a little closer.


    "You cannot escape, assassin," the swordsman said.


    Meera created an illusion of herself and made her rest on the fountain''s edge, making sure the swordsman could see it.


    "Who says I want to escape," Meera replied through her illusion. "You''re the one who made the mistake of coming here all by yourself."


    He casually slashed through her illusion, dispersing it into mist.


    "I came because I was curious," he replied. "How do you, a Varshan assassin, have the skills of Mistblades?"


    Meera brought out another illusion to his left. "That is not all I have."


    He stabbed it lightly. "You''re boring me with these illusions. Come fight me, yourself."


    Meera moved away from her position as his light began reaching her. She cast another illusion, this time creating more than one illusion of her, and sent them all towards the swordsman.


    "I will," Meera said, and her illusions mimicked her. There were five in total.


    He sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you keep this up, I will blow up this whole neighborhood." He slashed his blade in an arc through her illusions. They all dissipated, save for one.


    Her chakram blocked his sword. His eyes widened, but before he could do anything, Meera extended a hand and shot him point black with a Mirror Shard Barrage. He flew back into the fountain.


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    Meera Stepped away, leaving behind another illusion. She wasn''t sure how much that hurt the swordsman, but it definitely made him angry as he lunged for her illusion, ripping it to shreds.


    The flames on his body intensified to the point where her mist was evaporating fast. Meera had to activate Mist Concealment again and fill the area with fresh new mists. She feared that might give away her position, so she moved in a circular motion away from the Phoenix Protector.


    "These mists will protect you for only so long," he said.


    "You keep throwing idle threats," Meera taunted him. "Can you even do anything, or have you already used up all your greatest attacks?"


    His jaw tensed, and he tightened his grip on his swords. "Well, let me show you what I can do."


    His blade heated up till they were white. Even from afar, Meera felt the heat stemming from them. He slashed in the air, and a wave of white-hot flames launched off the blade, coming towards Meera. She Stepped away, but he kept throwing slash after slash in that same area until that house was in a pile of flaming rubble.


    I hoped to learn more of his skills, but I can''t draw this out any longer.


    She motioned with her finger, and the chakram closest to the swordsman flew at him. It looked like it would take off half his head, but he vanished, leaving behind only ashes. He reappeared to the side, but Meera brought the same chakram back with Mirror Wing.


    He teleported again to safety, making Meera smile. He had positioned himself right in front of another chakram. She flicked a finger, and the chakram zipped into his back, making him cry out. She couldn''t see how much damage it did, but it did more every instant as Meera recalled the chakram. The best thing was his spine was in the way.


    He vanished again, leaving her chakram behind, which returned to Meera''s hand. The swordsman flinched and cried out as he tried to reach for his back to check the damage, but his armor was in the way.


    "Oh, are you hurt?" Meera asked. "Do you want me to take a look?"


    He finally stopped fidgeting about and looked straight ahead. "You whore." His eyes blazed white, and he blew up.


    Meera activated three mirror shields and was still thrown into a wall. Her head smashed so hard against the wall that she blacked out for a few seconds. When she came to, her mists were gone. Most of the houses and the fountain lay in blackened ruins. The wounded swordsman stood in the middle of a small crater, huffing.


    His eyes still glowed as he laughed. "Found you."


    He vanished and appeared on top of her, thrusting down with both of his swords. Meera used Mirror Step to one of the few remaining mirrors. Smoke fizzled from her stomach where his sword had touched her, but she was okay. Her armor saved her.


    She used her armor''s ability to liter the area with tiny mirrors. The swordsman with the glowing eyes didn''t care and vanished again, but so did she, moving only a few feet forward, hoping she calculated the distance correctly.


    She did. He appeared behind her, slashing the air, thinking she would be there. She turned and punched his back with her chakram in the same spot as the wound and left her chakram there. He screamed, turned around, swinging his sword in an arc.


    She pulled off two chakrams and deflected his first sword, but his second came too fast. She tried to deflect it, but it only grazed the sword, not enough to alter its trajectory. His blade landed in her shoulder.


    Meera screamed as his sword drove her to her knees. She Stepped away at once. There was a big hole in her right shoulder, and smoke rose from the charred wound. She activated Vitalize, and the pain lessened, but the burning sensation made her heave, and she couldn''t move her arm at all.


    The swordsman laughed and pointed his glowing sword at her. "Your armor is something. Usually, that cuts a person in half."


    Meera huffed as she let go of her chakrams, but they stayed in the air. She stood, glared at her enemy, and recalled her chakram still wedged in his back. He cried out and winced forward but teleported away.


    She launched all three chakrams at him as soon as he appeared. They shot toward him at blinding speed, leaving behind a streak in their trail.


    He brought up his sword to defend himself. He deflected and blocked each attack. The way he moved was unreal, even despite the wound in his back. He was a true master of the sword. But Meera kept the pressure on him. Her chakrams went at him, one after another. Finally, she had him on the back foot, driving him closer to a wall.


    Just when she had him where she wanted him, he vanished and appeared behind her, mid-swing. He was too fast, and Meera couldn''t teleport away in time. He slashed out her upper back, cutting her hair short by several inches.


    She stifled a scream as she teleported away. Despite the pain, she wanted to end this bastard. She reappeared behind him and pulled off her level 2 chakram. She swung at him, but he turned in time, deflecting the blow with one of his swords.


    It saved his life, but it cost him a sword.


    Her big chakram broke his blade in two. He gasped as his broken blade cluttered to the ground. He looked at the broken sword in his hand. There was only one expression on his face¡ªrage.


    He stabbed at her with his remaining sword. The burning sword went in just below her ribs. The pain was unimaginable as the sword burned her insides.


    "After today, I can put Varshan on the things I''ve killed," he said.


    "Your name?" Meera said weakly.


    "Go to the Lord of Deeds and tell him Garas sent you."


    Meera gripped his hand, activated Druvis Power, and broke his hand. He cried out, but she didn''t let go of him, even when the flames on his body burnt her. "Goodbye, Garas¡­"


    Three of her chakrams hit him in the back of the neck, taking off his head. She was washed with his blood as the flames extinguished, and his body fell.


    Meera dropped to a knee. She had Vitalize on full blast but wouldn''t last long with the sword inside her. She gripped the sword with both hands. The sword still burnt hot as the sun. She screamed as she ripped the blade out of her.


    Meera fell to the ground, huffing. It was all she could do not to cry cause of the pain. She reached inside her belt and downed two Health potions. She had just begun to think that she might survive this when a man melded out of the shadows and struck her on the head.


    Meera fell into darkness once again.

 Chapter 96 – A Curious Thief

    "Hey, wake up!" Someone slapped her across the face.


    Meera''s eyes fluttered open, but apparently, that was not fast enough for her captor. He slapped her again. She shook awake and winced. The back of her head throbbed from where he had hit her. But, of course, that was not the only wound she had. Her various cuts and burns had not fully healed before someone knocked her lights out.


    The first thing she did was look down and sighed in relief. She still had her armor on. She did not want to be caught in that awkward position like last time. As a matter of fact, he had taken nothing. Her chakrams were still on her arms as well. He hadn''t even bothered to tie her up as well.


    "Good, you''re awake," he said.


    Meera focused on him. The pounding in her head was still making her see double. She activated Vitalize and hoped she had enough Mana remaining to heal herself fully. The man before her was wearing dark clothes which covered him from head to toe. He had a mask on that only had holes for his eyes. He even wore gloves on his hands.


    She used Identify on him, and it didn''t work.


    Meera frowned. "Why isn''t Identify working on you?"


    He waved a hand at himself. "Because you can''t see me."


    Meera noted that down for the future. She activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity. She used this skill more often than her own eyes to see. They were in a dark room with a lit candle beside the man. From what she could tell, the room seemed run down, and the windows were boarded up, with no light coming from the outside, which meant it was night still.


    "Who are you then?" Meera asked.


    "I''m just a curious thief who witnessed your fight with that Blazer. You made prime¡ªI mean short work of him."


    Meera nodded. Something about the way he spoke reminded him of someone else, but she couldn''t nail down who. "So, you call the Phoenix Protectors Blazers, huh? Tell me, does everything have a different name in this kingdom?"


    He chuckled and shrugged. "Just about. Those royals like to keep long-winded, annoying names, so we shorten them for ease." He paused and looked away. "And I''m sorry for hitting you. But there were others on the way, and if I wasted time trying to explain it to you. They would have gotten you or us both."


    "I see." Meera didn''t see any other¡­Blazer swooping down from the sky, but then again, she was more focused on staying alive. "Well, thank you then err¡­.I don''t know your name."


    "It''s Dirik," he said. "And you are?"


    "Meera, and you''re a thief?"


    He nodded enthusiastically.


    "Yet, you did not take a single thing from me. Well, nothing that I can see."


    He chuckled. "I may be a thief, but I am not stupid. I saw you take down a Blazer who must''ve gained you quite a bit of levels."


    Meera had the urge to check her notifications, but not until she knew she was safe. "I''m sure I must''ve. Now, let''s cut to the crux of it. Why did you bring me here?"


    "I need your help with something. Well, not you particularly, any strong person would have done. I have a few strong friends in the city, but they are¡ªhow should I put it¡ªthey scare people into keeping quiet when I need them to be more open."


    "And why should I help you?" Meera asked.


    "Well, because I saved you."


    Meera just stared at him. He was right if the other Phoenixes were actually on their way. She had no way of confirming that either. And even if he did save her, the way he went about doing that may have been a tad overzealous.


    "A-And I''ll pay you," he added. "I have money stashed away."


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    Meera snorted. "I don''t need your money. I have enough of my own. Look, I''m thankful and all for you saving me, but I have troubles of my own that I need to tend to."


    Like how to find the prince now that I''ve alienated his bodyguards.


    "I''m sure you do, and maybe I can help you. If you don''t want money as payment, I can help you in other ways. I have many contacts in the city."


    Meera paused at that. "Okay, I''m looking for Crown Prince Delkoris. The one who comes out and waves to the crowds is not him. Can you help me locate the real one?"


    His eyes widened. "So¡­ that''s why the Blazers were¡­"


    "That''s right."


    "Why are you looking for the prince? Are you really a Varshan assassin?"


    Meera drew a sharp breath. I''ve gone from being a Varshan spy to a Varshan assassin. Can''t really call that moving up in the world.


    "No, I''m not a Varshan assassin," Meera said through gritted teeth. "The king has sent me to bring him home. That is all."


    "I see." She couldn''t see his face, but his eyes told her he was contemplating something. "You know, now that you mention it, there has been a strange fellow going around town asking odd questions. Richly dressed fellow, I should add. I almost nicked his purse. He might be the man you''re looking for."


    Meera raised an eyebrow. "How do I know you''re not making it up just to get me to go along with you? As a matter of fact, how do I know you''re not part of the city guard or some such who is having me walk into a trap?"


    He laughed. "If I wanted to kill you, you''d be dead by now. And City Guard? Trust me, lady, I am not remotely anything like that."


    "See, that''s the thing. I don''t trust you." Meera crossed her arms. Thankfully, there was no pain. "How can I trust you when you won''t even show me your face?"


    He looked away. "I can''t. I can''t show you my face. It''s¡­ It''s horribly disfigured. I ran into a foul element of society who left his permanent marks on me."


    "Then I thank you for saving me if that is why you brought me here. I will take your leave." Meera moved to stand.


    "Okay, wait! I will show, but please don''t make fun of me."


    "I won''t."


    He slowly moved his mask up and winced a few times, but when his mask came off. It was Meera who winced. The poor boy''s must''ve been a few years younger than Meera, but his face looked like dogs had chewed on it. The left side of his face was scarred. He had a hole in his cheek that let her see his teeth underneath, and he was missing a few of them. The tip of his nose had been sliced off. There was a scar right along his scalp, which must have come from a very sharp knife.


    He quickly lowered his mask down. "I''m sorry, I don''t like to show what I''ve become."


    "I understand, and I''m sorry."


    "I would say it''s okay, but it''s really not. One day, I will get even with those who harmed me, but for now, I must focus on my task."


    "What task?" Meera asked. "You haven''t told me much. And what exactly do you need from me?"


    "I am going to join the Wardens of Numheia."


    "Who?"


    He frowned under his mask. "You know, the ones hunting down any practitioners of occult arts, monster summoners, age-old curses, and other such cursed beings or objects. You know, the followers of Numeheia."


    Again, Meera gave him a blank look.


    "You don''t know of Numeheia, the Goddess of Justice, the Judge of wrongdoers. The one responsible for announcing the sentence to those deemed to suffer in hell. She is the sister of Lord Lorendor. How do you not of her? Wait, you do know of Lord Lorendor, right?"


    "Isn''t he the one they talk about in that benediction?"


    He stared wide-eyed. "Are you even from this world or any of the three worlds? Do they not worship the gods in Varsha?"


    "Didn''t I say I''m not a Varshan?"


    He gasped. "Oh my, you''re a-an¡­atheist." He whispered the last word like the gods were outside the door, listening.


    "In a way, I suppose."


    Even with the mask, Meera could tell the boy had blanched. "You shouldn''t blaspheme the gods. I did so once, and they did, well, this." He motioned to his face. "Anyways, Lord Lorendor is one of the most important and respected gods. He judges a person''s deeds after they die and sends them to heaven, hell, or back down to the worlds to live again."


    "Interesting. So, who are these Wardens, and why do you want to go to them?"


    "They are the group responsible for making sure we don''t get run over with monsters of all sorts, and recently, they''ve taken up a hunt for a peculiar monster. I don''t rightly know what this monster is, but apparently, it attacked the king and his entourage when he went to inspect Itris Prison."


    "Is that the one that was hit with a lightning bolt, and a whole bunch of prisoners escaped?" Meera asked.


    He put his hands on his hips and tilted his head. "You know of that but not the gods."


    "So, am I right?"


    He sighed. "Yes, that''s the one."


    Meera paused. "Why do you want to find out about this monster?"


    He looked away. "My mother was imprisoned in Itris. She¡­she didn''t survive the lightning bolts. I mean to ask the Wardens to let me join them on the hunt."


    "For revenge?" Meera asked.


    "Wouldn''t you do the same if you were in my place?" His eyes had turned glassy.


    If not the Crown Prince, I can find something about the Queen.


    Meera sighed. "Fine, I''ll accompany you. But what am I supposed to do there?"


    "Keep me alive, as their base is not exactly supposed to be known by¡­"


    "A thief?"


    "By anyone. So, they might try to kill me or us."


    "Awesome. Things can never be easy for once, can they?" She looked around the room and saw an outline of a door leading to another room. "Is anyone in there?"


    He shook his head. "No, do you need to do something?"


    "Yes, change my clothes and take a little nap," she lied.


    "Sure, go ahead. No one lives here but me."


    Meera stood. "Good. Wake me up when it''s morning." She moved for the door. I think I should call the soul-sucking warlord.

 Chapter 97 – Making A Shadow Call

    The second room was about as lovely and clean as the last. There was dusty, broken furniture everywhere, and like the first room, the windows were boarded up as well, so very little light came in from the outside. She saw some spiders resting on their webs and other insects.


    A shiver went up her spine, and she decided not to sit close to any walls, at least not until she made the call. She closed the door behind her and hoped this would be enough to stop the thief from overhearing her conversation with Narikas or Hilnoa, whoever was up at this ungodly hour. But before that, she was dying to know the skills she stole from the Phoenix Protector.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 209. For killing an enemy fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 7 levels and has reached Level 161. You have been awarded 15 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 160 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakram.]


    A chakram appeared on her arm, bringing her total to fourteen¡ªtwo level 2 chakrams and twelve regular ones.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has gained 3 levels and reached Level 116. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 119% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 5 levels and reached Level 45]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 5 levels and reached Level 63]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 4 levels and reached Level 51]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained reached Level 33. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 35% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has reached Level 71]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 2 levels and reached Level 17]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 6 levels and reached Level 69]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has reached Level 42]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 3 levels and reached Level 27]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 6 levels and reached Level 65]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 8 levels and reached Level 30]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Nimbus has gained 7 levels and reached Level 17]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistbound Illusions has gained 10 levels and reached Level 18]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mist Concealment has gained 9 levels and reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Charred Body has gained 12 levels and reached Level 15]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 4 levels and reached Level 30]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 6 levels and reached Level 45]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Soul Bond ¨C Onyx the Stallion has gained 5 levels and reached Level 18]


    Next were the skills she had stolen, and she couldn''t wait to see what she got from the two Blazers. She might not have killed the oversized Blazer, but she left a nice cut in his neck. She rubbed her hands in anticipation and smiled wide. If I can get those wings of fire, that would be the best.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Fashion Sense. You will always recognize the latest fashion trends and adapt your clothing to suit the occasion with eye-catching color coordination. All eyes in the room will be on you. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Negotiation Expertise. You are adept at striking bargains, navigating discussions, mediating disputes, and striking mutually beneficial deals. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    What the shit is this, Midiea? Meera was ready to throw hands with the goddess. Not only were these skills useless, but why was someone called a Phoenix Protector walking around with these skills in the first place? Was he a secret fashionista who did deals for his clothes? Was this his secret guilty pleasure?


    An image of the behemoth in a well-dressed suit walking down the ramp flashed in her mind. She shook her head and cleared it from her head as fast as it had come. She sighed and took the more useful of the two.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    Well, Dad, you always wanted me to get better at negotiating. Now, I have a skill for it.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Resource Allocation. Resource Allocation ¨C Type: Passive. You can efficiently manage and distribute various resources to ensure you always have what is needed, whether they be ores, lumber, magical herbs, or even human labor. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill of Alcohol Tolerance. You have drunk so much alcohol over the years that you have built a tolerance to it and can function well enough even under the influence. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stared at the two skills and didn''t know whether to rage, or cry, or both. How is it that two of the strongest people I have ever cut gave me these next-to-useless skills?


    After wallowing in self-pity and grief for a while, she chose Alcohol Tolerance as she didn''t want to waste a skill slot with something that she would probably never use.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    Meera was about to fall to her knees and cry when she heard another notification bell.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Pyrokinetic Weaponry. Pyrokinetic Weaponary ¨C Type: Passive. You can light your weapons on fire and keep them lit with your Mana, adding a destructive force to your arsenal. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill general skill Eyes of a Phoenix. You have a Phoenix''s eyes that imbue you with enhanced perception and intuition. It allows for the detection of hidden truths, veiled threats, and enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Then it finally clicked. This was from the first Phoenix Protector, the behemoth. The first pair was from that pimp, and the second must''ve been from Nikander. Now that I think about it, I did cut them when I was threatening them. She clasped her hands together. "I''m sorry, Midiea."


    With that quick apology, she refocused on her choice of skills. The Pyrokinetic skill was powerful. She knew that painfully well from the multiple stabbings, but she was drawn towards the Eyes of a Phoenix skill. This was how he could follow her, even when she was invisible. The best part was it was a general skill, saving her a skill slot.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Flame Strike. Flame Strike ¨C Type: Active. You can unleash a concentrated slash of destructive flames from your weapon, causing intense burning on impact. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Inferno Storm. Inferno Storm ¨C Type: Active. You can harness the elemental forces of fire and wind, merging them into a devastating whirlwind of scorching flames. The storm will engulf everything in its path in a blazing inferno. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    The answer was obvious; once again, she was in the same conundrum. She liked all her skills and didn''t want to let go of any of them. Only if I have just one more open spot.


    She sighed and decided to give up Nimbus for Inferno Storm. It was just too strong of a skill to give up, and she had an idea that might replace Nimbus and prayed she wasn''t wrong.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Inferno Storm ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Stalker has reached Level 26]


    She allocated her stat points to Constitution, Dexterity, and Focus. Her health was lacking, as evidenced by her last fight. If the fights were going to get tougher, then she needed to be able to take more hits. With all that out of the way, it was finally time to call Narikas. She fished out the royal seal and wondered how to do this. She shrugged. I want to call Narikas.


    Nothing happened.


    "Narikas." She tried again, but this time, she ran some Mana through the disc, and the disc emanated darkness and became cool to the touch. It rose into the air, nearly touching the ceiling, and started spinning really fast.


    It shot out rays of darkness, forming a cone of darkness and shadows, and in that cone, sitting on his throne, was the Shadowsteel Warlord.


    There was no color to him. He was made of shadows, but she could see him perfectly. It was creepy seeing him like that. Like it was a shadow monster of the man. However, the faces in agony in his armor looked as life-like as when she had seen the man in person.


    "Meera," he said, voice strained as if he was in pain. His brow furrowed a little, but he breathed out and got everything under control.


    "Are you okay?" Meera asked in a whisper. "You seem to be in pain."


    He frowned. "Why are you whispering?"


    "Because there is someone in the other room."


    "Step into the cone and our conversation will be secret."


    Meera wanted to object that he or his shadow was in the cone, but she had seen some strange stuff since she got to this world. She figured this would work, too.


    She stepped into the cone, and two things happened. First, there was enough room in the cone, and she didn''t step into his shadow self, and second, Narikas gained colors, or his shadow did. It was almost like he was there. Still, there was a shadow-like flowing nature to his visage, but it was almost like making a video call, but with magic.


    "Whoa, okay, I was not expecting this," Meera said.


    Narikas snorted a little. "It is surreal, is it not?"


    Meera nodded. "I have lots of things to report."


    "Go on¡­"


    Meera told him everything truthfully. It wasn''t like she had anything to be afraid of. He couldn''t pull her into his armor from a hologram. He listened quietly and winced in between but made no sound. He was in pain; that much was clear, and he was trying to hide it. When she finished, Narikas was quiet for a long moment.


    He rubbed his chin. "That is not good."


    "I had no choice." Meera shot back. "If I didn''t kill that Blazer, he would''ve killed me."


    "No, not that. I always hated that one. It''s good you got rid of him. What is not good is Delkoris going off on his own. He will surely get himself killed. The lad always took on more than he could handle. He is the only one of Rokibor''s children worthy of taking the throne."


    "Don''t tell me. You want me to find him too?"


    He sighed. "He is still the only lead to finding the queen."


    "Not the only lead." Meera pointed out.


    Narikas nodded and immediately flinched. "Yes," he sighed in relief. "Go with this thief to the Wardens and find out what you can, but be careful, they don''t take kindly to strangers. I feel this thief may be able to lead you to Delkoris, as we need to find out what he knows."


    "Great. Help a thief to find a prince to find a queen to find my brother. My life has turned into¡ªfind the next missing person. I have a feeling by the time I find the queen, you''ll go missing, and then I''ll have to find you too."


    Narikas shut off the connection, and the seal fell on her head.

 Chapter 98 – A Morning Run

    Meera had just wasted a lot of time cleaning and dusting a portion of the wall and was hoping to get some sleep when the thief knocked on the door.


    "Miss Meera," Dirik called. "Can I come in?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, you''re ready," he said. "It''s time we head out. It''s almost dawn. We should get a move on before daybreak. It''ll be harder to move around the city then, and I''m sure the Blazers, the Bleeders, the City Guard, and any bounty hunters in the city will be looking for you."


    "All of them?"


    "Yes, unfortunately, killing a Blazer is a grave crime. I wouldn''t be surprised if more of them arrive from the capital. I fear you''ve painted a huge mark on your back."


    Meera groaned. Next time, I''m only running. No fighting the royal bodyguards. She wanted to know if they had to go to these wardens today, but she had only six days left to find the queen. She didn''t have the luxury of getting any sleep.


    Meera sighed. "Okay, give me a moment. I''ll join you shortly."


    "Please don''t take long. I don''t want to expose this place. I rather like it. It''s got a homely feel to it."


    Meera looked around at the dusty, broken-down furniture, the spider webs, and the insects. "Yes¡­it sure does."


    He moved to leave. "Oh, and if you have any dark clothes or even a cloak, that would do nicely. Can''t have you walking around in that flashy armor. Personally, I like it, but it''s a dead giveaway."


    "Okay. Anything else I should change?" Meera asked sarcastically.


    "No, your hair is shortened already, so that should be fine."


    "Give me a moment, and I''ll be out."


    She wanted to weep at the loss of her hair, as it didn''t even go past her shoulder anymore. If she could kill Garas again, she would. To be safe, she tied it into a braid. Women in movies never lose their hair.


    She changed all the gold in her armor to black, put her hood up, left the room, and found Dirik by the door.


    "Ready?"


    Meera nodded.


    "One word of advice, please let me do the talking when we get there," Dirik said. "It is not to say that you will say the wrong thing, but it''s more that this will be my only chance, and I''ve rehearsed what to say many times in my head. I cannot lose this chance."


    "Okay."


    "And if we see any guard or some fellow coming after you, it would be best if we ran. Remember, we don''t want to cause a commotion."


    "Okay."


    "Oh, and¡ª"


    "It''ll be fine," Meera interjected.


    "But¡ª"


    "It''ll be fine." She closed the matter, or she would be here listening to his warnings till daybreak.


    He gulped and unlocked the door. Outside, it was still dark, but Mirithia had pretty much set, meaning the sun would be peaking above the horizon. They must have been on a backstreet as the streets were so tight that only two people could move abreast. They were not the only people out and about.


    It was early enough that some people had come out to go about their business, and others seemed to be coming back from a night shift. Two city guards were coming down the street, giving each person a stern look.


    "Hey, this way," Dirik whispered.


    They took a right, and this street wasn''t any better either. They had gone just a few steps when she saw two more guards loitering in the street. Dirik made them take the next right. This street was emptier than the ones they had been on.


    "This is not good," Dirik mused. "But it could be good as well."


    Meera stared at him.


    "We''ll take the next left and¡ª"


    He never got to finish his sentence as two Bloodstone Watchmen came out of the street he was telling her about and stared left and right. Their eyes stopped on them.


    Meera and Dirik turned around as one and walked back briskly.


    "Hey, you two, stop!" A Bleeder called.


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    Meera wasn''t planning on stopping, but she did because Dirik did. She used Identify.


    [Bloodstone Watchman ¨C Level 126]


    [Bloodstone Watchman ¨C Level 131]


    "At least these are stronger than the last ones," Meera muttered. "Dirik, you jump to the floor when I tell you, and I will make short work of them."


    "No!" He cried. "We don''t need to kill them. Maybe I can talk us out of this situation?"


    "But¡ª"


    "Please let me try at least."


    Meera sighed. "Fine."


    They turned around, making the Bleeders frown. "Where are you two lovebirds going this early in the morning?"


    "We''re not lovebirds, sir," Dirik said. "This is my err¡­sister. We''re just returning from our shift at the warehouse on the docks."


    "What work do you have her working, boy? On her back?" said the skinny one, laughing at his joke. Meera nearly took off her chakram.


    "No sir, we''re¡ª"


    "Why is your face covered, and why does she have her hood up? It is dark still. Eh girl, take your hood off," commanded the other one.


    Meera sighed and was about to lower her head and shoot them with a Mirror Shard Barrage, but Dirik moved in front of her, blocking her line of sight. He moved his mask up, and the Bleeder''s eyes widened.


    "You''re¡ª"


    "Yes, sir. We have the pox. It''s best if you stay away."


    "Y-Yes." The Bleeder looked like he''d seen a ghost. "O-On your way, then."


    They practically ran down the street, took one more look at Dirik, and disappeared the way they had come.


    "Let''s go. This way. We have to go the same way as them. I wonder if we''ll get to scare them again."


    "Okay, let''s not get carried away in our fun," Meera said.


    Dirik didn''t get to have his fun as they didn''t see those Bleeders or any Bleeders. They easily navigated the city, aside from the city guards, who seemed to be everywhere¡ªknocking on doors and stopping anyone suspicious, basically, every woman who looked remotely like Meera.


    It was all good until they ran into the behemoth Blazer. Meera stopped right there in her tracks. Dirik took a few steps before he stopped, then backtracked to her.


    "Quick, do the pox thing again," Meera whispered.


    "I don''t think it''s going to work on him," he replied.


    "Why not?"


    "I did it last week to get out of something."


    The behemoth noticed them and pushed aside the man and woman he was interrogating.


    "Oh no, he''s coming this way," Dirik cried.


    "Quick. Hold my hand."


    As soon as he did, she activated Mist Concealment, turned around, and pulled Dirik along. It didn''t take them long to get out of her mist, then Dirik took the lead again.


    Behind her, the behemoth roared. "That''s it. She''s the one. Watchmen, guards, on me. She''s after the prince''s life. We must capture her."


    "Oh, that cannot be good," Dirik commented.


    The Blazer''s men ran after them. The sky had brightened enough that the soldiers wouldn''t need their torches. This was like being back in the mist wall again. The only difference was her enemies were flesh and blood. She could''ve killed most of them, but each would slow them down, and the rest would be on them. She couldn''t take them all despite how strong she had gotten. Not with the number that was coming after them.


    Dirik successfully avoided them for the first few streets, but they came upon an intersection with roads going in every direction. Dirik took too long to make his decision. The behemoth came up on their backs and shot a column of flames, though not as devastating as the one Garas had shot in the prince''s room.


    Meera put up a Mirror Shield and blocked it. Next, she flooded the area with mists and cast an illusion of her and Dirik running out in every direction while she activated Druvis Power, gripping Dirik by the waist, and jumped to a rooftop.


    "That was¡ª"


    "Shh!" She lay on her belly. "Get down."


    Down below, the soldiers argued that they had seen them go in each of the three directions. It was mayhem and confusion of the finest kind. Dirik couldn''t help laughing.


    "SHUT UP!" The behemoth roared loud enough to wake the dead. Everyone quieted. "Everyone split up and go in each direction. Remember, she''s a pesky one and can cast illusions, so be wary of your surroundings. Now, go."


    He chose to stay behind, just to make things difficult. Dirik tapped her on her shoulder and motioned for her to follow. The last thing she saw was him bending down to inspect the little crater she had made from her jump.


    They jumped down from this roof to the next, which was lower than this one. She heard the behemoth grunt, thanks to her Gem of Echoes. Meera gripped Dirik''s arm and pulled him down, and in just time, the behemoth landed on the roof.


    "I know you''re up here, assassin," he said.


    Then, before Meera could devise a plan, a slanting black screen covered them. It went from corner to corner of the house. Meera frowned and was about to get up.


    Dirik stopped her and shook his head.


    Meera heard the behemoth''s footsteps stomp all over the roofs of various buildings as he looked for them. He huffed like a bull uttering curses. She heard his footsteps recede until finally, with a grunt and a heavy thud, he landed on the ground.


    "He''s gone," Meera said.


    "You''re sure?"


    She nodded, and the shadow vanished into the natural shadow of the taller building.


    "How did you do that?" She asked.


    "I have skills, too, you know." He stood and dusted himself off. "Come, let''s go. It''s not far off now."


    They stuck to the bird poop-covered rooftops. Occasionally, they caught city guards looking for them down below, but hardly any bothered to look up. Meera knew they had arrived when Dirik found his way down to the street level.


    He knocked on the door of an unassuming house while Meera kept watch. After taking what seemed like an eternity, a man finally opened the door. He had droopy eyes and messy hair.


    "What?" He barked.


    "Now, please don''t resort to violence, but I''m here to see the Wardens of Numheia," Dirik said.


    The man laughed. "That was a good one. Now, be on your way. I have things to do." He tried to shut the door, but Dirik stopped him.


    "Please, I know the Wardens are here. I''ve been watching the house for some days now. I''ve seen them come and go."


    "Again, still no clue who or what you''re talking about?"


    "Come on, please, I know the Wardens are hunting the monster that attacked Itris Prison. My mother was imprisoned there, due to be released a week ago, but she died."


    "All very sad. But can''t help you." The man tried to shut the gate again, but Dirik wedged his foot in the door.


    "I can be of great help. I found you, didn''t I?


    "Found what? You haven''t found anything, kid. My brother works in the city guard. Get lost, or I''ll have him throw you in prison, too." He stomped on Dirik''s foot.


    "Ow!" Dirik cried, pulling his foot back and jumping on the other.


    "Don''t come back here again!" He slammed the door shut.


    Dirik pounded on the door. "Please, you''ve got to let me help you."


    Meera touched his shoulder. "Dirik, you''re causing a scene. We need to go. Maybe you got it wrong."


    He jerked her hand off. "No, they''re here." He breathed in deeply. "I used to be a Shade of the Shadow Vanguard."


    The door slowly creaked open.

 Chapter 99 – The Wardens Of Numheia

    Meera stared at the masked man. All of a sudden, he didn''t feel like the helpless boy that she thought he was. If he used to be a part of the Shadow Vanguard, then is he the contact Narikas was talking about?


    "Take off your mask," the man said. He didn''t seem sleepy anymore. His eyes were attentive and sharp, and they had changed from green to golden.


    Dirik did so without any hesitation. She had seen his face, but she was again taken aback by his disfigured face. There was a part of his right cheek that looked like it had been burned. She hadn''t noticed that last time. Whoever did this to him was a cruel bastard.


    She quickly used Identify before Dirik covered himself.


    [Shade ¨C Level 198]


    "If you''re that high-leveled, then why were we running? Together, we could have taken that Blazer," Meera blurted out without realizing it.


    He gave her a small smile. "Yes, but like you said, we would''ve created too much of a scene."


    "Who did this to you, Shade?" the man asked.


    He looked away. "My father."


    Meera almost teared up. What kind of a father would do this to their child?


    "Must love you dearly then," the man said without a hint of humor.


    "Lots," replied Dirik. He was about to wear his mask again, but the man interjected.


    "Stop," the man said. "You better just leave it off. The others are going to make you take it off anyways."


    Dirik''s face lit up. "Thank you. Thank you so much."


    "Now, before you come in here, know this, if you''re not who you say you are, or your reasons seem false, or you lie to us, or if we just don''t plain like you¡­you won''t be leaving this place alive. Neither of you. Understand?"


    Dirik nodded.


    Meera Identify''d the man.


    [Keeper of Records ¨C Level 187]


    Meera squinted at him. She understood why they would only send him out. Despite his high level, he could be written off as a scribe in the mayor''s office or some other office.


    "I understand," Meera said.


    "Follow me, then. My name is Brison, and you two are?"


    Meera and Dirik gave him their names before walking through the door. The inside seemed like a typical house. Nothing special about it. They walked into a lounging area with some empty couches. There were two doors on the right. They passed the first one, and he opened the second, which led to a mostly empty room. There was a table with some books and scrolls and a wooden chair that was about it.


    He picked up a small leather-bound book from the table and scribbled something in it, not with a quill but just his finger. Meera saw no writing, but a spot on the ground disappeared, leading to stairs that led into darkness.


    "Are you like a Shadow Scribe?" Dirik asked the question on Meera''s mind.


    Brison scoffed. "I''m nothing like those primitive, emotionless women. As you saw, I don''t need a quill to write in my book, and second." He ripped a page out, but nothing happened. "See, no pain. I''m not bound to a single book." He tossed the book aside. "I can pick up any book, or even a page is enough for me. You want to disarm a Shadow Scribe, break their quill. What are they going to write with?"


    Meera took mental notes.


    "It''s not so easy to get to their quills," Dirik retorted.


    "Sure, it is. Now, follow me."


    He descended the stairs and picked up the torch burning on the wall. As soon as Meera followed Dirik down the stairs, the opening behind her vanished. There was a musty smell to the place. Every instinct Meera had told her that she was walking into a trap, but she was in it now. They walked for a long time.


    This tunnel must go all around the city.


    Finally, they came up on a ladder. Brison placed the torch in a holder on the wall, climbed the ladder, and knocked on the square trapdoor. A moment later, it opened, and she saw the face of a beautiful woman.


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    "What do you have there, Brison?" She looked over at Dirik, who smiled at her. "Dinner?"


    "Could be dinner or a waste of time," Brison said as he climbed out of the tunnel. "Come on up, you two."


    Dirik was the first one out, with Meera close behind. It took her a moment to get used to the light after the tunnel''s darkness. They were in a room that overlooked the city wall. She saw the blue and white marking. Their room felt more like something straight out of a movie.


    Including the woman who opened the trap door, five people¡ªthree men and two women lounged around in chairs or on the floor. A skinny man in his thirties in a loose shirt was snoring away.


    [Colossus Warden ¨C Level ??]


    Another, who seemed older with flecks of gray through his hair and light stubble, was polishing his sword. The sword was as handsome as the man himself, and the blade must''ve been about five feet long.


    [Gladiator Warden ¨C Level ??]


    To his right was a woman who was reading a book. She had white hair, pure white skin, and almost red eyes, but she wasn''t old. Meera would have put her around her own age. She knew a person who had albinism back home, but this woman was the first she had seen in this world.


    [Archer Warden ¨C Level ??]


    A muscular man with a mustache was sleeping with his head in her lap. She played with his hair as she read the book. The man looked so peaceful that for a moment, Meera thought he was dead, but he just had his eyes closed and a smile on his lips.


    [Guardian Warden ¨C Level ??]


    Lastly was the beautiful woman who had greeted Brison as they entered the room. She had a small mole below her lips. Naturally plump lips and long, flowing hair, which Meera was immediately jealous of. Burn in hell, Garas.


    [Stormweaver Warden ¨C Level ??]


    Meera felt severely under-leveled as she couldn''t see their levels and could only imagine how strong these people were. Dirik, on the other hand, felt like a kid who had come to the fair, and his parents had told him he could eat whatever or go on any rides he wished. Meera expected him to start drooling any second.


    "Did a wolf chew out your face?" The Archer Warden said, without even taking her eyes off the book.


    "Says his father did that to him," Brison said.


    They all looked at Dirik at that. Even the muscular man, the Guardian Warden, opened his eyes at that. Then he shot to his feet so fast that even with Meera''s advanced vision, all she saw was a blur. Another blur later, he towered over Dirik, leaning down, beaming at the scarred boy. "Oh my, you''re a Shade. I''ve never seen one of you. Heard lots of things about Shades but never seen one." The man must''ve matched the behemoth Phoenix Protector in height. He stood almost two feet taller than Dirik. There was a gravity to being around someone that large, yet Meera sensed no malice from the man. "What can you do? I bet you have all kinds of shadow powers. Can you turn into a bat? Or how about¡ª"


    "Take a breath, love," The Archer Warden said, finally raising her red eyes from her book. "Besides, if I were you, I would find the other much more enticing."


    His eyes turned to her, and he yelped, clasping his hands on his heart. "Oh my, what is a Reflection Hunter? You must tell me your class. Please, and¡­and¡­¡± He practically pounced on her, taking her arms in her meaty hands.


    Meera''s heart was in her throat.


    "Where did you get a divine weapon? It says you are blessed by Lady Midiea¡­Just who are you?" His eyes were so big that any second, they would pop out of his head.


    "Okay, back up, big guy." Brison pulled Meera back from him. "We''ll give you time to ask questions before we decide to axe them."


    "But-But they''re so rare. I want to keep them both."


    "Keep us?" Meera and Dirik asked at the same time.


    Dirik put on his mask. "Sirs and ma''ams, I came to join you all as a Warden of Numheia."


    Everyone got quiet. They stared at each other and laughed, all except the sleeping man. He slept through the racket, somehow. Meera felt second-hand shame for Dirik. She had been in situations like these before. It was never nice being laughed at. She placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him while he just stared at the ground.


    "Okay, everyone, let''s pipe down," The Stormweaver said. "Before he wakes up and gets mad." They slowly calmed down, though the Gladiator took some time.


    "So, Shade," Stormweaver stepped forward, caressing his masked face. "How did you find us?"


    "I''m a Shade. This is what we do."


    "I suppose, and you?" She looked to Meera. "Do you wish to join as well?"


    "No, not really. I only came because I owed him, I guess," Meera replied. "And he thought you lot might try to kill him."


    "She is the one who killed that Phoenix Protector in open combat," Brison said. Heads turned to him. He nodded. "I saw it myself. It was shoddy work, but she got it done by the skin of her teeth."


    "My, my, you must be some warrior to take down one of them by yourself," Stormweaver said.


    "Why? Are they difficult to kill?" Meera asked.


    The Guardian laughed out loud. "What else could be expected of one blessed by the Lady of Mirrors."


    Archer snorted. "Aren''t you an overconfident one?"


    "Well, dear Shade, let me just say this, you''re too weak to join," Stormweaver said. "And even if you weren''t, you wouldn''t survive our test?"


    "What test?" Dirik looked at each of them in turn. "I''m ready to take any test."


    Brison patted his shoulder. "Leave it, kid. You don''t want to know because if we tell you, the test is on. No going back. It''s easier if you just let us kill you."


    Meera squinted. "What the hell?"


    "If that is the other option, then let me just take your test," Dirik said.


    The Gladiator, who had finished polishing his blade, stood. "Eh, what''s the harm? It''ll kill some boredom."


    Stormweaver sighed. "Sure. Why not? It''s easy, my dear Shade. You have to pick one of us and defeat that person in battle, and you''re in."


    "Just like that?"


    She smiled. "Just like that. Because you''re so severely handicapped, we''ll let your friend join you. Now, take your pick." She spread her arms wide as all four came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.


    Dirik looked to Meera. "Who should I pick?"


    "That''s not allowed. Since you want to join, you must pick."


    Dirik swallowed. Meera couldn''t even see their levels, so they were all equally dangerous to her. She hoped Dirik''s Identify was more leveled than hers. Their tags were all fearful.


    "I pick¡­" Dirik pointed at the thin, sleeping man. The Colossus Warden. "Him."


    They all sighed simultaneously.


    "That was just about the worst choice," Stormweaver said.


    "Why does everyone always pick him." Archer shook her head.


    The Guardian looked like he was already planning their funeral. "Please don''t die for my sake."


    "But he''s the lowest leveled of you all," Dirik protested.


    "A few levels don''t mean much when you''re at our level. He might have the lowest level, but he''s our captain." The Gladiator smiled. "Have fun dying."


    With that, he kicked his captain in the ribs.

 Chapter 100 – A Raging Colossus

    The skinny fellow with loose clothing groaned, holding his sides where he''d been kicked. "Who the fuck woke me up?"


    "These two." The Gladiator pointed to Meera and Dirik.


    "W-What?" Dirik raised his hands. "No, we didn''t."


    "Did to. We all saw it."


    "You''re lying," Meera added. The other Wardens didn''t back her up.


    A rage set behind the Colossus'' eyes as he stood. "Brison, give us a world."


    "Sure." Brison moved to grab a book. "What would you like? Rocky, forest, urban, mountains¡ª"


    "City," Colossus replied through gritted teeth.


    "Oh, he really wants to let loose now," the swordsman grinned. "This''ll be fun to watch."


    "Melas, try not to kill them, brother," the Guardian said, stepping close to him, but he stepped back once Colossus'' eyes fell on him. "Sorry, do as you will. You always do."


    Meera looked between the mustached giant that was the Guardian and the short and skinny Melas, and there were no similarities between them that would denote them as brothers. So, she figured it was just a manner of speaking.


    "City, here you go," Brison said as he wrote with his finger in the book. Once again, no writing showed up, but once he finished writing, a door opened in the middle of the room. The Wardens hollered and jumped in without hesitation.


    Only Melas stayed behind. "After the sheep."


    Dirik looked to Meera. "No going back now." He walked in through the shimmering door.


    Meera scanned Melas again, and like last time, it didn''t show his level. He didn''t carry any weapons or any that Meera could see, which could be a good thing, for there was nothing that her chakrams couldn''t cut.


    She walked into the door and found herself in practically the same room, except it was empty. Outside the window, the city looked much the same, but it lacked the characteristic blue and white of Neelees. In its place were wooden houses with slanted roofs; other than that, the two cities could have been made by the same architect.


    "The rules are simple," Brison said. "The fight ends when you either make Melas yield or he kills you."


    "How did you create such a replica of Nelees?" Meera asked.


    "Hmm¡­" He surveyed the city. "What do you know? It is a replica of Nelees." He moved his finger on the page in his book and moved some buildings around.


    Dirik stared wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"


    "I can do just about everything in this world."


    Melas stepped through the shimmering door, grunting. "You two have two minutes. Go hide and prepare to die."


    Meera didn''t waste any time and jumped out the window. Dirik was close behind. While they ran, Melas got all the information he needed from Brison. Since Brison had seen her fight with Garas, he knew most of her skills and tactics.


    "This is not good," Meera said, more to herself.


    "He''s only level 276."


    Meera''s legs faltered, and she nearly tumbled down the street. "And he had the lowest level of them all?"


    "Yes, the Stormweaver woman was almost at level 300."


    Meera was stumped. These people were the strongest people she had ever seen. Then, a thought occurred to her. "I assume you''ve met Narikas. What was his level?"


    "I don''t know. Last I saw him, I couldn''t see his level, but then my Identify wasn''t as high as it is today."


    "How did you get it up that high? Mine seems to struggle along at a snail''s pace."


    "Oh, it''s simple. You just need to Identify every single person you come across. Walk around a city for a day or two, and you can easily get past level twenty. At our level, that''s enough to see the levels of most people. Uh, what are we going to do about the angry Warden?"


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    "Quick, let''s get in this house." She led the way into this average-looking home with a flat roof. She closed the door behind her. She huffed as she put her back against the door. "What kind of skills do you have?"


    "Mostly reconnaissance skills along with hiding in plain sight," Dirik said. "I have some shadow-manipulating skills and can also create weapons with shadows."


    "That''s it?" Meera frowned. "The way that giant was salivating at seeing you, I thought you were unstoppable."


    He chuckled lightly. "We Shades are expert spies. There''s no one better than us in this world, maybe in all the worlds. I can do a whole lot with darkness, but¡­"


    "But unfortunately, it''s day," Meera finished for him.


    "Here I come, you sleep-disturbing bastards!" Meera heard Melas''s roar, and by the way, Dirik flinched, he heard it too.


    "Okay, the plan is simple," Meera said. "You provide cover with your shadows while I do most of the attacking."


    Dirik nodded, eyes on the door, expecting it to blow up.


    Meera listened for the Colossus'' footsteps but didn''t hear them. All she heard were explosions¡ªloud, earth-shaking booms. Meera glanced at Dirik, who had nearly turned white as a bone.


    Meera placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nodded. "I''m going to quickly check and then be back soon. If I''m not back in two minutes, head deeper into the city."


    Meera stepped out and closed the door lightly. She shouldn''t have bothered because the Colossus Warden was making so much noise. In the distance, she saw rubble flying high into the sky. She activated Shroud of Shadows, and it hardly did anything. She was translucent at best. She wished she had a skill that made her completely invisible always.


    She left the skill on anyway and moved from shadow to shadow by tossing her chakram and using Mirror Step. Melas was getting closer by destroying every building. It was like he just wanted to rage for someone disturbing his nap.


    Meera finally found him, and it was not Melas. He looked like Melas, but if he had put on two hundred pounds. He had grown two feet taller and stood about eight feet tall. His clothes fitted him perfectly now, though the arms of his shirt looked like they would rip any second.


    He was punching a house into rubble. He didn''t even realize that Meera was standing off to the side in the shadows, where she was mostly invisible, but if he turned, he should''ve been able to see her.


    She intended to get as much information about him as possible so she could feed it to Ambush Tactics and figure out a plan of attack. As of now, all she knew was that he could triple in size and pulverize buildings with his fists.


    He stopped punching, and Meera stilled. She didn''t move. He slowly turned his head to her and squinted.


    "Found you."


    He jumped for her and cleared fifty feet in one lunge. Meera threw a chakram to the side and Stepped to it. Then she ran.


    He roared and jumped for her again. She teleported out of the way. She turned a corner, hoping that the turn would slow him down, but he came flying through the building, leaving behind a crumbling building.


    It''s like I''m running away from the Hulk. Is this what they felt like in the movies?


    She ran and teleported through the cityscape, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. When it finally looked like he would catch up to her, she saw the shadow of a building transform into an arrow pointing to the right.


    Meera took the next right without hesitation. Then, an arrow pointed to another right turn. She followed through barely. She erected several Mirror Shields, hoping to slow down the mindless beast. But she might as well have put up cardboard barriers to stop a train.


    In the next street, the shadows told her to take a left. She did, and her eyes widened immediately.


    "Get out of the way!" Dirik roared.


    She launched her chakram sky high and Stepped to it, then teleported behind Dirik. They were in the shadow of this large building, which gave Dirik his ammunition, so to speak. He had formed a giant mallet out of shadows, which must''ve stood ten feet tall and about as wide. When Melas came barreling into the street, Dirik hammered him down into the ground with such force that it left a massive crater. The buildings on both sides tilted inwards. But Dirik was not done.


    He smashed the hammer down two more times until the buildings smashed against each other overhead.


    "Dirik, we''ve got to go."


    But the lad was out for blood. He smashed his hammer down a fourth time, and the buildings'' foundations gave way. Meera gripped him by the collar and did something that she had only theorized so far and didn''t know if it would actually work.


    She activated Mirror Wing on her armor. Technically, it was made of mirrors, so if she could make other mirrors fly, why not the armor as a whole? The mirrors on her armor shivered. Overhead, rubble from the buildings rained on them.


    She tried again and the back half of her armor ripped off from the front and flew back. A cool breeze chilled her sweat-soaked body. She stopped it right away. Her armor snapped back in place. She drew a few deep breaths. I must think of the armor as one complete thing.


    She tried again only to be dragged back a few feet. She ran back to Dirik as she knew she could not win this fight without him. Chunks of the building fell on all sides of them. Nothing that would crush them to death, but enough to damage them severely.


    Please work. Please work. Please work.


    She put all her concentration into it, forgetting about the building raining on their heads. Then it did. She took to the air, tightened her grip on Dirik''s shirt, and flew back as fast as possible. The two buildings crashed on the Colossus Warden.


    The world shook, and dust blew into the air; Meera dropped Dirik on the ground and set herself down, huffing.


    "I can''t believe that worked," Meera said in regard to using Mirror Wing to fly herself, but Dirik took it differently.


    "Right! I think I did it."


    "You almost got yourself killed." Meera lashed out at the lad.


    "Yes, well, I did something other than just run away."


    "I fight differently. I don''t try to bury myself in the hope that I beat a much stronger opponent."


    "I fight¡ª"


    His voice got droned out by an earth-shaking roar. Then the pile of rubble exploded outwards as Melas jumped out and landed before them. The only damage he sustained from all that was a nosebleed and a few scrapes and bruises.


    "Now, you''ve made me really angry."

 Chapter 101 – Ends In A Death

    Meera and Dirik backed up from the enraged giant, whose veins popped out beneath his muscles, and his skin glowed red. Meera slowly pulled off her level 2 chakram as if he were a wild beast who would attack if she made a sudden move.


    "Dirik, we need to hit him together¡ª"


    "Hit him?" Dirik whispered. "We need to run and hide and devise a better plan."


    "No, wait¡ª"


    But he was already gone, leaving her alone to face the monstrosity who had his eyes set on her alone. Meera launched a burst of tiny mirrors all around her. When he moved, he was almost too fast to perceive, like the Guardian Warden. The only thing that saved her was that she moved at the same time he did.


    She Stepped back several feet and launched her chakram at him. Her level 2 chakram was much faster than her regular ones. It left behind a silvery streak and looked like it would part the Colossus Warden''s head, but the monster caught it in his hand.


    Meera''s jaw dropped. No one had ever done that before, especially not to her level 2 chakram. She recalled it right away. He frowned, but his grip was iron.


    Melas laughed. "This little disc will not do anything to me, even if I let you cut me."


    "We''ll see about that."


    Meera recalled it with all her willpower and pulled on it with Mirror Wing. The pressure was so fierce that his whole form was dragged forward. He frowned and finally let go of the chakram, where it launched back into Meera''s hand.


    As soon as it returned, Meera used Mirror Step to her farthest mirror, which was on the side of a house and close to the roof. She grabbed the roof and pulled herself up, but the Colossus was right behind her. He appeared a second later, crumbling the roof to bits.


    He fell in the house with the rubble, but she stayed in the air, thanks to her new ability to fly. It consumed more Mana than Nimbus, but with this, she could take to the air. She flew down several streets, ending up close to where the other Wardens were watching the fight, on what Meera could best describe as a screen that hung in the air.


    "That is an awesome skill," The Guardian squealed in joy as if seeing her favorite pet do a new trick. "There are not many classes that let you fly and teleport. Can you please tell me the names of your classes, at least?"


    She was about to fly away when an idea came to her. "I''ll tell you my class if you tell me how to defeat that raging hulk of muscles."


    "It''s simple, cut off his head."


    Meera rolled her eyes. "That''s how you beat everything. Wait, won''t you be a member short if I kill him?"


    "You let us worry about that," Stormweaver said. "Besides, your break is over. Here he comes."


    Melas had jumped sixty feet in the air and was coming for her, fist extended. Meera got out of his way, but he spun his arm, trying to backhand her, but she was too far away. Even still, she was hit with wind pressure that sent her flying into the side of a building.


    She threw her chakram away at the last moment and teleported, thus saving her life. What was that?


    She dropped down to street level and sprinted for her life before her enemy saw her. She ducked into a small house with small windows. She huffed with her hands on her knees. Once she caught her breath, she put her back to a wall and listened.


    There was a mighty crash, and that''s how she knew Melas had returned.


    "I know you''re not dead," Melas roared. "Show yourself, or are you a coward like your friend who abandoned you in battle."


    Meera couldn''t fault him there. Dirik had indeed left her when they needed to work together. Then, the shadows shifted in the room, and a dark shape popped out of them. Meera knew it was Dirik, but she still wanted to knock him upside the head.


    "You left me!" Meera snapped but in a whisper. "I should leave you to fight him all alone."


    "Yes, I know you have a reason to be mad, and I''m sorry, I panicked," Dirik said. "I''ve never been in an open fight like this."


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    "You should''ve thought that when you came here and dragged me into this mess."


    "I''m sorry, I panicked. I thought I had him, but he''s just too strong."


    "You got overconfident is what happened." Meera breathed out her anger. "We''re going to have to kill him."


    "What?" His eyes widened.


    "Don''t tell me you haven''t killed before."


    "No, I have, but wouldn''t they just kill us if we did that."


    Meera rubbed her chin. "I don''t know, or at least, I don''t think so. They didn''t think much about it when I said they''d be short a member. So, they either have a way of bringing people back or want to get rid of him. Fact is, we just need to kill him and save our lives."


    "Understood."


    "I have a plan. So, listen closely."


    <hr>


    Meera clutched the door handle tightly and closed her eyes. Please, whichever god is listening, for once in my life, let this plan go according to plan.


    She quickly checked her stats before stepping out to face the Colossus Warden.


    Stats


    [Health: 1194/1220]


    [Stamina: 981/1220]


    [Mana: 1158/1450]


    She drew a deep breath, walked out on the street, activated Druvis Power, jumped high into the air, and stayed there, thanks to Mirror Wing. Flying did consume more Mana than making her chakrams fly as their weight was negligible, but she had enough Mana to spare at the moment. She found her target right away. He had just burst out of the top of a building, still glowing red. Maybe even more so now that he had to look for them some more, even if it had been only two minutes.


    "There you are."


    He jumped for her, fist at the ready. Druvis Power, don''t fail me now.


    She flew at him full speed, ready with a chakram in each hand¡ªjust her regular ones. She roared as they clashed fists. There was a shockwave that traveled outwards from the point of impact. The nearby building''s windows shattered, and a few bricks crumbled to bits.


    She matched his strength for a moment, but despite Druvis Power, she lost the battle of strengths.


    She was launched through the air, with a building fast approaching. She threw her chakram forward and Stepped to it. She threw her second one at Melas, who was falling to the ground. As she expected, he opened his hand to catch it, but she teleported to the chakram and shot him point-blank with a Mirror Shard Barrage, smashing him into the ground.


    He was hardly damaged. She knew that. These attacks would only do so much. So, using Mirror Wing, she blazed through the sky and drove her other chakram into his gut.


    A massive crater formed as he gasped. Meera pulled out her bloody chakram. It hadn''t gone so deep to kill but enough to hurt him some. This was the first time her weapon had only done such a meager amount of damage.


    Melas laughed. "That was good¡­my turn."


    Meera flew away from him, but she wasn''t fast enough. He kicked her in the knee, shattering it. Her leg bent inward, and she fell forward, where he landed a hook punch in her ribs and sent her rolling into the side of a building.


    Even with Vitalize working on her broken bones, Meera couldn''t help screaming. I should''ve used Mirror Step.


    Melas jumped to his feet, surveyed his wound, and did not even wince. The man was a monster. Her pain was not going down fast enough, and he was already coming for her. No dash or sprint, but a simple leisurely stroll.


    Meera extended a hand to him and shot out Vampiric Chains. He caught them as well, but a few wrapped around his forearm, which was enough to immobilize him and give her healing a considerable boost.


    He squeezed the chains, and they broke, but her bones had mended, and she was good to move. She threw her chakram down the street and teleported away from him. He was after her in a flash, but her constant teleporting kept her alive until she ran into a dead end with two multi-story buildings on each side.


    "Nowhere to run." He cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward into the shadow of the adjacent building.


    "Dirik, now!" she shouted.


    The shadows around them darkened until it seemed like they were standing on darkness itself. If not for the light of day, Meera would have thought the city had been transported in that black box again.


    Melas jumped to clear the darkness but only made it a few feet before Dirik''s shadows gripped him by the legs, smashed him against the ground three times, and tossed him into one of the bigger buildings.


    Meera launched her chakram right after the Warden and teleported to him, gripping him with Vampiric Chains and rejuvenating herself on his Health. He tried to fight, so she shot him with a Petrifying Surge, covering him entirely with Bloodstone.


    She didn''t need to give Dirik the signal that this was the moment. He emerged from the ceiling with a shadow sword in hand. He fell on the petrified Warden''s neck.


    But Melas would not go down so easy.


    His hand shot out of the Bloodstone and stopped the shadow sword. He gripped the blade so tight that he shattered it. Meera frowned. How can strength overpower shadows?


    That moment of confusion for Meera was enough for Melas to break the Bloodstone completely. He pulled Dirik towards him by hand and smashed his fist in the lad''s masked face.


    Dirik''s face flattened from the front and flew into the far wall, where his head burst on impact.


    Meera barely had time to register his death as the Colossus Warden gripped her Vampiric Chains and pulled. Meera stopped them right away. But he didn''t need to pull her in as he moved faster than her eyes could follow. Before she knew it, he was on her.


    He punched her in the gut so hard that his fist came out of her back.


    Meera gasped as her organs were violently ripped out of her. She tried to breathe but couldn''t. She didn''t know if her lungs still worked or if they hung in the massive hole Melas had created in her body. She didn''t even feel any pain, just shock that someone could be this strong.


    He was toying with us the whole time.


    Meera fell to her knees. Blood leaked out of her in droves. A strange coldness fell on her body, and she knew this was it. She used Vitalize, but it could not heal her fast enough. Already, her vision was growing hazy.


    She had failed. Her death was here. Is the prophecy coming true?


    "I-I''m sorry, N-Neel¡­"


    Meera fell and breathed her last.

 Chapter 102 – Friendly Visit With a Warlord

    Silas walked out of the Gateway Mirror of the fortress called Tearsfell Prison. It was always a sight to see what the Manidion family had made of this place. Half a century ago, there was nothing here but rocky land, but there was still a Gateway Mirror here. Did Midiea know there would be this megalith here one day, or did they make this fortress here because of the mirror?


    Cossus whistled. "What a beauty. Which one is bigger, this one or Arhazar''s?"


    "Arhazar''s," Silas replied.


    "That was fast. Did you even think about it or just say the last thing I said because it was the only thing in your empty mind?"


    Silas turned his head to him slowly. "Do you want to annoy me this early in the morning?¡±


    Cossus chuckled and tried to pinch his cheek, but Silas swatted his hand away. "You''re just too fun to annoy, brother."


    "Okay, quiet now."


    They weren''t far from the bridge, and the less threatening they looked, the better. Maybe I should let Cossus play the fool that he loves to play.


    The soldiers on the ramparts noticed them right away. Since it was daytime, the Steel Sentinels were on patrol. It was for the best, as the Shadow Vanguard was stronger at night. Silas had often wondered why they didn''t combine the two into one. Just have one army instead of two, but the military commander in him saw the benefits of having two armies, one that could fight at night and the other during the day, giving the enemy no time to rest.


    As soon as Silas'' foot touched the bridge, the smaller gate opened, and two Steel Sentinels, dressed in full armor with spears in hand, marched out.


    [Steel Guardian ¨C Level 189]


    [Steel Guardian ¨C Level 192]


    It was decent levels as far as levels went for this world. If the rest were like this, then Silas could see how they had conquered so many of their neighboring kingdoms in such a short time.


    The Steel Guardians'' armors were polished to shine. They marched military-like, and memories of Silas running his own units, his own army, came back to him. Though his troops were anything as disciplined as these folks, but he did whip them into shape, and by the time he was finished, they put all armies to shame, all but hers.


    I am not that person anymore.


    The soldiers arrived. Their faces were hidden behind their helmets and were about the same height, so it was hard to tell the difference between them.


    "State your business traveler," said the one on the right.


    "If you''re lost, get lost through the Gateway Mirrors," said the second.


    "We have an appointment with your commander, the Shadowsteel Warlord," Cossus said. "We bring an important message for him."


    "There is no one scheduled to see him today."


    "But we''re late by¡­whenever the last time someone was supposed to see him," Cossus said.


    The left one huffed. "Oh, you think you''re funny. Do you? We''ll see how funny you are when I make you swallow my sword?"


    "Is that a threat or an invitation?" Cossus said, clearly worsening the situation.


    Silas sighed and snapped his fingers. "Orders. When I snap my fingers again, you will take us to Prince Narikas and make appropriate excuses along the way."


    "What the¡ª"


    Silas snapped his fingers again.


    "Okay." They both said, turned about face, and walked down the bridge, with Silas and Cossus following close behind. Their escort stopped at the small gate and exchanged words with their brethren before moving in and motioning them forward. Silas nodded and smiled at everyone he passed while his carefree brother whistled a tune that her mother used to sing to them when they were little.


    It brought back old memories when their world was still innocent, and things like the end of the world were not even a possibility to them. Of course, this tune made most who heard it a little sad as it was the Lament of Virelia. The tale that was put into song of how the goddess Virelia, the queen of the heavens, lost her sons to the very thing that haunts them now.


    Silas focused on his surroundings as he did not want to go down memory lane as this song hit too close to heart.


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    He had to give it to the Manidion family or, precisely, the Shadowsteel Warlords. They had made this into a fine fortress over the generations. It had no foothold, hardly any windows. If it were besieged, an enemy force would have no way in. Even the doors were made of the same dark shadowsteel as the fortress that could be sealed shut.


    They were led through a door, and the inside was lit with torches all along the walls between hanging drapes with sigils of the Shadowsteel Warlord¡ªtwo blades, one of shadow and the other steel.


    Everyone stared as they walked the various corridors and hallways. They climbed three levels before walking down a long hallway with high ceilings. They stopped before a pair of great doors. The guards knocked and a few moments later, an older woman with graying hair materialized out of the door.


    [Shadow Scribe ¨C Level 249]


    Ah, there it is¡ªthe famous Shadow Scribes.


    Silas had heard about the women with the power to write whatever they willed into existence. It was false, of course. They, too, had skills like the rest, but they could do more with their skills.


    The Steel Guardian explained to her who they were and that they had come to deliver a message. The woman listened as she stared daggers at Silas and her brother, who was strangely quiet.


    "And you brought them here because they said so," the older woman snapped at the guards.


    They looked confused as Silas'' spell finally wore off. "B-But¡ª"


    "Shut up, you imbeciles," the woman snapped. "Fall from my sight and take the pair of them with you. And you two will not return here or¡ª"


    "Or is Narikas going to absorb us into his armor," Cossus said, returning to form.


    A range of emotions played on the woman''s face, from shock to surprise to finally resting on rage. She flipped her book open and got her quill ready.


    Silas snapped his fingers. "Stop."


    She stilled. They all did.


    "Now, I know you are all trying to move or break through my workings," Silas said. "You won''t be able to. We have a message from the oracle Domina to the Shadowsteel Warlord. Once we deliver it, we''ll be on our way."


    "The message is a prophecy that concerns his health," Cossus said. "Actually, more like his life. So, you would be better off not stopping us, as he needs to hear this. So, step aside." He smiled. "Please."


    He moved to open the door, but it didn''t open, even when he pushed on it. He sighed as he turned. "Looks like we need the hag."


    "We''ll unfreeze you," Silas said. "But I hope it doesn''t come to violence."


    "Well, let''s make sure it doesn''t come to violence." Cossus took the Scribe''s book from her.


    Silas snapped his fingers. "Unfreeze."


    "Give me back my book," she seethed.


    "Or what? Last I checked, you can''t even sweep the floor without these things." Cossus flipped it open. "I wonder what''ll happen if I rip out a page."


    "Cossus." Silas motioned him to return the book. "We truly have come from Domina with a grave message about your Warlord and your home."


    Cossus held out the book. "Just know, lady, that if you write anything other than open the door, I''ll disintegrate you to nothing."


    "You speak the truth," she said once she had the book. Her eyes widened a little. "I will permit you to speak with His Highness, but if you¡ª"


    "Yes, yes, you''ll kill us," Cossus said. "Now, if you will open this, please. We have things to do."


    The woman sneered as she wrote in her book, and the doors opened. Narikas, the Shadowsteel Warlord, sat on his throne in his armor, shadowy faces in agony. But the man himself didn''t look any better. He was still young, but his troubles made him look far older.


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level 396]


    Cossus gave Silas a look. Silas returned a nod. Narikas didn''t have much time left.


    The prince stiffened and hid his pain once he noticed he had company. The throne was modest, but then it wasn''t a throne, and Narikas wasn''t a king.


    "Your Highness, it appears you have uninvited guests," the Scribe said.


    Silas bowed his head. "Your Highness, I am Silas, and this is my brother Cossus. We bring you a prophecy from the oracle Domina."


    Narikas did a double-take when he heard Domina''s name. Good. We won''t have to waste time explaining everything.


    "What''s this about a prophecy?" Narikas asked, face stoic. The troubled man from a few moments ago was gone, and in his place sat the Shadowsteel Warlord.


    "Our mistress, Domina, had a vision or a prophecy came to her." Cossus scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, I''m not really sure how it works, but basically, she told us to come here and give you the prophecy."


    "Prophecies have driven people mad," Narikas said. It was hard to tell if he was talking to himself or someone else.


    Silas squinted at the man. "That may be so, but still, we should hear them. Who knows, it might save your life."


    "What is it?"


    Cossus took out the scroll, unfurled it, and spoke like a great orator.


    War and Death will surround you all,


    To rain and fire will the cage of tears fall.


    An oath to a parent shall a son break,


    "Stop," Narikas said, eyes lying in shadow. "On second thought, I do not wish to listen to false words."


    "You really should listen to these," Cossus said.


    "No."


    Cossus let the scroll drop to the floor, where its clutters echoed through the chamber.


    "She also told us to tell you that when the time comes, do nothing," Silas said.


    "Do nothing?" the woman asked. "At what time?"


    Silas kept his eyes on the warlord. "She said he''ll know."


    Narikas drew a deep breath and gripped the two hilts at the end of his armrests. "You come to my home, claiming to bring prophecy, yet all I see is deceit and deception."


    Cossus scoffed. "You''re delirious, man."


    Darkness emanated from Narikas. "War and Death, you said. How very poetic. You''ll get plenty of both here." He stood, taking the hilts with him. Two swords formed from the hilts, one of steel and the other of shadows, just like his sigil.


    Silas stepped forward. "Prince, listen, we do not want any quarrel with you. All we''re here for is to inquire about the Champion. What was he here to do, and if you gave him a powerful artifact."


    "You spies have done your work, it seems," Narikas stepped off the pedestal. "I must hand it to King Draros. I had heard he liked to toy with his enemies'' psyche before battle, but this is something else. You would have me concentrate on this fake prophecy while he assembles his armies."


    "Trust me, prince, you do not want this fight," Cossus said.


    "Oh, but I do. I''ll make such an example of you two he will fear sending anyone else."


    "You will tell us what we want to know," Silas said. "You don''t have enough time as it is, Narikas. This will only shorten it."


    The warlord drew a deep breath as shadows danced around him. Silas and Cossus readied their bows.


    Narikas lunged for them with his swords, and the brothers let their arrows fly.

 Chapter 103 – A Way To Cheat Death

    Meera woke with a gasp and quickly checked her abdomen, and the hole was gone. She was whole again but so thirsty that her throat might as well be the desert. She looked around and saw Dirik, and he had his head again. He even had his mask on, which was blown to pieces when his head blew up. The sickening crunch was a sound she would not easily forget.


    She counted her chakrams, and they were all there. Next, she checked her Belt, and that was there too. She was lying on an animal skin in a rather bare room. Aside from Meera and Dirik and the skins they lay on, there was hardly anything here.


    The door creaked open, and Melas stepped in.


    Meera suppressed a scream and backed up to the wall.


    "Hey, relax. I''m not here to finish you off. I only bring water." He wiggled the earthen jug in his hand. "I''m sure you''re thirsty. It happens when you lose your stomach. Believe me, I know."


    "Leave it¡­" She swallowed. "On the ground."


    He snorted a little. "Sure."


    He walked several steps, placed the jug by Meera''s skin, and backed up to lean against the opposite wall.


    Meera stood cautiously, activated Druvis Power and Mirror Eagle Perceptivity as she made her way to the jug.


    "It''s not poisoned, is it?" Meera asked, picking up the jug.


    "What would be the point of bringing you back just to poison you?"


    "Fair point." She drank, and the water felt more delicious than any water she had ever drunk. It was like the water was healing her, bringing her back to life.


    She emptied the whole jug and drew deep breaths. "How am I back? And why aren''t you trying to kill us?"


    Before he could answer, Dirik sat awake. He screamed when he saw Melas and backed up to the wall, just like Meera had done.


    "Meera? Did you beat him? Wait, how am I alive?" He felt around his face. "I have a head again. How? I died."


    "As did I," Meera said. "He''s here to explain and not fight."


    "O-Okay." Dirik stood, but his eyes took measure of all the shadows in the room. "Can I get some water, please?"


    "Sure, kid." Melas knocked on the door. "More water!" He rubbed his hands and smiled. Gone was the eight-foot behemoth, and the skinny man in loose clothing was back.


    "Okay, as to how you are back, you see, what we fought in was an artificial world that Brison created. It''s a skill all Keepers of Records have that lets them create a world that they can control. Basically, he''s a god in that world. If he wishes to bring you back, he can. Besides, that was a test, and you, Meera, passed splendidly...as for your friend, not so much."


    "W-What? Why?" Dirik asked.


    "We Wardens fight as a team, and we''re only strong if we fight together. And you left her and ran off to save your hide."


    "I-I..but¡ª"


    Melas cupped a hand around his ear. "Go on. I''m waiting. It better be a nice excuse."


    Dirik sighed. "I don''t have one. I panicked. I don''t have much combat experience. What I did was shitty, and I''m sorry, Meera."


    Melas looked impressed. "At least you know to fess up to your mistakes."


    "If it was a test, then why did you come after us so relentlessly?" Meera asked.


    "I never said it was an easy test, and that whole rage monster thing was just an act. I am usually cranky when I wake up, but I don''t go around leveling cities because someone disturbed my nap." He looked at the door and leaned forward. "I''m actually a light sleeper, and all their laughter woke me up, and the funny thing is most potential recruits always pick me."


    "So, will you let us join the Wardens?" Dirik asked.


    "Not us, just him," Meera corrected.


    The door opened, and Brison brought a jug of water. Melas motioned towards Dirik. "Please give that to the runner."


    The Keeper chuckled. "Oh man, that is never a good nickname."


    "Brison, thank you for bringing me back," Meera said.


    "And you have my gratitude as well," Dirik said between gulps.


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    "Don''t mention it, kids," Brison said. "I''m a part-time resurrector around here."


    Meera frowned, but Dirik figured it out first.


    "You all use that world as your training room."


    Melas shared a smile with his Keeper of Records. "Well, at least the kid has brains."


    Gears turned in Meera''s head. "Can you create any creatures you want?"


    Brison snorted. "If only I were as powerful as the Master Keeper. The Judge only allows me to create these pocket worlds to help strengthen my teammates. They fight each other. If you want to train against a specific creature, you must capture and force it in. Only then can you play with it to your heart''s desire."


    "The Judge?" Meera asked.


    "Lady Numheia." All three answered at the same time.


    Meera nodded. If I kill someone in these pocket worlds, and they are resurrected, do I get to steal another skill from them? Well, only one way to find out.


    "How long has it been since we''ve been out?" Dirik asked.


    "About sixteen hours for you," Melas commented.


    Meera''s eyes widened. "What? I''ve wasted another day."


    "Why are you on a timeline or something?" Melas asked.


    "In a way."


    "But don''t worry, it''s not sixteen real hours but more like what? Half an hour?" Melas looked to Brison.


    "Just about. I sped up the time for you. For individuals, it is easier than speeding up the time for an entire world. There was a lot to put back together."


    Meera breathed out in relief. "So, we''re still in this pocket world, and only¡ª"


    "Half-way to noon or thereabout," Brison said.


    "Now, that, that''s all settled," Melas said. "Let''s get to why you want to join us, young Shade. Before that, I must say, I''m impressed that you even found us out. Not many could have done that or become a Shade at your age."


    Meera could almost see him blushing underneath his mask.


    "Thank you, but I was just really good at my job," Dirik said.


    "Then why did you leave?" Melas asked.


    "I couldn''t stomach the missions they were giving me, and there was this personal matter. The very reason I wish to join you. My mother was imprisoned at Itris prison until recently. I know you are here to hunt the monster that attacked that prison. I wish to join you so I can kill the thing that killed my mother."


    "How do you know she''s dead?" Melas asked. "Many prisoners escaped that night. She could have been one of them, and maybe the Bleeders got to her."


    Dirik shook his head. "She wouldn''t have run. She had no reason to. She was to be freed two days hence. Even if she had the chance, it would have been stupidity to do so, and she was not stupid."


    "Did they find her body?" Brison asked.


    Dirik shook her head.


    "Then she could still be alive, and you''re throwing your life away for no reason," Melas said.


    "Please, I know in my heart my mother is gone. She would have come home if she were alive, even if she ran from the prison. Please, let me avenge her." Dirik clasped his hands together. "Please, I''m begging you. I can be useful. And I am technically a runaway from the Shadowsteel Warlord''s army. I need a hiding place, as the prince is not known to let his Shades go that easily."


    Melas turned to Meera. "And you?"


    "I have my reasons, which I cannot share," Meera said. "But if you''re hunting that creature that destroyed the prison, I want in. You said so yourself that I did good. I can be an asset on this hunt."


    Melas knocked on the wall, and it crumbled, revealing the rest of the Wardens. "So, team, what do you say, we let them in?"


    "Meh." Archer shrugged, eyes on the book she was reading from before.


    "Yes, please," Guardian said, eyes practically shining as if looking at his new toys.


    "Nah, they''re pathetically weak," Gladiator said as he polished his dagger.


    "The girl is powerful, and the boy found us," Stormweaver said. "We could use one for reconnaissance and the other for fighting."


    "They''re too weak for the creature we hunt," Brison said.


    "Two yes and two no, that leaves the final deciding vote to me." Melas rubbed his chin.


    Dirik looked ready to fall at the man''s feet and beg. Meera did her best to show indifference, but she needed to be on this hunt. It would be a major step forward, or so she hoped. Not to mention, she could power level with Brison''s pocket worlds.


    "Yes, fine. You can join us for this hunt. If you survive, I''ll make you Wardens."


    Dirik jumped with joy. "Yes! Thank you. Thank you so much, sir."


    "No sir or ma''ams here, lad. We go by names. You know mine already," Melas said. "Stormweaver''s is Lexa, storm magician extraordinaire. The one reading the book is our marksman, Zona. She might have her red eyes on the book, but don''t think she isn''t watching everything else."


    As am I.


    "To her right is Tekton, who is always polishing his blades but he knows how to use them."


    Tekton gave a salute with his dagger.


    He pointed at Guardian. "Then we have our wall, Pallas. He protects us in battle but has a worrisome habit of overanalyzing skills and classes and how to min-max them to level up faster."


    Pallas coughed.


    Melas sighed. "And he is, unfortunately, my younger brother."


    "Really?" Meera blurted out.


    "Why don''t you think we look alike?" Pallas asked.


    With the way he looked at her with those puppy eyes, Meera didn''t have the heart to lie to him and gave him a nod.


    "As for the creature we hunt," Melas said. "You might change your minds when you find out about him. But yes, it is connected to the attack on Itris Prison. Before all that, let''s eat something because I''m famished. You two must be hungry, especially Meera."


    Brison created a doorway in the room, which they walked out through. Meera found herself back in the same room they had left. Pallas came to her to, no doubt, ask some very invasive questions. She made an excuse to go to the washroom. Lexa, the Stormweaver, pointed out the way.


    The washroom was an excuse. What she wanted to do was inform Narikas of this new development. She closed the door behind her, took out the seal, and ran her Mana through it.


    The seal spun and spun for a long time. Meera was about to stop until it finally shot up and formed a cone of shadows. Meera stepped into the cone and gasped.


    Narikas was lying on the floor. There was a big puddle of blood underneath him. She could see his throne behind him and knew he was still in his fortress.


    "What happened?" She asked.


    ¡°Meera¡­help¡­¡±


    "I-I''m on my way."


    Meera snatched the seal out of the air and dashed out the door. She ran to the others. "I need to go. My friend¡­someone I know is in trouble, but I''ll be back soon."


    Not waiting for a response, she jumped out the window that faced the city wall. She threw a chakram over the wall and teleported to it. She used Mirror Step to hurry to the Gateway Mirror. A line of people was waiting to use it, but she couldn''t wait. She used a small Mirror Blast while still some distance away, and they all scattered. She teleported to the mirror quickly after that.


    She slammed her hand on the Gateway Mirror, and dots of light lit up. She selected Tearsfell Prison.


    "Don''t you die, you shadowy bastard."


    She stepped into the mirror.

 Chapter 104 – A Warlord in Pain

    Meera stepped out of the mirror, and she blinked rapidly to get her eyes to adjust to the light after the mirror''s darkness. It was like when she stepped in the mirror that brought her to this world. To her side lay the fortress.


    By the looks of things everything was as it should be. The soldiers walked the ramparts or stood guard by the gate. Nothing that suggested that the fortress had been attacked. There was no damage to its walls or any soldiers injured, which could only mean one thing¡ªthere was an assassin.


    Meera took off her level 2 chakram, activated Druvis Power, and launched it towards the window where she had seen Narikas watching her when she left. Her chakram blasted off, and she propelled it using Mirror Wing to make it go as high as it could.


    Some soldiers noticed it and called to the others. They threw their weapons, trying to knock it out of the sky. It didn''t work.


    When the chakram reached its maximum height, Meera teleported to it. The soldiers didn''t like that at all. They shouted and must''ve gotten the whole fortress ready to go after her.


    Meera was close enough to the window that she just flew to it, hoping it led to the throne room, though she hadn''t seen any windows when she was there. She landed on the railing, and luck was not on her side. A dark metal wall blocked her way inside.


    She took off her level 2 chakram and punched the metal wall. The wall dented inwards. She hit the wall several times, but the metal held, even if it was severely dented. In the courtyard below, archers had begun to gather. Meera picked up the pace of her punches. Desperation was starting to set in, and then the metal was sucked into the floor.


    She didn''t even wait to check what caused it as she jumped inside and dashed through a set of curtains. She was in the throne room, and what she saw was even worse than what she had seen in her call.


    There on the floor lay Narikas in a massive puddle of blood. The whole room looked like a hurricane had ransacked it. Drapes and torches lay torn and broken. There was a small fire in the corner of the room. Even Narikas'' throne was cut in half.


    And there was someone else. A woman in black clothing lay face-down. Thankfully, no blood, but she could be dead.


    Meera rushed to the downed warlord. "Narikas?"


    She turned him over and gasped. He was alive and breathing, but his leg was severed at the thigh. There was a straight cut that went from his hairline to his jaw. It was gruesome and ripped his face open and taken his eye. The shadows on his armors still screamed their voiceless screams, but some seemed to be laughing as if they couldn''t wait for Narikas to die.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Meera shook him. ¡°Narikas!¡±


    ¡°Save¡­¡±


    "Yes, I''ll save you. That''s why I''m here." She fished out a Health potion from her Belt and lifted his head as she brought the vial to her lips.


    He turned his head away. "Hilnoa first¡­save her¡­please."


    Meera looked at the woman in black and finally realized who it was. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes¡­"


    Meera gently lay his head down and flew to the downed woman. She turned her over, and there was not a single scratch on her, but she wasn''t breathing. Meera lay her head on the older woman''s chest and heard a faint heartbeat.


    She quickly took Hilnoa''s head in her lap, opened her mouth, and emptied the potion. She pushed her head up as she closed her mouth, hoping to get most of it down her throat. A few moments and nothing.


    "N-No¡­" Narikas cried¡ªa tear leaked from his lone eye.


    Meera was about to give up and go to the prince, but the Scribe gasped as her eyes flew open. She frowned when she looked up at Meera''s face.


    "You? What are you doing here?"


    "Saving you both. Can you sit?" Meera asked.


    The woman tried, and Meera helped her to a sitting position as she flew back to Narikas, taking out another Health potion on the way.


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    "Oh no, Narikas!" Hilnoa cried. "My book! Where is my book? Don''t you worry, son, I''ll heal you right away." She looked frantically all over for her book.


    Meera took Narikas'' head in her lap. Even though she didn''t want his freaky armor touching her, his life was at stake. She brought the vial to his lips, and he drank the potion. Relief spread through his face right away.


    Someone pounded on the door. The soldiers were here, trying to protect the prince. For now, the door held, but for how long, and what would they do when they saw their prince in this bloody condition.


    "Found it," Hilnoa exclaimed and looked around for her quill. When she couldn''t find it, she bit open her finger and wrote desperately with her blood, eyes shifting from her book to Narikas and back again.


    When she finished, Narikas gasped, his body twitched, and he nearly fell back into the pool of blood, but Meera held him. Hilnoa rushed to them, picked up his severed leg, and held it to his stump. The wound on his face closed, leaving behind another scar, and his eye regrew. Muscle and bone attached to his leg to his body. Finally, Narikas breathed out in relief.


    "Thank you, Meera," he said. As he sat up, Hilnoa threw her arms around him and wept.


    "Oh, my boy," she sobbed. "I''m so sorry. I should have never let them in."


    Narikas patted her back. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you, even with all my powers."


    Meera felt like she was watching something private, and maybe she should excuse herself.


    "Ack!" Narikas cried out and flinched badly. "No. Not right now."


    The door swayed and burst open, spilling many soldiers inside. There were both Steel Sentinels and Shadow Vanguards. There were even some Shadow Scribes at the forefront as well. It took them a moment to take heed of the carnage in the room, the puddle of blood their prince was sitting in, and Meera beside him. So, it was obvious they came to the natural conclusion that Meera had done it.


    "Get away from His Highness, assassin," snapped a burly steel sentinel. Two shadow archers came up beside him. Arrows notched on their bows.


    Meera raised her hands.


    "Stand down, men," Narikas said. "She''s a friend."


    Narikas projected an image of confidence, but the hand towards Meera, the one away from his soldiers, shook violently. He was still in pain and lots of it. There are some wounds that Hilnoa didn''t get to, or it''s that thing again. Is he always in so much pain?


    "Now, go away and resume your posts," Hilnoa barked.


    "But Matron¡ª"


    "Are you questioning my orders?"


    "No, ma''am." They gave Meera another sour look and slowly backed out of the room.


    Hilnoa scribbled something in her book, and the door slammed shut. Meera sighed in relief, but her troubles were not over. Narikas fell back into the blood puddle, shaking violently and his teeth chattering.


    "Girl, quickly hold him and make sure he doesn''t bite his tongue off," Hilnoa barked as she flipped her book open again.


    Meera quickly picked him up and put his head in her lap. She tried holding his jaw, but he was moving around too much. His eyes had rolled back into his head. Without thinking, she shot a tiny Petrifying Surge around his mouth, finally stopping his chattering.


    Hilnoa raised an eyebrow but continued writing, periodically dipping her finger in Narikas'' blood.


    It took several moments for Narikas to stop shaking after Hilnoa finished writing. He breathed out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. Meera''s first thought was that he was dead, but the gentle rise and fall of his chest told her he was sleeping.


    Hilnoa sighed in relief. "Quick, help me put him in his bed." She reached for his feet.


    "No need," Meera said. She activated Druvis Power and picked up Narikas as if he weighed as light as a feather. "Where do you want him?"


    Hilnoa frowned even more at that. "This way."


    She went around the broken throne, and Meera followed. There was a door past the hanging drapes with sigils. Hilnoa opened the door to a lavish bedroom with a bed fit for a prince. The linens were so lovely, Meera didn''t even want to put him down and dirty them with so much blood and dirt.


    "You can go now and not a word of this to anyone," Hilnoa said. "No one can know what you saw today. You hear me? With this war looming, we cannot let word of what happened here get out."


    "What happened here?" Meera asked, but Hilnoa was silent. "Come on, I saved you. Don''t you think I need to know? Was it assassins?"


    "Two men showed up, bringing a prophecy from an oracle. They weren''t assassins, this much I do know. They were after the same thing you are¡ªinformation about the Champion."


    Meera breathed in deep, and her heartbeat quickened.


    "Narikas wouldn''t tell them, so they did this." Hilnoa motioned towards the sleeping warlord.


    "What were their names?" Meera asked.


    Hilnoa rubbed her temples. "I just can''t remember. I''m sure they told us their names, but I can''t remember them now. It was a powerful skill. He would snap his fingers and give a command, and I would have to follow. I have never seen anyone so powerful as those two. Nothing we did worked. Their arrows neutralized all our magic¡­all our skills."


    "Do you remember what they look like?" Meera asked, earning a glare from Hilnoa. "You know, so I can steer clear of them."


    "Even their faces are hazy. I know what they sounded like. What they said but I cannot recall their faces or their names. All I remember is that I thought they were brothers at the time. They were archers. Both showed up as Hunters when I scanned them, and their levels were nothing special either."


    "I knew a pair of hunters who were brothers and archers," Meera said. "They mentored me for a while, but I''m sure this couldn''t be them as one of them died fighting a level 97 ape. So, not nearly powerful enough. Well, I''ll take your leave and call tonight. Hopefully, he''s up by then."


    Hilnoa said nothing and turned from her to sit by Narikas'' side. She didn''t know Meera had eyes in the back of her head, so she saw how gently Hilnoa took Narikas'' hand in hers and wiped a tear from her cheek.


    Meera took a last look at the sleeping prince and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 105 – The Monster of Pegonia

    Meera walked out of the Gateway Mirror and was not expecting the welcome that she got. A unit of about twenty city guards stood with spears pointed directly at her. She raised her hands and scanned them all.


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 79]


    [Patrolman ¨C Level 85]


    .


    .


    [Guard Captain ¨C Level 96]


    They were all lower level than her, but given their numbers, she wondered if she could take them all. Ultimately, she wanted to avoid attracting the city''s attention, half of which had gathered to see the spectacle.


    They must have come to use the mirror, but the guards held them back as they hollered and cursed at the guards to let them through as they were getting late¡ªmostly for work.


    Remembering what Dirik had said, she scanned them all, even the older ones, hoping it would be enough to get her Identify to the next level.


    "State your business," the Guard Captain barked.


    "I''m visiting friends in the city."


    "Could she be the Varshan the Blazers are looking for?" One of the Patrolman whispered to his friend.


    "Could be, but her clothes are the wrong color," the other replied.


    A guard stepped forward. "Captain, we should fetch the Protectors just in case¡ª"


    "There''s no need for that," Meera interjected and pulled out the royal seal. "Firstly, I''m not Varshan, and second, I come from the capital with direct orders from the king to ensure his son is safe. News of unrest in Nelees has reached the capital, and he has asked me to check on his son and heir and report back to him before the day is done. Now, if you wish to hinder me from my duties, someone else will come through the mirror by days'' end, and they will not be as nice as I am."


    They all exchanged glances. Even the grips on their weapons loosened. The captain looked around at his men and nodded. The patrolmen pulled their weapons away.


    "We wouldn''t want to hold up someone in His Majesty''s employ. Crown Prince Delkoris is staying in the mayor''s home. It is located in¡ª"


    "I know where the mayor resides," Meera said. "It''s not my first visit to your fair city."


    Meera walked off toward the city gates without a care in the world or how the people stared at her. As soon as she was inside the gates, she made a sharp right and ran as fast as her feet would allow. If it were night, she could have hidden herself with Shroud of Shadows, but this would have to make do. As she ran, she checked all the houses and looked for a three-story house with a window facing the wall. The problem was every house had windows facing the walls, and they were all nearly identical.


    She was running full tilt when Dirik materialized out of the shadows of the wall. Meera nearly barrelled straight into him. In trying to avoid him, she tripped and face-planted into the ground.


    "Oh," Dirik groaned. "I''m sorry. Are you okay?" He offered her a hand.


    "I''m great." She took his hand and stood.


    Dirik looked down at his hand. "Is that blood? Are you still hurt from the fight?"


    "Not my blood," Meera said. "It''s a bit of a long story."


    "You best follow me and tell the others yourself. They are concerned."


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    "About what?"


    "Just follow me." Dirik walked down the street openly as if just a few hours ago, the might of the city''s guards wasn''t chasing after them. As it turned out, she wasn''t far from the Warden''s house. Dirik knocked, and Brison let them in, glaring at Meera.


    They climbed the stairs in silence. Brison opened the door at the top of the stairs, and they were back in the room where Meera had jumped from. Most had empty plates lying in front of them. Pallas, the Guardian, strolled the room with a thick tome in his hands. Lexa was filing her nails, and Zona, the white-haired, red-eyed girl, was nowhere to be found.


    Tekton looked up from polishing his blade and threw it at Meera. She could have caught or deflected it, but given that they looked angry with her, she dodged to the right. Tekton had another ready to throw.


    ¡°Tekton, hold,¡± Melas ordered. He sat by the window, still in his loose clothing.


    "Okay, the way I left was abrupt, but a friend of mine was hurt badly, and he needed my help," Meera said.


    "Oh, do explain." Tekton twirled the blade between his fingers. "From where we were looking, it looked like you ran to inform the city guard or whoever you work for."


    Meera sighed. "Why would I do that? When we had to evade half the city to get to you in the first place. If you haven''t forgotten, I''m after the same thing you are. I really am. I want the monster dead."


    "But why?" Lexa asked as she continued to file her nails. "Earlier this morning, you said you had your reasons. We would like to hear them now."


    Meera looked around at them all. "I am looking for my brother, but he wasn''t at Itris Prison like Dirik''s mother. He has, how should I put it, gone off on a dangerous adventure. He is only sixteen years old, and I fear he will do something stupid. There is someone who knows about his location, but he will not tell me unless I kill whatever it is that attacked the prison."


    "And who is this someone?" Tekton, the Gladiator asked.


    "I''m sorry, I cannot tell you," Meera replied. "He''s asked me to keep his identity a secret until the task is done. All I can say is he''s a very powerful man who always has eyes on me."


    "Even now?" Pallas asked.


    Meera looked around. "Okay, maybe not now, but please, I need to find my brother, so I must finish this mission with you. I know I feigned indifference before, but the truth is, I need you more than you need me."


    Melas looked around at each of his companions before looking up at the ceiling. "Well, Zona?"


    Zona, the archer, reappeared on the ceiling with an arrow aimed at Meera''s head. She was somehow stuck to the wall. "It seems like she is telling the truth, or she could be a very convincing liar."


    "I move for gutting her," Tekton said.


    "What?" Pallas cried. "You heard Zona. She''s telling the truth, and besides, it''s not your call to make."


    "She did return in the blink of an eye," Lexa pointed out. "And see no city guards or other unsavory folks."


    Melas stood. "She can stay. We''ve wasted enough time as it is. Gather around. Let''s talk about the creature we hunt."


    Meera looked around. "Wait, so you''re not going to kill me?"


    "Would you like us to kill you?" Melas asked.


    "No, not at all."


    "Good. As for the creature we hunt, all we have on it so far is that it''s very powerful," Melas said. "It can affect the minds of people from afar. Makes deals with them."


    "Riches in exchange for their firstborns, that type of thing?" Meera asked.


    "Not exactly. For body parts. We think it''s trapped and is trying to make itself a body to escape. As to where it''s trapped and what kind of creature it is, we''re not sure. All signs point to an evil Jinn."


    "But Jinns don''t really ask for anything in return," Pallas said. "They just twist your words and make it so that your wishes torment you, most times to death. This is something different."


    "But why are you searching for it in the city?" Dirik asked.


    "Who says we are," Mellas replied. "There has been no singular drop-off point for said body parts, but they''ve all been in and around the forest of Pegonia, which lies right outside the city walls. This makes us think that it is close, and if it needs body parts, then it needs a healthy supply of them, and what better place than a city? We were just here for a few days, asking around to see if anyone had made deals with this creature, and so far, it has turned up nothing."


    "And that is where you come in, dear Shade," Lexa, the Stormweaver, said. "You''re going to help us find it."


    Dirik gulped. It was obvious why he was chosen to find the creature. He did find them, after all.


    "That is not all we know about it," Brison interjected.


    "Right," Melas said. "Now, this is hard to corroborate as we''re not in the capital, but we overheard one of the Blazers talking about how the king is losing his grip on sanity and that he made a deal with a creature that promised him dominion over the entire world of Rhione."


    Dirik sat up straight. "W-What? If that were true, we would have heard about it."


    "When did you stop being a Shade?" Brison asked.


    "About a month ago."


    "It must''ve happened between the last month, then, and besides, the Phoenix Protectors are the most ardent servants of the kingdom. They practically worship the house of Manidon."


    "So, my dear Shade, here is my first order to you," Melas said. "I want you to leave tonight and use your skills and find out the creature''s location."


    "I can go with him," Meera offered.


    Melas snorted lightly. "No, you''re not strong enough to watch his back from a creature that can cast a net as wide as this one has. Tekton and Zona, you¡¯re with him. You need to be trained up a lot. Actually, you both are." He turned to his brother. "Pallas, will you please oversee the instruction of our new cadets until tonight? That is when Dirik will leave to search the forest, and Meera and I will have a rematch."


    Meera gulped.

 Chapter 106 – Lessons in Class Building

    Meera followed Brison, Dirik, and Pallas through a shimmering door into a round clearing with trees around them. There was a faint smell of roses in the air. A light breeze flowed through the trees, making the leaves rustle. It was beautiful.


    Pallas outstretched his arms. "Welcome to the training world of Pallas."


    Brison just sighed. "I''m going to take a nap. Wake me when it''s time to go back." He walked off and wrote something in his book. A wooden hut formed outside of the circle amidst two large trees. He walked in and shut the door behind him.


    "Now, the fun part begins." Pallas rubbed his hands together. "I will be your instructor, the overseer of your battles, and most of all, your advisor in all things related to skills. First, what we''re going to do is discuss your skills and classes."


    Meera was immediately on alert. Aside from Silas and Onyx, no one else knew about her class. Only people she trusted, and she didn''t trust this man.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t have you divulge your skills in front of the other. That will just ruin the fun of your bouts." He looked to Brison''s hut and shouted. "I need another soundproof hut!"


    Brison said nothing, but another hut popped up beside his.


    "Dirik, go wait in the hut, please."


    Dirik nodded and walked off without a word.


    Pallas smiled widely and pulled out a thick tome from his Belt. "Meera, let''s begin. Tell me everything about your skills and class."


    "And you''re sure you can help me?


    "I most definitely can." Again, with that manic smile.


    They can kill me even without knowing my class, so what harm in telling him?


    "Okay, here goes."


    Meera started by telling him about her class and her class ability before moving on to her skills, which were a lot.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: Mirror Image Hunter ¨C Level 161]


    [Class Ability: Stalker ¨C Level 26]


    Stats


    [Health: 1202/1220]


    [Stamina: 1078/1220]


    [Mana: 1138/1450]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 122]


    [Power: 30]


    [Dexterity: 93]


    [Endurance: 122]


    [Focus: 145]


    [Agility: 96]


    [Perception: 91]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 63]


    [Shroud of Shadows ¨C Level 51]


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 19]


    [Mirror Step - Level 71]


    [Druvis Power - Level 17]


    [Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity - Level 69]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 42]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 65]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 27]


    [Vitalize - Level 65]


    [Mirror Wing ¨C Level 30]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 1]


    [Inferno Storm - Level 1]


    [Mistbound Illusions - Level 18]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 10]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 6]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 116]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 22]


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    [Charred Body - Level 15]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 32]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 45]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 13]


    [Absorption - Level 30]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 18]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 45]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 18]


    [Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    [Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    [Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 1]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 45]


    Pallas'' eyes were the size of walnuts, and his hand moved at lightning speed as he jotted everything down as fast as Meera spoke. She did leave the part about how she acquired her armor or Onyx.


    "Oh, my gods, I have so many questions," he said gleefully. "And your chakrams? How did you get those divine weapons?"


    Meera told him the truth but kept everything about being from Earth out, nor that she was the Champion''s sister. She finished with. "In other words, even I don''t know why Midiea chose me."


    "In all my life and travels, I have never seen a class and a class ability like that. Sure, the gods withheld one class from you, but they more than made up for it. In essence, you can shape your class and skills however you see fit." He jumped up like a little child given their favorite treat. "This is¡­I would say amazing, but even that won''t do it service." He gripped Meera by the shoulders, picked her up, and spun her around. "You''re awesome. You''re a miracle. You have a class worthy of the Champion himself. No even better than the Champion."


    "P-Please put me down. I''m about to vomit."


    "Oh, sorry." He set her down, and Meera immediately fell to the ground and waited for the world to stop spinning. "I''m so sorry."


    "Now, can you help me?" Meera asked, getting to her feet.


    "Okay, serious talk time." His face grew grave, but what he was like inside, only the gods knew. "From your skills, I can imagine what sort of journey you''ve been on, but I did want to know what class you want to build?"


    "Something like an assassin class," Meera said.


    "Hmm, then I have some bad news for you." He rubbed his chin. "Well, not entirely bad news. You have some good skills for deception, which assassins rely on, but many of your skills are geared toward a brawler. Someone meant to fight head-on, which was why you could do what you did against my brother. It''s not easy to match him, you know."


    "So, your advice is¡­"


    "Lose some of your skills that aren''t geared towards your affinities. The mirror element was meant for you. With how high your Mirror Affinity is, I wouldn''t recommend losing any mirror skills. Conversely, I would say the same about your shadow skills. You have two of them, which Shadow Affinity is enhancing. These two affinities are the base upon which you should build all other skills. Shadow skills are great for an assassin. Our Shade friend would have plenty, and you can ask him how many assassins his warlord employs. You can even pick up shadow skills geared for deception and leave your mirror skills for attacking."


    "I have Mist Concealment and Mist Illusions for deception," Meera pointed out.


    "Yes, you are correct, but honestly, I''m not a big fan of how reliant Mist Illusions is on mists. If you don''t have mists, you cannot create illusions. Am I right?"


    "Yes, but I can create Mists."


    "At the cost of revealing your presence and only in a specific area around you." He shook his head. "If you want illusions, there are other skills that don''t rely on other skills. I would get rid of both, but only if you can get a powerful shadow or mirror skill."


    "Does the mirror element have an illusion skill?" Meera asked.


    "Hmm¡­" He flipped through his big journal. "Mirror, mirror, mirror. Yes, found it." His face fell. "Oh."


    "What?"


    "I haven''t met many mages who employ the mirror element, so my knowledge is limited."


    "I have," Meera said. "The less that can be said about that witch, the better."


    "Okay, coming back to how we can get you to a proper assassin or close enough," he said. "You need to raise your Dexterity. Your weapons are dexterous weapons, meaning their power increases when your Dexterity increases."


    "It does?" Meera felt like she had wasted all her stat points by putting them in other attributes.


    Pallas sighed and shook his head. "It''s your Identify, that''s the problem. It''s too low. Once you get it to level 10, you can tell what sort of weapon it is¡ªPower or Dexterity. Dexterity powers your chakrams. So, put more points in that, and you''ll see a tremendous difference in the damage your chakrams do."


    I''m not missing that anytime soon.


    "One other tip I can give, which will be most important. You don''t have to accept every new skill that is offered."


    Meera felt like she had stabbed her in the heart.


    "You would rather have fifteen skills working in synergy with each other versus a mishmash of skills that you thought sounded awesome." He paused. "Please don''t cry."


    "I''m not crying," Meera replied.


    "You''re tearing up."


    "No, I''m not." She turned away from him, blinking rapidly to make the tears go away. "It''s just that it''s so hard not taking these new skills."


    "Oh, believe me, I know. Sometimes, I see some skills and want to change my entire class to have that skill alone. But if I kept doing that, I would be nowhere near as strong as I am today. If you take away anything from what I''ve said, remember this, think about what you want your class to look like at, say, level 500, and work towards that. And if you constantly change your skills for new ones, you will be at a higher level, yes, but your skills will be really low, and you wouldn''t be nearly as strong as you could be if you had kept your older skills."


    Meera nodded. "Thank you. I never really thought about it like that. Anything else?"


    "Only that, the mirror element is one of the flashier ones, so be prepared to fight when stealth does not go your way." He rubbed his chin. "Oh, what is this, Soul Bond? I''ve never seen a skill like that before?"


    Meera almost told him but smirked. "I''ll tell you later, as I don''t feel like getting spun around again."


    "I promise I won''t do that." He clasped his hands. "Please."


    "Okay, I''ll tell you, but after our training session. Now, I''m going to see what skill I got from your brother." She moved for the soundproof hut.


    He laughed. "I can''t wait to hear about it, and if it''s his Power-enhancing skill, drop Druvis Power."


    "Thanks for the advice," Meera called. She knocked on the door and told Dirik he was up. She entered the hut, and the world quieted when she shut the door.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has reached Level 46]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 64]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 3 levels and reached Level 20]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has reached Level 70]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 2 levels and reached Level 29]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 2 levels and reached Level 67]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 5 levels and reached Level 50]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 4 levels and reached Level 23]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained reached Level 34. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 3% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Petrifying Surge has gained 5 levels and reached Level 6]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 7. You can now Identify people up to eighty levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Iron Skin. You have a skin that has hardened over the years to iron. It acts as a protective shell that reduces the impact of incoming physical or magical damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Furious Leap. Furious Leap ¨C Type: Active. You can leap to mighty heights and crash with immense force, creating a shockwave and damaging your enemies and surroundings in the impact zone. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera had seen both the skills in action, and they were both powerful, or Melas had made them seem powerful. As Pallas had said, it was better to keep some skills that worked in synergy. Meera decided to take Iron Skin. She already had Spectral Resilience to buff her physical defense, and this would add to it and give her magical defense as well.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Iron Skin ¨C Level 1]


    She waited a few more minutes to check her skills once more, and Pallas was right; she needed synergy. There was a knock on her door, and she opened it.


    "Ready to fight?" Dirik asked.


    Meera smiled. "Let''s go."

 Chapter 107 – A Fight With Shadows

    "The rules of this fight are simple," Pallas said. "You fight until you''re dead. That''s the fastest way to level up, and a word to the wise, play dirty. This world is a dirty place, so put aside any inhibitions and fight to kill in the fastest way possible, but try using your lowest-level skills as often as you can. This is the time to level them up. You never know when you might need them in the real world. Got it?"


    Meera nodded along with Dirik.


    "Okay, good. After the first dozen bouts, I''ll change the game and dictate which skills you can or cannot use to spice things up. This way, we''ll get you ready to fight with a handicap and focus on skills that you don''t rely on much." He tapped his chin in contemplation. "Okay, what else¡­ah right, the goal here is to get Meera to at least level 200 by the end of the day and Dirik to 230."


    "Why the low increase for me?" Dirik asked.


    "Well, you''re fighting a lower-level opponent. The experience you will get will be lower than what Meera will get."


    That made sense to Meera, as Dirik was almost to level 200 already. It was a considerable feat since she had only ever seen him run from a fight or die a gruesome death.


    Pallas clapped and rubbed his hands. "Who''s ready to start leveling up?"


    "You mean dying?" Dirik clarified.


    "They''re one and the same, aren''t they?"


    "Last time, it took us sixteen hours to return from the dead," Meera said. "Won''t we be wasting a lot of time like that?"


    "You leave that to me," Brison said, emerging from his hut. "I can shorten that time by speeding up your individual time." He smirked. "Didn''t I say I can do just about anything in this world?"


    Meera looked to Dirik. "Ready to kill each other repeatedly?"


    "I''ve never been one for killing, but if we''re coming back, then it won''t be so bad, I guess," Dirik said.


    "Exactly," Pallas cried. "More like putting the other to sleep than actual killing. One last rule, this world, rather room, is circular, just like this patch of grass. On the other side of these trees is a bottomless cavern. If you fall, you die. Oh, another last rule, no invisibility skills."


    "Wait, what?" Meera said.


    "But, how am I supposed to use my skills to the fullest if I can''t go invisible," Dirik complained.


    "That''s the whole point, lad, and besides, if you two are wasting hours upon hours looking for each other, it''s going to put Brison and me to sleep." Pallas yawned for effect. "Your fight starts now."


    Meera exchanged a glance with Dirik.


    "Yes, it''s on."


    Meera turned and shot Dirik with a Mirror Shard Barrage. He created a shadow shield and blocked the beam but was pushed back several feet. Her attack littered the ground with mirror shards, giving her several jump points.


    She teleported to him, and when he peeked over his shield of shadows, she took the top of his head with a well-timed chakram throw.


    "Wow," Pallas said, mouth agape.


    "The girl''s out for murder." Brison snorted and wrote something in his book.


    The next moment, Dirik''s head and brains that were lying in the grass got attached back to his head. Dirik screamed and cowered.


    "Relax, kid," Brison said. "She killed you already."


    "That fast?" Dirik''s eyes widened.


    Meera looked to the Guardian Warden. "Should I slow down¡ª"


    Pallas interjected. "If I want you to slow down, I''ll tell you so." He looked to Dirik. "Does the Shadowsteel Warlord not train his Shades to fight? I had heard so much about the famed Shades, but if you''re an example, then I''m far from impressed."


    "I''m sorry, sir," Dirik said. "Like I said earlier, I''m more versed in reconnaissance and evasive maneuvers."


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


    ¡°Did you say evasive manoeuvres?¡± Pallas crossed his arms and towered over him. ¡°What evasive manoeuvres? She killed you in two attacks."


    "I-I don''t have any shadows to manipulate. Most of my skills stem from that."


    "Then use your own blasted shadow. If that is not enough, you need to change one of your classes and not rely so heavily on shadows."


    "I can make it night," Brison said.


    "No," Pallas said. "He''s going to have to learn how to fight in broad daylight if he wants to be a Warden."


    "Uh¡­before we begin, can I check my notifications," Meera said, fully expecting to be shot down, given the mood Pallas was in.


    Pallas'' eyes lit up. "Of course, go for it."


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Shade ¨C Level 198. For killing an enemy thirty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 3 levels and has reached Level 164. You have been awarded 9 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 3 levels and reached Level 32]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill general skill Courtly Etiquette. You know of various customs, manners, and traditions necessary for interacting with nobles, dignitaries, and royal guests. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shadow Coating. Shadow Coating ¨C Type: Passive. You can coat your weapons with a thin layer of shadows that increases its cutting potential by two-fold. This is increased further when the coated weapon is used in dark or dim areas. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera smiled as she knew which skill she was taking, but the only problem was which skill to give up. Despite what Pallas had said, Meera liked her two mist skills. One was essentially like a smoke bomb, and the other created illusions from that smoke. So, she was keeping them until she could find worthy replacements.


    That only left her with Petrifying Surge or Inferno Storm. Pallas had said to think long-term about her class and what would work in synergy with her other skills. She wanted to keep Inferno Storm with every fiber of her being, but it was the only thing that didn''t fit. She could use Petrifying Surge to immobilize and assassinate her foes, but Inferno Storm was too flashy and went against the whole assassin motif. With great reluctance, she got rid of Inferno Storm.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Shadow Coating ¨C Level 1]


    With a start, she realized she never even got to use Inferno Storm. Some things are just not meant to be. She dumped all her stat points into Dexterity, as with increased Dexterity and Shadow Coating, her chakrams would become a devastating weapon.


    "Okay, I''m ready," Meera said, trying her best not to sound miserable.


    "Why are you so sad?" Dirik asked.


    "I had to get rid of a very powerful skill that I never got the chance to use."


    "Huh? How is that possible? Do you get new skills that often?" Dirik asked.


    Pallas interjected before the thief asked more questions that would reveal her secrets. "Which one?"


    "Inferno Storm," Meera said.


    Pallas'' eyes widened. "You gave that up?"


    "Well, you told me to build synergy between my skills."


    "Yes, but not at the cost of something like that. Do you have any idea how powerful that skill is?"


    "Wait, Inferno Storm¡­only Blazers are supposed to have that." Dirik gasped. "You have a fire class!"


    Meera''s head fell. "Not anymore."


    "You just did an entire class change? That fast! How? I''m so confused."


    Pallas patted the lad''s shoulder with his meaty hand. "Leave it, lad. Meera will tell you about her classes if she feels she can trust you. So, for now, get in positions."


    Even though Meera couldn''t see his face, she could tell many questions raced in the Shade''s mind. She decided to hold off on using her newly acquired skill for the next few matches as it didn''t seem she would need it, and second, she didn''t want to raise more questions about her class in his mind.


    "Fight!" Pallas roared.


    Meera pulled off her chakram and threw it at Dirik, but he dropped into his shadow and didn''t return. She recalled her chakram and waited with her eyes peeled. He jumped out of her shadow behind her with a shadow blade.


    She turned just in time to deflect his blade with her chakram. His eyes widened, but he didn''t lose focus. He threw a punch at her and shot her with a shadow beam in the face, which sent her flying.


    Meera protected herself from being rag-dolled by activating Mirror Wing and taking to the air. By the time she took stock of where she was, her opponent was on her. He brought a shadow blade down on her. She raised a Mirror Shield, but the blade broke through her shield, and she only survived because of teleporting away to a mirror shard.


    Meera had just landed when Dirik emerged from her shadow with a spinning ball of darkness and shadows in his hand. He thrust that ball into her back and sent her flying.


    Meera groaned. It hurt, but it was manageable. She teleported away before her face was dragged on the ground. She huffed as her armor closed around her back while she activated Vitalize to heal herself.


    "That was unexpected," she said.


    "Sorry for the pain," Dirik replied.


    "No need for apologies," Meera said. "I just have to take this seriously now."


    Meera shot out small pieces of mirrors from her armor in all directions, pulled off four chakrams, and let them hang in the air around her. Then she drew two more.


    "I guess I should too." Something changed in his stance. He seemed more confident as he reached down into his shadow and pulled out two dark steel swords. The metal looked exactly like the metal of Tearsfell Prison, Narikas'' fortress. The swords emanated a dark energy.


    Pallas gasped. "That''s¡­my lad, is that Shadowsteel?"


    Dirik nodded. "I was hoping to keep this secret."


    Pallas squealed. "Oh, Meera, you''re in trouble now."


    "Now, that is a beautiful blade." Brison smiled.


    Meera''s chakram spun around her. "Well then, what are we waiting for."

 Chapter 108 – The True Power Of A Shade

    Four chakrams spun around Meera, and with two in her hands, she charged the Shade. He ran to meet her with his sword of darkness. She badly wanted to see what the Shadowsteel sword could do. Just when they were about to clash, Dirik dropped into his shadow. Meera turned to her right, as that was where her shadow was. She guessed right.


    Dirik jumped out of her shadow, slashing at her with his sword.


    She sidestepped the blade and launched one of her chakrams at the thief. He deflected it. Meera kept the pressure by throwing two more. He protected himself against those as well. She was down to the lone one, spinning around her. She didn''t launch that one, but instead, she launched a Petrifying Surge.


    Meera expected him to drop into his shadow again, but he met the scarlet beam head-on by slashing it into two. The two halves of the beam sailed safely by him to encase the grass behind him into bloodstone.


    Meera stared with wide-open eyes. "That was¡­"


    "Simply magnificent," cried Pallas. "I had heard about the power of Shadowsteel, but seeing it in action is something else."


    "So, it can cut anything," Meera deduced.


    "Just about," Dirik said.


    "You must be high up in the ranking because, from what I''ve heard, Narikas doesn''t give those blades to just anyone," Brison said.


    Dirik shifted on his feet. "I wasn''t that high up, but I was good at my job."


    "Then why''d you leave?" Palla asked.


    "To avenge my mother," he replied.


    "Right. A noble cause indeed."


    Meera coughed. "Can we please get back to our fight?"


    "Oh yes, please continue," Pallas said.


    Meera lifted her three chakrams using Mirror Wing and launched them at Dirik''s back. He dropped into his shadow again, and her chakrams sailed by without causing any damage. Meera cursed and waited for her opponent to show himself, but he didn''t. She recalled her chakrams to herself, where they spun around her like protective discs.


    He emerged finally, not from her shadow but from Pallas, who stood far away. Meera frowned and was about to ask him what he was doing all the way over there when she got her answer.


    Her shadow expanded to cover the entirety of the grass circle. He had used this skill when they fought Melas. They had stepped into the room, and it was like stepping into a black hole. It was almost the same thing now, except the sun still shone in the sky, and Meera stood in a circle of darkness.


    The massive shadow had swallowed all her mirrors, leaving her no jump points. She shot out more mirrors from her armor, only for them to be consumed by the darkness.


    There were no vertical areas to which she could attach her mirrors, at least not close by. The trees outside the grass circle were an excellent hiding place, but she was some distance away. However, she still had to try.


    She ran for the trees but only made it three steps before she could not run anymore. Shadowy hands slithered up her legs, holding her in place. She took to the air using Mirror Wing, but the shadows wouldn''t let go of her.


    She launched her chakram towards Dirik. She knew he would deflect it, but she needed him distracted so she could make her escape. While one chakram went for Dirik, the other flew towards the trees out of the shadow circle.


    ¡°Sorry Meera,¡± Dirik said.


    A spike made of shadows burst out of the shadowy floor and stabbed her in the neck. She hacked and activated Vitalize, but more spikes erupted from the ground and impaled her throughout her body or tried to. Her armor protected her from some of it.


    She teleported to her flying chakram, away from the grip of his shadows. Her foot hadn''t even touched the ground yet, but the shadows rose to engulf her once more. She used Mirror Wing on her armor to stay in the air. Dirik shoved his sword into the ground, and a massive version of his sword jutted out of the shadowed ground, impaling Meera in the gut. She groaned and was about to teleport once more, but Dirik moved his sword diagonally, and the shadow sword in Meera''s gut moved the same way, cutting her in half.


    Meera gasped as she woke. She lay on the grass. She sat up, patted herself down, and she was fine. There was no blood, no puncture wounds, or massive wound that had split her in half.


    "Let me guess, I lost," Meera said.


    "Yes," Pallas said. "You underestimated our Shade here. Meera, there is one important lesson in all this. Believe none of what you hear. Shades are trained to be deceptive. To make others believe that they are not as powerful as they are. You are new to these lands, so let me tell you something. Shades are the elites of the Shadowsteel Warlord''s army. They sit at the top of the pyramid. They''re even stronger than the Shadow Scribes, and that''s saying something. They are trained to excel in combat, infiltration, spy craft, and deceiving others into believing they are meek."


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "By that logic, you shouldn''t trust anything he says," Meera said.


    "We don''t." Pallas eyed the masked thief. "Maybe we''re just using him to find out the location of the creature we hunt."


    "No, I am telling the truth about my mother," Dirik said.


    Pallas laughed, making his huge form bob up and down. "We believe you, lad. Or Brison here wouldn''t have brought you back." His eyes fell on Dirik''s sword, and he turned to Meera. "And he has a famed Shadowsteel blade, and one only earns that by taking on the most dangerous missions for the Warlord."


    "Lesson learned," Meera said.


    Pallas offered her a hand. She took it. He pulled her up and grinned. "Get ready for the next fight."


    <hr>


    Mirithia and the supposed dragon that encircled it shone high in the sky. Even in this fake world that Brison had created, he hadn''t forgotten to keep the night sky the same.


    Meera huffed and waited for Brison to put Dirik back together. She went a tad overboard this time and cut him into five pieces. Pallas had clapped too excitedly at that display rather than reprimanding her. She worried about his mental psyche, if that excited him, aside from every other new move that Dirik or Meera displayed.


    They lost count of how many times they fought each other, though she was sure Pallas was keeping count, but he wasn''t sharing. Each fight was getting harder and longer. It was harder to find an opening and not leave yourself open to attack.


    Pallas tossed her a metal canteen. "Here, drink, and you can check your notifications now. They should be here soon."


    Pallas had forbidden them to check their notification until now and to focus solely on the fighting. She took a hefty swig from her water bottle and checked her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 12 Shade ¨C Level 198 ¨C Level 215. For killing an opponent thirty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 31 levels and reached Level 196. You have been awarded 93 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 170, Level 180 & Level 190 in your main class, you have earned three more Chakrams.]


    Three chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to seventeen. Just that alone made her grin, and the 31 levels, of course.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 37 levels and reached Level 153. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 156% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 38 levels and reached Level 84]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 25 levels and reached Level 89]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 26 levels and reached Level 77]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 39 levels and reached Level 62]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 20 levels and reached Level 54. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 52% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 29 levels and reached Level 59]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 29 levels and reached Level 92]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 28 levels and reached Level 70]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 13 levels and reached Level 78]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 31 levels and reached Level 63]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 12 levels and reached Level 79]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 41 levels and reached Level 71]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Petrifying Surge has gained 26 levels and reached Level 32]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 16 levels and reached Level 17]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistbound Illusions has gained 15 levels and reached Level 33]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mist Concealment has gained 12 levels and reached Level 22]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 9 levels and reached Level 31]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 13 levels and reached Level 58]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 17 levels and reached Level 67]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 2 levels and reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 9 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 6 levels and reached Level 24]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eyes of a Phoenix has gained 11 levels and reached Level 12]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 17 levels and reached Level 18]


    She had a lot of points to allocate, so she started with twelve points spread into everything aside from Power and then split the bulk of points into Dexterity, Focus, and Endurance. With that, she was ready for their next bout.


    Dirik was whole again, and the way he stared off into the distance, she knew he was looking at his notifications.


    "Ah, so close to hitting the next evolution," Pallas said. "That is if your class evolves at 200, like most classes, but then again, many classes don''t evolve at 200." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Given how unique it is, you might not get an evolution at the next milestone."


    "Thanks. I don''t know whether to be hopeful or keep my emotions in check."


    Pallas laughed and slapped her back, nearly flooring her. Crazy strength runs in the family, I guess.


    The door to this world shimmered, and Melas and Zona, the Archer walked in, looking exactly like they had left them a day ago.


    Meera frowned. "It''s time already?"


    "Afraid so," Pallas said. "Now comes your real test. I''m sure you won''t lose your stomach this time. Maybe your head." Then he laughed at his own joke.


    Melas cracked his knuckles. "Ready, Meera?"


    "Sure." Then, she lowered her voice. "Let''s go fight the Hulk again."

 Chapter 109 – Time to Die Again

    "So, Pallas has done some good work," Melas said, eyes on Meera. "You''re almost level 200. Wasn''t that the goal, brother?"


    Pallas hung his head. "We would''ve achieved it too if I didn''t put too many restrictions on their fights."


    The Archer Warden Zona came over and patted the big man''s arm. "It isn''t your fault, love." Then she glanced at Meera as if saying it was her fault for making him feel so low.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be off on reconnaissance, trying to find the monster?"


    "He''s still staring off into space," Zona said.


    Dirik must''ve finished then as he broke out of his trance. "Yes, I''m ready to go now."


    "Be seeing you love," Zona winked to Pallas, gave the nod to her captain and Brison, and pretended Meera wasn''t even there.


    Once she left with Dirik, Pallas spoke. "Don''t think her harsh. She''s just a little overprotective of me."


    Melas snorted. "A little?"


    Pallas sighed. "Okay, more than a little." Then he snapped his head to the shimmering door. "She can''t hear me, can she?"


    "No, she''s gone," Brison said.


    Pallas sighed in relief, making his brother laugh. After he calmed down, he turned to Meera. "Ready to die again?"


    "Not really." Even to her own ears, Meera didn''t sound confident.


    Pallas patted her back. "You''ll be fine. Just remember what I taught you¡­and don''t die."


    Melas took up position on the opposite side of the circle. "This should be fun."


    And painful, thought Meera.


    "Think of it this way, if you win, you get to evolve¡­maybe," Melas said.


    Pallas raised his fist high in the air and brought it down on his open palm. "Fight!"


    Meera littered the area with mirrors from her armor with such aggression that it looked like she had used a Mirror Blast. These added to the mirrors planted from her fights with Dirik, didn''t leave a single empty spot. She could teleport anywhere. Next, she took off a level 2 chakram, teleported to the closest mirror, and launched it at Melas, who was in the middle of his transformation into the eight-feet giant.


    He had only reached about seven feet tall when he had to stop growing and jump back. He swayed to the side, and her chakram sailed on by.


    He smirked. "Nice try, but¡ª"


    He jumped up in the air at the last minute. The chakram narrowly missed him by a hair. She knew his technique. It was Furious Leap, which meant he was coming down at full force and had begun to grow again. She didn''t let him.


    Meera blasted off the ground at full force. Her flying speed had gotten much faster, thanks to Mirror Wing having gained so many levels. She had him. As far as she had seen, he couldn''t fly or maneuver in the air. His Iron Skin might be tough, but her chakrams were tougher now.


