ã€ŠInverse Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The Town Of Beginnings

    "Sis! You''re back! What took you so long?" Eximed Rein with a happy smile on his face.

    Rein Alister lived with his sister in a small town called Lifah. It was located in the continent of Lomia, near the border of tworge allied countries, Orthlys and Econica, it being on the Orthlys side.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to wait up for me? Please don''t tell me you''ve been waiting at the door for the past hour." Leona was secretly happy to see her little brother''s eager face after a long day. Though to keep her tough big sister character, she refrained from saying so.

    "Sorry, I just got back from babysitting Emria, so I was just waiting here. Anyways, I made dinner! Seared wild boar and slime pudding."

    Rein grew ustomed to doing all the housework, considering his sister was always out on Ranger business. Rein became extremely dexterous from always being home alone. He could fulfill any type of manual work and cut a tree down with one strike at the age of 10. He also regrly babysat the neighbor''s daughter. Needless to say, Rein was not an average 10-year-old boy.

    "I''m sorry for making you do all of this work Rein. If only I was a higher prestige Ranger, I could make us more money and help you around the house." She apologetically spoke as she sat down at the dinner table. She didn''t have time to take off her work attire, consisting of ck shorts, brown knee-high boots, with a brown leather half jacket over a white shirt, matching her long, flowing white hair.

    His sister, Leona, was a Ranger. An adventurer who has near-unlimited freedom, and was licensed toplete Rangermissions. Most who be Rangers have a "Spring". Springs are super abilities given to worthy specimens. They have existed ever since intelligence sparked, and are the reason for all technological developments in the world. Springs are manifested when a life-changing experience urs, so most people receive theirs at birth when they cry. But in the case of Rein, when the newborn doesn''t cry, they will not manifest their Spring untilter in life. In these instances, the manifested Spring will gain strength rtive to the user''s age. For example, if a 7-year-old manifests a Spring, it will start at strength rtive to 7 years of life as opposed to 0. Once a life form has passed the age of 10, it bes impossible for them to manifest a Spring. Of course, most are simply incapable of wielding a Spring.

    "Don''t be silly sis, you''re 9th prestige! That''s the 4th highest rank, not to mention you have dad''s awesome time hop Spring! I know you''re doing your best, and I don''t me you for the situation we''re in! There is someone I do me though... She''s the only reason we''ve been able to get by, but if it weren''t for her, you would''ve been..." He stopped talking, anger welling up in his voice.

    "Rein, how many times have we had this conversation? Aunt Melina isn''t at fault for our situation... It was just... and unfortunate ident," she spoke with contempt, beginning to look down, feeling slight bits of cold sweat crawling down her forehead.

    "But we could''ve been living in that pce... Howe she got it instead of you?" Expressed Rein in a loud and confused-sounding tone. Rein was smart. He knew the answer to this question. He just wanted to hear his sister say it.

    Contemting whether she should tell him or not, Leona sighed and hesitantly spoke.

    "Aunt Melina is the direct daughter to grandfather, so it was only natural. After grandfather''s first son died, she was given rights to the heir. We should be thankful that she''s even sending us anything..." Her voice slightly trembled as she talked, almost as if she was lying to herself, trying to convince herself with the words she spoke.

    Rein''s face grew a tense frown. His father, Drevius Alister, was a master dual-swordsman and a 12th prestige Ranger. He was the strongest Ranger at the time, and he donned the name of "Timeless Blitz". His Spring was the ability to hop forward in time, allowing him to dodge iing attacks and surprise enemies, which was inherited by Leona. He truly was an unrivaled fighter, which was why Rein never epted his cause of death. He was pronounced dead 7 years ago in the Elven Forest after he was sent there on a mission. A forest fire had started in the area where he and his group were. None of the bodies were found. What they found in their ce was a gargantuan crater, at least a mile in diameter, and 50 feet deep. Rein''s mother disappeared shortly after, abandoning her two children. One was 16 years old, and the other was 3.

    "That''s not true. She wanted dad to die. She knows something about his death. She just wanted the position." Rein eximed furiously.

    "Rein!" Like roaring thunder, her voice struck loudly echoing around the room. Rein immediately stopped talking and looked over at Leona. She looked extremely sad, with wrinkles growing on her pale smooth face. Her bright yellow eyes swelling up with tears. She was 15 at the time, so she remembered it much more than he does. He knew he should not have said what he did, and apologized immediately.

    "I''m sorry sis."

    The silence grew over the dinner table. This was the first time Leona raised her voice at her brother. He''d always been the perfect kid, so she''d never had to yell. As she was about to apologize, she was interrupted by a loud explosion that rattled the ground and shook the house. Panicked, she immediately stood up and looked out the window. Dread grew over her when she saw men dressed in military armor attacking the town. She analyzed their attire and instantly recognized Econican armor. The crest of the horned horse. The unicorn.

    Rein heard it too and immediately ran outside, unbeknownst to the danger. What he saw was horrifying. He saw his friends from the vige running out of their homes towards the south gate. The buildings, ravaged by the armored men. Screams of fear and despair were heard. He took a step back into the house, terrified of what he saw. A million thoughts ran through his head at the same time. "What do they want? Why is Econica doing this? Why us? We didn''t do anything." Just when he was about to go and hide, he saw his sister grabbing her sword with a stern expression.

    "Sis? D-don''t tell me you''re going out there? It''s too dangerous! You''ll be killed!" He shouted with tears streaming down his face.

    "Don''t you think it''s my duty as a 9th prestige Ranger to protect Lifah? And what happened to my awesome Spring?" She smiled at him and hopped outside the house, giving Rein no room to react.

    Leona''s time-hop ability grants her the power to virtually teleport anywhere possible within a certain time period. This meant that as she became faster, her skill effectiveness increased proportionally. Her Spring cooldown was based on how much time she skipped, meaning if she hopped 3 seconds, her skill would have a 3-second cooldown.

    Confused as to what just happened, he ran outside and saw the most one-sided fight he''d ever witnessed. He had no idea his sister was this powerful. She effortlessly cut through the army all the while warping around them. Rein knew he had to evacuate the townspeople. Shivering with uncontroble fear, he reluctantly grabbed his axe and rallied everyone up.

    "Everyone! Grab your families and follow me! My sister can hold them off while we escape through the south gate." He screamed with his loud, high-pitched voice. Everyone gathered. Rein looked around only to see the townspeople''s faces etched in fear and despair. He thought that if he could see himself, his face would look very simr. As he was scanning the townspeople, he noticed his neighbor, Mrs. Yaku, begging the men of the town.

    "Please! Please! Someone save my daughter! She''s still in there!" She said with a horrifying expression, tears streaming down her face.

    "I-I''m sorry Mrs. Yaku, we''re not going back in there. We''re lucky enough to not have any casualties so far. Those men set every house on fire. If she''s not out by now¡­ I''m sorry..."

    Rein''s heart dropped into his stomach. Emria Yaku, the daughter of his next-door neighbor, was stuck in the vige. Emria was a 6-year-old girl with green hair and a golden smile. At 4 years old Rein helped deliver her, and ever since then, he babysat her daily. They grew so close that Rein thought of her as his little sister.

    Rein''s fear grew exponentially greater, but he did not hesitate. He began to walk back towards the vige.

    "Mrs. Yaku, please take all the vigers and get out of the vige. I promise I''ll find Emria and make sure she''s safe." He said with a stern expression.

    "Please Rein¡­ Make sure my girl''s safe, and don''t let your sister do anything crazy." Mrs. Yaku spoke with a gratuitous yet tormentuous tone.

    As the vigers left the vige one by one, Rein entered it. He was very confident he could find Emria. After hundreds of games of hide and seek, he knew her go-to spots. His only concern was her safety. Emria, like Rein, wasn''t born with a Spring. When he helped deliver her, he felt responsible for her not crying when she was born, thinking he was bad luck. Because of that, he grew a connection to her, and they became extremely close. Even so, Spring or not, he believed that the girl who bested him in hide and seek dozens of times was safe. He checked around some of her usual spots, nothing. He checked around the houses, but most of them were crackling with mes. Amidst the battle, Leona noticed Rein roaming in the vige.

    "Rein! What are you doing? Where are the vigers?"

    "Don''t worry sis, they all left through the south. I''m looking for Emria, she''s the only one missing. Don''t worry about me though, I''ll be fine!" He said, his voice trembling with fear. Suddenly, he heard a loud, reverberating screaming from one of the burning houses. He knew who that voice belonged to immediately. Emria. Without hesitation, he ran headfirst into the burning house. He didn''t care if he got burned, Emria was stuck in the burning house, scared and screaming for help. He didn''t have time to hesitate. He had to save her...

 Chapter 2 - A Quiet Resting Place

    "Emria!? Emria are you here?" He said frantically, hoping to the heavens that she would answer.

    "Rein is that you? *sniffle* Please help me, Rein!" The voice of a crying little girl, no older than 6 years old came out from under a wooden beam. Without hesitation, Rein grasped the beam of burning wood, with excruciating pain and burns, he managed to lift it. He found an unharmed Emria under it. Rein heaved a humongous sigh of relief and hugged her promptly.

    "I''m so d you''re ok Emria, but wait, how are you uninjured?" Rein asked, confused and ecstatic at the same time. Hugging him, Emria cryingly responded

    "I-I don''t know¡­ when the wood beam fell on me, I put my arms out and it didn''t hurt¡­"

    "Could it be that you manifested a Spring?"

    "I don''t know¡­ *sniffle* I couldn''t move after I used it, but nothing could hurt me." She said as she dried thest of her tears.

    Before Rein could catch his breath, he heard the sound of wood shattering behind him. He turned around, only to realize that it''s toote to dodge. He had to watch this tall, thick wood beam fall on him. He knew that Emria, who was in his arms, would be safe because of her Spring. He thought he could go without regrets. But as the beamnded, he didn''t feel anything. No pain, no unconsciousness, it''s as if someone tapped him on the shoulder. He realized what happened. Emria''s Spring protected him. He looked back down at her to see if she was okay, but she looked drained. It''s as if she was barely able to stand.

    "Emria, are you okay?" He asked with no concern for himself. Exhausted, she replies while holding on to him:

    "I''m okay, I''m just d you''re not hurt Rein."

    "It''s all thanks to you, your Spring is amazing. Anyways, let''s get out of this ce already." He picked her up and ran out through where he came from. Emria, concerned for Rein''s safety, mustered up some energy and activated her Spring once again so Rein wouldn''t get burnt. As they exited the building, he nced over at his sister, who was exhausted from the endless forces of enemies bombarding her. Without turning around to look at him, she yelled:

    "Rein! Hurry up and get out of here!" This was the second time she''d yelled at her brother, but this time, she didn''t feel guilty. It was an emergency after all.

    "But sis, you''re clearly exhausted. Maybe I should finally be a man and help. I''m done with running!"

    "Don''t get ahead of yourself! You just barely got Emy to safety. Are you gonna put her in harm''s way just to satisfy your ego? That''s not what a man would do! A true man would prioritize the safety of the girl in his arms over all else! Do you understand?"

    Those words stuck with him. After a moment of reflection and conflict on his sister''s words, he decided to put his trust in her.

    "Sorry, and you''re right. Thanks for reassuring me¡­ Leona."

    Before he could do anything, he felt a presence peer over him. He turned around to see an Econican soldier, motioning his sword downwards. At that moment, Rein didn''t think. He instinctively shielded Emria. Was this it? Were they about to die? Emria was too tired to use her Spring once more. Closing his eyes, he heard a noise. He opened his eyes,ying them on his sister who had protected him. A sword thrust through her shoulder. The soldier who did it dead on the ground.

    "Big sis Leo?" Emria uttered, terrified and trembling.

    "Are¡­ you two alright? Emy¡­ Rein¡­"

    "I should be asking you that! You just got stabbed! You shouldn''t talk." Rein screamed with tears in his eyes. Leona took a knee.

    "I''m fine." She saw him motioning to put down Emria to check on her. "Don''t you dare let go of Emy." He halted his motion. She pulled out the sword from her shoulder, unleashing gushes of blood. She wielded the sword with her right hand, with her original sword in her left. Focused on Leona, Rein hadn''t noticed that they''d been surrounded.

    "Rein, hold tight to Emy, and don''t let go." She stood up. "The hell do you guys want? Why are Econican soldiers attacking an Orthlys vige? Is this to be taken as a deration of war?"

    "Oh, so you''re the Timeless Blitz''s kids. I don''t recognize the green-haired one, but the Ranger woman and the boy are definitely his. They''ve got his white hair." A soldier''s voice emitted from the crowd. The man who emerged looked like a child. He had long blue hair, and some tattoos over his body, and was no taller than 5'' 2 (160cm). He wielded a mace half his size and emanated the aura of the leader of the group.

    "Oh? I didn''t know soldiers had kid mafia bosses now. And how''d you know who we were? I can''t imagine anyone in Econica knows us." She spoke with a sarcastic tone, clearly holding back the pain inflicted on her.

    "Heh, you''re sharp. Sorry about this, jobs a job. You''re right though. We''re not Econican soldiers. We''re a group called ''Checkmate''. We were hired by a group of Orthlys nobles who''d benefit from a war. One of them even ced a hefty bounty on the children of Drevius Alister. Can''t exactly reveal who it was, but I''m sure you''ve figured it out by now. Doesn''t do ya much good since you''re about to die." He said as he took a cigarette out and lit it.

    Leona knew the name Checkmate. A notorious mafia group said to take on any request, at the right price. Their members were unknown, but the Ranger guild had been after them for quite some time. But how was he aware of who they were? Not even the guild knew about Leona''s true identity. She even used an alias when on guild business. Only a small number of people would know that the Timeless Blitz was their father. Without much thought, both Leona and Rein came to the same conclusion. One of the nobles who hired them was Melina Alister. Their aunt.

    "So that''s it huh?" She readied her swords. The sword she had custom forged in one hand, and the Econican sword that was through her shoulder in the other. She was using her father''s dual-de style, which was her best style as she was trained by the Timeless Blitz himself. She''d never used it in Ranger work as it would have revealed her true identity. Though, she still kept up with her training when she was at home.

    "So you''re using your old man''s moves? Heh. Alright, B2, F2, headfirst assault." Two soldiers came charging forward. Leona cut them down.

    "D2, E2, from the rear." Leona time hopped behind them and sliced them, one sword on each.

    "B1, finish her." Out of nowhere, from behind the crowd, a soldier ran at her with incredible speed. She barely reacted in time and swiftly hopped back.

    "That Spring of yours is really troublesome. Mind not using it for a bit?" The kid boss said.

    "In your dreams pipsqueak. How about you stop ordering these men and fight me?"

    "Our mission was to kill you. Not fight you."

    Her injury was starting to catch up with her. Talking was only making it worse. She took a deep breath, spreading her arms out.

    "..."

    "What? You lost your nerve Ranger?" Said the man the boy called B1. "My code name is White-White knight, one of the masters 1s. Gotta admit you impressed me by dodging that attack. But yo-" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt his arm being severed. Without realizing it, Leona had cut his arm. Blood gushed out.

    "Argh, you bitch!"

    "Rein, when I give you the signal, I want you to take Emy and run."

    "But Leona!"

    "No buts. Please Rein. If you stay, you''ll get caught in the attack. This is our only chance." She talked with incredible calmness, almost as though nothing so far had fazed her.

    "An attack? You couldn''t mean?! No! Don''t! That''s the attack that killed father! You''ll disappear into nothingness!"

    "If I don''t do this, not only will I die, but you two will as well. This is our only option."

    "No! Big sis Leo, I don''t want you to die! Please, don''t die!" Emria yelled with sorrow. Leona smiled warmly at her.

    "Sorry kiddo. Take care of Rein for me will you?"

    Rein was about to talk back, but he remembered his sister''s words. " A true man would prioritize the safety of the girl in his arms over all else!"

    "The hell are you nning? Wait, that stance! All pieces get to cover!" The boss knew something big wasing.

    "Now Rein! Take Emy and run! I''ll direct the technique forward, so you won''t need to go too far!" Crying and hesitating, Rein took Emria and started running. He looked back, seeing the most magnificent sight. Aura was surrounding his sister, endowing her with a mysterious white light. Before she unleashed the attack, Rein heard her utter something.

    "Sorry for yelling at you kid."

    And with that, she unleashed her attack. A blinding light came down from the heavens and encased the vige. The light emanated an ear-piercing sound that persisted as the attack continued. The wind blew behind Rein, but he didn''t look back. Emria was crying in his arms, but he couldn''t stop tofort her. He had to heed his sister''s words and continue running. Rein came across a small cavern, and in his frenzy, he took shelter. After about 5 minutes of hiding and crying, the sound dissipated...

 Chapter 3 - Unbound Rage

    Rein and Emria made their way back to the remains. There was nothing left. The whole vige had been wiped off the face of the earth. All that was left was ruins of houses and a pair of swords in arge crater. The swords that Leona used.

    "I guess she left these behind." He said quietly, taking the swords into his hands.

    "Damn these are heavy." Before he had realized it, tears had started streaming down his face. He was trying his best to keep cool in front of Emria, but it was no use. They wouldn''t stop. Emria started crying too and hugged Rein trying tofort him. She remembered Leona''s final words to her. "Take care of Rein for me will you?". Emria was close to Leona as well. Whenever she was in the vige, Emria would alwayse over to spend time with Leona. Rein always felt jealous of them whenever they''d be having so-called "girl time".

    "Why was my sister the one who had to die¡­ Why couldn''t we have just escaped together." He began spouting regrets, but deep down, he knew this was the only way everyone would be saved.

    "Ouch, that attack sure was something." A chill rushed through Reins'' spine. He dashed backward, holding Emria and pointing the sword towards the voice. Behind the rubble of a house emerged the tattooed boy. The Chess Master.

    "H-how¡­ are you still alive? My sister''s attack should have killed you¡­" His tears stopped flowing. His pupils grew smaller, ovee with unending fear and despair. His sister sacrificed her life to kill this monster, and he lived unscathed. He triedposing himself, but it was futile. He had to do all he could to protect Emria.

    "Emria, I''m gonna need you to stand back for a bit."

    "No! I told big sis I was gonna protect you. I can still use my Spring!" She yelled.

    "Sorry, I can''t put you at risk like that." He had her stand back. Rein didn''t bother to assume a fighting stance. He rushed in head first with both swords in hand. He swung at the boy''s neck with the force to topple a tree. The boy didn''t try to dodge. Rein sent his head flying into the air. He stood at the body, which was still twitching with nerves. Rein had just ended a life. Disgusted with himself, he threw up vigorously. Tears began streaming down his face again. Even though this was the person who drove his sister to her death, he still felt remorse. He hoped that Emria hadn''t seen him cut the head off, but when he looked back, she was also crying with her hands over her eyes. He was about to gofort her, but suddenly the body disintegrated. Confused, Rein got up and ran to where the headnded. He looked at it with immeasurable confusion¡ª the body that was disintegrating was now growing back through the severed head. Rage washed over him yet again. He began continuously shing at the regenerating body, tears flowing down, blood sshing onto his face.

    "Die! Die! Die! You drove my sister to her death, you piece of shit!" An arm outstretched from the body and stopped Rein''s arm from shing.

    "Calm down Alister. I can''t do shit to you now, and you can''t do shit to me neither." The boy spoke, raising his body up from the ground. His clothes, a blue suit with a yellow tie also regenerated with it. It''s like Reins attacks did absolutely nothing.

    "How the hell are you still alive?!" Rein screamed, with fear and rage etched into his voice.

    "Didn''t I tell you to calm down? The names Core. As you know, I''m the leader of Checkmate."

    "Answer my question!"

    "Slow down, I''m getting there. Your sister didn''t let me finish exining why I wouldn''t fight her. It''s not because I''m too scared. It''s because my Spring doesn''t allow me to take a life. In return for this curse, my life is not allowed to be taken from me. Therefore, I am granted immortality and eternal youth. A pretty fucked up Spring is it not?"

    "Not as fucked up as you. You killed my sister! You massacred my vige! I''m gon-"

    "You think I do this shit because I want to? Because I enjoy it? I have my reasons for being in this line of work. This is more than just a job to me. I''m not here by choice, nor am I the one you should be directing your anger towards. If Checkmate didn''t take the job, some other group would have, it was only a matter of time¡­"

    "You think I give a shit about your motive? About your reasons? Just this morning, my sis was alive. 30 minutes ago, we were eating together. It could''ve stayed that way if it weren''t for you," he hissed angrily, Core looking down at the ground with contempt, but not regret.

    "Yeah, I know..." He uttered, making Rein''s eyes well up with rage as he suddenly remembered the vigers who had escaped.

    "What about the vigers who escaped, did your men kill them too?" After Rein said this, Emria twitched. She knew that her mother was among the escapees.

    "Nah, we saw ''em but we let them go. Our mission was to kill everyone inside the vige. Anyone who was already outside was none of our business." Rein sighed an enormous sigh of relief, and Emria followed.

    "Thank goodness... Big sis Leo saved everyone..." Emria smiled brightly, Core noticing her expression as his softened, Rein noticing that his lifeless eyes seemed to light up for a moment.

    "Well then, I''ll be goi-..." Core stopped mid-sentence. Rein and Emria didn''t know why, but he suddenly ran towards them and ducked them behind a pile of rubble.

    "The hell do you think you''re doing?" Rein yelled, to which Core hushed.

    "Shh, I hear footsteps. Be quiet, these might be Orthlys soldiers. If they find any survivors, they''ll kill them." Rein''s heart sank to his stomach.

    "They''ll kill survivors? And where are the footstepsing from?"

    "The south gate. I''m sure they were in that direction."

    "..." Rein couldn''t say anything. His entire body began trembling. Emria, judging by Rein''s reaction, also grew fearful.

    As the soldier''s footsteps got closer, a conversation started to be made out.

    "Man, what the hell happened here? Where are all the Checkmate people? How are we gonna frame Econica for this shit if there are no fake soldiers?" One of the soldiers said.

    "Chill dude, we don''t need proof. All we need is to fool that idiot prince into making a statement, and the people will believe it instantly."

    Rein couldn''t bear hearing all of this. Ovee with enthralling pure rage, he grabbed his swords with the intent to attack the soldiers. Before he could make a move, someone grabbed his arm from behind.

    "Alister, calm down. You''re just gonna get yourself killed." Said Core, holding Rein''s arm.

    "Isn''t that a good thing for you? Your mission was to kill us after all." He hissed at Core, livid and full of anger.

    "You''re right, that was Checkmate''s mission. We failed. We already lost via stalemate. If the soldiers kill you now, it''s not like my mission would beplete. I''m not heartless you know. I''m not gonna let you run to your death." Core said this with genuine concern, Emria suddenly holding Rein''s hand.

    "Rein¡­ I don''t want you to die too." Rein took a deep breath, calming himself as he shook his arm free from Core and sat back down. He didn''t say anything. They just continued listening to the soldier''s conversation.

    "Oh? And how do you suggest we''re gonna do that? The prince isn''t stupid. He wouldn''t believe something without proof."

    "I have an idea. Remember that group of vigers we ughtered on our way here? We''ll just have one of our men dress up in Econican armor. We can kill ''em and throw his corpse in with them. That''ll make it seem like an Econican soldier died while killing vigers."

    [Inverse System Activated]

    "..." The ground started rumbling, shaking the rubble that remained on the ground.

    "The hell''s going on? An earthquake?" One of the Orthlys soldiers questioned.

    They saw a white-haired boy emerge from behind the rubble. Rein Alister. Overflowing with rage, he had shaken free of Core''s grip and revealed himself to the enemy.

    "Aw shit, it''s a survivor. Not to mention it''s a kid. Hey, go kill ''em. We can''t have any witnesses." As the soldier approached, Rein drew his swords.

    "You killed them. They didn''t do anything. They were just trying to escape the mayhem¡­ And you killed them¡­ You selfish sons of bitches weren''t even acting on orders. You could have let them live, that wouldn''t have changed anything. You go out of your way to hurt others for your own benefit." Rein looked up at the soldier approaching him, revealing that his yellow eyes had turned red. Rein took up a stance, with Core and Emria still behind the rubble looking at him. Core blinked, and when he opened his eyes Rein was gone. He felt a huge gust of wind burst towards him.

    "The hell? Did he manifest his dad''s Spring too? No¡­ that wouldn''t make any sense. I felt the wind. He definitely moved normally. What the?!" He hadn''t even noticed that two of the soldiers were dead on the ground, their throats slit, Rein standing behind them. Other soldiers came rushing in.

    "Hey! This kid just killed two of our soldiers! Someone get the prince!" Before the soldier hade to realize it, the kid was right on top of him. He held up his wooden shield, but it was useless. Rein cut through the shield and killed the soldier, almost like he was cutting through butter. From there, he rampaged all of the soldiers who remained. Yet, before he could finish all of them off, two people riding a horse appeared. One of them wearing a royal broach...

 Chapter 4 - Sophisticated Fight

    "Stop you barbarian! In the name of the king!" A ck-haired man and a green-haired boy appeared. One looked in his mid-30s, wearing Orthlys knight armor. He looked muscr, with scars over his face. The other boy looked a little bit older than Rein. He had a Smooth, sheltered-looking face with blue eyes. He wore a royal broach on his chest, indicating that he was royalty.

    "It''s Prince Zane and Sir Artus!" One of the remaining soldiers eximed. "Please your majesty! This boy is an Econican spy. He wiped out his vige and killed all of the vigers."

    "Silence!" Said Artus. "... What is your name boy?"

    "..."

    "No answer? Then did you kill those vigers we saw?"

    "..."

    "Enough of this Artus, he was obviously the one who did it. Just look in his hand. One of the swords he''s wielding is Econican. He massacred the vige, and now, he''s killing innocent soldiers." The prince gestured towards Rein''s hand. He was wielding the swords his sister used, one of which was stabbed in her shoulder by a Checkmate soldier who was wielding Econican attire.

    "Are you the prince of Orthlys?" Rein said emotionlessly.

    "Be quiet you vermin, I don''t need to answer that." Said the prince with disgust, thinking that Rein was the culprit.

    "You''re barely older than me, you naive shit."

    "How dare you utter such insolence to his majesty. I will personally cut you do-" Prince Zane interrupted him.

    "Stop Artus. I''ll take him myself. This is a deration of war from Econica. I, the 44th crown prince of Orthlys will cut him down." Prince Zane took out a small cylinder-looking object from behind him. With a press of a button, the object transformed into arge, white scythe. It was at least double his size in height. The de looked long enough to kill 5 humans at once.

    "En Garde, Econican spy."

    "..." Rein put up his swords and waited for the prince to make his first move, but, he wouldn''t move. They stayed at a standstill for a good 10 seconds. From the look of the prince''s stance and the fact that he refused to move, Rein deduced that the prince''s fighting style most likely relied on counter-offensive strategies. But he wasn''t in the right headspace to wait it out. He ran in with incredible speed headfirst towards prince Zane. As soon as he did, he saw Zane slice into the air in his direction. Rein thought it was strange, but then remembered what the Orthlys royal family''s Spring was. He dodged, or so he thought. He felt one minuscule part of the attack clip him, and as a result, his left arm got blown off.

    The prince''s Spring was the ability to control any wind he produces. For example, with a swing of the scythe, he can control the wind produced from the force at will. He can make it go faster, change the shape, etc. Rein remembered reading about the royal families of different nations. For Orthlys it''s wind-rted Springs, and for Econica it''s fire-rted Springs.

    "You anticipated my attack, yet your arm still got blown off. Is your skin made out of paper or something?" Said the prince, dripping with sweat. That attack seemed to take a lot out of him.

    Rein was dripping with something else entirely. Blood was gushing out of his arm, but for some reason, he wasn''t feeling pain. He ripped cloth from the rags he was wearing and tied it around his severed arm to stop the bleeding. Rein had no idea what had just happened, but he didn''t question it for long. He was full of bloodlust, rage, and resentment. This time, with even greater speed to which the prince couldn''t counter, he shed with all of his might. The prince barely blocked in time, but unlike the wooden shield, Rein''s sword didn''t cut through. He sent the prince flying.

    "Argh, he''s fast. It''s fine though, he sent me through the air, meaning I can control this air I''m producing." The prince came to a stop mid-air, but when he looked back down Rein was gone. Suddenly, Rein appeared behind him, sending him flying to the ground. He couldn''t stop himself fast enough. He impacted with the ground making a huge cloud of smoke. He couldn''t see anything. He tried getting up but almost went headfirst into a de. Rein was standing on top of him, with his sword pointed at him.

    "I win." He said, his eyes turning yellow again. Suddenly, the pain from his arm came in all at once. The overwhelming jolt of pain caused him to scream at the top of his lungs.

    "GAAAAAHH!!" His scream ovepped with that of the prince''s knight, Artus, who rushed in to protect the beaten royal. Rein thought he was done for, Artus'' sword was seconds from connecting with him. Out of reflex, he held his sword out to try and block, but before the swords came into contact, he saw a small marble-looking object fly in front of him and explode into a huge boulder, blocking the attack of the knight. He felt himself being lifted by something and carried away. He looked up to see a tall, muscr woman with an eyepatch. She had ck hair, and wore ck shoes, ck pants, a ck unbuttoned jacket with a grey shirt underneath. She circled back and grabbed Rein''s severed arm and sword. She was incredibly fast, on par with how fast Rein was previously.

    "D8, over here!" Rein heard Core yell. Rein''s yed chess, and going off the starting positions of the pieces, D8 was the ck Queen. The queen being the most powerful piece on the board. In no time at all, she made her way to Core and Emria.

    "I brought the boy master. What should I do with him?"

    "Let''s get out of here first. Did ya bring that horse and carriage I told you to?"

    "Yes sir, it''s right here." She took out another marble, throwing it on the ground. Smoke generated once it made contact, and out of it emerged a sleeping horse tied to arge carriage.

    "Hey! Wake up you mule!" Yelled Core at the horse. After it woke, Core ordered them: "D8, throw Alister in. Green girl, you get in too." Rein could barely speak. He was coughing blood, not only because of his injuries but because of the overwhelming power he just manifested.

    "The hell are you nning Core. *Cough* You''ve got your subordinate here now. You can kill us and collect your reward. Just where are you taking us."

    "Just shut up and rest for now." Once everyone was in, Core whipped the horse into movement. As they started moving east, they heard the prince yell.

    "All remaining troops go after that carriage! Don''t let them escape!" It was toote though, the soldiers weren''t fast enough to catch up.

    Emria hugged Rein. "I''m so d you''re okay Rein!" She said while crying.

    "Do I look okay to you?" He said while patting her head.

    Rein smiled wearily. He looked at the swords he was wielding, the ones that his sister once wielded. He looked back at his vige.

    "Farewell, Leona." holding Emria in his arm as he drifted to sleep.

 Chapter 5 - The Inverse System

    "Wh¡­ where am I?" Rein awakened to a white void, empty and quiet. He noticed his left arm, which should''ve be severed, was attached back.

    "Rein Alister¡­"

    "Who''s there?!" He looked around, seeing white space for as far as the eye can see. Nobody was around.

    "Rein Alister¡­ you who is devoid of a Spring, has now awakened to the Inverse System. How will you use it to realize your ambitions? How will you strengthen it to the pinnacles of power? Only time will tell." This mysterious, yet familiar voice echoed throughout the white nothingness.

    "Enough with this cryptic bullshit. Who are you?" He said with clear irritation in his voice. "The hell''s a System? I was using a Spring just now."

    "Wrong. That was no Spring. Springs manifest power from the starting age of the user. If that was the case, your power would not have run dry at that critical moment. A level 10 Spring would have provided much more durability than that. You, Rein Alister, manifested to a level 1 System." Said the reverberating voice.

    "Well then, I guess I should be d that was only at level 1. It would have been scary if my level 10 power onlysted that long. But anyway, what the hell is this System? Super-Speed?" He said curiously, expecting an answer from the voice.

    "..."

    "Hello? Are you still there?"

    "...ake u¡­"

    "Huh? I didn''t quite catch that." Rein said, confused.

    "Wa¡­ up" He felt a cold liquid fall on his face, which instantly made the white void disappear, and reced it with the ceiling of a carriage.

    "Wake the hell up Alister!" He looked up, seeing the tattooed boy who just dumped water on him seated adjacent to him. Rein tried to jolt up, to put his guard up against who he saw as his enemy, but he fell on the side of his missing arm. He realized that what he experienced right now was a dream.

    "Ah shit, here we go again." Said Core rolling his eyes. "I told you I''m not your enemy right now. Can youy off trying to kill me?"

    "Fat chance. You motherfuckers attacked Lifah. It''s because of you that my sister is dead." He said with anger in his eyes. Something didn''t feel right. He felt like someone was missing. The woman who carried him out of the fight was gone, but more importantly, Emria was nowhere to be seen.

    "Where the hell is Emria you bastard? You better not have hurt a single hair on her because if you did¡ª"

    "Calm down kid. Look there." Core pointed to the outside of the carriage.

    "We''re at the outskirts of Daster city in Econica. I sent D8 with Greeny to get us some food. They wouldn''t let me in with all these tattoos, so I sent those 2 together. Those guards let them in as mother and daughter." Rein sat up against the wall of the carriage and sighed with relief. For some reason, he felt a sense of trust in the ck-haired woman that saved him previously.

    "As long as she''s safe, that''s all that matters. But what the hell''s with you. You''re the leader of a freakin mercenary group. Just go back to your HQ and eat like the ''king'' you are."

    "I''m not just gonna leave 2 injured kids to starve."

    "What does it matter to you. You hypocrite piece of shit. Your Spring may not allow you to take any lives, but I call bullshit. The way I see it, you have the blood of countless people on your hands. You''re the leader of a mercenary group, that''s what you do. You may have only killed one person this time, but what''s the difference to you if 2 kids die." Rein spoke, ring at Core with discontentment.

    "Do you want my help or no?" Remarked Core, hurt knowing Rein''s words held truth to them.

    "Why the hell would I ''want'' your help?"

    "Look, I get you''d rather starve to death than take help from me, but think about the girl you''re with. She''ll starve along with you." Core dered.

    "..."

    "Sorry, but you''re stuck with us for the time being. Anyways, on with more pressing matters. Your Spring, do you have any idea of what it is?"

    Rein groaned heavily. He had no choice other than to ept the situation he was in. He had to co-operate to assure Emria''s safety. He himself had no idea what his power was, which was strange, so he stayed silent and thought it through.

    "You remember what happened, don''t you? You were like a sh¡ª"

    "Yes, I remember. I don''t need yourmentary about it though," he shut him up angrily.

    "Look, I may know what happened back there better than even you. I was watching and analyzing the fight the entire time. If you don''t want the info I picked up from watching you, then it''s your loss," Core spoke convincingly, making Rein grunt, then sit up, eyebrows furrowed.

    "Fine, tell me what you saw. It felt like I was remarkably defenseless, but I was really fast," he spoke with discontentment, scoffing at the thought of conversing with this man.

    "Not just ''really fast'', your speed was through the roof, almost like your sister''s time-hopping. That must have been a level 10 Spring, considering your age." Said Core, putting his hands over his head and lying down on the wooden carriage ground.

    Rein remembered the dream he just had. "I don''t think that was a Spring." He dered.

    "Huh? What else could it be? You''re 10 years old, right? You still ought to be able to manifest one. You can''t convince me that you''re normally that fast." Chuckled Core with a humorous tone.

    "Before you woke me up, I was having a dream. I was stuck in this white void, with this voice that told me that my outburst was not the doing of a Spring. He called it a ''S¡ª''." Suddenly, both Core and Rein felt lightheaded, almost like a wave of fatigue had washed over both of them, making them feel 10 times heavier for a brief moment.

    "The hell was that. What you just said made so little sense that I think I lost brain cells." Core chuckled once again.

    "Anyways, what were you saying?"

    Rein shook the light-headed feeling away from his head, feeling his heart beating faster as he spoke.

    "The dream told me that I had a ''S¡ª''" suddenly, Rein began coughing as he felt his lungs tighten, every time he would speak with the intention of divulging the events of his dream, he would be stopped by an unknown force.

    "An S? So a Spring? Did your dream not tell you what it was?" Core remarked, confused.

    "..." Rein thought about his situation, not being able to tell him what happened in the dream, almost as if it was meant to be kept a secret.

    He had no clue as to that, but he understood that if he divulged even more, he could be put in even more danger. He decided to simply go along with whatever Core said, as to avoid the subject altogether.

    "I asked him what it was, but then you woke me up. But from what it looked like, it was Super-Speed." Rein hypothesized, not knowing what it was himself, the word "System" being unfamiliar to him.

    "Just super speed? I don''t think that''s all there was to it. When the Prince grazed your arm, it just flew off like it was made out of butter. It looks like this power grants you incredible speed but at the cost of a significant amount of defense." Presumed Core.

    "That''s odd, it''s the exact opposite of Emria''s Spring," Rein thought back.

    "It is isn''t it..." Core gasped lightly, then widened his eyes, Rein not knowing what he''d just realized.

 Chapter 6 - Wager With The Enemy

    "We''ve returned master." The 2 that went into the city could be made out walking back to the carriage. Emria noticed that Rein was awake and rushed in with open arms. "You''re finally awake! Miss D8 and I bought some really yummy food!" she eximed as she hugged him.

    "Huh? Oh, Emria! You''re finally back. Did they hurt you anywhere? Don''t let your guard down against these guys." He whispered, snapping out of the deep thought he was just in and patting her on the head with the one hand he had, ring at D8, who was apanying Emria.

    "Rein, I understand that you don''t like Core, I don''t either." She said frowning. "But miss D8 saved your life. She''s really caring and super funny! You should at least trust her right?" Rein looked at D8, who was looking at them with a nk expression.

    "Anyways, what were you and Core talking about just now?" She inquired curiously.

    "Before we get into that, it''s dinner time!" Said Core enthusiastically. He hopped up and took the bags of ingredients from D8.

    "Alister, you any good at cooking? Then again there''s not much you can do with one arm."

    "Don''t underestimate me, I''ve had to cook with one arm more times than I can count." He said confidently.

    "Oh? You''re that confident? How about we have a cook-off then. The judges can be Greeny and D8. There''s a bnce of bias there, but I trust that they''ll be honest. If you win, I''ll tell ya how you can get that arm of yours fixed." Core proposed, feeling good about his odds, seeing as his opponent is physically handicapped. Rein didn''t know how to feel about this. He would be indulging in a friendlypetition against the leader of the group that attacked his vige, but if he won, he would get information on how to fix his arm.

    Just then, Emria''s stomach growled loudly. Rein knew she wanted to eat his cooking, which convinced him to ept the challenge. If he would be cooking anyways, he might as well ept Core''s wager. He sighed, though not letting his distrust go as he readied himself to cook.

    "Fine, but what''s in it for you?" He said, ring at Core.

    "If I win, you have to promise me something. Don''t worry, it won''t be something unreasonable. I also don''t even know if it''ll work, so I''m taking a pretty big gamble here. I''ll also give you the right to refuse the promise if you really don''t want to take it." Said Core, giving Rein the better end of the deal.

    "Alright then, what ingredients are there?" Rein said reluctantly, telling himself that he was only doing this for Emria''s well-being.

    "As master instructed me, I procured some flour, buffalo milk, wild chicken eggs, white onions, wild chicken breast, mammoth cheese, buffalo steaks, oyster mushrooms, vegetable oil, and several seasonings such as Aquifian sea salt, and Elven ck pepper." Said D8, reciting the list of ingredients by heart.

    Dozens of thoughts ran through Rein''s head, never having had this many ingredients to work with. He usually uses whatever they had avable, or if Leona brought somethings from her Ranger expeditions.

    "Alright, time to get started! Make sure to wash your hands at this water spring by the way. We wouldn''t want to get sick from this would we?" Said Core, pointing at a pond of freshwater. "Hey D8, could you get us some tables and start two campfires? Also, you bought the pots and utensils, right?"

    "Certainly." She took out 2 more marbles and threw them down, revealing 2 wooden tables. Then, with lightning speed, she started 2 campfires adjacent to each of the tables. She then set all the pots and pans and kitchenware that they bought along the 2 tables.

    "Perfect, thanks. Start counting D8, stop us after an hour." Core immediately gets started on his dish, taking the chicken breasts and cutting them up into little pieces.

    Meanwhile, Rein has just decided on a dish. He begins pouring flour into a bowl, making a well in the center. He pours milk and starts mixing it vigorously with one arm, kneading it out and folding it on itself over and over. Covering the bowl, he left it to rise and got to work on his other ingredients. He cut the chicken into incredibly thin slices, swinging his knife straight down on the meat with impable uracy. Once he had enough slices, he set them along a drying rack over the fire, far enough that they would get smoked, and not cooked. While they smoked, he seared a thick piece of buffalo steak, to integrate the vor of the smoke into the chicken. He then minced the oyster mushrooms almost into a paste.

    "20 minutes have passed." Said D8, she and Emria watching them cook attentively.

    The pastry has finished rising, and the chicken has been smoked. For what he''s making, he has to bake it for at least 40 minutes. He rolls the pastry into a sheet, cing the mushrooms and smoked chicken on it like a nket. He took his seared piece of meat and ced it on theyers of food he had set. He seasoned the meat and closed the pastry on top of it, wrapping the beef in smoked chicken and ayer of oyster mushrooms. He cracked an egg and brushed it on the pastry before putting it into a covered pot over the fire. 40 minutester, he took it out and presented it to the judges.

    "Hmph, right on time." Said D8.

    "Wow! This looks so good Rein! I''ve never seen you make one of these before, what is it?"

    "Something I just thought up, I call it ''Beef Alister''. Have a taste." Rein said, looking back at Core who had also just finished his dish.

    "Amazing Rein! This tastes soooooo good!" Said Emria, gulping down on the dish.

    "Indeed. Impressively done Rein, considering your severed arm." Complimented D8, making Rein feel oddly satisfied.

    "d you both liked it." He breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he doesn''t win, he''s happy when people enjoy his cooking.

    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves Alister." Said Core, approaching the judging counter, holding 2 covered bowls in each of his hands. He set them down in front of the 2 judges, taking the lids off both of them. An incredible aroma invaded their senses.

    "Wooow! That smells so good! I''ve never seen this before either!" Eximed Emria.

    "As expected of Master Core. Though I must admit, I too have never seen this dish." Expressed D8, with a rare smile popping up on her face.

    "It''s called ''Ramen''. I saw it once in eastern Orthlys. Apparently, it''s a huge hit over there." Said core with an informing tone.

    "Mmmm! This is really really good!" Emria stated, which followed by D8 nodding in agreement.

    Core looked at Rein and smiled smugly, then looked back at the judges.

    "So? What''s the decision?" He asked with the same smile.

    "Not so fast! Miss D8 and I need to decide." Emria said as she and D8 turned around and started whispering to each other. After a few minutes of conferring, they made their decision. They turned back around, dering the winner.

    "We''ve decided, the winner is..."

 Chapter 7 - The Moonlit Forest

    "The winner is Rein Alister!!"

    A wide grin grew on his face, followed by a sigh of relief. He looked over at Core, who was smiling at him.

    "Well, a deal''s a deal. I''ll take you to this guy I know¡­ Right after I give this dish of yours a try." Said Core, with another rare glint of happiness in his usually dead eyes.

    "You said you have eternal youth¡­ So you''re not actually as young as you look?"

    "Nope, I''m actually 20 years old. Stopped aging at around 15 due to my eternal youth. Pretty hard to believe by just lookin at me though. I became the group leader when I was about 14 years old. After your old man killed mine." He informed him as he took a te of Rein''s dish.

    "Hold up, slow the fuck down. My dad killed yours? So the ones who attacked him in the Elven Forest were Checkmate?" Rein said, his pupils growing smaller.

    "Yeah, he used the same attack that your sister used. Took my father out with all of his troops. My father''s death gave me control of a shit ton of troops. A perfect position for someone with my Spring, don''t you think? Ever since I found out about my Spring, all I''ve been doing is theory battle training. Improving my battle knowledge was all I could do after all. It''s funny though, I''m the leader of a mercenary group, but by myself I''m useless," immense sadness could be seen in his eyes.

    "You... Who the hell are you? Why are you even doing this? I don''t get it... Your actions, they just don''t make sense," Rein looked at him with an icy re, trying to psycho-analyze him.

    "Heh, maybe so¡­ but¡­" He took a bite of the dish. "Holy shit this is delicious! Man, and I really thought I had a chance." Rein was curious as to what he would''ve said if he had finished his first sentence, continuing to think about it for the next few minutes.

    Rein sat quietly at the campfire and thought deeply about his situation, ncing over at Core every once in a while, who seemed to let a turmoiled expression slip through his facade every few moments. Emria eventually finished her food, and the sunset began looming over them, filling the sky with an orange light, then slowly dissipating into pitch darkness. After they finished, Core told them where Rein could get his arm fixed. He pointed towards the forest behind them, full of ginormous trees being covered in the darkness of the peering night.

    "That''s the Elven Forest. In the elf vige in the center of the forest, there''s a man who lives with his daughter who''s about Greeny''s age. He has a Spring that as long as you have the limb, he can reattach it good as new. He still owes me, so I''m sure he''d be happy to heal you up." Core said, packing up and heading back to the horse-drawn carriage.

    "He owes you? Didn''t Checkmate attack the forest when my dad was there?" Asked Rein, making Core grow silent. He looked down, his grip tightening around the horse''s leash.

    "Haha, it''s a bit moreplicated than that. Just like this time..." He said, putting up a facade of happiness,ughing to hide his emotions, making Rein grow ever more suspicious of what he said,paring it to ''this time''.

    Rein ceased his line of questioning and held his suspicions, boarding the back of the cart with Emria and Core. D8 whipped the carriage into motion, and they began heading for the Elven Vige.

    "I don''t get it Core... You''re being so nice to us¡­ You''re taking us to get Rein''s arm fixed... Why did you attack our vige? It doesn''t make any sense..." Asked Emria, wanting to understand Core, who endangered them, yet saved them.

    "Yeah¡­ Sorry, I can''t really exin it to you. It''s just¡­ something I have to do."

    "Why though¡­ Why''d big sis Leo have to die¡­ Why''d my mom had to die?" Emria weepingly spoke through her tears as she started crying.

    "... Your mom was in that group of escaped vigers right? I''m really sorry about that. I didn''t mean to implicate anyone outside the vige. Those heartless bastards don''t know how to show mercy. As for Alister''s sister¡­" He didn''t say anything after. He stopped talking, and all that could be heard were Emria''s soft cries.

    "Hearless bastards? You''re one to talk," Rein remarked, turning Core''s attention to him, saddening his expression.

    "Yeah, I guess I''m one too," he replied.

    "I''m sorry *sniff*, I know you didn''t mean for mom to die." Emria softly spoke. Rein sat there in sorrow, listening to his little sister cry about the tragedy that just befell. He found it strange that she hadn''t cried about it until now, but he realized that she was too worried about him to cause him any more trouble. He hugged her,forting her until she stopped crying.

    "Sorry¡­" Core mumbled inaudibly while inspecting Rein''s swords. A few minutes passed, filled with utter silence. Nobody made eye contact, they were looking at the moonlit forest around them as they rode. Core broke the silence, sparking a conversation.

    "Hey Alister, one of these swords was used by one of our dressed-up soldiers correct? The one that was thrust in your sister''s shoulder." He said, changing the subject.

    "... Yes, why''s that necessary for you to know?" Rein stated angrily, clenching his fist tightly.

    "I see¡­"

    "What were you guys talking about when miss D8 and I got back from Daster? You both looked like you''d seen a ghost." Asked Emria curiously, drying thest of her tears.

    "..." Core was silent, unsure whether Rein wanted to talk about it or not.

    "We were talking about the power I used back in Lifah. When I killed those Orthlys soldiers." Said Rein, not wanting to hide anything from Emria.

    "Oh yeah! The ground started shaking, and all of a sudden, you were super fast!"

    "Greeny, you manifested a Spring, right? What is it? After you manifest a Spring, all the knowledge about it shoulde to you automatically." Core informed her.

    "My Spring? Hmmm, oh! You''re right, I do know! When I activate my Spring, I get really strong defenses, but my speed is reduced by a ton. Almost to the point that I can''t move. That''s why I couldn''t escape that burning house using my Spring. Also, I can make people in a certain radius of me also have super defense, but they don''t be slow. That''s how Rein was able to carry me out without being super slow!" She exined, almost like she was reading off a script.

    Core looked over at Rein with his eyes widened. "Greeny, did ya notice anything about Rein''s Spring that stuck out to you?"

    "Umm... Oh, when his arm flew off. That was really weird. I don''t think that Prince guy''s attack directly hit him. It''s almost like Rein''s skin turned into buffalo butter." Emria stated, which made Rein realize what Core was thinking.

    "I see. I think I manifested to a Spring directly opposite to yours Emria. Maybe because I was in contact with you at the time." Rein said, thinking back to the dream he had, and the name "Inverse System" that he wasn''t able to say out loud. Emria looked at him with confusion.

    "I don''t really get it, but you''re saying you have the opposite of my Spring? That''s so cool! But wait, why are you talking like you don''t already know? Like Core said, the know-how about your Spring should juste naturally!" She said enthusiastically.

    "Actually Alister, I disagree with your theory." Objected Core.

    "Huh? You disagree with what exactly?" Rein questioned, slightly raising his voice.

    "Think about it. If that was the case, why hasn''t the informatione into your head like it did with Greeny? My theory is that you can copy the opposite of any Spring, as long as you make contact with the user. Maybe a fluctuating Spring like that would take longer to learn, so the information still hasn''t entered your head yet," Core boldly eximed.

    Just as Rein heard Core say that, he felt like he finally understood this power he awakened to. Even though there wasn''t any conclusive evidence, what Core said awakened a dormant knowledge in Reins subconscious that told him that what Core said was correct. It wasn''t a simple Spring, it was something more.

    "Though it is really weird that you haven''t received any information about your Spring... Hmm..." Core looked closely at Rein''s face, who began sweating as Core became more and more suspicious of the power.

    Core''s thought process was interrupted with a sudden jerk forward as the carriage came to a swift halt.

    "Master Core, we have arrived."

 Chapter 8 - New Home

    As they emerged through the trees, they found themselves in a small bustling town, surrounded by the walls over the forest around them. This town held the species known as "Elves". They were a species native to Econica and self-sufficient forest-dwellers. The town had a poption of about 2000, consisting mostly of elves, and some humans and half-elves.

    "Wow¡­ This ce is amazing!" Eximed Emria enthusiastically, looking at the nighttime town that was glimmering in the dark.

    "The ce is on the other side of the town. We came through the Shortwell district, the man''s atelier is through the Westway district outside the walls. We should head there right away and get some rest." Said Core pointing in the direction.

    "So are you and this guy on good terms?" Asked Rein, trying to get his mind off his System for now.

    "Yeah, his name''s Voron Xilris. He was good friends with my old man. He owed him for some help he assisted him with, and after he died, his debt kinda came to me."

    They continued riding through the silent, sleeping town, admiring the buildings and marketces, until they reached Voron''s atelier. It was located outside of town, directly west of the wall. It was arge, modern-looking white house. It looked clean from the outside, having no dirty spots on its white walls. It was 2 stories tall, with no trees in a 10-meter radius of the atelier, allowing the windows to bring in maximum moonlight.

    Core dismounted from the carriage and headed towards the seemingly silent home.

    "Hey! Maybe we shouldn''t knock right now. He and his daughter are probably asleep." Rein said, concerned for the man.

    "Yeah, his daughter probably is. But I don''t think that''ll be a problem." Core drew a fist, wind up his hand, and punched the door, knocking as hard as he could. Rein and Emria closed their eyes and braced for impact, feeling bad for the man who was just woken up. The door opened, Rein and Emria expected a yawning old man to walk out.

    "Who the hell is knocking thiste in the night! I was this close to making a breakthrough!! Why I oughta¡­ Oh! It''s little Core! How''ve you been kid? Look''s like you brought Miss D8 and some children with you." Said the old man that emerged from the house.

    Emria and Rein didn''t know how to react. They sat there, baffled at the vitality of this old man thiste into the night. He had long elf ears, short brown hair, red eyes, and a stern, scary-looking face. He wore a whiteb coat, covered in coffee stains, with his sleeves rolled up. He had white socks and brown work pants.

    "Gimme a break, you were doing research thiste into the night? Take a break old man. Anyways, I want you to take these two kids in for a while. Also, re-attach the white-haired one''s arm. We have the limb in the carriage." Said Core, quickly getting irritated at Voron.

    "Sure thing. Hey! White hair! What''s your name?" Asked Voron, raising his voice. ''He epted to take two kids in just like that?'', the thought ran through Rein''s mind, looking at the very entric man.

    "I''m Rein, and this is Emria." He didn''t mentionst names, as Leona taught him never to reveal that he is the son of Drevius Alister.

    "And just how in the hell did you lose your arm?"

    "I was fighting the Orthlys royal prince Sir."

    "You what?" Voron said, scratching his head.

    "It''s a long story, old man. I''ll exin it when we get inside." Said Core, walking in and dragging Voron with him. They entered the work area, which also had a couch in it. A messy space, full of bookshelves, workbenches filled with tools, and piles of stuff that extend across the sides of the room. Core exined what happened to Voron, skipping out on some vital details that Core couldn''t be bothered to exin.

    "Orthlys nobles hired you to wipe out a vige in their own country?!" Yelled Voron, almost as if it weren''t midnight. Listening to Core retell the story, Rein''s blood started boiling. This time, his hate wasn''t directed towards Core, but rather towards Orthlys, who attacked their civilians. Emria started trembling, recalling all the things that befell her vige the previous day.

    "Hey, old man. Maybe you shouldn''t yell so loud. Isn''t your daughter asleep? I only knocked that loud because I know the sound wouldn''t reach her." Said Core, starting to tap his shows repeatedly, evidently beginning to lose his cool.

    "Oh don''t worry. Saphri got so fed up with my noise that she invented sound-isting walls around her room. That girl''s genius frightens me sometimes." He dered, seeming strangely proud of his daughter, even though she did it to shut him up.

    "Anyways Core, do you know the reason those nobles hired you?" Asked Voron.

    "They didn''t directly tell me the reason, but I assume it''s for an excuse to start a war with Econica. I suspect there will be a deration in theing days." Said Core, calming his nerves.

    "And these kids are the only survivors I''m guessing? Sorry Core, but even if you were hired for this, you killed all of those vigers? Doesn''t that go against your¡ª"

    "You''re wrong! We didn''t kill any vigers! We followed the contract I made with those Orthlys nobles and only attacked the people inside the vige. We let all the vigers leave the vige. I will admit, we did try to kill Leona Alister and Rein Alister, along with Greeny here because they were still in the vige. Also, the contractor specifically told us to target them. But let me set the record straight, I did not kill any innocent bystanders. Those filthy Orthlys soldiers did it, not me," Core said, finally losing his cool. It seemed like, even by mistake, he did not want to be associated with the deaths of all of those civilians.

    "Sorry kid. Looks like I shouldn''t jump to conclusions like that." There was silence for about 10 seconds when Voron came to a realization.

    "Wait¡­ Did you say Alister? As in Drevius Alister? Is that the son of the Timeless Blitz?!" He said, beginning to shed tears.

    "Cat''s out of the bag I guess. But wait, you knew my dad?" Rein asked curiously.

    "Your dad¡­ yes I knew him." Voron calmed down, almost like he was hiding something. Rein didn''t question it. He just wanted his arm fixed.

    "Oh dear me, I almost forgot. I need to fix your arm. Come here, Rein." He took Rein''s severed arm and put it where it used to be.

    "Sorry, this part''s extremely painful. It''ll do so much damage to your arm that it''ll take another month to fully heal." Rein started growing fearful, but he didn''t stop him. Even if it took a year to heal, it''d be better than being severed.

    He grabbed a hammer and prepared to hit Rein''s arm with it. As he was about to swing, he was stopped by a tap on the leg.

    "Hey grandpa Voron, if it''s gonna damage Rein a lot, let me help." Emria suggested.

    "Emria was it? Haha! Ok kiddo, do your thing. Not that it''ll affect anything!" Heughed. Emria grabbed onto Rein and closed her eyes, focusing all of her Spring power on him.

    "Okay, go ahead grandpa Voron." She said.

    Voron took a mighty swing on Rein''s arm, making an incredibly loud noise. A ck light emanated from the point of impact, and when it dissipated, Rein''s arm was back on good as new.

    "Well, I''ll be¡­ That''s the first time a human didn''t go into a week-longa. What''d you do kid?" Astonished, Voron drew his attention to Emria.

    "I just used my Spring on Rein. It heightens his defense by a lot!" She eximed.

    "And you Rein, You really didn''t feel any pain?" Voron asked.

    "Just a little, but that''s because Emria''s only 6 years old, so her Spring''s not perfect. Man, it''s scary to think I copied the opposite of that," Said Rein in amazment, stretching his newly attached arm. Suddenly, Voron''s grabbed Rein by the shoulder.

    "You copied the what!?!?"

 Chapter 9 - Promise

    "You copied a what?!?" Yelled old man Voron with great surprise, grabbing onto Rein''s shoulders.

    "Huh? The opposite of Emria''s Spring... You know about it, Sir?" Reacted Rein. Voron didn''t respond. He started to rummage through his belongings, looking for something.

    "The hell are you doing old man? Look, I''m gonna leave now. Take care of Alister and Greeny. You owe both our dads, right? Might as well pay it off now." Said Core, waving his hand as he left the house with D8. Voron put up a thumbs-up sign while still rummaging through his belongings, which Core caught a glimpse of before leaving. As he was heading to the carriage, he heard someone yell behind him.

    "Wait!" It was Rein, running after him and D8.

    "D8, go on before me and ready the carriage. I''ll be there in a bit." Said Core, sending D8 away so he and Rein could talk alone.

    "Sup Alister, you need anything else, or do you already miss me?" Coreughed.

    "Like hell I''d miss you. I just have one more question for you¡­ If you had won that cooking contest, what would you have made me promise you?" Rein''s voice was followed by silence, then Core spoke.

    "You ever thought of what would happen if you copied my Spring? I''m unable to end a life, but maybe if you copied my Spring, you could end any life, countering my immortality." Softy spoke Core, removing the yful tone of voice he always had when talking to Rein.

    "I thought, maybe if I won that bet, I could have an escape for the future¡­ Being eternally young, you tend to think about not being able to end it all. But who am I kidding? I can never escape," As he said that, he lost all life in his eyes, somehow exuding a torturous aura that was devoid of any feeling.

    "You''re right. If you ordered me to do that¡­ I would have declined. You have no right to escape after what you''ve done." Announced Rein.

    "Yeah, I expec©`"

    "However, if I eventually find a way to get rid of that pesky Spring of yours, you bet I''m using it. I wouldn''t want to take the risk of copying your Spring myself, since I might die too," Dered Rein to Core, who was standing there dumbfounded.

    "Heh, do you realize you''re talking to the bastard that attacked your vige? You seriously have a screw loose¡­" Core wearily smiled and looked Rein dead in the eyes. "I expect you to keep up on that promise."

    "Usually I''d shake on it, but I only do that for people I like. Also, it''s not a promise. Don''t misunderstand, I''m doing this for my own benefit. Everything I do from now on will be that way," Said Rein, with a mocking tone in his voice.

    "Haha, okay. Whatever you say. Still though, I''m definitely indebted to you," he spoke as he parted away, turning around back to the carriage, walking away as he waved with the back of his hand, Rein releasing his furrowed eyebrows and frown as he returned to the house.

    As he entered, he noticed Emria sleeping on the couch, exhausted after the long day she had.

    "You''re back Rein. I Still haven''t found it, so take the girl to my daughter''s room and put her on the bottom bunk bed. It''s the second room to the right upstairs. You can''t miss it." Said Voron, still rummaging through his belongings loudly.

    Rein was surprised that Emria could sleep through the noise, but considering how tired she seemed, it made sense. He picked her up and brought her upstairs into the sound isted room. As he entered, it was almost as if he entered a separate dimension. No sound prated the walls of this room.

    "Wow, this is amazing." He whispered. That small amount of noise was enough to wake up the little half-elf girl that was sleeping on the top bunk.

    She sat up, revealing her long dark blue hair and red eyes, the same as her father. As she sprung up, the lights turned on, revealing the room that Rein had entered. It was full of gadgets, tools, and bits and bobs.

    "Who are you. Why are you holding a girl. Why are you in my room." She posed, not sounding like she was asking for an answer, but rather just stating a question.

    Her eyes didn''t falter off of Rein, as they stayed fixated on him, expecting him to talk. Her voice was high pitched, yet monotone, like a t note on an instrument, which Rein got an earful of in this quiet room.

    "Ah sorry, we''re gonna be living here for a while. This is Emria, she''s about the same age as you. Do you think she can sleep here for now?" Rein spoke softly, not wanting to wake Emria.

    "How old is Emria." She asked emotionlessly.

    "About 6 years old."

    "I''m 7. She goes in the bottom bunk. *yawn*. Good night." She went back to sleep, and so did the lights in the room.

    Confused, Rein tucked Emria into the bottom bunk and left the room, making sure not to make a sound when the door closed.

    "I found it!" Rein heard a loud yelle from down the stairs.

    He ran downstairs, seeing Voron staring at a broken stone tablet. There seemed to be words carved into it, but Rein couldn''t understand thatnguage. Rein knew how to speak manynguages, it was one of his hobbies when he was home alone. He knew Common, Elvish, Orc, Dwarvish, Goblin, and Draconic, but none of those seemed to be what was on the stone.

    "What''s it say? I have no clue whatnguage that is." Rein said, scratching his head.

    "This is anguage called ''English''... It was in that book that was tabooed a while back. The one written by Albert E."

    "Huh?! The tabooed book?! You read it?! If the church or government finds out, they''ll kill you!"

    "Yeah, I know." Uttered Voron.

    "Didn''t they do all those memory scans on everyone a couple of years ago? They killed everyone with knowledge about it and took all of the books for themselves. How''d you¡­" Rein stopped himself from prying any further, seeing Voron''s expression worsening.

    "Anyways, that''s not important right now! The real deal is what it says on this tablet! A lot of it''s blurred out, but it looks like you have some sort of ancient power," Voron excitedly eximed, Rein hoping that he could help him figure out his power, knowing that he couldn''t tell Voron anything further.

    "Half of it looks blurred out, are you sure you''ll be able to read that?" Rein inquired.

    "Yes, most of it is blurry to the point that I can''t read it, but the parts that I can read can give us some valuable information. Firstly, the title is mostly blurred. It says "4 S...". I can only assume that it means Springs," Voron concluded, Rein getting a different vibe from the tablet, but keeping to himself.

    "Down here, there are 4 different lines, three of them are blurred out. The only thing legible is the description of the bottom one, ''the power to copy the opposite of all Springs'', it says," Voron spoke as he looked closer at the shabby rock.

    As he took a closer look, he noticed a small inscription on the bottom of the tablet that he hadn''t noticed before.

    "Oh, what''s this? Here it says ''...mand: Menu''. I bet that has something to do with your power, don''t you think?" Voron gushed as if he just had a huge revtion.

    "What does? That all sounded like nonsense to me." Rein thought that if Voron had said something that made sense, something would click in him again like that time with Core. But this time there was nothing, which lead Rein to believe that it was nothing of worth.

    "Hey Rein, I want you to focus your mind, and say the word ''Menu''." Instructed Voron.

    Confused, Rein adhered to Voron''s instructions. He closed his eyes and rxed his body. He took a deep breath in, and out.

    "Menu"

 Chapter 10 - Versys

    Arge holographic screen appeared before Rein''s eyes. Inrge title letters, it read "Inverse System©` tap anywhere to continue".

    "Argh, guess it doesn''t work after all. Sorry kid, you can pack up and head to bed. We can try something else in the morning." Said Voron in disappointment, making Rein question if he was the only one seeing it.

    "Huh? You don''t see it? A screen just appeared right here!" Rein said as he gestures around the menu.

    "Yeah you really need to bed, you''re hallucinating now¡­ unless¡­ you''re the only one who can see it! What does the screen say!" Said Voron, realizing that the stone tablet worked.

    "It says..." He looked at the title, seeing that it said the words Inverse System.

    "It says ''tap anywhere to continue''" Rein said, deliberately leaving out the first part.

    "Facsinating... Go ahead and tap it, see if it tells you anything about your Spring," Voron instructed.

    Rein lifted his finger and tapped the screen, transitioning it to a screen with 4 different tabs. "Stats", "Springs", "Skills", and "Inventory". He tapped on the stats tab, revealing his speed, strength, defense, and intellect. Scanning the screen, he almost fell out of his chair when he saw his level.

    "Level 34?!" Rein thought in his mind, surprised by the amount of power his newly acquired power had amassed.

    "What is it? Did you figure something out?!" Voron shouted, clearly used to the soundproof room that his daughter had set up.

    "What''s this? Wasn''t I supposed to be level 1?" He thought. A warped smile grew on his face when he realized that those Orthlys soldiers he killed fueled his power. He hystericallyughed, his anger making the ground rumble, just as it did before.

    "Hahahaha..! Does killing those worthless scumbag pieces of shit give me this much strength? Well then, so be it¡­ I''ll ughter every one of those shitty nobles." He dered in his mind as the ground began to shake, bringing him into a fit of uncontrobleughter.

    "Calm down kid. Don''t let your anger get to you. Saphris room is soundproof, not tremor-proof. Now, tell me what you see," Consoled Voron, putting down his pen and notebook to pat Rein''s shoulder. Rein took deep breaths, calming his anger.

    "Sorry¡­ I lost control for a bit," Rein put his hands on his head, calming himself down.

    "It''s alright. It''s better than bottling it all in. Anyways, I''m dying of anticipation here, what''d you see?" Asked Voron, which Rein raised an eyebrow at.

    He didn''t know what information would be okay to divulge, so he carefully mentioned that he saw his vitals and physical stats.

    "Physical stats?! That''s amazing, it''s just like some sort of game! Ah, I used to y it so much when I was a boy... What was it called, ''Domains and Dragonbornes''?" Voron reminisced, Rein recognizing what game he was talking about.

    He looked back at his stats and found them to be simr to the game, which he yed with some of the other vige kids asionally.

    "If I remember correctly, doing various activities boosts your powers in that game. Maybe it''s the same for you. Tell me your stats so that I can write them down here, and we''ll try different activities tomorrow to see if you get stronger," Voron proposed, Rein thinking that it was a reasonable course of action.

    "Health: 340/340

    Energy: 170/170

    Speed: 68.2

    Strength: 70.7

    Defense: 65.0

    Intellect: 117.8"

    Voron jotted them all down, and when he finished, he ripped the paper out of the notebook and gave it to Rein.

    "Keep that on you and refer back to it when you feel any changes. Let''s go to sleep now. I need you to carefully pay attention to every action you make, and keep a list to this paper with what action you did and what stat it changed," exined Voron.

    "Got it¡­ By the way, where am I sleeping?"

    "Where else? I have an extra mattress in my room. I hope you don''t mind my snoring though."

    They arrived in Voron''s room, which was surprisingly tidy, considering the mess in the work area. The room consisted of a mattress on the ground, a chair with a tidy pile of books under it, and a closet, which Voron got an extra mattress and a change of clothes for Rein. As soon as the old man hit the mattress, he went to sleep, but surprisingly, there was no snoring. Rein sighed from relief andy down on the mattress. He slowly drifted into a deep sleep¡­

    "Hey!! Wake up!!" Rein heard a voice, and when he opened his eyes, all he saw was white.

    He was back in the dream world. However, something was different this time. Someone else was there. As he looked around, he saw a boy with ck hair and red eyes staring at him. The boy wasn''t wearing any clothes, but he didn''t have any private parts. His whole body was pure beige, and his face looked nearly identical to Reins.

    "You finally summoned me! Ugh, it was getting really tiring being that robotic voice exining stuff to you. Finally, I''m free!" Yelled the boy, stretching his limbs.

    "Who the hell are you? What happened to the voice I was talking tost time?" Asked Rein.

    "I am the voice, silly! The name''s Versys. Get it? It''s ''Inverse System'' butbined. Pretty clever right?" Said the boy cheerfully.

    "So¡­ You''re my System?"

    "Yessir!"

    "Why are you here?"

    "I wanna be your friend! See, I wasn''t myselfst time because you hadn''t summoned your menu yet. Now, we can freely talk! Anything you wanna ask me?" Rein was too dumbfounded to think of an actual question, so he just went back to sleep.

    "Hey!! Come back! You''re wasting precious sleeping time! I can only appear this vividly when you''re sleeping and when you''re using me you know! Of course, you can still talk to me when you''re awake, but where''s the fun if we can''t see each other?!" Panicked Versys frantically.

    "Fine, we''ll start there. How exactly do I summon you?" Asked Rein, sitting back up from his sleeping act.

    "That one''s easy! There are two conditions that I''lle out with. One, if I, or you, is really really angry. The second way is to summon me by saying my name ''Versys''. Once I''m summoned, all you need to do is touch someone, and I''ll turn their power upside down!" Remarked Versys enthusiastically.

    "I see¡­ That''s why you came out back in Lifah. My second question is, what are you." Rein asked, staring Versys dead in his red eyes.

    "Ahh, now that one I don''t know. Most of my general knowledge is based on what you know. I lost all of my previous memories. Yet, that Core guy you linked with, when he told you about your power, I felt like a part of my memory was unlocked. If you obtain knowledge that directly rtes to my memory, I think I''ll be able to connect the dots," affirmed Versys in a confident, yet somehow unsure tone.

    "So the reason I instantly believed him was that you unlocked some of your prior knowledge¡­ Wait, you said I linked with him? What does that mean?" He questioned.

    "Did I say that? Oh yeah, I did. Huh, I don''t know why..." Said Versys, scratching his head trying to remember.

    *krrrrrrrr*

    "Uhh, Versys, do you need to use the restroom?"

    "Whaaa!? You think Systems go potty? That was probably you!" Retaliated Versys while blushing.

    *krrrrrrrr*

    "It was even louder that time," said Rein as he blinked, recing the white void with a grey ceiling. He turned over, looking at Voron, who was sleeping.

    *KRRrrrrr*

    "Oh, he''s snoring..." He thought, slightly annoyed.

    He checked the clock and noticed that it was 3:30 am. 3 hours had passed. He whispered "menu" and checked his stats. No changes from the previous night. He tried going back to sleep but to no avail. Voron''s snores were far too loud. Fed up, he decided to leave the room and sleep on the couch, closing the door behind him to get silence, but the sound was still seeping through.

    As hey down on the couch, he felt cold as he did not bring the nket he had when he was in the room. He contemted going back into the room to get it but decided that he''d rather freeze to death than enter that room again.

    Hearing the faint sounds of Voron''s snoring, he drifted to sleep despite his cold. This time, he didn''t meet Versys in his sleep.

    "Hey!! Wake up, Rein! Breakfast is ready!" It was Emria this time. He sat up, still shivering from sleeping on the couch. He didn''t get his hopes up, but he still checked his menu, expecting to see a "Cold" status effect. His stats read:

    Health: 340/340

    Energy: 170/170

    Speed: 68.2

    Strength: 70.7

    Defense: 65.1

    Intellect: 117.8

    He looked back at the paper Voron wrote:

    Health: 340/340

    Energy: 170/170

    Speed: 68.2

    Strength: 70.7

    Defense: 65.0

    Intellect: 117.8

    "My defense went up!"

 Chapter 11 - Blacksmithing Is A Skill

    [New Skill Acquired]

    "A new skill? Let''s check it out¡­ Cold Affinity: Resist. Wow, I guess I gain different skills based on things I do¡­" Rein thought to himself in amazement. There were other parts of the menu he wanted to explore, but he was interrupted.

    "Rein! Hurry up or the breakfast Saphy and I made will be cold!" Emria scolded, with a pout on her face.

    "Sorry! I''ll be right there." He closed his menu and ran over to the kitchen, where Voron, Saphri, and Emria were sitting.

    Somehow, Emria had already be friendly with the seemingly emotionless Saphri. Their personalities were almost opposite, yet they became friends overnight. He sat down at the kitchen table and wolfed down on the breakfast the 2 girls made. Pancakes and Elven Syrup. A ssic Elven breakfast that Saphri taught Emria to make.

    "This is delicious! Did you two make this?" He asked the two girls sitting in front of him, one of them had a straight face talking to the other with a smiling one.

    "Indeed. I normally cook breakfast alone, therefore it was a big help having Emria with me as I had some assistance." Responded Saphri, monotone as usual.

    "What Saphy meant to say was ''Yes we made it together!''." Eximed Emria with excitement, as she hugged Saphri, who gave no reaction. Rein smiled at them, as he continued to eat.

    "Rein, I didn''t see you in the room in the morning, why''d you go to the couch?" Asked Voron, which made Rein go into a cold sweat, and choke up on his food, remembering the horrors of the night prior. He didn''t want to be rude and tell him that his snoring was unbearable.

    "Father, I believe I can answer that question for him. Your incessant snoring is quite aggravating. Nobody in their right mind would sleep in the same room as you." Saphri was finally showing some emotion of aggression towards her father. She seemed like the person to give tough love, blunt as it may be.

    "Bah! Straight to the point as always my little Saphri!" He said as he broke out into a yful cry, causing Emria and Rein tough. Reinposed himself and began to tell Voron about what he saw this morning.

    "Mr. Voron, there was a change in my stats when I woke up."

    "Oh!? Well? Out with it!" Said Voron with excitement.

    "My defense increased by 0.1. It was probably because I slept on the couch in the cold."

    "I see, then you''ll be sleeping on the couch from now on." Said Voron with no hesitation.

    "What?!" Was Rein''s initial reaction, but as he thought more about it, he concluded that he''d rather sleep on the couch than get his eardrums blown out every night.

    "Alright, when you finish your food, follow me." Said Voron as he exited the kitchen, leaving Rein confused.

    He finished all his food and followed Voron outside the house, into the shade of the trees under the beaming sun. Emria and Saphri followed as they headed into the bustling town. Everyone recognized Voron and his daughter as if they were local celebrities walking through the streets of the town.

    "Um, where are we going?" Asked Rein.

    "To get you a weapon! There''s a great cksmith in town, the best in all of Lomia. Those other swords you brought were severely beaten up. And one of them was an army sword! Can''t have you use those now can we!" Said Voron while waving at passerby.

    "Okay¡­ But why are the girls here?"

    "To buy us clothes! We can''t keep borrowing clothes! I''ll buy some for you too Rein," Answered Emria enthusiastically. They continued walking until they eventually arrived at the cksmith.

    "Hey, Folduin. I need you to make this boy a pair of swords. He''ll tell you how to customize them. Okay? See ya," signaled Voron to the cksmith in a hurry.

    "Sure thing Voron!" He responded as Voron left the facility, waving behind him.

    "Hey wait! Where are you going?" Protested Rein after Voron left him at the cksmith.

    "Well, I can''t let these girls shop by themselves, can I? Have fun kid!"

    "Bye Rein! See you in a bit!" Waved Emria, along with Saphri who waved silently.

    Rein, dumbfounded, was just left in an intimidating man''s cksmith. Arge, bald man, covered in scars and scratches.

    "Wee kid. You use a ''pair of swords'', meaning dual swords if I understood correctly? Well, I haven''t made a custom version of those since the Timeless Blitz." Said Folduin casually.

    "Huh? You know da-, *ahem*, The Timeless Blitz?" Announced Rein in a surprising outburst, catching himself as he almost blundered.

    "I sure do! Made him a couple of swordsst time he was here on amission. Unfortunately, he died protecting us shortly after. Come to think of it, you have the same color hair as him," remarked the man, inquiring into Rein''s white hair.

    "Yeah, I uh¡­. Dyed it white. He''s an inspiration to me, it''s why I want to train with dual swords like him," Rein made an excuse, so as to not have his identity revealed.

    "Haha! So I guess you want to be a Ranger too then? Man, what I would give to be young and full of energy again," said the man, beginning work on the sword.

    Rein''s dream had always been to be a Ranger, like his father and sister. He loved the idea of helping people in need and fighting ferocious monsters. But now, his reasons for wanting to be a Ranger have been skewed. He didn''t want any of that idealistic crap. Now, he was after the freedom and money that being a Ranger granted you. A Ranger would be able to travel anywhere with unlimited freedom and even cross the border between Econica and Orthlys. And after his deal with Voron ended, he''d need a way to support himself and Emria.

    "So, you got a Spring then?" Asked the man, making Rein pause and reflect for a second.

    "... No not yet. But I''m hopeful since I''m still ten years old." He technically didn''t lie, as he didn''t have a Spring, he had a System.

    "Ah, I see. Well, training is better than any Spring! Speaking of that, I''ll let you train by helpin me smith this thing! Maybe a Spring''ll manifest if you do a little cksmithing! Haha!" Laughed the man, but he wasn''t joking.

    Rein agreed to help, and they got to work on creating the strongest dual swords on the continent. They worked until the sun went down, and using Folduin''s magical smithing tools, they managed to finish before it broke dusk.

    "Well, I''ll be¡­ You''re a natural kid. That was the fastest I''ve ever forged anything, and to this quality as well!" Said Folduin, praising Rein.

    "Thanks¡­" Said Rein as he unveiled the swords from their sheaths, revealing 2 carbon steel swords, professionally forged and customized. Rein had never seen cooler swords before in his life. His eyes lit up just by looking at them. He swung them around to test them, already feeling like they were extensions of his limbs.

    "These are incredible. Thank you, sir. How much do we owe you?" Rein asked.

    "Oh perish the thought. I wouldn''t make my old friend Voron pay, much less such a young talented cksmith! It''s on the house! I''ll even throw in these smithing tools! Make sure to use ''em kid," he handed Rein a bag of tools.

    "Really? You don''t have to¡­"

    "I insist!" After that, Rein epted the kind man''s offer and left the cksmith. On his way back, he checked his stats:

    Health: 340/340

    Energy: 87/170

    Speed: 68.2

    Strength: 73.7

    Defense: 65.1

    Intellect: 119.2

    [New Skill]: Apprentice cksmith

    "Huh, would you look at that? My strength and intellect went up. And I got a new skill. But man, my hands are really full with these tools and swords¡­ Wait, what''s this? Inventory¡­" He pressed the inventory tab on his system menu, popping up with arge grid full of empty squares.

    "Can I store things in my System?" He put the bag of tools into the inventory, and surely enough, they were stored.

    "Man, that''s cool. Look''s like it has a weight limit of 110.55kg. I assume that''ll increase as my strength goes up," he sped up as the weight off his hand was lifted, walking back to the house at an elerated pace.

    He arrived, excited to tell Voron about his stat increase. However, the mood in the room was the opposite of his enthusiasm. He saw Voron reading a paper, along with a look of fear etched on the faces of Saphri and Emria.

    "Rein¡­ Orthlys just dered war on Econica¡­"

 Chapter 12 - Determination Of Fight

    Rein was ovee with despair. He expected this to happen at some point, but he wasn''t mentally prepared for it. Voron handed Rein the newspaper, its headline read:

    "Orthlys Vige Massacred by Econica. King Fredric Deres War."

    The room was filled with silence. Rein continued reading.

    "When Prince Zane arrived at the scene, he saw a white-haired boy wielding an Econican army sword killing Orthlys soldiers. The Prince was able to defeat the boy, but a tall ck-haired woman came to his rescue. These two are believed to be the Econican spies who wiped out the border side vige as a deration of war.

    Annie Lakuna, Lomia News"

    Rein gripped the paper with immense force. He felt indescribable anger in his heart, but he was able to contain it as to not let his System loose.

    "I''m sorry¡­ Now you and the vige are gonna be endangered," apologized Rein, feeling partially guilty.

    "Don''t worry about it kid. This forest is on neutral ground. Though being on Econicannd, it doesn''t belong to Econica or Orthlys. It''ll be the safest ce during the war," informed Voron, followed by a sigh of relief from Rein. He looked over at the 2 girls, who sat there silently.

    "Rein¡­ Is this what big sis Leo died for?" Said Emria cheerlessly, beginning to cry. Rein put down his swords and walked over to Emria, cing an arm around her and a hand on her head.

    "Don''t worry¡­ I''ll make sure her death wasn''t in vain. I''ll change the fate of the world, just watch me," he dried her tears with his hand and cheered her up. Rein wore a wistful smile, somehow not believing his own words.

    "Rein, I suggest you do not me yourself. That will only be a detriment to you in the future. From a rational perspective, you did not cause this war," Saphri consoled him, seeing his sorrowful facade.

    "Thanks, Saphri. You know, you don''t show much emotion, but you seem to be an expert on it. Haha." Rein said, cheering up. Saphri lightly blushed, ttered by Rein''sment.

    "Oh yeah, did you see what the girls bought you?" Asked Voron, pointing at the bag of clothes in the corner.

    Rein picked it up, taking the clothes out. It was a white coat, with red highlights along with a in white shirt and ck pants.

    "Thank you both, these look really good!"

    "Try them on Rein!" Emria jumped with excitement.

    He went upstairs and put on the clothes. They fit perfectly and worked well with each other. He went back downstairs to show everyone, receiving very positive opinions on his looks. Once everyone settled down, Rein, Emria, and Saphri went to make dinner. Appreciative of the help, Saphri thanked them. As they began to eat, Voron said:

    "I''m gonna take you somewhere tomorrow Rein. Prepare yourself, it won''t be easy," Voron informed him.

    Nervous, Rein gulped his food and nodded his head. After that, Rein went back to sleep on the couch, feeling even colder this time.

    "Oh yeah, I turned on cooling in here, so it''ll be even colder from now on. Good luck!" Said Voron, popping his head into the living room before heading to sleep.

    Annoyed, Rein was contemting locking Voron out of his room for revenge, but decided against it.

    Before he slept, he decided to take another look at his menu.

    "[New Skill Aqcuired] - Expert Cook" is what it said. Heughed at it, feeling slightly insulted that it only ranked him as an expert, Rein being very defensive of his cooking skills.

    Eventually, he drifted to sleep, waking into the white void yet again.

    "Heya! Looks like you got new clothes!" Said Versys.

    "That''s what you''re focusing on? More importantly, a war began. Also, I''ve got these cool new swords," Rein and Versys began to talk, Rein telling him about his life before. They barely talked for what felt like an hour, Rein and Versys beginning to forge a bond, him being the only one he could speak freely to.

    Eventually, he heard a familiar voice through his dream.

    "Wakey wakey! Time to leave! Get dressed, grab your swords and follow me! Oh, and check your stats," Voron rushed Rein, forcing him to follow him without even eating breakfast. He wore his new clothes and stored his new swords in his inventory. As he followed Voron outside, he checked his stats, which were:

    Health: 340/340

    Energy: 170/170

    Speed: 68.2

    Strength: 73.7

    Defense: 65.2

    Intellect: 119.2

    "My defense went up again," He told Voron.

    "Nice! Hmmm? Didn''t I tell you to bring your swords?" Asked Voron trying to look behind Rein to see if he was hiding them.

    "Oh, they''re right here." He reached into the air and pulled out a pair of sheathed swords.

    "WOW! I didn''t know you were a magician!"

    "I''m not. This is part of my power," Exined Rein.

    "Oh? Fascinating... Is there anything else you can do?" Pondered Voron.

    Rein had checked all of the tabs but one. The Springs tab, which he hadpletely neglected to check. He didn''t know what to expect when he pressed it. He saw a nk screen with one name on it: "Emria Yaku".

    "This must be my copy history. Emria''s the only one who I''ve copied so far, so it makes sense." He concluded in his mind as he heard Versys voice affirm his thought, Rein realizing that he could speak to him subconsciously.

    They continued down a path, Voron eventually stopping atop a hill.

    "Huh? Why''d we stop?" Rein asked as he caught up with Voron.

    When he reached the peak of the hill, he looked out into the outstretched horizon. He saw something unbelievable. A ginormous crater, muchrger than the one in Lifah. The crater was crawling with monsters. Slimes, low demons, undead, and others.

    "That''s where your father, Drevius Alister, died." Informed Voron.

    "Why¡­ are we here? Why is it over-run with monsters?"

    "Frankly, I''ve put up some rangermissions toe and clean this ce up. Your dad''s grave is down there after all. But for some reason, no matter how many times we kill them, this ce is like a hotspot. They keep gathering."

    Rein knew what Voron wanted him to do. Clear out those monsters. Rein didn''t feel scared at all. He made his way down to the crater and unsheathed his des.

    "Use your strength. You won''t be copying anyone''s abilities. Fuel your power by killing these monsters," Voron instructed, Rein smiling as that was what he''d nned on doing.

    "I know that. I need to get stronger to join the guild and stop this war. I won''t stop at anything. I''ll ravage all of the monsters, these ones, and the ones who started this war. Just watch me."

    After that day, Rein began vigorously training every day, getting stronger and stronger as he progressed. But time never waits for anyone. Day by day, hundreds continued to die as the war stirred the continent into chaos.

 Chapter 13 - Flawless Travel

    It''s been 6 years since the war began. Nearly all of Econica, with the exception of some of the bigger cities and the Elven Forest, has been taken over by Orthlys. There was no resistance in most areas. The people lost trust in the government after the Lifah incident, and as a result, happily handed theirnd to Orthlys, wanting to be ruled over by a different monarch. Only Daster, Kindus, Draconica, Aquifa, and the capital city of Cornear remained. Orthlys now controlled roughly 85% of the continent, and with that, they halted their attacks. No peace treaty was signed, but there was an untold truce. Roughly 5 years after the war began, it was reported that the Orthlys queen was assassinated by Econican spies. After that blow, Orthlys began to slow their attacks until both sides reached a standstill, with Orthlysing out as the clear victors in this unfinished war.

    Though there were multiple Econican strongholds Orthlys was unable to breach, there was one that stood out from the rest. Throughout the war, Orthlys attempted to mount several attacks on the Elven forest, but their forces were always mysteriously repelled by a masked man before making it to the vige, causing them to stop sending soldiers.

    This mysterious force was none other than Rein Alister, who had been training every day for 6 years, honing his System in the monster den of his father''s grave. He reached level 85 with his System, every level being 10 stat points. Level 60 was reached in the first year, then 5 levels per year after. Stats began increasing much slower after level 60, and progression became much more difficult. Since he didn''t kill any soldiers that invaded, he wasn''t able to gainrge level boosts. Even at about level 70, he was able to repel a whole battalion single-handedly. His stats were now:

    Health: 1350/1350

    Energy: 675/675

    Speed: 210.2

    Strength: 215.5

    Defense: 208.7

    Intellect: 190.3

    [Skills]

    Cold Affinity: Resist

    Demonic Affinity: Resist

    Slime Affinity: Resist

    Earth Affinity: Resist

    Expert cksmith

    Legendary Cook

    On Sight: Allows you to copy the Spring of someone by simply looking at them, as long as you know what it is.

    Warped Touch: Enables you to flip the Springs of other people by touching them for 3 seconds.

    Though killing monsters didn''t give him the experience boosts that other intelligent creatures did, they did provide him with some useful skills that he added to his repetoire.

    Rein often trained with Emria and Saphri, whose telekinesis Spring came in very handy when Emria is unable to move while using her Spring. Voron, still oblivious to Rein''s inverse system, spent most of his time researching the origins of Rein''s power.

    Rein felt that it was strangely quiet on the morning of November 18th, his 16th birthday. He couldn''t feel Voron''s presence, and as he looked around, he noticed that Voron had left him a note It read:

    "Happy birthday Rein! You''re 16 now huh? Almost a fully grown adult! You might be wondering what this note is yeah? Well, I would exin it in person¡­ but then what''s the point of the note right? Anyways, I think I found a lead about the origins of your Spring, and now that the fighting''s stopped, I think it''s the perfect time to follow it. I know that you''re waiting until you''re 18 so you can be a Ranger, but you''ve heard of Ranger academy, right? You can actually join when you''re 16. The problem is, the fee is incredibly high. But look at the pamphlet at the back of this note, there''s an entrance tournament. If you ce in the top 5, you get a free ride, and if you ce 1st, you get a free luxury dorm! I forged a fake ID for you and Emria using thest name Xilris. Take her and Saphri with you. Good luck! You''d better win that dorm for them!"

    He was speechless. To spring this on him all of a sudden was just like the old man. The girls were still sleeping, so he had to go wake them and break the news. He knocked on their door.

    "Emria, Saphri, wake up!" It was useless. Even this close, the soundproof walls blocked out all noise. He rang the bell inside the room, using the rope they installed for situations just like these. The door opened, revealing two half-asleep girls.

    "What is it, Rein. Please exin why you have woken us so abruptly." As always, Saphr retorted in her cold tone of voice.

    "Start packing your stuff. Your dad left me this note." He handed Saphri the note and she and Emria began to read it.

    "This is ridiculous. What is that stupid old man thinking." Said Saphri, unimpressed and irritated.

    "Huh? This is great! I get to go to Ranger academy with Rein! And we get to stay in a luxury dorm!" Emria woke up after reading the note and was filled with excitement.

    "That''s only if I win the entrance tournament."

    "Oh, I''m not worried about that. You''ll definitely win!" Emria''s remark made Reinugh and pat her on the head.

    "Hey! I''m not a kid anymore!" She blushed.

    "Oh? But it looks like you''re enjoying it. Is your face turning red?" He teased her, inducing an angry reaction from Emria.

    "Anyways, I don''t think we''ll be able to live here without Voron. We don''t have any money, that old man took it all with him. He''s really leaving us with no choice." Informed Rein.

    "This pamphlet says that the tournament will be held on campus. The location is shown to be in the middle of the Habisin Gulf. Hmph. I''m beginning to think father has given us a fake pamphlet." Proimed Saphri.

    "I don''t think so. I remember Leona used to head there a lot when she was on business. I think that''s where the headquarters actually are. Anyways, is there a date listed?" Asked Rein. Saphri scanned the paper, looking for a date. Her eyes stopped at a point and stayed there silently for a good 10 seconds.

    "... November 18th, at 12:00 PM. Exactly four hours from now."

    "WHAT?! We need to hurry! If I copy Emria''s spring we can probably make it there in three hours, we''ll have one hour to sign up." Rein panicked.

    "Alright! Let''s hurry up and pack up!"

    They hurriedly got ready, packing clothes and tools into Rein''s inventory, whose weight limit was now 431 kg, which scaled in a 2 to 1 ratio to his strength stat. After they finished up, they tied a rope around Rein which connected to Emria and Saphri. Then, Saphri used her telekinesis Spring to lift Emria and herself up in the air while being connected to Rein as he ran on the ground, pulling them like kites.

    "You''re up Versys." Said Rein as he copied Emria''s spring, turning his eyes red. He began to run at about 120km/h, so they were flying through the air at incredible speeds, granted Rein didn''t go full speed out of concern for the girls. This meant Emria had to use her spring to protect Saphri and herself in case something hit them. It truly was a wless mode of travel.

 Chapter 14 - Mysterious Whereabouts

    They arrived at the port city of Habisin, which was now Orthlys territory, at 11:00 AM. They managed to catch thest ferry leaving to the port town on the opposite side of the gulf, the town of Stogue. To gain entry to the ind, you had to show the pamphlet to the helmsman, who would specifically take the ferry there for you. The group was dropped off at a small, metal tform in the middle of the water, and left there, seemingly stranded.

    "Rein, I believe the term for what just happened to us is ''pranked''." Stated Saphri.

    "Hm, I coulda sworn Leona used toe here¡­ Let''s look around. There must be some sort of mechanism." Rein scratched his head. They began looking around the tform, checking for any hidden keys or levers.

    "Hey, guys! I found a button! What do you think it does?" Emria pointed at a small bump sticking out of the floor, which the other 2 came to inspect.

    "Only one way to find out. If it''s anything dangerous, I''ll take care of it." Rein said as he pressed the button, causing the tform to start descending into the water. Somehow, there was a forcefield that created a dome around the tform, allowing entry to no water.

    "Wow!! We''re going down!"

    "Indeed. It seems as though the headquarters are located underground."

    They quietly descended, all of them entranced by what they were experiencing. Eventually, they descended past the water into a humongous cavern, lit with glowing stones. That''s where they saw it, Ranger Academy. Arge, red school-looking building with countless different facilities such as the academy field, the auditorium, and the fighting stadium, which the tournament would take ce in. The elevator continued to descend, eventually reaching the floor of the cavern. The two girls looked around all they could, while Rein headed straight for the stadium, focused on one goal. He didn''t bother taking in all the scenery. He saw this ce as a tool, a stepping stone to bing a Ranger.

    He arrived at the stadium and saw that there was a line up to the booth. He stood behind a girl wearing a white hoodie, ck shorts with red leggings underneath. She had her hood up, looking suspicious in the eyes of the receptionist. When it got to her turn to sign up, a problem arose.

    "Miss, please take your hood off. We can''t have any suspicious individuals going into the school." Demanded the receptionist.

    "You can see my face just fine. You can tell I''m the same person as in the ID." Refuted the girl.

    "Sorry, it''s regtions. You either take it off, or I disqualify you." The girl stood there silently, for some reason not wanting to take her hood off. Rein nced over at the time, it was almost noon. He didn''t have time for this. The girl continued to stand still, doing absolutely nothing but clenching the sleeves of her hoodie tightly, her hands subtly beginning to tremble.

    "Miss, I''m sorry, but you''re dis¨D"

    "Just sign her up under my party. If anything happens with her, I''ll take responsibility. You can do that right?" Interrupted Rein, making the girl turn around, revealing her blonde hair and purple eyes, half full with tears. The receptionist sat there with a confused look on her face.

    "Yes, I suppose I could," said the receptionist reluctantly. "Please let me see your ID." Rein handed her the fake ID that Voron forged, hoping that it passes.

    "Look''s good! So is this girl the only one in your party?" Asked the receptionist.

    "Nope! We''re here too!" Appeared Emria and Saphri. The receptionist asked for each of their names and IDs and wrote them all under Rein''s name, then allowed them to pass.

    "Hey, Rein was it? Thanks for that. I was rea¨D"

    "I didn''t do it to help you. It was 11:59, if you had taken any longer I would have missed my chance." Rein said coldly, making the girl slightly sad.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Muttered the girl. Rein''s response received him a punch on the shoulder by Emria.

    "What he meant to say was ''you''re wee''! My name''s Emria! What''s your name miss?" Emria asked the girl cheerfully, causing the girl to lose her cool, suddenly hugging Emria and Saphri.

    "A, you''re both so cute! My name''s Chloe, I''m from¡­ Daster!" She says, continuing to hug the two girls tightly.

    "My name is Saphri Xilris, as you can tell, I''m a half-elf. P-please release your grip on us. I can hardly breathe." Said Saphri.

    "Oh, sorry! So, you''re Emria Xilris, you''re Saphri Xilris, and he''s Rein Xilris? So you''re siblings? You don''t exactly look alike¡­" Said Chloe, putting her finger on her chin in a thinking motion. While examining Rein''s face, she grew a surprised expression.

    "What?" Asked Rein.

    "O-oh nothing! I just thought you reminded me of someone¡­" She said as she averted her gaze. He sighed and began exining himself to avoid future questions.

    "Emria and I were adopted by Saphri''s dad due to some circumstances. We''re not blood-rted. Anyways, I haven''t eaten yet. Let''s head over to a food stall before I pass out of hunger." Said Rein, as he motioned towards the stadium''s food court.

    "Ummm Rein, didn''t you say we didn''t have any money?" Said Emria, Stopping him in his motion. He turned around and smiled wearily, all of their stomachs growling simultaneously as they all skipped breakfast. Chloe giggled, taking out her wallet from her shorts pocket.

    "How about I treat you guys, as a thank you for helping me." They all make their way towards the food stall, each person ordering a boatload of food, putting a strain on Chloe''s funds.

    "So you''re from Daster? I''ve been there before! The shopping area there is huge! It took miss D8 and me all day to finish shopping." Emria started a conversation with Chloe, eventually including everyone in the group. They all talked while they ate, the girlsughing at some of the stories Saphri told about Voron. Though, throughout the conversation, Rein noticed that something was off with Chloe. It was like she was hiding something more than what was under her hood.

    After about 15 minutes of talking, a sudden booming announcement was made to signal the beginning of the preliminary round, the sound being so sudden it made Chloe, who was looking at her near-empty wallet with regret, drop it from her hands, causing all of the loose change to spill out.

    "Sounds like my cue. Emria, Saphri, you both go up the stands and watch. You''re participating too right Chloe? Here, I''ll help." Rein helped Chloe pick up her money. With no time left, Chloe handed Emria her wallet and ran towards the arena, forcing Rein to store the rest of the change in his inventory. Chloe and Rein made their way to the arena, passing through the belonging check gate, a magical gate that filters items through the passing party, allowing no cklisted items, such as weapon rings, into the arena. Rein and Chloe stood idly, along with countless other people in the arena.

    "Testing, testing. Can you guys hear me? Perfect! Wee, all contestants to Ranger Academy! If you look into the stands, you''ll be able to see the people that you aspire to join, your possible future ssmates, hahaha! Anyways, allow me to exin the preliminary round. This will be a battle royal style round, where only the top 8 will remain. You will each be given one 25 Pen coin to hold on to. These coins will be your keys to sess because if you drop under one coin, you''re out! Steal other''s coin''s until you''ve reached 1 Dol, which for the mathematically challenged among you is four coins, hahaha! You may also choose to go through the death course, which leads you to a 1 Dol coin. I don''t rmend this, as there is a very high probability that you will die. Oh, and one more thing! Whoever qualifies first gets one a one million Dol bonus prize, so try your best because second ce gets nothing!" Third-year students walked around, handing each participant a coin. Once everybody received a coin, the voice began to speak again.

    "Now that everyone''s got their coins, you qualify by banking 1 Dol in the terminals on the sides of the arena¡­ and with that, let the preliminary round begin!"

 Chapter 15 - Let The Tournament Begin!

    When the starting bell rang, everyone dispersed into groups. Teaming was never addressed in the rules after all. Anything goes once you''re in the arena. The death course stood there menacingly, nobody dared to approach it, and nobody was stupid enough to try. When the participants did the registration process, they all agreed to enter the death course at their own discretion. In all of the years it had been up, nobody had so much as attempted it, so they kept it up for aesthetic. But suddenly, one person began to approach the death course. A short-looking boy, most of his skin was covered, his face, his hair, his arms, almost everything. He entered the enclosed tube of the death course, designed so the crowd doesn''t see or hear the gruesome death of the participant. He casually walked in, without a care in the world.

    "What an idiot! Everyone knows it''s a death wish entering there! Even if you get free entry into the next round, it''s still not worth the risk!" Laughed one participant. He was tall, with orange hair, and wore his clothes like a delinquent. He had notched his eyebrows, and he had some piercings on his face.

    "Well anyways, you sorry ass punks! Hurry up and give me your coins! I didn''t sign you bitches up to stand there!" Yelled the man at the people in his group. 3 scared looking smaller men handed the man their coins, meaning that he now had 4 coins, enough to pass.

    "Alright then! I''m gonna be the first to finish! That means I get that sweet bonus reward!" Heughed hysterically. As he went to bank his coins, someone passed him and made it to the bank before him. The masked man who was just thought to have died was standing there unscathed banking the 1 Dol coin from the death course.

    "We have our first winner!" The announcer proimed.

    "The fuck?! How the hell''d you survive, you piece of shit! I was supposed to be first!" Yelled the delinquent, clenching his fist. The crowd went wild. This was the first time someone had attempted and survived the death course. After this stunt, the executivemittee of Ranger Academy decided to get rid of it, in case that action inspired others to enter.

    "Sir, you have an extra coin from the death course. Please throw it at someone still in the arena." Said the announcer to the masked man, who did indeed have an extra coin. He looked around at everyone in the game. His gaze stopped at a certain point, wound up his arm, and yelled.

    "You with the white hair. Catch!" Rein caught the coin, bewildered. Why did this guy give him his coin? But that was the least of his worries; everyone''s attention was now fixated on him, the one who just got a free coin.

    "Hey! Those two fuckers were in on it together! Everyone target the white-haired guy!" One of the participants yelled.

    "A second participant has qualified!" The announcer once again proimed for the furious delinquent man.

    A wave of people raced towards Rein, leaving him with little room to react. He began running away, devising a n to take all of these people at once. He stopped running and turned around, holding one of the coins in his hand. He flicked the coin up, catching the attention of the crowd for only a split second, but it was enough. Rein ran towards the crowd and lodged a punch into one of their faces, aggravating the rest of them. He continued battling the crowd, dodging iing attacks from behind and dishing out his own.

    Through his intense training in the forest, he grew to be very adept at fightingrge groups of enemies. At least 10 people were on him, meaning that 3 people could qualify if all their coins were stolen. After further punches, kicks, and dodges, Rein''s legs suddenly felt incredibly slow, and he stood there dodging, unable to move his legs. Some among the crowd had Springs, yet Rein persevered, using his battle sense to avoid danger without using his System.

    After a hard-fought battle, Rein''s legs were freed, and he had incapacitated all of the people after him. As he was going to collect the coins, a new foe appeared. He wore a long, brown coat with blue pants. He had long, ck hair and orange eyes, with an x shaped scar on his cheek.

    "Impressive¡­ You managed to neutralize arge group of people without the use of a Spring. What is your name?" Asked the man.

    "It''s rude to ask for other''s names before stating your own." Rein retorted.

    "My bad. My name is Clyde. I''m a swordsman who hails from eastern Orthlys." Proimed the long-haired man.

    "The name''s Rein. I''m¡­ Also from Orthlys. So, what''d you want?" He asked, standing straight from kneeling down to pick up coins.

    "I want to challenge you to a duel, the winner gets these coins. How does that sound?" Proposed Clyde, assuming an unarmed fighting stance.

    "Well, if you''re gonna fight me for them either way, I don''t really have much of a choice," Rein responded by assuming a fighting stance of his own. They both stood there, patiently waiting, studying each other''s stances.

    "And we have a third qualifier!" When they heard that, they both rushed at each other, engaging in fierce hand-to-handbat. They were both almost evenly matched, with neither of themnding a clean blow. This continued for a while until they dispersed.

    "Hehe, you''re pretty good at unarmed fighting for a swordsman." Said Rein, not tired at all.

    "You''re a swordsman as well aren''t you? Dual swords perhaps?" Deduced Clyde, which slightly surprised Rein.

    "Oh? You could tell just by fighting me? Well, color me impressed." Rein loosened his shoulders, and cracked his knuckles, getting ready to go all out.

    "Get ready Clyde, I''m not gonna hold back anymore." He ran full speed,nding a direct hit on Clyde. Rein was now dominating the fight, batting Clyde like a ragdoll, punching and kicking him until he was satisfied. After a severe beating, Rein held Clyde by the hair.

    "I guess I win then. I''ll be collecting my coins now." Suddenly, a fist flew into Rein''s face, so fast that he had no time to react. Clyde followed with multiple other barrages, and no matter what Rein did, he was unable to block the attacks. Somehow, Rein was able to break free of the barrage, moderately damaged as he was protected by his high defense stat.

    "I assume that was your Spring. Interesting." Said Rein, spitting the little bit of blood out of his mouth. He nced over at his health, he lost 50 points out of 1350.

    "I suggest you reveal your own ability now. It''s impossible to defeat me without using one. Anything you do, I see in slow motion¡­"

 Chapter 16 - The Peculiar Girl

    There were almost no other contestants left in the arena. Rein looked around, trying to spot Chloe, but she wasn''t anywhere in sight. 5 people had qualified so far, meaning only 3 more spots were avable. He looked into the stands, seeing Saphri and Emria sat behind a magical barrier. They looked nervous for him but continued to cheer him on nheless.

    "You shouldn''t be looking around during a fight Rein." Said Clyde, rushing in to attack. Rein didn''t move at all this time, causing Clyde to hesitate in his attack, giving Rein enough time to retaliate.

    "Heh, why''d you hesitate? Let me guess, it''s because you''ve gotten so used to acting on reaction because of your Spring that if nothing is causing a reaction, you simply freeze up. I noticed that when we were fighting earlier as well." Exined Rein

    "You continue to impress me, Rein. Though it looks like our fight will have to be cut short."

    "We have qualifier number six!" They both looked over, seeing the unconscious men stripped of their coins. While Rein and Clyde fought, someone had somehow slipped in and stolen the loose coins. It was a boy with spiky yellow hair, smiling smugly at Rein and Clyde.

    "Sir, you have 7 extra coins. Please give them away." Said the announcer.

    "The only conscious ones in the arena are those two monsters, you think I''m stupid enough to let them pass?" Heughed hysterically and pocketed the coins he stole and continued through the qualifying gate.

    "Oh!! Dirty move! There are now no more coins left for the two still left in the arena! Do we have a rule for this? No? It''s just instant disqualification?" Said the announcer, talking with the advisor that was with them. Both of them gave no reactions. Clyde approached the coin bank and stared at it for a bit.

    "Guess we screwed up, didn''t we Clyde." Said Rein,ughing at his stupidity.

    "I''m sorry Rein, my foolish duel caused you to be disqualified. You have my deepest apologies." Responded Clyde, making Rein mildly confused.

    "Wait, why are you talking like you''re not involved in this too..?" Uttered Rein, watching Clyde get closer to the bank.

    "We have a seventh winner!" Stated the announcer.

    "Huh, so you already had 4 coins when you challenged me. Well yed." Said Rein, realizing that he had just lost in the qualifying round. He got too overconfident and let his guard down, making him disqualify in the most unexpected way possible. He had juste to terms with his loss. "Damn, I really let everyone down. Voron, Saphri, Emria, Versys¡­ Wait, Versys?" He thought.

    "I believe that''s all the qualifying participants we''re gonna get! The rest of the people in the arena are now officially disq¡ª"

    "Not so fast!" Rein interrupted the announcer, causing the arena to go silent for a moment. From out of nowhere, Rein held out a stack of coins, surprising everyone, the audience, the announcer, and the qualifiers.

    "Ohh!! It seems Rein Xilris has somehow procured 1 Dol worth of coins! But how is that possible! He is in possession of 5 Pen, 10 Pen, and even 50 Pen coins, even though only 25 Pen was given out!" Shouted the announcer.

    "What the fuck!? That''s tant cheating! He''s not gonna qualify from that! Only 25 pen coins are epted! Besides, we all had to leave our own money outside the arena, he obviously got those other coins illegally!" Said the yellow-haired man who stole the loose coins.

    "Oh? But the announcer said that we qualify by banking 1 Dol, and by my count, I''m holding that amount in the palms of my hand." Rein maliciously smiled.

    "We have no definitive rules about this, but if the terminal epts it, we have no choice but to qualify him." Stated the announcer as Rein approached the bank. He took his coins and slotted them into the bank, one by one¡­ There was total silence, causing everyone in the arena to have severe anxiety from the suspense. Everyone except Rein, were clueless as to what the result would be.

    "We have our final winner!!" Eximed the announcer, causing the crowd to go wild. Emria was jubnt, cheering with all her might. Even Saphri, who normally seemed emotionless, had an expression filled with bliss. Rein entered the room with all of the qualifiers. He looked around, seeing some people he didn''t recognize. He also saw the masked man, the delinquent, the thief, Clyde, and in the corner, a hooded girl.

    "Chloe? When''d you qualify?" He approached her, ignoring all the other people ring at him hatefully.

    "Wow Rein, I really thought you weren''t gonna make it. Were those my coins? How''d you get them in?" She relentlessly asked.

    "Haha, well¡­"

    "Just wait one fuckin second." Said the thief that stole all of the coins.

    "You cheatin piece of shit. First, you team up with the masked prick over here, and now you make fools out of all of us!" He said angrily.

    "Look who''s talking, you didn''t even fight anyone. You got your coins by reaping off of the hard work of others. From where I stand, you''re the cowardly ass cheater." Retorted Rein, leaving the man incredibly furious.

    "I hope I get put into a bracket with either you or the masked idiot over there so could beat the fuck out of you." He shouted, ncing over at Chloe with a curious look, then storming off outside, followed by the tall delinquent who qualified second, seeming like the both of them knew each other. Rein sighed loudly and handed Chloe the rest of her loose change. Chloe thanked him, and they met back up with Emria and Saphri after.

    "That was so cool Rein! You really had me there! I forgot you picked up those coins earlier!" Cheered Emria.

    "Indeed, I was ''at the edge of my seat'' so to speak. It is a relief that you did not get disqualified this early on, or else my father''s idiotic idea may have not worked." Saphri had returned to her usual tone of voice.

    "I assume you used your Spring to sneak those coins in? I have really good eyes, but even I couldn''t see how you pulled those coins from thin air. It definitely wasn''t out of your pockets. So does your Spring have the ability to store things in an alternate space, then pull them out like an invisible inventory? But then again..." Chloe continued to ramble until Rein eventually cut her off.

    "Yeah, you''re right on the money. My Spring is pretty much an invisible pocket. Pretty cool right?" He smiled at her, confirming her false theory.

    "Super cool! But hmmm, that''s gonna be pretty hard to counter with my Spring¡­" Chloe thought, putting her finger on her chin.

    "Oh? And what''s your Spring? Does it have something to do with your hood?" Curiously asked Rein, a question which flustered Chloe.

    "O-oh! Oh yeah¡­ kinda. It''s uhh, not important! Anyways, the next round is tomorrow. Let''s look around the town then head to the participant hotel! They should have a room booked for all of the qualifiers!" She expertly changed the subject, which had Rein''s interest piqued.

    "Yeah let''s go into town! Exploring an underground town''s gonna be so cool!" Expressed Emria, excited.

    Rein followed the girls as they began exploring the town, his mind wondering what Chloe''s Spring could be. They continued through the town, checking out all the shops and food stalls until the glowing lights in the cave dimmed.

    "Interesting. It seems the glowing stones on the walls are powered by sr energy from the outside. It must be nighttime now." Concluded Sahpri.

    "Wow, it really has gotten so dark. The town lights should be turning on any second now. Let''s go check out this final ¡ª woah!" Chloe stopped midsentence, having tripped over in the dark in her hurry. She didn''t try to break her fall, she just made sure her hood wouldn''te off her head.

    "You okay? You ought to be more careful when the lights are off." Rein outstretched a hand to help her up.

    "Owowow¡­ Thanks, Rein." As she reached for his hand, Rein realized he could find out what her Spring was by copying it when they make contact. As their hands connected, the town lights turned on, illuminating the area around them. Rein muttered "Versys", activating his spring and copying the inverse of Chloe''s spring, and learning what it was in the process. Stunned, he didn''t let go of her hand.

    "No way¡­"

 Chapter 17 - Mental Torture

    "Hey Rein, did your eyes just turn red for a second? Hmm, it must''ve been the reflection of the lights turning on. But wow, I never realized how yellow your eyes are¡­" Chloe got close to Rein''s face, putting her pure purple eyes on his yellow ones. Rein let go of her hand and moved his face away.

    "Hey! What are you two doing? Let''s go to the academy dorm! Saphri and I are getting sleepy," Called Emria, with Saphri yawning behind her.

    Rein and Chloe caught up with them and they headed to the dorm. As the building came into view, they marveled at its size. It was a huge 6 story building with balconies, windows, and air conditioners. Each floor seemed to have about 20 rooms, but on the top floor, there were only 4, meaning those rooms were 5 times the size. The luxury rooms. The winner of the entrance tournament would get a free ride to the academy and be given one of the top floor rooms. Rein noticed that Chloe''s eyes were locked on the luxury floor, with a look of determination. After all, if you get first ce, not only do you get the luxury room, but all of your living expenses are paid for you by the school when otherwise, all you''d get is a free ride. That''s why, for someone who didn''t bring any money with them, like Rein, getting 1st ce was crucial. They entered the building and stated their names to the receptionists.

    "Oh, are you contestants? Sorry, this is the student dorm. The contestants will be staying in the old dormitory building. It''s directly south of this building, you can''t miss it," Informed the receptionist.

    They headed south and eventually saw an old, unkempt, run-down building. The look of disappointment was etched on each of their faces, but nheless, they entered. The inside was nothing like the outside. It was clean, vibrant, with no crack in sight. This old dorm had 20 rooms in total, which is why they had to build a new dorm to fit the size of the school. Of course, not everyone who attends the school lives in the dorms, but as the poption grew, so did the demands on dorm rooms.

    "Wee! Oh, so you''re thest contestants¡­ Rein Xilris and Chloe Aska? Here are your room keys. Oh, and are these your sisters? Hmm, they are registered in your party, so they''re allowed to stay with you! Here are your keys. Have a good night!"

    They walked to their rooms, passing other upied rooms. As they passed one room, Rein noticed someone peering through one of the doors. Rein smiled devilishly. As they walked past the door, Rein identally dropped his key, which had room number 8 on it. There were only 2 rooms left in this hallway, the ones at the end, room 7 and 8. Rein picked the key back up and continued down the hall, noticing the gaze that was on them was now gone. They finally reached the end of the hall and thest 2 rooms.