    She readied to entangle him with Vampiric Chains and cut off his head with her chakram, but he smiled.


    He better be smiling because he knows he''s done and is impressed with me.


    Melas spread his arms wide and clapped his hands together, creating a massive shockwave that knocked Meera out of the air and drove her to the ground.


    The pressure of the shockwave was so intense that she felt her bones creak. She created a Mirror Shield, but it shattered within seconds. She made three more, and they broke within moments one after another. She created another four, and finally, the pressure was lifted off her.


    But something told her it wasn''t her Shields that had saved her. It was the shockwave''s pressure easing up. Once the winds died, she dissipated her shields and raised her head out of the hole she had been drilled in. Her jaw dropped.


    The grass had been flattened, trees ripped off from the ground and hurled about as if a hurricane had come through. Some trees had been smashed into the ground as if they were nails that needed hammering.


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    The worst part was that Melas landed on the ground, his transformation complete. His shirt fitted him tightly over his massive frame. It was so stretched that she could see the veins on his arms through his shirt.


    "Not letting me transform was good," Melas said. Even his voice had grown deeper.


    "Yes, well, my brother used to watch a lot of anime, and that was the number one mistake the heroes made."


    "Watch anime?" Pallas asked from the sidelines, seemingly spared from his brother''s thunderous clap, as was the grass around him. "Is that some sort of gladiatorial combat?"


    "In a way¡­some of them are."


    "Where can I go to watch it?"


    "We''re in the middle of a fight here," Melas exclaimed.


    "Yes, sorry. I''ll ask later. Please continue."


    Meera activated Mist Concealment and filled the area with mists. She teleported to the side as Melas jumped for her. By then, the grassy area had been filled with mists, too, protecting her from the Colossus Warlord and Mirithia''s light. She lifted herself in the air and activated Shroud of Shadows.


    Melas looked about, trying to locate her. Meera would not make the mistake of going close to him now that he was fully transformed. The painful memory of his fist ripping through her was still fresh in her mind.


    She activated Mistbound Illusions and created five illusions, two of which she sent to him. He punched through them, dissipating them into mists.


    "Illusions, huh..." Melas'' eyes scanned his surroundings.


    Meera placed three more illusions in the direction he was moving towards. His eyes picked up on the stationary one and moved his hand through one, and it disappeared, as did the second.


    "That is not how you''re going to win this," Melas said as his hand moved through the third. Two more illusions walked up behind him. He sighed and flicked off the fourth, but the fifth shot him in the face with a Mirror Shard Barrage.


    Meera flew back as he rolled to a stop at the edge of the grass. He looked up with rage-filled eyes, and Meera feared he was turning into the same fellow she had fought last time, but his anger subsided as he chuckled. "That was a neat trick. But tricks are also not going to win this."


    "They might."


    "Oh, and what will you do if I remove the mists?"


    Pallas snickered along with Brison, who just shook his head. Melas clapped his hands lightly and created a smaller shockwave. Meera''s eyes watered, and her hair whipped in the wind, but a moment later, her mists were blown away.


    "Got you." Melas ran for her so fast that he disappeared from sight. His footfalls left small booms.


    Meera teleported, but his elbow clipped her nose before she disappeared. She cried out when she reappeared in her desired spot, clutching her nose, and her eyes watered. He had shattered it. Thankfully, she had Vitalize to fix it right away.


    Meera pulled off her second level 2 chakram, gripped them tight, and activated Shadow Coating, making Melas frown. A black shadow encircled her chakram, but the mirror twinkled from underneath like stars.


    Meera let them go, and they stayed in the air. She pulled six of her regular chakrams and launched them at Melas in quick succession. He did something Meera had nearly forgotten he could do, making her angry.


    He didn''t dodge or duck the chakrams. He punched them away.


    His Iron Skin was so leveled that her chakrams only left behind minor cuts. This shook her confidence in what she was about to do next.


    She brought her regular chakrams back towards the Colossus Warden, kept peppering him with her chakrams, and shot him with Mirror Shard Barrage. He noticed the beam of light and mirrors a little too late and the two shadow-covered twinkling chakrams not at all.


    He jumped aside and let the beam fly by, but Meera had to alternate the trajectory of her chakrams. The two spinning discs of death came for him. He glared and punched the air. He might as well have hit her with a wind missile.


    Meera had to erect two Mirror Shields to stop herself from being blasted away. Her chakrams came zipping back. She raised both hands and pushed on them with Mirror Wing. They were stuck in place for a moment, but that was not the only problem.


    Melas had disappeared and was coming for her. The wind died down, and the Warden appeared ten feet in the air. Meera raised three Mirror Shields, but he smashed through them. She jumped back just in time for her opponent to create a small crater where she stood.


    She was about to teleport away. His hand flashed like lightning, and before she knew it, his hand was around her throat.


    "You put up a good fight, but you''re still not good enough to face one of us, one-on-one," Melas said as he squeezed.


    Meera''s first thought was to use Mirror Step, but then she had another idea. She tried to speak, but he was squeezing too hard. Her body begged for air. She didn''t have long before she passed out. She located her level 2 chakrams and flicked her fingers, recalling them.


    The two shadow-coated chakrams dashed through the air, and she moved them around so that instead of hitting Melas'' back, they came around for his arm that gripped Meera.


    Please work, or I''m done.


    The first chakram sliced Melas'' arm clean off at the elbow. Meera didn''t even realize what had happened until she fell on her feet and his hand came loose. She altered the second chakram to go for his neck. It worked partially.


    Melas swayed back to the chakram, but still nearly half his throat was cut open. Blood gushed out of him, staining the ground red. Melas'' eyes widened, but it seemed he wouldn''t go down alone.


    He punched the ground with his lone arm, and a fissure raced towards Meera. She teleported away to safety, but Melas was expecting it. As soon as she reappeared, he was on her.


    He slammed his fist down on her head as if she was a nail.


    The only reason her head didn''t burst like a melon was because of Spectral Resilience and Iron skin, but it cracked open her skull. She activated Vitalize but fell to her knees, knowing it was too late.


    So, it was for the Warden.


    He fell to the ground, smiling through bloody teeth. The smile turned to laughter and then coughing, and he finally died. Vitalize slowed her death. She hoped to win this fight by not dying, but she didn''t make it.

 Chapter 110 – What You Desire Most

    Meera still lay on the ground when Brison brought her back. She was fine, she knew that, but it still felt like it was hard to breathe. Melas''s iron grip that crushed her throat was a sensation that she wouldn''t soon forget.


    Instead of getting up to greet the others who were talking amongst themselves, she lay there watching the stars and brought up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Colossus Warden ¨C Level 276. For killing an opponent eighty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 11 levels and reached Level 207. You have been awarded 33 stat points.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 200 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakrams.]


    Her total number of chakrams went to eighteen. She wondered if she should make more of the Level 2 Chakrams.


    [Chakram of Echoes Stage 3 effect unlocked. Searing Chakram ¨C Your Level 2 Chakrams will now spin so fast that they twist the winds around them, allowing them to cut anything that comes in close proximity to them without making contact.]


    Meera''s eyes widened. Okay, that settles it. I''m definitely making more Level 2 chakrams.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 5 levels and reached Level 158. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 161% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has reached Level 85]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 2 levels and reached Level 72]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has reached Level 64]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 2 levels and reached Level 81]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 3 levels and reached Level 74]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 4 levels and reached Level 21]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 2 levels and reached Level 56. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 58% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mistbound Illusions has gained 2 levels and reached Level 35]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mist Concealment has reached Level 23]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 2 levels and reached Level 33]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 2 levels and reached Level 69]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 6 levels and reached Level 24]


    As it turned out, she was getting a class evolution at level 200, and she couldn''t wait to see what she got this time.


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class Evolution: Mirror Image Hunter can evolve to The Shadow Image. You have hunted down many foes and taken their skills, but the bulk of your skills have been towards the Mirror and Shadow element. One grants you unprecedented power, and the other lets you bend the shadows to your will.]


    [The Shadow Image is someone who can play in the shadows and kill their foes with mirrors. But that is not all they can do. You can utilize the shadows to store, hide, and reuse what you desire most, making you richer in more aspects than one.]


    [Would you like to evolve Mirror Image Hunter to Shadow Image? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    The class looked like it would enhance both her affinities. How Pallas was saying I should, but what''s this part about storing what I desire most?


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class Evolution: Mirror Image Hunter can evolve to Mirror Blade. You are a force of nature when it comes to using mirrors. You have pushed your mirror skills to the limit and used them to destroy anyone who has dared to stand in your way.]


    [A Mirror Blade is more than a person, more than a blade. They are your enemies'' fear reflected in your mirrors before they are sent from this world to the Lord of Deeds. Your mirrors will become ever sharper, and your connection to the mirror element will deepen to the point that you are the blade itself.]


    [Would you like to evolve Mirror Image Hunter to Mirror Blade? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    This is not bad, thought Meera. Most of her skills were mirror skills, not to mention her mirror chakrams. Both would benefit from this class. But the only thing that gave Meera pause was that it did not mention skills or stealing them.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class Evolution: Mirror Image Hunter can evolve to Mirror Beast. You have taken deadly blows during battle, only stand back up and continue fighting. Attacks that would have killed others have only slowed you down as you powered through the pain to finish your foes.]


    [A Mirror Beast is a force of nature. They can take unparalleled amounts of damage and even regenerate limbs at a whim. You can deaden your sensation of pain to concentrate on the fight. Nothing will stand in your way as you unleash your might on the enemy.]


    [Would you like to evolve Mirror Image Hunter to Mirror Beast? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    Meera was definitely intrigued by this. If she could cut off the pain sensation, she could do so much, but aside from that, this class didn''t provide her with much else. But even that much was a lot.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. You have met the requirements for Class Evolution: Mirror Image Hunter can evolve to Mirror Chakram Savant. Your inseparable chakrams are more than weapons. They are your arms. They have been with you through thick and thin. They have helped you to victory on all manners of foes while stealing your enemies'' skills for you.]


    [A Mirror Chakram Savant is adept at using the divine chakrams granted to them by the Lady of Mirrors. You will inherently enhance the power of your trusty weapons. They will be stronger, faster, and deadlier. Your aim will be truer, and you will never miss. You will also unlock the Chakram Stage 4 effect immediately.]


    [Would you like to evolve Mirror Image Hunter to Mirror Chakram Savant? No skills will be lost, and your progression will remain the same. Choosing this class will lock other progression paths.]


    Meera was stumped. She wanted it. It was almost too good to pass up. She waited for any more notifications, and nothing else popped up. So, she had a total of four to choose from. She couldn''t discard any of the choices as they all had merit.


    It was like the system had taken the form of combat in which she excelled and was giving her the chance to multiply them even further. If it were up to her, she would have taken them all and fused them into one class. But life was never fair.


    The last three''s merits were obvious¡ªmirror power, healing and chakrams. But the first one played to her affinities. That much was obvious, but the last part stumped her. What did that last part mean about using shadows to store what I desire most?


    What she desired most was to find her brother and find a way back home so they could avoid this prophecy business and, of course, avoid her untimely death.


    What I desire most...


    She put that aside as she tried to narrow it down between her other choices. The chakram one was good, but increasing her mirror power with Mirror Blade would also make her chakrams stronger. Plus, all her mirror skills would get a boost as well.


    Mirror Chakram Savant was almost begging Meera to accept it. Each of the effects of the past stages had exponentially increased her Chakram''s power. She could only imagine what the next stage would be. But then again, she was only ninety-three levels away from the next stage. It would take her a few days in Brison''s rooms to achieve that. She might even hit Level 300 before her deadline to find the queen ran out. She put this class aside for now and looked at the next one.


    Mirror Beast was good. Being able to survive deathly wounds and continue fighting with no pain was damn good. It would nullify her wounds to inconveniences. But we feel pain for a reason? That is how people know not to do something that will get them killed.


    After much thinking, she decided that she would like to feel pain after all, even if it was the bad kind. So, of the last three, she decided on Mirror Blade, and all that left her was The Shadow Image. She was about to pass up on it when it clicked. There was only one thing she desired more than finding Neel.


    Oh, please don''t fuck me on this. She drew a deep breath. I choose The Shadow Image.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Image Hunter has evolved to The Shadow Image ¨C Level 207]


    [The Shadow Image ¨C You excel in both Mirror and Shadow skills. The combination of the two has created this unique class suited for you and you alone. You will be able to steal skills and store them in the shadows until needed.]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Change. Stalker has evolved to Hoarder ¨C Level 26. Your can store your stolen skills in your five Shadow Skill slots and swap them out with your regular skills when needed. You will continue to steal two skills from everyone but can only take one.]


    Meera''s heart beat faster and faster as she checked her skills and saw the newly created Shadow Skills section. Yes. Yes. Oh God, yes! But before she could jump up with joy, new notifications popped up.


    *ding!*


    [Stat Points Awarded]


    [Constitution: +30]


    [Power: +20]


    [Dexterity: +25]


    [Endurance: +35]


    [Focus: +40]


    [Agility: +25]


    [Perception: +25]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Change. Mistbound Illusions changes to Mirror Phantom. Mirror Phantom ¨C Type: Active. You can create ethereal mirages or spectral duplicates using a mirror at the illusion''s core. These phantoms are helpful in creating diversions, confusing foes, or setting up tactical advantages.]


    Meera waited longer to see if she would get anything else, but nothing showed up. She quickly allocated her stat points. She put the highest in Focus and spread the rest evenly in everything else, save for Power. She drew a deep breath and looked at her new Shadow Skills section.


    Shadow Skills


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    [Unlocked]


    The five new open slots made her grin from ear to ear. This was the best choice. The other classes had their perks, but this gave her the freedom to pick up more skills.


    "Are you going to get up or keep smiling at the stars?" Pallas called.


    Meera stood and dusted herself off. "Sorry, I had to take care of some business."


    "Your class evolved?" He gasped. "What in the Judge''s name is a¡­ Reflection''s Shadow?"

 Chapter 111 – The King Of Azeria

    Narikas¡¯ hand moved over the remains of his throne. It had been cleaved in half and had its top half missing. The blood and debris had been cleaned from the room, but the signs of Narikas¡¯ defeat remained.


    It wouldn¡¯t have happened if you let me take control.


    Narikas ignored the raspy voice of the armor, as he did most times. Its voice had gotten louder, and its calls had become more frequent since the fight. That man was right. It had shortened the time Narikas had left.


    Don¡¯t ignore me!


    Narikas flinched as the armor attacked him with a sharp pain all over his body. It drove him to his knees and made him cry out. He clenched his teeth and waited for the pain to subside, but the gods were not kind to him as the door to his audience room slowly opened. He tried to move to get to his feet, but the pain kept him on his knees.


    Thankfully, it was only his most trusted Scribe.


    Hilnoa rushed to his side. ¡°Oh no, not again.¡±


    The pain had subsided enough for Narikas to talk, at least. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­at least not yet.¡±


    Hilnoa hooked an arm under his. ¡°Here, let me help you up. Your brother is on his way.¡±


    Narikas almost forgot about his pain. ¡°What is he doing here?¡±


    ¡°Not just him alone,¡± Hilnoa said. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s brought the whole royal court with him.¡±


    He sat in his seat and huffed. The armor¡¯s attack was finally over. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Right here,¡± came his twin¡¯s voice, and a moment later, the King of Azeria strolled into the room. The only difference between their faces was that Rokibor¡¯s didn¡¯t support any scars. He twirled his golden rod of office as if it were a playing stick. He was dressed in his best attire, which he only wore when hosting royal parties or foreign kings. Behind him walked his shadow, the chief Phoenix Protector, Dagon. He was an unassuming man but a better swordsman, Narikas had never seen.


    Hilnoa bowed at the waist. ¡°My king.¡±


    Narikas carefully stood, expecting another pain attack. But this time, the armor decided it would give a warning first.


    If you bow to him, I¡¯ll put you in the floor.


    We¡¯re both bound to him. Narikas reminded the armor. He knew the danger of talking to it, but he couldn¡¯t handle another pain attack. He didn¡¯t want to give his brother the satisfaction. The armor said nothing, so Narikas figured it was okay to bow, but to be safe, he tilted his head to his brother. ¡°My king.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in top shape, even if the same cannot be said about this room,¡± Rokibor examined the room, and his eyes fell on Hilnoa. ¡°Ah, Aunt Hilnoa, didn¡¯t even see you there.¡± He gave her a tight hug and held onto her for too long. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°A-And I, you, Your Majesty,¡± Aunt Hilnoa replied, unsure how to take this unexpected affection.


    It was all a show. Rokibor cared for no one but himself. Narikas had heard him badmouth her ever since they were little, just because she favored Narikas over him, or so he thought. It became true when Narikas became the Shadowsteel Warlord, but if she hadn¡¯t become a Shadow Scribe, Rokibor would¡¯ve had her clean the royal latrines.


    Rokibor finally let go of their aunt. ¡°You must come visit more often.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°But with this war looming, I¡¯m sure we will have enough time to catch up now that I¡¯ll be staying here until Draros and his lackeys have been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± Narikas asked.


    ¡°I am, brother. Come now, you can¡¯t expect me to stay in my palace. It is comfortable, yes, but also nigh indefensible. It would fall to Draros within a week. So, I had a brilliant idea to go to my brother¡¯s indestructible fortress. A fortress that has never been taken, never fallen into enemy hands. What do you think, brother?¡±


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    Tell him he¡¯s not welcome. The armor rasped, and several faces screamed, their hollow screams at the King.


    Narikas smiled. ¡°Of course, brother. After all, it is your fortress.¡±


    The armor didn¡¯t like that at all. Narikas fell into his ruined seat and screamed loud enough to make Rokibor jump and Dagon reach for his sword. Narikas clenched his teeth and groaned as pain wrecked his body.


    ¡°Oh, dear brother,¡± Rokibor said. ¡°I can see now how two of Draros¡¯ lackeys were able to humble you.¡±


    Hilnoa stepped towards Narikas and moved her hand through Narikas¡¯ hair lovingly. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll be okay, son.¡±


    Narikas didn¡¯t feel okay. He felt like he was dying. The pain was so intense that he thought his heart would give out.


    Aunt Hilnoa turned to her other nephew. ¡°Your Majesty, Narikas, and I both fought them. They were too strong to be King Draros¡¯s men. They came with a prophecy from an oracle.¡±


    Rokibor waved a dismissive hand as he scoffed. ¡°Ploys of the enemy king.¡± He stared at Narikas with disdain. ¡°Was he in control of himself, or like this, when he humiliated me and my kingdom by losing to two pathetic-looking archers.¡±


    Narikas¡¯ anger flared, and he forgot about his pain. His armor flared the feelings of anger but kept the pain where it was to make him even angrier. Narikas knew what the armor was doing, but he didn¡¯t care. Rokibor was a spoiled brat given too much power. The souls on Narikas¡¯ armor flared.


    Dagon¡¯s grip tightened on his sword as he stepped forward, but Rokibor stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dagon,¡± Rokibor said. ¡°My brother is undergoing a lot of pain. He¡¯s not himself right now and can¡¯t hurt me, even if he wants to. The armor prevents him. Here, watch this.¡±


    Rokibor walked up to Narikas and slapped him across the face. Hilnoa flinched, and if it were anyone else, she would have written their death in her book. But now, she could only watch.


    Rokibor leaned forward and produced his cheek. ¡°Go ahead, get even.¡±


    Narikas trembled to put him in his place, but his armor prevented him from doing so. It held him in place, a prisoner. What? No response. Nothing about getting even. Narikas lashed at the armor. If you¡¯re not going to let me get even, then stop this fucking pain.


    For once, the armor listened. Narikas huffed and wiped the sweat off his brow. The pain had stopped, but its memory remained.


    ¡°See.¡± The King said to his guard. ¡°He can¡¯t do anything to me. He swore not to harm me. Isn¡¯t that right, brother?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Narikas said. ¡°I can¡¯t do this for much longer. My time is nearly over.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rokibor looked at him with scorn. ¡°Are you dying?¡±


    ¡°I will if I continue being the Shadowsteel Warlord. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Rokibor glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re saying this now. When we¡¯re days away from a war.¡±


    ¡°A war you instigated.¡± Narikas stood, coming eye to eye with his brother. ¡°A war that need not come to pass. You can still stop this. Get the queen to pull back the borders and stop the Mistblades. Please, brother, I beg you, or there will not be an Azeria left.¡±


    Rokibor scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re that scared of an old man. Your name is feared more than any other across this world, but all I see here is a man crying out because of a little pain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a little pain, not anymore. My time is just about over, and you know what will happen if the worst comes to pass.¡±


    The King straightened. ¡°How much time do you have left?¡±


    ¡°Days, maybe I can push it to a week,¡± Narikas said. ¡°But we need to do the transfer before the war starts because once this war starts, the men cannot lose their battlefield commander.¡±


    ¡°Then more reason for you to keep your head on and not fall into a mewling babe.¡±


    ¡°You can still stop this war!¡± Narikas roared, making Dagon¡¯s hand go to his sword. ¡°Touch that sword one more time, Dagon, and I will kill you where you stand. I cannot do anything to my brother, but you are a hired sword¡­and I want to let loose.¡±


    Darkness erupted from Narikas¡¯ armor and covered the room in shadows. Dagon¡¯s hand moved away from his sword as he stared slack-jawed at the darkness around him. It sent a message to the King that even his most loyal servant was more afraid of his brother.


    ¡°The queen is not well,¡± Rokibor said evenly. Gone was his jovial demeanor. He wasn¡¯t so sure of himself anymore.


    Narikas looked at all those present in the room. ¡°Respectfully, my King, that is horseshit. I know the queen is not in the palace, and would you leave her in the palace when you brought so many with you? People, you give no shit about. I don¡¯t think so. What did you do to her? Did one of your torture sessions go too far? Huh? Did you kill her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking to your king,¡± Rokibor said through gritted teeth. ¡°Know your fucking place! You might be my brother, but that gives you no right to question me like this. Do you want to give up your post before the war? Fine, coward. Send one of your Shades to Nelees and summon Delkoris here. He will come running if you call. You will pass on the mantle of the Shadowsteel Warlord to him.¡±


    Narikas frowned, but inside, his heartbeat quickened. ¡°Delkoris? He¡¯s your heir. It was decided it would go to Heibor.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had a change of heart,¡± Rokibor said. ¡°Delkoris is no longer the Crown Prince. I stripped him of the title before he left for the Blue City.¡±


    ¡°B-But why?¡± Things were spiraling out of control. This was not how it was supposed to be.


    ¡°You ask that? You?¡± Rokibor got in Narikas¡¯ face. ¡°I know what you did, brother. I know what you told him.¡±


    Narikas gulped.


    ¡°Be thankful I didn¡¯t kill the boy.¡± Rokibor turned and began walking towards the door. ¡°Bring back Delkoris. He will be the next Shadowsteel Warlord.¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s only fitting.¡±


    ¡°When your death comes, it will be a glorious day,¡± Narikas barked.


    ¡°And there it is.¡± Rokibor laughed as he walked out the door.


    Hilnoa scribbled in her book, and the door closed. ¡°Oh no, this is bad¡­¡±


    The armor, too, laughed in Narikas¡¯ head. He gripped his hair tightly. ¡°Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!¡±


    You dare¡­


    Yes, I dare. Narikas shot back at the armor. Now, do your fucking worst.

 Chapter 112 – Stroll In The Forest

    "What class did you choose that you have such a unique tag?" Pallas practically salivated. "Also, what were your choices?"


    Meera smiled. "I had choices to make one aspect stronger or another, like making my mirror attacks stronger or my chakrams. There was even a class to strengthen my healing, but I chose The Shadow Image. It gives me five shadow skill slots." His eyes widened. "Basically, I can put five skills in reserve and swap them out with my regular skills as needed."


    Pallas gasped and clutched his chest. "My heart''s going give out. This is unheard of."


    "Lord Darthin wouldn''t allow that for anyone," Brison said. "Who are you?"


    Meera smiled wide. "Just a girl looking for her brother."


    "But why didn''t you take the class that would make your mirrors stronger?" Pallas asked. "Even the healing class would have been nice. Oh, the healing class would have been real nice. But this is something else. Do you realize you could make half a class, store it in your shadow skills, and pull it out when needed? You could have a completely different set of skills that could be handy in another situation. For example, you could have five skills geared towards one-on-one combat. Oh, the possibilities."


    "Lord Darthin really would not do that for anyone, and I mean anyone." Brison stepped forward. "Seriously, who are you?"


    "Okay, that''s enough," the captain of the Wardens intervened. "Give her space. I''m sure you''re tired, Meera."


    "And hungry," she added.


    "Let''s get you something to eat and a good night''s sleep." Melas guided her towards the shimmering exit door while Pallas flipped open his diary and jotted down something. Brison only stared at her as if trying to look into her very soul.


    Meera left the destroyed training world and into the real one. It was just about dark here, with the last rays of the sun saying their farewell. Dirik, Tekton, and Zona had already left. Lexa, the Stormweaver Warden, looked out the window at the clear night sky.


    The aroma of the warm meal reached her, and she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She and Melas had their meal together in silence, which was just how she wanted it. After the meal, she figured it was time she checked on the Warlord.


    She found her way to the washroom again, and someone must''ve done something because it smelled nasty, but unfortunately, there was nowhere else where she could talk privately.


    Her seal shivered in the air over her head for a long time, but no one answered. It took four more tries before someone finally did, and they were unhappy.


    "What do you want?" Hilnoa snapped at her. From the looks of things, she was Narikas'' throne room.


    "I-I just called to check up on the prince."


    "He''s fine."


    Then Meera heard a scream that gave her goosebumps. It was a man''s scream and could only belong to one person.


    "Is he okay?" Meera asked.


    "He''s fine," Hilnoa repeated.


    Narikas screamed, and Hilnoa turned towards him. That was when she saw the first glimpse of the Warlord, and he was curled up on the ground and trembling. He whimpered, clenched his fists, and let out another smaller scream.


    "Just stop it," Hilnoa cried. "Just stop hurting, my boy."


    That made Meera wonder if Narikas was her son. There was hardly any similarity. "Do you need me to come back?"


    "What are you going to do if you come here? You can''t do anything." The older Scribe barked.


    Narikas cringed and groaned as sweat dripped from his brow. He looked like he was fighting for his life. But Hilnoa was right. Meera couldn''t do anything. The Wardens might not even take her back if she left so abruptly again.


    ¡°M-Meera¡­¡± Narikas trembled.


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    "I''m sorry, I can''t help you with your pain," Meera said. Despite what she had seen him do to that Scribe, she felt terrible for him. No man should have to go through this.


    "D-Don''t¡­" He let out a cry. "N-No matter what happens¡­AHHH!" He swallowed and got things under control. ¡°Don¡¯t b-bring Delkoris¡­h-here.¡±


    "What? You don''t want me to find him?" Meera asked.


    Even Hilnoa stared at the downed Warlord like he had announced his death sentence. A tear leaked out of her eye. "Are you sure?" She asked.


    "I-I have a p-plan."


    "Okay," Hilnoa said. "But you can''t give in."


    Meera wished she knew what was going on here. It was confusing not knowing all the details. "So, I don''t have to find him then?"


    "No," Hilnoa said. "Find the prince, as he is the key to finding the queen, and we need her to end this war and save us, and you only have four days left."


    "I''ll do it, but will he be able to hold up his end of the bargain?" Meera said.


    Hilnoa''s nostrils flared. "He will."


    She shut off the connection. Meera left the washroom. Just what is going on with Narikas? Will he even be alive for much longer? The way he looked just now¡­


    Meera returned to the common room, and Lexa pointed out a spot on the floor that Meera could have for the night. She thanked the Warden and curled up on the floor. It didn''t take her long to doze off.


    <hr>


    Meera awoke to the chatter of the Wardens. The sun had fully risen outside, so she rubbed and squinted until her eyes adjusted. She hadn''t felt so rested in days. The Wardens and Dirik had returned from their nightly scouting, and someone had made breakfast.


    "Okay, Meera''s awake," Melas said. "Perfect timing, as they just returned from their scouting trip. Please tell me you found something?"


    Zona sighed, pulled out the book she was reading, and sat in the corner. Apparently, that was answer enough as Melas sighed, and his brother went to his girlfriend.


    "Sorry," Dirik said, eyeing his partner. "We looked all through the night, but we didn''t find much."


    "Not even any more body parts?" Lexa asked.


    Dirik shook his head. "Maybe we were looking in the wrong place. We can go out again tonight and have better luck."


    "Take someone else," Zona said, eyes on her book. "My turn is done."


    "I can go," Meera said. "I wouldn''t mind going if that''ll be okay with you all."


    Pallas shrugged. "She has some skills similar to Zona." His girlfriend raised her eyes from her book. "I mean, she has some scouting skills and just had a class evolution. Plus, she did beat Melas. I think she''s proved herself enough."


    "Wait, she beat you?" Tekton said.


    "You''re joking?" Lexa nearly pounced on Pallas.


    Zona was the only one who said nothing and continued reading her book.


    "It was a tie, actually. We both killed each other." Melas glared at his brother. "But Meera has promise. It''s fine. Meera, you and Dirik can go tonight, provided you don''t run off on us again."


    That brought out laughter from others.


    <hr>


    "Ready to head out?" Meera asked Dirik.


    "Just about." He yawned. He had slept the entire day while Meera helped Brison arrange some boxes and set up another safe house in the city. She was hoping to train some more, but given that Dirik had found them, they figured others could do the same. And that they would be moving in the morning when Meera and Dirik returned from their scouting. After that, Meera took a nap to prepare for the night in the forest.


    "Remember, don''t start any unnecessary fights, and if you find something, report back immediately," Melas instructed. "Other than that, have fun."


    Meera and Dirik said their goodbyes and jumped out the window and over the wall, as using the city gate was not an option for Meera.


    They stalked quietly to the woods and only lit their torches once they were some distance from the city wall.


    "We''ll go this way," Dirik said, taking the lead. "We already searched that way."


    "Okay, sure."


    Meera followed him quietly for some time, and all they saw were trees and more trees. "Hey, Dirik."


    "Yes?"


    "Do you know why the Shadowsteel Warlord is always in so much pain?"


    Dirik stopped abruptly. "W-What? How do you know that? I mean, why do you want to know about that? No, I mean¡ª"


    "Save it," Meera said. "I know you know about it. What is going on with him?"


    Dirik sighed and looked around as if Narikas were hiding in the shadows. "Now, I don''t know the whole story, only bits and pieces of what I''ve heard from others. But it''s his armor that causes him pain, or so they say. He''s not the first Shadowsteel Warlord. There have been two before him. When the time comes that they cannot take the pain anymore, they pass it on to another person, precisely another prince."


    The gears turned in Meera''s head. Is that next person going to be Delkoris? Is that why he wants to keep him away?


    "What happens if they don''t pass it to the next person?" Meera asked.


    Dirik shrugged. "That''s never happened before." He stopped in his tracks. "Why do you ask? Has Prince Narikas'' time come? What do you know, Meera?"


    She sighed. "You know I''m looking for Delkoris, but that''s only half the truth. I''m looking for him because Narikas sent me. Queen Nisaya is missing, and that is the reason for all the disturbance with the Mistblades and the border wall."


    Delkoris¡¯ eyes widened.


    "Yes, it''s true, and I''m only here helping you because this monster might be behind the queen''s disappearance. I have three days left to find her before King Draros marches the armies of three kingdoms through the border wall and wipes Azeria off the map."


    "You''re joking¡­"


    Meera shook her head. "I wish I were. Personally, I have no ties to this kingdom, but I need something from Narikas, and he will only give it to me if I can find the queen. So, we cannot fail tonight. We must find this monster and know what it did to the queen, and I hope it is this monster, or I fear we''ll be too late."


    His eyes took a faraway look as he realized the implications of failure.


    "This way," Dirik said. "We need to hurry. Zona said she saw some blood drops, but they could be from any animal."


    "Or it could be from a human."

 Chapter 113 – The Trail Of Blood

    Meera followed the Shade, who hadn''t said a word ever since she told him of her true intentions. She hoped she could trust him, or this kingdom would soon become a warzone. Seeing as he was a Shade, I hope he still holds some love for his country.


    The forest was like any other she had been¡ªdark and filled with trees. Though, it wasn''t as ominous as the forest of Rothedon. That forest gave her a feeling of always being watched, but that could mostly be chalked up to those infernal monkeys.


    She focused on the now, putting away thoughts of those monkeys. She heard a howl in the distance and almost pulled off her chakram, but thanks to her Gem of Echoes, she heard the wolves moving away from them. Of course, Dirik was oblivious to all this, though he did pick up the pace.


    It wasn''t long before they reached a small tree with lots of shrubbery around it.


    "It''s here," Dirik said. "This is where we saw the blood drops."


    "Okay, let''s look around." Meera pushed around the bushes and brought her torch closer to get a better look. When she found nothing, she moved to the next shrub, and there was nothing there either. The same was true for the next one.


    Meera had just about given up when Dirik exclaimed. "Found it. Here!" He pointed to a spot on the ground. Meera brought her torch closer and saw the reddish-brown blood stains. It had dried, but she had seen enough blood to know what it was.


    "Well, I can see why Zona didn''t think much of this," Meera said.


    "Yes, but as I was leaving, I found more," Dirik said. He moved around some more bushes. "Must be here somewhere. Ah, there it is." He pointed to another stain of the brownish-dried drop of blood.


    "Again, that''s not enough, Dirik," Meera replied. "These drops could have easily been made by a small animal who cut itself on a thorn or something like that."


    He nodded and kicked the closest bush in frustration. "Well, then we''re left with nothing again."


    "Maybe not." She moved for the bushes where he sat. "Get up." She moved the bushes around when he got up, and there were some half-eaten leaves with dark stains. It wasn''t blood but something else. She took a leaf and sniffed and recoiled at the stench. It had the metallic tang of blood and something else. Something she couldn''t place, but it smelled terrible, like death.


    She held the leaf out to Dirik. "Smell this. I can''t place what this smell is."


    He smelled the leaf and immediately recoiled. "Oh, that is foul. If I didn''t know better, I would''ve thought I was smelling a rotting corpse."


    "Are zombies a thing in this world?" Meera asked.


    Dirik tilted his head. "What are zombies?"


    "You know when something dies and comes back to life to eat you."


    "Oh, you mean the Undead."


    "Yes¡­ that''s what I meant."


    "Didn''t know they were called zombies in Ealisto," Dirik said.


    Meera crossed her arms, knowing where this was headed. "Why do you think I''m from Ealisto?"


    "Uh, because that''s where the Varsha empire is¡­because you''re Varshan, right?"


    Meera leaned in. "Not. A. Varshan." She poked his chest with every word.


    "Yes, I remember now." He stepped back from her. "I won''t make that mistake again. I''m sorry."


    "Anyways, so the undead, they''re real?"


    "Some say they''re a myth, but others claim to have seen them," Dirik said. "Back at Tearsfell, we were taught to believe that if there is a story behind it, then chances are that it''s real. I mean, we have dragons, and the great prophecy is about to come true now that the Champion has shown himself, so why can''t the dead come back to life."


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    She wanted to ask if he had seen the Champion, but she tabled that for now and kept her focus on this new problem. If it were a problem, she had a very shiny solution to it dangling from her arms.


    Meera shrugged. "Well, there are world-killing dragons and ancient prophecies, and I''ve killed literal ghosts, so why can''t the undead be a thing."


    "Wait, you''ve killed ghosts?" Dirik said.


    "I''ll tell you about it later. We need to investigate this thing."


    "But how does one go about killing ghosts?"


    Meera smirked. "With very special weapons."


    She left the stunned lad to think on that while she inspected the nearby bushes. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity showed her where this undead might have gone. The bush next to it also had a half-eaten leaf with rot.


    "It''s this way," Meera said.


    In the distance, the wolves howled again, making Meera wonder if they howled at Mirithia instead of the moon. They didn''t even have a singular moon but moons and the two big ones, the other two words¡ªGethys and Ealisto.


    She put the wolves out of her mind and found the next clue the undead left behind. It was animal droppings. Meera disregarded them, but Dirik stopped and stared at the pile.


    "Do you think it could be an undead animal?" he asked, staring at the animal feces.


    Meera squinted at him. "What makes you say that?"


    He bent down, took a whiff of the pile, and recoiled. "Sheesh, that smells bad. It''s been here for a day or more and smells of rot."


    "Please don''t tell me they taught you to smell animal poop and figure out how old it was back in Shade school," Meera said.


    He chuckled nervously. "They called it tracking, as many people travel on horses and other animals. Please don''t give me that look. It came in handy before."


    "Fine. Fine. If we''re tracking an animal, we should look for tracks."


    Dirik bent down and brought his torch closer. "There are too many tracks. Definitely some animal, that''s for sure. A few of them, in fact, and they''re all moving in the same direction."


    Meera zoomed in with her eyes on the tracks. "Oh no, I know those tracks. Those are wolf tracks."


    Dirik frowned. "How do you know that?"


    "I''ve had the pleasure of hunting them before, and last time, I followed them into a heap of trouble," she said, rubbing her chin.


    "Well, there''s no reason we can''t hope for better luck."


    Because all I''ve had is rotten luck ever since I stepped through that mirror.


    Meera took the lead, and they followed the tracks through bushes and around trees. The wolves left some fur here and there that Dirik caught, which told them they were heading in the right direction. On occasion, they also found dried blood, but it was so inconsequential that she only caught it because of Meera''s enhanced vision.


    Another thing that told them they were heading in the right direction, which was not a good sign, was that the wolves'' howls kept getting louder. They passed through a line of shrubbery and entered a clearing. The howling stopped abruptly.


    "That doesn''t sound good," Dirik said.


    "Can your darkness hide us from wolves?" Meera asked quickly.


    "It could, but then these are predators. They hunt with more than their eyes."


    "Shit. Quick, climb a tree."


    Meera tossed a chakram to the highest branch of the closest tree and teleported to it. She was safe while Dirik disappeared and stepped out of the tree''s shadow. He had just begun to climb when the wolf pack jumped into the clearing from all sides¡ªthere must''ve been nine in total.


    That wasn''t even the most fearful thing about them. They looked like zombies in movies, with rotting skin and missing fur in patches. One even had his ribs showing, and most had milky-white eyes.


    Meera used Identify right away.


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 181]


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 183]


    .


    .


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 192]


    Dirik stopped trying to climb and pulled out his Shadowsteel sword. Meera knew the odds weren''t on their side, and the wolves had them surrounded, and there was no running from them.


    "Dirik, get up here, and we''ll fight them at a distance," Meera said.


    "M-Maybe, I can kill them from here." He placed his hand on the ground, and the tree''s shadow extended to cover the entire clearing.


    Meera knew this attack. She had died to it a few times during their training. He could handle it by himself if she let him, but she wasn''t about to let all that experience go to him, and not to mention she had a few open skill slots that needed to be filled.


    Dirik made the first move by driving his ground into the ground. A massive shadow version of his sword erupted through the ground and speared a wolf through the stomach.


    Meera took five of her chakrams and launched them at five different wolves. She got three easily. One''s head cut through the middle. The next tried to jump, but the chakram ripped through its shoulder and all the way through its length. The last stood no chance, and the chakram cut it in half. The other two jumped to safety, but Meera brought her chakrams to bear on them and cut them easily.


    Her Shade friend took care of the last three with his Shadowsteel blade, throwing dark slashes at them. They took care of that pack in less than a minute.


    Meera exchanged a look with Dirik, and they both flew into laughter. Meera recalled her chakrams and jumped down from the tree to revel in their victory.


    "Were they this easy last time as well?" he asked.


    Meera smirked. "Last time, I ended up hunting them. But we must figure out where they came from and how they became undead."


    "I have a feeling our monster is connected to it somehow," Dirik said.


    Meera''s Wild Instincts spiked, and she pushed him out of the way and jumped aside. Right where they stood, a monster appeared and slashed where they were. The torch''s light lit the huffing monster, and Meera''s eyes widened.


    [Undead Werewolf ¨C Level 258]

 Chapter 114 – First Time For Everything

    The monstrosity called the werewolf was something out of a nightmare. It had the head of a wolf but almost twice as large. It didn''t fit the rest of his body. It had a leathery chest while its back and arms supported coarse dark fur, not unlike a wolf''s. Its claws were about half a foot long, which it looked like he had used on himself. He had bloody claw marks all along his chest. Unless there was another werewolf around, this must have come from self-harm. There was also a scar all along his neck as if his head had been stitched back together. The most peculiar thing about him was that he had broken chains wrapped around his wrists.


    "How is this thing real?" Dirik stared wide-eyed at the monster.


    "No time to stare," Meera said. "Let''s get to work."


    The werewolf glared at its two prey and howled. Meera peppered the area with tiny mirrors from her armor. There was only one problem, though. Any mirrors she placed on the ground descended into the shadows that covered the ground, leaving her with only the mirrors on the trees and shrubs on the boundary of the clearing.


    Dirik nodded to her and dropped into his shadows. Meera stepped to a mirror on a shrub on the far side of the clearing. She pulled off her two chakrams and was about to throw them at the werewolf, but he vanished and reappeared before her.


    He slashed down, and she blocked by raising her chakrams, expecting him to break his claws on her weapons, but today was her unlucky day, it seemed. All she did was chip a few of his claws. But the blow made her drop one of her chakrams.


    Meera gasped and jumped to the next mirror to create some gap, but the werewolf followed her. How is it that I''ve fought so many enemies, and he is the one that can teleport? She groaned, ducked his swing, and shot him with a Mirror Shard Barrage in his chest, driving him back. First time for everything, I guess.


    Even her Mirror Shard Barrage didn''t seem to have hurt him, but it definitely made him angry. He snarled and lunged for Meera. She got her chakrams ready, but a massive dark steel sword erupted out of the ground, nearly stabbing the beast through the head.


    The werewolf swayed back in time, howled at Mirithia, and vanished. Meera expected to have him come for her, but he teleported a short distance away and stabbed the ground.


    Dirik yelped as he jumped out of the shadowed earth. Meera nearly sliced his neck on instinct, thinking it was the werewolf''s doing.


    "He almost got me." Dirik huffed.


    "How can it even see you?" Meera asked.


    Dirik had no time to respond as the werewolf charged. Not teleported but ran on all fours. Meera let go of her two regular chakrams, held them in the air with Mirror Wing, and pulled off her level 2 chakram.


    "Distract it," she ordered.


    "How?"


    "Annoy it."


    Dirik drove his blade into the ground, and the massive copy of it erupted in the werewolf''s path. He jumped to the side, but the blade had nicked it and left a small cut on the side of his jaw. It was coming too fast, and Meera needed more time for Ambush Tactics to formulate a plan for her.


    "I''ll be back," she said and teleported off to the side.


    Luckily for her, the werewolf was focused on Dirik. He dropped into the ground and popped to the other side. The man-wolf paused as it was confused about who to target and to add to Meera''s luck, he ran after her.


    She launched her two regular chakrams at it. He dodged them with ease. She smiled, appeared behind him, and shot a Petrifying Surge into its back, covering him entirely in the scarlet bloodstone.


    "Now!" She yelled.


    She launched her level 2 chakram at the back of the monster''s neck. This was the first time she had thrown it since getting her new class, and even she was surprised at the speed at which it flew. It was like she had activated Druvis Power and thrown it at max power.


    Dirik jumped out from the dark ground, his sword almost as big as he was and radiating darkness. He went for the beast''s neck as well. Meera could control the trajectory of her chakram, so there was no worry of their weapons clashing.


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    Before their weapons could sever the monster''s head, the werewolf disappeared, leaving behind the bloodstone that had encased him.


    The werewolf appeared behind Meera, clapping, making his chains rattle. "That was good," the werewolf said in a rumbling voice.


    Meera exchanged a glance with Dirik, and though she could only see his eyes, she could read the confusion and fear in him.


    "Did you think I was a common mut?" The werewolf said. "No, I was a man once, but now, I''m perfected. My master brought me back from death and gave me a new name and form. He gave me more than power¡­he gave me a glorious purpose."


    "Which is?" Meera asked.


    "Making sure that my master achieves his goal."


    "And the goal is?"


    "Something you don''t need to concern yourself with. For you will depart the world soon, and my master will be free to walk the earth once again."


    "So, your master is imprisoned somewhere," Dirik said. "Mind telling us where?"


    The werewolf growled. "You think yourself smart, but you will both be in my belly soon."


    "Is it that big?" Meera squinted at his gut. "Doesn''t seem that big, does it, Dirik?"


    "Not at all. Oh, you mean we''ll be in pieces. That makes more sense."


    "Say¡­what is your new name? He didn''t name you doggy, did he?" Meera goaded him. The werewolf''s eyes flashed in anger. "Hey, don''t get angry. I just want to make that clear, seeing as how you call him master and all."


    "I had a dog once," Dirik said. "I named him Barky. He used to bark a lot and growl. Kind of like you''re doing now."


    "Barky¡­hmm, that''s a nice name," Meera said. "If I had a pet werewolf, I would''ve named it Barky."


    The werewolf growled, which ended with a vicious bark. "My name is Ga¡ª"


    Dirik interrupted him. "Didn''t we already decide your name is Barky¡­Barky"


    Barky howled loud enough that Meera felt it in her bones. He was about to teleport. Meera nodded to Dirik. They both disappeared at the same time Barky did. He reappeared, slashing the air mindlessly. They had gotten him mad. Now, they couldn''t let him calm down to see reason again.


    She launched her level 2 chakram, purposely a little to the right. He dodged to the side, and his shoulder came up. Her chakram was still a few inches away, but it ripped open his shoulder, thanks to its stage 3 effect.


    Barky cried out, which sounded like a dog in pain. Dirik saw his chance and hit him in the same arm with a dark slash. The werewolf''s arm spun full circle and was damn near taken off. He gripped it and howled some more but teleported away to safety, or so he thought.


    Meera appeared behind him and slashed out his back with a regular chakram that was spinning around her. But then he disappeared again, only to emerge in the middle of the clearing and howled loud enough to drive Meera to her knees. That was not all. He unleashed a blast of greenish-black wind that smelled like rotten eggs and garbage.


    Meera erected three Mirror Shields. Two of them exploded on initial contact, but the third held for the worst of it to pass around her. In the end, it, too, shattered. The rotten winds washed over her, sending her rolling into a tree.


    She grunted, but the impact looked worse than it felt. Ever since she had taken on Iron Skin, she could take on a lot more punishment, especially from blunt blows. But this was more than that.


    The exposed portion of her skin, mainly her hands and face, was turning black. She felt a strange sensation as if her muscles were rotting away and were about to fall off her bones. Her strength was leaving her.


    Dirik jumped out of the ground. "By the gods¡­Meera, you¡­"


    "What?"


    "I think that was a curse. You are aging and-and shrivelling," he said.


    Meera quickly pulled off a chakram. Even that took considerable effort. She brought it to her face and gasped. He was right. Meera was aging. She looked like she was pushing fifty already and losing muscle mass. Her eyes supported massive dark circles and had shrunken in. Her hair was turning whiter by the second.


    "That bastard." Meera didn''t even recognize her voice. "How do I reverse this?"


    "I don''t know, usually you just have to wait out a curse, but you don''t look like you have that much time."


    "Behind you," Meera cried.


    Dirik was too late. The werewolf slammed his massive claws like a club and flung Dirik away like a rag doll. He looked down at Meera.


    "Barky is a good name, eh?" he said. "And what should I call you, oldie, gray bitch." He waved a dismissive hand. "Why should I bother? You''ll be dead in a few minutes."


    Meera groaned as she got to her feet. "I''m not dead yet."


    "Ha, you still try to fight. Resistance is good. Master can use someone like you."


    "Sure, take me to him and free me from this curse." Meera clasped her hands together. "I''ll serve. I don''t want to die, please."


    He laughed. "Don''t you worry? I''ll take you to him once you''re dead. After all, I have to get even first."


    Meera frowned, but she had no time to think about it. She was literally dying of old age. She had activated Vitalize, but whatever it did was too little. It had slowed the decline of her Health but not stopped it. She needed to heal and fast.


    "I may be getting old, but I''m not decrepit yet." Meera raised her hand and activated Vampiric Chains.


    Chains of shadow and darkness launched out of her hand and enchained the monster before her. And that made a difference in her Health. It stopped failing her and slowly moved in the reverse direction.


    "Dirik!"


    The Shade jumped out from behind the werewolf and chopped his arms off. Barky screamed and fell to his knees. Dirik was about to stab the werewolf through the heart.


    "Stop!" Meera screamed. "I want to ask him about his master."


    "But killing him should break the curse," Dirik said.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Not exactly, but that''s how it usually is."


    He never got to end the werewolf as he teleported to the edge of the clearing. Meera''s healing started declining again. She Stepped to the mirror closest to the man-wolf, which was right next to him. She activated Vampiric Chains right away and trapped him again. He tried to fidget and escape, but he was not for this world for long.


    Barky huffed and fell first to the ground. "M-Master will be¡­free, then you¡­and this kingdom, nay this world will be his¡­All the worlds will be his. F-For he has control over¡­"


    The werewolf fell dead.

 Chapter 115 – Sight Of The Heart

    The first thing that happened once the werewolf died was that she stopped aging, and her Health climbed back up at a respectable rate. The wrinkles on her hands disappeared, and she felt strength returning to her body. Dirik was right. You kill the caster, and the curse is broken, or did I outlive it?


    Meera exchanged a confused look with Dirik, who looked back to the unmoving werewolf. "Control over what?" He asked.


    The werewolf was dead and gone, but Dirik was not satisfied, so he kicked it. "Control over what?" He asked again.


    "He''s gone," Meera said. "I would think his master had control over death, seeing as he or it brought him back." She motioned to the stitches on the werewolf''s neck. "See, someone must''ve killed him before, and then his master brought him back."


    "A necromancer," Dirik said. "Do you think this monster we''re searching for is quite simply a necromancer who can revive the dead?"


    Meera nodded. "It could be. That would explain all those undead, the rotten wolves, and the stitches on this one''s neck. And the need for body parts to revive more minions."


    "Hmm, but that still doesn''t explain why it needed to attack my mother''s prison," Dirik said. "All the bodies would have been returned to their families."


    "Was your mother returned to you?" Meera asked.


    He looked down as he shook his head lightly. "They said her body could not be found."


    "Then either they were telling the truth or¡­"


    "Someone at Itris Prison is working with this monster to supply them bodies or people, and a jailbreak is the perfect cover."


    "Yes," Meera said. "Tamas, another escapee from Itris, said that three hundred escaped, and nearly half were caught the next day. What if they never escaped in the first place, and they just spread that news?"


    "Then this necromancer will have a veritable army at his command by now," the Shade said. "And if King Draros is indeed going to attack the kingdom, then this necromancer would have thousands of fresh bodies to raise. Meaning¡­¡± He gripped his head in his hands. "Meaning, once this war is over, it wouldn''t matter who the victor is. The necromancer would wipe out the victor, raise more dead, conquer this world, and maybe even conquer all the worlds."


    "Do all the undead feel pain when you hurt them?" Meera asked.


    Dirik tilted his head. "Huh? What''s that supposed to do with anything I said?"


    "This one cried out in pain when we hurt him, but as far as I know, the undead do not, or rather should not, feel pain."


    He paused. "I don''t know enough about necromancy to comment on that."


    Meera tapped a finger on her lips. "Then there is also the bit about once the master is free, which means it is trapped somewhere, so like the Wardens said, maybe it is trying to escape whatever bonds hold it."


    "So, you''re saying the situation is not so dire." A meager amount of hope entered his voice.


    "It might not be, or it might be even worse," Meera replied. "One thing I''ve learned since coming to this world is always be prepared for the worst, as that is what will happen in most cases."


    Dirik snorted. "Now, you sound like my uncle."


    "He must''ve been through some tragedy."


    "His whole life is a tragedy and one of his own making." He shook his head. "The werewolf was going north. To his master, maybe?"


    "Most definitely," Meera said. "Can you take the lead this time?"


    "Are you sure?" Dirik asked. "You''re the better tracker."


    "Didn''t you train for this stuff?"


    "I did, but then I don''t have your eyes."


    Meera smiled. "You''ll be fine. I''ll keep an ear out for any trouble."


    He nodded and took the lead. She didn''t tell him what she wanted to do was check her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 5 Undead Wolfs ¨C Level 189 ¨C Level 192]


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Werewolf ¨C Level 258. For killing an opponent fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 9 levels and reached Level 216. You have been awarded 36 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 210 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakrams.]


    Her total number of chakrams jumped to nineteen.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 162. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 165% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 2 levels and reached Level 74]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 3 levels and reached Level 67]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 3 levels and reached Level 77]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 4 levels and reached Level 85]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 6 levels and reached Level 68]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Decay Bite. Decay Bite ¨C Type: Active. You can Inflict a disease or poison with your bite that drains the target''s life force, weakening them over time. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill, Eternal Hunger. You can absorb the life force of fallen foes, replenish your Health, and strengthen yourself by eating the flesh of the fallen. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera looked at the two skills and didn''t want either, especially not the flesh-eating one. But since she had an empty slot, she reluctantly took Decay Bite.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Decay Bite ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Since your skill slots are filled, the skill was placed in your Shadow Skill slots. You must swap this skill with one of your others to use it.]


    She kept an eye on Dirik, making sure she was following him. They were trekking through the forest, but he didn''t take them through a lot of shrubbery, which she was thankful for as that would make keeping an eye on her surroundings and the notifications almost impossible.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Rotting Flesh. You emit the putrid aura of rotting flesh that damages enemies nearby and may inflict a disease, causing ongoing damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Carrion Pack. Your strength and battle prowess are increased if you fight with the other undead of your kind. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    I don''t think I''m going to take any of those.


    She skipped the following three pairs as well, as it was more the same disgusting skills. One of the new skills gave her rotten teeth to inflict diseases, and the other increased her speed if she ran on all fours. They were utterly useless, and Meera hoped the werewolf gave her something good.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Cursed Howl. Cursed Howl ¨C Type Active. You can release a deafening howl that spreads a curse in all directions, which will rapidly age and drain your enemies of their Health. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Death Mark. Death Mark ¨C Type: Passive. You can mark a target with the Death Mark. It will cause them to take increased damage from your attacks, weapons, or skills. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at that. Both were good. She had seen the effect of the Cursed Howl skill firsthand and barely survived its effect. But the Death Mark skill attracted her more.


    "Meera, I think we''re here," Dirik whispered.


    "One moment, I''m almost done."


    Death Mark could work in various scenarios, as it would increase her damage upon her enemies, and seeing as it wasn''t another blast skill, she couldn''t hurt any friends in the area. Yes, that should do. It could even help with sneak kills.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Death Mark ¨C Level 1]


    "Meera, get down!" Dirik whispered, alarmed.


    Before she could register what was going on, he pulled her down. She was about to lash out at him, but he placed a hand on her mouth. He put a finger to his lips and carefully moved the leaves of the shrubs aside so they could look.


    Immediately, Meera knew he was right to pull her down. Beyond the shrub they were hiding behind was a clearing of undead people. The only thing was, they didn''t look undead. They looked alive for the most part. They didn''t have any rotting skin or unhealed wounds. However, that was not all, some looked like they had been stitched together, with mismatched body parts.


    Hands didn''t match the arms, or one leg was longer than the other. Even the eyes were held in place with stitches. Some had missing noses, arms, or hands. But all this wasn''t even the most bizarre thing they saw.


    There was a massive tree in the middle of the clearing. Its trunk must''ve been wide enough that if seven people held hands, they still couldn''t encircle it. A hole had been hacked into the tree, and in that hole was a beating heart with black veins.


    Right below the heart, a woman was nailed to the tree through her hands. The woman had white hair, and even her skin had turned pale. She had a vacant look in her eyes as she stared off into space.


    [Mistweaver ¨C Level ??]


    Meera gasped. "That is the¡­"


    "The queen." Dirik had hung his head.


    Meera couldn''t read his eyes, so she turned to the captured queen.


    "Give in!" said one of the undead. He was holding a staff. It was hard to see any other features as they didn''t have torches, save for the lone bonfire burning off to the side, far from the tree.


    ¡°N-N-Never¡­¡± Queen Nisaya quivered.


    "No matter. You will eventually give in. You don''t have long now." He touched the staff to her forehead, and the defeated queen screamed a blood-curdling scream as her whole body trembled violently.


    Meera shook the unresponsive Shade, who was still staring at the ground. "We have to do something. We must save her. They''re trying to do something to her."


    "Have you Identified the heart?"


    Meera frowned and focused on the heart.


    [Heart of Doromar ¨C Level ??]


    "What is that?" Meera asked.


    Maybe she spoke too loudly, or the heart noticed as the undead with staff turned in Meera''s direction.


    "Yes, master."


    Wolves howled all around them, and finally, Dirik shook, returning to reality and looking at Meera.


    "Run!" she shouted.

 Chapter 116 – From Forest To Fortress

    Meera ran through the woods with Dirik on her tail, but the sounds of the undead¡ªpeople and animals were right behind them. The worst part was they could run in the dark without needing light. So far, Meera and Dirik had managed as well, thanks to Mirithia''s light, but when the foliage of the trees got thicker, it was a gamble.


    Dirik overtook her and took the lead.


    She figured his shadow abilities would let him see in the dark or make it easier. She jumped over a thick root and ducked a low-hanging branch. But it was getting darker as they ran deeper into the forest.


    Meera heard the howls and barks coming closer, so she took off a chakram and got ready to fight. Dirik took out his blade, but they both kept running. With the number of enemies coming after them, their only chance was to escape.


    The first thing to come after them was something Meera had not expected.


    [Undead Monkey ¨C Level 48]


    Dirik cut him in half when it pounced on them. The strange thing did not even chitter or screech. Meera had her fair share of monkey kills under her belt. Ah, simpler times.


    She didn''t have time to reminisce as more of its brothers came after them. Some of them did chitter and screech, while most stayed quiet. Meera pulled off more of her chakrams and used Mirror Wing to have them spin in the air around her as a very sharp shield.


    Monkey''s speed as they climbed and jumped from tree to tree was unparalleled. She knew that firsthand. She could have taken them out, but if she did, it would only give the other more dangerous kind of undead time to fall upon them.


    Her Shade companion might as well be a shadow himself. He ran quietly and hadn''t uttered a word since they had started running. Something was up with him, and Meera couldn''t figure out what.


    She gasped lightly as she finally realized. Did he see his mother amongst the undead?


    She wanted to ask him, but this was not the time or place. She could only feel for him if the worst had come to pass.


    Two monkeys jumped for her from the trees overhead, but Dirik cut them right through the middle. Another jumped for Dirik, but the Shade teleported off to the side, reappearing while swinging his sword. The monkey''s head and body fell separately.


    He continued running, and Meera followed close behind, hoping he knew where they were going. The footfalls of the undead were growing fainter, which was a good sign. Dirik took a sharp left and ran through some shrubs. Meera followed, and they both stopped in their tracks.


    They were in the clearing where they had fought the werewolf. Its body and the bodies of the wolf pack littered the area. Their dark blood stained the trampled grass. The smell of rot assaulted their nostrils. But that is not what made them stop.


    They were staring down another pack of undead wolves, and that was not all. Some undead people were amongst them, along with an undead bear with dark fur who stood on his hind legs. There must have been about thirty to forty enemies in total here.


    How did they get here without me hearing them?


    She identified them all.


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 187]


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 188]


    .


    .


    [Undead Wolf ¨C Level 195]


    [Undead Bear ¨C Level 211]


    [Undead Man ¨C Level 178]


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [Undead Man ¨C Level 179]


    .


    .


    [Undead Man ¨C Level 201]


    "This is not good," Meera stated. "And there''s more coming after us."


    Dirik had his eyes on the enemy, and she knew he was scanning them. The sounds they had left behind were getting closer again.


    Meera''s heartbeat quickened. She had a way out of this, but only she could teleport with Mirror Step, but that meant she would be leaving him behind.


    "Dirik?" Meera shook him. "Say something."


    "We need to split up," Dirik finally said. "We can''t take them all. They''ll overrun us."


    The look in his eyes worried Meera. "How will you get out of here?"


    "You leave that to me. I can meld into the shadows and be gone in a snap. You can fly, so get out of here before more of them come."


    "You remember the werewolf. He saw right through your shadows and knew where you were hiding."


    "I''ll be fine."


    Meera gritted her teeth. There was no arguing with him, and they didn''t have the time either. The rest of them would show up here any moment. She took one of her floating chakrams out of the air and gripped his arm. He tried pulling back, but she didn''t let go.


    "I''ll do a sweep of the area from above and give you the signal, and if things get too hairy, I''ll come to help you," Meera said.


    He nodded. "Okay."


    Meera slid the chakram over his hand and pushed it onto his arm. It was a snug fit, and she hoped it would be. The lad didn''t even wince. He just kept his eyes on the undead. The undead were waiting for something or someone as they didn''t attack. They simply stared.


    "What is this?" Dirik asked.


    Meera activated Mirror Wing.


    He finally looked at her. His eyes widened when he finally realized why Meera put the chakram on his arm.


    She flicked a finger up. The chakram pulled his arm into the air, and he shot off into the sky. Meera wasn''t far behind.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Dirik shouted as he tried to reach for her chakram, but they were moving too fast for him to do anything.


    "How''s your first time flying?" Meera asked.


    "Shut up, Meera. This is not what we agreed upon."


    He finally got a good grip on the chakram, so she moved her chakram in a zig-zag motion, and he was rag-dolled in the air until he lost his grip. Then she switched directions and flew towards the city over the trees.


    Meera looked at the clearing where the Heart had made its lair. Some people will be coming back for you soon.


    Meera deposited them at the edge of the forest. By then, Dirik had given up trying to take her chakram off. She could feel him pouting underneath his mask.


    "We''re safe now," Meera said. "Relatively speaking, of course. If I had known it would be this easy, I would have done all the scouting from the air to begin with."


    Of course, she didn''t mention the flight of escape had cost her nearly a third of her Mana. She could only make flying a thing once she had considerably more Mana.


    "Can you get this thing off me now?" Dirik practically barked, holding up his arm with the chakram.


    "Sure." Meera took the chakram off his arm, which was a considerable effort on both their parts. "I''m sorry."


    He glared at her.


    "That thing has your mom, doesn''t it? She was one of the undead."


    He looked away and wiped his eyes.


    "You were going to die if I hadn''t flown you to safety," Meera said. "I can understand your pain. I, too, lost my mother, but unlike you, to a horrible disease, and when she passed, I wanted to rage as well, but it didn''t help. I lost my father a few months ago, and again, I wanted to rage, but this time, I didn''t have the time even to grieve properly before another task was thrust upon me¡­another worry."


    He looked at her with teary eyes.


    She sighed. "I''ve lost my brother, and Narikas knows where he went. This is why I''m doing this. Now that I''ve found his queen, he''ll have no option but to honor his end of the bargain."


    "So¡­this is goodbye?" Dirik''s eyes were numb again.


    She wished she could''ve lied to him, but she wouldn''t. She wouldn''t give him false hope after what he learned about his mother.


    "Yes, I''m afraid so." Meera smiled. "I''m going to get help."


    "Get help?" Dirik tilted his head.


    "It''s about time the Shadowsteel Warlord did something to get his queen back," Meera said.


    She couldn''t read his eyes. There was an emotion there, but it was hard to gauge with his ever-present mask. "W-What should I tell the other Wardens?"


    "Tell them all what you saw and that I''ve gone to get them the help they need because there is no way those five can take on the entire undead army and whatever that heart was." She patted his arm. "Don''t worry, though, I''ll get you the means to get your revenge."


    He was quiet for a long moment. "You know, you''re right. I would''ve killed myself fighting the horde. So, thank you for saving my life. You are a true friend."


    She smiled. "I hope we see each other someday, and a word of advice, don''t go back to your father ever again. He''s not a good man."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll only go to him to end his miserable existence."


    "Remember what I said about revenge¡­"


    "This wouldn''t be revenge. It''ll be justice."


    Meera didn''t know what to say to that. She simply nodded and left the Shade there. She made her way to the Gateway Mirror. There was no line at this time of night, only two sleep-deprived guards. One leaned against his long spear and did his best to keep his feet under him.


    Meera thought they would stop her, but they didn''t. She wasn''t even sure, they registered her. So, she placed her palm on the Gateway Mirror, selected Tearsfell Prison, and stepped into the mirror.


    It''s time to get what I''m owed.


    She was not expecting what she saw when she stepped out of the mirror. It was like there was a tent city outside of the fortress, but even that could''ve been excused. But the two glowing, red-hot swords aimed at her she could not.


    "State your business or die where you stand," said one of the Phoenix Protectors.


    Meera raised her hands. "My name is Meera. I''m here to see the Shadowsteel Warlord. I''m a friend."


    Their heads snapped to each other.


    "Isn''t that the name of the one who killed Garas?" said the one on the right.


    Meera''s eyes widened. How do they know? Has the real Delkoris returned?


    The other nodded. "It is, and she was a Varshan. You''re coming with us to face the king''s justice."

 Chapter 117 – The Kings Justice

    Meera looked between the two Blazers with their glowing blades to the fortress that loomed to the side. The whole place was guarded by a new set of soldiers, one that wore red and gold. She wanted to ask why the Phoenix Protectors were here en masse. She identified the two pointing their swords at her.


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 201]


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 204]


    "Is the king here, or do we have to travel to the capital?" She asked.


    "The king is residing here and will pass judgment on you after the war is concluded," said the Blazer.


    "I have a royal seal." Meera carefully took it out of her Belt.


    "They said you had a fake one, pretending to pose as His Majesty''s servant."


    "Hmm, the war could go on for a long time, and I don''t have time to waste," Meera said, pocketing the seal. "So, how about we say you never saw me?"


    The one on the right squinted. "You think yourself funny, do you?"


    "No, not really."


    The other one had his fill of patience. "The king will be busy, so we''ll expense his justice right here. Time to die."


    He raised his sword to strike Meera down. She pulled off two chakrams. One she sent flying off towards the window in the fortress that led to Narikas'' chambers. The second, she used to deflect the Blazer''s blow.


    The sword sparked as it clashed against her chakram, but she saw the difference of her increased levels and affinities as the sword nearly flew out of the Blazer''s hand. Her last fight with a Blazer was somewhat one-sided for the most part. Where she had to practically hide from his devastating attacks, now she could meet them head-on.


    The second Blazer moved, but Meera''s chakram was faster. It zipped and wedged itself in his meaty hand, making him drop the sword. Meera caught it on a split-second decision and quickly put it in her Dragon Hoard Belt.


    She winced as she waved her hand around, hoping her hand wasn''t burnt. If I can''t use it, I can always sell it.


    "Give me back my sword!" The Blazer raged and came for her, forgetting his hand, which had been split in two.


    The chakram she had thrown to the fortress was reaching its peak and was beginning to dip. She activated Druvis Power, punched him lightly in the stomach, and sent him rolling. The other''s eyes widened. It distracted him enough for Meera to send her chakram toward his neck.


    The Blazer''s Pyro Warding blazed to life, covering him with fire. But it was no worry for her chakram, but he also teleported away in time.


    Aw, dammit.


    She recalled her chakram and Stepped to the other over the fortress wall. The next moment, she was suspended in the air, with more than half of the soldiers wondering where she had come from. There were no Steel Sentinels this time. Most wore dark clothing and armor. She figured them to be the Shadow Vanguard, along with the Phoenix Protectors.


    She didn''t wait for them to start chucking arrows. She flew from her spot to the window using Mirror Wing so fast that her eyes watered. I really need to get some goggles.


    She landed on the small balcony and pounded on the window''s metal sheet. Down on the ramparts, the soldiers had started to mobilize. Wings came out of the Phoenix Protectors'' backs. They would take to the air soon. She could take one, maybe two, but not all of them.


    She pounded some, adding new dents to the ones she left last time. The Blazers had taken to the air, and she was getting desperate. At least she knew the prince wasn''t dying like last time. Maybe I should have just called.


    Two Blazers shot two massive columns of flames. Meera erected three Mirror Shields, and they blocked the flames.


    Just as she was about to turn around to fight, the metal sheet dropped into the floor. Meera jumped in without even looking properly. She barrelled straight into the Shadowsteel Warlord.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Running into him was like running into a wall. It didn''t even faze him, though Meera was thrown to the floor. "Quick, close it. They''re coming. The Blazers are after me."


    He frowned. "Why can''t you use the door like a normal person?"


    "Can you just shut it? Please."


    Narikas snorted and looked to the window, and the metal sheet shot out of the floor, closing the window. There were some thumps against it, but no one broke through.


    Meera finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."


    "What happened?" He held out a hand.


    She took it, stood, and told him about the whole ordeal with the Blazers at the Gate. Just as she had finished with that. There was a loud pounding on the door.


    "Oh no, more of them," Meera said.


    "Relax, I''m a prince, aren''t I?" He flicked a hand, the door opened, and another Narikas, or someone who looked like Narikas, walked in. He was followed by a mean-looking Phoenix Protector and about a dozen more. Two of whom looked familiar.


    Meera ignored the Phoenix Protectors and looked between the two Narikas, and there were some noticeable differences between them. First, this new Narikas wore a rich silk outfit that looked like they were his sleeping clothes. He didn''t have any scars like Narikas, and he didn''t have sad eyes or dark circles.


    Narikas tilted his head in a sort of bow. "Your Majesty, what are you doing up at this hour¡­and here? You should have sent for me."


    "Save your faux respect. We both know you wouldn''t have made it ten steps out of the room."


    They even sound the same.


    "Is that the one?" The new Narikas pointed at her.


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty," said one who was cradling his hand. It had a massive scar, and Meera realized this was the one she had attacked.


    "Kill her."


    "W-Wait, what? Why?" Meera blurted out.


    "For the crime of attacking a royal protector," the new Narikas said.


    "But they attacked me first, and who are you to order my death."


    Narikas stepped forward. "Meera, this is my brother, Rokibor, the King of Azeria."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "Oh, that''s why¡­" She wagged a finger between the two of them. "Oh, I get it now. You''re twins."


    "You have marvelous powers of deduction," the king said. "And equally marvellous lack of respect."


    Meera was confused and realized what he meant. "Oh, sorry." She bowed at the waist, mimicking what people did in that one TV show, hoping it was enough.


    Rokibor eyed her in a way that made her want to slash his eyes out with her chakrams.


    "A Varshan comes into my kingdom and has the gall to kill one of my protectors and injure another," Rokibor said.


    Before Meera could explain herself, Narikas spoke. "Your Majesty, I sent Meera to bring Prince Delkoris back per your instructions. But when she arrived in Nelees, she found the prince missing, and an imposter had assumed his identity. When she questioned him, it turned out it was one of his friends who had done so at the prince''s bidding. Before Meera could learn more, the imposter cried wolf, and the Phoenix Protectors attacked, and in the skirmish, the one known as Garas perished. Meera was acting in self-defense. She bears no malice towards us or our kingdom. And when those two tried to doll out your justice prematurely without bringing her to you first, she had no option but to defend herself again. Alas, Your Majesty, it''s all just a big misunderstanding."


    Rokibor stared at Meera. "But why did you send a Varshan girl?"


    "Firstly, despite her looks, she is not from Varsha, and secondly, she and Delkoris are close."


    Rokibor scoffed. "That boy always had strange tastes." His lustful eye washed over Meera. "Tell me, girl, how close are you with my son."


    "We''re just friends¡­Your Majesty."


    "Isn''t that what they all say? But we all know what close friends do behind closed doors." Rokibor laughed, and so did his retinue.


    Narikas, however, was not amused. He stood with fists clenched and shaking. He stepped towards his brother, and the laughter died instantly. "My king," he spoke normally. "I apologize on Meera''s behalf for disturbing your sleep so late at night. I''m sure you must be tired from preparing for the war."


    "I am tired, indeed." Rokibor nodded. His eyes flitted from his brother to Meera. "But how can we trust the word of this Varshan, Narikas? They would sell their own mothers to save their lives or take their enemies."


    "I trust Meera with my life," Narikas said, looking at her.


    The way he said it with such sincerity that Meera knew he was telling the truth, for it was the truth. She did indeed save his life the last time she was here.


    "Oh, is that so?" Rokibor walked right up to Meera. "Then Meera, I charge you to find my son and bring him back here before Draros crosses into the kingdom with his armies, or I will send my best assassins after you." He leaned forward until she could smell the liquor on his breath. "And trust me, there is no world you can hide in that they won''t find you. Brother, how long till Draros crosses the Mist Wall?"


    "It''s hard to say, Your Majesty," Narikas said. "Given the lack of communication from our spies on the other side because of the interference from the Mistblades."


    "Give me your best guess."


    "Three days."


    "Three days, Meera or you and I will get really close, and I''ll show you what I do to those who raise a hand against my men. Consider it your repayment for attacking a royal protector." The king looked at his brother and smiled. "And they say I''m not a just king."


    He turned dramatically. The Blazers got out of the way as he walked through their middle and left. His entourage followed close behind but not before bowing to the Shadowsteel Warlord.


    As soon as they were gone, Narikas cried out and fell to one knee. He trembled, and beads of sweat dribbled down his brow. She was so focused on the king that she didn''t even realize he was in pain.


    "Narikas, are you okay?" She went to him and helped him up.


    He cried out again. She walked him to his throne and set him down carefully. He winced and cried out a few times before settling down.


    "You should''ve told me you had an evil twin," Meera said.


    Narikas snorted. "Since you''re back, I assume there have been developments in your search."


    "Major developments. But before that, why the hell are you in so much pain all the time?"

 Chapter 118 – The Only Dream of Narikas

    Meera saw Narikas deflate and stare off into the distance as he clenched his fists, making her wonder if he was in pain again. Narikas was quiet for so long that Meera didn''t think he would ever talk.


    "Come on, I found you, your queen. You at least owe me this much," Meera said, breaking the silence.


    Narikas snapped his head to her. "You did? Where?" He sat up straight. "Meera, where is she?"


    "First, you answer my question, and the queen is¡­not going anywhere, or more like can''t go anywhere," she said.


    "But Meera, that is¡ª"


    Meera raised a hand to stop him. "A few more minutes is not going to make a difference, and besides, even if I tell you, you cannot go get here right this instant."


    Narikas sighed as he shook his head. "It''s a long story. You best settle in."


    Meera made a show of looking around as there were no chairs in the room besides his, but Narikas completely missed that, or so she thought. He flicked a finger, and another impressive-looking chair popped up beside his throne. Meera promptly took a seat.


    "This is a tale of victory and defeat," Narikas said, staring off into the distance. "Did I tell you that my grandfather tied with Draros?"


    "Yes, and that is where you met him, right? Some tower?"


    He nodded. "But how he tied with him is how we cursed ourselves. We were losing the war with King Draros. My brother is much like our grandfather. Anyways, in order to secure victory against Draros, he was willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, and so he did. He went to this evil being." He motioned to his armor. "The spirit that resides in this armor was trapped in a cave, and they made a pact that as long as one from the Manidion family¡­my family wears this armor, our line¡­my grandfather''s line will endure, as will the kingdom. You know, the best part, he didn''t wear the armor himself. He had his brother wear it. Damantes, the first Shadowsteel Warlord, built the foundations of this place. When it came time for my father to take the throne, which was a decade after the war with Draros, this armor was passed on to my uncle, who carried this burden for twenty years. For twenty years, he weathered the attacks, the maddening pain, all because Rokibor and I were too young."


    "What about his own children? Couldn''t they have taken the armor from him?" Meera asked.


    "He didn''t have any. He didn''t even marry. I always wondered why until this armor came to me." He was quiet for a long moment as tears lined his eyes.


    ¡°Narikas?¡± Meera prodded.


    He blinked away the tears. "He didn''t want the armor to go to his children. Only someone who has put this armor on can understand the pain¡­the constant pain. It started as something minor, and I could disregard it, but the armor didn''t take long to show its true colors. It won''t even let me be intimate with a woman. It''s wicked this thing. It gave me false hope and let me get closer, and when the moment was the sweetest, it would strike. Every time I''ve tried, it became a torture session that left me a drooling mess on the floor."


    Meera had seen him in that condition. "So, all this time, you''ve never¡­"


    He shook his head. "It''s been so long that I''ve even forgotten the touch of a woman. But that''s not even the worst part. You remember what I did to Perilla."


    How can I forget? The way the poor girl screamed and fought to free herself from his grip had all but confirmed the stories she had heard about him being a monster.


    "I hear her still." He motioned to the armor. "She''s right here in this swirling mess of faces. One of them is hers. Her soul is trapped here forever, unable to move on, unable to go to the Halls of Judgement and receive the Decree of Lorendor. They''re all here. All of them, ever since Damantes put on the armor and started feeding it souls."


    "But why?"


    "That is the payment the spirit in the armor demanded when it assured my grandfather victory. One soul must be fed to it every week, or it will feed on its host. With each soul, the armor''s influence grows."


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    "So, you lose one way or another. This is the cause of your pain," Meera said.


    "Hence, the pain. But that is not all. When the armor is quiet, the trapped souls scream in my mind, like right now. I get no respite. There is no peace for me. It''s punishment for all my sins. Every moment is a battle of wills, and little by little, the armor is winning. My uncle fended off the attacks for two decades, but I''ve only had it for ten years, and already my time has come."


    "And what happens if the armor wins?" Meera feared the answer, but she knew where this was headed.


    "Then the armor takes me over and is free to unleash its fury on the worlds. So, I must do evil to stop this evil from unleashing onto the world."


    "And if you die? Not a threat, just wondering," she quickly added.


    "The result is the same. The armor will take over my dead body and do what it pleases. Right now, it is bound by its oath. Bound to protect the king and kingdom of Azeria, no matter what. This is why my brother is so confident that we will win. I am not so¡­not when I can barely talk to anyone without ¡­" Tears found home in his eyes. He tried blinking them away, but still, one dripped out.


    Meera reached for his hand to comfort him, but he shirked away.


    "I''m sorry, but the armor has been quiet since this morning. That audience with the king was its only outburst. It''s always quiet on¡­feeding days."


    Meera gasped. He had taken another soul. She didn''t know whether to feel bad for him or be mad. "But you said once a week...and you ate-took Perilla''s soul four days ago."


    Narikas didn''t meet her eyes. "My time has come. I cannot stand the pain any longer. I hardly sleep. That is the only way I get some respite from the pain. Sometimes, I wish to kill myself, but I cannot even do that. My existence has become pain. Just pain, pain, and more fucking pain." Tears dripped from his eyes. ¡°I want to die, Meera. I want to give this thing away, so for the first time in a decade, I don''t have a voice punishing me. But I cannot. I must suffer like this. I''m beginning to doubt that even in death, I will get any rest."


    "Can''t you take it off? Rip it apart or throw it in the furnace?"


    Narikas snorted. "If only it were that simple. No, I can only take it off when I pass this on to the next person, who my brother has declared to be Crown Prince Delkoris."


    "That''s why you didn''t want me to find him. But why?"


    Narikas was quiet and stared at the closed door with hate as if it were its fault. Then he flinched, and a scream escaped its throat. Meera jerked up out of her seat. He gripped the armrest so tight his fingers had turned white. He clenched his teeth and groaned, which turned into another scream.


    Meera didn''t know what to do. She had no skill that could lessen his pain. She thought to call Hilnoa with the royal seal, but Narikas relaxed immediately and exhaled.


    "Narikas, are you okay?" It was stupid to ask, but she couldn''t think of anything else.


    "I''ll live. I just had a slight disagreement with¡­" He motioned to his armor with his hand.


    "About what?"


    "About the past." He shook his head. "It was regarding your question. You asked why I don''t want to pass it on to Delkoris if I''m in so much pain. Because the same thing is happening to Delkoris that happened to me. I am the older twin. I was the Crown Prince, not Rokibor. The throne was meant for me, and this armor for him."


    "But why is he king then?" Meera asked.


    Narikas looked away and didn''t answer.


    "Because of my lovely sister''s manipulations," said Hilnoa, stepping out of the shadows with her book in her hand.


    Meera was shaken, but she thought she hid it well. "How long have you been here?"


    "Ever since my other nephew stepped in here," the Scribe replied.


    Many things fell into place as to why Narikas asked Meera to save her first. Why the woman protected him so much. She was Narikas''s aunt.


    ¡°She did no wrong,¡± Narikas said.


    "She snatched your birthright from you and gave it to a cruel pig," Hilnoa shot back. "You''ve never seen fault in her because the only time she truly loved you was when you saved her favored son from this cruel fate."


    Narikas turned his head away, and tears streamed down his face.


    Hilnoa, too, had tears in her eyes but also rage. "She couldn''t bear the sight of her precious Rokibor in pain, so she cursed the rightful heir. She cursed someone who would have been a good king, a just king, to live in agony all his waking hours. Narikas loved her to death, and she knew he wouldn''t refuse her anything, and she used that love to bind him and this kingdom in eternal torment. Now, history is about to repeat itself, as Delkoris would be another good king, and Rokibor the mad wants to curse these lands once again by installing Heibor as the future king. Heibor is his father''s shadow. Both driven mad with lust and power."


    The Scribe came to stand beside his nephew and moved a loving hand through his hair. "I would take this pain from you if I could, but¡­"


    Narikas gripped her hand. "It''s okay. It''s all in the past, and you taught me we shouldn''t speak bad of the dead."


    "My sister doesn''t fall under that category."


    "Still, we cannot change the past. I don''t wish to be king or even this Warlord. I only dream of a day that I can be free of this armor and¡­die in peace as myself."


    It took everything Meera had not to cry.


    "But before that, I need to stop this upcoming war," he said. "Now, Meera, your turn. Where is Queen Nisaya?"


    "In the forest of Pegonia outside the city of Nelees," Meera replied. "She''s being held captive by a¡ªif you can believe it¡ªa heart that can control the dead."


    Hilnoa inhaled sharply, and her eyes widened. "The Heart of Doromar."


    Meera frowned. "Yes. How did you know?"


    "If the Heart has risen, then this war should be the least of our concerns."

 Chapter 119 – The Heart Of Doromar

    Meera didn''t even have time to think about what Hilnoa had said before Narikas screamed, keeled over, and fell out of his throne. He trembled on the floor as the scream escaped from his throat.


    "Just wait, son." Hilnoa began writing something in her book.


    "Stop!" It was a raspy voice. If snakes could talk, Meera figured they would sound like this. "Don''t you put him to sleep, bitch, or I will split his mind in two as he sleeps."


    Hilnoa''s hands trembled, and her book nearly fell out of her hands. Her expression was one of sheer terror.


    Is that the armor talking?


    "Begone and leave him alone," Hilnoa barked.


    Narikas cried out again, but this didn''t sound painful; it was more from exertion.


    The raspy voice laughed, but Narikas stayed on all fours on the pedestal. "He''s trying to fight back and will win for now. I came to issue an order because he wouldn''t do so himself. That heart must come here to me. If I can get control of the heart, I won''t need to do this to your warlord."


    "Is this some scheme of yours to escape, vile demon," Hilnoa spat.


    "It is. I will gain my freedom, and as a parting gift, I will release this mulling babe¡­" Narikas groaned in his own voice and not the armor''s, but he lost this bout. "Don''t fight so much, craven. Let me have my say in peace or else."


    He tried to stand but couldn''t. He made an annoyed face, but that was not all. Flecks of Narikas'' hair turned white, and his left eye turned golden.


    "As I was saying, I will release Narikas and your kingdom alone forever." He smiled. "Think on it."


    Then Narikas huffed on all fours as he returned, but the gray hair and golden eye remained. When he looked up, Hilnoa gasped with a hand to her mouth. She stepped back and had to get a hold of Narikas'' throne to steady herself. Even Meera was taken aback.


    The skin on the left side of his face had turned an ashen color and scaly. His hand was the same, meaning the entire left half of his body had turned scaly.


    Narikas stood with difficulty. "I''m sorry. Its attack was so sudden and intense, I couldn''t hold it back." His eyes flicked from his aunt to Meera. "What?"


    "Your face¡­" Meera said. She pulled off a chakram and held it out to him.


    He reached for it but cried out and shirked his hands back quickly. He breathed deep breaths and looked at his visage in her chakrams. The man gave no reaction at all save one of sadness.


    "So, it''s begun." Narikas sat on his throne with a heavy sigh.


    "We must go to Rokibor at once and plead to him about the severity of the situation."


    "Later, Aunt Hilnoa. For now, we have work to do. This Heart of Doromar¡­what is it?"


    "I only know of the legends from when I was a child," Hilnoa said. "I''ll have to do more research to corroborate them, but if the armor wants it, then I think it''s safe to say that the stories are true. You know of The Eclipse. How the Cosmarians led by Rothedon did not wish to be shepherds no longer and sought to rule all the worlds."


    Meera knew that but didn''t know it was called The Eclipse.


    Hilnoa went on. "As the legend goes. Doromar was one of Rothedon''s greatest generals. Some versions of the story even call them brothers. No one lives who knows which is which, but that is not important¡ªthe one thing that all the stories agree upon is that Doromar was a mighty necromancer. He raised armies of the dead to fight the gods. He didn''t die. No matter how many times he was cut or even burned. Even when they cut off his head."


    "That''s just absurd," Meera blurted out, earning the Scribe''s glare. "Sorry, please go on."


    "Did they kill him by ripping out his heart?" Narikas asked, seemingly too calm for a person who was turning into a demon.


    "In a way," Hilnoa replied. "You see, Doromar had done some dark magic that rendered him, in essence, immortal. When the goddess Numheia shot her arrow at his chest, it ripped his heart out of his body and impaled it in a tree. Numheia hacked Doromar''s body to pieces and burnt it to ash. My grandmother used to tell me that her grandmother told her and hers before her, and so on, that Doromar died somewhere in what later became our kingdom. And his heart was still impaled in the tree, waiting and biding its time to return and wreak its vengeance. For the heart still contained the spirit of Doromar."


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    Meera gulped. "How long ago was this? Before or after the fall of Aetheron."


    "The Eclipse is supposed to have happened directly after Aetheron''s fall. When the gods were at their weakest, the cowardly Cosmarian king seized the opportunity to strike at the gods."


    "And Midiea defeated him, right?" Meera said, remembering what Oril from Ebonton had told her about this.


    "Wrong," Hilnoa said. "Lady Midiea joined with her mirrors once she flung Aetheron to the stars. It was Mother Mirithia who defeated and confined the Cosmarians to the cursed forest."


    "But I heard Midiea did that," Meera countered.


    "And that is a classic example of how people have twisted and bastardized tales over thousands of years. Many people have heard that Midiea defeated Rothedon, but no, go to any student of history or a priest, and they will tell you it was the Mother of All."


    "Meera, why is this important?" Narikas asked.


    Meera shrugged. "It''s not. But I did see the Heart in a hole of this massive tree, so your story about Doromar''s fall might not be totally off. The queen was nailed to the tree below the heart, and an undead with a staff kept telling her to give in." She smirked at Narikas. "See, my lead did pan out."


    Narikas snorted and nodded lightly. "That it did."


    ¡°You mean the Wardens of Numheia?¡± Hilnoa asked.


    "Yes, they were in town trying to find a monster that was collecting body parts for favors," Meera said. "They''re the ones who trained me up, and I got so many levels in a day."


    "Justice unleashed on Living Death¡­" Hilnoa had a faraway look in her eyes. She looked to the prince. "The prophecy¡­"


    Narikas frowned. "You don''t¡­"


    "The prophecy those two hunters brought you? The ones who left you both near death. Are you talking about the same one?" Meera asked.


    Hilnoa ignored her and flipped a few pages in her book. She looked at her nephew with fearful eyes. "You never let them recite the full prophecy, but I took their scroll and jotted it down."


    War and Death will surround you all,


    To rain and fire will the cage of tears fall.


    An oath to a parent shall a son break,


    His throne the king shall forsake.


    The enslaved will end the war with a final breath,


    And Justice unleashed on living Death.


    Meera tried to make sense of it, but the only thing she could know for sure was the living Death part. It could only refer to a necromancer. And the War and Death was also evident, with war looming on the horizon for Azeria.


    "Rokibor will sooner be skinned alive than give up his throne," Hilnoa said.


    "This is a ploy by King Draros to keep us distracted," Narikas said. "Empty words is all they are. We should stay focused on our task at hand¡ªrescuing the queen from this heart."


    Meera coughed. "I wish you all luck with that. If you will tell me where my brother is, I will be on my way."


    Hilnoa''s nostrils flared. "You wish to run now."


    "I was told to find the queen, and I did. Now, send some soldiers, and by some, I mean a lot, as this heart has a veritable undead army averaging around level 180 ¨C 200. I''ll even do so much as to lead them to Dirik. He''s a Shade."


    They both frowned at that. Meera realized she never got to tell them everything that happened since the night after the attack on them. So, she told them now. Once she was done, they both had frowns still.


    "Dirik is not his real name," Narikas said. "There are a total of eighty-seven Shades, and I know the name of every single one, living or dead. But I don''t have a Shade called Dirik. Whoever he is, he''s lying to you."


    Meera was stumped. Now she wanted to know his real name and who he was. This was getting more complicated by the minute, and if her brother''s life weren''t at stake, she would''ve gotten to the bottom of this.


    She shook her head. "Again, not my problem. I found your queen. Keep your end of the deal and tell me about my brother."


    "Neel was here and stayed with me under false pretenses," Narikas said coolly. The vulnerable man she had seen was gone, and the Shadowsteel Warlord was back. "His true intention was to steal the Miravane. It''s an ancient artifact that was created to find the Reflectora. No matter which world it is in, no matter the magic that hides it, the Miravane will point you toward the Reflectora. But there is a problem with it."


    Meera frowned. "Problem?"


    "What are you going to do about the king''s assassins?" Narikas asked.


    "Huh?"


    "Did you forget the king expects you to find Prince Delkoris before the invasion from King Draros?"


    Meera smirked. "I''ll take my chances."


    "I''ll be honest, Meera, I''m not going to last much longer one way or another," the Shadowsteel Warlord said. "With me gone, you lose your one friend in the kingdom. No one to stop the assassins, and they are very thorough. Once my brother sets his eyes on something, he usually gets it. How will you survive waves upon waves of assassins? How will you survive them all?"


    Meera wasn''t so sure anymore.


    "What''s to say we don''t turn on you too?" Hilnoa crossed her arms. "After all, you know Narikas'' secret¡­the secret of the Shadowsteel Warlord. It is closely guarded, and only the topmost royals are supposed to know."


    "So, you''re blackmailing me now," Meera said, controlling her voice. "I thought you were a better man than that. Why?"


    "Because you did something that even half of my Shades could not do, and you did it in half the time," Narikas said. "Call it luck, fate, or your innate talent. But you did good, very good. I would feel better if you led my Shades in bringing back the queen safe and sound. Once you do that, I''ll tell you about the problem with the Miravane and where your brother went."


    Meera''s nostrils flared. "You''re changing the terms of our deal now."


    "I''m a desperate man at the end of his days. It''s true. Even this prophecy says so if it is true."


    Meera frowned at first, but when she thought about it, he was right¡ªthe enslaved will end the war with a final breath. He was the enslaved. Enslaved to the armor that was taking him over.


    "Fine, and you better not die before keeping your end of the bargain."


    "I won''t." He jerked, crying out in pain. All the veins popped out on his neck. Then, he finally settled down on his throne. A moment passed, and he looked up, gave Meera a wicked grin, and spoke in the armor''s raspy voice. "And don''t forget the Heart."

 Chapter 120 – Preparation For The Enemy

    Meera stepped out of the Gateway Mirror, and it was dark still. The two guards were exactly in the same spot where she had left them¡ªleaning against their spears, trying not to fall asleep. It worked out well for her as she strolled on by to the city gates.


    The city was asleep at this time of night. The conversation with Narikas had left a bad taste in her mouth. Just when I started thinking he was a good man, he pulled this. I could''ve been heading towards Neel by now.


    She would''ve given him a piece of her mind if she didn''t need the information in his head. Regardless of all that, she still felt terrible for Narikas. His condition, all that pain he goes through every moment, reminded her of her mother. She had a similar condition from a pain standpoint, and her end was not nice. Thinking of her mom brought tears to her eyes. At least she had no evil spirit trying to take her over.


    She walked through the city gates and turned to the street where the Warden''s resided. She didn''t even want to think about how to explain this to the Wardens and hoped Dirik had made some appropriate excuses.


    She remembered that she had a notification waiting for her from that Blazer, whose hand she had split open.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 8. You can now Identify people up to ninety levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 9. You can now Identify people up to a hundred levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Pyrokinetic Weaponry. Pyrokinetic Weaponary ¨C Type: Passive. You can light your weapons on fire and keep them lit with your Mana, adding a destructive force to your arsenal. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Inferno Storm. Inferno Storm ¨C Type: Active. You can harness the elemental forces of fire and wind, merging them into a devastating whirlwind of scorching flames. The storm will engulf everything in its path in a blazing inferno. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera grinned. Welcome back, Inferno Storm.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Inferno Storm ¨C Level 1]


    With a huge grin, she walked on until she found the Warden''s hiding place, or so she hoped. The door swung open before she even knocked. Zona, the Longshot Warden, stared at her with intimidating red eyes. Her white hair shone in Mirithia''s light. It would be easy to mistake her for a goddess.


    "Sorry, I''m late. I got side-tracked," Meera said.


    Zona raised an eyebrow, took an about turn, and walked on. Meera followed her in and went up the steps where the rest of the Wardens and Dirik waited. Everyone was up, staring off into the distance with a gaze that said something terrible had happened.


    "The runaway''s back," Zona said before reopening her book and dropping into a chair.


    Everyone looked up at her, but no one was happy or surprised to see her. Not even Pallas.


    "I''m sorry to ask, but did someone die?" Meera asked, drawing their attention.


    "No, not yet," Lexa, the Stormweaver, said. "But someone''s about to. A lot of someones."


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    Meera frowned and looked about the room, and no one contested her gloomy proclamation. "Can someone tell me what''s going on here? Dirik, what did you tell them?"


    "Just what we saw." Dirik sighed. "Things are worse than we thought. The Heart of Doromar is actually¡ª"


    "I''ll save you some time," Meera interrupted him. "I know what it is and who it belonged to. How do we kill it?"


    Some of them shook their heads. Tekton, the Gladiator Warden, scoffed and rolled his eyes while Zona pretended nothing existed but her book.


    "It''s not so simple, Meera," Melas said, who looked like he''d been woken up from a fantastic nap with terrible news. "I don''t think we can kill it. Heck, the Judge of wrongdoers, our Patron, Lady Numheia, couldn''t even kill him, and she literally ripped his heart out."


    "How strong were these Cosmarians that even the gods couldn''t kill them," Meera stated. Either the gods of these lands are pathetically weak, or anyone can attain the power of the gods if they trained hard enough.


    Brison sighed. "When Rothedon rebelled, the gods were at their weakest, having recently dealt with Aetheron. Judge them however you want, but they did their best at that time."


    "But couldn''t they have gone to mop up the rest later on once they were at full power?"


    Brison looked away. "Maybe they didn''t think that this necromancer would rear its head once again."


    "Okay, fine, let''s say we can''t kill or burn it or whatever," Meera said. "Can we not make a big hole and bury it deep?"


    "You''ve clearly never fought a necromancer before, have you?" Tekton pulled out a throwing knife and started polishing it. "Underground would be the worst place for an undead heart. It would easily take control of a dead animal, which could then do its bidding and raise more undead. How do you think it raised the army that the kid was telling us about?"


    "But why is it waking now? That is the question we need to be asking ourselves." Pallas said. "If it lay dormant for how many thousands of years."


    No one had a response for him. He was right. It couldn''t be chance.


    "Could it have something to do with Aetheron''s waking," Dirik said.


    That triggered a nightmarish memory. "Maybe it heard its king''s call," Meera said abruptly.


    All heads turned to her.


    She almost told them of her visit to the Cosmarian King''s court through the eyes of one of its hounds. "I mean, it is the end of the world, right? So, would Rothedon sit idly by, trapped in his forest, or do all it can to survive."


    Some nodded at that and took that as an explanation. Meera sighed silently, but Brison noticed. She didn''t meet his eyes but still saw him squinting at her longer than necessary.


    "Killing it is just one thing," Dirik said. "Meera, you didn''t see its level. The Heart is at level 414."


    Meera''s eyes widened. If the heart is that high-leveled, then how strong was Doromar himself?


    "Not to mention all those undead," Dirik finished.


    "They should be of no concern," Tekton said.


    "If they were all we had to deal with, it would be no problem," Pallas said. "But with a heart that can raise the dead that we kill is something that even we will have a hard time with."


    "Well, I just had a chat with a friend, and he''s willing to lend me thirty Shades to help us deal with the undead problem," Meera said. Then she explained to them that the friend she had gone running after was the Shadowsteel Warlord, and she was working for him to save the queen. She left out the parts about Narikas'' problem and the prophecy.


    "Told you, she was hiding something," Zona said.


    Lexa chuckled and shook her head. "All that work to find a queen."


    "Sorry for hiding it from you, but call it a secret mission," Meera said. "So, I have the backup ready. All we need to figure out is how to kill something even a goddess couldn''t."


    "Fun fact, agent of Narikas." Tekton slid his knife into its sheath and pulled out another. "We don''t fight with outsiders."


    "Technically, we''re outsiders," Meera pointed out.


    "But you''ve been tested and voted in by the group," he replied.


    "He''s right, Meera," Pallas said. "The Lady does not allow it. It''s one of the decrees of the High Wardens."


    "Seems like the Lady wouldn''t mind us getting outside help this time," Melas said, looking at Brison, who just shrugged.


    "You''re the leader of this group," Brison said. "I just record things. You''re the one who will have to explain it to the High Wardens."


    Melas nodded. "Meera, you said we have three days. After that, the Shades will be pulled back for the war."


    Meera nodded. "That''s right."


    He went on. "We have two days to prepare. Brison, search all the tomes and find a way to kill the Heart of Doromar. If you cannot do that, find the nearest volcano, and we''ll chuck that thing into it and hope for the best. Rest of you, train, get stronger. That goes doubly for you two." He wagged a finger between Meera and Dirik.


    Meera raised a hand. "Um, can I fight each one of you? I would love to¡ª"


    "Steal our skills?" Zona interrupted.


    Meera turned red and looked at Pallas. "You told them?"


    Pallas chuckled nervously. "I''m sorry, I just couldn''t hold it in."


    "Last time, I tell you anything," Meera grumbled.


    "Please, no!" Pallas cried. "I promise to keep everything to myself."


    "Careful, he says that every time," Lexa chimed.


    "But this time, I really mean it," Pallas pleaded.


    "Sure, you do, loudmouth."


    "Okay, okay, let''s get back to the topic at hand," Melas said. "Yes, Meera, you can fight each one of us. Actually, it''s better that way. You''ll get experience of fighting with various styles and skills. Brison, give us a world and slow down the time as much as you can. We need days in there to make a significant difference in our levels."


    Meera was only too happy to start training for two reasons. The upcoming fights were going to be terribly hard, and second, she would need to be strong enough to take on any assassin Rokibor might send, as she had no intention of finding his son for him.


    Besides, the prophecy did say that a king would forsake his throne. Maybe she would get lucky, and Rokibor would give up the throne.


    The others started talking amongst themselves as to who would take on whom while Meera pulled Dirik aside into the adjoining room and pushed him against the wall.


    "Now, Dirik, what is your real name? Because Narikas, your old boss, told me he never had a Shade by that name? Who are you?"

 Chapter 121 – Let’s Start Training

    Meera couldn¡¯t see, but she was sure that Dirik was sweating. His eyes bulged as he looked at her, but he said nothing. It was clear he was stalling for time.


    ¡°Are you going to talk, or should I tell the Wardens you¡¯re lying?¡± Meera turned towards the door.


    ¡°No, wait. Okay, you got me,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, my real name is not Dirik. That¡¯s what my mother used to call me. My real name is Da-Dalektor, and all I told you about my mother is true, I promise.¡±


    Meera squinted at him.


    ¡°I swear, that is my name. You can confirm it with Prince Narikas when you see him next time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure, too, because, honestly, I still don¡¯t believe you,¡± she replied. ¡°I need something from you to keep my mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Anything. I¡¯ll do anything. Just name it.¡±


    ¡°You said you had lots of contacts in the city. Go to them and tell them to find the location of Crown Prince Delkoris. And I need that location before we move on the Heart.¡±


    Dirik frowned. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now.¡±


    ¡°But what about my training?¡±


    ¡°Then you better move fast.¡± Meera flourished a hand towards the door.


    ¡°O-Okay.¡± He hung his head and walked out the door.


    Truth be told, she didn¡¯t care about finding Delkoris, but if Dirik could find the Crown Prince, it would help keep the assassins off her back. After all, she had to watch her own back, and everyone was selfish in these worlds.


    Meera left the room and found Dirik making an excuse about settling his affairs and saying he would return shortly. He gave her a side-long glance that was hard to read, thanks to his mask. She gave him a smile and a wave as he left the room.


    ¡°So, who am I fighting first?¡± Meera asked, turning to the Wardens.


    ¡°Me!¡± Pallas waved to her.


    He was the last person she wanted to fight, and she couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Pallas said. ¡°I said I was sorry, and I meant it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    A shimmering door appeared in the middle of the room. The Wardens hooped and hollered as they went through the door and came into a dense forest with mountains all around them. It was night, but Mirithia shone so bright in the sky that it might as well be day. Thanks to her Gem of Echoes, she could hear birds cooing in the trees, crickets chirping, and even the chittering of some monkeys and sounds of other beats. In every sense of the word, it was a real forest.


    ¡°This world is vast,¡± Brison began. ¡°I created a peak for each pair, so you shouldn¡¯t have any problem running into each other. Oh, and Lexa, these trees are fireproof, so your lightning shouldn¡¯t create forest fires.¡±


    Lexa pouted. ¡°Aw, where¡¯s the fun in that.¡±


    The door shimmered as Dirik stepped in.


    ¡°You¡¯re back fast,¡± Meera commented.


    ¡°I move fast in the night.¡±


    Brison quickly explained everything to him. ¡°Also, each day in the real world is four in this one. Sorry, Melas, that is all I could do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Brison,¡± Melas said. ¡°Eight days should be enough. All of you know your pairs. They will switch each day. At the end of the day, you will get to sleep for an hour. There are seven of us, which means one group will have to fight in threes, and that will be a Warden-only group, as Meera and Dirik need to gain as many levels as possible. This will leave us a day¡­¡± A slow smile split his lips. ¡°On the final day, it¡¯ll be a free-for-all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the prize for the winner?¡± Tekton asked.


    ¡°They get to deliver the killing blow to the Heart.¡±


    That got a response from everyone, even the stoic Zona, who cracked a smile. The rest mostly cried out in excitement. Some thrust their fists into the air.


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    Delivering the killing blow always yielded more experience. It would be a nice bump in the levels. Meera wished she could be the winner, but given all these monsters, it was highly unlikely. However, she could always dream.


    Brison opened more gates. ¡°These will lead you to your respective mountains.¡±


    ¡°After you,¡± Pallas motioned to their gate.


    Meera walked into the gate and emerged at the peak of a mountain, with Pallas following close behind. There was a small circular clearing here like the one Meera and Dirik had trained in, but it was even less than half the size of that one.


    ¡°Before we begin, why don¡¯t you just cut me, and let¡¯s see what skill you get,¡± Pallas said, rubbing his hands as if all was fine between them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think by doing this I¡¯ll forgive you,¡± Meera said.


    He visibly flinched. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have, but I just couldn¡¯t help myself. Your class is so special. I-I mean, you are too, but your class¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. That¡¯s enough. Cut yourself on this.¡± She tossed him a chakram.


    He caught it and admired the mirror circlet. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think I rightly believe you don¡¯t know how you got these. Blessed by Midiea¡­but how. Are you a great priestess of hers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go with that.¡± Meera gave him her earnest smile. I learned my lesson the first time. I¡¯m not telling you anything.


    ¡°Really? Have you seen her? I mean, how did she bless you? And if you are, then why are you here fighting instead of, you know, praying in your temple.¡±


    Meera sighed. ¡°I got a great mission from her, which she told me to keep secret.¡±


    ¡°Really, you¡¯ve talked to her¡ª¡±


    Meera interrupted him before it got out of hand. ¡°Are we here to fight or talk? Cut yourself on the chakram, and let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Pallas¡¯ shoulders slumped. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± He ran his thumb along the chakram¡¯s edge, leaving a scarlet streak, before throwing it back.


    Meera caught it and opened her notifications, which had popped up as soon as he cut himself.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Guardian¡¯s Light. Guardian¡¯s Light ¨C Type: Active. You can shine a light around you, creating a zone of safety where you and your allies recover health and receive a temporary boost to their defenses. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Bastian¡¯s Strength. Bastian¡¯s Strength ¨C Type: Passive. You can absorb damage for a short period of time, which in turn will fuel your next attack. Length of time will increase as the skill levels go up. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at the second skill. It had its merits, but the problem was she had to take damage first, and if she didn¡¯t survive that much damage, the retaliating attack wouldn¡¯t matter. On the other hand, she didn¡¯t need another healing skill, but this one also raised her defenses.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Pallas asked.


    She told him. After all, who better to explain the skills than the one whose skills she had stolen?


    ¡°Hmm, they¡¯re not bad, but I was really hoping you would have gotten Divine Aegis; that would have been something, but no matter, both of these are good as well. I don¡¯t suppose you end up in many fights with allies backing you up.¡±


    Meera shook her head. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. You should take Bastian¡¯s Strength. All the damage you take, while it¡¯s activated will only buff your next attack. It comes in handy quite a lot, especially once you level it up. I have it so that all the damage I take for the last five minutes will make my next attack devastatingly strong. In most cases, it¡¯s enough to finish off the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, mind telling me what level it is at?¡± Meera asked.


    Pallas smiled. ¡°One eighty-six.¡±


    Meera¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Okay, so I have some ways to go.¡±


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Bastian¡¯s Strength ¨C Level 1]


    The skill slotted into her Shadow Skills section, but she quickly swapped Bastian¡¯s Strength with Mist Concealment. It was dark enough in the woods that her Shroud of Shadows could keep her invisible. On a whim, she also swapped out Petrifying Surge for Inferno Storm. She had no plan on using it but kept it just in case.


    ¡°Should we begin?¡± Meera asked.


    ¡°Lets.¡±


    Meera moved first by activating Shroud of Shadows and turning invisible. She flew into the cover of the woods, but Pallas stayed where he was¡ªnot even moving. Meera stopped in the cover of darkness and squinted. She realized that she hadn¡¯t used Identify on him yet. She was high level enough that she should be able to see his level now.


    [Guardian Warden ¨C Level 282]


    His level was not that much higher than his brother¡¯s. He would be challenging, but Meera was confident she could take him. But the way he just stood there doing nothing unnerved her.


    She took off her level 2 chakram, activated Druvis Power, and launched her chakram at him from his back. It looked like it would part him in two, but a mighty shield with the emblem of an armored giant holding a shield appeared.


    Her chakram crashed against the shield and nearly cut its way through. It was wedged a few inches deep.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Pallas said. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen you fight, remember? I know all your tricks.¡±


    Meera activated Mirror Wing, ripped the chakram out, teleported to it, and used Mirror Blast. But the metal dome covered him entirely. She took off both level 2 chakrams and activated Shadow Coating.


    Her chakrams were covered with darkness, with the mirror twinkling underneath like stars. She figured with Shadow Coating, her chakrams got the bonuses from both her affinities. She slashed open Pallas¡¯s dome.


    His eyes widened, and before he could form another shield, she shot him with Mirror Shard Barrage. He took the full brunt of the mirror and light beam. He had nowhere to escape, as his dome blocked him off.


    When Meera¡¯s attack finished, he fell on all fours. His chest had been scratched bloody, and shards of her mirror had been wedged in deep. He looked up and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He clapped his hands together. Two shields materialized on Meera¡¯s sides and squished her in between.


    Meera felt her bones crush and turn to mush as she was crushed to death.

 Chapter 122 – Butting Heads With A Shield

    Meera reformed with a thunderclap and a scream. The scream was her own, of course, but the thunder came from the adjacent peak. Meera drew a few deep breaths as she looked herself over and realized she was okay.


    She activated Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, and the whole world came into view again. She was sitting on the ground, with Brison and Pallas standing off to the side and talking. There was another thunder so loud that it made her wince. Her Gem of Echoes amplified the sounds of everything, and a thunder this close was deafening.


    Reluctantly, after how many days, she finally decided to remove her Gem of Echoes. She plucked it off her chest, where her armor held it, and put it in her Belt. The world almost quieted. It became almost too quiet. She hated it immediately. How did I ever live like this?


    "Ah, looks like our first dead is finally up," Brison said.


    Meera groaned. "I was the first one to die?"


    Brison nodded. "It became close between you and Dirik, but he narrowly escaped and is still somehow¡­oh wait, he''s dead now. I have to go. Be seeing you soon."


    He nodded to them and traced something in his book. A door opened, and he walked through it. Something was off about this man. Sometimes, he was cheery and bubbly, while at other times, he was more serious than Zona.


    "Sorry, Meera, for going a little overboard on killing you," Pallas said. "I''ll try to kill you nicely next time."


    Meera snorted. "Thanks." She jumped to her feet. "Let''s go again?"


    "Not before we discuss what you did wrong." Pallas walked over to her.


    If Meera ever wanted to feel even shorter, all she had to do was stand beside him or his brother in his enraged form. Though Melas was likely to squish her head and then the feeling of being short would disappear.


    "I know what I did wrong," Meera stated. "I got overconfident and didn''t throw down my mirrors for Mirror Step."


    "Correct," Pallas said. "And you''re fighting an opponent who knows all your skills and is well-versed in your tactics. So please take that into account as well."


    "Got it."


    Tiny mirrors blasted out of Meera''s armor, and using Mirror Wing, she placed them all over the clearing and even in the woods. She felt Pallas was the stationary type of fighter, and he would make her come to him.


    Meera recalled her level 2 chakram that lay off to the side, where her squished-up remains should''ve been. But Brison must''ve cleaned those up, as not even a drop of Meera''s blood remained.


    As soon as her chakram touched her hand, Pallas attacked. A gigantic, heavy-looking shield formed over Meera''s head. Pallas slammed his hand down in an overhead strike, and the shield came rushing to squish Meera again.


    She used Mirror Step and moved to the tree line. But even at this distance, she felt the reverberations of the shield bashing the ground. Pallas motioned upwards with his hand, and the shield rose and came for Meera.


    But she was gone again. This time, she moved closer to Pallas and shot him with a Mirror Shard Barrage, but he blocked it with a bronze shield. It caved inward, but it held. The gigantic shield that he sent for her had ripped through several trees as if they were made of paper.


    He flicked his hand, and the shield ripped through more trees and came at her. She Stepped to the other side of Pallas right away. His massive shield flew into the trees on the other side of the clearing.


    Meera activated Shadow Coating on her level 2 chakram. It looked like she held a circlet of twinkling stars. She would never get over how beautiful it looked. She launched it at Pallas. He raised a thick tower shield, but she flicked a finger, and the chakram flew around his shield to his side, and just when it looked like it would cut him in half, Pallas dodged. He rolled forward to his tower shield, lifted it off the ground, and rushed Meera.


    In terms of speed, he was no less than his brother. One moment, he was lifting the shield off the ground. The next, he was on her, about to bash her with his shield. She used Mirror Step right away, but he still got her arm.


    She groaned as she clutched her broken arm, which lay limp at her side. She activated Vitalize but also changed the trajectory of her chakram towards Pallas. Her chakram had been ripping through the tree line. It came zipping back toward the Guardian.


    Pallas blocked it with his tower shield. Meera''s eyes widened. She brought her chakram around to his back. Another tower shield appeared, followed by one on his right side and front, covering him completely.


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    Meera stared in awe at his perfect defense. Then he did something she had only seen in cartoons. He started spinning, or his shields did, at least. They spun so fast that dust and leaves started forming a veritable tornado.


    Then he moved.


    Meera had never seen anyone move that fast. She thought he was teleporting. He was on her in the blink of an eye. Mirror Step saved her for but a moment as he came for her again. She teleported to safety, but he followed. They did this game of cat and mouse for a minute at most.


    The gigantic shield of his returned and hovered in the air, and when she finished her Mirror Step, the massive mirror appeared behind her and flicked her towards Pallas. The pain in the back of her head nearly made her blackout, and that was all Pallas needed to finish her off.


    His tornado of shields came spinning for her and bashed her head in.


    Meera awoke with another scream and then huffed as she checked her head for dents and bumps. She looked around, and it was only Pallas waiting for her this time, which she was thankful for; she didn''t want to be embarrassed again a second time.


    "I didn''t know you could move that fast." Meera stood and dusted herself off.


    "Well, that was your first mistake then," Pallas replied. "Never assume anything. Unlike you, everyone else has two classes. Many people like to pick up classes that would synergize with one another. I, however, went the other way and put defense with speed. It always takes my opponent by surprise when I do, well, what I did."


    "And my second mistake?" Meera asked.


    "You were too stationary this time around. Meera, your strength lies in your speed, your instantaneous teleportation. I''ve never seen a teleportation skill as fast as your Mirror Step. Use it. You used it to dodge mostly when you can attack, vanish, then attack again."


    "But how do I get over your impenetrable shields?" Meera asked.


    "That, my dear, you must figure out on your own." He smirked. "I would be a poor teacher if I gave you all the answers."


    Meera rolled her eyes. "Now, you sound like my algebra teacher."


    "What''s algebra? Is it a skill?"


    "Never mind. But can you give me a moment before we begin our next match?"


    "Sure, take all the time you need."


    Meera pulled off two chakrams, brought them closer, and ran her Mana through them to create a level 2 chakram. Pallas''s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Then she did that again. Her enemies were getting tougher and tougher, so she created two more level 2 chakrams for a total of six, and nine regular chakrams left.


    Meera''s mirrors were still scattered everywhere, so she didn''t have to do that this time. She nodded. "Ready."


    "You will have to tell me how you did that?"


    "After." She pulled off two level 2 chakrams. "Let''s begin."


    She activated Shadow Coating and launched them both at Pallas. He raised a tower shield and blocked them. The chakrams got wedged in his shield but didn''t penetrate it.


    Meera teleported to a mirror shard close by and activated Mirror Phantom. It made an exact copy of Meera. It was even more real than the one she had created with Mistbound Illusions. Then she moved to the next one and did the same. She went around him in a circle, leaving behind a copy of hers in place.


    Pallas looked around himself and grinned. "Oh, this is good."


    She reached around and pulled off two more level 2 chakrams, and without even concentrating, the phantoms copied her. With Mistbound Illusions, she would have to make her illusions do something consciously, but this was much better.


    She activated Shadow Coating on her chakrams. All the fake Meera''s chakrams twinkled like hers.


    "Now, which is the real me?" Meera said, and all the others copied her. Her eyes widened, and the phantoms followed suit.


    "Don''t tell me this is the first time you''re using this skill," Pallas said.


    "No¡­"


    "Meera, unless it''s a devastating skill, always try them out before battle. By Numheia, even try those out, but use less Mana. Understood?"


    "Yes," Meera and her phantoms replied sheepishly.


    After that bit of embarrassment, she wanted to win this fight quickly. She knew some of his techniques and that he had a class geared towards creating shields and the other towards speed. Now, Ambush Tactics, show me something, please. Technically, she was ambushing him.


    His eyes turned hard as he surveyed the phantoms. Then he turned around and flicked a finger. A bronze kite shield appeared out of the air and launched at a phantom. Meera was safe.


    His shield went through that Meera''s chest and out the other side. The mirror at the heart of the phantom shattered, and the illusion vanished. She remembered that the skill description stated that a mirror would be at the core of the illusion.


    Meera stepped forward, and all the phantoms followed suit. She wondered if they did just that or something more. She activated Shroud of Shadows and commanded the other phantoms to attack Pallas. But before they attacked, she teleported behind him.


    He spun around right away and brought his tower shield with him, swinging in an arc. She jumped back a step, and the other Meeras attacked.


    He ignored them and glared at where she was. Meera got nervous, thinking he knew where she was, but his eyes moved. He ignored the phantoms as they fell on him.


    He must have some skill that tells him when danger is close.


    So, she did the best thing that would overload this skill over his. She activated Druvis Power, Stepped really close to him, threw her arms around him, and used Mirror Blast.


    Light and mirrors blasted out of Meera, ripping through the Guardian. No matter his toughness, he couldn''t survive a Mirror Blast at that range.


    But he did.


    Pallas'' body was riddled with razor-sharp mirror shards. His right arm had been ripped off from below the elbow, and his bone stuck out below his ruined bicep. His face was a ruin, with many shards sticking out of his bloody flesh. His right eye had a huge shard sticking out of it. He had many gruesome holes in his body that Meera couldn''t bear to look at. It was so bad that even Meera cringed.


    "That wasn''t so bad." He coughed and puked blood. He fell forward, but Meera caught him. He smiled through bloody teeth. "Never¡­take pity o-on your¡­foes."


    He slammed his tower shield into Meera, sending her flying, and fell face forward into the ground, driving the shards further in. He gasped loudly but didn''t stir after that.

 Chapter 123 – More Deaths And Levels

    Meera flew back from the massive shield that broke through the ground and was coming for her. It was no ordinary shield. This one had spikes the size of javelins all around its edges. Meera flew around it and used Mirror Step to fall on Pallas'' back.


    His danger sense or Guardian''s Sphere activated. He turned around, which was what she had wanted. She blocked his arm with her Druvis Powered one and flicked a finger. Her level 2 chakram flew towards him, but he raised a shield to block it.


    She extended her hand and shot Vampiric Chains. Her Death Mark that she had placed earlier did its work fabulously as Vampiric Chains drained his life as if he had a hole in his proverbial lifeboat, but Bastian''s Strength struck the killing blow.


    The blow she had absorbed had given her enough boost that her chakram cut through his shield and then sliced his throat.


    Pallas smiled as he fell to his knees. "Good one." He fell and was no more.


    Brison appeared shortly after. "Oh, good job. I was to inform you that your next opponent is Tekton, and you have the next hour to sleep."


    As soon as she heard the word sleep, all the adrenaline left her body, and all the tiredness of fighting continuously for almost a day fell on her.


    A hut appeared. "Also, that one hour of sleep should be enough to rejuvenate you fully for your opponent."


    "Thanks." Meera, not wanting to waste any time, walked off to her hut. Inside, it was barebones. A single bed with some food and water. Her stomach grumbled. She chowed down the food and fell on the bed, but there was one thing left to do.


    She opened her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 5 Guardian Wardens ¨C Level 282 ¨C Level 289. For killing an opponent sixty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 18 levels and reached Level 234. You have been awarded 54 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 220 & Level 230 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakrams.]


    Two more chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to seventeen¡ªeleven regular and six level 2 chakrams. She could create more level 2 chakrams, but she had enough for now.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 11 levels and reached Level 173. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 176% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 8 levels and reached Level 93]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 3 levels and reached Level 92]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 5 levels and reached Level 82]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 6 levels and reached Level 74]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 11 levels and reached Level 82]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 7 levels and reached Level 66]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 7 levels and reached Level 99]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 9 levels and reached Level 83]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 7 levels and reached Level 86]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 12 levels and reached Level 79]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 10 levels and reached Level 95]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 11 levels and reached Level 88]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Petrifying Surge has gained 3 levels and reached Level 35]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 17 levels and reached Level 38]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 8 levels and reached Level 60. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 62% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Phantom has gained 6 levels and reached Level 39]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Death Mark has gained 14 levels and reached Level 15]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Bastian''s Strength has gained 9 levels and reached Level 10]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 8 levels and reached Level 41]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 9 levels and reached Level 67]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 12 levels and reached Level 51]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 10 levels and reached Level 79]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 10 levels and reached Level 34]


    As for her stat points, she put the most in Endurance, as she lost one of the fights because she almost ran out of Stamina and had to shut off her Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity Skill. Next came Constitution and Dexterity with ten points each, and lastly, Agility, as the last fights had shown her, she was too slow for these high-leveled opponents.


    With all that sorted, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    <hr>


    There was a knock on her door. She ignored it. Then they knocked again, louder this time.


    "Go away," Meera called.


    "I''m sorry to disturb your sleep, Meera, but it''s time," Brison said.


    Meera groaned and sat up with a big yawn. She couldn''t call it being refreshed, but she wasn''t deathly tired anymore. So, there was that, at least. She woke up, washed her mouth with water, took a big gulp, and was as ready as possible.


    Man, do I miss taking a bath? How long has it been? Days? Can''t be a week?


    She pushed that horrifying thought out of her mind and left the hut that collapsed into the ground behind her. On the other end of the clearing, Tekton emerged from his hut, looking as refreshed as Meera felt.


    "Well, I have more people to wake up. Play nice." Brison waved and walked through the shimmering door.


    "Now, I get to¡­" Tekton yawned. "To¡­" He yawned again. "By the gods, I''m awake. Sheesh."


    "You were saying you get to cut me up now or something like that," Meera said.


    Tekton squinted at her. "You know, I never really liked you. That Shade brat seemed sincere, but I always felt something off about you, and working for the Shadowsteel Warlord to infiltrate our ranks¡­"


    "Look, I didn''t mean to. That was not my original plan," Meera said. "It was Dirik''s. I just tagged along, hoping you could help me in my quest."


    "Right. Sure. Whatever, let''s fight."


    Meera was about to ask him if he would let her cut him with her chakram, but she didn''t think she would have any luck. So, she used Identify on him.


    [Gladiator Guardian ¨C Level 291]


    Meera almost smiled. The divide between her and the Wardens was getting smaller. It was night again, so she could still use her Shroud, at least for the next few hours, until sunrise.


    Tekton wore chainmail armor and always carried three swords¡ªtwo longswords on his hips and a great sword on his back. The great sword might as well be a thick piece of iron. It was a foot wide all the way through, and it ended abruptly at a point. Luckily for Meera, he pulled out only one of his longswords.


    On a whim, she used Identify on the sword.


    [Numheia''s Justice ¨C Level 214]


    "Your swords have levels?" Meera asked.


    "What of it? So does your armor."


    "That is true."


    "Let''s see how well your mirrors hold up to my steel." He grinned and charged.


    Thankfully, he was nowhere near as fast as Pallas. Tiny mirrors exploded out of Meera''s armor, and she teleported behind him, out of safety. He stopped mid-charge, turned on a heel, and came for her. The way he maneuvered was something else entirely. It was like he didn''t lose an iota of speed as he shifted and did a whole about-turn. She hadn''t seen anyone move like that.


    Meera threw one of her regular chakrams at him, and he deflected it with ease and kept coming for her. She threw a couple more to throw him off his game, but he deflected those as well, and not for a moment did he seem out of control. She waited until the last moment to teleport to safety.


    When she reappeared, he turned to her right away. Does he have something like Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity?


    She wanted to test it out some more, but Tekton pulled out three throwing knives from his belt and launched them at Meera. She used Mirror Wing on the three chakrams she had thrown earlier and used them to deflect the throwing knives.


    But in the time it took to do that, Tekton had closed the distance and leaped in the air. He was about to crash down on her, but she flicked her hand, and all three chakrams flew at him from the side. He noticed the danger to his life and turned his sword around to deflect two of them but couldn''t stop the third. It caught him in the side, and he went skidding on the ground. She heard a notification bell, which meant she had gotten through his chainmail.


    He stood wincing, with a hand on his ribs where one of her chakrams was wedged there. She flicked a finger back, and her chakram tore out of him. He groaned with wide eyes but stayed on his feet.


    "Oh, now you''ve done it," He said through gritted teeth. "Now, you''re going to¡ª"


    Meera didn''t give him any more time to talk as she slit his throat with her chakrams. As he fell, bleeding out, she quickly checked her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Gladiator Warden ¨C Level 291. For killing an opponent sixty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 4 levels and reached Level 238. You have been awarded 12 stat points]


    She dumped the twelve points into Focus and moved on to what she wanted most¡ªhis skills.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Whirlwind Dance. Whirlwind Dance ¨C Type: Active. You can execute a rapid series of spinning strikes with your swords and deal damage to multiple nearby enemies or massive damage to a singular enemy. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Gladiator''s Last Breath. You achieve a temporary state of peak performance, significantly boosting all aspects of the Gladiator''s combat abilities when you only have a tenth of your Health remaining. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera smiled as the choice was obvious. Whirlwind Dance might be powerful, but it limited her to using swords, while anyone could use Gladiator''s Last Breath, and it didn''t limit Meera to a singular type of weapon. And a near-death boost in her abilities was more than helpful.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the general skill Gladiator''s Last Breath ¨C Level 1]


    As she closed off her notification screen, Brison had finished reviving Tekton, who didn''t look pleased at having gone down so fast.


    Brison chuckled. "Didn''t think you would go down that fast, Tekton. Meera was the first one to go down in the last round. Looks like you went a tad overboard, eh Meera?" He slapped Tekton on the shoulder. "Well, I''ll be off then."


    "Stay," Tekton said.


    Brison shrugged.


    Tekton drew his second longsword.


    [Numheia''s Judgement ¨C Level 254]


    Meera got ready for him as he dashed for her, but he disappeared midway through. She frowned, and her Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity was at full blast searching for him. She heard a crunch behind her, then a sharp pain as Tekton reappeared, sticking his blade deeper into her spine.


    "How''s this for fast?" Tekton said into her ear.


    Even though she was in immense pain, Meera sighed as her legs gave in, and she fell to the ground.


    This is not going to be as easy as I thought.

 Chapter 124 – A Warrior And An Archer

    Meera sat up and didn''t even gasp this time. She was so used to dying and being reborn that it wasn''t even that much of a surprise anymore when she took her first breath.


    "I must say," Tekton said, cleaning her blood off his blade. "You must''ve been my fastest kill."


    Meera rolled her eyes as she stood, pretending that comment hadn''t hurt her pride, even though it had.


    "Can we get to fighting again?" Meera said.


    "You mean dying." He shrugged. "Then sure. Brison''s going to have to make a lot of return trips."


    Meera took off her level 2 chakrams. "For you."


    She activated Shroud of Shadows and disappeared. Lexa was creating thunderclouds in the adjacent peak, which had somehow rolled over to their side. They covered Mirithia to give Meera enough shade to be completely invisible.


    "Two can play that game," Tekton drawled and dashed for where she was, and as he did, he went invisible.


    Meera frowned. Can he only do that when he''s sprinting?


    She took to the air and hovered at about twenty feet, knowing he couldn''t reach her, and scanned the clearing below. She was right. His invisibility skill only worked when he was running, and since he ran so fast, he naturally left a trail behind.


    That was not all. She saw a faint reddish-gold outline of Tekton as he ran with both swords in hand.


    How did I miss that last time?


    With a start, she realized it wasn''t a flaw in his skill but another one of her skills. One she had stolen from one of the Phoenix Protectors. It looked different than when she used it on Dirik, but he didn''t go invisible. He, more or less, hid in his shadows, and his outline was not this red, more like blue.


    Either way, she knew where her target was. She launched her level 2 chakrams. Her chakrams became visible when they left her hand.


    Tekton looked up and blocked her chakrams with his blades. As soon as he stopped, he became visible again. Meera teleported behind him and shot out Vampiric Chains, but he dashed away, turning invisible again.


    Meera groaned through gritted teeth. She was still invisible and could see him circling the outer length of the clearing. Her chakrams lay on the ground, and she left them there and threw two level 2 chakrams at him. He deflected them as she knew he would, but it somewhat gave away her position.


    He raced towards her. She didn''t move, and at the last moment, when he was close, she used Mirror Blast. Two things happened, the first, her attack caught him unaware, and he was rag-dolled into the shrubbery. The second, she lost the cloud cover and became translucent.


    A third thing happened, Tekton''s body didn''t disturb any of the shrubs. It went right through it.


    She started and gasped but took to the air, but not fast enough. Three throwing knives embedded in her back. There were two more coming for her, aimed at her neck, but she teleported away in time.


    "Ha, almost got you."


    Tekton was standing off to the side, but there were scratches on his armor and a cut on his cheek that bleed profusely. She had gotten him with her Mirror Blast, even if it was only minor damage.


    The throwing knives hadn''t pierced her skin. Her armor and defensive skins had stopped them from doing real damage.


    "So, you have an illusion skill," Meera said.


    "Your powers of deduction are astonishing," Tekton said. "They help in having the foe concentrate on your..."


    "I am well versed in illusions." Meera formed two of her own.


    Tekton''s eyes widened for but a moment, and then he laughed. "Oh, this is going to be fun."


    Meera didn''t share his opinion.


    Meera yawned as she woke up. It was the next day. She had made some progress, though not as much as she would''ve liked. She was level 249 now, and all her skills had leveled up, aside from Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity, which was still teasing her at level 99, which could only mean it was supposed to evolve or do something special at level 100. She couldn''t figure out what, though, as it was an extraordinary skill already.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The training with Tekton was grueling, to say the least. Every match was a bloodbath, and for some, they had to take a timeout as they both couldn''t continue for lack of Stamina. In the end, Meera only ended up killing him three times, while he killed her four times. However, she learned a lot about how to counter an opponent with a similar skill set to hers.


    Her stats had been refilled, but she still wanted to sleep and felt dead tired. If this kept up by the seventh day, taking her down wouldn''t take much. She hoped she was fighting someone easy next.


    She quickly ate her meager but filling breakfast, chugged the whole earthen water bottle, and headed out the door. Tekton was talking with Brison about how the other''s matches were going.


    "Hey, she''s finally up," Tekton cried excitedly. His whole demeanor had changed since Meera proved to be a formidable opponent. He gave her a salute. "It was nice training with you, kid. I wouldn''t mind throwing hands with you sometime. Take my advice, lose the spinning discs, and pick up a sword, and you''ll make a fine gladiator."


    Meera frowned. "So, you were an actual gladiator."


    "Oh, yes, the Champion of Emesa." He slapped her on the back. "Be proud, lass. You held your own against the Shadow of Death."


    "That is a good name." She meant it, too. It sounded badass. I wish I had a name like that.


    "Right. But they won''t let me use it. Some stupid rule about leaving your past life behind." Tekton waved a hand. "Well, be seeing you, kid. Can''t wait to kill you in the free-for-all."


    The score between them was even, with four kills each. When Brison came to call it the end of the day, he was miffed that he didn''t get to take the lead.


    "In your dreams, Shadow of Death," Meera retorted.


    Tekton laughed, and Brison motioned for Meera to follow. Today, it seemed, he was quiet again. She wanted to ask if everything was okay, but the look on his face said to leave him alone. Maybe the pressure of finding a way to kill an undead heart was getting to him. After all, even their goddess hadn''t been able to do that.


    Meera walked out the door and wanted to step back through it immediately. Her next opponent was Zona, the Archer Warden.


    Zona wasn''t doing anything in particular to scare Meera. She was just reading her book. But the woman had always unnerved Meera ever since that night, she had been hanging upside down from the ceiling, aiming that arrow at Meera''s head. The worst part was that Meera hadn''t even seen her, and her Mirror Eagle skill was active.


    "You two know what to do," Brison said, and with that he walked through the door.


    "Uhh¡­hi," Meera tried, but Zona shut her up by raising a hand.


    Meera quieted at once and wondered what she should do. Three peaks over the Lexa''s thunderstorms had already begun. She also saw a figure leap into the sky and fall, raising a dust cloud, which could only be Melas.


    "Should we start?" Meera asked.


    This time, Zona raised a finger, and Meera took that as a warning. So, she walked about, and apparently, that was too much noise as Zona clicked her tongue. So, Meera sat on the spot, then lay on the ground after a while, hoping to take a nap. She was about to pass out when Zona snapped her book shut.


    "Did you come here to fight or sleep?" she said.


    Meera snapped to her feet. "Uh, fight."


    "Why were you sleeping then?"


    "Uh¡­because you were reading your book."


    "Then why didn''t you attack when your opponent was distracted?" Zona asked.


    The way she stared at Meera so intensely with her red eyes made her want to beg her forgiveness. If Pallas was a warm ray of sun, then she was the shrill cold of winter.


    "Take this as your first lesson for the day," Zona said. "You should always take advantage of the situation. The more distracted your opponent is, the better it will be for you."


    "Y-Yes, ma''am. Now, let''s fight."


    Meera pulled off her level 2 chakrams and spread her mirrors across the clearing, while Zona was still reaching around to fetch her bow. Taking her lesson to heart, Meera launched her chakrams at the slender Archer Warden.


    Zona''s hand flashed, and she had two arrows notched in the blink of an eye. She let them fly, and they knocked Meera''s chakrams out of the air simultaneously.


    Meera gawped at not only her speed but also the fluidity of her motion. She had fired two arrows at the same time, and they both hit their target. Another impressive fact was that her level 2 chakrams'' twisted the wind around them, extending their cutting radius, and still, her arrows managed to penetrate that. Just how good is she?


    [Archer Warden ¨C Level 298]


    Meera gulped and squinted at her bow in case it was something special like Tekton''s swords.


    [Numheia''s Fury ¨C Level 288]


    Why can''t my chakrams get levels? Then she remembered they did get stage effects, which were quite good.


    "Waiting again?"


    Meera lifted her chakram into the air using Mirror Wing, but she was too slow or Zona too fast. An arrow came flying Meera''s way. She saved her hide only because of Mirror Step.


    When she reappeared, Zona turned, and another arrow was already on its way. Meera Stepped again, and another arrow was launched.


    The third time, there was no arrow flying towards Meera, which Meera was thankful for, but there was another problem...there was no sign of Zona. She had disappeared. Meera scanned the area with her Mirror Eagle Perceptivity. The archer was nowhere to be found. Even her Eye of the Phoenix didn''t show anything, which meant she was not invisible.


    Meera recalled her chakrams, but something else came in the shadow of her chakrams¡ªan arrow. It hit Meera in her right eye.


    Meera screamed. She activated Vitalize. Thankfully, the arrow hadn''t pierced her brain.


    "Not dead, hmm¡­" Zona said, but still, the archer was in hiding.


    Meera scoured the area with her skill, but the pain was intense. She yanked the arrow out, and another scream ripped through her throat before an arrow found purchase in it. Meera gasped, trying to breathe, but fell to the ground, hacking and trembling like a fish out of water.


    Zona stepped through the shrubbery. "You need to be watchful of your surroundings."

 Chapter 125 – Lessons In Death

    Meera awoke to Zona reading her book and thankfully not having any arrows in her eye or throat. Losing her eye was particularly bad because of the pain, but it didn''t affect her vision much.


    She stood, dusted herself off, and walked to the scary Warden. Her white hair and especially her red eyes added to her frightening factor. Not to mention that despite those two things and her clothes, which were also primarily white, she had blended herself into the treeline and shrubs.


    Does she have a camouflage skill?


    "Should we go again?" Meera asked.


    Zona raised a hand and continued reading. Meera remembered what she had said last time about attacking when the opponent was distracted. Meera recalled her level 2 chakrams that were lying about and waited for a minute while Zona kept reading.


    She did say to take advantage of the situation.


    Meera shrugged and launched both chakrams at the Archer Warden. Zona casually jumped ten feet into the air and waltzed over the chakrams while still reading her book. Meera switched the trajectory of her chakrams and sent them after her foe.


    This time, she swayed away from the chakrams while reading her book.


    Meera brought her chakrams around, and before Zona could jump away, Meera extended her hand and activated Vampiric Chains. As Meera expected, Zona dodged to the right, but her chakrams were on the way.


    She bent forward and easily avoided the chakrams themselves but not their Searing effect. It opened a nice long bloody line across her back. Meera had to give credit to the woman. She did not flinch or even make a sound of discomfort. But she did shut her book.


    "Let me guess, your chakrams have a secret effect," Zona said.


    "They do." Meera couldn''t help smiling. "They can cut a few inches outside their length."


    Zona nodded and drew her bow. Without saying anything, she notched an arrow. Meera waited for the arrow to fly, then used Mirror Step and got out of range. But another arrow was coming for her already.


    She Stepped away to safety. Her constant avoidance of these arrows was the only thing keeping her alive, but doing so also stopped her from any offensive maneuvers. But she had to try something.


    She flicked her hand, and her chakrams flew towards the archer. Zona jumped in the air, and this time, she stepped on one of them to jump even higher. This time, she launched two more arrows at Meera.


    Instead of moving away, Meera moved towards her. She had killed Pallas this way, so why not her? She activated Mirror Blast, but Zona was nowhere to be found when the light went down. She had disappeared.


    Meera groaned. Not again.


    But she wasn''t disappointed for long as three arrows struck her. One in her chest, which wasn''t that deep. Her armor and her skills prevented it from reaching her heart. Her neck and face didn''t have much protection, so those were the ones that killed her.


    When Meera awoke, Brison stood beside her, staring down critically.


    "Should I stay here for a while if you''re going to keep dying so quickly?" He asked, adding insult to injury while offering Meera her hand.


    "Very funny." Meera took it and pushed herself up to her feet.


    "Word of advice, you better pick up your game, lass. She doesn''t know the meaning of going easy."


    To Meera''s surprise, Zona was not reading her book but waited for Meera to return so she could kill her again.


    "Thanks," Meera said to Brison. "But I think I had deduced that myself."


    Brison patted her back. "I wish you luck and hope the gods grant me some as well. For I am nowhere closer to finding out how to kill the Heart."


    That''s not good. That was what Meera wanted to say, but instead, she stated, "I''m sure you''ll find it. We still have five days left."


    "Thanks.


    Meera walked over to Zona once Brison left. She was inspecting her bow, but her eyes swiveled to Meera, making her stop in her tracks.


    "Are you ready?" Zona asked.


    "Yes, I think so."


    "Are you? Really?"


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Meera was about to reply that she was, but Zona''s look was reminiscent of her caretaker, Mrs. Kaur, who would ask her questions like these to trick her into another agonizing lecture. So, Meera thought about what she was missing.


    Her eyes widened. "Sorry, not ready. Can you please give me a moment to see what skill I got?"


    "Sure," she said nonchalantly.


    "You''re going to riddle me with arrows, aren''t you?"


    Zona snorted, but there was no humor on her face. "I might. But that is a chance you''re going to have to take."


    With that suspicious response, Meera activated Mirror shields around her and opened her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill, Arrow Tempest. Arrow Tempest ¨C Type: Active. You can launch a concentrated storm of arrows, saturating a designated area with deadly projectiles. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill of Camouflage. Camouflage ¨C Type: Active. You can blend seamlessly into your surroundings, making it difficult for enemies to detect you. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stared at the two skills, and neither seemed fascinating to her. She didn''t know how Arrow Tempest worked, but she did have a plethora of chakrams that could qualify for this skill. As for Camouflage, well, she could change the colors of her armor to match her surroundings, and she had her phantoms to confuse her enemies.


    "You don''t look impressed?" Zona asked.


    "I got Arrow Tempest and Camouflage," Meera said.


    "Pick Camouflage," she said without missing a beat.


    "But I already have something similar to that skill," Meera replied and showed her how her armor worked. She even showed Zona her Mirror Phantoms skill.


    "Doesn''t matter. Pick the Camouflage skill," the Warden said.


    "But¡ª"


    "You know what your problem is, Meera?"


    I guess you''re about to tell me.


    "You told Pallas that you wanted to build your skills to be more like an assassin, yet you pick the flashiest skills¡ªsomething a trained assassin would never do. Assassins work by hiding in the shadows and slicing off their opponent''s throats when the time is right. You attack your foes head-on, thus making your task difficult. Take our fight, for example, you are facing an experienced and stronger archer. Instead of running into the forest where you would have cover and obstacles to save yourself, you''re standing out in the open, trying to face me head-on. I''m not one of your earlier opponents. You cannot face me as you fought them. I do not and will not fight fairly, especially in the open. Out of all the Wardens, I''m the one that is the closest to an assassin."


    That perked up Meera''s ears. "So, what should I do?"


    "Pick Camouflage."


    "No, not that, I meant as a whole."


    "Fight dirty. All the time. That blast you did could easily be diversion enough to run and hide. Those chains you threw at me would have a much better chance of catching your foes if you launched them from the shadows. You have two affinities¡ªMirror and Shadow. Use them both. Hide in the shadows and strike with your mirrors. As for your armor, that would take too long as you manually changed parts of your armor''s colors. Camouflage will do that for you without much thought. Pick Camouflage, and let''s begin."


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Camouflage ¨C Level 1]


    "I''ll give you a head start," Zona said. "Go run to the trees and¡­"


    Meera never let her finish and had already teleported to the trees. She activated Camouflage and was not prepared for the results. With Shroud of Shadows, she became totally invisible to everyone and only saw a faint outline of herself. But with this, she hardly saw herself, but she was barely indifferent from the tree''s bark.


    She could still see herself, but it was surreal. She couldn''t wait to try this skill some more like Zona had said.


    There was a twang of the bow, and an arrow ripped through her throat. The last thing Meera saw before she died was Zona appearing out of the tree and shaking her head in disapproval.


    This time, Brison just had a look of utter disappointment. "I know I shouldn''t say this, but I''ve been keeping count, and you''ve died the most out of everyone by a large margin."


    "You''re right. You shouldn''t have said that." Meera was miffed, but her fear of the silent archer had only risen. She stood and nodded to Brison. "Thanks for bringing me back."


    "Just doing my job." He nodded and walked off to a hut that was not there before, meaning he had decided to make this peak his personal base.


    Meera would be lying if that didn''t hurt her ego by a large margin. She didn''t leave the forest and waved to Zona. "Let''s begin."


    This time, Meera activated Shroud of Shadows and ran deep into the forest, but as she ran, she threw out her tiny mirrors, ensuring she had enough teleportation points. From what she saw with her Mirror Eagle Perceptivity skill, Zona had not moved from the spot and was still inspecting her bow.


    Meera ran some more, and when she couldn''t see the archer, she climbed up a tree and waited. She pulled off her level 2 chakrams, waited, and listened. She cursed Lexa for that ear-deafening thunder, or she could use her gem and know where the Archer Warden was coming from.


    She was hidden enough to know that her Shroud would keep her entirely invisible, so she kept it up.


    Twang!


    Meera ducked instinctively, and it was a good thing, too, as an arrow flew overhead, hitting the leaves overhead. They fell on her but didn''t do much otherwise.


    Her branch swayed a little. Meera''s eyes widened.


    Zona had appeared behind her with an arrow pointed at her head. "Reveal yourself."


    Meera desperately looked for a mirror, she had left a few on the ground. But they were all covered with the leaves from earlier. She could jump down but wouldn''t be fast enough to outrun her arrow.


    "I won''t ask again."


    Meera sighed and shut off Shroud of Shadows. "How did you know I was here?"


    "Your footprints on the ground ended at this tree," she replied.


    Meera squeezed her eyes shut. Today is just not my day.


    "Now, it makes me think how you''ve survived all this time on luck alone," Zona said.


    "How did you even see my footprints in all this darkness?" Meera asked.


    "You see my eyes. They see in pitch black as it were the brightest of day."


    Meera turned to her fully with a big frown. "You mean you don''t have Albinism?"


    "What is that?"


    "It''s a disease¡­"


    "I don''t have any disease. I was born on the ice islands of Ealisto. My people, the Daori, all have these superior eyes to hunt on the ice and the hair and skin to blend in better. Take that into account next time." She pulled back on her bowstring.


    Meera sighed. "One more death¡­"


    "One more lesson."

 Chapter 126 – Evolutions In Skills

    Meera was sure she had done everything correctly this time. It was nighttime again, so she had her Shroud of Shadows active and stayed in the shadows, so she was invisible. She had flown in the air using Mirror Wing, leaving no footprints behind for Zona to track. She even controlled her breathing as best as she could. No huffing or making any loud sounds. She had even extended her armor upwards to cover her neck and head, forming a mask.


    Despite all this, she lay dying with two arrows in the face¡ªone in the eye and the other in the ear.


    The only reason she wasn''t dead yet was because of her Constitution and Vitalize skill. She was hoping against hope that she could survive this long enough for Zona to appear.


    Zona no longer came to impart any wisdom as Meera lay dying. Not since five deaths ago, when Meera almost got her. She had laid a trap for Zona as she had made a habit of coming to Meera as she lay dying. This time, the trap was ready as well. Her chakrams were hidden out of sight and waiting.


    Zona never came, but Meera''s death shortly did.


    Brison stood over her when she returned. He no longer looked disappointed. He just accepted that Meera was never going to win against Zona.


    "Okay, end of the day, Meera," Brison said. "Go eat something and get some sleep. You must be tired after¡­"


    "A whole day of dying," Meera finished for him.


    He didn''t meet her eyes. "Not the way I would''ve put it, but yes."


    "I actually think I won all my fights on luck alone."


    "Or maybe she''s just that good," He countered. "But still, there were seven times when you could have secured victory." He patted her shoulder. "It''s okay. You''re still young. You''ll learn. But don''t take too long. Your and Neel''s life will depend on it one day."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "How did you know?" She looked around but couldn''t find Zona, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t around and listening. "Do the others know?"


    He smiled. "Relax. Zona has already retired to her hut. As for how I know about Neel, you said his name as you died facing off against Melas for the first time. I ignored it then, thinking there must be many Neels in the worlds, even if it were an odd name. Then, when you got your new class, I began to wonder and put two and two together.


    Meera remembered now. Melas had punched through her gut, and she really thought her time was up. "Do the other know?"


    The Keeper shook his head. "No, they do not. It''s not my story to tell. Besides, you did tell them you''re doing this to get information on your brother." He leaned forward. "Though, I do think you should. It will make them feel secure knowing they are fighting beside the Champion''s sister."


    She smiled. "I''ll think about it. For now, I want to rest."


    "But make sure you check your notifications before you do. I won''t give you time once the hour is up."


    Meera snorted and walked off to her hut. To save her time, she opened her notifications. Though she hadn''t gained any levels in her class, she had gained some level in her skills.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 5 levels and reached Level 182. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 187% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 2 levels and reached Level 97]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 2 levels and reached Level 87]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 3 levels and reached Level 91]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity has gained 2 levels and reached Level 101]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Evolution. Mirror Eagle''s Perceptivity evolves to Mirrorstrike Vision. Mirrorstrike Vision ¨C Type: Active. Your powers of observation have increased by tenfold. You can analyze the weak points all over a person''s body, increasing the chance of hitting vital organs and doing critical damage.]


    Meera stared at the notification. You evolve now? Now? This skill would have been more than handy in the fight against Zona, though she doubted it would have helped as she hardly ever saw the Archer Warden before an arrow struck her down.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Now, Meera desperately wished that she had stolen the skill that let Zona hide her arrows, as even those Meera hardly ever saw.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 91]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has reached Level 87]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 3 levels and reached Level 100]


    She was expecting Vitalize to evolve as well, but it didn''t, which meant like classes, not all skills got their evolutions at level 100. She still wondered what the evolved version of Vitalize could do that the Vitalize skill couldn''t. Though having the ability to heal others would be nice.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 5 levels and reached Level 95]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has reached Level 65. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 67% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Phantom has gained 3 levels and reached Level 45]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 3 levels and reached Level 48]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 5 levels and reached Level 87]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 8 levels and reached Level 50]


    She quickly brought up her stats page to see how far along she was.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: The Shadow Image ¨C Level 238]


    [Class Ability: Hoarder ¨C Level 26]


    Stats


    [Health: 1930]


    [Stamina: 2110]


    [Mana: 2250]


    Attributes ( Free Stat Points)


    [Constitution: 193]


    [Power: 50]


    [Dexterity: 172]


    [Endurance: 211]


    [Focus: 225]


    [Agility: 158]


    [Perception: 133]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 93]


    [Shroud of Shadows - Level 87]


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 79]


    [Mirror Step - Level 91]


    [Druvis Power - Level 70]


    [Mirrorstrike Vision - Level 101]


    [Mirror Shield - Level 87]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 91]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 87]


    [Vitalize - Level 100]


    [Mirror Wing - Level 95]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 35]


    [Shadow Coating - Level 50]


    [Mirror Phantom - Level 45]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 29]


    Shadow Skills


    [Decay Bite - Level 9]


    [Death Mark ¨C Level 25]


    [Inferno Storm ¨C Level 19]


    [Bastian''s Strength ¨C Level 24]


    [Camouflage ¨C Level 1]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 9]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 182]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 48]


    [Charred Body - Level 15]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 64]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 67]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 15]


    [Absorption - Level 51]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 24]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 87]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 18]


    [Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    [Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    [Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 12]


    [Iron Skin ¨C Level 50]


    [Gladiator''s Last Breath ¨C Level 10]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 97]


    Meera was impressed with her progress in the past few days. If only she could steal Brison''s Keeper abilities, she could create a free training world whenever she wanted. Meera reached her hut as her notifications ended. She shook her head at how far she had to walk. I must''ve traveled half a kilometer in the forest. Her eyes fell on Zona''s hut. And the result was the same.


    With a sigh, she went inside her hut, ate the food that Brison had conjured, and plopped herself down for some well-needed sleep after a day of defeat. I hope I fight Dirik next. He''s easier than the rest. But given my luck, I''ll have to fight the Hulk next.


    <hr>


    Meera''s luck had turned. She was facing Dirik or Dalektor if that was even his real name. Meera was going to go with Dirik. It was easier and didn''t blow his cover if he was on a secret mission. But his concerns for his mother seemed genuine. The only problem with facing Dirik was his new level.


    [Shade ¨C Level 284]


    "Since when did you get so strong?" Meera asked.


    Pallas, who was Dirik''s last opponent, patted his back. "Oh, the lad will surprise you. He''s gotten terrifyingly strong."


    "You''re one to speak," Meera countered.


    [Guardian Warden ¨C Level 302]


    He smiled. "Thanks for the compliment. But you have been lacking. What''s happened?"


    "Zona."


    "Oh, that makes sense." He looked at Dirik and smiled. "Well, I hope you level up much more by then."


    Dirik looked between them. "Why? Is she that strong?"


    "I never managed to kill her," Meera said. "Not even once."


    His eyes widened. "You''re joking."


    "She''s not," Brison answered for Meera. "It got so bad, I had to move my hut here to save myself the trips."


    "Zona tends to tad overdo it," Pallas said. "Did you manage to cut her at least?"


    "Yes. I got her one time, but she got the better of me," she replied.


    "What skill did you get?" Pallas asked, eyes going manic again.


    Meera rolled her eyes. "Camouflage."


    "Oh." His face fell. "Truth be told, it''s a very generic skill. I''m not even sure why she still has it. She would''ve been better off if her class never even offered that skill."


    "Okay, that''s enough details on that front." Meera had just begun to feel a little better, but seeing Dirik''s progress had made her a little jealous. At this rate, he would easily hit level 300 in the next three days.


    Pallas and Brison wished them well and went on their way.


    Brison paused at the shimmering door. "I hope I don''t have to make another hut on this peak."


    "Ha ha, very funny," Meera replied.


    Brison smirked and walked through the door.


    "Sounds like you''ve had some day," Dirik said.


    "You don''t know the half of it," Meera said. "Who''ve you fought so far?"


    ¡°Tekton, Melas and Pallas,¡± he replied. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Pallas, Tekton and Zona. Looks like we''ve fought two of the same so far."


    "And now we fight each other once again. Ready, Meera?" Dirik asked. He even sounded more confident.


    There''s no way I''m losing to you on the first match after yesterday. She smiled. "Let''s go."

 Chapter 127 – Taking A Lightning Shower

    For the last two days, Meera had trained with Dirik and Melas. Today was the final day before the free-for-all. She had reached level 269, and many of her skills had crossed level 100, as had her armor, which gave her a sweet new effect.


    *ding!*


    [Armor of Mirrors effect unlocked. Stage 2 ¨C Chameleon. Thanks to the enchanted mirrors of this armor, you can dynamically adjust the armor''s visual characteristics to mimic the colors and patterns of your surroundings, making you practically invisible to the naked eye.]


    With this effect, she didn''t need the Camouflage skill anymore. Having tried it out in her fights against Melas, this was much better than Camouflage. One time, Melas walked right in front of her and didn''t even know she was there.


    Other skills that had reached level 100 were the Mirror Shield and Mirror Blast skills. Of the two, only Mirror Shield evolved.


    *ding!*


    [Skill Evolution. Mirror Shield evolves to Mirror Tower Shield. Mirror Tower Shield ¨C Type: Active. You can summon a Tower Shield, which can take twice the punishment. You can also decide the size and thickness of the shield, making it a versatile tool of defense.]


    Meera had only recently gotten this after her matches with Melas, so she hadn''t gotten the chance to try it out, but she was looking forward to it. She had always felt that the Mirror Shield was somewhat weak as it broke too easily. She hoped this Tower Shield upgrade was stronger.


    She knew she should''ve been proud of her achievements, but after seeing how much stronger everyone was than her, she couldn''t help but feel that they were leaving her behind. But still, she had gained over a hundred levels in a week, and where else could she get such high-level opponents to train against without the threat of death?


    As for her opponent of the day, it was the last Warden. The only one whom Meera had yet to fight. She was quite looking forward to fighting Lexa and stealing her skill.


    Lexa stretched as she got out of the hut. Even in her armor, the woman was pretty enough to win most beauty pageants if they were a thing in these worlds. She didn''t tie her long hair in a braid but let it free, and Meera was once again subconscious of her hair that was forcefully cut.


    [Stormweaver Warden ¨C Level 332]


    Meera could do nothing but gawk at her level. She was the highest-level opponent she had ever fought. Melas was only level 318 by the time their day came to an end. Meera wished she had faced her sooner when she was below level 300.


    Lexa frowned at Brison. "That Melas really ought to give us more sleeping time."


    "At least you''re not the doorman going around having to wake everyone," Brison said.


    Lexa chuckled. "Well, let''s start another day of savagery and butchery. Oh, sorry, I mean training. Hello Meera, I''ve been waiting to see what you can do. After all the talk from Pallas, I would expect you to be a god in human form."


    Meera smiled. "No, just a girl looking for her brother."


    "Who just happens to carry divine weapons." Lexa looked her up and down. "There''s more to you than meets the eye. Maybe by the end of the day, I''ll get it out of you."


    Meera shared a glance with Brison, and Lexa noticed.


    Brison coughed. "Okay, I best be going now. Keep it nice, clean kills. Harder to put people back together if they''re blasted all over the place." He gave Lexa a stern look.


    She held up her hands. "I''ll be sure to ask my lightning to not blow people up."


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    Brison sighed, gave Meera a sympathetic look, and walked through his door, leaving Lexa and Meera alone.


    Right away, Meera''s Wild Instincts flared up. Lexa''s hand whipped forward. Meera summoned a Tower Shield before her, and just in time, as a lightning bolt crashed against it, smashing it to pieces. But the shield stopped the lightning from getting through.


    Then came the thunder.


    Meera was sure she had lost one of her eardrums. She stared at the pieces of her shield on the ground, then back to the Stormweaver Warden. Smoke rose from her fingers. She blew it out and winked at Meera.


    "At least Zona trained you to be always prepared," Lexa said.


    "That and dying for real one day," Meera muttered.


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing. Just saying thanks¡­to Zona¡­a-and you for helping me."


    Lexa wasn''t wrong. Her Wild Instincts skill had helped her a lot in her matches but not a lot in Zona''s as she hardly ever saw her death coming for her, which was saying something, as Meera was rather proud of being able to see everything.


    Why didn''t I get her skill to disguise my chakrams?


    "Now, let''s begin for real," Lexa said.


    Mirrors exploded out of Meera, and she jumped between them in a zig-ag pattern even as they flew to the trees. She made it to the treeline, and Lexa''s fingers sparked. Meera erected another shield and activated the Chameleon effect of her armor.


    It was surreal. Her armor had turned colors to match her surroundings perfectly. By the time her shield fell, Meera reflected the foliage around her. She put her back to a tree and pretty much became part of the tree.


    I am never going to get used to this.


    She willed her armor to cover her head completely, even her eyes, leaving only two small holes for her nose. It wasn''t like she needed eyes to see. In fact, not having eyes made it easier for her to concentrate on things around her.


    Meera thought she would have heard footsteps by now, but she heard nothing. She activated Vitalize to heal her ears, but they were fine. She moved a small part of her foot out and saw that Lexa was still in the same spot.


    Meera frowned. Is she not going to follow me in here?


    Lexa looked to the heavens and raised her hands high. High in the sky above, clouds began to gather¡ªstorm clouds. Meera did not like the look of that. She pulled a level 2 chakram and launched it at her.


    Sparks buzzed around Lexa''s whole form. Her chakram looked like it would cut her in half, but a thunderbolt grounded her chakram, leaving behind a blackened patch on the ground, and then it started.


    A rain of lightning bolts.


    The entire peak was ravaged with lightning and thunder. The clearing was a mess as lightning struck again and again, moving outwards to the forest¡ªmore precisely, where Meera was hiding.


    What awesome power¡­


    The lightning storm finally reached the forest, and it amplified to cover a large area. Meera thought she might be safe under the cover of trees as they could not catch on fire, but she was wrong. Even if lightning could not burn these trees, it could smash them to splinters.


    All around her, branches and even entire trees were ripped asunder. Splinters flew everywhere, and Meera thanked Midiea and Darthin for giving her the skill to see through mirrors, or it would have been impossible to keep her eyes open in all the splinters.


    Lightning struck overhead, and her tree was split in half. One-half of it was literally about to fall on her. She looked for the closest mirror, and it was nowhere to be found. The forest floor was nothing but a mess of logs and blackened, smoking wood.


    In the last moment, Meera jumped aside and noticed her chakram and the Mirror Tower Shield shards lying by the Warden. She smirked, pulled off another level 2 chakram, and teleported to the closest mirror piece to the Warden.


    Lexa was smiling when Meera appeared in front of her. Meera should''ve guessed that was what Lexa wanted, as her smile didn''t waver. Meera punched at her with her chakram, and she swayed to the side, but thanks to her chakram''s effect, it still cut her.


    Meera smiled, but Lexa didn''t like the cut on her cheek. Her eyes grew furious. The smell of ozone filled the air, and Meera heard crackling. She teleported away at perfect timing as lightning hit right where she stood.


    When she reappeared, she activated a Tower Shield, facing the Warden and a good thing too. A lightning bolt hit her Tower Shield, fired from Lexa''s fingers.


    Lexa gritted her teeth, and that was when the rain and wind started. Not like some bad weather but more like a hurricane. Meera was almost thrown off her feet, but somehow, she managed to keep her feet.


    Lexa clapped, and Meera''s world was flipped upside down.


    A shockwave of wind and lightning exploded from her hands, sending Meera rolling into a tree. She hit it face first. She would''ve been fine if it was just that, but her Health took a dive when she blasted Meera with a lightning bolt from the heavens.


    The storm centered around Meera. She pulled off a regular chakram using Mirror Wing and tossed it out of the storm''s radius, but Lexa knocked it out of the sky. Then Meera took a shower with lightning.


    She activated Tower Shield after Tower Shield, and they kept her alive, as did Vitalize, but still, the punishment was massive.


    Her whole form smoked, and her armor had massive holes that burned and smelled of charred meat. When it looked like Lexa would not stop. Meera realized the end was near, but she had done enough losing to go down that easy.


    She activated Mist Concealment, filling the area with mists. The lightning shower slowed until it stopped. Meera activated Mirror Phantom and sent a phantom out of the mist. Lexa was surprised to see that Meera was fine and well.


    "My, my, you''re a resilient one," she said.


    Phantom Meera cupped a hand around her ear. "What? Sorry, my eardrums are shot. You''re going to have to speak louder."


    She repeated herself, but again, the phantom played the fool. Lexa sighed and came closer, stepping past her level 2 chakram that was embedded in the ground.


    Meera smiled and spoke through the phantom. "I win."


    Lexa tilted her head but could never speak as Meera cut off her head with the very chakram she had walked past.


    Something tells me she won''t be happy when she returns.

 Chapter 128 – Skills Of The Stormweaver

    Meera sighed in relief when Brison appeared and healed her by tracing something in his book with his finger. Right now, he was reattaching Lexa¡¯s head back to her body. It helped if the body parts were together. Something about making his skills work faster and consuming less Mana.


    That was another thing that Meera had wondered about over the past few days. How could he keep this world active, repeatedly heal them, and not run out of Mana? Can he just write in the book and give himself more Mana, or does he have an infinite supply of Mana potions?


    She shook her head and rid herself of these thoughts as time was wasting, and the very angry Stormweaver could rise at any moment to take her revenge. She pulled up her notifications.


    She skipped the level-up notifications as she didn¡¯t have time. The dead Stormweaver¡¯s head had been attached to her body, but she had yet to wake up. Time was running out for Meera.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Storm Affinity. This determines how close you are to the storm element. All of your storm-based attacks will get a 3% boost. Would you like to acquire the skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Heaven¡¯s Wrath. You can summon a storm of lightning bolts, unleashing destruction of unparalleled proportions upon all. Your foes will have nowhere to cower as you unleash the wrath of the heavens. Would you like to acquire the skill?]


    Meera smiled. Yes, I¡¯ll take the second one, please.


    She gave up Camouflage as she didn¡¯t need it anymore because of her armor¡¯s stage 2 effect. She was a little miffed that she didn¡¯t get anything special from the one Warden who beat her so mercilessly. Somehow, it would¡¯ve consoled her heart, but as she knew it, life was never fair.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Heaven¡¯s Wrath ¨C Level 1]


    Meera closed her notifications and found Lexa glaring at her. She gulped and stepped back gingerly. ¡°Now, I can see why you would be mad, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mad¡­¡± The air smelled of ozone, and static electricity zapped around Lexa, but then she laughed. ¡°That was fantastic.¡± She engulfed Meera in a bear hug.


    ¡°It was¡­¡± Meera still expected to get shot and was ready to teleport away at a moment¡¯s notice.


    She let go of Meera and waved a dismissive hand. ¡°All that anger was just an act. I am not some maniac like that Tekton or even Zona. Let¡¯s work together and make each other better.¡±


    Meera relaxed. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Behind Lexa, Brison was shaking his head vigorously, which was all the signal that Meera needed. She teleported away to the farthest mirror just in time as Lexa shot two bolts, one from each hand.


    ¡°Wow, you catch on quick,¡± Lexa said. ¡°What gave it away?¡±


    ¡°You laid it on too thick.¡±


    Lexa winced a little. ¡°I should have just zapped you when I hugged you.¡±


    Meera snorted. ¡°You really should have. Now, let¡¯s do things a little differently, shall we?¡±


    She pointed at Lexa and activated Death Mark. A red skull appeared on Lexa¡¯s arm, making her frown. It disappeared after a moment, but the Death Mark was still there.


    Lexa frowned. ¡°I hope that wasn¡¯t permanent. I hate tattoos.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll only stay there until you kill me or I kill you¡­again.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheeky.¡± She raised a finger and pointed at Meera, no doubt to shoot a lightning bolt.


    But Meera activated Mirror Phantom and created two more duplicates of her using two tiny mirrors from her armor. The three Meera crisscrossed, making Lexa frown once more in frustration.


    ¡°Now, which one is the real me?¡±


    Lexa smiled. ¡°This is good, but you should have made more.¡± She raised two more fingers and shot a lightning bolt out of each finger.


    She teleported away in the nick of time and learned something precious that day. If the mirror at the phantom¡¯s core didn¡¯t break, the illusion was not dispelled, as her two illusions stayed intact.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Lexa mused, mirroring Meera¡¯s thoughts.


    Meera moved the phantoms closer to her and activated Mist Concealment. The mists released from her body covered the entire clearing. Next, Meera activated Chameleon to merge one with the mists. She pulled off two of her chakrams¡ªregular ones. With Death Mark, she didn¡¯t need her stronger ones, at least not for Lexa. With all her preparations complete, Meera was ready to move on to the attack, if not for the Stormweaver Warden.


    Lexa clapped and undid all of Meera¡¯s preparations.


    Lexa had used this move before. The clap released such wind pressure and zaps of tiny lightning that if it had not been for Meera¡¯s defensive skills, she would have been trembling from the shock. However, her phantoms were not afforded such protections. Their core exploded into tiny shards, and the phantoms vanished.


    ¡°Try something else, lass,¡± Lexa said. ¡°That is just not going to work for you against me.¡±


    Meera gritted her teeth. The worst thing about fighting these Wardens was not that they were significantly higher level than her, but it was their combat experience. They saw through her tricks with ease, which made her fights that much harder, but she was learning ridiculously fast.


    If deception isn¡¯t going to work, then I guess an all-out assault it is.


    She shot her opponent with a Mirror Shard Barrage. Lexa raised an electric shield to block the beam. But it littered the ground around her with mirrors, which was perfect. Meera shut off her beam and launched her chakrams at the Stormweaver.


    As Meera expected, Lexa brought up a shield, so she teleported behind her. She was about to slash out Lexa¡¯s neck when blue lightning exploded out of her. Meera screamed as she was blown away. She rag-dolled on the ground for a bit before hitting a tree.


    Her whole form smoked, and she was in terrible pain. Her body felt numb. Thankfully, she had Vitalize to take the pain away, or she would have been done for. Lexa didn¡¯t give her time to recover as the next lightning bolt came from the heavens itself.


    Meera teleported to safety, which was a good thing, too, as there was an enormous crater where she lay. She needed time to heal, something the lightning mage would not give her. So, Meera decided to make time. She took off all her chakrams, and, using Mirror Wing, she launched them all at the Warden.


    Lexa¡¯s eyes widened for but a moment. The shield dissipated, and in its place was an electric whip. All this time, Meera had thought she was primarily a caster who couldn¡¯t move around much. Lexa proved that wrong.


    Time and time again, Meera threw her chakrams at her in all directions, and she danced through them as her whip slapped them away, unleashing deafening thunder with each blow.


    Meera didn¡¯t give up hope as she kept up her assault. One thing was sure, Meera couldn¡¯t fight this battle up close. She had to keep her distance. That blast was more than painful. She groaned as she peeled herself off the ground onto her feet. She wasn¡¯t fully healed but could move around and let Vitalize bring her to top shape. An idea popped into her head as to how to get herself healed faster.


    She made her chakrams pick up the pace, but Lexa kept up with ease as expected. When her back was turned, Meera extended her hand and shot Vampiric Chains. Chains of shadow and darkness erupted from her hand and found their mark.


    Meera smirked triumphantly as her Health started rising, and Lexa was rendered immobile.


    ¡°Got you,¡± Meera said.


    ¡°Yes, Meera, but you are also caught,¡± Lexa smirked, not even displaying a single bead of sweat.


    Is this not hurting her? Meera did her best not to show her concern over her calmness and that the world had grown somewhat darker.


    ¡°How so?¡± Meera asked carefully.


    ¡°Well, now, you cannot move either, or at the very least, you cannot teleport without forgoing your hold on me,¡± Lexa replied.


    ¡°Yes, but I can always slice off your head with my chakrams.¡± Meera raised her free hand and clenched it into a fist. All her chakrams launched at blinding speed to cut off Lexa¡¯s neck.


    Lexa clapped her hands again.


    Meera raised two Mirror Tower Shields, and they saved her from the attack. It was a good thing she had raised two shields as the first one resisted some, but, in the end, it shattered, but the second one held. Meera peaked over the shield and found Lexa clapping¡ªjust regular clapping¡ªand her chakrams had been blown by the wind pressure.


    ¡°I will be honest, Meera,¡± Lexa said. ¡°You¡¯re resourceful. They say that about me, too. So, let me show you the most powerful form of my greatest skill.¡± She flourished a hand to the sky. ¡°I give you Heaven¡¯s Wrath.¡±


    The lightning shower started again.


    Only this time, lightning fell much quicker and with more devastation, leaving behind craters. Meera¡¯s eyes widened. This was perhaps the most devastating skill she had ever seen. The bolts started coming down faster.


    Meera had to let go of her Vampiric Chains and teleport away from the impending lightning bolt that was about to crash on her head. She teleported a few more times, barely avoiding the bolts, and the thunder was driving her mad. The earth began to shake with each bolt, and it looked like Lexa would flatten the entire peak, but the lightning stopped.


    Meera huffed and looked at the stormy sky.


    ¡°Now, that was fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Lexa asked, grinning. ¡°Now, for the finale. The true Heaven¡¯s Wrath.¡±


    Meera didn¡¯t even have time to move when a lightning bolt, as thick as a massive tree trunk, blew her to pieces.


    When Meera awoke, Lexa was standing over her. She smiled. ¡°So, did you like it?¡±


    Meera stood. ¡°Thanks for showing me that.¡± She smiled wide at the Warden. ¡°I have something to show you, too. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡±

 Chapter 129 – A Savage Battle Begins

    Meera did better against the Stormweaver Warden than she had expected. Her training day with Zona had shaken her confidence but fighting Melas and especially Lexa had helped her regain some of that confidence. Even though her matches with Lexa got drawn out, they killed each other equal amounts of time, which gave Meera the confidence that she could still hang in there with the best of them.


    Brison had informed them that Melas had given them a full eight hours of sleep today, but she still had woken up early. Lying in her bed, staring at the planks of the small hut, she couldn''t fall back asleep, so she looked at her notifications. She was so tired last night that she collapsed as soon as she stepped foot in the hut.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 3 Stormweaver Wardens ¨C Level 332 ¨C Level 335. For killing an opponent sixty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 9 levels and reached Level 278. You have been awarded 27 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 270 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakrams.]


    Two more chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to nineteen¡ªeleven regular and eight level 2 chakrams. She had created two more to fight Lexa, as these were the only ones that could get through her lightning whip.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 204. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 208% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Effect Upgraded. Mirror Affinity will provide a boost of 4% for every level henceforth.]


    Meera smiled at that. More damage was always better, and she felt she would need it for the coming fight.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 4 levels and reached Level 106]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 2 levels and reached Level 97]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 3 levels and reached Level 92]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 3 levels and reached Level 102]


    Mirror Step did not evolve or give any passive boost, which saddened Meera, but it was okay. The skill had gotten faster with the increased levels.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirrorstrike Vision has gained 4 levels and reached Level 105]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield has gained 5 levels and reached 106]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has reached Level 103]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 2 levels and reached Level 99]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 3 levels and reached Level 108]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 5 levels and reached Level 104]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Effect Upgrade. Mirror Wing will now fly the mirrors faster and use less mana. You can even easily take control of more mirrors and control them with ease.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 3 levels and reached Level 72]


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    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Phantom has gained 2 levels and reached Level 58]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Death Mark has gained 6 levels and reached Level 51]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Inferno Storm has gained 3 levels and reached Level 42]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Bastian''s Strength has gained 5 levels and reached Level 55]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Heaven''s Wrath has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 4 and reached Level 87. All of your mirror-based attacks will get an 89% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 3 levels and reached Level 57]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 4 levels and reached Level 82]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 4 levels and reached Level 29]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Absorption has gained 3 levels and reached Level 68]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 6 levels and reached Level 101]


    Another disappointment was that it did not evolve after hitting level 100. Meera wished she knew beforehand, which skills would evolve and which would stay the same.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 8 levels and reached Level 70]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Gladiator''s Last Breath has gained 4 levels and reached Level 25]


    She brought up all her stats to look at progress so far.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: The Shadow Image ¨C Level 278]


    [Class Ability: Hoarder ¨C Level 26]


    Stats


    [Health: 2170]


    [Stamina: 2350]


    [Mana: 2490]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 217]


    [Power: 50]


    [Dexterity: 196]


    [Endurance: 235]


    [Focus: 249]


    [Agility: 170]


    [Perception: 145]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 98]


    [Shroud of Shadows - Level 97]


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 92]


    [Mirror Step - Level 102]


    [Druvis Power - Level 79]


    [Mirrorstrike Vision - Level 105]


    [Mirror Tower Shield - Level 106]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 103]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 99]


    [Vitalize - Level 108]


    [Mirror Wing - Level 104]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 52]


    [Shadow Coating - Level 72]


    [Mirror Phantom - Level 58]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 42]


    Shadow Skills


    [Decay Bite - Level 9]


    [Death Mark ¨C Level 51]


    [Inferno Storm ¨C Level 42]


    [Bastian''s Strength ¨C Level 55]


    [Heaven''s Wrath ¨C Level 9]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 9]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 204]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 57]


    [Charred Body - Level 15]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 83]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 82]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 29]


    [Absorption - Level 68]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 24]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 101]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 18]


    [Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    [Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    [Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 23]


    [Iron Skin ¨C Level 70]


    [Gladiator''s Last Breath ¨C Level 25]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 106]


    Meera rested her eyes for a little while, but it wasn''t long before Brison showed up. She got up and left with him through his shimmering door. He was quiet again. Despite how much this man worked, he showed no signs of being tired¡ªno red eyes or bags under his eyes. It was odd. Maybe he can keep himself in top shape by writing it in his book.


    When Meera emerged through the door, it wasn''t a mountain peak with a clearing and a forest all around them. It was a gladiatorial arena. Thankfully, there was no crowd. It was rather bare bones and looked very roman-esque. There were some fallen columns and even a tree or two, which made Meera tilt her head. The place didn''t look out of care. In fact, everything looked pristine.


    The only other two people that had arrived so far were Tekton and Pallas.


    "Hey, look who''s here, and you''ve made some marvelous improvement in your levels," Pallas said.


    Meera Identify''ed them both.


    [Guardian Warden ¨C Level 327]


    [Gladiator Warden ¨C Level 330]


    "Thanks, but I''m still far behind both of you," Meera replied.


    "Ha," Tekton barked a laugh, and not surprisingly, he was still polishing a dagger. "And yet you''ve beaten us both enough times. A true warrior shouldn''t look at others and despair but size them up like a Drake sizes up its prey."


    "Don''t be so down on, Meera," Pallas said. "The way you''re progressing. You''ll leave us in the dust soon. I couldn''t even dream of being as strong as you are when I was your age."


    Meera smiled a little. "Say, Pallas, I wanted to ask you something."


    "Ask away."


    "I had some skills upgrade to their more powerful versions, but¡ª"


    "Really?" He practically squealed. "Which one?" His manic eyes were back again.


    "I think I''ll withhold that information until after the free-for-all," she replied. "Coming back to my question. Some skills evolved at level 100, while others didn''t. Why do some skills evolve at level 100 and others do not?"


    Pallas shared a smile with Tekton. "The answer is quite simple." He raised his hand. "Just like no finger is equal in length and function. And just like no two classes are similar. The same goes for skills. Some skills evolve at level 100, others at 200, some do not evolve till level 500, and others never evolve. In your case, it''s even harder to tell because you steal them. If you had earned them through regular means, then we could''ve better gauged if they would evolve or not. My Bastian''s Strength that you stole was at level 215. I would not expect it to evolve until you''ve got it to level 300, and maybe not even then. Maybe its next evolution will be at 500 or even at 1000."


    Meera''s jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Is there a way to tell when the next skill evolution will be?"


    Tekton laughed. "You want to appropriate the powers of a god, do you?"


    Meera frowned and looked between them both.


    Pallas smiled at her. "Meera, the only one who knows a skill''s journey in its entirety is Lord Darthin, the Master of skills. Only the creator of the skills can tell you when and if the skill will evolve."


    To say Meera was disappointed was to say the sun was yellow, which, thankfully, in this star system, it was. She could only handle so many changes. A Saturn-sized planet always hanging in the sky was more than enough for her.


    Brison arrived with Dirik and Zona. Pallas ran to his girlfriend, tackled her into a bear hug, lifted her off the ground, and gave her a big kiss. Meera was happy for them. Zona scared the piss out of her, and her new level was not making her any less scary.


    [Archer Warden ¨C Level 332]


    Meera had a hand in handing Zona a lot of her new levels. Her strategy for dealing with her was to stay as far as possible and be camouflaged, as it was high noon, so invisibility was out of the question, thanks to her Shroud''s one weakness¡ªlight.


    Melas was the last to arrive, with sleepy eyes and disheveled hair and snapping at Brison for waking him up too early. The others laughed or shook their head at their leader, commenting how he was always like this.


    "Oh, you''re all here, and I thought I would have to waste my time waiting for you while someone made his rounds." He gave Brison a sidelong glance, to which the Keeper just rolled his eyes. Melas went on after a big yawn. "The rules are simple. Kill each other in any way possible. Die, and you''re out. The last person surviving gets to kill the Heart of Doromar. I hope our dear Keeper of Records has made some progress towards finding a solution for that problem."


    "I have," Brison said.


    "Great," Melas said, sounding less drowsy and annoyed. "Any questions?" He glanced at everyone, and no one had any. He bulked up in an instant.


    "Let''s begin slaughtering each other."

 Chapter 130 – Utter Madness And Chaos

    Meera didn''t know what to expect, but she was not expecting the ground to fall into darkness and the skies to be covered with dark storm clouds. Next, what happened was an attack on all fronts¡ªfrom below, above the ground, and the sky.


    Dirik thrust his Shadowsteal sword into the ground, and an enlarged copy of the blade burst out of the ground where everyone was standing. Meera jumped aside in time, but the blade did nick her foot. Thankfully, her armor protected her, and she didn''t take any damage.


    All the others successfully avoided the Shade''s attack with minimal damage, aside from Tekton, who roared, his skin glowing with a certain pinkish glow. As Dirik''s shadow sword jutted out of the ground. He jumped back and cut the shadow blade in half.


    Pallas erected a shield below him and slid off the shadow sword as if he were a roller-skater. Of course, the scariest response came from Lexa, who disintegrated the shadow blade coming for her by blasting it with a lightning bolt.


    Then chaos ensued.


    Meera activated the Chameleon effect of her armor and blended into a column, hoping no one had seen her. But she had a feeling Dirik could still feel her presence. Thankfully, he was too engaged with Tekton to focus on her. Even Dirik had made lots of progress since she last saw him. He had reached over level 300.


    [Shade ¨C Level 304]


    Meera couldn''t help being jealous of the Shade''s progress. But none of this would have been possible if he hadn''t found her that night. She would never have found the queen or met the Wardens if not for him. But not telling her his real name left a bad taste in her mouth.


    On the other side of the arena, the other four Wardens fought each other. Lexa was the heavy hitter. She attacked everyone with bolts from her fingers while she stirred up a storm overhead. Meera wanted to run to the shade of the tree, but it wasn''t dark enough yet that her Shroud of Shadows would make her completely invisible. She had also avoided a direct conflict so far. It would be ideal if she could avoid the fight altogether and only fight the last man standing.


    Despite Lexa''s bolts and Zona''s arrows, the most feral of them all was Melas. He roared as he jumped from opponent to opponent, denting Pallas''s shields and pushing Lexa back. Even Zona''s arrows couldn''t do much to him. By now, Meera knew very well what it was like fighting this captain of the Wardens. He might have had a lower level than his peers, but that didn''t mean he was any less formidable.


    [Colossus Warden ¨C Level 321]


    The only other person besides Meera who stayed out of the fighting was Brison. He sat with his feet up in the spectator''s booth, which must''ve been reserved for VIPs as it was the only place with a solid roof. He was eating grapes like an emperor of old and winked at Meera.


    He can see me from there. She shook her head, chalked it up to the refraction of the light, and turned her attention to the fighting. In just that instant that she had focused on Brison, Tekton, and Dirik had disengaged from each other and thrown themselves into the fray.


    The most impressive was the one who scared Meera the most. Zona dodged and ducked blows like a master martial artist while at the same time returning fire with her arrows. Even Pallas wasn''t safe from her arrows, but then again, he didn''t need any security. Her arrows broke on his shields as they floated around him like a protective armor. However, the punishment they took from Melas'' fists was evident enough.


    Lexa cried out as she was launched Meera''s way, cradling her bloody arm. From her fights with the Stormweaver, Meera knew that her defense was shit. She quietly pulled off her level 2 chakram. Lexa rolled to a stop and stood in a fury.


    It was Dirik who had hit her. Her blood dripped from his dark sword. Lexa had her back turned to Meera, and she was about to cut her head off when she noticed the clouds crackling and thundering above.


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    It would be best if she could damage them a bit before she''s off the playing field.


    Lexa roared, and Heaven''s Wrath exploded from the clouds. Lightning rained down on the other Wardens while Meera was safe. The others tried to dodge as best as they could. Meera wasn''t concerned about them. Her target stood open.


    Meera''s Mirrorstrike Vision showed Lexa''s weak points. They glowed red. Her Warden''s armor covered most of her vital organs, but the armor did not concern her chakrams. Her vital organs glowed a slight shade of red, but the unprotected neck glowed a deep red. Meera knew what to aim for.


    She launched her level 2 chakram.


    Her chakram whistled through the air. Lexa turned at the last moment. Her eyes widened, and she ducked, but she was too slow. Meera''s divine weapon went just above her eyebrows and cut her brain in two.


    Lexa''s brain fell out of her skull before the two fell to the ground. It was rather gruesome, but that was not what stopped the fighting. It was the gong that reverberated through the arena. Meera couldn''t see where it was. A moment later, Lexa''s body disappeared and appeared beside Brison. She was fine and absolutely livid.


    "Meera, you coward," she yelled. "You couldn''t fucking fight me fairly, could you? Too scared, you fucking chicken. Midiea''s chosen." She spat on the ground and went on to curse her some more. Apparently, being the first one to die brought her much shame and anger. Thankfully, she didn''t have time to see where Meera was, or she feared that Lexa would have revealed her location.


    The others only fueled the fires of her anger by laughing at her outburst while Meera was sweating in her armor.


    "I''m going to blast you into so many pieces that it''s going to take Brison a week to put you back together," Lexa finished.


    "Okay, that''s enough," Brison said, pulling her down. "Relax, I''m sure she''ll be the next one out."


    The others looked around where the chakram had come from, but it was Zona who figured it out. She aimed an arrow directly at Meera, but thankfully, Melas was on her. He punched her hard enough to send her flying straight into the arena''s edge. She smashed into the marble hard enough to crack it.


    Please don''t get up. Meera prayed.


    But like always, her prayers were not answered, as Zona pushed herself out of the hole and simultaneously launched two arrows at Melas. Melas jumped for her, inadvertently, buying Meera enough time to change her hiding position, but before that, she needed more darkness.


    Thankfully, Lexa''s storm clouds hadn''t dissipated when she went down. Meera started preparing another Heaven''s Wrath. The skill needed a well of Mana. The only other skill that took that much Mana was Inferno Storm. Despite their low levels, both were the most damaging in her arsenal. Mirror Blast did more damage than either of them in close proximity, thanks to her high Mirror Affinity, but these were great for area of effect damage.


    The clouds darkened overhead, and thunder roared in the sky, making more than a few look upwards in confusion. Then, naturally, their eyes turned to the pissed-off Stormweaver.


    "Don''t look to me. It''s that fucking thief," Lexa barked.


    Pallas howled with laughter. "Oh, ho! She stole your trump move." He laughed some more while Lexa turned the shade of a tomato.


    Then lightning fell once more.


    Everyone started dodging and trying to get out of the way, but Meera did get a few good hits on everyone aside from Zona. Meera was sure by now that she had a skill like Mirrorstrike Vision that let her see through more than just her eyes.


    As the others dodged the lightning bolts. Meera activated Shroud of Shadows and dashed for the tree. While she did, she activated her armor''s effect and basted out tiny mirrors all over the arena to give her enough jump points for her Mirror Step, which was supposed to have gotten faster, but she had yet to test it out. But Dirik''s darkness on the ground swallowed them all. Meera had to bite back a few choice words.


    She reached the tree''s shade and shut off Heaven''s Wrath. The damage she had done to the arena was surreal. The part of the arena where she had concentrated her bolts was nothing more than a crater.


    The person who had taken the most hits was Melas. Since he never wore any armor, he was an easy target to do massive damage, but the only problem was his highly leveled Iron Skin skill.


    His skin supported many minor degree burns, some bruises, and scrapes, but overall, he was fine. Zona had hardly taken any damage at all, and neither had her boyfriend, who had taken refuge in a small dome that was dented and surprisingly melted, with the metal dripping inwards in many places.


    Meera frowned at first, but then she remembered that this was not out of the ordinary as lightning was electricity at a much higher voltage.


    "Where is she?" Tekton roared. His armor was black and melted in several places.


    Meera had half a mind to give them another lightning shower, but Melas jumped high into the air and clapped upwards. It sent a shockwave and such intense wind pressure that even on the ground, Meera felt the shockwave. The tree''s foliage rocked in the wind, with several branches breaking and falling on Meera.


    The clouds vanished, and sunlight shone down on them.


    Meera was safe in the shade as she was practically invisible still. That was until Lexa shot an arrow directly at Meera. She dropped to the ground, and the arrow hit the tree behind her with such force that the tree was ripped off its roots and sailed through the air, where it exploded, raining splinters and leaves on everyone.


    "There she is." Tekton smiled viciously.


    Then, everyone charged her as one.

 Chapter 131 – An Unlikely Pair Remains

    Meera realized that her armor''s Chameleon effect wasn''t much use anymore, but she still kept her head and neck covered. She pulled off four level 2 chakrams using Mirror Wing and launched them at all the coming Wardens. Dirik was still hiding in his shadows, but she couldn''t be worried about him. I''ll deal with his sneak attacks as they come.


    Tekton deflected her chakram with his sword. Pallas blocked it with a shield. For the first time, Melas dodged it instead of punching it away. Zona shot an arrow at it, but her chakrams were much stronger thanks to her increased Dexterity, and her Mirror Wing skill was stronger, too. In the end, Zona had to dodge as well.


    But Meera wasn''t in the mood to let her get off so easily. She flicked a finger, and her chakram went after Zona. Thanks to the upgraded Mirror Wing, the speed of her chakram had more than doubled. Her spinning disc of death went blazing after the archer.


    Zona''s eyes widened, and she ducked the chakram, but thanks to the Searing effect of her chakram, it left a nice, deep cut on Zona''s right arm. The arm that she pulled the bowstring with. Meera couldn''t help but grin. How''s that for a little payback?


    She would''ve loved to continue to assault the Archer Warden, but the others had reached her. Without wasting a moment, Meera blasted off into the air. Out of their reach, for now. The chakrams that she had launched at them came flying back.


    Her troubles were only beginning. The stoic Zona, who had hardly shown any emotion, glared at Meera. She pulled back on her bowstring. If anyone from afar looked at her, it would seem she had no problem doing it, but her eyes spoke the truth. They flickered and trembled with pain, even if she didn''t show the pain outwardly.


    Meera took out three regular chakrams and had them spin around her as a protective barrier. Her idea was to have them cut off Zona''s arrow midflight, but another trouble came her way in the form of the Colossus Warden.


    Melas jumped directly in front of her, ready to ram his fist through her head. Another idea popped into her head. Meera flew down to the others as if shot from a bow. Zona launched her arrow as soon as Meera landed. Tekton also swung his sword at her at the same time. Meera activated Druvis Power and somehow caught the blade, prevented it from slicing her hands in two, and moved him in front of her.


    Tekton only had time to frown as Zona''s arrow ripped through him. The Gladiator gasped as his eyes widened, and blood poured out of the hole in his armor. Armor, which she had weakened thanks to her lightning storm.


    "Sorry," Meera said before lifting him over her head and tossing him towards the archer.


    Pallas laughed and shook his head. "You''re a menace today, Meera."


    Melas fell with a fist, ready to punch her into the ground, but she used Mirror Blast and blasted him out of the sky. Pallas, of course, was fine. His shields saved him. Her idea panned out as Tekton engaged Zona in deadly combat. It was a sight to watch them move, but she didn''t have time to focus on them much as she saw the ground ripple.


    The only weakness of Dirik''s shadowy ground skill was that it rippled slightly whenever he attacked. She had fought him to the death enough times to know how to catch the rippling effect. Meera jumped back as a great shadowy sword jutted out of the ground.


    The ground rippled again beneath her feet. She blasted off into the air as another sword tried to come for her. The sword tip would''ve impaled her foot if not for her recently upgraded armor and defensive skills.


    The ground rippled again, and throwing knives the size of long swords flew at Meera. She activated a Tower Shield below her, and the shield stopped the swords, but it did get a few cracks.


    She had her hands full with Dirik, but the mad Warden Captain roared and came for her. She flew out of the way of his fist and activated Vampiric Chains. The chains wrapped themselves around his body and suspended him in mid-air. She reached around her back, pulled off a level 2 chakram, and activated Shadow Coating, covering her chakram with shadows and giving it a twinkly look.


    She hurled the chakram at the frozen Colossus, who unfortunately broke her chains at that very instant. But her chakram was fast. It sliced off Melas''s arm just below the shoulder.


    "Ouch." Pallas winced for his brother.


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    Melas bit his lower lips and groaned as he fell. Blood leaked in droves from his stump. Meera was sure that was enough to put him down, but she was mistaken. It only made him angrier. As soon as he landed, his head snapped at her and glared like a wild beast.


    Pallas chuckled. "You have to admit, she got you good."


    Melas ignored him as he glared at her, sizing her as his next prey.


    "Are you going to do anything or just trash talk?" Meera yelled at the Guardian.


    "I could, or I could just wait for someone else to finish him off."


    A sword of darkness and shadows erupted out of the ground. Melas jumped aside, but the sword still impaled his foot. Again, Melas did not cry out. Dirik finally revealed himself.


    He jumped out of the shadowy ground, his Shadowsteel blade ready to cut off Melas'' head. But the Captain of the Wardens would not go down so easily. He caught Dirik''s blade in his hand and tossed him aside. Dirik went rolling on the ground, raising dust, which Meera found odd as the dust was under the layer of shadows that Dirik had formed on the ground.


    She wished she could have taken advantage of this opportunity, but three arrows zipped through the air towards Meera. She dropped to the ground, and the arrows sailed harmlessly overhead. In trying to fight off Melas, she didn''t have the time to focus on Tekton and Zona''s fight.


    The Gladiator Warden was no longer in the arena. He sat beside the Stormweaver Warden, looking about as miffed as Lexa. But Zona had not won the fight unscathed. She had taken several bad cuts to her abdomen and legs, and she was missing the tip of her nose.


    Meera had nary a breath to raise a small shield in front of her face before Melas'' fist came crashing through it and sent her flying. She nearly blacked out. Her eyes watered involuntarily. The effect of her nose being smashed flat almost. She sailed through the air and landed at Zona''s feet, who had an arrow pointed at her head.


    Zona let the arrow fly. Meera used Mirror Step and teleported to safety, but her arrow didn''t hit the ground but thrummed against a big bronze shield.


    "Oh," Pallas said, noticing Meera lying some distance away, close to one of her chakrams. "I didn''t need to save you, but still, I think that''s enough of picking on her, don''t you think."


    Zona raised an eyebrow.


    Pallas sighed. "Yes, I''m playing favorites, but seriously, don''t you think we''re being a little harsh on her."


    "Fine," Zona replied. "Then let''s go. You and I."


    The manic look returned to Pallas'' eyes. "I was wondering you would never ask."


    The two lovebirds attacked each other, giving Meera a moment of respite, but that was it. Melas roared and lunged for her. She waited at the last moment to teleport out of the way. His fist landed on the ground and created a crater.


    She used Mirror Wing, raised all her chakrams off the ground, and sent them his way. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time. She teleported to one of her chakrams and used Petrifying Surge to cover the raging Warden, but it did little to stop him.


    Thankfully, Dirik took that moment to strike. He jumped out of the dark ground and ripped open Melas'' back. He cried out and turned fist swinging, but Meera used that moment to coat all her chakrams with Shadow Coating and launched them all into his back, one after the other.


    Melas cried out. His feet faltered for but a moment. Dirik drove his sword into the Colossus Warden''s heart.


    Melas coughed out blood. "That was good, kids. Have fun¡­"


    He fell, and his body disappeared in the wind. Of course, Dirik didn''t waste any time and shot her with a beam of shadows. She raised a shield, which took the brunt of the blow but was still pushed back some distance before the shield broke. But by then, the beam had practically disintegrated into nothing.


    She blasted off towards the side, and Dirik was sinking into the ground. She couldn''t let him escape, but he did. But this was where her Eyes of the Phoenix skill came into effect.


    A reddish outline of where Dirik was hiding came into view. Meera dropped to the ground, landed beside his outline, and made a show of looking about. She brought her chakrams to her and gripped two of them tightly.


    "Show yourself, Dirik," Meera called out again to drive home the illusion that she didn''t know where he was.


    Dirik''s outline moved, and Meera punched down with her level 2 chakram. He tried to move, but she was too fast and ended up driving her chakram deep into his shoulder. He cried out, and with her chakram embedded in his shoulder, she pulled him out of the shadowy ground.


    "That was good¡­" Dirik managed.


    Meera ripped his throat open with one of her flying chakrams. The ground turned to normal sand. Seeing the sand beneath her feet rather than the ominous black surface was such a relief. She decided to take a breather as the last two remaining Wardens were still going at it.


    She started when she realized that one of the two remaining Wardens was Zona. The last person she wanted to face one-on-one.


    Pallas was holding his own, but he had two arrows sticking out of him¡ªone in his shoulder and the other in his left hand.


    I must help him. No matter what, he must survive that fight because there is no way I have a chance in hell of defeating Zona.


    She had just thought that when Zona launched an arrow into the sky. It had a short trajectory before it returned, split into a hundred arrows that rained on Pallas. The Guardian Warden put up his shields, but the arrows were relentless.


    Meera chucked a level 2 chakram at Zona, but the Warden must''ve seen it coming as she jumped clear. Even the searing effect of the chakram didn''t do much, but it distracted Pallas for a moment.


    "There''s no need, lass," Pallas said. "I''ll take care of this¡ª" He loudly gasped midsentence. An arrow had struck him in the side of the neck. He turned to Zona with a bloody smile. "That was¡­good."


    She winked. "Thanks, love." She killed him with an arrow through the eye, then turned towards Meera.


    Oh no¡­

 Chapter 132 – The Undefeated Archer Warden

    Mirrors blasted out of Meera''s armor and landed in all corners of the arena. Now that Dirik''s darkness was no longer covering the ground. She was free to use these mirrors to teleport all over the place, and she was going to need them.


    The last time she faced Zona, all she managed was a cut on the shoulder and a few scrapes. After that, she didn''t even see Zona coming. It was surreal. No one had ever beaten Meera as badly as Zona. She would not forget that day any time soon. It was like the archer was picking on a child. It felt like retribution for all those times Meera picked on her brother, which wasn''t even that many times.


    She knew it was pointless to waste words with the Archer Warden. She would just ignore them. Curiously, the woman had not made her move yet. She huffed, with her eyes glued to Meera. Blood dripped from the tips of her fingers. She had taken considerable damage with her fights from the others, much more than Meera could''ve ever damaged her.


    "Ready to test yourself against me one last time?" Zona asked.


    Meera was so surprised she almost forgot that the archer had asked her the question. "Uh¡­yes."


    "Good. I hope you''ve learned something of note since last we fought."


    Meera frowned. "Why are you talking to me? You never did so before."


    "Before, you weren''t worthy of my time, but you''ve proven yourself by surviving the onslaught of four Wardens simultaneously. Not many can say that."


    Something was up. Meera could feel it in her bones. Zona was not like this. The cold-hearted assassin that killed her ruthlessly, again and again, would not just stop to talk to her, especially not after¡­ Meera''s started as she realized her opponent''s game.


    "You''re buying time," Meera said. "Fighting Palas took more out of you than you would ever admit. The Zona I fought would''ve killed me three times by now and never said a word to me. You''re buying time to catch your breath."


    Zona sighed and shrugged, and the familiar coldness returned to her eyes. "You''re right."


    Without another word, the Warden fired an arrow so fast that her arm moved like a blur. The arrow moved fast as a bullet, but Meera raised a Tower Shield to block it. The strength of the arrow spoke for itself when it shattered her shield.


    "You''ve picked up a new thing from Pallas, it seems," Zona said.


    "And you''ve become incredibly chatty. Who did you pick that up from?" Meera retorted.


    Zona didn''t like that. She raised an eyebrow, and Meera had the sudden urge to apologize to her. But she didn''t. The stoic archer might make a mistake if she got her riled up.


    Zona shot another arrow in reply. Meera noticed her eye flinched a little when she pulled back on her bowstring. The arrow was slower than the previous one, but it split into four, and the four doubled and then doubled again.


    Meera could''ve teleported away, but she flicked a finger, and two of her regular chakrams that were spinning around her flew off and then cut the arrows to pieces mid-flight. And to make it more effortless, Meera kept her eyes on Zona. To say, that she didn''t even need to see to counter her attacks.


    "How''s that from picking up a few new tricks?" Meera teased.


    Zona said nothing and notched another arrow. At first, it seemed like an ordinary arrow, but then a green hue appeared on its tip, which gave off vapors. Even though Meera didn''t know what it was, she would bet her life that it was some form of poison and not a nice one.


    "Zona¡­" Pallas said.


    Zona ignored him and let the arrow fly. If the other was a bullet, this one was a missile. It blasted out of the bow, leaving behind a green streak. Meera shot a Petrifying Surge and froze the arrow in mid-air. It fell to the sands with a heavy thud.


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    Meera smiled at the archer. "What''s next?"


    For the first time since Meera had seen the woman, she showed an iota of frustration, which Meera loved. If she had known that was all she had to do, she might not have died last time. But the situation was different back then. Meera didn''t have all this experience, and Zona had no hiding spots.


    "Hmm, nothing." Meera frowned. "Should I begin?"


    Zona''s reply was three more poison-tip arrows. They were quickly dealt with Meera''s chakrams. The archer groaned in frustration. Meera smiled wide and activated Shadow Coating on nine chakrams¡ªfour level 2 chakrams and five regular ones. Stars twinkled on the chakram surface.


    There was one way she could win this, and if what she planned worked, she would have to kill the undefeated Archer Warden fast or face her wrath.


    "I think I''ll just begin."


    Meera extended a hand and launched all nine of her chakrams at Zona. She shot arrow after arrow and knocked the regular chakrams out of the sky, but the level 2 chakrams destroyed her arrows instead. The regular ones, Meera picked up off the ground with Mirror Wing and sent them after the archer.


    Zona shot arrows at her chakrams and backed up towards the stands, where Meera could corner her.


    Meera''s level 2 chakrams reached the Warden, and she dodged them with the deftness of a cat. But Meera was determined. She picked up the speed and chakram after chakram went for the archer''s life.


    Then Zona finally did what Meera expected. She deflected the chakrams with her bow. She slapped some aside while jumping over another and simultaneously shot an arrow into another. No other Warden could''ve done what Zona was doing. Pallas cheered from the stands while the others were on the edge of their seats.


    Meera''s heart was in her throat. Her palms were sweaty. If she didn''t time this right, she was dead.


    So far, Zona had dodged the level 2 chakrams. Meera was about to change that. She coated three more level 2 chakrams and sent them after the Warden. Zona''s eyes widened at the coming threat. She tried to get out of the trap by dashing to the right, but Meera ended up slicing the calf of her left leg. It wasn''t deep, but it was enough to slow her down. By then, her chakrams arrived.


    Please don''t mess this up, Meera.


    Meera began her onslaught with her strongest weapons. Zona dodged some, but every close dodge left another cut on her, thanks to the Searing effect of her chakrams. Then, finally, Zona did what Meera was waiting for¡ªshe tried to deflect her level 2 chakram with her bow. The result was not as the Warden expected.


    The chakram wedged itself in her bow.


    Meera restrained herself from jumping with joy. Zona gasped as her eyes widened, and she forgot all about the rest coming not for her but for her bow.


    Four shadow-coated level 2 chakrams ripped into her bow and sliced it into four pieces.


    Even the four Wardens and Brison were all left in shock. Meera knew now was the time. The Searing effect left deep cuts in the Warden''s arms.


    Meera launched her chakrams at the bewildered Warden, but Zona was not as perplexed as Meera thought. She jumped over them and sprinted for Meera with a rage that she had never seen in her. A rage that Meera didn''t know she was capable of. The woman''s eyes blazed and had her teeth clenched.


    She pulled out two poisonous arrows from her quiver as she ran. She jumped for Meera at the last moment. But she had lost all reason. Eight of Meera''s chakrams hit her in the back, dragging her back.


    "I''m sorry, but I had no other¡ª"


    Meera gasped as Zona lunged for her. All the chakrams ripped out of her back, blood splattered on the ground. Meera unleashed a Mirror Blast, but the Archer Warden got a good hit at the last moment.


    She stabbed Meera in the chest, right above her heart, with her poisonous arrow before Mirror Blast blew her to pieces with several mirrors sticking out of her mangled corpse.


    Meera heard the notification bell, confirming the kill, but all she could think about was the pain. The burning sensation creeping through her body grew in intensity as it crept its way to her heart.


    All the others watched Zona''s lifeless form roll in the sand and come to a stop by a downed column while Meera fell to her knees. She screamed as an intense pain shot through her heart. Even Vitalize did little against the might of the poison.


    The scream drew their attention back to Meera, who had fallen to her knees and clutched at her chest. Her heart felt like it was rotting away. Then, just as suddenly as the pain had started, it stopped.


    She looked up and saw the others jumping down, coming to congratulate her with big smiles. Meera didn''t share their enthusiasm as Brison was putting Zona back together piece by piece.


    Oh no, she''s going to rip me apart.


    Zona didn''t come back with a gasp or look around at her surroundings. She jumped to her feet and sprinted straight for Meera. The others formed a protective wall before Meera, trying to talk sense to the mad archer.


    Meera backed up still. "Look, it was just a fight. I didn''t¡ª"


    Zona practically frothed at the mouth. "You broke my bow, so I will break you, and I won''t stop until¡ª"


    "Your bow is fine," Brison said, picking up the bow. He tossed it to her. "Check it out. Everything is as it should be."


    Zona caught her bow and quickly looked over it, then snapped her head to Meera. "I guess I don''t have to torture you now. But never do that again."


    "Understood."


    Pallas laughed. Congratulations are in order. He slapped Meera''s back and promptly floored her. "Oops, sorry."


    Melas offered her a hand and lifted her to her feet. "Well, we know who will kill the undead Heart."

 Chapter 133 – No Help Is Coming

    After a week of non-stop fighting, Meera wanted a day of rest and recovery, but unfortunately, time was almost up. Brison had somehow kept tabs on the happenings of the real world while they all hacked each other to pieces, and the news was not good. Though, how he managed to do that was a mystery, and he wasn''t very forthcoming with his sources. But it drove Meera up the wall. It was like Brison was their Swiss army pocketknife¡ªa singular tool for whatever was needed.


    They were back in the den of the Warden''s hideout. It was just as they had left it, but the same could not be said about the city. The news was not good, as the whole city was on lockdown. Soldiers had been sent down en masse to safeguard the city. However, none of the soldiers were Phoenix Protectors or one of the Shadowsteel Warlord''s armies. They were just regular soldiers.


    "King Draros has arrived earlier than anticipated," Brison announced. "He led the host of the three neighboring kingdoms of Marith, Letus, and Khitha through the mist wall. The Mistblades gave them a good thrashing, but then he isn''t called the Man O'' War for nothing. As the soldiers tell it, he barely lost a tenth of their men."


    "That''s it?" Dirik asked with widened eyes.


    "That''s it." Brison turned to Meera. "I don''t think help is coming from your friend."


    Meera didn''t think so, either. "But I can still give it a shot."


    "I say, forget ''em," Tekton said. "We''ve gotten plenty strong. We can take this Heart and its undead army ourselves."


    "Overconfidence will be our death," Pallas shot back.


    "Really? Seven people over level 300¡­" Tekton¡¯s eyes landed on Meera. "Six people over level 300 and one almost there. We can take on any challenges coming our way."


    Meera ignored that insult as she remembered she still had to check her notifications. She had forgotten in all the congratulations and some deathly glares from Lexa and Zona.


    Eyes swiveled to Melas, who was staring out the window. The decision was his to make.


    Melas sighed as he turned to them. "Meera, contact your friend and see if he can lend us aid."


    Meera nodded. "On it."


    "The rest of you, get ready with whatever you need," Melas said. "Pallas, how long until you can brew us a fresh batch of potions?"


    "A few hours, give me six hours, and I can have enough for us all," his brother replied.


    "Get on it. Zona, go with Brison and get a feel of the city. The undead will have to be strong at night, so we will leave at dawn, which is about eight hours away."


    Everyone nodded, and the group dispersed to prepare their way. Meera went to the other room and fished out the royal seal from her Dragon Hoard Belt. The seal was always cool to the touch, but now it felt freezing as if Meera was holding a block of ice.


    "Narikas," she said.


    The seal did its thing. It rose into the air and spun, forming a cone of darkness below it. Meera waited before stepping into the cone, and nothing happened for a few minutes. Then, someone finally answered. It was Hilnoa, and not the Warlord, who had gone back on his word.


    "Where have you been?" She seethed. "We''ve been trying to reach out to you since yesterday."


    Meera stepped into the cone, and Hilnoa was in a room that Meera had not seen before. But thanks to the cone, she only saw a desk with many papers and scrolls.


    "I was busy training," Meera said.


    "It looked like you had dropped off the face of the world," Hilnoa said. "I couldn''t track you with the seal."


    "It''s a long story, so what''s the emergency aside from the invasion."


    Hilnoa''s expression changed from steel to rock hard. "So, you''ve heard."


    "How''s¡­" Meera hesitated. She was still miffed at Narikas for going back on his word. "How''s the dishonorable Warlord doing?"


    Hilnoa raised an eyebrow. "He''s fine."


    "Is he really?"


    Hilnoa sighed. "He''s¡­fighting, but the half-brained oaf Rokibor won''t allow him to transfer the armor to Heibor, even though he sees what it''s doing to his brother. The pig enjoys watching his brother suffer."


    "How long can he hold on?" Meera asked¡ªa strange queasiness rising in her belly.


    Hilnoa looked away. "Another day, maybe two at best. The reason I was trying to reach you is¡ª"


    "Rokibor wants his son to come home now," Meera finished for her.


    "That''s right, and to make matters worse, the enemy is on our doorstep, and still, my idiot nephew refuses to see sense."


    "I''ll be honest with you. I have no intention or the time to find Delkoris," Meera said. "We''re moving on the Heart at dawn."


    To Meera''s surprise, Hilnoa was neither angry nor disappointed. She simply let out a deep sigh. "I know¡­Narikas wouldn''t have given him the armor even if you did find the poor boy."


    "Why not?"


    "They¡­" Hilnoa looked unsure. She rubbed her temples and finally began. "They were always close, ever since Delkoris was young. The only one of Rokibor''s children who wasn''t afraid of Narikas on account of that cursed armor. He even trained with us when he grew up. Narikas oversaw his training himself, no matter how much pain he was in. Narikas was more of a father to Delkoris than his real father, so Rokibor is snatching away his birthright and giving it to Heibor."


    Meera sighed. "Families are messy business, aren''t they?"


    "Indeed. But I wasn''t calling you for that. The timeline has changed. King Draros'' armies are marching through the countryside and headed towards us. Narikas is in no condition to ride out and meet them. So far, they haven''t taken to burning and looting the common folk, but they soon will. We need the queen back as soon as possible. If we can get her to rescind the border to its original place or even get rid of the monstrosity altogether, then we might just survive this thing."


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    "On it. By any chance, can you still spare those Shades?"


    Hilnoa shook her head. "No, not any longer. We''re using them to destroy enemy supply lines and run counterintelligence."


    Meera sighed. "Figured as much. Fine, and tell Narikas he better not go back on his word by giving in to his armor."


    "He won''t."


    With that, Hilnoa shut off the connection, and the seal fell, but Meera caught it this time. She put it in her Belt and left the room to join the others. Melas looked at her, and she just shook her head. He nodded in understanding. He didn''t say anything to the others.


    Tekton was busy polishing his blades at super speed. However, Meera found no fault with them. Pallas was nowhere to be found. She figured he was busy in another room, making his potions. Lexa was sound asleep. Dirik looked outside, clutching his Shadowsteel sword. Meera found this odd as he never had his sword out, aside from battle.


    He must be nervous about the coming fight.


    Meera would be lying if she said she wasn''t. It would be her hardest one yet. She plopped down on a couch and wanted to follow Lexa''s example, but sleep wouldn''t come that easily, so she pulled up her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Stormweaver Warden ¨C Level 335. For killing an opponent fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Colossus Warden ¨C Level 321. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent forty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Archer Warden ¨C Level 332. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Shade ¨C Level 304. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 12 levels and reached Level 290. You have been awarded 36 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 280 & Level 290 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakrams.]


    Two more chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to twenty-one¡ªthirteen regular and eight level 2 chakrams.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 7 levels and reached Level 211. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 215% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 6 levels and reached Level 112]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has reached Level 98]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 2 levels and reached Level 94]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has reached Level 103]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirrorstrike Vision has gained 3 levels and reached Level 108]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield has gained 2 levels and reached 108]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has reached Level 109]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 3 levels and reached Level 107]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 2 levels and reached Level 74]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Heaven''s Wrath has gained 7 levels and reached Level 16]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 3 levels and reached Level 87. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 89% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has reached Level 99]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Tactician''s Gaze has gained 3 levels and reached Level 85]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Eyes of a Phoenix has gained 4 levels and reached Level 27]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 5 levels and reached Level 105]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 6 levels and reached Level 76]


    She allocated her stat points to Constitution, Focus, and Perception. She would need the latter a lot in the coming fight as they would be fighting in the forest, and she didn''t want to be ambushed by some hidden undead.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: The Shadow Image ¨C Level 290]


    [Class Ability: Hoarder ¨C Level 26]


    Stats


    [Health: 2270]


    [Stamina: 2350]


    [Mana: 2610]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 227]


    [Power: 50]


    [Dexterity: 200]


    [Endurance: 235]


    [Focus: 261]


    [Agility: 170]


    [Perception: 155]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 99]


    [Shroud of Shadows - Level 98]


    [Vampiric Chains - Level 94]


    [Mirror Step - Level 103]


    [Druvis Power - Level 79]


    [Mirrorstrike Vision - Level 108]


    [Mirror Tower Shield - Level 108]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 103]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 99]


    [Vitalize - Level 109]


    [Mirror Wing - Level 107]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 52]


    [Shadow Coating - Level 74]


    [Mirror Phantom - Level 58]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 42]


    Shadow Skills


    [Decay Bite - Level 9]


    [Death Mark ¨C Level 51]


    [Inferno Storm ¨C Level 42]


    [Bastian''s Strength ¨C Level 55]


    [Heaven''s Wrath ¨C Level 16]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 9]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 211]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 57]


    [Charred Body - Level 15]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 87]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 85]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 29]


    [Absorption - Level 68]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 24]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 105]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 18]


    [Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    [Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    [Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 27]


    [Iron Skin ¨C Level 76]


    [Gladiator''s Last Breath ¨C Level 25]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 112]


    Once she finished, she just sat there, thinking of the coming fight and what strategies she could employ. She didn''t realize when sleep took her. The next thing she knew, Dirik was shaking her awake.


    "It''s time."

 Chapter 134 – The Hunt Begins

    It was dark still, but given that their window looked out at the wall, it was hard to see much of the skies. But when Meera attached the Gem of Echoes to her armor, she heard several roosters crowing all over the city. She figured it was better to trust the medieval alarm clock.


    The others were up, and Zona and Brison had returned and were in deep talks with Melas, some of which she heard. Brison had paid off the guards at the gate to look the other way when they crossed. The soldiers from the capital manned the walls, and jumping over them would invite trouble¡ªtrouble they could not afford.


    Meera left them to their talks as she went to the washroom to freshen up. She saw a bathtub and how badly she wished she could take a shower. It had been ages since she had cleaned herself properly. But Brison had assured her that whenever he brought them back, or they left one of his worlds, they were automatically cleaned. No matter how seriously he said it, Meera didn''t believe him for one second. Alas, with no time on her hands, she had to forgo the bath.


    Pallas was handing out everyone their batch of potions from a tray as if getting everyone to try his best cake. He smiled when he saw her. He handed her three potions of each kind¡ªred Health potions, blue Mana potions and yellow Stamina potions. She had never seen a Stamina potion before, so that was surprising, but she stored them all in her Belt.


    She went to Dirik, who was looking down the length of his blade. "You''re not sharpening it like Tekton over there."


    "Don''t need to," he replied. "Shadowsteel never dulls, never breaks. It''s one of the reasons why the blades are so sought after, and us Shades so hunted. But the fools don''t realize that if the master of the sword dies, the blade falls into shadows and returns to its original master."


    "The Shadowsteel Warlord."


    He nodded. "This clothing that I wear is enchanted to protect me from being Identify''ed by others."


    "Oh, and you told me it was because you were covered head to toe." She squinted at him. "Have you ever told me something that is the truth?"


    He snorted. His eyes fell. "I told you the truth about my mother, and that thing has¡­has¡­"


    "I understand. So, let''s go kill that thing and free your mother from its grasp."


    "Aye." He stood, and together, they walked to where the others gathered around Brison.


    "What''re they doing?" Meera asked.


    "Handing him letters for their loved ones if they don''t make it back," Dirik replied.


    "Have you given him one?"


    He shook his head. "I do not wish to say anything to that bastard who calls himself my father."


    Meera didn''t know what to say, but thankfully, she was saved by Brison, who came to them and put everyone''s letters away in his Belt.


    "Any letters for your loved ones?" He asked Meera. Apparently, he had already asked Dirik. The Shade nodded to them and walked to join the others.


    "I''m afraid you won''t be able to find him," Meera replied.


    "You leave that to me," he said. "Just tell me what to say?"


    "Tell my brother¡­I tried, as best as I could¡­I tried to find and bring him home and loved him with all my heart."


    Brison smiled. "I will, but I do not think you will fall this day."


    "I heard you saying that to everyone."


    He chuckled. "I have to. To keep everyone''s spirits up."


    "Everyone, ready?" Melas asked, drawing their attention.


    Heads nodded.


    "Good. This is likely the most challenging hunt of our lives. There may be some that might not return, but we will see it through, nonetheless. There hasn''t been a monster that withstood the might of our blows, and neither will this one. Watch each other''s backs, and let''s finish what Lady Numheia started."


    The others roared, and Meera roared along with them.


    "Wardens, move out."


    Melas was first out the door, followed by everyone else. Once they were out of the house, Brison fell in beside Melas. No one said anything. The street was strangely deserted. No people, city guards, or even soldiers, were out and about. Meera wondered if this was Brison''s doing. They reached the gate with no trouble.


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    Brison talked to the guard stationed there, who grumbled to them about being late, and his shift was almost over. Brison apologized and threw in another ten silver coins for his trouble. The guard was happy with that. He told them to follow. They walked to the small gate and were stopped by a burly soldier. Meera made it a point to Identify everyone. Not because she cared for their level but to level up her Identify.


    The city guard made up an excuse that they were hunters who were going to catch exotic meat for the Crown Prince. The fact that they still called Delkoris the Crown prince meant that Rokibor had yet to announce his demotion to the kingdom.


    The soldier was skeptical, but the city guard dropped a couple of silver coins in his palm, and he was more than okay with them leaving. Once they passed through the city gate, it was another story. There were soldiers camped outside the city gates, not unlike when she visited Tearsfall Prison, which, if the prophecy came true, would be destroyed.


    Would Draros be the one to do it?


    They passed into the forest with little trouble. The soldiers were watchful of them, but they didn''t stop them. Once they were some distance in, the group stopped. By now, the sun''s light had lit up most of the sky, and Mirithia had faded into the background. Birds chirped all around them while monkeys chittered in the trees. The forest was coming alive in the wake of the morning.


    Melas turned to Meera and Dirik, who were walking towards the group''s rear. "Now, lead the way."


    Dirik looked to Meera expectantly. She sighed. "Give me a moment." She shot up using Mirror Wing but stayed close to the trees'' crowns. She traced a direct line eastward from the Gateway Mirror, but all she saw was green foliage. Meera rose higher and higher until she found the clearing where she and Dirik had killed the werewolf.


    She dropped back down. "Found it. It''s that way." She pointed in the clearing''s direction.


    "Let''s move on," Melas said and began walking.


    "Uh, wouldn''t it be faster to fly?" Meera asked. They all turned towards her. "I can fly you all there much faster."


    "How?" Pallas asked.


    "Oh no, you almost took my arm off last time," Dirik complained.


    "You mean how I saved your life," Meera countered.


    "Can we get back to the flying bit, please?" Pallas said impatiently.


    "It''s simple. Grab hold of one of my chakrams, and I can have us there in a minute."


    Melas rubbed his chin in consideration. "We''ll lose the moment of surprise¡­"


    "But we''ll save time," Tekton said. "Those bastards were going to figure us out anyways."


    Lexa pointed to him. "He''s got a point, and besides, I''ve always wished to fly."


    "We don''t have to go all the way," Meera said. "We can go to this clearing where Dirik and I fought this werewolf and then on foot from there."


    "Fine. Do your thing." Melas held out a hand.


    Meera handed each one of them one of her regular chakrams. "Hold on tight."


    Everyone gripped the chakrams tightly. Meera flicked two fingers up, and everyone shot off the ground, with Meera close behind. Once they cleared the trees, they shot off toward the clearing. Pallas and Tekton howled in amazement. Lexa joined them soon, and Melas laughed while the rest were more reserved.


    It took them a few minutes to reach the clearing. Meera landed them in the treeline instead of the clearing. She quickly checked her Mana reserve and found she had lost more than she had thought. Who knew flying seven fully armored people would take a chunk of Mana?


    "That was the best," Pallas exclaimed. "Let''s do it on the way back."


    "Oh man, if I knew you could do that, I wouldn''t have wanted to kill you," Tekton added.


    "Okay, fun''s over," Melas cut in. "Everyone eyes out and stay sharp. We have undead to hunt."


    They all tossed the chakrams back to Meera and readied their weapons. The corpses of the undead werewolf and wolves were gone, though the smell of rot and death still lingered in the air.


    "They''ve gotten rid of the bodies," Dirik commented. "Most likely reanimated them."


    If she had come here before her training, she wouldn''t have liked the prospect of fighting the werewolf, but now, she couldn''t wait to put it in its place for good.


    They walked carefully through the clearing. Meera relied on her ears as much as her eyes. She had a level 2 chakram in one hand and a regular one in the other. The others had their weapons ready. Even Melas was in his giant eight-foot Hulk form.


    Dirik took the lead this time, taking them through the shrubbery to where the Heart resided. It wasn''t long before Meera heard the first wolf howl. To her ears, it sounded like it was coming a few meters ahead of them, but the others were not so alarmed.


    "I think¡ª" Meera started before she heard whispers¡­familiar whispers. The sort she had hoped she had left behind when she entered the kingdom.


    "Kill the rotten."


    "Save the mistress."


    They repeated this over and over. Then, a scream cut through the night. And Meera was not the only one who heard the scream. Dirik''s eyes widened, and he ran off without even waiting for a plan.


    "Dirik, wait¡ªdon''t." Melas cursed. "Go after him."


    Meera was the first one to take off after him. The others were right behind them. It didn''t take them long to get to the battlefield, and it was indeed a battlefield. Mistblades fought against the army of the dead. Limbs were hacked off and strewn all over the small clearing. The undead were not the only ones losing bodies. The Mistblades were also losing their numbers, but more stepped out of the downed queen''s bloody hand.


    Queen Nisaya looked like she had aged twenty years in the last couple of days. Her hair had turned snow white. She had many wrinkles and had thinned so much that her cheekbones stuck out from underneath.


    Beside the queen stood the undead with the staff. His staff had been raised high in the sky, and he was chanting some dark magic spell, which undoubtedly brought all the hacked pieces together to form more undead soldiers for his army.


    "What in Mother Mirithia''s name are all these Mistblades doing here?" Tekton''s eyes were wide open.


    "I don''t think we should question that," Melas said. "Looks like the kingdom of Azeria came through with some backup, after all."


    "It did, indeed," Dirik said. Darkness emanated from his form as he unsheathed his Shadowsteel blade.


    Melas cracked his knuckles. "Let the hunt begin."

 Chapter 135 – Heart of Darkness

    Meera could only stare at the horde of undead and the Warrior of Whispers as they clashed against each other. Out of them all, the undead with the staff was the only one that seemed alive and whole. There was no rot or disfiguration on him, at least none that Meera could see. But she was wrong.


    [Undead Summoner ¨C Level 346]


    The Wardens roared as they threw themselves into the fray. One of the Mistblades came for them, but Lexa took it down with one bolt. Others were alerted to the newcomers immediately. Two of them untangled themselves from their fights and came for the Wardens.


    "We''re here to save the queen!" Dirik shouted. "Not to fight you."


    The Mistblades faltered, but when the Wardens started their onslaught against the undead, the Mistblades backed off and rejoined the fight. It was such a spectacle that Meera even forgot that she was here to fight as well.


    Pallas stood at the boundary of the fighting and watched everyone''s backs. Any time an Undead was about to pounce on them, one of his shields appeared and bashed it away. Lexa''s thunderbolts decimated the undead, leaving nothing behind for the summoner to put anything back together.


    Tekton and Melas fought back-to-back, both trying to outdo each other. Their synergy was a thing of beauty. Meera could only stare as the undead piled up. But the highest kill count so far had to go to Zona. Her arrows flew quick as gunfire and laid the enemy low at astonishing speed. Each arrow was a kill. Nothing missed its mark. Meera was thankful that she was on her side again.


    The summoner was less pleased with these newcomers when he couldn''t bring back many of his minions. The Heart of Doromar pulsated with a dark red glow as it beat faster and faster. With each undead brought back to life, more black veins popped out on the Heart from exertion. It seemed they were pushing it toward a heart attack.


    "Will you continue watching, or will you help your friends?" Brison asked, who had a book and a feathered quill in his hand.


    "Uh, yes," Meera said, shaking out of it. "Aren''t you? Going to help in the fight?"


    "I''m sorry, I''m not much of a fighter. I''m here to record the results of the fight."


    Meera frowned. "But couldn''t you create a massive world and just throw them all in there."


    "A sound strategy, but one problem¡ªhow will I hold them there? You see, for me to create a world and keep anyone there, even imprisoning them. I have to stay there with them, or the world will collapse in minutes, and everyone we''ve captured will be unleashed upon the world again."


    "That¡­sucks."


    "It does indeed," Brison said, noting something down. "But you know what would suck even more?"


    "What?"


    "One of our friends is dying, especially Dirik, who is heading straight for his queen."


    Meera snapped her head to him, even though she didn''t need to. He was fighting alone in the thick of it and cutting down, one undead after another, as he waded deeper toward the queen and the Heart''s summoner.


    "Time to get to work."


    Meera let go of her regular chakram and spun it around her gently as she pulled off another level 2 chakram. She took off at a run and hurled her level 2 chakrams one after another. Heads rolled as they ripped through the undead. The undead were so clustered together that her chakrams killed even those they did not directly touch, thanks to their Searing effect.


    She launched two more, but these she sent spinning diagonally to create more room and kill more enemies. The more she killed, the more Mana and time the summoner would have to waste bringing them back. They needed to ensure the summoner ran out of Mana before the sun rose fully, as the Mistblades were on a timer.


    Once the sun arose, the Mistblades were gone.


    Meera shot a Mirror Shard Barrage into the last few undead who had encircled Dirik. He had led a mindless charge to get to the queen.


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    "Dirik, stop! You''re going to get killed this way," Meera yelled as she controlled her chakrams behind her and cut down any undead that came for her, which was a lot.


    "I can''t stop." Dirik slashed his sword and sent a dark shockwave through the undead, cutting the first few to pieces and blasting the rest back. "I must kill that thing for what it did to my mother."


    "I understand you are angry, but¡ª" Meera had to duck the swipe of a rusted sword. She came up and swiped the undead open from belly to throat. She kicked it away. "Remember what I said about revenge. It''s not worth it."


    "I''m not after revenge," Dirik said through gritted teeth. "It''s justice."


    Meera opened her mouth to retort, but she could think of nothing with all the mess they were in. "Fine, you stubborn bastard. Let''s go carry out justice on this undead."


    As she said it, a line of the prophecy fit into place. And Justice unleashed on living Death. This was it. The Wardens were the instruments of the goddess of Justice. This could only mean one thing. The prophecy was true, which meant¡­Narikas will die to stop the war.


    She didn''t know why, but that thought made her sad. Of all the people she had met in her short life, if anyone deserved some semblance of peace or a happy ending, it was him. But there was more than one way to stop the war. If Meera delivered the queen, the war could be stopped, and she needed Narikas alive to find Neel.


    She pulled off another two level 2 chakrams for a total of six. They were like buzzsaws that cut through any undead that dared step in their path. Pallas roared his approval. The summoner saw them making their way to him and redirected many of the undead towards them. The more powerful foes, like a couple of werewolves, stayed on the Wardens while most of the regular jumbled-together bodies were on Meera and Dirik.


    Then, the sun''s first light crested over the treetops, and the Mistblades evaporated into nothing.


    Nisaya''s hand fell in defeat and exhaustion. The queen looked even more worn than when Meera had seen before. The remaining undead converged on Dirik and Meera. Her chakrams did their work beautifully, but she couldn''t use her more devastating attacks as her friends were so close.


    She created Mirror Phantoms, only for the undead to shirk them. Then, when the undead were almost overwhelming, a dome formed overhead, covering Meera and Dirik. Outside, Meera heard muffled whistling of arrows and ear-deafening thunder.


    When the dome receded, the undead around them were lying in pieces or burnt to a crisp. The smell of charred meat, mixed in with the rotten smell of decomposing corpses, almost made Meera throw up.


    Tekton laughed. "I told you we didn''t need backup, especially not after that brutal training session." He hollered once more and cut down two undead with a single swipe.


    Meera couldn''t help but laugh along with him. It really did look like they would be able to do it. It did seem like they had over-leveled themselves for this mission. But she would rather be overprepared than under. Dirik didn''t participate in their small celebrations and cut his way to the queen.


    The summoner blocked his path.


    "You think you can hurt my mother!" Dirik roared and threw himself at the summoner. The summoner fought back with his staff, but it was no match for Dirik''s onslaught. His dark Shadowsteel blade cut the staff down in no time.


    The summoner looked at Dirik with wide eyes. He turned his head to the Heart, which had blackened fully. He laughed. "Soon, you will all join my master."


    ¡°No¡­they will not¡­¡± Queen Nisaya rose to her feet with difficulty. A mist dagger formed in her hand. "Your master dies now!"


    With every fiber of her being, she stabbed the blackened Heart.


    Winds came rushing inwards towards the Heart, and a shockwave blasted everything back. The living and the dead were all blasted back. Meera would be lying if she said the attack hadn''t hurt her, but she managed to get to a knee when laughter filled the air.


    The queen had failed. The Heart of Doromar was unhurt.


    A sinister laugh that chilled Meera to the bone. "You think all this will make a difference¡­" The voice came from the summoner, but it was not his. It was hoarse and dense. "You are nothing more than flies trying to change the direction of the wind by flapping your tiny wings. You all¡ª"


    Dirik cut off the summoner''s head.


    It rolled to the ground as dark blood spurted from the stump. Just when Meera thought that was the end of it. The head laughed. The summoner bent down, lifted his head, and put it back on his head.


    "You cannot kill me¡­I am Doromar the Immortal. Even your so-called gods ran from me in terror."


    Zona shot an arrow between his eyes, but Doromar caught it like it were nothing. All the undead they had killed started putting themselves together.


    Dirik moved away from the possessed summoner and helped the faded queen to her feet. They shuffled away from the undead who had surrounded them all.


    Meera looked at the shiny circlets on her arms. Maybe¡­


    An idea began to form in her head. She recalled all her chakrams. Using Mirror Wing, she deposited them on her arms and her back, but she caught one of the level 2 chakrams. She activated Druvis Power and hurled it at the blackened Heart. Her chakram was a divine weapon, so there was a chance that she could end this here and now.


    Her chakram cut the Heart in two.


    Sorry, Narikas'' armor, you''re not getting this Heart of Darkness.


    There was no shockwave or blast like last time, but there was a scream from the summoner. He clutched his head and shrieked so loud that one of Meera''s eardrums popped. She activated Vitalize. The others were less so affected by the screeching.


    All the undead fell aside from the summoner. His face was wrath incarnate. "You cannot get rid of me so quick. I will follow you to the ends of the earth." But when he saw Dirik guiding the queen away to safety. His laughter was cut short. "That bitch is mine."


    The undead people, animals, and monstrosities all rose once again. They moaned and howled as they surrounded Meera and her friends.

 Chapter 136 – The Paradigms Changed

    "How is he still alive?" Dirik barked.


    A question that was on Meera''s mind as well, and others, she was sure. But she didn''t have long to think on it as the Summoner turned his head towards Meera, as did all the undead.


    The Summoner pointed to her. "You first. Rip her apart limb from limb."


    Meera looked at all the undead and gulped. They all went mad. Started hollering for her blood and rushed her at once. Meera was about to shoot into the air, but a shield wall surrounded all the Wardens, who were back-to-back now.


    "Well, boys and girls, it''s time to fully let loose," Melas snarled.


    "Anyone else feels like something is wrong here," Dirik said. "How is he alive? Shouldn''t that Summoner be dead?"


    "We''ll worry about that later." Tekton swung his two blades in the air, which had leveled up considerably since she last saw them.


    [Numheia''s Justice ¨C Level 237]


    [Numheia''s Judgment ¨C Level 278]


    "I could always take on¡ª" Meera never got to finish her sentence as the undead attacked. She groaned and rose to meet them head-on.


    She shot Mirror Shard Barrage in a sweeping motion, killing many and injuring quite a few. It was funny how many of them were fodder, even to her. Their training had paid off in droves. She saw the werewolf that she had Dirik had killed earlier.


    He howled, and Meera heard wolves answer his call in the distance. But a small pack of wolves wouldn''t have mattered. Not to the Wardens, who were unleashing such carnage that they left only rotten body parts in their wake.


    Dirik took care of the queen. He kept a protective hand around her and threw dark slashes, one after another. The queen herself was basically out of it. Given what she must''ve endured in the last few days, Meera couldn''t blame her. The blood had dried in her hands, but still, the two holes remained where they had nailed her to the tree. How she was alive was a thing of mystery.


    The werewolf, whom Meera had called Barky, came for her. Meera took off three level 2 chakrams and launched them his way, powered by Mirror Wing. They were just streaks of light. To Barky''s credit, he ducked the first one, but the second and third ones were too fast for him.


    The second one took off the top of his head, and the third, after some adjustment, wedged itself in his neck, right where the stitches were.


    "Aw, you''re going to have to get new stitches," Meera mused.


    "You bit¡ª"


    She flicked a hand and took off his head. "Now, you really shouldn''t have used that word, Barky. You have to sleep and rethink your vocabulary."


    Meera went to kill the other undead, but none were too difficult. This went on for another hour, at least, or it indeed felt like an hour.


    "This horde is endless," Lexa claimed, and she was not wrong. "This is getting annoying. It''s like I''m blasting a bunch of children."


    She wasn''t wrong. Even Meera was getting tired of the nonsensical and endless slaughter.


    "Should we get out of here?" Meera asked. "Anyone fancy a trip on Meera Airlines again?"


    "What in blazes is an Airlines?" Tekton retorted.


    Before Meera could respond, three undead fell on her, but Zona''s arrows took care of them quickly. Meera nodded to the archer, thanking her for her assistance.


    "Bring that woman back here at any cost," the Summoner said. "We must finish the ritual and bring back master."


    At first, Meera thought they were talking about her, but it soon dawned that he was motioning towards the queen. It had always struck her odd why the undead and the Heart of Doromar had captured her. But if they wanted her, then Meera had to do everything in her power to keep the queen safe.


    "They''re going after the queen!" Meera shouted.


    The next instant the undead were grouping around Dirik and the queen. Dirik held his own, but when it looked like he would be overwhelmed, Pallas came to his rescue. A large shield formed over the horde and crushed a number of them. The sound of bones cracking and breaking filled the night.


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    Meera cringed inwardly as she knew the feeling of being crushed. But she doubted these undead felt any pain. The Summoner did not like this, not at all.


    He raised his arms high in the air and started chanting. The crushed body parts of his minions rose off the ground and shot towards the Shade and his queen.


    Pallas formed a massive tower shield in front of them. The body parts hit the shield and pinged off it but could do nothing more. Zona and Lexa turned their attention toward the Summoner, who was still chanting.


    Zona launched her arrows, and Lexa launched a massive thunderbolt that ripped through many undead to reach their master. Many undead formed a shield to protect their master.


    Meera''s chakrams cut down any undead that came within five meters of her. All the while, she tried to think how these undead were still kicking, why the Summoner wasn''t dead now that the Heart of Doromar was no more.


    "Can someone cover me?" Meera shouted.


    "I''m coming!" Melas landed beside her. He was covered in dark blood and grime. "What are you planning?"


    "I''m just going to check my notifications real quick."


    "What? Now?"


    "Please. It''ll only take a moment."


    "Fine, but be quick."


    "Thanks," Meera said.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 18 Undead from Level 128 ¨C Level 185]


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Undead Werewolf ¨C Level 258]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 7 levels and reached Level 297. You have been awarded 21 stat points]


    That was it. The rest were about her levels and the skills she had stolen. There was no notification for the killing of the Heart. But she was looking at the two pieces of the blackened heart. It didn''t beat or give off its red pulsating light. Meera''s heart began to thunder. This could only mean one thing¡ªit was still alive. Her eyes snapped to the Summoner.


    Meera gasped. "The spirit of Doromar is in the Summoner¡­"


    "What?" Melas, who was about to rip an undead in half, paused.


    Meera picked up her chakrams using Mirror Wing and was about to start spinning them when Pallas appeared beside her, carrying Brison with him on a floating shield. The others showed up a moment later.


    "Dome!" Pallas clapped his hands together, and a dome covered them all. Outside, the undead were pounding on it and screaming like banshees, trying to get in.


    Even the queen was here. Dirik set her down carefully. "Are you okay¡­Your Majesty?"


    Meera squinted at him. His voice sounded slightly different. The others might not have caught it, but Meera, with her advanced hearing, definitely did.


    "I''m fine, son. Go. I need to catch my breath."


    Dirik nodded and came to join them. "So, what is this about, the spirit?"


    "I just checked my notifications, and I don''t have a notification that states that I killed the Heart of Doromar," Meera said.


    "What?" Several Wardens cried at the same time.


    Meera nodded. "Also, isn''t it odd that we killed the necromancer, but all his undead are still alive and kicking."


    "Aye," Brison said. "In almost all instances when a necromancer dies, so do their creations."


    "So, it could only mean one thing¡ªthat summoner is where the spirit of Doromar resides."


    "But that still doesn''t answer what Doromar wanted with the queen?" Dirik asked the question of the hour.


    All heads turned to the queen. It was a strange sight, seeing a woman so faded. She looked like she had reached the end of her life. Hair white as the snow, skin pale as alabaster, even her eyes had grown hazy. But still the woman had fought back for her freedom.


    "He wanted to take me over," Nisaya said between breaths. "They tortured me¡­" A tear dripped from her eye. ¡°Pain¡­so much pain¡­but I never gave in."


    "Your Majesty, I''m sorry for all you were put through," Dirik said. "I promise I''ll get you to safety soon."


    "This is bad," Brison said. "If the queen had given in. We would''ve had a catastrophe on our hands. Could you imagine a Mistweaver as powerful as her in the hands of that bastard?"


    It wasn''t like Brison to be so angry. She chalked it up to everything Doromar must''ve done in life. After all, he was their goddess'' biggest failure.


    "What do we do now?" Pallas asked his brother.


    "If he can change bodies, then he will not be easy to trap and kill," Melas said, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.


    "We must get the queen out of here," Dirik said. "If there is anyone who can protect her, it is my former master, the Shadowsteel Warlord."


    "Are you mad?" Tekton cried. "How will we even get her there?"


    "He and the king are at Tearsfell Prison," Meera said. "It''s where she''s meant to be, and if we remove her from this place, then maybe we can get them off our back for now and come back to deal with this Doromar later. You all saw how fast he jumped from his Heart to the Summoner."


    "The paradigm''s changed," Brison said. "If Doromar can jump from one undead body to the next. We''ll never be able to kill him here amid his army."


    Tekton stepped forward. "Then what do you propose? We run? Wardens never run from a fight."


    "You all will live to fight another day, or you give Doromar five new powerful bodies," Meera said. "You all will run out of Mana and Health long before they will run out of the undead. Would any of you like to be his next host?


    The pounding on the dome became more frantic and then stopped.


    "They''re coming¡­" Nisaya said.


    Meera took off a chakram for each of them and hurriedly tossed it to them. "There''s no time to think. I''ll get you all out of here."


    "I''m not going to retreat." Tekton dropped his chakram. "Wardens don''t retreat. Melas, tell her."


    Melas didn''t have time to say anything as a withered, rotten arm burst out of the ground, followed by the rest. The skin and muscle had peeled off half his face, and an eye socket was filled with dirt.


    He was not the only one that came out of the ground. Another arm burst out of the ground, and then a wolf''s snout biting and growling.


    "Pallas, drop the dome," Melas commanded. "Meera, get us out of here."


    "On it." Meera flicked a finger, and the chakram at Tekton''s feet flew into his hands. He huffed and begrudgingly took hold of the chakram. Dirik put an arm around the queen and held her tightly.


    Pallas nodded to Meera and dropped the dome. When Meera saw the stars above, she blasted off into the sky, taking all others with her. They flew over the treetops to the city walls.


    "Follow them! Get the queen back!" roared the Summoner.


    The undead growled and ran after the fleeing Wardens.

 Chapter 137 – Save The Queen

    The queen cried out as one undead ripped off its arm and hurled it at the queen. The arm grabbed onto her leg. Dirik, who was carrying the queen, quickly cut it off. It gave Meera the signal to fly even higher and faster.


    She was burning through Mana. She would''ve been concerned if not for the Mana potions in her Dragon Hoard Belt. The others were hanging onto their chakrams just fine. The only one she was worried about was Tekton. She didn''t know when he might let go of his, drop down to the forest, and take on the undead army single-handedly.


    The sun had risen well above the tree line, and she could only imagine what they looked like to the guardsmen on the city wall. It was in sight, though still some distance off, but it was visible to Meera''s enhanced eyes. Any archer worth his salt would''ve picked them up by now.


    She wondered if she should lower them to the forest floor and run the rest of the way. But the undead were right beneath them. Any time they wasted on getting down, the undead would use that time to rip into them.


    "Meera, put us down once we''re out of the forest," Melas commanded.


    "You sure?" Meera asked.


    "We''ll buy you some time. I have a feeling that these undead would try to smash the Gateway Mirror if we let them get anywhere close to it."


    It didn''t take them long to reach the forest''s end. Meera gave one final burst, creating distance between them and the horde. She deposited the Wardens on the ground.


    "Don''t try to be heroes," Meera called. "Hold them off for a few minutes, then run for it."


    "We''ll be fine," Tekton grinned. He looked like he finally had what he wanted.


    "Brison, you can come with me," Meera said.


    "My place is here," he replied with a smile. "What sort of a Keeper of Records would I be if I didn''t stay to record the heroic deeds of my brothers and sisters? This will be one to remember."


    "Once you''re done here, meet us at Tearsfell Prison," Dirik called. "We can figure out the next steps from there."


    "I''ll make sure you get the best reward for all you''ve done for me," the queen said.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Melas replied.


    "Please come," Meera said. "Don''t be stubborn idiots and say that you like to work alone or other such nonsense."


    "Thanks," Lexa said. "But we¡ª"


    She never got to finish her sentence as the undead army burst out of the forest. From where she was, as her sight was unhindered by the trees, she saw the breadth of the undead army. Her breath caught in her throat. There were thousands of undead monstrosities. All manners of beasts¡ªwolves, foxes, monkeys, squirrels, and everything in between. The worst was the jumbled-together humans whose extremities didn''t match each other.


    "Meera, we need to go," Dirik called urgently.


    "Yes, let''s go." As much as Meera hated leaving his new friends to fight this evil alone, she had a duty to her brother. She had to find him before it got too late. She shot off towards the Gateway Mirror.


    The soldiers stationed there were more than aware of the shambling undead pouring out of the forest of Pegonia. Luckily for them, the few people who had lined up to use the mirror dissipated and ran for the protection of the city walls upon seeing this new threat. Meera aimed directly for the mirror at top speed.


    Some soldiers cried out as she flew over their heads. Others recognized the queen and pointed to her with wide eyes. She hoped that would make their time easier. She landed beside the mirror and plopped down three Mirror Tower Shields, covering them fully to stop any unwanted interference.


    "Go," Meera hurried them.


    Dirik placed the palm of the queen on the mirror. "Your Majesty, please select Tearsfell Prison."


    She nodded. Her whole form was bent forward. Meera feared she would tip over if Dirik let go of her. She didn''t know what she selected as the mirrors prevented anyone from seeing another person''s selection unless they, too, had their palm on the mirror. She hoped she had enough Mana remaining after her last stand with the Mistblades.


    The mirror became translucent like it did when someone had made their selection. Nisaya stepped into the mirror. Dirik didn''t waste a second to place his palm on the mirror, and that was a good thing, too, as the soldiers had started bashing on Meera''s shields. Thanks to the shield''s strength, it held. Maybe the soldiers were not using their strongest attacks, or the soldiers were weak.


    Dirik nodded to her. "See you on the other side."


    Meera returned the nod, and he stepped through the mirror. The mirror was ready when the first cracks in her shield started to form, which were quickly turning into major ones, resulting in a big chunk falling out. She slammed her hand down on the mirror, selected Tearsfell Prison, and stepped through the mirror just as the shield on her right shattered.


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    She emerged into an unexpected scene and place. Wounded soldiers of Narikas'' armies¡ªthe Steel Sentinels and Shadow Vanguard, lay everywhere, nursing their wounds. The Shadow Scribes were going about healing them one by one. The Gateway Mirror itself had been pulled inside the walls of the fortress, and that was not all.


    The mirror had been plopped inside a giant cage. Meera could see why they did that¡ªto prevent any assassin from inadvertently gaining entry into the fortress and doing nefarious deeds. Three Phoenix Protectors stood guard outside the cage.


    "This is your queen!" Dirik barked. He had one of her arms over his shoulder, helping her stand.


    The Blazers squinted at the withered woman, and one of them gasped and fell to a knee. "Your Majesty." The two followed his example.


    ¡°Rise,¡± Nisaya said weakly. "Where is my husband?"


    "He is with Prince Narikas in his throne room, planning the next phase of the war," replied the one who had bowed first.


    "I see," Nisaya nodded. "Let me through."


    He fished out the key hurriedly and opened the door. Dirik and Nisaya were allowed to leave easily, but they stopped Meera.


    "We know who you are, Varshan," the Blazer said.


    Meera rolled her eyes. Not this again.


    "You''re not going anywhere," said the second. "We have order to¡ª"


    "She''s with me," Nisaya said.


    "B-But Your Majesty, the king ordered us to throw her in the dungeons if she ever returned without the Crown Prince."


    "I''m in her debt for getting here. I won''t begin to repay that by throwing her in the dungeons," the queen replied. Her gaze was ice. The Blazers could do nothing but look away.


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."


    Meera flashed them big smiles as she walked past them to join Dirik and the queen. They had walked to the fortress''s gates when Brison stepped out of the Gateway Mirror, followed by Melas¡ªin his human form and the rest of the Wardens.