    "Well, today was fun. Thank you guys" Chloe bowed down in gratitude, causing Rein to be oddly surprised. Emria and Saphri entered room 8, but Rein was a little behind.

    "Hey Chloe, can I talk to you for a sec?"

    4 hourster, everyone in the building was fast asleep. Two doors opened in the middle of the night. Room 6 and room 2, and out came the tall delinquent and the thief who stole the coins.

    "Hey, I don''t think we should be doing this Weiss." Said the tall delinquent.

    "Loosen up Quint, that idiot dropped his key when he walked past my room, so I saw his room number. He''s in room 8. But I have a n. There are two rooms at the end of the hall. Room 8, which is the room he''s in, but his girl is in room 7. You catch my flow yet? She''s defenseless¡­ We might as well have some fun, right Quint?"

    Weiss was the short thief who stole the coins in the preliminary round. His spring, invisibility, is perfect for espionage. It was what allowed him to steal those coins unnoticed. Quint was the delinquent who qualified 2nd. The two quietly tip-toed to room 7, knocking on it softly, but they noticed that the door was already open as they knocked.

    "Heh, that stupid bitch forgot to lock her door. Now I''m gonna fuck his girl and teach that white-haired prick not to mess with us." Laughed Weiss as he closed the door. When the door fully closed Quint disappeared and the entire room turned into a white void.

    "The fuck!? What happened?! Quint?! Where''d you go man? Shit! Was it a trap?!" Weiss was left alone in the strange, white room. He heard a soft snoree from the void, which sounded like the snore of a woman.

    "Who''s there? Is it the girl?!" He looked around, seeing the hooded girl sleeping in a bed.

    "So she''s still sleeping. Heh, well, white room or not, I''m still gonna have some fun." Said Weiss, reaching over to the sleeping girl. As his hand approached, the girl disappeared, being reced by a white-haired boy.

    "What the fuck! What are you doing here?!" Weiss screamed, jumping away. Rein approached Weiss without saying a word.

    "Hey, you''d better watch out! Don''te near me you piece of shit" Yelled Weiss, looking around him to see if Quint was around. Nothing, except the white-haired man standing in front of him, could be seen. As Weiss was walking backward, he suddenly bumped into an invisible wall, cutting off his escape route from Rein.

    "Wh-where''s Quint?! He should be in here with me! Answer me asshole!" Insisted Weiss, his voice trembling.

    "Your mind is in the palm of my hand. I wouldn''t be talking so arrogantly if I were you." Dered Rein menacingly.

    "Please! Have mercy on me! I wasn''t gonna do anythin''! I swear! Please just leave me be!!" Weiss begged profusely, getting on all fours and prostrating to Rein.

    "That other guy never entered with you. He made a sensible choice. It was all an illusion, so you remember him entering with you. But in reality, he didn''t ept your disgusting n." When Rein reached the pitiful goblin prostrating to him, he grabbed him by the hair, lifting him up to eye level with him.

    "May your mind be judged by the faith of your intentions." He uttered these words, his finger touching Weiss'' forehead, making Rein dissipate into thin air in Weiss'' perspective.

    "Huh..? He''s gone?" Suddenly, the white void turned pitch ck. Weiss'' limbs became chained to invisible walls around him. He began feeling extremely sharp mental pain, followed by excruciating physical pain. He looked down and saw his stomach being gouged out. He screamed at the top of his lungs, but that only made things worst. His fingers began de-attaching one by one, followed by more inexplicable pains. Any form of torture imaginable was used, and after it was all over, his entire body slowly and painfully healed, and the process was repeated for what felt like months.

    The next morning, Rein woke up and met up with Chloe, Emria, and Saphri. Rein had switched rooms with Chloe the previous day and had her sleep with the 2 girls. He anticipated something like this would happen. He passed by Weiss'' room and peered into it to see nobody inside. He sighed and continued walking. He had copied Saphri''s telekinesis power, which allowed her to physically manipte objects. Copying it made Rein able to mentally manipte things, with some limitations of course. Everything that had happened to Weiss was an illusion, and his mind was most likely broken thereafter.

    When they arrived at the arena, they were informed that Weiss hade in earlier in the morning and had withdrawn from the tournament.

 Chapter 18 - Introductions

    Chloe looked over at Rein, perplexed as to what he did the night prior. He suddenly asked to switch rooms, iming that the girls would feel morefortable with another girl sleeping with them. She thought that she''d question himter, putting the issue at the back of her mind. They were lined up next to the other participants in the arena''s main hall, in front of the receptionist. There were only 7 of them in total now, following the leave of Weiss. There was silence in the hall, as they waited for the arrival of a very important person.

    Suddenly, therge, wooden door slowly opened. A woman, who looked like she was in herte 20s walked in apanied by a man with sses. The woman had long, wavy brown hair, blue eyes, and ever slightly tanned skin. She wore a long cerulean blue coat that reached her knees, and a white shirt underneath that outlined her voluptuous figure. The man behind her had ck, unkempt hair with green eyes. He wore a white buttoned-upb coat, with brown pants, holding a rectangr device in his hands. The woman stood cross-armed in front of the group of participants, with the man standing behind her. She took a breath, then spoke with her loud, assertive voice.

    "My name is Julianne Starsage. I''m a 12th prestige Ranger and the principal of Ranger Academy. I would like to formally congratte you for making it past the preliminary round. It would seem one of you has dropped out of the contest, which means that one of you will have a free pass into the second round of the tournament. Getting this pass will also automatically guarantee you a top 5 cement and a free ride to the Academy. Luck is a skill as well you know? Only two of you will be going home with nothing, meaning that even if you lose in the first round, you will still have the chance to pass the tiebreaker for 5th ce. Now, I''d like you all to introduce yourselves. Let''s start with you, with the scarf over his face." Everyone was entranced by her powerful voice, except the scarfed boy, who answered her calmly.

    "It''s nice to meet you, Mistress Julianne. I was the first qualifying participant during the preliminary. As for my name, I''d rather not say. As for where I''m from, I''d rather not say. As for my hobbies, I''d rather not say. As for my reason for being here, I''d rather not say. That is all." The boy did not introduce himself at all. Everyone looked at him with great confusion.

    "Alright, next. You, with the piercings." Julianne continued down the line as if the previous introduction was something normal. The bespectacled man behind her screamed out.

    "Mistress, please! The boy did not even state his name! Surely you don''t count that as an introduction!" The unkempt man implored her to further question the mysterious boy.

    "Wace, he has chosen not to share that information, therefore it is not within my power at the moment to force him toply even if I wanted him to." She exined, the man she called Wace realizing that the boy was not a student at the school yet, meaning they did not have authority over him.

    "Let''s continue." She looked at the tall delinquent, making him mp up and stand up straight.

    "My name is Quint Vossen and I was the second person to qualify ma''am! I was born and raised in Zacrozir. I came here because I heard that I could get a luxury suite if I won. That''s it¡­" Quint talked carefully as to not let any informal words slip through. To people he saw to be above him, Quint talked directly opposite to how he talked otherwise.

    "Ah, the central city in Orthlys. We always get some interesting students from there. Anyways, hooded girl, you''re next." She nced at Chloe, then she took a closer look. "Oh?" Julianne remarked, followed by a softugh. As Wace looked at her face, he grew a surprised, then furious expression, calming down shortly after, releasing his tension with a sigh. Chloe straightened her stance.

    "My name is Chloe Aska and I was the third to qualify." She stopped talking. Silence grew over the hall as everyone expected her to continue her speech, but she didn''t.

    "Very well, next is you." Julianne looked at the next participant, catching him off guard.

    "Oh! My name is Reggie Greybrewer, I''m a master martial artist from Bacaros and I was the 4th to qualify. This may not sound very confident of me, but I believe I got lucky in that no weapons were allowed during the preliminaries." Said the brown-haired male.

    "Ah, you''re from the Greybrewer dojo. I''ve visited it before, it''s a very nice ce." She looked at the next person "You''re next mirror boy." The participant wasn''t paying attention, looking at themselves in the mirror. Wace stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake and catching the uninterested participant''s attention.

    "My my, calm yourself fool. My name is Dwayne Collins, son of the noble family of Treaq. It''s only natural that I would qualify in the top 5. I''m sure I do not need any further introductions. Frankly, I would rather save my breath." Said the pompous blonde-haired man. He infuriated Wace, but not because of thements he made. It was because Dwayne was part of the infamous ''Collins'' family, which was known to conduct vile and inhumane experiments. Nobody knew what they were, but the Collins family didn''t deny the usations, in fact, they were proud of them. The principal did notment on him and simply moved on to the next person.

    "It would seem as though participant number six has dropped out due to unknown circumstance¡­" She looked over at Rein, who pretended not to notice her suspicious re, then looked at Clyde.

    "My name is Clyde Morioh and I was the seventh qualifying participant. I hail from the ind of Aj''ess in eastern Orthlys. I''m here simply because I want to be a ranger. That is all." He said with a respectful tone, which gained Wace''s approval.

    "The ind of Aj''ess, home to the legendary Kazaha school of swordsmanship. Interesting, I look forward to seeing what you can do with a katana. Anyways, our final participant, you''re up." Julianne looked at Rein.

    "My name is Rein Xilris and I was the eighth to qualify. I was born and raised in Orthlys, then moved to the Elven forest around the time the war began. My guardian forced me toe here when he left my sisters and me with no money. I figured I might as well win a free luxury room, you know?" He said confidently, provoking some of the other participants. One of them spoke out.

    "Hohoho! You''re oddly confident for an eighth cing maggot. I will have fun crushing you under my heel." Eximed Dwayne Collins. Rein gave no reaction to his remark, which further infuriated him.

    "Interesting, you''re name is Rein, yes?" Asked Julianne curiously, seeming as though she wanted to confirm something.

    "Yes ma''am?" He responded worryingly, thinking she may have seen through his lie.

    "Do you, by any chance, know the name ''Leona''?"

 Chapter 19 - Luck Is A Skill

    As he heard that namee out of her mouth, Rein was thunderstruck. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open out of surprise. Rein only kept this reaction for split second, not enough time for any other participant to notice, but enough for Julianne and Wace to confirm their suspicions.

    "No, I don''t know anybody by that name. Are they a friend of yours?" He said, putting up a fake ear-to-ear smile.

    "If you don''t know her, then never mind." Julianne smiled at Rein, hinting that she knew something that Rein didn''t.

    "I Thank everybody for introducing themselves. Five of you will be proceeding into the academy, however, only 1 of you will be getting a luxury room and an expense-free academy life. We will nowmence the tournament. Please head to the waiting room and wait for your name to be called into the arena. Audience reception will soonmence, and two names will be called once it''s done. Those two will fight, and the winner will continue to the next round. Dismissed!" Wace exined the tournament to them, and they all left to therge waiting room that they were in during the preliminary round after they qualified.

    "H-hey Rein, what was that about? Is Leona someone you know?" Asked Chloe, making Rein turn his gaze towards her and look her directly in the eyes.

    "Oh? And why are you talking like you know who this ''Leona'' person is?" Chloe didn''t respond, and there was silence for a good 5 seconds until she finally spoke.

    "She was a Ranger who always used to take my dad''smissions to protect me whenever he was on business. She trained me with a sword, and we even got matching custom swords. She suddenly stoppeding after the war started. She was caring, beautiful, and she had the same color hair as you." Revealed Chloe, but Rein was not phased by it. It seemed as though he somehow already knew, and was simply waiting for Chloe to confess.

    "And why are you so important that you need your own bodyguard?" Asked Rein, pressing Chloe on her identity. Rein''s question startled her, causing her to start fidgeting, searching for an answer, which made Reinugh softly.

    "You don''t need to answer that. I''ll make you a deal. If you''re in that luxury room by the end of the tournament, I''ll tell you everything. Sound good?" He proposed a deal, Chloe being confused as to what he meant by ''everything'', but was inclined to agree regardless.

    "So what''s in it for you?" She asked.

    "If I win¡­ You have to promise me something." He answered, repeating the words he heard 6 years ago. "Don''t worry, it won''t be anything too unreasonable. And you have the right to decline."

    "Okay, you have yourself a deal." They sealed it by shaking hands, then began waiting patiently for the audience to gradually fill in.

    "Sir Rein, who do you hope to face in the first round?" Asked Clyde.

    "''Sir''? What''s with that?" Rein retorted.

    "You have newfound respect within me, Sir Rein. You truly surprised me after the preliminary match ended. As for me, I truly hope not to face you, Sir Rein, in the first round." Affirmed Clyde.

    "Hm, well I guess it''s the same for me. I guess I''ll call you ''Sir Clyde'' then," Reinughed. As they continued to talk, the stadium slowly filled up, and when it was time, the announcer''s voice boomed.

    "Wee one, wee all to the Ranger academy entrance tournament! Whom amongst these seven students will win the infamous top luxury dorm room that even the high-grade nobles can''t buy?! They will be the envy of the entire school! Anyways, let''s get on with the first round! For our first match of round one, our first contender will be¡­ qualifier number six! Please make your way into the arena!" The crowd grew silent, waiting for the entrance of this person. They waited for about a minute when the announcer was informed that number 6 had dropped out.

    "Hm, it would seem they have dropped out of the contention! Meaning that whoever is drawn next will have a free by to the next round! My, that''ll guarantee them an instant top five cement and an instant eptance into the school! Now let''s see who the lucky contender is!" The screen began to roll through numbers 1-8, skipping 6 of course. Tension began to build in both the audience and the contestants. After a grueling wait, the screen stopped rolling.

    "It seems our lucky contender is¡­ contestant number 1!" Everybody in the waiting room turned to look at the face-covered man. Heughed softly.

    "Heh, you remember what the principal said, luck is a part of skill too." Nobody reacted to hisment, Quint being too nervous to say anything.

    "I suppose that''s the first match done! Onto the second one!" The screen begins to roll through numbers again, this timending on the number 3.

    "Oh, looks like you''re up Chloe." Said Rein as he looked over at her, shivering out of fright. He put his hand on her shoulder.

    "You''ll be fine." He smiled, igniting her confidence.

    "Let''s see who they''re going up against¡­" The screen began rolling through numbers again until it slowly came to a halt.

    "Contestant number two! It seems we''ll be having the next top two contenders face off in the very first round! This ought to be interesting! Please, would the aforementioned contenders make their way to the arena!"

    Quint, who qualified second, began walking towards the arena with his shoulders puffed out. He was trying to put up a confident facade, but his cold sweat and his lip-biting were giving away his anxiety. Chloe, the third qualifier, was walking next to him on the parallel path. She had her hoodie strings pulled to the maximum, which effectively covered her face and tightened the hood around her head, but slightly impaired her vision.

    As they reached the arena, they both wore their weapon rings, which revealed what weapon they used. Weapon rings are items that store one''s weapon and allow the user to summon said weapon at will. These items were manufactured by the Echopany, which was based in the city of Naji in Orthlys. Quint summoned his weapon, which was arge double-headed battle axe. The zir wood handle, made from vintage Zacrozir wood, was about 1 meter long and had a decorative silver grip. It was slightly heavy but perfectly bnced, andfortable to hold with two hands.

    Chloe summoned her weapon, a one-handed sword that looked nearly identical to Leona''s. The de looked strong and clean, with a sharp edge andplex engravings iid in silver. It had a fancy guard, a silk-bound grip, and a pommel decorated with golden bands.

    "Why are you trembling that much? I''m nervous too, but sheesh! Calm down, I''m not gonna kill you." Laughed Chloe, noticing Quint''s uncontroble trembling.

    "You''re the one who''s always hangin'' around that white-haired kid right? Look, sorry about what Weiss triedst night, but seriously, what''d you do to ''em?" He asked her, inducing a confused reaction from her.

    "Weiss? Isn''t that the guy who dropped out? What do I have to do with him?" She responded, raising an eyebrow, which nobody saw as it was covered by her hood.

    "Huh? He entered your roomst night and left it looking soulless¡­ Room seven right? For real though, I tried to talk him out of it, and I get that he deserved to be punished, but what''d you do to ''em?" Exined Quint with a concerned tone in his voice. Chloe began inaudibly mumbling to herself, trying to process the information that was just told to her.

    "He''s sorry? His friend tried to enter my roomst night, and now he''s gone¡­ Wait, but he said room 7¡­ Wasn''t that was the room Rein was in..?"

 Chapter 20 - Chloe Vs Quint

    Chloe nced back at the waiting room and made eye contact with Rein. He was looking at her with a seemingly warm smile, which was interrupted by the loud, booming voice of the announcer.

    "Now that both of our contestants are in the ring, allow me to exin the rules. Lethal weapons will need to be either sheathed or covered with a softening cloth as to not cause any casualties. There will be a 5-minute timer on each match. If the time runs out and there is no clear winner, the audience will vote on who should advance. If the time runs out and the principal, mistress Julianne, can make a clear verdict on the winner, then that person will advance to the next round. Conversely, matches can be won if the opponent is incapacitated, if they simply surrender, or if the match is called due to an overwhelminglyrge difference in power. Killing is not allowed, and it will result in an immediate disqualification and expulsion from Ranger academy. And with that exnation out of the way, let the second match begin!"

    "Yaaay!! Go Chloe! You''ve got this!" Cheered Emria from the audience, her and Saphri showing their support for Chloe. This fueled Chloe''s determination, seeing the two girls'' cute faces.

    "Sorry, I don''t know what happened with your friend, but I''m not gonna go easy on you." She said as she assumed a fighting stance. Rein had to rub his eyes, thinking that he saw Leona out there in the ring, Chloe''s fighting stance being identical to that of his sister.

    "Well, whatever. Not like we were that close anyways. He was just a part of my gang back in Zacrozir. I left all of that shit behinding here." Quint readied his battleaxe.

    Once the both of them assumed a stance, Chloe ran at Quint with incredible speed. As she approached him, he put up his battleaxe to block her iing attack. Predicting his action, she ducked under, elerating in speed and surprising him from behind, winding up a strike with her sword. He barely reacted in time, turning around and jumping back to dodge, but tripping on something stuck in the ground.

    Chloe''s sword was unsheathed and stuck into the space between the tiles in the ground. She held the sheath, making it seem like she was still holding her sword. Quint fell on his bottom, immediately trying to recover, but Chloe didn''t give him a chance. She dashed towards him, grabbing her sword out of the ground and sheathing it while running. She shed down at him, causing him to block with the handle of his battleaxe. Chloe continued to apply force on him while he was on the ground, not allowing him to get up. Quint used his feet to kick Chloe away, allowing him to roll away and briefly recover. It was not long before Chloe continued her attacks, backing him into the corner of the arena, right under the audience. Quint wasn''t able to keep up with her swift attacks. Whenever he tried to retaliate, she wouldnd a direct hit. He was being overwhelmed by Chloe''s power and speed. At this rate, the match would be called.

    All of a sudden, Chloe jumped back on an impulse, releasing Quint from the barrage of relentless attacks. Chloe was panting from exhaustion, and so was Quint.

    "It looks like you''re ready to use your Spring." She said while smiling, reassuming a fighting stance.

    "You''re leaving me no choice here." He smiled, as his legs began growing in size, andrge quantities of hair began appearing on them. He had partially transformed his legs into beast legs. The people in the waiting room were watching attentively as Quint activated his Spring.

    "Dang, the girl is really in trouble now¡­" Said Reggie, the 4th qualifying participant.

    "Yes, it would seem this is going to end poorly for her if she does not activate her Spring. It''s only a matter of time until she does." Remarked Clyde.

    "You''re wrong." imed Rein. "She won''t show her Spring no matter what." He proimed confidently.

    Quint was now the one applying pressure. He dashed with incredible speed towards Chloe, leaving a small crater from his starting point. Quint''s speed and power now surpassed that of Chloe''s, allowing him tond so clean blows on her waist and legs, but none on her face. When it came to that area, she was extra careful. Quint would sometimes attack her face, attacks that could be dodged if she just slightly moves, but instead, she would opt to get hit in the waist or legs to avoid a risk of her hooding off. Quint did not notice this weakness and continued attacking normally, which wasn''t going to work for long. As Chloe familiarized herself with Quint''s attack patterns, she began finding opportunities to counter-attack. She dodged one of his attacks and reversed it back at him, her sword making contact with his face. He reacted by transforming the point of impact, cushioning the damage greatly. He responded by transforming his arm and throwing a right jab at her, which sent her flying, her having barely blocked in time. Shended unsteadily, panting from exhaustion and pain, as even though she blocked in time, the attack still didrge amounts of damage.

    "Heh, so what do ya think? This is the Vossen family''s partial beast transformation Spring. Pretty damn strong isn''t it?" Quint gloated.

    "Yeah, it''s amazing. What animal is that though? A bear? A tiger? Whatever it is, it smells really bad." She said as she covered her nose jokingly, making Quint blush from embarrassment.

    "Well, you''re gonna lose unless you show your Spring soon! No way you''re gonna keep up with me as you are now." He retorted.

    Chloe didn''t say anything. She assumed a different fighting stance this time, one that Rein knew very well. Whenever he would spar with Leona, if she went into this fighting stance, it meant she was focusing. It also indicated to Rein that he no longer had a chance of winning the match.

    Once again, the two dashed towards each other, shing weapons. They began barraging each other with attacks, with Quint having the upper hand once more. However, Chloe found another opening in Quint''s attacks and attacked his face yet again.

    "Haven''t we already been through this?" He uttered as the sheath made contact. He focused his beast transformation on the impact point and negated the damage. But surprisingly, the sword bounced off of him, revealing that it was an empty sheath. He realized what she had done. She had used her sheath as a feint yet again and taken the sword out, distracting him from her main action. Chloe ducked back under his arm and turned her sword over so that she would attack with the handle. She struck his shoulder pressure point with great force, which he hadn''t transformed because of the diversion. This immobilized him for a few seconds and reverted his body back to normal. Chloe took the opportunity to unleash a full power punch to the face, knocking Quint out and ending the match.

 Chapter 21 - Quints Truth

    "We have ourselves a winner! Contestant number three will advance onto the second round!"

    The crowd roared at Chloe''s victory, Emria and Saphri overjoyed at the result. Everybody spectating from the waiting room wore a surprised expression, even Dwayne, who usually didn''t react to anything but himself.

    "Now that woman is fit to be the wife of the great Dwayne Collins. I will order an arranged marriage immediately," he uttered with a malevolent and lustful smile on his face. Thisment irritated Rein, but he chose to ignore the pompous fool.

    "Please exit through the west gate to get your wounds treated by the school nurse," said the announcer to the two who were still in the ring. Chloe reached her hand out to Quint, who was resting on the ground after being knocked out. He wasn''t out for long, as Chloe held back on her punch.

    "That was a good fight, Quint Vossen. You''re exceptionally strong," Quint blushed and took Chloe''s hand to help him up.

    "Th-thanks¡­ I guess I was no match for you though, even without a Spring." They walked out through the west gate.

    "Hey, in the preliminary round, why''d you get those guys to hand you the coins? You could''ve easily qualified without them. Was there a specific reason?" She asked as they exited the arena and entered the infirmary room.

    "... I heard there was gonna be a prize for scoring first. Fat stacks of cash. I knew that I could''ve qualified regardless, but I just needed to be first. But that masked man qualified ahead of me. Man, I hated him so much for that¡­" He let out a sigh, with that, releasing hisment for the masked man. "My twin sister is deathly ill. Some shit happened when we were kids, and a dumbass curse wasid on her. I needed that money to take her to a specialist and get her treated. There''s a ce in Draconica, and rumor has it that thedy who lives there can lift any curse. But she charges a fuckin fortune for her service. Everywhere I took her to in Orthlys said it was hopeless, and with the war going on, I couldn''t leave the country. I need to be a Ranger and get her treated in Draconica before it''s toote¡­" He looked over at Chloe who was bawling her eyes out.

    "Wah-? Why''re you crying?!" He asked frantically.

    "*sniff* I-it''s because *sniff* your reason for being here is so much nobler than mine." She bowed down, apologizing to him for winning the match against him.

    "H-hey! Don''t fuckin apologize for winning a match! If anything I should be thanking you for holding back." He blushed even more now, blocking his face with his hands.

    "Hey, where is your sister now? And what''s her name?"

    "Her name''s Xenia Vossen. She''s staying in the hospital in town. We have no ce to stay, so I couldn''t keep her in Zacrozir. I figured she''d be safer here, and besides, it''s always been her dream to be a Ranger. Man, I bet she watched me get my ass beat on the hospital screen," he said, embarrassed.

    "Is it okay if I visit her after the tournament ends? I want to meet her for myself," questioned Chloe, with an eager expression on her face.

    "Heh, sure thing. I''m sure she''d find you fun to talk to. Just be careful with her. She''s as brittle as a bird," they entered the nurse''s office, and while being treated, heard the voice of the announcer announcing the next matchup.

    "Our next round will be participant number 7 versus participant number 4!" Clyde Morioh vs Reggie Greybrewer.

    They both entered the arena, leaving Rein and the insufferable pompous man alone in the waiting room. Luckily for him though, the man was drowning in self-love in the corner of the room.

    "Now that both contestants have entered the arena, let the third match begin!" Clyde summoned his tachi through his weapon ring and held it out with both hands under his hip. It was light enough to hold with one hand, but eastern swords were typically wielded with two. Reggie didn''t summon any weapon, yet he wore a weapon ring.

    "Aren''t you going to summon a weapon? It would not do if I were to fight an unarmed man." Asked Clyde.

    "Oh, this weapon ring? Yeah, it''s just my knuckle brass. I was told not to use them because they''d be too lethal, and if I cover them with some sort of cloth, they''d be weaker than my regr fist. Don''t worry about me being ''unarmed'' though, I''m a martial artist. The only weapons I need are these hands." He smiled at him, assuming the famous Grewbrewer fighting stance.

    "My deepest apologies. I should not have insulted your honor by patronizing your fighting style. I hope you forgive me." Said Clyde, which prompted a hand wave from Reggie, telling him that it was fine and no offense was taken. Reggie began warming up, throwing punches into the air, which Clyde let him do out of respect.

    "Alright, now I''m fired up! Come at me, great swordsman."

    "Very well. I will not hold back," stated Clyde, immediately activating his Spring. He dashed towards Reggie, who in Clyde''s view, was acting in slow motion. However, when he arrived at Reggie''s location, he was met with a barrage of invisible punches, even though Reggie wasn''t throwing anything. Clyde stepped back and de-activated his Spring, hurt from the powerful punches that werended on him.

    "Heh, what''s wrong? I thought you weren''t gonna hold back,"ughed Reggie innocently, continuing to warm up his arms, punching the air, and stepping side to side. Clyde wasn''t too hasty this time. He carefully activated his Spring and approached Reggie. When he got close enough, he shed him with his sheathed sword. As the sword entered punching distance, Clyde could feel a barrage of immense impacts on his weapon, making it fly out of his hands. His Spring deactivated, allowing Reggie to attack him freely. He unleashed a fury of attacks on Clyde, and for about 10 seconds, it was an absolute one-sided battle until Clyde activated his Spring again, freeing him from thebo.

    "I see, so you can only keep your Spring activated for about three seconds in real-time, and it has a ten-second cooldown. But for you, that 3 seconds is 10 seconds when it''s slowed. Is that right?" Asked Reggie while smiling ear to ear. Clyde wiped some blood off his mouth and picked his sword back up.

    "Haha, you''ve figured it out. But it makes no difference," Clyde smiled at Reggie, making him slightly nervous.

    "Wh-what are you smiling about?"

    "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how interesting your Spring is¡­"

 Chapter 22 - Seeking Judgement

    "Reggie Greybrewer¡­ Your Spring allows you to throw punches in the air, and when something makes contact in the space you punched, all of those strikes are instantly unleashed at once," concluded Clyde.

    "Wha¡­ How''d you know! I thought I was being smooth with those warm-up punches," Reggie reacted, surprised.

    "Indeed you were. I did not expect that to be a part of your Spring. I should not have underestimated you¡­" Clyde readied his sword, and began carefully observing Reggie.

    "Well, whatever. Not like it''s gonna do you any good knowing. It doesn''t matter if you slow time to a snail''s pace, my punches are instant," he said while continuing to throw punches. Clyde smiled to himself, havinge up with a n. He threw his sword hinge first towards Reggie at incredible speed, causing Reggie to react with punches in the direction. However, when it reached the mid-point between Clyde and Reggie, it suddenly slowed down immensely, almost to the point that it wasn''t moving. Clyde began walking slowly around Reggie, encircling him.

    "I see, you''re trying to pincer me between yourself and your sword. Sorry, but that''s not gonna work. My punches are protecting me from behind, and I can turn around and safely fight you while you''re unarmed. Since you''re slowing the sword down right now, you cant even activate your Spring to fight me," smiled Reggie confidently. Clyde didn''t say a word. He quietly observed Reggie while the sword slowly approached him. All of a sudden, Clyde ran towards Reggie.

    "You think you can fight me in a brawl of fists? Haha! Ok then, it''s your loss!" Clyde released his Spring on the sword, returning it to normal speed. But as it flew into Reggie''s air punches, the sword was simply deflected.

    "Told ya that wouldn''t work. Now, to end this!" Suddenly, another object came flying at Reggie from behind, and since his Spring was no longer active, it went through this time and hit him in the back of the head, which dazed him for a moment. Since Clyde no longer had his Spring active on the sword, he could now activate it all around him as he did before. As time slowed around him, he ran over and grabbed his sword and sheath and turned around to face Reggie, who was frantically recovering and trying to throw more punches. He took a deep breath, then unleashed a powerful attack, an upwards sh that makes use of the target''s immobility to cause significantly more damage. A technique taught by the ''Seeking de'' at Kazaha school of swordsmanship.

    "Seeking de, Judging Eruption!"

    When time resumed at a normal pace, there was arge cloud of smoke encasing the arena. As it dissipated, the outline of 2 men could be made out, one was on the ground, and the other was standing above him.

    "Contestant number 7 has won!!" The crowd erupted into cheers at the swordsman''s victory.

    "It was a very good match, Greybrewer," said Clyde as he outstretched his hand to help Reggie up.

    "Man, what was that? Did you throw two things at me?" He took Clyde''s hand and stood up.

    "I threw one item, but two entities."

    "Mind dumbing it down for me?"

    "I threw a sword. A sword is one item but isposed of two entities: the de and the sheath. By throwing the sword hinge-first, I was able to separate the speed of time on the two entities, making them both hit at different times. The hinge of the sword was used to get rid of your shield, and the sheath was to hit you directly," exined Clyde as they walked into the nurse''s station.

    "Damn, you really got me there¡­"

    *********************************************************************************************************

    "Hey Rein!"

    "Oh, Chloe, you''re already back? And Vossen, that was a damn good show you put on." Reinplimented him, but Quint''s face didn''t look like someone who was just praised. It was a mix of fear, anger, and distrust etched towards Rein.

    "Hm," Quint gave a grunt of affirmation, which made Chloe look at Rein with a confused expression, remembering what Quint told her about Weiss.

    "So you''re up next then Xilris. Good luck." Said the masked man, making Rein grow ever greater suspicion towards him, though he didn''t let it show.

    "Thanks."

    "It is now time for our final match of the first round! Would thest two contestants please step out into the arena."

    "Hmph, I suppose it''s my time to win." Said Dwayne as he exited the waiting room, winking creepily at Chloe. Rein noticed the lustful look in his eyes as they stepped out into the arena.

    "Go, Rein! You''ve got this!!!" Cheered Emria, along with Saphri who was in the crowd.

    As they both arrived at the center of the arena, Dwayne was smiling menacingly at Rein.

    "Get ready to lose all of the respect of everyone around you!" Dwayneughed.

    "Yeah yeah, let''s just get this over with." Said Rein, unimpressed.

    "Now that both contenders have entered the arena, let the final match of round 1 begin!"

    Rein summoned his swords through weapon rings as to not cause any confusion as he did before with his inventory. He noticed his opponent was not wearing any weapon rings.

    "Hey, you gonna summon a weapon, or are you just gonna stand there?" Asked Rein. The man took out a pouch from his pocket. It was full of rings, but not the normal kind. When Dwayne Collins used the rings, weapons weren''t summoned, they were people. Humans, elves, half-elves, a group of different enved species. The crowd was in shock, along with the participants in the waiting room.

    "Dwayne Collins, part of the infamous Treaq region Collins family. So this is the kind of fucked up shit your family conducts," he said as he examined the people that came out of the rings. There were 6 in total. 3 humans, 2 elves, and 1 half-elf. They had chains around their necks, with a wretched expression on each of their faces, carved with fathomless despair and terror. 4 of them were adults, and there were 2 children among them. 1 was a half-elf boy who looked about 14 years of age and the other was an elf girl who looked to still be a toddler.

    Dwayne beganughing out of his stomach and pointed the ves in Rein''s direction, ordering them to attack. Rein didn''t attack back and simply dodged them out. He saw an opening through the waves and rushed in straight to Dwayne, but before his sword could connect, the young toddler girl stood in front of him, preventing him from attacking. He stepped back, the half-elf boy rushing in to protect the little girl, who was crying profusely.

    "Hey boy! I didn''t order you to protect the little bitch." He said as he kicked him in the stomach and stepped on his face. Rein tried to act, but the little girl began holding a knife to her throat, crying even louder now.

    "Oh no, you don''t! One step closer, and the girl''s throat gets punctured." A twisted smile grew on his face, as he beganughing from pleasure.

 Chapter 23 - Humiliation And Retribution

    The 4 other men Dwayne controlled attacked Rein from behind. He avoided their attacks while making sure not to get closer to Dwayne.

    "This is perfect! All I have to do is keep this up until the time runs out! My family''s n is wless! Over half the audience has been influenced by us or threatened to vote for me, so I''ll win by default!" Dwayne monologued to himself in his mind.

    3 minutes of constant dodging passed. The girl still had a knife to her throat, and Dwayne was still stepping on the boy''s head. The boy began trying to struggle against him, evidently, he hated Dwayne with a passion.

    "Oh? Are you hissing at me, little boy?" He said as he began stepping even harder. "Oh, I know! Why don''t I get you to fight on my side? I could make good use of that Spring of yours." Dwayne released the boy from under his heel, who immediately began winding up a right hook in Dwayne''s direction. But before he couldnd it, he stopped and turned around at Rein, who was dodging the attacks of 4 unwilling men at once. Suddenly, ck smoke appeared from the boy''s palms and outstretched to Rein, wrapping around his legs and arms, binding him, making him unable to move.

    "Haha! Now that mongrel can''t dodge! Hey, you pigs! Attack him now!" As the 4 men began to attack, they found themselves being blocked by an almost invisible barrier, and upon further inspection, it was the same ck smoke that held Rein immobile.

    "Hey! You little maggot! I did not tell you to create a veil around him, did I?!" Dwayne began screaming at the half-elf boy, kicking him repeatedly with the underside of his foot.

    "Hey, you sure you wanna keep doing that to him, he might release me any second now," Rein smiled smugly at Dwayne, which intimidated him.

    "Rgh, fine! Lift him up so he can''t reach me!" The boy lifted Rein up about 15 meters high. Once again, Dwayne beganughing hysterically, Rein being suspended mid-air meant he couldn''t do anything to him, and he would win by time.

    "Haha! It''s over for you now! Time will soon run out, and you cannot do anything about it! Though, perhaps if you beg me and pledge loyalty to me, I may consider letting you free! Soon, that Chloe girl will be my property, so how about we speed up the process and have you simply give up now!" Dwayne continued tough, Rein not giving him any reaction. There were now 30 seconds left on the clock, and Dwayne continued talking, spewing deplorable things out of his mouth.

    "Once you lose, I will have my family find you, and everybody dear to you and turn them into our ves, perhaps that will be a fitting end for you. Oh, and how about those two kids your always apanied by. That green-haired one and the blue-haired one. They''ll make for good ves! Haha¡ª"

    "Hey, want me to show you something?" Uttered Rein.

    "Hmph? What is it you rabble?"

    The smoke around Rein began to dissipate unexpectedly, freeing him from the binds that held him suspended. Hended on the ground and began walking slowly in Dwayne''s direction.

    "Eeeek! Men! Attack him! Do note any closer! Have you forgotten about the girl?" Dwayne was screaming in panic. Rein ignored his threats and continued approaching him. Dwayne waved his hand, signaling to the girl to slit her throat, but nothing happened. In fact, the girl dropped the knife on the ground.

    "Wha! How?! I¡ª" Rein grabbed him by the cor, interrupting his speech. Dwayne began sweating profusely and was about to beg for forgiveness, but before he could, Rein threw him up into the air and began winding up for an attack with his swords. Dwayne screamed at the top of his lungs. As he reached the peak of Rein''s throw, he began falling down towards his clutches. He continued to scream, scared shitless.

    *BEEP*

    "And that''s time! Everybody drop your weapons!" Dwaynended on his face on the floor, dirtying his white robe and face. Rein recalled his weapons and looked at Dwayne menacingly. He walked away and stood on his side of the ring. Dwayneughed uncontrobly.

    "I win! I win you piece of dung!" He continued tough. "Return to your rings you ipetent dogs!" The ves returned to their rings, and Dwayne stood up confidently.

    "We will now begin the voting process! There should be a holographic screen that has just appeared in front of you. Please vote for the contestant you think should proceed." Whispers began in the crowd.

    "H-hey, who are you voting for?"

    "I really want to vote for the white-haired kid, but man, I have to think about my family. Those Collins bastards won''t have mercy if I don''t do what they say."

    "Me too. Sorry white hair."

    Everybody began casting their votes.

    "You hear that? Every one of them is voting for me! Haha! You lose!"

    "The results are all in! And it seems like we have an overwhelming victory!"

    "..." The crowd was full of silence, but there was no suspense. They all knew who would win, and all had looks of disappointment etched on them.

    "With 100% of the votes, the winner is¡­ Contestant number 8, Rein Xilris!!!!" To everyone''s surprise, a name nobody was expecting had won.

    "Huh? But I''m sure I voted for Collins!"

    "We did, but who cares! I''m just happy that piece of shit didn''t win!" Dwayne stood there, mouth gaped wide open. Rein smiled smugly at him and walked away back towards the waiting room. He didn''t need the nurse''s office after all.

    "Wait just a moment you vile scum! You cheated just as you did during the preliminary! You somehow rigged the voting! This is uneptable! Principal Julianne, I demand that he be disqualified!" Protested Dwayne, stomping his foot like a child.

    "Mr. Collins, it is truly unbing of a nobleman such as yourself to act in such a pitiable manner." Said the principal over the announcer in a sarcastic and mocking tone. This angered Dwayne ever further, sending him into a fit of rage and storming out of the arena, screaming:

    "To you filthy pigs in the crowd, I will make sure my family gets vengeance and destroys everything you love!" This caused the crowd to go silent, feeling threatened by his words.

    "Do not worry, as long as I oversee this town, I will not allow any misfortune to befall your families." Reassured the principal, counteracting Dwayne''s words.

    When Rein entered the waiting room, it was full of smiles and faces of relief.

    "You have to stop doing that Rein! If your gonna win, just do it outright! Stop making us worry! I almost fainted thinking you were gonna let that loser win!" Chloe scolded Rein, invoking a reaction ofughter from him.

    "As for I, I never doubted you once Sir Rein." Said Clyde, putting a hand on Rein''s shoulder.

    "Why thank you, Sir Clyde." Responded Rein in a yful tone. He noticed the masked man standing in the corner crack a smile at him, then leave the arena.

    "That marks the end of the first round, pleasee tomorrow for the second round!"

    Rein, Chloe, Clyde, and Quint all left the arena together, agreeing to go eat dinner together along with Emria and Saphri. But, for some reason, those two were nowhere to be found. Rein told the group to go on ahead of him, as he had some business to take care of. He promised Chloe that he and the girls would meet up with them.

    He walked around the city, randomly feeling the urge to walk into a dark alleyway. He sumbed to the feeling and entered, where he saw Dwayne holding 2 knives up to the necks of Emria and Saphri.

    "Oh, look who decided to show up! If it isn''t our esteemed guest." Said Dwayne arrogantly. Rein sighed in a carefree manner, then smiled in a threatening way. Emria and Saphri gave no reactions, and theyy there silently.

    "I was just about to find you, but it looks like you came to me instead. In case you didn''t notice, I let myself be manipted by your Spring toe here," stated Rein.

    "Then you are an even bigger fool than I thought! Hahaha! There''s no getting out of this one! I won''t hesitate this time! Enter the ve ring that is ced in front of you or these two die."

    "No." Replied Rein. Dwayne began sweating buckets, but he did not hesitate.

    "Fine then! These two bitches are dead!" He swung with all of his might downwards at the two girls, but as the knife made contact, the tip broke on their skin, almost like they were made out of steel.

    "What the fuck?!?!" Yelled Dwayne. Rein began slowly approaching him, causing him to start stepping backward in a frenzy.

    "Don''te near me you fiend!" He took out the ve rings, but dropped them all over the ground out of panic. He ducked down to pick them up, but he went headfirst into Rein''s foot, getting a mouthful of his shoe. Rein kicked him upwards and caught him by the hair.

    "Well well well, what a fascinating Spring you have¡­ You can create false memories in people, and that''s how you control them. Your spring has a ten-meter radius, and the false memories you make onlyst a few minutes¡­"

    "H-how did you know all of that!" Rein kneed him in the guts, causing him to throw up disgustingly. Emria and Saphri stood up and picked up the fallen rings, and held them for safety.

    "I have a bit of a special power, and the thing is, it gets a hell of a lot stronger when I kill someone." He smiled at the pitiful man in front of him, siphoning all hope from his wretched soul.

    "Please! Have mercy!" Dwayne began crying out of fear, snot and tears flowing down his ugly face.

    "Tell me, do you know the vige of Lifah?" Dwayne''s eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk.

    "L-Lifah?! O-of course I know it. It''s the reason this war began¡­ The Collins family didn''t have anything to do with it! After two Econican spies attacked it, Orthlys dered war¡­ A ck-haired woman, and a white-haired bo¡­ wait..."

    Rein looked him directly in the eyes, making Dwayne connect the dots.

    "You''re the one we framed¡­" He uttered without thinking.

    "Oh? You framed me? And here I was thinking the Collins family had nothing to do with it. I guess you were one of the noble families that hired Checkmate."

    "Please! I had nothing to do with it! I admit my family was involved, but I was too young to know what was happening at the time! I beg of you! I''m telling the truth!" Dwayne pleaded.

    "Tch, guess you''re useless to me then. Oh, but it would be bad if word got out that the son of the famous Collins family was killed! No, that wouldn''t do¡­"

    "Please! Name your price! I''ll do anything!" Rein bashed Dwayne''s head on the wall, causing him to start bleeding from his forehead.

    "Shut the hell up. You see, with my power, I can copy the opposite of other people''s powers. What do you think would happen if I copy your piece of shit Spring?" Rein asked threateningly as Dwayne began trembling uncontrobly.

    "T-the opposite of my Spring? That would mean¡­ you could erase memories..?"

    "Bingo! I can erase memories from people. And when I wield it, it''s not as trash as yours with a ten-meter radius. Hmm¡­ let''s see¡­ Oh! It looks like the radius for mine would two thousand kilometers! Why that''s enough to cover the entire continent!" Rein''s eyes lit up red, instilling unending fear in Dwayne.

    "Wouldn''t it be convenient if all memory of Dwayne Collins was erased from existence? It would allow me to take his life without any consequence. What do you think of that n Dwayne?" Rein''s smile tortured Dwayne, for the fear he felt was unlike anything he''d ever felt before...

 Chapter 24 - Memories Of Strength

    Rein, Emria, and Saphri exited the dark alleyway holding the ve rings. Rein checked his stats.

    Level: 85 ¡ú 90

    Health: 1350/1350 ¡ú 1500/1500

    Energy: 675/675 ¡ú 750/750

    Speed: 210.2 ¡ú 225.7

    Strength: 215.5 ¡ú 237.0

    Defense: 208.7 ¡ú 221.3

    Intellect: 190.3 ¡ú 202.8

    [New Skill]

    Spring Absorbtion: Taking the life of a Spring user grants the System a new skill based on the Spring

    [New Skill]

    Memory Flip: Every 24 hours, allows you to copy a Spring from your inverse history for 60 seconds

    "Hey Rein, I''m gonna get everybody out of these rings." Said Emria as she summoned the ves. They appeared, all of them looking frightened for their lives. The half-elf boy rushed to protect the girl, screaming out:

    "Stop! Haven''t you abused us enough today? Huh? Wait, you''re the guy we fought¡­ What happened to the master?" He asked as he stood up.

    "You still remember him then? I figured it wouldn''t affect you guys since you were in the rings. My name is Rein Xilris, and these two are Emria and Saphri Xilris. To put it simply, he''s dead and you guys are free to go." Rein took all of the rings and dropped them on the ground and stepped on them, crushing them beneath his heel, making the chains around their necks disintegrate.

    "Wha¡­ So¡­ I can really return to my family?" Asked one of the adult ves. Rein nodded, affirming his question. The 4 adults began crying and bowing down to Rein out of gratitude. He gave them some of his winnings from the first round, for travel expenses and food and pointed them in the direction of one of the exits to the cave.

    "H-hey what should we do? The Collins family already killed our parents¡­ We can''t return to anyone..." Uttered the boy as the little girl began sobbing. Rein and the Emria looked at them with empathetic eyes, knowing the pain they were put through. Saphri outstretched her hand towards the 2 kids, catching their attention.

    "Please take this money and this tracking device. Follow the pointer until you reach a brown-haired old elf named Voron. He ordinarily wears a coffee-stained whiteb coat and brown work pants. Once you reach him, inform him that we sent you and he''ll take care of you. That old fool did take all of the money, after all, he should have enough to take care of two more children." The boy dried his tears and took the device from Saphri''s hand.

    "Huh? Really? I couldn''t¡­"

    "Please take it. I know you might not want to cause trouble for us, but you should be prioritizing the girl in your arm first." Said Rein, looking at the sobbing elf girl.

    "Th-thank you¡­ My name is Criselor Roxider, and her name is nis Grynel. Even though we almost made you lose that match¡­ you''re still being so nice to us¡­"

    "That''s one hell of a Spring you''ve got Criselor. Make sure to protect the girl above all else." Rein gestured a fist towards the boy.

    "You bet I will! Thanks Rein!" He said, fist-bumping his savior.

    "Um, thank you both too!" nis gathered up the courage to thank Emria and Saphri. Emria blushed with excitement, and as did Saphri, which lead to Saphri patting her on the head.

    "O-oh, my apologies. I do not know why, but I suddenly was ovee with the urge to pat your head." Emria and the girlughed at Saphri''s embarrassment, then they bid each other farewell. They all sighed out of relief as if a heavy weight was lifted off their chests. Emria looked at Rein with an angry, pouting expression.

    "Geez Rein, you can''t just tell us to vote against you without exining anything like that!" She scolded.

    "Indeed. You should have told us that you had already inversed the announcer''s Spring. You made us unnecessarily worried," remarked Saphri.

    "Sorry, I didn''t have time to exin. Thank you both for trusting me though. Anyways, Chloe and the others are waiting for us. Let''s head back."

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "We''re here Chloe!" Emria and Saphri ran to hug Chloe, the lot of them having grown very close to her over the past couple of days. Chloe gasped, then squeaked out of happiness seeing the two girls. She squeezed them both, and they hugged back.

    "Where were you two? I''m never taking my eyes off you again! Rein clearly doesn''t know how to take care of you," She said, scowling at Rein who was walking behind the two girls. Chloe, Clyde, and Quint were waiting in front of a restaurant called ''Gulf Grill'', a restaurant that sells gourmet food from ingredients found in the Hasbin gulf and surrounding areas. They all entered and sat around a table, the girls sitting on one half and the boys on the other. As usual, Quint was acting cautiously when interacting with Rein.

    As the lights in the cave began to dim indicating sun-down, the group finished up their meals and headed back to their rooms. On their way back, Emria and Saphri wanted to tell Chloe to sleep over again but didn''t want to inconvenience her, so they stayed quiet. As the 2 girls entered the room, one person called for another.

    "Hey, can I talk to you Rein?" This time, it was Chloe calling for Rein. He closed the door to the girls.

    "Yeah, what''s up? Don''t tell me you wanna stay with the girls again?"

    "... Yesterday, when we switched rooms¡­ Please tell me the real reason."

    "Huh? What do you mean? I told you, it''s so the girls can sleep morefortably."

    "So why aren''t you asking to switch again tonight? If that was truly the reason, why were you about to enter their room?" She dered, making Rein go silent.

    "It has something to do with the guy who dropped out, right? What did you do to him?" She uttered, her voice losing the usual perks that it usually had. Rein stayed silent, not wanting to involve her with him for some reason.

    "You know, the first day that we met, you had no intention of interacting with me at all. You even told me that you only helped me for your own benefit. You only kept me around after because of Emria and Saphri. But, after the first day, you somehow felt nicer to me. You began to get nervous around me when before, you didn''t seem like the type to feel flustered. Don''t tell me you kn¡ª"

    "I switched rooms with you because I knew that guy was gonna try something. I didn''t want to trouble you or the girls in the middle of the night, so I took care of him alone, in your room. Don''t worry, I didn''t kill him. I just taught him a little lesson on why you don''t sneak into a girl''s room at night. And if he tried to enter the room with Emria and Saphri, I would have stopped him all the same. Does that answer your question?" Rein spoke quickly, this being a rare moment that he was flustered internally, though he didn''t let it show on the outside. There was a long, jarring silence that encroached between the two.

    "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Why was it necessary for you to know?"

    "It wasn''t¡­ But now, it feels like you don''t trust me to let me in on things like that¡­"

    "Tell me, if I asked you to let me see what was under your hood, would you do it?" Chloe stood there silently, both knowing what her answer would be. Rein ended their conversation, feeling a slightly sour taste in his mouth.

    "Well then, if that''s all, I''ll be going to sleep now¡ª" As he reached for the handle of the door, he was interrupted.

    "Wait!" Chloe ced her hand on his, stopping him from pulling the door handle down and opening the door. Chloe''s face grew red, as she swiftly withdrew her hand, Rein lightly blushing.

    "C-can we switch rooms again?"

 Chapter 25 - Avoidance

    It was a peaceful night. The two girls being overjoyed to see her enter the room, Chloe slept quietly, and as did Rein. The next morning, the girls were greeted with a note after they exited their room. It was on Rein''s door, informing them that he''d gone ahead of them to the arena.

    "Did you and Rein get into a fight yesterday Chloe?" Asked Emria.

    "Oh, hmmm¡­ I don''t think it was a fight¡­" Chloeughed it off, which earned her stares from both Saphri and Emria.

    They made their way to the arena, with Emria and Saphri going to the spectator seats to watch. When Chloe entered the waiting room, she saw Rein talking with Clyde on the bench. She tried approaching them.

    "Hey, you two." She waved at them with a vibrant smile.

    "Oh, hi Chloe. Sorry, Clyde and I are discussing some things, would you mind leaving us be for a bit?" Said Rein while avoiding eye contact with her. Chloe was saddened by his words. He was clearly trying to avoid her, and even after reflecting on yesterday''s argument, she couldn''t remember anything that could have ticked him off.

    "You didn''t even greet Emria and Saphri this morning, you should at least go say hi. They''re in the stands." She said as she walked away sadly, sitting alone in the corner. She buried her face in her arms and began sulking.

    "You two get into a fight?" She looked up and saw the masked man, striking up a casual conversation with her without a care in the world.

    "Huh? O-oh, no¡­ It was probably me¡­ I said some things I shouldn''t have¡­" She replied.

    "Sounds like a fight to me. Keep your head up though. You don''t want this clouding your judgment during the matches, especially since you might be fighting him. You make sure to study his fighting style in thest round?" He asked her, which prompted a confused look on Chloe''s face.

    "Hisst fight? Oh right¡­ He won a match to get here¡­ But wait, the only person I''ve seen him fight is Clyde, and that was without his Spring..? Huh?" She began thinking, the masked man''s face growing a slight smirk.

    "Oh, I see what he did." He chuckled to himself.

    "Hmm, I remember that he had a fight, but just who was he fighting? I really shouldn''t have stayed up sote talking with the girls¡­" She said as she began lightly smacking her head trying to remember.

    "Well, just remember, be careful when you''re in the ring. There''s some weird shit your opponents can do that isn''t against the rules. Be wary of that. Always expect the unexpected." He uttered his parting words to her as he walked away to sit in the other corner.

    Some time passed, and eventually, the arena filled up once again.

    "Wee back one and all! I hope you''ve had a great night recuperating from yesterday''s intense matches! Wait, matches? There were only two! Hahaha, I must be going senile, even though I''m so young! Anyways, now that the arena has been filled, let''s get on with the second round, shall we? Time to bring out the randomizer! Our first contender will be¡­ number three!"

    Chloe stood up, fastened her hoodie, and hastily walked into the arena. She heard cheers from the crowd, mostly from Emria who was cheering at the top of her lungs.

    "Wow! It looks like contestant number three is raring to go! She looks fired up, ready to take on any force thates her way! And that force will be¡­" The screen began to roll. Chloe subconsciously hoped that it wouldn''tnd on number 8, which was Rein.

    "Contestant number one! Please make your way to the arena!" Chloe let out a sigh of relief when she didn''t see the number 8 appear. She then realized that she knew virtually nothing about her opponent. He was a short masked man who was extremely lucky. He was able to pass the death course, which was rumored to be next to impossible. He passed the first round out of sheer luck, getting a by on the void that Weiss left when he dropped out. This meant that he didn''t have to fight, so nobody had any information about him. She became anxious when thinking about what she knew about him, beginning to devise ns to amodate for herck of information.

    He arrived at the arena and stood in front of Chloe. Chloe had thought long and hard about her n, remembering his advice to her. ''Be careful when you''re in the ring. There''s some weird shit your opponents can do that isn''t against the rules. Be wary of that. Always expect the unexpected.'' She smiled to herself, havinge up with a n that she was incredibly proud of.

    "Both of our contestants seem to be ready to begin! So without further ado, let the first match of the second roundmence!"

    Chloe summoned her sword and waited for her opponent, who was wearing a weapon ring, to summon his. The man raised his hand as if he was bracing for arge impact. Chloe also braced herself, getting into Leona''s one-handed fighting stance. The man inspected her stance, then softlyughed to himself, as if he recognized it,

    "What are youughing at? Stop standing there and fight me!" She asked nervously, starting to feel less optimistic about her chances of winning. After Chloe made her remark, her opponent beganughing even harder, but it was not an ominousugh. It seemed as though it was a genuineugh from the soul.

    "Nothing really, but you really are just like her. Both your stance and your speech," He remarked as he continued holding his hand in the air.

    "My stance? My speech? You couldn''t mean¡­"

    "Do you remember what I told you before the match began? You never know what your opponent might pull," He smiled, then took a deep breath, visibly expanding his lungs out. Chloe took a step back and began blocking with her sword. She made sure to keep each point of weakness on her body defended, as to be able to defend against any unexpected attacks. But no matter how much mental preparation she had done beforehand, nothing would have prepared her for her opponent''s next words...

 Chapter 26 - Unsheathed Duel

    "I give up."

    The whole stadium went silent, then broke out into a burst of uncontrobleughter. The dark, nervous, uneasy atmosphere was now gone because of these 3 words that were said by the masked man. Chloe stood there, dumbfounded at her opponent. After all of that, he simply surrendered.

    "I told you, expect the unexpected," he smiled as he walked off.

    "Wait! Why did you surrender? Perhaps¡­ do you know about... don''t pity me!" She asked as she returned her sword to her weapon ring.

    "Don''t get the wrong idea. I simply came here to gain entrance into the academy. I don''t need any money, nor do I need a luxury room. So I decided to save my energy and duck out. Welp, see ya." He said, waving his hand as he turned his back to her and walked out of the west gate entrance. Chloe stood there for a while, still baffled by what happened.

    "Please, would the contestants exit the arena to make room for the next match."

    "Oh! Sorry!" As she stepped back into the waiting room, she was passed by someone who was already making their way into the arena. She didn''t even have time to greet him, he simply passed by her without saying a word. She frowned, then nced over at Clyde.

    "My apologies Miss Chloe, it would seem Sir Rein is not in the mood to talk. It may be he is doing this to mentally prepare for our battle. At any rate, I must also make my way to the ring," spoke Clyde as he walked past her into the arena.

    "Tell him I''ll be with the girls in the stands!" She yelled to Clyde, who held a thumbs up when he heard.

    Chloe went up to the bleachers to meet up with Emria and Saphri. They were both extremely happy to see her, asking her what happened with the masked man who gave up. She didn''t know, so she simply gave them confused look before they were interrupted by the echoing voice of the announcer.