    Lexa squinted as she took in her surroundings and waved when she saw Meera. "Looks like we took you up on that offer, though this place doesn''t look much better than the one we left behind."


    Meera couldn''t help but grin. "How are you guys here so soon? Don''t tell me Melas went rage mode and killed them all by himself?"


    Melas crossed his arms. "I''m right here."


    "They''re with me," Meera said to the Blazers as she walked back to the cage.


    "We don''t take orders from you," the Blazer said through gritted teeth.


    "You want me to get the queen back here? I''m sure she''ll be happy to address your concerns."


    The Blazer grumbled about Varshans not being better than pigs, but Meera let that pass as she wasn''t a Varshan. And he unlocked the gate and let the Wardens out, giving them all the stink eye, though they did a double take when Pallas walked out and looked down on them arrogantly. It was the exact reaction Meera had when she saw him for the first time. If they only knew how he must''ve been chomping at the bits to ask about their class and skills.


    "How are you here so fast?" Meera asked again.


    "Let''s get away to somewhere quiet first," Melas said, then looked to the Shade. "Dirik, you take Her Majesty inside. We''ll be right behind you."


    "Okay. Let me know if you need any help, and please don''t start a fight with anyone," Dirik pleaded.


    Melas chuckled. "Can''t make any promises on that front."


    Dirik shook his head and moved on. As soon as Dirik was out of sight, Melas walked a few paces to avoid the Blazers listening in.


    "Something is terribly wrong, Meera," Melas said. "We shouldn''t have brought the queen here without questioning her first."


    Meera frowned. "Questioning her about what?"


    "What if the Heart succeeded in getting what it wanted," Brison said. "Because as soon as you three left through the mirror, all the undead simply dropped dead, including the summoner."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "What?"


    "This could only mean one thing¡­the spirit of Doromar was never in the Summoner. It was in someone else."


    "The Queen¡­" Meera looked around and saw all the injured, and her talk with Hilnoa about Doromar taking control of all the dead of the war flashed to the forefront of her mind. "You, Blazer, was there a battle here recently?"


    "Why do I have to answer to you?"


    Meera gritted her teeth and was ready to knock some sense into him when Melas grew into his enraged form. He now stood eight feet tall, even taller than Pallas by a foot.


    "We would really appreciate it," Pallas said, crossing his arms. "My brother can''t control his anger when he''s like this, so I suggest you answer all our questions as swiftly as you can."


    All eyes in the courtyard turned towards them. The Blazers gulped and looked at each other for strength, but they were equally scared.


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 209]


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 205]


    [Phoenix Protector ¨C Level 203]


    Meera almost laughed at their levels. She figured she alone could take them, and they were facing five people who were past level 300.


    "Y-Yes, there had been a battle here two days ago," the Blazer replied. "King Draros has pushed through the kingdom at lightning speed and reached here by destroying any force we sent his way."


    "Damn," Tekton said. "That man is a monster on the battlefield."


    Meera cursed under her breath and quickly handed out a chakram to each of them.


    "We''re not taking the stairs?" Pallas asked with a frown.


    "It would take too long," Meera replied. "Besides, it would break tradition." She looked to the Blazers. "I''m going to fly to Narikas'' window, make sure any arrow doesn''t come my way."


    Without confirming if they understood. Meera shot off the ground with her friends. There was some finger-pointing and some arrows pointed their way, but they didn''t get the time to shoot as Meera landed on the window and bashed her fist as a way of knocking, but it only took two knocks before the window opened.


    "Do you hate the stairs that much?" Narikas smiled, but his smile dissipated when he saw the Wardens. "Who are they?"


    "My friends," Meera replied. She was thankful that Narikas looked the same as she had last seen him. Only half his face was covered in scales, and his white hair remained to that side alone. "I tell you about them later. There is a bigger concern. The queen is here, and she might be possessed¡ª"


    Meera stopped, remembering that his armor had asked her to bring the Heart to it.


    "Is the queen here yet?" Meera asked.


    "The queen?" Narikas frowned.


    The door to the room opened, and they both looked at the door as Dirik and Nisaya walked in. As they did, Nisaya removed her arm from Dirik''s shoulder and walked upright. All the fatigue seemingly evaporated instantly.


    "My love," Rokibor moved around the big table with a huge map and went to his wife, arms outstretched. "Did it work?"


    Nisaya smiled as her eyes glowed red. "Oh, yes, it did."

 Chapter 138 – Husband And Wife Reunited

    Narikas wasn''t the only one watching the king and queen''s reunion with a wary eye. They met as if it were all part of their plan to meet like this. But the thing that gave Narikas pause was the queen''s glowing red eyes. The Wardens around him tightened their grip on their weapons. Meera looked the most concerned.


    What is going on? Narikas thought.


    Your bitch failed to honor her part of the deal with me. The armor answered. But this might be even better...


    Narikas knew the armor had asked Meera to bring back the heart, but he didn''t understand what the armor was talking about. He didn''t see Meera or her new companions¡ªthe Wardens¡ªcarrying a heart, but he never expected them to bring it back in the first place. For now, the armor was silent and watched.


    Rokibor reached Nisaya, but the two didn''t embrace. "By the looks of things, our contract was satisfied?"


    Nisaya smiled a ghoulish smile. "It is indeed."


    "W-What contract?" The masked man asked. His voice was familiar. Too familiar.


    Is this the Shade Meera was talking about?


    The king and queen ignored the bewildered man and moved inward.


    "Come," Rokibor said. "We have lots of things to discuss. As per our plan, I have all my neighbors gathered outside our gates. We can get rid of them in one fell swoop."


    You''ve been duped. As I''ve said numerous times, no one cares for you. The armor cackled. Now, prepare to hand over your body.


    The attack began all of a sudden. A pain like someone had been running lightning through him struck him like a bolt from the heavens. It took everything Narikas had to stay on his feet.


    Narikas stepped forward, hands trembling. He tried to keep his voice stable but failed. "What is this, Rokibor?"


    The king looked around at all the gathered people in the room. There were some decorated generals and high-ranking officials in their army. The king was displeased with the lack of disrespect, but Narikas was way past disrespect.


    "Everyone out." Rokibor snapped.


    All the generals bowed to Narikas first and then Rokibor, which Narikas knew irked his brother. He would have relished that one day, but given the amount of pain he was in, he didn''t care, nor did he have the time to care. The only people who did not follow the king''s command were Dagon, Meera, the Wardens, and the masked man.


    "Was my command not clear?" Rokibor seethed.


    "You''re not my king, so I don''t have to follow your orders," the three-sword-wielding Warden said.


    Rokibor gritted his teeth and motioned to Dagon to deal with them.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Dagon took a step, and Narikas nearly lost control.


    The room was flooded with darkness. Dagon faltered, and the Wardens drew their weapons, jumping away from Narikas. He let out a grunt of exertion and got things under control for the moment.


    You''ll have to give in to me soon. The armor spoke, but Narikas ignored it again.


    "Rokibor¡­talk now!" Narikas barked. "What did you do?"


    The king''s look of certainty faltered. "I made a deal with a being of legend and myth who resides in my wife now."


    "Doromar?" Hilnoa hissed, emerging from the shadows. You made a deal with a monster for what? Dominion over your neighbors? That''s it."


    He wasn''t surprised by Hilnoa''s appearance. "The lack of disrespect coming from you all is unsurprising. But you think too small, Hilnoa. Staying here with this servant of mine¡­" He motioned to Narikas with his head. "Has rotted your brains, you hag. No, the deal I made with the great Doromar was that I provide him with a body of exceptional power, and he will make me the king of Rhione. I will have dominion over this entire world."


    "And he has given me an exceptional body," Nisaya, or rather Doromar, said. He still sounded like the queen. The only thing that had changed about her was her eyes.


    "This is why you egged them on." Narikas stepped forward with incredible difficulty, almost falling to the ground. He was losing control of his body. The pain was immense. His voice trembled as he spoke. "T-This is why you had me p-pull back my forces...and let them come this far into the kingdom. All so you could wipe them out in one blow."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Rokibor laughed. "See, I told you we would never lose."


    Narikas trembled as the armor laughed even louder, knowing its victory was at hand. Narikas could not hold it back any longer. A part of him wanted to let go and unleash this monster on his brother.


    Give me control, and your brother will be the first to fall.


    No! Narikas shouted in his head.


    Pain wrecked Narikas''s body. He cried out and fell to a knee.


    "Narikas, are you okay?" Meera stepped towards him, and Aunt Hilnoa practically ran for him. But it was too late.


    Let me out!


    "NO!" Narikas screamed, half from determination and the other from pain.


    "Oh no, he''s losing control." Aunt Hilnoa stepped back and flipped open her book.


    "That won''t save him, woman," the armor snapped, gaining control momentarily.


    Narikas fought back with his life on the line. The armor fought with the only weapon it had¡ªpain. It was so much that Narikas thought his heart would give out.


    ¡°Narikas, listen to me,¡± Meera said. "Remember, our deal. I brought you your queen. You promised you would not die or succumb to this armor before you told me about my brother. So, you better fight."


    "Your brother should be the least of your concerns," Rokibor said. "You won''t be leaving this fortress alive for failing to follow my command. You did this by failing to find Delkoris. If you had, we wouldn''t be in this situation."


    "N-No," Narikas said, looking at his brother with rage. Even lifting his head was enough to make him almost blackout. "You did this¡­You will never be the king of Rhione."


    Narikas looked at Meera through teary eyes.


    Don''t be so sad, she''ll join you soon. The armor spoke. But she will suffer before she does.


    "I''m sorry, Meera¡­"


    <hr>


    "No¡­" A tear dripped from Meera''s eye as Narikas'' right eye turned golden to match his left. His hair turned completely white, and his skin ashen and scaly as the evil spirit of the armor took over his body.


    The Wardens pulled out their weapons and fanned around the downed and trembling Warlord. Even in his last moments, Narikas fought against the armor. He was not making it easy for the armor to take hold.


    "Looks like we''ve got two monsters to deal with," Lexa mused.


    "They''re both about the same level¡ª" Pallas said but stopped. "Is everyone seeing this? His levels are rising."


    Thanks to quickly checking her levels before, Meera knew her Identify sat at level 12, which let her see up to level 130 more than her level.


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level 402]


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level 406]


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level 412]


    .


    .


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level 425]


    [Shadowsteel Overlord ¨C Level ??]


    "What was his final level?" Meera asked, stepping away from the Warlord.


    "452," Melas answered. "And the possessed queen is level 469."


    Before anyone could say anything else, a black box engulfed Narikas. Meera knew what this box was and what it entailed.


    Hilnoa stepped up beside Meera with tears streaming down her face. "I''m sorry, son¡­"


    "I had heard about the famed shadow cages of the Shadow Scribes," Brison said. "Didn''t think I would get to see one in person."


    "Does that mean we don''t have to worry about the Warlord?" Lexa asked.


    Brison never got to answer as reptilian laughter filled the room. Meera''s fist tightened around her chakram. Thanks to her Mirrorstrike Vision, she saw Nisaya or Doromar crack a hint of a smile.


    The black box formed cracks and dissolved into darkness, which fell on Narikas'' form as heavy smoke. Narikas stood and turned their way with a smile.


    "Ah, it''s so nice to be finally free and stretch out one''s limbs after so long," the armor in control of Narikas said. He raised a finger. "First, proper introductions are in order. I am Erenyx, a Cosmarian. The gods imprisoned me in that cave during the Eclipse." He turned his head to Doromar. "Hello, husband."


    Nisaya smiled. "Hello, wife. So, you''ve gained your freedom, after all."


    "As did you. For a moment, I was worried that these Wardens would hurt you seriously."


    That''s why she wanted the heart to be brought to her.


    "If only they could," Doromar said as he stepped toward his wife, who was in Narikas'' body. Erenyx went to her husband, and they embraced and shared a deep, passionate kiss.


    Rokibor and Dirik both groaned and looked away. Meera felt a strange queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, seeing them kiss so animalistically.


    "So, the wife is in a man''s body and the husband in a woman''s," Tekton said. "Am I the only one confused about whether to call him a she or him a her?"


    "They''re both monsters," Zona finally said. "It doesn''t matter what we call them. As far as I''m concerned, they''re both an it."


    "They are in mortal bodies now. So, it should be easier to kill them," Brison agreed.


    "Everyone, take your pick," Melas said. "We''re all equal in numbers, and¡ª"


    Rokibor interrupted him. "Doromar! You still have to hold up your end of the bargain."


    The reunited husband and wife finally parted and shared a laugh. "Do I?" Doromar asked his wife.


    "No, husband, we do not." Erenyx dropped into the ground and emerged in front of Rokibor. She raised her hand, and a sword made of shadows formed in it. "Your brother is enjoying this, by the way," she said.


    She brought down her mighty sword, but Dagon, the king''s personal bodyguard, appeared between them and stopped the shadow blade with his fiery long sword.


    "Your Majesty, run. I will take care of this beast," Dagon said.


    Rokibor staggered back, wide-eyed.


    "Will you now?" Erenyx said. A sharp Shadowsteel spike erupted from the ground from between Rokibor''s legs and speared the Blazer through the heart.


    Meera gulped. She had identified Dagon earlier. He was about the same level as her, and Erenyx had taken him out in one blow.


    Erenyx turned, leaving Dagon''s lifeless form impaled on the spike. "Who else wants to come between me and my prey?"


    The Wardens raised their hands. "We do."


    "Oh no," Doromar stepped between them. "You''re all mine."


    Erenyx''s eyes looked to Hilnoa first and then to Meera. "Dear Narikas really doesn''t want you two to die, so I''ll be killing you first."

 Chapter 139 – The God Of Shadowsteel

    Meera was not happy with how this turned out. She knew little about Hilnoa''s skills or fighting style. She didn''t even know if the old crone would try to fight alongside Meera or take on her possessed nephew alone.


    "Is there anything I should know about this Erenyx before she starts ripping into us?" Meera quickly asked Hilnoa.


    But it was Brison who answered. "She called herself the Goddess of Shadow and Steel. She created the very metal with which this whole fort has been created."


    "I am a god, little man," Erenyx corrected. "You all would do well to remember that. I may have lost much of my power for having to rely on this pathetic human, but I. Am. A. God." She punctuated each word with a jab of a finger towards Brison.


    Erenyx continued. "The so-called gods underestimated me and lost many of their own under my blades. Numheia would never have taken down my husband if I had been present that day on the battlefield. That bitch Virelia had ripped my soul out and entrapped me in that cave, but thanks to the greed and lust for power of humans, I am free."


    Brison clenched his jaw but kept his mouth shut, even though it looked like there were many choice words he wanted to use to give a fitting reply.


    "A thing we will correct presently," Doromar said. "Once we break the curse on our king''s forest, we will enshroud the world in a second eclipse."


    Meera had a strong feeling that the king they were talking about was Rothedon. After all, they had called themselves Cosmarians. If this king''s lackeys were this strong, how strong was the king himself?


    The worst part was that Neel was looking for the Reflectora to use on this king when the great prophecy was about Neel defeating Aetheron. This thing was getting more complicated by the minute, but she couldn''t think about that right now. She had to figure out how to defeat the self-proclaimed goddess.


    "You both were killed once." Melas cracked his fists. "You can be killed again."


    "Aye," Tekton said. "We''ll finish what the gods started."


    Doromar laughed. "Ah, you Wardens, always so cocky, just like your bitch goddess."


    That struck a nerve with the Wardens. They moved as one for the Undead Cosmarian. It was unreal, the way Doromar moved. From the outlook, it looked like a thin, frail woman moving like she had no right to. But that was not all. Meera saw why he wanted to take over her body so badly.


    Doromar''s weapons of red mist parried or blocked each Warden''s blows. He cackled maniacally as he moved through the motions, rendering all the Wardens'' attacks ineffective. Even Meera was stumped. She had faced them all and had a hard time, barely hanging on. But he was making them look like children.


    Erenyx, too, watched with amusement as the Wardens attacked her husband. Meera saw her chance and launched two level 2 chakrams at the same time.


    Erenyx raised a wall of Shadowsteel from the floor without even looking her way. Meera''s eyes widened in shock, but she wasn''t the only one who was shocked. Meera''s chakrams nearly cut through her Shadowsteel wall.


    Erenyx turned her attention to Meera''s chakram, which was wedged in her protective wall. "I see¡­ Midiea''s chosen, huh? Who would have thought that one of the first things I do after regaining my freedom would be to kill a Hero of the gods?"


    "Um, sorry, but I''m no Hero," Meera said.


    "But you are Midiea''s chosen, and that is enough for me." She licked her scaly lips.


    "Uh, a quick question," Meera said. "Were you always scaly, or did that happen later?"


    Erenyx did not like that at all. She yelled, extended her hand, and shot Meera with Shadowsteel spikes.


    Meera raised a Mirror Tower Shield to block it, but she didn''t need to, as a door of darkness swallowed the spikes, and another door formed on Erenyx''s right side that shot the spikes back at her. The Cosmarian waved a dismissive hand. The spikes diverted and embedded themselves in the wall.


    "Meera," Hilnoa said. "You take it head-on, and I will provide support."


    "Thanks for the assist," Meera said.


    "I do not need your thanks," Hilnoa said. "Only your help in saving my nephew. Just go for the armor, not for Narikas."


    "And if we can''t save him without killing her?" Meera asked, dreading to hear her answer.


    "You cannot save anyone, not even yourselves," Erenyx said.


    A spike erupted from the ground and came for Meera''s back. She jumped aside while keeping her eyes on Erenyx. Using Mirror Wing, she pulled her two level 2 chakrams out of the wall and raced toward the evil armor.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Two shadowy hands shot out from the Shadowsteel armor and tried to slap her chakrams away, but the evil spirit thought too highly of herself. She got a rude reminder that she was not all-powerful as her chakram cut through her shadows and came for her. Ultimately, she had to form two blades of Shadowsteel to deflect the chakrams.


    Meera smirked and immediately brought her chakram back while she shot a Mirror Shard Barrage at the armor. Erenyx raised a Shadowsteel wall from the ground and stopped her beam. Meera took this opportunity to litter the room with mirrors using her armor.


    She moved to the side, quickly swapped Heaven''s Wrath for Petrifying Surge in her skills section, and shot it at Erenyx. She raised another wall from the floor, and her beam covered the dark metal wall in scarlet bloodstone.


    Meera gritted her teeth. It was like she was fighting with Pallas again, but this creature could use any part of the room as its weapon or for defense.


    "Meera, now!" Hilnoa shouted.


    Shadows swallowed the walls around the Cosmarian. The same shadows snaked towards the possessed Warlord, up its body, and held it in place.


    Meera took off another level 2 chakram, activated Shadow Coating, and hurled it at the armor''s chest.


    Erenyx laughed and flicked a finger. Meera''s chakram was flung aside as if it had fit an invisible barrier. "Shadows are my domain, you foolish women. They will not obey you."


    She grunted, and Hilnoa''s shadows shattered like glass. Even Doromar laughed at his wife''s display of power. Erenyx extended a hand towards Narikas''s throne, and two swords¡ªone of steel and the other of shadow¡ªmelted out of the throne''s armrests and flew into her grip.


    "Now, I''ll show you the real power of Shadowsteel," she hissed.


    Erenyx disappeared and appeared before Meera, ready to part her head from her shoulders. Meera teleported away to safety and recalled her chakrams. But before they could reach her, Erenyx did. Meera Stepped away again, missing her steel blade by an inch.


    When she appeared next, Erenyx was almost on her within a breath. As Erenyx appeared, the whole floor was covered in darkness, covering all of Meera''s mirrors, effectively cutting off her jump points.


    Meera tried to duck, but she was too slow. The shadow blade was coming too fast. Before it could slash Meera''s neck, Dirik appeared out of the ground and blocked the Cosmarian''s blade with his Shadowsteel blade.


    "Oh, "Erenyx raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you must be a Shade."


    "A pale imitator," Doromar said. The necromancer and mistweaver was fighting all five Wardens and not even breaking a sweat. Even at this moment, he was dodging one of Zona''s arrows as if they were nothing but a nuisance.


    "Right, you are, my love," Erenyx stated. Coming from Narikas''s mouth, it just sounded wrong. She turned to Dirik. "Let me tell you something, little Shade. All this Shade business was my idea. I put the idea in Damentes'' head to make more copies of me. People who could work covertly to help Azeria. Of course, all of it was a lie. All just a game to pass the time and sow the seeds for my arrival. After all, this is a place of power...my power."


    Meera and several others in the room frowned. Brison had turned to her. But there was one who cared for none of this but his own survival. Rokibor had edged his way to the door while the Cosmarians were busy, and so far, it had worked.


    "What do you mean?" Brison barked.


    Erenyx smiled. "Why tell you when I can show you, puppet of Numheia?"


    She extended her arm outwards, and the whole room began to wobble and shake. Meera tried to balance herself but, in the end, had to take to the air. Everyone else, including the Wardens, had to reach for a wall or a column to steady themselves. Pallas formed a shield to save himself from falling. Hilnoa couldn''t get to the column she was reaching for and fell to the shaky floor. Dirik had dropped into the shadowy floor. The king shrieked and ran out of the room without care. The only other person who was okay was Doromar, who must''ve been using Nimbus to stay in the air, like Meera.


    Erenyx shoved her swords into the ground, smirking. Shadowsteel blades erupted out of the ground around her and traveled outward. Meera dove for Hilnoa and lifted her into the air, saving her from being impaled by mere seconds. Pallas saved the wardens by forming a shield underneath them.


    "Oh, how crafty," Doromar said. He slashed his arm in an arc, and daggers made of red mists came for them all.


    Pallas protected everyone, even Meera and Hilnoa. Then, Erenyx shot them with massive spikes from the ceiling, followed by Shadowsteel arrows. Hilnoa swallowed them up in these doors of darkness, but that was all she could do before another volley of mist daggers from Doromar. But these passed through Pallas''s shields.


    Several people cried out. Meera was sure she knew what this technique was. She had even stolen it from one of the Mistblades but didn''t acquire it. She couldn''t remember its name. More swords and spears erupted from the floor, crashing against shields and making Meera rise even higher. As she did, swords shot out of the ceiling. Hilnoa saved them once again by erecting another shadow door that swallowed the swords.


    "This is getting annoying," Meera said as she dodged another volley from the necromancer. "We need to separate the two of them."


    Melas must''ve heard her because he said, "On it."


    He jumped from his shield and dashed so fast that he was a blur. Shadowsteel swords shot out of the floor, trying to stop him, but he didn''t. He ripped his legs asunder, but he made it to Doromar, where for the first time, Meera noted a look of fear on the Mistweaver''s face.


    Melas had his fist ready, and he pounced on Doromar and punched him so hard that it created a small shockwave. The necromancer was sent flying out the window.


    "No!" cried Erenyx.


    Melas crashed to his bloody knees, heaving and panting. Brison quickly scribbled something in his book, and a translucent bubble engulfed Melas''s bleeding form. "He''ll be fine. Should be in fighting shape in half an hour best."


    If we last that long, Meera wondered.


    "Wardens, let''s finish what we started," Lexa cried. "Meera, just hold out for a little bit. We''ll be back soon."


    They all raced for the window, only for it to shut before them.


    Erenyx heaved heavy breaths. "You all will pay¡ªAHH!"


    Dirik had jumped out of his shadows and left a long scratch on the armor. He extended a hand towards the window, and it opened. "Go! We''ll take care of this one."


    The Wardens left with only Brison lingering for a moment before he, too, left with his fellow Wardens, taking Melas with him. Erenyx was not pleased. Meera was not concerned with that. Dirik''s attack confirmed one thing¡ªhurting the armor hurt the Cosmarian.


    Meera flew down to the darkened floor, set Hilnoa down, and recalled her chakrams. ¡°Let¡¯s get you free, Narikas.¡±

 Chapter 140 – Doromars Second Gambit

    Meera and Dirik stood side by side as they faced who was once the Shadowsteel Warlord. Hilnoa was scribbling something in her book furiously. Whatever it was, Meera hoped it would give them the edge in this fight, as Meera was not so sure anymore.


    She knew all her lessons with all the Wardens, and the chief among them were the ones painfully learned from Zona. She had told her to be an assassin. She had to hide and strike from the shadows, but the only problem was there was nowhere Meera could hide that the Cosmarian wouldn''t find her. Not to mention, her Ambush Tactics accounted for nil in this fight.


    Erenyx eyes were bloodshot, and she trembled with rage. Meera got her level 2 chakrams ready and waited for her to make her first move. In the meantime, she pulled off more level 2 chakrams and had them spinning around her.


    The Cosmarian finally made her move. She swept her two weapons in an arc, starting from above her head and going all the way down. Swords, spears, and other pointy and barbed Shadowsteel weapons appeared, all aimed at them.


    Meera locked eyes with Dirik and gave him a slight nod while pointing down towards the ground with her eyes. They had fought together enough to know what she meant.


    The weapons flew at them. Dirik vanished into the shadowy ground, but Meera stayed where she was. Six level 2 chakrams spun around her. Using Mirror Wing, she had them deflect the coming weapons while staring down the Cosmarian.


    Erenyx sneered. "You think your petty discs can keep up with my weapons?"


    "No, I think they can destroy your petty weapons."


    She picked up the pace with her chakrams. The next sword that came for Meera shattered in two, making Erenyx''s eyes bulge in surprise. But Meera was only getting started. One after another, her level 2 chakrams broke through the Shadowsteel weapons as if they were nothing more than cheap blades.


    "How are you doing this¡­"


    "It''s simple. My weapons are better than yours."


    Erenyx gritted her teeth and stepped forward, but at that exact moment, Dirik burst out of the ground behind her and slashed out the armor''s back. Erenyx stumbled forward and let out a cry. Meera capitalized on this moment and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage at the armor. Despite it only being a metal armor piece, she heard a notification.


    She almost smiled, but the Cosmarian vanished and appeared beside Hilnoa. She gripped the older woman by the throat as she tried to write quickly in her book, but the wild look in her eyes spoke of danger.


    Erenyx laughed. "Didn''t I tell you that shadows only listen to me here? You cannot escape me."


    Hilnoa groaned as Erenyx''s fist tightened around her neck. ¡°Who said¡­anything about¡­escape¡­¡±


    Erenyx frowned, but that was all she got to do before two dark doors opened and divulged all the weapons they had swallowed back at the former Warlord, but all they did was bring out more laughter.


    The weapons never hit their mark. They dissolved before they could even touch Erenyx. Meera saw an opportunity. She pointed at her and put a Death Mark on her. Now, Meera wasn''t sure if it was just her attacks that did more damage or everyone''s, and now was as good a time as any to test it out.


    Dirik picked up on her clue and dropped into his floor of darkness, only to be shot back out immediately. The darkness that permeated the floor vanished, and they all knew Erenyx was at fault here, but this did bring back Meera''s tiny mirrors.


    Meera teleported to the closest one to the evil Cosmarian and slashed at the arm that held Hilnoa with a level 2 chakram. Erenyx had wised up to their trick and moved her arm out of the way in time. She was far enough away that even the Searing Effect of her chakram didn''t touch her.


    "Too slow," Erenyx said.


    Dirik responded by throwing a slash of darkness from his blade, which Erenyx nullified with a wave of her hand. Everything they threw at her was falling by the wayside.


    Erenyx yelled and unleashed a blast of sharp darts made of darkness and shadows. Meera raised a Mirror Tower Shield to protect herself, but the others were not so lucky. Dirik jumped for the cover of a big column, but his right foot was riddled with the darts.


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    Hilnoa, being the closest, took the bulk of the darts. She protected her book with her body. The darts riddled her with holes. Erenyx tossed her aside without a second thought. Hilnoa''s body left a bloody streak as she skidded across the metal floor and hit the far wall. She cried out and coughed up blood.


    "No!" Erenyx cried out and hunched over, trembling as if in pain.


    Meera squinted. No, that''s Narikas. He''s fighting back for control.


    She surveyed Hilnoa and wanted to go to her, but on the other hand, she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and strike. If Narikas could gain control of his body, then they could end this fight here and now.


    "Come on, Narikas, you can do it," Meera bellowed. "Push that thing back in the armor where it belongs."


    "Shut up!" Erenyx roared in her raspy voice, but she was still trembling, which meant that Narikas was still fighting.


    Hilnoa shakily wrote something in her book, which Meera hoped would be a healing skill. Meera locked eyes with Dirik and gave him a nod. Together as one they moved. Meera pulled off a level 2 chakram and slashed at the armor''s back, side by side with the Shade.


    Erenyx howled in pain and fell to a knee. "ENOUGH!"


    A shockwave of dark energy blasted out, pushing Dirik and Meera back, but not by much. Erenyx stood, no more burdened by Narikas''s quest for control.


    "You are going to die," Erenyx drawled. "All three of you."


    Off to the side, Hilnoa had vanished. I hope she''s made it somewhere safe.


    Erenyx pointed her shadow blade at them and moved, but it was more like she had vanished. Meera''s first instinct was to teleport away, but she quickly recalled her chakrams and set them to spinning around her.


    Erenyx reappeared behind Dirik and slashed down but he was no slouch. He turned and slapped her blade away. They exchanged a few blows, parrying each other''s swords. Each time their swords clashed, it sent out a small shockwave of dark energy.


    A spike erupted from the ground from Dirik''s right side. He jumped away in time, leaving him open to Erenyx''s sword slash. Meera hurled a chakram, which deflected her sword and saved Dirik''s head from being cleaved in two.


    Erenyx glared at Meera and waved a dismissive hand. The floor underneath Meera''s feet wobbled and swayed as if she were drunk. Then, the ceiling fell on Meera''s head. It was only thanks to Mirror Step that she saved herself.


    Dirik tried to escape, only to be blasted away by a beam of darkness. Meera quickly teleported to him and put up a Mirror Tower Shield as another beam of darkness came for them. The shield was already beginning to crack, which was not a good sign. They had mere moments.


    Dirik took out a green potion¡ªa Health potion¡ªwith a trembling hand and downed it quickly, some spilling over the sides of his mouth.


    "We can''t beat her here," Meera said. "She''s too powerful in this room."


    Just as Meera had finished speaking, a spike shot out of the ceiling. Meera pushed Dirik out of the way just in time, or it would have impaled him through the head. Another spike shot out of the ceiling. Meera raised two Tower Shields over their heads.


    Meera got a glimpse of Erenyx through a chunk of her fallen shield. She no longer laughed. She only fumed. Meera had to raise another shield as the Cosmarian sent a dark slash from her shadow blade.


    "We''re not going to survive long like this," Dirik said.


    Meera looked around, and her eyes fell on something. "Can you open that?" She motioned to the window.


    "What?" He frowned. "Yes, it should be possible."


    "Then wait until I say so."


    Meera rolled to the side and teleported behind Erenyx. Without skipping a beat, she shot Vampiric Chains at her foe, immobilizing Erenyx for a moment, and that was all she needed. She pulled off a regular chakram using Mirror Wing and drove it up the steel sword and onto Narikas''s meaty hand. Erenyx cried and dropped the blade when the chakram pushed its way up. Her chakram ripped open the skin on her hand as it shoved its way through to rest on her wrist.


    "What are you doing?" Erenyx barked.


    "You''ll see." Meera flicked a finger, and Erenyx flew off towards the window. "Now!"


    The window opened, and Erenyx blasted out of the fortress. Meera took off after her. Not wanting to risk having the Cosmarian anywhere close to the fortress, Meera rag-dolled the possessed Warlord all the way over the bridge and out into the clearing. The Wardens were close enough, but it was enough for Meera to have some fighting room.


    Erenyx crashed headfirst into the ground, raising a dust cloud. Meera landed beside the dust cloud covering the path to the bridge in case the Cosmarian had any ideas about returning to her seat of power. With a flick of her finger, she pulled off her chakram from Erenyx''s hand.


    "You think¡­" Erenyx stood. "This makes a difference."


    Soldiers on the ramparts pointed their way, and more than a few talked about their Warlord''s condition and why he looked like an ashen reptilian creature. Meera hoped and prayed that none of them were too loyal to come assist him against the outsider.


    "It makes all the difference," Meera replied. "For one, I don''t have to worry about a spike in the back and having solid ground beneath me, I''m pretty sure you can''t teleport anymore, but as for me¡­" Meera shot out tiny mirrors in every direction. "Now, then, let''s do this. Just you and me."


    "If you think I''m alone, you''re dead wrong. You made a grave mistake bringing yourself out here and, even more so, throwing my husband out here."


    Meera frowned at first, but she heard the moaning accompanied by howls¡ªhowls of the undead. Then she saw them. Thanks to Doromar, all the dead soldiers from the last battle had arisen and come for Meera and her friends.


    Erenyx cackled. "Now would be the time to run."

 Chapter 141 – The Crown Prince of Azeria

    Dirik hobbled to the window and watched as the queen raised all the dead soldiers and sent them after his friends. The dead they had brought over the bridge and into the walls of the fortress also rose.


    The soldiers in the courtyard were more than capable of dispatching them quickly. Of course, that didn''t stop the nobles, who had run into the walls once Draros'' army arrived to muck things up. They shouted and hollered and made a mess of things by getting in the way.


    One Steel Sentinel, who wore the armor of an officer, took control of the few soldiers not rattled by the undead''s appearance and charged the undead. There were hardly a few dozen undead, which would not cause them trouble.


    The real trouble was outside the wall, across the bridge, and coming for his friends. The two Cosmarian spirits laughed at the disparity of his friends. Dirik shook his head. To think a day would come when the old enemy would arise and stand at the brink of wiping out his kingdom.


    They had been played. Played by two spirits who hadn''t even worked together, but still, they had taken control of two of the strongest people in the kingdom. Played by a king''s arrogance who sacrificed his wife and brother to these evil things.


    The Wardens backed up to the bridge along with Meera to make a final stand. Pallas raised a massive shield wall, which the undead would crash against in mere moments. Dirik couldn''t wait for his body to heal. He had to do something, and he had to do it now.


    Even if it was day, he could still manipulate the Shadowsteel to form a metal staircase down to the courtyard. The only problem was that he wouldn''t be fast enough to get to his friends. He pounded his fist on the metal railing so hard that it left a dent. He flashed his hand to the railing adjacent to the fortress wall and used the Shadowsteel Manipulation skill to form a staircase, and the fortress complied.


    Then he heard his voice.


    "Raise the bridge!" The king commanded.


    Rokibor had just hobbled out of the fortress''s main door into the courtyard. He stood with one hand on the wall and the other on his chest, huffing like his life depended on it. Just seeing the cowardly bastard again made Dirik''s blood boil. He would have gutted him in the throne room if he had the opportunity.


    The soldiers¡ªthe ones not fighting the undead¡ªstopped. Either they were too stunned to see their king emerge from the fortress or because of the cowardly command he had given.


    A couple of the Phoenix Protectors ran to the king. They tried to see if he was okay. He pushed them off and went into the courtyard.


    "What are you staring at me for?" Rokibor barked. "Fall to command and raise that fucking bridge."


    The soldiers burst out of their stupor and ran to raise the bridge. The undead had already crashed against Pallas''s shield wall. It wouldn''t be long before they broke through and overwhelmed them.


    Dirik saw everything move at once. The undead attacked, the soldiers moved for the gate, and the king gave a hint of a smile.


    "No¡­" Dirik yanked out his Shadowsteel sword from its sheath and jumped off the last step. He didn''t have time to make stairs. He had to get this done. He had to save them¡­he had to save everyone. If Dirik couldn''t, then perhaps he could.


    The ground approached rapidly. When he was about twenty feet up, Dirik stabbed his sword into the fortress. The fortress''s wall ripped open from his sword, and his descent slowed. All eyes were on him now. Some soldier called for him to stop as he was coming straight for the king.


    The king shuffled back in terror. The two Blazers stepped forward with their fiery blades in hand.


    "Stop!" The Blazer roared. "In the name of the king, stop."


    Dirik landed on a knee before them. "Step aside. I have no time for the likes of you," he said in his real voice.


    It gave the king pause. He frowned at him. "W-Who are you?"


    "You know who I am."


    The Blazers didn''t step aside, but they were close enough to the Shadowsteel fortress that when Dirik waved a hand, two arms reached out of the fortress, pulled the Blazers to it, and locked them in place. In time, they could melt the metal and be free, but not fast enough to stop Dirik.


    He turned on the king, took off his mask, revealing his face, and made many, including the man who had ruined his face, gasp.


    "It''s high time we''ve had a chat¡­father," Delkoris said.


    The Blazers must''ve recognized him as they stopped their fidgeting and stared slack-jawed, as did a lot of the other soldiers who knew him. He had apprenticed under Uncle Narikas, so he spent a lot of time here. He was well known in Tearsfell Prison.


    Rokibor was aghast. ¡°Delkoris¡­I-I¡ª¡±


    "What? You don''t like your handiwork. Have you forgotten that you did this to me!" Delkoris barked. "All because I made inquiries about my mother''s whereabouts, who never returned from the inspection of Itris Prison. I raised a few questions, such as why I wasn''t allowed to see her if she was sick. There was never a doubt in my mind that Mother would refuse to see me, no matter how sick she was. So, you did this." He motioned to his face.


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    Delkoris knew time was of the essence, but he also wanted everyone to see what sort of a man would do this to their own child. He needed to break his hold over the soldiers so they would defy his command.


    "You could''ve have gone to the healers," Rokibor said. "They would''ve made you like before."


    "Like you did to mother all those years," Delkoris barked. The snake, who called himself Delkoris''s father, was taken aback. "Yes, I know about that, and you know the only reason you''re alive is because she asked me not to do anything, or I would''ve made her a widow a long time ago. If I knew you would''ve given up your wife¡­my mother, for power, I would''ve sliced your throat years ago."


    "You have no right to talk to me like that! I am your king and father, and I will be treated with respect." Rokibor spat.


    Delkoris drew heavy breaths. "You did this!" He screamed. "We''re in this predicament because of you! This war was of your making! This bloodshed could''ve been avoided if you weren''t such a power-hungry piece of shit." Delkoris grabbed him by the throat and drove him back until his head banged against the wall so hard that his golden crown fell off his head. "Take back your command. You raise that bridge, and we''re all dead."


    "No." Rokibor''s eyes belched fire.


    "Take back your command. Order the men to fight, or the dead will overrun us, while the monster that controls Uncle Narikas brings down the fortress on our heads. We will have nowhere to hide."


    "No¡­" He wheezed.


    Delkoris squeezed his throat. Rokibor fought against his son''s grip. Many gasped, but no one raised their voice telling Delkoris to stop, not even the Blazers. His father''s eyes turned red, and he would''ve ended his life right there, but for some reason, unbeknownst to himself, he stopped.


    Delkoris roared and tossed Rokibor aside, and turned to the stunned soldiers. "My brothers, my sisters. You know of me as your Crown Prince, but I come to you as a humble son of Azeria, begging you to come with me to save our country. This man," he pointed to a coughing Rokibor, "has doomed us. Outside, my friends are fighting to keep the undead at bay. But they will soon fall if we do not help them. Come with me so we can fight one last time and vanquish the evil that this butcher king has unleashed upon us."


    "No¡­" Rokibor wheezed. "Any who follows this¡­" he coughed. "Follows¡­" more coughing. "He will be¡­put to the sword."


    Delkoris fumed, kicked him in the face, and ran towards the gates leading to the bridge. They had started closing the gates, but there was enough space for Delkoris to run straight through. He raced across the bridge to the Wardens, where the undead had already started spilling over the shield wall.


    The Wardens were taking care of them with ease. He found Meera staring at him as he ran towards her.


    She tilted her head. "So, you''re the one I was looking for all this time."


    Delkoris would''ve chuckled if he had the time. "Yes, I''m sorry for another lie, but there is no time for this. Can you raise me high enough so I can talk to my mother?"


    Lexa turned at that. "Your mother?" Her eyes widened as it clicked. "The queen¡­you think it will work?"


    "It''s the last chance we''ve got?"


    Meera put an arm around his waist. "Hold on tight."


    Before he could even respond, Meera shot off into the sky. Luckily, she was stronger than she looked and held him tightly. His eyes widened when he saw the number of the dead. It included soldiers from both armies. When did so many die¡­


    He found his uncle and mother standing off to the side, looking mighty pleased and chuckling about something. It was good that he didn''t have Meera''s fantastic hearing skill because he did not want to hear their conversation.


    "Man, those two are gross," Meera said, confirming his fear.


    Delkoris ignored her. "Mother!" he shouted over the shrieking and moaning of the undead. They didn''t hear or notice him. "Take me a little closer, please." Meera was unsure, but she complied. "Mother!"


    Finally, the two lovebirds looked at him.


    "Oh, is that the masked one?" Uncle Narikas or the fiend Erenyx said in her raspy voice.


    Doromar gave no response.


    "Mother, it is me, Delkoris!"


    Doromar shivered but again said nothing.


    "Mother, look what father did to me. Please, I need you. Come back to me. Please..."


    Erenyx laughed. "He is literally crying for his mommy."


    But a tear leaked from the queen''s eye, and the whole undead army shivered.


    "Mother, I need you. He did this to me when I wanted to come after you." Tears spilled from Delkoris''s eyes. "I¡­please come back to me."


    Finally, Doromar''s hold over his mother broke. His glowing red eyes evaporated, and Nisaya''s natural green eyes emerged, as a flood of tears spilled from her eyes. ¡°Dirik¡­my poor Dirik.¡±


    Erenyx turned towards her, frowning. "How¡­"


    Nisaya ignored him. "My dear Dirik¡­I don''t have long. Doromar will take hold of me again, but I will¡­" She thrust her hands into the air and screamed for a long time until she coughed blood and fell to a knee.


    "No, Mother!" Dirik reached for her, but Meera held him back firmly.


    His mother whispered something, but Dirik couldn''t hear over the noise of the undead. Then his mother thrust both hands towards the undead and flung them away as if she were pushing a great weight. The entire undead army was thrown back in pieces.


    Queen Nisaya collapsed on the ground.


    "Mother!" Dirik screamed.


    Meera pulled him back as Erenyx threw shadow daggers at them in anger. Pallas''s shield wall fell at the impact of the daggers. Meera had to hold Delkoris firmly, or he would''ve gone running to his collapsed mother.


    But all his fidgeting stopped when his mother stood with glowing red eyes. "Stupid bitch, nearly wasted all her mana getting rid of the border wall and all the Mistblades."


    Dirik gasped.


    "Did I hear that right?" Tekton asked. "She could do that. From here?"


    They were more than two hundred miles from the border in any direction. A small smile formed on Delkoris''s lips. She spent all her Mana to give them a fighting chance.


    "Too bad she didn''t know I have enough of my own," Doromar laughed. "Rise. Rise, my army, and lay waste to everyone in sight."


    The undead awoke once more, and Pallas was on one knee. He didn''t look to be in any condition to raise any shield wall.


    Erenyx placed a hand on Doromar''s shoulder. "Let''s add to this army. Call forth your Mistblades."


    Doromar frowned at first and then nodded. He extended a hand and created a Mistblade. It would have evaporated in the sunlight in a heartbeat, but shadows from Erenyx''s hands snaked down her arm to cover the Mistblade in shadow armor.


    "They will not evaporate now," Erenyx stated. "Call forth another army, and let''s finish this."


    Doromar nodded and created an army as they watched. There were thousands of Mistblades backing the undead.


    "Well, folks, it was nice dying beside you," Tekton said.


    Before anyone could reply, the gate to the fortress smashed open, and a lone woman stood with a book in her hands.


    "Soldiers of Azeria!" Hilnoa boomed. "Do your duty to your country and countrymen. For Azeria!"


    "For Azeria!" The soldiers thundered.


    She charged, and the might of Azeria charged behind her.

 Chapter 142 – Rain And Fire

    The earth shook with the charge of Azeria''s army as they rushed out of the gate and over the bridge. It was a sight to see them charge to what would be their end. On the other end was the army created by the enemy, which was coming to finish them off. With a start, Meera realized she and the Wardens were caught in the middle.


    "We should get out of the way," Meera said.


    Lexa nodded. "The girl''s right. Let the living army take on the undead one."


    "And don''t forget the Mistblades," Pallas added, still huffing from the incredible defense he had put up.


    The only reason we''re still alive is because of the big guy.


    Meera ran to the side, and the Wardens followed, along with a reluctant Dirik who still lingered to watch the charge of his armies. Pallas pulled him along to the side at the last moment as the first of the soldiers dashed off the bridge, followed by a deluge of their brothers.


    The Wardens ran along the moat''s edge until they were clear of what became the battlefield behind them. Swords clashed against swords, the living against the undead, and the shadowy Mistblades.


    Meera identified quite a few, and they were around level 210. She remembered that the ones she had fought were around level 160. Erenyx and Doromar had given them a boost of fifty levels, but it was of no concern as the Steel Sentinels and Shadow Vanguard were also around the same level.


    It was good that Nisaya had thrown the undead so far back into the forest. It gave the living enough time to take the fight to them. Hundreds of soldiers stormed out of the fortress every moment. It was unreal.


    A woman in black riding a shadowy wave came towards them, keeping low to the ground. Hilnoa came to a stop before Dirik. She stepped off her shadow disk and bowed her head. "Your Highness."


    "Grandmother, I thought we were past this," Dirik said.


    "We are, but today, I want to bow my head to you. Today¡­" she had tears in her eyes. "Today, you have shown all the qualities befitting a just king. A king who cares for his people. Who fights for his people, even when no one else is willing. You''ve shown everyone why you are meant to take the throne from my spineless nephew. So, today, I am not bowing my head to the little kid who used to play in my lap. I am bowing my head to my future king."


    Dirik blinked back tears and enveloped her in a big hug. "Thank you for bringing them, all."


    "I did nothing save remind them that with the king out of commission, you were the one in charge, and you had ordered them to fight."


    Dirik raised an eyebrow. "Did you? What did you really say?"


    "Of course, I wasn''t so nice about it. I reminded them that their prince had charged out the gates alone and that they should fall on their swords for letting him fight all on his own and other such niceties."


    Dirik shook his head. "Whatever you did. Thank you for bringing them."


    "Yes, lady." Tekton swung his sword in an arc. "With the undead and the Mistbaldes being taken care of, we can focus on the root of the problem."


    "That''s why I''ve come," Hilnoa replied. "That evil bitch has my nephew, who I love as if he were my own. I am fighting till the bitter end."


    "Your skills are not effective against her," Meera blurted out, immediately wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Even though Meera had about fifty levels on the woman, the icy look of hers made Meera want to burrow deep into the ground and pour sand over herself.


    "She''s right," Dirik said. "Grandmother, if we lose you, who will lead the armies?"


    "I don''t care. There are enough generals who are fighting the enemy''s forces. I will fight to free my son."


    Dirik sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±


    "The Wardens, minus Pallas, will take on Erenyx," Lexa said. "And you three try your luck with Doromar."


    "Doromar?" Hilnoa and Meera cried at the same time.


    "Didn''t you hear me?" Hilnoa drawled. "I came to free my son. You lot can take on the queen."


    "I''ll be honest," Dirik said. "I don''t think I can hurt my mother, and if it''s possible, can you draw out Doromar some way without killing my mother."


    The Wardens shared glances.


    Lexa stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It''s not going to be easy¡ª"


    Zona interrupted her. "This is no time to be sentimental. Your efforts bought us some time¡ªtime that we''re squandering by debating amongst ourselves, while each dead soldier is one more for the enemy. We''ve decided who to fight, so let''s get to it. Dirik, the harsh truth is, your mother might already be gone."


    Dirik''s head fell, and the lad looked on the verge of tears. Meera wasn''t used to seeing his whole face, so it was much easier to read his expressions, even with his horrific scars.


    "But we''ll¡ªI''ll try to do my best to save her," Brison said, surprising everyone, seeing as how he doesn''t even fight. "There might be a way. I came about it in my readings, but it won''t be easy. If you all can weaken Doromar to the point of submission, I can draw him out."


    Zona sighed. "And if we die in the process? We''re already two men short."


    "I''ll be along shortly," Pallas said. "Just need a breather. I''ve already refilled my Stamina and Mana with my potions."


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    Meera wondered why he would need a further break if he had refilled his Stamina. She filed this question for later. Right now, there were two Cosmarians who needed killing or exorcising.


    "Ready, Dirik, or sorry, Delkoris, or what was the other name you gave me?" Meera asked.


    He chuckled nervously. "Just Delkoris is fine."


    "Fine, let''s go end this."


    Together with the Wardens, they charged the two enemies who were watching the battle. Something told Meera that they were waiting for them.


    Erenyx grinned maniacally. Seeing that grin on Narikas'' face felt wrong. Though it wasn''t really Narikas''s face, the Cosmarian demon had deformed it. Another thing that just rubbed Meera wrong.


    Meera flew at Erenyx with level 2 chakrams in both hands. She clashed against her shadow and steel swords so hard that it sent out shockwaves that made the trees shiver and ripped the grass around them.


    Erenyx was pushed back several meters, and her grin was wiped off her face. Meera blasted the area with mirrors and used Mirror Step to teleport to the side. From behind her, with impeccable timing, Delkoris slashed vertically up at her exposed back.


    Erenyx cried out but quickly recovered and blocked the shadow spears Hilnoa had thrown her way. It was unreal the speed at which she had recovered. The Wardens were fighting a crazy battle with Doromar, who still had the shadow powers that his wife had given him. He had created more Mistblades that were keeping Tekton busy while the ladies assaulted the possessed queen.


    It was something that Doromar felt so confident that he hadn''t brought any of the undead to overwhelm the Wardens. He fought them himself.


    Meera shot Vampiric Chains at Erenyx, but she cut them before they connected. Hilnoa assaulted her with a barrage of shadow spears, trying to keep her busy while Delkoris found an opening, but both were for naught.


    Once Hilnoa''s barrage stopped, Delkoris engaged the Cosmarian in hand-to-hand combat. Despite Narikas''s bigger size, the prince held his own for some time before almost tripping on a rock. Erenyx opened a deep cut on his sword arm.


    Meera flew to a downed Delkoris while Hilnoa took over. "You okay?"


    "Just about. It looks worse than it is," he replied and punched the ground. "How is she still so strong? We took her out of the fortress."


    "That''s right, little prince," Erenyx cooed. "You''re finally grasping at the truth. You might have separated me from my seat of power, but you cannot defeat me until the fortress stands, and you cannot defeat my dear Doromar without killing your mother. In essence, you cannot do anything."


    Then something clicked. Meera''s eyes widened. She looked to the Wardens, whose fight was going a little better. "Lexa, I need you!"


    "I''m sort of busy over here," she yelled back.


    "Mind if we take your places," Melas said, stepping out of an invisible door with his brother. "What do you say, brother?"


    "I call Doromar," Pallas replied with his trademark manic smile.


    Melas cracked his knuckles. "It''s fine with me. Meera, you do what you need to do."


    Without another word, he charged Erenyx. She saw him coming but could only do so much in the face of his incredible speed. Melas landed a thunderous punch on her shadow armor and sent her flying through the trees.


    Hilnoa was about to zip after them on her flying disc, but Meera caught her by the wrist. "I need you to empty the fortress."


    Understandably, she was shocked. "Are you mad? What are you thinking?"


    "I''m going to bring down Tearsfell Prison. I need you to command all the civilians and nobles to leave before the rain starts."


    "What rain¡ª" her eyes widened as she realized what Meera was talking about.


    "It''s the only way we can weaken Erenyx enough to kill her. Melas can hold her off but not kill her. If Erenyx goes, then so does her shadow magic, which is protecting the Mistblades. In one blow, we''ll weaken the enemy''s forces by half."


    "But what about fire?" Hilnoa asked.


    "Send as many Blazers as you can my way."


    Hilnoa smiled. "You will either win us this battle or kill us all."


    Lexa arrived. "We''re about to die anyway. We might as well try the girl''s mad scheme."


    Hilnoa nodded. "I''ll get as many out through the Gateway Mirror and the rest through the exit into the woods. I''ll shoot a dark arrow into the sky once we''re all out." She zipped off toward the bridge.


    Meera nodded, turned to Lexa, and explained what she needed from her. Lexa listened attentively, then laughed.


    "It really is a mad scheme. You realize we''ll have nowhere to retreat if your plan fails," Lexa said.


    "I know," Meera said, noting the dozen Blazers coming her way. "Please get the storm started, and I''ll join you shortly."


    They stopped before Meera. The one in the lead glared at her for a moment. "The Matron has commanded us to follow your command. What are your orders?"


    That was easy, Meera thought. She told them what she wanted from them. It didn''t take long, but they got the message after a little bit of arguing that she was asking them to destroy their country''s greatest fortress. But they came around once Meera threatened to have them court marshaled as she knew their Crown Prince quite well.


    "It''s ready, Meera," Lexa said, her hands raised high to the sky. "Just add your Mana to it, and it''ll be the greatest fireworks of the century."


    Meera joined her, raised her hands high, and focused on the storm clouds. Heaven''s Wrath was a simple skill. It took less Mana than anticipated to make the clouds grow darker and broader until they covered the entire fortress. Thunder rumbled in the sky.


    Meera looked to the Blazers. "Start getting ready!"


    They nodded, and balls of fire bloomed in their hands. Meera looked to the skies and waited for the signal, but no arrow came.


    "Meera, we''re wasting a lot of Mana holding back that storm," Lexa said.


    "I know." Meera was watching her Mana dip at a dangerous rate.


    To her side, the Blazers had started to form the Inferno Storm. With a dozen Blazers pooling their Mana together, it would be something to see.


    "Condense it," Meera called. "We don''t want it to be so big that it evaporates the clouds."


    "Huh? But how can¡ª"


    "Just do it," Meera barked.


    "Meera, I''m almost done¡ª" Lexa was interrupted by a massive arrow of darkness that shot right through the storm clouds.


    Meera grinned. "Let fall the rain."


    She stopped holding back the storm and let the lightning fall. Thunder roared, and one after another, brilliant bolts of lightning fell on the fortress of dark metal. She knew enough that they just had to start the storm, and the metal fortress would pull the lightning to itself on its own. The world flashed with each bolt, and thunder threatened to rip her eardrums apart.


    She pulled off her Gem of Echoes and joined the Blazers, who were all understandably transfixed by the storm Meera and Lexa had conjured. Meera took a moment to down a Mana potion, which refilled her Mana to about two-thirds. It should be enough.


    Inferno Storm was, in essence, a fire tornado, but tongues of flames lashed out on all sides. The Blazers had created a fine one. Something told Meera they hadn''t put the bulk of their Mana into it, which was fine. The fire tornado before her was about thirty feet tall and about ten feet wide. It spun at the edge on the other side of the moat. Despite the distance, Meera thought her skin was melting off her bones.


    "Blazers! Let''s get this done," Meera shouted.


    She extended a hand to the fire tornado and added her Mana to the spinning Inferno Storm. The tornado grew, but she controlled her Mana further and condensed it. The flames grew redder and redder. The Blazers were also pouring more Mana into it, and the Inferno Storm''s flames had grown to be white hot.


    The lightning had begun to melt the fortress quite nicely. Time to give it a push.


    "Go!" Meera pushed forward with her Mana, and the Blazers followed suit.


    The Inferno Storm blazed through the metal wall. It didn''t even stop the fiery tornado for one second as it melted the wall into a puddle and attacked the fortress of Shadowsteel.


    "No!" Erenyx cried as she came blasting through the trees to watch its seat of power be assaulted by lightning and fire. "What have you done?" She cried, horrified.


    "To rain and fire will the cage of tears fall."

 Chapter 143 – How To Kill A Cosmarian

    Erenyx was on her knees as she watched Inferno Storm melt her fortress into a puddle of red-hot metal, and Meera couldn''t be happier. Heaven''s Wrath had been pumped with so much Mana that Meera didn''t even need to control it. The bolts did their work beautifully, pockmarking the once dreadful fortress and paving the way for Inferno Storm to finish the job.


    It was splendid.


    Erenyx shrieked when Inferno Storm moved through the portion that held the Shadowsteel Warlord''s throne room. That must''ve been the heart of her power because it looked like it actually pained her.


    She turned her bloodthirsty golden eyes towards Meera. She breathed heavily as she stood. The shadows on her armor were going wild as if they wanted to escape the fury of the Cosmarian.


    Erenyx tightened her grip on her swords and lunged, not for Meera but for the Blazers. They were winded and as out of Mana as Meera after that insane attack.


    Her astonishing speed took the first two by surprise. It was something indeed. The next three tried to put up a good offense, but they met an equally gruesome fate. Meera could only watch as the Blazers were cut down one after the other.


    Meera''s eyes turned towards Lexa, who was no doubt Erenyx''s next target.


    "Lexa, get out of here!" She shouted.


    "You sure?" Lexa asked.


    "I''ll be fine. Just go and check on Melas and Dirik. I fear the worse might have happened if she is here."


    "O-Okay." Lexa nodded uncertainly, stood on shaky legs, and ran off into the woods. She pulled out a Mana potion and drank it while she ran.


    Erenyx was just done cutting through the Blazers. The only Blazer who gave Erenyx some trouble was the last one, but after a slight exchange, he went down, too. Meera noticed the shadows on Erenys''s armor burn away as the Blazer managed to land a few hits.


    Meera quickly downed another Mana potion, and her Mana refilled. Her other stats were looking good, mostly.


    Stats


    [Health: 2054/2270]


    [Stamina: 2103/2350]


    [Mana: 2481/2610]


    She had more than enough to take her on. Erenyx huffed, bathed in the Blazer''s hot blood, looking like a wild animal. Behind Meera, the lightning storm was coming to a close, having done its deed, but the Inferno Storm still raged. Fire and lightning reflected as utter rage on Erenyx''s face.


    Meera pulled out two of her level 2 chakrams and another four using her Mirror Wing. She made the first move by launching all four at the enemy. Erenyx parried all four like they were nothing and kept her eyes on Meera, which was her first mistake.


    Meera brought them back using Mirror Wing, but right when they were about to cut her arms off, Meera pulled back. They weren''t Erenyx''s arms but Narikas''s, and she needed him alive as he hadn''t told her where his brother had gone to get the Miravane fixed.


    But there was another reason. Ever since Narikas had told her what he had endured for the past ten years and of his dream¡­she couldn''t help but feel bad about him, and if she could help him achieve his dream, she would. After all, it would be killing two birds with one stone.


    Erenyx laughed. "Getting sentimental, are we? You destroyed the fortress I''ve worked on for the past five decades. Do you know how long it took to convince these idiots to make this stronghold? How many dreams it took to plant the idea into their heads that this fortress would be the best thing for their kingdom? And you¡­"


    Meera smirked. "And I killed it with two attacks. Must not have been that strong of a fortress then?"


    Erenyx gritted her teeth, and veins bulged out on her neck. "I am not going to kill you like the dear Narikas so badly wishes¡­no, I am going to keep you alive and strip you apart piece by piece and unleash untold horrors upon you daily as I rebuild my stronghold. Once my fortress is back to its former glory, only then will I allow you to die."


    "You know, that was quite a descriptive threat, I''ll give you that. Didn''t think you could put so many words together?"


    "Shut up!" Erenyx charged, practically frothing at the mouth. Meera blasted out mirrors from her armor and moved aside at the last moment, but Erenyx turned instantly, bringing her steel sword in an arc. Meera deflected with her chakram and parried her shadow sword with another chakram. She was about to bring around her four chakrams that were still hanging in the air, but Meera made a mistake.


    Erenyx used a blast-like attack that she had used before. Small spikes of shadowsteel blasted outward in all directions. Meera used Mirror Step, but she was too slow and got pelted with the spikes.


    She winced as she appeared some distance from her. She had a few holes in her armor. Her defensive skills and armor had protected her from the spikes reaching her internal organs, but the wounds still bled some. She activated Vitalize right away.


    As her wounds healed, she focused on her enemy, who was spinning her blades in an arc and creating a vortex of shadows. Meera did not want to be on the receiving end of that. She almost coated her chakrams using Shadow Coating, only to remember that the last time she tried that, Erenyx had tossed them aside. She could control any shadows around her.


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    She is really frustrating to fight. Then, an idea struck her. Maybe I need to be equally frustrating as well.


    She switched a couple of skills and activated Mist Concealment, a skill she hadn''t used in quite some time. She filled the area with mists and dashed away for the cover of trees. Erenyx frowned, and her attack stopped midway. As Meera ran, she littered the area with mirrors. She took cover behind a tree.


    She quickly checked her notifications. She skipped all the level-ups¡ªher class hadn''t evolved, and she didn''t care about the other skills right now. She went straight to the skills she had stolen from Erenyx, or would that be Narikas? She wasn''t sure, but she needed something to defeat her. Something that would give her the edge over the Cosmarian spirit.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Eclipse Armor. You can conjure a darkened armor made of Shadowsteel that not only provides formidable protection but also enhances agility in the shadows. Would you like to acquire the skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Spectral Dominion. You can exert absolute control over shadows, transforming them into ethereal entities that converge upon enemies. Each entity wields a deadly Shadowsteel weapon, creating a haunting and unstoppable force. Would you like to acquire the skill?]


    Meera thought about this one. Neither was immediately obvious or would give her the edge over Erenyx. The armor would give her more defense and agility in shadows. She wondered if this was what the armor was that housed the spirit of Erenyx. But Meera had her mirror armor, which was better attuned to her abilities.


    Then there was Spectral Dominion. On the surface, it sounded great. It let her create a venerable shadow army with shadowsteel weapons, but Meera felt that Erenyx could easily dispatch them as she had all the other skills that Delkoris and Hilnoa had thrown at her.


    Meera took a quick peek through her mirrors, and Erenyx was swinging her swords through the mist, trying to catch Meera, which meant she did not know where Meera was.


    Meera sighed in relief and racked her brain to see which skill she should pick up. One was defensive and from what she had seen, an immaculate armor, and the other was an army of shadows. Both had their uses, but what could come in handy?


    Meera gasped as it clicked, and an idea took shape in her head.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Spectral Dominion ¨C Level 1]


    Meera gave up the Decay Bite skill, which was practically useless and had only been used once. Without thinking much, she activated Spectral Dominion and called forth three shadow warriors. Three tall specters melded out of the tree''s shadow. In their right hand, they all held a dark steel sword that could only be Shadowsteel.


    She pointed to the one in the middle. Go attack Erenyx.


    That''s all she had to say as the shadow warrior ran into the mists and headed straight for the possessed prince. Meera figured if she could see through the mists, then so could her warriors.


    The shadow warrior''s heavy footfall alerted the Cosmarian. She turned in time to clash her blade against Meera''s warrior.


    Erenyx''s eyes widened. "How¡­This is my skill¡­" She said in almost a whisper, then shouted. "How did you get this skill? Not even the Shades know it. How?"


    That is my secret, lady.


    Meera prodded mentally for her warrior to amp up its attacks, and it followed her command. Meera couldn''t help but grin. This was even better than her Mirror Phantom skill. Her phantoms faded at the first touch. These warriors fought like they were flesh and blood.


    They exchanged blows, but Erenyx was faster and stronger. Her shadow warrior didn''t last long against the mightier Cosmarian. Meera ordered the other warriors to dash for the enemy.


    They fell upon Erenyx as soon as the first one dissipated. Meera created two more shadow warriors and sent them to support the others. The five she had created absorbed almost a fifth of her Mana. These things drank Mana like a thirsty camel. She hoped these four could keep Erenyx busy while she created her Ultimate weapon.


    She looked at the two level 2 chakrams in her hand. Please work.


    Her idea was simple. If she could perform chakram fusion on her regular chakrams, then why not fuse two level 2 chakrams and create a level 3 chakram? Nothing stated she couldn''t do that.


    She touched the edges of the two chakrams and sent Mana to them. They resisted at first, almost repelling each other. She dumped more Mana, and the resistance decreased. Her hands shook as the chakrams really did not want to fuse.


    Come on. Please.


    She poured so much Mana into the two chakrams that they began to glow. She feared she was giving up her location, but she had to do it. The chakrams'' resistance decreased slowly to the point that they finally started to go into each other. With more Mana and a mighty push, the chakrams finally fused.


    Yes! Meera internally cried, while externally, she was huffing and sweating like a pig. The effort had caused her to use up two-thirds of her Mana to create just one chakram, leaving her barely any Mana, but it had been worth it.


    In her hands, she held a chakram that was as wide as her chest and glowed with starry light.


    *ding!


    [Congratulations. You have successfully forged Chakram of Echoes - Level 3. Due to its unstable nature and the lack of proper stamina supplied during its creation, it can only be used once before it separates into its original components.]


    Are you kidding me? Meera shouted internally. How much more Mana did it need? It drank me dry.


    But it wasn''t the time to complain. She peeked around the tree and found Erenyx had cut down or dissipated three shadow warriors, with the last one giving her a good fight. She put a Death Mark on the armor, as Erenyx was busy with her shadow warrior. Then she quickly chugged her last Mana potion and hid her level 3 chakram in her Dragon Hoard Belt.


    She created a Mirror Phantom and sent it around the tree.


    "Stop," Meera''s phantom commanded, and her shadow warrior stopped its attack.


    Erenyx frowned and looked in the direction of the phantom. Meera waved a hand, and the phantom followed suit. The mists dissipated.


    "The lamb has come to the butcher willingly." Erenyx grinned.


    "No, I''ve come to kill you." The phantom disappeared and reappeared beside the warrior. "With this."


    The phantom mimicked Meera''s action of taking out the level 3 chakram. Meera''s heart thumped so loudly that she feared Erenyx would hear it. This was the final gambit. The final play. She would only get this one shot.


    Erenyx''s eyes widened. "Now, that is a pretty thing, but it won''t be enough."


    "Attack!" Phantom Meera shouted.


    The shadow warrior and the phantom both attacked simultaneously. Meera herself used Mirror Step and appeared behind Erenyx as she was mid-attack.


    Meera shot Vampiric Chains, entrenched the Cosmarian, and slashed at Erenyx''s back vertically. The chakram split into two level 2 chakrams right away, but it did its job. It left a single, deep line that shone brightly on the armor, dividing it into two.


    Erenyx gasped loudly. A scream built in her throat as all the wind rushed into the armor.


    Shockwave exploded outward, blasting Meera back. Her phantom and warrior both were dissipated into the wind.


    Narikas or Erenyx¡ªMeera couldn''t tell who was in control¡ªwere on their knees. She teleported to the other side. A tense moment passed. Despite the sun''s warmth, all Meera felt was the chill in the air. The shadows on the armor squirmed and pulled away as if they were trying to free themselves, but something was holding them back.


    With a gasp, the shadows escaped into the air, and the broken armor fell off Narikas''s shoulders.

 Chapter 144 – One More Problem Remaining

    ¡°I am¡­free¡­¡± Narikas whispered, still on his knees, eyes on the ground.


    Even if he spoke in a whisper, his voice had returned to normal, or it seemed so. No longer did it have the raspy inflection of a snake. His hair slowly turned blackish brown from the white of Erenyx, and similarly, his skin was regaining its original color again. Narikas was returning as Erenyx was being purged from his system.


    When he looked up, it sealed the deal, and Erenyx had no hold on him. His eyes were no longer golden but the dark brown she remembered.


    Narikas looked at her through teary eyes. "I am free, Meera." He looked at his hands and ripped his armor off him, revealing his broad chest. A laugh escaped his mouth, and a tear fell. "No voices¡­no more pain. I¡­¡±


    The tears started slowly, but then he broke down into sobs, and a torrent flowed from his eyes. "I am¡­free of that vile thing. Thank you¡­" He fell forward, and Meera saw the wound on his back.


    Meera went to him. "Hey, you''re hurt."


    She touched his shoulder, and he jerked. He looked at her through teary eyes. "No pain. You just touched me, and there was no pain."


    Meera couldn''t hold back her tears, and a few spilled from her eyes. "It''s okay, Narikas. You''ll be fine."


    He took her hand in his. Her hand looked so small in his, but he held it so gently.


    "Meera, you don''t understand. This is the first time in ten years that my thoughts are my own. I can touch a woman without flinching from pain. I can think of something without threats or the moans of those I wronged. This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me¡­C-Can I hug you?"


    Without even thinking about it. Meera put her arms around his neck, and he wept into her shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for freeing me."


    He sobbed and cried like a little babe, crying thank you again and again. When the tears left him, he still held her, and she didn''t withdraw either. She had been holding back a lot of tears from her own troubles that she needed to let go of. Besides, he needed this more than she did. She could only imagine what it must''ve felt like not being able to touch anyone without going through tremendous pain.


    Finally, he let go of her. "I''m sorry¡ª"


    "It''s okay." Meera smiled. "There is a wound on your back." She pulled out a Health potion. "Here, drink this before you lose any more blood."


    He smiled and drank the potion. "My debts to you keep piling up."


    Meera returned the smile. "You give me information on my brother, and I''ll call it settled."


    "Meera, for what you''ve given me, I will scour all the worlds to help you find him."


    Meera''s heartbeat quickened. "Are you saying you''ll come with me?"


    "If you''ll have me along, and I promise not to be a slobbering mess."


    She chuckled. "I think you were allowed to let that out. You had ten years of crying to do."


    He looked away, a solemn look on his face. "Towards the end, I had resigned myself to this fate. When Erenyx took over, I was empty¡­or so I thought. But then, years of guilt washed over me. Meera, I saw them¡­all the souls I fed to the armor, waiting for me. They assaulted me with their acquisitions, asking me why¡­" More tears formed in his eyes.


    Meera placed a hand on his shoulder. "It''s over now. You did what you had to do. I hope, in time, you learn to forgive yourself."


    He nodded and looked at her hand, so she quickly withdrew it. He wanted to say something but didn''t, so Meera spoke instead. "Don''t you still have an obligation to the kingdom?"


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    "I am no longer the Shadowsteel Warlord," he replied. "I no longer have the armor. My brother should have no need of me. Besides, I''ve been confined to my cage for ten years. I want to see the worlds and make something of myself that is not associated with death and war. And something tells me your adventures are going to take me everywhere."


    "Cage of tears¡­" Meera mused. "Why did you call it Tearsfell Prison?"


    "It should be obvious. Because it was my prison," Narikas replied. "A place I could not leave for long. A place I had been confined to wallow and weep in my solitary pain. Aunt Hilnoa could understand my pain but not feel it. No one could."


    Meera smiled. "Well, you''re free of it now. I melted it down for you."


    He snorted. "Another debt that I hope to repay soon."


    "If you keep talking about debts, I will have you wash all the dishes on the road."


    His eyes lit up. "Does that mean you''ll bring me along with you?"


    She felt a rumbling beneath her feet. It was almost like an earthquake at first, but the trees quaked, and leaves fell from the trees. The water in the moat splashed about. Unfortunately, their private moment would have to wait.


    Meera stood. "I''m thinking about it, but for now, you have company." She motioned towards Hilnoa, who was rushing over like her life depended on it. "And I have one more problem to deal with."


    His face darkened as he surveyed the clash between the living and the dead. The Mistblades were no more. Killing Erenyx evaporated her shadow armor, and the sun took out the Mistblades.


    "I''m sorry. I would help if I were able, but my body, despite looking healthy, is not so at the moment."


    "It''s okay. You should rest. Besides, how will you wash my dishes without hands."


    He chuckled.


    Meera teleported to the furthest mirror by the tree, where she had created her unsuccessful level 3 chakram. Hilnoa reached Narikas a moment later and enveloped her nephew in a big hug. They both cried for a little bit before Hilnoa lifted Narikas onto a shadowy wave and carried him away.


    The problem found Meera a moment later.


    Doromar ripped through the trees as he came to a stop at Narikas''s broken armor. He had taken some hits, but the possessed queen looked fine, mostly. He took heavy breaths as he fell to his knees before the armor.


    "Erenyx¡­" He touched the armor reverently. A few tears dripped from his red eyes.


    Meera should have felt sad for him, but she was just disgusted by the whole affair. The necromancer was using another''s body, not to mention all the death and destruction it had caused already.


    Meera slowly reached for her level 2 chakram without making any quick movement, but before she could pull it off, Tekton and Zona appeared.


    Zona shot an arrow at blinding speed. The arrow flew straight and true like all of Zona''s arrows, and it looked like it would have hit the mark, but a misty tentacle appeared from Doromar''s back and swatted the arrow out of the air.


    Meera teleported away to create some distance between her and the livid Cosmarian.


    "Sit this one out, lass," Tekton said. "You''ve done enough. We got this."


    Meera was only too happy to comply, but she kept a level 2 chakram in her hand regardless. She figured if she got a good shot, she would take it.


    Brison appeared a few moments later, like he always did, by walking out of a shimmering door, bringing the rest of the wardens with him. Pallas, Melas, Lexa, and even Delkoris were resting in Brison''s healing bubbles, and he stood watch over them.


    "What happened?" Meera asked.


    "Doromar lost it when you killed Erenyx," Brison said.


    "How did he know Erenyx died?"


    He motioned his head towards the possessed queen. "There must''ve been a connection between the two as he went mad. Melas and Dirik were already weakened from their fights with the other Cosmarian, and they were the first to fall, followed by Pallas and Lexa."


    "All of them went down. That''s hard to believe. How strong is this necromancer?"


    "Truth be told, Tekton and Zona don''t have long left, either."


    "You said you had a way of exercising Doromar''s spirit. Can you still do it?"


    He gave a single nod. "If they can weaken it enough, then yes. But we need to do it fast, or I fear he will change bodies again. The queen wasted a lot of his Mana by bringing down the border wall and then killing all the undead. If she hadn''t done that, I fear we all would have been part of Dormar''s army by now."


    "Why is he so much stronger than his wife?" Meera wondered.


    "Because Erenyx''s power was connected to the fortress. Once you destroyed that, her power diminished greatly. Doromar¡­well, you know of his history. He was one of the strongest of Rothedon''s generals. It took everything Lady Numheia had to bring him down."


    Meera nodded. "How long do you need to get everything ready?"


    "I''ve been preparing the spell for some time, and it''s just about ready. Just whittle him down a little more, and I''ll draw him out like poison is drawn from a festering wound." He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I''m sorry, Meera, but we need to end this now."


    She smiled. "No, need to apologize. I figured once Doromar was done with them, he would be coming for me since I killed his dear wife. One last question, what was his level again?"


    "He''s level 459."


    Meera let out a deep sigh and pulled off another level 2 chakram.


    "Thank you, Meera. Just get me as much time as you can."


    "No rest for wicked."

 Chapter 145 – The Final Gambit

    Meera''s first thought was to try the same thing she had with Erenyx¡ªfill the area with mists, send her shadow warriors, and attack from the rear. But the whole thing had cost her so much, Mana, that she couldn''t afford to do that anymore.


    Creating just one of those shadow warriors needed a tenth of her Mana, and right now, she only had a little over half. She needed to make all her shots count. She couldn''t waste any Mana but could observe a little while and let Ambush Tactics do the rest.


    First things first, she teleported away from Brison and the recuperating Wardens. She teleported to the next group of trees while Brison moved back into the treeline. Meera put her back to the tree and activated her armor''s stage 2 effect ¨C Chameleon.


    Her armor changed colors to match the tree''s bark perfectly. She willed her armor to cover her head and hid her perfectly in sight. She observed the fight and waited for an opportune moment to strike.


    Tekton was more winded of the two. He fought Doromar up close. Unlike the last few times she had seen him fight, he didn''t fight with his two longswords but with his greatsword¡ªthe one he carried on his back. The foot-wide and five-long sword was more like a hunk of iron than a regular great sword.


    [Numheia''s Vengeance ¨C Level 302]


    The way he moved was something out of a storybook. He matched Doromar blow for blow, swinging past him and slashing at his legs, trying to bring him down. No movement was wasted. It almost felt like a dance¡ªa dance of blades and death. He even maneuvered through Zona''s arrow like he had trained to avoid them in his dance all his life. It was simply beautiful to watch.


    But the Cosmarian would not be brought down so easily. Whenever Tekton came close to delivering a major blow, Doromar evaporated into mists only to reform closer and closer to the other Warden, putting Zona on the backfoot.


    Zona ran to create more distance. She had never had to do that before. Usually, her opponents ran from her. Doromar knew she was the weaker link in close combat and was coming for her. Meera could''ve stepped in now, but then she would have revealed herself and lost her advantage.


    Doromar didn''t only rely on the queen''s mist skills but also used his nefarious necromancer magic. He shot a sickly dark green beam at Zona, who had to jump out of the way.


    She wanted to ask Brison about Doromar''s skills that took down three Wardens. She remembered her fight with all three of them, and they were no pushovers. It took everything she had to hold them off in the free-for-all.


    "Who killed my Erenyx?" Doromar raged. "Bring them to me!"


    The ground shook in his roar. From the corner of the fighting, dead bodies disappeared and reappeared in the air over the two Wardens. Tekton and Zona jumped aside. The corpses exploded, raining bones and rotting flesh.


    The necromancer took this chance to launch its counterattack. He extended a hand towards Zona, and a spectral version of his hand shot out and gripped Zona by the leg mid-jump. He smashed her into the ground twice before pulling her in towards him. She was dragged on the ground. She fought back, but her movement was sluggish.


    Meera wondered if this skill was something like her Vampiric Chains. Once Doromar had a hold of her, Zona screamed as her skin darkened, like it was decaying. Meera had experienced a similar curse from the werewolf.


    Tekton was too far away. Meera launched her level 2 chakram using Mirror Wing and cut off Doromar''s hand at the wrist.


    He gasped, and a scream escaped his throat as he clutched at his bleeding stump. The scream sounded too much like that of Delkoris''s mother rather than the Cosmarian controlling her body.


    Meera made a mental note to apologize to Delkoris if they managed to free his mother from the necromancer''s grasp.


    Zona limped away from Doromar. Her decayed leg did not support her weight anymore. This was not good. Meera''s instinct was to cut Doromar to pieces now that he was distracted, but then he would jump to another body, and with all the dead and undead around, it would be next to impossible to tie him down.


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    "Meera¡­" Zona groaned. "Take over for me. The curse¡­" she winced. "It''s spreading."


    Meera zoomed in on her leg, and it was. The decay had traveled up her pants and down into her shoe. She bobbed a chakram in front of denoting that she understood.


    Zona hobbled away towards Brison, keeping an arrow trained on Doromar, who was busy with his own pain. He reached for his severed hand and attached it to his stump, biting his lower lip. Through Mirrorstrike Vision, Meera saw the bone and muscles reattach, and the skin regrew. In a moment, it was like the hand had never been severed.


    "Oh no, you don''t." Tekton jumped, bringing his massive great sword down in an overhead arc.


    Doromar teleported away like the Mistblades used to¡ªturning to mist and reforming elsewhere. He extended a hand to the battlefield, and a dozen more bodies flew to him. Tekton instinctively jumped back, and Meera was ready to protect him with a Mirror Tower Shield if the corpses blew up again.


    Doromar closed his fist, and the bodies twitched and turned in the air, raining blood down on him, painting him scarlet. Instead of getting out of the way, he reveled in being drenched. Overhead, the bodies shivered, and their bones shot out of the body. The bones floated down and covered Nisaya''s whole form in bone armor.


    "Meera, I don''t know about you, but that is fucking gross," Tekton commented.


    I agree. She replied silently, not wanting to give herself away just yet.


    More bones popped out of the deceased, leaving most of the bodies a grotesque mess. That was a sight Meera wouldn''t easily forget. Some of the bones broke into tinier pieces to form spikes and arranged themselves into a serrated bone sword, which came to rest in Doromar''s hand.


    Finally, the corpses fell to the ground.


    "Now, I will cut you to pieces," Doromar told Tekton. "You and the bitch with the chakrams."


    He didn''t look Meera''s way, so she hoped he didn''t know where she was.


    Tekton pointed his great sword at Doromar. "Come and meet your death."


    They lunged for each other. Their clash of swords sent a shockwave that rattled the branches, making leaves fall. Meera stayed put but kept her chakrams ready if she needed to jump in to save Tekton. But it didn''t look like he needed any help.


    Every time their swords clashed, shockwaves reverberated through the ground. Thankfully, Meera had picked a solid tree, or she would''ve been blown away by now.


    When Meera fought him, she never had a chance to see his swordsmanship. But what he showed now made her see why he was called the Shadow of Death in the gladiatorial arena.


    He moved circles around the Cosmarian and left many cuts on him or would''ve if not for the bone armor, which protected Doromar like a second skin. But it was obvious that he was getting increasingly frustrated with the Gladiator Warden.


    Tekton danced around to Doromar''s back, swinging his sword in an uppercut motion, cutting nearly the entirety of his back in half. It took a moment for the bones to mend themselves back together.


    Doromar turned while slashing at Tekton''s neck. He swayed away out of reach. The Cosmarian gritted his and yelled in frustration.


    "Getting tired, are we?" Tekton mocked. "You only need to leave her body, and all your troubles will end. We''ll make sure of it."


    Doromar growled and snapped his sword like a whip. To Meera and Tekton''s surprise, his bone sword extended like a whip. The bones line up one after another to form a thorny whip.


    Tekton overcame his surprise lightning-fast and blocked the bone whip with his thick blade. The whip coiled around the sword and, with one strong tug, ripped the blade out of Tekton''s hand. Doromar tossed the blade away, grinning.


    Tekton looked at his blade, which lay well out of his reach, and back at the necromancer and smiled. "There are a lot of things I can abide, but someone touching my blade is not one of them."


    Doromar scoffed. "You talk too much. Your tongue will be the first thing I take when I resurrect you as my pawn."


    "I''m too unruly to be your pawn." Tekton charged the necromancer empty-handed.


    Doromar laughed, but Tekton jumped and looked like he would knee the Cosmarian in the chest, but he slipped past him. Tekton skidded towards his sword. Doromar''s whip cracked, and Tekton rolled forward, but disaster struck.


    The bone whip wrapped around Tekton''s torso. Meera launched her level 2 chakram right away. But she was too late. Doromar yanked on his whip hard. Tekton screamed as the thorny whip rend his body in streaks of blood, but Tekton would not go down that easily.


    He jumped for his sword, caught it by the hilt, rolled around in one fluid motion, and hurled it at the necromancer.


    Doromar''s eyes widened, and he cracked his whip, but Meera cut it in half with her chakram. Numheia''s Vengeance stabbed the Cosmarian in the gut.


    Doromar gasped but showed no outward signs of pain. Instead of falling to his knees, he gripped the sword by the hilt and pulled it out. He sneered as he walked to the bleeding Gladiator Warden.


    Meera shot another chakram at the possessed queen, but he deflected it with a swing of Tekton''s sword.


    "I''ll deal with you later, coward," he said. "First, I need to take care of a pest."


    He stopped before Tekton and raised his sword high. Tekton got on his knees, bleeding profusely, he needed Brison''s help immediately. Meera had only one way of stopping Doromar and giving enough time for Brison to recover Tekton.


    She stepped away from the tree and stopped the Chameleon effect of her armor.


    "Doromar!" She shouted. "Don''t you want to face the one who killed your bitch wife?"


    His head snapped to her, eyes belched fire, and he charged Meera.


    Oh boy, he does not look happy with me.

 Chapter 146 – Saved By An Unlikely Ally

    Meera immediately put the Death Mark on the necromancer. His eyes flashed in confusion for a second, and then they gave Meera a deathly stare. He pointed to Meera, and she realized what he was doing. He was about to put a Death mark on her, so she used Mirror Step and teleported away.


    She shot a Mirror Shard Barrage at Doromar''s back while simultaneously pulling off four more chakrams using Mirror Wing and recalling the two she had littered the area with.


    Doromar blocked the Mirror Shard Barrage with Tekton''s sword¡ªNumheia''s Vengeance. Meera hurled all her chakrams one after another. Doromar turned into mist and reformed a little to the side. That was not all. The bone whip fell to pieces, and those pieces rejoined his armor, giving it a spiky look. The man looked like a porcupine.


    In his other hand, he manifested another great sword made of mist. It was identical in shape and size to Numheia''s Vengeance. Luckily, it didn''t mirror the level of Tekton''s sword, or Meera would be in deep trouble.


    Meera activated her Mirrorstrike Vision''s second effect to highlight the weak points on Doromar''s body. There weren''t many, but the chinks and spaces between the bones in his armor were highlighted in red. All the places that Meera could exploit.


    Behind Doromar, Brison had already enveloped Tekton with a healing bubble and pulled him in with the others. Meera sighed inwardly. He was safe and would get better soon, but the same could not be said about her.


    "Tell me something before I rip you apart," Doromar spoke in a dangerous tone. "Why? Why did you kill her? These Wardens are misguided by their goddess. That Shade was fueled by love, but you¡­you have nothing to do with this? Why did you kill my wife?"


    "I needed some information from the man she had possessed."


    "That''s it?"


    "That''s it. And don''t say she would''ve told me if I asked nicely."


    Doromar drew deep breaths, clearly getting angrier with each breath.


    "But don''t worry. I plan on sending you to her soon," Meera said.


    "You can''t. No one can. I am immortal." His eyes glistened. "I can never be with her ever again."


    "Hey, what do you know? Even you evil monsters can have emotions," Meera replied, which made Doromar''s eyes snap to her. "But if you miss her that much, why don''t you just give up your immortality, and I''ll send you to her immediately."


    Doromar glared at her for a long moment. "You talk too much."


    "Let me guess, you''re going to take my tongue too."


    Meera hurled her chakrams at Doromar without waiting for a response or waiting for him to get even stronger. He deflected them with his massive swords. His movements weren''t as fluid as Tekton''s, but they were comparable.


    He separated into mists and was coming for her. Instead of moving away with Mirror Step, she waited. As soon as he appeared, Meera brought up four big Mirror Tower Shields and locked them both in a tight square.


    Doromar was so committed to his swing that he couldn''t stop. She let loose a Mirror Blast with a chunk of her Mana, bringing it down to just one-fourth of her maximum.


    Brison, you better hurry up.


    Doromar cried out as his whole form was riddled with light and mirror shards. Meera dropped the shields and teleported away.


    There was one more benefit to Mirrorstrike Vision that wasn''t listed in the skill''s description. Mirror Blast no longer blinded her. She saw the damage her attack had done to the necromancer. The front of his bone armor had been blown to pieces, and shards had assaulted the queen''s body, leaving it a bloody mess.


    But he was healing and putting the bone armor back together at frightening speed. So, she shot a Petrifying Surge at him, encasing him in scarlet Bloodstone.


    She looked to Brison. "How long?"


    "I''m sorry, just a few more minutes." He chugged a Mana potion, then returned to scribbling in his book.


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    This had better be worth it.


    The Bloodstone burst apart, and underneath, Doromar stood rejuvenated. He looked to the Brison knowingly. "So, this Keeper of Records is preparing some spell." He looked back to Meera. "And you think that will be your salvation?"


    Meera shook her head. "I was asking him to get my Mana to the max, so I could do that to you." She hooked a thumb at the melted fortress.


    "Nice try."


    He released a thick mist, and Meera remembered running from the Mistblades. She sighed and knew she had to stop this right away. She used Spectre Dominion, created a shadow warrior, and sent it after Doromar.


    The mist had not reached more than ten feet from the necromancer. Meera paid a hefty price from a Mana perspective, but the Shadow Warrior was amazing. It kept him busy, and she moved to his back and hurled her chakrams at his weak points.


    But he vanished into the mists and almost instantly appeared in front of Meera. Her eyes widened, and she brought up a Mirror Tower Shield in time before he swung his mist sword. Her Tower Shield might as well not even have been there. His mist sword passed right through her shield and into her side.


    Meera cried out and teleported away. She activated Vitalize, but Doromar was on her. She teleported to the tiny mirror closest to the moat, giving her a moment''s breath as her shadow warrior caught up to Doromar and engaged him in close combat.


    The difference between their swordsmanship was immediately visible. Her warrior took too many hits and was slowly down. It''s shadow body lightning with each hit. But it had Meera enough time to heal enough that she could move with too much pain. But once again, it had cost her precious Mana. She quickly checked her stats.


    Stats


    [Health: 1257/2270]


    [Stamina: 1479/2350]


    [Mana: 549/2610]


    Her Mana almost gave her a heart attack. It was clear she couldn''t fight it head-on, nor could she waste more Mana by using her Mana skills that were clearly going to waste. He can''t have that much Mana left himself.


    She also had to keep him away from Brison and the others. This left her with only one thing left to do. She recalled all her chakrams and affixed them to her armor.


    She channeled her inner Neel and hoped her trash talk was up to her brother''s standards. "Say, Dora the Explorer¡­"


    "Doromar," the necromancer said through gritted teeth.


    "Same thing." She waved a dismissive hand. "So, I was just thinking, now that your whore is dead."


    "My Wife!"


    "Oh, I thought she was your whore that you just kept around. In her last moments, she said she wished she had never followed you because you know the gods cursed her too because of you."


    "Lies!" He shrieked. "She would never say that. She loved me."


    Meera raised her hands. "Hey, I''m just the messenger. They say in their last moments, people reveal who they really are. You know, she begged me¡­begged me to end her life because she couldn''t stand another day with you."


    Doromar shook with rage. "Stop. Your. Lies!"


    Meera continued. "But I didn''t give her a quick death. No, after all, a torturer needs equal punishment. First, I made shallow cuts on the armor to make the animal bleed out, as they say. She made threats like you''re doing right now. Useless blabber, really. Then she begged¡­" She smiled. The mists around him shivered as if mimicking the rage in his heart. "Well, I already told you what she said. Though, there was one last message for you. She said to tell you¡ªThat she would have been better off with him."


    Doromar roared, and the bone armor exploded.


    Meera protected herself with the Tower Shield. She had no clue who this him was or if there even was a him, but in most cases, there was always a him, so she left a clue and let him connect the dots. It looked like it had worked because he was heaving. His eyes were bloodshot, and mists coiled off him like steam.


    He picked up speed as he ran. She waited for the last possible moment as he jumped to land an overhead strike with both swords. Then, she used Mirror Step to teleport to the farthest mirror by the trees.


    Doromar yelled in frustration and followed her. Brison was still frantically writing in his book. Either this man is writing a novel, or it''s a really elaborate spell.


    "Catch me if you can." She waved to Doromar and ran into the forest.


    She activated Mirror Wing and flew between the trees at top speed. Doromar was not far behind. He zipped through the trees by running on air. She knew that skill. She had used it for a while. It was Nimbus.


    She even thought about bringing out Onyx, but she refrained as she would need to explain many things to him. She missed his talking horse. It had been almost two weeks since she''d talked to him.


    Meera saw a clearing ahead. I''ll use a Mirror Blast and double back to Brison.


    "Stop and face me, you coward!" Doromar roared. He tossed his mist sword at her, which changed shape mid-flight into a snake.


    She rose higher into the air to avoid it, but the mist snake was faster than she was. It bit into her ankle. Meera cried out as its fangs were hot like poking irons. Doromar flung her into a tree and then another. Meera was disoriented enough as it is, but he spun her around and tossed her into the clearing. She crashed into the ground and even skidded on the rough ground.


    Doromar appeared before her. "Now, you die, worm."


    He raised Numheia''s Vengeance high into the air. Meera was seeing three of him. She was about to use a big Mirror Blast, but a bright green light almost blinded her. It took a moment for Meera to see clearly, and her jaw dropped.


    A woman with long black hair, in a beautiful greenish-black dress stood before them. She had a regal beauty about her, like a beautiful eagle soaring in the skies, ready to strike on her prey.


    "No, Doromar, it is you who will die." Her voice was sharp as a sword''s edge.


    "You-You are not supposed to be here."


    "Who says I am," she responded.


    Doromar staggered back, tripping over his feet and falling to the ground.


    Meera used Identify on the lady.


    [Goddess of Justice ¨C Level ????]


    Meera''s jaw dropped a second time. That''s Numheia¡­

 Chapter 147 – Justice Unleashed On Living Death

    Numheia was practically glowing in the sunlight. Meera concentrated a little harder and she truly was glowing with a golden hue. She was tall and must''ve been over six feet. Her eyes were an uncanny shade of green. They were like the color of leaves, not something you saw in most people. Her dress was not so simple either. It had some intricate designs and a symbol stitched in silver thread, or maybe it was silver itself.


    It was a shield made of delicate vines with a burning torch inside.


    Meera figured that was the symbol of justice in these worlds¡ªthe symbol of Numheia.


    The goddess affixed the Cosmarian with a killing stare. If Meera were the center of her attention, she would have pissed herself and, needless to say, not be able to move at all.


    "You broke the p-pact," Doromar stammered.


    Numheia''s expression turned even harder if that were possible. "You speak of the pact. You? A Cosmarian having possessed an innocent soul to continue to unleash your cruelty upon the worlds." She took a step and leaned down.


    Doromar, who was already on the ground, shuffled back quickly.


    "Tell me, Cosmarian, was this your king''s doing? Did he command you to do this?" she asked.


    "N-No, I did this all by myself," Doromar said, finally finding some courage. "You imprisoned me to that tree for millennia. What was I to do? Spend eternity there until the worlds were nothing but ice and dust."


    "Yes, that is exactly what you were supposed to do as per the pact." Numheia walked around him. As she walked, gold dust fell off her pretty dress. "But it surprised me that not only you but your wife Erenyx had attained freedom as well. So, not one but two of your kind attained freedom from their bonds."


    "But we didn''t violate the pact." Doromar shot back. "We''re not back in our bodies, so we can never regain our full powers."


    Numheia set her jaw. "And that is, okay? You taking over this poor woman''s body is okay?" She pointed towards the fighting. "The living fighting the dead is okay?" She shook her head slowly. "The way I see it, no, this is you breaking the pact. Tell me one last thing, and maybe I will go easy on you when my brother sends your soul to me for judgment. Tell me, is Rothedon behind this? Did he prompt you to do this?"


    Beads of sweat rolled down the side of Doromar''s head. Meera felt like an outsider in all this. She knew she was not in any trouble, but she still wanted to bolt. She feared the goddess might think she was in cahoots with the Cosmarian or, worse yet, that his soul had transferred to Meera, and she might cut her down along with him.


    Doromar laughed shakily. "Y-You cannot threaten me. You lot think yourselves so much better than us. Don''t forget, were it not for the pact, it would have been you lot ruling the worlds and not these pathetic humans. And as for you judging my soul¡­my soul is immortal. You can do nothing to me."


    Numheia shook her head. "That is where you are wrong. Every soul is immortal. You''ve just found a way to avoid going to the halls of my brother, but I will fix that promptly."


    She extended a hand towards Doromar, and Tekton''s sword, which was in Doromar''s hand, shivered. Doromar tried to hold onto it tightly, but it was as if the weapon wanted to go to the goddess. He held onto it with both hands and skidded forward. Eventually, the weapon flew out of his grip and landed in Numheia''s hand.


    "You have no power over this weapon," she said. "After all, it is called Numheia''s Vengeance. How fitting. Now, on your knees, or should I cut you down like the mongrel you are."


    Doromar got to his knees, his whole body trembling, and lowered his head.


    Numheia moved to the side and set the great sword over his neck, ready to part the queen''s head from her body. But it would not be Doromar''s head that would be parted. It would be the queen''s, Delkoris''s mother. Meera wanted to object, and the goddess must''ve suspected as much because she gave her a hard look, and Meera almost wilted.


    "Y-Your¡­Godliness¡­ I''m sorry, but I don''t know the right term to properly address you," Meera said, unable to match the goddess''s intense gaze. "I-I just wanted to¡­please spare Nisaya''s life. That''s the woman, he''s currently¡ª"


    Doromar laughed as a dark shadow rose from the queen''s body. Nisaya dropped to the ground, almost as if she were a corpse herself. She looked like one, with her ashen white hair and pale skin.


    The dark shadow coalesced into a ball and flew off toward the fighting.


    Numheia smirked. "How predictable."


    She extended her free hand toward Doromar and clenched it into a fist. A large golden dome that covered the entire clearing shrank at lightning speed to catch Doromar in a gold orb the size of a bowling bowl. His dark soul thrashed around in the orb, unable to break free. The orb floated through the air and rested in Numheia''s hand.


    "That''s one of your generals off the map," Numheia said to no one. She bounced the orb in her hand and shot it into the sky. The orb shot high into the clouds, arced toward the Mirithia, the planet, and vanished out of sight.


    "Thank you for the distraction, Meera," Numheia turned to her with a smile and offered Meera a hand.


    Meera took it gingerly, expecting to get shocked, but her hands were soft and warm to the touch, totally in contrast to the woman''s overall look. Meera was wrong about her height. She was much taller than six feet, though not as tall as Pallas or even Melas in his enraged form.


    Meera frowned. "You wanted this to happen?"


    "I knew you would stand up for this poor woman." She looked at the unconscious Nisaya. "Her fate¡­is a sad tale, but in the end, she saved more people than you will ever know."


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    "Will she be okay?" Meera asked.


    The goddess gave her a solemn look. "I am no healer, Meera, so I cannot bring her back. Tell Brison, when he is back, that I have given permission to take Nisaya to the Master Keeper. If anyone in my order can heal her, it''s her."


    Meera bowed. "Thank you, Your Godliness."


    "My Lady is enough."


    "Yes, thank you," Meera said. But something she said about Brison being back made her do a quick sweep of her surroundings. "My Lady, if I may, when you say Brison will be back¡­has he gone somewhere?"


    "In a way." A playful smile spread across her face. "Oh, I''ll just tell you. Being all coy is not my forte. I am currently inhibiting Brison''s body."


    Meera''s eyes popped open. "What?"


    "After all you''ve seen, you''re still surprised. If the Cosmarians can take over other people''s bodies, then why can''t the gods? However, I am merely borrowing Brison''s body. I fully intend to return it to him once our conversation ends."


    "If you don''t mind, My Lady, I have a few questions. I would be eternally grateful if you can answer them."


    "This is why I''m still here. Walk with me. I haven''t had a chance to walk in these woods in some millennia."


    Without waiting for a response, Numheia started walking towards the forest, and Meera quickly fell in step with her. Walking beside the goddess was like walking beside a lioness¡ªan immortal, all-powerful lioness who wouldn''t hesitate to rip her apart if she said something wrong.


    There was a silence that permeated the air. Meera quickly took out her Gem of Echoes and attached it to her armor, and right away, the world came alive again. She was surprised at what she heard, or rather, what she didn''t hear.


    "Doromar''s horde is no more," Numheia said. "His spell broke as soon as he left Nisaya''s body."


    Nisaya still lay on the ground. She was breathing, which Meera could tell by the gentle rise and fall of her chest.


    "Do you mind if we don''t stray too far from Nisaya?" Meera asked. "I wouldn''t want to tell Delkoris that some wild animal made off with his mother''s body."


    Nisaya stopped and looked down at her with those dangerous eyes, and Meera almost fell to her knees, about to beg for forgiveness. But Numheia smiled. "This is why I was happy that Brison sent you to aid my Wardens, and I was happy that you survived till the end because I did wish to speak with the savior''s sister and secondly¡­I will allow your request."


    Numheia walked to the edge of the treeline and stayed where they were well within sight of Nisaya''s unconscious body. Meera had a bunch of things running through her mind. She drew a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and asked her first question.


    "I''m sorry, My Lady, but I need to ask this. Earlier, you said you knew I would cause a distraction, and now this. How did you know that?"


    "Because you''re compassionate, far too much for your own good. It, more often than not, gets you in trouble. But I thought Midiea must''ve seen something in you that she brought you over, and after following your travels for a while, I see it too. Deep down, you''re a good person and good people always make things harder for themselves." She patted Meera''s shoulder. "So, learn to be a little selfish, or your journey from here on will be quite difficult."


    Meera just blinked as the goddess continued walking. She knew Numheia was right, but would Meera admit that out loud? Probably not. If being more selfish got her closer to Neel faster, then it couldn''t hurt, but could she screw over people that didn''t deserve it. I guess I''ll have to learn that too.


    "Are you coming?" Numheia called.


    Meera ran to her. "Um, my next question is, how did you know to come to my aid?"


    "Through Brison, of course," she replied. "Think of the Keeper of Records as my priests. Whatever they write, I read. When Brison mentioned your discovery of the Heart of Doromar, it got my attention immediately."


    Meera started. "You were his plan all along."


    Numheia chuckled. "That''s correct. I was the plan all along."


    "But how are you inhibiting Brison''s body?"


    "The same way those Cosmarians were, though I am not forcing my way in. Brison offered his body to me with complete trust that I would return it to him. This way, I''m not breaking the pact by forcing myself into the worlds."


    "Doromar talked about the pact, as well. What is this pact?" Meera asked.


    Numheia walked several steps before looking up. "I''m sorry, that does not concern you¡­oh, who cares, I''ll tell you. Promise me that you cannot tell anyone, or I will come after you personally, and you know I can."


    Meera gulped. ¡°I promise.¡±


    "Towards the end of the Eclipse, we gods defeated Rothedon and bound him and his horde to what is now Rothedon''s Forest. But to do so, we had to make a sacrifice, which came to be called the Pact of Dalleria. Don''t get me started on her. There is enough bad blood between us. It''s a good thing the worlds are rid of her. The pact states that the Cosmarians will stay confined in their forest, and we will stay up there." She pointed to Mirithia. "That we will not interfere in the mortal''s affair directly and keep our interactions only as much as our roles allow."


    "But you just took down Doromar¡­"


    "This constitutes as a godly matter," the goddess replied. "I thought he died when I shot out his heart, but he was a crafty one, and I didn''t know about Erenyx as I wasn''t the one who imprisoned her. The way she whittled down the will of that poor man. Oh, I wish she was still here. I would''ve loved to take out the wife in front of the husband."


    Meera gulped. The look on her face sent a shiver up Meera''s spine. "But I''ve seen or heard about Rothedon and his fiery riders attacking villages on the borders of this world."


    "As have we," Numheia said. "Don''t worry, we''re looking into the matter quite closely. You just focus on finding your brother."


    "Can you tell me where he is and save me a heap of trouble?" Meera asked.


    Numheia opened his mouth to reply but looked up, and the clouds on Mirithia shifted violently into a storm. "Sorry, that''s off-limits. My brother doesn''t like it when someone tries to play with prophecies, and this will be me thrusting myself into one. Not to mention, this is a mortal affair." She squinted her eyes. "Though, I can tell you this¡­" She leaned in. "The great prophecy you''ve heard is not entirely accurate or complete."


    "What?" Meera cried.


    Numheia shrugged. "It''s the truth."


    "But Kalrina said it''s the most accurate version I could find anywhere."


    "How should I put this? You mortals have very short lives and even shorter memories. When you have so many oracles adding and taking lines out of something as important as the great prophecy, things that need not be omitted are forgotten or changed." Numheia patted Meera''s shoulder. "Though, you don''t need to worry. There are some who still remember the original prophecy of Serenya, and that is the one that will come true."


    "Can you at least tell me who remembers the true prophecy or where they are?" Meera asked.


    Numheia looked up, and the storm on Mirithia was still raging. "Sorry, lass. That is off-limits, too, but you can ask my brother directly."


    Meera searched her memory, and she was sure Dirik had told her about this. "Your brother¡­Lorendor?"


    "That''s right¡ªthe God of Oracles, the knower of past, present, and future. The one who knows all, sees all. The Arbiter of a soul''s worth. Who decides where your soul will go¡ªHeaven, Hell or back down here. All mortals see him eventually. All you have to do is die."


    "You''re joking, right?"


    She smiled wide. "Well, that''s all the time I have, and you don''t have much time either. Seeing all this commotion, the opposing enemy king has come to pay a visit, and your friend Narikas has gone to treat with him. You better hurry, or your one chance of knowing where your brother went might get himself killed." She tilted her head slightly. "I''ll be seeing you eventually."


    Meera almost disregarded the last comment, but since Numheia judged the souls of those confined to hell¡­she started. "Wait, does that mean I''m fated to go to hell?"


    Numheia smiled as she vanished in golden sparkles, very reminiscent of fireflies, and Brison groaned weakly as he fell forward. Meera caught him, activated Druvis Power, and hefted him over her shoulder. She rushed to the unconscious queen.


    Now, Draros¡­how many enemies do I need to deal with in one morning¡­

 Chapter 148 – The Great Warrior King

    Meera deposited Brison and Nisaya with the rest of the Wardens, who were still in their bubbles. From the outside, it looked like most had been healed fully, aside from Tekton. His cuts and bruises were still raw and would take some time to heal. But if the enemy king had brought his forces to attack, she would need their help. For each one of the Wardens was worth fifty men, if not a hundred.


    To the side, the armies of Azeria had started forming ranks. Attacking them would be a little difficult as a mound of corpses littered the field before them, acting as an impromptu wall. It would give them a slight advantage but not much. The enemy would overtake the corpses before long.


    Meera shook Brison. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± He groaned weakly. ¡°Brison! I need you. Please wake up.¡±


    After shaking and calling out to him a few more times, he finally stirred. ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Brison!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake, though deathly tired,¡± he groaned.


    Meera fished out a Stamina potion. ¡°Here, drink this.¡±


    His eyes popped open as he gulped down the potion. ¡°Okay, that was what I needed.¡± He got a faraway look in his eyes. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He pulled out a vial with a blue liquid¡ªa Mana potion. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m back. I¡¯m still deathly tired, but at least I¡¯ll keep my feet beneath me.¡±


    Meera nodded. ¡°Good.¡± She quickly explained the situation to him and what had happened with Doromar.


    ¡°I need you to wake them up and send them after me, please,¡± Meera said.


    He drew a deep breath. ¡°Meera, I don¡¯t know how to put this lightly, so I¡¯ll tell you straight. I¡¯m grateful to you for all that you did to help us eradicate the Cosmarians. I¡¯m sure the others are as well. But our Lady does not permit us to get involved with a war between two kingdoms.¡±


    Meera gave him a blank stare. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me?¡±


    He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Meera. I wish I could help but¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± She stood up to leave but stopped. ¡°Wake Delkoris and send him at least. Oh, and Numheia told me to tell you to take Queen Nisaya to the Master Keeper and do all she can to heal her.¡±


    ¡°I know, and we will.¡± He offered her a small smile. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Meera nodded and raced off toward the army. They were tired, but more than that, they looked dejected. Draros had brought the whole might of his kingdom, and thanks to Meera, they didn¡¯t even have their fortress to hide in. Many gave mournful looks to the melted heap of metal. Fumes still rose from it, and it was red in some places.


    She took to the air, and as she got closer to the frontline, she broke out into a cold sweat. Draros¡¯s army must¡¯ve outnumbered Azeria¡¯s ten to one, and they were fresh after a good night¡¯s sleep. On Azeria¡¯s side, there was not a single soldier whose armor wasn¡¯t banged or dented. The ones in the front, closest to the fight, supported many injuries. Worst of all, their courage teetered on the edge of breaking. She wondered how many would break formation and run.


    She found Narikas, just as she¡¯d left him¡ªbare-chested, with a single sword in hand, at least his wound had been sealed. He stood in front of the mound of corpses with Hilnoa, and three men in full armor on horses approached them with a bunch of other soldiers. One of whom waved a white flag.


    Meera shot down to Narikas and reached him before the others arrived.


    Narikas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Meera, you made it. Does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Doromar is no more, and before you ask, the queen is alive, but she¡¯s comatose¡ªuh, in a deep sleep. I¡¯m not sure when she¡¯ll wake up. But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now, Meera,¡± Hilnoa interrupted her. ¡°We don¡¯t know if they¡¯re listening.¡±


    Meera nodded but was internally happy about the fact that this was the first time Hilnoa had used her name.


    The enemy king¡¯s procession arrived, and it was easy to tell who Draros was. He rode a black stallion, which made her miss Onyx even more. He was a handsome man with a thick white beard, which was neatly kept. Despite what Narikas had told her about his reputation as a warrior, he hardly had any scratches on his face or hands. He wore an immaculate but practical armor with various dragon imagery. His build was broad but not too heavy. He wore a curved sword at his hip, which he unsheathed and tossed to the second rider. He jumped off his horse alone and walked to them.


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    Meera used Identify on him, hoping she could see his level.


    [Blood Berserker ¨C Level 387]


    ¡°Prince Narikas,¡± he tilted his head. His voice was heavy but gruff. ¡°Either you have one great story to tell me or your troops have been practicing war by desecrating the dead. Not to mention, you¡¯ve melted down your stronghold.¡±


    Narikas bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s both.¡±


    Draros raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    Narikas drew a deep breath and told him the truth about everything¡ªthe battle with the Cosmarians, the queen¡¯s capture and possession. He kept the part about the armor torturing him and said that Doromar unleashed his wife, and she destroyed the fortress. Meera figured he didn¡¯t want to appear weak before the enemy king. Draros listened intently without ever breaking eye contact. The man might as well have been a statue. He didn¡¯t move for one single moment as Narikas spoke.


    ¡°It is quite a tale, I admit,¡± Narikas said. ¡°But every word of it is true. I will state again as I did at Karai Tower, Azeria does not have any quarrel with you, nor did we have any aim at taking over your lands or those of your friends. It was totally out of our hands.¡±


    Finally, Draros moved. He ruffled his beard. ¡°I would have called you a liar if I hadn¡¯t seen the dead rise and march towards your forces and engage your men. I would have called you a liar if I hadn¡¯t heard the thunder that must¡¯ve leveled your fortress. I would have called you a liar if I hadn¡¯t received news about your border wall evaporating into the air and your Mistblades along with it. And I would have definitely called you a liar if these words had fallen from your brother¡¯s lips. Where is your cowardly king?¡±


    ¡°The situation was totally out of our hands, so we asked His Majesty to lead the nobles out of here,¡± Hilnoa said.


    ¡°You mean, he tucked tail and ran at the first sign of trouble,¡± Draros said.


    ¡°Regardless, as the situation stands, we have no reason to continue this war,¡± Narikas replied.


    ¡°No, we do not,¡± Draros said. ¡°But we faced a lot of casualties getting here, thanks to your Mistblades. Not to mention all the loss of life of my poor citizens who your Mistblades gutted mercilessly.¡±


    Meera sighed inwardly. Just when I thought I might finally get some rest, she had half a mind to pull Narikas aside, make him tell her where Neel went, and leave to let him deal with this on his own.


    ¡°I would say your men did get their revenge.¡± Narikas motioned to the corpses of Draros¡¯s fallen soldiers.


    Draros gave Narikas an intense look, then finally smiled. ¡°Aye, that they did¡­¡±


    ¡°If you wish to press the matter further, then let¡¯s do this, you and I,¡± Narikas said. ¡°Why increase the loss of life when we can settle this one-on-one? What do you say, Your Majesty? I¡¯ve always wanted to test myself against the great King Draros, the mightiest warrior on Rhione.¡±


    Draros gave Narikas an intense look, and for a moment, Meera thought he would even take him up on his offer. She was worried that if he did, Narikas had a slim chance of survival. He was not up for a fight of this caliber or any caliber.


    Finally, Draros sighed. ¡°If I were ten years younger, I would have relished the thought. But truth be told, Narikas, I¡¯ve had my fill of war. This was to be my last war, and I didn¡¯t even have to fight.¡± He smirked. ¡°The old borders will be restored, and Azeria will pay a tribute to us, in the amount of ten thousand gold coins.¡±


    ¡°That is fair,¡± Narikas said.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll call this matter to a close if you call your king back. I want to smack that uppity brat upside the head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, that is non-negotiable,¡± Narikas said. ¡°He is my king, and I¡¯ve sworn to protect him with my life.¡±


    Draros shrugged. ¡°It was worth a try. Though, take my advice, slice his throat the first chance you get, and take the kingship for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compassion you¡¯ve shown me and my kingdom,¡± Narikas replied. ¡°I wish you a safe journey home. Your men are free to collect the bodies of their brothers. We will not stop them.¡±


    Draros turned to leave but nodded to Narikas. ¡°At least the Shadowsteel Overlord will not haunt you anymore.¡±


    Narikas¡¯s composure broke for a moment. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Meera watched him get on his horse and leave. ¡°Did he know? About the armor...¡±


    ¡°He must have,¡± Hilnoa said. ¡°The first Shadowsteel Warlord, Damantes and Draros, were close friends before the war between our two kingdoms. Who¡¯s to say they didn¡¯t reconcile after the war? But we don¡¯t have to worry about that now.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Narikas said and turned his soldiers. ¡°Men¡­this war is over!¡±


    The soldiers roared as they thrust their weapons into the air. Some hugged each other. Having survived certain death, some measure of celebration was definitely warranted.


    Meera celebrated by falling flat on her back.


    ¡°Meera, are you okay?¡± Narikas asked with a furrowed brow as he came down on a knee beside her.


    ¡°Yes, just tired of all this fighting. Can you please promise me that one of your soldiers doesn¡¯t trample me as I relax?¡±


    Narikas looked to them. ¡°Can¡¯t promise that. It seems they need this, after all they did.¡±


    Meera came up on an elbow. ¡°After all they did? What about me?¡± I literally saved your ungrateful ass.¡±


    Narikas couldn¡¯t back his laughter and laughed out loud. ¡°Oh, that was too easy. I¡¯m going to have so much fun¡ª¡±


    Then, the smile evaporated from his face as the soldiers took up the call.


    ¡°Make way for the king!¡±

 Chapter 149 – All Hail The King

    Narikas had been dreading this moment ever since Meera saved him from the armor. What would he say when he came face to face with his brother? He didn''t fear him, but he knew Rokibor wouldn''t hesitate to use the vow Narikas had made to their mother to keep him in line, just to torment him more. However, the armor couldn''t hold Narikas back from returning his niceties. Neither was Dagon alive to protect the king, so if he ever decided to slap or belittle Narikas in private, Rokibor would learn what it meant to have an older brother.


    No, I''m done. I''m going with Meera and leaving all this behind, even if I must break my vow to mother.


    "Meera." He extended a hand and helped her up.


    "You should make yourself scarce, Meera," Aunt Hilnoa said. "Given what he''s like, he will blame you for Erenyx''s unleashing."


    "What?" Meera cried. "B-but I saved Narikas by killing¡ª"


    "We know." Hilnoa placed a loving hand on her shoulder. "And I will be eternally grateful to you, but the king will not see it like that."


    Meera glanced at Narikas, then nodded. "Okay, I''ll find you after he''s gone."


    ¡°No,¡± Narikas said. ¡°Stay, please.¡±


    He looked her in the eye, hoping to convey his feelings. She must''ve understood as she nodded. If Rokibor even hinted that Meera was responsible for this mess, Narikas would beat the king into the ground.


    Even the presence of their cowardly king did not dampen the soldier''s celebration, though he certainly did try to. They stepped aside, and he put on a smile and slapped some on the shoulders, congratulating them.


    It was all an act. On the inside, Narikas knew he must''ve been fuming. His plans to dominate Rhione were thwarted for good, and Azeria had suffered a great loss. The tribute of ten thousand gold coins would especially sting him.


    The soldiers at the front finally parted ways, and Rokibor stepped through. His face broke his happy composure and showed the acid underneath for the briefest of moments as his eyes met Narikas. Then he congratulated some more men. There were two Blazers with him. Neither of whom Narikas knew, so he doubted they were that high up in the ranks. And there was someone with him that Narikas hadn''t seen since the siege began.


    Prince Heibor, Delkoris younger brother and replacement as Crown Prince. However, as far as Narikas knew, Rokibor had yet to make that official.


    Rokibor disengaged from the men and came to the little mound of corpses that separated them. His nose was broken and swollen purple. He wondered if that was Delkoris''s doing. Aunt Hilnoa had informed him of his nephew''s assault on the king. He was one person Narikas hoped would stay hidden for a while.


    "Narikas, come here and give your report," Rokibor said, waving for him to come over.


    "Sorry, Your Majesty, I''ve had a terrible injury in the fighting that prevents me from walking too much. I''m barely standing as it is. Do you mind coming over? It''s easy to step over all these corpses. Heibor, help your father climb the mound. It''s about time the both of you got your hands dirty."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Rokibor snapped.


    "Exactly that."


    The king fumed, and it was enough for him to come over the mound, which was not even that high. If Draros had attacked, it would have stopped his men for half a breath at most.


    It gave Narikas great joy to watch his brother slip and fall. It dirtied his robes, which agitated the king quite a bit.


    "Here I am, now give your report," Rokibor barked.


    Narikas waved the blazers away. They bowed, climbed back over the mound, and out of earshot. Then Narikas told his twin about the deal he had struck with Draros.


    "You agreed to pay ten thousand gold coins. Are you out of your mind?" Rokibor shrieked.


    "No, Rokibor, for the first time in ten years, I am finally in command of my mind."


    The king looked at his bare chest. "Is the armor destroyed?"


    Narikas nodded.


    "By the gods, we are finished. Don''t you remember the deal? As long as one of us wears the armor, our line endures."


    "Don''t you mean yours?" Aunt Hilnoa interjected. "And if that armor hadn''t been dealt with, you wouldn''t have a head to rest your crown. Did you forget the two Cosmarians coming for our lives, or did the shattered nose make you forget?"


    "You can''t talk to him like that," Rokibor''s petulant brat said.


    "I''m talking to my nephew," Hilnoa said, with the ice in her voice that she kept for everyone she did not care about. "Stay out of this boy."


    Heibor looked to his father after that verbal slapping, but Rokibor had more important things to worry about.


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    "Is Nisaya alive, or is she¡­"


    "She was the real hero of this battle," Narikas replied. "It''s because of her we are still breathing. She ended the war by getting rid of your malicious border wall and Mistblades."


    "What?" Rokibor cried loud enough for some of the soldiers to stare at them. "Is she alive?"


    Narikas looked to Meera. She nodded. "Though¡ª"


    Rokibor talked over her. "Great. Go get her. Let''s wait till they clear out of here, and then she can create an army of Mistblades to finish them off while their armies sleep."


    "How?" said a familiar voice. Delkoris carried his withered mother in his arms. "This is what your greed and ambition has wrought. Look at her!" He roared as tears spilled from his eyes.


    Aunt Hilnoa rushed to him while writing in her book. She created a shadow barrier to lay her down on. Delkoris set her down gently. Outwardly, Narikas showed no signs of grief, but on the inside, his heart broke for the boy. The loss of your mother was not easy to get over, and Narikas was very well aware of that fact.


    Narikas went to Delkoris. His face was a mess of scars and disfigurement. Something told him it was his own father who had done this horrifying act. Only Rokibor was capable of doing this. And Narikas wanted to rend his brother''s flesh for doing this to him.


    Narikas had been not only the boy''s uncle but also his mentor. He had trained him from a young age, and the boy had shown promise enough that Narikas was forced to make him a Shade. It was Narikas who had sent him on the quest to find his mother, but he never thought it would lead to this. He placed a reassuring hand on Delkoris''s shoulder.


    "You said she isn''t dead?" Rokibor barked at Meera.


    "She might as well be," Delkoris whispered, yet his whisper might as well be loud as thunder. "She breathes, but only the gods know if she will ever wake."


    "Then what use is she?"


    Narikas''s nostrils flared. He burned with anger at his brother''s indifference, but Delkoris burned hotter still.


    "What did you say?" Delkoris went for his father, unsheathing his sword. "She damn near drove herself to death securing your kingdom with those monsters. Then you gave her up to that fucking monster who tortured her for days."


    Rokibor backed up from his son, who was out for blood. "Now, w-wait, I didn''t mean it like that."


    Delkoris gripped him by the throat. "Doromar might have done this to her, but you are equally responsible. You are the sole monster that remains, who still haunts this country."


    ¡°Narikas, do something. Protect me!" Rokibor ordered.


    Narikas opened his mouth, fully intending to tell Delkoris to back down. He had promised his mother that he would always protect his brother, no matter what. Today, he decided to break that vow. It wasn''t easy, but Delkoris was right. Rokibor was the monster who had brought all this death and devastation to their country. He turned from the father and son, letting them deal with it themselves.


    ¡°N-Narikas...brother¡­Aunt Hilnoa, please.¡±


    She, too, turned away from the king. The coward Heibor probably had wet his pants. Meera looked at Narikas, but he shook his head, telling her to stay out of this.


    Rokibor tried one final plea. "Son, it''s not like that. You know I always loved you and your mother. You don''t want to kill your father, now do you? What would your mother think? How would she feel when she learns her son killed her husband?"


    "My mother can feel nothing anymore. Thanks to you!"


    The unmistakable sound of a sword penetrating flesh echoed on the battlefield, followed by a loud gasp from the king of Azeria as he breathed his last.


    Narikas thought he would cry, or at least his eyes would be damp at his brother''s passing, but they stood as dry as the desert sands. When he heard Rokibor''s body fall to the ground, Narikas turned.


    Delkoris had driven his blade through his father''s heart. Delkoris drew heavy breaths, and if he knew the boy, he would be equally angry at his father and himself for doing this. Killing your father was not easy if the father was as cruel as Rokibor.


    Narikas placed a hand on his shoulder. "Close your heart to it. The pain and the suffering this man caused, close your heart to it. He was a plague on this land. Azeria finally has a chance to have a worthy and just king."


    "Yes¡­" Delkoris bent down and picked up the crown which had fallen off Rokibor''s head. He turned to the soldiers. "Citizens of the great nation of Azeria, I, Delkoris, of house Manidion, have killed the king because he was cruel, unjust, and unleashed such ancient evils, whose names we had even forgotten. Evil that our brothers and sisters held at bay with their life. I could no longer serve a king who only thought of himself. The malice of King Rokibor has come to an end today."


    There wasn''t a single soldier who didn''t cheer. They pumped their fists in the air and hollered at the top of their lungs. Then, as one, a call was taken up.


    "All hail, King Delkoris!"


    "All hail, King Delkoris!"


    Narikas was about to take up the call with pride when Delkoris raised a hand in the air, and they slowly quieted.


    "I will not deny that I have not yearned for this¡­" He looked at the crown in his hand. "Long would I ponder how I would right the wrongs of my father and my father''s father. How I would shape Azeria into a paradise. But to do that, this country cannot be ruled by a man whose heart is divided. It cannot be ruled by a man who began his reign by killing his father."


    What? Narikas stepped forward and tried to speak in Delkoris''s ear, but he raised a hand to stop him. Aunt Hilnoa had the same thought, but she, too, stopped herself. The soldiers were shocked to silence.


    Delkoris continued, "If I begin my reign by committing patricide, then who is to say my son will not do the same to me? What sort of paradise will I create where sons kill their fathers for their property? No, I am no longer fit to guide this nation. I give up my claim to the throne of Azeria. I relinquish my throne to the one man who should have been king a long time ago¡­"


    "No¡­" Narikas stepped away from him.


    "He is the best man I know. Through ten years of adversity and hardship, where most men would have failed and fallen to evil ways. This man never lost his character. He is more of a father to me than my father ever was. I give you the new and rightful king of Azeria, Narikas."


    Behind him, the soldiers roared their approval.


    Narikas shook his head at his nephew. "Delkoris¡ª"


    Aunt Hilnoa placed a loving hand on his cheek. "Son, he''s right. Azeria will not get a better king than you. This is the right thing to do. Think of this as your reward for all those years of torture."


    "Uncle, I did mean every word I said. You are the best man I have ever known. You are kind, nurturing, and just. Yes, you had to do a lot of evil, but even that, you did for the betterment of our nation."


    Heibor coughed as he stepped forward. "I-If Uncle Narikas doesn''t want it, I can¡­"


    "Do you want to go father''s way?" Delkoris asked.


    Heibor blanched. "N-No, he''s right. You are the right man for the job. I never wanted the throne anyway."


    Narikas was about to object again, but then that man''s words came to mind.


    ¡­when the time comes¡ªdo nothing.


    Meera touched his arm. "You should do this." She smiled. "You deserve it. We can go adventuring some other time."


    "I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay." She gave him a slight push towards Delkoris.


    Narikas nodded to his nephew and went down on one knee. He placed the crown on Narikas''s head. He went on one knee as Narikas and rose as king of Azeria.


    "All hail the King!" Delkoris roared.

 Chapter 150 – The Prophecy Comes True

    A part of Meera''s heart was happy to see Narikas get the adoration he deserved after how long he suffered in solitude to protect his kingdom. The other part of her heart was absolutely crushed.


    She was so excited to finally have someone to travel with in her lonely quest. But it''s good that she didn''t have to look forward to Narikas''s company for long, or it would have hurt even more.


    As the soldiers cheering slowly came to a stop, Narikas gave his first order as king.


    "My fellow countrymen, not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would get the honor to serve you all as your king. But I promise to do my best to ensure my nephew''s dream of turning Azeria into a paradise comes true."


    More cheering from the soldiers. Narikas raised a hand, and they settled down.


    "My first order is let''s clean the battlefield and ensure the bodies of our brothers and sisters reach their families with respect."


    A bloodied soldier whose armor was more distinguished than the rest stepped forward. Meera figured he must''ve been a general or lieutenant.


    "Your will be done, my king." He bowed his head and turned to the soldiers. "Men, let''s get to it."


    "I will take your leave, Uncle," Dirik said. "I''m leaving with the Wardens of Numheia. For my part in defeating the Cosmarians, they''ve offered to heal Mother or try, at least."


    "When will you be back?" Hilnoa asked. Her face was stoic, but her eyes were numb.


    Dirik looked to his comatose mother. "I-I don''t know¡­"


    He hugged her and then Narikas and moved to pick up his mother but stopped as he was passing Meera. His lips trembled. "T-Thank you for saving my family."


    Meera smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hope your mother gets better soon. She saved us all. If not for her, we would''ve been facing the might of Draros''s army. And please say goodbye from me to the other Wardens."


    He was about to walk off, but Meera remembered something. "Your mother''s last words before Doromar took over her for good. I don''t think you heard them as deprived of all her strength, she could only whisper. She said¡­son, I will always love you."


    Tears dripped from his eyes. "Thank you."


    He picked up his mother and left for the woods, where Brison waited with the healing Wardens. It hurt not to say goodbye to them in person. They had helped her so much, and she had grown so strong because of them, but she needed to move on. If fate willed it, she might see them again someday.


    As Dirik was about to leave with his mother. Narikas called. "Wait a moment, son." He removed his Shadowsteel sword from his sheath and placed it in Dirik''s empty one. "The road is a dangerous place. This will protect you. Be safe, and remember, you will always have a home with us."


    Dirik looked like he was about to weep. "Thank you." He didn''t say more and left towards the forest with his mother in his arms.


    Once he was gone, Narikas turned towards Meera. "Walk with me."


    He hopped over the mound, and she followed. He was moving towards his soldiers. She frowned at first but realized the Gateway Mirror was inside the walls of the now-destroyed fortress. The soldiers who had split into groups stopped and bowed to their new king. It didn''t take them long to reach the bridge.


    Narikas sighed as he stopped before the bridge to his former home. "I owe you a debt that I can never repay."


    "Please not this again," she said jokingly.


    He snorted. "I will achieve my dream of dying in my bed as myself all because of you."


    "Well, you are king now, so I hope you do a lot of good before that."


    He nodded and stepped onto the bridge. "In the end, the prophecy did come true. All of it¡­"


    "Truth be told, I only remember parts of it," Meera said.


    Narikas recited it as they crossed the bridge.


    War and Death will surround you all,


    To rain and fire will the cage of tears fall.


    An oath to a parent shall a son break,


    His throne the king shall forsake.


    The enslaved will end the war with a final breath,


    And Justice unleashed on living Death.


    "The War and Death part is easy to see," Meera said. "We literally fought a war with the undead."


    "And Draros''s army had us practically surrounded," he added. "And you brought down the fortress with rain and fire."


    "I had help, remember," Meera said. "I wonder if it was Delkoris who broke his oath by killing his father."


    Narikas sighed. "No, that was me. I had promised my mother on her deathbed that I would always protect Rokibor with my life. I broke it by letting Delkoris kill him." He paused for a moment. "In my heart, I had always known it alluded to me. It''s why when I first heard the prophecy, it angered me so that I never let those men complete it."


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    Meera gave him a reassuring smile. She didn''t want to say he did the right thing by letting his brother die. He must''ve loved him in some way, no matter how crooked he was.


    She continued. "Who would''ve thought that the king who gave up his throne would end up being Delkoris, but was he king since he never took the crown?"


    "He was next in line to be king. With Rokibor dead, he automatically became the king."


    She nodded.


    "All this time, I thought I was the enslaved that would end the war," he said. "But it ended up being the queen."


    "I did not see that one coming," Meera replied. "I think it took too much off her. That''s why she''s in her current predicament."


    "Poor Nisaya¡­"


    "And Justice unlashed part is the Wardens taking down Doromar," Meera quickly added, as she did not want to explain to him how she saw a goddess personally dispatch the necromancer.


    He was quiet as they crossed the bridge and walked through the open gates of his fortress. The melted metal fumed in the morning sun, and she could feel the heat coming off it. To the side lay the Gateway Mirror, safe in the cage¡ªthe reason Narikas had brought her here.


    "This is part where I fulfill my end of the bargain," Narikas said.


    "Yes, what was the problem with the Miravane?"


    "As per my uncle, the Shadowsteel Warlord before me, he said they found the Miravane in the same cave as my old armor. When I showed it to your brother, the armor or Erenyx told me she had created it to find the Reflectora. She also gloated that the relic was useless, as only a Cosmarian could use it."


    "Was she telling the truth?" Meera asked.


    "Absolutely not," he replied with a smile. "Or maybe your brother is special in more ways than one. When he picked it up, he said, it was missing much of its original power. The armor didn''t like being called out. Well, you can imagine what happened next. Regardless, we figured that the device needed lots of Mana to work. A Cosmarian''s worth of Mana. These were beings that could rival the gods, so it stood to reason they thought only they could use it."


    "But aren''t all the living Cosmarians supposed to be confined to Rothedon''s forest?" she countered.


    "As far as I know, they are¡­ so I thought, until the whole mess we just dealt with."


    "Again, not living, breathing Cosmarians." Meera pointed out. "So, did Neel go to the gods for help?"


    "No, not the gods. Could you imagine one of them descending from Mirithia to help a lone human?"


    You''d be surprised.


    "There are other beings in the world that are said to be equivalent in power to the Cosmarians¡­"


    "Dragons!" Meera blurted out, remembering what Kalrina had told her about the archdragon Akhessai and how the head of her order had killed it and used its body as the headquarters for the Sorceresses of Akhessai.


    "That''s correct," Narikas said. "Your brother has gone dragon hunting on Gethys. More precisely, he''s hunting dragonlings. They''re not full-grown dragons, so much easier to kill. The best place to find them is in the great forest called Wiryar, which lies between the city of Drurith and the dragon keep called Akhessai. I will not lie. It is perhaps one of the most dangerous places in all the worlds. The dragons there are sworn enemies of all humans on account of the Sorceresses having killed their mother."


    "I know that story," Meera replied. "What was Neel''s plan? How is killing dragons going to power the Miravane?"


    "Simple, and funnily enough, it was Erenyx who inadvertently provided the solution in her arrogance. Even a dead dragon''s body continues to remain a strong conduit for magic, as do dragon heartstrings. He just needs to place enough of them into the wand''s core, and it''ll work."


    "Wand?"


    Narikas frowned. "Did I not tell you? Miravane is a metal wand made of Shadowsteel. So, whole pieces of the heart wouldn''t work. Hopefully, he''s accomplished his task and moved on because¡­" He lowered his gaze.


    "What?"


    "I''m sorry I had to tell them, or they would have killed Hilnoa and¡­me, and killing me would have unleashed Erenyx. I couldn''t have that. Meera, please forgive me¡ª"


    "It''s okay. There''s nothing to forgive." Meera saw his condition. She might have done the same if she were in his place. She couldn''t focus on what had happened but had to concentrate on what to do from here on out. "How long ago did Neel leave your place?"


    "About three weeks before you arrived."


    "And those two assailants were here about¡­five days ago?"


    He nodded. "Just about."


    "How hard is it to hunt a dragonling?" she asked.


    "Honestly, I cannot say. Neel might have achieved his task and moved, but from what I''ve heard, the Wiryar forest is massive. It won''t be easy to find anyone, especially with dragonlings out for blood."


    That gave Meera some hope, at least. "Any idea where he would be headed from there?"


    He shook his head. "He didn''t share much of his plans with me, I''m afraid. The Sorceresses of Akhessai are not far from Wiryar, but I warned him to only go to them as a last resort."


    "I''ve had dealings with one of them before. They would imprison him and experiment on him or use him for their own gains."


    "Imprison him how? I tried with my shadow boxes, and he burst out of there in half a breath." He smiled. "I don''t believe there is any cage that can hold your brother."


    Meera smiled. "That''s a relief. One last question: how do I get to Gethys and, more precisely, Drurith?"


    "Go to Nelees and take the southern road to the trading post called Kantos. It''s about a day''s ride on horseback. Just follow the roadside signs. It''s hard to miss them during this time of day. Do you still have the king''s seal?"


    Meera nodded.


    "Good. Just show them that and tell them you''re on kingly business. They''ll give you no trouble, and given your level, I doubt they''ll even want to."


    Meera made a mental note of the instructions. "Okay. I guess¡­this is goodbye."


    Narikas gave her a small smile. "Let me walk you to the mirror."


    They walked in silence, and Meera''s heart thumped. She had left many people behind on this journey already, some of whom had helped her out so much, but why was she so sad now? Maybe it was because he had said he wanted to come with her. So, she was looking forward to having a traveling companion.


    The gate to the cage had been ripped open and lay a distance away. Most likely the result of the lightning storm Meera and Lexa had wrought.


    As they walked several times, Narikas opened his mouth to say something but didn''t. He must''ve thought, Meera didn''t notice, but she saw with more than her eyes. They reached the Gateway Mirror.


    "I guess this is it," Meera said with a smile.


    "Seems so," Narikas said. "I¡ª"


    "I¡ª"


    They both said simultaneously and chuckled.


    "No, you go ahead first," Narikas said.


    "I just wanted to say, take care and¡­make sure you live life to the fullest," she said.


    "I''m planning on it once I sort this mess out." He paused, looking unsure. "Meera, I couldn''t come with you now, but if you ever need me, all you need to do is ask. I and the entire might of Azeria will come to help you."


    Meera had hoped. He was about to say that he had changed his mind, but given that he was the king now, he couldn''t drop everything to come with her. She nodded. "Hey, you can finally marry now. Find yourself a good queen and have lots of children."


    The smile on Narikas''s face withered a little. He looked into her eyes. "Once you find your brother or if you''re ever in need of a home, you can always come back. My doors will always be open to you."


    Meera looked to the ground uncertainly. "Narikas, you know the great prophecy¡­if the prophecy given to you is any evidence of these things coming true, then you know what fate awaits me¡­"


    Narikas''s expression grew grim, and his brow furrowed. "I wish I could change that. But still, that doesn''t mean we give up."


    "No, we do not. Goodbye, Narikas. Be a good king."


    "I''ll try. Good luck, Meera."


    Meera touched the Gateway Mirror and selected Nelees. She gave Narikas one last look, and he smiled. She didn''t show it, but something in her heart didn''t want to leave, but she had to. Neel needed her, especially even more so now that those two assassins were after him. The thought steeled her nerves. She gave Narikas one last smile and stepped into the mirror.

 Chapter 151 – The Results of Valor

    Meera stepped out of Nelees'' mirror with a heavy heart. The soldiers were still encamped there. After the undead army rushed out of the woods, double the number of soldiers were on guard. Some soldiers were patrolling along the forest''s edge, while others inspected the bodies that littered the clearing between the wall and the forest.


    She quickly changed her armor''s coloring and shape so no one would suspect her as one of the ones who had taken the queen through the portal earlier. As it turned out, she worried for nothing, as the soldiers were busy.


    She walked down the main road, looked at the closed city gates, and wondered if the Wardens would be coming back to collect their things. But she couldn''t wait that long, and she had said all the goodbyes she could in one day.


    She walked down the main road out of the city and took the road leading south. She didn''t really know what direction was south but there was a sign on a wooden post that read Kantos, so she figured that was the correct way. She followed the road for some time before bringing out Onyx.


    He appeared while neighing loudly. "Seemed like I had been trapped in there forever."


    "Nice to see you too, Onyx."


    What''d I miss?" He asked, excited.


    "Oh, not a lot," she replied. "I''ll tell you on the way."


    "Where are we headed?"


    "Drurith, the biggest city in all the worlds."


    "I can''t wait to see what that''s like¡­wait, do I have to stay hidden again because of my deathly self."


    "Afraid so, buddy, but don''t worry. I''ll bring you out as often as I can. This past week was a blitz."


    "Wait, did you say a week? I''ve been sleeping for a week."


    "Yes...sorry."


    "What was so important that you had to keep me locked up?"


    Meera snorted and told him of her adventures with people who started out as strangers and some even enemies and became her allies and close friends. She didn''t go into many details as that would take too long, and she had just said goodbye to them, not knowing if she would ever see them again. Besides, she had a whole bunch of notifications waiting for her.


    "Literally, so much happened, and you died a few dozen times, which means I died a few dozen times, and you didn''t even tell me!" Onyx cried.


    Meera chuckled. "Yes, sorry. I''ll be sure to tell you the next time we''re about to die. You know, bring you out for a final goodbye."


    "You know that''s not entirely comforting."


    Meera laughed. They talked for a little bit more. She was dead tired, more mentally than physically. She wanted to stop, take a breather, and recover her stats, but she had to keep moving. Besides, it wasn''t like she would be able to sleep after all she''d been through.


    Another good thing about having a sentient ghost horse was that she didn''t need to take the reins as they traveled. She brought up her notifications, and she was sure she had a ton of them to go through, even if she would miss out on the amusing reactions of the travelers as they saw her riding on Onyx.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed 19 Undead Soldiers ¨C Level 186 ¨C Level 201.]


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Shadowsteel Overlord - Level 452. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent a hundred and fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Immortal Necromancer - Level 459. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent a hundred and fifty levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. The Shadow Image has gained 47 levels and reached Level 344. You have been awarded 121 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 300, 310, 320, 330 & Level 340 in your main class, you have earned five more Chakrams.]


    Meera''s eyes widened, as she had never gotten this many chakrams at the same time. Five chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to twenty-six¡ªeighteen regular and eight level 2 chakrams.


    I''m definitely going to make more level 2 chakrams.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 31 levels and reached Level 242. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 246% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 12 levels and reached Level 124]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vampiric Chains has gained 6 levels and reached Level 100]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Evolution. Vampiric Chains evolves to Nightstalker Bindings. Nightstalker Bindings ¨C Type: Active. You can shoot three chains at once to ensnare multiple targets simultaneously, draining vitality from each one and providing a significant boost to your Health. The chains have also grown twice as strong, making them harder to break.]


    That''s nice. It wasn''t great, but Meera could see this could come in handy in fights with multiple opponents. Plus, it made them harder to break, which was good too as lately, her foes had gotten crazy strong, and they snapped them in seconds.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 11 levels and reached Level 114]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirrorstrike Vision has gained 13 levels and reached Level 121]


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


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield has gained 9 levels and reached 117]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 5 levels and reached 113]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 11 levels and reached Level 120]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 14 levels and reached Level 121]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 8 levels and reached Level 82]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Phantom has gained 6 levels and reached Level 64]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Concealment has gained 3 levels and reached Level 45]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Death Mark has gained 19 levels and reached Level 70]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Inferno Storm has gained 14 levels and reached Level 56]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Heaven''s Wrath has gained 17 levels and reached Level 33]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Dominion has gained 23 levels and reached Level 24]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 14 and reached Level 101. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 104% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Effect Upgraded. Shadow Affinity will provide a boost of 3% for every level henceforth.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 10 levels and reached Level 109]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has gained 8 levels and reached Level 17]


    *ding!*


    [Effect Upgraded. Identify will now provide additional information on weapons and enchanted items.]


    She remembered Pallas telling her about this. When Identify reached level 10, it would inform her about what sort of weapon it was¡ªstrength or Dexterity. She paused her notifications and focused on one of her regular chakrams.


    [Chakram of Echoes ¨C Dexterity Weapon]


    Meera made a mental note to try this out on more weapons.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 4 levels and reached Level 61]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 7 levels and reached Level 112]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 9 levels and reached Level 85]


    With the skill upgrades completed. Next was all the skills she had stolen. It started off with a whole bunch of skills she had stolen from the undead. She discarded them all. They all contained practically useless skills that rotted her teeth but gave her the ability to inflict plagues or decay. There was a nice one that inflicted a blinding curse on her target but was unleashed upon everyone in her immediate vicinity. If she was fighting with friends, it was less than ideal.


    After what took forever, she finally arrived at the set of skills she had been waiting for¡ªthe skills she had stolen from the Immortal Necromancer.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill of Undying Legions. Undying Legions ¨C Type: Passive. You can raise corpses to form an army of the undead to overwhelm and destroy your enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Corpse Explosion. Corpse Explosion ¨C Type: Active. You can detonate the deceased or corpses nearby, causing them to explode with devastating force. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera felt bile rising at the back of her throat when she finished reading the second skill. Not even giving the deceased a final moment of rest was just inhumane. Only a monster such as Doromar would have skills like these.


    She had seen enough of the first skill that she didn''t want that. She had Spectral Dominion, and though it used a lot of Mana, it was still enough for her. After all, she had taken out Erenyx with it, so it would be good enough for others.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Hoarder has gained 3 levels and reached Level 29]


    She was a bit sad that she didn''t earn a class evolution at level 300. I guess Pallas was right in the end. No one truly knows when they get a class or skill evolution.


    Having said that, she had a lot of things to look forward to, mainly her stat points. She had a total of 162 stat points, including 21 from before that she never got to distribute as she was busy running away from the undead army.


    She had many points to play with, so she did an even spread of ten points into everything at first, only to realize she had a lot of points left. So, she put ten more points into everything aside from Power. With only thirty points remaining, she put them into Constitution, Dexterity, and Focus to top up everything.


    With that, she brought up all her stats and skills.


    [Name: Meera Singh]


    [Age: 24]


    [Race: Unnatural Human]


    [Class: The Shadow Image ¨C Level 344]


    [Class Ability: Hoarder ¨C Level 29]


    Stats


    [Health: 2580]


    [Stamina: 2550]


    [Mana: 2920]


    Attributes


    [Constitution: 258]


    [Power: 60]


    [Dexterity: 230]


    [Endurance: 255]


    [Focus: 292]


    [Agility: 190]


    [Perception: 175]


    Skills


    [Ambush Tactics ¨C Level 109]


    [Shroud of Shadows - Level 98]


    [Nightstalker Bindings - Level 100]


    [Mirror Step - Level 114]


    [Druvis Power - Level 79]


    [Mirrorstrike Vision - Level 121]


    [Mirror Tower Shield - Level 117]


    [Mirror Blast - Level 113]


    [Mirror Shard Barrage - Level 99]


    [Vitalize - Level 120]


    [Mirror Wing - Level 121]


    [Petrifying Surge - Level 52]


    [Shadow Coating - Level 82]


    [Mirror Phantom - Level 64]


    [Mist Concealment - Level 45]


    Shadow Skills


    [Spectral Dominion ¨C Level 24]


    [Death Mark ¨C Level 70]


    [Inferno Storm ¨C Level 56]


    [Bastian''s Strength ¨C Level 55]


    [Heaven''s Wrath ¨C Level 33]


    General Skills


    [Identify ¨C Level 17]


    [Mirror Affinity ¨C Level 242]


    [Climbing ¨C Level 20]


    [Tree Walker - Level 15]


    [Potion Making - Level 1]


    [Alpha Aura - Level 22]


    [Wild Instincts - Level 61]


    [Charred Body - Level 15]


    [Shadow Affinity - Level 101]


    [Tactician''s Gaze ¨C Level 85]


    [Prismatic Distortion - Level 29]


    [Absorption - Level 68]


    [Haunting Presence - Level 24]


    [Spectral Resilience - Level 112]


    [Blood Magic ¨C Level 1]


    [Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion ¨C Level 18]


    [Negotiation Expertise ¨C Level 1]


    [Alcohol Tolerance ¨C Level 1]


    [Eyes of a Phoenix ¨C Level 27]


    [Iron Skin ¨C Level 85]


    [Gladiator''s Last Breath ¨C Level 25]


    Armor


    [Armor of Mirrors - Level 124]


    Meera smiled and couldn''t help but be proud of the results of her trials. It felt like she had been fighting non-stop for days, even though it had only been a few hours at most. She needed a break.


    Meera awoke from her nap, and it was dark still. She had made camp by the side of the road in the evening. Mirithia was still shining bright in the sky, so Meera figured there was still some time until morning.


    She quickly washed up and had a quick meal before setting out. The roads were empty, so there was no one to gawk at Onyx as they rode on by. They reached Kantos in a few hours. The eastern sky had begun to brighten, and the stars had dimmed considerably.


    The trading post was nothing more than a few big wooden buildings. Some lamps, affixed to wooden poles, burned here and there. Other than that, there weren''t many people around, which was to be expected at this hour.


    She found the Gateway Mirror in the middle of a big intersection. A lone guard was seated in a chair beside it. His head hung low, and he was about to fall out of his chair any second.


    Meera recalled Onyx and went to the guard.


    "Excuse me," she said.


    The guard shook awake and jumped to his feet. "Who''s sleeping? I''m not sleeping. Mind your own business," he said rapid-fire as if the lines were rehearsed.


    "I didn''t say you were sleeping, sir. Does this mirror lead to Drurith?" She asked.


    "Yes, but what''s your business there, Varshan?" He snapped.


    Meera produced the king''s seal, and his jaw dropped. "I''m on a secret errand for the king," she said.


    That was all she needed to say, and he snapped a salute and started rattling off excuses such as bad joints and that he was just checking on his shoes. It took Meera several minutes to convince him that she wouldn''t report him. He was even willing to give her a generous donation for her expedition to Gethys. Meera refused him, of course, though it was hard to refuse free money.


    "Just be careful, miss," the guard said. "I was told not to let anyone go through the mirror on account of the war and stop people from coming through, which wasn''t particularly difficult as no one has come through in a while."


    Meera frowned. "Why hasn''t anyone come through?"


    He shrugged. "Don''t know, miss. Hardly anyone uses this mirror anyway, as it opens up in one of the poorer districts of Drurith. Well, in any case, I wish you luck."


    "Thanks."


    Meera touched the mirror, and with her regular dots representing the mirrors she had touched, a new dot appeared high up on the mirror. She selected the dot, and it read¡ªDrurith.


    She breathed a deep breath. She was literally about to step into a new world. She had a lot to thank for, lots of people she had met and friends she had made¡­she was leaving all of them behind, and new adventures lay ahead.


    Neel, please be safe wherever you are. I''m coming to bring you home.

 Major Announcement

    Hey folks, I''m so sorry, but I''m taking a break from this story and writing in general.


    Why?


    Well, there are two reasons, really. First are personal reasons, which I''ll keep personal.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Second, truth be told, I''m sort of burning out, and before I completely drop it, I think it''s best that I take some time off. How long it will be, I don''t know.


    Having said that, I''ve written a third of the next arc already (not edited nor cleaned). I also have the general outline and major plot points sorted.


    So, rest assured, I will be back. Thank you for sticking with Meera on her journey so far. I wish you all the best on your journeys.

 Return Announcement

    Hey everyone, I hope you all have been well. I''m coming back and will resume posting chapters from Monday, Oct 21st.


    As a special treat for those who''ve been waiting a long time for the story to continue, I''ll drop five chapters right away. Yay...


    Here is a detailed summary of the events so far for those who don''t want to re-read or skim through almost 280K words again.


    If you don''t want to or need to refresh yourself on the story, skip to the end, where I reveal some things to come in the next arc.


    <hr>


    To find her missing brother, Neel, Meera stepped through a magical mirror that harbored the goddess Midiea and arrived on Rhione, one of the worlds of Mirithia. The other two being Gethys and Ealisto.


    There, she was introduced to the system and given a class that allowed her to steal skills by hurting her enemies. The goddess Midiea also granted her a divine weapon, the Chakram of Echoes.


    She met an old man, Asterion, who informed her that her brother had been here for six months, but he had been missing for only one day on earth.


    Later, she was saved from a group of monkeys by two brothers, Silas and Cossus, who informed her that her brother was the prophesized savior of the worlds.


    They also trained her as they trekked out of the forest, but Cossus lost his life when they fought a mighty great ape.


    Silas left Meera at a village at the edge of the forest and went to see his mistress, Domina, a renowned oracle. Cossus was waiting for him there, alive and well. Domina tells him they must find Neel and ensure the brother and sister are reunited, or the worlds will end.


    Meera traveled from village to village where her brother was last known to be and found that the Cosmarion King, Rothedon, was hunting Neel. She also found that Neel might be heading towards¡ªthe Shadowsteel Warlord, the Sorceresses of Akhessai, or the Warlords of Winter''s Embrace to find an artifact called the Reflectora.


    After some more travels and stealing skills, Meera was informed of Cliffshield Valley, where a Sorceress of Akhessai had taken residence.


    When she arrived in the valley, she was immediately attacked by some mirror golems. She barely survived and reached the village.


    She learned that the sorceress, whom the villagers called a witch, had kidnapped all the men.


    Meera set out to find the witch. After a harrowing fight with another mirror golem, she arrived at the witch''s hut to find the men under a spell and doing the witch''s bidding while others were being turned into the mirror golems that Meera had fought.


    The witch, Kalrina, told Meera that her brother had come to see her and that she would tell her where he went if she retrieved the Crystal of Darthin for her from the Cave of Wraiths.


    Meera, having no choice, agreed. She entered the cave to find it infested with wraiths, which only her chakrams could harm as they were divine weapons.


    There, she met the ghosts of three animals: a horse¡ªOnyx, a bat¡ªShade, and a rat¡ªCinders. Together with the ghostly animals, she learned the history of the cave.


    The cave was the experimental lab of Edwyn Toller, who was under orders from Kalrina to replicate the powers of the god Darthin, the Master of Skills.


    Meera found a few Crystals that gave her some skills, and some she pocketed for use later. At level 100, her class evolved, and she learned how to fuse her chakrams and forged level 2 chakrams.


    After a climactic fight with the mad scientist Edwyn Toller, Meera finally acquired the Crystal of Darthin. However, Edwyn unleashed a devastating explosion that started a massive cave-in.


    Meera escaped with her friends but realized that her ghostly friends couldn''t leave past a certain point. Time was ticking, as Edwyn had infected Cinders and Shade with a curse that was corroding their souls.


    The Crystal of Darthin allowed one to make a wish, but they had to sacrifice a willing soul. Cinders and Shade offered themselves rather than succumb to the curse.


    Meera honored their last wishes, sacrificed them, and received five more skill slots. She bonded Onyx to her soul with another crystal she had found in the cave.


    Meera returned to the witch, Kalrina, with the Crystal of Darthin. Kalrina freed the men in exchange for the crystal, and the two played a game of truths using the Mirrors of Dorheia, which would punish you if you lied.


    From this game, Meera learned of the Great Prophecy, Aetheron''s and Midiea''s past, and that Neel had gone to see the Shadowsteel Warlord in Azeria.


    Meera destroyed the Mirrors of Dorheia. Kalrina and Meera scuffled, and Meera lost. She had to give up one of her chakrams to escape with her life.


    Once Meera left, Silas and Cossus arrived at Kalrina''s hut. They fixed her Mirrors of Dorheia, destroyed the Crystal of Darthin, and made Kalrina forget that Meera or they were ever there to meet her. They also planted the idea in her head that the Daughters of Aksha knew where she was.


    Meera ran into a trio of prisoners escaping from Azeria. The prisoners were being chased by a construct of mists called Mistblades. Meera defeated the Mistblades, but two prisoners died, leaving only Tamas, the cook.


    The border wall of Azeria, which is made of mists, engulfed them, and she had to fight her way through the mist wall to enter Azeria.


    In the first town, the local police confronted her. She killed the captain and was captured and taken to the Shadowsteel Warlord, Narikas.


    Narikas informed her that the queen had been missing for over a week. The Mistblades had gone out of control since, and the border wall kept expanding on its own. Both instances were causing friction with the neighboring kingdoms, who had issued ultimatums to rescind the border wall and call off their Mistblades.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Narikas made a deal that if she could find the queen, he would tell her about her brother. He told her to start by going to Crown Prince Delkoris, who had gone in search of his mother.


    Meera arrived in Nelees to find Delkoris had installed his friend in his place and gone searching discreetly. She had a deathly fight with one of the prince''s bodyguards¡ªthe Phoenix Protectors, or Blazers, as they are called.


    After the fight, a masked man named Dirik brings her to his room to let her recover. He tells her he wants to join the Wardens of Numheia¡ªmonster hunters¡ªas they are in the city and would like to bring her as insurance as they don''t like outsiders.


    They arrive at the Warden''s base and are challenged to fight and beat the leader of the Wardens, Melas, in a pocket world created by the Keeper of Records, Brison.


    Meera and Dirik are both killed by Melas, but Brison revives them. The Wardens inform them that they are hunting a creature who has been making deals with the people of Nelees, granting wishes for body parts. The Wardens agree to let Meera and Dirik join them in hunting this elusive creature.


    Silas and Cossus visit Narikas and give him a prophecy, which he discards as a ruse by the enemy king, Draros, to scare them. Narikas attacked the brothers, but he and his aunt Hilnoa were beaten to an inch of their lives.


    Meera rushed back and healed the two. She learned that there were two assailants, but Hilnoa couldn''t remember their names or faces, just that they were powerful.


    The Shield Warden Pallas gave Meera lessons on building her class to suit her needs. Then Dirik and Meera started training as they were too weak to hunt this creature. After training, she reached level 200 and got a class evolution that gave her five more skill slots to store extra skills and swap them out for later use.


    She left with Dirik to search for the creature. After a fight with a werewolf, Meera found the queen chained to a tree with a beating heart¡ªthe Heart of Doromar¡ªand a necromancer was torturing her to give in.


    Meera and Dirik are spotted by the undead army and promptly escape the forest. There, they split up as Meera had found the queen and thus finished her appointed task.


    Meera reached Tearsfell Prison, Narikas''s fortress, and got in a fight with a pair of Blazers. She made it to Narikas''s throne room, where the king, Rokibor, arrived and ordered Meera to find Delkoris in three days or lose her life. Once he left, Narikas was attacked by immense pain again.


    Narikas told Meera about the Shadowsteel armor he wore. How it came to his family, and as long as someone from his family wore the armor, his kingdom would never fall. But the armor extracted a heavy price¡ªa soul must be fed to it once a week. But the armor''s influence was growing stronger, inflicting unbearable pain on Narikas. He didn''t think he had much time left before the armor would overtake him and unleash its fury on the worlds.


    The Armor briefly overtook Narikas and ordered that it wanted the Heart and would release Narikas in exchange.


    Hilnoa revealed that Doromar was a Cosmarian necromancer who fell in the war between the Cosmarians and the Gods called the Eclipse. The goddess Numheia shot out his heart and destroyed his body.


    Meera was intrigued but wanted no part in this. She demanded that Narikas keep his end of the bargain. Narikas told her that her brother was here to steal the Miravane, an ancient artifact that could locate the Reflectora, but there was a problem with the Miravane.


    But before Narikas revealed the problem and where Neel was headed, he changed the terms of their deal and now wanted Meera to bring back the queen.


    Meera returned to the Wardens, and they began training in one of Brison''s conjured worlds to take on the Cosmarian Heart and its undead army.


    Over the next few days, Meera picked up many skills and gained a fair number of levels, but once they emerged, they learned that the war with King Draros was underway and no help would come from Narikas. They would have to fight to save the queen themselves.


    They entered the forest of Pegonia and fought the battle with the undead army. After a hard struggle, Meera realized there was no way they could kill Doromar amidst his army. So, they escaped with the queen and ran to Tearsfell Prison.


    Once at Tearsfell Prison, Doromar''s spirit revealed itself. He had taken control of the Queen. Then Narikas lost control, and the armor overtook him entirely, unleashing another Cosmarian spirit. She was Erenyx, who happened to be Doromar''s wife.


    Together once again after many millennia, they unleash hell on the heroes. The Wardens take on Doromar while Meera, Hilnoa, and Dirik take on Erenyx. The fight started in Narikas''s throne room, but the Cosmarians were thrown out of the fortress as they needed to be separated, for they were too strong together.


    Outside, Doromar raised all the dead soldiers from the recent battle and unleashed them on Tearsfell Prison. The Wardens held them off but couldn''t indefinitely.


    Dirik, who revealed himself to be Prince Delkoris, implored the soldiers inside the fortress to run out and help, but Rokibor ordered them not to. Delkoris knocked him out, ran out by himself, and tried to reach his mother.


    Queen Nisaya regained control momentarily and, in a last-ditch effort, destroyed the Mist border and the Mistblades. This exhausted all her mana, but when Doromar regained control, he still had quite a bit of his own.


    With the help of Lexa, the Stormweaver Warden, and a group of Blazers, Meera brought down Tearsfell Prison, weakening Erenyx.


    After forming a Level 3 chakram, Meera slashed open Erenyx''s armor, killed the Cosmarian spirit, and freed Narikas from her control.


    Narikas thanked Meera by offering to travel with Meera to help her find Neel. Meera happily accepts.


    Doromar felt his wife''s demise and gets angry. The Wardens are mostly down, with only Tekton and Zona holding on. Brison explained to Meera that he was preparing a spell to end Doromar but needed more time.


    Meera once again threw herself into the fight, but Doromar was much more powerful than his wife, and she had to flee for her life.


    Doromar almost killed her, but then the goddess Numheia showed herself. She dispatched Doromar fairly quickly.


    Numheia told Meera that the prophecy she''d heard had been modified by countless oracles, who added and removed lines from the original prophecy of Serenya, and that only the original prophecy would come true.


    But Meera''s troubles have not ended. Draros was coming with his army to attack Narikas and his remaining soldiers, and Meera rushed to Narikas''s aid.


    Narikas challenged Draros to single combat, which the old king refused, seeing no reason to add to the bloodshed. Thus, the war ends.


    Rokibor returned and demanded to know what had happened, but Delkoris showed up with his comatose mother. Rokibor made a flippant comment about her being useless, angering Delkoris to no end. He ends up killing his father.


    The soldiers cheered and proclaimed Delkoris their new king, but he gave up the crown and made Narikas king.


    Narikas apologized to Meera for not being able to go on an adventure together. She said it was okay, but Meera was secretly hurt, as she was looking forward to traveling with Narikas.


    They walked towards the Gateway Mirror, and Narikas told her that the Miravane was missing much of its original power and needed a lot of Mana to work properly. A Cosmarian''s worth of Mana. So, Neel has gone dragon hunting on Gethys to power the Miravane, as the dragons are very powerful beings.


    With that, Meera said goodbye to Narikas and headed for Gethys.


    <hr>


    That pretty much covers everything that has happened so far. Hopefully, I didn''t miss any important details. If I have, let me know.


    The next arc will differ from what we have seen Meera do so far. I''m exploring a different side of her in this arc. I hope you all like it.


    I''ve had a lot of thinking to do, so I''ve mapped out the next arc in its entirety¡ªthe tragedies, the lore, the twists¡ªand, of course, the prophecy. Here is a little taste.


    The Champion''s footsteps mark the end,


    Your world will the dragons rend...


    Oh, and Meera''s wish to have a traveling companion will be fulfilled. Let''s hope she actually likes this person. See you all next week.

 Chapter 152 – Aetheron Will Prevail

    Lainor dropped the sleepy guard act as soon as the Champion''s sister stepped into the mirror. He walked to the small building to his right. He opened the door and found the two unconscious and chained up Bloodstone Watchmen, where he had left them.


    Lainor could''ve taken their uniform if he wished, but he wanted to avoid putting Meera on the defensive. She might''ve even attacked if she suspected trickery. Given her history with the Bleeders, it wouldn''t have come as a surprise. He picked up his folded white clothes from the chair where he''d left them and quickly changed, tossing the guard''s uniform in the corner.


    He removed the gags from their mouths and nudged one of them with his foot. The guard groaned as his eyes fluttered open, slowly at first, then all at once, as he saw Lainor standing over him.


    The Bleeder backed up from Lainor, but it wasn''t like he had a whole lot of room. His back hit the wooden wall, and he squirmed there. Eyes wide like a rabbit''s, who''d seen his death arrive on the wings of a hawk.


    "L-Look, we won''t tell anyone. I-I promise," he stammered.


    Lainor never bothered to learn their names. Meera moved too fast, thanks to her infernal horse. As to the Bleeders, he could let them live, but he needed a message delivered.


    Lainor pointed to the yet-sleeping Bleeder. A ray of white light launched from his finger and lit the Bleeder in white flames. But they weren''t flames in actuality. The Bleeder didn''t even scream as the flames reduced his body to ice chips within moments.


    The horror on the other Bleeder''s face was unmistakable. He backed up from Lainor into the shack''s corner. He trembled from fear and, most likely, from the cold that now enveloped the small shack.


    "If you don''t want this to be your fate, then I want you to deliver a message to your king," Lainor said.


    "A-Anything. I-I''ll deliver it to the letter."


    "Good. Tell Narikas that he might have succeeded in saving his kingdom from the Cosmarians, but they were just spirits. Tell him that there will be no Meera to save him next time. Will you tell him that?"


    "B-But Prince Narikas is not the king¡ª"


    Lainor shot a Freeze Ray at his arm, freezing it in place. Then he stomped on it, shattering it to pieces.


    The Bleeder screamed and trembled. "W-Why?"


    "To remind you that when I want something done, I do not like to be questioned. Now, run."


    He stumbled out of the door, clutching his frozen shoulder. It didn''t bleed as the stump was frozen solid. He looked behind him with trembling eyes. He quickly touched the mirror and walked into it. Lainor didn''t know where he was going, and truth be told, he didn''t care. Rothedon had plans to take over the worlds, but who cared what that self-important king wanted? His time of reckoning was coming, as was everyone''s.


    Lainor looked up at his Lord Aetheron, encircling Mirithia, and smiled. "Soon, my Lord¡­Soon, you will walk these worlds¡­"


    He placed his hands on the Gateway Mirror and selected his destination. He emerged in a circular clearing of beautiful flowers. As always, the big old man with a long gray beard sat by the bent trees, eating his thorny fruit. Lainor used Identify on him again.


    [Ancient ¨C ?????]


    Lainor had tried talking to him, but he would have had better luck making the trees talk. This was a special mirror that didn''t function like a Gateway Mirror, but then Lainor had powerful friends who had shown him many new magics and how to use Gateway Mirrors for more than just travel.


    The first time Lainor stepped out of the mirror, the old man had thought he, too, had come from another world and inadvertently told him about Meera and Neel. Thus began the great hunt of his order.


    "You''re in my view, boy," the old man drawled.


    There it was. The only thing he would say. Otherwise, he might as well be part of the tree stump he was sitting on. Lainor stepped aside. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that this man was so powerful that even Lainor''s Identify didn''t show him his level. Lainor''s best guess was that he was a god, long forgotten by the world, and Lainor had no intention of tangling with him.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He left the old man to his staring as he walked toward his destination. It wasn''t far, and given that the sun was about to rise, he was late. He picked up the pace. As he walked to his destination, the trees got more crooked and sinister.


    It took him less than an hour to get there, but by the time he arrived at Rothedon''s Fist, the sun had risen in the east. Its rays filtered through the foliage, telling Lainor he was late.


    Rothedon''s fist was a bunch of rocks that looked like a fist thrusting out of the ground, but they were more than mere rocks. It was the barrier between two worlds. The world of the living and the world of the condemned. All those who had followed Rothedon, who were not Cosmarians, had their forms morphed into horrors and were now called Rakinyes.


    They weren''t strong enough to come even within miles of the barrier. The magics woven into the barrier were so potent that the Rakinyes couldn''t even stop close to this place without being disintegrated into nothing. But the same could not be said about the man he had come to meet.


    He leaned against the rocks of the fist. The magic of the barrier did nothing against one as powerful as he. He wore a fiery red armor. Lainor could feel the heat even from twenty paces away. As he walked closer, standing close to him would have been impossible if not for Lainor''s class. The Cosmarian''s helmet had no holes for eyes. He held a staff with a small hexagonal mirror attached to its top.


    [Pyroclastic Magus ¨C Level ????]


    Given his high Identify level, Lainor was perplexed by not being able to see the Cosmarian''s level. He could view levels higher than 900, so this sort of unnerved him, but the barrier protected him. I have nothing to be afraid of.


    "You''re late," Mirageiros, the son of Rothedon, said.


    "I came when I could. Your quarry was late, so I am late," Lainor replied.


    The Cosmarian paused for a long moment, no doubt staring at Lainor through his helmet. Lainor had seen enough of mirror magic to know Mirageiros could see him even without holes in his helmet.


    "You better watch your tone, Cultist. I don''t¡ª"


    "First things first, I don''t work for you," Lainor interrupted. "We work together because your father fears dying to my Lord. We have the same goal for now, but don''t think that puts me beneath you."


    Rothedon''s spawn breathed out heavily, and flames gushed out of him in droves. They would''ve been enough to light Lainor on fire, but the barrier stopped them. Though the heat was enough to make Lainor sweat.


    Mirageiros thrust his hand through the barrier, gripped Lainor by the throat, and lifted him in the air.


    Lainor''s eyes widened. His throat felt like it was on fire, where Mirageiros''s gauntlet gripped him. He struggled to breathe as he fought to break his grip.


    "Listen, human, you are beneath me," Mirageiros said. "It would take nothing for me to snap your neck so you learn your fucking place." He tossed Lainor to the ground.


    Lainor coughed and gagged. His neck burned. He put his hand to his throat and used his Icy Touch to cool it down.


    "H-How?" Lainor asked when he could breathe again.


    Mirageiros scoffed. "Lots of things are in motion¡­now that the end draws near. We need not waste time. Give your report and fall from sight."


    Lainor got to his feet and kept his distance this time. He told him of Meera''s adventures and where Neel was supposed to be or was as of a few weeks ago. But as he spoke, the only thing on his mind was how a Cosmarian had broken through the barrier. The Pact of Dalleria was absolute. They couldn''t break through the barrier without breaking the pact and alerting all the gods. If Rothedon''s brood could break through the barrier so casually, then the rumors of the Charred Riders attacking the villagers were true.


    "And what of the Champion?" Mirageiros asked.


    Lainor''s mood soured. "The so-called savior¡­" He spat on the ground. "He hunted a few dragonlings to power the Miravane, but we lost him once he went to the one you call Craven."


    The Cosmarian clenched his fists. Though Lainor couldn''t see his face, he was sure Mirageiros was fuming under his charred helm.


    Lainor continued, "There''s more. Domina''s pets were also seen on Gethys. They''re after Neel as well, though for what reason, I cannot say."


    "The Miseraon Twins¡­" His grip tightened on his staff. "The seer doesn''t know she is harboring a pair of vipers who are in the habit of biting the hand that feeds them." He scoffed with a shake of his head. "Did they catch up to him?"


    "No, we lost Silas and Cossus after they went to Craven''s Glade, following Neel''s trail."


    Mirageiros was quiet for a long moment. He stood there, breathing in and out. "Cultist, I need you to deliver a message to your Frostcaller Hierarch,"


    That''s why I''m here, am I not? But Lainor bit his tongue. His neck still burned from where the Cosmarian had grabbed him.


    "Tell him to deliver a message to the dragon, Ignis Sunbreath, on Gethys. Tell the dragon his suspicions proved true. The one responsible for his brethren''s recent deaths is inside Drurith, and the Cult of Aetheron will deliver the culprit to him."


    "They''ve already reduced the great city to ruins. The dragons will turn that city to ash if we tell them this."


    Mirageiros crossed his arms. "So?"


    "And if my Cult does not see the value in getting between this feud of humans and dragons that you''ve stirred up?"


    "Then your Cult will be the first to fall, and don''t think running to another world will save you."


    Lainor sighed and tilted his head. "Your message will be delivered to the Hierarch."


    "And my father''s orders obeyed. You will deliver the Champion''s sister to the dragons."


    Lainor set his jaw. He wanted to tell him to piss off but kept his mouth shut.


    "Don''t worry. When my father prevails, he''ll remember your service and take you lot with him to Midiopea." He turned, got on in his steed, which also wore fiery armor like him, and rode away.


    You''re chasing a myth...Only Aetheron will prevail.

 Chapter 153 – Greatest City in the Worlds

    Meera stepped out into complete darkness. Her heart quickened at the thought that she was somehow back in the shadow box of the Scribes. Either that or she was still stuck in the mirror''s darkness. There was an acrid, almost sulfuric smell in the air, as if something had burned recently, which confirmed she was out of the mirror.


    She could''ve brought out Onyx, as he had his Light of the Dead skill, but she was sure she had a few torches in her Dragon Hoard Belt.


    What am I going to light them with?


    Meera sighed and brought out Onyx. The horse emerged from her hand with a loud yawn.


    "Were you sleeping?" Meera asked.


    "I''m always sleeping when I''m not out here." He looked around. "Are you imprisoned in the shadow box again?"


    "No, this was supposed to be Drurith, but I think someone moved the mirror into their basement," Meera replied. "Can you use Light of the Dead? There is a strange smell in the air, and I don''t like it."


    "Sure." Onyx glowed like a horse-sized bulb and gave off a bright white light.


    Meera drew a sharp breath and immediately wished she hadn''t asked him to turn on the light. There was no light because she was in a collapsed building. The walls were still holding up the roof on her end, but they had been charred black. The other end of the building had collapsed and, worst of all was littered with burnt corpses. They were the cause of the stench.


    "That is not good," Onyx said.


    "Indeed. They must''ve pulled the mirror in here as a means of escape when¡­well, when whoever or whatever did this to them, but these poor souls were unlucky, it seems."


    There were not that many corpses on their end. Thanks to Onyx''s light, Meera found a path to the wall.


    "Onyx, follow me," she said. He clopped alongside her, trying his best not to step on the deceased. It was not like he would be touching them, but it was nice that he was paying them some respect. "Poke your head out and let me know if it leads outside."


    Onyx gave her a very humanlike nod. She figured he was picking up human gestures from being around her or being locked in her soul. He poked his head out and returned a moment later.


    "Yes, it''s the way out, but it''s not looking good," Onyx said. "Unless human cities are supposed to look about as nice as the cave I was stuck in."


    Meera frowned, activated Druvis Power, and punched a big hole in the wall. She jumped out right away in case the building fell on her. But thankfully, aside from raising some dust, her punch didn''t do much to the building.


    It was evening on Gethys. Mirithia was beginning to brighten and was bigger and occupied more of the night sky. This must mean this world is closer to the massive planet.


    Of course, being closer to Mirithia meant being closer to Aetheron. She would have zoomed in on the ring, but the devastated city drew her attention.


    Drurith had clearly seen better days. The greatest city in the world had been reduced to nothing more than a ruin. There were hardly any buildings that hadn''t been caved in or utterly destroyed. Worst of all, most buildings supported scorch marks, and she feared to venture in on account of what she would find inside.


    "What the hell happened here?" Meera mused.


    "By the looks of things, I would say someone let loose a pyromaniac," Onyx replied, causing Meera to stare at him. "What? We had one back at the cave. Edwyn put him down himself."


    "No, I was more surprised that you knew that word."


    "What is that supposed to mean? I''m not supposed to know your words just because I''m a horse." Onyx countered.


    "Fair enough," Meera countered. "Onyx, turn off your skill. You''re going to bring undue attention to us."


    "Right," he replied, stopping his Light of the Dead skill.


    Meera led the way through the destroyed lanes. Wherever they walked, all they saw was death and destruction. Some poor souls had tried to run into their homes, only for them to have met a fiery end, as only their blackened bones remained.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Even though she didn''t want to, Meera checked in several buildings, and she found the same thing as the building with the Gateway Mirror¡ªcharred dead bodies. The whole place was deserted. Not a single soul was alive.


    "This couldn''t have been the work of a singular pyromaniac," Meera mused as she ducked out of what must''ve been the sixth building.


    "Wasn''t this city supposed to be one of the best?" Onyx asked.


    "Not one of the best, but the best," she replied. "I wonder what happened¡ª"


    She stopped when she heard a child''s scream, but it was far off and toward the dipping sun. She looked around, and there was no way she would figure out a way through the streets. She took off into the air, blowing up dust.


    "Since when can you do that?" Onyx protested. "Do you even need me if you can fly?"


    "Shh! I heard a child''s scream."


    Meera concentrated and listened. From the light sound of the wind blowing, she heard some birds chirping and the quick flapping of their wings. Then the child screamed again, followed by the unmistakable sound of a torrent of flames.


    "Onyx, follow me!" Meera called.


    She blasted off towards the child. She heard a second, louder torrent of flames and even saw the glow from several blocks away. Below her, Onyx raced at full speed right through the buildings.


    Meera planned to drop down to a street when she was a street away and saved the kid first, but when she saw what was producing the flames, she halted in mid-air.


    It was a dragon.


    It looked exactly like how they had been portrayed in movies and TV shows. It had grayish scales, four legs, two massive wings that sprouted from its back, and two big, curved horns on its head. They looked like those of a bull. It wasn''t that big, about five meters in length. Its slitted irises were focused on the child, who was hiding in a building. A building that was being melted thanks to the intense dragon flames. Meera could feel their heat from a block away.


    Despite her astonishment, she used Identify on it.


    [Sootscale Dragonling ¨C Level 438]


    "Meera, what is it?" Onyx called out.


    She floated down to street level. "A dragon¡­"


    "You''re joking?"


    She shook her head slowly. How is a dragonling so strong? If the kids are so strong, then how strong are the parents¡­


    "The dragons did this," he said, looking around. "But why would they attack a human city? Did a human attack their den?"


    Meera looked at him as the answer came to her. "Neel did this¡­"


    "Your brother?" Onyx tilted his head. Then he gasped and neighed at the same time. "He came here to hunt Dragonlings. So, now, they''ve come for revenge."


    The child screamed again, this time a painful scream. Even Onyx flinched as they were close enough that he could hear it. It didn''t sound good. Meera didn''t hear any crunching of bones, which meant the dragonling wasn''t eating the child yet. Despite not knowing this kid, she couldn''t just leave the kid to be eaten by a dragon.


    "Onyx, listen closely," Meera said. "You distract it while I get the kid out of there."


    "Like with the Mistblades."


    "Exactly." She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "Run right through this wall and confuse the heck out of it."


    "By asking it dumb questions?"


    Meera gave him a blank stare.


    "Aw, don''t be mad. I reserve all my dumb questions for you."


    "Thanks."


    Onyx neighed loudly. The dragon gave a guttural growl as Onyx dashed through the wall. Meera rose into the air and peaked above the top of a ruined building. Onyx had made it to the dragon, making it turn away from the child in the almost collapsed building.


    The dragon breathed fire at Onyx, which did nothing as he sped down the street. The dragon roared, almost making Meera''s ear bleed. It beat its great wings. The dragonling''s wingspan must''ve been fifteen meters, covering the entire width of the massive street. It took off after Onyx.


    Meera saw her chance and dashed over the rooftops to land before the charred building.


    "It''s okay. You can come out now," Meera said in her gentlest voice. "The dragon''s gone."


    "Is it really?" It was a small girl''s voice.


    "Yes, but we need to get out of here quickly before it returns."


    A small girl who couldn''t have been more than five years old, dressed in dirty, tattered rags, stepped out of the building. Her quivering eyes were on the sky. She clutched a small bag in one hand and held the other arm tight to her chest. This one was red with boils and burn marks.


    Meera fished out a Health potion. "Come drink this. It''ll make your arm better."


    "Mother said not to take things from strangers," she said as she kept her distance.


    "It''s okay. Watch this." Meera took a little swig. "See, nothing happened. I''m Meera, and you are?"


    "I''m Verna." She took the potion in a quivering hand, not letting go of the small bag. She took a small swig. The boils on her arm vanished, but the redness remained.


    "You should drink some more. Your wounds are not fully healed."


    "I know¡­Miss Meera, is it okay if I keep this potion for my mother? She''s suffering from horrible burns from the dragon. The doctor says she won''t survive without medicine, so I came to get these." She showed her the bag. "I can pay. Please, my mother¡ª"


    "It''s okay, Verna," Meera said. "You can keep the potion. Say, are there more people where you and your mother are hiding?"


    She nodded. "We''ve all moved underground¡ªall the survivors." Her head fell, and tears bubbled up in her eyes. "There are not many of us left. The dragons¡­" A sob escaped her throat.


    "It''s okay, little one. I understand. Just take me to the grownups."


    "Okay¡­" She gasped and pointed to the sky.


    Meera didn''t need to turn to know what she was pointing at. She looked at her hand, and Onyx''s tattoo had returned to the back of her hand. This meant that Onyx did have a limit to how far he could go from Meera.


    "Verna, go hide in the building and do not come out until I say so. Do you understand?" Meera asked.


    The little girl nodded and ran back inside.


    Meera turned to face the Sootscale Dragonling.

 Chapter 154 – Never Kill A Dragonling

    The Sootscale Dragonling landed with a loud thud, shaking the ground and blowing up dust. Meera used the cover of the dust to litter the area with her tiny mirrors. Next, she pulled off her level 2 chakrams. Two she kept in her hands and spun the other two around her. This thing was too strong for her to play around with her regular ones.


    If all my enemies are going to be this strong moving forward, I might as well make them all into level 2 chakrams.


    But she couldn''t waste any Mana making more right now. She needed to conserve it, especially since she didn''t know how strong dragons were. If Kalrina''s analogy of humans being roaches compared to them was true, then she was in one hell of a fight. The only thing that gave her comfort was that she had killed a higher-level being than the dragonling.


    "We don''t need to fight," Meera said, hoping it understood what she said.


    The dragonling stared at Meera with its snake-like eyes. Something about them chilled Meera to the bone. She was sweating underneath her armor, even if she did her best not to show any outward sign of terror.


    "You can just go your way, and I can go mine," Meera said.


    Once again, the dragonling did not respond. It just kept staring. Meera figured that it couldn''t understand human speech. But still, she didn''t make the first move. Hoping against hope, it was one of those situations she had heard about on the news. Once, a bunch of people came face to face with a tiger in a jungle, and the tiger simply stared at the people for a little while before it left.


    As it turned out, this was not one of those situations. The dragon reared its long neck back and opened its mouth. But before it could shoot flames at her, Meera stuffed a bunch of sharp mirror shards in its mouth with Mirror Shard Barrage. The dragonling cried out in pain, shut its maw, and backed up while ducking its head.


    Meera angled her Mirror Shard Barrage beam to its head, only for her mirrors to harmlessly bounce off the hard dragon scales.


    No¡­You cannot be serious.


    She used Mirror Step, teleported right next to the dragonling, and used Mirror Blast with a considerable amount of Mana.


    Mirrors and light burst out of Meera. Anyone else would''ve been ripped to shreds, but the dragon merely grunted as it was pushed back. Thanks to her advanced vision, she saw some of the dragon''s scales come loose, exposing the skin underneath. Thanks to her Mirrorstrike Vision, it glowed red, letting her know that this was a weak spot. Other weak spots were its eyes and wings, none of which held any major organs.


    The dragonling roared. A shockwave erupted from its maw, and Meera prayed it didn''t paralyze her. It wasn''t paralysis, but it rattled Meera to the point that she wanted to dig a hole and throw dirt over herself. It was causing an irrational amount of fear. But that was not all. Meera''s sharp vision became disoriented. She saw double or even triple of everything.


    Meera saw the dragon rear back its head or was its leg. Not risking it, she raised a Mirror Tower Shield in front of her, only for five superheated daggers¡ªwhich Meera realized too late were the dragonling''s claw¡ªto come crashing through her shield. Her armor might as well have been made of paper as they slashed her and sent her flying into the house on the other side of the street.


    Meera screamed as her arm burned something fierce. She activated Vitalize. Her vision had stabilized somewhat. By chance, her arm was down, which protected her internal organs, but the dragonling nearly took her arm off. Her arm had been slashed to the bone. Her armor regrew around her arm, closing tightly around the wound, stopping the leaking blood.


    Meera groaned, but Vitalize was doing its thing at full speed. She quickly pulled out a Health potion and was about to drink it but stopped.


    I might need this later.


    These few seconds were all the time the dragonling gave her. It turned its head to her and shot a massive column of fire from her mouth. Meera used Mirror Step and teleported behind the flame-throwing dragon.


    She recalled her four chakrams, which had dropped to the ground when Meera''s concentration faded due to the dragon''s roar. She activated Shroud of Shadows and turned invisible as she stood in the shade of the house on the opposite end.


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    I''m not making the mistake of getting close to that thing again.


    Her Mirrorstrike Vision showed no other weak points. Its scales were the perfect armor, but she had other skills she had yet to try. She pointed at the dragonling and placed a Death Mark on its back.


    The dragon must''ve noticed something was amiss, as it stopped its flames as soon as the Death Mark appeared and turned so fast that Meera''s hair whipped around in the wind.


    Its cold eyes studied the empty, ruined homes. A cold sweat trickled down the side of Meera''s face. Thankfully, it didn''t see her. As soon as its eyes moved on, she used another devastating skill in her arsenal.


    Meera activated Spectral Dominion.


    She called on three shadow warriors. They looked like three tall warriors made of shadow and darkness carrying long swords made of Shadowsteel. The dragon''s eyes flashed back to her warriors in an instant.


    She hurriedly pointed to the dragonling. "Kill," she commanded.


    Her shadow warriors ran to do her bidding. The dragon flapped its wings, raising wind and dust that got in Meera''s eyes, making her turn around. She rubbed her eyes furiously and willed her armor to cover her head entirely, not even leaving slits for her eyes.


    Her shadow warriors dashed to the dragon. The windstorm the dragon had kicked up did little to slow them down. Meera launched her level 2 chakrams high into the air, above the raging winds, and rained down on the dragon''s wings from above.


    Her chakrams cut massive holes in the dragon''s wings, slowing the winds. Meera turned them around again and again, reducing the dragon''s bat-like wings to nothing more than tattered drapes. The dragon cried out as green blood dripped from its ripped wings.


    But the dragon did not get a moment''s respite to counterattack as Meera''s shadow warrior attacked it with Shadowsteel. The dragon unleashed its fury on the warriors or tried to, as it tried to bite into one after another. They would dodge or duck, and the others would continue their assault.


    They did their best but could not find a chink in the dragon''s scales. They were just too strong to penetrate, but the shadow warrior''s repeated assault seemed to be bearing fruit as several scales began to get loose. The frustrated dragon began glowing from the inside. Its grayish scales looked like glowing embers.


    Meera ducked into the house and activated three layers of Mirror Tower Shields. The dragon released a sudden burst of flames in all directions, scorching the wide road and lighting many houses on fire in the vicinity. Two of her shields cracked and shattered, but the third held and saved her life.


    But the main casualties were her shadow warriors, and thanks to the light from the burning homes, she was no longer invisible.


    Meera gritted her teeth. Those shadow warriors were costly, but they had done their job beautifully, as several of the dragonling''s scales now lay on the ground. They had given Meera many more weak spots to exploit.


    She activated Shadow Coating on all four of her level 2 chakrams and launched them at the dragonling. They moved fast, and the growing dark of the night gave them enough cover that they had reached the dragon by the time it noticed.


    Her first one hit it at the knee of its right hindleg, where the scales were missing, thanks to her shadow warrior. The chakram lodged itself in the dragonling''s flesh, making it cry out. Then, it began spinning like a circular saw. Green blood flew everywhere.


    The second and third chakrams hit the big hole that her Mirror Blast had created. The dragon let out a shrill roar that made Meera''s ears hurt. It tried to fly away, but its wings were shot to shit.


    Her first chakram finished its work and cut off its leg in half. The dragon toppled to the ground as it cried out pitifully. But it was not done. Its eyes met Meera''s, and it shot a flame bullet that moved faster than she could see. She formed a Tower Shield, but she was too slow. It ripped through her shoulder, leaving a smoldering hole in her shoulder. She swallowed her screams. Vitalize had not finished putting her arm together and began work on healing this new injury, too.


    Meera glared at the dragon and put it out of its misery by launching her last chakram in its mouth and out the other end, cutting its head in half.


    She thought that was the end of it, but no, the dragonling had one last trick up its sleeve. It began glowing again as it crumpled inwards.


    Verna, who had hidden herself so far, poked her head out, thinking the dragonling was dead.


    Meera''s eyes widened. She recalled her chakrams and teleported to Verna. Thankfully, there were many mirrors around the girl. She put her arms around the girl and jumped behind the massive pillar where Verna had taken refuge.


    Meera activated three layers of Tower Shields in all directions right before the dragonling''s body blew up. Flames and the dragon''s scales blasted in all directions. This blast was nothing like the one from before. The earth shook so violently that it mimicked a violent earthquake. The first two layers of her shields shattered instantly. Meera created two more, and they lasted only a few seconds longer. She created two more, but these squished them in further.


    The shaking slowed, and the barrage of scales stopped. The heat from the flames evaporated. Meera''s last layer of shields held until the dragonling''s vengeful attack finally stopped.


    Meera sighed and fell to a knee. "Are you okay, Verna?"


    "Y-Yes. But you''re hurt," she said.


    "I''ll be fine in a few minutes."


    "You''ll be dead in a few minutes," said a woman''s voice, coming from inside the house.


    Meera was up in a flash with a chakram in hand.


    The woman stepped out of the house and looked no better than a beggar. Her face was dirty, her hair matted to her head, with leaves stuck in it. She had a black eye, and the lower half of her face was covered in a mask.


    "What do you mean?" Meera asked.


    "Never kill a dragon. More always come to avenge their fallen." She pointed to the sky.


    Meera turned, even though she didn''t need to, but what she saw made her blood run cold.


    Three dragons were coming towards them.

 Chapter 155 – Hunted By Dragons

    Meera zoomed in on all three dragons. Even being as high up in the air as they were, she could tell they were not dragonlings. Or if they were, they were definitely in their teens. She used Identify on all of them.


    [Sootscale Dragonling ¨C Level ???]


    [Sootscale Dragonling ¨C Level ???]


    [Sootscale Dragon ¨C Level ???]


    That Sootscale Dragon had a mean look about it. Its scales had many scratches, some bent, and a couple were even missing, but if that was the parent of the one Meera had just killed, she did not want to face it.


    "If you''re done ogling at them, I suggest we move on," the woman said. Her voice sounded familiar, but the accent was like the girl''s, so Meera doubted she knew her.


    "You know where to go?" Meera asked.


    "I do."


    Meera squinted. She could feel something was off about her. Maybe it was that she had the lower half of her face covered. "Can I trust you?"


    The woman snorted. "Any human who has tried to work with dragons has ended up in their bellies."


    "I know her," Verna said. "Her name''s Rina. She''s known around my camp. Please, we must go. They''re almost here."


    Meera didn''t need to be told twice. They were descending at full tilt as if to crash onto the street where the corpse of the dragonling still burned.


    "Lead the way."


    Meera had half a mind to leave Onyx behind as a distraction, but if they could get out of there without being noticed, that would be all the better.


    "This way, dearies," Rina said, and again, Meera felt oddly familiar about that.


    She plunged into the dark building where Verna had hidden. They didn''t have to wander in the dark for long, as the masked woman lit a torch once they were a little farther in. The building''s inside was worse than its outside, with desks and chairs strewn about. The ground was littered with books, scrolls, and loose papers. Most of it was burned, but a lot of it was intact. It felt like a library or could''ve been a city office.


    They had taken a few steps in when the ground shook behind them. The three dragons must have landed outside. Not shortly after, Meera heard a loud wail, which made the paper shake on the ground and gave her the strong urge to rip off her Gem of Echoes as her eardrums were about to burst.


    "That must be the mother," Rina whispered.


    Oh no¡­


    "Come along, and try not to make too much noise," she said. "Dragons have excellent hearing, on top smell and sight."


    They tip-toed their way around the ruined building. Verna clutched her bag. The girl was surprisingly brave, considering the danger that waited for them just outside. Meanwhile, Meera was still perplexed as to why the dragons were attacking the city in the first place.


    Do they think Neel is still here, or is it just retribution in general?


    They moved further in. This was a long building, as per the looks of things. Even in the scant lighting, Meera could see the end was some distance away, maybe about thirty meters. This was hands down the biggest building she had seen ever since she got here, aside from Tearsfell Prison.


    The dragons roared outside, making the building rattle, and dust fell off the ceiling. Meera groaned and covered her ears. The other two were less affected by the dragon''s mighty roar. The roar was followed by grunts and a rumbling sound as if the dragons were chewing on rocks.


    "I don''t understand the tongues of dragons, but that is most definitely an order to hunt us down," Rina explained in a low whisper.


    Rina eyed Meera to say it was her fault that this was happening. It was, but if she hadn''t intervened, Verna would''ve been cooked alive, and then the dragon would''ve come after Meera.


    Verna whimpered and sniffed. Rina bent down and placed a finger on her lips. "We must be quiet, my brave one. You shouldn''t have left by yourself, but you need to keep it together so we can get this medicine to your mother."


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    Verna wiped her nose, drew a deep breath, and nodded. "O-Okay."


    Right at that moment, the world outside lit up with dragon fire. Rina motioned hurriedly. They picked up the pace. Rina picked up Verna in her arms when the girl started falling behind, while Meera kept an eye on their surroundings, ensuring she''d be ready if a dragon burst through a wall.


    Rina led them successfully through the building''s mess without much incident. When it looked like they had reached the end, they heard sniffing outside at the far wall, followed by some guttering clicking and huffing.


    Everyone stopped in their tracks. Verna didn''t utter a squeak. She just held on tightly to Rina. Meera carefully took off two level 2 chakrams. The dragon must have sniffed around for about a whole tense minute. Sweat dribbled down the side of Meera''s face.


    The dragon''s heavy footfalls indicated it had finally moved off, and everyone took a collective breath of relief. Rina carefully lowered Verna to the ground and moved towards the plank in the corner. She moved the plank ever so slightly. Meera was ready to pull her back with Nightstalker Bindings and erect a shield if she saw the slightest bit of fire.


    Rina''s body relaxed as she motioned them forward and carefully moved the plank aside. Meera went outside first, and there was no dragon on the road or in the air. She motioned them out, and Rina took the lead once again.


    She picked up Verna and took off across the road with Meera in tow. The other side of the street had smaller houses that were equally ruined. Thankfully, they made it to the other side with a bit of flinching from Meera as her wounds had not fully healed. Her arm was mostly without pain, but the hole in her chest still needed some time.


    They had just made it to the other side when a Sootscale Dragonling poked his head out from above the building they were in. This one was slightly bigger than the one she had killed. It had a longer snout on top of having less curvy horns.


    It reared its head back. The scales on its neck began to glow.


    "Run!" Rina roared as the dragonling blasted them with fire.


    Meera raised three Tower Shields behind her and dashed off. Her shields only held for a few moments against the dragonling''s red-hot flames, but that was enough time for them to slip into the row of homes.


    "This way!" Rina yelled over the sound of roaring flames.


    She ran towards a mostly destroyed home but didn''t go inside it. Instead, snaking her way around it and running into the one behind it. Meera shut the door behind her. The dragonling''s flames had stopped, but that was not all. Meera heard the roars of all three dragons now, and one of them had landed close by.


    More flames lit up the night sky. It was close enough to make Meera sweat despite being in the cold house. Rina lay down on her stomach and motioned Meera to do the same. She did so. It would be effective if the dragons decided to tail-swipe their way through the neighborhood, which started a few moments later.


    But their path of destruction thankfully led away from them, from the sounds of things. Meera risked crawling to the window and peeked out. Rina hissed at her, but Meera took a quick peek and did not like what she saw. The two dragonlings had leveled the entire street while their mother was nowhere to be found.


    "I have an idea," Meera said. "We need a distraction."


    "And you''re going to go out there and volunteer," Rina surmised.


    "In a way."


    Meera crawled out of the house after ensuring the mother dragon was not hovering in the air. She stayed low to the ground as she put some distance between her and the house in case things didn''t go her way.


    She called on Onyx. Thankfully, the horse came out quietly this time.


    "Me¡ª"


    "Shh!" She cried. "Lower your voice. Actually, just listen. I need your help."


    Meera told him off her plan quickly. The dragonlings were just about done and would most likely return to level this row of houses.


    "Okay," he whispered.


    Meera tried something new. She formed a Mirror Tower Shield, the size of her hand. After all, she could adjust the size of the Tower Shield and then activate Mirror Phantom on the shield. This way, taking down her phantom would take more than one hit. Meera crawled back to the house and gave the thumbs to Onyx.


    Her phantom climbed Onyx''s back, and together, they burst out from behind the dragonling''s back.


    "Looking for us!" Onyx did a lousy impression of Meera.


    But it got the dragonling''s attention. They turned together and roared, making the earth shake once more. Meera feared they would bring the house down on them. Onyx took off down the street and turned right on the main street. The dragonlings ran and took off into the air, breathing fire, but Onyx was fast, much faster than any horse.


    "Okay, I''ve driven them off for now," Meera said. "Let''s move."


    "You''re full of surprises," Rina eyed her warily with her green eyes.


    She stared for a moment longer before she stood, took Verna in her arms, and left the house. They ran down the street at full speed. Meera kept one eye in the air and the other on the back of her hand. Onyx''s tattoo hadn''t returned, which meant they still had time.


    Meera had told him to circle the neighborhood to put less distance between them than last time to give Meera''s group more time to flee. The first couple of streets went beautifully. No dragonlings or their mother showed up. It was when they reached this downed building that their problems started all at once. Onyx''s tattoo returned on her hand, followed by another ear-shattering roar.


    Then Mirithia was blotted out by a pair of massive wings.


    "Get in!" Rina yelled.


    Verna ran through the door, with Meera and Rina close behind. Rina ran to the staircase that must''ve led to the basement. They flew down the stairs as the world shook around them. Rina pushed the door open, and they launched themselves in.


    Rina slammed the door shut and placed a hand on it. The door was encased in glass¡­at least, that was what Meera initially thought. But then she saw her bewildered expression in the glass¡ªnot glass¡­a mirror.


    The woman turned and lowered the mask covering her face. She had a reddish burn mark on her right cheek and a black and swollen eye. But despite those injuries, there was no mistaking it.


    [Sorceress of Mirrors ¨C Level 335]


    This woman was Kalrina, the witch of Cliffshield Valley.

 Chapter 156 – An Unlikely Alliance

    "My, my, haven''t you grown strong since I last saw you," Kalrina purred. Gone was her accent, and despite the hideous injuries to her face, the old flirtatious tone returned to her voice.


    Meera lunged for the witch, gripped her throat, and slammed her against the mirror door hard enough to crack it. Spider webs of cracks arced out from where Kalrina''s head hit the door.


    "Where is my chakram, witch?" Meera squeezed and had to resist the urge to activate Druvis Power.


    "A little rough, don''t you think?" Kalrina smirked, and then winked. "I like a girl who plays rough."


    "You have two seconds before I squish your throat permanently," Meera hissed.


    "P-Please don''t fight," Verna stammered.


    "Verna, get away. This woman is worse than a poisonous snake."


    "Oh, and why would you say such a thing," the witch replied. "Is it because I sent you to the wraith-infested cave?"


    "Are you going to play dumb now?" Meera barked. "What about kidnapping all the men of Cliffmere village, then converting them into your golems? What about ruining countless lives, running torturous experiments on animals and people with that sick freak Edwyn Toller."


    Kalrina''s demeanor changed. Gone was the flirtatious, self-assured look in her eyes. "Oh, so you know about that. If you are here, then, of course, you would have learned some things. Say, were you able to find the Crystal of Darthin?"


    Meera tightened her grip. "What the fuck are you on about? I gave it to you."


    The witch frowned. "First, I would lower my tone, dearie. Those things up there can still hear us despite this mirror door. Second, we never met after I sent you to the Cave of Wraiths, and lastly, remove your hand from my throat, or you and I will have a little disagreement."


    Meera gritted her teeth and didn''t remove her hand. Instead, she pulled off two level 2 chakrams from her back using Mirror Wing, making little Verna yelp.


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "Oh¡­"


    Meera felt a force pushing against her chakrams, trying to take control of them, but like last time, Kalrina failed, as they were divine and belonged to Meera.


    Meera shook her head. "No, that''s not going to work." She banged Kalrina''s head against the mirror door again. "Did that jog your memory, or do you need more bangs to the head?"


    The witch''s eyes were unfocused for a moment before glaring at Meera. She gritted her teeth. "You''re too sure of yourself for a little pup."


    As she talked, she had formed three small daggers out of mirrors. Meera exerted her will upon them using Mirror Wing. Kalrina''s anger faltered when they stayed hovering in the air.


    "Please don''t fight," Verna squeaked as she backed away from them. Both Meera and Kalrina ignored her.


    "I''m not the same as I was the last time we fought." Meera''s chakrams inched closer to her face.


    "Okay, I admit to the Cave business, but all I remember is sending you to the Cave, and then a few days later, I¡­I heard the news that the hunters from Akhessai had found out about me, so I packed up shop and ran."


    "I don''t believe you for one second," Meera replied. "I returned from the Cave and gave you your Crystal. We even played that sick game of yours using your master''s mirrors. When I broke them, we fought, and you took my chakram. I want it back."


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about¡­" Kalrina paused and stared. "How did you know about the Mirrors of Dorheia?"


    "Like I said, we played with¡ª"


    "How about we play again," Kalrina said. "It''ll prove which one of us is telling the truth." She reached into her belt and pulled out two mirrors.


    [Mirrors of Dorheia]


    Meera frowned and slowly removed her hand from her throat. "What is this? You shouldn''t even have them. I smashed them to pieces."


    "And I''m telling you, love. You never returned to me with the Crystal of Darthin." Her eyes squinted a little. "Did you end up using it for yourself?"


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    Meera rolled her eyes. "You know the answer to that."


    The world shook again upstairs, but the tremors seemed far off. But it was enough of a reminder to tell them that the dragon mother was still hunting them, and the two dragonlings must''ve returned as well.


    Kalrina waved a hand, and a tall table made of mirrors appeared in the center of the room. "Let''s play."


    As she moved to set the mirrors on the table, the cracks on the mirror door vanished on their own. Verna, who had looked on the verge of tears all this time, seemed to have calmed down a little.


    Kalrina shuffled her hair as she passed. "It''s okay, little one. We''re just playing a game, that''s all. Go sit and rest for a while."


    Meera took up position opposite the witch.


    "Now, you just need to smear¡ª"


    "I know how it''s played." Meera cut her off. She looked in the mirror. "I''m a toad."


    Her reflection''s eyes became bloodshot, and she ended up bleeding tears of blood. Meera felt a sharp pain behind her eyes, and blood streaked out from her eyes.


    "I am Meera Singh, born on Earth and came here looking for my brother." Meera quickly said. The pain lessened with each word until it finally stopped, and her eyes returned to normal. She quickly wiped the blood from her face.


    "How¡­" Kalrina stared. "You''re supposed to wipe your blood on the mirror."


    "Told you, we''ve played it before. I''ll go first. Tell me what happened after I left your hut when I gave you the Crystal of Darthin."


    Kalrina''s eyes flitted from the mirror to Meera, expecting something gruesome.


    "Nothing''s going to happen. I''m telling the truth. I did return the Crystal of Darthin to you."


    The witch took an unsteady step back from the table. "What sorcery is this? No magic strong enough can trick the mirror''s blood contract."


    "This is no trick. I''m telling the truth. It''s about time you start speaking it, as well."


    Kalrina was no longer so sure of herself. "I waited for you for three days in my hut, but on the fourth, I heard the news of the Daughters of Aksha¡ªthe hunters of the Sorceresses of Akhessai¡ªcoming for me. So, I freed the men and ran. Though, I have no memory of freeing them or how I received the news of the Daughters."


    "I told you to free them in exchange for the Crystal of Darthin."


    Again, the witch stared, bewildered as to why nothing was happening to Meera. Meera would''ve found this amusing if not for the constant threat of death by dragon fire, and they had locked themselves in a basement with no alternate escape route, thanks to the genius sorceress.


    "If you did, then why don''t I remember it," Kalrina mused. "I''ve felt a gap in my memory for some time. I''ve been on the run for the past six months, stumbling from one place to another, barely keeping one step ahead of the Daughters, but if what you''re saying is true, then maybe I¡­I didn''t need to run from Cliffshield Valley."


    "I really do not care what happens to you, one bit. Ask your question. If you don''t have any, you have two seconds before I smash your mirrors again."


    "Tell me everything that happened when you returned to me with the Crystal of Darthin," Kalrina said. There was a hunger in her eyes. For once, she talked like she looked¡ªa desperate woman, hungering for more than just food.


    Meera told her everything that had happened. From Meera giving her the Crystal of Darthin to her freeing the men and then playing this game. Kalrina had told her of the Great Prophecy of Doom, but Meera left out the part that it was flawed, nor did she tell her about the part that she was from another world. Thankfully, the Mirrors of Dorheia were satisfied with this concise version of events.


    Once Meera was done, Kalrina rested her elbows on the table and gripped her hair. "Why can''t I remember any of this?"


    "That is not something I can answer," Meera replied.


    Kalrina bolted upright. "It was those two. It had to be them. As I started packing up, I saw these two men using the Gateway Mirror. At first, I thought they were the Daughters'' informants, but I think¡­no, it had to be them. They must''ve taken my memory. Quick, ask me if they took my memory."


    "How can you answer truthfully if you do not know."


    "I may not know the truth, but the mirror does. It knows the absolute truth."


    Meera squinted her eyes. "But if it does know the absolute truth, then why weren''t you coughing blood or dying when you spoke all those lies before? Because they would be lies even if they did indeed alter your memory."


    "It was my truth. I wasn''t lying back then because that is what I thought happened," the witch replied. "But if they did take my memory, then technically, I will not be lying now either, as it did happen, even if I don''t remember it. To be honest, I''m not even sure if it will work. It''s just a hunch. Just humor me, please. If I''m lying, you get to watch me bleed or suffer some horrible curse."


    Meera sighed heavily. "Those two men you just mentioned, did they take away your memory?"


    "Yes¡­"


    Kalrina had her eyes glued to her mirror, and Meera had her eyes on Kalrina, hoping to see her in pain. She was not a sadistic person, but this woman deserved far worse than momentary pain for what she did in pursuit of power.


    A second passed, then a whole minute, and nothing happened.


    Kalrina finally looked up. "So, it''s true¡­they altered my memory. Made me forget that you ever came back. They must''ve taken the Crystal of Darthin and your chakram."


    "Great. And since you don''t remember who they are, you have no idea who took my chakram." Meera had the strong urge to give Kalrina another black eye.


    Something also told her they were the same people who issued Narikas his prophecy and left him at death''s doorstep. If I hadn''t called Narikas? He would''ve died, and Erenyx would''ve been unleashed right then and there.


    "But don''t you see, this proves it. I wasn''t losing my mind." Kalrina chuckled. "All this time, I thought I blocked off that portion of my memory, but someone altered my memory of that encounter. Oh, this is the greatest news."


    "Still a fucking asshole. Well, you have fun with that great news. I''m going as far away from you as I can." Meera headed for the door.


    "You''re going to go out there while three dragons are hunting you?" The witch asked.


    "I''ll take my chances."


    "I know of the only safe haven in the city for us humans. I''m taking the girl there. You can tag along unless you''re bent on ending up in a dragon''s belly."


    A small hand gripped Meera''s. "Please don''t go. They''ll hurt you."


    Meera smiled as she bent down to be at eye level with Verna. "Okay, I''ll come with you to this safe haven, and then I''ll put a world''s distance between me and this wretched creature."

 Chapter 157 – The Remnants Of Drurith

    Meera took Verna by the hand and went to sit as far away from the door as she could in case the dragons broke in here. Given their size, it would be hard. Verna grew quiet again as the sounds of the dragons'' carnage overhead had grown closer. They had all grown quiet.


    Kalrina tried to sit by them, but Meera sent a chakram zipping her way, which stopped an inch short of slicing through her neck.


    "You''re sitting on the opposite wall," Meera whispered.


    "But that puts me in direct line of sight in the chance the door breaks," Kalrina protested¡ªher tone as that of a protesting child.


    "I don''t care. Do you have that little faith in your defenses?" Meera motioned to the mirrors covering the door.


    "Against a dragon''s breath¡­yes. We''d need something made of bedrock, and even then, we''d have a minimal chance of surviving."


    "I. Don''t. Care."


    Kalrina huffed and sat on the opposite wall. "We''re going to be here for a few hours. It''s best we get some rest."


    She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Meera didn''t need much sleep, as she had slept many hours before coming to this world. So, she was good to go for many hours. Besides, she planned on blinking as little as possible while in the room with that snake.


    Meera watched the witch for several minutes, and the dragons had made her tumble off her high horse. Gone were the fancy dresses and the perfect makeup that would make any man swoon, and replaced it with someone who looked like she had been jumped for everything she owned. Unless this was all an illusion, one could never tell with her.


    After a few more minutes, Meera saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest, indicating she had gone to sleep. Only then did she bring up her notifications. After all, she had killed a dragon and was expecting something good.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Sootscale Dragonling ¨C Level 438. For killing an opponent ninety levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 8 levels and reached Level 352. You have been awarded 24 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 350 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakrams.]


    One more chakram appeared on her arm. Both her arms were filling quite fast. She had nineteen regular chakrams. She badly needed to make more level 2 chakrams, but not here, not in front of the witch.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 5 levels and reached Level 247. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 251% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 4 levels and reached Level 128]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield has gained 7 levels and reached Level 124]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 3 levels and reached Level 116]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 5 levels and reached Level 125]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 3 levels and reached Level 124]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Coating has gained 4 levels and reached Level 86]


    *ding!*


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    [Congratulations. Spectral Dominion has gained 4 levels and reached Level 28]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Death Mark has gained 3 levels and reached Level 73]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 5 levels and reached Level 106. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 109% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Resilience has gained 6 levels and reached Level 118]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Iron Skin has gained 7 levels and reached Level 92]


    Next was the part she was waiting for¡ªthe skills she obtained from a dragon. She was practically tingling with excitement. After all, they had been hyped up, and she expected some god-like skill, even if it were a baby dragon.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Eternal Embers ¨C Type: Passive. You erupt into a fiery explosion upon death, dealing massive damage to nearby foes and leaving behind smoldering ashes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Smoke Eclipse. Smoke Eclipse ¨C Type: Active. You exhale a massive cloud of thick, choking smoke, obscuring the battlefield and enveloping your enemies in darkness. Within the veil of smoke, you become all but invisible, and your shadow or darkness affinity attacks become devastating. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    The choice was obvious between the two. Either become a lethal force in darkness or take one last potshot after death. She would''ve been a menace if she had the latter skill while training with the Wardens. Since she didn''t have Brison to bring her back, she chose Smoke Eclipse.


    Now, the question arose once more¡ªwhich skill to let go of? She went down her list, and one stuck out as very similar to Smoke Eclipse.


    It was almost the same as Smoke Eclipse, but it utilized mists and didn''t give her attacks any added punch.


    She let go of Mist Concealment.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Smoke Eclipse ¨C Level 1]


    She allocated her stat points to Dexterity, Endurance, and Focus. With the bulk of it going into Focus. After getting a taste of that level 3 chakram, she wanted to make one that was stable and wouldn''t break after one hit, and she needed a lot more Mana to keep it steady.


    She sat there staring off into the distance until boredom finally got the better of her, and she dozed off.


    Meera heard footsteps, which woke her up. She saw Kalrina''s outstretched hand coming for her, most likely to steal a chakram, the Gem of Echoes, or even her necklace, which stored the armor.


    "You have one second to take your hand back, or I will cut it off," Meera said coolly.


    "You really need to cool off, dearie, or you might burst a blood vessel," the witch replied. "It''s time to move. I think the dragons have moved on."


    "You think, or you know?"


    "I must''ve done something bad to piss you off so much, and I admit to enjoying getting on people''s nerves, but as of right now, we''re both in the same boat. You need me as much as I need you." Kalrina crossed her arms. "Last I looked, it was you who had brought those nature''s calamities down upon us."


    Meera huffed and looked away. For one, she could only bear to look at the witch''s ugly mug for so long, and secondly, she was painfully right. The dragons were chasing them because Meera had killed the dragonling.


    "Say, how did you get so strong that you''re killing dragons in less than a month?" Kalrina smiled. "When I saw you last, you struggled to kill my golems?"


    "I trained with a few powerful individuals," Meera left it at that.


    "Fine, be like that." She bent down to raise Verna, who had curled up on the floor, still clutching the medicine bag for her mother. "Though I must admit, I am quite curious about your shining armor and horse skill. That was clearly an illusion. It seems you gained more than the Crystal of Darthin from the Cave of Wraiths."


    Meera slapped Kalrina''s hand away. "Don''t touch her. If I wasn''t here, you might have even thrown the girl to the dragons to save your own hide."


    Kalrina''s face twitched, and for a moment, she looked down as if hurt. "Children are sacred to me. Even I''m not as depraved as that."


    "I''ve seen the depths of your depravity in the Cave of Wraiths."


    Meera gently shook Verna. "It''s time to go."


    Verna rubbed sleep from her eyes. Then shot up into a seating position. "Oh no, what time is it? My mother¡­"


    "Shh, it''s okay, little one," Kalrina said, caressing her cheek. "It''s only been a few hours at most. We''ve still got lots of time to get the medicine to your mum."


    She headed for the door and dissolved the mirror armament. Meera focused on the sounds coming from beyond the door and heard nothing¡ªnot even the sound of wind rolling on by."


    Kalrina carefully opened the door, and they moved out to a world of carnage. Firstly, there was no roof over their heads. Stars shone, along with Mirithia. The dragons had leveled this place. Rubble and broken pieces of wood lay strewn about everywhere. Some wood was charred black and still smoked.


    Meera checked the skies, and there were no dragons. Still, they carefully picked their way around the cluttered stairs as they made their way above. The ruins of the building were ominous, but the lack of any guttural growling or flaming roars gave Meera some assurance that they might find their way to this safe haven.


    Kalrina made a shushing sound by placing a finger on her lips and formed a flying mirror disc wide enough for them all to stand on. She jumped on it and motioned for them to come on up. Meera was skeptical, but they wouldn''t make any noise this way.


    She handed Verna to Kalrina and then jumped on. Despite the additional weight, the disc remained hovering a few feet off the ground. They took off a moment later, flying over the wreckage of what was someone''s home¡ªsomeone wealthy, but not so anymore.


    Kalrina swerved them onto a main street, and the scenes here made Meera want to turn back. Scores of people turned to charred husks, lay in the streets as they, no doubt, tried to escape the dragons'' fury.


    "This is horrifying." Meera wondered out loud.


    "This is what remains of the greatest city in all the worlds," Kalrina replied. "We''re truly in the end days now."


    No sooner had they spoken that Meera heard a whooshing sound. It was unmistakably the sound of flapping wings.


    Kalrina''s eyes widened.


    A dragon rose from among the wreckage a few streets over. Thankfully, it was one of the dragonlings and not the dragon mother.


    "Keep us moving. I''ll protect us," Meera yelled.

 Chapter 158 – The Underground City

    Meera lurched backward as Kalrina picked up the speed. Verna cried out and clutched onto the witch''s leg. If it were any other situation, Meera would''ve thought she would be better off clutching a crocodile for safety.


    As it were, they had bigger things to deal with. Meera tried one more time to Identify the dragonling''s level but still couldn''t. It was picking up speed, and her main worry was that it would call the others. If that happened, then they were as good as dead.


    The dragon stayed low enough that it was only a few meters above the roofs of the ruined buildings. It opened its mouth and began to roar, which was undoubtedly a signal to its brethren. Meera extended a hand, shot a Petrifying Surge, and covered its mouth with Bloodstone.


    The dragon did not find that amusing. It crushed the Bloodstone by clamping his mouth shut and replying with a column of flames.


    "To the left!" Meera barked.


    Kalrina obliged, and they swerved to the left. Meera was nearly thrown off, but the sorceress made a clamp of mirrors around Meera''s feet, locking her in place.


    The clamp''s sharp spikes broke through her armor but not through her tough skin, thanks to her Iron Skin skill. So, Meera let that be and focused on creating a layer of two shields around them. Since they were made of mirrors, Meera had no problem seeing through them.


    The dragon was gearing up for an attack, something she hadn''t seen before. It was either that or it was rising higher to run away, and Meera was sure she hadn''t scared it with one attack.


    Surprisingly, the one thing on her mind was whether or not she had stolen a skill from the dragon, considering she had hit it with Petrifying Surge, but she couldn''t remember if she had heard a notification bell. She was too scared to check now.


    The dragon rose another fifty feet, spun around in a circle several times, and blasted off towards them.


    Meera''s eyes widened. "You better pick up the pace or make a sharp turn."


    "Huh?" Kalrina half-turned, and that was all the motivation she needed. She propelled their flying disc even faster. "Tell me when to make the turn."


    ¡°Okay¡­wait for it¡­¡± The dragon was like a spear hurled from the heavens as if an angry god had launched it from Mirithia itself. The dragonling changed trajectory and extended its claws. "Now!"


    Meera held onto her shields for support and, thankfully, wasn''t thrown off when Kalrina took a sharp right turn. The dragon crashed to the ground, ruining the street and raising a dust cloud that enveloped the entire street.


    Verna cried out, clutching Kalrina''s leg tighter. She patted the girl''s head lightly. "It''s okay, little one. Just stay calm. You''re doing fantastic. We''ll be safe soon."


    "How far is it?" Meera shouted.


    "We''re almost there!"


    "How did she even make this far out without being detected in the first place?" Meera asked but realized she didn''t care much for the answer when the dragon snapped its head in their direction.


    "I-I used the sewers," Verna stammered.


    "Verna, you know you''re not supposed to go out into the sewers alone," Kalrina said, surprisingly calm.


    Meera began casting an Inferno Storm but stopped right away. Fire would not hurt something that can already breathe fire.


    "Why aren''t we using the sewers?" Meera asked desperately.


    The dragon had taken to the air again. His throat began to glow red, the glow arcing up his throat and reaching its mouth until it let loose a massive column of fire.


    Kalrina didn''t need to be told as she ducked low and took refuge behind a building. The flames roared past them. The heat was enough for Meera to feel like she was standing inside a furnace. It took several moments, but the flames finally dissipated. Meera was thankful for her armor, or she would have spontaneously combusted.


    The dragon''s footsteps shook the world as he ran, flapping its mighty wings.


    "I think now would be the time to duck into the sewers," Meera cried.


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    "I would rather end up in that dragon''s belly than risk the sewers," Kalrina retorted.


    "Are you kidding me? Even now?"


    "Yes. Even now."


    The dragonling took flight. Meera shot it with a full-power Mirror Shard Barrage, but it got swallowed up in a humongous fire breath that even dwarfed some buildings.


    There was no fighting that.


    Kalrina, who had gone delirious in her last moments, laughed in the face of annihilation. "You better run, dragon."


    Meera was ashamed that even with her three-sixty-degree vision, the witch had noticed it first. She was so focused on the deathly flames coming at them that she didn''t see the warrior meld out of the road.


    He wore a typical knight''s armor. It was quite decorative and had some designs that Meera didn''t know about, but they must''ve been creatures he had hunted. The one thing that stood out the most about him was his weapon. He wielded a spear-type weapon, maybe a polearm. The weapon had a long stone shaft with a slender curved blade on the end.


    [Stone Spear ¨C Level ???]


    The man quietly thrust his spear into the ground, and the road before them literally lifted to block the dragon''s massive fire breath. The flames crashed against the massive road. What Meera thought was impossible was made possible as if it were nothing.


    Then the Stone Spear dashed forward, smacked the raised street with the flat end of his polearm, and sent it towards the dragon like a wave of stone and dirt.


    The beast tried flying higher into the air but was too slow. The wave of stone and dirt engulfed the dragon, constricting around its neck, and smashed it into the ground. The dragon thrashed and roared, trying to escape, only for the stone road to engulf him entirely like a carpet, leaving only its head uncovered.


    Whoever this warrior was, Meera was sure glad he was on their side. The warrior rode a smaller wave of stones and stopped before the dragonling. The dragonling stopped thrashing at the warrior''s arrival and became very still.


    "I do not wish to spill any more blood in this pointless feud of ours, but I will spill yours if you do not give up this pursuit," he said. His voice was loud and firm, yet it had a soft quality.


    The dragonling huffed, blowing dark smoke from its nostrils. "One of them killed my brother. Their life is forfeit." Meera''s eyes were the size of walnuts, which made Kalrina snicker. "They can talk?"


    Kalrina snorted. "Any dragon above level 500 can. Seems that''s when they stop being beasts."


    She wanted to ask this dragonling''s level, but the warrior had begun talking.


    "If we are to follow your reasoning, then so is yours. I''m sure you must''ve killed many of my people in your reckoning when you laid waste to my city. Is your life not equally forfeit?"


    The dragonling didn''t speak and showed no visible signs of fear. It simply stared at the warrior with its yellow, almost glowing eyes.


    The dragonling huffed one more time. "Fine. I will give up this pursuit...for now. But my mother will not be pleased with this result."


    "Yes, but she will understand," Stone Spear replied. The stones fell off the dragonling, freeing it from their grip.


    The dragonling stood and shook off the dirt and loose stone before it flapped its wings and took off. The dragon''s flight made Meera''s hair dance in the wind. It circled once in the air. She suspected it was wondering if it should take one last pot shot, but it didn''t. The dragonling flew off into the distance towards the hill from whence it had come.


    The warrior rode his wave back to Meera''s group. His spear was attached to his back.


    Kalrina put them down on the ground and held up her hands. "Now, before you threaten to throw me out. It wasn''t me?"


    His eyes turned to Meera. "I don''t believe we''ve ever met."


    "I am Meera, and I killed the dragonling to save Verna''s life. It had her cornered in some building¡ª"


    "Library," Verna provided.


    "Thank you, Verna," Meera said. "I saw her about to be burnt alive, so I intervened. My first instinct was to take her and run, but then when I saw the dragon''s level¡­" She shrugged.


    His jaw tightened. "That was not the right thing to do."


    "What save the poor girl''s life?"


    "You know what I mean. There had been no violence against the dragons in days. We were about to come to an accord, and now, you''ve reignited their passions. Now, only the gods know how many more people will die."


    "Leonel, oh mighty protector of Drurith," Kalrina said in a sultry voice. "We should get to the underground city before that beast you let go returns with its mama. Even you will have a hard time killing her."


    Leonel squinted at her, and that one look told Meera all she needed to know about what the Stone Spear felt about the witch.


    He looked back to Meera. "I should not allow you to enter the underground city, but that decision does not lie solely with me. I''ll let the Council of Elders decide your fate."


    "Hey, I''m not looking to stay. Point me the way out of this city, and you don''t even have to take me to your underground city."


    "There is no safe way out of this city anymore," Leonel said.


    He bent down and placed a hand on the ground. A crack in the form of a circle formed around them. Then, to no one else''s surprise but Meera''s, the earthen disc descended into the ground. Meera looked about at the others until they were covered in darkness as Leonel shut the hole overhead.


    Meera''s claustrophobia and memories of being imprisoned in the box returned. Her breath quickened, and she did her best to make sure not to make any noise, but the damned witch noticed.


    "Just breathe, dearie, we''ll be there soon."


    "Piss off." Meera''s anger for her abated the incoming panic attack.


    She focused on other things, like the constant vibration under her feet, which told her that Leonel was literally sifting the earth as they descended. The musty smell of wet earth was unmistakable. It was one of the familiar scents from her childhood as she did gardening with her mother.


    Her whole family was gone, but she would be damned before she let anything happen to Neel.


    The vibration came to an abrupt stop, and light filtered through the crack as they descended. Meera was left with such a sight that her eyeballs nearly popped out of her head.


    A literal city was cut into the bedrock, with buildings and even a river running through the center. These lamps reflected each other''s light, which Meera realized were mirrors once she zoomed in on them.


    "Well, you gave this place the right name," Meera said.


    "Welcome to the Underground City, love."

 Chapter 159 – A Life for A Life

    Meera continued to gawk as they descended to city level. It was truly a spectacle, and she wondered how they created it. She suspected Leonel had some hand in it. There must be more people around with his class or similar ones.


    Another question popped into her mind, and she asked it without thinking about it much. "Was this always here, under the city?"


    "Yes," Leonel replied. "But not to this extent. We had to expand on this greatly to fit all the survivors. Though not by much. We didn''t want to come down here, but, in the end, we had no choice when the dragons overwhelmed us."


    "Why didn''t you want to come down here?"


    "It was not a place for decent folks," he replied, looking straight ahead.


    "He means to say it was a prison," Kalrina clarified. "This was where they tossed all their low lives, murderers, and thieves. Funny thing, they all survived while the decent folks got massacred."


    Before Meera could confirm why the dragons attacked Drurith, their earthen disc touched down on the ground. The smell of wet earth was everywhere, like the smell that permeated the air after a light rain. Meera loved the scent. It reminded her of happier days before everything went to shit.


    "It will be best if you watch your back at all times, Meera," Leonel said. "We''ve mostly corralled all of the prisoners of this place into a newly formed prison, but there are still quite a few who have managed to stay hidden. There have been cases of attacks, especially on unsuspecting women."


    "Relax, Leonel, honey," Kalrina winked at the warrior. "She killed a dragonling all by herself. I would say the low lives need to watch out for her."


    "You do realize you''re not quite as dazzling as you think," Meera told the witch. "All this flirting just comes off as¡­creepy."


    "Thank you, Miss Meera," Leonel said.


    "Um¡­" Verna squeaked. "Can I go to my mother? She badly needs this medicine."


    "Yes," Leonel''s firm voice softened a little. "I came to the surface to look for you once they informed me that you had sneaked off topside."


    "Aw, and here I thought you came for dear old me," Kalrina said.


    "Did you not hear my earlier comment about sounding creepy?" Meera asked.


    Kalrina ignored her and put an arm around Verna. "Let''s heal your mother, dearie, and do something about your arm."


    Meera had no Health potions left, or she would give them to the brave girl. Leonel led the way through the streets of the city. The buildings were made of stones, rocks, and dried mud. It was somewhat cool down here. She figured that with all these people, it would make it stuffy, but it didn''t.


    The whole place was silent, with sounds of light snoring coming from most houses. There weren''t many out and about, but some dozing in the streets. They had curled up into a fetal position as they had no blankets to cover themselves with. Their clothing was minimal at best, and most of it was filthy, singed, and generally ripped in most places.


    Verna hurried along, trying to run ahead of Leonel, but he always stopped her, gently reminding her that this place was not as safe as the one they had left behind. They crossed a bridge over the gently flowing river. Some women were collecting water from the river, most probably for their chores.


    They arrived at Verna''s home, which was nothing more than an earthen hut that looked like it had only a single room.


    Verna burst through the door. "Mom!" she cried. "Mom! I got your medicine."


    Kalrina chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "Ah, the love of children." Then her eyes took on a tinge of sadness as she looked off into the distance, but it was short-lived as she noticed Meera. Then she opened her mouth to say something, but a scream came from inside the hut.


    They all shared worried glances before rushing through the front door. The hut was only as big as it looked from the outside. It had one room with a window. A woman who seemed deathly pale lay on the bed by the window. Verna held her hand tightly.


    "Don''t cry, dear," Verna''s mother said. "If the doctor says it''s too late. Then too late it is."


    Kalrina moved past Meera. She and Leonel shoved into the room. She went straight for the doctor¡ªa spindly man who was leaning forward so much that Meera thought he would fall out of his chair.


    "I''m afraid I''m well past the healing of medicine. But¡ª" Verna''s mother broke down into a violent cough. She eventually slowed to a stop. She swallowed and tried again. "Thank you so much for¡­being my¡­daughter."


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    Her head fell.


    Verna gasped and fell to her knees. "Mom¡­" she shook her. "Mom, don''t be like that." She shook her again. "Please. Mom¡­No, no, no¡­" Then she shrieked as she hugged her mother. Her wails and sobs brought tears to Meera''s eyes.


    Kalrina placed a hand on Verna''s shoulder and gently pried her off her mother. She hugged the girl tightly as Verna let it all out. She was wailing and begging the gods to return her.


    "Doctor, I brought the medicine. I even have most of my Health potion. Please give it to her. Please¡­do something."


    "Child, I¡­"


    "Why won''t you do anything?" Verna flew from Kalrina''s embrace and ran to Meera. "Miss, I saw you kill a dragon. You can do anything. I know it. Please, bring back my mother."


    "I wish I could," Meera replied softly.


    Verna turned to Leonel. "Even the dragons are afraid of you. Sir, please. I''ll do anything. I''ll be your slave. Please bring back my mother. She''s just been gone a few moments."


    Leonel went down on a knee. "I''m sorry, Verna. Death is not something we humans can reverse. Her soul is being carried by the goddess Verilia to the halls of her husband." He caressed her cheek gently. "I want you to repeat after me, which is very important, so your mother can gain eternal rest in heaven. Will you do that for me?"


    She gave a tearful nod. He took her small hand and placed it on her mother''s forehead.


    "May Virielia take you to the light," Leonel said in his masculine yet soft voice.


    "M-May Virelia t-take you to the light," Verna repeated. Her chin quivering so much that Meera thought she would break down any moment.


    "May Lorendor show you the path."


    Verna repeated the words with a quivering voice.


    "May Mirithia walk you home."


    Verna almost broke down, but Kalrina placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod.


    "M-May Mirithia w-walk you home..." Verna fell to her knees and sobbed. Meera could do nothing for the poor girl save cry with her. She wasn''t much better when her mother passed. It was a wound that she thought had healed but, as it turned out, not quite so. Instead of seeing Verna''s mother, Meera saw her own. The scene was fresh as day in her mind. Her mother lying in the hospital bed, with all the machines hooked up to her. By the end, she was on so much medication that she couldn''t even form proper words. She saw little Neel clutching onto their father''s leg as he wept. Meera grasped her mother''s hand tightly. Her whole body had gone slack. Even the final smile she had given them all was fading slowly off her lips.


    Meera couldn''t stay in the room any longer. She left, wiping her tears, only to find the street filled with people. They didn''t ask anything. They knew what had happened. A lot of these people had burn marks, missing limbs, or various gruesome injuries.


    Meera quietly stalked away. She didn''t know any directions or where she was headed. She couldn''t bear to hear Verna''s cries any longer. They reminded her of all she had lost or was about to lose if she didn''t find Neel. She didn''t care about herself, but she would die before she let anything happen to Neel.


    When she was finally some distance away, she flew to the top of a house, sat on its roof, hugged her legs, and rocked back and forth. She didn''t know how long she sat there. Eventually, she saw an unpleasant figure coming towards her from the rear, floating on a mirror.


    "How did you know where I was?" Meera asked before Kalrina even stepped off her floating mirror.


    Kalrina paused. "I have my ways."


    Meera noted the mirrors around the city that reflected the light. "Let me guess, these mirrors are your installations to keep an eye on everyone."


    "Sharp," the witch replied. "I wouldn''t have pegged you for smart, given how easily you ran off into an obvious trap like the Cave of Wraiths." She waved a hand. "But that''s ancient history. Tell me, how did you see me with your back turned like that?"


    "You''re not the only one who sees through mirrors," Meera replied.


    Kalrina gave an impressed smile. "Hmm, we almost have the same powers. One could almost say we''re sisters."


    Meera glared at her. "Say that one more time, and I''ll rip your tongue out."


    "Oh, it''s just so easy to aggravate you." Kalrina grinned. "I haven''t had this much fun since¡­well, since those two degenerates took my memory."


    Meera ignored her. "How''s Verna doing?"


    Her impression saddened. It was surprising to see that even this monster had a soft spot. "The doctor had to put her to sleep. She was refusing to get healed without her mother." She paused. "The doctor told me that Mentha, her mother''s wound, had been infected long before Verna had left. I would''ve tried to stop the girl if I knew she would go to such measures to save her mother."


    "What? But Verna was okay aside from those burns."


    Kalrina shook her head. "She wouldn''t have. Dragon burns don''t heal on their own. They fester quickly. Once the infection sets, there is no saving you. How do you think Mentha got to the deathbed." She took another pause, a long one. "A mother will do anything to save their child."


    "What happened? What caused all this?" Meera waved a hand around.


    The witch sighed and took a seat. "Wish I knew, love. I was busy running from tavern to tavern, trying to keep ahead of the Daughters of Aksha. They''re the hunters of the Sorceresses of Akhessai, among other things. Anyway, I heard a rumor that the dragons of Wiryar forest had attacked this place. So, I found myself the first Gateway Mirror to this doomed city and landed here about a week before you did."


    "But why this close to the Sorceresses?" Then, the answer came to Meera before Kalrina even said anything.


    Kalrina smirked. "It''s obvious, isn''t it?"


    "Last we met, you told me that the head of your order killed the archdragon called Akhessai. All the dragons here are her children, and they want revenge for their mother''s death."


    "That''s it. A sorceress of Akhessai wouldn''t be caught dead in this place." Kalrina smirked.


    "And if one were?"


    "Well, let''s just say all you would find is ashes." She sighed. "Though, something must''ve aggravated the dragons a lot that they came out here in such force. I mean, either they didn''t like the taste of a human that they found wandering in their forest, or someone went hunting for dragon meat."


    Meera sighed. So, it must be Neel.


    "What?" Kalrina asked.


    "I know why the dragons are here," Meera declared, standing. "I need to find a way to get out of here."


    "I know the way out of this place, but it''ll cost you."


    "I''m not giving you one of my chakrams again."


    "As much as I would like that, but no, you don''t have to do something like that." Kalrina stood and gave Meera a wide smile. "You''ll have to take me with you."


    "Absolutely not!"

 Chapter 160 – Here Be Drakes

    "Come on, don''t be like that," Kalrina said. "You''re going to need someone watching your back, or you can forget leaving the city on your own."


    "I''d rather have a poisonous snake watch my back." Meera shot back. "That way, when it stings me to death, I''ll only have myself to blame. Wait, you know, you''re exactly like a poisonous viper, but worse. You''ll strike when the opportunity best suits you."


    "Wow, I really must not have been nice to you," the witch mused.


    "It''s not even about me, witch. I saw firsthand the handiwork of you and your boyfriend."


    "Firstly, I admit, partnering with Edwyn did seem like a good idea back then, but he was half mad to begin with. He fed me ideas and kept saying he was on the verge of a breakthrough, and I believed him, and hey, if you say you delivered me the Crystal of Darthin, then he must''ve been true to his word."


    "So, the end justifies the means."


    "I never said that. I said Edwyn kept pushing to go farther and farther."


    Meera clenched her fists. "And you allowed it?"


    "Love, I only visited the cave once when it was set up. Ten years ago," Kalrina said. "After that, we just talked through the mirrors I left him. He never showed me his work or how he went about doing it. I honestly didn''t even know he had started experimenting on humans until almost a year later."


    "And that makes it all okay, I suppose. I''ve had it with your shit." Meera walked to the edge of the roof and was about to jump.


    "They''ll never stop hunting you," Kalrina said. "Those dragons we just narrowly escaped. They have your scent now, and a mother never forgets one who has killed her own. Turns out they''re like us in that regard. Besides, I know the way out of here."


    Meera pointed up. "I do, too."


    Kalrina made a shovel of mirrors. "Then you best start digging and hope you can dig your way out before that spear-wielding hunk stops you."


    She tossed Meera the shovel, but she deflected it into the nearby wall, where it shattered to pieces.


    "Why do you want to get out of here in the first place? Aren''t you hiding from your so-called sisters?" Meera asked.


    "I am, but now that I know my memory was altered, the need to regain my memory is greater than my need to hide." Kalrina smiled.


    "And how are you going to do that? Go back to your sisters?"


    "I''d rather bend myself for the dragon, Ignis Sunbreath before I return to that cabal of crones. No, I know another way. A more dangerous, uncertain way, but it might bear fruit if my hunch is right." She twirled a strand of her hair, which wasn''t filthy. "What do you know of Wiryar forest?"


    "Only what you told me, that it lies between Drurith and Akhessai, and it''s infested with dragons," Meera replied.


    "Well, you''re not far off," the witch said. "What a lot of people don''t know is that there is a portion of the forest that even the dragons are afraid to venture close to."


    Meera squinted her eyes. "You''re really going to make me ask it." Kalrina made a motion of out with it, causing Meera to sigh loudly. "Why are the dragons afraid to go there?"


    "It is said that a certain man lives in that forest who even scares the dragons. If the rumors are to be believed, this man is no mere human but a Cosmarian who somehow avoided the fate of his brethren."


    "I heard from a very reliable source that all the Cosmarians were herded to Rothedon''s forest," Meera said.


    "Right, you are," The witch replied. "Mostly. See, there are a few Cosmarians who avoided such fate as they did not follow their vile king in the Eclipse. Who remained neutral or sided with the gods. The ones who vowed to stay out of mortal affairs as they stayed out of the great war called the Eclipse."


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    "And you believe this Cosmarian resides in the Wiryar forest and can help you restore your memory."


    Kalrina nodded. "If he is as powerful as they say, which I believe he is." She rubbed her chin. "Say, what did you mean by you knew who was responsible for the dragon''s anger?"


    Meera had to answer this very carefully. She couldn''t let it slip that it was Neel''s fault, or the people might turn against him, and it wouldn''t take long for a rumor like this to spread. After all, he had inadvertently caused the destruction of this city and the death of thousands of people.


    "I''m hunting after a man called Nate¡ª"


    "That''s an odd name," Kalrina interrupted.


    "Actual name is Na¡­Nathenial. He came to hunt dragons in the Wiryar forest to power up some ancient relic, which is beside the point. What is important is that he knows where my¡­quarry is." She almost said brother before quickly realizing Kalrina didn''t remember that Neel was her brother.


    "Your quarry¡­ah, I remember now. You came to me looking for information on the Champion." Kalrina smiled. "Was the information I provided helpful?"


    "Yes."


    "Good." She clapped her hands together and smiled. I''m just so happy that I could prove helpful to you. Now, would you like to return the favor and help me while you also help yourself? Believe me, you''re not leaving the city walls without someone like me watching your back."


    "I don''t need someone like you watching my back," Meera said. "Remember what I said about snakes."


    "I admit I haven''t been an entirely nice person, but there is one thing you can trust. I am very selfish, and my success in leaving this city plummets if I betray you before leaving the city walls."


    "And after?"


    "That depends on your performance as we escape this hellhole. So, what do you say, dearie?"


    Meera set her jaw. Internally, she fumed at the thought of having to do anything with this witch, but externally, she thought she kept it under control mostly. All she did was glare at the witch. Then, her internal fury spilled outwards. Using Mirror Wing, she launched one of her chakrams at Kalrina. Her eyes widened, and she raised a Mirror Shield but was too slow. By the time her shield went up, Meera''s chakram was at her neck. It stopped less than an inch from severing her life.


    "Always remember this is how close you are to death at all times," Meera recalled her chakram. "And drop this annoying act. Don''t call me, dearie."


    "And you want me to call you¡­by your name." She feigned shock before smiling. "Annoying is part of my charm."


    "How hasn''t anyone killed you yet."


    "Simple. I make love with them. Could you imagine anyone refusing this?" She motioned to herself while striking a model-like pose.


    Meera nearly threw up in her mouth. "I can''t imagine anyone saying yes to that."


    "Oh, this. It''s just an illusion to blend in with this destitute lot. Wouldn''t want anyone to think that I''m more fortunate than them, even though I am."


    Meera groaned. "Shut up and let''s go." She turned to jump off the roof.


    Kalrina coughed. "Seeing as I know the way out, shouldn''t I be the one in the lead?"


    "Fine."


    "It''s this way." Kalrina walked in the same direction Meera was going and formed a mirror disc. "Well, come on, dearie."


    Meera clenched her fists and jumped on her disc. Kalrina floated the disc up towards the dirt ceiling. It got to the point where Meera thought she would smash them into the roof, but she took a sharp turn, making Meera stumble. Somehow, she managed not to fall off the disc. They skirted across the ceiling and followed the curve down towards the river.


    Meera thought they were going to take a dip in the river, but Kalrina deposited them beside the massive crate by the river.


    "These are the sewers. This will lead us to the surface," Kalrina explained. "Verna must''ve taken this route to go to the surface."


    "Why did you go after her?" Meera asked.


    Kalrina opened her mouth to speak but paused for a moment. "I-I had a debt to pay, let''s say. When I landed here, one of the dragons nearly ate me whole. It was Verna''s mother who sheltered me, and together, we made it down here somehow, but the poor woman was burned, and you saw her fate."


    "Wow, I didn''t think you had a heart," Meera replied.


    Kalrina smirked. "It surfaces on rare occasions. As for the sewers, well, let''s say, despite the lack of new human refuse, it''s still a shitty place. Be on your guard, and if you see any bubbles in the water, run."


    Meera remembered something. "Earlier, you were willing to get eaten by the dragon rather than risk the sewers. Why?"


    "The dragons brought their veneous cousins, the Drakasaros, and released them to hunt us down when we started taking shelter down here. One lick of their tongue and you''ll suffer a fate worse than death."


    "I know," Meera said.


    She remembered the description from the Crystal of Drakasaros Venom, which she still had in her Dragon Hoard Belt. One lick from the Drakasaros or Drake would harden your muscles to stone, paralyzing you all over and wreaking your body with excruciating pain.


    Meera followed Kalrina into the sewers, and the first thing that hit her was the smell. It took everything Meera had not to throw up. She clamped a hand over her mouth.


    "Here." Kalrina handed her a piece of cloth. "We don''t need you adding to the filth."


    Meera nodded her thanks, and they waded into the scummy water. Another wave of nausea built up in her belly, and she almost lost it. The only thing that saved her was the thought she wasn''t actually touching the water.


    Unless there were chinks within her armor¡­


    She nearly barfed and inadvertently hit the witch''s back.


    "Be very still," Kalrina whispered.


    Meera looked up, and before them was a massive, fat lizard who stood nearly as tall as the sewer''s ceiling.


    [Drakasaros ¨C Level 464]

 Chapter 161 – Playing With A Drake

    Meera gulped as a bead of sweat dribbled down from her forehead. Her heartbeat quickened. The thing was massive. She had seen the reanimated corpse of one, but that must''ve been a baby because it wasn''t even half the size of this one.


    It looked like a Komodo Dragon but the size of a truck. It must''ve been ten feet tall. Its dark greenish scales shimmered in the faint light of the torches. The worst were the claws. They were curved swords sticking out of the scummy water of the sewers.


    Meera did as Kalrina asked. She stood as still as she could. The Drakasaros, or Drake''s dark beady eyes, looked straight at them, but she didn''t know how much it could see. Maybe it didn''t have good eyesight, and it was dark here, so Kalrina had asked her to stay still. It was easier said than done.


    Meera wanted to ask her how long she had to stay like this. The overgrown lizard kept staring in their direction. It''s long, black tongue flicking in and out. Meera reached out with Mirror Wing and pulled off her level 2 chakram but kept it hovering in place.


    She shouldn''t have done that.


    The Drake must''ve seen her chakram''s movement as its tongue flicked out. Meera''s eyes widened. The lizard''s tongue was like a whip, spanning the twenty feet in a mere second.


    Kalrina and Meera both erected their Mirror Shields. To Meera''s surprise, Kalrina''s shield looked like a regular Mirror Shield and not a Tower Shield, which meant hers had yet to reach level 100. This made Meera want to boast but given that they were facing an enemy where they had no margin of error, she kept her focus on the Drake.


    The venomous tongue broke through Meera''s Tower Shield like it was nothing, leaving Meera bewildered. But it did bounce off Kalrina''s regular Mirror Shield, which was even more confusing.


    "How¡­"


    "It''s the next evolution, dearie," Kalrina said. "You''ll get there soon. Or maybe not, if you keep trying to distract me and die an agonizing death."


    Meera raised a few more Tower Shields as the Drake snapped its whip-like tongue again. This time, Kalrina''s shield shattered, as did Meera''s.


    "So much for an evolved shield," Meera muttered.


    "We''re going to have to fight this thing from afar," Kalrina said, ignoring Meera''s comment. "They''re worse than dragons in some aspects. A dragon''s fire will take some time to kill you. This thing''s poison will make you wish you were dead."


    The Drake flicked its tongue in and out.


    "Any tips on how to kill it?" Meera asked.


    "Kill it? Have you lost your mind? There is no killing it. Our best bet is to fly away from this thing at top speed. Its saliva will leave us paralyzed and in excruciating pain. It has poisonous breath. Its claws inflict corrosion on anything they touch. Even its scales are coated with a thin layer of toxic venom. I don''t think we should even be standing in the same water as it."


    "How good is that thing''s eyesight?" Meera asked.


    "Don''t tell me you''re going to try to kill the Drake too?"


    "How did you get to level 300 by being such a coward?" Meera asked.


    "By picking my fights," the witch replied. "A concept you seem to have a hard time grasping, dearie."


    "Okay, now, we''re definitely killing this thing."


    The Drake must''ve had it with their talking. It spat a fuming green venom at them. It came at them at such speed there was no blocking it. It would easily smash through their shields. Meera flew to the side.


    She almost launched a chakram but decided to play it safe with a Mirror Shard Barrage, as she didn''t want her chakrams getting poison on them. The shards hit the beast with the intensity of a tiny water gun. The Drake didn''t even flinch.


    Well, how about this then?


    Meera angled her hand upwards, and the shards hit the Drake''s face, and a couple pierced its right eye. The Drake shrieked so loud that the water at its feet vibrated as it splashed about.


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    "Really?" Kalrina cried. "You''re going to get us killed!"


    "No! Just stay back and provide me cover with your shields."


    "There''s not much staying back I can do. I''m already touching this filthy wall."


    "Good."


    Kalrina muttered something about Meera being disgusting and other such flavorful things, which was totally out of character for her. Meera would be lying if she didn''t admit it made her happy. But she had bigger fish to fry.


    The Drakasaros''s shrieks had died to cries, and it would retaliate soon. Meera blasted tiny pieces of her mirrors from her armor all over the sewers. The ones submerged in the water were practically useless, but she still saw enough of the mirror that it would serve as a jump point.


    She activated Spectral Dominion.


    Two shadow warriors stepped out of the darkness with Shadowsteel weapons in hand. She pointed at the Drake, and a dark skull appeared on its head, signifying the Death Mark. She ordered the two shadow warriors to attack the Drake while she prepared the next phase of her attack.


    "So, shadows and mirrors, huh?" Kalrina said. "You have a funny combination of classes."


    That''s not all I have, Meera thought, but she didn''t say anything as she didn''t want to give anything away to the witch.


    Seeing the shadow warriors coming, the Drake flicked its tongue at one of them. The shadow warrior dodged to the side. They were on him in the next moment, hacking away. The Drake raised its claws to finish off one of the warriors. But Meera wouldn''t let it win so easily.


    She activated Smoke Eclipse.


    Dark smoke like the ones coming out of a Victorian factory''s chimney spread out of Meera''s mouth and filled the sewer, plunging it into darkness. The small burning torches might not have even been there.


    Kalrina coughed behind her. "What in the name of Midiea is this?" She coughed some more and made for the turn in the intersection to escape the smoke.


    The Drake tried to swipe its tail at the warriors in the smoke, only for its tail to smash into the wall.


    Meera, of course, had no problem seeing through the smoke. After all, it was her skill. Smoke Eclipse didn''t only bring out darkness, but it also amplified the attacks of all her shadow-affinity skills. Fortunately for Meera, both Death Mark and Spectral Dominion fell into that category.