    "Wow! Thatst match is gonna be a hard one to beat! Two swordsmen, one who hails from the Kazaha school in Orthlys, and another who dual wields des! Wait, but we''ve never seen him fight, how''d I know what weapons he used? Haha, that''s weird. Anyhow! This match will allow these two contestants to finish what they began in the preliminary round! Without further ado, let the final match of the second round begin!"

    "Mark my words Sir Rein, you will use your Spring this time. My prowess with a de is exponentially greater than without. You will not catch me hesitating this time." Dered Clyde confidently, summoning his sword and readying his fighting stance. Rein didn''t react to his remark. No smile, nough, nothing. He simply looked up at the announcer and yelled:

    "Hey, is it okay if we unsheath our swords? We''re both swordsmen, so you don''t have to worry. There won''t be any casualties." He expressed, which got the entire audience into a buzz of conversation.

    Chloe wanted to stand up in protest, but instead, she simply wore an incredibly worried expression on her face. She''d had enough. She was about to explode into a rut of anger out of worry. She felt her hand being lightly grazed by a smaller one. It was Emria trying to calm her down. Chloe put her hands on her forehead and leaned against her knees, and slowly inhaled and exhaled, trying to release her anger. She looked over at Saphri and Emria, who were staring at her in concern. Chloe mumbled to herself:

    "That idiot. He doesn''t trust me as far as he could throw me. And why in the world would he need to fight unsheathed? That''s t-out stupid." She said as she wallowed in her own sadness.

    "So you and Rein did get into a fight." Dered Saphri.

    "I just¡­ Don''t know why he''s ignoring me¡­ And you two! Why are you both okay with this?" She asked them out of concern.

    "Hmmm, it is a little weird¡­ Why would he need the sheath off I wonder? But it doesn''t matter. If there''s one thing I''ve learned from living with Rein all this time, it''s to trust him. No matter the situation, he always somehow makes it work. And whatever his n is, I have faith in him. I''m sure Saphy feels the same," Expressed Emria while holding Chloe''s hand, reassuring her. Saphri nodded in agreement, followed by a sigh from Chloe.

    "Furthermore, I believe Rein would be able to throw you quite far," proimed Sahpri, which drew out augh from the other 2 girls.

    "Fine, I''ll trust him just this once."

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "So? What''s your answer?" Rein pressed the announcer.

    "My apologies, even though you two are experienced swordsmen, the rules explicitly state¡ª"

    "I''ll allow it!" A dominating voice interrupted the announcer, who let out a loud surprised reaction.

    "But principal Julianne! We can''t¡ª"

    "I said it''s allowed. You don''t intend to argue against me, do you? The win condition will be to disarm your opponent of their weapon. I trust that would do for you, right Rein Xilris?" Said the brown-haired woman sitting in therge principal''s seat in the middle of the stands, followed by a word from her assistant Wace.

    "Mistress Julianne has given her approval! The contestants may proceed with the new rules!" He announced.

    Rein summoned his twin des, unsheathing them to reveal shimmering ck steel that reflected the lights of the glowing stones that filled the walls of the cavern. Clyde proceeded to do the same, unsheathing his steel tachi. The de was expertly crafted, with an exceptionally sharp edge, and an insignia engraved on one side. It was of an eagle, soaring in the sky. The eagle''s eye was especially ented, being engraved with shimmering ruby. It was the symbol of the seeking de.

    "I do not know what you n to achieve Sir Rein, but I assure you that my seeking eye will not miss it," Clyde stated as he turned his de so that the ruby engraved eagle was facing Rein''s direction.

    "Sorry Clyde, but I really can''t afford to lose this one¡­"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Location: XXX, Orthlys

    *ck* *ck* *ck*. The sound of footsteps filled the long, dimly lit hallway, leading to arge, auburn wood door. The door swung open, and a masked-looking grunt ran through panting.

    "What is the meaning of this disturbance! We have a very important guest!" Dered a blond-haired man in the room.

    "Master Collins! We have lost a reading on the vitality board! It was a family member!" Said the grunt frantically.

    "What!" Said the man standing up in a sweat.

    "Though, I don''t recognize the name. Dwayne Collins and six ve rings were lost. I apologize in advance for asking, but who is this Dwayne?" Asked the grunt.

    "Dwayne? What are you on about you lowly grunt! There is nobody in the family with that name! And why did you interrupt my meeting for six measly ve rings!" He yelled at the messenger grunt who came to deliver the news.

    "Now now Doctor Collins, I think this news has some merit to it. It''s not every day that an unknown family member dies along with six ve rings." Said a menacing-looking woman that the man was talking to.

    "Oh, but mydy! I assure you, there is nobody in the family with the name ''Dwayne''!" Doctor Collins reassured her. Suddenly, a deep, dark voice emerged from beside the woman.

    "Have you two forgotten about Dwayne? Doctor Collins, he was your own son." A grey-haired man proimed.

    "Are you questioning me fool? Do you think I would forget my own son?"

    "My doctor Collins, don''t you know you''re talking to my right-hand man? I would watch my mouth if I were you. What Luther says almost always correct." Said the important woman passive-aggressively.

    "Oh, my apologies mydy! But I really do not remember who this Dwayne person is!" Despite being the head of the Collins family, the man bowed down to her. The man she called Luther got up and looked out the window, pondering to himself the meaning of the sudden disappearance in memory.

    "Man, it''s not like anybody could suddenly up and forget that little piece of shit. Especially since he was your own son¡­" Luther thought out loud.

    "There is one more piece of news I have, master! There have been reports sent to us from this Dwayne individual that the presence of two mystical cursed Springs has been detected beneath the Hasbin gulf."

    "Two of the seven mystical cursed Springs that we''re searching for? Mydy! This solves the problem we were just discussing! If we capture them, we can proceed with our ns!" Eximed doctor Collins. Luther sighed and began stretching.

    "Aw, man. Guess I''ll go retrieve it then. Taksys has been itchin'' for some action anyways." He spoke in azy tone.

    "Hold on Luther. You do not need to go for this one. If this is the same ce that the six ve rings were lost, there is a good chance that the boy we''ve been searching for is there." Said the woman sitting in the darkness.

    "Oh? You mean your nephew? Fine then, what do you suggest we do?" He asked her, sitting back down and kicking his feet up. She smiled maliciously and spoke:

    "We hire Crypt to retrieve the curses¡­" She continued telling them the n. "Are you in agreement doctor? I am relying on your co-operation for this one." She proposed as she stood up, revealing her yellow eyes and flowing white hair. She wore a fancy ck dress that showed off elegance.

    "Of course. My loyalty is dedicated to you, Lady Melina."

 Chapter 27 - Rein Vs Clyde

    Rein rushed in as soon as he drew his swords, unleashing relentless shes unto Clyde, who was defending them with ease without the use of his Spring. As they continued, it became clear to Rein how much stronger Clyde is while using a sword. His previous hesitation was now gone, and what was left was unrivaled confidence in his swordsmanship.

    They both took a step back.

    "Your swordsmanship is impressive as expected Sir Rein. But I will also stop holding back. I suggest you do the same. This is not the same as the preliminaries. I promise that you will lose if you do not use your Spring," Warned Clyde.

    Rein was for some reason looking into the waiting room, his eyes darting around it.

    "Once again, you pay no attention to your current fight!" Yelled Clyde, activating his Spring. He dashed towards Rein, and shed at his swords, trying to get him to drop them. But, when he did, Rein''s entire figure disappeared into thin air. Suddenly, Clyde sensed something from behind him. He turned around, seeing Rein winding up a swing with his swords downwards at his tachi. With the little time left on his Spring, he dodged while he still had the chance. His Spring deactivated, leaving him unable to activate it for another 10 seconds. Rein knew this, and took advantage of that fact, making more after-images of himself to attack Clyde. Once again, Clyde was able to defend rtively easily. He was able to take a moment to breathe, using a Kazaha school technique used to clear one''s mind. He took a deep breath.

    "Seeking de, Cognitive Cleans!" When he opened his eyes, Rein realized something.

    "Guess these illusions won''t work anymore." He said as he released his hold on Clyde.

    "Unfortunately, the Kazaha school prides itself on meditation. It is nearly impossible for me to be affected by illusions at all. I am deeply impressed that you even affected me in the first ce. Your Spring must be incredibly strong."

    "Yeah, looks like I''m gonna need to try something else." He continued to look into the waiting room, with a concerned look on his face.

    "My apologies Sir Rein, but are you perhaps looking for something? You keep averting your gaze."

    "Oh, not really. I was just wondering where Chloe was. She''s not in the waiting room, so I''m a bit worried." He said as he feigned concern.

    "Ah, I neglected to mention this to you. Chloe told me to tell you that she will be sitting with your sisters up in the stand. I apologize for not telling you earlier, it must''ve been clouding your thoughts during our fight."

    Rein looked up to where Chloe was in the stands and made eye contact with her. He didn''t wave, smile, or anything. He simply looked. Chloe was surprised and confused to see him looking her way, but she simply followed what the other 2 girls were doing and waved happily. Clyde waited for him to look back, letting him quell his worries. Rein looked back at Clyde and readied his stance.

    "Thanks for waiting. Though, I knew you would."

    "Of course. It would be dishonorable to attack a foe in that state."

    "Okay then, let''s rmence."

    Rein lifted his foot and stomped it on the ground, causing the stone tiles on the floor of the arena to start levitating.

    "What''s this? A second Spring?" Thought Clyde. The crowd though, reacted for a different reason. It was not because they thought Rein activated a second spring. They couldn''t see the illusions that Clyde previously saw after all. But for some reason, they still erupted.

    Rein began running around Clyde, using the floating tiles as cover from Clyde''s line of sight.

    "Now, activate your Spring and guess which one I''m behind!" Eximed Rein. Clyde did just that, activating his Spring and once again slowing time. He turned around and powerfully but hesitantly shed a tile, cutting it in half. Nothing was behind it. He didn''t have much time left to find him. Using up 3 seconds to breathe in, He noticed small changes in the environment around him. He turned around again, this time with a smile on his face, and confidently shed through a tile, revealing Rein behind it. Despite time being slowed, Rein was still moving at remarkable speed, but not fast enough to dodge a precise strike to the hands, once again aimed to make him drop his swords. But, when Clyde''s sword made contact, it was like he was shing a substance even stronger than the tiles he cut through. Rein had encased his hands and his grip on the sword with stones and reinforced them with his own energy. Clyde''s Spring deactivated, making him take another step away from his opponent.

    Rein could feel his energy draining slowly.

    Energy: 542/750 (Draining)

    He looked back at Chloe, who was staring at him with a horrified expression. Emria and Saphri were trying to snap her out of it, but she wouldn''t budge. A million thoughts were running through her head. ''How does he have that Spring?'' or ''Could he be¡­ no, but there''s no way.''. As more and more thoughts invaded her head, she got up and ran down the stairs of the stadium, followed by Emria and Saphri.

    Rein nced over at the principal and Wace, thetter being held back by a group of guards after seeing Rein''s newly revealed power. Wace looked incredibly angry and was resisting the restraint from the guards who held him. Julianne was simply sitting in her chair and observing the spectacle.

    Rein looked back at Clyde, who was still recovering his Spring. He knew that it would be futile to try and attack him, as Clyde''s prowess with a sword is nothing to scoff at. But he was about to try anyways before he was stopped by Clyde.

    "Wait. Why..?" Asked Clyde severely confused.

    "Hm? Oh, you mean this power?" Rein smiled at him.

    "Why do you have the ex-Orthlys royal family guards Spring? I¡­ don''t understand. Just a moment ago, you were making illusions of yourself¡­"

    "You sure you weren''t just imagining those? Oh wait, I guess you were." Reinughed carelessly.

    "If you do not wish to answer my question, then very well. But if I win this duel, you must tell me who you really are, Rein Xilris." Said Clyde as a serious glint flickered in his eyes, indicating that he was now going all out.

    "Fine. That conversation stalled you enough time for your Spring toe back up. Come at me." Rein taunted him.

    Clyde once again activated his spring. This would be the final time. He swiftly dashed towards Rein, who, once again, was still quite agile within the slowed time. Though, his speed did not matter when it came to Clyde''s next attack. He focused all of his energy on the next two strikes. He was betting it all on this, an attack so powerful that it could break through Rein''s energy shield. Once again, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and put his sword back into its sheath, while still holding on to the handle. He opened his eyes and shed upwards on Rein''s right-hand wrist, where his stone shield was. Itpletely shattered it, causing the sword to fly out of his hand. Clyde then used the momentum and shed downwards at his left-hand wrist, getting a direct hit. This time, the shield was able to stay intact, meaning that Rein still held on to his left sword. The two attacks drained through Clyde''s energy, making him deactivate his Spring early.

    Rein''s right swordnded de first into the soft dirt ground under the missing tiles he used for cover. He ran over and ducked down to pick it out of the ground, but when his hand wrapped around the handle, he found himself staring directly into Clyde''s de.

    "I win Rein. Give up and drop your other sword," uttered Clyde, breathing remarkably heavier than before.

    "Damn, you''re good Clyde."

 Chapter 28 - Value Of Trust

    "Damn, You''re good Clyde." He said as he continued to grip the sword that was in the ground.

    "Do not try to fight back from here Rein. It is over."

    The announcer got up to announce the end of the match, with Clyde''s victory but was stopped by the principal before they could. Clyde confused as to why the match hasn''t ended, dropped his guard for a split second. Suddenly, a piece of metal sprung out of the ground under Clyde''s tachi, colliding with it with immense power, swatting it out of Clyde''s hand, making itnd a ways away. The Crowd went wild at the sight of this reversal, as Clyde was now the one who was staring directly into Rein''s swords.

    Wace, who had somewhat calmed down and was released from the guard''s restraints, burst out into a fit of rage once again.

    "Impossible! Metal too?! There hasn''t been one since¡ª, hey! Let go of me!" He eximed as he once again began to resist the guards.

    Being unarmed and cornered, Clyde smiled and lifted both his hands up, indicating his surrender.

    Rein put away his des, followed by Clyde after he picked his up.

    "And the winner is contestant eight! What a riveting fight! It really had me at the edge of my seat! And with that, the second round is now concluded. Make sure toe tomorrow to see contestants two and four battle it out for the fifth spot, and more importantly, contestants three and eight battle it out for the luxury room! There will be no third-ce match, as contestant number one has already informed us to give it to the loser of this match."

    "Once again, you have shattered my expectations Sir Rein. I never expected you to be able to also control metal. You nned this from the start, getting us to use unsheathed swords and creating soft spots in the ground where your sword could naturally go in. You used that to bypass my Spring, and I fell right into the palms of your hands. Truly remarkable." He gave Rein high praise, in a tone of true admiration.

    "Drop the ''Sir'' thing already, just call me Rein." Heughed.

    "Though still¡­ How did you use two different powers? The people in the crowd most likely didn''t notice since I could only see the illusions¡­ You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to. But to be frank, I''m quite curious," asked Clyde. Rein fell silent, then sighed out of his chest. He waved his hand to get Clyde to bring his head in closer. He ced his hand on Clyde''s forehead and uttered the name.

    "Versys."

    Suddenly, Clyde''s eyes widened and his pupils dted. He felt a huge rush of adrenaline wash over him, and not a momentter, he was back to normal.

    "You get it now? I don''t really want to say it out loud."

    "Yes¡­ I figured that was your Spring... Except, that guy in your head was incredibly irritating. Do you have to deal with him constantly?"

    "Oh, Versys is uhhh¡­ a bit special. I have your word that you won''t tell anybody? Can''t have others finding out about my unique Spring," Rein asked, wanting to assure Clyde to secrecy.

    "Of course. I am sworn to secrecy, I ce that upon my honor as a Seeking de practitioner, Si¡ª¡­ no, Rein."

    They exited through the west gate, and waiting outside for them was Chloe, with the two girls sitting on a bench about 3 meters away.

    "Rein." She looked him directly in the eyes. Her golden hair flowing out from her hood, slightly obscuring her vision.

    "You told me¡­ That your Spring was storing things in an alternate space¡­ Was that also a lie?" She didn''t avert her eyes off of him. She continued looking at him dead in the eyes, her cold gaze piercing deep into his conscience. He stayed silent, turned around, and began to walk away. She ran up to him, grabbed him by the shoulder, and pped him across the face.

    "Stop ignoring me!" She cried. "Why was that your Spring?! Tell me?! Why did you have that Spring?!" She said holding Rein by the wrist, glistening tears beginning to flow from herrge purple eyes. Rein took his other hand and ced it on the top of her head. He kept it there for a bit before he spoke.

    "You''re not gonna take my hand off? I could pull your hood down any time I want."

    "..." She didn''t say anything. The spectators, Clyde, Emria, and Saphri all watched silently.

    "So you''re saying you wouldn''t mind if I pulled it down?" He asked her in a serious tone.

    "... Do whatever you want. I at least trust you enough to let you keep your hand there." She looked back up at him, seeing a face etched with shock, which then turned into pain. He leaned in and whispered something to her, then removed his hand and walked away, followed by Clyde. He gave a nce to Emria and Saphri, who responded with a stern nod. Chloe felt the warmth on the top of her head fade away, as Emria and Saphri came tofort her.

    "Let''s go eat something, Chloe! You got your round winnings, right! I demand to be served Hasbin trout for dinner!" Eximed Emria jokingly.

    "Indeed. Oh, it would appear that I''m craving Stogue cattle Ice Cream. Whatever shall I do?" Followed Saphri, who was also trying her hardest to cheer Chloe up. Chloe giggled to herself and dried her tears. She nced in the direction that Rein walked away in and then turned around to walk with the girls.

    "It''s gonna be okay Chloe. Really, everything always turns out fine," Emria proimed while they walked to the restaurant

    "Indeed. Rein is what you might call a ''miracle worker''," Saphri followed up Emria''s remark. Chloe chuckled.

    "I''m not so sure about miracles, but he''s definitely full of surprises. But, I''ve made my mind up now," Dered Chloe, looking up at the dimming lights of the cave rocks with a smile on her face.

    "Made your mind up about what?" The two girls looked at her, confused.

    "That''s a secret!"

    The girls pouted, and Emria continued to nag her to tell them until she was calmed down by the also curious Saphri.

    *********************************************************************************************************

    *6 hourster*

    "I''ve arrived, master. The enemies have begun making preparations to make their moves." A tall, ck-haired woman appeared on the roof of a building in the city under the Hasbin Gulf, bowing down while she addressed someone.

    "Already? Well then, get units in disguise and ce them all around the hospital. I want twenty-four-hour surveince at all times. If you see any suspicious individuals, report to me immediately. Do not try and stop them." Said a short, blue-haired man.

    "Understood." The woman disappeared into the shadows, leaving the man alone atop the roof. He wallowed in his own thoughts, as he stared into the dimly lit glow stones of the cavern. He took out a cigar, lit it, and began to smoke. He puffed out arge smoke, then tapped his cigar, releasing the dead bits that hang on the edge.

    "The rest is up to you, Rein Alister."

 Chapter 29 - Final Match

    "Heya Chloe!"

    "Who are you?"

    "My name''s Versys! I don''t really know why I''m here though, Rein must''ve done something weird¡­"

    Chloe awakened to a white void, with nothing but a ck-haired version of Rein standing in front of her, wearing no clothes. She blushed and covered her eyes.

    "Geez! Cover yourself!"

    "Oh, this? Don''t worry, I don''t actually have any private parts. Besides, clothes don''t even exist in this world." Chloe opened her eyes, seeing Versys pointing at her. She looked down at herself, seeing that she also wasn''t wearing any clothes. Once again, she blushed and covered up.

    "Hey, it''s fine, you don''t have to cover up. I''m not actually human. Just a manifestation of Rein''s conscience. But, wow. So that''s what''s under your hood. So that means¡­" Chloepletely forgot about her clothes situation and moved her hand to cover her head, curling up into a ball on the ground.

    She began crying, shielding herself as if she was about to be attacked. Versys sighed, and fell over backward,nding on his back on the floor, staring up into the white abyss.

    Chloe looked at him in bewilderment as she stopped shielding herself.

    "Wh- what are you doing?" She asked softly, confused.

    "Don''t worry. Rein won''t hear a word of this. He''s gonna have to figure it out himself. If he asks, then I didn''t see anything except this white void."

    "Huh? You won''t tell him? But I thought you were his conscience, wouldn''t he already know?" She asked.

    "Oh, no, we don''t exactly share memories. It''s a bit moreplicated than that. Though I can''t say for sure whether Rein knows or not. I guess you''re gonna have to wake up and find out." He said as he stood up to stretch.

    "I have to what?" She said, confused.

    "Waaaaake uuup Chloe!!" She felt a soft object whack her face lightly, recing the white void with the ceiling of the dorm room. She saw Emria holding a pillow, and Saphri standing at the door.

    "Finally! Hurry up, the first match already started! Quint and that punching guy are fighting for 5th ce!" She hurriedly exined.

    "Indeed. And judging by the cheersing from the arena, I would say that it''s reaching its climax," stated Saphri. Emria began pulling Chloe out of bed by the arm.

    "Wha! But I haven''t even showered or changed out of my pajamas!"

    "It''s fine! Your pj''s cover your head just fine!" Said Emria, struggling to pull her.

    "I suggest we pick up the pace Chloe, if you are not there soon, you will be disqualified."

    The two girls pulled Chloe out of bed, wearing her all-red onesie pajama with a hood. The girls forced her to wear her shoes, take her weapon ring and rush outside.

    "Wait, this is too embarrassing! The sweater I usually wear is less tight around my top, I can barely fight in this!" Sheined as they ran to the arena.

    "Aw, don''t worry! This outlines your curves much better! Your old sweater didn''t do you justice, they''re huge! At least an F, right?" Laughed Emria, followed by a giggle from Saphri.

    "On second thought, I think I''ll go back and change¡ª"

    "We have ourselves a winner! The one who will be advancing to the academy will be contestant number two! Would the two contestants please make way for the final match between contestants three and eight!"

    "You hear that? Quint won! There''s no time for you to change! Hurry and get in the arena, Saphy and I''ll head up to the stands!" The two girls once again dragged her as she followed reluctantly. She entered the waiting room, seeing nobody else there. She looked out into the arena to see if Rein was already waiting in the ring, which he wasn''t. She went around to the west exit, towards the nurse station, where she saw Quint and Reggie shaking hands.

    "Heya guys! Have you seen Rein anywhere? Our match is about to start and he''s nowhere to be seen." She said, waving to them.

    "Oh, hi Chloe-" he turned around, seeing Chloe''s attire. "Are you uhhh, gonna fight in that?" He pointed at her.

    "O-oh! Yeah, I didn''t have any time to change. Sorry, Quint, I couldn''t even watch your fight." She spoke apologetically.

    "Uhuh¡­ That''s okay, though I didn''t see Rein anywhere." He said shaking his head, trying not to stare at Chloe.

    "Oh, I think I saw him dash out of the arena a couple of minutes ago. It was around the time the match ended." imed Reggie.

    "Really? But I would''ve seen him if he was going back to the dorms¡­" She said in a thinking motion.

    "It would seem contestant eight is ready to go! Contestant three, would you please make your way into the arena."

    "Huh?! He''s here? But I looked everywhere. Anyways, thank you two. Quint, congrats on getting in. I hope to get along with you during school." She waved as she ran away.

    "Dude, you''re staring too much. You like her don''t you?" Remarked Reggie.

    "Aw shut up man! It''s not like that!" Quint denied it, blushing profusely.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be your wingman. I''ll make sure you let her know how you feel by the end of our first year," promised Reggie.

    "Dude what? But you ced in sixth ce. Wasn''t it top five who make it in?" Asked Quint, confused. Reggieughed.

    "Yeah, but that''s not the only way to get in, hahaha! Remember, not everyone enters the school through this tournament. You forget or something? My family is fortunate enough to be able to afford the tuition. Honestly, even if I''d won that match, I would''ve given you the spot. No disrespect, but you probably need it more than me," exined Reggie, with Quint slightly beginning to tear up.

    "You''re a really good guy you know that!" Quint hugged him, tearing up.

    "Watch it! Don''t get any snot on me." They bothughed, as they went up to the stands to watch the final match. They met up with Clyde, who was sitting near the stairs, all of them properly introducing themselves to each other, as they were gazing on the horizon of a new friendship as fellow students.

    Chloe entered the ring. Rein looked at her, then instantly looked away seeing what she wore. Internally embarrassed, he took a second topose himself before he looked at her once again.

    "You overslept, didn''t you?" Voiced Rein.

    "Wha?! How did you know!" She said, too embarrassed to think straight.

    "Oh, I don''t know. Maybe it''s that you''re wearing a onesie to the most important match of the entire tournament. Are you, uhhh, at least wearing¡­ u-underwear?" He said, finally showing some hints of embarrassment. Chloe''s face flushed the same color as her clothes.

    "Yes! And that''s not something you should ask a girl!" She screamingly whispered, averting her eyes and pouting. Rein sighed, summoning his weapon from his ring. But this time, he only summoned 1 sword instead of 2. Though, the sword was a little different. It had a metal sheath, which could be controlled by the earth Spring that Rein somehow obtained.

    "What gives? Why are you using one sword this time?" She asked as she summoned her own sword.

    "I just felt like using her one sword style. You know, that Leona person you mentioned," he responded.

    "You''re using it on a whim? But it takes training! And wait, what do you mean by her ''one sword style''? Does that mean Leona had more than one style?"

    "Nah, just ignore my rambling," he smiled at her, mimicking her fighting stance.

    "Now that both contestants are in the ring and raring to go, I pass the mic to the principal!"

    "Greetings, students and citizens of the Hasbin gulf. My name is Julianne Starsage. I''m a 12th prestige Ranger and the principal of Ranger Academy. I would like to formally thank all of the participants of the Ranger tournament thus far and would like to extend not only my good luck, but that of the vice-principal, Wace, who could not attend today. And for the two in the ring, may the best de among you light the path to a brighter tomorrow, in true Ranger fashion!"

 Chapter 30 - Stunning Conclusion

    Chloe was analyzing her opponent, looking around the arena for any potential traps he could''ve set. When she didn''t see any, she dashed in with her incredible speed, attacking him relentlessly. He effortlessly dodged and blocked using his sword, retaliating with a forward jab with his sword, which Chloe jumped back to dodge. She barely avoided his attack, but suddenly, Rein''s sheath extended forward, hitting Chloe directly in the stomach. He then went on the offensive, raising a floor tile in front of him to obscure her vision, then swiftly disappearing from behind it to deal a surprise attack.

    All Chloe could do was defend against his relentless attacks, consisting of him swinging his swords, then disappearing behind a tile. Sheposed herself and waited to sense which direction the next attack wasing from, and that''s when she felt it. She turned around and blocked the attack, only to see that it was only Reins sword curving around her. He recalled his sword, and once again jabbed forward at Chloe, extending his sword to guarantee a hit. Though this time, Chloe sidestepped the attack and began running headfirst at the vulnerable Rein. He smiled, and held the extended sword with both hands, and swung it to the side, hitting Chloe directly. She flew backward, barelynding on her feet.

    "Is that all you''ve got? Hmph, Clyde was way stronger than you," provoked Rein. Heavily breathing and hurt, Chloe responded:

    "I''m no match for you¡­ You''re faster, stronger, and you''re using a Spring. I guess I lose this one." Chloe smiled wearily, with sadness ingrained in her face, about to raise her hand to give up.

    "Tch." Rein frowned angrily and rushed in with his full speed and grabbed her arm.

    "Just what the hell do you think you''re doing?"

    "I¡­ can''t beat you, Rein. Not when you''re this strong," she looked down at the ground with great sadness, not making eye contact with the man holding her arm.

    "Activate your Spring," he spoke bluntly.

    "What?" Chloe looked up at him, meeting him in the eyes.

    "Activate it. Right now," he repeated.

    "B-but, I can''t¡­ You were right when we first met. It does have something to do with my hood. I really can''t¡­ I''m too scared¡­" Her voice began trembling, her body began shivering. Rein felt her arm turn colder out of nerve.

    "So the hood''s the problem then?" He gestured a motion towards her hood, intending to remove it. Chloe instinctively grabbed his arm, gripping it with all her strength.

    "Don''t!" She yelled angrily, continuing to quiver ever more vigorously.

    "Hey, look! You are strong. I can''t shake free without hurting you."

    "So don''t¡­ Whatever you do, don''t hurt me¡­" She said, beginning to sob lightly and looking down once again.

    "... Don''t worry, this won''t hurt a bit," he whispered.

    "Wha..?" She looked back into his eyes, which were beginning to change colors.

    "Versys, memory flip," When he whispered those words, arge gust of wind passed in from behind him, making his hair flicker in the air, the brief red glint in his eyes flowing in the gale.

    The audience members didn''t feel a thing, as they were protected by the magic barrier surrounding the stands, so nobody noticed Rein changing Springs. Rein and Chloe released their grips on each other, both of them staring at one another.

    "You look much better with your hood off," he smiled warmly at her.

    Chloe''s secret was revealed. Her long, smooth, blonde hair flowed out, like a river of molten gold. A beautiful, smooth, ck horn protruded through the back of her head. It curved downwards, and was not big in size, but stood out significantly over her light-colored hair.

    The crowd erupted into an outrage.

    "What the fuck?! It''s her!!"

    "What is that witch doing here!"

    "White hair, do us all a favor and kill that menace to society!"

    Several insults were thrown around in the crowd, including death threats, cursing, and other foul things.

    "No¡­ Please¡­ Make it stop¡­" She sobbed woefully, covering her head and continuing to tremble.

    "Versys." Rein nced over at Saphri, copying the opposite of her telekinesis Spring, turning it into limited mind control. He muted the people who were screaming among the crowd, making them unable to speak.

    "Huh? What''d you do?" She asked, looking up and taking her hands off her head.

    "I did what you asked," he walked over and ced a hand on her head. "You''re free now. Use your Spring to your heart''s content," he removed his hand and stepped back to ready his sword. Chloe dried her tears and closed her eyes, then opened them with newfound determination.

    Chloe took a step forward, followed by anotherrge gust of wind, this time, it wasing from her. Rein erected a stone wall in front of him to block her gale from hitting him, but Chloe ran around it and appeared beside him at incredible speed, shing him with a de of wind. Her attack caused an updraft in the arena, sending Rein flying upwards.

    "Heh, this brings back some shitty memories," thought Rein.

    Chloe flew, controlling the wind under her feet to float up to Rein''s altitude. She shed him downwards, smashing him straight into the ground. Normally, that would''ve done considerable damage, but Rein softened the ground as he impacted, cushioning the blow. As Chloe was still floating, Rein sent earth spikes out of the ground to attack Chloe, who expertly dodged using her Spring to control herself while in the air. She spiraled around his attack, elerating downwards at him at incredible speed. Their swords collided, Rein using his power to harden his sheath on the point of impact. The wind that exuded from the attack cut Rein''s cheek, making him bleed. They broke contact and stood looking at each other.

    Rein could feel his health and energy.

    Health: 1297/1500 (Passive Regen Activated)

    Energy: 576/750 (Draining)

    He wiped the blood off of his cheek then spoke.

    "You''re much stronger than him."

    "Who?"

    "Your brother."

    "..." She was speechless.

    "Hello? Earth to Chloe!" He waved jokingly.

    "H-hey Rein? When''d you fight my brother?" She asked, her eyes glimmering as though she realized something.

    "''Bout six years ago now. We didn''t get to finish it though, I ran out of energy at thest second. I pretty much won though," stated Rein, bragging. "If you wanna know the details, remember our deal? If you''re in that luxury room, I''ll spill everything."

    "I''m so sorry¡­" She whispered.

    "Don''t apologize. Let''s just finish this. I''ll show you how I beat the shit out of him," for thest time in the match, Rein activated Versys while looking at Emria, invoking the opposite of her Spring.

    "Let''s get started."

    He vanished from her vision and caused a gust of windparable to hers. He appeared behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and he was gone, appearing in front of her and flicking her forehead, causing her to stumble backward. He then stepped backward, throwing his sword at an incredible speed. She was able to dodge it, leaving the sword flying past her. Rein ran behind her and caught the sword, motioning a downwards sh that she was unable to dodge no matter her speed. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but then, she felt something grab onto her horn from the back. She immediately started blushing and jumped away, her heart beating like a drum.

    "Wha? Huh?!" She yelled while fidgeting around, her face as red as an apple.

    "Hm? Oh, sorry. I expected that to be your weak point or something. It''s usually how the trope goes with horned characters," heughed to himself, Chloe not understanding a word he said. She inhaled and exhaled,posing herself.

    "You idiot¡­" She whispered, then frowned, remembering the situation she was in.

    "Whatever, let''s finish already." He dashed at her and knocked her sword out of her hand, running towards it and catching it before it hit the ground.

    He was now dual-wielding, using Chloe''s sword while Chloe stood there unarmed and speechless. He pointed her sword to her face and smiled warmly at her, both of them knowing that the fight was over. It all happened so quickly, she had no time to react. Before she knew it, she heard the principal announce the end of the tournament, with Rein Xilris being the victor.

 Chapter 31 - Royal Gratitude

    There was no cheer from the crowd, as they were muted by Rein, who had switched off of that Spring, meaning the effect on the crowd wouldn''tst much longer.

    Suddenly, someone busted through the west entrance. Rein recognized him all too well. He had green hair, blue eyes on a sheltered face, and wore a broach on his chest. He entered, apanied by a ck-haired knight, pping his hands slowly.

    "Well well well, I mustmend you, Chloe. You went and got second ce in the Ranger tournament! That is no small feat," said the man, approaching Chloe. At that moment, Rein''s hold on the audience members was released, erupting them into a happy frenzy.

    "It''s the prince!"

    "Prince Zane has graced us with his presence!"

    Chloe stood there staring at him. "Hello, brother."

    "Hm? Is that the guy you lost to? Hahaha! What a goofy-looking dude," heughed while pointing at Rein. Chloe, remembering that these two have met before, frantically turned around to look at Rein, hoping that Zane didn''t recognize him. She saw Rein with his sword unsheathed, and a metal mask on covering his entire head. She was taken aback at how stupid the metal mask looked, getting slightly embarrassed that her brother thought that she lost to an idiot.

    "Anyways, you remember the agreement? ''If you could sustain yourself living at Ranger academy, you''d be free to do whatever you liked.'' That was what you agreed to. To do that, you needed to win the expense-free luxury dorm. But it looks like you fell short. Father wants you back to your room and under twenty-four-hour surveince immediately," he informed her.

    "But wait! I can still sustain myself! Look, I can go work part-time to pay my dorm expenses! I still get a free ride to the academy, so I won''t have to work that much! I ca¡ª"

    "Seriously? Do you really think anybody would hire you? Look, I''m just trying to look out for you. Since you showed your horn, everyone here knows who you are. It was smart of you to hide your identity when you first entered, but now that it''s out, there''s no chance for you to earn a living here. After that rumor spread, you''re painfully aware of how the continent views you. Please, juste back to the castle, it''s for your own good," he grabbed her arm and began pulling her away, with Chloe not resisting, giving in to her loss. The prince''s motion came to an abrupt halt when somebody grabbed his arm.

    "Let go," said Rein, who was still wearing the metal mask.

    "And who are you?" Asked the prince, signaling his knight, Artus, to not interfere.

    "You agreed that if she could sustain herself, she would be free, correct?"

    "Yes, and since she lost, she''s doomed to fail," the prince bluntly stated.

    "She can live with us, in the luxury dorm. There''s more than enough space," Rein looked over to Emria and Saphri. "Would you girls be okay with that?" He gestured to them.

    "Yeah!!" Emria jubntly responded, with Saphri furiously nodding her head.

    "What the hell..?" Uttered the prince with a horrified expression on his face, looking in the girls direction.

    "What''s wrong Zane?" Asked Chloe, concerned.

    Zane shook his head, snapping out of the trance he was in. He scoffed to himself.

    "Nothing. But really? Sorry to break it to you kid, but only party members can share dormitories. The only reason those two girls are allowed to live with you is that they''re family. Do you really think the school would allow a teenage boy and girl to live together"

    "I''ll allow it!" A familiar voice boomed from the stands.

    "What?!" Reacted the prince.

    "ording to our records, the princess signed up under the boy''s name, along with the two girls in the stands. If they are in the same party, they are permitted to stay at the same dorm," announced Julianne.

    "Do you realize what would happen if the king heard that? He would bring down the force of thousands of men upon this city," threatened the prince.

    "Oh?" Julliane jumped down from the stand and into the arena. She walked up to the prince and looked him dead in the eye. "You think I fear a puny army? I wee the challenge. Tell him to send as many men as he wants, but I swear as the principal of this school, and on my title as the Auburn Dawn, I will not let any harm befall this city." She exuded a crushing aura around her, more powerful than anything Rein had ever felt before. The prince, intimidated by her overwhelming prowess, backed off in a sweat.

    "Fine¡­ I''ll tell him that you won the tournament. I''ll be taking my leave now, but Chloe, I mean this when I tell you¡­ Be careful. And you, with the stupid metal thing on your face. If you do anything to my sister, it won''t be my father you have to worry about," he shrugged Rein''s hand off of him, then turned around to his knight and held on to his shoulder, then vanished into thin air.

    "Huh!? The prince didn''t take the witch with him!"

    "Why?! I thought he was here to cleanse this ce of that menace!"

    "Silence! The award ceremony will be tonight. The next person I hear spout an insult from the crowd," she summoned arge double-ded sword and held it over her shoulder, ncing around the crowd menacingly. Everyone became quiet.

    "And that concludes the Ranger tournament! Pleasee in for the award ceremony tonight to see the winners presented with their prize! See you all there!"

    The two left in the arena exchanged no words. Rein began walking out through the west exit, who was followed by Chloe close behind him. When they got outside, they were ambushed by Emria and Saphri, the girls running to hug Rein.

    "Yay!! Rein won, and we get to live with Chloe!"

    "Indeed. It is quite exciting."

    The three guys who were spectating in the crowd also arrived, congratting them as if nothing happened in the ring.

    "That was one hell of a fight Chloe," remarked Quint.

    "Right? I was sweatin'' my ass off just watching!" Affirmed Reggie.

    "Wha? You guys¡­ You know who I am right..? Maybe you haven''t heard¡­"

    "We know. We''ve heard the hearsay about you, and we''ve seen you in action. We''ve simply chosen to believe in the Chloe that we know," answered Clyde.

    "That''s right. There''s no way someone who''d cry for my sake would be like what those dumbass rumors said," said Quint.

    "You hear that princess? We all trust you. There''s no need for you to hide yourself to us anymore," Rein reassured her.

    She put her hands on her face as tears of joy began flowing down her face.

    "Thank you¡­"

 Chapter 32 - Draconic Princess

    "I was born and raised in Draconica, one of the western-most regions in Econica. My mother was a Dragonborn, and my father was a human, the king of Orthyls.

    I am unaware of the details about how the two met, but I was an illegitimate child. My brother and I have different mothers. The king tried all he could to keep his scandal a secret, but it somehow found its way out to the public.

    When word got out, my father faced no repercussions. Somehow, he was cleared of all me. The queen at the time had instantly forgiven him, either that or she could not do anything about it. For a long time, I lived peacefully with my mother in Draconica. We would asionally receive support from the Orthlys government, but only the bare minimum.

    We got by with our daily life, until one day, the queen of Orthlys became pregnant with a baby that did not belong to the king. It was rumored that she had an affair with a royal guard member, but, unlike my father, the queen at the time was not free of me. She was punished, stripped of the throne, then banished to the outskirts of Orthlys, along with the entirety of the royal guard, who wielded the Spring to control earth. The entirety of the royal guard isposed of the Ash family, a n that was sworn to the protection of the royal family since the beginning of historical records. My father often said that she was lucky she was not executed along with the entire ash family, to which my brother would bite his teeth out of anger.

    After that, there was a void left in the monarchy. The king needed a queen, and that was when my life changed. When I was about four years old, about a year after the banishment of the previous queen, a battalion of Orthlys soldiers showed up at the doorstep of Draconica, demanding for my mother and me. We were forced out of our homes, then taken across the continent to the Orthlys capital, Naji. My mother and I were coronated the same week, inducting us into the monarchy.

    This was not taken well by the Orthlys public. Every time my mother and I would make an appearance in public, we''d be met with a barrage of stones, spit on our faces, and death threats. They called my mother a subus and used her of seducing the king to gain entry to the crown. There was clear prejudice towards the Dragonborn race, based on certain past events. They used our horns as excuses to call us devils, and treat us like threats to the poption.

    The same year, there was a series of serial murders in the capital city. Around that time was when the rumors began to escte. My mother and I were used of being man-eating monsters, who kidnap humans from the city and devour them. The rumors were totally baseless, and it was a simple coincidence that these murders started the year we were coronated. Eventually, the murders stopped, with the true culprit never being found.

    About a month after the murders, my mother contracted an unknown illness and was bedridden. No matter what doctors came in to check on her, they all left within minutes, iming it was something they''d never seen before. But I knew the truth. The doctors wouldn''t even diagnose her. They''d simply walk in, and walk out without doing anything, with the hopes that she would eventually sumb to that illness. She was not allowed outside of her room, and I was barely able tomunicate with her. From then on, a Ranger woulde and take care of me for arge portion of the day.

    Only during that time period would I be able to go out into the town. She also trained me, yed with me, and protected me. Whenever we talked, she would never fail to bring up her kid brother. He was my age, and she spoke so highly of him. She would always talk about how she always returned to him waiting for her at their house entrance.

    Thatsted for the next six years until the war started when she suddenly stoppeding. After that, I began practicing alone and wasn''t allowed to leave the pce grounds. I honed my strength so that the next time I saw her, I would impress her with my progress. To this day, I still don''t know what happened to her.

    About a year ago, my mother was assassinated, murdered in cold blood before my eyes. I saw the murderer''s face, clear as day, but I didn''t know who it was, and they vanished into thin air shortly after, leaving my mother''s lifeless body on the floor. As you all know, that''s where the next batch of rumors came. I was used of cannibalism, murdering my own mother, and eating her like a savage beast.

    From then, I was kept on tight surveince and wasn''t allowed to do anything but sit in my room. My father and brother both trusted that I did not do as the rumors imed, but they both forced me into confinement for my safety. I wanted to find my mother''s killer. I would have done anything for retribution, but with the shackles on me, I couldn''t do anything.

    That''s when I heard about Ranger academy, a ce where a sixteen-year-old could join to be a free-roaming Ranger, with infinite freedom. With that, perhaps the chains on me would be broken, and I could avenge my mother. I begged my father to let me enroll, but he sternly refused to provide me with the funds. He jokingly said ''try if you can, but the moment you leave this pce, you will receive no further support from me!'', thenughed to himself. But that''s when I heard about the tournament, which would let you enroll for free if you pass. I made a deal with my father to give me travel expenses and then left the pce. The rest is history."

    *************************************************************************************************************

    The room was filled with tears after hearing Chloe''s story. Even Clyde and Saphri, who were usually stone-cold, were holding back tears. They all celebrated in the old dorm room, Rein, with the help of the girls, having cooked them 5-star grade food that was better than any restaurant.

    They heard sniffling outside the window. Reggie opened it to check, seeing the masked man sat under it, crying.

    "The hell? What''re you doing here?" He reacted.

    "That was such a sad story. Don''t worry princess, I believe in you," he said as he held a thumbs up.

    "Huh? Since when were you there? Did you hear all of that?" Asked Chloe, surprised, along with a surprised look on Emria and Saphri.

    "Seriously dude, maybe don''t stalk us without our knowledge next time!" Scolded Quint.

    "Without your knowledge? But Rein and Clyde there knew I was here. If they wanted me gone, they should''ve said so¡­" Remarked the masked man sadly.

    "Huh? You two knew he was there the whole time? You idiots, you should''ve said something!" Eximed Chloe angrily.

    "Sorry, I didn''t wanna interrupt. You were really into it," he shrugged at her innocently, with Clyde nodding beside him.

    "I concur. Moreover, I did not sense any hostility from him, so I concluded that there would be no harm in letting him listen," exined Clyde.

    "Anyways, you do you guys even look at the time? The award ceremony starts in ten minutes. Get your asses in gear and head to the arena," informed the masked man, to which they all got up and prepared themselves.

    Later that day, at the award ceremony.

    "Wee one and all! Please take a seat, the award ceremony will begin momentarily."

    The group entered the waiting room. Rein, Clyde, Quint, and The masked man. Chloe entered shortly after, wearing her new clothes. After the tournament ended, Chloe got changed and went clothes shopping with the girls. She wore a one-piece white skirt with a green, unbuttoned coat. On her bottom half, thigh-high red boots and ck skin-tight leggings underneath, covering her legs.

    "Alright! Time to get this thing underway! I will only be announcing the names of those who have consented to it! By the looks of it, we only have one participant who has not. Anyways, in fifth ce, we have contestant two, Quint Vossen!" The crowd cheered. Quint ran out into the arena and epted his schrship from the principal.

    "In fourth ce, contestant one!" The crowd cheered. The masked man exited the room and epted his schrship.

    "Now for the top three! In third ce, contestant seven, Clyde Morioh!" The crowd cheered. Clyde walked to the podium and stood on the third-ce te after he epted his schrship.

    "In second ce¡­ Chloe Orthlysia!" The crowd did not cheer. Chloe stood at the threshold of the waiting room, hesitant to go out. That''s when she received a push on the back and tumbled outside into the arena. She looked back, seeing Rein wave at her, smiling. She was slightly angry but continued to the middle of the arena until she reached the principal, who was holding her schrship. As she approached her, she closed her eyes, afraid of being insulted and not wanting to see the face she makes when handing her the schrship.

    "I congratte you, your highness. I''m sure Wace would''ve done so as well. I hear he was going to be your knight before the royal guard was disbanded. Pay him a visit after this, will you?" Principal Julianne handed her the schrship, then patted her on the back. Chloe took a deep breath, then released the tension in her body.

    "Principal Julianne, would you mind if I spoke to the crowd for a little bit? I have some things to say," asked Chloe, strengthening her resolve.

    "Not at all. Do whatever you want."

    Chloe walked up to the second-ce pedestal, then began to speak.

    "Citizens of the Hasbin gulf and students of Ranger academy, my name is Chloe Orthlysia. I am the 37th crown princess of Orthlys. I know what the rumors say. They call me a devil, a human-eater, and they called my mother a subus who seduced the king. You all may resent me, but I assure you that the feeling is not mutual. I care about each and every one of you, not as a princess, but as a fellow citizen of this wonderful continent. Even if you all hate me, I will do my utmost to protect you all. That will be my duty as a ranger."

    A long silence followed her speech. Everyone in the crowd was mesmerized and did not know how to act. Suddenly, a loud series of ps could be heard from the waiting room, followed by two sets of ps in the audience. It was Rein, Emria, and Saphri, followed by everyone in the arena. Julianne, Clyde, Quint, Reggie in the stands, and even the masked man. The pping spread throughout some of the crowd, the students in Ranger academy uniforms beginning to cheer for her. The citizens, however, kept their cheers to themselves. From then, she strove to earn the townspeople''s trust.

 Chapter 33 - Luxury Room

    "Up next is the champion of the Ranger tournament, and the recipient of the snazzy luxury room on the top floor of the dorm! He''s none other than contestant eight, Rein Xilris!"

    The crowd erupted, Rein, bing a fan-favorite after his victory against Dwayne, which even though they have no memories of it, they still feel a sense of gratitude towards him.

    He walked out of the waiting room and into the center of the arena, meeting the principal there. Instead of handing him the schrship, she threw it to him along with the key to the luxury room. Rein caught them, confused as to why she did that.

    "Wouldn''t want you learning what my Spring is, would I Rein? Wouldn''t that ruin the fun?" She teased.

    He quickly realized why she opted for that. She didn''t want to make contact with Rein, somehow knowing that Rein could deduce what a Spring was by touch. He smiled at her, then shrugged his shoulders innocently, walking past her with his eyes closed. As he passed her, she whispered something into his ear, making his face grow stern as he continued past her to the first ce pedestal. He tried putting what she told him at the back of his mind, trying to erect a facade of confidence to the cheering crowd, but hints of unease could be seen growing on his face.

    "And that concludes the Ranger tournament award ceremony! The new term will begin on November 26th, five days from today. Participants under first ce, excluding the princess, will receive their dorm keys from the receptionist on their way out. Your dorm expenses will be covered until the beginning of the term, so if you want to stock up on some funds, now is the time to do so! With that, I wish everyone the best of luck in future endeavors!"

    As the ceremony was wrapped up, they all exited, obtaining their dorm keys. They all made their way to the first-year dorms, where the group found their rooms and entered them. Reggie paid the tuition earlier during the day, and he was granted a dormitory key as well. They soon found out that the dorm was cut in half, on the bottom half of the dorm was the boys, and the top was the girls. It was 6 stories high.

    On the ground floor was the receptionist, the pantry and kitchen, and a training room, equipped with training dummies, a variety of weapons, and medical supplies. There was also an eastern-style public bath, whose construction was proposed by the principal for some reason.

    Floors 2 - 3 were the boy''s rooms. Although they each got a key, they still had to share rooms, to make extra space. The rooms were fairly spacious and could easily fit two people. Quint was paired with Reggie, while Clyde was paired with the masked man.

    Floors 4 - 5 were the girl''s rooms. Nobody of particrly current importance resided there.

    Floor 6 was the biggest and was divided into 4 with incrediblyrge luxury rooms. Each of the previous floors had about 20 rooms, meaning that the luxury rooms were more than 5 times the size. Unlike the regr rooms, the luxury room had its own kitchen, 3 bedrooms, a living room, and 2 bathrooms, each of them having a hot spring, one being slightlyrger than the other. It also had arge, empty room in the back that lead to the balcony, Rein nning to turn it into a training room. Most of the rooms were already furnished, with things such as a couch in the living room, beds in the bedrooms, and other simple furnishings like tables, chairs, and closets.

    "Amazing!! This ce is huge!!" Eximed Emria excitedly.

    "Indeed. It is almost the same size as our house, but it is much cleaner and fancier, thanks to the fact that my father won''t be here," Saphri expressed with slight satisfaction in her voice, happy that she doesn''t have to build another soundproof room.

    "Alright, let''s get to dividing these rooms before the others get here. You girls can im anything you like. I''m fine with whatever," said Rein, turning around to face Chloe who was still standing outside of the room with a gloomy expression.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked.

    "This¡­ do I really deserve this? All I''ve done up until now was lie to you guys¡­ I don''t¡ª" Rein startedughing.

    "You think you''ve been deceiving us? Sorry, but I''ve known about your identity since the first day. Remember when you tripped? I knew since then but kept it a secret from you. This is the least I could do," heughed.

    "But at least¡ª" She felt herself being pulled in, looking down to see that the girls grabbed her by the arms.

    "If you really want to pay me back for this, then make the girls happy. That''s all I ask for," Rein told her as she was being pulled in.

    "Right! And if you wanna make us happy, you''d live here with us!" Expressed one of the girls, with the other nodding her head. Chloe was so happy that she could''ve broken down in tears on the spot. But she held her crying in, and simply smiled jubntly at Rein, epting his offer.

    After the 4 entered the luxury room, the girls immediately imed therger bathroom for themselves, and two of the bedrooms. Rein was okay with that division, as if the girls had to share a bathroom, it would only be natural that they''d get the bigger one. Rein, Emria, and Saphri began unpacking the things they stuffed into Rein''s inventory. It was a plentiful bunch of stuff, and heavily relieved some of the weight on Rein''s shoulders.

    Strength: 237.0 ¡ú 240.3

    "Damn, four days of holding that shit and only 3.3 strength? Versys, you''re a ruthless man," Rein thought in his mind, to which Versysughed.

    Rein stretch his body, feeling as light as a feather. They waited for the others to arrive, as they all decided to meet up in the luxury room before going to sleep. While they waited on the couch, Rein sprung up a conversation with Chloe while the girls were organizing their things in their room.

    "Well, I guess you won the bet," he told her.

    "What? What bet?" She responded, tilting her head in confusion.

    "''If you''re in that luxury room by the end of the tournament, I''ll tell you everything,'' is the deal I proposed. And look, you''re here in luxury room," he professed, smiling at her.

    "Huh? Wait! But I didn''t win¡­ This doesn''t really count¡­"

    "Do you want to know, or not?" He asked her. She paused for a while. She knew her would be yes, but didn''t want to sound too eager.

    "...Yes¡­" She finally whispered.

    "Huh? I didn''t catch that?"

    "..Yes.." She said it a little louder this time.

    "Speak up, is that a yes I hear?" He continued teasing.

    "Yes! There, are you happy now!" She expressed angrily, blushing extravagantly.

    "I see¡­" He said with a serious expression on his face, catching Chloe''s attention.

    "Well, I was gonna tell everyone, either way, tonight, whether you said that or not," heughed innocently, pissing her off.

    "You jerk!!" She threw a couch cushion at him, hitting him directly in the face.

 Chapter 34 - Forgiveness From The Fated Day (1)

    *knock* *knock* *knock*

    "I''ll get it! It must be them," Emria rushed to the door and opened it.

    "We''re here! Damn, this ce is fancy!" The masked man ran through the entrance as Emria opened the door, followed by the rest of the boys.

    "Huh? Who let the mystery mask guye?" Asked Emria, confused after he barged in. He stood in front of the rest of the boys, all of them waiting for him to move out of the way.

    "My apologies. While I was setting up my room, I found out that he was my roommate. He somehow knew about our meeting and insisted hee. I didn''t see the harm in doing so, so I allowed it," exined Clyde.

    "This is my room you know? You can''t just ''allow'' people in," remarked Rein jokingly, which caused Clyde to grow a devastated expression.

    "O-oh, my deepest apologies Rein¡­ I wi¡ª"

    "Haha, it''s fine. I''d rather have him here anyways. It''d make exining things a lot easier," expressed Rein, as he smiled at the masked man.

    "Nothing gets past you now, huh Rein? I had a feeling you knew," said the masked man, beginning to remove his mask.

    "Yeah yeah, you guys can do this spooky shitter. Sit your ass down first at least," Quint pushed the masked man forward, making his way to the spacious couch that could easily host 10 people.

    "Come on dude, I was about to make a dramatic reveal! Now the mood''s all wrong!" The masked man sat down on the couch, and everyone could tell that he was pouting under the mask.

    Saphri entered the room, holding tea and cookies in her hands, struggling to hold them as she usually to used her Spring to carry things like that. Reggie helped her deliver the refreshments before taking his seat, which Saphri thanked him for.

    3rge couches were situated in the living room. Emria, Saphri, and Chloe sat on one, Clyde, Quint, and Reggie sat on the next, and the masked man sat with Rein on thest. All eyes were now focused on the two sitting on the final couch.

    "Well, nows as good a time as any I guess," the masked man sighed, removing his mask discouragingly.

    "Ta-da! I bet you''re surprised to see me, aren''t you Greeny?" The man''s blue hair and pierced face were revealed, along with the tattoos that covered his arms.

    "Wow!! It''s you Core!!" Emria stood up and pointed at him, then looked over at Rein. "You knew this entire time Rein!?" She looked at him with amazement.

    "Well, I didn''t know for sure¡­ But I was fairly certain," he professed.

    "Stop being modest Rein¡­ I can call you that, right?" He asked him, which confused the others in the room.

    "Yeah, go ahead¡­" Rein''s face grew a sad expression. Core''s face turned from aughing expression into a serious one. The rest of the room didn''t know what it was about but brushed it off.

    "Is miss D8 here too, Core? I wanna talk to her again¡­" Emria asked him, Core then nodding his head.

    "Yeah, she''s in the Gulf, but she''s busy right now. I''ll let her know that you wanna meet, k?" Core promised.

    "K, thanks!" She smiled at him.

    "Hold on. Please exin who you are first," Clyde asked, whose question was also on the mind of the rest of the people in the room.

    "We''ll get there¡­ Let me start from the beginning though¡­" Interrupted Rein, who caught everybody''s attention.

    "There are some details that I have to leave out of this story. First of all, as you may know, my name isn''t really Rein Xilris. Emria and I were adopted by Saphri''s father after the war began. Only Emria, Saphri, and Core know my real name here, but for certain reasons, I can''t tell the rest of you what it is. I hope that''s okay with you all," he exined. The room nodded, and Rein began his story.

    "I used to live in a town called Lifah. Yes, the very same town that was reportedly ughtered by Econican soldiers. There, I happily lived with my sister, Leona, who was the Ranger that took care of Chloe during her mother''s sickness." Rein looked around, seeing the surprise on everyone''s faces, though, Chloe was less surprised than he thought she would be.

    "Looks like you already had your suspicions, didn''t you Chloe?"

    "Oh, no I¡ª"

    "It''s okay. You were right anyways, she''s my sister. I also lived there with Emria, in fact, I helped deliver her, and I babysat her almost daily while her mother was working. Every day was peaceful, but I had no idea about the truth that was brewing behind the scenes. One day, a group of nobles in Orthlys hired a mercenary group to attack our vige."

    When Rein mentioned a mercenary group, Clyde''s face tensed up, and he clenched his fists.

    "The group was called ''Checkmate''."

    Clyde let out a sigh of relief before he spoke:

    "Checkmate, an infamous group of mercenaries. Their group is structured around the game of chess, with the ''Chess master'' being their central figure. Though, that does not make any sense. Throughout Checkmate''s existence, they''ve only taken jobs that involved killing criminals, never the innocent. Why were they hired to attack your vige?" Imparted Clyde.

    "Damn, you''ve really done your homework roommate! To put it simply, we had no choice but to ept. I deeply regret it now, if I hadn''t prioritized myself that day, maybe none of this shit would''ve happened¡­" Core''s face grew twisted, and was filled with torment and anguish. This wasn''t the first time Rein saw that expression on Core''s face, and his pity grew ever greater.

    "Wait, whaddya mean ''we''?" Remarked Quint, confused along with the rest of the room.

    "Oh right, still haven''t introduced myself. The name''s Core. I''m that ''Chess master'' that my roommate mentioned," he imed, everyone growing a surprised face.

    "My name is Clyde¡ª"

    "Anyways, I still don''t know the reason Checkmate took the job, but I do thank them for some of the things that happened that day." Everyone''s face became even more confused, with Emria being the only one who understood what he meant.

    "The hell are you sayin''. How could you thank us? You remember what we did right?" Asked Core, looking down at the floor.

    "Yeah, I do. You let all of the vigers escape and purposefully waited until they were all evacuated until you began the real fight."

    "But we still¡­"

    "If any other mercenary group had taken that job, we would''ve been dead before we even knew what hit us," expressed Rein sorrowfully.

    "But I saw what happened. I was watching. You ran into that burning house to save Greeny. Had she not awakened to her Spring, she wouldn''t have survived¡­" Core replied.

    "That''s not true," Emria eximed.

    "What?" Core reacted, looking up at her.

    "I had more than enough time to escape. But, at that moment, I manifested my Spring. I couldn''t control it, so it was on for the entire beginning part of the attack. As you know, I couldn''t move while my Spring was active, so I couldn''t escape. It just so happened that that same Spring protected me. That wasn''t your fault," she exined.

    "But, your sister¡­ we still caused that."

    "Perhaps you did¡­ You could see it that way¡­ but the moment those Orthlys nobles ordered the attack on the vige, my sister would have sacrificed her life to save us no matter what happened. You lost many soldiers that day, and I still don''t know why you epted the job, but you prevented an even more merciless ughter. Had the mercenary group gone for the kill before we were notified, we would''ve been dead before we knew it. Emria and I might not even be here today," Rein looked at Core with a gaze of forgiveness, Core averting his eyes to not show the tears swelling up.

    "Wait¡­" Chloe''s heart dropped to her stomach. "Leona is¡­ dead?"

 Chapter 35 - Forgiveness From The Fated Day (2)

    The whole room was filled with silence after Chloe asked that question. Emria tensed up, holding back tears. Rein looked away, also holding back tears, not answering her question.

    "I did it," Core muttered, making Chloe re at him.

    "What''d you say..?" She said, filled with extreme anger.

    "I''m the reason she died. Even though Rein doesn''t me me anymore¡­ I still know the truth." Core spoke up, to which Chloe stood up.

    "Y-you''re kidding¡­ There''s no way she''d die¡­ She''s¡­" Chloe spoke in disbelief.

    "You''re right. She shouldn''t have died. I should''ve died there along with my troops. I brought them into battle, yet I''m the only one who survived. If it weren''t for this shitty curse of a Spring," he said regretfully.

    Rein didn''t say a word. Emria was now crying, she could never forget the moment Rein carried her away from Leona, neither could she forget any of the moments that followed.

    Chloe approached Core and looked down on him, with Core having his head down, looking at the floor. She looked over at Rein, who was clearly holding in his feelings. He shook his head at her.

    "Rein¡­ tell me¡­ Was he the reason Leona died?" She asked as she began tearing up.

    "..." He didn''t answer.

    Chloe nced back at Emria who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. She bit her lip and looked back at Core, who was still looking at the floor. Tears continued flowing down her cheeks as she clenched her fist.

    Rein felt powerless in this situation. He couldn''t move, talk, or look at anyone. He simply sat there, cowering as he watched the scene unfold before him.

    "Why¡­ If your group only kills criminals¡­ Why''d you kill Leona..? She was the nicest person¡­ she never had any prejudice towards me¡­ she treated me with kindness, and always made meugh¡­" Her voice was trembling uncontrobly, sniffling ever louder.

    She felt a familiar hand grab hold of hers, a small, tender one. She looked back, seeing Emria holding on to her tightly, shaking her head at her in negation. She broke down and hugged Emria tightly, the both of them crying until their tears dried out. Rein, still looking away from the group, was also crying. The two stood back up and sat back down at their couch, drying thest of their tears, with Rein''s eye''s showing unnoticeable red outlines from his weeps.

    There was a long moment of silence after, which was broken by a trembling sigh from Chloe.

    "Rein and Emria have both forgiven you, but, I''m sorry¡­ I can''t help but harbor some resentment¡­"

    "Heh, It''s fine. Can''t fault you when I haven''t even forgiven myself."

    "Wait, you said cursed Spring? What''d you mean by that?" Asked Quint curiously as Chloe rposed herself.

    "Hm? Oh, you''re¡­ Yeah. It''s the same as your sister," informed Core.

    "What?! You know about her?"

    "Yeah, more or less. I''ll tell you guys about itter," he looked at Rein, telling him that he should continue his story.

    "Yeah¡­" Rein also rposed himself, putting his facade of confidence back on. "After Leona sacrificed herself to protect us, we went back to the vige, where Core was still alive because of his Spring. Ished out at him, cutting him up into pieces. His body continued to regenerate until I gave up. That''s when we heard footsteps. They wereing from the direction that the vigers escaped from¡­"

    Everyone in the room tensed up, knowing what he was going to say, but not wanting to believe it.

    "They ughtered them. Every single viger was killed and thrown into a body pile. The soldiers came to the vige to check for any survivors, and that''s when it happened. I awakened to my Spring. An ability that allows me to copy the inverse of a person''s Spring. For example, when I copied Chloe''s wind Spring, it became earth.

    I ughtered most of the soldiers, but then, the prince came. Chloe''s brother. I don''t know why he was so filled with rage at the time. He was acting on impulse, and he was irrational. The opposite of how he acted earlier today. We fought, ending with no clear winner.

    After that, Core and his subordinate helped Emria and I escape and took us to a man named Voron Xilris, Saphri''s dad. That was when Orthlys dered war against Econica, painting Core''s subordinate and I as the perpetrators behind the attack, iming that we were Econican spies because I was using an Econican army sword.

    From there, I swore to exact my vengeance on those pieces of shit who started this war. I honed my power with Voron''s support and met this annoying prick who lives in my mind. Clyde and Chloe have already met him, why don''t you introduce yourself Versys."

    A clear image popped up in the minds of everyone, it was a ck-haired version of Rein.

    "Heya! My name''s Versys. I don''t really know what I am, but I''m not a prick!" Versys eximed, tell them that he didn''t know what he was to avoid further questions about Rein''s power, as to not have him divulge further information about his System.

    They all startedughing as Versys disappeared from their minds, everyone except Quint, who was still thinking about what Core said.

    "What''s wrong, Quint?" Asked Chloe.

    "... Hey, Core. Mind exining why you know my sister?" He frowned at him.

    "Oh¡­ Well, to tell you the truth, she was the main reason I came here. It happened to work perfectly that Rein was also here," Core professed.

    "What? The main reason you''re here is because of Xenia? The hell do you want from her?" He questioned slightly aggressively.

    "Hmm¡­ Look at it like this. Your sister has a Spring, correct?"

    "Well¡­ Yeah, it''s a cursed one though," Quint answered.

    "What''s her Spring entail? In other words, her symptoms," asked Core.

    "Well, she has extremely frail bones and muscles, which make her incredibly weak. Because of that, she can''t stand, hold everyday objects, nor can she chew on her food," Quint exined with a painful expression on his face.

    Core looked at Rein, who understood what he wanted. He nodded at him, to which Quint grew a confused expression.

    "Anyways, it''s gettingte. We should all go and get some sleep," eximed Core as he stood up, and winked at Rein as he walked out of the door.

    "Indeed. I will also be taking my leave. I thank you for the refreshments," Clyde stood up and followed Core down to their room. Reggie leaned into Quint''s ear.

    "Hey, didn''t you say you promised to visit your sister with the princess after the tournament ended? Well, invite her to go tomorrow!" He whispered.

    "Tch, fine."

    Quint approached Chloe and asked her if she wanted to meet his sister tomorrow, to which she eagerly said yes. Quint left the room with Reggie, smiling ear to ear.

    "Dude, cut it out with that smile. It''s getting kinda creepy."

    "But she said yes! Why wouldn''t I be happy," he jubntly expressed as they entered their room.

    "All your doing is meeting your sister. It''s nothing to be ecstatic about."

    "You''reing with me, right?" Quint asked nervously.

    "Huh? Hell no! Are you stupid or something? This is your chance, I''m not gonna freakin third wheel," Reggie dered as he lightly punched Quint on the back of the head.

    "Ow, dude, your punches hurt."

    *************************************************************************************************************

    The next day¡­

    "Hey¡­ This was supposed to be just me and Chloe. Why the fuck are you guys here?! And you too Reggie?" Quint yelled as they stood outside of the hospital.

    "Sorry man, I can''t refuse the princess¡­" Reggie said as he averted his gaze from Quint.

    "Chloe invited us. She said that we shoulde to meet her too. Though Core just tagged along," Rein exined.

    "Yeah! Wait, why''d you look so disappointed Mr. Quint?" Emria asked cheekily.

    "Indeed. Could you perhaps¡­" Saphri purposefully stopped herself, to which the two girls puffed a smallugh, covering their mouths. Quint growled to himself out of embarrassment.

    "I''m sorry if we''re intruding Quint. I didn''t see any harm in bringing them along. If my actions have angered you then I deeply apologize," Chloe spoke, concerned.

    "O-oh, no! Not at all! I''m totally fine with this!" He lied through his teeth, but he couldn''t stop himself from blushing.

    They all approached the front desk and got permission to visit. She was on the top floor, in room 3-24. They arrived at her room and stood outside of her door.

    "Ok, listen here you bunch of idiots. If any of you do anything to disturb her, I''m kicking you right out. No touching her, no loud noises, no breathing in her direction, in fact, don''t even get near her. She''s my twin sister, so don''t think she can''t roast the shit out of you if you insult her. Not that I''d let you, since you''d be out the window if you talked shit. And¡ª"

    "Dude, we get it. Let us in already you sis-con," Core remarked jokingly.

    Suddenly, Rein and Clyde felt a chill, their eyes widening. They rushed past Quint to the door.

    "What the? I haven''t finishedying the rules!!"

    They threw the door open, seeing nobody in the room. Instead, they saw a symbol etched on the bed with ink as red as blood. It was arge urn vase with a skull in it, with a circle around it. Clyde''s face grew unimaginable terror and rage after seeing the symbol.

    "Crypt¡­" He uttered, as he trembled with anger.

 Chapter 36 - Xenia Retrieval

    Core rushed into the room after them, followed by Quint and the rest.

    "What the fuck!?! Where the hell is Xenia!" Yelled Quint in anger.

    "No way¡­ I had this ce locked down... " Core spoke as he inspected the bed with the symbol on it.

    "Locked down? The fuck does that mean, you knew something was gonna happen?!" Quint grabbed Core by the cor and lifted him up, angrily ring at him directly in the eyes.

    "That is not the issue at hand now Quint. Release him. He has some exining to do," expressed Clyde while still trembling with anger, which made Quint scoff at himself, then throw Core on the floor.

    "Now, exin yourself, Chess master. Why is Crypt''s symbol here?" Clyde asked him intimidatingly.

    "I¡­ Was actually gonna tell you guys about this yesterday, but I didn''t see the need to. As you know, Xenia Vossen was one of the main reasons I came here. She and I share a type of Spring, a cursed one," he exined, getting up and sitting on the bed.

    "You say that like they''re connected in some way. I assume you''re not the only two?" Deduced Rein.

    "Very perceptive. You''re right. There are seven cursed Springs in total around the continent. They were by-products of the war, spawned by the mass conflicts of negative energy around the continent," stated Core, making Rein raise an eyebrow.

    "Spawned by the war? But you had yours before the war began."

    "I''m¡­ a bit of a special case. Can''t really exin it. But Quint, you remember when it was that your sister awakened to this Spring?" Core nced over at Quint, who was clearly in turmoil.

    "Wha? Oh¡­ about a month after the deration of war. We were both about 10 years old," he answered.

    "Right. The criteria to having one of these Springs is that you were 10 years of age at the most when the war began. As I said, I''m a special case," as he said that, Rein''s face lit up with an expression of shock, as if he had juste to a revtion.

    "Looks like you connected the dots Rein."

    "... The ones who hired Checkmate¡­ The ones who intentionally started a war¡­"

    "That''s right. They started the war, then began searching for these cursed Springs. We don''t know how many they''ve captured so far, and we don''t know the reason for their actions. For that reason, I had troops stationed around the hospital, and they were to report to me if anything happened. Right, D8?" A tall, ck-haired woman appeared in the room, kneeling down to Core.

    "Correct. I didn''t see anybody who was suspicious, nor did I detect any abnormalities within the hospital," she exined.

    "Miss D8?" Emria looked at her.

    "Oh, hello there mistress Emria. It is very good to see you again. You as well, master Rein. I hope you have both been well. If my master allows, we may chat when time permits," D8 looked back at Core, who was poised in a thinking motion.

    Clyde approached the symbol on the bed, inspecting it closely. His eyes stopped at a certain point, then spoke:

    "They left directions," he pointed at the circle around the urn and read out the location. "The right angle to Mantos and Hasbin," Clyde deducted, nobody in the room knowing how.

    "The right angle to Mantos and Hasbin¡­" Muttered Chloe as she thought to herself, imagining the map in her head. "Oh, wouldn''t that be the Soot pond southwest of Hasbin? If you connect the three ces, it makes a right-angle triangle, with the pond being the right-angle," she informed.

    "Sounds promising. That''s probably the ce," Rein agreed.

    Quint got up and opened the door angrily, and ran outside the hospital. Clyde ran after him, followed by everyone. As he caught up to Quint, Clyde grabbed his shoulder, making him stop and turn around.

    "Let go."

    "Where do you think you''re going? You think you can fight Crypt alone?" Clyde had a serious expression, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes devoid of any emotion but rage.

    "The hell do you know? Why are you such an expert about this shit anyway? Just who the hell are these Crypt guys?" Clyde tightened his grip on Quint''s shoulder. "Ouch, what the?"

    "They are a ruthless organization with no regard for any life. If they are giving us directions to their whereabouts, I can guarantee that it is a trap. I''m going with you," he dered.

    "What? Hell no, this is my fight. Can''t force others to fight my fight. I''m done with that life."

    "I''m sorry Quint, but nothing you say will stop me. I have my own reasons as well¡­"

    "The fuck? I just sai¡ª"

    "We''re gonna need to ask the principal to let us leave campus or else we''d be instantly expelled for unsupervised exit. Emria, Saphri, you two stay here. We''ll be back before you know it," Rein looked at the two girls as they nodded and ran back to the dorms.

    "What?! You''reing too?" Eximed Quint.

    "Don''t forget about us. Rein and I have a n, and because of my position, I more or less know how Crypt operates. I can assure you that they haven''t harmed her yet, but if we don''t hurry, they very well might¡­" Informed Core.

    "I''ming too. I said I was going to meet her today, and that''s what I''ll do!" Chloe dered enthusiastically.

    "What? I can''t endanger you, princess¡­"

    "Did you already forget that I''m stronger than you? I beat you in the first round," sheughed and refuted, making Quint give up in his argument.

    They all made their way to the principal''s office. . When the group entered, Wace tightened his figure but didn''t react noticeably, as if he was holding in his actions.

    "Good morning princess. I don''t believe we have formally met. As you know, I am the vice principal of Ranger academy. My name is Wace," he said as he knelt down, ncing at Rein at the corner of his eyes, who subtly nodded at him.

    "It''s nice to meet you as well," she answered.

    They exined the situation to the principal, telling her everything that had happened so far.

    "Hm, I see," she said in a thinking motion.

    "Please Principal. Allow us to go after those Crypt monsters¡­" Clyde begged, which prompted a strange reaction from the principal.

    "Oh? Do you have some kind of vendetta against these guys? I''d think that Vossen would be the one begging," she asked Clyde, making him look down in silence.

    "Well, look. I am beggin''," Quint got down and put his face to the ground. "Please give us the okay to leave¡­"

    "And what if I said no?" She provoked him.

    "Then, I''m sorry, but I''m leavin'' anyways. I don''t give a shit if you expel me. My sis takes priority," he dered boldly.

    "Hm, how about the rest of you?" She looked around at the rest in the room.

    "It is the same with me. I will not hesitate to hunt those viins," Clyde followed Quint''s determination.

    "Well, I''m not exactly keen on losing my enrollment here, but I have my own reasons. There''s no way I''m not going," expressed Rein as he stepped forward, everyone else in the room nodding after him, affirming his conviction.

    "Very well then. I will allow you all to leave the premises until tomorrow night. I''ll put this down as a field exercise, and even give you guys a reward if youplete it sessfully," she dered, making the group''s face light up with gratitude.

    "Thank you," Quint smiled at her, then looked back at the group. "You guys too. Never thought I''d have a group of friends that''d be willing to help me outta the goodness of their hearts," Though he still held a slight distrust towards Rein and Core, he decided to believe in this n that they came up with.

    "Heh, I expect great things from this group. You may find the reward a tadckluster, but that is because it''s meant to be split between four, which is usually the maximum party size. I''ll make an exception this time though," Julianne smiled at them as they exited her office.

    "Are you sure that was wise mistress? Frankly, I''m worried," Wace professed.

    "Well don''t be, Wace. The princess is incredibly strong,ing from me, I''m sure you know how much that means. Furthermore, You''ve personally met the white-haired boy have you not? You do trust him to protect her, don''t you? Or would you rather go with them yourself, Mr. Royal Guard?" She teased.

    "Please do not call me that," he said, pushing up his sses, slightly irritated as the principalughed at his reaction.

 Chapter 37 - Journey To Ashes

    They each returned to their respective dorms, picking up equipment for the journey. They all met up at the south exit of the cavern, which led to a small outstretch ofnd on the bottom shore of the Hasbin gulf.

    As they exited the cavern, they all took in the warmth of the sun, this being the first time in about a week that they''d felt it.

    "We''ve no time to enjoy the scenery. Let us make haste for the Soot pond," Clyde said, summoning his tachi from his weapons ring. The rest of the group followed, Rein summoning his dual des, Reggie summoning his knuckle brass, Quint summoning his battle axe, and Core summoning his club, which was only used to knock enemies away. Chloe was the only one who stood there with an air of confusion.

    "Why are you guys already summoning your weapons? We''re not even close to the location," she remarked.

    "Oh, you''ve never been out on the wild roads like this, have you? They''re littered with monsters. Goblins, slimes, bandits, and all kinds of different species. It''s gotten especially dangerous on the roads after the war started. The monsters have evolved in aggression," Rein exined.

    "I see¡­" She summoned her sword. "... Will we be killing them..? You know, the monsters that attack us¡­" She reluctantly asked.

    "Depending on the monster, yes. For example, if a slime or a goblin attacked, those are instant kills. No remorse. Those two creatures are not attacking out of necessity, slimes can live forever without consuming anything but their element, and goblins do nothing but attack and kidnap people. Conversely, if a bandit attacks, we knock them out. If an animal that is hunting prey attacks us, we also knock it out," Rein informed her as they walked down the path towards the Soot pond.

    "Oh¡­ Okay..."

    "You don''t look like you''re up to ending a creature''s life."

    "... I''m sorry..." She apologized.

    "No need to apologize. Trust me, that''s just your inexperience. This world is a shitty ce. You''re thrown in, with no choice but to kill or be killed. That''s how everybody here has lived their lives, me especially¡­"

    They continued walking down the path. They made it halfway there without encountering a monster.

    "This is quite strange. I have never gone this long without encountering a slime or two. There is something strange afoot," concluded Clyde, beginning to scan his surroundings.

    "Yeah, I don''t feel anything around us," Rein kneeled down and inspected the ground under him. "Looks like this dirt''s been off-put."

    Quint ducked down along with him, beastifying his nose and sniffing the ground.

    "Someone''s been through here recently. They smell like¡­" He continued to sniff the floor until he came to a conclusion. "Copper. More specifically, coins. Also a small whiff of Gold."

    Clyde twitched as he heard Quint''s words, attracting everyone''s attention.

    "Nevertheless, let us continue. Hopefully, this person with coins is not too dangerous," Clyde rposed himself.

    They continued walking down the path, talking about previous urrences.

    "Hey Rein, during the tournament, you had a wind Spring, didn''t you? If you can copy the opposite of someone''s Spring, does that mean that a wielder of the earth Spring was near?" Chloe inquired.

    "Yeah, I''ve been wondering about that. Who''s the earth dude you copied from?" Core followed.

    "Sorry, can''t say. Feel free to guess though."

    Clyde lead the group, followed by Quint and Reggie a few steps behind, Chloe a few steps behind them, and Rein and Core a few steps behind her. She was previously walking with the two behind her, but walked ahead while trying to guess the earth Spring wielder.

    "So, you gonna spill the beans?" Core asked Rein.

    "About what? The earth Spring wielder? I told you, you''ve gotta guess. Just look at Chloe, she''s already on it."

    "Not that. Why does nobody remember that guy you fought in the second round?"

    Core''s remark surprised Rein, making him stop walking for a second and look at him with a shocked face.

    "You remember him?"

    "Course I do. Can''t exactly forget about a piece of work like him," Core said, going into a thinking motion. "Though, I can probably guess how you did it." Core made his guess, and not to Rein''s surprise, he got it spot on.

    He expected him to figure it out, as Core was the one who figured out what Rein''s System was. He was always quick on the uptake, and sharp when it came to theory.

    "You''re exactly right. But that''s incredibly strange. The only people who should''ve retained memory were Emria, Saphri, and me. Maybe it doesn''t work on cursed Spring users¡­" Rein theorized.

    "I wonder about that¡­" Core put a finger to his chin in a thinking motion, which also got Rein thinking. Before the two could make any kind of conclusion, they heard Clyde''s voice.

    "We''ve arrived. Be on guard."

    They reached the peak of a hill that overlooked the Soot pond. It was a pitch-ck body of water. Anyone would mistake it for a pool of tar if they didn''t know better.

    "I don''t see anything, you sure this is the ce?" Reggie pondered.

    "Let''s head down and investigate. There must be something we''re missing," Rein proposed.

    They made their way to the Soot pond and began investigating. The shoreline around the pond was charred with ash, and some spots further out also looked burnt. As they continued investigating the surrounding area, they noticed Quint inspecting the pond''s water very closely. The group gathered around him and asked him what he was doing.

    "Oh, I was just wonderin'' if giving this water a taste would do us any good¡­" He strangely proimed, which left everybody confused.

    "What?" Reggie reacted.

    Quint beastified his face, and dipped it into the ckened pond,ing back up with a mouth full of water.

    "The hell? Spit that out! It could be poisonous!" Core warned, he and everyone else rmed by Quint''s actions.

    Quint began swirling the water in his mouth, tasting it on every corner of his gums before spitting it out. He heaved a breath out, and continuously spit.

    "Damn that tastes bad," he looked around, seeing everybody''s dumbfounded face looking at him.

    "What?"

    "You''re okay? The water isn''t poisonous?" Asked Chloe, concerned.

    "O-oh, no it is¡­ I guess I did forget to mention, the parts of my body that are beastified are immune to corrosion, burns, and poison. Don''t ask me why because I don''t know," he exined, to which everybody gave a sigh of relief.

    "Well? Did you discover anything?" Clyde asked.

    "Yeah, I think so¡­ This pond¡­ it''s actually a volcano."

    "Hm? If it were a volcano, wouldn''t there be vapor rising from the water?" remarked Reggie.

    "No¡­ I believe Quint is correct. This ce used to be inhabited a long time ago, but one day, a tragedy befell that forced citizens to evacuate. Back in that time, civilization was just beginning to flourish, so they did not have the equipment to figure out where the eruption originated from. After a while, the volcano went inactive and the continent lost interest in the incident, and it went unanswered for a long time," informed Clyde.

    "And how do you know about it Clyde?" Rein questioned.

    "That¡­ Is not important at this moment. If this pond is an inactive volcano, we should be able to enter through somewhere¡­"

    As Clyde began thinking to himself, Rein suddenly reacted to something that appeared behind them. It was an incredibly loud, ear-piercing noise, produced from an unknown location behind them. Rein erected an earth dome, using the inverse of Chloe''s Spring. The group covered their ears, and the extreme sound waves began crashing against the dome.

    The group was able to effectively defend against the sound, being blocked by their hands and by Rein''s wall, but even through those 2 lines of defense, the sound almost caused them to go unconscious. As he had to maintain the wall, Rein couldn''t defend his ears against the noise, the unbearable pain weakening the strength of the wall. As ast-ditch effort, Rein let go of his grip on the wall, grabbing the group and jumping into the pond with them, sinking them into the void of pitch ck.

 Chapter 38 - Volcanic Invasion (1)

    They sunk and sunk, closing their eyes and mouths to protect against the soot in the water. Even as they sunk, they still heard the ear-piercing noise at a noticeable volume, though not nearly as it was before. Continuing to sink, they eventually dropped through the water,nding in arge cavern underneath.

    The group coughed profusely, all of them covered head to toe with ash and soot. Dazed from the sound, Rein struggled to stand, but he persevered as he used his Spring to remove the pieces of earth on everyone''s bodies, cleaning them of the ck substance that dirtied them. Chloe then used her Spring to dry everybody off, cleaning everybody back to pristine condition.

    After everyone was cleaned, the group noticed Rein''s ears excreting a red liquid as he copsed on the ground. Chloe gasped and rushed to his aid.

    "Rein! Your ear¡­"

    "Damn, that hurt like a bitch," he uttered as he nced over at his health, barely conscious.

    Health: 300/1500 (CRITICAL CONDITION) (Regenerating¡­)

    Energy: 150/750 (CRITICAL CONDITION) (Recuperating¡­)

    "Are you okay? Just lie down, don''t stand up," she asserted as she propped his head on herp.

    Clyde approached him.

    "Do not misunderstand, I am overjoyed that you are okay, and am extremely thankful to you for protecting us, but I do not understand how you are still conscious after that. Even covering my ears inside your earth dome, I could still feel my consciousness slipping away. You must really be something else, Rein."

    Rein couldn''t hear a word he said.

    "The hell? Core''s bleedin'' too!" Quint drew the group''s attention to Core, who was leaning against the wall, his ears bleeding like Rein.

    "Chill out, I can''t die, remember? I''ll regenerate this shit in no time. Don''t really get how they''re bleeding though, I covered my ears like you guys. Guess I''m just weak then," heughed, as Rein tried to stand up.

    He used Chloe''s shoulders as support, getting up on both feet.

    "H-hey! Wait, you can''t stand yet!" She yelled at him worryingly. Once again, Rein couldn''t hear what she said, but he assumed she said something along the lines of what she actually said. Heughed, coughing at the same time.

    "Heh, *cough*. As much as I would love to sleep on yourp for longer, we''ve got to hurry up. Quint''s sister is in deep shit..." He stumbled, dazed and unbnced from his injury. He was caught by Clyde, who lent him a shoulder.

    "Imend your tenacity. Let us continue, I will be your support Rein."

    "Thanks¡­" He responded, again, not knowing what he said.

    The group looked up, seeing a floating body of water above them, simr to the Hasbin gulf. It was where they fell through and looking around, there was only one path to proceed. It was a long, wide, and dimly lit tunnel. They were surrounded by glowing red cinnabar ore across the walls, reassuring the fact that they were in an inactive volcano.

    10 minutes passed as they continued down the tunnel. Suddenly, Rein got a notification on his System menu.

    Defense: 221.3 ¡ú227.9

    [New Skill]

    Moderate Regeneration (Health)

    [New Skill]

    Moderate Recuperation (Energy)

    This was the first time Rein''s health dropped this low, putting his body in critical condition. This caused his System to prioritize healing above other things, granting him moderate regeneration and recuperation.

    He checked his health and energy.

    Health: 921/1500

    Energy: 614/750

    He regained hearing in his ears and took his arm off from around Clyde''s shoulder.

    "Are you okay to walk now Rein? Have you recovered?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine now, thanks for lending me a shoulder and ap," he answered looking at Clyde and Chloe, this time not guessing what he said.

    "Really Rein? Are you sure you don''t need more rest?" Concerned, Chloe inspected him closely. He moved his face away, blushing lightly.

    "Don''t underestimate my healing prowess," he bragged, an attempt to hide his embarrassment. "Besides, we''reing on a huge room up ahead," he gestured his head in front of them.

    They exited the tunnel and entered arge, vast room, simr to the one theynded in. The walls were dotted with cinnabar ores, with spikes of rock protruding down from the ceiling. The cinnabar was getting more and more abundant as they continued through. They stood in the middle of the room, feeling an ominous presence around them. Even to those who weren''t as perceptive, they still felt the peering gazes looming over them.

    "Head''s up, an army''sing," Core informed them, seconds before a gargantuan group of roughly armored men surrounded them. They wore green undergarments, with grey armor tings covering their chest, knees, crotch, and a grey helmet on their face.

    "Tch, mercenary groups with uniforms really have no ss¡­" Core remarked as the key figure of the army appeared.

    "Oh? Is that the leader of Checkmate I see?"

    A man with ck hair and green highlights emerged from the crowd. He wore a dark green robe, which covered his entire body. His nails were painted green, and his eyelids glossed the same color.

    "Well, if it isn''t the Crypt green squad lieutenant, Riskel the Cardinal. A strategist that controls and enhances his army with his mysterious Spring, making the green squad the fittest for frontal attacks," stated Core.

    "Oh, how honored I feel as a lowly lieutenant to be recognized by the leader of the prestigious Checkmate!" Riskel jested,ughing to himself. "Hm? You with the ck hair, have we met before? Well, it doesn''t really matter I suppose," he remarked as he looked over at Clyde, who was stone-faced with no expression.

    "Ah hell, what do we do now Core?" Asked Reggie, preemptively throwing punches into the air.

    Core took out a marble from his pocket and threw it on the ground, summoning his ck-haired assistant.

    "Rein, Clyde, and Quint, get your asses outta here. The path behind us should lead deeper into the cavern. Make sure you remember our n Rein. D8, Reggie, Chloe, and I''ll take care of these guys," he ordered, the three hesitantly agreeing.

    "Watch yourself Core, his Spring is a mystery, but I believe you can figure it out," Clyde gave his parting words before catching up to Quin and Rein, continuing through the volcano.

    "Be careful guys! We''ll finish up here and head over to you!" Chloe yelled after them as they ran through the proceeding tunnel.

    "What? Are you an idiot? You sent away half of your troops when faced against a now unwinnable battle. I guess I expected too much of your strategic ability," Riskel was disappointed, but then sprung up happily when the thought of tearing his opponents to shreds arose into his mind.

    "Sir! Shouldn''t we go after them?"

    "No. Captain can easily take care of those three. We can go after them after we wipe the floor with Checkmate. Haha! Their leader can''t win without an army backing him," Riskel insulted Core.

    "Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer. A true Chess master could beat an amateur with only a Queen, Rook, and Bishop. Let''s see who the better strategist is¡­" Core smiled at his opponent confidently, D8, Chloe, and Reggie readying their stances, awaitingmands from the Chess master.

 Chapter 39 - Volcanic Invasion (2)

    The Crypt green squadron, the squad most fit for frontal assaults and battles during warfare. Their troops, overseen by Riskel the Cardinal, were usually put there due tock of skill and Spring, which was made up by Riskel''s Spring, which gives a universal buff to those around him who meet certain unknown criteria.

    Throughout all of his battles, people haven''t been able to figure out what the criteria was. The squad often picked its battles, avoiding enemies that met Riskel''s conditions. Even in this battle, Riskel was very careful not to engage before assuring the enemies did not meet his conditions.

    After Riskel heard Core''s remark, he smiled nervously.

    "H-haha! You utter fool, there is no strategy involved in this battle, we will destroy you in sheer number and power! There''s tantamount to fifty enhanced soldiers in my army, your measly three will not stand a chance!" Heughed to himself.

    "I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you. How about we just cut the chatter and get on with the fight?" Proposed Core.

    "Tch, are you that eager to lose? Fine then, bring it on!"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Rein, Clyde, and Quint continued running down the tunnel, going deeper and deeper into the depths of the volcano. The cinnabar ore on the wall was increasing in quantity as they progressed, which was providing most of the light in the dimly lit tunnels.

    "Damn, how far does this shit go? We''ve been running for ages now," Comined Quint, breathing heavily after running for a long time.

    "Yes, but it''s about time that we reach the central room of the volcano. It seems that we''ve been running on a slightly declining angle, meaning we are progressing further down into the core of the continent."

    "I hope the others are okay. Maybe it wasn¡ª!" Rein''s speech was interrupted by a sharp screeching noiseing from his mind. He stopped and held his head, trying to make the noise go away. The other two looked at him with confused faces, questioning what he was doing.

    "You guys don''t hear it? The hell¡­ Versys, is that you?"

    "..." He gave no response.

    "Versys? You there man?" Rein panicked.

    "... Up. Familiar sound. Dig¡­ Up."

    As he heard those words reverberate in his head, the pulsing pain in his mind stopped, and he looked up to where the sound wasing from.

    "Rein, are you okay? We must make haste," Clyde expressed, wanting to continue down the tunnel.

    Rein flicked a small ck box at Clyde, which he caught.

    "Once you get to Quint''s sis, open that box. You''ll know what to do after. You guys go on without me, I''ve got some business to settle," he began carving out a tunnel leading up to the surface from his location. They''d been heading north this entire time, so Rein would emerge near the top of the river that intersected the pond.

    "Wait, the hell''s in the box? And where are you goin''?" Quint interrogated, trying to dispel the distrust that he still harbored.

    "You''ll find out when you get there. If you use what''s in that box, I can guarantee the safety of your sister. Mark my words," he jumped into his upwards tunnel, and closed it after him, but not before smiling at them. After the hole closed, his smile faded away as he drilled his way up to the surface.

    "Snap out of it Versys, the hell are you sensing?" Rein thought loudly in his mind, trying to wake Versys up while he was drilling.

    "Huh? What''s up Rein?" He responded normally.

    "You''re normal now? The hell was up with you earlier?"

    "No way¡­"

    "What? What''s wrong Versys?"

    "On the surface¡­"

    Suddenly, Rein broke through the dirt, emerging into the cloudy weather. He saw a man with grey hair, and blue eyes floating in the air above him, waiting for his arrival. He wore a long, flowing ck scarf, a ck jacket with 2 rectangr holes ced in a symmetrical fashion at the bottom of the jacket, with a white undershirt. He wore baggy grey pants, with red anklets between his pants and his ck shoes. He also wore 3 red nes on his chest, revealed by his unbuttoned jacket, and along with his normal weapon ring, he wore 3 more red rings on his fingers.

    As Reiny eyes on the man, he felt a pulsation through his mind as he put his hands on his head, the floating man smiling at him, amused.

    "Took you long enough. Was getting really tired of waiting. See, I''m not the most enthusiastic person," he spoke with a raspy, yetmanding voice that seemed slightly familiar to Rein.

    Rein looked up at the man.

    "Who are you?" He asked him simply. The man sighed, thennded on the ground and stood in front of Rein. He put his hand over his eyes and spoke.

    "The name''s Luther. Honestly, I''m not even supposed to be here. Just came to see you in person, Rein Alister," he peered at Rein through an opening in his fingers, with his previously blue eye turning red.

    Rein immediately summoned his sword and jumped backward, beginning to tremble against this mysterious enemy.

    "Hey, no need to be scared. I''m not gonna kill ya, no, that''d be counterproductive. Just here to see if you''re worth the fuss that woman always gives ya. Wanna see if your worth my time in other words."

    "That woman? How the hell do you know who I am?"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t spill the beans. You''ve been using an alias this entire time, right? My mouth is sealed."

    "That''s not the issue! Tell me who you are right now!" Rein was shivering in uncontroble fear, scared and confused at all the hints he''s gotten from his opponent.

    "Oh, I''m sure you''re smart enough to figure out who I am. I''ve given ya plenty of hints so far."

    "..." Rein gulped the ball of spit that was forming at the back of his mouth, paralyzed with fear, understanding who his opponent was.

    "Damn, you''re scared shitless aren''t ya? And here I was thinking your hatred for her was pure. Didn''t know you harbored fear as well. Sheesh, I guess I overestimated ya. How''re you gonna get revenge like this?" The man spoke as he summoned his weapon. A ive spear that he spun around his head as he summoned it, readying it in fighting position.

    "Those rings, their just like¡­"

    "Oh? You''ve done this before with yours too? It''s pretty convenient right? For me, it holds the Springs I take. I assume it has a different effect for you?"

    Rein took a deep breath, stabilizing his trembling body, but not his fear. He was able to calm his mind so that he could ask questions and take some answers.

    "You know my aunt? Melina Alister?" he asked.

    "You sure you wanna ask that when you already know the answer? I''ll give ya two more questions before I start the fight. Better make em count," the manughed.

    "Were you the one who made that noise? The one who forced us into the pond?" Rein asked his second question, assuming the answer to thest one was a yes.

    "Yeah, that was me. Come on man, you''ve only got one more question, cut it out with these boring ones," Luther responded, getting slightly annoyed.

    "You were flying earlier, and you said you store Springs in those rings¡­ Could you perhaps be¡­" Rein''s voice started trembling as it softened, then he stopped talking out of fear.

    "Heh, now that''s a good question. You don''t have to worry about not saying the S-word with me. I wield the Steal System. We can talk freely about it, so don''t hold back. I can take Springs and do whatever the hell I want with them. In this case, I infused them into these rings. That flight Spring was something I got a while back from someone I knew," Luther braced his weapons, readying himself for a fight. "That''s all of your questions done. Get ready for a fight, Rein Alister¡­"

 Chapter 40 - Volcanic Invasion (3)

    "Hey, Clyde? What do you think is in that box?" Quint inquired, as they ran into the depths of the volcano.

    "I am not certain, but I assume it will be apparent once we open it. Though, I''m worried. Rein seemed very shaken when we left him¡­ I just hope that he''s not bitten off more than he can chew."

    They continued down the long, narrowing tunnel until they reached an opening in the cave, revealing arge, stone door, decorated with cinnabar ore.

    "This is it. Xenia''s through here, I can tell."

    "Indeed. And he''s here too," Clyde tightened his grip on his sword.

    "Huh? Who''re you talking about?"

    Without answering Quint''s question, Clyde opened the door aggressively. The room''s walls were filled with cinnabar ore, glimmering across the sides, filling the room with a red light. They saw an orange-haired girl, wearing hospital garments tied up and blindfolded in a chair atop arge circr te in the back of the room. The te was emanating a pale blue light under her, which mixed with the orange light of the pool ofva surrounding the te.

    "Xenia! We''re here! Don''t worry, we''ll get you out of there!" Quin ran at full speed towards the te, wanting to save his twin sister.

    "Quint? *cough*, no please don''te any closer¡­ The man will¡­"

    Clyde''s senses twitched. "Quint! Get back!"

    Something flew down from the ceiling in front of Quint, then bulleted towards him at an extreme speed. Quint closed his eyes and braced for contact, but heard a loud nk, the sound of metal colliding. He opened his eyes, seeing Clyde standing in front of him, having deflected the bullet. Clyde looked up, and yelled sternly:

    "Galo, reveal yourself!"

    Quint looked up, seeing a floating tform made out of gold descending to meet them. A man with brown hair and green eyes stood on the floating tform, wearing a ck suit, with green outlines around the outsides of the suit, a green tie, and green gloves.

    "Hmph, long time no see Clyde. What are you doing here?" The man descended, frowning at Clyde and meeting him dead in the eyes.

    "Do not speak so casually to me, dark elf."

    "I''m not interested in you. Where''s the white-haired kid? I was already notified that he passed Riskel''s squad."

    "Why do you need to know. Like hell we''d tell you¡­" Clyde pointed his tachi at the man.

    "You know this guy Clyde?" Asked Quint.

    "..."

    "Oh? He hasn''t told you? Clyde used to be one of us. Granted, he wasn''t on my squad, he was on the red squad with Roki¡ª" As Galo uttered those words, he felt his face get scratched, Clyde having grazed his cheek with his sword.

    "Do not utter that name in my presence¡­" Clyde gazed into his eyes with an intimidating glow in his orange iris.

    "Tch, looks like you''ve gotten faster," said Galo unenthusiastically. "Sorry kid, forgot you had beef with him. Anyways, if you won''t tell me where the white-haired kid is, then I guess I''m gonna have to beat it outta you. Sheesh, what a hassle."

    "Be careful Quint! He''s incredibly strong!" Xenia warned, as both of them braced themselves for battle.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "Chloe, to your rear, fend them off without using your Spring. Reggie, cover her square with a barrage. D8, attack their second line of defense from above. Try and get as close as you can to Riskel," Core and Riskel have been going at it, despite the difference in power, Core has been keeping up with Riskel''s troops.

    "Hahaha! Your pieces are beginning to weaken Core! Meanwhile, mine are thriving! And I''ve yet to unleash their full power!" Riskel gloated, not giving his soldiers anymands as their sheer strength outperformed Core''s strategies.

    "The three of you regroup! I have a n," he ordered them, then began thinking to himself. "If we want to beat him, we have to figure out what makes his Spring work. To do that, we need to somehow directly attack him¡­"

    "Hey, Core? The hell should we do? Their getting closer!" Reggie panicked.

    "Chloe, give Reggie an air current to the ceiling. Make it subtle, so they don''t notice your Spring. We''ve gotta keep that a secret. Reggie, when you get there, punch one of the spikes down," hemanded, his directions being fulfilled shortly after.

    Chloe provided a current of air, which lifted Reggie to the ceiling. From there, Reggie dropped an enormous spike, falling down to the ground.

    "D8, don''t let that spike hit the ground! Capture it!"

    The ck-haired woman jumped up to the falling spike, putting her hands on it, turning it into a marble-shaped object.

    "Perfect. Chloe, make another air current. Fifteen meters north, then about four meters east. Carry that marble through the current, and on my mark, release your Spring," Core ordered.

    Chloe waved her sword, creating a current of air that lead to Core''s directions. D8 inserted the marble through the air current, sending it flying through the air to the precise location. Reggie was holding off the troops that came, struggling by himself. Core carefully watched the marble as it soared through the air.

    "Wait for it¡­ Now!"

    Suddenly, therge spike appeared over Riskel''s head, causing a heavy wind to blow from the sudden expansion.

    "EEEK!" Riskel ran with all of his speed, barely dodging the falling rock. With their overwhelming speed, the other soldiers were able to easily dodge the rock. Rubble was sshed onto Riskel''s robe, causing him to go into arge fit of distress.

    "AHHH! Soldiers! Clean the dust off my robe immediately!" He panicked, ordering his soldiers for the first time in the battle while sweating profusely.

    "But sir, shouldn''t we keep up the offense? We''ve got them on the ropes¡­"

    "Silence! My robe takes priority! Don''t think you can win without my Spring you fool!" Riskelmanded, short of breath from screaming.

    "Damn, we barely missed. We almost got him though," Reggie remarked, disappointed.

    "Nah, we got ''em. We got ''em real good¡­" Core smiled from ear to ear, putting his arms over each other in confidence.

    "Did you figure something out Core?" Asked Chloe.

    "I think so¡­ This n is gonna rely on you princess. I know you have your gripes with me, so it''s fine if you don''t want anything to do with it. I don''t even know if it''s gonna work¡­" Core proposed.

    "I''ll do it. No matter what my feelings say, there''s no denying your strategic ability. And besides, if Rein''s forgiven you, then I''ve gotta try too," she replied sternly, ready to follow his n. Core smiled.

    "Alright then, it''s time to checkmate him!"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Meanwhile, back in the Hasbin gulf.

    "*Yawn*, I''m so boooored. There''s nothing to do!" Comined Emria,ying down on the couch in the living room.

    "Indeed. I am also finding it difficult to keep myself entertained," concurred Saphri, sitting up straight beside her, staring off into the wall.

    "Right?! Rein could''ve at least given us something to do! We didn''t even bring the crafting station and materials from back home so we could make it here on time!"

    "Yes, it was quite a shame. I simply wish there was something to do. Do you think we should go mining for materials?" Saphri proposed.

    "We could¡­ But Rein told us not to leave the town... "

    The two girls simultaneously gave off a long sigh, embracing their boredom to the maximum. A few seconds passed ofplete silence when suddenly, the door barged open, a brown-haired woman walking through.

    "You girls need something to do? Thene with me!"

    "Principal Julianne?!" The two girls reacted in a confused and surprised tone, jumping up from their seats.

 Chapter 41 - Charred Battles (1)

    "Principal Julianne? How did you know we were bored?" Emria inquired.

    "You two girls were alone in a room, I was simply monitoring you via the spy devices installed in this room."

    "Excuse me? We are being spied on? I was under the impression this was a luxury room, not an infringement of privacy," Saprhi stared at her, unamused.

    "Don''t worry, we don''t normally use them. I just wanted to make sure you girls were safe. I noticed you said you wanted to do some tinkering yeah? Well, I have just the job for you! Think of this as Ranger training. This is the kind of job a mechanical Ranger would take on," she exined, as the eyes of the two girls lit up with excitement.

    "Well? Whaddya say? Wanna try?"

    "Yes!/Yeah!" They answered in unison, following the principal out of the room.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "That''s the n, you got it, princess?" Core was conferring with Chloe, telling her his theory about Riskel''s Spring.

    "That''s the best shot we''ve got. I''ll give it my all!" She fired herself up, preparing herself to fulfill Core''s n.

    "Perfect. Reggie! D8! Cover for the princess a little longer!"

    "Roger that!"

    Reggie, who was in the front, was barely able to avoid critical harm from the powerful soldiers, while D8 was able to hold them off effectively, but not able to go on the offensive. It was clear that team Core was at a severe disadvantage.

    "Haha! What a futile effort! I admit, I did not see the spikeing, but it was still no use!" Riskelughed, suddenly feeling a gust of winde to his direction.

    It came from behind Core, Chloe suddenly sprinting out to the side at full speed.

    "Wha..? I noticed that she was a Dragonborn, but is that really the Orthlys princess? There is no mistaking it, that is the royal wind Spring¡­" Riskel uttered, thenughed. "But it doesn''t matter! You''re still too slow! Soldiers! Full power!" He cranked his Spring to maximum output, making the soldiers even more powerful. As the soldiers grew exponentially in power and speed, Reggie was now retreating, and D8 began struggling to defend.

    Chloe continued running to the nk, the ultra-fast soldiers now catching up to her. She took a sharp turn towards Riskel, boosting herself into the air and jumping above the mob of troops.

    "Now princess!" When Core yelled that, Chloe burst a current of wind through her heels, propelling her red boots off of her feet, hitting Riskel directly in the face. The attack dazed him for a second and impaired his vision, but due to his Spring, they didn''t do much damage.

    "Tch, how dare you! If that was your n, then it suck¡ª huh?!" As he removed the boots nted on his face, Chloe had disappeared from his vision. "Where did she go? Soldiers! Find¡ª"

    Suddenly, a monstrous hurricane of wind blew beside Riskel into the frontlines, ridding Reggie and D8 of the soldiers attacking them.

    "Huh? Was that her? Where did that powere from?! Soldiers! Protect me at any cost!"

    The soldiers formed a circle around Riskel, and using their enhanced speed and strength, put everything into protecting theirmander.

    "Pitiful," Chloe uttered as she dashed through their ranks, blowing each of them away as if they were feathers. She continued dashing back and forth, forward and backward, each time producing a gust of winrger than thest. The wind swirled the army together, creating a symphony of air,pacting the soldiers into a single point in the cavern, crowding around Riskel.

    "Hey! Get off me!" Riskel struggled, trying to free himself from the bodies of his soldiers around him.

    As Chloe flew above them, Visible wind began vacuuming into Chloe''s de, umting charge for one final attack. Her power was through the roof, unlike anything they''d ever seen before. Suddenly, lightning began bolting in the cave, swirling vigorously around Chloe''s sword.

    "No way¡­ That bastard figured out my Spring? But how!" Riskel spoke his parting words.

    Chloe shed horizontally at the crowd, infusing the wind with electricity in a vigorous gale of wind that propelled at the army, obliterating the opposing battalion. The soldiers were spread around, electrocuted, and knocked out.

    With all the enemy soldiers incapacitated, D8 approached them and captured them in her Spring, turning them into marbles.

    Chloe''s strength returned to normal as she copsed from exhaustion. Before she hit the ground, she was caught by D8.

    "Ah, thanks¡­"

    "No, it''s my pleasure princess. Please get all the rest you need," D8 responded.

    "She''s right. You did amazing, now rest up," Core said.

    "That was awesome Chloe! How''d you get all that power?" Aksed Reggie.

    "I would ask the strategist over there¡­ I don''t really get it myself," she said, making Reggie turn his head to Core in curiosity. Core sighed, beginning to exin what had just taken ce.

    "You noticed how protective Riskel was over his robe? No matter what happened during the fight, he didn''t want his robe to be damaged or dirtied. I deduced two reasons why that was the case. Number one, he''s a neat freak and doesn''t want to get dirtied, or number two, his robe''s appearance has something to do with his Spring. Looking around his army, I was able to connect his robes appearance with the rest of the soldiers: The color."

    "Oh! I see. So whoever''s wearing the same color as Riskel gets a boost in power and speed! And Chloe''s wearing a green coat! That''s why Chloe was able to benefit from it¡­ But if that''s the case, then why''d it take her so long to get powered up? She was wearing the green jacket the entire time," stated Reggie.

    "Right. That''s why she kicked her red shoes off, which directly opposed her green jacket," Core exined.

    "Not sure I''m following."

    "Riskel''s Spring doesn''t only boost people wearing the same color as him, but it also equally weakens people wearing the color opposite to him, in this case, red. Chloe wasn''t being affected by his Spring in the beginning because she was wearing both green and red, which canceled each other out. Kicking her red shoes off removed that debuff," Core expertly exined, mesmerizing the group with his brilliance having figured out the enemy''s power so effortlessly.

    "That really was amazing though princess, you have the power of lightning. I assume thates from your draconic side. That''s probably why Rein was able to control metal when he copied your Spring. Too bad you only unlock it at a certain power threshold," Core stated. Chloeughed softly, her energy levels incredibly low.

    "I guess I''m just gonna have to get stronger and level up my Spring," she uttered, resting her head on D8''s back, who was giving her a piggie back ride.

    "Anyways, let''s continue. The others must be¡ª" Core stopped talking. Suddenly, blood burst out of his ears and mouth, copsing him on the ground, coughing up blood.

    "Master?!" D8 rushed over to his side, still holding Chloe on her back who''s eyes re-opened when she heard Core copse. Reggie Caught Core before he hit the ground, the blood he was coughing not stopping.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    A little earlier, above the ground.

    "I won''t use a Spring, and I expect you not to use one too, k? Let''s just fight, stats to stats," Luther spoke to his petrified opponent.

    "H-huh? Why..? Are you giving me a handicap because you know there''s no Springs for me to copy here?" Rein asked, slightly irritated, but too scared to decline.

    "Oh, no. I just wanna see what you''re made of. Came all this way out here, it would be a shame if the battle ended too quickly. I wanna get my portion of fun," Luther said as he perked in energy, stretching his neck to warm up.

    "Fine¡­ Let''s go."

    The two dashed at each other, Rein going full speed from the beginning. He attacked continuously, with maximum power and speed, but nevernding an attack. His blows were effortlessly dodged and blocked by Luther, who expertly wielded his spear, deflecting Rein''s swords by intricately spinning his ive.

    This exchange continued until Rein began to realize the true power of his opponent. Luther finally counterattacked, jabbing Rein''s chest with the back end of his spear, sending him flying backward.

    Rein dragged his feet across the ground, slowing his velocity and regaining his bnce. When he looked back up, Luther was gone from his spot. He felt a light tap on his shoulder, to which he turned around attentively, continuing to attack. Luther sighed and didn''t bother to dodge this time.

    "Let''s see if you can even prate my skin."

    Rein shed at full power, directly slicing Luther''s shoulder. To his dismay, his sword cut through Luther''s sleeve, then bounced off of his skin. Rein continued shing, producing the same results every time.

    "Damn, so you''re this weak. I''m gonna need you to stop ripping my jacket," he uttered as Rein continued to attack. Luther held out his palm and ced it on Rein''s stomach, lightly flexing his hand muscle which sent Rein flying into the dirt, making a visible dirt trail in the ground.

    Rein nced at his health

    Health: 927/1500

    "Shit," he thought to himself. "Those two light attacks did more than a third of my health. And earlier he brought me down to 300 with one attack¡­ He''s just toying with me¡­" He thought to himself as Luther picked his nose out of boredom, flicking the booger away.

    "Hey, kid! When''d you first activate your System? How long ago?" Asked Luther, screaming across the grassy field they were in, which was surrounded by charred grass.

    "Huh? Why do you want to know?"

    "Just tell me. I won''t do anything with the info, just curious."

    "... About six years ago."

    "And what level are you?"

    "... 90¡­"

    "I see. That''s pretty average if you use a contractor¡­"

    "Contractor?" Rein''s curiosity piqued.

    "What? You don''t have a contractor?!" Luther''s surprise was evident through his voice as if having a contractor was par for the course for System wielders.

    "The hell is a contractor?"

    "You''re telling me that you got to level 90 without a contractor? Did you kill high-level monsters or Spring users? Oh, other than Dwayne."

    "How the..." Rein stopped mid-sentence.

    "A contractor is someone who can earn you experience by killing creatures. Anything they kill, you get the experience for," Luther exined.

    "How do you set a contractor then?" Rein continued the conversation, trying to stall for his health to recover.

    "Well, you know that pain you feel whenever you try and tell someone about your System? Yeah, whoever you do that to automatically links to you," Luther exined.

    Rein raised an eyebrow, confused. "Then I should have like 3 of¡ª" Rein was interrupted by Luther, who was rifying the statement he previously said.

    "Oh, but you can only have one contractor. Whoever you first tried telling is your contractor, and shares life force experience with you. In other words, killing," As Luther finished speaking, he saw Rein''s face grow a heavy expression of disappointment as if he regretted his previous actions.

    "The first person I tried telling about my System¡­"

 Chapter 42 - Charred Battles (2)

    Meanwhile, in the volcano...

    Quint and Clyde stood there, waiting for their opponent to make his move. Galo waved his arm, summoning a wave of copper coins at Clyde and Quint. They dodged, maneuvering around his attacks. With the coins moving rtively slowly, they were able to find an opening and attack him directly. Galo defended himself and blocked with the coins, but not effectively, both of them able to cut through his wall of coins, grazing him slightly.

    "Impressive¡­" Uttered Galo.

    "The hell is this guy''s Spring? Why can he control coins? And how is the gold tform floating?" Asked Quint as they broke away from the battle.

    "Galo, the green squad captain. He can manipte all matter, depending on the value ced on it by public perception. His go-to ammunition is copper coins, which are made out of a strong material and have a certain value ced upon them. His hold over them is fairly weak though, as they are not worth an extraordinary amount," Clyde exined to Quint, who seemed to understand.

    "So is that why he can float on that gold tform? Cause gold is worth so much?"

    "Correct. And we are lucky he is not using it to attack us. We would stand no chance if he were to use as valuable a material as gold. With the correct ammunition, he is easily the strongest member of Crypt," Clyde imed, which made Galough.

    "You give me too much credit. Dunno bout being the strongest in Crypt, but your first statement was true. You would stand no chance if I used pure gold."