    The lizard cried out with each slash from the shadow warriors. It thrashed about, shaking the walls with its bulk, but its size played to its disadvantage in these tight quarters.


    "I hope this is the Drake shrieking," Kalrina exclaimed.


    "What do you think?" Meera replied.


    "I think you''re a girl with many tricks."


    Meera smirked. Time to finish this.


    She held out a hand, but Meera talking to the sorceress must''ve given away her position. The Drake sprinted towards her like a crocodile dashing for its prey. Poison dripped from its fangs as it tried to bite Meera in half.


    But she wasn''t about to be caught so easily. She used Mirror Step and teleported away. She activated Nightstalker Bindings, the upgraded form of Vampire Chains. The chains were strong enough to paralyze the beast while her shadow warriors fell upon it. With Smoke Eclipse''s secondary effect, all three of her attacks became stronger.


    The Drake fell not long after. Its shrieks died down to painful cries to moans and whimpers, and then finally, her shadow warriors finished it off by stabbing it in the head and leaving their swords there. She dissipated her smoke, chains, and warriors. This battle was rather anticlimactic compared to how much this beast was feared. It cost her a load of Mana, but the Drake couldn''t even come close to scratching her.


    Kalrina peeked around the corner and sighed before the self-confident grin returned to her face. "See, I told you we had everything under control, love," she said to someone behind her.


    Meera heard the splashing of many feet, and a moment later, Leonel and half a dozen similarly dressed soldiers came behind Kalrina. She figured the men had to be Leonel''s underlings, as their armor was similar to his, though less grand. They stared wide-eyed at the Drake''s corpse.


    "You killed that¡­by yourself?" One of Leonel''s men asked.


    Meera nodded. "Truth be told, it wasn''t too difficult. I don''t know why everyone is so scared of them."


    "Did you cut off its head?" Leonel asked.


    Meera frowned, but she felt the ground rumble before she could reply. Leonel''s man backed up a few steps. Water splashed, and the Drake stood up behind her. She turned slowly, but the Drake knew where she was.


    It opened its mouth to swallow her whole. Venom dipped from its fangs, somehow avoiding Meera.


    Leonel bashed the butt of his spear into the ground, and an earthen replica of his spear jutted out of the ground and cut off the Drake''s head. The head, with its jaw wide open and fangs dripping with poison, fell toward Meera. She used Mirror Step and teleported out of the way.


    "Always remember to cut off a Drake''s head, or they will come back to finish you off," Leonel said.


    "What is it with these things?" Meera sneered. "Dragons explode after death, and these things come back to life."


    "That is why they say, if you kill a dragon, you better make sure you can survive its vengeance," Leonel said.


    Meera nodded. "Thanks for the assist." Even though, on the side, it chaffed her that she would have to share the kill''s experience with him. She looked at the annoying witch. "Shall we?"


    Kalrina smiled at Leonel. "Well, love, we''ll be heading out now. Hopefully, you all can survive here until the dragons get bored."


    Leonel stared at her for a long moment, then finally turned to Meera. "Thank you for holding off the Drake. If it had found its way into the city, who knows how many people would have suffered a cruel fate. One thing I will say to you before you leave. I will not come to save you a second time on the surface. I pray to the gods that you can leave the city safely, but you will not be coming back this way. We will place earthen barricades along the sewers to prevent any beasts from coming this close to us. This will be our last meeting."


    "Oh, come on, Leo, don''t be like that," Kalrina said.


    "I understand," Meera replied to the warrior. "Let''s go, witch."

 Chapter 162 – A Dragons True Name

    Meera and Kalrina hid in a mostly broken house. Luckily, it was clean enough, or as clean as it could be, considering their situation. They had come out of a sewer pipe not too far from here. Kalrina had explained that this was not a nice part of town even before the dragons descended. Unfortunately, they were stuck here until nightfall, and as it so happened, nightfall was a long way away.


    The sun shone brightly in the sky, and Meera could finally get a better view of the city. They were on the second floor, which, as Kalrina said, was rare for this part of town. The more Meera scanned this place, the more she could tell it was beautiful once. Sprawling buildings and statues had adorned the city streets, which had all but melted or crushed to dust. Charred and mauled corpses littered the ground. There was a small hill to the east where the Sootscale Dragonling had flown to, and Meera did not like what she saw.


    Dragons upon Dragons littered the place. Some basked in the sunlight on rooftops. Others moved about and looked to be talking to each other. Unfortunately, they were too far away for her to use Identify on them. Their scales were of a myriad of colors. Some had only one shade, some had multicolored scales that looked so beautiful, and most, but not all, had lighter undersides.


    Then, there was one who was clearly their leader. This dragon sat on this expansive building on the hilltop. It glowed in the sunlight. This dragon''s scales resembled a tiger''s coat, with stripes and a white underside. It even had sharp horns that looked like a crown.


    Meera nudged Kalrina with her foot. "Who is the big one on that hill?"


    Kalrina didn''t even look out the window. "That is Ignis Sunbreath. The king of this lot, though dragons don''t have a true monarchy. They follow strength. Whoever is the strongest becomes the leader, and he''s the strongest one around for a thousand miles. If I had to put my money on it, I would say he''s not far from being an archdragon himself like his mother once was."


    "His mother¡­" The gears turned in her head. Kalrina had mentioned to watch out for dragons on the road to the sorceresses. "He''s Akhessai''s son!"


    Kalrina snorted lightly. "Took you long enough. He''s the eldest. In fact, a lot of them are her children or grandchildren. Four hundred years ago, this city was nothing but a small town, dwelling under the shadow of the archdragon Akhessai, until Veridiana came."


    Meera furrowed her brow, trying to remember. "She was the one who killed Akhessai and formed the sisterhood of sorceresses, right?"


    Kalrina paused to look at her. "How did you know that?"


    "You told me, but I guess you don''t remember that. You also told me that Akhessai''s children, meaning them." Meera waved to the dragons on the hill. "They''ve never forgiven the sorceresses for making Akhessai''s body their home. But the last dragon I fought exploded after death, so how did this Veridiana make an archdragon''s body her home?"


    Kalrina smirked. "By petrifying her body before she died."


    As she said it, Meera remembered Kalrina had told her this. But there was one thing that Meera found odd.


    "If they''re mother and son, why are their names so different?" Meera asked. "Ignis Sunbreath, I can understand and even guess that he''s a fire dragon, but Akhessai doesn''t tell me anything. Other than that, it''s probably from an entirely different language."


    Kalrina smiled. "You know, you''ve surprised me, dearie. You do have a brain behind that pretty face of yours."


    Meera gave her a blank stare. "Are you going to give me an answer?"


    The sorceress chuckled. "Of course, love. Just having a bit of fun. You''re right about it being two different languages. All dragons have two names¡ªone they give to the world and one they keep secret. Scholars call it a worldly name and a true name. Take Ignis''s mother, for example, Akhessai was her true name. Her worldly name was Agniaz Dawnbringer. The whole reason Veridiana was able to kill Akhessai was because she learned the archdragon''s true name. Though, she never told us how or where she learned it from."


    Meera frowned. "Learning a dragon''s true name would make that much of a difference?"


    "Oh, it makes a world''s worth of a difference. You''ve fought a dragonling before and were only about a hundred levels lower than it. If you knew that dragonling''s true name, you could''ve made it dance to your tune."


    Meera sat up straight. "Really?"


    The witch nodded. "But the greater the difference between your levels, the harder it would be. If you somehow learned Ignis''s true name, I would say you could probably hold him in a trance for maybe half a minute. Probably less. But that is sometimes enough to make a difference."


    "Is that how Veridiana turned Akhessai to stone?"


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    Kalrina nodded. "Aye, love. Killing their mother, the dragons could have forgiven eventually, but using her true name as the name of the sisterhood was adding salt to injury. So, don''t utter Akhessai''s name if a dragon confronts us. They tend to become irrational and downright unhinged."


    "Noted." Meera watched the sun dip towards the western sky, but it was only late afternoon. They still had a long wait remaining. Neither talked much in their tense climb out of the sewers because they didn''t want to run into another Drake. She hadn''t gotten the chance to look at her notifications and, most of all, what skill she had stolen from the Drake.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed Drakasaros ¨C Level 464. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent a hundred levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    Meera would be lying if that partial experience didn''t sting. She had killed the thing, but how was she to know that it would come back to life to take one final potshot at her?


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 5 levels and reached Level 357. You have been awarded 15 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror''s Affinity has gained 2 levels and reached Level 249. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 253% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Dominion has gained 5 levels and reached Level 33]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Death Mark has gained 3 levels and reached Level 75]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Smoke Eclipse has gained 3 levels and reached Level 4]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 3 and reached Level 109. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 112% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Toxic Breath. Toxic Breath ¨C Type: Active. You can exhale a cloud of toxic gas that poisons anything caught within its range. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Venomous Regeneration. Venomous Regeneration ¨C Type: Passive. You can consume poison or poisonous materials to regenerate from wounds. Each drop of poison enhances your regenerative abilities. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Yes, I think I''m good. Was Meera''s first thought, but she decided to give it some thought, as she had nothing better to do. Venomous Regeneration was too situational, and it wasn''t like she was carrying around vials of poison for her to swallow. Besides, she had Vitalize, which could do everything this skill could do. Not to mention, there was Nightstalker Bindings as well.


    Toxic Breath was nice, but the only skill that she could think of giving up for it was Petrifying Surge, which was handy in a challenging situation. She had petrified her enemies in a tough spot to gain those crucial seconds. It was a tough choice between this and Toxic Breath, but in the end, she ended up giving up the chance to acquire Toxic Breath.


    She put half her stat points into Focus for more Mana and the other half into Constitution. With that, she was all caught up on everything. Now, what do I do?


    It wasn''t like these worlds had the internet, or, for that matter, her phone didn''t have any battery remaining, so she could waste time on social media. She didn''t even have any books shoved into her Belt, something she would rectify soon. That only left talking to the witch, and she was in no mood to rip out her hair in annoyance. So, she stayed quiet and surveyed the dead city.


    But she didn''t have to stay bored for long as she noticed someone coming down the street. He jumped from the shadow of one building to another, trying his best to avoid being spotted by the dragons.


    "What the¡­Hey, witch, someone''s coming," Meera said.


    Kalrina turned to look out the massive window. "Now, who is crazy enough to be walking about in broad daylight, aside from us, of course."


    Meera zoomed in on the man. He wore dirty, tattered clothing, and his face was covered with soot and ash. His overall looks were nothing special¡ªjust a regular man you could find anywhere in these worlds. Something told Meera she''d seen him before.


    She zoomed in on him and used Identify.


    [Frostweaver ¨C Level 411]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at his level and glanced at Kalrina, who must''ve done the same. She, too, was surprised to find someone so powerful lurking about here.


    "Damn, he''s strong," Meera said.


    "Honestly, he''s about average for one of the stronger guards of this city, though they''re probably all dead now," Kalrina replied.


    "Did they have any ice mages?"


    "Oh, yes, elementals of all sorts made up their ranks. I mean, look at that hunk, Leo. He''s an earth elemental of sorts."


    "What''s Leonel''s level?" Meera asked.


    "613, but then he is the captain of the guard," Kalrina said. "The Protector of Drurith. The one who single-handedly held off a hoard of dragons so all those people could make it down to the Underground City."


    Meera took a moment to process that information. It made sense why that dragon ran from him. She motioned to the Frostweaver. "Is this guy trustworthy?"


    "In this town, anything without scales is trustworthy in my book."


    Kalrina jumped out the window and quietly beckoned the guy towards their building. Meera wanted to slap the illusion of the witch''s face for making a move. But with no other option, she watched the skies above and the hill, hoping no dragon had seen the crazy witch.


    It didn''t take long for the Frostweaver to reach their building. He huffed and panted as he wiped the sweat off his brow. Kalrina ushered him in, and Meera descended the stairs to meet them.


    "Oh, thank goodness, I made it here without causing any trouble," he huffed. "I saw you two hiding out here and decided to take a risk and reach you."


    "Who are you, O brave one?" Kalrina asked, her voice emulating a theatre actor. It was so bad that Meera wanted to barf.


    "I was a city guard before all this. When the dragons came, I hid in one district or another. Recently, I''ve been trying to get out of the city and make for the safer passes in the forest. Then onwards to another city or a village far from here."


    "How fortunate," Kalrina said. "We''ve been planning the same as well. I am Kalrina."


    "Meera."


    "I am Lainor. I''m so happy to have met you both."

 Chapter 163 – Escape From Drurith

    Meera watched the last light of the sun fade through the clouds. Even Mirithia wasn''t shining so brightly this night. The cloud cover was good for them, as they made a run for the city walls, even if it would make them stumble around in the dark. Something told Meera that the dragons would not have this problem.


    Lainor was chatting with Kalrina about the troubles of surviving out here alone for so long. Only some were so lucky to have made it to the underground city. He had holed up with a group of people in the eastern part of the city, closer to the warehouses. They had enough food to last a while, but a dragon got a whiff of them, and they burned the whole place down and killed almost everyone.


    Lainor was one of the few who made it. He decided it was better to leave this place and went looking for a Gateway Mirror. When he couldn''t find one in all this rubble, he decided to make for the walls and ended up spotting them, taking shelter in this house.


    It was a tragic story. It seemed tragedy had befallen this town in the form of dragons. All this made her think of Verna. She hoped the little girl was okay.


    "I think we should head out," Meera declared.


    The sorceress and the Frostweaver stopped mid-conversation and looked over at her. They looked out the window, realizing it had grown dark.


    Lainor nodded. "Yes, the night and the clouds should provide enough cover."


    Kalrina unwillingly got to her feet with a loud sigh. "Let''s put this city and, most of all, these infernal dragons behind us."


    "Aye," Lainor confirmed. "My uncle has a cabin in a village not far from here. It lies on the border of the Wiryar forest. I know that''s not exactly safe, but seeing all these dragons gives me hope that there''s none left in the forest. If they''ve leveled the village too, there''s a Gateway Mirror we can use to put some distance between us and these flying lizards."


    Meera shared a glance with Kalrina, and they both decided to keep their real destination a secret.


    Kalrina clapped her hands lightly. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Lainor, since you were a resident of this fair city. Do you want to take the lead?"


    Something didn''t feel right, as they knew practically nothing about the man, but the logic was sound. This city was, after all, his home, so he was better off guiding them out of this place.


    "Stick to the shadows," Lainor said. "We might not be able to see them, but I assure you, the dragons are up there."


    "It''s okay, love. Remember, I survived out here almost as much as you did," Kalrina purred.


    They slunk out of the house quietly, and despite the cloud cover, they stuck to the shadows, as Lainor suggested. The clouds weren''t as thick to block all of Mirithia''s light. The journey was slow, but it was better to go slow than not get there.


    They went through ruined buildings and burned houses. They lit up torches whenever they were inside a building and moved silently. Even Kalrina kept her trap shut and didn''t flirt with Lainor. They must''ve traveled like this for hours, and still, the city walls were nowhere in sight.


    "They weren''t kidding when they said this city is huge," Meera commented. They were moving through a building, so they didn''t have to peer at the sky to see if shadowy creatures flew through the clouds.


    Lainor snorted lightly. "We must move through so much rubble, or we would''ve been moving much faster."


    Meera had a ghostly horse waiting at her beck and call, but she couldn''t risk calling him because of the flying lizards. They moved on, and it took them another hour before they reached the city wall. Immediately, Meera wanted to turn back.


    Dragons lay curled up all along the length of the wall. There were five in total. One was huge, but the rest seemed smaller, only slightly bigger than the one she had killed. Their scales were shades of the sun. Shiny and yellow as the dawn to the red of dusk, one was gray like Sootscale Dragons, and one was black as midnight.


    Lainor''s eyes widened. He motioned to the black one. "That is Tigris Grandbreath. Ignis''s brother and the second strongest dragon present in Drurith. You can call him Ignis''s second in command."


    Meera used Identify on the black dragon.


    [Charred Scale Dragon ¨C Level ????]


    "What''s his level?" Meera asked. "I can''t Identify creatures that high-leveled."


    Both her companions shook their heads. Meera stared at the black dragon. Just how strong is this thing¡­


    "Pardon me, but I have to ask. Is anyone else wondering why he is called Tigris when his brother has scales nearly identical to a tiger?" Kalrina asked.


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    Meera gave her a blank stare. "Really? That''s what you are thinking right now?"


    "Maybe they both had coats like a tiger at one point," Lainor said, rubbing his chin. "Then maybe he lost a fight to his brother and ended up like that. I mean, even his tag is Charred Scale Dragon."


    Meera threw up her hands. "Wow, you too. Is this really the time to discuss this? Shouldn''t we be trying to figure out a way to get past the super scary dragons?"


    "I''m sorry, but there is no getting past him," Lainor said. "Especially not at night."


    "We can''t just sit on our hands and hope he flies off along with the rest of his troops. Can we go under it?" Meera asked.


    "I doubt Leonel made tunnels this far out," Kalrina replied.


    "Should we take a shot at trying to kill it?" Meera asked the group.


    Lainor gave the witch an incredulous look. "She''s joking, right?"


    Kalrina rubbed her temples while shaking her head. "Why is it that every time there is a strong creature in front of us, your first thought is to kill it?"


    "It''s worked for me so far."


    "I''m sorry to say this, miss," Lainor said politely, then practically shouted the next words. "But you''ve lost your fucking mind? There is no killing it? I have my Identify skill leveled up to where I can gauge levels of beings up to 900, and it still shows question marks for that dragon."


    "It''s over 900!" Meera exclaimed a little too loud and immediately cringed.


    "Shh!" They both cried.


    "Why don''t you just announce our arrival," Kalrina cried in a whisper.


    They stared at the dragons, and they hadn''t stirred, but Tigris cracked open an eye and scanned the perimeter with its red eye. Meera and her companions ducked when his eyes washed over them. Her heart beat so loudly in her chest that she feared the dragon would hear it.


    Several minutes passed, and they heard no flapping of wings or the whoosh of the wind signaling that the dragon had flown off. Finally, Meera poked her head out and sighed in relief. The dragon had shut its eyes.


    "I think I have a plan," Lainor said. "We''ll have to split up. One person will have to distract while the others sneak out the gates. The person who is the distraction must have teleportation skills to get out of there quickly. Do either of you have such a skill?"


    "I do," Meera stated and waited for the witch to pipe up, but she played oblivious. Meera shook her head. "You do too, you goddamned cowardly witch. But you go save your hide, and I''ll make my way to you. I bet you would run the moment a dragon bared its fangs at you."


    "It''s the skirts, dearie. They''re not meant for running. Frankly, I don''t know how these peasants walk around in them all day."


    "Bullshit excuses from a bullshit person."


    "Ladies, focus, please. I''ll shoot a spear into the air to signal we''re out," Lainor said.


    "That would give your location away." Meera looked to Kalrina. "Can you at least raise a mirror above the wall or in the gate? You don''t need to make it very big. I can see very far."


    "Anything for you, lass. After all, you''re quite literally going into dragon fire for us."


    "Oh, fuck off. You know what? I changed my mind. She can be the distraction and teleport out or not. Fucking die for all I care."


    "One of us has to distract the dragons," Lainor said. "Or none of us can escape this city."


    Meera nodded, even though something about this plan didn''t sit right with her. For one, she had to risk her neck for the witch, but even more than that, something about Lainor felt odd. He had done nothing to come across as untrustworthy, but the nagging feeling would not go away.


    Maybe it was the nerves of what she was about to do. She hoped she was fast enough to evade the dragons and not get charred to a crisp.


    Lainor pointed out the way they would take to the gate and which direction Meera would have to take to distract the dragons.


    Meera nodded and looked at the witch. "You better raise that mirror, witch, or I''m bringing the dragons straight to you."


    It wasn''t like she couldn''t create tiny mirrors to teleport out herself, but this would be one big jump versus many small ones, and this was a test of the witch''s trustworthiness.


    Meera took to the air and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage at the sleeping dragons. "Wake up! It''s time for me to kill you." She quietly added. "And steal a skill or two."


    Her mirrors fell short of the charred dragon, and he was up in a blink. Given the size of that monster, that speed was uncanny. Meera blasted off in their planned direction. Tigris roared, making the world shake. The other dragons took the air after her. Tigris wingspan alone dwarfed the other dragons. The dragon must''ve been a hundred feet from tip to tip while he stood over half as tall as that.


    I take it back. There is no killing that.


    Dust and wind assaulted Meera as Tigris took to the air and came for Meera. She picked up the speed and flew faster than she ever had. She prayed the others didn''t stop to gawk at the dragon because Meera was reaching the base of the hill. That was where she was supposed to pretend that the dragons had her cornered.


    Less than a minute later, she arrived at the base of the hill. She pretended to crash land atop a building, but no mirror appeared on the wall.


    "Okay, seriously, where are you?" Meera muttered.


    The five dragons arrived and encircled Meera. They landed with a thud, blowing up dust. Tigris must''ve flattened a few buildings underneath his massive bulk.


    The dust stuck to her sweat-soaked temples. She had half a mind to abort, but she figured she still had time since the dragons hadn''t started attacking. Tiny mirrors blasted out of her armor and littered the rooftop and the street below¡ªher own escape plan.


    Tigris growled as he lowered his massive head. If Meera hadn''t faced all those monsters before, she would''ve passed out on the spot. As of right now, only her hands shook.


    "So, it is you¡­tiny human," Tigris spoke, and Meera would swear the building beneath her shook. "You¡­who thinks they can hunt my kind."


    "Not really, to be honest."


    "She is, O Great One," Lainor said as he rose on a pedestal of ice, and he was not alone. He had Kalrina frozen from the chest down.


    "L-Looks like we-we were betrayed," Kalrina shivered.


    "Shut up!" Lainor smacked her across the face. He bowed to Tigris. "The Cult of Aetheron has delivered on its promise, my lord." He flourished a hand towards Meera. "I present to you the one who has been hunting your brethren."


    The Cult of Aetheron? Meera was sure she had heard about them before but couldn''t remember where. Moreover, her intuition was correct. He was not to be trusted.


    "Hunting?" She exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about? I only killed the one."


    "The culprit admits," Lainor cried.


    Tigris growled, and his throat glowed red.

 Chapter 164 – Not Dying To A Dragon

    There was no blocking whatever was building up in Tigris''s throat. Lainor, the lying rat, was the first to run. He jumped off the roof and made off down the street. Meera looked to Kalrina, who just shrugged at her.


    She had nothing to say to her as they both had been had. "Well, I hope you can still teleport because I''m not wasting my time saving you."


    "Oh, please, dearie, as if I would ever need you to save me," Kalrina retorted.


    The witch formed many daggers made of mirrors and stabbed the ice that confined her. The blades twisted, and the ice broke into tiny shards with a resounding crunch. Then she was gone, using the tiny mirrors that Meera had planted for her jumps.


    Meera waited a moment longer to confirm something. The dragons did not care about Kalrina. They were focused on Meera, so they let the witch escape. The glow in Tigris''s neck reached his throat, and right before he blasted, Meera jumped to the farthest mirror she could find, which was right behind Kalrina.


    Behind them, the night lit up like day as a torrent of flames erupted from the dragon''s jaws. She hoped her plan had worked and the dragons would think she was ashes. She doubted the dragons would rummage around the hole in the ground that Tigris was making.


    Her hope was dashed as one of the dragonlings craned its neck her way and spoke something in a tongue that sounded like it was gargling with rocks. It must''ve been the dragon''s language. Tigris clenched his jaws shut, and the flames vanished, plunging the world into darkness again and leaving a massive white spot in that part of Meera''s vision.


    Tigris roared and the dragonlings sprang into action. They took to the air, pivoted towards Meera, and shot off.


    To Kalrina''s credit, she hadn''t stopped to gawk, but then neither had Meera. They had reached the end of the mirrors that Meera had planted. The witch was blasting out more and teleporting, but it wasn''t as fast.


    "The dragons are going to catch up soon," Meera reminded her.


    Kalrina cursed, finally breaking her serene demeanor. "I really should not have bothered bringing you along. You''re trouble."


    Meera grinned and gave her a two-finger salute. "I can''t say it was nice knowing you."


    She was about to take off when Kalrina cried. "Wait! You can''t get to the man in the forest without me."


    Meera gritted her teeth so hard, she feared she''d chip a tooth. The witch was right, and she hated her for it. "Follow me."


    Meera used Mirror Wing to fly towards the gate and peppered the area with mirror shards from her armor along the way. Kalrina used them as jump points for her Mirror Step. She was right behind Meera, but they were not fast enough, or rather, the witch was slowing her down. The dragonlings had almost caught up to them.


    "Listen up, witch, they''re after me. Let''s do the same plan. You go to the gate and raise a mirror, and I''ll distract them. Hopefully, we can lose them in the woods beyond."


    "Okay." Kalrina formed a disc under her and zipped off towards the gate, lying low to street level.


    Meera was right about the dragons only being after her. She took a sharp right turn, and all the dragonlings followed. Unlike last time, they also threw fireballs at her, lighting the buildings on fire. The only one who hadn''t moved from its spot was the black dragon, for which Meera was thankful. She did not want him after her.


    Please don''t be preparing something terrible. Was the first thought that came to Meera as the dragon''s red eyes watched her evade his minions.


    With the noise they were creating, it was only a matter of time before more of the dragons from the hill came to join them. She wondered if Leonel would come after hearing all this commotion. It was considerably more than last time. It would be better for Meera if he did, but what could he do against the might of these dragons?Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    A small round mirror appeared to her right in between the city''s ruined gates.


    Well, what do you know, the witch actually came through.


    The dragonlings were so focused on hunting her that they hadn''t noticed the mirror, but she couldn''t be sure about the Charred Dragon. His red eyes were still on her, but who''s to say he didn''t get a quick peek? Something told her that he was planning something, but being inexperienced with dragons, she couldn''t be sure what.


    She had to make them think they killed her before she made her escape. She flew around a little more until she found a two-story building with a hole facing the gate. She dived down into the building, pretending to take cover.


    The top of the building was missing, so she saw the massive columns of flames coming for her. She didn''t teleport right away. She waited. The fire came closer, and the air grew so hot that she thought her flesh was burning. Then, at the last moment, before the building caught on fire, Meera teleported to the mirror between the gates.


    The cool night air was like a bliss upon her heated body. The building where she had taken refuge was nothing more than a burning heap crumbling upon itself. The dragonlings flew around the burning building, waiting to see if Meera would come flying out of the building.


    "Oh, that was good," Kalrina said, slipping out from behind the massive broken gate hanging from only one hinge. It had slashes along its length. "I didn''t think you were coming out of that one."


    Meera snorted. "Unlike you, I do have a little¡ª"


    Two beams of light, like laser beams, ripped through Meera''s abdomen. They also nearly took off Kalrina''s arm just below the elbow.


    They both screamed. Meera was driven to her knees as she clutched her bleeding stomach. Kalrina clamped a hand on her wounded arm. The blood seeped from between her fingers.


    Meera activated Vitalize. Kalrina pulled out a green Health Potion from her Belt and downed it quickly.


    "Get up," Kalrina barked. "Before it¡ª"


    She quickly ducked, and it saved her life as two more laser beams crashed through the door behind her, leaving two smoking holes the size of her head. This time, Meera saw what it was. The lasers had shot out of Tigris Grandbreath''s eyes. They were so fast that they might as well be instantaneous.


    She tried getting up, only to cry out. She clutched her gut to make sure none of her organs spilled out. She knew she had to move. Tigris had started to charge another attack. The dragonlings had seen through Meera''s ruse and were coming for them.


    But the pain was so intense. The last time she had felt like this was when Melas had ripped out her innards and killed her, but that time, she had Brison to bring her back.


    "Get up, dearie." Kalrina hooked her good arm through one of Meera''s and pushed her to her feet. "I''m not dying to a dragon."


    Meera clenched her teeth and groaned as she stood. Kalrina raised three Mirror Shields behind them. Vitalize was working overtime to fix her, and it dulled the pain enough to give Meera enough coherence that she added three of her Mirror Tower Shields to Kalrina''s, giving them a six-shield defense.


    It still wasn''t enough.


    Tigris''s laser beams shattered all six shields like they were nothing. The only thing that saved them was that they had moved on¡ªluckily behind the left side door while the beams crashed through the right door.


    Kalrina gripped Meera tightly, making her flinch and cry out. "Easy. You''re going to kill me."


    "On the contrary, I''m trying to save you, dearie. If we don''t make it to the cover of those trees, we''re dead."


    "You have a spare Health potion?" Meera asked. "I''m barely holding my organs inside me, which, if you can believe it or not, is not the first time that''s happened to me."


    Kalrina groaned. She shoved a hand in her Belt and produced a Health potion. "It''s my last, so let''s ensure we don''t get blasted by any more instantaneous eye beams."


    Meera gulped down the potion, ensuring she didn''t spill any from the corners of her mouth. This thing was better than any Health potion she had ever had. The holes in her abdomen closed in mere seconds. Not even the potions that Pallas made were as good as this.


    "What is this stuff?" Meera asked, staring wide-eyed at the sorceress.


    Kalrina smiled a self-satisfied smile. "That was my personal batch. You can think of it as the best of the best. A super Health potion."


    "You''ve got to teach me that."


    "Maybe later. For now, let''s get out of here."


    Meera put an arm around her, activated Druvis Power, and blasted off towards the trees. When the dragonlings arrived, all they saw was a trail of dust leading to the trees.


    They retaliated by lighting up the trees on fire. Meera stayed low to the ground to avoid the branches. She swerved through the trees carefully and put as much distance as possible between them and the dragons. But they would not give up that easily.


    A heavy thud shook the branches, and Meera was sure the big one had landed somewhere on the city wall.


    "Go north," the witch commanded. "We''ll be safer there."


    "Which way is north? If you hadn''t noticed, it''s hard to tell with all these trees."


    Kalrina rolled her eyes and huffed. "City girls." She pointed to her right. "We need to travel in that direction for a hundred miles and hopefully find our Cosmarian."


    "Oh, yes, that should be easy. It''s not like we don''t have one of the strongest dragons on our tail."

 Chapter 165 – A Deadly Wager

    Meera would have been relieved if the dragons had given up the chase, but the sound of wings flapping told her otherwise.


    "The dragons are still behind us," Meera said.


    Kalrina snapped her head in the direction of the city. "Are you sure?"


    "I have a skill that lets me hear over vast distances," Meera lied. She didn''t want to tell the witch about the Gem of Echoes, which she would no doubt try to steal the first chance she got.


    "If they''re here, why aren''t they lighting the forest on fire?" Kalrina surveyed the foliage above.


    Meera shrugged. "It''s their home, and we''re practically blind in the darkness, and I''m sure they can see in the dark, and we can''t. They just need to wait for us to make a mistake and¡­" Meera traced a line across her throat.


    "We can''t sit here and wait for them to find us," Kalrina protested, getting to her feet.


    Meera closed her eyes and concentrated. The flapping of the wings signaled they were getting closer and fast. "Form a disc, and we''ll fly out of here."


    "Why don''t you fly us?" Kalrina protested, and although it was hard to see, Meera could swear she saw the witch pout like a little kid.


    "Because I''m going to send them chasing a diversion like last time."


    "Oh, that horse thing," Kalrina''s eyes widened, and her lips curled up into a smile.


    Meera gritted her teeth. "His name is Onyx, and he died because of your fucking scientist and your goal to steal Darthin''s powers."


    "Okay, okay, no need to take it personally," Kalrina remarked, making Meera want to knock her teeth out.


    "Make your disc and get flying." Meera successfully resisted the urge to add some swear words that would''ve resulted in a right beating if her mother had heard.


    Kalrina waved a hand and created a disc with two chairs. She smiled. "No reason we can''t make our escape with some comfort."


    Meera said nothing and summoned Onyx. Her horse friend appeared with a neigh.


    "Shh!" Meera put a finger to her lips. "There are dragons overhead, and can you dim your light as well, please."


    Onyx complied, and his light dimmed to the point that it was a very faint blueish outline. Meera doubted the dragons could see him through the thick canopy of leaves overhead.


    "This is truly fascinating," Kalrina said. "You''ve somehow managed to get a horse spirit under your control and taught it to speak."


    "It?" Onyx frowned, or it looked like he was frowning if horses could frown. "Meera, who is this?"


    "Onyx, this is¡­the wicked witch who is responsible for your predicament and torture."


    Onyx gasped. "This is Kalrina¡­You¡­¡± He plodded the ground with his hooves as if getting ready to run her over.


    Meera got in between the two of them. "Onyx, this isn''t the time. There are five dragons overhead."


    "Meera, she¡ª" Onyx started, but she cut him off.


    "I know what she did, and don''t worry, once I don''t need her, I''ll slug a hole through her gut for you."


    "You know I''m right here," Kalrina said. "And digging a hole through me doesn''t give me much confidence in this partnership."


    Meera turned on her. "We''re not partners. You get me to this Cosmarian, and we''re through. You go your way, and I will go mine."


    "Sounds like a partnership to me," the witch chimed.


    "How about I bite your nose off for good measure?" Onyx threatened, again taking a step forward, and Meera had to push him back.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    He could phase through Meera and follow through on his threat if he wanted to, but she knew Onyx. He wasn''t mean and probably more scared of her than he was showing it.


    "Listen, horsey, I could vaporize you like this." The witch snapped her fingers, showing the ice that Meera had seen when she had returned from the cave. "So, do as your master says."


    Onyx huffed and shuffled on his hooves. "There was a time I would''ve been scared of you, but how will you hurt me now?"


    Meera turned to the sorceress. "That is a good point. He''s a spirit. You can''t hurt him unless you have a divine weapon. Trust me, when I was in the Cave of Wraiths, only my chakrams worked, nothing else. If he wanted to, he could trample you to death. So, stop with your annoying shit if you want to save your nose."


    Kalrina stared at Onyx a moment longer before giving Meera a nod. She turned to her equine friend. "Onyx, I need you, please. Once we''re done, I''ll let you take a shot at her. But for now, I need you to distract the dragons so we can escape. Just like last time."


    Onyx gave a nod. "Anything for you, Meera."


    With that, he took Meera''s direction and ran off in the opposite direction while his whole form lit up with his Light of the Dead skill. It was like watching a streak of light racing through the forest. She turned from Onyx, jumped onto Kalrina''s disc, and settled into a chair.


    They flew off towards the north, but it was slow going. She saw Onyx shining brightly through the trees as he galloped away from them. Through the foliage above, she saw the dragons notice Onyx, and a couple of them turned his way. Then, a dragon spoke in their guttural tongue. No matter how much Meera thought it was a language, it still sounded like gurgling rocks to her.


    The two dragonlings that had turned towards Onyx stopped and returned to the group. Their heads snapped down to the ground again, and they resumed the search.


    "What the¡­ They''re not supposed to do that?" Meera muttered.


    "This day just keeps on getting better and better," Kalrina mused. "You might as well call back your horse. They didn''t take the bait."


    Meera recalled Onyx, and his tattoo returned to her hand. Kalrina noticed, but she didn''t comment on it. She had more dire things to worry about, like how one of the dragons¡ªone with reddish scales¡ªhad flown ahead of the group.


    Oh no¡­


    It crashed into the trees directly ahead of them. Its roar made the trees shake, and Meera''s mirror chair shook so violently that it was a miracle it didn''t shatter. Kalrina muttered a curse and made a sharp right turn, but they had only gone so far that another dragonling dropped in their path. Then, one behind them and another to their right. They were surrounded.


    One dragon still had yet to land, and Meera dreaded facing the Charred Scale Dragon. It hovered in the air above them. The wind instantly became chilly, and she broke into a cold sweat.


    There was something off about its size. It seemed smaller than what it should be. She used Identify.


    [Sootscale Dragonling ¨C Level ???]


    Meera was almost relieved...almost. "Where is Tigris?" She whispered.


    "He must be close, or maybe he returned to the city, not wanting to waste time with two puny humans."


    "What''s his level?" Meera asked.


    "561¡­Why do I get the feeling? We''ve escaped from him before."


    The Sootscale Dragonling looked a little bigger than the dragon Meera had killed earlier, but aside from the size, it was an exact match. He flapped his wings twice before it fell. Kalrina jerked her disc backwards to avoid being crushed.


    It put them too close to a red-scale dragonling who chomped at them. Kalrina jerked them to the side, where another dragonling jumped for them. They avoided its teeth narrowly. The dragons laughed, shaking their whole forms. It was a game for them, and Meera couldn''t help but feel a little miffed at being the mouse the cat played with.


    "Enough!" The Sootscale Dragonling barked without turning towards them.


    The other dragonlings stopped, and Meera quickly used Identify on them. Unsurprisingly, she couldn''t see their levels either. In a way, it was good that she couldn''t see their levels. It would only add to her anxiety.


    The Sootscale Dragonling whipped its tail around, smashing trees in half and making a clearing. Meera and the witch formed a shield to avoid the rain of splinters. A few logs smashed into their shields, but their shields held.


    "You are mine, human." The gray-scaled dragonling turned its head towards Meera. "I am Kaxus Silentshadow, and you butchered my sister. There is a blood feud between us. Only one of us will walk out of here."


    The gears turned in Meera''s head. I might actually be able to walk out of here. She stepped forward, but the witch clamped a hand on her forearm.


    "Whatever you are about to do, make sure you''ve thought it through," Kalrina warned in a careful tone, which was nary above a whisper.


    "So, if we beat you, we''re free to go?" Meera asked the dragon. "None of your friends will try to eat us when our backs are turned."


    "On my honor," Kaxus drawled. "And unlike you deceiving humans, we keep our word."


    The other dragons didn''t like this. They spoke hurriedly in their language, but Kaxus''s roar silenced them. They all stepped back, giving them enough space to fight.


    "Let me ask again, if the two of us defeat you, are we free to go?" Meera asked.


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "Both of us?"


    "You can bring a dozen more of your kind, and it will still not save you from my wrath." Kaxus spat a fireball at a nearby tree, lighting up the night. "Begin the Fire Lock."


    Each of the four remaining dragons shot their flames at four trees around them, forming a boundary. All had different colored flames¡ªred, blue, and even green. Flames roared on trees as shadows danced all around them.


    "If you haven''t defeated me by the time the fires burn the trees to cinders, your time in this world will end. My friends will be free to descend into the bleeding circle."


    A couple of the others chuckled and licked their lips. Some even had forked tongues like the Drake she had fought earlier.


    "Okay, that''s just not fair," Kalrina protested.


    Kaxus looked to the heavens. "Zilni, bear witness. Your brother will avenge you."

 Chapter 166 – Honor Duel With A Dragon

    Meera looked to Kalrina. "You better not run, witch."


    She huffed. "If I do, those pointy teethers will make a meal of me, thanks to you." Then, venom dripped from her voice. "I''ll be sure to repay you for this, dearie."


    Meera was reminded of the old witch who had toyed with her after she broke her Mirrors of Dorheia. If the sorceress betrayed her now, she would be sure to slice her throat before she went down.


    Kaxus was a little bigger than his sister. Now that Meera knew the difference between male and female, she could see that Kaxus had a bigger frame, a greater wingspan, and even a broader jaw, which meant more teeth.


    Meera littered the area with tiny mirrors, and to her credit, the witch did the same, though she put up big, oval mirrors all along the boundary. Meera frowned a little, but she figured they could be used to get out of a bind.


    Surprisingly, Kaxus''s first attack was not a column of flames or even a flame attack. It was something so similar to one of her skills that Meera first thought he had used Smoke Eclipse. But instead of smoke emanating from his body, it came from his mouth. Instead of flames, a smoky breath snaked out of his maw.


    "That doesn''t look like smoke," Kalrina muttered.


    Meera zoomed in with her eyes, and the witch was right. It wasn''t just smoke. There were dark, thin particles, along with smoke. Meera wouldn''t be wrong to say that it was, in fact, ashes.


    "Oh, we really shouldn''t breathe that in," Meera agreed.


    But before they could do anything, the dragon flapped his wings and sent the ashes flying to wash over them. Meera took half a breath, and her lungs burned something fierce. Immediately, she was coughing. She had never smoked before, but she felt like she was a chain smoker whose lungs had just about given up.


    She used Mirror Step to the farthest mirror she saw, hoping it was out of this ashen cloud. It was not.


    "Enough!" Kalrina roared between her coughs. She created a giant fan made of mirrors and swung it using Mirror Wing. It was enough to blast the ashes and smoke back at the waiting dragon, but the dragon wasn''t there.


    He lunged for Meera. His claws glowed red with heat. His sister had used the same attack on her. She wasn''t about to tank this hit when she could teleport away. She got out of the way and put a Death Mark on the dragonling. A skull appeared on his back, shining white on his dark scales.


    The dragon noticed her right away. He swung his tail at her while he turned to unleash a flaming breath at her. Meera got out of the way again, but Kaxus immediately swung his head to her at blinding speed.


    She moved behind him. A massive mirror spear passed an inch from her nose to shatter against the dragon''s tough scales.


    Meera didn''t know whether to glare at the witch or thank her. She settled for a murderous glance to which the sorcerous gave her a mischievous smile.


    Kaxus groaned as the force of the spear pushed him back several feet. The spear was strong but not strong enough to dislodge a scale, although it did damage several. With a start, Meera realized she had never tried out her chakram on the last dragon''s scales. She reached around and hurled a level 2 chakram, which had become her default go-to chakram. Her regular ones might as well be pretty bracelets at this point.


    She excelled its speed with Mirror Wing. The chakram became a blur. Some of Kaxus''s friends called out in dragontongue. She didn''t understand it, but she knew it was a warning for him to watch out for the chakram. But the warning had no effect.


    Kaxus had barely recovered from Kalrina''s blow when her chakram landed in the same spot as Kalrina''s spear and cut that scale in two. Then it went spinning along the length of his body. A slight smile spread across Meera''s lips.


    The chakram sliced the dragonling''s scales in two, revealing the softer flesh underneath.


    Even the other dragonlings were flabbergasted. They did a very human-like gesture¡ªtheir jaws dropped.


    Kalrina looked at Meera wide-eyed. "Well, this dragon might not be as difficult as we thought."


    Meera was not so sure, even if they did have a long strip of revealed flesh for target practice. The dragon''s head toward Meera in a rage. She turned her chakram around mid-flight to attack his underbelly, but the dragon jumped aside and fired a volley of small fireballs at her.


    She raised a Mirror Tower Shield, which stopped the first four but shattered after the fifth. Meera was long gone before that. She teleported to the dragonling''s side to rip open his exposed skin with a shower of Mirror Shard Barrage. It would have been an excellent play if not for Kaxus''s friends, who announced her arrival the second she appeared.


    Kaxus swiped his tail. Meera activated her Tower Shield, but the tail crashed right through, sending Meera flying. She rolled into one of the burning trees, which was the boundary. One of her arms landed outside this boundary, and a dragonling pounced like a dog on a juicy bone.


    She teleported away in time to save her limb.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Are you going to do something?" Meera barked at the witch but kept her eyes on Kaxus.


    "I am, love," Kalrina replied. "I am preparing for my ultimate move. I need you to buy me some time."


    "Why does that feel like an excuse to stay out of the fight?"


    "Oh, don''t be so cynical, dearie. I would never leave you alone in a fight to the death."


    Then she disappeared. Not teleported to a mirror anchor, no she simply disappeared. It took Meera way too long to realize she was casting an illusion on herself.


    "If you were going to do that, then why ask for the distraction," Meera muttered.


    Kaxus''s form glowed with a dark glow, while Kalrina was nowhere to be found. Meera had to stop the dragon''s attack, and if she couldn''t get close to him, then maybe they could.


    She activated Spectral Dominion, brought forth two shadow warriors, and sent them to do her dirty work. Kaxus glow shuddered a little when her warriors fell on it. He slashed at them, dissipating some of their smoke, but they could hold on for a bit. They pushed the dragon back as they went for the opening in its side that her chakrams had created.


    Meera thrust her hands in the air and decided to call on another of her great finishing moves. If it could help melt the great fortress of Azeria, then it could definitely harm a dragon. But she didn''t get enough time to finish charging it.


    Kaxus roared such a mighty roar that a shockwave released from its jaw. Her shadow warriors dissipated at once, and Meera froze. An intense terror made her heart beat like a drum. Sweat dribbled down the side of her head as she stood frozen. She had faced this attack from Kaxus''s sister, but it was nowhere near as powerful.


    The storm clouds she had started cultivating overhead were nothing more than wisps of smoke. The seconds that Meera was frozen was all the dragonling needed to finish its attack.


    The dark glow coalesced into its throat, which traveled up and exploded from its jaw in a torrent of dark flames.


    The dark flames were unlike anything Meera had ever seen. They seem to drink the light of the other flaming trees. Meera looked around, trying to find a spot with a mirror that would be safe to teleport to. The only safe place to teleport was directly beside Kaxus or outside the boundary, where four more dragonlings awaited.


    "I''m going to need some protection here, dearie," Kalrina said, reappearing in the same place where she had disappeared.


    "Are you serious?" Meera cried.


    The dark flames were about to consume her. Meera teleported to the witch and raised Mirror Tower Shields all around them. Then, she created two more layers, for a total of three, and she hoped this was enough.


    It was not.


    The first two layers shattered almost instantly. Meera jumped back a step and raised two more. The preceding shields held for a few seconds. The flames were slipping through the cracks, and the heat was unbearable. She felt herself burning, and the fire hadn''t even touched her.


    She cried out when a little bit of the dark fire grazed the tip of her finger and melted the flesh off her bone instantly. She activated Vitalize while jumping back and adding two more layers of shields.


    She was practically hugging the witch, who hadn''t moved. Kalrina was chanting furiously with her eyes closed.


    "Witch, you better hurry up," Meera cried. "We''re almost cooked."


    Kalrina continued chanting. Another tongue of fire licked her arm, making Meera scream. The flames were so hot that they had dissolved her armor, muscles, and part of her bone. She cradled her arm as Vitalize worked to recreate the missing parts.


    She activated Bastian Strength. If she survived this firestorm, she would use all this damage to amplify her counterattack. A dark flame broke through her shield and bathed half her face. Meera flew back from it, but the pain was so intense that it made her blackout for a few seconds. She fell behind Kalrina, trembling and waiting for Vitalize to regrow her face.


    "Okay, I''m done," Kalrina cried. She looked at Meera and winked. "Time to give this dragon a dose of its flames."


    Meera tried to frown, which sent a jolt of pain through her. She was sure she was missing her eyes as well. Thanks to her mirrors, she could still see. Meera''s Tower Shields shattered to bits, and the flames rushed in.


    The witch spread her arms wide, welcoming them. "Mirror World."


    Just as the fire reached her, it bounced off and went in the opposite direction, back to Kaxus. The dragon shot more dark flames from its mouth, but they bounced back when they hit the other flames. He tried getting out of the way, but the dark fire touched the mirrors that Kalrina had set up around the clearing, and the mirrors amplified the flames as they surrounded the dragon.


    Kaxus backed up, but it was no use. The fire rushed around him and swallowed him whole. The dragon roared and wailed. His screams were horrifying. He tried to escape into the air, but the flames destroyed his wings. The dragon squealed as it crawled away. The dragonlings outside came rushing in and roared ear-deafening roars, and the dark fire finally dissipated.


    "Anyone else would like to give it a shot," Kalrina cooed. "I have a lot of juice left in me."


    Kaxus looked about as well as Meera expected. His whole form smoked. The majority of his scales had melted and fused with his skin. His wings were just plain sad. The leathery part that helped him fly was gone. He wouldn''t be flying any time soon.


    The witch looked to Meera. "I would constitute that as a victory on our part."


    Meera felt around her face and flinched. She still had a lot of healing to do. She activated Mirror Phantom and sent out a phantom that looked like the normal her. Her phantom walked to the dragonlings.


    "We have defeated Kaxus Silentshadow," the phantom declared. She waited for the dragonlings to refute, but no one said anything. "As per our agreement, we are free to go."


    The dragonlings'' eyes burned with rage and hate, but no one contested her claims.


    "K-Kill me¡­" Kaxus croaked.


    "Our accord was to defeat, not death," the phantom replied. "I do not wish to give your mother, brothers, or sister more reason to hate me."


    "Are you sure you want to leave all that experience?" Kalrina asked, making all the dragons snap their head to her.


    "Yes, because who will hold them to his word once we leave." Meera''s phantom looked at the defeated dragon. "You said dragons are better than us humans. You said you keep your word. Now is your chance to show us. Take your friends and leave. This feud is over."


    "You would let me live with this shame." He looked down at himself, trembling. Each word of his reflected his pain. "You are far crueler than I thought."


    "And yet you will live. Now go in peace."


    Two dragonlings came forward and hooked their arms underneath his. Kaxus winced and cried out as they lifted him and flew back towards the city.


    A rust-colored dragon remained. His yellow, slitted eyes glared at Meera. "This is not over. This forest will hunt you."


    "We took care of one of your friends, and we''ll take care of the others as well." Kalrina blew him a kiss.


    The dragonling growled and flew off.


    Kalrina dropped to the ground with a loud huff. "Oh, thank Midiea. If he had lingered a moment longer, he would''ve seen¡­well, this."


    Meera''s phantom dissipated, and she peeled herself off the ground. "This truly is not over. We must get to this Saint at once."

 Chapter 167 – Pleasing The Dragons

    A frozen chair flew past Lainor to smash to bits against the wall. Next was the small wooden table. Raeven was in quite a mood today. He held the rank of Elder in the Cult of Aethron. He wasn''t just any Elder. He was the Hierarch''s personal attendant, which meant he ranked higher than all other Elders.


    If a message needed to be delivered to the Hierarch, it had to go through him, and Raeven was prone to new furniture whenever someone came with bad news like Lainor had.


    Raeven smashed his hands down on his table. Ice spread onto his mahogany desk from his fingertips, ruining the beautiful table forever. He leaned forward, a dangerous look in his blue eyes. A slight layer of frost covered his whole form.


    Lainor couldn''t help but get ready to defend himself. After all, Elder Raeven had two hundred levels on him.


    "Those fucking lizards want to summon the Hierarch like he''s a common whore¡­" The veins popped out from his neck. "Who the fuck do they think they are?" He raged loud enough to make the room shake.


    The temperature in the room had fallen to freezing, but that was not what made Lainor tremble. He feared the Elder might take out his anger on the messenger, meaning Lainor himself. And if Raeven decided to harm Lainor, as per the Cult rules, he had no option but to take the punishment.


    Lainor bowed at the waist. "Elder, I will accept any punishment you doll out, but Dragon Lord Ignis Sunbreath himself gave me this command. He demands the Hierarch to visit him at Daston Hill in Drurith."


    "I heard you the first time," Raeven said through gritted teeth. The cold seeped out of him, and the room got chilly as the coldest winter night.


    The stairs were behind Lainor, and he wondered if he could make it if he made a run for it. Lainor gulped, remembering the strangulation he suffered at Mirageiros''s hands. That was when his troubles began. First, the Cosmarian, then the twin Dragon Lords, and now he was here at the Tower of Aetheron on Ealisto. He stood before an enraged Elder while a snowstorm raged outside, and it was still colder in this room.


    Another set of stairs led up to the Hierarch''s floor. It was where he had his office and his living quarters. Lainor had only seen the man once, as he only left the room for very important business. So, he couldn''t believe his eyes when the man who had led the cult since its inception five hundred years ago casually strolled down the stairs.


    The man had a head of white hair but lacked the wrinkles of age. In fact, he didn''t look a day over forty. He had a handsome face, marred by a long scar that went horizontally over the bridge of his nose. Lainor didn''t know who gave him that scar, but if he ever found out, he would smash their head against the wall.


    Lainor dropped to his knees and touched his head to the floor. "Your Eminence."


    "Rise, my son," His Eminence, Elrasil Krasir, said. "We only prostrate before the one true god."


    Lainor stood and looked reverently upon the greatest priest of Aetheron. The world called them a Cult when they should''ve been called church¡ªa church that prayed to the one true God. But who was he to question the Heirarch''s decisions?


    "Aetheron will Prevail," Lainor said.


    "Aetheron will Prevail." They both repeated.


    His Eminence looked to his chief servant. "Come now, Raeven. A summon from the great Ignis Sunbreath should not be taken as a slight to one''s honor. After all, all dragons alive today are descended from the Great One."


    "But Your Eminence, you¡ª"


    "I am but a simple man who will do anything to hasten my Lord''s return. Even if it means I must see Akhessai''s son. Now, it''s best we don''t keep Ignis waiting. Dragons are not known for their patience." They moved for the stairs, but he stopped. "Lainor, when the moment is most opportune, I want you to drop the fact that the champion''s sister is traveling with a Sorceress of Akhessai."


    Lainor frowned but would comply with any order His Eminence gave him. Even if commanded to end his life, he would happily jump on a sword.


    <hr>


    Lainor, Elder Raeven, and His Eminence stood before the great dragon, who sat atop the big building that was once Drurith''s crown jewel. Now, that beauty had been marred but not broken. This was the second time Lainor had seen Ignis up close, and still, he was awed by his majesty.


    His tiger-like scales shone in the evening sun. If it wasn''t for the shadow of his brother who sat to the side, Lainor could admire his visage for hours. Tigris, on the other hand, was darkness incarnate. Despite his massive size, one wouldn''t see him as he crept up on them at night. Some other powerful adult dragons were sitting around their king as he held court as if dragons did such a thing.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    His Eminence bowed his head to Ignis. This irked Lainor, but every man must bow to someone.


    "O Great Dragon of Wiryar forest, what can this humble servant of Aetheron do for you?" His Eminence asked.


    Ignis huffed, blowing smoke from his nostrils. "Save your fake respect for one who doesn''t see through this mask of yours, Cultist. Your man failed to deliver on his promise."


    Hierarch straightened. No longer the bent man. There was a fire in his eyes that Lainor hadn''t seen before. "But we did deliver. Lainor brought the girl to your brother as agreed upon. He cannot be held accountable for your brother''s failures."


    Tigris stood and growled. "I will give you one chance to take that back."


    His Eminence turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"


    The dragons weren''t shooting off any flames, but still, the heat in this place had risen to the point that Lainor was sweating. He wanted to slowly back out of here but couldn''t leave His Eminence alone. He couldn''t see Tigris''s level, but if some of the Elders were to be believed, His Eminence was over level 900, if not higher. There couldn''t be much of a difference remaining between the two.


    The silence stretched on for longer still. Even the other high-level dragons stared at what would happen next. Raeven''s hands twitched, and Lainor could imagine the storm brewing in his head. Before it spilled outwards, Lainor felt he had to do something.


    "Though I must admit, I was at fault too," Lainor said, breaking the standoff. "I could''ve injured the girl or trapped her before presenting her to you."


    His Eminence peeled his eyes off Tigris and looked to his brother. "Lainor, my son, I love your humbleness, but I still believe we have delivered our part of the bargain to Lord Aetheron''s kin."


    "And yet we do not have the girl, Elrasil," Ignis growled.


    Lainor clenched his fists at his side. How dare this lizard address him by his name.


    Lainor wasn''t the only one who was angry. He could feel a chill emanating from Elder Raeven. His Eminence gave them both a look that told them to calm down.


    Ignis continued, "The dragonlings we sent after her were not children, yet one came back like this." He turned his head to the side, and a couple of the dragons stepped aside to reveal a dragon that looked like its scales had melted and fused with its skin, and the less could be said about its wings, the better. It was clearly in a lot of pain, but it didn''t tremble or whimper. Its pride shone through its eyes.


    His Eminence frowned. "She let him live?"


    "A warning to our kind. She killed his sister, and so he challenged her to single combat, and the girl did that."


    Lainor''s eyes widened. The girl was strong, but this dragon had almost two hundred levels on her.


    "This could not have been done by Meera alone," Lainor blurted out before realizing where he was, but he continued. "The sorceress must have helped her. She was traveling with a Sorceress of Akhessai." He looked to Tigris. "That was the other woman I captured, Lord Tigris."


    Tigris curled his upper lip in a sneer, and he cursed in dragon tongue. Lainor didn''t know exactly what it meant, but it was something like smashing her eggs before her.


    The other dragons repeated similar insults. All save for Ignis, who remained quiet. His eyes remained locked onto His Eminence.


    The dragon king made a guttural sound, and all fell silent. "Elrasil, I don''t make deals with humans, and yet I did because of your name and reputation among dragons. I want this girl and the sorceress."


    His Eminence glared at the great dragon for a long moment. "We do this, and we''re through. I don''t owe you any more favors after this."


    Ignis nodded.


    His Eminence bowed, smiling. "It will be our honor to serve Lord Aetheron''s kin."


    <hr>


    They stepped through the Gateway Mirror that brought them back to the Tower. It opened in the room adjacent to Raeven''s room. The mirror was deliberately planted there so no one could leave or arrive without the Elder knowing. Raeven gripped Lainor by the collar and slammed him against the stone wall.


    "Who the fuck do you think you are?" Raeven seethed. "You were totally out of line. You think you are so great that you can come to His Eminence''s defense. Huh?"


    "I-I¡ª" Lainor didn''t know what to say, and Elder Raeven didn''t let him say anything.


    "Next time, keep your mouth shut, or I''ll rip your jaw off."


    "Y-Yes¡ª"


    "Raeven." His Eminence placed a hand on the Elder''s shoulder. "He did exactly what he was meant to."


    Raeven let go of Lainor''s collar slowly. A frown begining to take form. "Your Eminence?"


    "My attempted feud with Tigris was nothing but a fa?ade. I care nothing about the girl evading the dragon. I hope you''re not forgetting we also owe a debt to others."


    He meant the Cosmarian king, Rothedon. Lainor didn''t know why they were dealing with the Cosmarians and what this debt was, and Lainor would never tell His Eminence his business. He was just a cog in the machine. Just here to do his Lord''s bidding.


    The Hierarch walked to the door. "It is us who will rid the girl of her life. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone, and not to mention, we''ll be removing a crucial piece of the prophecy."


    Raeven stepped forward. "But Your Eminence, she''s always meant to die. The prophecy says so."


    His Eminence scoffed. "You weren''t there, Raeven, when I orchestrated Serenya''s death some two thousand years ago."


    Lainor started, but he kept his shock primarily internal. He knew His Eminence was old, but he didn''t know he was that old. His best estimate was five hundred years, not two thousand years. The things he has lived through and seen. Truly, there is no one like you, my Lord.


    The Hierarch continued. "The woman was so stalwart that even as the maddening crowd lobbed stone after stone, she still screamed the words of her prophecy so the people wouldn''t forget them, and yet they did."


    "Please explain, Your Eminence," Raeven requested.


    The Hierarch turned to face them. "Our Lord is coming, and for him to succeed, both brother and sister cannot make it to the end. One of them must perish."

 Chapter 168 – Surrounded By A Beauty

    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield has gained 4 levels and reached Level 128]


    That was it. That was all the levels Meera had gotten from her fight with the dragonling. Maybe the witch was right. Maybe I should have killed the thing. But then there would be no guarantee that the other dragonlings would leave peacefully. This way, they know not to mess with us.


    She had given herself this reassurance for perhaps the fifth time as the witch carried them away from the battlefield. The sun''s light was peeking through the trees, and they had barely gotten a few hours of sleep. Meera''s body ached all over. Her Stamina was at quarter strength. She wanted nothing more than to remove the bed she had shoved in her Dragon Hoard Belt and sleep the day away. But when did she ever get to do what she wanted?


    She sighed and moved on to her only consolation from the last fight.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Shadowflame Devastation. Shadowflame Devastation ¨C Type: Active. You can breathe forth a torrent of shadowflame, a dark and twisted inferno that incinerates everything it touches. The flames sear through armor and flesh alike, leaving nothing but ash and despair in their wake. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Infernal Roar. Infernal Roar ¨C Type: Passive. You can scream a deafening roar infused with the power of the underworld, causing fear and panic in nearby enemies and weakening their resolve. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera''s eyes widened as she read the skills. They were both excellent, but she was immediately drawn to the first one. She had felt its effects firsthand and barely survived. Just one touch was enough to burn away the muscles from her bones. She wiped a hand on her face, and the pain of losing her skin, muscles, and eyes was still fresh in her mind. Then there was the burning sensation.


    I don''t think I''ve seen a more devastating skill. Maybe Heaven''s Wrath was the only thing that could give it some competition.


    If her hunch were correct, Shadow Affinity would boost this skill. Then she could eliminate Inferno Storm and add a powerful Shadow Affinity powered skill to her arsenal. She quietly racked her brains on whether she should go for it or not.


    Why don''t phones exist in this place?


    She wanted to call Pallas and get his advice on this. Now that she had thought about it, she felt bad for not saying goodbye to the Wardens in person. She shook her head she had more important things to do.


    As for her skill issue, she took a shot on her hunch, accepted Shadowflame Devastation, and gave up Inferno Storm.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Shadowflame Devastation ¨C Level 1]


    She tried to sleep but couldn''t. Onyx neighed quietly to the side. She had him keep watch while she and the witch got some rest, but this world was even worse than the last. At least on Rhione, she wasn''t constantly attacked on sight.


    The witch snored without a care in the world to her right. Meera didn''t like how peacefully she slept, so she kicked her shin.


    "Ow!" she cried, immediately sitting up.


    "Wake up. It''s time to move," Meera said, standing.


    Kalrina looked like she had more to say, but she simply yawned.


    Onyx sauntered over. "What''s wrong? Is it time to cave the witch''s head in?"


    He was too trigger-happy about taking down the witch. All night, he had been asking if he could trample her or smash his hoof down on her head. It was funny and a bit concerning. She had only seen the timid side of Onyx before this. Seeing this murderous Onyx made her wonder if he could be an ally in her fights like she had used him to mow down the Mistblades or in the fight against the mad researcher, Edwyn.


    "You''ll be caving no one''s head in, horse," Kalrina spat. Turns out she wasn''t a morning person.


    "Let''s head out," Meera said. "We can''t have the dragons picking up our trail."


    Kalrina rubbed the sleep from her eyes and spoke mid-yawn. "What makes you think they ever lost it?"


    Meera sat up straighter at that. "Then what are we lounging around here for?"You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "We need a break once in a while, love. Now, let''s get on top of your friend, and he can take us¡ª"


    "Absolutely not!" Onyx snapped. "Meera is okay, but you could be crawling like a worm, and I still wouldn''t give you a ride.."


    Meera shrugged. "I see no argument in that logic."


    Kalrina groaned. "Why do you both loathe me so much?"


    Meera shared a look with Onyx, and they spoke simultaneously. "Do we really need to answer that?"


    Kalrina sighed and tried to argue, but Meera and Onyx ignored her as they broke their meager camp and got ready to move out. Meera rode on Onyx while the witch had to summon up a horse of her own¡ªa mirror horse. It was about the same size as Onyx and copied the ghostly stallion''s every move down to the neighing motion, though without the sound.


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out that she did that to annoy Onyx. More than once, Meera had to calm her horse down before it slammed into the witch''s horse.


    They were making good progress, or so Kalrina figured. Meera wondered where they were headed. Whenever she asked, Kalrina commented that they were heading toward the Saint''s home or where he was supposed to be. Eventually, Meera got fed up with her all-knowing attitude.


    "For the tenth time, how do you know this Saint is even there?" Meera asked. "Have you ever been there?"


    "Well, no¡­" Kalrina confessed. "But Veridiana, the head of the sisterhood, always forbade us from going in the general direction we are heading in. And the Saint was one of many rumors around the keep." She tapped her lips and arched an eyebrow. "Of course, the other popular rumor wasn''t better either."


    "Hold up." Meera pulled on Onyx''s hair, coming to a stop. "We''re going all this way, fighting through hoards of dragons on a rumor. A rumor?"


    Kalrina flashed a big smile. "Don''t worry. This one is true. I''m sure because it can''t be the other thing everyone said."


    Meera gritted her teeth. "Which is?"


    "An Archdragon," Kalrina said so casually as if it were a children''s playhouse.


    "Are you fucking kidding me?"


    "Relax, if it were truly an archdragon, the Sorceresses would only be found in history pages."


    With all that assurance, they continued stumbling through the uneven ground of the forest. Meera clutched Onyx''s sides as tightly as possible. She felt she would be thrown off at every step. She had half a mind to dispel Onyx and walk or fly, but Onyx covered a lot of ground quickly.


    It was about late afternoon that Meera saw another human in the forest. She wore tight-fitted clothing and a cloak with the hood up. The cloak almost made her blend into her surroundings. She would''ve missed her if not for Meera''s Mirrorstrike Vision skill.


    When Meera''s vision landed on her, she disappeared behind a tree. Curiously, Meera hadn''t turned to look at her, but it left like she had jumped to cover right when Meera''s vision landed on her.


    Then another woman appeared some distance to their left, and again, she disappeared when Meera noticed her. Something was up. Meera''s eyes widened as she remembered Lainor, who belonged to the Cult of Aetheron.


    "Say that Lainor belonged to the Cult of Aetheron, right?"


    Kalrina curled her lips down in a sneer. "Idiotic fanatics who worship the great dragon of doom. They think Aetheron will spare them when he rises, which should be anytime now since the Champion has shown himself."


    She didn''t even think about that while running from one place to another. Neel''s presence showed that the prophecy was true, as was Aetheron and his rising. It gave those who followed him legitimacy, so it would be logical for them to go after Neel to stop the prophecy.


    But why were they coming after her?


    Numheia''s words came back to Meera. The great prophecy you''ve heard is not entirely accurate or even complete.


    Meera looked to the sorceress who had dispelled her illusion and looked like the beautiful woman she remembered. She was the one who had told Meera the inaccurate great prophecy. But that was the version she had heard, so she hadn''t lied, but it also meant Meera had to find someone else.


    Just then, another hooded figure leaning against a tree slid back to hide behind it.


    "Keep your eyes peeled," Meera whispered. "Something is up. We''re surrounded."


    Kalrina, to her effort, didn''t immediately look around. "I noticed one, too. I should''ve told you about the ones who are hunting me."


    Meera glared at her. "There are more people after you? Are you serious? Who is it?"


    A lady jumped out from behind a tree, spooking Onyx. He neighed and jumped twice, but when Meera reminded him, he was already dead. He calmed down almost immediately.


    "Welcome home, dear sister," the woman said, removing her hood. She was a beautiful woman with a small mole above her upper lip. Back home, she would''ve definitely won some beauty pageants. Where Meera was concerned, she was better looking than Kalrina, who seemed to have overdone her beauty to the point that she was unapproachable.


    Kalrina gave her a broad smile. "Aksha, how nice to finally see you. How long has it been since I''ve seen you? A decade?"


    "You haven''t seen me for that long, but I''ve seen you quite recently," the woman called Aksha replied.


    [Sorceress of Rebirth ¨C Level 482]


    Meera looked at the witch. "Who is this?"


    Kalrina opened her mouth to speak, but Aksha overtook her. "Let me give my introduction. I am the sorceress called Aksha, and these are my daughters." She spread her arms wide, and all the women Meera had seen earlier stepped out from behind the trees. There were many more than Meera had seen¡ªabout two dozen, maybe more.


    The daughters of Aksha took off their hoods as one, and Meera''s jaw dropped a little. They all looked like Aksha. It was not that they had a likeness to their mother. It was more like they were carbon copies of their mother. It was like she had cloned herself when giving birth to them. She used Identify on each of the daughters, and their tags and level were precisely the same as Aksha''s.


    "Freaky, isn''t it?" Kalrina remarked. "I''m sorry, dearie. I really should''ve told you about her or them. Must''ve slipped my mind, given all the dragons that wanted to make a meal of us."


    "I''m here to bring you back for the crime of murdering your fellow sister, Isolde Auron, and stealing a forbidden book from the keep''s library," Aksha said. "I do not care whether you come peacefully, but you will return with me."


    Meera rolled her eyes. "Of course, you''re a thief and a murderer too."


    "It''s a long story, dearie. I''ll tell you about it someday."


    Aksha looked at Meera for the first time, as did all her daughters. It was creepy. "If you get in our way, Meera. You will share her fate."


    "How do you know my name?" She asked.


    "We know many things about you¡­"


    The way she let that hang gave Meera the impression that she knew about her being Neel''s sister.


    "Well, since you put it that way." She flourished a hand towards Kalrina. "She''s all yours."


    "Now, who''s not trustworthy? I did not expect that of you. I thought that if one of us were going to betray the other, it would have been me." Kalrina sighed before raising her hands. "Fine, I''ll come peacefully, just don''t do anything to my pupil."


    Aksha squinted her eyes at that.


    Meera set her jaw. You bitch.


    "Don''t worry, the Champion''s sister is coming too." Aksha spilled Meera''s secret.


    Kalrina''s head snapped to Meera so fast that she was sure the witch must''ve pulled a muscle. "You are what? A whole bunch of things make sense now. And all this time, I kept thinking you resemble someone." She chuckled as she shook her head. "So, are we going peacefully to the Sorceresses of Akhessai?"


    Meera drew a deep breath. "No¡­"

 Chapter 169 – The Immortal Sorceress

    Meera stared at the main Aksha before her and the clones surrounding them¡ªif they were clones. She looked at Onyx, and at that moment, she wished she could talk to the ghostly horse without speaking out loud.


    Aksha had no doubt heard her conversation with the witch but was waiting for them to make the first move. Aksha crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side while raising an eyebrow in a gesture that said, ''Well?''


    Meera looked at the witch through her mirrors, and she, too, was looking to Meera to make the first move. She did so by flashing a smile and patting Onyx''s neck.


    "Have I introduced my friend, Onyx?" Meera said.


    Aksha frowned. "I know of your beast. You don''t exactly keep him hidden."


    "Beast?" Onyx neighed.


    "See, he doesn''t like being called beast. Onyx, why don''t you illuminate her on what you are?"


    "I-I what?" Onyx half turned his head towards her.


    "You do know what illuminate means, right?"


    He shook his head lightly.


    Meera sighed, leaned down, and whispered in his ear. "Use Light of the Dead."


    "Oh¡­" Horses couldn''t smile, but Meera was sure Onyx was smiling. "My name is Onyx, and I am not a beast. Maybe I once was, but not anymore. Here, let me illuminate you."


    Meera shut her eyes, but the sorceresses didn''t. Onyx''s form burst with light, blinding the sorceresses. There were more than a dozen cries as hands went to their eyes. Meera dug her heels in Onyx''s side, and he took off.


    "Run, witch!" Meera snapped.


    Thankfully, the witch got the message, and her mirror horse blasted off. She purposefully swerved into Aksha and trampled her into the ground.


    "Oh, I shouldn''t have done that," Kalrina said. "But it sure was fun."


    Meera pulled on Onyx''s hair, slowing him down to match up with Kalrina''s horse. "Why shouldn''t you have done that?"


    Still rubbing her eyes with one hand, Kalrina pointed behind her. "Just watch."


    Meera focused on the broken sorceress. It was a gruesome sight. Half of Aksha''s head had been caved in by the mirror horse''s hoof. Based on the bend in her chest, Kalrina must''ve broken her ribcage as well and crushed her lung.


    One of Aksha''s daughters bent down and gripped the twitching Aksha''s hand. She placed her other hand on Aksha''s head and chanted a spell in a language Meera did not understand. Aksha''s head returned to normal. Then, the daughter moved her hand to Aksha''s chest and repeated the chant, healing her ribcage. But the chant wasn''t complete. The daughter stood and pulled Aksha up with the hand she held, making Meera''s jaw drop.


    Another Aksha was lying on the ground.


    Aksha extended a hand to her new duplicate lying on the ground. "Rise, my daughter, and unleash your fury upon the worlds."


    Meera looked at Kalrina. "So, they''re all clones of each other?"


    "I don''t know what this clone means, but they are imitations of each other or, rather, the original. When one dies, two more can take its place. As long there is at least one of them alive to raise the dead. Aksha is Immortal."


    "So, she''s like the Hydra?"


    Kalrina frowned again. "Huh? What is this Hydra? Are you making up words to sound smart?"


    "Never mind. They''re coming."


    "Thanks for that astute observation," Kalrina said.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Next time, I''ll just leave you to die," Meera grumbled.


    The daughters, or rather clones of Aksha, mobilized the moment the original was up on her feet. It wouldn''t be farfetched to say they could run like the wind. Unlike Meera and Kalrina, the trees were no hindrance to them.


    It was unreal the way they moved. Their movements were so smooth, as if every move was calculated. It was like parkour, but even better. They jumped off tree trunks and reached for branches to swing on them, jumping forward by several meters. Meera would''ve loved to learn to move like that. She wondered if that was a skill because if it were, it would make things a lot easier. She almost reached for a chakram when the witch interrupted her thought process.


    "Why do you look like you want to fight them?" Kalrina asked.


    "Even I know we can''t fight a small army of a more powerful sorceress that can come back to life and multiply herself," Meera retorted. "And you say there are more powerful witches at the dragon keep."


    "Much more powerful sorceresses. Not all will be happy about being called a witch, unlike humble old me."


    Meera ducked a low branch and dug her heels in, and Onyx picked up the pace. Despite being on foot, the clones were fast and would be upon them soon.


    "We need to get out of the forest," Kalrina said. "We can''t beat their speed here. On the road, we''ll have a chance."


    "Lead the way. Why have I just been running from everything ever since I stepped out of that mirror in Drurith? That safe haven better be real, witch."


    Kalrina''s eyes widened. "We don''t have to outrun her. We just need to stay ahead of her until we get to the Saint."


    She took a hard right, and Meera followed. Aksha''s clones had gained up on them. One threw a chain at Meera but missed her by an inch, and the chain ended up tangled around a tree trunk. Another threw throwing daggers that glowed a sickly yellow. Meera raised a small Tower shield to block those.


    A clone reached Kalrina just as she broke through the forest and onto the road that went by the forest. She unleashed a Mirror Shard Barrage into the woman''s chest, blasting her into the tree. Two daughters stopped to heal and create another clone.


    "They have shit defenses, but by Midiea, they can fight," Kalrina commented.


    The road was empty, which was good for them as they picked up speed. Meera bade Onyx to run like the wind, and run like the wind, he did. He left Kalrina''s horse in the dust, forcing the sorceress to ditch it and fly beside them on a mirror disk.


    "Show off," the witch commented.


    "Eat my shit," Onyx barked.


    They were making good headway and had effectively left Aksha and her clones far behind. They were still chasing them, but they were nowhere close to being a threat. Meera sighed in relief and took in her surroundings.


    It was rather beautiful now that the threat of death was nowhere in sight. There was a massive lake to her right, or maybe it was the sea, as Meera couldn''t see land on the other side. To Meera''s left lay the Wiryar forest. There was a slight mist on the water at this early hour of the morning. She would''ve stopped to enjoy this view if she weren''t running for her life. They traveled at max speed for a while and were so far ahead now that she didn''t even see Aksha''s group chasing them.


    "We''re close now," Kalrina said. "I haven''t seen them in a while, so we should be okay for now."


    "Onyx, pull off the speed a little," Meera said.


    The horse did as she asked, and the best part was that he wasn''t even huffing. If she wanted to, he could''ve kept going until her Mana was fully drained. They clopped down the road in silence. Meera didn''t need to watch where she was going. Most pebbles, rocks, or even stray animals were not obstacles for Onyx, save for rats or mice. He was deathly afraid of them and they of him. With Onyx watching where they were going, she kept her vision focused behind her for Aksha. She regularly scanned the trees for any movement. All she saw was the odd animal, most of whom cleared out when they saw Onyx.


    Kalrina hooked a thumb to the forest, and they entered the treeline. Maybe it was just Meera, but the forest was strangely quiet. Hardly any birds cooed, no chittering monkeys or even any critters. They had only traveled for a little bit when Meera had to pull on Onyx''s hair.


    Aksha leaned against a tree trunk.


    She uncrossed her arms. "Welcome. I''ve been waiting for you for a while."


    "How did you know we would be coming this way?" Kalrina asked. Gone was her ever-present jovial demeanor.


    "How did you get here so fast?" Meera asked. She hadn''t even seen a shadow move in the tree line, yet this woman was here long before the others.


    "Where else would a traitor go? Aksha replied. "You''ve broken all other rules of the sisterhood, so why not the final one? If you think the Saint will save you, you''re sorely mistaken. He cares for nothing and no one save for himself."


    "So, he''s really there?" Meera asked.


    Aksha looked to Meera, then back to Kalrina. "This doesn''t need to turn into a bloodbath. Come quietly and face the judgment of the Conclave."


    Kalrina barked a laugh. "The Conclave of Five¡­" She spat on the ground. "I do not answer to them or your bitch mother." She turned to Meera. "This is when she''ll entice you with information about your brother. It''s all a ploy to get you to come to them so they can lure your brother in. Then, they''ll run their vile experiments on you both to figure out what makes you special. You hate me for what I did in the Cave of Wraiths. Well, I learned it all from them." She glared at Aksha with eyes full of hate. "We have no option but to fight."


    Meera pulled off two level 2 chakrams. "Go ahead, Aksha. Bring out your daughters. I know they are hiding here somewhere."


    Aksha smiled. "They''re on their way, but I am enough for the both of you." A sickly green liquid dripped from her hands, which sizzled when it dripped to the ground. "Come, let me show you the folly of your ways."

 Chapter 170 – Diving Into The Glade

    Meera didn''t wait for Aksha to make the first move. She raised a hand and launched Petrifying Surge from one hand and a Mirror Shard Barrage from the other. But her enemy was quick to counter both her skills. Aksha launched a poisonous sludge from both hands.


    Petrifying Surge solidified the poison wave that spewed from Aksha''s right hand, and her Mirror Shard Barrage crashed against the wave spewing from the other hand, littering the area with mirror shards.


    While their powers clashed, Meera sent out a blast of tiny mirror shards from her armor, giving her and the witch more than enough jump points.


    Kalrina took the opportunity to fall on the distracted Aksha''s back. But just before she could stick the unsuspecting sorceresses in the back, Aksha turned and gripped Kalrina''s arm.


    The witch screamed and teleported to safety before Aksha could do anything more. Kalrina winced and gripped her arm, which had boils in the shape of a hand.


    It was clear to Meera that she should keep her distance from the poisonous woman, and there were more of them coming. She used Mirror Wing to pull off two level 2 chakrams from her back and hurled them at top speed at Aksha.


    The sorceress only had time enough to look up before the chakrams slashed her throat. And just like that the threat was no more.


    "Let''s see you come back from that!" Meera exclaimed, and a little too soon.


    Aksha''s whole form devolved into a vaporous green sludge that killed everything it touched. A moment later, she reformed perfectly fine.


    "Oh, this is going to get annoying real fast," Meera mused.


    "Why do you think I''ve been running from her for the better part of a year," Kalrina countered.


    Aksha wasn''t interested in their banter. She had her eyes set on the chakrams. "Those are some nice-looking bracelets. Give me two of them, and you''re free to go."


    "Now, which sorceress offered the same deal?" Meera looked quizzically at Kalrina.


    "Yes, but unlike her, I kept my word," the witch replied. "Though, they would look lovely on Aksha."


    Meera got the message. She took off one regular chakram and flew it to Aksha, who squinted at the weapon and then back at Meera, trying to understand the game being played here.


    She must have used Identify on the weapon, as her eyes widened for a brief moment. She smiled. "Keep it. I like to take my trophies after beating and capturing my targets."


    "Captured?" Meera raised an eyebrow. "Not dead?"


    "Oh no," Kalrina said. "She has to bring me in to face ''justice,'' and you are¡­well, you''re bait for your brother and a rodent they''ll experiment on."


    The rodent comment brought back memories of Cinders, a wise rat she had met long ago. Without whom, she would''ve never escaped the Cave of Wraiths.


    Meera drew a deep breath. "Alright, witch, let''s make sure this sorceress of rebirth doesn''t come back this time."


    Kalrina grinned. "I thought you would never say those beautiful words."


    But before they could move, Aksha stomped her foot and unleashed a poison wave. The wave grew as it came for them, threatening to drown them in poison. Meera raised three Tower Shields and sent them forward, but they were ineffective. The shields went right through the wave, not stopping it in the least.


    "Let me take this one, dearie," Kalrina said.


    She extended her hands, and an uncountable number of mirror shards crystallized from them. The shards connected to form a massive wall that brushed against the topmost branches, dwarfing Aksha''s poison wave.


    The mirror wall slammed into the wave and then curled around it to capture it entirely into a mirror ball. Kalrina grunted and sent the ball rolling off into the distance, where it shattered against a boulder, dousing the area with the sickly green, sizzling poison with noxious vapor coming off it.


    Meera had to consciously hold her jaw in place, or it would drop to the floor, and she didn''t want to give the witch any indication that she was impressed.


    Meera huffed. "I could''ve done that too."


    Kalrina chuckled. "I''m sure you could''ve if you had the skill for it."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Meera pointed at Aksha without looking at the sorceress and placed a Death Mark on her¡ªa dark skull tattoo formed on her forehead before dissipating.


    Aksha tilted her head. "You have the Death Mark skill?"


    Meera frowned a little. "How do you know about this?"


    It was Kalrina who answered. "She''s a connoisseur of skills. She spends all her time reading about them in the library. That is when she''s not running around trying to hunt some poor wench like me."


    Aksha retaliated by shooting poison bullets from her fingers. Meera and Kalrina both teleported to safety. Then they must''ve had the same thought as they teleported behind Aksha. Kalrina had a long punching dagger in her hand, while Meera had her level 2 chakram.


    They both punched the enemy sorceress in the back with their respective weapons. The weapons had mildly penetrated her clothes when Aksha whipped around lightning-fast. Her hands dripped with her sickly green poison. She lunged for Meera and Kalrina.


    A drop of poison fell on Meera''s arm and sizzled but couldn''t penetrate her armor. She used Mirror Step and jumped to safety in the nick of time. Aksha thrust her hands in the air as she roared. Tiny droplets of poison blasted out of her. A few pelted Meera before she could raise a mirror shield. Kalrina cried out as the poison burned holes in her clothes and seared her skin. She raised a shield and fell to her knees, trembling in pain.


    Aksha didn''t give them a moment to recover as she exploded towards them. She went around their shields in the blink of an eye. Meera activated Mirror Blast as soon as the sorceress was clear of their shields. The mirror shards pelted the poisonous woman. There was only one that left a bloody scratch on her cheek. After that, she turned into poison to absorb the rest.


    Meera squinted her eyes slightly. The first one had hit her. This meant that her poisonous body was not a passive skill. She had to activate it consciously. If Meera could take her by surprise, she could end this fight.


    The witch had taken a sip of her Health potion, which must''ve done the trick, as she sighed in relief. Now, if only there were some way to communicate Aksha''s weakness to the witch without the sorceress knowing they had found out about her game.


    With no other option, Meera said, "You better take a few steps back, witch."


    Kalrina frowned at first but nodded and teleported away. Meera inhaled deeply and activated Smoke Eclipse.


    She released a dark smoke from her mouth, covering the area around her. Aksha''s self-confident look morphed into a frown as the smoke came for her. She jumped back but was slow enough that the smoke engulfed her. Aksha coughed as she breathed in the choking smoke.


    While the sorceress coughed to catch her breath, Meera activated Spectral Dominion, called forth two shadow warriors, and sent them after their hunter. Smoke eclipse would power up her shadow warriors, who were nearly invisible in this smoke, and she could see through the smoke.


    Aksha was still coughing her lungs out, trying to find a way out of the smoke, when Meera''s warriors fell on her. One slashed at her, and she must''ve seen something as she raised an arm in defense, which formed an acidic shield. But the shadow warrior''s Shadowsteel blade cut right through the shield and her arm.


    As expected, Aksha had turned her arm into acid, so her warrior''s blade did no damage, but she didn''t have long as the other shadow warrior swung at her¡ªthis one she didn''t see coming at all. The Shadowsteel blade took Aksha''s arm off at the shoulder.


    Now she let out a bloodcurdling scream as blood leaked in droves from her stump. Meera couldn''t help but grin at how strong and deadly her warriors became in this smoke. After all, Smoke Eclipse was supposed to enhance her shadow-affinity-related skills.


    They went in for the kill, but Meera heard footsteps coming from behind Aksha.


    Oh no¡­


    They had run out of time. Aksha''s daughters, or rather her clones, burst into the smoke with their shields raised and surrounding their mother. The shadow warriors cut down two instantly, but their sacrifices protected the original Aksha.


    Another clone burst into the smoke, coughing and hacking her lungs out, but guided the original Aksha out of the smoke. Meera commanded her shadow warriors to go after the sorceresses. Meera tried to extend the range of smoke by casting another Smoke Eclipse, but she was unsuccessful in capturing them. She had to raise a Mirror Tower Shield to protect herself from poison bullets that came for her.


    She dispelled her smoke, and her heart dropped. The daughters had caught up to them, and they did not look happy at the maiming of their mother. But Meera was sure they could reattach the arm easily, so it wasn''t like it was something to take personally.


    Kalrina was preparing something like a big, round, spiky shield. "Get back here!" she snapped at Meera.


    She teleported by the witch''s side, and Kalrina smirked. "Time to end this prolonged fight and move on with our lives."


    Kalrina whistled, and the daughters all snapped their heads to her. She blew them a kiss, and the spiky shield began spinning and shooting out mirror shards like a Gatling gun. Kalrina laughed maniacally as the shards, like jagged daggers made of mirrors, showered the daughters. The clones covered their mother as the impromptu Gatling gun ripped their bodies to shreds.


    Kalrina had one final laugh before she pulled a bewildered Meera by the arm, and they ran off into the woods. Kalrina''s Gatling gun continued to spray the poison sorceresses.


    "Why didn''t you do this against the dragon?" Meera shouted over the noise of the screams.


    Kalrina shrugged. "But I did something even better then."


    She was right on that front. Meera noted that this witch wasn''t as weak as she had thought. Seeing that Gatling gun made her wish she had chosen the Reflectomancy skill, which let her create any shape out of mirrors.


    The screams died down, and Kalrina had done a number on the Daughters of Aksha, but they were not finished. About a half dozen of them sprinted after them, leaving their hurt comrades behind.


    "This way!" Kalrina shouted.


    Meera wasn''t sure how she could even tell which direction to go. There were just trees all around. One of the daughters launched a poison spear at them. Meera intercepted it on a Tower Shield, as Kalrina seemed too focused on ensuring they were headed in the right direction.


    Kalrina made a sharp right and ran straight through a tree. Meera''s eyes widened, and she followed, but as soon as she was through the tree, something closed around her ankle and pulled her up.


    She banged her head against the ground as she was violently pulled up and promptly passed out.

 Chapter 171 – The Unchained Cosmarian

    When Meera came to, the world was upside down. Her head felt heavy as if all the blood had rushed down to it, which wasn¡¯t far from the truth, and she had a massive headache¡ªthe kinds of which she had after a night of heavy drinking.


    She groaned and checked her head, where she had bonked it when she fell into the trap. As she activated Mirrorstrike Vision, one thing was certain¡ªshe wasn¡¯t hungover but hanging over a death trap.


    There was a wide gaping hole below them with sharp metal spikes¡ªmade of a dark metal oddly reminiscent of shadow steel. But that was not all. A downward force acted on her and held her in place.


    ¡°Good morning, dearie,¡± Kalrina said. She hung a little outside of arm¡¯s reach from Meera and mainly looked okay, considering the bruise on the head.


    ¡°Did Aksha just leave us here to hang until the blood gushes out of our eyes and ears?¡±


    Kalrina chucked. ¡°This is not her work. Have you taken a good look around? We¡¯re in the realm of the Saint.¡±


    Meera finally took in her surroundings, and her jaw dropped, which was considerably harder to do than when she was standing upright. It didn¡¯t even feel like she was in a forest, or if this was still the Wiryar forest, then it was the lovely, well-kept part of the forest.


    Sunrays filtered through the trees to light the world in a golden hue. It was like an idyllic meadow with neatly trimmed grass, flowering buds, and beautiful, well-maintained trees and shrubbery. It was like the perfect rendition of Demeter¡¯s garden, the goddess of plants from Greek mythology, if she existed.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± was all Meera could utter, given her headache and the blood rushing to her head.


    ¡°My thoughts exactly, love.¡±


    Meera pulled off a chakram and tried to reach for the rope around her ankle. She groaned as she bent. But try as she might, she couldn¡¯t get to it. It was as if someone had increased the gravity tenfold. The more she struggled, the harder it became to reach the rope. Finally, she could do nothing but hang there. She couldn¡¯t even move her arms anymore. They hung by her head, as did the witch¡¯s.


    Meera glared at her. ¡°If you knew about this gravity trap, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°And let you miss all the fun of feeling like your whole body is being pulled apart?¡± She smiled innocently. ¡°I would never.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to kill you one day,¡± Meera grumbled. ¡°Now, what do we do? Besides, waiting for the rope to snap and fall to our imminent deaths.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll die here, Champion¡¯s sister.¡± The witch smirked. ¡°How long were you planning on hiding that little tidbit from me?¡±


    Meera huffed. ¡°Forever this time.¡±


    Kalrina squinted her eyes for a moment. Then they popped open. ¡°Meaning you told me before. Aw, we must¡¯ve gotten really close when you returned with the Crystal of Darthin.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it, witch. You guessed it last time. Maybe those two who took your memory also took your intellect.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, nothing like that. Chalk it up to me having to jump from one hovel to the next. I¡¯d been trying to figure out who you reminded me of all this time.¡±


    ¡°And one of your hovels just happened to be the biggest city in the world, which is right next to your previous employer. They really did take your brains.¡± Meera shot back.


    ¡°Keep your enemies close and all that.¡±


    Meera gave her a hard stare, letting her know precisely what she meant. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you cannot mean me,¡± she protested. ¡°After all I did for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, shut up. Let me think,¡± Meera snapped.


    Of course, that only got the witch talking even more. When she figured Meera wasn¡¯t going to reply to her, the idiot witch started shouting, calling to the Saint to show himself. Meera tried to tune her out, but it was like trying to tune out a toddler tantrum, which was next to impossible. Finally, she sighed and pulled up her notifications, hoping she got something useful from Aksha. But her head was pounding like a bell, and she activated Vitalize and would have to check her notifications after she got out of there. It took her a few moments, and she grinned when the solution came to her. It was easier than she had thought.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°If you¡¯re grinning like that, I think you¡¯ve found a way out of here,¡± Kalrina mused.


    ¡°I think I have a way out of here¡­for me,¡± Meera clarified.


    ¡°How rude.¡± The witch pouted as if she were a little girl.


    Meera rolled her eyes, and then, using Mirror Wing, she pulled a chakram from her arm. Her chakram, which weighed nothing before, now felt like it weighed several kilos.


    She launched her chakram at the rope around her ankle. Her chakram cut it easily. She fell like a rock¡ªno, more like a meteor.


    She was using Mirror Wing on her armor the whole time, and even then, she was burning Mana to throw herself clear of the deadly spikes.


    As soon as she cleared the hole, the immense gravity disappeared. The invisible downward force vanished, and she ended up overshooting and crashed into a golden rose bush.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she exclaimed as she made her way out, the thorns picking at her hands and face. ¡°Ow, ow...¡± Then, a thorny branch got entangled in her hair, which was not fun. All in all, she didn¡¯t have a good experience with the roses. She ended up stomping on a few inadvertently, which would not go well with the owner of this glade.


    Kalrina clapped. ¡°Bravo, my brave adventurer. Bravo!¡± she squinted and looked behind Meera. ¡°I think you left a few intact. I¡¯m sure the Saint will love what you did with his roses.¡±


    ¡°Well, he shouldn¡¯t have hung me upside down over a death trap.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we¡¯re intruding into his home, but that¡¯s semantics. Anyways, please be a dear and help your poor old sis out of her predicament.¡±


    ¡°Help yourself, and if I had a sister like you, I would¡¯ve given her rat poison,¡± Meera snapped.


    Kalrina made a horrified expression and huffed. ¡°Looks like I have to do everything myself. Last time, I show anyone a way to a secret paradise.¡±


    Meera knew she should¡¯ve explored the place and prepared for the Cosmarian, who would most likely be hostile, but she couldn¡¯t miss the chance to watch the witch fall to a gory death. So, she sat on the ground and crossed her legs.


    Given that the witch didn¡¯t wear armor made of mirrors, she had to improvise. She formed a mirror shield over the hole, only for it to crack and shatter immediately, making Meera laugh.


    Kalrina muffled something intangible and formed three mirror shields and then three more on top of those until there was a solid six-layer mirror mattress underneath her, floating in the air. The gravity well underneath the mirrors was pulling them down, and the bottom layer had begun to crack already.


    Meera could easily hand her a chakram and pull her to safety, but she was the witch of Cliffshield Valley who had caused enough suffering. If Meera brought out Onyx, he would stomp on her shields until they shattered and then pull her down to her death.


    Kalrina sliced the rope off with a sharp spinning mirror disc. She fell about the same way Meera had. The four bottom layers shattered and fell when she landed on the mirror shields. But the witch was quick, and she flew away using the top shield and out of the gravity well. She was coming so fast that, for a moment, it looked like she would slice Meera¡¯s head off.


    Meera rolled to the side, but Kalrina stopped before she would¡¯ve hit her, laughing lightly.


    ¡°Unlike you, dearie, I have far more control over my mirrors,¡± the witch cooed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you control over my mirrors when I slice your throat with them,¡± Meera replied as she stood and dusted herself off.


    She was about to ask where to find this Saint, but she stopped. An old man with dirty clothes and a pot sauntered in. He had shoulder-length snow-white hair and a bushy beard that had yellowed around his mouth. His skin had tanned a dark drown and wrinkled from being out in the sun too long. His clothes were dirt-marked and had many holes in them. The worst thing about him was his nails, which were cracked and filthy with dirt and soil. Despite his hermit-like appearance, one thing stood out even more¡ªa nasty scar that ran diagonally across his face. It started just above his left eye and ran down the bridge of his nose to finally end at the right side of his upper lip. It was as if someone had tried to cut his entire face open.


    He looked at Meera and Kalrina, then to the trap they had escaped, and shrugged so imperceptibly that Meera almost didn¡¯t even notice it. He gave a much more drastic reaction when he saw the rose bush.


    ¡°Ah, my lovelies!¡± He cried as he rushed to the roses that Meera had destroyed. He had a deep, gruff voice.


    ¡°There is no way this man is the Saint,¡± Meera whispered. ¡°Maybe his gardener.¡±


    ¡°You really should make it a habit to Identify everyone at first sight.¡±


    [The Eternal Force ¨C Level ????]


    Meera¡¯s eyes popped open, and she took a slight step back. If he cared that much for the roses, she did not want to be anywhere close when he found out she had destroyed them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, my roses,¡± the Saint whispered, patting them gently. ¡°I¡¯ll have you back to normal in no time.¡± He took a whiff and smelled deeply, which led to a frown and him tilting his head. ¡°Why do you have the smell of my daughter on you?¡±


    Kalrina shared a confused glance with Meera before asking. ¡°Your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Erenyx,¡± the Saint said.


    Meera¡¯s blood ran cold. The sun lost its warmth, and the cool breeze made her tremble. This wasn¡¯t a specter of a Cosmarian. He was the real deal, and Meera had killed his daughter. He slowly turned his head towards her. The look in his eye said he knew what she had done.


    I am dead¡­

 Chapter 172 – The Eternal Force

    A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Meera''s head. She hadn''t even felt this scared when she stared down that massive dragon Tigris. Something about this man made her want to run and hide under a rock and pretend she was a worm wriggling around in the dirt.


    Kalrina frowned at Meera''s abject terror. She glanced back at the dirty hermit, who was doing nothing but staring at Meera. He did nothing that would make him seem threatening. He had a rose with a broken stem in one hand. That''s it, but even then, he was the most threatening man Meera had ever seen. He just radiated power.


    "What''s wrong, love?" Kalrina asked, frowning. "Do you know his daughter?"


    "N-No¡­"


    Kalrina tilted her head. "I don''t need the mirrors of Dorheia to know you''re lying."


    "Shut up, witch," Meera said through gritted teeth.


    Kalrina squinted her eyes. Then they popped open in realization. "Oh." She looked to the Saint. "Oh¡­Oh no. Why did you do that? Moreover, how did you accomplish that feat?"


    "I had no choice, and you don''t know all the details. Now, shut up!" Meera snapped as she looked around for the exit, but all she saw were more trees and shrubs. There wasn''t even a tree she could leave through. The tree whose branch they were hanging from was far to the right of where they had entered from, but it was her best shot.


    She activated Mirror Wing and flew at full speed, hoping she wasn''t wrong.


    She was wrong.


    She crashed face-first into the tree, broke her neck, and crumpled to the ground at the edge of the hole with the spikes. She whimpered as Vitalize did its thing and fixed her neck. By the time she got some feeling back in her body, Kalrina and Erenyx''s father were standing over her.


    The Saint sat on his haunches and poked Meera in the head with the stem of a rose. "You okay in there, or do you like diving head-first into trees?"


    Meera still couldn''t move properly, or she would have scampered away like a mouse.


    Kalrina shrugged. "I haven''t seen her do that recently, but I haven''t known her for long. Maybe she enjoys breaking her neck."


    Meera activated the secondary effect of her armor and blasted the area with tiny mirrors. The hermit Saint gasped as his eyes widened. He clapped his hands like that monkey toy with cymbals. "Wow, so shiny!"


    Meera frowned, and a moment later, her spinal cord snapped back in place. She teleported away and was about to fly off again but crashed to the ground. It was like being hung over the spikes again. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t move, as it felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on her.


    She used Mirror Step to escape the trap and could finally breathe. She huffed in position, dripping sweat from her brow.


    The old man picked up one of her small mirrors and brought it closer to his eyes to examine it. "Oh, these are mirrors." He looked to Meera and raised a hand. Meera flew through the air as if pulled by an unseen force. She crossed her arms in front of her to avoid the impact. He caught her by the arm, squinted at her chakrams, and sniffed. He recoiled, letting her go. "Yuck! This reeks of that insufferable Midiea or all the monsters you''ve killed with them?" He tilted his head. "Maybe both." He took another whiff. "Definitely both."


    "You have something against the goddess Midiea?" Meera dribbled out.


    "It was always, Eryx, find me Rothedon. Eryx, find me his secret weapon. Eryx, help me make the ultimate weapon to defeat the monster I created. I should''ve found a poisonous snake for her instead if it would have done any good."


    Meera shared a glance with Kalrina and knew the witch was thinking the same thing. This old hermit wasn''t entirely put together.


    "So your name is Eryx," Meera said tentatively, hoping to draw him away from noticing his daughter''s scent on Meera.


    He piped up. "However, did you know?" He grinned, showing his yellowed teeth, which needed an urgent visit to the dentist. "Are you omniscient too?"


    "You''re omniscient?" Kalrina asked.


    His face fell. "Yes, it''s my curse and blessing in a way." He looked to Meera. "One whiff of you, and I knew you''re that boy''s sister. You''ve got near identical smells."


    Meera perked up. ¡°Neel was here! Please I¡¯ve¡ª"


    Eryx raised his hand to stop her. "It''s how I also know you killed my daughter or, well, her spirit at least."


    Even Kalrina backed up a step. "I would just like to remind you, sir, I''m barely associated with¡ª"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Not now, sorceress. I''ll come to you later."


    Kalrina went as still as the dead.


    Meera held his full attention now, and she regretted all the steps she had taken to get here.


    "I-I had no choice¡­she-she wasn''t in her body. She had taken control of my f-friend''s body¡­if I didn''t kill her, she would''ve killed me a-and a lot more people with her husband, Doro¡ª"


    "Don''t utter that wretch''s name here." He gave an aloof smile as he looked around. "This is my happy place, and if she had met up with that disgusting mongrel again, then it was good you put her out of her misery. She would come home smelling of that rascal''s foul corpse smell." He made a gagging sound.


    Meera was confused now. "You''re not mad?"


    He continued to smile. "At least this way, she isn''t stuck in some dank, horrid cave with no sunlight. Now, she''s in¡­" He looked upwards as if seeing something far off in the distance. "Hell." He clapped. "With her mother. Right where they belong."


    "Isn''t that bad?" Meera asked.


    "No, that is the field they sowed. Now, they reap the rewards. Did you know she tried to kill me? My own daughter. Gave me this scar right here." He pointed to the scar on his face. "This is the thanks I got after I helped her create Shadowsteel." With that, he turned around and returned to the rose bush Meera had demolished.


    Kalrina swiveled her eyes to Meera, still staying put. The Saint walked right past her without even noticing she was even there. Kalrina motioned to Meera with her eyes to say something, but Meera was far away.


    One thing that stood out from what Eryx had said was he knew where his daughter was. He knew exactly where she was. This man had the power to see even in Hell¡­


    He can tell me where Neel is in this very instant and what he''s doing.


    "Um, Eryx, sir?" Meera walked towards him, ignoring the witch''s silent cries for help. It was nice to see her quiet for once. She wanted to prolong it for as long as she could.


    "Yes?" He said, without looking up.


    "The boy you mentioned earlier, my brother. Can I trouble you to find him for me? I would be indebted to you if you tell me where he is.


    "Indebted, huh¡­" He rubbed his chin with his dirty hands, and wet soil clung to his scraggly beard, but the senile old Cosmarian didn''t seem to notice. "Will you help me fix this bush?"


    Meera hesitated for a moment at the simplicity of the request. "Sure."


    While she knelt to fix the roses she had demolished, Kalrina stayed put out of fear. Meera felt way too good about this. She kept turning her head and grinning at the sorceress while she worked. It didn''t take long. Eryx trimmed the broken stems and replanted them while Meera did her best to untangle the mess she made.


    "All done." Eryx declared with his hands on his hips. He chuckled for some reason, as if someone had said a funny joke. "Oh, stop it. You''re just too much sometimes."


    Meera frowned. "I''m sorry, sir?"


    He held up a finger, then chuckled some more. "I''m sorry, sir?" He imitated Meera, then laughed some more.


    Meera exchanged a worried glance with Kalrina, who gave her a shrug. As soon as she shrugged, the Saint stopped laughing, causing the witch to freeze again.


    "Firstly, I''m not Sir. I am Eryx. Nice to meet you, and second, sorry, I don''t get any visitors. Now, it seems I''ve gotten a plethora of them in the past six months. Nasty, obnoxious things make me late for supper and smelling like¡­like, well, not smelling nice."


    Meera was sure this man was insane. Maybe the seclusion had driven him mad, and he was literally laughing at his own jokes.


    "You''re safe, witch," Meera called. "This man is bonkers."


    "I''m not Bonkers, I''m Eryx!" He looked at Kalrina as if noticing her for the first time. "Oh, when did you get here? Nice to meet you, Witch."


    Kalrina glared at Meera for a brief moment before smiling at the senile old man. "It''s nice to meet you too, si¡ªEryx."


    "Eryx, getting back to our deal," Meera said before the Cosmarian lost his train of thought again. "You said you would help me find my brother if I helped you fix your rose bush."


    "And bring back my memory," Kalrina quickly added.


    Meera rolled her eyes at the witch.


    "I agreed to all that?" He rubbed his chin, dirtying his beard further.


    "Oh yes, you did."


    He shrugged. "My memory isn''t great these days, so you must be telling the truth." He laughed. "Okay, who first?"


    Meera shot her hand up. "Me!"


    He took a quick whiff of her and closed his eyes while upturning his nose and taking deep breaths. He frowned, then scrunched his nose as if he had smelled something disgusting, followed by a sneeze.


    "Okay, so your brother is lost¡­" He took a long pause, and when Meera opened her mouth to speak, he said. "To me. The boy is good at covering up his smell, or he is Aetheron incarnate, as he was the only other person to evade my nose. Or! The so-called gods are sheathing him from all scouting skills. That boy Lorendor will go to any lengths to ensure his little prophecies come true."


    "Did you just call the Lord of Deeds a boy?" Kalrina looked up at the sky, expecting the god to strike them down this instant.


    "Yes, why? He used to play in my lap when he was a babe."


    All this talk of gods being babies was undoubtedly interesting, but she was more concerned with things she was worried about. If Neel couldn''t be tracked, it meant Rothedon was having shit luck as well, but the same went for Meera, and she was back to doing the same thing as before.


    She coughed. "You said Neel was here. Do you know why and where he went?"


    "Something to do with powering a cane with a dragon heartstring." He waved a dismissive hand. "Not my expertise, so he went to the unneighbourly sorceresses, who haven''t come to pay a visit ever since they moved in centuries ago."


    Kalrina looked like she was about to say something but stopped herself. Most likely didn''t want to remind Eryx of some messed up thing the sorceresses did, which would set off the senile Cosmarian.


    Meera sighed. Looks like I''m going to have to go to them after all. I hope they''re as friendly as Narikas, but seeing Aksha, I''m going to keep my expectations six feet under.


    "Of course, you''re not the first to come asking about your brother," Eryx commented while picking his nose. "My nephews came to visit me, finally, after thousands of years."


    Meera stilled. "Your nephews?"


    A dread rose in her like none other. Please don''t tell me the assassins who attacked Narikas are Cosmarians.


    "Yes, those two uppity brats somehow escaped their punishments for backing Rothedon in the Eclipse war." He chuckled and shook his head. "But then they always knew how to weasel themselves out whenever they got in over their heads. I''m sure it was their mother. She never could stay mad at them for long."


    Even Kalrina was shocked. Her eyes wide open as she stared at Meera. "There are literal Cosmarians after your brother. You might as well give up the search."


    "What are their names?" Meera asked, chilled to the bone. The words barely escaped her lips.


    "Silas and Cossus."

 Chapter 173 – They Cant Be Cosmarians

    Meera''s first reaction would''ve been utter shock, but she had to confirm something vitally important. "When you say Silas and Cossus, surely you don''t mean two tall, blond men with green eyes who are both archers?"


    "Wow, you described them perfectly." He clapped, then leaned in. "Do you know them?"


    Meera didn''t shake from the earth-shattering revelation nor scream and shout. She stood perfectly still, staring off into the distance as if she were daydreaming while a storm raged inside her.


    So many thoughts jumbled themselves together in her mind that she couldn''t even keep them coherent.


    No, he must''ve meant someone else.


    I must''ve misheard.


    Silas and Cossus¡­but Cossus is dead.


    She was so lost in her mind that she didn''t get out until Kalrina shook her. "Are you alright, dearie? You look like you''ve seen a ghost."


    Meera ignored her and looked at the Saint, who was picking his nose with his dirty fingers. That sent a shiver down Meera''s spine. Yuck!


    "Excuse me, sir¡ªuh, Eryx¡ª"


    "Just Eryx," he corrected.


    "Yes, Eryx, but did you say Silas and Cossus?"


    "Yes."


    "But I saw Cossus die. I was even there when Silas lit his pyre."


    "Really?" Eryx cried. "Then who was it that I saw?" His eyes bulged in shock. "Was it his ghost?" He shook his head and rubbed his chin. "Oh, now I remember. Cossus has the master voice. Actually, they both do. They just specialize in different things. All this to say he''s come back from certain death many times. I think they even beheaded him one time, or was that Enedeth¡­" He tapped a finger on his lips. "No, she died from her beheading¡ªpoor girl. But at least she wasn''t burned and beheaded by Arasir. Now, there was a fellow who liked to behead people. He got done in by his own fascination."


    "But they can''t be Cosmarians! Cossus died to a level 97 Ape, and they were both below level 100."


    Eryx laughed so hard he fell on his back and rocked his legs as if he were a toddler having a blast. A few moments of reckless laughter later, he composed himself. "Check my level now."


    [The Wimpy Force ¨C Level 6]


    Meera''s jaw dropped. She shared a bewildered look with the witch, whose expression mirrored Meera''s.


    "H-How?" Kalrina managed.


    "It''s a skill called Misidentify. It lets me show you the level I want to show you. I taught it to the boys myself when they were two years old. It got them and me into heaps of trouble with their parents."


    "Can you teach it to me?" Kalrina asked, a hungry look in her eye.


    "Are you a Cosmarian?"


    "If I said yes."


    "Then I would call you a liar and throw you out, sorceress. You stink of that dragon corpse you sorceresses call home. My lovelies hate the smell of death." He caressed a rose gently.


    Meera would''ve loved to learn this skill as well, but there were bigger concerns on her mind. Chief among them was that she was betrayed.


    They knew¡­They knew who I was the moment I stepped out of that mirror. They were waiting for me. But how did they know I was coming?


    She wanted to ask the senile Cosmarian, but knowing him, he would pick his nose again and say he didn''t know. She didn''t want to reveal to the witch again that she was from Earth or have a conversation that would lead to her revealing she was brought here by Midiea, the goddess Eryx did not like.


    So instead, she asked. "Do Silas or Cossus have powers of divination?"


    He scratched his beard. "No, I don''t think so. They might''ve acquired them in the last eight thousand years."


    That was an absurd amount of time. Back home, that was about the time of recorded history, and even most of that was not fully documented. She shook her head and asked her final question.


    "Can you see where they are right now?" Meera asked.


    Once again, Eryx sniffed the air in several directions. As much as she hated making the comparison, he looked like a sniffer dog looking for clues. After a minute of sniffing, his nose upturned to a random point in the sky.


    He shivered, hugged his arms, and finally sneezed. "They are on Ealisto, heading to a freezing place."


    "To the Warlocks of Winter''s Embrace?" Meera asked.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He shrugged. "Could be. Wait." He sniffed again. "Yes, to the Warlocks."


    "Is Neel there, or was he there?"


    He took a deep breath. "I can''t tell where the Champion''s been, remember." He gasped and leaned in towards Kalrina. "Did you know she''s the Champion''s sister? Who knew the Champion had a sister."


    Kalrina shared a look with Meera that spoke volumes about what she thought about the credibility of this man, which Meera had begun to doubt as well.


    "Are you done?" Kalrina asked Meera. "You know, I think you''re done. My turn. Can you please bring my memory back, Eryx?" She asked in a sultry voice.


    "No."


    "Please." Kalrina pleaded with clasped hands, pushing her breasts together to show her cleavage.


    "Still no. Want to know why?"


    She nodded.


    "I don''t know how." He laughed. "That''s outside my skills." He laughed again as if it were some great joke. Kalrina started asking more questions about how she could restore it and if there were other Cosmarians who could help her. Meera was not interested in all that. She had greater things to worry about.


    Namely, she felt betrayed by the people who thought she could trust. After all, one of them died for her, or so she thought. Not to mention that they mentored her, and she wouldn''t be alive today without the basics they drilled into her. Cossus was one thing, but this betrayal from Silas hurt deeply. She was waiting to meet up with him again and show him all her progress. Now, it felt like her reunion with them would be considerably less cordial.


    Although it hadn''t been stated, Meera was sure they were the ones who had taken Kalrina''s memory. They must''ve used the master voice on her to make her forget their interaction. They must''ve done the same to Narikas and Hilnoa when they beat them to within an inch of their lives.


    There was one question that remained unanswered¡ªwhy? Why were they going after Neel, aside from the obvious? If they wanted to bring Neel to them, the easier route would be to kidnap Meera and then broadcast through the worlds where they held his sister. Neel would come running.


    No, they weren''t after Neel when they came to meet me. Something changed after Silas left Belacre. But what? Did their plans change, or did they just give me some training to make sure I stay alive long enough for their plans to come to fruition? Whatever they may be.


    She couldn''t figure out the answers to these questions by standing here. Only they knew what they were doing, but one thing was certain¡ªthe stakes had just risen once again. Aside from the Saint, all the Cosmarians she had seen were evil and had their own agendas.


    Meera gasped. "What if they''re working for Rothedon?"


    "Doubtful," Eryx commented. The haze from his eyes had cleared, and he looked surer of himself. "If they were, the gods would''ve descended from their pretty palaces up on Mirithia, chained them up, and tossed them with their former master."


    "Hey, you had your turn," Kalrina pouted. "I almost have him convinced."


    "And I told you, you stinking sorceress, I can''t help you, no matter how many times you try to sleep with me," Eryx commented before turning from her.


    Meera did a double-take and decided she didn''t care about what the witch did. After all, she was the lowest of the low, so she shouldn''t put it beneath her.


    She had to take her mind off this and decided to take this time to check her notifications before the Saint tossed them out of this safe haven. Aksha and her daughters most probably had them surrounded by now, just waiting to emerge. An extra skill or two could work in her favor.


    I would really like to have the ability to multiply, and then maybe I could survive the great prophecy. She paused and shook her head. Screw the prophecy. My plan stays the same. I find Neel and leave this place as soon as I have my hands on him.


    She pulled her mind away from her far-off death and focused on her notifications.


    *ding!*


    [Your party has killed 2 Sorceress of Rebirth ¨C Level 482. You have gained partial experience. For killing an opponent a hundred levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 9 levels and reached Level 366. You have been awarded 27 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 253. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 257% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Spectral Dominion has gained 8 levels and reached Level 41]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Petrifying Surge has reached Level 53]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Smoke Eclipse has gained 5 levels and reached Level 9]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 4 levels and reached Level 113. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 116% boost.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 3 levels and reached Level 102.]


    *ding!*


    [Skill Evolution. Mirror Shard Barrage evolves to Mirror Shard Fury. Mirror Shard Fury ¨C Type: Active. You can shoot a beam of sharp mirror shards and light that pierce through multiple enemies, damaging all targets in their path.]


    Meera instinctively grinned. Now, that''s more like it.


    Not only did it become stronger, but it also brought down multiple enemies if she could line it up right. This would come in handy if she got surrounded or had many enemies with weak defenses, like the Daughters of Aksha.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 8 levels and reached Level 30]


    Meera snorted. This was a skill that hardly ever leveled as she spent so much of her time fighting alone. It raised the stats of those who fought beside her. But still, it was good to know that it boosted some of the witch''s nerves, or she would''ve run the first sign of trouble.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Soul Bond ¨C Onyx the Stallion has gained 8 levels and reached Level 26]


    A shadow fell on Meera. "Ready to move out, love?" Kalrina asked, crossing her arms with a smile on her lips.


    Meera ignored as she was about to get to the fun part of checking her notifications¡ªthe skills she had gotten from the sorceress and her daughters. She figured she should''ve gotten quite a few.


    Kalrina coughed, interrupting Meera''s thoughts again. Meera ignored her, hoping she would go away.


    "Knock, knock." Kalrina knocked on Meera''s head. "Anyone in there?"


    "Go away!" Meera snapped. "Our journey together ended the moment we sprung his trap."


    "Trap!" Eryx exclaimed. "What trap? There are traps around here?"


    The witch and Meera both ignored the senile old man.


    "Aren''t you headed to the Sorceresses of Akhessai?" Kalrina asked.


    "Let me guess, so are you."


    Kalrina smiled. "That''s right. Since he cannot bring back my memory, I''m forced to turn to my dear friend, Hemera."


    "And she conveniently resides at the dragon keep?"


    "Just so. Looks like our journey together is not yet over."


    Meera sighed. "This has got to be a fucking joke."

 Chapter 174 – Dull Or Bright

    "You just had to interrupt me as I was getting to the good part," Meera grumbled as she stood.


    "What was that, dearie?"


    "I have a name, you know," Meera snapped. "Stop talking like a grandma."


    The witch chuckled. "You''re wrong on that front. I''d be more like your great-grandma. After all, I''m over a hundred years old."


    "Then why hasn''t your wrinkly ass died yet?"


    "Now, that''s no way to talk to your great-grandma," the Saint said, sniffing a flower that looked suspiciously like a sunflower but with white petals.


    Meera groaned. "Which way is the exit?"


    "Follow me, dearie," Kalrina mused.


    Meera walked off with the witch, leaving the senile Saint behind to sniff his flowers. He didn''t even bother giving them a look, content with letting the world''s affairs pass him by. Through the foliage, Meera got a peak of Mirithia, which was still visible, though very light in the sunlight. A question arose in Meera''s mind.


    "Eryx, what is Aetheron?"


    "A friend."


    "Do you mean he''s your friend, or he was?"


    "And I''ve told you."


    "No, I meant, is he a dragon or a man, or is he really those rings around Mirithia? What is he?"


    "He''s all those things."


    "Wait, what?"


    Eryx replied by moving on to the next flower bush, sniffing it, and sighing contentedly.


    Kalrina placed a hand on Meera''s shoulder. "Leave it, love. Getting a straight answer out of him is an exercise in frustration."


    Meera sighed and motioned Kalrina to continue. They moved from one lovingly planted patch of flowers to another. At first glance, it looked like he planted them wherever he wished, but as Meera walked, she realized the flowers were planted in the perfect spot for sunlight to wash over them through the foliage above. This way, they would have the highest chances to grow and flourish.


    They had reached the edge of the glade, as the boundary was nothing but unkempt bushes, similar to the ones Meera had seen when they arrived. Kalrina walked straight towards this one tree, and Meera figured that this was the tree they had to walk through, not the one she broke her neck against.


    "Do bring me flowers when you visit next," Eryx said as he appeared out of thin air, holding a veritable bouquet. He held the bouquet out towards Meera, grinning wide, showing his yellow, rotted tooth.


    Meera took the flowers. "Thanks. Yes, I''ll be sure to."


    Kalrina smiled and bowed deep to the Saint. "Thank you for entertaining us."


    "And you, me."


    Meera and Kalrina turned, walked through the door, and left the Cosmarian''s beautiful glade.


    <hr>


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Acidic Touch. Acidic Touch ¨C Type: Passive. You can imbue your physical attacks with poisonous magic, causing corrosive damage over time to your enemies. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Blighted Land. Blighted Land ¨C Type: Active. You can corrupt the ground beneath your enemies'' feet up to several meters wide with a poisonous substance, causing them harm as long as they remain within the affected area. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera thought about the two, and they were both good, but she didn''t have Poison or Acid Affinity. Plus, she wasn''t much of a close-range fighter anymore, so that ruled out Acidic Touch, and Blighted Ground could easily be countered by someone moving out of the poisoned area. She was somewhat surprised that a sorceress at Aksha''s level even had that skill.


    Or is it one of her clones? Do they have different skills than her? Meera shook her head. No, that didn''t make sense.


    She ignored both the skills and moved on.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Corrupting Hex. Corrupting Hex ¨C Type: Passive. At the cost of a third of your Mana, you can place a curse on a target, causing them to suffer from poisoning whenever they attempt to cast spells or use Focus-based skills. Would you like to acquire this skill?]This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Poison Wave. Poison Wave ¨C Type: Active. You can unleash a wave of pure poison that engulfs all in its path, causing widespread damage and affliction. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera stared at the first skill¡ªCorrupting Hex. Her next destination was the dragon keep, the home of the sorceresses. She had a strong feeling she would have to fight her way through that place, especially if they were all like Aksha and relied heavily on magical skills.


    Even the dragon had used a couple of Focus based skills, and mostly all her opponents. She could pair this up with Death Mark and let her enemies kill themselves as she jumped around the battlefield. Death Mark increased the damage. With Corrupting Hex, the damage would be amplified, and she would have to do nothing. Though, it would cost her a hefty chunk of Mana.


    After some thinking, she decided to take Corrupting Hex and gave up Petrifying Surge. Petrifying Surge''s only effect was to hold her foes in place while she escaped or set up her next attack. It was good, but Corrupting Hex was better.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Corrupting Hex ¨C Level 1]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Venomous Thorns. Venomous Thorns ¨C Type: Passive. You can summon a field of thorny vines imbued with poisonous spores, trapping and poisoning enemies who venture too close. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Life Surge. Life Surge ¨C Type: Active. You can channel the power of rebirth to temporarily boost the physical and magical prowess of allies, enhancing their combat abilities. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    She raised an eyebrow at the second one. It would be great if she could do that to herself, but as far as allies went, she hardly fought alongside anyone, and she would never make the mistake of considering the witch an ally. As far as Meera was concerned, their alliance had ended. She moved on from these two skills.


    The next one was Blighted Land again, which Meera had already seen, but the second one was quite interesting.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Weave of Breath. Weave of Breath ¨C Type: Active. You can manipulate the threads of life to mend your injuries, regrow limbs, and even reverse the effects of aging. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera was tempted to take it¡ªreally tempted. But her Vitalize skill could regrow limbs, and it was at level 125. She would be losing all its levels so she could remain young. But since she didn''t plan on spending much time in these worlds, that part of the skill would be useless. She skipped the two skills and moved on.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Serpant''s Embrace. Serpant''s Embrace ¨C Type: Active. You can summon a spectral serpent made of poison to coil around your enemies, draining their life force and enriching yours. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Poison Crafting. Poison Crafting - Type: Passive. You can create various toxic substances, poisons, and venomous concoctions for use in combat, sabotage, or other strategic purposes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Serpant''s Embrace sounded a lot like her Nightstalker Bindings, so it would be wasteful to have two skills that essentially did the same thing. Poison Crafting could be good, but she didn''t want to give up any of her skills for it.


    With that, she was done. In total, she had killed two of Aksha''s daughters, but she had cut three more, which ended up giving her so many skills. Now, she had an idea of the sorceress''s skills and how to counter them when the hunter finally caught up with them. Meera couldn''t help but grin at the prospect of using her new skill on the sorceress, giving her a little taste of her own medicine.


    "Were you checking your notifications?" Kalrina asked, shaking Meera out of her thoughts.


    "I was. Just finished checking them because you rudely interrupted me back in the glade."


    Kalrina smirked. "You must''ve earned a sweet new skill with how you were grinning."


    For a moment, Meera thought the witch knew of her class ability, but she would die before she told her about it. "No, I was planning on how to kill you with excruciating pain."


    The witch chuckled. "I''m sure it will be lovely."


    Saying the words excruciating pain reminded her of Narikas. She hoped the new king of Azeria was doing well for himself and his reign was changing the reputation of his kingdom. She wondered how different things would''ve been with him at her side aside from this self-serving witch.