    "Guess it''s a good thing there''s none here then," Quint spoke, relieved.

    "Oh? I wouldn''t be so sure."

    Suddenly, Galo jumped off of his tform, crossed his arms, and began controlling the gold he stood on. He stretched it, split it, and solidified it, controlling it with maximum fluidity.

    "Shit¡­ Maybe I shouldn''t have said anything," said Quint, bracing himself for an attack.

    The speed at which the gold moved was untraceable, the two who fought it not being able to dodge. They were thrown around, beat, and rag-dolled by Galo.

    "Tell me, where is the white-haired brat?" He asked while attacking them.

    "Like I''d ever tell you¡­" Uttered Clyde, barely able to block the lightning-fast gold that attacked him.

    Clyde activated his Spring, affecting both himself and Quint, which cut his Spring duration in half as he was affecting double the people. They were able to barely escape the barrages of gold that pummeled them, with enough energy to reconvene.

    "The hell¡­ This guy''s too strong¡­ And it''s not even that much gold too¡­ Hey, now would be a good time to check what''s in that box," Quint proposed, which reminded Clyde.

    He opened the box Rein handed to them, revealing a crimson-red ring ced inside. Clyde was only able to inspect it for a second before the barrage of attacks continued, forcing Clyde to put it back in his pocket. Theva pool around Xenia was beginning to fiercen, with a shot ofva spewing out, getting dangerously close to hitting her.

    "Xenia! Are you alright?" Quint was able to find a brief moment to himself, where he made sure his sister was okay.

    "Don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine! Watch out for yourself Quint!" Xenia blindly warned Quint, somehow knowing that the piece of gold was flying directly towards his back.

    Quint was able to react in time thanks to his sister''s warning, beastifying his back to cushion the attack.

    "Impressive. But you can''t keep goin'' forever. You''re eventually gonna run outta gas," Galo smiled, as he continued his barrage on Quint and Clyde.

    Clyde found a moment of respite, putting the ring on, feeling his vision turning a tint of red, then taking it off instantly.

    "Did my Spring just... invert..?" He thought to himself. "Why would Rein give this to us¡­ Perhaps he wanted us to use it on Galo? No¡­ It would be nearly impossible to get this ring on his hand. And besides, if his Spring is inversed and he''s able to control worthless matter, he may be able to control rocks and wind. I would rather not take the risk¡­" That''s when it hit him. A stroke of genius.

    He looked around his surroundings, the cave being filled with cinnabar ore as far as the eye could see.

    "I see what you were trying to tell us Rein¡­ I just need to get to her," he thought to himself. "Quint!"

    "Y-yeah?"

    "I have a n. It will make use of your poison immunity. All I need to do is reach your sister''s location, and we may have a chance at winning."

    "Huh?"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Meanwhile, back in the Hasbin Gulf.

    "Um, miss Julianne? Where are you taking us?" Emria inquired while following the principal into a mysterious-looking elevator on the ground floor of the dormitory. Saphri followed silently.

    They reached a basement floor, the walls filled with tools, materials, and other misceneous items. The room was grey, with a scent of cold steel writhing through the air.

    Julianne banged her hand on the wall, shaking the room, the sound drawing out a girl in the backroom of the floor.

    "Huh? Who the hell was that?" A young, rough-looking elf girl emerged. She had red hair, yellow eyes, and a red cap on, wearing a yellow shirt with the sleeves pulled up to her shoulders and brown pants that were also pulled up to her shins. Her hair flowed down to her waist, tied together at the end with a hairband. She was about 5''5 in height.

    "Girls, meet Raxo. A second-year student that took over the engineering club at the academy. She''s been having some trouble with her gadgetstely, so help her out," Julianne introduced them, inducing an angry reaction from the red-haired elf.

    "Hey! The hell are you doing bringing these kids to my workshop? I told you to find me club members, not grade schoolers!" Raxo remarked rudely at Julianne, which earned her a whack on the head.

    "I expect you to pay them for their work!" Julianne eximed as she went back up the elevator, leaving Emria and Saphri in the engineering club.

    Emria turned around to face Raxo, followed by Saphri. Raxo looked at them both and heaved a heavy sigh.

    "Ah what the heck. My name is Raxo Tincer, 17 years old, president, and currently the only member of the engineering club. How old are both of you?" She interviewed them, Saphri giving a small reaction when she heard her full name.

    "My name is Emria Xilris and I''m 12," responded Emria.

    "And my name is Saphri Xilris and I am 13 years of age," Saphri continued. "Your name is Tincer? Could you be the daughter of Alen Tincer? The CEO of the Echopany in the Orthlys capital city? The ones who specialize in utility rings?"

    "Yeah, that''s me. My dad sent me here to get better at engineering, though it was probably just to get rid of me since I break everything I touch," she said discouragingly.

    "Well, we can''t wait to get to work!" Emria affirmed, trying to cheer Raxo up. Saphri looked at her with an air of suspicion, before following them into the backroom to look at Raxo''s gadgets.

 Chapter 43 - Charred Battles (3)

    Meanwhile, somewhere above the Soot volcano.

    "Sounds like you made a mistake with your contractor. Didn''t that idiot in your head tell you about it?" Asked Luther, who seemed strangely amused by the situation.

    "Hey! Versys! You there?!" Rein thought to himself loudly.

    "Yeah, I''m here! Why haven''t you used me yet? Don''t tell me you think you''re gonna win with stats alone? He''s more than double your level!" Versys informed.

    "Now you tell me¡­ Anyways, do you know about this contractor thing he''s talking about?"

    "Now I do¡­ I''ll tell you about it more in detailter, but here''s the gist. Remember when you were outside Daster talking to Core about the dream you had? You tried mentioning your System. Remember when you felt that light-headed sensation? At that time he actually felt it too. That was when you linked with him," Versys exined.

    "That''s not good¡­ Is there any way to un-link it? Core can''t kill anything, so he''s useless¡­" Asked Rein while paying attention to Luther, who was whistling, throwing his spear around for fun.

    "No¡­ Once you have a contractor set, you can''t unlink them unless they die¡­ Which means you''re stuck with him forever," Versys informed, which made Rein''s disappointment grow greater. He readied his swords again and red at Luther.

    "Here are the stats of his System. I''ll put up an image in your mind," Versys obtained the information from the times the two made contact.

    Steal System:

    Level: 211

    Health: 5130/5130

    Energy: 2565/2565

    Speed: 607.9

    Strength: 802.3

    Defense: 722.0

    Intellect: 402.8

    [Skills]

    UNKNOWN

    "Hey, you done talking to your System yet?" As Luther said that, he appeared directly in front of Rein''s face with supersonic speed.

    Rein reacted by taking a step back, then began retaliating, swinging at him vigorously, which he dodged effortlessly.

    "Man, I don''t have time for this. Let me show you something cool," Luther said, Rein giving a confused reaction.

    Luther''s eyes turned red, but not like usual. Usually, the red glow would only appear for a brief moment, but this time, it persisted. His hair began glowing a bright golden color, with a smile appearing on his face.

    "This is a skill called ''System Take-over'', STO for short. You manifest 100% of your system. Also changes the color of your hair, which is kinda clich¨¦, but looks cool. During this state, all of your stats gain a buff, and you''re able to use multiple powers at once."

    Rein couldn''t take his eyes off of him. He stared in amazement, feeling the soul-crushing power that emanated from his enemy. He was speechless, unable to utter a word.

    "I know I said I wouldn''t use my rings, but I change my mind," as those words left Luther''s mouth, he flew to the air, creating a sonic boom at his departure.

    Rein blocked the impact with his swords, his eyes darting around, trying to spot Luther. Suddenly, he felt something grab his foot. He looked down, seeing a hand with red rings on it gripping his boot, not letting go. Panicking, he carved out the earth under him, leaving a crater where he stood. There was nothing in it, and the arm no longer held his foot. He looked up, seeing Luther holding his hand out. Suddenly, Rein felt himself being pulled in, raising him up from the ground towards Luther''s direction. When he reached him, Luther grabbed him by the cor andughed innocently, yet devilishly at the same time.

    "There''s no earth up here, how''re you gonna block the sound this time?" His outstretched hand, instead of producing a gravitational pull, began producing the same deadly sound that Rein''s ears were familiar with.

    Rein''s eyes turned red, surrounding the two with a tornado that gusted around them, releasing Rein from Luther''s grasp and incasing himself in a gale of wind, blocking out most of the noise.

    "What the? Did you switch Springs?" Luther was caught off guard, confused as to how Rein was able to use the wind Spring.

    Rein used his memory flip skill, allowing him to manifest a Spring from his history for 1 minute every 24 hours.

    Rein floated in the air, breathing heavily. He felt his energy diminishing.

    Health: 867/1500

    Energy: 239/750 (CRITICAL CONDITION)

    "Well, impressive kid. Didn''t expect that from you," he said, impressed.

    Rein used the air to jump above him, leaving one of his swords floating where he took off. He continued floating above him, suddenly dropping on him, shing his sword with Luther''s ive. Shortly after, to Luther''s surprise, he felt a sharp edge pierce his cheek, scratching him, but not drawing blood. Rein had re-activated his earth Spring, extending the steel of the floating sword he left into Luther''s cheek, who was very softly grazed. Luther thrust Rein away, sending him plummeting to the ground. Rein waved his free hand, making a path of earth rise to catch Rein mid-fall, using it to maneuver around his enemy.

    He flew through the air, catching his falling sword, then continued circling around Luther as he floated there with his eyes closed. He created paths of earth that floated in the air, using them to swiftly encircle Luther, who returned his ive to his weapon ring, then opened his eyes. Rein blinked and Luther was gone. He felt his hold over the earth under him weakening, then eventually fade away, once again sending him flying into the ground. He was able to soften hisnding but not with nearly as much effectiveness as before. He reacted with extreme confusion, sure he still had energy left over.

    Energy: 102/750 (CRITICAL CONDITION)

    Once again, he felt himself being pulled in, but this time, it was into the ground under him. He once again blew out the earth he stood on, removing the barrier between Luther and him, who was somehow in an intangible state, standing inside of the floor. As the ground dissipated from under him, he flew towards his enemy, suctioning him to Luther''s location much faster. Luther caught him by the face, Rein struggling to remove his arm. He tried attacking him with the earth that surrounded them, but like before, his hold over his Springs felt incredibly weak.

    "There''s no defending yourself this time. Let''s see, you have 751 health? I''ll do just under that then."

    He emitted sound from his hand again, but this time, it was much stronger than before. It was as if he could control the level of the Springs he used. Rein''s health began dropping at an rming rate, spewing blood from his mouth and ears. He felt as if his head was being ripped off, then re-attached, then ripped off again, over and over again until he lost his mind.

    Health: 767/1500

    Health: 538/1500

    Health: 234/1500

    Health: 1/1500

    When Luther released his grip on his face, Rein''s eyes were as white as snow, with no pupils in sight. Luther cast his half-dead body aside, wiping off Rein''s blood from his hand.

    "Sheesh, learn some manners kid," he sighed then looked away, beginning to fly away slowly. "The kid has moderate regeneration, so he should be able to recover. There''s no doubt I did some permanent internal damage though. My guess is that he won''t recover past 200 health," he said to himself, his hair turning grey again as he de-activated STO.

    Suddenly, Luther noticed the blood that was smeared on his hand began disintegrating, shortly before the area around Rein and Luther became encased in a gargantuan earth dome, cutting off Luther''s escape route.

    "The fuck?" He turned back around at Rein, who stilly on the floor, lifeless. Luther had an air of confusion as he couldn''t see Rein well due to the darkness, at least until he took a closer look. Rein''s hair had turned pitch ck, and he could see his fingers twitching while he was on the ground.

    "Did he..? No way!" Panicked, he flew back in Rein''s direction at full speed. When he arrived, Rein was no longer on the ground. He was standing, ring at Luther menacingly with his night-ck hair and crimson red eyes. Luther beganughing hysterically, putting his hand up to his face out ofughter.

    "You continue to surprise me, Rein Alister!"

 Chapter 44 - Charred Battles (4)

    Meanwhile, in the core of the Soot volcano, Clyde and Quint continued defending against Galo''s attack, in wait for an opening.

    They blocked and dodged, barely able to keep their bnce against the relentless attacks of the extremely powerful gold that Galo fluently controlled.

    "Tch, hey Clyde! We''re not gonna be able to retaliate at this rate!"

    "Persevere, I am sure an opportunity will arise!"

    Suddenly, they felt a tremor in the cave, causing the magma to be riled up, spewing a dose directly over the te that Xenia sat at.

    "Xenia!" Quint screamed in anguish, seeing a ssh ofva hovering over his sister, who was unable to dodge.

    However, to his surprise, the gold that was attacking them relented, Galo using it to block the magma from making contact with Xenia.

    "Huh? He saved her..?" Quint stood there in disbelief.

    "Nows not the time to be in awe! This is the opening we needed!" Clyde slowed down time for the two of them, giving them 5 seconds of elerated movement.

    "Oh, sorry man!" Quint beastified his mouth as he did before they entered the Soot pond, then ducked down to gulp someva, which his insides were immune to when beastified. He held it in his mouth until Clyde hopped up on some rocks and shed a chunk of cinnabar ore from the walls, tossing it down to Quint to mix it in his mouth with theva.

    "Is the processplete Quint?" Clyde asked, to which Quint held up a thumbs up.

    "Very well then," Clyde breathed out, releasing his Spring.

    Galo swatted away theva that stuck onto his gold after protecting Xenia, theva leaving a small mark on where it stuck on the gold. In a matter of seconds, Galo was able to expunge the mark that was left by theva, which would''ve decreased the value of his gold, thus decreasing his control over it.

    "It seems my strategy will only be effective if we cover the entire chunk. We''ll need to be careful," Clyde thought to himself, as Galo reverted his attention back to the two.

    "It would be a pain in the ass if a cursed Spring dies. We wouldn''t wanna go out finding another one," Galo spoke, justifying why he saved her.

    He began his relentless attacks once again, Quint still holding the concoction ofva and cinnabar in his mouth, waiting for the right moment to strike, hoping Galo wouldn''t notice. Galo hesitated in one of his attacks, as he heard another loud tremore from outside of the volcano. Quint took advantage of the opportunity and opened his mouth.

    "Predictable," Galo uttered, the gold moving at unseen speeds, ramming into Quint''s stomach, making him spit out the mercury acid that he held in his mouth. He tried reacting by beastifying his stomach, but he was toote.

    "Hmph, I''m assumin'' Clyde came up with that strategy. You wanted to use the mercury acid produced by mixing magma and cinnabar ore together to amalgamate my gold, rendering it virtually valueless. I have to admit, that was a pretty good strategy if only your friend there didn''t make it so obvious. I''m geussin'' the areas he beastifies get a boost in strength and fortification, but also gain poison and burn immunity on his inner side," Galo concluded, looking at Clyde who was now standing in front of Quint who was squirming on the floor, his stomach still beastified.

    Galo sent his gold flying at Clyde at full power, who then activated his Spring with him and Quint, allowing him to stall 5 seconds for Quint to recover. Clyde tried waking him, but to no avail. As Clyde''s Spring duration ended, he was swatted away, sending him flying into the wall at an intense speed. He impacted the wall with incredible force, causing him to spit out blood, and immobilizing him for a period of time.

    "That''s one pain in the ass done with," Galo said as he nced back at Quint, who was now trying to stand up, holding his battle axe in both hands. Galo sighedzily. "And herees another one."

    "I will¡­ Save her¡­" Quint dered wearily, nting both of his feet into the ground and pointing his battle axe at his opponent, his stomach still beastified.

    "No! Quint, take your friend and run away! Please, I''ll be fine!" Said the frail, orange-haired girl who sat in the center of the room.

    "Heh¡­ How many times have I heard you say that? When we were kids livin'' in the slums of Zacrozir with no parents, you''d always go out and beat the shit outta those bullies, with a smiling expression on your face, saying ''I''ll be fine!''. And you always were, don''t think I''d ever seen you with a scratch on your face. You always saved my ass from being theughingstock of the slums, and you never let me hear the end of it.

    You were as bright as the sun, always cheerful and happy, bringing smiles wherever you went. Sure, you annoyed the hell outta me sometimes, but you were stronger, more diligent, and kinder than anyone I ever knew. Despite all that, you still got hit with that shitty curse.

    After that, your expression changed when you uttered those three those words. Instead of smiles, I saw frowns, and your condition continued to worsen. You always said that you''d be fine, but you weren''t fine¡­ And you aren''t fine now," he gripped his battle axe with extreme resilience, gritting his teeth.

    "I promised myself that I''d see you smile again, and I''d sooner die than abandon that promise!" He screamed with great conviction, almost as if his injuries were gone, which they clearly weren''t.

    The girl broke down into tears, streaming down the blindfold that was put on her, not saying a word back to her brother.

    "Honestly, I''d rather not be in a situation where I have to tear apart a family. That red bastard is more suited for these situations. Sorry about this¡­" Eximed Galo, with a hint of regret in his unamused voice, as he sent the gold flying straight at Quint''s face, as his stomach was still beastified.

    Quint blocked his face with the de of his battle axe. The gold, at full power,pletely shattered the steel edge of Quint''s battle axe, breaking into countless pieces as Quint gazed at the gold approaching his face. The gold''s speed was enough to bullet through the steel axe, meaning that if this made contact with Quint''s face, his brains would be sttered on the floor.

    Quint''s life shed before his eyes, remembering the times he spent with his sister vividly. Theyughed, cried, and fought each other.

    "No! It''s not over Quint!" He heard Clyde''s voice, his world bing slow motion. He snapped out of his trance as he gazed at the block of gold approaching his face.

    "I can only keep this level of slowness for 3 seconds! I know you still have more in you!"

    Quint grit his teeth, unconsciously thanking Clyde for the wake-up call. He unbeastified his stomach to beastify his entire face, turning into some kind of werewolf. As he did, he felt a sharp pain inside his stomach as he opened his mouth widely, catching the bulleting gold in his fortified mouth. Clyde''s Spring wore off, returning the gold to its original speed, Quint writhing in agony from his stomach and mouth. The gold continued spinning under his teeth, sending sparks of heat flying from the friction.

    "Now way¡­ That''s one hellova mouth you''ve got there," Galoplimented, increasing the power on the gold, causing Quint to squirm out loud. Quint growled furiously, emanating a fierce aura from his face, gritting his teeth to the maximum of his ability, veins popping out of his head.

    "I''m mnot mdone myet!" He tried articting words while biting down on the gold, then beastifying his stomach once again, while keeping his face''s transformation active. A bulge of liquid rose through his stomach and up to his neck, as he regurgitated a slew of mercury acid, releasing it on the gold around his teeth.

    The goldbined with the mercury, amalgamating it into a silvery substance that held no globally epted value. Galo''s hold over the gold was severed, causing the bullet in Quint''s mouth to stop elerating. Quint fell over in exhaustion, his body returning to normal as he rested on the ground.

    "The fuck? Did he just regurgitate mercury from his stomach? So when I hit him with my gold, he swallowed some before spitting the others out?" As Galo said that, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, turning around to see that Clyde had justnded at Xenia''s location.

    "Stay still for a second Xenia," Clyde said as he simultaneously cut off all of her bindings, including her blindfold. The blindfold that was on her didn''t do much in the first ce, because ever since the curse wasid upon her, she''d had incredibly bad eyesight. She could barely make out the outlines of people, and she hadn''t seen a face since the beginning of her suffering. Not even sses could solve the deficiency.

    "Who are you?" She asked the man that cut her bindings, looking at his blurry outline. Clyde grabbed her frail hand and knelt down on one knee.

    "My name is Clyde Morioh, a friend of Quint''s. I am here to rid you of this curse, Xenia Vossen," he dered as he ced the object that Rein gave him around her ring finger, as her hazel eyes began to regain life...

 Chapter 45 - System Take-Over

    As the ring was ced on her hand, she felt as though the weight of a thousand suns was lifted off her shoulders. Her previously frail bones and muscles became the opposite, instilling her with incredible energy and power. Her frail joints became fortified, and her lungs opened up, allowing her to finally take deep breaths.

    Her vision returned, the first thing she saw in nearly 6 years was the ck-haired kneeling in front of her, holding her hand. It was as if a prince had just saved the sleeping beauty from her slumber, or at least that was how she saw it.

    Tears began flowing out of her eyes, but she didn''t blink. She wanted to look while she could, scared that her vision would go back if she blinked. She stared at Clyde''s orange eyes, her tears beginning to obscure her vision. Too scared to wipe them off, she let them rest, but before she knew it, Clyde had put his hand up to her eyes, drying her tears.

    "You do not have to worry. As long as this ring rests on your finger, you will never lose strength," Clyde reassured her as she continued to stare at him in awe.

    "The hell did you just do? Did you cure the mystical curse?!" Galo reacted, surprised.

    "Hmph, this was not my doing. It is the fruition of Quint''s resolve, and the creation of the ''white-haired brat'' you are so obsessed with," Clyde said as he stood back up to face Galo.

    "Well, that''s not good. My orders said to kill you if you got close to escaping¡­ Man, I wish it didn''t have toe to this," Galo spoke regretfully, scratching the back of his neck as he looked up at the ceiling.

    "And how will you manage that? Your gold has amalgamated. It is now virtually worthless," asked Clyde curiously.

    "Gold isn''t the only valuable thing you know?"

    Galo sighed, then crossed his arms again, releasing a tsunami of liquid mercury towards Clyde and Xenia. The wave was incredibly wide, encasing their entire surrounding so that they could not escape. It was a gaping attack, the mercury slowly approaching as Clyde activated his Spring.

    "Tch, I was toocent. Think, Clyde! Think!" He started squeezing his brain, thinking of a way the two of them could escape. Suddenly, the hospital-robed girl stood up from behind him and grabbed his tachi, holding it in the worst form that Clyde had ever seen.

    "I''m gonna borrow your sword for a sec, k?" The question had no weight, as she had already taken his sword without his consent. As he was about to protest, he felt a weight of overwhelming power emanating from her, making him take a step back.

    She shed vertically, the shockwave created by her strike being enough to part the wave of mercury that approached them, splitting them into the pool ofva on both sides of them. The mercury burned in the magma as Clyde''s Spring wore off, who was standing behind her in awe, her orange hair flowing in the wind produced by her sh.

    "Incredible... I was thinking of possible escape methods, but you simply blew it away¡­" Clydeplimented. She blushed and gave him his sword back.

    "Oh, i-it was nothing!" She replied, flustered. "I-it''s all thanks to you..." She stuttered, mumbling her words together.

    "Well shit, guess I''m done for. *sigh*, I''ll be taking my leave now. Got no more ammo in here anyways. Take care of your unconscious friend here," said Galo unamused, approaching a secret tunnel that lead to the surface.

    "Hold it! Where do you think you''re going?" Clyde yelled from across the cavern.

    "Cut me some ck dude, your friend is about to die. Take care of him and get off my ass," was Galo''s way of saying that he gave up. Clyde began speaking as Xenia was still catching her breath behind him.

    "I just have one question for you before you leave¡­ Wh¡ª"

    "Oh shit¡­ Get off of that te! Now!" Galo interrupted, as the te the two were standing on began glowing an azure light, creating a beacon of blue that reached the ceiling of the cave.

    The two had no time to react, Clyde being too exhausted to activate his Spring, and Xenia still catching her breath, as she was not used to her newly inversed Spring. The two were wisped away, teleported to another location.

    Galo ran to the te, trying to follow them, but the blue glow had faded away by that time.

    "Shit, this is gonna be a pain in the ass to exin¡­"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Earlier, above the volcano.

    Rein sleepily awakened to a hazy ck void, feeling that it was somehow a familiar ce. It felt the same as the depths of his mind, where he usually talked with Versys. However, when he looked around, he saw nobody. Versys was nowhere to be seen. It was simply a pitch-ck void as far as the eye can see. He felt a red glow above him, looking up to see two words written in English, anguage he never learned. Two glowing crimson words that he could not decipher.

    "*** ****"

    "The hell do those words mean? And where am I..?"

    After looking around for a little longer, his eyes were blinded by a white light that glowed behind the red words above him, instilling the ck void with a snowy glow.

    [New Skill]

    System Take Over

    He was lifted into the white void, the pitch-ck space that he was inbined into his hair, the glow of the red words reflected off his eyes as he felt himself awaken in the crater that he was in when he fell unconscious, feeling overflowed with power.

    He clenched his fist, creating a dome of earth, encasing himself with Luther. As he stood up and grabbed his sword, he noticed that one of the des had blood at the tip. Before he could inspect it, he saw Luther appear in front of him, with his hair not yellow anymore. He had a smile stered across his face and an excited expression.

    "You continue to impress me, Rein Alister!"

    Within the same syble that Luther spoke, Rein had moved at lightspeed, shing Luther across the chest, causing blood to gush out. He shed with the sword that was clean of any blood, now staining it with Luther''s.

    Luther''s chest continued gushing out blood, grabbing it out of pain as he coughed.

    "Well shit¡­ Look''s like you can prate my skin now," he said as he felt his health dropping.

    Health: 4125/5130 (regenerating¡­)

    Energy: 2423/2565

    "Guess I''ve gotta try now. Maybe you''re worth my time after all!"

 Chapter 46 - Azure Light

    Rein checked his stats.

    Level: 90 ¡ú 119

    Health: 1500 ¡ú 2370 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Energy: 750 ¡ú 1185 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Speed: 225.7 ¡ú 317.2 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Strength: 240.3 ¡ú 401.3 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Defense: 227.9 ¡ú 324.5 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Intellect: 202.8 ¡ú 291.4 (x1.19 STO boost)

    Inventory Limit: 580.6 kg ¡ú 802.6 kg (x1.19 STO boost)

    [Skills]

    Significant Regeneration (Health) (NEW!)

    Significant Recuperation (Energy) (NEW!)

    Cold Affinity: Resist

    Demonic Affinity: Resist

    Slime Affinity: Resist

    Earth Affinity: Resist

    Sound Affinity: Resist (NEW!)

    Expert cksmith

    Legendary Cook

    On Sight: Allows you to copy the Spring of someone by simply looking at them, as long as you know what it is.

    Warped Touch: Enables you to flip the Springs of other people by touching them for 3 seconds.

    Spring Absorbtion: Taking the life of a Spring user grants the System a new skill based on the Spring

    Memory Flip: Every 24 hours, allows you to copy a Spring from your inverse history for 60 seconds [Refreshed!]

    System Take-Over: Buffs your stats and skills based on your level. Shreds through energy at an rming rate (NEW!)

    *************************************************************************************************************

    As usual, every time he gained a level, he restored his health and energy, but he had somehow gained 29 levels. He didn''t know how, nor did he question it at that moment. He took advantage of the opportunity and used his power to fight Luther.

    With his memory flip skill refreshed, he was able to copy Emria''s Spring from his history, while still using the earth Spring as STO allowed you to use multiple Springs at once. As Rein grew stronger, so did the Springs that he copied. While Emria''s Spring still hindered his defense, it was not nearly as much as before, meaning that he could still tank some hits.

    Rein dropped the earth dome he erected around them, as he didn''t want Luther''s sound Spring to echo in the enclosed space, and he also wanted to preserve energy. Rein had to try and end the fight in one minute before memory flip ran out. He went all out on Luther, who now seemed to be engaged in the fight. He blitzed around him, Luther barely being able to keep up without STO active. It was now Rein who was on the offensive, relentlessly attacking, forcing Luther to defend, who wasughing all at the same time.

    Reinnded a devastating blow on Luther''s ve, rattling him, making him take a knee to the ground. Rein swiftly capitalized on the opportunity, encasing the downed man in a ball of earth, crushing it down as much as he could, then shing through it with his swords, causing the ball of earth to crumble.

    There was nothing inside. Once again, Rein felt something grab onto his feet, making him stab downwards, digging a deep hole that reached the magma thaty below them. Luther wasn''t there, popping up shortly from behind Rein, delivering a quick sh at Rein before dropping back down into the floor. Rein was able to block the attack and then retaliated, creating another hole leading to the magma.

    The next time Luther popped out of the ground, Rein was ready. He shed horizontally at him, but to his surprise, his sword went straight through him. This allowed Luther to confidently sh at Rein while he recovered from his attack. Using his enhanced speed, Rein dodged his attack, then made a gaping hole under Luther, not allowing him to duck back into the ground.

    "Smart y," Luther remarked, smiling at Rein.

    Luther activated his flight Spring, removing his intangibility. Rein realized this fact, then bulleted towards the floating man to attack him. Luther blocked Rein''s quick attack, Rein thennded on the other side of the gaping hole he created and jumped back, continuing this pattern until Luther slipped up. He continued flickering towards him at incredible speeds, back and forth across the volcanic hole in the ground. Eventually, Rein was able to clip Luther''s shoulder with a sh, cutting him with the same sword that had Luther''s blood on it.

    He noticed that his other sword, which had blood on it when he awakened, was nowpletely clean. He wasn''t able to ponder it for much longer, as the next time he bulleted towards Luther, he had activated STO, turning his hair yellow and his eyes red. Rein went straight through him,nding on the other side of the hole again. He looked back, and Luther was gone from his spot.

    He felt a presence behind him, above him, in front of him, and to both sides of him. He was surrounded by copies, or clones of Luther, all smiling at him every way he looked. He had cloned himself 5 times, each one of his clones outstretching their hands, Rein knowing what he was about to do. He preemptively de-activated Emria''s Spring, knowing that he wouldn''t be able to handle the attack if it was activated. He needed as much defense as possible.

    As Rein expected, Luther once again released the ear-piercing sound he was familiar with. The noise Luther now created was the loudest yet,ing out of 5 different ces. Rein grit his teeth as he was brought to his knees. Luther nned to make Rein erect an earth dome around him, then have a clone appear from under the ground into his dome to reverb the sound in that enclosed space, making it echo. Except, Rein didn''t erect an earth dome. He stood there, withstanding the noise, thanks to his new skill.

    "Hmm? You''re withstanding the sound now? Impressive, but with your speed diminished, can you handle this?" Luther took a breath, then the sound that was produced from his palms turned into a maic pull, stretching Rein from all sides.

    Gripping his swords, Rein''s body was stretched into an x shape, each part of his body being pulled in a different direction. Luther strengthened the pull, making Rein grunt from pain. Suddenly, Rein let go of his swords, making them fly directly at Luther''s clones, the clones disappearing into a cloud of nothingness. That action freed Rein''s arms, enabling him to attack the other two clones with his earth Spring, who then also disappeared.

    All that was left was the one flying above him, as Rein began propelling upwards. He extended his swords from both sides as he flew using his earth Spring, catching them by their des, on one hand touching Luther''s blood that had sttered onto the sword earlier. To Rein''s amazement, he was able to inverse Luther''s most active Spring through that, copying the maic pull Spring, obtaining a repulsion Spring. As he approached Luther, he retracted his swords and held them by the handles, releasing a wave of repulsion at Luther.

    He dropped back down on the ground as Luther flew up. He looked up, seeing the flying man suddenly disappear.

    "So that one was a fake too, huh?" Rein said to himself.

    "That''s right, the real one''s down here," Luther eximed as he rose from the ground. "I''m impressed, I didn''t know you could inverse my Springs too. Gotta be careful with that."

    "Tch, how the hell are you so strong," Rein said as he felt his powers catching up to him, beginning to tire.

    "Well, my contractor''s no slouch, that person''s a machine when ites to ughter," Luther erased his yful expression, recing it with a serious one as he gazed Rein in the eyes. "I don''t know how you recovered, or how you gained so many levels, but your experience with STO is nothingpared to mine," he frowned at Rein, noticing that he was at a loss for energy and that his ck hair was beginning to turn white from the ends.

    "Well, I''d say you''re just abou¡ª" Luther was interrupted by a blue light that beamed up into the sky a little ways away from them.

    When Luther saw the light, his face went into a full panic, de-activating his STO.

    "Ahhhhh!! Shit! I forgot about that! Man, I''m gonna be in such deep shit! Fuck, I need to think of a way out of this¡­" He began thinking on the spot, Rein being confused as to what just happened. Luther remembered the situation he was in, then turned to face Rein.

    "Well, I''ve gotta go now, kid. But don''t get toofortable, we will fight again soon. I expect you to be way stronger than you are now. See ya," he said as he frantically took off, flying north at full speed.

    Rein de-activated STO, heaving a deep breath, then releasing it in relief. He checked on his health and energy.

    Health: 1973/2370 (REGENERATING¡­)

    Energy: 97/1185 (RECUPERATING¡­)

    "I still have some juice left in me. I should go investigate that light. Looks like it came from the center of the volcano," he said as he picked up his swords, noticing the one with Luther''s blood was still stained, while the other had somehow cleaned itself.

    "What the hell was that? Did the blood disintegrate off of this one? And how in the world did I gain so many levels? Versys, you got any ideas?" He thought to himself.

    "Don''t look at me man, if you''ve got no clues, then I can''t give you answers. Anyways, you should get going to that blue light. I have a feeling something freaky happened," Versys informed, as Rein returned to the tunnel that he dug from the path towards the center of the volcano.

    When he returned back down into the tunnel, he met up with Core''s group, who were hurriedly making their way into the center of the volcano, with a distressed look on their faces...

 Chapter 47 - Mysterious Disappearance

    Earlier¡­

    Reggie caught the copsing Core before he hit the ground, blood running through his mouth and ears.

    "The hell? Core..?" There was a long silence, receiving no response from the blue-haired man.

    "Master Reggie, please set him down on the ground," said D8 as she ducked down to listen to his breathing.

    "..." She didn''t say anything. She just had a confused expression stered on her face.

    "What''s wrong..?" Reggie asked as he also ducked down, feeling no aire out of his mouth.

    "No way¡­ He''s¡­ Dead?" Reggie uttered, putting his hand on Core''s stomach. Give me a second, I can find out his symptom¡­" He said, using the Greybrewer family autopsy technique.

    "Nothing¡­ I can''t get a read on what made this happen¡­" His words made Chloe, who was still resting on D8''s back, twitch, then stand up.

    "I can¡­ Get him to breath¡­ With my Spring..."

    "Please just rest princess. I don''t know how, but he has died. This is an abnormal amount of time though, he usually recovers within 10 seconds. He should be recovering any second now."

    Chloe put her shoes back on, and it wasn''t until about 40 seconds in until Core opened his eyes again, sitting up from his death.

    "Thank goodness you are alright master, you had us worried," D8 greeted him.

    "I had you worried? How long was I out for?" He asked.

    "About 40 seconds. You spit up blood through your mouth and ears all of a sudden, we have no clue how though¡­" Reggie informed him, which made Core think to himself.

    "That''s weird¡­ What could this mean? I randomly spewed blood from my ears and mouth? Maybe¡­ that sound Spring earlier was poisonous, and whoever was hit by it dies after a certain amount of time?" As he said that, the group dawned on an awful thought.

    "Then that means¡­" Chloe uttered, thinking back on who else was hit with the Spring.

    She shot up, forgetting her exhaustion, and sprinted to the center of the volcano, followed by the rest of the group who shortly caught up to her.

    "Hey, it''s just a theory! I''m probably wrong!" Core yelled as they continued running down the long tunnel that took Clyde and Quint 10 minutes to cross.

    "..." Chloe didn''t say anything back. She continued down the tunnel, with a devastated expression on her face.

    As they continued down the tunnel, they heard a voice call out to them.

    "Why are you guys in such a hurry?" It said. They immediately recognized the voice, Chloe immediately calling out after it.

    "Rein? Is that you? Where are you?!" She asked frantically.

    "Look up," he was sitting in a hole above them that lead to the surface, all of them hadn''t noticed it as they were so tunnel-visioned. He dropped down in front of them, all of them looking like they had just seen a ghost.

    "Woah, you guys look relieved to see me. Did you miss me that much?" He said jokingly, Chloe suddenly hugging him, pressing her face into his chest.

    "I''m so d¡­ You''re okay¡­" She regained her exhaustion, as she copsed in Rein''s arms. Rein caught her, then held her light body up.

    "What happened Chloe?" He asked as held onto his ripped shirt while he was still holding her.

    "We thought you were¡­" Chloe didn''t say anything after that. Rein looked at Core, who exined the situation to him.

    "You copsed while coughing blood from your ears and mouth? And you thought the same would happen to me?" Rein re-told their words to him as they continued down the tunnel.

    "Right. We thought the same would happen to you since you were also hit by the sound Spring," exined Core.

    "Oh well about that¡­ I''ll tell you guys all about itter. We need to hurry to the center though. There was a weird blue light that came up from there."

    "A blue light..?" Core said with a worried expression.

    When they made it to the room, they saw Quint sprawled out on the ground, squirming in pain, trying to crawl towards the blue te in the center. They saw a man with brown hair and green eyes standing on the te, with his hands on his face in an irritated pose.

    "Hey D8, can you hold Chloe for a second?" Asked Rein, handing the princess over to D8.

    "Of course," she responded, taking her off Rein''s hands.

    Rein ran up to Quint, who was still trying to crawl towards the te, writhing in pain.

    "Hey, what happened here Quint?" He kneeled down to ask him, Quint looking at Rein with tears in his eyes.

    "They''re gone¡­ They disappeared¡­ Clyde and Xenia¡­" He struggled to speak, crying out of pain and frustration. Reggie approached him and put his hand on Quint''s stomach, closing his eyes.

    "Looks like a metallic poison is in his stomach. If he''s not treated soon, he could die¡­" Reggie summarized, using his family''s symptom identifying technique.

    "Metallic? I can extract it out then, would that fix him up?" Rein asked.

    "The mercury already damaged some of his organs, but taking the rest out would definitely help," concluded Reggie, making Rein extract the mercury from out of Quint''s mouth.

    Reggie held Quint on his back, then Core walked past them, addressing the man standing on the te.

    "Galo the Green, mind exining why there''s a teleportation te here?" Core asked him, making Galo turn his attention to him.

    "You must be the leader of Checkmate. And that guy beside you¡­ He must be Rein?" Galo inquired.

    "Answer the question," Core ignored him.

    "Sorry for the inconvenience, Clyde wasn''t supposed to go through. We were after someone else, but I guess it''s toote now," Galo scratched the back of his head.

    "Where''d they go? Where does the te lead to? And who were you after?" Rein interrogated.

    "Sorry, can''t spill the details about that. The te''s a one-time use too, so it''s a pain that I can''t even use it to get back," he snapped, un-amalgamating the gold Quin spit mercury on, then hopping on to it like a tform. "You captured Riskel, right? Maybe he''ll tell you if you ask him nicely. I honestly can''t be bothered," he said, flying out of the cavern on his floating gold tform.

    "Shit, what do we do now?" Asked Reggie.

    "There''s nothing we can do¡­ Principal Julianne gave us until tomorrow night to return, if we don''t get back by then, we''re expelled," stated Core.

    "Yeah¡­ Our best bet is to go back to the academy and¡ª" Rein was interrupted by the man on Reggie''s shoulders.

    "Don''t fuck with me."

    Rein turned to look Quint in the eyes, having said those words. He didn''t say anything to him, he just stared into his swollen eyes.

    "If you think I''m going back without Xenia, then you''ve got another thingin''," Quint said, struggling to stay conscious.

    "You''re kidding, right? Look at us. You''re barely conscious, Chloe is down, and I''m fucking exhausted. More than half of our firepower is missing, and both you and Chloe need medical attention."

    "..."

    "We''re going back to the academy and resting up. Trust me with this Quint, didn''t I promise you something?" Rein asked Quint, making him remember. "As long as you get the ring on her finger, I can guarantee your sister''s safety. Don''t worry. I''ll stand by that promise."

 Chapter 48 - Seeking Forgiveness

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the continent of Lomia.

    The two who were teleported suddenly found themselves in a prison cell, with no visible means of escape.

    "Ow! Wait, that didn''t really hurt that much. Hmm¡­ What just happened?" Xenia asked, bumping her head on the floor on impact.

    "We were standing on top of a teleportation pad. It was stupid of me not to notice¡­" Clyde med himself, then looked around.

    The cell they were in was about 4x4 metersrge, with a barred window at the back, overlooking an ocean, the cell being located atop a cliff. Outside the locked cell door, a ck hallway leading into tworge grey doors, which appeared to be made out of steel. Clyde tried cutting through the bars, but his attacks were damaging his de more than the bars. Eventually, he stopped, sitting down to rest on the opposite side of the room to Xenia.

    "..."

    "..."

    They both sat in silence for a while, until Xenia broke the ice.

    "Hey¡­ Clyde?"

    "Hm?" He looked up at her, straying away from his train of thought. When their eyes met, she averted her gaze out of reflex.

    "Oh- ummm. H-how did you cure me? Just what is this ring?" She asked, beginning to fidget with her long, hazel-colored hair.

    "That ring was made by a friend of mine, his name is Rein Xilris. I am unsure of how he made it, but it most likely has other unique properties I am unaware of. If you want to thank anyone, save your thanks for him. Compared to his and your brother''s efforts, I''ve done virtually nothing," he told her.

    "That''s not true! Sure, that idiot Quint pushed himself way too hard, and I''m sure your friend, Rein, put a lot of effort into making this¡­ But if it wasn''t for you¡­ I''d still be¡­" She put her head down and began shivering, Clyde taking notice of the fear that she harbored to her curse.

    "You give me too much credit¡­ I was driven by a different motive anyways, I don''t deserve your thanks¡­"

    "Different motive?"

    "..." Clyde had a look of sadness and anger on his face, sitting with one arm over his legs.

    "Oh, sorry. Maybe I shouldn''t have asked," Xenia apologized.

    "No, it''s alright. Since you asked, I''ll tell you. It''s not like I was purposefully hiding it. I used to be a part of the group of mercenaries that kidnapped you," Clyde revealed, looking up at her to see her listening attentively, unfazed by his im.

    "Haha, that is not the reaction I was expecting," Clydeughed while he looked at her, her not understanding what he meant.

    "Hm?" She tilted her head.

    "When I was young, I lived in a veryrge family, in a vige that is now wiped off the map. I was the youngest child in a family of 10 children, me being the only boy living among 9 older sisters. My parents, the vige chiefs, were incredibly wealthy, as a result making the entire vige prosperous. However, beyond that wealth, there was something more. Something my father kept under constant surveince, in the depths of a high security safe, which was under 24-hour surveince.

    My father spoke about this object like some sort of god, protecting us from all harm as long as we possess it. It was always at the top of his priority, and if anyone ever questioned it, he would verbally curse them. It evidently had mystical powers, as my mother eventually became entranced by the object. To this day, I still do not know what it was.

    But that very object, instead of protecting us, brought upon us wrath that we could not defend against. A group of mercenaries were hired to retrieve the object from my father''s possession, who of course, didn''t give it up. The vige was ravaged, they left nobody alive. Still, My father refused to give up this object. My father took my mother and me to a bunker inside the vige to protect us from the attack.

    I watched my sisters, from the safety of the bunker, die before my very eyes. My father didn''t lift a finger to help them, and neither did my mother. I hated how overprotective they were of me. I wished I''d died along with my sisters.

    To our dismay, we were eventually found by the group''s leader. His name was Roki the Red. My mother and I watched as he tortured my father for hours and hours, trying to extract the information about the object. We listened to his screams as he writhed in pain. Eventually, he realized that it would be useless to continue. My father wouldn''t talk. So he moved on to my mother.

    My mother was just as much a believer in this fake god as my father was, and no matter how much the man tortured her, she didn''t speak either. Roki moved his sights to me, a 5-year-old child. But for some reason, that was the trigger for my father. He begged him not to touch me, and even offered up the location of the object, the thing which he had just endured so much pain to keep hidden.

    My mother grew furious at him, cursing him for betraying their god. My father simply sat there and took the words, which were like knives to his heart. Roki agreed to the deal, he would spare my life in exchange for the information. My father handed him the key to the safe, which my mother could not ept. She slit her throat with a sharp object in the room, most likely a shard of ss.

    When the man took the key from my father''s hand, my father looked at me, with blood and tears in his battered eyes. He warmly smiled at me and uttered these words. ''I would never prioritize god over you, my son,''. As he stopped talking, I saw his brains stter across the floor.

    I hated my father with a passion. After those words he uttered to me, I almost wanted to end his life myself. All of that time, he had let the vige die, my mother, my sisters, but when it came to me, he threw away all of those sacrifices just to save my life. I was confused, frustrated, and scared all at the same time.

    I wanted the nightmare to be over. I wanted time to speed up and never look back. I wanted the cursed day toe to an end. That''s when I awakened to my Spring, the power to slow time. I cursed my fate for giving me this power, I would have to endure the pain ever longer. This became the longest and most painful day of my life.

    Roki kept up his end of the deal and made sure I survived. He even took me into his squad so he could keep an eye on me. Naturally, I hated him with a passion, but somehow, even to this day, I feel somewhat thankful to him. Thankful that he ended my father''s miserable life, not to say that I didn''t want to kill him. Every minute I lived, I wanted to kill him. I spent 6 years in his squad, fulfilling various tasks and jobs. Some jobs would be assassination, some would be deception, and some would be simple espionage. I had no choice but to stain my hands to satiate human vengeance. At the age of 11, I had already taken more lives than some worldwide tragedies. I selfishly followed them to ensure my own survival, until I met the man that changed my life.

    One day, about a year after the war began, I was given the job to assassinate the ''Seeking de'', who lived on the ind of Aj''ess. I had no prior knowledge of who he was, only that he was incredibly powerful. He swatted me away effortlessly, but unlike my intentions, he didn''t take the chance to end my life. He saw the darkness within me and pulled me away from Crypt. He trained me, protected me, and raised me. I owe him my life.

    To my surprise, Crypt never came after me. It was almost as if they''d forgotten about me, which I had no qualms with. A few months ago, my master suggested that I be a Ranger, which would give me the freedom to do however I please. Of course, that decision would lead me back to Crypt.

    But this time, it wasn''t Roki the red, captain of the stealth squad, but Galo the green, captain of the attack squad. Galo was someone I somewhat looked up to during my time with Crypt. I never sensed any malice from him, and it seemed as though he noble air around him. I was never able to figure out why someone like him would join Crypt, and I usually hung around him when I had any free time, as he seemed to be always dozing off. If there was anyone I missed after leaving Crypt, it was him. Unfortunately, we met again in unfavorable circumstances."

    He looked up at Xenia, who had tears streaming down her face.

    "I''m¡­ So sorry¡­"

    "What for?" He said, putting up an unfazed facade to her reaction to his story.

    "You gave me this power¡­ I''m gonna use it to help you out!" She said enthusiastically, wiping away her tears.

    "Help me out? With what?" he looked at her, confused.

    "I dunno, but whatever you need help with, I''ll be there!"

    "Are you sure you heard me correctly? I''m a hardened murderer who kills others for his own selfish desires¡­"

    "To hell with that! The way I see it, that''s not who you are now. And it''s only thanks to this unfair world that you got put into that position. In that sense, you''re kinda like me¡­ Just like that Seeking de guy was there for you, I wanna do the same. So, if it means anything, I don''t view you as a bad person," she dered.

    "..." Clyde held a face of total shock at the girl, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped open.

    "O-oh! Unless of course, you don''t need my help! In which case¡ª" she began fidgeting with her hair again, beginning to blush out of embarrassment before being interrupted, Clyde bursting out inughter, his eyes beginning to water in tears of joy.

    "Thank you for that¡­" He sincerely smiled, surprising Xenia, as he struck her as the type who never smiled.

    A long pause of silence followed until Clyde stood up, prompting Xenia to talk.

    "So what now?" She said, continuing to fidget with her long, hazel-colored hair.

    "I don''t know¡­ No matter which way I look at it, I can''t seem to find an escape route. Though, it is strange. There are no guards or people around," Clyde stated as he turned his head to the hallway.

    "Hmm, it is weird. What do you think it means?"

    "To be frank, I do not know. But judging by the ocean to the north of us, I can safely assume we are somewhere at the top of the continent, facing the northern part of the outer ocean," he concluded. As he got up on his tip-toes to look out the window, he felt a light graze of water skim his face, followed by a more vigorous rainfall that battered against his skin. He went back to his spot to sit down.

    "It looks to be a thunderstorm. I suppose we won''t be going thirsty," Clyde said as he looked over at Xenia, who physically reacted to the word thunderstorm.

    "Th-thunderstorm..?"

    "Yes, is there a problem?"

    Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, releasing a booming thunder wave that echoed in the jail cell, causing Xenia to curl up into a ball and begin to whimper, shivering from fear.

    "Are you afraid of thunder?" Clyde asked, to which she turned her head around and nodded, with small teardrops forming in her eyes.

    Clyde silentlyughed to himself, then stood up and walked across the room, taking a seat beside the petrified girl.

    "I''ve heard that in situations like these, it''s best to have someone near to hold on to," he said as he sat down, making her face grow red, then grab onto his coat frantically as another bolt of lightning struck.

 Chapter 49 - Rust And Red

    As Xenia whimpered beside Clyde, the sun began setting on them, the thunderstorm still raging outside. Clyde surrendered to the situation he was in as he stopped trying to think of any escape routes. He began reflecting on the fight that had just transpired with Galo. As he recalled that fight, he looked outside the rainy barred window, when an idea suddenly hit him.

    Rusting. These metal bars were clearly made out of some sort of material that was resistant to rust, but not immune. If they were made out of pure gold, silver, or tinum, which are impervious to rusting, Clyde would''ve been able to cut through them easily. Therefore, this alloyed metal, when exposed to oxygen and water, will eventually rust. Evidently, it was a very durable metal to have survived this long, but as Clyde inspected further, he found small traces of rusting on the edges.

    "Hmm, if we could wait for this metal to rust¡­ No, that would take far too long. If we could somehow elerate the rusting process¡­" He thought, as another bolt of lightning struck, making Xenia tighten her grip on his coat. Clyde reverted his gaze to her.

    "Maybe if I give her my sword, she could cut the bars down using her inversed power¡­ no, my sword is simply not durable enough, even if we did have enough strength. But wait¡­ If I wore the¡­" As the thought popped into his head, he began shaking his head in dissatisfaction, ridding his brain of the idea. Xenia, in her fright, noticed Clyde''s action.

    "H-hey¡­ Why are you shaking your head like that?" She asked, her voice shaking in fright.

    "Oh¡­ It was nothing," he said as he averted his gaze from her, disappointed in himself.

    "Did you get an idea of how we could escape?"

    "Yes¡­ But it is incredibly foolish."

    "Foolish as in, it wouldn''t work?" She pressed him, pulling on his cor.

    "No¡­ It would most likely work¡­ But I could never ask you to do such a thing," he said, putting his hand on his head.

    "What is it? I''ll do anything," it was as if she''d forgotten about her fear, as she proactively wanted to help Clyde.

    "... I wanted to borrow your ring to elerate the rusting on the metal bars¡­" He uttered in disgust in himself.

    "..." She stared at him with a stern expression.

    "I know¡­ It was an incredibly foolish thought. As if I could think of putting you through that pain again¡­"

    Suddenly, Xenia began removing the ring off of her finger, making Clyde react by holding the ring down on her hand.

    "Don''t!" He worryingly yelled.

    "I''ll be fine! I want to help!"

    "I''m sorry¡­ But I just can''t let you do tha¡­" As he kept his hand on hers, he felt a crimson gaze wash over his pupils, changing the information about his Spring in his brain, inverting it. He continued holding her hand in awe, Xenia realizing what they were doing and trying to release her hand from him, lightly blushing.

    Clyde tightened his grip on her hand, making Xenia blush profusely, then hold a confused expression on her red face. Clyde motioned to stand up, which she followed, standing up while still holding his hand.

    "Hold on tight," he said while looking at the window''s metal bars, taking deep breaths of concentration. Xenia realized that he had connected to the ring, inverting his Spring without her having to take it off.

    Time began to elerate on the metal bars, making them visibly rust as he continued. To Clyde''s surprise, focusing his Spring on that small point made for an extremely concentrated time eleration. In 10 seconds, Clyde was able to fast-forward them by about 48 hours. The rusty edges began to encroach on the center of the bars, as he waited another 10 seconds to repeat the process. They kept going for about an hour, with asional thunder strikes that frightened Xenia, in total elerating the rusting process by a year.

    Both of them began to tire, growing sleepy and weary while they stood hand in hand. They eventually released their grips, both of their hands feeling very cold without the other.

    "Wow, my hand''s never been so sweaty," Xeniaughed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

    "Haha, mine as well. Anyways, this should now be rusted enough to where I am able to cut through," he said as he inspected the brown metal bar that rusted and grew mold, being in a constant wet state over a time span of a year.

    Clyde summoned his tachi, gripping it in his non-sweaty hand.

    "Judging Eruption," he shed twice in a parallel row, making arge opening in the barred window. His de was able to easily cut the battered alloy, as it was rusted to dust.

    As peered out of the barred window, he found that they were hanging over a cliff, leading a deadly drop onto a rocky ocean shore beneath them. There were no tforms to stand on around them, so they opted to climb onto the roof of the cell. They ducked down, as to not get spotted, but there was nobody around. As they gazed at the establishment they were in, they noticed just howrge it was. It was easily a 100 000 square foot building, with countless small rooms connecting with onerge main room in the center. They walked along the roof of the grey hallway that lead to the grey door, seeing therge circr room ahead of them. With the roof being made out of ss, they were able to peer into the room.

    They inspected the area, seeing seven small white metallic pods surrounding onerge pod. They were all connected with ck cables that intertwined between each pod. 2 of the seven small pods had a ck, shimmering light encased in them, while the other 5 were empty. The lights emanated malevolent energy that could even be felt through the ss. The pods seemed to have sh marks, indicating that someone was trying to break them, but to no avail.

    "This is bing ever stranger¡­ There is still nobody in sight," he remarked as Xenia stayed close to him, still rattled by the lightning.

    They moved on to what seemed like arge storage room. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call it a warehouse. That was where they saw a group of soldiers and scientists lying across the floor, seemingly lifeless. The two gasped surprisingly.

    "No way¡­ Are those guys dead?" Xenia asked as Clyde cut a precise circr hole in the ss, dropping through, followed by the hazel-haired girl. Clyde inspected them closely, putting his hand on their necks to check for vitality.

    "No, they seem to be incapacitated," he dered, as both of them heaved a sigh of relief.

    Clyde inspected the soldier''s body closest to the door, seeing if he had a key or ID card that could prove to be useful, but he found nothing.

    "It seems their belongings have been stolen," he said as he saw Xenia pull out an ID card from one of the guard''s bodies.

    "Are you sure? This one still has stuff. He even has this weapon ring!" she eximed, waving the card around and equipping the ring.

    "Oh, so only one body was nicked¡­ Does that mean that all of this was done by one person?" Clyde thought out loud, as he grabbed another ID card. "We''ll both hold on to one. We would do best to investigate this ce, and perhaps find some sort of clue as to our situation," Clyde proposed, which she agreed to.

    "Oh no you don''t!" An energetic man jumped through the hole in the ceiling that Clyde made andnded, bending his knees and staying knelt down, looking up at the two who were standing in the room. He had red hair in a buzz cut, with yellow eyes. He wore a shabby yellow t-shirt, and baggy red pants that were pulled up to his shins, wearing a pair of red sneakers on his feet.

    "I was wondering who intruded up in this bitch and caused such a ruckus, but it was just you, huh Clyde? I gotta say, I''m pretty impressed you managed to cause us so much trouble," said the man as he slowly approached Clyde and Xenia.

    Clyde slowly began walking backward, staring at the man in a terrified expression, his pupils shrinking in fear.

    "Clyde? What''s wrong? Who is this guy?" Xenia asked the petrified Clyde. He shook his head and rposed himself, but he was not able to shake off the terrified air that lingered around him.

    "I know him very well¡­ That is the man who mercilessly ughtered my vige¡­ Roki the Red."

 Chapter 50 - Deaths Embrace

    "Long time no see you rascal, I hear the Seeking de took you in after kicking your ass?" Roki said, trying to make conversation.

    "That is none of your business¡­" Clyde''s voice continued to tremble.

    "Well, I''m stumped. I was told to kill the intruders and spare the curse wielder. But I can''t kill Clyde, and I''m assuming the bitch over there is the curse wielder," he said, his voice beginning to get irritated.

    "Watch your tongue, you fiend. And what do you mean ''I can''t kill Clyde?''. Don''t pity me," Clyde hissed, feeling disgusted to being pitied by him.

    "Man, not being able to kill any of you is really pissing me off. Maybe I should just say fuck it and kill both. I made that deal with your dad like a million years ago anyways," Roki expressed as he summoned arge hammer from his weapon ring. Clyde reacted panickingly, suddenly raising his voice.

    "Quick, cover your ears!" He yelled to Xenia, who didn''t react in time.

    Roki struck the floor with his hammer, as soon as he did, he teleported in front of Xenia, who was bewildered. He waved his hammer and thwacked it on the girl, Clyde having a devastated expression as he watched.

    "Wow, you''re strong for a curse wielder!"

    Xenia had summoned what was in the weapon ring that she took off the soldier, spawning arge ck-iron greatsword, matching her height and double her girth. The sword matched the hammer in size and its weight seemed to be about double her own. She wielded it with ease, standing her ground against the force that struck her.

    She blocked Roki''s attack using her overwhelming strength, however, Roki suddenly appeared behind her and swung yet again, to which she couldn''t react in time. Clyde activated his Spring and grazed his sword on the side of Roki''s hammer, offputting the trajectory and deflecting the attack.

    "From now on, cover your ears when he goes to smack his hammer. He can teleport to anyone who directly hears his hammers thwacks. If you cover your ears, it obstructs his power," Clyde exined while heavily breathing out of exhaustion.

    "Let me handle this. You''re too tired," she proposed, to which he quickly responded.

    "We''re both tired. We stand a better chance at beating him together," he grabbed his tachi, which immediately began quivering in fear. Xenia noticed his trembling and looked at him with a worried expression.

    Roki wound up his hammer again, to which the two covered their ears.

    "Are you both idiots? I can just run up to you¡­ Or, I can do this!" He thwacked his hammer, teleporting to a nearby unconscious soldier.

    The two swiftly reacted, taking their hands off their ears and summoning their weapons again, to which Roki hammer thwacked, teleporting behind them.

    "You''re too slow!" He yelled as he swung his hammer at full force at Clyde, who used his Spring to slow the extremely fast hammer strike.

    Even slowed, Clyde didn''t have time to dodge. Xenia jumped in front of the attack and took it at full force, protecting Clyde. Due to her enhanced state as a result of the inverted curse, she was able to tank the attack rtively well, allowing her to strike a counterattack with her de. However, as she swung, Roki disappeared once again, using the sound of the impact made between the hammer and Xenia to teleport once again.

    He was now above them, and with the rattled Xenia and Clyde''s Spring about to run out, Clyde squeezed out a few extra seconds for his Spring and shot up from his position, grabbing Xenia''s hand and running away.

    "Cover your ears and follow me! We can''t defeat him in our battered state! And not with this many other people around!" He said as he de-activated his Spring. Xenia nodded her head sternly and followed him, as they ran through door after door, eventually making it to the main entrance, which was closed.

    "Shit. This needs an ID to open¡­ But to swipe it, I have to remove my hands off my ears¡­" He thought as he looked over at Xenia, who was also covering her ears. That was when he got an idea. He swiftly removed his left hand off of his ears and stuck them onto the back of Xenia''s hand, which was on her right ear.

    "C-Clyde?! What are you doing?!" She frantically said, as her face turned red, his face being incredibly close to hers.

    "Stay still for a moment."

    He grabbed the ID card and swiped it on the card reader beside the entrance, slowly opening the entrance door. They heard Roki''s voice from the end of the hall.

    "There''s no escape~!" He sang cheerfully as he approached the two.

    They turned around to look at him, feeling the rain ssh on them through the slowly opening door in front of them. They looked back in front of them and ran outside, then instantly stopped in their muddy tracks.

    They saw an entire battalion stationed in front of them, all dressed in red and surrounding their only escape route. They both copsed on the floor in exhaustion, gazing upon the enemies that enormously outnumbered them.

    "My, now this I was not expecting to see¡­" Said a white-haired woman who emerged from the middle of the army, her yellow eyes piercing into their conscious.

    They saw a grey-haired man standing beside her, pping his head in shame as if he was bracing for a scolding from the woman.

    "You must be the curse wielder, Xenia Vossen correct?" Asked the woman, to which Xenia stayed silent.

    "And you, beside her. Might I ask who you are?"

    Clyde reacted by grabbing Xenia''s hand and running back into the building but ran into Roki standing at the door menacingly. He wound up his hammer for a swing before he was stopped by the same voice that was asking questions.

    "Roki!" The woman yelled, making him reluctantly stop, scoffing to himself in irritation.

    Xenia tightened her grip on Clyde''s hand as she began getting dizzy from exhaustion, Clyde having her sit down on the muddy floor. Struggling to stay conscious, they both reverted their vision to the battalion in front of them.

    "Luther dear, mind exining why ''he''s'' not here?" Asked the white-haired woman, making the grey-haired man freeze up,ughing nervously.

    "Haha¡­ About that¡­" He said, scratching the back of his head trying to think of an excuse. The woman sighed.

    "I suppose it''s no use crying over spilled milk," she said as she put her hand on her face in dissatisfaction. "Soldiers, retrieve the girl and kill the boy," the woman ordered. In an effort to stall the inevitable, Clyde called out.

    "You look incredibly familiar..." He said, catching the attention of the woman, making her signal for the troops to stop. "At least tell us your name¡­ My name is Clyde Morioh, Who are you?" He asked, which made the woman chuckle.

    "Oh? Interesting... I''d hate to take pity on someone who''s on his death bed, but I guess I''ll make an exception just this one time. Who knows, you may prove useful to me. My name is Melina Alister, the current ruler of the Kanirah region in Orthlys," she said, beginning to smile as Clyde''s expression changed, as did Xenia''s.

    "Wait¡­ Alister? As in Drevius Alister, the timeless blitz?" Xenia reacted, being the Ranger fanatic that she was.

    "Oh? I''m surprised you know the name¡­ Most people have already forgotten about my poor older brother," sheughed, as her expression suddenly switched to a furious one. "The mere mention of that name is enough to make my blood boil¡­ Soldiers!" She waved her hand again, signaling their attack. The soldiers charged at the two in the mud, screaming as they ran forward. "You may rough up the girl as a punishment for mentioning that name in my presence, but make sure to leave her alive."

    "Hey, Xenia¡­ If you hold my hand that tightly, I can''t activate my time slowing Spring¡­" Clyde said wearily, subconsciously tightening his grip on her hand as he said that.

    "Haha¡­ I guess so¡­" She blushed. "But you don''t have the energy to activate it again, do you?" She uttered, as Clydeughed in eptance.

    "Haha¡­ I suppose I don''t," he put his mind to ease, tears beginning to stream down his face, which was masked by the rainfall.

    "Thesest few moments I''ve spent with you have been really fun¡­ Thank you for letting me see this world again," she smiled at him, the rain covering the tears flowing down from her eyes, her white hospital gown brown with mud.

    As the soldiers were nearly on top of them, moments before Clyde''s death, he finally made the connection. He looked at the woman through the holes in the soldier''s formation. White hair, yellow eyes¡­

    "Heh¡­ I see now¡­ Rein Alister¡­"

    As he said that, a ck beacon of light surrounded them, glimmering with unfathomable darkness. It pierced through the clouds, stopping the rainfall above them, the wind that it created blowing the closer soldiers away in a furious hurricane. As the ck light dissipated, the two who were sitting in the mud were gone, reced by a ck-haired man with red eyes, wielding two swords that shimmered in the moonlight created by the hole in the sky.

    "I knew I could count on you, Clyde¡­"

 Chapter 51 - Reunion

    "Drevius..?" The woman uttered, gazing upon the man standing under the moonlight.

    "Unfortunately, I''m not my dad. Why don''t you take a closer look at my face, bitch," he ran at her with full speed, striking with his swords. He shed with Luther, who was now standing in front of the woman, blocking Rein''s attack.

    "Heh, kinda awkward that we met again so soon, isn''t it Rein?" Luther said as he shed back at him, sending him back to where he stood before.

    "Tch, you''re seriously strong," He said, sliding on the muddy ground to regain his bnce. "Well?" He looked back at his aunt, who was standing there with a smile on her face.

    "Ha¡­ hahaha¡­" She continued as she startedughing hysterically, eventually calming down. "And here I was thinking that I would have to go out and search for you, but you came to me of your own volition!" She happily yelled.

    "Don''t get it twisted you whore, this isn''t some sort of family reunion. I swear you''re going to answer for all the shit you''ve done," he spoke as he grit his teeth.

    "Now now, is that any way to speak to your auntie? But please, do enlighten me, dear Rein, how you''re going to make me answer?" She snapped her finger, making the army post up in front of her, with Luther at their lead, giving Rein no chance to get to her. He returned his swords to his weapon rings as if he was about to say something, but suddenly, he heard the sound of a hammer thwacking on the mud, a red-haired man appearing behind him.

    "Haha! I guess I''ll kill this guy!" He yelled, swinging his hammer at him, Melina reacting with an angry expression.

    Rein turned around, dodging his attack by grazing along the side of his hammer, mming his palm into his face. He thrust his head into the mud, holding it there for a few seconds.

    "Quite a useful Spring you''ve got here. Don''t mind if I do," he said as he copied it, Roki screaming out of anger.

    "You motherfucker!" He banged his hammer on the mud while Rein held his face, releasing him from Rein''s grip, teleporting behind him.

    "HAHAHA, how''ll you dodge this?!"

    Suddenly, Rein disappeared from the red-haired man''s line of sight, as he felt a step on his back. Rein had appeared behind him, lightly stepping on his back using the gravitational repulsion Spring, sending him flying face-first into the mud. Rein looked back at his aunt as he floated up in the air, due to his repulsion.

    "You''ll answer for your antics soon enough you skank. I''ve got other shit to deal with today. But onest thing before I leave¡­"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    A little bit earlier, back in Rein''s room in the Hasbin Gulf.

    "That''s it, I''m going to get them myself!" Quint eximed, with Reggie sitting in one corner of the room with a red-haired girl healing Quint as he slept in Rein''s bed. He felt a hard whack run him on the back of the head, screaming out in pain as he looked at the girl who was nursing him.

    "Are you an idiot?! You have 10 minutes left on your recovery. If you leave now, everything up-till now would be for nothing!" It was Raxo, who Emria and Saphri were helping earlier.

    Her Spring was very peculiar. Every gadget that she used her Spring on would immediately break, making her virtually useless for her family business. In turn for this, she was able to heal the wounds of living creatures, making her Spring more fit for a nursing business rather than an engineering one.

    "For real dude, your organs are still poisoned," Reggie assessed as he ate an Elven apple in the corner of the room.

    "I know¡­ But I can''t just sit here while my sister could be in deep shit¡­" He said with deep sadness in his eyes, looking up at Rein who was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes closed as he faced the floor.

    "Hey! The hell are you even doing?!" He yelled, making his gut start hurting.

    "Give me a second¡­ I''m trying to connect to them with Saphri''s Spring¡­ Don''t worry, I will save them," he spoke sternly, as he furrowed his eyebrows harder.

    "Hey!! Chloe''s awake!" Eximed Emria, running out of Chloe''s room, excited, then holding her hand over her mouth in regret. "Oops! Sorry Rein¡­" She whispered, as Chloe exited her room with Saphri.

    Suddenly, they saw Rein''s hair turn ck, flicking his eyes open to reveal a crimson red.

    "Heh, I finally got him to say it. They''re really muddy, so get the hot spring and showers ready for them," he dered as he disappeared into thin air, leaving everyone in the room confused.

    As soon as he left, two others appeared. Clyde and Xenia materialized on the floor of the room where Rein had been standing, hand in hand, bracing themselves to be shed by countless soldiers. They were covered in mud from head to toe, and they were wet from the rain. Clyde was holding Xenia in his arms, protecting her from the soldiers that were about to strike.

    "Huh? What just happened? Where are we..?" Clyde spoke, looking around the room, seeing familiar faces.

    "I-is that you Quint..?" Xenia spoke in disbelief, seeing her brother''s face for the first time in 6 years.

    "Xenia..? I''m so happy you''re alright¡­ And you can really see¡­" Quint spoke, as he felt tears of joy streaming down his face.

    "Yeah¡­" She also began to cry. "You''ve grown so much¡­ But somehow, your dumb face has stayed the same," sheughed through her tears, making Quint slightly angry, drying his tears and seeing the position his sister and Clyde are in.

    "Hey, Clyde¡­" Quint cracked his knuckles. "You wanna let go of her hand bud?" Quint smiled at him with a passive-aggressive face, making Clyde physically react, as the two let go of each other.

    "I don''t understand though¡­ Just what happened? I had more or less braced myself for the worst¡­" Clyde questioned, as the entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Quint also sighed, and before he knew it, tears of joy began streaming down his face once again.

    "He really did it¡­ I''m never doubting him again," he mumbled, putting his sleeve over his eyes.

    "No way¡­ You can really see Xenia..?" Raxo asked, staring at her.

    "Is that you Raxo? Haha, you look exactly how I thought you would," Xenia imed as she saw Raxo bawling her eyes out.

    "Xenia!! I heard they cured you, but how? I tried everything! Oh, I would hug you, but your all muddy¡­" She continued sniffling, making Quint sniffle even harder.

    "Ahaha¡­" Xenia nervouslyughed, drying her tears.

    "So you''re Quint''s sister?" Chloe enthusiastically dropped down to face her on eye level. "My name is Chloe Orthlysia, it''s an honor to meet you!"

    "Wait¡­ That horn¡­ and Orthlysia? Could you be the princess..?" Xenia asked sternly, dampening the atmosphere in the room.

    "O-oh¡­" Chloe reacted sadly, turning her head to the ground.

    "Wow!! That''s so cool! And that horn, are you a dragon?! That''s my first time ever seeing a horn like that! You''re nothing like what the rumors said, you''re so cute!" Xenia began gushing over Chloe, whose face lit up with happiness, beginning tough and thank her for thepliments.

    "Where are Rein and Core?" Clyde looked around, trying to spot the two somewhere in the room, stopping Chloe and Xenia''s conversation.

    "Core''s in the living room doing something, and Rein was just standing where you are right now," Emria informed, as Clyde gave a confused reaction, Core bursting into the room shortly after.

    "Rein''s gone?!" He energetically asked, getting a nod of affirmation from everyone in the room, then noticing the two muddy individuals sitting in the center of the room.

    "Thank god, I was kinda getting nervous for a second," he sighed out of relief.

    "Do tell us what happened, Core. Rein suddenly copied my Spring with no exnation," Saphri asked, crossing her arms.

    "We installed a device into that red ring on the girl''s hand that when certain conditions are met, the Spring wielder can switch ces with whoever is connected to the ring. Rein probably used your Spring to manipte them so that the conditions are met. But it is a little weird how Clyde teleported along with her¡­ Don''t tell me you guys were getting steamy?" Core smirked at them, making Quint throw a nket at Core''s face as Xenia blushed profusely, Clyde lightly blushing.

    "What were the conditions?" Chloe stood up to ask Core. Core removed the nket off of his face, then sternly looked at Clyde, who understood what he wanted to tell him.

    "Who knows! It''s best to just ask Rein when he gets back!" Coreughed it off, him and Clyde trying to keep it a secret.

    "Yes¡­ I do not know what could''ve possibly triggered it."

    "Speaking of that, how will Rein get back?" Emria inquired.

    "..." Core''s face froze in his nervousugh.

    "Don''t tell me¡­" Chloe asked in disbelief.

    "Well¡­ I was supposed to make this one-time use teleportation device¡­" He nced over at Raxo, who turned her head away, covering it with her cap.

    "You broke it, didn''t you Raxo?" Saphri stated in an unamused tone.

    "Ahaha¡­ You caught me," sheughed in a timid tone, theplete opposite of how she usually sounded.

    "*sigh*, you''repletely useless¡­ I assume Core has been trying to repair it in the living room this entire time?" Saphri spoke harshly to the red-haired girl, Core giving a sad nod.

    "Hey Reg, wanna give us a hand?" Core nervously asked as Reggie sighed, then stood up, following Core and Saphri into the living room, the girl wanting to take a look at the device.

    "Well, if Saphri''s on the case then I''ve got nothing to worry about," Chloe stated.

    "But wow¡­ You''re all muddy and shit, but that ring on your hand is clean¡­ what''s up with that?" Quint remarked, peering over the bed.

    "Oh¡­ I didn''t even notice," Xenia said, everyone in the room turning their attention to it.

    "Hmm, that is peculiar," Clyde remarked, suddenly feeling a trickle of waternd on his face.

    "Wow, that worked?" A surprised-looking ck-haired man appeared in the room beside the mudstained two who sat on the ground. His hair quickly turned white as he closed his eyes, heaving a sigh of relief.

    "Rein?!"

 Chapter 52 - Bathhouse Bonding

    The three in the living room ran back into the bedroom, seeing a wet-haired man standing in the center.

    "Wha¡­ How did you..? But we didn''t¡­" Core couldn''t speak out of shock.

    "Yeah, I noticed that there wasn''t a signal. Would''ve been nice of you to warn me beforehand," Rein quipped.

    "Rein¡­" Clyde looked at him, meeting eyes. He was about to ask him something, Rein interrupting him before he could.

    "Wow wow wow, let''s save the exnations forter. You guys are dirtying my floors. Let''s head to the baths and freshen up," Rein proposed, which they did.

    Chloe giddily dragged Xenia into the girl''s bathhouse and the rest of the girls, who followed excitedly. Chloe, Xenia, Emria, Saphri, and Raxo all entered therge hot spring.

    The boys also headed to their own respected bathhouse. Quint, who had just finished his treatment also entered with them. It was Rein, Clyde, Core, Quint, and Reggie entering the slightly smaller hot spring.

    "Throw your clothes in the basket over there Clyde. It should be clean by the time we''re done," Rein informed, Clyde following his instructions.

    "Wow¡­ Technology truly is remarkable," Clyde remarked, impressed with the mundane object.

    They showered before entering the spring, all of them feeling the restorative properties of the water.

    "Ahhh. Man, this feels good!" Core eximed as he dipped his body in.

    "I agree. I can feel my fatigue melting away," Clyde said, letting himself rx.

    "Seriously. Whoever''s idea it was to install this thing in the luxury room is a genius!" Reggie eximed, even though the room wasn''t his.

    "I''m pretty sure it was the principal. Apparently, she''s a hot spring fanatic," Rein informed.

    Suddenly, everyone in the room was startled by a sudden movement near them, hearing a loud ssh in the water. Quint got down on his knees submerged himself in the shallow hot springs, dipping his face into the water.

    "Quint? You thirsty or something?" Rein asked, confused.

    "I''m sorry," he mumbled while under the water, making his sentence inaudible.

    "Hm?" Rein reacted.

    Quint pulled his head out from the water and looked at him in the eyes.

    "Ever since that time you sent Weiss packin'', I''ve been suspicious of you. I was distrustful of you, and never really held you in high regard. Honestly, I still don''t even know what Weiss did, but I''m sure it must''ve been something shitty. Didn''t really like that guy that much to begin with honestly. But seriously man, thank you for saving my sis¡­ If there''s anything I could do to repay you, just call for me," Quint spilled what was on his mind, inducing weird looks from everyone in the bath.

    "Hm? Why are you all lookin'' at me like that? You got somethin'' to say?!" He tried acting threatening to the rest of the guys, but all of them beganughing instead.

    "Maybe don''t say that while we''re all naked in a bath dude. If anyone heard you sayin'' that shit, they''d totally get the wrong idea," Core exined, continuing tough.

    "Aw dude, don''t go skewing my words!" Quint blushed angrily.

    "What do you mean by ''everything''..?" Rein spoke in a jokingly suggestive tone.

    "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!" Quint yelled at the top of his lungs, echoing in the entire room and throughout the halls, the girls hearing his loud outcry.

    "Geez, that Quint is so loud. So embarrassing¡­" Xenia put her hand on her forehead out of embarrassment, the rest of the girls starting tough.

    "I was really surprised to hear that you and Raxo were already friends. When''d you meet?" Emria asked.

    "Oh right, we didn''t tell ''em, did we? Two days before the entrance exam, I heard that there was an incurable patient staying at the hospital in town. That was when that orange-haired dunce Quint came charging into my workshop, beggin'' me toe and cure her. After that, I''de nearly every day to try something new, and we eventually became really close. Dunno how Quint heard about my Spring, but it was probably through that witch of a principal," Raxo said, biting her teeth.

    "Oh? And who are you calling a witch?" Julianne burst through the door, wearing her bath towel over her well-endowed body.

    "WHAT! The hell are you doing here you big-breasted mongrel!" Raxo freaked out, jumping out of the hot spring and pointing out her in shock.

    "Oh, is that jealousy I hear in your voice? Don''t worry, you still have time to develop," sheughed, insulting the red-haired girl''s t chest, who then became enraged.

    "But really principal Julliane, what are you doing in our room?" Chloe asked.

    "Haha, I would be remiss if I missed a hot spring party," sheughed as she sat down on a stool to shower, Emria and Saphri offering to wash her back. "Thank you girls, that would be lovely."

    "Did you not say that you would turn the cameras off after Rein''s return? How did you know that we were entering the bathhouse?" Saphri asked while scrubbing her back.

    "Hahaha, I don''t need to have a camera to know that!" She said, leaving much to be inferred by the girls in the bath. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense when it came to things like this.

    Once her back was scrubbed, she entered the hot springs with the rest of them.

    "So you must be Xenia Vossen, Quint''s sister? It''s a pleasure to meet you," Julianne eximed.

    "O-oh no the pleasure''s all mine! I''m a huge fan of yours! I''ve been following your Ranger career ever since you used to adventure with the Snowy Dusk! You''re just amazing!" Xenia spoke, trying to keep her excitement in check.

    "Ah¡­ That is quite a long time," Julianne spoke, her voiceing out quieter than usual.

    "The Snowy Dusk? Somehow that name feels familiar¡­" Chloe said, going into a thinking pose.

    "No matter! Xenia, you are still unenrolled in the academy, is that correct?" Julianne asked with an eager grin on her face.

    "Yes¡­ Quint and I can''t afford the tuition. But it''s fine! I''d already given up hope on ever bing a Ranger¡­" She uttered, exhibiting sheer sadness from her voice.

    "But you were given a second chance at life, weren''t you? Wouldn''t the person who gave it to you want you to make the most out of it?" Julianne said, making Xenia think of Clyde and the promise she''d made to him. She furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her fists.

    "Yes¡­ I''m sorry for being an idiot¡­ Even now, I still want to be a Ranger¡­ I know that might be selfish of me, but I just can''t give up on that dream. And now, I even have a promise to fulfill," She confidently spoke, with a slight inkling of sadnessing out of her voice. Julianne heard her resolve and fire herself up.

    "That''s the spirit! I have a proposal for you, Xenia Vossen," she proimed, sternly cing her hand in the water on its elbow, outstretched upwards with her hand open.

    "If you beat me in an underwater arm wrestle right here and now, I''ll officially enroll you in the academy!" The girls all recoiled in surprise and excitement.

    "Hold on you crazy principal! Yeah, that would be amazing, but are you even allowed to dere that?!" Raxo inquired.

    "Oh don''t worry about it. Wace will deal with all the logistics. Well, miss Vossen? Care to try your luck?" Julianne smiled at the girl sitting in front of her, as she wore a face of sheer determination, cing her arm in the same position as the principal, grabbing each other''s hands in starting position.

    "Let''s do this."

 Chapter 53 - Surprising Turnaround

    As they grabbed each other''s hands underwater, they waited for one of the other girls to count down.

    "If your elbow lifts off of the hot spring ground, it''s your loss. Are you ready?" Julianne looked at her eyes, glimmering with determination.

    "Ready as I''ll ever be," Xenia responded with a serious expression.

    "He, alright then. Raxo, count us down," Jullianemanded, continuing to stare her opponent in the eyes, smiling at her all the same.

    "Fine¡­ Start on go. 3, 2, 1, go!"

    As soon as the two began, the rest of the girls who sat on the other side of the hot spring to spectate could feel the ground under them trembling, makingrge ripples in the water that spread throughout the entire spring. The buckets and sponges along the floor also shook, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. The two were evenly matched, none of them visibly winning.

    "The hell''s happenin'' over there?!" Quint said, standing up from the vibrating ground, feeling ite from the girl''s bathroom.

    "Look''s like they''re doing something interesting. We''ll have to ask them about it after," Rein expressed.

    The entire building felt the tremors that emanated from the principal and Xenia, asints could be heard outside the windows of the other rooms. Yet, they still continued, the girls unable to imagine the tremors that it would cause if they did this out of water.

    "Impressive! You''re the first student tost this long against me," Julianneplemented.

    "Haha, I''m not a student yet," Xenia remarked, getting fired up.

    "Oh? Confident aren''t we? Let''s see how long thatsts," Julianne was equally pumped.

    "Hey, is principal Julianne even using her Spring yet?" Emria asked.

    "It does not seem like it¡­" Saprhi responded.

    "Yeah¡­ I think that''s just her sheer strength¡­" Chloe spoke in amazement.

    "Tch, damn that ogre woman," Raxo spoke, not taking her eyes off the match.

    They continued to struggle under the water, eventually, Xenia loosened up on her strength, still tired from her endeavors with Clyde. Julianne was able to capitalize on that and push downwards, Xenia surviving by just a thread.

    "Rgh," she struggled to fight back, Julianne continuing to gaze at her with a smile on her face.

    "Hahaha, shall I activate my Spring now? I''ll cut you a deal, if you can discern what my Spring is, I''ll count this as your win," she proposed, making the struggling Xenia react in determination.

    "Here I go!" She said, activating her Spring.

    Julianne grew a surprised expression as she activated her Spring, sshing the water to the ceiling as a hand was furiously mmed onto the bathroom floor, winning the match, causing onestrge tremor before the match ended.

    There was a moment of silence after, everyone gaping their mouths open in awe, followed by a loud cheer from the girls, all running to hug the winner. After the cheering died down, Julianne spoke.

    "Haha, impressive, my Spring did the opposite of what it should have. That ring on your hand is Rein''s creation I presume?"

    "Oh, ahaha I forgot about it. It''s probably why you instantly lost after activating your Spring," she said,ughing as she looked at the ring.

    "Interesting¡­ So that''s how you were cured. Well? Did you figure out what my Spring was?"

    "Hmm¡­ No, I can''t say I did. I''m trying to think back to your adventuring days, but even then you kept it hidden," Xenia spoke in a thinking position. Julianneughed.

    "That is amon misconception. I never hid my Spring, in fact, I used to use it excessively. Only a handful of people figured out what it was though," she informed, making xenia even more curious.

    "Well then, a deal''s a deal. I, Julianne Starsage, 12th prestige Ranger and principal of Ranger academy, formally wee you to Ranger academy,"

    "Thank you¡­ So much¡­" She began crying out of joy, everyone in the bath ecstatic about her enrollment.

    "Now on to the main event!" Julianne eximed, making the girls turn around in confusion. "We''ve already established that Raxo is the smallest out of the students here, but I''ve been looking at Xenia and Chloe and I just can''t tell who''s bigger. I may need to get some hands-on experimentation¡­" Julianne smiled, pouncing on the girls who began running away, screaming yfully, Raxo angrily attacking her for herment. Their screams were heard by the boys.

    "Man they''re loud as ever. Did I hear the principal in there too?" Core inquired in a tired tone.

    "Don''t you guys want a bit more than just hearing their voices..?" Reggie asked sleazily.

    "No."

    "No."

    "I would rather not."

    Rein, Quint, and Clyde all answered at once.

    "Awe on!! This is a staple rule in bath scenes! The boys go to peep on the girls, then get buckets thrown at them!" Reggie pleaded.

    "If any of you try to peep on my sis, you''re getting your ass whooped," Quint dered.

    "And don''t you dare try and peep on my little sisters. I''ll invert your dicks, you hear?" Rein threatened.

    "It would be dishonorable to do such a deplorable act. Count me out," Clyde expressed.

    "Well, I expected that reaction from Clyde, but the rest of you have got to lighten up! You''re with me, right Core?" Reggie expectantly turned his head to Core.

    "Ahaha, sorry dude. Despite my looks, I''m actually 26 years old. It would be weird for me to peep at high school girls. Though, I am interested in principal Starsage," he said as he smiled to himself.

    Reggie sighed then faced down. "Man, you guys are no fun," he said jokingly.

    After a bit, they finished up their baths, changing back into their now clean clothes. They all gathered in the living room, the boys greeting the principal as she sat down, awaiting their reports. The girls told them what happened in the bath with Xenia, who seemed to be missing changing into the new clothes that Julianne brought for her. Quint bowed down to the principal, thanking her for allowing his sister to have this opportunity. Clyde smiled to himself, happy that she had joined them in Ranger academy.

    "Sorry I took so long. How do I look?" Xenia asked as she emerged from the changeroom.

    She wore an orange cropped coat with a ck and white shirt underneath. On her bottom half, ck skin-tight shorts under an orange skirt, with ck thigh-high stockings on a green pair of sneakers.

    "Wow! You look amazing!" Emria eximed, running to her in excitement.

    "I love the skirt!" Raxo gushed, her personality taking a 180 degree turn when Xenia is involved.

    All of the girls gushed around her, as the boys stared, Quint getting angry and walking in front of them to block their views.

    "Those clothes fit you like a charm if I do say so myself," Julianne gave herself a pat on the back.

    "I believe we should start the meeting now. Everyone take a seat," Clyde spoke, getting straight to the point withoutplimenting Xenia on her outfit, which disappointed her. She seemed to be looking forward to hearing his thoughts, so she just sat there in a sad mood for the entire time.

    "Alright, first and foremost, your quest money¡­ Sorry! I can''t award it to you just yet!" Julianneughed, not shying away from the fact that she lied to them.

    "What?!" They all eximed simultaneously, recoiling in the couch as they heard the principal''s hardyugh.

    "Your quest money will be awarded to you when the term starts. There are some logistical reasons that even I couldn''t bypass," she turned her face fromughing to a stern expression, giving everyone the impression that it was a very serious matter.

    "Yeah yeah, we all know that it''s because you gave them that quest un-officially, and you don''t have enough money to pay them out of pocket," Raxo said, exposing Julianne''s ruse, making herugh in eptance.

    "Haha, you know me so well," sheughed happily, which Raxo lost her cool over, getting angry that she was so wishy-washy about everything.

    "Anyways, I believe it''s time to give your reports. I want to know all of the details about this mission. Rein, care to begin the exnation?" Julianne''s voice regained itsmanding, serious tone as if she had flipped a switch in her mind.

    "I will do my best, principal Starsage."

 Chapter 54 - Quest Report

    As Emria and Saphri left to make refreshments for the guests, Rein began his report.

    "We reached the Soot Pond at around noon, and after some investigation, we were forced in by a wave of excruciating sound. We dropped through the pond and into this cave that lead into a volcano. As we continued, we divided into a group of two. Core, Chloe, and Reggie stayed back while Clyde, Quint, and I continued forward. Something happened along the way and I split up from Clyde and Quint to go to the surface," Rein exined.

    "That is what I need to know. What happened that made you want to go to the surface so suddenly?" Clyde asked.

    "I heard a voice in my head¡­ It was telling me to dig up. So naturally, I did. That''s when I met him. The most formidable opponent I''ve ever had. He beat the shit out of me and nearly killed me. For the first half of the fight, I didn''t even scratch him. I didn''t stand a chance¡­" Rein imed, beginning to quiver in slight fear, his expression growing weary.

    "Hold on, that doesn''t really make any sense¡­ When we met back up with you in the cave, you looked fine," Chloe recalled.

    "Right¡­ Something happened during the fight. As Iy there on the ground, motionless, I suddenly awake to exceptional power. My hair turned ck and my eyes turned red. I have no idea how or why it happened. My previously clean sword was sshed with blood at the tip when I awoke, but I didn''t question it for long. I used this newfound power to fight him, this time, the fight was slightly more even. However, in the end, I ran out of energy and he won the fight."

    "I assume that was when you saw the teleporter''s light?" Core asked.

    "That''s right. The man I was fighting seemed distressed by the light, and swiftly took his leave when he noticed it without finishing me off. I met up with the others and when we got down to the cave, Clyde and Xenia were gone, and Quint was sprawled out on the ground, with a mysterious man was standing at the teleporter," Rein professed, crossing his legs on the couch and sitting back.

    "That was when you and Reg fixed me up, right?" Quint asked.

    "Right, and that mysterious man on the te seemed to be the guilty party," Reggie added.

    "That was Galo, captain of Crypt''s attack squad. Quint and I were able to subdue him and ce the ring on Xenia''s hand," Clyde continued exining what happened during the fight, and how they used mercury to counter Galo''s Spring.

    "Wow, and you came up with that n on the spot Clyde?" Core was impressed,plimenting him as a fellow strategist, holding him in ever high regard.

    "Partially¡­ You see, I had been thinking for a long time about Galo''s Spring," Clyde uttered, inducing a curious reaction for everyone except Quint and Xenia.

    "What do you mean? You knew that guy?" Rein put his legs back down, sitting up to listen attentive.

    Clyde briefly exined what he told Xenia in the prison cell, about his past, not going into too much detail.

    "I see. So that''s why you knew how to follow the code on the symbol they left in the hospital room," Core concluded.

    "Yes... But shortly after we defeated him, our view was filled with a blue light and we were teleported into a prison cell. There was a window facing the ocean, and based on the sun''s position, I can safely deduct that we were on the northern shore of the continent, outlooking the sea. A few minutester, rain began falling. Based on the climate, we can assume that it was somewhere in the middle of the continent in terms of longitude," Clyde worked out, racking his brain along with everyone.

    "Right, I think that''s safe to guess¡­ But if I remember correctly, Econica still controls the middle north of the continent, in the form of the capital city of Cornear. It has to be a strip ofnd in Orthlys territory... " Core followed up, making Chloe spread out a map on the living room table.

    "North, in the middle of the continent, in Orthlys territory¡­" She said to herself, dragging her finger across the map, pinpointing a potential location.

    "Could it be here?" She said, drawing a circle with a question mark beside it on the map in erasable ink.

    "That''s it. Before I came back, I saw a small vige directly to the south. That must''ve been Sliwin," Rein eximed.

    "Then I believe that it''s safe to say that this is where we were held. Do you have any objections Xenia?" Clyde turned his head to her.

    "Hmph, like I''d know. This is my first time seeing a map in 6 years," she pouted and turned her head away from him sassily, clearly angry about something.

    "Okay..? Anyhow, we now know the enemy''s base location," Clyde professed, confused about Xenia''s reaction.

    Emria and Saphri arrived with refreshments, Xenia taking the chance to stand up and help deliver them to everyone. She went around, setting tea at everyone''s seats. When she reached Clyde, she set his drink down without even looking at him and quickly moved forward, confusing Clyde even further.

    "You two looked around the base after you escaped, didn''t you? Did you notice anything strange or worthy of note?" Core inquired to the two who seemed to be fighting.

    Clyde exined what they saw, telling them about the 7 pods, and the unconscious soldiers.

    "7 pods that lead into 1rge pod? And you say 2 of them were filled with a ck light? Hmm¡­" Core thought to himself.

    "Does that sound familiar to you Core? I''m more interested in those unconscious soldiers. You said that that red-haired guy barged in thinking you were an intruder?" Rein reassured.

    "Yes. But we were not the intruders he was looking for. There was someone there before us, and judging by the fact that only the body of 1 guard was nicked, we can assume that it was one person with incredible power."

    There was a moment of silence as the group took in the information, the principal carelessly munching on the cookies and tea as the rest of them sat there in distress.

    "Hey, you got anything to say, or are ya just gonna keep stuffing your face?" Raxo spoke out in annoyance.

    Julianne licked her fingers and took a deep breath, regaining herposure, everyone looking at her sternly.

    "You all did good!" Shemented, making them drop their heads in disappointment.

    "Wha? Were you even listening?" Rein replied to the careless principal.

    "There''s still one thing you haven''t exined Rein. How''d you return without our makeshift teleporter?" Core questioned curiously, bringing everyone''s gazes upon Rein.

    "Ah, that. Yeah, the red-haired guy''s Spring let him teleport to people whose earse in contact with a sound that he produced with their power. I just copied that, which let me teleport to people whose vision came in contact with something produced by my own power, for example, that ring," he pointed at Xenia''s finger, everyone looking at it.

    Suddenly, Rein teleported around the room, tapping everyone on the shoulder, ending up behind Chloe as he grabbed her horn, teasing her.

    "Like that. See? If you look at that ring when I have this Spring copied, I can teleport to you," Rein stated, the girl sitting in front of him blushing profusely.

    "H-hey, let go!" She pushed him off as heughingly returned to his seat, Chloe''s red face persisting.

    "I think that''s everything right? Anyone got anything to add?" Rein announced, looking around to see everyone shake their heads in negation.

    "Perfect! I''ll be taking my leave now!" Expressed the principal, finishing her cookies and cup of tea.

    "Huh? You don''t have anything to say?" Quint inquired as she walked out of the room.

    "Ah, right there was one thing. Rein, Clyde, and Core,e to my office on the first day of school. As for the rest, you did an outstanding job in rescuing and curing Xenia. I am proud to call you students of Ranger academy," she left them with those parting words, instilling them with great determination and inspiration, making them even prouder of their achievements.

    "Oh, and we don''t have a room ready for Xenia, so I''ll allow her to sleep here tonight," she informed, popping her head back into the room for a second before leaving.

    The girls got excited with the thought of having a slumber party, cheering up Raxo who was the only one left out while the boys bid their farewells. Quint and Reggie left, saying goodbye to Xenia on their way out. Quint shook Rein''s hand as he departed, and re-affirmed what he told Rein in the bath.

    "We should also take our leave Core. I do not have the room key on me, so I''ll have to use yours," Clyde said as he stood up to leave the room, Xenia watching him out of the corner of her eye. That was when Core froze up, smiling nervously at Clyde.

    "Ahaha¡­ About your side of the room¡­"

    Core exined something to Clyde, who reacted by staring at him with a deadpan expression.

    "You blew up my bed?" He re-iterated, as Raxo and Core began apologizing profusely to him.

    "I''m so sorry man, Greeny and Bluey told me that she was a good engineer, so when I got her to help me with the teleportation device, it kinda blew up¡­" Core bowed down continuously, begging for forgiveness.

    "We can confirm that story," Saphri added.

    "Yep, It was a huge boom!" Emria described.

    "And why were you working on my side of the room?" He interrogated, crossing his arms and beginning to tap his feet.

    "Ahaha, hey!" Core nudged the red-haired girl beside him, indicating that she should exin.

    "I uhh¡­ kinda panicked and threw it to the other side of the room. But don''t worry! I promise I''ll fix it¡­ maybe¡­" She imed. Clyde sighed and put his hand over his face in disappointment.

    "No thank you¡­ I''ll fix it myself tomorrow," he sighed, putting his fingers in the wrinkle between his eyebrows.

    "Rein, may I ask to sleep in this room tonight?" Clyde questioned, making Xenia physically twitch.

    "Sure thing. Pretty sure there were a bunch of extra mattresses in one of the closets. We can have our own little slumber party," Rein said, putting his hand on Clyde''s shoulder, looking at him sternly in the eyes.

    Clyde nodded, furrowing his eyebrows as Core and Raxo left, continuing to apologize as they walked out the door.

    "Well I guess we should begin amodating our guests! Rein! Chloe! You go set up the mattresses!" Emria demanded, she and Saphri pushing them along the hall.

    "Okay okay, sheesh. We''re going!" Rein cried out.

    "You two may make yourselves at home. Emria and I have some secret business to attend to," Saphri and Emria ran into the kitchen and peeked their heads out of the threshold, spying on Clyde and Xenia, who stood there without saying a word to each other.

    "Don''t you think those two are acting weird? They were holding on to each other when we first saw them, what do you think happened?" Emria whispered.

    "ording to my analysis of the situation, it was because Clyde did notpliment her on her outfit," Saphri concluded.

    "Wow! Just because of that! My gosh, girls are so weird¡­"

    "You are a girl as well."

    "I know that! But I wouldn''t get mad if someone didn''tpliment me on my outfit! We need to do something to fix this," Emria whispered loudly, pping her hand on Saphri''s back repeatedly.

    "Indeed. Stop smacking my back and follow my lead, I have a n."

 Chapter 55 - Vengeful Mask

    "Hey, Xenia! That outfit of yours is way too cute! The principal got it for you, right? Do you know from where?" Emria ran out from their hiding ce, followed by Saphri.

    "Oh thank you so much! I forgot to ask her, but next time I see her, I''ll be sure to ask!" She happily responded, keeping Clyde at the corner of her eye, waiting for him to say something.

    "Yes, please do. What do you think about them, Clyde?" Saphri asked out of nowhere, startling Xenia into a frantic panic.

    "Hm?" Clyde reacted, surprised that they asked him.

    "I don''t believe it''s my ce toment on," he bluntly spoke, making Xenia even sadder as Emria and Saphri nervouslyugh as they worsened the situation, followed by a long pause of silence.

    "Ahaha¡­ Well, we''re gonna go help Chloe and Rein! You two make yourselves at home!" Emria rushed back into the bedrooms.

    "Adios," Saphri followed.

    "..."

    "..."

    There was an awkward silence between them, as none of them spoke to the other, Clyde taking the opportunity to sharpen his de.

    Meanwhile, in the bedrooms.

    "Man, where are those mattresses¡­ Coulda swore I saw them in this closet earlier¡­" Rein spoke as he scanned the closets along with Chloe.

    "Hey¡­ Rein? Why do you keep grabbing my horn?" She asked while looking away, making Rein stop searching for a second to answer.

    "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "Like during the tournament, and just now in the living room¡­ Are you grabbing it for the reason that I think..?" She nervously asked, gently holding her own horn.

    "Oh, she must be talking about the horned character trope," he thought to himself.

    "Yeah, it is. I thought I already made it clear to you though," he began to speak in a serious tone, making Chloe jolt up, making a startled sound, still looking away as she hid her face.

    "Wha!? N-no you didn''t! This is the first I hear of this! And besides, I have to ask my father first¡­ And I don''t know if my brother would be¡ª" Chloe continued speaking, eventually being interrupted by Rein.

    "What are you talking about? Is your family against that sort of thing (grabbing horns)?" Rein inquired, startling Chloe yet again.

    "O-oh no! As long as it''s with someone that is trustworthy¡­ They should be fine with it¡­" She mumbled, beginning to turn around, revealing her beet-red face to Rein, her noticing that he wasn''t phased by the conversation they just had.

    "Why are you all red?"

    "Huh?! Why aren''t you? We''re talking about marriage here!" She whispered shouted, making Rein jump back in surprise.

    "What?!" He reacted, making Chloe understand that he had no idea what he was talking about.

    "Why are you acting all surprised?! Y-you don''t know about that custom?!" She yelled at him, her anger beginning to boil over.

    "Heya! What are you two talking about?" Emria and Saphri barged through the door.

    They saw the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Chloe''s beet-red face about to hit Rein who was recoiled to the corner of the room, with no progress in terms of setting up the sleeping conditions. The two girls put their hands on their faces in disappointment, sighing at the same time.

    "What are you two doing¡­ After all of this time, you still have not found a single mattress?" Saphri angrily scolded, as the two apologized for their tardiness.

    The two girls helped them find the mattresses, setting one up in the girl''s room, and the other in Rein''s room.

    "Sorry about that Chloe. I didn''t know horn grabbing meant a proposal in Draconica¡­" He whispered to Chloe as they struggled to fit the mattress through the doors.

    "Whatever¡­ Just forget about it," she pouted, Emria and Saphri noticed their interaction.

    "Besides¡­ I don''t have time for things like that¡­" He quietly whispered to himself, as a bottomless gaze of despair washed over his eyes.

    "*sigh*. Quite frankly, I''m done with everything today. It was tiring enough helping Raxo with her gadgets, I do not want to deal with this too," Saphri sleepily spoke, as Emria wallowed in her tired emotion, the two girls simultaneously yawning.

    After they set up the mattresses, Emria and Saphri instantly fell asleep, followed shortly by Xenia and Chloe who talked for a short while. Rein and Clyde tried sleeping but to no avail.

    "Rein? Are you awake?" Clyde, who was sleeping on the mattress on the floor, called out to Rein, who was sleeping on the bed.

    "Yeah, I am," he replied.

    "What do you think the principal wants us for? You, Core, and I?" Clyde asked, trying to ease up to his other questions.

    "Probably about the ones who hired Crypt. Pretty sure you know who it is by now?" Rein turned around to face him.

    "Yes¡­ Melina Alister. She mentioned the Timeless Blitz, Drevius Alister. If I''m not mistaken, you''re rted to them, aren''t you?"

    "That''s right. My real name is Rein Alister. And that woman you saw was my aunt. She''s the one behind everything. She hired Checkmate to attack my vige, and when Checkmate didn''t kill anyone, she ordered the soldiers to kill them with their own hands," Rein began shivering out of fear and anger, speaking about his aunt.

    "You¡­ Seem to be frightened. But it didn''t seem like it when you came back from facing her," Clyde stated, making Rein remember.

    "Yeah," his voice trembled. "You have no idea how fucking scared I was. If it weren''t for Saphri''s Spring, I would have broken down right then and there," he continued quaking in his bed, eventually calming down as he turned back around in his bed, closing his eyes.

    "I sought vengeance at all costs¡­ But it''s a hell of a lot moreplicated than that. There are unbeatable foes that I have to ovee¡­ And fears that I have to face. But, I will make her suffer, and rot for everything she''s done," Rein creepily smiled, his eyes wide open as he grinned from ear to ear.

    "It¡­ Was the same for me. I was just like you during my time in Crypt. But then I met master, and he taught me that I shouldn''t fight for the sake of my personal vengeance, but to protect something precious to me. I believe that only after doing that can you truly grow to meet your ambitions," Clyde exined as Rein rolled over in his bed, scoffing to himself.

    "Fighting for the sake of protecting something, huh?" He spoke to himself, recalling what happened to his sister. "That''ll only get you killed," he concluded as he thought to himself.

    "I assume the condition was for someone connected with the ring to say your name?" Clyde asked.

    "Hm?" Rein snapped out of his rut of anger, returning to his usual self. "Yeah, and it''s thanks to you that my n worked," Rein yawned, Clyde, knowing what he meant, but not agreeing with him.

    "Nonsense. You just said that you connected with us using Saphri''s Spring. It was clearly your influence on me that made me make the connection," Clyde denied.

    "Hahaha, sometimes I wonder if your really modest, or you''re just an idiot. You didn''t forget, did you? It''s almost impossible to influence your mind. It was a real pain in the ass for me during our match," Rein exined, making Clyde realize that he had figured it out by himself.

    "I see..." he uttered, feeling a sense of aplishment. He went on to tell Rein about his past, re-telling what he told Xenia in the prison cell. When they finished talking, they both went to sleep, Clydementing on Rein''s sleeping form before doing so.

    "Are you not going to wear a nket? It gets quite cold at night in the Gulf," Clyde advised, making Rein softlyugh to himself.

    "Nah, I''m used to this by now anyway," he said as they both drifted off to sleep.

    The next day, very early in the morning.

    "*yawn*, that was the best night of sleep I''ve ever had," Xenia awoke, seeing the other girls sprawled out on the ground in front of her.

    "What now..? I guess I should go get changed," she thought, as she stood up. "I forgot how nice sleeping feels¡­ It''s thanks to him that I''m able to think this way now¡­ Ah! Forget about him! I don''t care about that inconsiderate jerk anymore!" She angrily thought to herself as she entered the bathroom, unfocused.

    When she opened the door, she saw a shirtless ck-haired man standing behind the wooden half gate that lead to the hot springs. His chest was filled with scars, making his muscr body look rigid and stern. She looked under the half-gate, seeing his bare feet on the bathroom floor.

    She quickly covered her eyes and started blushing intensely, her scream somehow not waking anyone.

    "C-Clyde?! What are you doing naked in the girl''s bathroom!?"

    "Naked?" He said curiously as he opened the half gate that covered his bottom half, walking out into the toilet area of the bathroom.

    "Wha! Don''t walk out here!" She peeked through a crack in her fingers, seeing that he was wearing his usual navy blue pants.

    "I just got done with my morning training. This room has quite an impressive dojo," he stated.

    "Oh¡­" She muttered, slightly disappointed. "But wait, that doesn''t excuse you! Why are you in the girl''s washroom?!"

    Clyde wore a bewildered expression as he pointed up to the door behind her, which had a sign written on it in sloppy handwriting.

    "Rein''s bathroom. Girls, don''t enter!"

    "O-oh! E-excuse me then," she hastily tried leaving the bathroom, but she was stopped, Clyde, grabbing onto her hand.

    "Are you angry at me for something? Whatever I did to anger you, I sincerely apologize," he said bluntly, making Xenia feel slightly bad, then shook her head to snap herself out of the empathetic state she was in.

    "No, I''m not angry," she said, frantically trying to free herself from his grip.

    "Please, just tell me what I did so I can avoid it in the future."

    "I said I''m not angry! Woah!" She slipped backward on the wet floor, as she was caught by Clyde who was behind her.

    "Watch your step, the floor is wet," he said, propping her back up on her two feet. " I''m sorry for keeping you. If you''re not mad at me, then I suppose I was worried for nothing," Clyde spoke as he began walking back to the hot spring section to put on his shirt.

    "I''m the one who should be sorry," Xenia apologized, making him stop and turn around.

    "What for?"

    "I was angry¡­ When I changed into my new clothes yesterday, you didn''t say anything about it, and I got mad because you changed the subject so quickly¡­" She revealed, talking quietly so nobody else hears.

    "What? But I wasn''t the only one that didn''t say anything. Rein and the other boys also quietly stared," he professed, confused as to why she got mad over such a trivial matter.

    "So what, I only wanted to hear you say it¡­" Once she realized what she had said, frantically blushed and looked up at him, seeing a muddled expression on his dense face, not understanding what she meant.

    "I see¡­ My apologies, but I didn''t say anything because I didn''t think you cared what I had to say."

    "No, it''s alright, it''s all my fault anyway. Well, I''m gonna go get changed too, see youter!" She began running out of the bathroom, hearing a remark as she left.

    "I thought the outfit was breathtaking. It fit you like a charm," Clydeplimented, speaking his mind with no holds barred.

    "Th-thanks¡­" She ran away as happiness filled her body, her jittery heart beating like a drum.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    3 dayster, an announcement was made from the school''s inte that reached the entire campus, including the dormitories.

    "Rise and shine students of Ranger Academy! Today is your first day of school! Please head to the school''s foyer as soon as possible!"

 Chapter 56 - Through The Gates Of Ambition

    November 26th, early in the morning.

    "..ake ..p"

    "Hm?"

    Rein slightly peeked his eye open seeing a blonde-haired girl standing at the end of his bed, tugging on his legs.

    "Wake up! We''re gonna bete!" She yelled, continuing to tug on his legs trying to pull him out of bed.

    "Mm, 5 more minutes¡­" He uttered, beginning to drift back to sleep.

    Suddenly, he felt a jolt at his foot, electrocuting him awake.

    "Ow, sheesh okay. I''ming¡­" He reluctantly got out of bed, Chloe mustering up her strength to produce a small jolt of lightning to wake Rein, which she had been training to do for the past 3 days.

    "So you finally got the hang of the lightning? Look''s like your Spring''s gotten stronger," he said as he took off his pajamas and wore one of his new outfits.

    "I wouldn''t say I''ve got the hang of it, but I can use it in small quantities," she exined as she walked out of his bedroom and waited.

    The day before, Rein had gone clothes shopping and bought himself a new outfit to wear at school, one that would fit his System Take-Over form.

    It was a white scarf that protruded out of two ends of his neck, flowing down to his waist, with glossy red outlines near the ends. A ck sleeveless shirt with ck cloth gauntlets that reached up to his elbows, both of them having red glossy outlines striped across them. He wore a red buckle belt that connected his half ck half white pants, with red boots that reached up to his shin.

    "Alright, let''s go," he walked out of the room with haste, followed by Chloe who was leaning against the wall in wait.

    As they descended the building, they peaked at their friend''s rooms, all vacant as the two were runningte.

    "Hey, do you know where they put Xenia''s room?" Rein inquired.

    "She''s living in the principal''s home behind the dorm. The principal was nice enough to share her living quarters with her because she didn''t have the budget to build a new room. Although, I have a feeling the principal is enjoying it more than Xenia is," Chloe spoke with a nosy expression, feeling bad for her friend.

    They made it to the ground floor and saw Raxo, Saphri, and Emria exiting the elevator,ing up from the basement floor.

    "Rein and Chloe?! Why are you still here? School starts in 5 minutes!" Emria scolded as they ran past them, speeding up.

    "Yeah we know! Bye girls! I might bete because of my meeting with the principal, so don''t wait up for me!" He yelled as he and Chloe ran out of the dormitory, Chloe waving at the girls as they caused a gust of wind in their wake, running at immense speeds to reach the academy.

    "Did you get a red ring for Raxo too? You know, so that she can build some gadgets with her Spring?" Chloe inquired after seeing one on Raxo''s hand.

    "Yeah, Core was able to get me one more. They''re made out of incredibly rare materials, so they''re really expensive. I''m gonna need to start buying them with my own money from now on. Who knows, maybe I''ll buy one for you eventually," heughed, his remark making her slightly blush, as she read too much into it as always.

    When they arrived at the main entrance, they noticed a swarm of hundreds of people in front of therge, wooden door. There were ample of different races there. Most of them were humans, but there was the asional elf, dwarf, and even rarer, half-elves, gnomes, and orcs. Creatures from all different species gathered in wait for the opening of the doors of Ranger academy, waiting for their chances to set foot in the magical establishment that will bring their dreams to fruition.

    Rein hadn''t forgotten his goal, in fact, hisst endeavor has reinforced his resolve even further. This was merely a stepping stone for him. The school existed to offer him all kinds of different Springs for his System, earning experience and leveling up for the sole purpose of exacting his revenge. He had now seen firsthand the horrors that awaited him and the unrivaled strength of his opponents. He didn''t care about their intentions, nor did he care about the intentions of those around him. As long as he could move forward with his vindication, he didn''t care who he befriended. He was drunk on revenge and was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve it, as long as it did not trouble the innocent people around him.

    As he stopped in front of the school, he felt his blood boil with uncontroble emotion. Excitement, anger, and fear made his System activate unconsciously, causing the ground to shake, turning the crowd to face the two who stood behind them.

    "H-hey Rein? Are you okay?" Chloe tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance, breaking the red glow that resided in his eyes.

    "Yeah, I''m fine¡­ Sorry about that, I didn''t mean to cause trouble," he said, looking back up at the crowd that had just parted in front of the two.

    Rein and Chloe walked in the path that was created, hearing whispersing from both sides of the crowd.

    "Hey, isn''t that the guy who won the entrance tournament?" One student whispered.

    "Yeah, I hear he got a free ride and a room on the top floor of the dorm. He''ll probably be able to open the door like those other guys..."

    "And that girl beside him is the malicious princess of Orhtlys. Ugh, I feel disgusted being born the same year as her."

    The students gazed at her with scornful eyes, which loomed into her soul like an abhorrent spear twisting into the depths of her consciousness. She could feel all of their loathsome emotions towards her, as if she was trapped in a room that was slowly closing on her, closing her eyes to escape the trauma that she was experiencing. She grabbed onto Rein''s hand, continuing to close her eyes tightly as if she was bracing for something to hit impact on her.

    Rein could feel her soft and small, cold and sweaty hand as he tightened his grip on it, loosening her expression as he whispered something to her.

    "You don''t have to worry anymore. I can control earth. If a rock everes flying at you, I''ll send it right back," he reassured her, making her able to finally open her eyes, facing the gaze of over a hundred students.

    It was as if her fear was gone. She felt safe around him, almost as if he sucked all of the fright out of her body.

    As they continued down the path, they reached therge auburn door that the other students crowded around, which nobody had opened. Rein slowly held his arm out and pushed on the door as it creaked open, everyone in the crowd gasping in amazement.

    "As we thought, he opened it!" One student blurted as Rein and Chloe walked inside.

    "Quick! Run in before the door closes!" All of the students screamed, cramming themselves through to get to the door.

    As they touched the threshold, the crowd of students were repelled by a mysterious force, continuing to outrage as the door closed on all of the students, shutting them off from Rein and Chloe, who stood in a small, dimly lit room.

    Rein let go of her hand and inspected the metal door in front of them, a machine suddenly popping out of the ground.

    "Please ce your hand on this panel to register. Remove all gloves or clothes around your palm."

    Rein followed its instructions, then Chloe did as well, cing their hands on the panel, which then scanned them with a green light, confirming their identities then retracting back into the ground, dispensing two tablet-looking objects. One for Rein, the other for Chloe.