    I''m sure he has found himself a woman by now. After all, he is a king. All sorts of princesses must''ve lined up to be the next queen of Azeria.


    She couldn''t help but feel a little sad at that thought. She shook her head, stopped thinking about such things, and focused on the road.


    They were on the road to the dragon keep. She was one part excited to see the corpse of a petrified archdragon that could house the entire cabal of sorceresses. She had seen Tigris up close, and he was massive. She wondered how big could an archdragon be.


    Kalrina pulled the reins of her horse, which was made of mirrors, to the right, and Meera followed. They had been lucky to have slipped Aksha''s grip when they exited the glade. Either she was recovering from the beating they had given her, or she did not want to come anywhere close to the glade. It didn''t matter as the sun had dipped low, and the sky had darkened.


    Onyx followed behind Kalrina quietly. He had grumbled when he learned they would be traveling with the witch some more. He practically begged Meera to bite her nose off. It was tough to resist saying yes.


    "We''re almost there. We should go on foot from now," Kalrina said, dispelling her horse.


    "See you later, Onyx."


    "Bye." He gave one last hateful look toward Kalrina before vanishing, and his tattoo returned to Meera''s hand.


    They walked quietly through the forest. There weren''t many shrubs or thorny bushes, which made walking easy. So, it gave Meera pause that the witch was quiet. Usually, she would''ve been trying her best to get her throat sliced by Meera.


    "You''re awfully¡ª"


    "Shh!" Kalrina shushed her. "We''re very close now. There will be guards patrolling and traps everywhere. From now on, step only where I step."


    "Okay," Meera whispered.


    She stalked after the witch as quietly as possible, but they had gone only a few feet when something shimmered on one of the tree branches above.


    "Aw, look who''s finally decided to come home," said a woman who was literally shimmering, sitting on the tree branch.


    Kalrina sighed. "I''m surprised you even let me get this close, Arvena."


    [Sorceress of Mirages ¨C Level 457]


    The sorceress wore dark leather pants and a loose white blouse showing plenty of cleavage. She was pretty, but the bright green hair worked strongly against her looks. There was something oddly familiar about her face, but Meera couldn''t quite place it.


    Kalrina leaned against Meera and whispered. "Do not comment on the hair."


    "Dull or bright?" Arvena asked.


    "When have I ever picked anything dull, friend," Kalrina turned and smiled at Meera. "Get ready to fight, dearie, and don''t even think of holding back."


    "Again?"

 Chapter 175 – A Dance With Mirages

    "All I''ve ever done since I got here is fight," Meera complained. "This world sucks."


    Arvena chuckled. "Your young ward doesn''t understand the lay of the land. Unlike the other worlds, there be monsters here, and to keep the monsters in their place, we have to become what scares the monsters."


    "First, I''m not her ward, and you know what, I''m going to sit this one out," Meera said. "She''s your friend, witch. You deal with her."


    Kalrina staggered. "I''m sorry, what? You can see her level, right?"


    Meera nodded. "I sure can, and yours is severely lacking. I think you need the experience."


    "B-But¡ª"


    "What''s¡­your name, lass?" The green-haired sorceress asked.


    "Meera."


    "Pleasure. I''m Arvena, and we''ll get into each other later." She turned to Kalrina. "What Meera means to say is it''s time you fought your battles yourself for once."


    "That''s right." Meera chimed.


    "I only have one Health potion left. I might not come back from this," Kalrina said.


    "I''m sure you''ll manage."


    The witch pursed her lips as she glared at Meera. "I''ll remember this."


    Meera waved at her, grinning as she backed up several steps to give them a wide berth. She had no intention of letting the witch die, as then she would have to fight the green-haired, dimpled beauty by herself, and the witch had shown that she had a couple of aces up her sleeves. Meera also knew she couldn''t trust her, but they had similar goals for now.


    She backed up to this massive tree and, using Druvis Power, jumped up to a thick branch that would give her a clear view of the fight.


    Kalrina, who had been glaring at Meera''s back this whole time, finally turned to her opponent.


    "Arvena, do we need to do this? Wasn''t I always like a sister to you when you were nothing but a young pup raring to show your worth? Remember how much I helped you out."


    "All I remember is you sprinkling itching powder on my clothes and making fun of my hair. Always the hair."


    "No, that couldn''t have been me. Itching powder is what Reniva would do."


    "To be honest, sounds like the witch would do both," Meera added.


    "You don''t even know me, dearie."


    "No, but I know enough."


    "See, even the lass who has known you for half a breath knows of your nature," Arvena said. "Now, enough talking, and let''s get to it."


    "If you''re even here." Kalrina hurled a mirror dagger, which passed right through the green-haired sorceress.


    Meera was stumped. She was sure the sorceress was standing there, and her mirage looked so real. She wondered if her phantoms stumped people like this. But unlike her phantom, which dissipated when the mirror at the core was destroyed, this phantom stayed where it was. The hole in her chest was mending itself back together.


    Meera searched her surroundings for any sign of the sorceress, but all she saw were trees and shrubs. The sorceress had hidden herself quite well. Then she focused on the mirage as it made a move for the witch.


    The mirage shimmered as it manifested a dagger in her hand and hurled it at Kalrina, who yawned, not bothering to dodge. The dagger passed right through Kalrina and traveled on. It shimmered as it dissipated into the wind.


    "Try something else, Arvi darling," Kalrina chirped. "I''m not going to fall for your theatrics."


    "Oh, let''s try that again, shall we?" She waved a hand over her head, and a litany of daggers shimmered into existence. She jerked her arm forward in Kalrina''s direction. All the blades flew at her.


    Kalrina squinted as they came for her, but the sorceress of mirrors kept her ground. The daggers flew past and through her, but not all. A couple lashed her arms bloody, making the witch cry out and leaving bloody streaks as it left her dirty clothes in tethers.


    This gave Meera pause. Arvena hid her real daggers in her illusions, which meant she launched them from somewhere opposite the witch''s direction. Either that or this sorceress could conjure knives, which was a genuine possibility.


    Luckily, Meera had a few skills that should help her figure out where the Sorceress of Mirages was hiding.


    Kalrina scowled at Arvena''s with rage. Her teeth clenched as she jerked her hand towards the mirage and launched a Mirror Shard Barrage. She moved her hand in a wide arc, covering as much area as possible in sharp mirror shards.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Her skill did nothing. Meera heard no sounds of pain nor saw any traces of blood. Arvena was safe, but Kalrina had just wasted her precious Mana. After being in two near-death fights, Meera''s Mana was running low, and she doubted Kalrina was doing any better.


    The whole point of Meera staying out of the fight was to conserve Mana so she could strike when the moment was opportune. But at this rate, the witch would tire herself before Meera could ascertain the enemy''s location.


    Arvena laughed, and her voice echoed through the trees. It wasn''t like a true echo but more like multiple people laughing simultaneously. Then Arvena doubled and doubled again. Then, they quadrupled, followed by more mirages of Arvena stepping out from behind the trees until an army of green-haired sorceresses encircled the witch.


    "Can you defeat so many of us?" All the Arvenas said simultaneously.


    "Uh, I''m going to need some help here." Kalrina backed up from the illusions.


    "I think you''ve got a handle on things," Meera said as she scanned the illusions. Unfortunately, she saw no difference from one illusion to the next.


    "If I die here, I''m going to haunt you like your horse," Kalrina warned, backing up further.


    She created a sword and charged the illusions, slashing and cutting like a mad woman. Her swings were haphazard, but each swing launched a wave of mirror shards that ripped through the illusions.


    Arvena laughed at the witch''s pathetic attempts to kill her. It didn''t take Kalrina long to tire herself out. She huffed with a saber in hand. Meera scanned the crowd, hoping that her superior eye skills would catch something that would give away the sorceress''s position, but as it were, Kalrina was not so lucky.


    Arvena''s illusions started exploding one after another. Meera''s eyes widened as the trees lit up in flames or were blown apart, raining splinters and leaves everywhere. She almost fell out of her branch, but the witch could at least save herself from this much.


    Kalrina teleported away using Mirror Step and jumped from one mirror to another. She stayed one step ahead of the explosions until Arvena figured out where she was headed and materialized an illusion in her path.


    The mirage of Arvena waved goodbye at her before it exploded in Kalrina''s face. She teleported again, but the blast still hit her. She screamed as she rolled on the ground and would have hit a tree full speed if she hadn''t used Mirror Step and landed in a newly formed crater. The fact that the witch could even see a mirror at the speed she was rolling was astonishing.


    She had taken considerable damage to her left side. Her clothes were singed and smoked. The worst was her face. It was disfigured and burnt black. She was missing her eyebrows completely. If the witch could see her face, she would probably die of a heart attack.


    More mirages of Arvena formed around the crater, looking down at the defeated witch. They obscured the view that Kalrina might have of any remaining mirrors that she had scattered earlier.


    Something about this whole setup did not sit right with Meera.


    One of the sorceresses stepped to the mouth of the crater. "Give up now, and I''ll take you to the dungeons quietly where the others can''t rough you up because, believe me, there is a long line of sisters who want to do that, including Nikai."


    Kalrina''s expression turned to one of blatant fear. "Then you might as well kill me."


    Meera made a mental note to avoid the one called Nikai.


    "So, what''s it going to be, sweet sister?"


    Kalrina held out her hands. "Take me in. This world is too cruel to the likes of me."


    Meera rolled her eyes at her overacting, but she finally saw the chance she had been looking for and something more.


    Oh, you conniving little witch.


    She took off a regular chakram and launched over the heads of the green-haired sorceresses. By the time she noticed it, it was too late. Meera flicked a finger, and the chakram descended. The next moment, she was among the mirages.


    Meera pulled her chakram out of the air, hooked an arm around Arvena¡ªthe real Arvena''s throat and placed her chakram so close to her eye that she could see the details of her green-colored eyes. She had been hiding among her illusions as Meera usually did to confuse her enemies. Arvena played it smart by not being the speaker. She was a little off to her right.


    "Call off your illusions, or I will take your eye," Meera said.


    "How did you know? I''m not an illusion, too," Arvena replied.


    "Well, for one, I''m touching you, and secondly, because of this." Meera left a small cut on her cheek, making the woman flinch lightly. Also, Meera heard the sweet notification bell.


    "You are as dumb as that hag in the crater," Arvena''s vitriol spilled out of her mouth. "What is to stop me from blowing you up like I did your master?"


    "You could, but I bet that my hand will slash your throat much faster," Meera replied. "Witch, you can come out now."


    "Oh, thank the heavens¡ª"


    Meera interrupted the illusion in the pit by launching a level 2 chakram at its center, shattering the mirror at its core and dispelling the witch''s illusion. She turned her chakram around and hurled it at the speaker, who looked like Arvena but was not Arvena.


    The speaker backed up as the chakram stopped at her neck.


    "I see with more than eyes, witch," Meera said, still holding on to the real Arevena. "Whatever game you two are playing, it stops now."


    All of Arvena''s illusions vanished, and Kalrina appeared as the speaker with a smile. "She''s good, isn''t she?" She said to the other sorceress, then looked at Meera. "How did you figure it out, dove?"


    "Your voice didn''t perfectly match this one''s." Meera shook Arvena. "And there is a trick to both of your illusions. They are not perfect."


    That got their attention. Arvena even forgot the sharp weapon threatening her life.


    "No¡­my primary class is based on illusions. You must tell me, please," Arvena said.


    "Dearie, you have the Mirror Phantom skill as well. You know it''s perfect."


    Meera snorted. "That''s what I thought¡­until today."


    This sent them both into a flurry of questions, which Meera ignored.


    The truth was, she had lied. Their illusions were perfect. There was nothing that could tell the real from the fake unless you had the Eyes of the Phoenix skill.


    This skill let her see through illusions to spot what was real. Then there was her Mirrorstrike Vision, which highlighted weak points on a person''s body. Both skills worked hand in hand to let Meera see through their game.


    Eyes of the Phoenix pointed out the fakes, while Mirrorstrike Vision highlighted the real sorceresses and their weak points. Of course, Meera was never going to tell them that. Better to keep them on their toes and let them think they couldn''t fool Meera so easily.


    She tired of their harping and pressed her chakram against Arvena''s cheek, right under her eye. "I said it was imperfect, so imperfect it is. Figure the rest out on your own. Now, answer my question¡ªwhat game are you two playing?"


    "Relax, dearie," Kalrina said. "She is no enemy. She''s the one who got me out when I ran from the sisterhood."


    Meera''s grip slackened. She withdrew her chakram and let go of the sorceress.


    "You mean, I had to get you out and face scrutiny for almost a year, with Aksha watching my every step." Arvena huffed, crossing her arms.


    "Oh, come on, don''t be like that. It''s not like you could let them kill your dear sister," Kalrina said.


    "What?" Meera''s eyes flicked between them.


    Kalrina threw a hand over Arvena''s shoulder. "This here is my older sister."

 Chapter 176 – The Corpse Of Akhessai

    Meera stared between the two sorceresses and finally saw the similarities. They had the same eyebrows, and their eyes were tilted up similarly, though their noses were drastically different. It could be easy to miss their identical features.


    "That explains the green hair," Meera commented.


    Kalrina gasped and backed up from her sister, motioning at Meera to stop it or say something that might worsen things.


    "What about the hair?" Arvena said in a controlled manner.


    Kalrina waved her hands like a maniac behind her older sister, telling Meera to stop.


    She told the truth. "It''s garish."


    The witch slapped her forehead. Then immediately flowed to her sister''s side. "I''m sure she means that in a nice, fun manner, don''t you?"


    "No, I mean that in a¡ªyou are vain and a show-off like your sister¡ªmanner."


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "I''m sorry?"


    "You really need to rethink your statement," Arvena seethed. She walked up to Meera until they were eye-to-eye. "I''m not some village wench that you can talk down to. Get that through your thick head, girlie." She tapped on the side of Meera''s head.


    That sent Meera over the edge. She drew a deep breath. "Ever since I''ve started to look for my brother, I''ve run into people who can put me into the ground with barely any effort. But you¡­despite your level¡­are not one of them."


    The sorceress began to shimmer. Meera gripped her arm, and all eight of Meera''s level 2 chakrams exploded out from her back, surrounding the Sorceress of Mirages. Two on both sides of her neck, one pressed against her forehead, one on her spine, two behind each knee, and two, she sent for Kalrina, in case some sisterly love awoke in the witch, and she did something stupid.


    "You finish shimmering, or another one of you shows up, you''ll be lying in pieces. That goes the same for you, witch. Move a muscle or any sound escapes your throat, your sister is going to get gutted, followed by you."


    Meera returned her attention to Arvena. "Now, when I say your hair color is garish, then fucking garish it is, and as far as I''m concerned, you are a village wench that I can talk down to. Get that through you thick head, girlie?" Meera tapped the side of Arvena''s head just like the sorceress had done to her.


    "You better sleep with an eye open."


    "Threatening someone who can cut you up six different ways before she takes her next breath¡­" She snorted. "You two really are sisters."


    A mirror in the shape of a hand formed above Kalrina''s head, which bobbed up and down alarmingly.


    "What?" Meera barked.


    "I think things have gotten wildly out of hand," Kalrina said. "Let''s try this again, shall we?" Meera, this is Arvena, my dearest older sister. Arvena, this is Meera, a warrior of much renown."


    Meera''s chakrams stayed put, and the green-haired sorceress continued to stare daggers at Meera.


    Kalrina sighed. "Did I mention that Meera is the Champion''s sister and that Arvena is going to smuggle us into Akhessai?"


    "What?" Meera and Arvena cried at the same time.


    "You''re going to smuggle us in?" Meera asked the sorceress she had just antagonized.


    "I''m going to smuggle you in?" Arvena asked her sister, equally confused. Then snapped her head to Meera. "You''re Neel''s sister."


    Meera let go of Arvena and recalled her chakrams while glaring at Kalrina. "You need to stop spilling that secret to everyone we meet."


    Kalrina raised her hands. "Hey, it was you who told the Saint."


    "You went into the GLADE!" Arvena shouted the last word.


    "Now, who''s spilling secrets," Kalrina muttered, giving her a sidelong glance, before turning to her sister. "Now, it''s a long story. Are you sure we have the time after all those explosions so close to the keep? I''m sure someone''s coming to investigate."


    "Then make it short."


    "Aksha was after us, so we jumped in there to escape."


    Arvena crossed her arms and tapped a finger on her arm. "Is that it?"


    "Oh, these two Cosmarians Meera is friends with stole my memory and made me forget that I ever met her. I thought the Saint could help me retrieve it."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Did he?"


    Kalrina sighed. "No, the man is cracked. He couldn''t even bring his own memory back, let alone mine. Oh, and did I mention those Cosmarians also stole the divine chakram that Meera gave me."


    "You forced me to give you that chakram in exchange for my life," Meera snapped.


    "In other words, you did give it to me." Kalrina grinned.


    Arvena''s head snapped to Meera''s arms, and her eyes widened as she no doubt read her weapon''s description. "You have divine weapons given to you by the Lady of Mirrors. You are friends with Cosmarians, and your brother is the Champion from the Great Prophecy." She took a step back. "Just who in Rothedon''s name are you, woman?"


    "I didn''t know they were Cosmarians when I met them. I thought they were just regular hunters back then. It''s a long story, too." Meera didn''t feel like sharing the story that no doubt would''ve made her sound pathetic for trusting a pair of random strangers. She had a feeling she would have to do the same now, but not as much as she had done Silas and Cossus. After all, she wasn''t the same girl as the one who had stumbled out of the mirror.


    "You two have a lot of long stories, it seems." Arvena looked between them, then zeroed in on Meera. "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn''t hand you over to Aksha when we get to Akhessai?"


    Meera scoffed. "I''ve already dealt with your poison sorceress and her daughters many times."


    She snorted. "The one you fought was not the real Aksha. The real Aksha never leaves the dragon keep." She glanced sideways at her sister. "You didn''t tell the girl?"


    Meera''s anger rose immediately. "No, she did not. She told me we were fighting the real one?"


    Kalrina smiled sheepishly. "I figured I would tell you when the time was right."


    "But that last one even acted like she was the real deal," Meera said.


    "A lot of them do," Arvena replied. "They all think they are the real one, but the real Aksha hasn''t left Akhessai for over a century. What caused Aksha to leave Akhessai, sweet sister?"


    Kalrina looked away and didn''t answer.


    "Once, some of Ignis Sunbreath''s children had come seeking revenge for their grandmother. She beat them into submission single-handedly. And you think you can handle someone who can take on five dragons above level 500 on her own." Arvena laughed. "Actually, please try. I would love to see her peel away your skin slowly."


    Meera gulped, trying her best not to show any signs of fear. "What is the real one''s level?"


    "Her daughters are a little more than half her level." Arvena smirked.


    Meera quickly did the math, and her eyes popped open. "She''s over level 800?"


    "812," Kalrina peeped.


    "You have people that strong at your dragon keep?" Meera asked, clearly understanding how out of her depths she was about to be.


    "Don''t worry," Kalrina said. "There''s only three people over level 700. Most of us are around level 400, so not much to worry about."


    "Yes, clearly not," Meera replied, voice thick with sarcasm.


    Arvena flourished a hand. "This way, girlie. Let''s go meet your doom."


    Meera kept her expression under control. "If you think your leaders will kill me for attacking a bunch of duplicates, then you''re as dim-witted as I think you are. Would they kill someone as important as the Champion''s sister? Though, if you hand me in, I''ll tell them you have a hand in smuggling your sister back in." She smiled at the scowling green-haired woman.


    Kalrina stepped in between them. "Now that we''ve made the mutual destruction clear, let''s go see the corpse of an archdragon."


    Arvena huffed, glared at Meera one last time, and took the lead. Kalrina smiled at Meera and fell in beside her sister. Meera brought up the rear to ensure she reacted first in case the sisters tried anything, especially after their last exchange.


    Meera originally had no intention of antagonizing the sorceress, but them trying to play Meera for fools just rubbed her wrong. In the end, she figured things turned out for the best, as now they knew that Meera could see through their deceptions and kill them if they tried anything funny.


    For once, it felt good not to be the one who had to bow to higher-level people. But it wouldn''t last long as she was headed to a place with people over level 800. She wondered what sort of power and skills the real Aksha had.


    Wait, she would have the same skills as her daughters. So, nothing new, but I have a new skill that should help me against these sorceresses. Speaking of skills¡­


    She pulled up her lone notification, which held the skills she had stolen from the witch''s sisters when she gave her the little cut. She hoped it was something good.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Illusionary Camouflage. Illusionary Camouflage ¨C Type: Active. You can conceal yourself and your allies within illusionary coverings or veils, making them appear invisible or blending seamlessly into the environment. Would you like to acquire this skill?


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Volatility. The radius of explosive skills will be expanded greatly at no additional Mana cost, allowing them to affect a larger area and inflict greater damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at the second skill. She had a couple of explosive skills if she was seeing this right¡ªMirror Blast and Shadowflame Devastation. They would both be strengthened greatly by this skill and become her trump card moves.


    She had a thought. Although Heaven''s Wrath, too, was an explosive skill, in a way.


    Illusionary Camouflage was also a good skill, but she had her armor''s ability to hide herself in plain light. Volatility was a general skill that she could add without giving anything up.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Volatility ¨C Level 1]


    They trekked through the trees until they arrived at the base of the mountain. The treeline ended, and a great mountain began. The sorceresses stopped and sighed simultaneously.


    Arvena looked to Kalrina. "Ready to return home, sister?"


    "This place was never home. Not for me, anyway."


    "And yet, we''ve lived here longer than any other place. The way I see it, it makes it home."


    Kalrina didn''t reply to her sister and turned to Meera. "Just know, love, we''re going to have to be very careful. We have no friends in this place."


    Meera frowned. "What place? The mountain?"


    The sisters shared a glance and chuckled.


    "You are as dumb as you look. Follow along, pup." Arven motioned with her hand and walked directly into the mountain.


    Then Kalrina did the same, leaving a bewildered Meera behind. Meera took a tentative step forward with a hand toward the mountain. She gave it a ginger tap and felt nothing but a cool sensation.


    Then it hit her. Oh, it''s an illusion.


    Meera drew a deep breath, stepped through the illusion, and her jaw dropped. Her head kept going up and up and up.


    "Damn, you were right, witch," Meera said. "We really are cockroaches to them."


    "Uh, I told you so¡­"

 Chapter 177 – Do Not Touch The Walls

    Meera was enamored by the size and beauty of the stone monstrosity before her. Akhessai was the size of a small hill, going hundreds of feet up, so much so Meera would have to fly to the top to figure out its true height. The archdragon was standing on two legs, wings spread wide, along with its arms. Its jaw was open in a fearsome roar, which must''ve been her last act of defiance before turning to stone.


    The magic that entrapped her in stone was so powerful that it captured all the fine details of the creature¡ªeven the intricate details on her scales. The minor scratches on the tips of its wings and all the long scratches she must have earned in her countless battles were all there, not marring but somehow enhancing her beauty.


    "Shut your trap, you''re drooling," Arvena remarked.


    Meera sneered. "How could that be killed? I know Veridiana turned her to stone, but still, how..."


    "That is a secret you should ask Veridiana," Kalrina said. "If you can get her out of her training room or, as she calls it, ''her study.''"


    "She''s the only reason Akhessai''s children haven''t wiped us out completely," Arvena said.


    "She and Aksha and that crone Duinith," Kalrina pointed out. "Don''t forget Nikai. She must be getting up there in levels as well."


    "Who are they?" Meera asked. If they were enough to hold back a dragon invasion, then it was best she knew they were and stayed away from them.


    "Duinith is the Mistress of Teaching," the witch said. "A headmistress of sorts. All the young recruits are assigned to her ''care,'' and when I say care, I mean torture."


    Arvena crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Aren''t you being a tad overzealous, Rina? I remember a girl who was adamant about doing things her way."


    "Because my way was right." The witch snapped like a petulant child.


    Meera coughed. "Duinith is the teacher and this Nikai? Who is she?"


    "Your evil librarian who got over-leveled through the years by eating the children who were late in returning their books."


    Meera waited for either of the sisters to come clean, but they said nothing aside from shaking their heads as if remembering bad memories.


    "You''re serious?"


    "I don''t think she ate them, but she definitely did something as most weren''t seen again," the older sister said. "And if they were, they weren''t themselves. They just stared off into the distance like their souls had been sucked out."


    "I don''t believe you."


    The witch shrugged. "Believe it or not, but I''m running at the sight of the evil woman. I''m ten years over my due date, and in all that running, I lost the book."


    Arvena gasped. "Are you sure you wanted to go back in there?"


    Meera felt they were pulling a prank on her, but it could very well be true, given all the craziness in the world. But Meera would still watch out for these two, along with everyone else, as she didn''t have any friends in there.


    "Who did Neel meet when he came here?" Meera asked.


    Arvena smirked. "Aksha, the other two we mentioned, and the other higher-ups. He wasn''t very subtle. The lad couldn''t stop staring at all the pretty women and their assets."


    She shared a glance with her sister, and they both chuckled at the joke.


    Meera ignored her comment because it was probably true. He was a teenager, after all. Now, it was time to see if the sorceress was telling the truth.


    "What did he want with them?" Meera asked.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Something to do with powering an ancient artifact with a dragon heartstring." Arvena paused to squint at Meera. "Something tells me you know very well about this artifact."


    Kalrina started. ¡°Dragon heartstring¡­¡± Her eyes landed on Meera. "Could he have anything to do with the dragons attacking Drurith?"


    Meera didn''t answer them because after what the witch had seen in Drurith, she might turn on her.


    "How are you going to get us in?" Meera asked.


    Arvena smiled. "Same way, I got Rina out."


    "Oh no, no, no, no. No!" Kalrina backed up until she was out of the illusion, but Meera could still hear her muffled no''s.


    Meera stood on a mirror disc, staring at the archdragon''s gigantic heel. As it turned out, when the sorceresses moved in, they didn''t make many changes to the natural pathways of the dragon''s body. They just appropriated them to serve other purposes. Like they cleared out all her blood vessels and used them as corridors or etched stairs into them, or so Arvena had explained briefly as they stalked their way to this foul-smelling place.


    Meera couldn''t see the refuse, but she could definitely smell it. What she saw was the dragon standing on a pristine field of freshly cut grass, but her nose told an entirely different story.


    "Have you placed an illusion on the shit to appear invisible?" Meera asked.


    "If only it were that simple," the witch spoke in a nasally voice on account of having her nose pinched shut.


    Arvena chuckled, but she, too, had a hand over her mouth. "It''s¡­you know what you''ll find out. Rina, I believe you know the way in. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have to run to the washroom to quite literally shit on the girl''s head."


    She waved and walked off.


    "Wait, she''s joking, right?" Meera turned to the witch.


    Kalrina patted her shoulder. "I''m afraid not, dearie, and her shit is not the only one we need to be mindful of."


    Meera groaned. Neel, I''m going to kill you for this.


    She didn''t have to ask where the stench was coming from. She saw it. The ground around Akhessai''s heel looked wet and dark-colored for several meters. It didn''t take a dog''s nose to realize what it was.


    "Please tell me we''re not going to be wading through centuries worth of shit," Meera said.


    "No, what kind of uncultured pigs do you take us for," Kalrina replied, making Meera sigh in relief but then immediately followed it with. "It''ll only be days'' worth if we''re lucky. A week''s at max."


    Meera cringed inwardly.


    Kalrina continued. "We had dug a huge pit deep underground to funnel into. As we explained earlier, we used the dragon''s veins and arteries and mapped out a perfect plumbing system. Still, it turns out we miscalculated the size of the hole we needed, and hundreds of sorceresses dumping shit into it over centuries led to, well, this." She motioned to the wet ground. "I honestly thought they would have taken care of this by now, but when you live for so long, these problems always take a backseat."


    A question regarding their long life popped into Meera''s mind, but she decided to ask it later when her nostrils weren''t being assaulted.


    "We can just fly clear of it," Meera declared. "Can''t we?"


    The witch patted Meera''s shoulder. "Sure we can."


    Why does that feel like when mom gave me false hope about being a fairy princess when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up? Meera paused. Well, I may not be a fairy, but I can do magic. But it''s still a no on the princess part.


    Kalrina waved a hand over herself and formed a sort of mirror armor that covered herself. It was a cheap imitation of Meera''s armor. Then she flew to the heel and placed a hand on it. Her palm''s outline glowed with a greenish-yellow glow. A rumbling happened deep within the dragon''s foot until, finally, a section of the heel just disappeared, and a huge mound of shit just spilled out.


    The witch shot back from the mound and smiled at Meera, pinching her nose shut. "Well, I honestly didn''t think that would work. Only current members of the sisterhood are able to open the heel. Shall we?"


    "After you," Meera said, flourishing a hand. She willed her armor to cover her entirely, leaving only two slots open for her nose, and if she didn''t need oxygen to survive, she would''ve shut them too. She also removed all her chakrams and shoved them into her Dragon Hoard Belt. She didn''t want to sully Midiea''s divine weapons and then add an angry goddess to her list of troubles.


    The witch groaned. "I wasn''t planning on coming through here twice in my life. Three times if we can pull this off quietly."


    Something told Meera they would not return this way, given the people she had to talk to.


    "Okay, this way, and do NOT touch the walls," Kalrina warned.


    <hr>


    The witch knocked on the lid once, then four times, followed by three. For a long moment, nothing happened, but Meera heard the muffled sound of footsteps, and then someone knocked on the other side of the lid twice. Kalrina returned five more knocks.


    "Why do you have this code?" Meera practically growled. "Is she expecting someone other than us to come out of her toilet?"


    Kalrina didn''t get to reply as the lid opened up, washing them with light and a citrusy scent, which was a godsend after the past hour.


    "When I flush something down the toilet, I don''t expect it to come crawling back out," Arvena mused with a smile.


    Meera and Kalrina both sighed in relief. Kalrina was the first to get out, followed by Meera. They stepped out into what was the sorceress''s bathroom. There was a wooden bathtub in the corner, a sink with a mirror, and some toiletries. It had a very modern feel to it.


    Meera eyed the bathtub, as did the witch.


    "I''m showering first!" They both snapped at the same time.


    "I''m afraid no amount of showering is going to clean that off," Arvena said.

 Chapter 178 – Our Paths Diverge

    Arvena only let them out of the bathroom once they were both clean. Meera didn''t think she would ever get clean or get the smell off her. But thankfully, her armor came through for her in a big way. She used her armor''s mirror scatter ability but willed it to use all the mirrors that were on the armor itself.


    All the dirty mirror pieces flew off her, and she caught them with Mirror Wing with lots of help from an unwilling Kalrina. Together, they sent all the pieces down the toilet and flushed them down with a ton of water.


    After that, Meera took her first hot shower in what was probably weeks, and she didn''t want to get out for anything. Aetheron could have awoken that very instant, and she would have continued to soak in that warm water.


    But then the witch decided to hop in, killing Meera''s fun. It wasn''t that there wasn''t enough space, but Meera couldn''t bear to have the same water touching her as that creature. Meera promptly hopped out as Kalrina got comfortable.


    "Aw, you don''t have to leave, dearie. The water''s quite good," she sighed contentedly.


    "No, the water''s filthy now." Meera picked up a towel, dried herself off, and put on the lone bathrobe Arvena had set out no doubt for her sister. Seeing how the witch ruined her time in the hot tub, it was only fair payment.


    She picked up her Dragon Hoard Belt, which didn''t need to be cleaned, as her armor had covered it, but still, she had washed it thoroughly. Her only effects that needed to be cleaned were Gem of Echoes and her Necklace of Darthin''s Robes. She had scrubbed those clean as if her life depended on it. She put on her necklace but did not bring out her armor. However, she did pull out her regular chakrams and put them on her arms.


    She took a quick peek at the witch and ensured she wasn''t looking. Then she did something that she should''ve done a long time ago. She brought two regular chakrams close together and ran her Mana through them to create a level 2 chakram. There was a slight flash as the two chakrams joined together.


    Meera''s eyes snapped open, and she slowly turned, knowing the witch had seen it. However, she was busy relaxing in the tub with her eyes closed. Meera promptly created three more level 2 chakrams and shoved them back into her belt. The witch had stolen a chakram of hers before, and if she learned that they had the ability to merge, she would try to steal even more of them.


    She now had twelve regular chakrams and twelve level 2 chakrams. She could very well turn them all into level 2 chakrams as her opponents had far outpaced the regular ones'' damage output, but she could still use them for practical purposes, like giving people rides on Meera Airlines.


    She left the bathroom with her belt over her shoulders and stepped into a room of garish beauty, just like the sorceress''s hair, but Meera was in no mood for a fight. Everything was of bright, vibrant colors, from the curtains to the bed sheets to even the woven blankets. It was like she had stepped into an EDM concert minus the lights and blaring music. Colors ranged from all spectrums of the rainbow, and the color scheme did not match at all.


    "Are you so enamored by my room''s beauty that you have no words to appreciate its beauty?" Arvena purred as she lounged on a couch.


    "Do you want my honest opinion, or do you want to avoid another fight?" Meera replied.


    "Best to keep your tongue between your teeth, then," The sorceress hissed.


    Meera walked to the couch opposite Arvena and made herself comfortable. There wasn''t much to see in the room. There was a single bed in the corner and a study table on the adjacent wall with some papers and books. There was a bookcase, too, but mostly, the room was barebones.


    I guess she used most of her time splashing as much color as she could on this place.


    Meera was about to say something to antagonize the witch but decided against it, so she sat quietly while the green-haired sorceress glared at her and absolutely ignored her. Thankfully, the witch arrived not long after.


    "It''s so quiet in here that I swear, I could hear the two of you hurling insults at each other in your minds."


    "She was the one hurling curses. I just ignored her," Meera said.


    "I have half a mind to sic Aksha on you myself if my dear sister hadn''t involved herself with filth like you," Arvena seethed.


    "Did you forget the part where I tell dear Aksha about your deeds regarding your sister?" Meera said


    "Okay, you two, no more talk about mutual destruction. Instead, let''s talk about mutual benefits," Kalrina said.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What mutual benefits?" Arvena snarled, getting up from her seat. "We don''t need this bitc¡ª"


    "I''ll warn you, I really don''t like being called the B word. The last person, or well, thing who called me that I cut off his head. Honestly, I think you would look better without a head, but that is your call, not mine."


    Arvena turned so red that it was a surprise that the top of their head didn''t explode like a mini volcano. "Try it. Your hand will explode before you can even throw your discs."


    "Who said I need hands to throw my chakrams."


    Kalrina stepped between them. "Okay, let''s not cut or blow each other up. This is the time to figure out our next move."


    "Our!" Arvena motioned between Kalrina and herself. "We don''t need to plan anything with her. We got her in. What else do you need her for."


    That seemed to hit home with the witch as Kalrina paused in thought, and before she said anything, Meera stood.


    "Save it, witch. I always knew this is where our paths diverged."


    Kalrina looked down with a pained expression on her face. "I''ll have you know, dearie, that you would be better off being as inconspicuous as possible. That means don''t strut around in your armor. Blend in."


    "You mean wear such lavish dresses that its borderlines outrageous."


    The witch shrugged. "Basically, and since you''re looking for your brother. The best person to go to would be Firaan. She sits on the council and would''ve heard all your brother would''ve said. She is least likely to imprison you on sight and is the weakest of them all."


    "She''s a piece of work, all right," Arvena commented. "I turn the other way when I see her coming down the hall."


    "Whoa, is that someone helping me out," Meera smirked.


    Arvena huffed, crossed her arms, and sat back on her couch.


    Kalrina rolled her eyes. "Another thing you should watch out for is Aksha. She has eyes and bodies everywhere, quite literally in some hallways. By now, her clones would have reached this place, which is not good news for us. Remember, if you can''t Identify her level, that''s the original. Avoid her. Actually, that is a good rule of thumb for most sorceresses. Also, you know your urge to fight anything and everything that moves, snuff it, like the Varshans snuff deformed babies in the crib."


    Meera started. "They do that?"


    "Don''t act so surprised. They''re your people," Arvena replied, shaking her head. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that the Champion would be a Varshan."


    "We''re not Varshans," Meera said through gritted teeth.


    "Sure, look Varshan."


    "And you look dead."


    "My loves, need I remind you that we''re all about to be out of each other''s hair? Then we can be anything we don''t want to be." Kalrina said. Then, in a lower tone, she added. "Can''t believe I''m the voice of reason here."


    "Fine," Meera said. "Point me in the right direction so I can get out of this garish room." In the end, she couldn''t resist.


    "What did you say?" Arvena almost shot out of her chair, but her sister held her back.


    "Remember, sweet sister, you''ll never have to see her again soon."


    "That moment can''t come soon enough," Arvena grumbled.


    "Indeed," Meera added. She wasn''t like this usually. She could get along with everyone just fine, but when it came to these two sisters, something about them just rubbed her wrong. Maybe it was that they tried to make a fool of her with their ridiculous test or Kalrina''s past activities with Edwin, but Meera just loved egging them on.


    "There''s one more thing you''ll want to take note of. Entice Firaan." She paused, her eyes falling on the chakram on Meera''s wrist. "Actually, just show her that, and you''ll be fine. And be careful of what you think around her. She can¡ª"


    "Hurry it up, Rina. Her breath is fouling up the room," her sister interjected.


    Meera was about to give a fitting reply, but Kalrina raised a hand with a pleading look. Meera dropped it with lots of glaring at the sorceress.


    Kalrina rubbed her temples. "I was sure I was supposed to tell you something else, but your constant bickering is giving me a headache. I am the one supposed to be giving people headaches." Then it must''ve come to her. "Oh, your dress. I''m sure Arvena has something that will fit you quite nicely."


    "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Arvena snapped, shooting to her feet. "If she so much as even looks at my dresses, I''m going to Aksha myself, consequences be damned."


    "I wouldn''t wear your dresses anyway. They''re probably as garish as her hair."


    Arvena turned red again. "I''m going to shit on your corpse."


    "How will you do that without any legs."


    "Okay, that''s it," the witch said, stepping between them. "You''re not allowed to talk to each other anymore."


    "I don''t need anyone''s dresses," Meera said. She sent a bit of Mana through her necklace, and armor started materializing under her bathrobe. She dropped the bathrobe when her armor was complete.


    "Yes, you''re going straight to the dungeons if you walk around like that," Kalrina mused. "Do you have anything else in your Hoard Belt?"


    Meera smirked. She willed her armor to look something like what Arvena was wearing, though, with no cut in her leg and less deep of a cleavage. "Will this work?"


    Kalrina, whose jaw had dropped the moment the armor started changing shape, nodded. "That will do very nicely. Your armor can change shape? Why didn''t you say so? I need to get me one."


    Meera had half a mind to tell her how Edwyn had made this for her but decided against it, as she wanted to be out of there. She turned towards the door.


    "Not so fast, dearie," the witch said. "Black and gold might look good, but you want to blend in, so choose some floral colors, like some green and pink or even teal."


    Meera thought about it and changed the colors to teal and a light yellow.


    Kalrina¡¯s eyes sparkled. "It can even do that! And here I thought it was just a self-repairing armor."


    "Rina, why are you helping her so much anyway? Let her go get herself killed in any way she wishes," Arvena said.


    "Aw, sis, don''t be like that. She saved my life a couple of times, the least I can do is make sure she doesn''t get caught the moment she steps out the door." She turned back to Meera. "And if you do, please don''t rat us out immediately."


    Meera snorted. "I''ll try." With that, she turned to the door.


    "Where are your manners, dearie?" Kalrina cooed. "Aren''t you going to thank me for helping you out?"


    "Didn''t you just say that I saved your life and that you wouldn''t have made it here without my help? I think that''s thanks enough."


    Kalrina shook her head. "Youngsters these days."

 Chapter 179 – The Sorceresss Memories

    Kalrina flinched as Meera slammed the door shut in her face. She knew why the poor dearie hated her so much, and her hate was not falsely placed. Kalrina had done some rather vile things in the pursuit of her goal. A means of achieving said goal seemed to have been stolen from her grasp thanks to a pair of Cosmarians.


    "Are you going to keep staring at the door like a woeful lover?" Arvena practically snapped


    Her sister''s mood had been particularly soured by her young friend, and knowing Arvena, it wouldn''t get better anytime soon. The woman could hold a grudge.


    Kalrina turned to her sister with a broad smile. "Now, now, sis, let''s not let a sour conversation or two with a rude girl ruin our day."


    Arvena nearly lunged for her, making Kalrina back up a step. "Sour conversation or two! Firstly, that bitch has the audacity to insult my hair and then threaten me like I''m some new initiate, and if that weren''t enough, she insulted my room! My temple!"


    "I see, someone still hasn''t lost their sense for being overly dramatic, "


    Arvena pointed a finger in her face. "Watch it, Rina. I''m not in the fucking mood."


    "Forget her." Kalrina waved a dismissive hand. "Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. Let''s talk about you. What have you been up to this past decade?"


    "Trying my best to clear my name after the mess you left behind."


    Yes, this is not going to be pleasant.


    As it turned out, Arvena had to face Aksha''s scrutiny for the better part of a decade. The hunter of Akhessai truly lived up to her name when it came to her work. Arvena complained at length about having to be confined in her quarters and having to put her research on hold and face the disdain of the other sorceresses, who were prone to gossip and slander for even the slightest thing.


    "And when I had just started to finally get back in the social circles and gain everyone''s trust, you come sauntering back to drag my name through the mud again." Arvena finished her tale of the past ten years, which to Kalrina was more like a rant, but she could be wrong, and her sister was a tad bit overdramatic.


    "What have you been doing in the past ten years, ever since you killed Isolde?" Arvena asked.


    Kalrina flinched. That was a bad memory and one she was not fond of recalling at all. "Hey, so that you know, the poor dearie had to die. I didn''t want to kill her, but she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not to mention, I think she might have figured out my plans, given enough time."


    Arvena shook her head. "You need to drop those plans. Not in a thousand years will you accomplish your goal."


    "Then I''ll wait one thousand and one years." Kalrina smiled, not betraying the storm brewing within her. "After all, they did give us the means to live a really long time."


    Arvena sighed. "Who are you here to kill this time?"


    Kalrina chuckled. "No one. I''m just here to have a conversation."


    "And if that conversation doesn''t lead to where you want it to?"


    "Then I think dear Hemera has lived long enough, don''t you?"


    <hr>


    Kalrina walked wearing the face of a young girl, one of the new initiates who had recently arrived at the dragon keep to begin her training, or so her sister said. This was the best disguise for her as Arvena had become an overseer of the young and the part-time patrolwomen of the keep in the past ten years.


    Kalrina had always kept an ear open to the going-on of the sisterhood. She had heard through some of the traveling sorceresses that Arvena had been promoted¡ªor demoted as most saw¡ªto watch the keep at night. That''s how she knew that her sister would be the one on watch and she would have no trouble getting in. Of course, she would never utter the names of the ones who gave her the information within these walls. Aksha quite literally had eyes and ears everywhere.


    So, Kalrina adopted a meek pose and bowed her head to every full-fledged sorceress that passed them in the hallways. In their arrogance, they didn''t even give Kalrina a second look, and some did not even look at her. They nodded at Arvena, and some snorted in disdain at her, but no one stopped for a chat.


    The inside of the dragon keep was not so different than any castle. Most of it was just stone walls with the odd tapestry or statues of past sorceresses who had brought glory to this place. Kalrina had a bust or two on some of the lower floors, which she couldn''t imagine had survived after her swift departure.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They rounded a corner, and Kalrina saw dear Hemera''s room. She was another recluse in this horrid place. They were a dime a dozen in here. The thought that this place attracted them like flies to dung had crossed her mind dozens of times, followed by the fact that she, too, was one of those flies and paid a heavy price for it. They might as well have smashed her into the ground. They took everything from her anyway.


    "Stop staring off into the distance," Arvena snapped. "Being a sorceress means always being alert of your surroundings."


    Kalrina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was Arvena''s way of telling her to stop spacing out and that she had forgotten to bow to a pair of sorceresses whose names slipped Kalrina''s mind. They waited for them to leave before knocking on Hemera''s door.


    Arvena shifted nervously, eyes flitting about the corridor as Hemera opened the door. It wasn''t like her sister to be so nervous about something as simple as visiting a fellow sister.


    "Stop fidgeting so much," Kalrina hissed. "You''re going to give us away."


    Arvena drew a deep breath and nodded. Hemera finally opened the door. It had been a decade since Kalrina saw the woman, and she hadn''t aged a day, but then again, she was one of the younger sorceresses, and hardly anyone aged in this place, thanks to the ageless potions. There was nothing of note about Hemera besides her thick brows, which were the envy of many women here. Besides that, she had auburn hair and brown eyes and was pretty with light dimples.


    "Arvena? It has been some time since we last saw each other. Did you need something of me?" Hemera asked.


    Arvena smiled. "Ah, Hemera, straight to the point as always, just like your master."


    She set her jaw. ¡°I¡¯m no longer under mistress Duinith¡¯s tutelage.¡±


    "And yet you call her mistress." Kalrina couldn''t resist.


    Hemera''s eyes flashed outrage. "How dare you speak to me like that? Know your place, initiate, before I make you remember."


    Kalrina dropped the illusion around her face. "I know my place very well."


    Hemera gasped and stepped back. "Y-You are not supposed to be here." Her eyes snapped to Arvena. "You''ve betrayed us."


    Arvena shrugged. "Blood is thicker than water and all that."


    Kalrina stepped into the room, making Hemera stumbled back and fall on her ass. "G-Get away from me," she stammered.


    "Now, you two play nice. I''ll be out here making sure you aren''t disturbed." Arvena smiled at the scholarly sorceress before looking at her sister. "Make sure she doesn''t scream. Screams draw attention."


    With that, she shut the door, and Kalrina turned to her dear friend. She sat on her haunches and flashed a bright smile. "I just need a small favor from you, love, and you can forget I was ever here."


    "I don''t do favors for murderers."


    "You should speak carefully. After all, I''ve killed a sorceress before, and I distinctly remember the last one talking in that tone before she departed this world, before her time."


    Hemera gulped as sweat perspired on her forehead. "W-What favor?"


    Kalrina caressed her cheek. "See, those are the right words." She stood and offered Hemera a hand, whose hand shook as she gripped Kalrina''s to stand. She dusted off the scared sorceress''s shoulders. "About a month ago, a pair of individuals stole my memory. Nothing large, only about one morning. I need your Mnemomancy skills to restore that memory."


    She opened her mouth to no doubt refuse.


    "Now, if you wish to refuse, then I have no reason not to do to you what I did to Isolde." Kalrina took another step to be face-to-face with her and spoke in a low, soft voice. "Would you like me to do to you what I did to Isolde?"


    Hemera was many things, a scholar and one of the brightest women to ever become a sorceress, but she was not a fighter, and she knew when she was outclassed. "N-No, not at all¡­"


    Kalrina smiled. Sometimes, your reputation is enough. Hopefully, Meera learns that before she ends up getting slaughtered by this cabal of butchers. After all, I might need you to see my plan through, dearie.


    "Then should I go lie down on the couch or the bed? How does this sort of thing go?" She asked, dropping to her carefree demeanor, another thing she had cultivated for a long time.


    "No! I mean, yes. I mean, lie down on the couch and not the bed, please."


    The poor woman was jittery, so Kalrina placed a hand on her shoulders. "Calm down, Hemera. I won''t do anything to you as long as you bring back my memory and don''t wag your tongue. Do we understand each other?"


    "Yes, miss," Hemera peeped.


    "So, take a deep breath and let''s begin."


    Hemera did as she asked and seemed to have calmed down. They walked to the couch where Kalrina lay down, and Hemera pulled a chair beside her.


    "Close your eyes, please, and it is important to stay calm during the whole process¡ª"


    "I am calm."


    "Yes, that''s good, but it might bring forth certain painful memories that you might want to stay buried."


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "Why would you bring forth such memories?"


    She leaned away. "I don''t control what memories or even thoughts are shown as the skill works to illuminate the hidden memories."


    "And will you be able to see them as well?"


    "N-No, they are only for you and you alone," Hemera stammered. Kalrina rose to be in her face again. "A-All I will see or rather feel are your emotions, nothing more, I promise."


    "I see." Kalrina lay back down. "Good, carry on then."


    Kalrina closed her eyes, but the mirror on the belt still let her see what the young sorceress was doing. She kept looking at the door, no doubt hoping to find a way to run, but with Arvena keeping a lookout, she would be stupid to try.


    "There is no way you can run from here," Kalrina reminded her. "You can try by all means, but I will strike you dead before you take three steps."


    "Run? No, I was just looking for something to cover your head with. Sensory deprivation, especially vision, helps with a deeper connection. Oh look, it''s right here." She picked up a towel that was lying on the table. "Do I have your permission to place this on your head?"


    "You do."


    Hemera placed the towel on Kalrina''s head and pressed her thumbs on her temples. "Memory Palace."


    Kalrina was not ready for the rush of memories that came bursting out of the recesses of her mind.

 Chapter 180 – The Ghosts Of The Past

    Kalrina and a handful of other girls around her age stood naked before a shrewd woman with greying hair as she inspected them for disease and deformity. Kalrina fidgeted as the woman''s grey eyes landed on her. She hated the feeling of being laid bare before these strangers.


    How can they do this to us? She thought as tears bubbled in her eyes.


    "How old are you?" Duinith asked.


    "E-Eighteen, mistress."


    "Don''t quiver, girl. A sorceress of Akhessai does not quiver, come what may. We''re the guiding hand that shapes the fortunes of the worlds of Mirithia." She snapped her head to the other girls. "From this day forth, if I ever see you quiver, stutter, or stammer, I will flay your skin. Even if you''re facing down an archdragon, your spine will be stiff as an oak tree. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, mistress!" The girls shouted back.


    "B-But," Kalrina couldn''t resist asking the question nor keep her voice from shaking the in the presence of the fearsome woman. "Mistress, how can we take control of the situation when faced with a stronger opponent?"


    Duinith''s expression didn''t change even a single bit. She walked back to Kalrina and slapped her so hard she cried out and stumbled into the next girl.


    "What did I say about stammering?"


    Kalrina touched her burning cheek. It took everything she had so as not to repeat her mistake. "No stammering."


    Kalrina gasped as the memory abruptly changed, but that was all the time she had as she was plunged into another ghost of the past.


    Kalrina was smacked across the face by Brulecca. The barbaric woman was Duinith''s helper. Kalrina had stolen the tome that had granted her the means to acquire the Dance of the Mirrors class, which made her the sorceress of mirrors. It was supposed to go to another initiate, but Kalrina liked it better than the class they had picked for her. So, Brulecca punished her for a little while. The memory changed swiftly.


    The next one was about training, which wasn''t any less painful. Duinith had a learn-by-doing approach. Kalrina was bloodied several times as she squared off against stronger opponents. Then, just before it looked like she would die, they would give her a Health potion, only for the torture to begin again.


    It didn''t last too long, and soon, she was pulled out and thrown into what seemed a mundane memory. However, it felt even more painful in hindsight than the last.


    Kalrina sat on her desk with a feather quill in her hand. She dipped it in ink as she finished a letter to a very special friend.


    I must tell you, the way you complimented my eyes was lacking. Please try harder next time.


    She giggled to herself.


    Also, your eyes are pleasant enough that I don''t want to immediately rip them out when you ogle me. So, I will let you when next we meet.


    I will be in the market for my supplies two days hence. Maybe I will stop by your stall to buy something, or maybe not. Depends on what you are putting on display.


    Yours,


    Rin


    Then she kissed the letter, put it in an envelope, and sealed it with wax. She walked to the aviary and handed it to Neshi. She made an excuse by saying it was a list of supplies she needed from the village apothecary and needed to be sent immediately.


    The world went black, and a few moments later, she was brought into another lovely memory.


    Kalrina sat before Dorheia and her mirrors, bleeding from her eyes. The pain that welled up in her eyes was so sharp that she figured they would burst at any moment.


    "Speak the truth, dearie," Dorheia goaded. "Or lose your eyes, and we have no use for a blind sorceress."


    Kalrina heaved and gave up. "I hid the necklace in Neshi''s room."


    Dorheia patted Kalrina''s cheek lightly. "Good girl. Why did you do that, love?"


    "My turn, you hag." Kalrina barked, wiping the blood on her sleeves. "How do I gain control of your mirrors?"


    Dorheia raised an eyebrow with a light smirk on her lips. "Feeling bold today, are we?"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Kalrina continued to glare at the fat woman. One of the first things the sorceresses were taught was how to brew potions that let them morph their forms in any way they wished and reverse their aging. Just because they had extended life, it didn''t stop their aging. So, in a world of pretty women, Dorheia chose to look like a fat, old grandmother.


    "It''s simple, my dear," the Truthsayer said. "You make me lie¡ªa lie that kills me, and my pretty mirrors will see you as their mistress."


    Kalrina laughed. It began slow, but it built up in the back of her throat as it took her over. She didn''t know why she laughed, maybe at the simplicity of the task or at its difficulty. But she needed these mirrors, and for that, all she had to do was make a woman who held no secrets lie.


    There must be something this woman holds close to her heart that she would die protecting, and I will find it. These mirrors will be mine.


    Dorheia looked at the other woman in the room. "Dear me, I fear I might have broken her."


    Aksha grunted. "No, I will break her for her crime. This game of yours is over."


    "Now, don''t be hasty, dear Aksha. The criminal admitted to the crime but hasn''t revealed her intent." Dorheia turned to Kalrina. "Why did you frame Neshi?"


    "It''s obvious. She ratted me out, the bitch. I wanted to kill her, but why get my hands dirty when Aksha is all too happy to torture two-faced lying cunts."


    Dorheia kissed her teeth. "A lady must always be polite and respectful, especially towards her enemies, or she will reveal her true intent."


    "I will remember that." Kalrina smiled. "Thank you for the lesson."


    The memory changed once again. This time, Kalrina didn''t even get time to breathe, but when she saw where she was, she forgot how to breathe.


    "No, no, no," Kalrina exclaimed, trying to get up, only for Hemera to push her back down.


    "If we break the connection now, your mind will crack," Hemera said, voice strained as she struggled to keep Kalrina in place. "It will fracture into various parts, reliving your past. We can only stop once the memory is over."


    "I can''t. I won''t go back to that day."


    "Please, Kalrina," Hemera pleaded. "If we stop now, you will be giving up everything. All your hopes and dreams. Everything you wanted to achieve."


    Kalrina stilled. "It''s just a memory," she reminded herself. "Just a memory¡­"


    She lay down as tears leaked from the side of her eyes and relived the worst day of her life.


    The next few memories did not matter as Kalrina was still stuck on Eston''s death. The way he screamed and thrashed while she lay there helpless. All her skills and powers¡­and she might as well have been a slug unable to do anything against the whims of the mighty.


    Her memories flipped from one to the next as Hemera tried to find the one that had been suppressed. There was one where Arvena consoled her, and then another where she stole a necklace and planted it in Neshi''s room, which got her in trouble but not executed, which Kalrina handled personally later. That memory came up as well.


    Then, a memory started with one of her mirror golems depositing Meera on her doorstep. This one she had no recollection of. She and Meera played a game of truths after Meera handed her the Crystal of Darthin. Many curious truths were brought to light, like how she and Neel were from a distant world called Earth. That one piqued her interest. It ended with Meera smashing her precious mirrors. Kalrina let her go for the price of one divine chakram.


    Not moments later, a pair of blonde men arrived, who introduced themselves as Silas and Cossus. Kalrina gasped in the present as things fell into place. These were the Cosmarians who Meera was talking about. The one called Cossus resurrected her mirrors. Silas broke the rules of the mirrors of Dorheia by asking multiple questions, then broke the Crystal of Darthin with a simple word.


    Kalrina felt the pain of its loss once again. She practically yelled the same thing again, as her past self did. The memory ended with Silas taking her memory, but this time, she remembered, and there was one curious thing about their exchange that gave rise to a question in her mind.


    What are a pair of Cosmarians doing serving an oracle?


    She was about to tell Hemera to stop when the next memory started, so she would have to wait till it was over.


    "Rina, come to your senses," Arvena pleaded.


    Kalrina''s eyes were bloodshot from the crying. Her head had been shaved bald with a rough blade. She had several cuts that had leaked blood down her face. Her clothes were filthy, ripped, and bloody. Her ordeal before the sisterhood had just finished. But the pain of shame and the intense pain in her belly from the poison was nothing compared to the pain of Eston''s loss.


    "What you''re talking about is madness?" Arvena said.


    "No, Arvena, I''m in full control. I''m going to bring this place down brick by brick just as I tear Aksha apart limb by limb, but I will not grant her death until she sees her dear sisterhood crumble to dust."


    Kalrina heard a gasp, and the memory slowly faded to black. Hemera''s hands moved away from Kalrina''s face. She removed the towel off her face and saw the sorceress moving away from her, eyes wide, brow furrowed.


    "I thought you said you couldn''t see my memories, dearie," Kalrina purred.


    "I-I¡ª"


    The door smashed open, and Aksha strolled in. The real Aksha, not one of her daughters. She wore an acidic yellow dress like she did at most times. Arvena trailed behind the butcher with her eyes on the ground.


    "I''m sorry, Rina. I had no choice," Arvena said.


    "Yes, of course. Why would you have any other choice aside from betraying your own blood," Kalrina replied.


    Hemera ran to the protection of the sorceress of poison, who stared emotionless at her new prey. "Aksha, she-she means to¡ª"


    Hemera was rudely interrupted when a mirror dagger protruded from the front of her neck, marring Aksha''s yellow dress with blood. Hemera clutched Aksha''s dress as she gargled blood, trying to speak.


    Aksha was so emotionless that she didn''t even bother holding the poor woman as she fell to the ground, leaving a bloody trail on her dress, turning it from yellow to crimson. Arvena, however, wasn''t so heartless towards Hemera. It''s too bad this empathy didn''t extend to her own sister.


    Arvena cradled the dying sorceress''s head in her lap. "You said you wouldn''t kill her."


    Kalrina shrugged. "She was in my way."


    "This is the second sorceress you''ve killed," Aksha said.


    "Actually, the third, love." Kalrina winked. "You ever wonder why Neshi committed suicide so suddenly?"


    Aksha''s nostrils flared.


    "Now, before you do anything rash, just remember, I''m still a sorceress of Akhessai until the Conclave of Five proclaims otherwise." Kalrina walked up to Aksha until she was in her face. "So, let''s move, shall we?"


    "There is only one punishment for your crimes," Askha replied.


    "As is yours."

 Chapter 181 – Stroll Through a Dragon

    Meera felt like she should be worried, given all the looks she was getting, but she wasn''t after using Identify on them. Only some of the sorceresses she had encountered were stronger than her. But there was one problem. All the initiates she had seen were less than level 150.


    Maybe that''s why I''m getting strange looks, or perhaps it''s because I''m not showing enough skin.


    She shrugged and moved on. She was walking through a corridor with doors on both sides. Most corridors were like that. This whole place was overhyped, aside from the crystals that floated along the walls. The best part about them was that they shone too bright for their size. Other than that, it seemed like a regular old stone building with a lack of windows. That wasn''t to say there were none. She came across many windows, but they were kept to a minimum, or these crones would''ve died of a lack of air.


    She shivered slightly as shrill air sent a shiver up her spine. That was another common thing in this place¡ªa light draft that flowed through the hallways to annoy her. Paintings of beautiful women, which Meera figured to be sorceresses, adorn the walls, along with pots containing all varieties of flowering plants¡ªflowers that were definitely native to these worlds, as she had never seen them on earth before.


    Meera crossed a woman who looked down her nose at her. She had silvery gray hair and dusky skin, and her figure was such that she could easily be a supermodel back home. She wore a dress that matched her hair, but it shone in the glowing lights of the crystals.  In other words, the woman was stunning.


    Still, Meera just walked past her so as not to stare, even though she really wanted to. The woman stopped and coughed. Meera gave her a sideways glance but kept walking. The woman coughed some more, loudly this time.


    "You, stop," she barked in a shrill voice.


    Meera turned her head, frowning, unsure if she was talking to her. The woman''s glare confirmed that she was indeed talking to her.


    "Yes, how can I help you?" Meera asked politely, not wanting to start anything. But if it came to blows, she was ready. She had her level 2 chakrams on her back, hidden by a half-cape.


    [Sorceress of Storms ¨C Level 402]


    Meera visibly relaxed, which the sorceress picked up on, and this seemed to infuriate her further. Her frown turned into a scowl.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something, girl?" The silver-haired sorceress seethed.


    Meera raised an eyebrow, did a quick mental check, and shook her head. "No, I have everything."


    "I wasn''t talking about your effects, you stupid girl," the sorceress lashed out.


    Meera shivered slightly as the temperature abruptly dropped. She hugged her arms and looked down the corridor''s length in each direction but found no windows. Then, it must''ve been coming from the sorceress. Meera had half a mind to subdue her like she did Arvena, but she didn''t know what skills this woman had. Secondly, if she did that, she would expose herself as not one of them. She would have to kill this woman and stash her body somewhere.


    So, she played meek. She bowed her head. "I''m sorry, ma''am, if I have caused you some offense."


    An icy cold hand gripped the back of Meera''s neck and pushed her head further down. "There, that''s better. This is how low you must bow when you see your betters."


    Meera''s hand twitched to rip out one of her chakrams and show the sorceress how low she had to bow.


    Control Meera. Control.


    "Yes, ma''am," she said through gritted teeth.


    The sorceress must''ve thought it must be because of her cold hand and not Meera''s anger as she finally let go. "Good. Now, stay like this until I leave the corridor."


    Meera didn''t reply, and the woman left, her heels clopping against the stone floor. She craned her neck as she stood and found a couple of girls wearing black¡ªother initiates¡ªstaring at her and giggling.


    "She must be new," said one. "Doesn''t even know how to properly bow."


    "She must be of lowborn stock," the other replied. Ah, I see now. Varshan," she shook her head. They think they''re lord over everyone. Why do they even allow her kind in here?"


    Control Meera. But as it turned out, she was done controlling herself. She sent two regular chakrams zipping through the air. They stopped just short of slicing their eyes out.


    "Why don''t you Identify me before you run your mouth," Meera said.


    They both gasped, their eyes widened, and they flew into a tirade of apologies. Meera was sure they would bow if her chakrams weren''t in the way.


    Meera raised a hand, and they quieted. "I''m an emissary from the Varshan empire and looking for the Five. Some sorceresses greeted me, but my business must conclude, and I need to return promptly."


    They exchanged a glance, and the right one spoke up. "Pardon me, but if you''re an emissary, then why were you bowing to¡ª"


    "Because there was some misunderstanding between us," Meera said. "Kind of the sort you just had. She doesn''t take Varshans kindly, and she thought I was one of you because she didn''t recognize me. I came here on a diplomatic mission, not to start a fight. Now, the Five, where do I find them?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Well, the Five are not in session for another week," the left one replied. "Is there anyone in particular you wish to meet?"


    Meera removed her chakrams and put them on her arms again. "Firaan, that''s who I was told to meet."


    They both shared a sympathetic look.


    "What?"


    The right one sighed. "No, it''s nothing. I''m sure they had good reason to direct you to Lady Firaan. Her chambers are two floors up in what was the dragon''s second liver."


    Meera frowned. "Dragons have two livers?"


    "Three, actually. All of the Five get a pick of the larger rooms, which are in one of the larger organs," said the right one.


    "Lady Duinith, the headmistress, has her quarters right at the top, in what was the brain, fitting as she bestows knowledge. Lady Nikai resides in the lungs, taking care of the library."


    "Did you know the dragon had twelve lungs," the other replied. "And all of them are filled to the brim with books."


    "What about Aksha?" Meera asked. She didn''t know if she was one of the Five but hoped her guess was correct.


    The two girls stilled. Their eyes swiveled very slowly in each direction as if the woman was there listening in.


    "Please speak her name quietly," the right one said. "She could''ve been listening in."


    "We initiates call her the Kindly One," the other whispered. Her room is in the stomach, and trust me, you do not want to go there. Not many come out of there, and those who do are not fully there if you get my meaning."


    "Noted." Meera nodded. "What about Lady Veridiana?"


    "She''s not part of the Five," said the left one. "It''s a common mistake. Everyone who first comes here thinks she is. No, she is the Sovereign. She sits above the Five and can overrule any of their decrees. They say she hasn''t been seen in over a hundred years. That''s not to say she''s dead. She just hasn''t left her room in all that time. Only the Five are allowed to go in her room, and that is at the Sovereign''s behest."


    If Firaan tells me all I need to know, I don''t need to go to the others, especially not a sorceress who could kill the monstrosity I am standing in.


    "That''s well and good," Meera said. "Now, where does she reside?"


    "She resides in the heart, for she is the heart of this place." The girls were truly enamored with the woman even if they had never seen her.


    Meera was about to ask about the other two members of the Conclave, but a group of girls came rushing from around the corridor. They looked to be initiates by their age. One quick Identify confirmed Meera''s speculation. They were around level 100.


    "Vaelie!" A blond girl in a black colored dress came rushing towards the girl on the left. "Did you hear?"


    Vaelie frowned. "Hear what?"


    "The traitor that fled the sisterhood a decade ago has been caught," the blond girl exclaimed.


    Meera''s ears immediately perked up, but she stayed calm to listen for more details. Please don''t tell me that idiot sorceress didn''t get herself captured ten minutes after she got back.


    "Is it that one that murdered that sorceress? What was her name?" Vaelie rubbed her temples in contemplation.


    "Kalrina!" The other girl Meera had cornered provided.


    "That''s it!" The blond girl said. "Aks¡ªThe Kindly One is escorting her to her room right now. Let''s go see it. After all, how often do you get to see Aksha work."


    "I don''t know if I want to see that," Vaelie said.


    "Oh, just come on."


    The blond girl pulled her by the wrist, and Meera stepped aside to let the girls go. As for Meera, she turned in the opposite direction and headed for the stairs from which the blond girl had come. Since Kalrina had been captured, nothing was holding Arvena back from running off her mouth about her.


    In fact, she might even give me up to save her sister''s skin.


    Meera picked up the pace, turned towards the stairs, and was not expecting what she saw. It was a tunnel with stairs that led up and up into the darkness, or maybe the tunnel had turned. There must''ve been over a hundred steps, if not more.


    She sighed. Time is of the essence.


    She lifted herself using Mirror Wing and shot up the stairs. Using Mirror Wing in this dress was awkward at best and downright difficult. The dress was hugging her so tightly like it would rip in half. Her hair blew in the wind, but she kept her focus. Thanks to her Gem of Echoes, she heard voices coming from the top of the stairs.


    Meera landed on a step immediately, straightened her hair, and climbed the steps normally. It was a pair of sorceresses. Meera bowed to them as they passed to avoid another situation like last time. They didn''t even bother looking her way. Meera picked up the pace after that. It took her only a short time to reach the bend at the top, which held more stairs. She blasted up the stairs again, and thankfully, no one showed up to slow her ascent. At the top, there was yet another set of stairs, but not as long as the other two.


    Are you kidding me? How much Stamina do these sorceresses have?


    She landed at the top a few seconds later. She was flying so fast she was sure her hair was a rat''s nest by now. She exited through the door, and her jaw fell. It was like she had been trapped in the basement before, and someone had finally let her see the light.


    The whole place had been carved out so that each major organ was easily visible. The sorceresses had chunked out what constituted as the dragon''s muscles and only left the major organs intact. It was indeed a sight to behold. The dragon had three livers, just like the girls had said. The livers surrounded a massive bulbous, almost bean-shaped organ which could only be the stomach. She saw many organs that she had studied in school but couldn''t remember their names anymore. She zoomed in with her eyes, and she saw the lungs, and nestled between them was something that could only be a heart.


    The whole place was lit with yellow crystals, signifying it was day outside, or so Meera figured. Slender stone staircases connected the whole complex. It was a good thing she could fly, or she would have had anxiety attacks every time she stepped out on the stairs, as they had no railing whatsoever. Yet, women were climbing or descending the stairs with no care in the world. One even carried a stack of books above her head.


    She drew a deep breath and avoided looking at that woman and her inevitable fall. Instead, she looked at the livers. Since they weren''t numbered, she counted from the top and figured the one nestled between the other two was the second liver.


    Her first thought was to fly, but she restrained herself, charted a path through the stairs, and made her way up. She made sure she didn''t look down as she climbed higher and higher. But once she was high enough, she realized the dragon''s intestines held the living quarters for the not-so-important sorceresses. She picked up the pace and got to the second liver without any instances of imminent death by falling.


    There was a small landing and a door cut out in the stone liver. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She tried again, and nothing. On the fourth try, she activated Druvis Power and pounded lightly, making the whole liver shake. She left an imprint of her fist on the door.


    "I''m coming," said a muffled sound. "Don''t break my door, please."


    A few moments later, the door finally opened. The stone door scratched against the floor, causing a screeching sound that almost made Meera''s eardrums bleed. She clamped her hands on her ears and groaned.


    "Oh, sorry, lass, I''ve asked a hundred times for this to be¡­" The woman trailed off. "Meera! You''re finally here!"


    Meera was too stunned to react. "How do you know my name?"


    But she got her answer once she used Identify on her.


    [Sorceress of Foresight ¨C Level 526]

 Chapter 182 – The Sorceress of Foresight

    The sorceress of Foresight resembled Meera''s elementary math teacher, Mrs. Gill if Mrs. Gill had long raven locks and could pass for a model. Another major difference was that the woman before her was black, but it was the eyes. They both had a similar look in their eyes that betrayed their craziness and hunger for knowledge. Meera remembered that if Mrs. Gill found something interesting, even if it was a children''s collectible card game, she would stop to question them about it and, most of all, why it interested them so much. She prayed this woman was not like Mrs. Gill because, for all her niceties and good intentions, Mrs. Gill got annoying real fast.


    Firaan looked left and right, pulled Meera into her room, slammed the door shut, and took heavy breaths. "You came to me at the perfect time. A moment too late, and my overzealous colleague would have taken you, just like she did your friend."


    The woman spoke so fast as if she was firing every word from an assault rifle, but thankfully, Meera caught every word.


    "Firstly, she''s not my friend, and second, I know," Meera said.


    Firaan raised an eyebrow and looked at Meera''s forehead. "Oh, that makes sense."


    "Did you just read my mind?"


    "Yes. Sometimes, talking takes too long, so I just read the other person''s mind." Firaan smiled as if that were the most normal thing to do.


    Meera squinted at her.


    "Oh, don''t judge me so harshly. I promise not to look too deeply," she said as she stared intently at Meera''s head. "Tell me, is this Narikas, the prince Narikas of Azeria? You sure think about him a lot."


    "W-What?" Meera felt heat on her face. "Get out of my head."


    Firaan raised her hands. "Sorry, sorry. I can''t help looking. Force of habit. Now, you''re here to get information on your brother."


    Meera moved to answer, but the sorceress raised a hand. "No need to answer that. I already know, and yes, he was here. Quite a dashing young lad. We practically had to pry some of the sorceresses off him."


    "He''s sixteen!" Meera exclaimed. Her motherly instincts jumped to the forefront. "None of you crones better have laid your filthy paws on him."


    Firaan laid a gentle hand on her. "Relax, Meera. I know in your world, this Earth, the age of adulthood is eighteen, but in our world, it is fifteen. In other words, it was perfectly within¡ª"


    "I don''t give two shits about the age of adulthood. Neel is just a kid. You better start naming names. I have body parts to collect."


    The sorceress half closed her eyes, and a slow smile spread on her lips. "Calm."


    A sense of calmness spread through Meera, and she stilled like the waters of a lake in the stillness of the morning. It was like all her worries and stress just fell off her.


    "There, that''s better, isn''t it?" Firaan said in a gentle voice.


    Meera smiled and gave her a nod.


    "You don''t need to worry about anything. I will give you all the answers you seek. But I seek something too, nothing traumatizing, just knowledge. You will do that for me, will you not?"


    Again, Meera nodded. What was the harm in that? She would get all her answers and needed to give her some in return. A fair trade, and she had done this sort of thing with the witch in her blasted game.


    The witch¡­Meera''s right eyebrow twitched. The waters of the lake rippled.


    She''s been caught. She''s going to tell them about me.


    Someone skipped a stone over the lake, causing more ripples.


    Firaan frowned, and her grip tightened on Meera''s shoulder. "Stay calm, Meera. Staying calm is so nice, isn''t it? Let''s go back to that."


    She had that Edwyn torture and murder so many people and animals like Shade, Cinders, and Onyx.


    Someone just threw a boulder in the lake.


    Meera slapped Firaan''s hand aside. "Touch me again, and well, you can read my mind what I''ll do."


    The sorceress pulled her hand back. "That''s gruesome."


    "My brother. Talk."


    "Remember, our deal that you will answer some of my questions, and I will answer yours."


    Meera pulled off a chakram and started spinning it on her finger.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Okay, okay. Patience doesn''t run in the family, it seems."


    "And it''s running out fast."


    "Yes, evidently so." Firaan''s demeanor changed now that she wasn''t in control. There was ice in her tone. "The Champion was here to get the Miravane repaired. Though, he wouldn''t divulge where he found the ancient relic."


    "And you couldn''t read his mind?" Meera asked.


    "Contrary to what most believe. I''m not omniscient. There are limits to my skill, which he figured out quite fast, and he even started throwing me off when we questioned him. Though, what was on his mind about the girls here was evident to everyone."


    "And did you fix the Miravane for him?" Meera asked. Not wanting to hear more about Neel''s intention with the sorceresses.


    "Of course. Anything for the Champion. After all, our survival depends on the success of his mission," Firaan said with such sincerity that Meera couldn''t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.


    "That''s it?" Meera asked. "That''s all he came here to do. He said nothing else. No plans of where he was going. Who he was going to meet? Anything?"


    Firaan smiled. "You sound desperate? But I would be desperate, too, if it were my brother destined to save or end the world. But before all that, can you tell me more about those chakrams? I can see why The Lady of Mirrors would give you such a powerful weapon. With you being the Champion''s sister, you will have a part to play in our impending doom. But still, it pales in comparison to your brother''s."


    That piqued Meera''s interest. She remembered the play in Belacre that showed the Champion driving his golden sword into Aetheron''s heart. They never did say its name.


    "Ah, you''re interested," Firaan said knowingly. "I would be too. After all, it''s not every day that Lord Kraldir bestows such a mighty sword on a mortal. As far as gods go, he''s one of the few that keeps his arsenal to himself."


    "Who is that?" Meera asked. "I''ve never heard his name before."


    "Lord Kraldir is the god of weapons. The weaponsmith of the gods. All weapons are under his control. If he so wills it, even the mightiest warrior would fail to lift his sword. Any blade with his mark is one of the greatest weapons in all the worlds." Firaan''s eyes lit up with hunger as she got a faraway look. "It was such a beauty if only the lad would''ve let me study it. Speaking of studying it. Can you let me study yours?"


    Her long fingers reached for Meera''s chakrams. Meera pulled her wrists away. "I''m sorry, but these are not meant to be studied."


    "But can you imagine what I can do with them? I can unlock their secrets and tell you what sort of advancements await you, or maybe you''re interested in how to unlock specific classes."


    Meera couldn''t lie. She was interested in that. Her previous class evolutions took into consideration what she had done in the past and gave her classes based on that. But then, she didn''t receive a class upgrade at level 300. Pallas was right that there wasn''t a class upgrade at every hundredth level, and only Darthin knew what and when the upgrades came.


    She crossed her arms. "You think you can appropriate the powers of a god?"


    The sorceress smiled. "Who said appropriate? I''m just a humble mortal. Who are we to know his will, but we can try to untangle this beautiful thing we call the system? So what do you say, Meera, Cosmarian vanquisher, will you let me study your chakram in exchange for information on your divine weapon and class evolutions?"


    It wasn''t such a bad offer, but one question burned in her mind. Something she had learned painfully.


    "What''s in it for¡ª"


    "Me?" Firaan exclaimed. "A chance to experiment on a divine weapon is reward enough. Could you imagine the secrets it holds and how we could benefit from the power of the gods?"


    She sighed and shook her head even before Meera spoke.


    "You mean how beneficial it will be for you and your sisters because I''m sure you will not share this knowledge freely with the world."


    "Why is everyone so distrustful of us? In your case, it''s Kalrina''s fault for distilling a sense of distrustfulness for the sisterhood. We''re not all like that tortured, vindictive woman hell-bent on revenge."


    Revenge? Meera thought, but of course, the woman read her thoughts.


    "I''ll tell you all about it someday. That''s not important. Let''s talk about what I can do for you aside from revealing your class progression and even your skills if you wish to share them with me because, quite honestly, I''ve never seen someone with a Reflection''s Shadow tag before. The most important thing I can do for you is keep you safe. Unfortunately, many in the sisterhood would try to exploit you for who you are, like trying to get your brother to return here by setting you up as bait."


    "Tell me something I don''t know," Meera grumbled.


    "They might try to run experiments on you as well."


    Meera yawned. "Since you have no new information on Neel, you all are useless to me. It''s time I got out of this place." She turned toward the door.


    "Wait!" Firaan cried and scurried to put herself between Meera and the door. "If you agree to stay with me for three days and let me examine your chakrams, I will share what I learn and get you a safe passage out of here."


    "How can you promise that and¡ª"


    "Why should you trust me?" Firaan finished for her. "Well, you have no other choice. You don''t know your way around this place. Kalrina has been caught, as you heard, then I''m willing to bet all my research that she will give you up in a heartbeat. Three days is all I''m asking, and I will safeguard you from Aksha, and I''ll even sweeten the deal. The sisterhood''s trackers are trying to home in on Neel''s location by studying his residual magic when he teleported out of here. It''s a complex piece of work as if the gods themselves had granted him the skill, which is probably true in his case. But our trackers are nothing to scoff at. So, what do you say, three days in exchange for safe passage, intricate knowledge of your weapons, and promise of some location about your brother."


    It was an enticing offer, but Meera would be entirely at the mercy of this sorceress. A sorceress, she did not know, and who was to say she was any better than Kalrina? Still, as good as the offer was, she could not bring herself to trust the woman.


    "You can trust me¡ª"


    From behind Meera, the stone doors smashed open, raising a small dust cloud, and as the dust settled Meera saw a woman standing there. She wore a yellow dress, which was relatively modest for this place, and it accentuated her piercing green eyes. Meera gasped, stepped back, pulled a level 2 chakram off her back, and readied herself to fight. But when she used Identify on the sorceress, her chakram nearly fell from her fingers.


    [Sorceress of Rebirth ¨C Level ???]


    It was Aksha¡ªthe real one.


    "Aksha, w-what are you doing here?" Firaan asked, stepping in between Meera and her sister.


    All Aksha had to do was step into the room for Firaan to lose her nerves and step aside with her head bowed. She stared daggers at Aksha. "I almost had her."


    Meera sneered at Firaan. "So much for trust."


    "Come," Aksha said to Meera. "You have a lot to answer for."

 Chapter 183 – They Only Answer To Me

    "Come," Aksha said. "You have a lot to answer for."


    Meera raised her hands. "If it''s about killing your daughters, then they started it. The witch and I were perfectly okay going our way, but they had to get in our way."


    "So, you admit that you colluded with an enemy of the sisterhood to gain entry into the keep falsely," Aksha replied.


    This Aksha was quite different than her daughters. For one, there were hardly any emotions on her face and the way she talked. Her words were to the point and direct, as if she was trying to stab you with her words.


    "I needed information on my brother, which I now have, so I''ll just leave, and this doesn''t need to get ugly," Meera said.


    "You cannot leave after your transgressions against the sisterhood. You will answer for your crimes." The sorceress of rebirth held out a hand. "Hand over your weapons."


    Meera looked down at her chakrams and then back at the sorceress who had three times the levels as her. "No."


    Firaan placed a hand on Meera''s arm. "Do as she says because whatever you are thinking will not come to pass, especially if you go against her."


    "You have exactly one second to remove your hand before I cut it off. Look into my head, and you''ll see how I''ll do it."


    Meera showed her an image of her level 2 chakram moving so fast that it was a blur and slashed through her wrist. The sorceress got the message and shirked her hand back quickly. Meera turned her attention back to the more dangerous sorceress.


    "Would you like to lose a hand too?" She asked.


    Aksha''s lips moved as if she were chanting some spell. The next moment, a new Aksha pulled out of her. Looks-wise, there wasn''t a single difference between the two.


    "Get her chakrams," the original commanded.


    "Yes, mother." The daughter bowed and moved for Meera.


    Immediately, there was a difference between the two. For one, the daughter had a self-assured smile, and the two words she had spoken had more emotion than everything the real Aksha had said.


    The daughter Aksha extended a hand. "Hand them over."


    Meera looked at all three of them simultaneously and sighed. "Fine. You win." She took off all her regular chakrams and placed them on the daughter''s hand. Her smile widened with each chakram.


    "How does this work?" She picked one up and threw it.


    It traveled not ten feet that Meera recalled it, and it came flying back towards Meera, but unfortunately, the daughter''s neck was in the way. The chakram ripped open the daughter''s throat as it came to rest on Meera''s wrist.


    The daughter dropped all the chakrams as she gurgled blood. Meera quickly recalled them as the clone fell to her knees, reaching for her mother as blood leaked out of her neck in droves.


    ¡°M-Moth¡­er¡­¡± But she fell dead before the uncaring sorceress.


    "Sorry." Meera shrugged. "They only answer to me and despise if anyone else tries to use them." She glanced sidelong at Firaan, letting her know that this fate awaited her if she tried to take them.


    Aksha''s expression stayed neutral as she chanted the spell again, and four more of her daughters stepped out of her. It was like they were made of the same poison she secreted, but they were somehow whole, like a human.


    "This is your last chance, Meera," Aksha said. "I will not repeat myself."


    "Trust me, mother is not forgiving sort," said one of the clones.


    "We would know," another added.


    Meera was surrounded, and she knew this was a fight she could not win, especially not against a self-replicating sorceress and another who could quite literally read her next move. That left her only one choice¡ªto surrender, but she wouldn''t make it easy for them. After all, as per Firaan''s admission, they needed her alive, even if it was to set her up as bait for Neel. But still, she would be alive, which meant she had a chance to make it out of here.


    "You would do best to forget those thoughts," the mind reader interjected. "There is no escape for you any longer." Her eyes went to the chakrams on Meera''s wrists, and a greedy smile split her lips.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Meera didn''t need to read her thoughts to know what that meant. Watch this.


    Firaan''s face faltered as Meera looked at Aksha. "I''ll come with you quietly but on one condition¡ªmy chakrams stay with me."


    "No."


    "Then take them and I''ll just kill anyone who touches them." She looked to Firaan and smiled. "There hasn''t been a single thing these chakrams haven''t been able to cut. After all, they are divine, you know."


    Aksha stared daggers at Meera. She readied herself for the sorceress''s minions to attack. A tense few moments passed, and then Firaan stepped forward.


    "I have a solution," she said. "What if we lock them in one of Kuana''s boxes and put the lockbox in your cell? That way, she won''t be able to get to them, and it will also satisfy the girl''s condition."


    "I could still probably get to them," Meera countered.


    "Do you want to die?" Firaan practically shrieked. "Because that is what she is planning to do."


    "Fine. As long as it has a glass window so I can count them so I know that a thief hasn''t stolen any in the night." She made it a point to look at Firaan as she said, thief.


    The sorceress smirked. "You don''t have to worry about a glass window. Kuana''s lockboxes are made of clouds."


    Meera squinted at her. Now, this I must see.


    "I''m okay with that. What do you say, Aksha, or do you want to keep losing more daughters?" Meera egged her on.


    "Bring her," Aksha said to her daughters, turned about, and left the room.


    One of the daughters smiled and poured a hand to the door. "This way, please."


    Meera left with the group of Akshas with much fanfare. It seemed that wherever Aksha traveled, a group of young fans followed, or the news of the Champion''s sister''s capture had spread faster than wildfire, and she knew just who to thank¡ªArvena.


    She must have given me up the moment her sister got captured.


    For the faintest moment, Meera regretted antagonizing the sorceress, but then she remembered the girlie comment and thought otherwise. Besides, she would have her chakram with her, so it couldn''t be that hard to break out of here.


    Aksha led her down the stone steps, not caring a lick if the group of sorceresses hastily getting out of her way on the narrow steps fell to their deaths. Though Meera hated to think less of anyone just because of the group they belonged to, she couldn''t bring herself to feel too bad, as, after all, they were sorceresses.


    They pivoted towards the dragon''s stomach, which was Aksha''s lair, and despite multiple warnings, she was looking forward to seeing what was in there. After all, she couldn''t outright kill the Champion''s sister. Meera was too juicy a prize for them. The absence of the threat of death made one reckless.


    They entered the stomach at the bottom, and Meera faced a stone wall. Aksha pivoted right and knocked on the door. One of the clones opened a stone door, and just like that, they arrived at what she figured were the dungeons.


    If Meera was scared of what she saw in the Cave of Wraiths, she was downright terrified at what she saw here.


    Many cells were filled with men who seemed to have been tortured. One even had the flesh of his arm flayed to the elbow¡ªmost supported nasty-looking burns or melted skin. A lot of them were missing limbs. One was knawing on his legs, trying to escape from his chains.


    He clasped his trembling hands as they walked by. "Please grant me death."


    Aksha walked by as if he didn''t even exist. One of his clones spat acid at him. It hit his cheek, making the man reel as he desperately tried to clean it off.


    "Next time, don''t speak until you''re spoken to, dog."


    Meera clenched her teeth. "You like torturing people, do you?"


    "It''s a fun way to pass the time," the clone replied. "Don''t feel too bad. He''s an enemy of the sisterhood. Tried to infiltrate the keep to assassinate our leadership. This was his punishment."


    Meera sighed and looked at the man. "I''m sorry."


    She shot a chakram through the bars and slit his throat. The man gasped and smiled as the life leaked out of him.


    The real Aksha turned on Meera, gripped her by the throat, and lifted her off her feet. "Just because I cannot kill you, it doesn''t mean I can''t make your life a living hell."


    Meera fought against her grip as she floated in the air using Mirror Wing, making the clones frown. Meera would''ve smiled at their confusion if not for the vice grip threatening to crush her throat.


    "U-Understood," Meera managed.


    The sorceress let her drop and turned around without another word. Meera breathed in deep and huffed as she sucked in much needed air. She could''ve easily teleported to safety, but why reveal all her tricks?


    They walked to the end of the long dungeon where a sorceress was casting a spell on what Meera figured was her cell. From the conversation she heard, Aksha''s clone called her Kuana, the one who would make a lockbox for Meera''s chakrams.


    "Are the cells ready?" Aksha asked.


    "Yes, and the lockbox," Kuana replied.


    If Meera had to guess, she belonged to Zona''s race as she had the same stark white hair and red eyes. The woman was pretty, but that was a common theme in this place.


    Kuana produced the lockbox, and it felt like she was holding a square cloud. The white clouds swirled around but never broke the square shape.


    "Are those actual clouds?" Meera asked.


    "Are those actual divine weapons?" Kuana asked at the same time.


    Aksha grunted, and Kuana reined herself in. She coughed. "Please place your chakrams in here."


    "First, you place the lockbox in my cell. Who''s to say you won''t run off with them? I''m not saying I don''t trust you, but I don''t trust you."


    Aksha flicked her head, Kuana walked into the cell on her right, and Meera followed. Once inside, Meera took off all her chakrams and placed her chakrams in the swirling clouds.


    "Your Hoard Belt?" Kuana motioned to Meera''s belt.


    She sighed and placed the belt in the lockbox as well. Kuana uttered a spell that sparked lightning in the clouds, and a moment later, they quieted, and turned fluffy white.


    She placed the cloud box on the table by the bed and left and uttered the same spell on the cell. Clouds ejected from her hands to cover the cell, locking Meera in.


    "None of your skills or magic will work against them, no matter how much you try," Aksha declared. "I will come to pay you a visit soon."


    Aksha left with all her clones, leaving only one behind.


    "Hello, dearie. Did you miss me?" Kalrina waved from the opposite cell.


    Meera groaned. "Which of your gods is playing this cruel joke on me."

 Chapter 184 – Confess Or Suffer

    Aksha had left one of her minions behind to watch over Meera and Kalrina. It was a good idea because as soon as the real Aksha left, Meera raised a hand towards the lockbox and pulled on her topmost chakram, which was a regular chakram. She used their innate ability to recall them and used Mirror Wing for extra measure.


    Her chakram responded to her call and smashed against the cloudy box¡ªthe swirling mass of clouds condensed at the spot where the chakram was trying to break free. The clouds darkened, and sparks started buzzing around them.


    Aksha''s clone snorted, seeing the display. "Try as you might, you''re not breaking that box. Kuana harnesses the power of the god of elements, Arterisa herself, to make these pretty prisons. You''re as likely to break that box as you are to Split the heavens with your hands."


    "I''ll do that too when the time comes," Meera replied, refocusing on the chakram.


    "Give it up, love," Kalrina cooed. "Somethings are not meant to be."


    Hearing her voice aggravated Meera to the point that she commanded all her chakrams to escape from different angles. Her brow creased, and a bead of sweat dribbled down her forehead.


    The lockbox didn''t have enough clouds to hold off all her chakrams, especially not the level 2 chakrams. Lightning lit up the dungeons. The other prisoners looked up at Meera''s display of defiance. She spread her chakrams apart as much as she could. Sparks lit up the chakrams'' surface, but they did nothing to her divine weapons.


    "Stop," the clone ordered. "You''ve made your point."


    "Not yet, I haven''t," Meera replied through gritted teeth.


    She saw her chance when she saw one level 2 chakram peaking out further than the rest. She pulled on it while commanding the others to spread out and thin the protecting clouds. But before she could break the lockbox, the daughter thrust her spear in the cage, the clouds parting for her spear and shot a fuming purple liquid at Meera. She ducked and that broke her concentration and all her chakrams fell back in place.


    Aksha¡¯s daughter fumed. "Mother will hear of this."


    Kalrina laughed while clapping her hands. "Are you a child? Go in there and discipline your prisoner. What would you have done if one of these other poor sods had tried something like that."


    "Oh, please come in here," Meera added. "I can''t wait for you to come in here and discipline me."


    The clone fumed. Her cheeks turned red. "Laugh now while you can. Neither of you bitches will be laughing once mother begins tomorrow."


    Meera¡¯s nostrils flared. "I really hate being called the B word. Consider this a threat¡ªI''m killing you once I break out of here."


    Meera lay down on her cot and didn''t even realize when sleep took her.


    <hr>


    "AHHHHH!" Kalrina screamed as Aksha laid a poison-covered fist into her gut.


    Meera flinched as it looked painful. She had taken off her Gem of Echoes long ago as the witch''s screams were ear-piercing already. Kalrina looked no better than the tortured men Meera had seen when she came here.


    She had bruises all over her face, arms, and body. Aksha''s acidic touch had peeled her skin in places and left burn marks in others. Kalrina''s pretty dress lay in tatters. Thankfully, none of the men were around their cages, for Kalrina was barely covered.


    "Confess," Aksha commanded for the tenth time.


    Kalrina coughed as blood, mixed with spit, drooled from her mouth. Still, the mad woman smiled. "C-Confess to what, love?" She wiped a hand over her bloody mouth. "No matter how much you try, I don''t have any feelings for you."


    She laughed, which devolved into a hacking cough. Aksha towered over her, quiet like a statue. Then her leg flashed, hitting Kalrina in the ribs and sent her rolling into the opposite wall. There was a sickening sound as Kalrina''s skull crashed against the wall. Meera didn''t need to look to know she must''ve cracked it.


    "Confess."


    Kalrina wasn''t in any position to confess. Even Meera could see the woman was knocked out and most definitely suffering internal bleeding.


    When she learned what the witch had been responsible for back at the Cave of Wraiths, all the deaths and the chakram that she stole, Meera hated her with every fiber of her being. That sentiment hadn''t changed much, though it had softened with them traveling and facing many dangers together, but she was also not heartless. No matter the person''s crimes, they did not deserve to be tortured. Numheia had said that she needed to be less compassionate and more selfish, and she had tried, but she couldn''t sit here and do nothing.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "She''s in no position to confess, and if you don''t heal her soon, she won''t ever be in a position to confess anything," Meera said, earning the ire of the torturer.


    Aksha''s head snapped to her. "You stay out of this."


    The woman''s voice and face betrayed no emotion but even still Meera was chilled to the bone.


    "S-She''s right, mother," one of the daughters stammered.


    "We need to keep her alive until the trial," said another.


    There were three of them. One who had been standing guard, taking all the insults hurled at her by Meera and Kalrina and two more that Aksha had brought with her. The guard was the only one who stayed quiet. She was the smart one.


    Aksha looked at the ones who had spoken, and they melted into a puddle of green poison that got reabsorbed into Aksha through her feet.


    Meera shot to feet at this new display of power. Just how powerful is this woman? Can she do that to us, too, or is it exclusive to her clones?


    Aksha looked at the remaining clone. "Heal her."


    "Y-Yes, mother." She fiddled with something in her pocket and brought out a vial with a green liquid¡ªa Health potion.


    She cradled Kalrina''s bloody head in her lap and tilted the vial in her mouth. Most of it spilled out of the corners of Kalrina''s mouth, but it was enough that the witch''s eyes snapped open, and she sat up slowly.


    She groaned, feeling around the back of her head. "Ah, you cracked my skull, dearie. That will make it hard for me to remember the important details at my trial." She smiled a bloody smile. "When is my trial?"


    Aksha walked slowly to her, sat on her haunches, and gently took the witch''s hands in her hands. "When you get used to the pain."


    Then she bent all of the witch''s fingers the wrong way, making her scream a blood-curdling scream. Even the clone flinched at the display of barbarity. Meera cringed and looked away.


    Aksha stood and exited the cell. "No healing," she ordered her daughter. "Only come to me if she tries to commit suicide."


    "Yes, Mother," the daughter left a trembling Kalrina in the cell.


    The witch barked a laugh. "You''re not getting rid of me that easily."


    "How is she going to eat like that?" Meera couldn''t hold herself back from asking.


    Aksha didn''t bother replying and simply walked away. The prisoners squirmed away as she walked past their cells, no doubt thinking their turn was next.


    ¡°Aw-w¡­.you d-do care for me,¡± Kalrina stammered. Her fingernails had been ripped out of their sockets. One of them was so bad that her flesh had ripped open, showing the mutilated muscles underneath, and yet the woman was making jokes.


    "Shut up, witch. I''m not like you. I don''t enjoy watching other people in pain."


    Kalrina looked away for a moment, and Meera didn''t think she would reply, but she whispered. "I wasn''t always like this."


    She grunted as she stood and dropped on her cot, letting out another scream. She laid down, cradling her ruined hands.


    "I wasn''t always like this," she said louder this time.


    <hr>


    The next morning, food was brought, and it looked worse than what Meera had seen in the movies. It was a stew with more than questionable ingredients, but her stomach grumbled louder than her dad''s snores.


    Never in my life did I think I would be stuck in prison. Meera shook her head. Earlier, I was running around doing errands for one person or another, and now that I know what I need to know, I''m stuck in a dead dragon''s stomach.


    She picked up the plate and was about to eat when she noticed the witch struggling to lift her plate. She winced and cried out before giving up. Her fingers were useless, and she still must''ve supported many bruises on her body. That one Health potion was not enough to heal all her injuries, especially with that injury to her head.


    Meera was reminded of this homeless person she had helped feed when volunteering at one of her dad''s many NGOs. That person was in a similar condition as the witch. Some of the other homeless people had beaten him to death almost for his things, which Meera''s team had distributed the day earlier. If they had waited another day, they would''ve also gotten those things.


    The witch, however¡­on the one hand, she pitied her condition. Despite what she had done, Meera didn''t agree with leaving someone in pain like this. On the other, she couldn''t help but think of it as Karmic justice for all her sins.


    Kalrina clenched her teeth tight as mirrors appeared on her hands. She trembled in pain as they traveled up her fingers and then hardened in place, making her scream. But the witch wasn''t done. She moved her fingers around until they all pointed in the right direction. After a few more screams and many wincing later, she was finally satisfied.


    She huffed as beads of sweat rolled down the side of her head. Aksha''s daughter watched the gruesome display, but it looked like she didn''t want to. This made Meera frown, as she had seen her mother rip the witch a new one with a stoic attitude.


    "Do you enjoy pain that much, Kalrina?" the daughter asked.


    Kalrina huffed. "Not¡­at all. But if you won''t heal me, then I¡­ can''t let my poor fingers go to waste."


    "What does Aksha want you to confess?" Meera asked. "You told me you killed that sorceress."


    "You know, I did it. I know, I did it. But if I don''t confess before the Conclave, then Aksha''s case falls flat, I''m afraid."


    "We saw you kill Hemera," Aksha''s clone said. "That''s cause enough to hang you."


    "Maybe, but that is your word against mine, and as the Conclave knows, Aksha has always had it out for me," Kalrina replied. "And after this love session, my case is stronger. That I''m being framed for the murder of Isolde. You see, they have no proof that I killed her or Neshi."


    "Then why did you run?" Aksha barked.


    Kalrina shrugged. "I got tired of this place and all its rules."


    "But why go through all this pain?" Meera asked. "This cannot be worse than the punishment they give you."


    Kalrina looked at the daughter with such vitriol that Meera thought she was going to kill her with her stare. "They''ve already done far worse to me than this." She turned to Meera with a smile. "Come, dearie, let me tell you a tale about a sorceress who committed the ultimate sin a Sorceress of Akhessai can commit."


    She looked at Aksha''s daughter again, and this time, the daughter looked away.


    "What sin?" Meera asked.


    "The sin of falling in love."

 Chapter 185 – Bark Like A Dog

    Kalrina''s heart pumped as she threw up her hands. "We don''t need clothes. I can always get you more clothes. Let''s go!" She rushed to the window, and the night was still with only a few huts with burning candles. Most of the villagers had gone to sleep, which was good¡ªfewer witnesses as they made their escape.


    "Relax, Rin, we have time," Eston said. "You said no one saw you leaving the keep, so we have time."


    "Not when we''re talking about Aksha and her daughters," Kalrina shot back. "Neshi, the bitch had been reading my letters before sending them to you. For all we know, she''s been in Aksha''s ear all this time."


    Eston held her by the shoulders. "Take a deep breath."


    Kalrina was way past taking deep breaths.


    "Rin," he said in his deep voice, which was the first thing she had noticed about him.


    She looked into his caramel-colored eyes and couldn''t help but smile. She drew a deep breath and let it go. "There. Now, let''s go."


    He smiled. "You look so pretty when you are so concerned. Mostly, you''re just bossing me around." He made a silly face. "Eston, do this. Eston, do that."


    Kalrina chuckled. "And I''m going to continue doing that all your life."


    "No, you''re not," said a voice that chilled Kalrina to the bone.


    Despite the warm hut, Kalrina trembled as she turned to find Aksha at the door. She quickly Identify''d her and found she was the real one. Kalrina could''ve fought through her minions, but this one¡­she might as well be hurling stones in the ocean, hoping to stop the waves.


    "A-Aksha, take me." Kalrina moved between Eston and the sorceress. "He''s not at fault. Only me. Do what you wish with me, but please leave him alone."


    "No."


    Kalrina moved first and shot a Mirror Shard Barrage, but it hit the wall. Aksha moved like a blur, almost disappearing. The next time she reappeared, she pulled Kalrina forward, turned her around, and put her in a chokehold.


    "Aksha, no, leave him alo¡ª"


    A hand clamped down on Kalrina''s mouth, and Aksha poured a liquid down her throat. She thought it was an acid or poison of some sort as it burned her throat as it traveled down to reach her stomach, where an intense pain took hold as if the acid was eating her out from the inside.


    The poison sorceress let go of her, and as soon as she did, Kalrina dropped like a sack of potatoes. Her arms or legs, nothing worked save for her tongue.


    Aksha dashed behind Eston. She gripped the top of his head in a vice grip. He tried to fight against the smaller woman, but he might as well be fighting a lioness.


    "Aksha, please don''t," Kalrina cried as tears spilled from her eyes. "Please no¡­"


    "You knew the rules, Kalrina."


    A thick green liquid leaked from Aksha''s hand. Eston screamed and fought as the poison slowly traveled down his face, burning him and making fumes rise. He trembled and flailed as his skin was slowly burned off.


    Kalrina begged. "Please, not like this. Don''t torture him. Kill him, but don''t do this."


    "I only paralyzed your body."


    The poison had reached Eston''s brow, and before it reached his eyes, he looked at Kalrina one final time and smiled. "I love you, Rin."


    "I love you too," Kalrina said through a stream of tears.


    When the poison reached his eyes, he let out such a blood-curdling scream that his throat burned raw, and he coughed actual blood.


    Kalrina couldn''t watch anymore. She formed a mirror dagger and launched it at Eston to put him out of his misery, but Aksha waved a hand and formed an acid shield that dissolved her dagger into nothing.


    Kalrina''s eyes widened. "No! You said¡ª"


    "This is your true punishment, Kalrina, for defying the edicts of the sisterhood."


    So, Kalrina, who could not even shut her eyes, was forced to watch the love of her life die a most terrible death. His death throes were etched permanently into her brain.


    Once Aksha was done and all that remained of Kalrina''s Eston was nothing but a burnt-out husk, did the cruel sorceress come to Kalrina. She sat on her haunches before her. "Your punishment is not over. You will be made an example of."


    Aksha created two of her daughters. "Bring them."


    One of them picked up Eston''s body and put him over her shoulder, and the other did the same to Kalrina. The cruel sorceresses had Kalrina face the love of her life, knowing Kalrina couldn''t even look away. She didn''t even recognize Eston, as Aksha''s acid had left nothing to recognize.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Tears streamed from her eyes, and Kalrina didn''t even know when they reached the dragon keep. The entire time, she faced Eston''s husk¡­her Eston, who may not have been the most handsome man she had seen, but he was good. He didn''t have a way with words, but his eyes spoke for him.


    If only you had listened to me¡­if only we had left the moment I arrived.


    The next thing Kalrina knew, she was being stuffed in a chair, and they threw Eston''s body before her. She was in the Chamber of Judgement. The Five sat in their chairs. They didn''t look dressed for passing judgment but as if they''d been dragged out of their beds. But the Five were not the only ones who were present. All the sisterhood was there. Every seat behind the Five was filled aside from the Sovereign''s, which stood empty like always.


    Aksha nodded to her daughter, who had put Kalrina in the chair, and she began. "This is our sister Kalrina, who has broken one of the cardinal sins. She fell in love with this man and made plans to flee with him, but my dear mother caught them before they could carry out their nefarious plans. This man has been dispatched. But since Kalrina belongs to the sisterhood. Her punishment belongs to the Five."


    Then the Five talked amongst themselves. The whole chamber was abuzz, whispering, gossiping. Kalrina cared nothing for them. They could do whatever they wished to her, for it would pale in comparison to what had already been taken from her.


    Finally, Duinith, the headmistress, stood. "Her beautiful hair will be shorn completely, and until it regrows fully, she will have to wear only the clothes she is wearing now."


    Kalrina didn''t raise her eyes from Eston. Please, gods, you can take my hair, my beauty, and give me all the curses known to man, but return my Eston to me¡­Return him to me. Let him live once more¡­please.


    "And for the sin of touching a sorceress, her lover''s body will be cut into pieces at each joint and scattered in the forest to be fed upon by animals or rot."


    "No¡­" Kalrina heaved. "No, please, no. Don¡¯t¡­please¡­¡±


    "You should have thought of that when you decided to elope with this common filth," Duinith hissed. "Begin!"


    One of the daughters brought a rusted machete and bent down over Eston, ready to carry out the command.


    "Don''t fucking touch him!" Kalrina roared, but that was all she could do, as Aksha''s poison still paralyzed her.


    The daughter smirked in challenge, spread out Eston''s hand, and went to work. First, cutting off the bits of his fingers. Kalrina could only scream curses and weep, as they dismantled the man who was smiling and making jokes not more than an hour ago.


    "I''m going to kill you, you bitch. Stop! Fucking stop, please." Kalrina wept as Aksha''s daughter kept doing her gruesome work. "Please, I''ll do anything." Kalrina finally relented to begging. "I''ll be your slave¡­ I''ll bark like a dog for the rest of my life. Please don''t desecrate him like this. His soul will be cursed. He won''t find any rest like this¡­"


    The sisterhood laughed at Kalrina''s helplessness. The other daughter, who had stood and laughed by Kalrina''s side, finally moved and backhanded her across the face.


    "Bark like a dog, eh?" She cupped a hand over her ear. "I don''t hear any barking. Say woof.¡±


    Kalrina looked at her through teary eyes and flinched at the sound of the machete severing Eston''s arm from his shoulder. Then the daughter moved for his head. She waited for Kalrina.


    "Woof,¡± said Kalrina lightly.


    The daughter slapped her. "Louder."


    "Woof. Woof."


    Another slap. "Louder!"


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!"


    The room erupted in laughter. The Five couldn''t hold back their laughter, and even Aksha cracked a smile.


    "Last I looked, dogs don''t wear such pretty clothes." The daughter ripped the arms off Kalrina''s shirt and, with her knife, cut holes in her shirt and pants. She was rough and left many cuts on her legs and body, knowing full well that Kalrina could do nothing, nor could she change her clothes until her hair regrew.


    Finally, Aksha stood. "That''s enough. Carry on with the judgment."


    The daughter tilted her head and, using the same knife, roughly shorn all of Kalrina''s long, beautiful hair. By the time she was done, she had many cuts on her scalp. Blood trickled down her head, but the pain in her body was nothing compared to the one in her heart, for before her, lay the cut-up body of Eston¡ªa sight that would haunt her for as long as she lived.


    <hr>


    Kalrina had recently relived this memory, thanks to Hemera. It wasn''t like she had forgotten this ordeal, nor she would ever, but it was important Meera knew about her past and why she was in this predicament.


    She smiled sadly at Meera while the poor girl was stunned to silence. "Didn''t think I would have paid such a price for the sin of loving a man. But that wasn''t even the worst of it. Now, was it, baby Aksha?" She asked the daughter. The daughter would not meet her eyes. "Well, what do you know, Aksha does have a conscience, after all?"


    "Loving someone is not a sin," Meera said, voice thick with emotion. "And they did more to you than that?"


    "Oh yes, dearie. Not only, they took from me, my love, but also what he left me. His last gift to me." Kalrina''s eyes teared up. "Something I would have loved more than life itself."


    Meera frowned at first, then her eyes widened in horror as she gasped. "No¡­ Don''t tell me¡­"


    "That''s right. You got it, love. I was pregnant at that time. My Eston passed from this world without even knowing he was going to be a father." Tears dripped from Kalrina''s eyes as they always did when she thought about this. She hated appearing this weak, but she couldn''t help it. "I didn''t even know until a day later when the bleeding started. I bled for days. I was so sick with grief that I thought I was going to die. I thought it was grief that caused this heavy bleeding, but no, that was not enough for dear Aksha. You see, the poison she forced down my throat, not only did it rob me of my child but also my ability to bear children." She glared at the daughter. "What a great example you made of me to your precious sisterhood, Aksha?"


    "I have to check on the other prisoners," the daughter said and promptly left.


    Meera had tears in her eyes. "I don''t know what to say. I''m sorry¡­"


    "You know, I''ve never been with another man since. Eston was my everything. When we first met, I thought he was someone to pass the time with, as we sorceresses weren''t allowed to love or have families. But he dug his way into my heart and took hold so fiercely that seventy years later, he still hasn''t left."


    Meera stared. "But then, what about all that flirting with those men."


    "A means to an end. A fa?ade. A role, if you will, so no one will guess my true intentions. So, no one would see the aching heart beneath it all."


    "How does one even begin to get over this?" Meera mused.


    "If it were a parent or an aunt or an uncle or if it were even Arvena, I would have gotten over it, but the gruesome death of my love and unborn child¡­" Her voice quivered. ¡°M-my child¡­I never even got to hear him cry¡­¡± She shook her head and drew a deep shaky breath. "This pain I will carry till I die. The only thing that will give me some respite is when I bring this fucking place down and rip Aksha apart like she did my Eston."


    "How do you plan to do that from here?" Meera asked, frowning. "In that condition?"


    Kalrina smiled. "I have a plan in mind."

 Chapter 186 – Use Your Full Potential

    Meera lay on her cot, beyond bored. Another day had passed since Aksha mutilated Kalrina''s fingers. Since Kalrina told Meera of her past and all that she had lost. If Meera was in her position, she didn''t even know if she could survive the mental stress it would put on her.


    What would it do to someone? No wonder she''s half mad.


    Meera couldn''t excuse her actions, but if she were in her position and lost all that Kalrina had lost, she would do anything to hurt those who had hurt her. But her enemy could douse her in poison before she even moved.


    Maybe that is why she wanted the Crystal of Darthin to get a skill powerful enough to take down Aksha.


    She shook her head, drew her thoughts away from what ifs, and stared at the lockbox with her chakrams. I bet a level 3 chakram could break this cloud cage in no time.


    Her eyes drifted to the statue like Aksha, who sat in the chair and stared straight ahead. Either the woman was meditating, or she could turn off her consciousness until she needed it.


    Meera sat up as she realized she had killed one of her sisters and had yet to review her notifications. With nothing better to do, she pulled them up.


    *ding!*


    [You have killed Sorceress of Rebirth ¨C Level 482. For killing an opponent a hundred levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulation. The Shadow Image has gained 4 levels and reached Level 370. You have been awarded 12 stat points]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 370 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakrams.]


    A chakram appeared on her arm, making Meera smile. Thankfully, the sorceress of rebirth sitting outside her cell didn''t notice the bracelet on her arm, nor did the witch. Meera lay down on the cot and faced the wall. She would have placed it in her Dragon Hoard Belt, but that was in the lockbox, and she was not leaving it behind when she escaped this place.


    So, she did the next best thing. She willed her armor of mirrors to open up around her chest, placed the chakram close to her heart, and closed her armor, holding the chakram in place. Now, she had a weapon for when she needed it.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Identify has gained 2 levels and reached Level 19. You can now Identify people up to a hundred and ninety levels higher than you.]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 4 levels and reached Level 128]


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Negotiation Expertise has gained 4 levels and reached Level 5]


    Meera raised an eyebrow at this one and then realized it must''ve meant the negotiation she had done to have her chakrams present in her cell. Knowing that she could spring weapons out at any time was something that was if she wasn''t disturbed like last time. Even Aksha knew that and was not happy.


    That was all the levels she had gained. Considering she hadn''t done much fighting. She was so used to seeing pages upon pages of the stuff that it left her a little saddened. But she moved on to the skills she had stolen, hoping she gained something new and useful.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Corrupting Hex. Corrupting Hex ¨C Type: Passive. At the cost of a third of your Mana, you can place a curse on a target, causing them to suffer from poisoning whenever they attempt to cast spells or use Focus-based skills. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    *ding!*


    [Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill of Accelerating Healing. You can heal at an extraordinary rate, repairing wounds and regenerating damaged tissues far quicker than an average human, but you will get hungry that much faster. Would you like to acquire this skill?]


    Meera already had Corrupting Hex, and if she chose that skill again, she would get a level or two, but this Accelerated Healing was something else. Combined with her Vitalize, she could return to the fight in no time.


    *ding!*


    [You have acquired the skill Accelerated Healing ¨C Level 1]


    She put half of her stat points into Focus to boost her Mana, as creating a successful Level 3 chakram was still at the forefront of her mind. She split the rest equally between Constitution and Endurance. With that, she was all done, and her boredom returned again.


    She groaned. "Is there a plan for holding me here, or do you want to kill me of boredom?"


    "Stay quiet and endure," the daughter replied. "Mother will reveal her thoughts when the time is right. For now, you will stand before the Five, and they will decide your fate for killing my sisters."


    "Your sisters attacked me¡ªus," she added after sparing a glance at the injured witch. Despite what she had done, after hearing her story, Meera couldn''t help but be sorry for her.


    "Then you should have come quietly," the daughter replied. "The result was the same in the end."


    "She''s right," Kalrina said. "We would''ve avoided climbing those latrine pipes."


    The daughter made no reaction, which meant they already knew that. Meera knew that Arvena had given Kalrina up, so she must''ve told her how they got in and other things, like her chakrams. Surprisingly, she didn''t tell them about my armor, or maybe she had forgotten. Whatever the reason, Meera was happy that she still could keep it on. It could very well be the key to getting out of this place.


    "You got that right," Meera replied. "Ugh, there is nothing to do in this place. Can we get a book to read, or can I practice taking my chakrams out of the lockbox?"


    "I''ve been told to inform you that if you try that again, you will end up in the same condition as your friend."


    "It''s okay, dearie. I have something else in mind that you can practice," Kalrina spoke from the other cell.


    Meera frowned. "Like what?"


    "How should I put this in nicer terms¡­" Kalrina tapped a finger on her lips and immediately winced with widened eyes.


    Meera shook her head. "Did you forget your fingers are still broken?"


    "Since you are going to be like that. I won''t be nice. My love, you are simply unimaginative with your mirror skills."


    "What do you mean, unimaginative?"


    "Well, for one, you only use the mirrors on your person to see when you can easily form a chain of them to look around corners," the witch said. "Do you remember the mirrors I placed in the underground city?"


    Meera nodded.


    "I placed them in such a manner that with a look in any mirror, I could see all around the city. It was the same in Cliffshield Valley. There was hardly a corner of that forest that wasn''t always under my purview. How do you think I knew where to send my golems?"


    "You really shouldn''t have reminded me of that time? I was just beginning to feel sorry for you."


    Kalrina raised her hands. "Hey, you killed them. I just created them as a diversion for when Aksha came."


    "And what about all those men that you had enslaved?" Meera barked.


    "Okay, I''ll admit, that was not right, but I needed someone to do menial labor while I worked on my goal." She paused to glare at the daughter, who frowned at the intense look.


    Meera wondered if she would give away her plans. Then it clicked, why she was so eager to fight the daughters. She killed them even when she didn''t need to and even when she told Meera not to.


    "Anything other tips, other than how to create a CCTV Camera?" Meera asked.


    Both the sorceresses frowned.


    "What''s a CCTV Chimera?" Kalrina asked. "Is it a monster from your world?"


    "Yes, it is." Then inwardly, she said. A monster for criminals, and sometimes, an annoyance for us regular folks too.


    "You must tell me about it someday. As for other suggestions, you need to use your skills in synergy. With what you have, you can create whatever shapes you want, like I do."


    "How?" Meera was truly intrigued, but this suggestion had a big problem. "In case you haven''t noticed. I don''t have the Reflectomancy skill. I can''t create mirrors whenever I want to."


    "And you don''t need it, dearie," Kalrina replied. "With your shield, which you can size up or down, the shards from your various skills, and Mirror Wing, you can put together whatever shape you like."


    "That''s¡­not wrong, but it will take so much focus."


    "And lots of time to practice, which fortunately we do have. So, let''s get to work, dearie."


    Meera shrugged and shot a Mirror Shard Fury at the clouds surrounding her cell. The clouds converged on the impact, darkened, and sparked, but her attack couldn''t pierce through the clouds. She stopped once there was a mound of shards lying on the floor.


    "That''s good," Kalrina said. "Now, let''s make something like a dagger."


    "Do I really need to make a dagger when I can riddle them with all these shards?"


    "It''s about starting simple, or do you want to go straight to making something like Mirror Eruption? You know, the skill that mowed down her sisters like the pests they are." She glared at the clone once again.


    "So, you''re saying I can practically copy that skill?" Meera''s eyes widened.


    "Yes, in essence, you can copy any skill if they are not elemental-based, and if you''re creative enough, you could probably do that too." She shook her head in disappointment. "Given that our whole element is mirrors, one would expect that we would be able to downright copy other''s skills, but alas, Lady Midea didn''t bestow that gift on us. Could you imagine how powerful that ability would be?"


    "Yes, I can."

 Chapter 187 – The True Use of Mirror Wing

    "Again!" echoed Kalrina''s voice in the dungeon.


    Meera huffed as sweat dripped off her brow. She glared mildly at the witch, but the one who really got on her nerves was Aksha''s clone. She sat with a smug smile as she enjoyed watching Meera''s fail repeatedly.


    Meera was trying to recreate a knife, and for half a day, she had all but failed to put anything together that seemed remotely like a knife. It was like putting together a Lego set, but the pieces were all wrong, and nothing fit together.


    The problem wasn''t even the mirror shards. It was the concentration it took to move each piece individually in a coherent manner so it looked like they were working together. Whenever she would try to lift the next piece to fit into the ''knife'' that she held in the air, the knife would fall apart and drop, shattering all the pieces. Thus, Meera would have to begin again and look for more pieces.


    She searched the ground for more pieces to form a knife and began the fruitless exercise again. Thanks to her Mirrorstrike Vision, she could see in all directions, or it would take much longer. Not to mention, she would have cracked her skull open by now.


    "Faster," Kalrina snapped. "You won''t get this time to deliberate on the battlefield, dearie."


    Meera grunted in annoyance, picked up pieces left and right, and smashed them together, but nothing came off it. She used too much force, and the mirror piece shattered and fell.


    "Again!"


    She had never seen this side of Kalrina. Mostly, she was calm or flirty and rarely threatening, but this was something else. It was like she had turned into a strict teacher who either wanted Meera to do good for Meera''s sake or because she had something to prove.


    Meera tried again and failed miserably. The next half a dozen tries yielded the same results and the witch''s constant harping and Aksha''s constant snickering were getting on Meera''s nerves.


    "Again!"


    "Shut up!" Meera snapped and whipped a hand in her direction. Inadvertently, the mirror shards responded. A wave of Mirror Shards launched towards her and collided against the clouds, creating sparks.


    Kalrina smiled. "Do that again."


    Meera whipped her hand towards the witch again, and this time, fewer of the shards responded, but still enough to have Aksha sit up and frown.


    Meera furrowed her brow. "Why did fewer shards respond this time?"


    "Because you''re letting your head get in the way," Kalrina responded. "Don''t use your head, and just listen to me. There''s not much up there anyways."


    Meera glared at her. "Keep talking like that, and there won''t be much left in yours either."


    "All this training is pointless," The daughter said. "You two are never getting out of here."


    "Want to make a bet?" Kalrina asked. "Oh, but I''ll have to kill you when I make my eventual escape, so how will I ever collect."


    "Take a look at yourself," the daughter responded. "You''re only getting out of here when you go for your trial and then to your eventual death."


    "Tell me what did you do that Aksha shoved you in here to watch over us," Kalrina prodded, making Meera frown.


    Where are you going with this? She wondered.


    Aksha huffed and looked down the length of the dungeon. "I did nothing. Mother ordered, and so I am here."


    "No, you did something." Kalrina nodded in contemplation. "You see, dearie, Aksha never does anything without reason, and this acidic creature couldn''t bear to hear the deeds of her mother¡ªher actions last night. The real Aksha doesn''t have such a heart." She rubbed her chin. "Almost makes me believe that Aksh''s daughters have a part of her personality that she either wants to be rid of or train her weaknesses to be more heartless."


    Meera squinted as she tilted her head. "So, you''re saying she bears the compassionate side of Aksha, which she wants to harden and so, made her the jailor."


    "That''s precisely what I''m saying, dear pupil. It''s why some display more leadership abilities and some are more timid. There''s only a minuscule hint of such things, but when you''ve been dealing with Aksha and her so-called daughters for so long, you tend to pick up on such things."


    The clone huffed. "You both could not be more wrong. We''re all the exact image of our mothers."


    "Even the mirror doesn''t show an exact image. Believe me, I would know." Kalrina smirked, but the daughter did not reply or meet Kalrina''s gaze in defiance.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Meera squinted at the witch and wondered if this was part of her plan to escape. But could she really turn what was essentially Aksha herself? Then something clicked. Is training me part of her escape plan as well.


    Before last night, Meera would''ve been content with letting her rot in here, but now, a small part of her wanted to see her bring about the fall of this place. The more she learned about it, the more she wanted it gone. However, it would be a task of Olympic proportions.


    I''m overthinking things. I won''t get involved with matters that don''t concern me. I did that¡ªor rather was forced to enough in Azeria.


    But if she hadn''t done that, she wouldn''t have met the Wardens, Dirik, Narikas, and Numheia, the literal goddess. And not found out that the great prophecy that she knew was incomplete.


    The more she traveled, the more her problems grew. Right now, she was wasting time in this cell, but the problem was that she didn''t know which way Neel went.


    One thing after another after another. But I can''t be sure that Firaan told me everything. Meera sat up straight. Did she find out about my class ability?


    She thought back to her brief conversation with Firaan and couldn''t think of any instance that would make her think of her ability. She was sure, she didn''t even think about stealing her ability, even when Aksha showed up. Another reason she knew she was safe was that Firaan hadn''t shown up since then. If she had figured out Meera''s class ability, she would have hovered around her like a blood-sucking mosquito.


    This planet really is the worst. I haven''t met a single person worthy of my trust yet. It''s like I used up all my trust back in Azeria. She looked at the tattoo on her hand. At least I have you, buddy.


    She had half a mind to bring him out, but there was no reason to, and she would give Aksha another thing to be wary of. The sorceress might even increase the guard or add fortifications to her cell.


    Kalrina snapped her fingers. "Where are you lost, dearie? Where are my blades?"


    Meera rolled her eyes and got back to getting frustrated again.


    <hr>


    A dozen or so jagged pieces trembled in the air as they rubbed against each other, threatening to shatter if Meera pushed a little harder. She had been trying this all day. If she didn''t get this together now, she was giving up on this all together.


    "Focus," Kalrina said.


    "Shut up, witch. Every time you speak, it causes me to lose focus," Meera replied through gritted teeth.


    Kalrina chuckled and must''ve thought of placing a finger on her lips, but thanks to her broken fingers, she thought otherwise.


    Meera''s full attention was on the shivering blade before her. She carefully picked up a shard that should fit with the piece in the hilt. The shard hovered over the hilt just as she was about to place it. A shard in the blade''s tip rubbed with another shard a little too hard, and the whole thing shattered.


    Meera screamed in frustration, and they all shattered, creating a mini Mirror Blast and launching shards everywhere.


    "That''s it. I''m done with this pointless exercise!" Meera raged.


    Kalrina was up out of her seat. "Do that again!"


    "Are you mad?" Meera barked. "I''m not wasting any more time and brain cells putting together another¡ª"


    "No, not the knife. That!" The witch pointed at where her blade was. "Make more shards explode."


    Meera squinted her eyes. "Why?"


    "Stop asking questions and just do it!" Kalrina barked, clearly losing her patience with her.


    Meera lifted more shards off the floor, clenched her fist, and then let it go. The shards exploded outwards like a blast. She didn''t even have to think about it much. Her Mirror Wing did the work for her. It pulled each shard in every direction with such force that they broke apart into tiny pieces and launched outwards.


    Her eyes widened. "Why was that so easy?"


    Kalrina chuckled. "You see, my dear, this is what I''ve been training you for. All that making blades was training your Mirror Wing to the point that you could do this easily. Of course, this place helped, too."


    Meera frowned and remembered Kalrina telling her that a dragon''s corpse was a strong conduit for magic, and raising one''s magical skills here was easy.


    Just try to it out more. Meera raised more shards and made them explode one after another until the floor of her cell shimmered in orange-white light as it reflected the floating torches.


    She laughed as applications of this new move ran through her head. She could carpet the ground with mirrors from her mirror skills, and even if her enemy dodged her initial blow, she could make the shards explode wherever they stepped. She could raise the mirror shards behind them and explode them behind their heads or necks. She had essentially created a new skill without taking a skill slot.


    "Ready to take this to the next step?" Kalrina asked.


    "Oh yes, I am."


    "Good, but first check your notifications."


    Meera frowned but complied.


    *ding!*


    [Congratulations. Mirror Wing has gained 14 levels and reached Level 140]


    Meera stared at the 14 levels. That many in just a day? She couldn''t help but grin. This place really is something else.


    "Saw the fruits of your labor, eh," Kalrina noted.


    Meera nodded. "I''m ready for the next part."


    The witch chuckled, but before she could reply, the sound of stone grinding on stone echoed through the dungeons, which could only mean one thing. Some of the other prisoners shuffled to the corners of their cells, while others looked down and trembled.


    The daughter looked at Kalrina. "I''m sorry, but I had to report what you two were trying to accomplish here."


    Kalrina smiled. "Why are you sorry, dearie? What would Aksha say if she learned you were apologizing to one of your prisoners?"


    The dim light made it hard to tell, but Meera was sure the daughter paled slightly. Aksha''s boots announced her arrival. A few moments later, the monster in the form of a woman stepped into the light. As always, there was no emotion on the sorceress''s face. She gave one look at the numerous tiny shards littered the floor of Meera''s cell and turned towards Kalrina.


    She looked at the cast on Kalrina''s hands. "Are you willing to confess before the Conclave?"


    "Confess to what? I haven''t done anything."


    Aksha motioned to her clone, who took out the massive key ring. The clouds parted ways as she fitted the key in the lock and promptly opened the door to Kalrina''s cell.


    "You will confess to your crimes, or you will suffer unimaginable pain." Poison dripped from Aksha''s fingers.


    "My existence has been pain since that night," Kalrina seethed. "You can do nothing more to me."


    Then Aksha did what she did best.


    Meera went to lay on her cot, faced the wall, turned off her Mirrorstrike Vision, and cupped her hands over her ears. For she couldn''t bear to witness Aksha work.

 Chapter 188 – A Winter Rose

    Lainor was an excellent tracker. He knew this much to be true about himself. If he had been doing this by himself, he could''ve gotten it done a long time ago, but Elder Sidrian was in charge of this mission. The Elder was a middle-aged man, but he must''ve been losing his vision because he squinted at everything and vehemently opposed any travel after dark.


    What was the Hierarch thinking when he put this blind¡ª


    Lainor stiffened and killed that line of thought right away. Forgive me, Your Eminence, for even thinking of questioning your will.


    Instead, he focused on the task at hand. Dusk was fast approaching, so they had little time remaining before the Elder called it a day.


    Lainor took a deep breath, and his Acute Nose skill picked up an odd smell. Something that would be amiss in this part of Wiryar forest. Acute Nose was fantastic in an urban setting as it helped him differentiate between the various smells of a city. It''s what made him deadly in a town and how he tracked down Meera and that sorceress.


    In a forest, it was difficult as so many smells of plants and flowers mingled to create a thick soup of smells. It only helped when a particular beast or person had walked by recently. But that was not what it had picked up. It wasn''t the smell of Meera, Kalrina, or even that annoying Aksha who seemed to have been everywhere in this forest.


    He smelled poison and blood.


    "This way, Elder." Lainor took off towards the smell without waiting for the rest of his company. He knew they would follow, as he was the most experienced tracker of them all.


    "Finally. I had begun to grow roots," Elder Sidrian grumbled.


    Lainor rolled his eyes and led his company through the trees and around the shrubbery. It wasn''t long till they arrived at their quarry, and Lainor''s jaw dropped.


    It was a massacre. So many bodies littered the ground, riddled with holes, and they were all daughters of Aksha. He quickly counted, and there must''ve been a dozen bodies. It was hard to get an accurate count as many body parts lay around the clearing. Blood, sinew, and organs marred what once would have been a quaint part of the forest. But that was not all that littered the forest floor¡ªmirror shards.


    Mahon picked up a bloody shard. "Looks like we''re on the right path. You''ve led us true once again, Brother Lainor."


    Lainor nodded his thanks.


    "So, a great battle between the girl and the hunters of Akhessai took place here," the Elder said. "But did our mark escape, or was she captured and taken to their stronghold?" He paused for dramatic effect like he usually did. He took a moment to look around before shouting his orders. "Fan out and comb through every inch of this place. Leave no stone unturned, but take care that you do not muddle their tracks."


    Their company comprised five brothers and one sister of the Cult, including the Elder. Lainor wasn''t particularly friendly with any of them, but they were competent, and Lainor had no qualms that they wouldn''t be able to find the girl''s tracks. So, he took some time to judge what had gone down here.


    He walked over the corpses of the same woman. The Daughters of Aksha were famous for raising themselves from death, but then why hadn''t they? It alluded to only one answer¡ªMeera had slain them all with one devastating attack that mowed them down. It was a vicious attack. Lainor followed the trail of jagged mirror shards that all seemed to diverge from a single point in the clearing.


    His feet crunched as he stepped over the shards, breaking them underfoot. He tried to ignore the gory body parts that lay strewn all around. He reached the end of the clearing that held only the shards, and most didn''t have a speck of blood on them.


    He bent down to study the shards, but only one thought was in his mind. Meera couldn''t have done this alone.


    Elder Sidrian came up beside him. "What did you find?"


    "This was where they unleashed their attack," Lainor replied. "And if I''m not mistaken, the sorceress was here."


    "Meera is still traveling with the sorceress. Are you sure?" The Elder asked.


    "I''m sure. This attack was too powerful for Meera, and she couldn''t have taken on all these daughters alone."


    "But didn''t you say Meera was higher leveled than this Kalrina?"


    "Even still." Lainor caught something. "And that should prove it."


    He pointed to the two pairs of footsteps leading away from the battle. The footmarks were heavy as if they were running. He followed the footsteps until they went into the shrubbery.


    "Meera and Kalrina ran from the battlefield after unleashing their attack. They were followed by the daughters that remained. This way!" He called and went into the forest, following broken branches and the same heavy footsteps. The pair escaped from their pursuers at full tilt, but their footsteps ended abruptly at a big tree with a wide trunk.


    "They got her," Mahon said from behind him.


    "No," replied Lainor. "There are only these two pairs of footsteps leading away from here, and neither is deep enough to suggest they were carrying a heavy load. Unless Aksha has found a way to store living things in Hoard Belts, it suggests Meera and Kalrina escaped."


    "Then did they fly off again?" Asked Joston.


    The two ladies had gone to see the Cosmarian called Eryx, who was said to have made his home here in the Wiryar forest, but no one knew where. Lainor was sure the dragons knew, as did the sorceresses, and if Kalrina was with Meera, then maybe them running to this tree was not entirely perchance.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Kalrina brought them here on purpose. If I were to bet, this tree is the entrance to the Cosmarian''s abode.


    One look at the Elder''s face, and he knew the older man was thinking the same thing. If this was the entrance to a Cosmarian''s home¡ªa Cosmarian that no doubt did not want to be found¡ªthey could be in one hell of a fight. If it came to blows, the entire might of the Cult might not be enough to take him down. Dealing with Rothedon''s son was a humbling experience, though he would never tell anyone of that.


    He reached out with an arm and gingerly touched the tree. As expected, his hand went through the tree.


    Lainor looked to Sidrian. "Do we risk disturbing a Cosmarian?"


    Elder heaved a heavy sigh. "I don''t suppose we have another choice." He looked back at everyone. "Be on your guard at all times. Do not do anything to anger him if you wish to return home and see your loved ones."


    Their solemn nods were evidence that they understood the gravity of the situation. They all had heard of what slept undisturbed in this forest, and he was not the only calamity in Wiryar.


    "Wait, what if it''s an archdragon," Mahon said. "Isn''t Raxor Winterbrace also supposed to make its home in this forest."


    Elder Sidrian nodded. "Last I heard, but as far as I know, he is far deeper in the forest. And I''ve never heard of a dragon casting illusions. It''s just not in their nature."


    With another word of encouragement from the Elder, they waded in, with Lainor in the lead.


    As soon as he stepped in, he knew he had made a mistake. A rope clinched tight around his ankle and jerked him upwards. He barely avoided hitting his head on the lip of the gaping pit, which held sharp spikes. But that wasn''t all. There was a force that pulled him down so hard that if he fiddled around too much, the rope would break, and he would fall to his death.


    The elder was coming through next.


    "Stop!" cried Lainor, and thankfully, the Elder froze in place.


    "I see," Sidrian said, eyeing the trap and the spikes. He pointed to the rope, waiting for him to apply more pressure. The rope froze in place. The elder stepped forward, and the rope shattered when it tried to enclose around his ankle. Next, he filled the gapping hole with ice, which didn''t lessen the force enacted on Lainor.


    With the threat of imminent death over, Lainor formed an ice dagger and cut off the rope, and he prepared for a hard fall, but a big cold hand caught him. The Elder had created big, icy hands that caught him like a babe. The Elder deposited him clear of the spikes. Lainor nodded his thanks.


    The rest of the group arrived. Thankfully, no more traps awaited them, but what did, confounded Lainor? An old man was tending a batch of lilies, and he was filthy. If Lainor was correct, he had forgotten to bathe in over a decade. He could smell his stink from all the way here.


    Elder Sidrian leaned in. "Do you suppose that is Eryx''s gardener?"


    Lainor shrugged and opened his mouth to reply, but the gardener answered.


    "I do my own gardening, thank you very much." He gave a side-long glance to Sidrian. "And gardening is a splendid profession, I''ll have you know. Far better than you lot and your fanaticism over things you know nothing about."


    This is a Cosmarian. A far cry from the last one I saw. A quick use of Identify cleared any doubt from his mind, and given the expression on everyone''s faces, they didn''t hold any doubts either.


    Sidrian gulped and glanced at Lainor. The Elder quickly bowed his head. "O'' great Eryx, I didn''t mean to offend. I was simply expecting¡ª"


    "Someone grand like a king?"


    "In a way, yes."


    "I''ve been a recluse for eight thousand years. So, this is what you get. Now, you have a single minute before I toss you out. My sweets do not like all that coldness you''re bringing."


    "Yes, I''ll get to the point then," Sidrian said. "We''re searching for Meera, the Champion''s sister."


    "Why?" Eryx asked without even looking at the Elder. He moved on to another patch of flowers and pulled out the wilting ones.


    Sidrian looked to Lainor, clearly unsure if he should lie. So, Lainor stepped forward. "We''ve been charged with a mission of secrecy from the Hierarch to bring the girl to him. He didn''t mention why, nor do we question his orders."


    Eryx raised an eyebrow and laughed. "A half-truth¡­ that''s good." He calmed down and picked his nose. "I know precisely what you mean to do with the girl. That petulant brat, Elrasil, means to bring about the end of the great prophecy. You lot couldn''t get your hands on the Champion, could you?"


    The Elder shifted from foot to foot. "Uh¡­"


    "Save it," Eryx said, eyes clearer. No longer clouded by madness. "I''m no longer anyone''s spy, and I will not say anything to the likes of you. Now, begone."


    Lainor''s mind raced. If he didn''t help them, they would be stuck in the forest searching for who knows how many days while Meera continued moving further away from their grasp. The Elder was at a loss as well, as were the others. They couldn''t use force on someone whose tag was the Eternal Force. If they brought the entire might of the Cult, it might be enough to bring this man down, but it would be a slaughter of epic proportions.


    Then Mahon stepped forward. "Eryx, sir¡ª"


    "Just Eryx," the Cosmarian replied with a frown. "What are you all still doing here?"


    "We were just leaving, but I noticed you didn''t have a winter rose in this beautiful glade of yours," Mahon said.


    "What are you doing?" The Elder hissed.


    Lainor grabbed his arm and shook his head.


    Eryx shook his head. "Couldn''t get one back then. They were rare back in my day, and now, Ealisto has gotten too cold. Besides, who would care for my lovelies if I left to get one now."


    Mahon nodded. "That is true. If I lived in this place, I wouldn''t want to leave either." He reached into his Hoard Belt and pulled out a single rose with blueish-white petals.


    Eryx gasped and rushed to Mahon so fast that it looked like he had teleported. The scariest thing was, given his momentum, Lainor figured, he would cause a windstorm, but not a single leaf moved on the rose.


    The Cosmarian had his face jammed into the rose as he inspected it closely. Then he broke a petal and ate it and almost passed out with a look of pure ecstasy.


    Somehow, Mahon kept his face neutral while Lainor and Sidrian stepped back. They couldn''t stand the stink coming off the Cosmarian.


    "If you tell us which way Meera went, you can¡ª"


    "To the Sorceress of Akhessai," Eryx didn''t even let him finish. "They went to the dragon keep. Now, the rose, please."


    Mahon handed him the rose and bowed. "Thank you for your help."


    Eryx had already turned and walked away, mumbling about where he would plant it and ensure it would get the perfect fertilizer and food. Lainor still couldn''t believe that this man was said to be one of the key people who brought about Rothedon''s downfall.


    Lainor shook his head and turned to the exit, but as it turned out, the tree was solid. Elder Sidrian called out to the Cosmarian, but he never listened. It wasn''t until Mahon called out that he did. Eryx snapped his fingers, and they could leave again. Once outside, everyone breathed deeply now that they were away from the Cosmarian''s stink.


    Sidrian nodded to Mahon. "Good work, Mahon. You saved us a lot of time."


    Mahon smiled. "Anything for His Eminence."


    "Now what?" Joston asked. "We can''t attack the dragon keep for the girl."


    "Nor can we infiltrate it," Lainor added.


    Sidrian had a knowing smile on his face as he glanced at Neserin. "Can we infiltrate it?"


    Neserin smiled that vicious smile of hers that always sent a shiver up Lainor''s spine. It was no different this time. He could guess what scheme she was brewing.


    "I''ll need a volunteer, though," she said, eyeing everyone, but no one matched her eyes.


    The Elder decided for them as he placed a hand on Lainor''s shoulder. "I think it''s a chance for you to clean up your mistake. Make sure the girl doesn''t run from you this time."

 Chapter 189 – The Witchs Plan

    Meera paced restlessly in her cell, for another day had passed. Another day, she had wasted in this infernal place while Neel got away from her. Just when she figured she was getting closer to him, she ended up in this place.


    She replayed all the events that led her to this place and couldn''t figure out what she could''ve done differently to avoid this humongous time waste. She didn''t waste any time dillydallying or sight-seeing. She left Arvena''s place and went to Firaan''s room immediately. Even that visit wasn''t too long. It was all Arvena''s doing.


    She had to be the one who gave me up to save her hide. No wonder she''s not here with us.


    "You''re not practicing," Kalrina rasped from her cot.


    It had been more than a day since Aksha''s visit, and Meera still had a hard time looking at the witch. This time, the cruel sorceress had left Kalrina in an even worse shape. She had, in essence, given her a poison bath. She had boils all over her face. Patches of her hair were missing, as Aksha had ripped them clean off her head. The acid she had used on the witch''s arm was so potent that it burned her skin clean off, revealing the muscle underneath. Aksha had done the same to her back, so Kalrina couldn''t lie down nor lean back ever since her last torture session. If that weren''t enough, Aksha left a sludge of toxic poison that covered the entire floor of the cell, so Kalrina couldn''t even walk to the chamber pot, which she left on the other side of the cell, to torture her more. After doing all that, it was a mark of Kalrina''s resilience and fortitude that not once had the woman asked for a healing potion.


    Meera didn''t even know how the sorceress was still alive.


    She was hunched over with drooping eyes. No doubt, wanting to sleep but couldn''t because of the pain she was in. The more she looked at Kalrina, the angrier she got at Aksha. If this was divine punishment for everything that the poor folks had to endure under Edwin in the Cave of Wraiths, Meera prayed, it ended soon, one way or another.


    "How can you even think about training in your condition?" She asked. "And does it even matter if we''re never going to see the outside of these cells?"


    Kalrina chuckled, which quickly devolved into a cough and ended in groaning. "Oh, my lungs burn. Why do my lungs burn, fake Aksha?"


    Meera expected their jailer to sneer or glare, but she continued looking straight ahead. "Why don''t you confess instead of enduring so much pain? Mother might not be able to kill you before the trial, but is this any better than death?"


    Kalrina sighed. "No, it''s not, but it sure beats dying. When you''re dead, you feel nothing unless you end up in the place of eternal bliss or eternal damnation. Given my deeds, I might as well stick around here for as long as I can." She squinted at the woman. "Since when do you care about my plight?"


    "I do not." The clone replied.


    Even Meera could tell she was lying. Meera shared a knowing smile with Kalrina. Maybe the witch is right. These clones do have a particular aspect of Aksha''s personality.


    "How do you spot a liar?" Kalrina asked Meera.


    "How?"


    "It''s always in the eyes, and as far as I know, Aksha isn''t a great liar. Wouldn''t you agree?"


    Meera motioned to the jailor. "If she''s an example, then I believe you."


    "Shut up," the daughter snapped. "Not one word, and I''ll show you just how compassionate I am."


    "We never said the word compassionate," Kalrina smiled through chapped lips.


    The daughter huffed and stormed off down the dungeon into darkness.


    Kalrina chuckled. "That was fun, indeed. Now, it''s time we got back to business."


    "You still didn''t answer my question. Why not confess?"


    "Oh, you were serious. I thought it was a rhetorical question."


    Meera crossed her arms and gave her a blank stare.


    "Oh, okay." Kalrina leaned forward, wincing as she did it. She stared in the direction the daughter had left. "Doesn''t seem like she''s around. She''ll be back soon, so listen closely. There''s only one way this plays out. They''re going to take me to trial for all the murders I committed and sentence me to death. As for you, they will issue a ruling to keep you here, maybe not in a cell like this, but it''ll be a cell, nonetheless. They''ll say some excuse to keep you safe, considering how you''re supposed to play a big part in the great prophecy, that is, your prophesized death. If you don''t die, they can forestall the great prophecy or some such nonsense. It''s all horseshit. All they want is a way to control your brother through you. So, long story short, we''re getting out of here the same way we''ve been getting out of every tough situation before this."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "With a close fight to the death," Meera concluded.


    "That''s right. You were smart to keep your chakrams close to you. We''re going to need them most of all."


    "I''m not letting them out of my sight. But how will we escape from this mountainous castle of yours."


    Footsteps clopped down the dungeon, signaling the daughter''s return.


    "You leave that to me. You focus on your training," Kalrina whispered. "And make a showing of antagonizing me at every opportunity."


    "So just do what I''ve been doing all this time."


    Kalrina smiled in response.


    The daughter huffed as she glared at Kalrina and took up her position without a word.


    Meera didn''t feel like antagonizing her just yet, as that hadn''t ended up so well for her last time. Mirrors exploded out of her, littering the floor, and she got back to training.


    <hr>


    Meera focused her Mirrorstrike Vision skill on the mirror in front of her. A feat easier said than done, given that her armor¡ªin the form of a dress¡ªlet her see everything. Still, she somewhat managed.


    She had formed a kaleidoscope that would let her see down the length of the dungeon, even with the swirling clouds that encircled her cell. It took a little fiddling around, but it worked. She had to angle the mirrors a little and focus her vision directly on the mirror in front of her, and it worked. She saw down the dungeon without turning her head or using her armor.


    Thanks to her armor, she didn''t need to practice this skill, but if there ever was a time when she didn''t have her armor¡ªheavens forbid¡ªthis would come in handy.


    Then, using Mirror Wing, she burst the hovering mirrors into tiny shards. This had become so easy now that it was almost like a true skill. If only she had known she could train the skill to this level of efficiency.


    I should give this a name. She tapped a finger on her lips. Then snapped her fingers as it came to her. "Mirrorplosion."


    "What?" Kalrina asked weakly. She had been drooping forward for a while now. To say it had been harder for her to sleep was to say the sky was blue. Thanks to the injuries on her back, she couldn''t even lie down.


    "That''s what I''m calling the skill when I use Mirror Wing to burst the mirrors."


    "It''s not a skill, dearie."


    "I''m thinking of it as a skill. I earned it through practice, so it''s a skill."


    Kalrina snorted. "Now, practice your Mirrorplosion in silence, please. I''m trying to get some sleep."


    Meera wasn''t sure how she could do that without making enough noise to wake the dead. She wanted to be considerate, but the witch had also told her to get as strong as possible for the coming fight.


    Sorry, witch, but you literally asked for it.


    "I''m in here because of you and that idiotic sister of yours, so I think I''ll just do what I want to do." She produced more mirrors from her armor. "Which one of you blabbed, by the way?"


    "Not me."


    Meera exploded a mirror, making her wince.


    "I told you I''m trying to sleep. Keep it down, dearie."


    She exploded another mirror. Kalrina scowled at her. "I told you it wasn''t me."


    "You sure?" Meera crossed her arms. "Let''s ask our jailor. Did she give me up?"


    The daughter was quiet for a long moment as her eyes flicked between Meera and Kalrina. Finally, she nodded. "Yes."


    "I knew it," Meera exclaimed. "So, all this training was what? You were feeling guilty?"


    Kalrina sneered at Aksha. "So you can lie when you feel like it."


    The clone stayed quiet and looked straight ahead, not meeting Kalrina''s eyes or giving her a response. It was either she didn''t care to respond, and it would be convincing, too, if not for the slight twitching of her right hand.


    Meera exploded the rest of the mirrors, making the witch flinch from the sound. Towards the end, even Aksha''s daughter winced from the loud sound.


    Meera produced more mirrors and was about to use Mirrorplosion when she felt an opposing force drop them to the ground.


    "Enough, dearie," Kalrina said through gritted teeth. "You''re not the only one with Mirror Wing."


    "Stop me if you can." Meera used Mirrorplosion on the grounded mirrors, further angering the witch. "For your kindness of putting me in here, I''ll make sure you get a really nice sleep."


    Kalrina took deep breaths. "Don''t tempt me, girl."


    "You''re lucky I''m in here, or I would''ve done worse to you than Aksha," Meera growled. "I could''ve been free of this place by now."


    "If you really believe that, then it''s no wonder you''re prophesized to die."


    "That''s enough!" the daughter barked. "Quiet down, and don''t make me finish my mother''s work."


    Kalrina scoffed. "Save it, dearie. Neither of us believes you are capable of that."


    "On that, I agree with the witch," Meera said.


    The daughter''s upper lip twitched, and for a second, Meera thought she would open a cell and come in to give them a piece of her mind. It would be highly foolish of her, as she was not her mother, so either of them could easily take her down.


    But as it turned out, she was not foolish. Whatever anger was in her passed. Her face relaxed and she looked straight ahead.


    "I see what you are trying to do, and it will not work," the daughter said. "I am the mirror image of my mother, so I will not fall to such pathetic attempts of you, riling me up so you can escape. The Conclave will announce your judgment in two days. So, drivel whatever filth you wish, it matters not, for you will be dead soon."


    Meera locked eyes with Kalrina, and the same thought raced in her mind as it did Meera''s. Two days¡­Whatever you''re planning better work, witch.

 Chapter 190 – The Easier Way In

    Lainor had never come this close to Akhessai''s stony corpse, but now he stood in the clearing, gawking at the monstrosity. He had craned his neck all the way up to admire what was perhaps the greatest sculpture in all the worlds.


    Even after four hundred years, the elements had done little to mar the beauty of the fearsome archdragon. She stood with her wings and arms outstretched, jaw ready for an attack. The spell that had turned the dragon to stone was so great that it even preserved its scales.


    He had stood amongst this archdragon''s children and thought them fearsome and beautiful, but they paled in both qualities compared to their mother, who wasn''t even flesh and blood.


    To think, I''m about to invade the home of the woman who defeated this monster.


    If an archdragon could draw such wonder, he could only wonder what emotions would his Lord invoke when he finally awoke to conquer the worlds.


    "Hey, stop gawking and get moving," Neserin commanded.


    She was the only member of the Cult who had to come with her, given that she was a woman and wouldn''t be immediately apprehended. She needed to be in close proximity to dispel the spell that kept Lainor''s consciousness anchored to this new body.


    Lainor nodded and moved on uneven steps. He was still coming to grips with walking around in the body of a daughter of Aksha. In other words, Aksha''s body. One of Neserin''s classes was necromancy, and her Mind Swap skill let her switch consciousness between two targets. It didn''t matter if one of the targets was dead. Lainor preferred it this way, as he wouldn''t feel right if Aksha was running around in his body.


    "If you''re going to tromp around like a dog with three legs, we should''ve picked someone else," Neserin remarked.


    Lainor glared at her. "It''s not like I do this for a living. The body''s symmetry is all wrong, and I''m¡­ I''m not used to certain parts." His voice was another thing he wouldn''t quickly get over.


    Neserin gave him a blank look. "You mean her breasts. They''re not even that big. You should have no trouble running, especially in that tight wound shirt. Honestly, how does that woman even breathe in that?"


    He shook his head. "Forget I said anything. Let''s find a way in."


    She upturned her nose. "It''s best we avoid the dragon''s feet. I''m getting some strange smells coming off them, and I work with corpses regularly."


    She wasn''t wrong. Even the ground was darkened, and the feet seemed to have submerged a little. It looked like the pigsty where all their shit was dumped.


    Lainor took one step out of the shade and into the clearing. A woman with green hair and a sullen face appeared out of thin air. Her eyes widened a little when she saw Lainor, or rather, Aksha''s face.


    [Sorceress of Mirages ¨C Level 497]


    She furrowed her brow. "I didn''t know a daughter was still out and about and in this condition."


    The body Lainor was inhibiting had been left more than a little roughed up on purpose to sell the lie that Lainor was about to concoct. There were bruises and cuts all over this body. The left arm was broken in several places, along with many mirror shards that were left entrenched.


    "I was left behind," Lainor said. Meera and the traitor, Kalrina, her companion, unleashed a devastating attack that destroyed all my sisters. I would have died if not for this one." He motioned to Neserin. "I brought her here as she shows promise and could be a worthy candidate to join our sisterhood."


    The sorceress nodded as none of this fazed her. Her eyes were red and puffy¡ªno doubt from crying. Something was up with her, but Lainor left it for now. Maybe he could use her, but for now, gaining entry into the dragon keep was his foremost priority.


    "Is something the matter?" Neserin asked, with uncharacteristic compassion in her voice.


    "Nothing you need to concern yourself with," the green-haired woman replied.


    "Can you¡ª" Lainor paused and figured Aksha''s daughters were extensions of the powerful woman herself, so he spoke with authority this time. "Let us through and hurry. Mother must know about this."


    "No need," the woman said, sighing. "Kalrina and Meera have already been caught."


    Lainor shared a quick glance with his companion. "How?"


    "Kalrina came here expecting help from her sister, but¡­" She paused as she stared off into space. Tears brimmed the edges of her eyes. "But I-I gave her up to your mother."


    Gears turned in Lainor''s head. This was Kalrina¡¯s sister¡ªArvena. He didn''t know how he knew this green-haired sorceress, but he just did. Maybe it was the daughter''s memories resurfacing in Lainor''s mind, but if that were true, then he could effectively learn everything that Aksha knew prior to the creation of this daughter.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I''ll have to converse with Neserin about this later.


    "You did the right thing, Arvena," Lainor stated. "The sisterhood stands above all."


    Neserin''s brow furrowed a little as she no doubt wondered where this came from. But it was a common saying repeated in official meetings. Another memory that wasn''t Lainor''s. This could only mean one thing: that the memories stored in this deceased body had not completely vanished.


    I wonder if the scholars who believe that memories are stored in the soul are wrong.


    "It sure doesn''t feel like it," Arvena muttered.


    "Don''t let my mother hear that," Lainor replied before even he knew what he was saying. It was like the daughter had taken over her body and spoke on its own. That earned another look from Niserin, who must''ve been impressed and wondered where all this knowledge came from. Lainor powered on. "Are they dead? Kalrina and Meera, I mean?¡±


    Arvena scoffed. "Nothing is ever so simple with the sisterhood. They''re awaiting trial, and then they''ll execute her. You should know that."


    "Where are they imprisoned?"


    "In your mother''s dungeons, where every other prisoner of note goes." Arvena squinted her eyes. "Another thing you should already know."


    "I was just confirming. You can never be sure if one of the other Five had claimed one or the other," Lainor said nonchalantly, playing it off, which seemed to have worked, as Arvena nodded.


    "Firaan almost got the bitch sister of the Champion, but Aksha got there on time. Hopefully, she''s paid her enough visits by now."


    Lainor set his jaw. "As do I, for what they did to me."


    Arvena looked up at that but said nothing. She simply snapped her fingers, and a circular stone platform cut out from the dragon''s side below the waist and floated down to rest before them.


    With a nod to the sorceress, Lainor and Neserin headed towards the platform and the sorceress''s home with equal parts excitement and anxiety at the danger that lay within.


    Lainor could not help but gawk at what the sorceresses had created by gutting the stony corpse of the archdragon. Each massive organ had been turned into a hall or room for their use. Stairs connected each of the organs in an intricate fashion that would be any architect''s wet dream.


    The amount of work that must''ve gone into building this place must''ve been nothing short of legendary. It truly lives up to its name¡ªThe strongest castles in all the lands.


    As Lainor stared, something triggered his memories, and he knew what each of the organs was used for. So he knew that the prisoners would be held in the stomach, which housed the dungeons and was Aksha''s headquarters.


    He quickly looked around, ensuring they were alone, before turning to Neserin. "If you''re done gawking, let''s get to work. We''re headed to the stomach."


    Neserin raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"


    Lainor motioned with his head. "Let''s walk and talk. We''re sticking out like a sore thumb here." They walked a few paces before Lainor began telling her his theory. "I think I''m recalling the memories of this daughter. Would it be possible? Has that ever happened before?"


    She stared into space and thought about it for a long while before finally speaking. "It shouldn''t. The soul¡ªin your case, Aksha''s soul should''ve taken all its memories back to the original. Maybe the memories are not stored in the soul as we think. I''ll have to do more testing once I get out of this fucking place. To think, I might have even been able to reanimate this archdragon, were it not made of stone. It''s practically humming with raw essence. No wonder these witches don''t want to leave this place."


    Lainor stopped mid gait. "Wait, go back to what you said earlier. This daughter was housing a piece of Aksha''s soul. Is that right?"


    She shrugged. "I cannot be certain, as this is new. You''re exhibiting a host who was a part of someone who is currently still alive. So, I can only guess that Aksha is splitting her soul every time she creates one of these things¡ª" She gasped. "You should have her skills. Check, right now!" Her tone indicated that she would not take no for an answer.


    Lainor was impressed at the skills that the sorceress of rebirth carried. The classes and skills were quite fearsome, and the woman would have no problem taking on any cult member, and this was just a copy. He could only guess at what the original could do. But he found the skill the correct skill.


    [Rebirth Ritual ¨C You can split your soul into two or more fragments, which will take the form of solid duplicates of yourself. These duplicates will have all your skills but will be half as strong as you are. Speak the following words to begin the spell¡ªVadho a''te utho. Meri jindari de sev¡¯ko.]


    "Yes, I have the skill she uses to create these daughters."


    Neserin practically jumped with glee, grabbed Lainor''s shoulder, and planted a kiss on his¡ªAksha''s lips.


    Lainor pushed her away. "Restrain yourself. If anyone saw that, we''d be in heaps of trouble."


    "Don''t you get it, you imbecile? You could use that spell to create more copies of yourself. You could have an army to aid us if things don''t turn out according to plan."


    Lainor paused. She was right. Nothing stopped him from executing the skill, except that he still wasn''t sure how he felt about splitting his soul.


    "If this body exhibited a part of Aksha''s soul, so wouldn''t she be able to tell that I am not one of her daughters?" Lainor asked.


    This wiped the grin off Neserin''s face. "We should avoid her at all costs. One look at you, and our game is up."


    "Thought as much," He said. "But we should avoid her regardless. She''s the strongest person here, aside from the Sorceress who killed the monstrosity we''re standing in."


    Neserin nodded as any person of worth had heard of Veridiana, the Doom of Dragons. Even the Heirarch was in awe of her power, and he was not easily impressed. If the rumors were to be believed, he was concocting a plan with the Elders to wipe her out before their Lord''s awakening, as she was one of the few who could make a difference.


    "You coming, or you''re going to stare off into space like an idiot." Neserin had walked off towards the stairs, leaving him behind. The excited girl was replaced by the cold woman once again.


    Lainor caught up to her and took the lead, as it would be odd for an outsider to know the lay of the land. Even more bizarre would be if a Daughter of Aksha were to be following this newcomer. They climbed the thin stairs with no railings. Every so often, Lainor had to catch himself, or he would trip and fall to his doom. It didn''t take them long to arrive at the dragon''s massive stomach. It was hard to miss, with the three livers surrounding it.


    The stairs ended at a landing with a rectangular door cut into the stone. There was no handle or keyhole, so Lainor tried a hunch, which must''ve been fueled by the daughter''s memories. He placed a hand on the stone door, and a yellow light escaped from the rectangular seems.


    A click sounded, and the door opened inward by itself.


    Lainor glanced at his companion and stepped in. Right away, they were at the intersection of three hallways. He had a strong gut feeling to avoid whatever was down the hallway to his left. A flash went off in his head, and he knew where each of the hallways led.


    He motioned to the right. "This way."


    "You''re sure?"


    "Yes, and don''t say a word in here. We don''t know who could be listening," he whispered without looking at her.

 Chapter 191 – The Path To The Dungeons

    Lainor moved down the hallway with Neserin and through another door, and he was right. They were in the dungeons¡ªcell after cell occupied by someone whimpering or moaning in their horrible conditions. Lainor could be heartless when the occasion called for it, but he usually preferred to kill once he was through with his enemies. Aksha seemed to revel in the torture. Some had teeth missing or skin burned with acid, supporting puss-oozing boils. It was not a pretty sight, and the worst part, most of them were men. He could feel Neserin wanted to point out that fact, but thankfully, she heeded his earlier instruction.


    They continued down the dungeon, which was just a long hallway with cells on either side. Then, they reached the point where the cells were empty. Lainor paused and looked around. He would''ve conferred with Neserin but didn''t want to risk being overheard. Seeing no other option, he continued walking. It wasn''t long before he saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel. He passed Neserin a quick smile, and they made their way to it.


    At the end of the dungeon hallway, torches were lit around two occupied cells. Both of which were encased in swirling clouds. Sitting in the cell on the right was his target.


    Meera looked up with a frown, and Lainor had the urge to pause before realizing she had seen Aksha''s face, not his. He had nothing to worry about.


    "What is it, sister?" The daughter asked. "Who is this?"


    Lainor sighed internally as he used Identify to confirm that the woman standing watch was another daughter of Aksha.


    With just her standing watch, getting Meera out shouldn''t be too hard as long as she holds the keys to these strange cells.


    He nodded to her. "I''m here to pay your prisoners a visit, especially¡ª"


    He was interjected at the sight of what could only be Kalrina. It was like someone had given her an acid bath and then beaten her half to death. The once beautiful woman was hardly recognizable. In case that wasn''t enough, there was a ring of a fuming green liquid that could only be acid. It prevented her from going to her chamber pot if she could even walk in her condition.


    "Mother''s doing," the daughter said. "You know, how she gets when she doesn''t get what she wants."


    "Indeed."


    "Why are you here, sister? Do you bring a message from mother?"


    Lainor pried his eyes away from Kalrina who was staring at her with her one good eye. "I was part of the expedition sent to capture this traitor, but they¡­"


    Kalrina laughed. "Are you one of the ones I ripped into with my skill?"


    "And now you pay the price for it. Keep your tongue between your teeth unless you wish me to add to your miseries," Lainor snapped.


    "Who is this woman?" Aksha''s daughter asked.


    "This is Neserin, a powerful necromancer, and cryomancer," Lainor replied. "She''s a¡­defector from the Cult of Aetheron."


    This got everyone''s attention, even his Cultist sister, as this was not what they had agreed upon. But this was the only path forward as something told him, maybe the dead daughter''s memories, that any sorceress worth her salt would not have fallen for the lies they had concocted. And this was an excellent way to sow some chaos as they made off with the prize.


    "Well, well, never thought I would be seeing two Cultists in one week," Kalrina said, voice strained and on the edge of stuttering, undoubtedly from the pain.


    Lainor snapped his head to her. "Didn''t I tell you to shut up?"


    "Oh, I''m sorry, baby Aksha. Should I prostrate myself for you while I''m sitting here quietly?"


    Lainor''s nostrils flared. He huffed but ignored her and looked to his body''s doppelganger. "I should not have brought her here, but I couldn''t help myself. I just had to see this vile creature and get even, but it seems mother beat me to it."


    Before the daughter could reply, he turned towards Meera. "Hello, Champion''s sister. We meet again."


    Meera stood and came to stand face-to-face with him. She squinted and rubbed her chin. "Which one are you? I swear we''ve killed so many of you that you all just blend in together."


    The Jailor huffed. "We''re all the splitting image of our mother. There is no difference between us."


    "So, you say," Kalrina cooed.


    "But I swear these daughters are even more ugly than their mother, or is it the other way around." Meera rubbed her chin. "Definitely the mother. Something to do with her shitty personality."


    "Shut up, both of you," snapped the Jailor. "Speak one word against mother, and you''ll wish you had never been born."


    "Seems we''ve hit a nerve," Meera stated. "Please come in here and reprimand me. I''ve been waiting for one of you to step in here, or are you too afraid¡­just like your mother."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Lainor couldn''t care one way or another, but to keep up appearances, he crossed eyes with the other daughter and nodded. After all, this was the best way to get Meera out of here.


    The Jailor moved for the cell but stopped after taking a single step. From down the long dungeon corridor came the sound of heels clopping against the stone floor. The daughter snapped to attention. Lainor turned with a frown, but his reaction turned from confusion to fear when the light of the floating torches washed her face in the light.


    [Sorceress of Rebirth ¨C Level ???]


    The real Aksha was coming.


    Lainor glanced at Neserin, and the woman rightfully so took a slight step back. This was the one person they were supposed to avoid. Now, she was strolling towards them like a tigress on the hunt. Looks wise, there was no difference between Aksha and her daughters, but this woman had an aura all to her own. It was like Lainor was standing before the dragons again. But this time, he didn''t have His Eminence''s protection and had the woman''s sole attention.


    "Mother," the Jailor bowed her head.


    "Mother." Lainor followed suit.


    Every moment that passed, dread built up in him, and a quick glance confirmed that the same was true for his companion as well. Aksha''s eyes bore into him as if trying to see through to his very soul, which was exactly what the sorceress was doing. The last time he felt such terror was when Mirageiros thrust his arm through the barrier and gripped him by the throat.


    Why is she here? Despite the chill in the dungeon, he could feel himself sweating.


    "Why are you here?" Aksha drawled. "I do not recall sending another daughter to watch these two."


    "Apologies, Mother." Lainor bowed his head and proceeded to feed her the lie that they had fed Arvena and the Jailor beside her.


    Aksha''s face didn''t change a bit when Lainor told her that Neserin was a defector from the Cult of Aetheron. Her eyes moved from Lainor to Neserin and back again. It was like being sized up by a drake. Lainor hoped he was keeping his story straight as the only thing on his mind was if he''d been made. If Aksha had already seen through his lie and was letting him dig his own grave.


    "I had my daughters scan that battlefield. They only found one survivor," Aksha finally said.


    Lainor did his best to mimic the stone-faced mother of his body. "This wretch''s attack blew me away." He motioned to Kalrina. "My legs were blown apart, and I would''ve bled to death if not for Neserin."


    Aksha''s gaze turned to Neserin. "Your tag tells me you''re a necromancer."


    "Y-Yes, Lady Aksha." Either the woman was terrified, or she was playing the part exceptionally well.


    "If you''re a necromancer, then how did you put my daughter back together if she wasn''t dead?"


    "I have skills that can heal or regenerate limbs for the living or the dead."


    Aksha turned her attention back to Lainor. "And for that, you felt so indebted to her that you brought her to my home."


    Suddenly, Lainor found it hard to breathe. "N-Not at all, Mother. It''s what she told me."


    He drew a deep breath. Now, to see if my gambit pays off.


    "The Cult of Aetheron is working with the dragons to capture this one." He motioned to Meera.


    Meera scoffed. "That shouldn''t be a big secret. Hell, I could''ve told you that. We practically escaped from Drurith with dragons on our backs. Did the all-knowing Aksha and her daughters not know this?"


    Lainor snapped his head to her. "Do you also know how they plan to do this? Do you know they mean to attack our very home to capture you? Oh, you did not. So shut your mouth and keep quiet until spoken to."


    Meera scowled at him, but before she could reply, he turned to Aksha and continued. "It''s true, Mother. They mean to finally come for us. Neserin knows of their plans. A small contingent of Cultists have come from Ealisto after one of their brothers failed to deliver Meera to them in Drurith."


    Lainor could feel Neserin''s eyes boring holes into the side of his head as he practically gave away their secrets, but she didn''t see the big picture. He would have shared this with her, but she was too hot-headed. She would have never agreed to Lainor''s plan. Now, she had no choice. If she said Lainor was lying, then Aksha would kill them both where they stood.


    Aksha looked at Neserin.


    "It''s true," Neserin agreed, but her terrified persona had vanished, and in her place was a scorned woman who had been maneuvered into what she felt was a betrayal.


    "I see," Aksha replied, with no emotions. "You will bring this forward before the Conclave and lay the Cult''s plan before the Five."


    "Yes, Lady Aksha."


    Aksha looked to the Jailor. "Bring the prisoners. It''s time for the trial."


    The Jailor nodded and pulled out a keyring. All the keys were made of different metals. Some were made of a dark metal that could only be shadow steel. One was made of a metal that glowed yellow like the sun, one had a greenish tinge to it, and one looked like the clouds had been condensed into the form of a key. This was the one that she used to unlock Kalrina''s cage.


    The poison parted for her as she walked to reach the tortured sorceress. She was using the Toxinomancy skill. It was funny. Lainor knew all of Aksha''s skills, so in a way, he could create an effective plan to counter her every move, only if she weren''t a monster of a woman.


    The Jailor looked to Aksha, who gave the briefest nod. She reached into her robes and pulled out a big vial with a green liquid¡ªa Health Potion.


    "I hope these past two days have made you reconsider, and you will confess your sins or be prepared to suffer much worse," Aksha said.


    Kalrina smiled as she took the Health Potion with a shaky hand. "Thanks, love." She pulled the cork with her teeth, brought the vial to her lips, and let it drop from her hands. The bottle crashed, spilling the potion on the stone floor. "Oops. Well, it looks like I''ll have to go like this."


    There was a hint of annoyance on Aksha''s face. "Do as you wish."


    The Jailor did not clamp any cuffs on the woman. There was no need with Aksha present. She would be mad to run, that was if she could in her condition.


    She winced as she stood and hobbled out of the cage, an ever-present smile on her lips as she stared at Aksha. The Jailor unlocked Meera''s cage next, who moved for the lockbox that held all her chakrams, but the Jailor grabbed her wrist.


    Lainor frowned. Why did they put her chakrams in the cage with her?


    "There was a deal struck with your mother. My chakrams go wherever I go." Meera winked.  "Perks of being the Champion''s sister. Now, you have exactly two seconds to remove your hand before your mother has to make another watchman."


    "Let her have them," Aksha said.


    The Jailor let go, and Meera picked up the lockbox and nearly dropped it. The lockbox must''ve been heavy as it took Meera along with her. She groaned for but a moment, and then it was as if the lockbox weighed nothing at all.


    "Okay, I was not expecting that, but given the weight of the clouds, it makes sense."


    Lainor squinted and couldn''t resist. "You''re daft, lass. The clouds weigh nothing at all. How else do they float in the sky."


    Meera moved her eyes from one person to the next. "Ah, I keep forgetting you people are so¡­backwards."


    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lainor snapped. "The Varshans are not so advanced as you think."


    Meera locked eyes with Kalrina, and they laughed as if it were an inside joke.


    "Enough," Aksha said. "Come."

 Chapter 192 – The Traitorous Daughter

    Lainor and Neserin, who had remained quiet, fell behind the rest. However, he caught glimpses of the storm in her heart¡ªso much so that he knew what the exact words would be before she opened her mouth. He shook his head vigorously, telling her to stop, but there was no stopping her.


    "Lady Aksha," she called. "Is it okay if I use one of these chamber pots? I''ve had to go for a while now, and I fear this trial will take a while."


    "Go, but it is up to you to catch up." Aksha didn''t look back nor slow her gait.


    Neserin motioned to Aksha with her glaring eyes while looking at Lainor.


    He sighed silently. "I''ll stay with her mother so she doesn''t wander off."


    Aksha grunted her approval.


    Neserin dived into the next open cell and pulled Lainor in. She proceeded to pull down her pants, at which point Lainor turned around, which was a mistake. As soon as the others vanished from sight, she pounced, and an ice dagger was at Lainor''s neck.


    "What in Rothedon''s name was that?" She hissed in his ear. "Are you turning on us? Because if so, you better think differently, for I hold your life in my hands."


    Lainor squinted. "What do you mean?"


    He felt her warm breath on his neck as she snorted. "Meaning, if I die, there''s no one to send your soul back to your body. You''ll float around trying to find your path to your body only to fail and turn into a vengeful wraith for all eternity."


    A chill went up Lainor''s spine. There wasn''t much that terrified him these days, but now it seemed there was always one thing or another popping up. He nodded slowly, taking care not to rip his neck open on the dagger pressing into his throat.


    "I understand. From now on, I''ll share all my plans with you."


    She removed the dagger and came around to face him. She patted his cheek with the dagger. "Good boy. Now, why did you make up those ridiculous plans? And put me in a position to turn traitor as well."


    "Because it''s the only way. By revealing that we are working with the sisterhood''s mortal enemies, we will put their entire focus on the dragons while we make off with our prize."


    She pursed her lips. "It''s a risky play, and now you''ve revealed ourselves. We''ve lost the element of surprise."


    "We never really had one. Aksha could have gotten it out of Kalrina already. You saw the condition the woman was in. A prelude to our position if you fail to convince the sisterhood of the Cult and the dragons'' nefarious schemes for this place."


    Neserin smirked. "You leave that with me. What''s the plan after that?"


    "After that, I''ll bring you in on suspicion of sneaking around. If you gain the trust of Kalrina or Meera¡ªit doesn''t matter which one¡ªthen we can escape from this stony corpse."


    She scoffed. "They''ll never trust me, a cult member after you turned them sour on the whole notion with your failure in Drurith."


    "You''re a defector, remember," he reminded her. "You escaped from the Cult''s grasp for trying to turn you into a sex slave or something of the notion. Make up a sad story, one they''ll eat up. Women fall head over heels to save a victim of rape."


    He expected a fierce rebuttal or a curt remark, but all he got was an agreeing nod. "Okay, and I''ll throw in the old my father sold me to the Cult story in there as well to really sell it."


    Lainor moved for the door. "Now, let''s go before the stone-faced bitch gets vary."


    "Is that any way to talk about your mother?" Neserin chastised, making Lainor roll his eyes.


    <hr>


    The Hall of Judgment happened to be in one of the bigger lungs of the petrified dragon. It was just big enough that it could hold all the two-hundred-plus sorceresses. The initiates were not allowed to witness the trials or the proceedings of the sisterhood as they were not full members yet. Lainor knew all this from his body''s memory of this place when he stepped onto the platform that led to the Hall.


    Lainor, Neserin, and the two prisoners were taken to a separate chamber to the right of the entrance. There was a window that he could see out of. The jailor stood at the window with her back to Neserin.


    The rambunctious Cultist made a quick gesture of slicing her throat. Her way of saying to end the jailor''s life and make a run for it. He quickly made sure Meera and Kalrina hadn''t seen her do that. Thankfully, they were too focused on the Hall of Judgment to notice. It wasn''t a bad plan, but then they would have two women, both of whom did not trust the Cult at all. They would also have to kill Kalrina quietly, which would be easier said than done. Then there would be no way of smuggling Meera out of here quietly. Lainor shook his head lightly and focused on the crowd outside.Stolen novel; please report.


    The Hall of Judgement was made like an amphitheater, with seats reaching upward and enough seats to house the entire sisterhood. There was a small stage¡ªas it were¡ªwhere the prisoners could be seated for their trial. Today, two rusted or blood-drenched metal chairs were placed on the stage.


    There was a half-circle table of white marble with five beautiful chairs, meant for the Five, the leaders or, in today''s case, Judges. No matter how much Lainor racked his or the daughter''s brain, he couldn''t remember who they were.


    Behind the Judges, on a raised dais, was a majestic throne with a backdrop of an eagle spreading her wings. This was for the Sovereign¡ªthe founder of the sisterhood, the killer of an archdragon. Lainor couldn''t help but be curious about what that woman looked like. She was an enigma to most of the outside world and even the sisterhood, as no one had seen her in over a hundred years. But everyone, even His Eminence, respected her power.


    It didn''t take long for all the sorceresses to gather. One of the last to arrive was a woman with hair the color of snow, which had turned white not due to snow but due to age, it seemed, but her face lacked the wrinkles of age. It took but a moment for Aksha''s memories to provide Lainor with the woman''s name. This was Duinith, the headmistress and the sorceress in charge of teaching all the initiates to become sorceresses. The image of a lot of bodies of young women being dissolved in acid flashed in Lainor''s mind. These were the initiates who had failed the headmistress''s rigorous tests.


    Another daughter pulled herself out of Aksha and walked to the dais. She raised her hands high. "Dear sisters, today we''ve gathered here to pass judgment on a creature most foul." Her voice was that of a great orator presenting a play before a king. The crowd responded with great fervor with many calls to take off Kalrina''s head.


    So much so for the sophisticated image of the Sorceresses of Akhessai.


    "Yes, we all want to see the traitor''s death, but before that, one of my sisters has returned, and she brings a gift," the orator said once the crowd had quieted a little. "A rare creature in our world. Certainly, never before have our hallowed halls had the pleasure of hosting someone from the Cult of Aetheron."


    The crowd hushed. It suddenly got so quiet that if someone dropped a pin, Lainor was sure he would hear it.


    "And this Cultist brings some exciting news, but I won''t steal her thunder and let her present the news herself." She flourished her arm towards the waiting room.


    "We''re up," Lainor said sternly. "You better not disappoint, Cultist, or we will string you up along with this traitor."


    Neserin gave her the stink eye when Lainor''s back covered her face, but she got the move on. They arrived at the stage to the murmur of the crowd.


    Lainor raised a hand, portraying an image of confidence, and earned another stink eye from the orator this time. She motioned to Neserin to speak.


    Neserin nodded and began. "My name is Neserin. Until a few days ago, I belonged to the Cult of Aetheron." She quieted for dramatic effect. "No, the truth is, I was sold to the Cult by my father for coin. I hated the entire lot. They''ve used me¡­my body ever since I was nine years old." Fake tears lined her eyes as she spoke. "I''ve been trying to run away from them for years. When the Hierarch joined hands with the dragon to hunt down the Champion and his sister, I saw my chance. A team of Cultists is scouring the Wiryar forest for the Champion''s sister. When I found this daughter of Aksha, she was on death''s doorstep. They asked me to revive her, and I did. They planned to torture her for information, but we joined hands, and together we escaped their grasps, but they were hot on our tails."


    "Yet, thanks to my mother''s skills, we were able to cover our tracks," Lainor added. "But I''m sure it wouldn''t have taken them long to ascertain our destination."


    "Yes, the team of Cultists themselves do not pose a threat to the great Sorceresses of Akhessai," Neserin said. "But once they arrive here, they won''t be alone. They''ll bring their allies, your mortal enemies, the dragons of Gethys."


    The Five glanced amongst themselves, and one began to chuckle, which devolved into laughter. The woman was strikingly beautiful, with dark skin and darker hair.


    "We have nothing to worry from dragons," she said.


    Her name was escaping Lainor as Aksha''s memory hadn''t provided the answer yet, but he figured it would soon come to her. To hasten it, he used Identify.


    [Sorceress of Foresight ¨C Level ???]


    Still nothing. He frowned. Does she know what is coming next? Is that why she is laughing?


    Regardless, Lainor''s instincts told him she was one to watch out for, and he hoped his partner had the same sense.


    "But our team met with the dragon called Tigris when we arrived in Drurith. He told us of what happened in the ruined city and which direction your prisoners went."


    Tigris''s name gave the sorceress pause, only for a moment, before she flew into another fit of laughter.


    "I have no reason to lie to you," Neserin cried. "We did mee¡ª"


    "I never said you were lying, but that Tigris is cute," the Sorceress replied. "Did you know Aksha here burnt his scales with acid, which is why his scales are so black? It''s a pity she didn''t finish the lizard."


    Lainor frowned, as this was not true. There was nothing in Aksha''s memories that said she had ever even fought the dragon. Lainor felt there was some history between the two, but it was not this.


    Aksha stirred. "Ask your questions, Firaan. Don''t waste the sisterhood''s time with lies."


    Firaan, that name struck like lightning. It brought a deluge of memories to the forefront of what the sorceress could do. She wasn''t laughing because she was dismissing Neserin''s warnings. She was laughing because she knew the truth. The real truth. That Neserin was lying, that Lainor wasn''t a daughter of Aksha, but a Cultist inhibiting a daughter''s body. She might even know about their plan now that Neserin had lied about it. Anything they thought about, the sorceress knew.


    Firaan looked to Lainor with a smile. "Even you can foresee what comes next."


    Lainor snapped his head to Neserin. "Run!"

 Chapter 193 – Let The Trial Begin

    Meera was out of her seat and jostling with the witch to see through the little window. Not to mention, the jailor, Aksha, was trying to shoulder her way in as well.


    Meera groaned, shot out a small mirror through the window, and stepped back, only to realize it was useless. She couldn''t see it, so she couldn''t see through it.


    Kalrina chuckled at Meera''s folly. "All that time, you forgot this most basic knowledge. Here, let me help you, dear pupil."


    She formed a crystal and hovered it on the top edge of the window, stepping back¡ªmore like hobbling back¡ªto the point that she stumbled into her chair, given her various wounds.


    Meera would love to argue with her, but she didn''t want to miss the action outside. She knew something was up when she saw the Cultist girl make the throat-slicing gesture towards the daughter present in the room. They thought no one had seen them, but she saw with more than her eyes.


    How had Aksha''s daughter turned against her mother, and why?


    As she pondered this, outside, the Cultist and the rogue daughter fought with the five daughters on the stage. The crowd enjoyed the show as if it were a Gladiatorial match, cheering for their champions. Neserin''s skills were just something else. She fought with an ice sword, exchanging blows with two daughters who fought with long daggers in each hand.


    But the traitorous Aksha felt like a fish out of water, barely clinging on for dear life, as if all this was new to her and she didn''t know what skills to use to counter her foes.


    A deluge of poison erupted from her feet, only for it to be swept aside by her opponents. She shot poison bullets, which were countered just as easily. After a few more failed attempts, she gave up on using poison-based skills and flew at her sisters with her daggers.


    "Hey baby Aksha, can one of you really turn against your own kind?" Meera asked.


    "Stop calling me that," she replied through gritted teeth.


    "Oh fine, jailor supreme," Kalrina sighed dramatically. "Please do answer her question. I would love to know if you can go against your creator''s orders?"


    The clone squinted at the two of them, trying to suspect foul play, but there was none¡ªjust curiosity behind the question, at least from Meera''s side. Knowing the witch, she definitely had something cooking.


    "We¡­can, but¡­none would dare do it in front of Mother," she replied.


    "I see¡­" Kalrina smiled, indicating something was cooking in her wicked head. But for now, she was stuck with her, and she was her best chance of getting out of here.


    Outside, the fighting was reaching its penultimate stage. The daughter was mostly subdued and bore many bloody cuts along her arms and body. Her opponents narrowed her as they drove her towards the Orator, who had stayed out of combat until now.


    A poison whip snapped, curled itself around the rogue daughter, and swept her off her feet. She crashed to the ground, and the other two daughters were on her. One of them placed their dagger on her throat and told her not to move.


    The Cultist was faring better. She had killed one of her enemies and pushed the other one back. The cabal of witches in the crowd were cheering on the remaining clone as they had been for the most part.


    As much as she hated the Cult for betraying her. Clearly, they had come in here to capture her, but somehow, she still hated the sorceresses more and didn''t want them to win at any cost. She didn''t know what drove that hatred. She glanced at Kalrina and her wounds.


    Ah, that''s what.


    Without her chakrams, there was no way for Meera to help the Cultist girl. Well, she had one free chakram pressed against her chest in the folds of her dress, but she wasn''t revealing her hidden weapon, not for an enemy like that. Then her eyes fell on the tattoo on her hand, and she smiled.


    She called forth Onyx, and his large form bloomed in the cramped room. Like always, he glowed with a faint blue light. The clone shrieked and pointed a spear at him. Meera chuckled at how useless that was.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Meera, where are we? Is this a jail? And are you in chains?" He squinted. "Are those chakrams in a box made of¡­CLOUDS? What is going on here?"


    Kalrina chuckled at the stallion''s confusion and that of the daughter, who was beginning to realize Onyx''s true nature.


    Meera stood and patted his neck. "It''s okay, buddy. I''ll explain later, but for now, I need you to do something for me." She pulled his head down to whisper something in his ear.


    His eyes popped open. "You sure? Shouldn''t I just do that for you instead?"


    "You could, but I would have no idea where to go. It might be the same for the Cultist, but why make anything easier for my captives." She slapped him on the rump. "Now, go cause some mischief."


    Onyx neighed as he reared up on his hind legs and blasted out towards the dais right through the wall. There was a collective gasp as he appeared on the stage. Firaan was out of her seat, staring at Meera''s beautiful steed. Onyx ran directly for the clone, fighting with Neserin. The clone backed up and jumped out of the way before she was trampled. Onyx circled the Cultist and relayed what Meera had told him to say.


    She had asked him to ask her to get on her back, and he would carry her to safety as a gift from Meera. In exchange, she wanted the Cult''s help in getting out of here. After all, the Cult, the dragons, and the sorceresses were all gunning for her, so why not use them against each other? She was surprised that she had even thought of this plan on such short notice.


    Neserin''s head snapped towards the room Meera was in. Meera walked to the window and nodded. The woman stared at her, then at Onyx and the daughters, who had regrouped and were inching toward her and Onyx. At last, she looked at her partner.


    "Go!" The captured Aksha screamed.


    She nodded and jumped up on Onyx''s back. She extended a hand towards the rogue Aksha. "I release you. Return to your body¡­Lainor."


    Meera''s eyes widened, as things fell into place. She was so furious that she almost recalled Onyx, but she let it go as whatever Neserin hoped for didn''t happen. The daughter holding down Lainor, the Orator, or so Meera thought, laughed.


    "This Lainor is in the body created from mother''s flesh. He is not going anywhere while mother is present."


    Meera glanced at Kalrina, and her face was still as a statue. She couldn''t read the witch''s expression, but given that Aksha was involved, she was most probably livid.


    "It''s fine. Just go!" Lainor shouted. "Get out of here."


    Neserin nodded, gripped Onyx''s hair tightly, and spurred him with her feet. They shot out of the room with three daughters of Aksha giving chase. A few of the sorceresses jumped out of the stands and followed the daughters after the Cultist.


    The jailer turned her spear towards Meera. "What did you whisper in your horse''s ear?"


    Meera looked down the length of the spear to her, then walked back to her seat. "Only point that thing at me if you''re allowed to use it. Otherwise¡­¡± She gestured for Kalrina to finish it.


    "Use the pointy end to pleasure yourself as that should suffice the crocodile''s maw of a cunt you got down there¡­" The witch smiled brightly and added. "Dearie."


    The daughter trembled with rage and gripped her spear so tightly that it was surprising that it didn''t break. She huffed and left the room, poison dripping off her and hissing as it hit the floor.


    "We make a good team." Kalrina grinned and raised her hand in a high-five position.


    If Meera was a sadistic person, she would have obliged the battered woman, but she just shook her head. "I don''t hate you that much to cause you further harm, but I would''ve broken your hand if it wasn''t teetering on falling off by itself."


    Kalrina lowered it. "Aw, you do care about me."


    Meera rolled her eyes.


    The witch got serious. "What did you say to your horse that the Cultist agreed to take your help?"


    Meera smirked. "I told her I would help her get out of here if she got the Cult to come to my aid."


    Kalrina nodded with a smile. "Oh, that''s good. That''s very good."


    "I figured it''d keep the sorceresses busy and give us an opportunity to escape."


    The witch teared up. "Oh, you said us. You''ve begun to care about me, after all."


    Meera gave her a blank look. "Keep that up, and I''ll leave you behind when the time comes. Besides, who can say that Neserin girl can even make it out of your dragon keep?"


    "Even if she doesn''t, it was still the right move. Good one, love. But still, we can''t rely on others all the time. Sometimes, we''ve got to be the masters of our destiny."


    The daughter returned. "Get up!" She snapped. "The time of the trial is here. In other words, the time of your death."


    Meera looked through the mirror. The dais had been cleaned up, and Lainor had been put in chains and was being corralled towards the exit. She had a feeling this was not the last of him. If her estimate was correct, he would end up in the dungeons, and they would greet him soon. She looked forward to that time so she could properly thank him for his betrayal in Drurith.


    Kalrina managed to stand with much difficulty and lots of sighing and wincing. "Death awaits us all, but for now this trial will suffice."


    Meera walked behind the witch''s hunched form as she made slow progress towards the dais. It was like walking behind an older woman nearing the end of her life, but Kalrina was crafty, something Aksha was not. She would not go quietly into that long, dark night.


    "Now, for what you''re all here for," the Orator said or a new daughter of Aksha, filling in for the Orator. "A night when the traitor Kalrina''s fate is finally decided."


    The crowds cheered loudly like they usually did before the beginning of a big game back home.


    Meera drew a deep breath. "You better know what you''re doing, witch."


    "I always know what I''m doing," Kalrina smirked.


    The Orator raised her hands in the air. "Let the trial begin!"

 Chapter 194 – Summon The Witness

    Meera walked onto the stage with an unexpected response. The hollering for Kalrina''s blood and calls to hang the traitor died almost entirely. She figured it was not because of her but because of the injuries inflicted upon Kalrina.


    "Hang the traitor¡­" The lone woman who still chanted for Kalrina''s blood sat in her seat, slowly lowering her arm once she realized she was the only one left.


    Even the members of the Five looked horrified, especially Firaan and another woman with bleach-blonde hair and violet eyes. She looked no older than eighteen years old, but looks were deceiving in this place. She was the most beautiful of the Five, or even perhaps the most beautiful woman Meera had ever seen.


    [Sorceress of Flames ¨C Level ???]


    A stern-looking woman sat in the middle of the Five. She had long white hair and pale, almost alabaster-white skin. Meera would''ve avoided her even if she didn''t know how strong she was. The sorceress steepled her fingers and stared daggers at Kalrina, clearly unaffected by the room''s sentiment.


    [Sorceress of Papers ¨C Level ???]


    Aksha was another who did not care for the witch nor seemed to notice the fear in the sisterhood''s eyes as they looked at Kalrina. Contrary to what Meera had thought, she sat in the leftmost seat. She took an unassuming place despite probably being the strongest of the Five.


    The last member of the Conclave of Five was a big woman who Meera could tell was taller than the rest, even while sitting down. She was lithe, with a bony frame. She was pretty, with oily black hair, but her beauty paled compared to some of the other women in the room.


    [Sorceress of Ink¨C Level ???]


    I wonder if Papers and Ink work together.


    Meera didn''t bother using Identify on the rest of the sorceresses as there were too many in the room, and she would lose her mind trying to remember all their tags. The jailor clone had taken up position behind Meera and Kalrina.


    The orator clone dramatically flourished a hand towards them. "My good ladies, we have a special guest with us today. You all remember the Champion of the great prophecy. He stood in this very room, bringing us the heart of our mortal enemies. But he brought more than that to our doorstep, but we sorted the lizards, didn''t we?"


    There were only a handful who laughed at the Orator''s joke. Most had fearful eyes glued to Kalrina''s broken form, who was having difficulty standing straight for this long. Either it was a show, or she really was having trouble standing for so long. Meera figured it was most likely a show.


    "But today, we don''t have the Champion with us. Today, his sister graces our hallowed halls." Immediately, the whispering began. "Yes, my sisters, the rumors are all true. Standing beside me is Meera Singh, our dear Champion''s sister."


    Meera wasn''t expecting any applause, but not getting one was equally disappointing.


    The Orator daughter of Aksha went on. "You are right not to cheer, sisters. For she is no hero like her brother. Instead, she has been aiding perhaps the greatest traitor to the sisterhood since Pelara the Wicked." She pointed to Kalrina as she stared down her nose at her. "This, Kalrina, who we called sister, has done wicked acts against us, and tonight is the night of reckoning for her crimes."


    "Who knew Aksha had such a dramatic side," Kalrina''s voice trembled as she spoke. Meera never remembered her voice quivering when they talked in the waiting room.


    There were some who snorted. The Orator''s eyes scanned the room to figure out who it was but carried on. "You will speak when spoken to, traitor? Speak out of her turn next time, and you will find yourself in an even worse condition than you already are."


    Kalrina raised an eyebrow and rose to the challenge. "Oh, will that be in my nice little cell, or will we start our lovemaking right here?"


    The clone backhanded Kalrina across the face. The blow hit with such intensity that she fell into Meera''s grasp, and if she hadn''t caught her, the witch would have fallen to the ground.


    The witch''s lips trembled as she dribbled out. "T-Thank you."


    "As you can see, my sisters," The Orator began. "This woman is as insolent as she is vile. She has no respect for our tradition nor respect for the sanctity of these hallowed halls. She has murdered not one but three sisters, all for her nefarious aims. With the blessings of the Conclave, I would like to bring the proceedings before this woman fouls the air with more of her poisonous words."


    The woman who sat in the center¡ªthe Sorceress of Papers¡ªmade a motion with her hand to proceed.


    "Thank you, Lady Duinith," the clone said with a slight tilt of her head. "Today, I would like to bring charges forth against Kalrina Dremion, a sister of the Sorceresses of Akhessai." She turned towards Kalrina. "You are being charged for the murder of three of your sisters, Neshi, Isolde, and most recently, Hemera."


    There were some gasps, and some women did their best to control their tears. Some succeeded in the endeavor, while others failed. It seemed the deceased women were well-loved by many.


    Just what sort of person I''ve entangled with, but if the witch and Aksha are any examples, they all are rotten to the core.


    The daughter went on. "Yes, my good ladies, dear Hemera is no longer with us. Her life wasted, her talents squandered when this butcher shoved one of her infernal mirrors through the back of her throat. She clutched my mother as she lay dying, but she was too powerless to do anything."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "A bit different from how I remembered it," Kalrina muttered.


    "Let''s not forget, poor Isolde, one of Lady Nikai''s trusted colleagues. Our poor sister''s body was marked with many cuts, and my mother''s investigation led to the conclusion that her death was slow and painful. How she crawled to the staircase for help but succumbed to her injuries before help could be administered. Her blood still stains the pages of many books in the library."


    "Wrong again," Kalrina spoke softly enough for only Meera to hear. "I made sure she couldn''t incriminate me."


    The Orator glared at Kalrina as she spoke. "And it''s recently come to light that she killed Neshi, the last Raven Keeper." More stunned looks and gasps. "Yes, you heard that right, dear sisters. Neshi''s death was not a suicide but murder. This evil woman strung her up and made it look like a suicide."


    "Can''t wait to see how you prove this one," Kalrina remarked, earning another glare from the daughter.


    "How does the criminal plead?" Orator asked.


    "Not Guilty, of course. I''ve been framed," Kalrina cooed to many scoffs.


    Meera didn''t see any way Kalrina would walk out of this one with her head on her shoulders, but then she said she had some plan to get out of this. But Meera wasn''t holding out any hope.


    The Orator clone of Aksha sneered. She had her back to the crowd, so no one saw her. It wasn''t like Aksha would''ve particularly cared, even if they did.


    The woman with the white hair in the middle of the Five raised a fist. "Let the trial to bring Kalrina to justice."


    "May I begin?" Kalrina asked. "You''ve already listed my crimes, so it''s only fair that I get a chance to defend myself."


    The same woman nodded again.


    Kalrina still held onto Meera''s hand for support. "Thank you, Duinith dear."


    The veins stuck out on the white-haired woman''s temples. "It''s lady Duinith to you."


    "No, not anymore. I''m no longer an initiate, and aren''t we all equal here? That''s what I was told when I became a full-fledged sister of the sisterhood. Unless things have changed while I was away, and the Five are considered everyone''s betters, and we''re to pay obeisance to you."


    Meera had to suppress a smile. The witch was trying to rile up the woman, and it seemed to be working.


    It seems no one is safe from the witch''s powers of annoyance.


    "Lady Duinith is respected by all," the tall woman, the Sorceress of Ink, said. "And you are well aware of that fact."


    Kalrina shrugged and flinched. "It''s hard to respect someone who has already declared me the culprit." The Paper sorceress frowned. "Did she not say ''to bring me to justice''."


    Ink had no response to that. It brought a smile to Meera''s lips.


    Kalrina chucked her tongue. "For someone who is the official Scribe of the sisterhood, you really need to pay more attention to what people are saying Nikai or Aksha might replace you with someone else, like she did with your predecessor."


    Nikai, the ink sorceress, was not pleased with that remark. She scrunched up the paper in her hand and clenched her jaw. After that verbal slapping, Kalrina moved on to her next victim, and Meera couldn''t wait to see what came next from her mouth.


    "It''s so lovely you all have declared me a criminal based on one woman''s accusations, oh sorry, I mean, investigations." She paused, but no one said anything, but some nervous glances were thrown towards Aksha. "Before I even get into whatever half-brained dearie came up with the idea of pinning the death of Neshi on me, I would like to get into the death of Hemera. Can I proceed, baby Aksha?"


    Some snorted at that comment, making the Orator whip her head around the room, but she was too late. The culprits had covered themselves up, but Meera had seen who they were. It would be fun to give them up, but having seen what Aksha did to her enemies, she decided otherwise. She wasn''t cruel like some of these women, and besides, they had done nothing to her.


    "Proceed," the real Aksha said.


    Kalrina stared at the Orator and motioned to Aksha with her head. "Aren''t you going to thank your mother for doing your job for you?"


    The Orator''s nostrils flared and spoke through gritted teeth. "Proceed."


    "I''m just having some fun with you, dearie," Kalrina cooed. Now, I do have some hard questions for you. Please ask your mommy for help if you get stuck, okay?"


    Meera was getting nervous that it was going to devolve into an execution right here. But there were some in the audience who were enjoying the exchange. As she figured, Aksha was not so popular. She was more like the boogeyman who kept everyone in line.


    Kalrina began. "You said that your mommy saw the death of Hemera herself, did she not?"


    The Orator crossed her arms. "You know I did."


    "And in essence, you are Aksha yourself?"


    The Orator''s chest swelled with pride. "I am."


    "Since you, Aksha, are bringing forward the accusation, who is your witness? Unless you''re saying it''s only Aksha, which you''ve agreed to is basically you. Now, you cannot be a witness if you''re bringing the charges. Then it''ll be just your word against mine."


    The Orator opened her mouth to answer, but Aksha answered again. "There is a witness."


    The Orator didn''t seem happy that her mother answered for her. It showed that she didn''t know how to do her job, basically trashing her credibility, which, in essence, was Aksha''s own credibility.


    Meera suppressed a smile. Well played, Witch.


    Kalrina, however, was not pleased with that answer. She was looking at someone in the crowd, but given how tightly the sorceresses were sitting, it was hard to see who she was looking at.


    "I see¡­" Kalrina finally said. "Okay, I''ll cut to the heart of it. How do you know I killed Neshi?"


    "You confessed to it," the Orator replied.


    "When you were torturing me. I said it because I wanted you to stop inflicting further pain on me. To stop pouring your acid over my body. To stop breaking my bones. I just wanted the pain to stop. I would''ve confessed to being Aetheron in disguise."


    Her words stunned the room to silence, and it finally clicked why Kalrina had refused the Health Potion before coming here. She wanted the sisterhood to see Aksha''s handiwork firsthand.


    Kalrina continued. "And when I asked for a Health potion, your mother said, and I quote, the sisterhood will crumble to dust before I give you a moment''s respite from this pain."


    "That is a lie!" roared the Jailor daughter from behind. "You refused the Potion yourself."


    Kalrina scoffed. "Sure you did. Just like you offered to give me rose-scented oils for my hair in the fine establishment of a dungeon, you have."


    The jailor''s head snapped to Meera. "She was there. She can attest to it."


    "I saw nothing. I was busy trying to lift this heavy thing," Meera said innocently as she motioned to the cloudy lockbox at her feet.


    The jailor hobbled over her words as she tried to come up with a proper response, but Kalrina rolled over her.


    "My good ladies, a game of lies and deceit is being played here. I am being framed for murders that I did not commit. Tragic deaths of our sisters being used by the mad bitch of our sisterhood to satiate her anger."


    "Watch your tongue, whore," Orator snapped. "Or I will¡ª"


    "Or what? Or you will start torturing me right here, in this hallowed hall."


    Meera bit her lower lip to stop herself from smirking. I take the first one back. This was well-played.


    "Enough!" Duinith raised a hand. "Stop this bickering. Kalrina, if you are innocent of the three murders¡ª"


    "Two murders, one suicide," Kalrina corrected.


    Duinith clenched her jaw. She looked ready to start torturing Kalrina herself. "If you consider yourself innocent, then why did you run?"


    Kalrina motioned to herself. "Why do you think?" She turned her eyes to Aksha. "We both know Aksha cannot sleep properly if she hasn''t gotten her daily dose of torture."


    "We saw the shard around Isolde''s body. Mirror shards," Duinith emphasized the last two words. "And you were last seen heading towards the section of the library that Isolde managed by Nikai herself."


    Kalrina barked a laugh. "If it had been you she had seen and they had found an ink bottle by her body, Aksha would have put you on the chopping block."


    Duinith''s eyes snapped open as she clenched her fists. Her voice came out strained when she spoke. "You could have come to us and explained yourself. We would have seen justice prevail and your name cleared."


    "I have seen firsthand the justice of this Conclave," Kalrina shook her head. "No, I decided to put my fate in my own hands."


    "This is all pointless," Aksha said. Despite all the insults Kalrina threw, her face remained as impassive as ever. "Bring forth the witness of Hemera''s murder."


    The Orator coughed and cried at the top of her lungs. "The Conclave summons the sorceress, Arvena!"

 Chapter 195 – An Unexpected Entry

    Even Meera was stunned as she saw the green-haired sister of the witch stand up from the crowd. She had downcast and puffy eyes as if she had been crying a lot. But no amount of crying would undo the betrayal she was about to commit.


    She made her way slowly down the steps, not lifting her gaze. Kalrina glared daggers at her sister. Meera could only wonder what was going on in her head.


    What would I feel if Neel were to testify against her?


    Arvena stepped onto the dais with shaky feet. Each step seemed to thunder in the silent room. Many sorceresses were shaking their heads at the betrayal among sisters. Would any of them ever trust her ever again?


    The Orator smirked as she guided Arvena to stand opposite her sister. Kalrina''s sharp tongue from moments ago had all but vanished, replaced with a mean scowl for the green-haired sorceress she called sister. Depending on the next few minutes, that bond might be severed forever.


    "Oh¡­" The Orator cupped a hand around her ear as she leaned towards Kalrina. "What happened to that sharp tongue? No more insults towards the Conclave. No twisting words to squirm your way out of your predicament."


    Kalrina took a step towards her sister. "Arvena, what is the meaning of this?"


    A tear dripped to the ground from Arvena''s cheek, but the garish sorceress said nothing.


    Even Meera was angry that the sorceress would stand against her sister like so. Meera would rather have her skin ripped off than betray Neel like this.


    "Look at me." Kalrina seethed.


    But her sister did not dare look up.


    "Look at me!" She roared.


    Arvena flinched at her tone and finally looked up. The tears brimming her eyes spilled. A hand went to her mouth, and a silent sob escaped her throat. "No¡­" She looked at Aksha. You said¡­"


    "You trusted that vile woman''s words." Kalrina hobbled towards her. "You know what she did. Even after all this." She spread her arms wide and turned to the sisterhood. "Look, my sisters, this fate awaits you if you go against Aksha. She tortured me for days¡ªburned my skin with her acid, forced poison down my throat, broke my bones. All so she could get me to confess to these murders, and when I wouldn''t fall to her command¡­she turned sister against sister. That is what lies at the core of this sisterhood."


    The Orator sidled next to Meera as Kalrina tried to rile up the sorceresses. Meera had half a mind to take out her chakram that she had hidden in the folds of her dress and decapitate her on the spot, but she figured it was best to listen to her and then decapitate her¡­maybe.


    "If you''re willing to turn against the mad bitch, we can give you a lenient sentence," Orator said.


    "Or maybe not a sentence at all."


    She set her jaw. "I cannot promise that."


    "Then get me someone who can."


    She looked at her mother, and something passed between them. Aksha and her daughter''s expressions remained the same, but the daughter sighed. "Fine. No sentence."


    Meera nodded. "Then, I''m your girl. What do you need me to say?"


    The daughter smiled. "Just follow my lead." She stepped forward with a hand raised. "Yes, yes. We''ve heard it all now. Let''s proceed with proving your crimes. But before we begin questioning Arvena, I have recently learned another has stepped forward to reveal this woman''s treacherous nature."


    Kalrina squinted at her but caught Meera''s eyes. She shook her head slightly when she judged Meera''s intentions.


    Meera shrugged in response.


    The Orator turned towards her. "Meera, can you please tell us the truth that you were just telling me?"


    "Sure." Meera stepped up and could just feel the others leaning in to hear her words. "I hate you all. All of you." She paused, waiting for a rebuttal, but the Orator was so stunned that she could only blink. "No, seriously, that is it. That is the truth. Maybe I''m generalizing based on the few sorceresses that I''ve had the displeasure of meeting, but as far as I''ve seen, you''re all shitty people. You are perhaps the prettiest and the ugliest people I''ve ever seen."


    She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from cracking up at the shocked looks. Aside from Aksha, most had various expressions of shock or outrage.


    There was only one who was affected by her comment.


    Kalrina burst into laughter at the stunned looks of her so-called sisters. Her laughter echoed in the silent hall, making it even harder for Meera to keep a straight face.


    She frowned. "Was that not what I was supposed to say?"


    The daughter clenched her fists as a vein throbbed on her forehead. "Do you think this is a joke?"


    Meera shrugged. "Hey, you asked for the truth."


    It looked like the clone would move for Meera, and she really wished that she did, but the Orator looked at her mother, who shook her head slightly so the Orator visibly swallowed her anger.


    Meera knew she was playing with fire, but these women needed her¡ªthat much was certain. Otherwise, Aksha would have tortured her to try to turn her against Kalrina, but she ignored her as if she wasn''t even there.


    "This is your last chance," Orator hissed. "Tell the Five that you''ve seen Karina''s true colors, or the results will not be good for you."


    Kalrina jumped on her chance. "Are you threatening a witness to testify in your favor? Wow, clearly, this is a very fair trial. I''m not going to see true justice here."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Shut up!" Orator snapped. "Just shut the fuck up! You had your chance. Meera, tell the Conclave that you know about this traitorous bitch''s true intentions."


    Meera shrugged. "I don''t know anything about that. I just know that your mother came into her cell and tortured her regularly to confess to the murders. Speaking from an outsider''s perspective, it seems like Aksha has something against Kalrina. Looks like she''s trying really hard to get her killed. Sorry, I mean, see justice done."


    The daughter did not take one lightly. Veins bulged out on her forehead, and she grew so red that Meera feared the top of her head was going to blow up like a volcano.


    "What I''m trying to do is bring Kalrina to justice for her crimes against the sisterhood," the real Aksha spoke. "We''ve wasted enough time. Begin questioning the real witness."


    Orator tilted her head. "Yes, mother." She turned on the balls of her feet and smiled at the green-haired sorceress. "Arvena, I hope your memory is as sharp as ever."


    Arvena gave a slight nod with her eyes on the floor.


    "Good. Tell me, were you with my mother when you visited Hemera''s three days hence."


    Again, a simple nod.


    "Please speak your answers. I don''t want your nods to be misinterpreted for trembling."


    "Yes, I was there."


    "And why?"


    Now, she gave a mournful look to her sister before she spoke. "I was standing watch for my sister who had gone to Hemera to get her memory restored, which had been altered, or so she said."


    Orator leaned in. "Yes, but you didn''t just do that, did you?"


    Arvena''s head fell as she shook her head. "N-No, I¡­I w-went to Aksha¡­"


    Kalrina grew dark. Her face was expressionless, and Meera had never seen her like that. Even when Aksha tortured her, the woman had rage on her face, but now, it was like someone had replaced the annoying woman with a statue.


    "And why would you betray your sister so, hmm?" Orator tapped a finger on her lips.


    Tears dripped off Arvena''s cheeks and onto the floor. "I-I was¡­afraid she would¡­k-kill her like she did¡­Isolde And Neshi."


    Some in the crowd gasped. A moment later, a sorceress stood up and raised a glowing hand, pointing at Kalrina. Her eyes were wet with tears. One of the two deceased sorceresses must''ve been close to her, but her neighbor pulled her down.


    Orator spread her arms wide. "There you have it. Her own sister speaks the truth."


    A clamor rose from the stands. Most calling Kalrina various names or sister-killer. While others called for her head to be taken off here and now and other forms of gruesome deathly punishments.


    Meera tuned them out and stared at Arvena. Her hatred for the woman deepened at seeing her betray her sibling like that. Meera would die before she did anything like this against Neel. Meera spat on the ground towards Arvena. "I was right about you. How could you?"


    Orator laughed. "How could she? How could she?!" Followed by more gales of laughter, not just from her but also from some of the other sorceresses. "It''s simple, but you Varshans are far too primitive to understand such concepts as loyalty. But I''ll try. You see, she picked her sisterhood over her bloodthirsty sister."


    Kalrina still had no retort. She stared at Arvena as if she didn''t know how this came to be. The woman seemed to be in shock. Meera could understand her shock at being betrayed by someone you trusted so deeply. But this was it for Kalrina and her plans until she smiled, which threw off the Orator and made many¡ªMeera included¡ªfrown.


    "I wonder how much dear Aksha tortured you to turn you against me," Kalrina purred.


    Orator scoffed. "A creature so engrossed with foul play can only think of the same of others. Arvena''s actions are born of her loyalty to the sisterhood."


    "Hmm, I''m sure that''s why she''s trembling like a leaf in the wind."


    Orator scoffed and ignored her as she turned to the crowd. "My sisters, there you have it. The villain''s actions have been brought to light by her sister herself. Do you still deny your actions, Kalrina?"


    "Might as well confess, right dearie?" She asked Meera.


    Meera shrugged. "It''s your funeral."


    Kalrina smirked. "I''m sure you''ll love to see that."


    Meera wasn''t sure where this was going. She was concerned the witch had finally lost it. After all, the witch was her escape plan. Ideally, Meera would''ve liked to ditch her as she made her escape, but her heart ached for her. For all Kalrina had lost, she couldn''t help but want to break Aksha''s stoic face.


    It''s not my fight. Meera reminded herself. Numheia had told her to be a little more selfish, and that is what she would do. She had wasted enough time here.


    "Yes, I killed them all," Kalrina confessed to the hush of the crowd.


    Duinith leaned in. Nikai wrung her hands, splashing ink everywhere. Aksha had a face made of stone. The youngest-looking of the Five, the flame sorceress, was teary-eyed and shook her head in disappointment.


    "Why?" Orator asked.


    Kalrina held up a finger. "Neshi because she snitched on me and Eston." She held up two fingers. "Isolde because she wouldn''t give me the book The Intricacies of Skills and Species. Oh, by the way, I lost that book, Nikai, when I was running from Aksha''s spawns. Sorry."


    Nikai''s alabaster-shaded skin had turned the color of tomatoes. Her hands turned black from what Meera figured was ink, and the ink began traveling up her arms.


    Kalrina held up three fingers. "Lastly, Hemera, well, she saw things in my memory that she was about to rat out. But it seems I killed the wrong rat." She smiled at her sister. "Have fun trying to get anyone to trust you with their secrets after this."


    Orator barked a laugh. "You talk about trust. You? She''s a true sister of the sisterhood."


    Kalrina''s eyes turned hard, but the smile remained on her lips. "Yes, just not to her sister."


    Duinith stood. "By Arvena''s statements and your own admittance,  you are no longer fit to be one of us. As per the laws set forth by this very Conclave, Kalrina, you are sentenced to death by¡ª"


    "I invoke the Accord of Harleva!" Kalrina smiled coyly.


    "You dare?" Duinith''s face was rage incarnate.


    The reaction from the other sorceresses was outrage as well. Everyone screamed and shouted for Kalrina to take back her words or that she wasn''t worthy of such an honor. Meera was confused, and everyone, even the Orator, screamed and shouted at Kalrina, who reveled in their outrage.


    Meera pulled on her arm. "What is this Accord?"


    Kalrina spoke in her ear so that she could be heard. "It was a precedent set by one of the Five who almost died giving her life for the sisterhood. Focus on the word, almost. The story is she held off a horde of dragons. But she was wounded badly by dragon fire. By the time we found her, the infection from dragon fire had spread so far and wide that it was impossible to save her."


    Meera frowned. "You don''t have healers?"


    Kalrina gave her a blank look that said Meera was stupid. "Of course we do. But the sorceresses that found her were not healers. Since she was one of the Five, she commanded them to end her life. She chose the way she wanted to go. After her death, it became an Accord. Any sorceress about to die and couldn''t be saved could choose how she wanted to go."


    Meera''s eyes snapped open as it clicked. Kalrina''s life was forfeit, and instead of letting them dictate her death, she was going to choose the method of her execution. It was genius, save for the fact that she would still be executed.


    Kalrina shrugged. "I''m a sorceress who is about to die with no means or intent of saving my life, so all the terms and conditions apply. It also helps that they''ve never given the orders to execute a sorceress."


    By the time she finished telling the story, the crowd had quieted somewhat, and the Five heard what Kalrina had just said.


    "So, overrule the death sentence, or let me pick my death." Kalrina smiled. "What will it be?"


    The Five debated furiously. Well, the four. Aksha simply stared at Kalrina as if trying to see through her soul. Nikai and Duinith were strictly against it, but Firaan and the others talked about setting a precedent about not following their own rules. There was a counter to that argument about letting sorceresses choose their death. They went back and forth, and the argument even started to grate on Meera''s nerves.


    Kalrina coughed loudly, getting their attention. "Who cares if the future condemned get to choose their deaths? In the end, they will die and isn''t that the point."


    The Five passed glances amongst themselves, and in the end, Aksha shook her head, and the others agreed while nodding their heads.


    "Let the Accord stand," said a new, powerful voice coming from the door.

 Chapter 196 – I Claim The Champions Sister

    The Five immediately shot to their feet, and they were not the only ones. All the sorceresses close to the door were up on their feet. Some even had tears in their eyes, Nikai included. There were hushed murmurs, but Meera did not miss the reverent looks this new woman was getting.


    Meera looked to Kalrina, and she shrugged.


    Her heels tapped against the stone floor, and a dark outline of a robed woman appeared at the door. Meera couldn''t see the woman or properly Identify her yet, but she felt the power radiating from her. It was similar to when she stood in Numheia''s presence. It was like the woman was a force of nature, and Meera had to resist the urge to drop to a knee.


    The woman stepped into the Hall of Judgement.


    Every single sorceress was up on her feet. There were so many gasps that it was almost like an echo. Some wept quietly, their tears dripping off their chins. Meera looked to Kalrina. Her eyes were the size of walnuts, and her jaw was wide open. Arvena had backed up a step as if the woman was a ghost. The daughters of Aksha were actually on their knees. All the while, Meera was still confused as to who this woman was.


    She had long dark hair that went all the way to her hips. She wore a light green dress with many leaves stitched with golden thread. She wore an earthen-colored shawl on top of that and a diamond tiara on her forehead. Meera had seen a King and a few princes, but this woman exuded royalty.


    [Sorceress of Tremors - Level ????]


    Meera elbowed the witch. "Who is she?" She whispered, but she might as well have shouted the question in this hushed room.


    "Th-This is¡­" Kalrina began and swallowed.


    Meera leaned in. "Is she a ghost?"


    The new woman chuckled.


    "Have some fucking respect," the Jailor snapped. The fact that she was snapping must mean it was serious. "She is¡ª"


    "It''s okay, daughter. Let me do my own introductions for Meera and for all the newest sorceresses in the room." The woman stopped before Meera and tilted her head. "I am the one they call Veridiana, the founder of the Sorceresses of Akhessai."


    "She is often called the doom of dragons. The bane of Akhessai. The mother of magic. The Sovereign of the sorceresses and many such names," the Orator said reverently, still from her knees.


    Meera''s jaw dropped. "You''re the one that k-killed this thing." Meera waved her hands around.


    Veridiana''s face showed an ounce of irritation. "This thing was an Archdragon, and yes, it was me who turned her to stone."


    How does one even go about doing that?


    "Trust me, Meera, I''ve tried to find the answer many times," Firaan said.


    Meera''s nostrils flared. "What did I say about reading my mind?"


    Firaan shrugged. "I can''t help it. You speak so loudly in your mind."


    Duinith ignored her and instead focused on her leader. "My Sovereign, we cannot let the accord stand, not for someone like her. She''s murdered¡ª"


    Veridiana raised a hand. "I know what she has done, and still, I allow it."


    Nikai was next to speak. "But¡ª"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Aksha slammed her hands on the table and stood. "She has given a command, and her words are absolute in these halls." She motioned to the big throne-like seat behind the Five. "Please take your seat, mother, so that we can conclude the proceedings."


    This revelation hit Meera like a truck. Her face forgot how to show shock as she stared between mother and daughter. There were similarities, like their eyes, but if she hadn''t known that information, Meera would never have made the connection herself.


    "Didn''t I mention that before?" Kalrina chuckled. "Judging by your expression, I guess not. Seeing your reaction, it was worth not telling you about it." She chuckled some more.


    Veridiana smiled brightly for her daughter. "Thank you, but I won''t be staying that long. We can proceed."


    "Since Veridiana''s word is supreme here, I guess I get to choose my death." Kalrina grinned as if she had been given her favorite toy. Something told Meera that maneuvering the Conclave into letting them choose her death was her plan all along. Even she couldn''t have guessed that it would be Veridiana herself who would allow it.


    "How dare you disrespect the Sovereign?" The Orator thundered.


    "Relax, dearie, or you will burst a blood vessel." Kalrina smiled. "You all just gave me the death sentence. Why should I respect the people who want to kill me?"


    Veridian snorted. "A fair point."


    The Orator''s reaction was like Meera''s when she discovered that Veridiana was Aksha''s mother. Her face sort of malfunctioned at how the Sovereign could take a killer''s side. A part of Meera loved it, and she had a feeling the Sovereign did as well. Kalrina was brimming with joy.


    "Thank you," she said to Veridiana and turned to the Five. "Now, can I pick my death?"


    The Five who were still on their feet slowly sat down, and Duinith begrudgingly nodded.


    Meera was wary and expectant of what the witch was about to say, for she seemed far too relaxed for someone who was selecting her method of execution.


    "I want a death that you all will remember for a thousand years," Kalrina said. "I want to die¡­by dragon fire."


    To say that everyone was stunned was to say that dragon fire was hot. The hall was so silent that Meera could swear that she heard the ants scurrying about in the corners of the hall.


    "Oh, and not the fake one you create, Ergena," Kalrina said, pointing at the last unnamed member of the Five. The youngest looking one. The Sorceress of Flames. "I want the real deal, from the jaws of a dragon."


    "You have got to be joking," Orator Aksha said.


    "No, baby Aksha, I''m quite serious, and as for my last wish, I want the Champion''s sister to be there to witness my demise. This way, you can''t cheat me out of my final wish¡­wishes."


    She gave Meera a side-eye glance, and it all fit into place. This was Kalrina''s plan. The one she had been working on. In a few minutes, she had made sure the other sorceresses knew what sort of a monster Aksha was, and then she had outmaneuvered the Conclave of Five and put them in a position where they had no choice but to comply with her wishes. Now, they had a direct route out of this place. The sorceresses themselves would carry them out of here and back to Drurith since most of the dragons were back there.


    I take the second one back. This was well played.


    "You must take us for fools if you think we will agree to this," Duinith seethed, red-faced.


    "We wouldn''t even be here if I had found you instead of Aksha," Nikai muttered under her breath, but thanks to the Gem of Echoes, Meera caught it.


    Firran, who had mostly been quiet throughout the whole ordeal, finally sighed, most likely at what came next from Kalrina.


    "So, am I to assume that you all will be going against the Sovereign''s wishes," Kalrina said.


    That took everyone back aside from Firaan, of course. Veridiana stepped forward. "Both of your wishes will be honored, on my word."


    Once again, Duinith stared open-mouthed but got over herself when Kalrina casually said, "Thanks, Veridiana, dear."


    Much of the room did not take that well, and Meera could see the killing intent on their faces. Kalrina was pushing it too far, but the Sovereign didn''t seem to mind. She simply nodded.


    "But Kalrina''s execution will have to wait, I''m afraid," Veridiana said. "As I have need of Meera."


    That stumped Meera. She could do nothing but stare at the woman that seemed to radiate power.


    "Yes, you heard correctly, child," Veridiana said to her. "It''s why I''ve come. I had wished to converse with your brother privately as well, but he was in a hurry. Will you come with me to my chambers?"


    Meera stared open-mouthed. She didn''t know whether to be afraid for her life or jump at the opportunity. But what could such a woman want with her was the chief question in her mind. The room stared at her expectantly, awaiting her answer.


    If she wants to kill me, I doubt there is anywhere I could run that would be safe.


    She looked to Kalrina as a last-ditch effort, and the witch gave a slow nod.


    Meera looked to the Sovereign and nodded. "I''ll go with you."


    Veridiana smiled as a mother smiles at her children when they do something right. "That is fabulous. Aksha, please escort Kalrina back to her cell after healing her, of course, and refrain from any unneeded atrocities. She belongs to Lorendor now. He alone will decide her fate." Then she whispered, "As he decides all our fates."


    Kalrina nodded to Meera. "Be seeing you, dearie."


    Meera returned the nod.


    Veridiana put an arm over Meera''s shoulder. "Let''s go, Meera. There is much we need to talk about."

 Chapter 197 – Time For Dragons To Hunt

    Neserin thought about the strangeness of the situation she was in. Riding a talking, ghostly horse through the corpse of a petrified dragon being chased by the Hunters of Akhessai was a first for anyone in the Cult.


    The horse who called himself Onyx rode like the wind, but Aksha''s copies were quite fast themselves, and they knew the lay of the land.


    I swear, I''ll freeze Lainor''s jewels if I get caught and tortured.


    The fool''s plan had failed in an epic way, leading to him getting captured and her on the run. But most of all, her skill had failed. She had been unable to extract his soul. That had never happened before. What sort of creature is this, Aksha?


    Onyx took a sharp right, and Neserin almost flew off its back. Only by gripping its hair tightly was she able to save herself.


    "Hey, watch it, horsey!" Neserin snapped.


    "I could have gone through that wall, but I don''t think you would have survived that trip," he replied.


    Neserin huffed. "What an asshole."


    "Lady, I can drop you on your ass and disappear right this instant. Is that what you want?"


    Neserin didn''t reply. It was more like she couldn''t reply as she ducked a poison spear that sailed overhead, making her eyes water. Onyx took that as her answer.


    "Thought so. Now, shut up and tell me where to go."


    "Once I get out of here, I''m coming back and freezing you in the permafrost on Ealisto," Neserin muttered.


    "Ha, good luck with that."


    Onyx took a sharp turn, and they were in a narrow corridor, running straight towards what looked like a thick set of stone doors. It wasn''t the first time they were running head first towards a closed door. This place had too many doors and corridors.


    A daughter of Aksha yelled from behind, unleashing a massive poison wave that encompassed the entire corridor. Even from twenty feet away, its fumes made Neserin''s eyes water.


    She grunted and unleashed an ice wave that blocked the entire corridor. It wouldn''t hold the poison for long. She would''ve made it stronger if she didn''t have to break the stone door down.


    She turned her hand around and unleashed Permafrost Wave at the stone doors. It was her strongest ice wave skill. It froze the doors in a matter of seconds. Then she formed an ice lance and hurled it at the door. It shattered the door to bits, and they rode on through with no problem.


    They were finally out of the mess of corridors and out in the open. Credit to the horse, he didn''t slow down as he took to the stairs. She had told him earlier that the exit was in a downward direction, so down he went, and Neserin held on for dear life.


    "How many floors down?" Onyx asked.


    Neserin scanned the dragon''s innards, trying to remember where they had entered. She was certain it was around the midsection, not far from the stomach. But she wasn''t sure which side of the dragon they had entered from, and holding onto Onyx was not doing any favors to her memory.


    "You better hurry up. I can only get so far from Meera before I am automatically pulled back to her."


    "What?" Neserin cried. "You''re telling me this now."


    "Do you really have time to argue about this?"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Neserin clenched her teeth and let out an ice blast. It did nothing to the horse but relieved some of her frustration.


    "Just get me as close to the stomach as you can." She pointed it out for the dumb horse.


    He dashed down the stairs even faster. Neserin''s ass bounced on his back as she held on for dear life. One slip-up meant falling thousands of feet to her death.


    Behind her, the army of Aksha''s daughters broke through the ice and came for her, hurling poison blobs or spears her way, but thanks to Onyx''s speed, they were too far away to get an accurate shot.


    They must''ve been halfway down the stairs when Onyx''s form shimmered and blinked.


    "Oh no, it looks like I''m reaching my limit," he said. "You might have¡ª"


    He disappeared. Neserin fell, rolled on the stairs, and went over the edge. "Fuck you, Meera, and your dumbing fucking horse!" She screamed as she fell towards her death.


    She zipped past the massive glowing crystals that lit up the corpse of the Archdragon, narrowly avoiding one. She had resigned herself to her fate when something wet hit her back. It immediately burned through her clothes, and a scream escaped her throat. One of the Aksha''s laughed overhead.


    Fuck dying.


    She extended an arm towards the closest wall, which seemed to be the wall of Akhessai''s body, and shot a Permafrost Wave. She put a shitload of Mana into the attack. The Wave hit the wall, and her descent slowed. Two seconds later, she came to an abrupt stop. Hanging by the straight ice beam connecting her hand to the stone wall. She pulled herself up and heard the daughter''s distress. They threw some attacks, but Neserin dashed towards the wall, hoping they weren''t as solid as they looked.


    She reached the wall, wincing from the poison eating at her back. She formed a covering of ice over her entire back to stop the acid. Then, she placed both hands on the wall and activated her Ice Age skill.


    Ice colder than an ice dragon''s balls seeped out of her hands and froze the wall. She knew from experience that every part of the stone was being frozen to the core. Poison spears landed on all sides, and she winced and cried out when one pierced her shoulder, but she didn''t stop her skill.


    The ice traveled outwards from her hands until it covered a circumference large enough for Neserin to walk through or smash through. She formed a mace made of ice and began smashing it. Each hit sent a jolt of pain through her, but she persevered. The daughters started landing on her ice beam and carefully balanced themselves as they approached her. But Neserin kept pounding on the frozen wall. The wall finally gave after what seemed an eternity, and a crack formed in the ice. Then another, followed by another.


    The daughters shouted at her to stop or face an excruciating death as if that would make her stop.


    A few good swings later, the cracks finally gave way, and sunlight filtered in. Neserin grinned, even as an acid blob washed over her back, splashing over new areas and pain blossoming anew, but she mustered her strength, and one final hit smashed through the wall, creating a hole in their precious corpse.


    Behind her, one of the Aksha''s gasped. "What you done¡­"


    She flipped off the duplicates and jumped through the hole. She was at Akhessai''s midsection. It was like falling from a small hill. It felt like her stomach was in her throat. More poison attacks rained on her, but thankfully, none hit her. When she got to the dragon''s knees, she shot Permafrost Waves at the archdragon in bursts to slow down. The first one almost took her arm off, but after that, they weren''t so bad. Her speed slowed as she reached the grassy ground. With a final role, she touched the ground.


    She burst forth and ran for the woods, as she was sure the Daughters were coming after her. The trees provided some shade, and she hoped it would be enough to cover her tracks, but she didn''t care about that right now. If she could make it back to Elder Sidrian, the daughters wouldn''t matter, no matter their number.


    Fucking Lainor and his plans.


    She kept dashing through the trees, and reaching their rendezvous point didn''t take long, which was not too far from the Cosmarian''s glade. That was another thing she hadn''t expected to find on this world. Dragons, sorceresses, and a fucking Cosmarian of all things, and apparently an archdragon was also supposed to be around here.


    Throw a hidden god, and we''ll have the entire set. Neserin shook her head. What is wrong with this world?


    As soon as she entered the clearing, she was encased in a block of ice. It would''ve felt cold if not for her class. She shattered the ice block and readied herself for the retaliation, but it never came.


    "Neserin?" Sidrian frowned. "What are you doing here? Where''s Lainor?"


    She fell on her ass, drew a deep breath, and explained the giant mess of a plan that sprang from Lainor''s beautiful brain. A brain that she had half a mind to stab with an ice pike. The Elder listened but didn''t set up a perimeter for the Daughters.


    Elder Sidrian rubbed his chin, paced for a full minute, and finally nodded. "Pack up, we''re moving out."


    "Moving out?" Neserin asked. She wasn''t the only one perplexed by this order.


    He nodded. "Aye. It''s time we stop fighting the dragon''s battle for them. It''s time they took revenge for their mother."

 Chapter 198 - The Sovereigns Proposal

    Meera climbed the stairs quietly behind the Sovereign, her heart thumping with each step. It felt like she was walking to her death, but given the woman''s gravitas, it was hard to refuse. Despite the danger, she was beyond curious about what the woman needed from her.


    They climbed higher and higher toward the heart, as the two initiates had said. Down below, Aksha was leading a chained Kalrina back towards the dungeons in the stomach. But she wasn''t the only one who had come out of the Halls of Judgement. A whole procession followed the Five. Their heads craned up, and reverent eyes glued onto their leader.


    Meera avoided their gaze as it only made her more nervous. There was a pit that was opening in her stomach. She hadn''t even felt this nervous when she faced Erenyx. The thought of Erenyx brought Narikas''s handsome face to the forefront. She sighed at what could''ve been if he had been with her. She put him out of her mind and focused on the present.


    He cannot help me now.


    After taking some twists and turns but constantly climbing higher, they finally arrived at the Heart. Veridiana placed a hand on the door, and it opened inward to a bright, shining light.


    Meera covered her eyes. It was a futile gesture since she could still see through her armor-turned-dress.


    "Come, Meera," Veridiana said, walking into the light.


    With a deep breath, Meera walked into the light. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the light disappeared. She snapped her head side to side, trying to find the source, and all she saw was a small round crystal hovering in the air.


    Veridiana chuckled lightly. "A precaution for any unwanted guests. If I hadn''t bid you to enter, and yet you did, the crystal would have blinded you."


    Meera''s eyes widened. "But why such extreme measures? Do you like your privacy that much?"


    "In a way, yes," the sorceress replied. "You see, I hate others touching my things, and there are some things here that absolutely cannot and should not be seen by the sisterhood."


    "Well, it''s a good thing. I don''t belong to your sisterhood."


    Veridiana nodded. "Aye."


    Meera finally took stock of the Sovereign''s room, and it was perhaps the most lavish room she had seen in any world, earth included. Given her status back home, she had seen some lavish rooms. Once, she saw the penthouse of this billionaire, who had gold-plated toilets, and his furniture was some of the best she had seen. But still, this room put that man''s place to shame.


    It wasn''t too big or small, and the size of the room was just right for entertaining a few people. The furniture and draping were so elegant and artistic that she was sure kings would beg her to introduce them to her interior designer. Many vases were filled with one kind of flower, like a rose, but its petals were longer than they were wide, and two shades of colors on a single flower, ranging from fiery red to icy blue. A strong yet sweet smell permeated the room, and Meera was sure it was because of this strange flower. There were a few couches and a big wooden table carved into a big tree with a massive dragon flying around it. She had a lot of the same dragon designs on all her draping.


    Aren''t dragons their mortal enemies?


    But Meera kept her mouth shut. She didn''t know what this woman was like or why she brought her here. Certainly, the other sorceresses were shocked at Veridiana''s proclamation of bringing Meera here. Quite a few¡ªeven the Five¡ªwere jealous, so Meera stayed quiet and curious and let the powerful sorceress talk first.


    Veridiana''s eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Let''s take a seat. We have much to talk about."


    Meera quietly sat on the couch opposite Veridiana. She knew quite well that this was one sorceress she did not want to antagonize. The woman had made no threat against her, but Meera still couldn''t get her heart to stop beating like a drum. She wasn''t even this afraid when she stood before Narikas for the first time, almost naked.


    "You don''t have to be afraid, Meera," Veridiana said. "I didn''t bring you here to kill you. I want to talk and put forth a proposal."


    Meera squinted her eyes a little. "Okay¡­What sort of a proposal?"


    "I''ll get to that, but let''s talk about you first, more precisely, your relationship with Kalrina."


    "I don''t have a relationship with that witch. As far as I''m concerned, she deserves what''s coming to her." Meera paused and reined in her emotions. The Sovereign had a blank expression and looked a lot like her daughter. Meera swallowed and tried again, more controlled this time. She sighed. But I needed her to get out of this place." Then she added internally. Depending on how this conversation goes, it might as well be a dream at this point.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "And you think she can help you in that endeavor?"


    Meera frowned. "You were there at her hearing. You must''ve gauged her plan?"


    "I did, and if you two plan on running away at her execution, you will not succeed."


    "What makes you think we plan to run away?" Meera asked coyly.


    Veridiana snorted. "Whether at the hands of the dragon or the sorceresses, your friend will die."


    "Firstly, she''s not my friend. She''s like a bad odor that I can''t get rid of, no matter how much I bathe myself. When I wanted a traveling companion, I wasn''t expecting it would be that annoying creature."


    Veridiana chuckled but then grew serious. "Then be rid of her and become my pupil, and I will teach you how to master your skills. Unlike Kalrina, who simply adopted the mirror class, I''ve mastered it. I''ve mastered all the classes of the sisterhood. Stay here, and I''ll teach you to master your skills and take them beyond the realm of mortals."


    Now Meera was curious. "Why me? Why bestow this gift on me and not one of your sorceresses?"


    "They are not worthy."


    "Not even Aksha?"


    "Who says I haven''t already bestowed this gift on her?" The more she talked, the more she resembled her daughter. Meera could see where Aksha got it all from.


    "And if I refuse?" Meera said, but then quickly added. "Not because I don''t want to be strong and master my skills but because I have to¡ª"


    "Find your brother." Veridiana nodded. "I know of your quest, and it''s a noble one¡­but utterly futile."


    Meera clenched her jaw. "What makes you say that?"


    "Because of the Great Prophecy." The sorceress stood, walked to one of the vases with the strange rose, and inhaled deeply. "No matter how much you try to find your brother and return to your world before Aetheron wakes, you will fail."


    Meera stood. "How do you know?"


    Veridiana turned on a heel. "Because every prophecy dictated by a genuine oracle always comes true."


    "Not that. The other thing you said."


    "Oh¡­" She smiled. "I must say, both you and Neel have guarded this secret quite closely, but I''m afraid your brother let it slip when talking with the Five."


    "With the Five?" Meera furrowed her brow, but then understanding struck like a lightning bolt. "Firaan¡­She read his mind." Her lips pressed in a thin line. Her chakrams, still in that cloudy lockbox, started going crazy as they attacked the box, trying to break free.


    "Calm down, Meera," The Sovereign of the sorceresses said.


    She didn''t use any skill or a spell to make Meera fear her, but there was power behind those words. All the anger just whooshed out of Meera''s body.


    "Where you come from doesn''t matter," Veridiana said in her normal, calm tone as she came and sat opposite Meera. "What matters is what you will do. When Aetheron wakes, it will take everyone to hold him and his armies back while the Champion fulfills his destiny."


    "Aetheron''s armies?" Meera asked.


    "The dragons. The Cult of Aetheron and other such fanatics who will undoubtedly ally themselves with the great dragon, hoping that he will spare them. We will need every man, woman, and child who can hold a sword to fight against the enemy. It is for that time you will need to be strong enough to fight alongside your brother to save the world."


    Even if all she said might be true, there was still one thing that was irking Meera. She drew a deep breath and hoped the powerful sorceress didn''t take this the wrong way. "Now, I''m not saying what you''re saying is wrong. All you''re saying might still come to pass. Trust me, I just saw a prophecy come true, and I had a huge part in it, but still, what if I removed the Champion? Won''t that delay Aetheron''s rising since there won''t be a Champion to fight him?"


    "That is highly unlikely. The great prophecy has set things in motion that cannot be stopped."


    "How so?"


    "Because I, too, was issued a prophecy a century ago. A prophecy that would have a direct correlation with the great prophecy, and it began the moment your brother stepped foot on this world."


    Meera gulped. Oh no¡­Neel, what did you do this time?


    "What does your prophecy entail?" Meera asked.


    "The destruction of the Sorceresses of Akhessai."


    Meera was stunned to silence. Long minutes passed as no one said anything. Finally, Meera drew the nerve to ask. "What are the words of your prophecy?"


    Veridiana pulled out a yellowed, rolled paper from the folds of her dress.


    The Champion''s footsteps mark the end,


    Your world will the dragons rend.


    The Beast of fire & stone will finally rest,


    Her lover will wake from his nest.


    Frost & ice will Gethys know by his hand,


    The child of the Queen''s final stand.


    Only you alone will prove your worth,


    And beware, for the Arbiter will birth.


    Meera looked to Veridiana. "But it doesn''t mention the Sorceresses of Akhessai?"


    "It does. It states it quite plainly, and the oracle who issued me this prophecy said my home will be destroyed when the Champion comes here." She drew a deep breath. "And the Oracle''s helpers came knocking a few days ago."


    So, they are working with an oracle. That''s how they knew where to find me in the Forest of Rothedon. ¡°Silas and Cossus were here¡­What did they want?"


    "Same thing you want. Directions to your brother," Veridiana replied. "Meera, those two are not to be taken lightly."


    "I know."


    "Then heed my warning. You need to get stronger for your brother''s sake."


    Meera knew Veridiana had an ulterior motive in training her, but she couldn''t figure out what. The other option was to return to her cell to await Kalrina''s execution. Something told her that Veridiana would ensure that Meera couldn''t escape with the witch at her execution.


    Besides, I need to know more to understand the names in this prophecy and how it relates to the Great Prophecy.


    Meera closed her fist around the small piece of paper, looked at the sorceress, and nodded. It wasn''t like she could refuse.

 Chapter 199 -

    The Sovereign didn''t like to waste time. She immediately brought Meera to her training room and returned her chakrams to her. The room to the right led through a tunnel, which Meera realized a little too late was a valve or artery leading to this room.


    Now, Meera stood opposite the queen of the sorceresses, who still stood in her dress with a shawl.


    "Uh¡­ shouldn''t you change?" Meera asked.


    Veridiana smiled as if Meera had something cute. "That would waste precious time. And we''ve wasted enough of it talking. Let''s begin."


    "Okay."


    Meera knew she should be worried about an opponent who didn''t even bother changing, but a greater worry was running through her mind. Flashes of her first fight with Melas flashed through her head, especially how it ended.


    "You''re not going to kill me, are you?" Meera couldn''t help asking.


    The sorceress frowned. "Now, why would I do that? You''re no good to anyone if you''re dead."


    Ah, so there is something that you want from me.


    Meera kept that to herself and shook her head. "Sorry, it''s nothing. Let''s begin."


    Veridiana did a ''you first'' motion. Meera changed her dress back to her armor and sighed contentedly. To her credit, the sorceress didn''t even blink.


    Meera activated her armor''s effect and littered the floor with tiny mirrors. Thanks to her training with Kalrina, these mirrors would now have the dual effect of acting as her teleportation anchors, and she could explode them when Veridiana lingered too close.


    Despite this, Meera couldn''t let go of the feeling that even all this would be like peppering a tiger with paper balls and hoping it would die. But paper balls were all Meera had.


    "I''m still waiting," Veridiana called.


    "I''m going against someone who makes even Aksha look like a child. Give me some time to think."


    "Your enemies will not give you the same luxury."


    "Well, it''s a good thing you''re not my enemy then," Meera shot back.


    "No, but I am your opponent."


    "Okay, going now."


    All the time they were talking, Ambush Tactics gave her nothing. Neither did Tactician''s Gaze, but that skill was meant to be used on opponents she had already fought. Her best bet at the moment was to make the sorceress show as many of her skills as possible, then formulate a plan of attack and hopefully steal a good skill along the way.


    With nothing better to do, Meera shot a Mirror Shard Fury. The woman sidestepped the beam of mirrors and light. Meera kept the beam going but used Mirror Wing to flick some sharp shards at her opponent.


    Veridiana also dodged those and did so gracefully, almost as if she were dancing. Some of the shards were lost in the folds of her dress, and Meera tried to explode them, but nothing happened. It was like the shards ceased to exist as soon as they entered her dress.


    Meera stopped her skill and launched three of her level 2 chakrams. Veridiana smirked and stood her ground as the chakrams raced for her. At the last moment, when it looked like Meera''s chakrams would slice through her, the sorceress punched the air, and the chakrams stopped as if they''d hit a wall, and then they were blasted back. Even Meera was thrown off her feet and went rolling. It was as if the earth had conspired with the Sovereign to throw her.


    Meera jumped to her feet and recalled her chakrams, which had been embedded in the far wall. "So, you can cause earthquakes?"


    Veridiana smiled. "Among other things."


    So, I must be prepared for next time. I''ll fly into the air as she uses her skills to avoid her earthquakes.


    With that knowledge, Meera prepared a plan of attack. The room was brightly lit, so her Shroud of Shadows would be useless in turning her invisible, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t bring her own darkness.


    Meera drew a deep breath, activated Smoke Eclipse, and breathed out a thick, dark smoke that slowly filled the room. It was like a fog of darkness had filled the room, and this was how Meera knew she was facing a monster. Veridiana didn''t even cough¡­once.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All the other times when this attack was used on her, or she used the attack, people were coughing as if someone had shoved their nose in a car''s faulty exhaust pipe, but not a peep from this woman.


    Meera didn''t waste time contemplating how Veridiana was accomplishing this feat and activated Spectral Dominion and brought out three shadow warriors with Shadowsteel swords in hand. One of the secondary effects of Smoke Eclipse was that it made any Shadow Affinity-based skills stronger, which meant her shadow warriors were even deadlier.


    Then she turned on Shroud of Shadows, turning herself invisible, and gripped a level 2 chakram in each hand, finally ready to make her move. She commanded her shadow warriors to attack while she moved silently through the shadows toward the sorceress''s silhouette.


    "Can I make my move?" Veridiana asked, her voice hollow and echoey.


    "I would prefer if you didn''t."


    She snorted. "If only all our enemies were so easy."


    She clapped her hands twice. Two powerful quakes erupted from each clap and decimated Meera''s skills. The first blasted away her Smoke Eclipse, and the second dissipated her shadow warriors. Meera herself was shot back into the wall. Meera hit the wall so fiercely that she almost lost consciousness. When the ringing in her ears stopped, and the world stopped spinning, she figured the Sovereign was saying something.


    "C-Come again," Meera said, holding her head as it pounded like a bell. She immediately activated Vitalize.


    "¡­I was saying, I hope you see the need for training now."


    "Yes," Meera said as Vitalize fixed her pounding headache.


    "Good. Let''s go again, and this time, we will try things a little differently."


    "You can say that again."


    "You know now that I''m not someone you should get close to, given my skills. So, keep your distance this time," the sorceress instructed.


    Meera nodded, pulled five level 2 chakrams, and floated them around her. Then, she activated Shadow Coating and covered the chakrams with shadows. The chakrams'' true nature twinkled from underneath, giving them a starry look.


    Please, even a graze will let me steal her skill.


    She launched all five chakrams at the sorceress. She danced away from them, but Veridiana didn''t expect them to spin around mid-air and return for her. Meera smirked as one came for her head.


    Could I really do it? End the leader of¡­


    The answer was no. The air shivered around Veridiana, and the chakrams were thrown off course. They went zipping through the air, embedding into the walls, or falling to the ground.


    "Why do you even bother dodging if you can just do that?" Meera asked as she recalled her chakrams.


    "But why should I telegraph all my skills when it is so much easier to trick my enemies into making a wrong move or show their hand," Veridiana replied.


    "So, it''s clear that I can''t even scratch you, so what''s the point of this training?"


    "Just because you cannot hit me doesn''t mean you''re not growing. In this place, you will progress when you use your skills repeatedly, even if you throw them at the wall. It is time for you to try your best against a much stronger opponent. Now, try once more."


    And so Meera did. For the next few hours, she used every combination of skills and tricks up her sleeve, but she couldn''t so much as touch the sorceress. She was even forced to develop new combinations, such as using her Mirror Tower Shields to form a ring and exploding all of them with Mirrorplosion. It took more concentration to shatter so many with an advanced form of Mirror Wing.


    When that was swept aside, she used Mirror Step after Mirror Step and teleported all across the room to take the sorceress by surprise, but all she managed to do was amuse her opponent at best. At one point, she even put a Corrupting Hex on the sorceress, which raised an eyebrow. But Meera wasn''t sure if the woman was actually poisoned as she showed no signs of it.


    In her frustration, she punched the ground with Druvis Power and hurled chunks of the floor, only for the stone to be dodged easily. All the while, Meera winded herself physically and mentally. Veridiana did not even move more than three feet. Not to mention that whenever the sorceress used her claps, Meera and her chakrams were hurled around the room like ragdolls caught in a storm.


    Finally, Meera fell on the floor, huffing and sweat dripping from her brow. "I give up."


    "Did you give up so easily against that Cosmarian that had imprisoned your friend?" Veridiana asked.


    All of a sudden, the room got very cold. "How do you know about Narikas?"


    "I know about a lot of things. You did well against a Cosmarian, all things considered, so I was expecting more from you, but maybe I was wrong."


    "Well, Erenyx couldn''t clap, cause earthquakes, and dissipate all my skills."


    Veridiana nodded. "Fair point, but she wasn''t at full strength. The results of that fight would''ve turned out less than favorable if that were so. Anyhow, let''s talk about you. I''ve counted seventeen skills so far. If I were to guess, based on your skills and tag, you have a mirror and a shadow-based class. Am I wrong?"


    Meera had to stifle a laugh. She nodded. "That''s right."


    Veridiana squinted. "Then explain to me which of those classes gives you a healing or strength-enhancing skill. And I''m sure the poison coursing through my veins is like the one from my daughter''s Corrupting Hex skill, waiting to strike. I''ve known a hundred different classes but none that could give me such a wide range of skills." She stepped forward. "What is your secret, Meera?"


    The laugh vaporized at the Sovereign''s serious tone. Meera stepped back. Her first thought was to lie to her, but she wasn''t nearly well versed in the skills and classes to be able to lie to a sorceress of her caliber. Right now, she was in her good graces, and Veridiana might take the lie as an insult, and this woman terrified Meera.


    "You wouldn''t believe me if I told you," Meera said.


    "Try me."


    "I can steal one skill from others if I can land a hit."


    Veridiana stared at Meera for a long moment. "I see¡­Stand. Let''s continue your training."


    "Wait, you believe me?"


    "It''s either you''re telling the truth or Lord Darthin has been generous to you, in letting you pick the skills you want." She smiled. "And I doubt it''s the latter."


    Meera breathed out a sigh of relief. "So, since we''re doing this to make me stronger, can I steal a skill of yours."


    Veridiana spread her arms. "If you can land a hit."