    Suddenly, the metal door in front of them flew upwards, opening by sliding vertically. The light from the school''s foyer shone on their eyes as they entered, looking around therge room to see loads of other students standing around the vast area they were in, a bunch of them in groups and some standing alone.

    "Ah, If it isn''t our finalists. Wee, I believe you two are thest to arrive," said a bespectacled ck-haired man standing atop a podium. "Everyone be silent! Without further dy, I will begin the introductory speech for Ranger academy!"

 Chapter 57 - Class Ranking

    "Hey, you two! Why are you sote?" They heard a familiar voice call out for them to their right.

    They saw their group of friends standing against the back wall, waiting for the man on the podium to continue speaking. Quint was deep squatting against the wall, and Core was sitting down beside him, inspecting the tablet that each student obtained. Clyde, Xenia, and Reggie were standing in front of them, awaiting the arrival of Rein and Chloe.

    The entire room''s atmosphere dampened when Chloe arrived, the ck-haired man standing on the podium hearing whispersing from the students insulting the princess. Enraged, the bespectacled man stomped his foot on the floor, causing a slight quake in the earth, gathering everyone''s attention back to him.

    "The next person to insult the princess will be expelled. I am not going to tolerate any of this nder. Do I make myself clear?" The ck-haired man dered, everyone in the room reluctantly nodding their heads.

    "Good. I am your vice principal, Wace. As of this moment, everyone outside the school is¡ª" he suddenly stopped talking as the metal door flew open again, revealing a spiky, blond-haired man with red eyes and sses entering the school.

    He carelessly walked into the foyer, the light that contrasted the dark room he was just in reflected off his sses. He wore a buttoned-up red long coat with red pants and ck shoes.

    "*sigh*, please arrive on time next time. We''ve no time for tardy fools like you," Wace said as he furrowed his sses.

    "Sorry," he articted, echoing his smooth, velvety voice across the room.

    At a closer nce, the man appeared to be rigorously sweating, sitting down in the middle of the foyer and taking out a canister of water from his pocket, chugging it as everyone watched.

    "*Ahem*, as I was saying, everyone outside the school as of this moment is expelled, and only you present will be the new students of Ranger Academy. When you entered, you were met with a machine that asked you for your handprint. That machine analyzed your Spring''s ability and registered you as a student of this school.

    But that''s not all it did. It ranked you all in Spring power. With the addition of the blonde-haired tardy man, we now have exactly 30 first-year students. A number will appear on your tablets telling you your rankingpared to the students, with 1 being the best, and 30 being the worst. Please take a look now."

    Everyone took out their tablets and gazed into the screen, which suddenly turned blue, disying a wee message from the school.

    "Wee to Range Academy. Tap on the screen to continue¡­"

    It said. Rein could hear everybody''s reactions across the room, some of them ecstatic, and some of them disappointed.

    "Look! I''m number 11!" Said an enthusiastic man to a girl.

    "Well, too bad for you, I''m 10!" She replied, making the man discouraged.

    "Damn it! I''m 24!" Said an angry elven man.

    "23 for me. Well, at least I''m notst," a nervous-looking man sighed.

    "Hey Rein," Chloe whispered. "What''d you get? #1 I assume," she said, showing her screen to Rein, disying the number 3.

    "Oh, you''re number 3? Impressive," he said as he looked around at the other''s reactions, stopping at Clyde''s, who was standing right beside him.

    "You are ranked: [2]" It said on his screen.

    "So Clyde''s second? I guess I expected that. He has a little more mastery over his Spring than Chloe," he thought to himself.

    "Wha?!" The girl standing beside Clyde reacted, showing her screen off to the group.

    "You are ranked: [29]" Xenia''s screen said.

    "What the..? But your Spring is so strong..." Rein blurted out, Core nervouslyughing on the floor.

    "Ahaha, at least I''m not the lowest in the group," his screen disying the number 28 on it.

    "No way! I''m not weaker than Core!" Xenia cried, having learned about Core''s power over thest 3 days.

    "Could it be¡­ It doesn''t register the inverted Springs? But that would mean¡­" Rein thought to himself, tapping his screen.

    "You are ranked: [30]" It disyed.

    "Haha¡­ You''ve got to be shitting me¡­" He uttered, turning everyone''s attention to him in the group.

    "Pfffft!! You''re even lower than me!" Xenia smuglyughed at him, relieved that she wasn''t the lowest in the group.

    "Excuse me! Wace? I believe there has been a mistake made with the rankings," Clyde protested, raising his hand.

    "Oh? And what could that be?" Wace replied.

    "How could the winner of the entrance tournament be the weakest entry? Frankly, that makes absolutely no sense," Clyde sternly opposed, as Wace pushed up his sses.

    "Just because he was the winner of the entrance tournament does not mean his Spring is stronger than everyone else. He may have used physical ability or intelligence to win. If so, that can be disyed in aptitude tests as the school year progresses," Wace expertly responded.

    "But¡ª!"

    "No buts. I''ve had to rebuild that ranking machine countless times, thanks to a certain notorious 2nd-year student. I can guarantee you that it has no malfunctions."

    "It''s okay Clyde. He said it himself, I''ll just have to show my stuffter on," Rein held Clyde''s shoulder, calming him down.

    "Very well¡­ Judging by the fact that Xenia was put in the 29th spot, does that mean that it does not detect inverted Springs?" Clyde inquired.

    "Right, and not only that, but it seems it can detect cursed Springs as well. My Spring level is probably the highest in the room, but that didn''t matter. Curses always seem toe in deadst. It''s why Xenia and I are at the bottom," Core exined.

    "Hey, we''re not at the bottom!" She looked at Rein smugly, who put his hand on his face in annoyance.

    "Quint and Reggie, what''d you get?" She asked as she peeked over their screens.

    "You are ranked: [13]" is what it said on Quint''s screen.

    "You are ranked: [9]" on Reggie''s.

    Xenia startedughing looking at Quint''s screen, angering him greatly.

    "Pfffthahaha! You''re number 13! I thought you were supposed to be a big strong man, hahaha!" She hystericallyughed at him, causing him to spring up in anger.

    "Hey! I don''t wanna hear shitin'' from you! You''re 16 spots lower than me!" He angrily shouted.

    "Oh, but you heard Core didn''t you? That''s only because I have a cursed Spring. What''s your excuse?" She teased, making him groan to himself in annoyance, sitting back down to calm himself.

    "Wait, but if Rein''s not number 1, then who is?" Chloe asked as they heard the sound of a microphone boom over them.

    "Alright, now that you''ve all seen your rankings, it''s time to exin how the sses will be divided. Each ss will have 6 students, ranging from ss S to ss D. Ranks 1 to 6 will be in ss S, 7 to 12 will be in ss A, 13 to 18 will be in ss B, 19 to 24 will be ss C, and 25 to 30 will be ss D. The public rankings will now be shown," he said, pointing to therge screen above him, which turned on shortly after.

    ss S:

    1. Sho Anagi (S+)

    2. Clyde Morioh (S+)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (S+)

    4. Derek Snyder

    5. Alyssa Osborne

    6. Eleanor Cherry

    ss A:

    7: Sid Magnus

    8: Tiarus Ilifiel

    9: Reggie Greybrewer

    10: ine Barkridge

    11: Lance Bowman

    12: William Curtis

    ss B:

    13: Quint Vossen

    14: Lamarr Shepherd

    15: Sano Sanraku

    16: Patricia Virvyre

    17: Elyon Orirel

    18: Tanaga Yugoyaki

    ss C:

    19: Ardryll Pabanise

    20: Aito Motoka

    21: Gilbert Cohen

    22: Stacey George

    23: Kai Bihorn

    24: n Waris

    ss D:

    25: Roger Bentely

    26: Candice Eilstina

    27: Mizubuki Daikuro

    28: Core (D-)

    29: Xenia Vossen (D-)

    30: Rein Xilris (D-)

    "These are the current standings. Over the course of each month, each student will have the opportunity to earn points to bring them up thedder within their ss. By taking Rangermissions, fulfilling requests around campus and in town, or doing good on aptitude and theory tests, you can gain points corresponding to your results.

    Of course, themissions that you can ept are based on the ss you are in, so ss S can take more dangerous and rewardingmissions in terms of money and points, and there are no limits on the amount they can take. But these points will not make you go up in sses. For example, if Tanaga was able to earn more points than Quint by the end of the month, he would be the ss leader. However, if Tanaga were to earn more points than William, who is in the next ss up, he would NOT advance in sses.

    The only way to hop to the next ss would be to defeat them in a battle. At the end of each month, the top 3 from each ss will battle it out with the bottom 3 from the ss above them. If the lower ss wins, the students swap positions. If the higher ss wins, nothing changes, and those students are able to keep their spots in the ss secure for the next month.

    sses S and D are slightly different though. Not only will the bottom 3 battle the top 3 from the adjacent sses each month, but they will also battle the other three in their groups, the S+ and the D-. For example, if Derek, Alyssa, and Eleanor defeat Sid, Tiarus, and Reggie, they will not only secure their spots in ss S, but they will also be granted the chance to face the 3 above them, in this case, Sho, Clyde, and Princess Chloe. If they win, they will be granted the top 3 spots and given the S+ title. In the case of a loss, nothing changes The same thing with ss D.

    Whoever is in ss D by the end of the month have to battle to get rid of the D- title. For example, if Roger, Candice, and Mizubuki lose their fight to the 3 above them, they will be put in a battle against the 3 under them. But if they win, they escape ss D and move on to ss C, and the ones who lost will now have to fight the D- students.

    Depending on which rank you end the month at, you will gain a designated amount of Rol. To give you an example, the number 1 spot will earn you 1 million Rol a month."

    The crowd raved in excitement as he said that, Wace stomping his feet to regain order again.

    "Please let me finish. I said Rol, not dol. 1 Rol is worth about a tenth of a Dol. The money you earn at the end of each month will only be usable for on-campus purchases and through various branches around the continent, so don''t think you''re set for life if you make 1 million Rol. This ''fake money'' will be stored on your tablet and you will not be able to use it in ces outside the campus or branches. The only real money you''ll be earning is frommissions, and of course, ss S will have the most rewarding ones.

    There are also special bonuses awarded to those with titles beside their names, which are S+ and D-. In addition to being awarded the most Rol a month, the S+ are granted ess to the special zones on campus, such as the premium training area, and the high-ss restaurants. Of course, these can be essed by the rest of you for the right amount of Rol, but S+ rank can ess them for free.

    But that is only the tip of the iceberg. For every month you spend in S+, you gain a ''prestige point''. Does that sound familiar to you?"

    "Do you mean the ranks that are granted to full-fledged Rangers?" one student blurted out.

    "That''s right. Ordinarily, graduates of Ranger Academy are automatically able to skip 4 prestige ranks, debuting their Ranger careers at prestige rank 5. But, for every prestige point you gain, you will skip one extra rank after you graduate. Do note that there is a limit of 4 prestige points per person, so staying in S+ after your 4th month is pretty much useless. I believe that concludes the basic overview of your time at Ranger Academy. If there are any questions, feel free to ask," Wace concluded as he heaved a breath of exhaustion, having talked for a long time.

    "I think you neglected to exin 1 thing, Mr. Wace," Rein raised his hand, drawing everyone''s attention to him.

    "What is it Rein?" He replied in a tired tone.

    "You exined the S+ title but didn''t touch upon the D- title. What ''perks'' does it give you?" He inquired, making Wace raise an eyebrow, thenugh to himself quietly.

    "I guess I did forget to mention that huh¡­ It might be the most important rule of all, how stupid of me," he pushed his sses up to his face and nced menacingly at the crowd, unnerving them, unsettling the atmosphere of the room.

    "Those unfortunate enough to have the D- title by the end of the month will meet an untimely end to their time at Ranger Academy. In other words, expulsion."

 Chapter 58 - Secondary Contractor

    "Expulsion?! That''s ridiculous! We were put in this position, how is that even fair?!" Xenia protested.

    "Then don''t settle. Prove that putting you at the bottom was a mistake and rise up in the rankings. If you can''t do that, then good riddance," Wace coldly spoke, inducing an angry reaction from the girl.

    "But¡ª!" She was interrupted by a velvety smooth voice from the center of the foyer.

    "Please be quiet. If you''re weak enough to be put that low, it serves you right to have the threat of expulsion," said the spiky-haired man that enteredte, enraging her even further.

    "And who the hell are you?" She angrily reacted.

    In response, he showed his tablet screen to the group, disying his ranking.

    "You are ranked: [1]" it said.

    "Wha¡­ You''re Sho Anagi?" She spoke in disbelief.

    "Sorry, but I would rather a weakling keep my name out of their mouth," he arrogantly scoffed, ceasing the conversation.

    "Why you¡­ I''ll show you who''s weak..." She began approaching him suddenly being held back by Clyde, telling her to calm down.

    "Hey! Let go! " She struggled.

    "That would be unwise. We wouldn''t want you getting suspended on the first day," Clyde exined as Xenia grunted in dissatisfaction, calming down to the point that Clyde released her.

    "All first-year Ranger students, please make your way to room 15 at the west end of the first floor. Your first ss will begin there," an announcement yed over the loudspeakers, sending all of the first years down the hall to their left, all the way to the ssroom at the end of the hall.

    When they arrived, they saw 5 rows of seats that elevated up a set of stairs, each row housing 6 people andbeled with a letter corresponding to a ss. The front row was S, and the back row was D. Rein, Xenia, and Core all sat at the back along with the other members of ss D. When everyone settled into their seats, one singr teacher walked into the room.

    She had long purple hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a white button-up top and ck pants. She came in smoking a cigar, puffing it out as she entered the room.

    "Sup. I''m your homeroom teacher, Zophie Willow. Wee to the first ss of your academic lives. Each of your seats has your names on ''em, so no need for introductions," she blew another smoke of cloud, the S ss students sitting at the front waving the smoke away from their faces.

    "So, guess I''ll exin what this ss is," she propped a whole stack of books on the table, each with their own subject.

    "Math, History, Geography, Chemistry, and Physics. There will also be a battle strategies ss, but the principal will be teaching you that," she exined.

    "This ss is basically the same as what the non-Ranger students in the school get. Same curriculum.

    Your performance during these sses will earn you points based on how well you did. At the end of each month, we''ll be having examinations. If you score #1 in the ss during any of the sses, you will be awarded 30 points, and will go down by 1 point the lower you score. Meaning if you scorest in the ss, you will only be earning 1 point.

    Each ss will take turns in battle strategies with Julianne during the days of the week. ss S starts today, ss D goes on Friday, and every ss goes in between. These sses are the only way to earn points during school hours, the rest of your points wille from your out-of-school activities. That''s pretty much it, let''s get to it I guess."

    "Wait! I have a question!" A student in the second row raised his hand.

    "What is it?"

    "You said ''non-Ranger'' students. Those exist here?" He spoke, confused.

    "Yeah, all those people wearing school uniforms. Technically, we''re different schools, but we use the same building. They also help set up some activities for Ranger academy, so I guess you could say we''re a branch of their school. Oh, and there''s a different principal for that school, though most of the time he ain''t even here, so Julianne covers for him a bunch. Gulf Academy is what it''s called," the teacher exined as she turned back around to get back to what she was doing before.

    She summoned a holographic board and began teaching them mathematics, the ss they have on Mondays. It was incredibly difficult math, more difficult than anything the entire group had ever seen. Out of the students in ss D, only two of them seemed to be understanding what the teacher was saying.

    But the entire time Rein sat in that ss, he was devising ns, and strategies to get as many points as possible.

    "Only three people can advance per ss each month. Xenia, Core, and I are at the bottom three with the threat of expulsion on our asses. I''m not really worried about Core, but I need to make sure Xenia can score well on these exams. Got any ideas Versys? Anything my System can do to help her?"

    "I thought you''d never ask. During your fight with the Steal System, I was able to unlock my knowledge about contractors. On top of a primary contractor, which is Core in your case, you can assign semi-contractors. We call them ''secondary contractors''. Forging a secondary contract has no direct benefit to you. Instead, the contracted will be the one benefiting.

    For each secondary contractor, you can assign a stat and a skill to them. By assigning a stat to a person, they can benefit from 20% of that stats value. But be careful, once you assign a stat, you can''t change it. You can assign more than one person to each stat, so two people can be benefiting from the same buff at the same time. Don''t worry though, they won''t be leeching 20% from your stat, it''s more of a bonus.

    On top of that, if you look at the skills tab in your menu, you can see 2 types of skills, passive skills, and technical skills. For every contractor, including your primary one, you can assign one passive skill. Same thing here, once a skill has been assigned, you can''t unassign it until that person dies. Only 1 skill can be assigned to each person, so two people cannot benefit from the same skill, unlike the stats," Versys informed.

    Rein smiled to himself in satisfaction, conjuring up different ns to advance in points.

    "So how do I assign a secondary contractor?" Rein inquired.

    "Well, you actually already assigned one. After your match with Clyde, you held his head and said my name to inform him about your inverse power. That''s actually how to assign a secondary contractor. You still haven''t given him any buffs though. A new tab in your System should''ve popped up now that you''ve unlocked this knowledge. The ''contractor'' tab."

    Rein opened his menu, and to his surprise, the tab was right there, beside the Spring history tab. He opened it, seeing arge mugshot of Core''s face, with the words "Primary Contractor" under him, with a smaller mugshot of Clyde''s face underneath in the "Secondary Contractor" section.

    When he pressed on Clyde''s face, he was granted the choice of a stat and a skill to assign to him. He left it be for now, saving assigning a stat to him forter.

    "So I just have to touch them and say your name with the intention of making them a contractor?" Rein made sure.

    "That''s exactly right! Do note though, if you give her intellect, it won''t instantly boost her knowledge. That would just be unreasonable. Intellect is more your aptitude to learn things, so keep that in mind," Versys exined.

    "Sounds good. I should physically see a change in her confused face when I do this¡­ Right, here I go," he quietly reached for her shoulder, Xenia oblivious to it as she was looking at the board with clear pain and confusion on her face.

    "Versys," he whispered as his hand made contact with her shoulder.

 Chapter 59 - Lance Of A Pure Heart

    "Eeek!" She reacted when she felt his hand touch her shoulder, turning around to him retracting his hand,ughing nervously.

    "What was that Rein!?" She angrily whispered.

    "Ahaha, there was a mosquito on your shoulder. Here, look," he showed her his palm, which had a dead bug sttered across it.

    "What?! Did it smudge on my clothes?!" She frantically voiced as she checked her shoulder sleeve on her orange half-coat.

    "No, I was able to swipe it off cleanly and crush it in my hand. You don''t have to worry," he reassured, making her sigh in relief.

    "*phew*. Thanks¡­ But you should probably go wash your hands," she opined, feeling slightly disgusted.

    "Miss Willow!" Rein called out.

    "Just call me Zophie. And can''t you see I''m in the middle of exinin'' something?" Shezily spoke.

    "Sorry about that, I just need to go wash my hands. I just crushed an incredibly juicy bug. You guys wanna see?" He jokingly spoke, everyone in the ss firmly declining.

    "Make it quick. The men''s bathroom is in the middle of the hall. Can''t miss it," she pointed out of the door as she returned to teaching, Rein walking down the ss, looking back at Xenia as he walked out.

    The look of confusion on her face was reced with a look of jubtion as she confidently began taking notes, Core ncing at her notebook and nodding to himself, impressed by her sudden improvement.

    "I''m lucky her mind is prone to illusions. Had to use Memory Flip there to copy Saphri''s Spring, but it''s fine. Hopefully, I won''t need to use it today," he thought to himself as he entered the washroom, pretending to wash his already clean hand.

    "Hey, you''re number 30, right?" a tall, brown-haired man walked into the bathroom after him.

    He had brown eyes, filled with happiness and ambition. Rein could feel the sheer positivity emanating from his body as he entered the bathroom.

    "And you''re number 11, right?" Rein responded, pleasantly surprising the man.

    "Wow! How''d you know!" He happily responded.

    "I heard you yell ''Look! I''m number 11!'' to that pink-haired girl. You two were making a ruckus during the orientation, what is she your girlfriend?" Rein scoffed.

    "Dang, you pay attention to everything around you, don''t you? And¡­ Haha, it''s a little embarrassing to say it, but yeah, she''s my lover," he blushed.

    "Well congrats to both of you," Rein unenthusiastically said as he returned to washing his hands.

    "The name''s Lance Bowman. And you''re Rein, right? I heard you won the entrance tournament, yet you''re 30th in the ss? You even beat the number 2 and number 3 students during the same tournament. What''s up with that?" Lance spoke in a confused tone.

    "I dunno, guess I''m just really strong," heughed, making Lance pumped up.

    "Really?! It''s like, I get the feeling that you don''t have a Spring, but I still feel like you''re incredibly powerful!" He eagerly stated, gushing up to him.

    "Damn he''s sharp," Rein thought in his mind, wanting to end the conversation.

    "You see, the only reason I joined this academy was that ine was going. No matter how much I tried to convince her otherwise, she wouldn''t budge. It made me feel inadequate like she thought I wasn''t strong enough to protect her. Besides, her Spring is stronger than mine, so what''s the point in pretending?" Heughed nervously.

    "And what''s that have to do with me?" Rein asked.

    "Well, that''s just it. I decided that because I scored lower than her in the rankings, I would physically train myself so I could cover her back¡­ And when I heard the guy with the weakest Spring won the entrance tournament, I felt inspired. You did all that with a less than average Spring? I even heard that you weren''t even using a Spring half the time!"

    "So what, you want me to train you? Sorry, but I don''t have time for that," Rein coldly denied.

    "That''s not it. I would be lying if I said I didn''t want to fight you, but that''s not it right now. I just wanna be friends!" He innocently said, triggering several gs for Rein.

    "I can''t tell if this guy''s a genius or an idiot¡­" He thought to himself.

    "I might be able to pick up a thing or two from hanging out with you! And who knows, maybe it''ll be good for you to have a friend from a higher ss?" He persuasively spoke, making Rein''s eyes widen.

    "That is true¡­" He uttered, Lance beginning to beg.

    "Please, dude¡­ I just want to make ine happy. I just want to protect her, that''s all I want in life," Lance poured his heart, bowing down to Rein, who could feel the sincerity through his words.

    "Heh, in a way we''re simr, you and I," Reinughed, extending his hand out for a handshake.

    "For real?! Thanks man!" He firmly shook Rein''s hand, who took the opportunity to copy his Spring.

    "Well then, I''ll head back to ss first! See ya, buddy!" Lance ran out of the washroom and back to the ssroom as a teacher in the hallway caught him, scolding him for running in the hallway.

    Rein looked into the mirror and smiled to himself, half of it was genuine and half of it was malicious.

    "Yes Lance, we are very much alike. But at the same time, we couldn''t be any more different. We both have one purpose in life, granted they are both incredibly different things¡­ Though I still domend you for your resolve. You''ve definitely earned my respect," he softlyughed to himself.

    "So this is his Spring, huh? The ability to manifest his energy into a shield and cover a wider range of area, while simultaneously boosting its power. Interesting¡­ very fitting for someone as righteous as him. I''ll make good use of this," he thought as he finished washing his hands, then returned back to the ssroom, walking back up the stairs and taking his seat beside Xenia.

    On his way up, he noticed Lance happily whispering to his girlfriend who sat next to him, and Chloe looking at him with the corner of her eye from the front of the room.

    "Hey, Rein! Bet you can''t answer this question!" Xenia gloated as she showed him her notebook, her having done the question that the teacher just assigned.

    "Haha, impressive. Too bad though," he said as he flipped his own notebook open, showing her that he had already done the question.

    "What?! But she literally just assigned that one! Don''t tell me you flipped ahead in the textbook?! How about you?" She turned to Core, who gaudilyughed while showing his answer.

    Suddenly, Xenia and Core felt a swift bullet fly by their heads, propelling past them at incredible speed.

    "I''m tryna teach a ss here. Both of you shut the hell up," the teacher angrily red at them as they saw that she spit her cigarette at them, which poked a hole in the stone wall behind them. They bowed their heads and shut their mouths, sitting there, disciplined.

    After a while, homeroom was over and the sses divided amongst themselves. ss S joined the principal in their battle strategies ss, while Rein and ss D met up somewhere on campus.

    "Hey! Looks like all 6 of us are here! We should all introduce ourselves! I''ll start!" One student among them enthusiastically eximed, wearing an obviously fake smile on her face.

    "My name is Candice Eilstina! I hope we can get along from now on!" She happily expressed, posing in cutesy fashion.

    "My name is Mizubuki Daikuro! I''m from the newly imed Orthlys territory of Mantos! It''s nice to meet you!" The carefree-looking boy revealed.

    "I''m Roger Bentley! I hope we can work together to progress through the school year!" He bowed, making Rein, who was sitting with Xenia and Core,ugh as hey on the grass, sitting up and looking at his fellow ssmates.

    "Work together? You''ve gotta be joking right? I mean, that Candice girl can''t put on a faker smile if she tried," he pointed out, making the girlugh nervously, subconsciously cursing him.

    "Haha¡­ What are you talking about!" She stuttered.

    "And work together? Don''t make meugh. We''re in ss D, the lowest of the low, and the three of us especially, dealing with the threat of expulsion on our asses. You must be incredibly naive if you think we''re working with you. It''s every man to themselves in this school," he stood up, followed by Xenia and Core who stood up after him as they began walking away.

    "H-hey! But you need 6 people to take the high rewardingmissions!" One of the guys yelled as the three walked away.

    "Didn''t say they had to be 6 of the same ss. Sorry, but we''re better off questing with people we''re notpeting with," Core waved his hand as continued walking away.

    "Sorry guys, but we''re gonna win! Try and keep up!" Xenia taunted, also waving her hand as she ran to the two in front of her.

    "Uhhh, that was¡­ Weird, wasn''t it Miss Candice? I mean, we just wanted to work together¡­" Mizubuki nervously spoke.

    "Those fucking heathens¡­" She whispered.

    "What? Sorry, haha, could you speak up..?" Roger said as he approached her.

    "THOSE FUCKING HEATHENS!! I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I''M GONNA EARN MORE POINTS THAN THEM AND GET THEM EXPELLED! I''M GONNA MAKE THAT WHITE HAIRED MENACE WISH HE''D NEVER INSULTED ME!" Candice exploded, waving her arms in an angry fit as fire could be seen in her eyes, unnerving the two boys who apanied her.

    "Um¡­ Miss Candice¡­ What''se over you?" Mizubuki whimpered as he tried calming her down, Candice suddenly grabbing the two of them by the cor.

    "From now on, you''re both my dogs, you hear? I don''t want to hear a single word of resistance," she imposed her will upon them, the weak-willed boys easily crushed under the weight of her words, folding under the pressure.

    "Y-yes ma''am!" They simultaneously obeyed.

    "Hey Rein, we said all of that, but where are we gonna get 3 more people? Chloe and Clyde are busy with battle strategies ss," Xenia inquired as she followed Rein to themission board.

    "We can still get Reggie or Quint to join us. And besides, I''ve got an extra person who might be willing¡­"

 Chapter 60 - Commission Starving

    Earlier, somewhere in Orthlys¡­

    "Lady Melina! We have located another one of the cursed Springs! It is one of the cities that Orthlys does not control, on the far west of the Econica region!" A grunt hurriedly rushed into a room.

    "Oh? Thend of the Econican royal guard? Very well, we can send someone to fetch that," she said as the grunt bowed down and left the room.

    "So, what? That''s our 5th cursed Spring?" Luther guessed.

    "No, this one will be our 3rd. But we do know the locations of 2 more, so I suppose you could say it''s our 5th. Anyway, how are we on ''that'' front?" She replied.

    "Pretty good. We''ve got Crypt''s leader on our side already, and as you know, the other one is grouped up with the 2 curses. We just need to find thest one," Luther informed, kicking back while floating in the air.

    "Perfect. We are steadily approaching our goal. We just need the final piece of the puzzle. Let''s pay a little visit to the king, shall we?"

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Back at the academy¡­

    "Core, you''ve still got that Riskel guy tied up, right?" Rein inquired as they walked towards themission''s board.

    "Yeah, D8 still has him in her stash. Why? You need something from him?" Core replied.

    "He''ll prove to be an incredibly useful source of information for us in the future, but for now, can you tell her to summon him for just a second?"

    "Ah, I see," Core snapped, D8 appearing at his side.

    "What''s the matter, master," she said, kneeling down.

    "Summon that green-haired cardinal guy for a second."

    "As you wish."

    She threw out a marble that contacted the ground, which then transformed into a sleeping man. Rein touched him, copying his Spring, D8 then retrieving him and taking her leave.

    "What was that?" Xenia asked curiously.

    "Nothing. Let''s continue."

    As they arrived at themission''s board, they found a handful of others from different sses, looking at the requests. Whenever a team found a request they wanted to take, they would rip the paper off the wall and bring it to the receptionist, who will either approve or deny their request.

    As Rein gazed upon themission''s board, he noticed that nearly all of the quests in Orthlys had been taken, and there were several Econican quests that were left to be. They were either marked with the Econican unicorn or the Orthlys lion.

    "Tch," Rein bit his lip.

    "You wanted to go around Orthlys and maybe find clues about ''her'', didn''t you? Look''s like there are only two requests left in Orthlys," Core stated as they inspected both of them.

    They saw arge red circle with the letter S in the middle.

    "Damn it, these ones are for ss S only, right?" Xenia spoke, disappointed.

    "Right¡­ And I don''t see any for ss D¡­" Core observed.

    They heard quietughter from one corner of the room, seeing 6 people holding 4 pieces of paper. As Rein looked closer, he saw that each of the papers had the letter D on them.

    "Oh boo hoo, it looks like ss D can''t do anymissions!" One of them ridiculed as the rest startedughing.

    "Just ignore them. Dmissions aren''t worth our time anyway," Rein loudly said, pissing off one of the guys in the group.

    "Oh! They aren''t worth your time, eh?" The ck-haired man stood up and waved the paper in front of Rein''s face.

    "I guess you''re just not gonna earn any points then? Where are your other ss members? Don''t tell me you ditched them," he smiled maliciously, Rein unphased by his intimidating aura.

    "Move. I''m trying to see the board," Rein warned him, which ticked him off further.

    "Hey! Tanaga! We should give thesemissions to their other ssmates!" One of the girls he was with suggested.

    "Oh what a great idea Patricia! It''d be a great way of starving these guys of points! And just like that, the winner of the entrance tournament would be eliminated!" Tanaga red, making Xenia clench her fists, ready to swing at him.

    Suddenly, Rein swatted the back of his fist across Tanaga''s face, sending him flying to the left side of the room, crashing into the wall like a cannonball. The wall cracked on impact, and the man''s group all gathered around him to see if he was okay, while resentfully staring at Rein.

    "I said move," Rein spoke sternly as he ripped one of themissions off of the wall.

    He walked outside of the room, the receptionist calling after him.

    "Um, sir! That''s a B-rank request!" The receptionist nervously called.

    "I know. I''ll be right back," he walked out of themission''s room, followed by Core and Xenia.

    "Hey, you sure that was a good idea? Won''t you get in trouble for punching that guy?" Xenia asked, concerned.

    "I''ll be fine. If anything, I think our principal would endorse punching annoying pricks instead of condemning it. Besides, you were about to punch him too, weren''t you?"

    "Ahaha, I guess I can''t deny that," she guiltilyughed.

    "But anyways Rein, are you sure you want that request? It''s in Econica, in fact, it''s in the farthest city from Orthlys. Not to mention that it''s B-rank," Core pointed out.

    "This is only a 3 man request, so if we get 3 students in B-rank or above, we should be able to tag along with them as party filler. Anyway, Something about the job description seemed strange¡­ The Econican royal guard, who are Sirens originated from this ce, right?" Rein conferred.

    "That''s right. A long time ago, the Siren species who specialize in water Springs were heavily feared by the Econican monarchy, specializing in fire-based springs. This conflict escted into a miniature war, in which the Econican royal family miraculously won. The Siren''s pledged loyalty to the Econican Emperor, thus forming the royal guard," Core exined.

    "Yeah, that''s what I know too. They''re a race that can freely swim and breath underwater and have adapted tond so that they can walk as well. But they serve solely the Econican Emperor, don''t they?" Rein rhetorically asked, pointing at the sheet of paper.

    "Here it reads ''we need a group of Rangers to investigate an incredibly important matter. Over the past 3 days, there have been many suspicious sightings around our King, and recently, several attempts to kidnap him. We need a group of Rangers in the town of Aquifa as soon as possible!''. Does something seem strange to you in that message?" Rein posed a question to his group members.

    "Yeah¡­ They called someone their ''king''..." Core remarked.

    "And the Siren race should only serve one person, and that''s the Econican Emperor. So there''s something weird going on, because they should be saying ''emperor'' instead of king!" Xenia concluded.

    "You''re catching on quick," Rein smiled, the intellect boost starting to show. "This whole thing''s got me sketched out. And I''ve got a feeling ''she''s'' connected to this," Rein looked at Core, who wore a surprised expression, Xenia oblivious to their nces.

    "So? What are we waiting for? Let''s go find Quint and Reggie!"

    After some time searching, they finally ran into Quint. They asked him to join their group and exined the contents of themission.

    "No way."

    "What! Why?!" Xenia outburst, her brother rejecting their invitation to join the party.

    "My fuckin weapon''s been broken since the day at the volcano and I can''t find a cksmith in town that knows how to make a proper battle axe. Shit''s pissing me off," Quint spoke angrily as he scratched his head.

    "Oh yeah. I''ve been trying to find a cksmith to make me a new weapon too. I''ve been using this one from that guard that was knocked out," Xenia summoned her greatsword and held it with an outstretched arm with ease.

    "Damn, how much does that thing weigh? Anyways, I can''t join you. Even if I find a cksmith right now, it''ll take ''em a while to get my weapon done."

    "I think I can help you find one," Rein proposed, surprising Quint, making him smile in jubtion.

    "For real dude?! That would be fuckin'' awesome!"

 Chapter 61 - Forming A Party

    They arrived at the Ranger Academy dormitory and entered the elevator, heading down to a noisy metal-ted room. They heard voices emerging as they descended.

    "Hey, Emria! I''m gonna need some Spring support here!"

    "Coming!"

    "I have finished assembling the exterior piece. Are you both done¡ª"

    Suddenly, they heard an explosion as the elevator descended deeper down, eventually reaching the basement floor.

    "The hell''s happening down here? Isn''t this that red-headed chick''s workshop?" Quint said as he saw smoke pouring out of the back room.

    "Who you callin'' a red-head, red-head?" Raxo emerged from the smoke, apanied by Emria and Sahpri, all of them charred with smoke.

    "What happened back there?" Xenia asked.

    "We''ve been trying to make this gadget for the past 3 days. Even with my Spring inversed, it keeps blowin'' up. It''s something I''m gonna show my parents, maybe they''ll let mee back if they see it," she nervouslyughed at herself.

    "Sounded like a pretty big explosion, yet you''re unscathed. I assume Greeny had a hand in that?" Core guessed.

    "That''s right!"

    "But it''s weird though. Maybe the ring is malfunctioning? Here, give it to me for a second," Rein told Raxo, who took off the ring and gave it to him with a confused look on her face.

    "I didn''t feel any problems with it, but I guess it''s better to be safe than sorry."

    Rein inspected it for a while, then gave it back to her. Raxo put it back on her finger.

    "Yeah, nothing was wrong with it. I guess the thing you''re building blows up naturally," Rein concluded.

    "Regardless, did you guys need anything?" Saphri looked around, patting the dust off of her face.

    "Oh yeah, you have a cksmith back there? Think you could make me a new battle axe?" Quint pointed at the back room, in which there was a smithing table in the corner.

    "Oh, I would love to! Just kidding, are you a moron or something? I''m an engineer, not a cksmith! That smithing table belongs to the smithing club that disbandedst year. They kept their stuff in here, and I''m toozy to clean it up," she angrily exined.

    "Hey! You said she could!" Quint turned around and pouted at Rein, who softlyughed.

    "She can, she just hasn''t realized it yet," he said, making Raxo confused.

    "What? I told you, I''ve never¡­ made a weapon¡­ in my¡­ life¡­ huh?" She stopped talking and went into a thinking position.

    "Here, take these smithing tools. Make Quint a weapon will you?" Rein pulled a bag of heavy smithing tools from behind his back and propped it down on the counter. It was the same bag he had obtained from Folduin, the cksmith back in the Elven Forest.

    "What are you talking about? She just said she can''t smith," Quint said, looking at Rein, unimpressed.

    "Ahaha¡­ I just remembered that my upperssmenst year taught me how to smith. Sorry about that," she nervouslyughed, talking in a manner opposite to her usual attitude.

    "For real?! So you''ll make me a new weapon?!" Quint bowed down with an ectatic expression etched on his face, which flustered the girl.

    "Y-yeah sure¡­ As long as you''re payin''!"

    "I am deeply indebted to you," he sternly bowed down.

    "I-it''s nothin''! You''ve gotta help me find the materials though! That''ll be your payment," she proposed, not used to receiving any gratitude.

    "Yeah sure. You guys heard what she said. Sorry, but I can''t join you today. Next time though!" Quint happily spoke, his mood greatly increasing.

    Emria and Saphri both looked at Rein with unsmiling expressions. Rein shook his head to them, to which they furrowed their eyebrows.

    "Well then, we''ll be taking our leave. Good luck to you guys," Rein waved.

    "Bye Raxo! You girls too!" Xenia followed.

    Core also waved as they entered the elevator, Xenia slouching down out of disappointment.

    "Well, we got absolutely nothing out of that," she discouragingly stated.

    "That''s not true. This way, Quint can join us on the nextmission. We can still get Reggie," Rein said as they reached the ground floor and exited the dormitory.

    As they exited, they saw a pink-haired girl running towards the academy.

    "Hey, ine!" Rein recognized her and called out to her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned around, revealing her green eyes as she approached the group.

    "How do you..? Hold on, you''re... the guy... Lance was... talking about?" She struggled to speak, heavily breathing between every word..

    "That''s right. Why are you in such a hurry?" Rein inquired.

    "Oh, Lance and my other ssmate, Reggie are waiting for me. We''re gonna go questing now, I was just buying something from the town before we left," she exined as she continued running in ce.

    Core and Xenia''s eyes widened as they realized what this meant. Xenia enthusiastically approached her, putting her face dangerously close with ine.

    "Hey! We know your ssmate! Do you think we can join you?" She giddily asked as ine moved backward, taken aback by her enthusiasm.

    "But, you guys are ss D, right? I dunno¡­" She uttered, putting her finger on her chin in a thinking position.

    "Last we checked, this was the only request left. And it''s a B rank request with amendable reward. Besides, you''re looking at the winner of the entrance tournament right here," Core pointed at the white-haired man beside him, which amazed ine.

    "Huh?! No way! You won the entrance tournament? How are you so low in rank?" She announced, bbergasted.

    "I did win the entrance tournament, and if you take me to Lance, I''m sure he''ll let me join the party," Rein bowed, sincerely asking her.

    "Alright¡­"

    As they all ran towards themission area, they found Lance and Reggie staring at the emptymission board.

    "Man, where''d all of thesemissions go? I was looking forward to busting loose. We could''ve even taken an easiermission so we could go as 3 people," Reggie spoke, disappointed.

    "Don''t worry! I''m sure we''ll figure something out!" Lance reassured.

    "Hey, guys! I found a group of people with amission! They need 3 B rank + members as well!" They heard the voice of a girl calling to them from the distance as they looked out, seeing ine running towards them with three other people behind them.

    "Is that¡­ Rein, Core, and Xenia? I thought they had already left¡­ This is perfect!" Reggie observed as the group approached them.

    "Huh? You know Rein too?" Lance reacted, surprised.

    When the group arrived, Rein greeted Lance and they began talking.

    "We have this B rankmission here. It takes us to Aquifa, in the far west of Econica. At least 3 members of the rank listed are needed to take onmissions, so there shouldn''t be a problem with the rest of us joining you guys. So, what do you say?" Rein proposed, putting the paper with themission on the table they sat at.

    Lance picked up the paper and read it with a serious expression.

    "Well, you know I''m down," Reggie eximed, yfully putting his arm around Rein''s neck as Lance continued reading the paper.

    "This¡­ Seems really dangerous¡­ I''m not sure¡­" Lance looked over at ine, who then became infuriated.

    "Hey! Don''t you dare say it''ll be too dangerous for me! God, when will you stop being so overprotective?" She said, punching him in the face.

    "Ouch! Fine, fine. We''ll go with you Rein. But the moment ine is put in danger, I''m dropping everything to protect her, alright?"

    "Do what you have to do man, I''m not stopping you," Rein smiled at him, which in turn made him smile from ear to ear.

    "Sheesh, I''m stronger than you, you know?" ine blushed, secretly happy about Lance''s devotion.

    "d to have you in the party buddy!" Lance outstretched his hand.

    "Hehe, it''s truly an honor." Rein took his hand and shook it, sealing the deal.

 Chapter 62 - Aquatic Town Aquifa (1)

    They approached the receptionist and presented themission.

    "Alright! It seems as though you have enough B-rank+ students to take this mission! As A-ranks, you may take 5missions a week. I will need you all to sign your names here," the receptionist brought out a pen and paper and got the three A-rank students to sign.

    She looked at the three D-rank and handed them each a paper of their own.

    "D-ranks are only permitted to take 1mission a week. Please sign here," she said, her words surprising them.

    "What?! We can only take one a week? How''s that even fair?" Xenia protested.

    "Hm, we were told that we''d get a limited amount¡­ I didn''t know it''d be this limited¡­" Core thought out loud as he signed the paper.

    "All the more reason we shouldn''t waste our time on the D-rankmissions. If possible, we should always go for the higher-ranked ones," Rein said as he handed back the signed paper to the receptionist.

    "Alright! You''re all set! The mission rewards are 18000 rol and 25 point to each of you among the group. Since your destination is incredibly far, you may use one of the two teleporters that take you to the centers of each country. As of this moment, November 26th, 12:46 PM, yourmission has officially begun! Have a safe trip!"

    They took their leave, heading to the west teleporter, taking them to the center of the ex-Econican regions. As blue light filled their vision, they found themselves wisped away to a different ce. It was a familiar feeling to Xenia, who had already used a teleporter before. The rest of the group was subconsciously in awe with this newly developed technology.

    They appeared in a cramped storage room. It smelt of dried wine and beer, the floorboards creaking as they walked through. A small, flickering light rock was the only source of luminance in the dark room. They exited the room and Rein instantly recognized where they were.

    It was a small pub in the town of Almes, which directly worked with the Elven Forest for trade and goods. Rein would often make visits during the war to resupply the Forest with provisions. During his visits, he would often recall recourses from this pub especially, so he became well acquainted with the owner.

    "Rein? That you kid?" The man at the counter in the empty pub remarked as the group exited his storage room.

    "Mr. Merle? Haha, long time no see," Rein greeted him, breaking off from his group who stood and watch him interact with this grizzly-looking man.

    "I''ll say kid! What''s it been, like 2 months? If it weren''t for Voron stoppin'' by and tellin'' me the deal, I''d have thought you dead!" The man scruffilyughed.

    "I didn''t know you had ties to the Ranger guild. So you oversee the guilds Econican waypoint?"

    "That''s right. We always have Rangersin'' in and out of this ce. It''s inconspicuous enough, and since most people in here''ll be drunk, nobody ever notices. Anywho, looks like you made it into the academy! Congrats kid, that Voron had unwavering trust in you," Merle strongly patted Rein on the back as he noticed the rest of the group.

    "Man, you could''ve told me there was a teleporter here. I had to run all the way to Hasbin on the first day of school. This would''ve saved me so much trouble," Rein put his hand on his head in disappointment.

    "Haha, sorry kid, but this baby''s a trade secret for Ranger associates only."

    He greeted them all as they sat down to ask him a few questions about what''s been going on in Aquifa.

    "Hmm, the situation over there''s been getting grim huh? I hear most of the loyal royal guards are staying in Cornear to protect the king during the war. You never know when Orthlys could make their next attack. Easy to forget during this peaceful phase, but we are still at war," Merle exined, taking a drink from his beer afterward.

    "So you''re saying that whoever''s left in Aquifa couldn''t give a rats ass about the Emperor?" Core asked.

    "Nah, but I heard that there was a strange encouragement from some of the n for some of the more loyal Sirens to station themselves in Cornear. Almost like they wanted to get rid of them, don''t you think?" Merle smiled at them as he gulped down thest of his drink, then burped loudly.

    "That is really weird¡­" Lance pensively stated. "Could it be that they were hiding something?"

    "Or, they were hiding someone," ine intervene, putting emphasis on the word ''one''.

    "Hm? What do you mean?" Reggie questioned her.

    "No point in idling around here right? Let''s think about it on our way there," Xenia proposed, which the group agreed to.

    "You guys might want some transportation right? I can get you guys a Kindus tiger carriage that can get you there in about 3 hours. It''ll be on the house because Rein here is such a good kid," Merle proposed.

    "Haha, thank you Mr. Merle. We''ll take you up on that offer."

    They set out on the tiger-driven carriage making their way down the westbound highway.

    "So it''ll take us 3 hours to get there huh?" ine asked as they sat in the back of the carriage.

    "That''s right. I could run ahead and get a grip on the situation if you guys want me to," Xenia proposed, making Elianeugh.

    "Haha, no need. I can make us get there in 1 hour t. Watch this," she hopped on the back of the tiger and closed her eyes.

    "What''s she doing?" Rein asked as he heard her breathing loudly.

    "We''d better hold on to something," Lance eximed as the cart suddenly began elerating at an rming pace.

    The group got down and held on tightly to the ground, as the cart flew down the path in a swift sling of speed, the wind sting through the cart, making everyone''s hair p vigorously in the air. After about 1 hour of bumps and bruises, they arrived at the border of the city.

    "Man, that tiger was running faster than a flying hawk. So you can speed things up with your Spring then?" Rein asked, fixing his hair that was ruined by the vigorous wind.

    "Haha, it''s a little moreplicated than that, but that''s pretty much the gist of it. Anyway, let''s head inside the city," she said, taking the lead into the walled city.

    The city was heavily fortified, walled up around the town, reaching all the way to the ocean''s shore behind them. The walls were made of blue material, with banners depicting a Siren, mermaid-looking creature draped across them.

    They went around the sides of the outskirts until they reached the south gate, where they introduced themselves and got permission to enter the city. As they entered the city, their bodies felt incredibly light, and their vision became brighter as if the very nature of the world changed. The air felt fresher as they could feel the ocean breeze wash over the entire city. The very atmosphere of the city felt like an ice-cold ss of lemonade after a long day at the beach.

    "Rein, you feel that?" Core whispered.

    "Yeah, somethings fishy¡­"

 Chapter 63 - Aquatic Town Aquifa (2)

    The team felt refreshed as they entered the sunny city on the coast of the western ocean. They felt as though they had just been through a deep massage, their muscles loosening up and their bodies feeling lighter, as they blissfully walked through the city.

    They looked around, seeing Siren folk plentifully upying the streets of the city,ughing, ying, and working without a care in the world. They could be identified by the small patch of fish scales on their cheeks, varying in color from person to person. The kids who had Springs yed across the alleyways, sliding around using their water Springs.

    "Ahhh, this ce is great! This kinda feels like when my Spring was first inverted!" Xenia imed as she stretched her arms out, inhaling the incredibly fresh air that lingered.

    "For real! I''m thoroughly impressed!" Reggie followed.

    "I agree! I feel much better just from walking past the gates!" Lance joyfully voiced.

    Everyone in the group wore a smile on their face and carelessly walked into the city, except the two at the front. Core and Rein looked at each other, fixated with a gaze of understanding, feeling something awry in the city.

    "Let''s head to the cities guild branch. They can give us details about our client there," Rein proposed as they continued down the path from the city gates, leading them into the city square.

    There, they saw a building with a sign hanging from a metal rod that extended off of the exterior wall. It held a sign, portraying a soaring fiery bird, a phoenix. It was the symbol of the Ranger guild.

    They entered the building, greeted with a wall of quests andmissions, as well as a list of Rangers registered to this branch. They approached the receptionist and showed him themission that they held.

    "Oh, so you''re the kids that were sent here? Wee!" Said the middle-aged human receptionist.

    "You''re not a Siren?" ine remarked.

    "Nope! My name''s Craig, I''m human like you guys. Just a long-standing resident of Aquifa. You''d be surprised how many humans actually live here!" He weinglyughed, taking the paper from Rein''s hands.

    "It''s surprising to see a guild branch here, only major cities in the continent have an actual branch," Rein stated.

    "Yep, Aquifa''s one of them. Along with us, there''s T, Cornear, and Mantos in the ex-Econican region. In Orthlys, there''s Kanirah, Naji, Pathuless, and Sahdahwar. Together, we can cover most of the continent with rtive ease," Craig exined.

    "Anyways, can you introduce us to our client?" Core asked.

    "Hmm¡­" Craig said pensively.

    "What''s wrong sir?" Lance added.

    "The thing is, we don''t actually know who the client is," Craig informed, surprising the entire group into a frenzy.

    "What?! How could you let the request pass through if you didn''t have identification on the requester?" ine outraged.

    "Well, that''s¡­ You see, ever since the war began, the guilds had less control over the requests that are put in and out. Due to theck of employment on the administrative end, and theck of care by the turmoil induced by the war, the standards of requests have significantly dropped. I''m sorry, but the requester seems to be anonymous this time."

    "Tch, that''s ridiculous. How are we supposed to progress on the quest then?" Xenia verbalized as she angrily sat down at a seat in the guild.

    "Do you have any info about the request? Anything that rings any bells? Who is this ''king'' person they speak of?" Lance interrogated.

    "Sorry, but I really don''t know anything about this request. The only king to us is Emperor Naar, so I''ve no clue who the aforementioned ''king'' could be," Craig apologetically spoke.

    "Here''s a better question: You said you were a long-standing citizen of this ce, correct? How long exactly have you lived here?" Rein asked, making the group prop up in attentiveness, Craig going into a thinking motion to recall.

    "Hmmm, I''d say about 23 years now. Though, I''ve only been a guild receptionist for 8 years," Craig answered.

    "And during your time living here, did you notice any sudden or subtle changes in the city? Anything that looking back, wasn''t there before? Think specifically around the time the war began," Rein directed him, Craig continuing to think.

    "Hmmm, you know,e to think of it, there was. Right around the time the war started and most of the royal guard moved to Cornear, it felt as if the city''s atmosphere was somehow bettering. Slowly over time, it felt like the happiness in the city was increasing more and more by the day, ever so slightly. Thinking back on it now, it''s changed significantly since the beginning of the war," Craig recalled, making Rein and Coree to a conclusion.

    "Right, thanks for the info Craig. We''re gonna go investigate around the city," Core waved at him as he and Rein left the building, everyone else followed them.

    "Wow, you knew exactly what questions to ask. As expected of the winner of the entrance tournament!" Lanceplimented, impressed by the information he drew up.

    "Ahaha, I''m not even surprised anymore," Reggieughed.

    "Well, now we know that something changed around the beginning of the war, but we still don''t know if that has any connection to our currentmission do we?" ine questioned as they walked to the bench beside the fountain in the middle of the city, with a statue of a mermaid spewing out water.

    "No, we don''t know for sure if the incidents are connected, but Core and I do have a theory. This ''king'' that this anonymousmissioner is so desperate to protect¡­ He''s probably the reason for this sudden atmospheric change," Rein exined.

    "You felt it too right Xenia? You can''t tell me that you didn''t notice it, your Spring being what it is," Core examined her.

    "There was a tinge of familiarity in the air, and it did resemble the point where my Spring was inversed¡­ Wait, don''t tell me that means¡­" She dawned to a realization, Reggie alsoing to the same conclusion as the rest of them.

    "Uhh, what''s with the sudden gloom? Care to exin?" ine sat there, frustrated as she couldn''t follow the conversation.

    "There''s no time right now. First, we need to figure out the center point of the change in atmosphere. On your tablets, there should be amunication device that allows us to talk from elongated distances. Lance, since you and I are the slowest in the group in terms of speed, our job will be to stay in the city and gather any sort of intel on our situation.

    The rest of you, take out your tablets and press on the map feature. I''ve marked 4 points that each of you should go stand at. Once each one of you are there, keep moving outward until the furthest point that you feel a change in atmosphere. Make sure to move either up or down from there to make sure that you''re standing in the center of the circle, otherwise, it wont work.

    From there, use the map to measure the distance between the top and bottom, and the left and right. At the point of intersection between the two lines, that''s where our target is," Core exined his n, to which everyone agreed to.

    Core and Lance stayed in the city and asked around the citizens about the source of their happiness. Most of the people they asked had no idea what they were talking about, and the two moved on. But some citizens froze up at the question, and upon further investigation, ceased talking to them and made an excuse to further themselves. It was clear that some people knew more than others, and something was being hidden in this city.

    Meanwhile, the other four went to their points on the map. When they arrived at the outskirts of the city, they could still feel the atmospheric change, even through the walls. The only one who couldn''t feel it was Reggie, who went back through where they came from, the south entrance. From there, the atmospheric change could only be felt when you entered the walls. As Reggie inspected the point of change closer, he could see small ck wisps form up from the ground, then dissipate into the air as they rose.

    He informed the rest of his group about his findings as they began using it to identify the points of change. Looking closely, they were able to identify the vertexes of the circle they formed, connecting a line from each person on their map, forming a cross-shaped interception at a certain ce inside the city...

 Chapter 64 - Aquatic Town Aquifa (3)

    "Core, we just finished drawing the intersection. We''reing back into the city, meet us at the guild branch," Rein informed him through their tablets.

    The group met up at the guild and conferred, going over their n of attack.

    "So it''s the za straight ahead of the guild branch then¡­ Come to think of it, that is where most of the people avoided our questions¡­" Core thought out loud, looking at the map that they drew.

    "Yeah, most people I asked around there were weirdly evasive. But what''s even weirder is that nobody showed up as the client for this right? You''d think if they went out of their way to request this, they''d at least show up, right?" Lance concluded, looking around the group to see nods.

    "Yeah¡­ If this was a normal situation, that''d be the case. Most people we asked seemed to be trying really hard to hide it, like a tightly guarded secret. Maybe our client is simply too scared to speak up," Core theorized, making everyone''s eyes widen in realization.

    "You''re right¡­ But wait, since you guys went around asking so many people, wouldn''t they have already been suspicious of us by now?" Xenia asked.

    "No, Core and I made sure not to use the word ''king'' during our questioning. We only asked why the atmosphere was so clear in the city, and that alone was enough to make some of them freeze up," Lance exined.

    "So Core? What should our n be? We know the location, now we just need to approach it correctly," Rein queried, making Core go into a thinking position, putting his elbow on the table holding his head.

    "Maybe we should sneak in? We might be able to overhear some information," Reggie proposed.

    "No, there''s no way we''d be able to sneak in like this in broad daylight. Maybe we could somehow trick them into letting us in?" ine suggested.

    "That wouldn''tst long, once they find out, all hell''s gonna break out. Our goal isn''t to get in there, but it''s to lure out the client. I''ve dealt with situations like this before, the best course of action is to¡­"

    5 minutester¡­

    "Yo! We''re from the guild and got a request from this ce! Could we see whoever''s in charge here?" Core carelessly walked up to the za, nonchntly addressing the guard who sat at the front of the establishment.

    "Huh? From the guild? You kids run along now, this is no ce to loiter around," the guard blew them off casually, dismissing them as pranksters who were ying around.

    "Oh, but we have proof," Core shed themission paper at the guard, who immediately stood up in surprise.

    "What the! Who made thismission in the Mayor''s absence?!" The guard yelled out loud.

    "Calm yourself, man. What is the issue?" An elegant looking long, purple-haired man approached from inside the za. The scales on his cheeks indicated his Siren lineage, the fancy robe he wore showed off a sense of royalty.

    "O-oh! Sir Lagurin, please take a look at thismission these kids brought in!" The guard handed themission to the important-looking man, who inspected the paper with a shocked expression.

    "Wha- what is the meaning of this!" The man reacted.

    "I don''t know sir! These kids brought it in iming to be Rangers!"

    "Rangers? Ahaha, all of the Aquifan Rangers are out on other business, there''s no way these kids are Rangers. Look, here''s a 10 dol bill, go buy yourself an ice cream children," the man handed the paper bill to Core, smiling at him awry.

    Core swiped the money from his hand and walked away, waving at him as he left with a smile on his face. The rest of the group stood there, bewildered, then reluctantly decided to follow Core.

    The guard sighed from relief then took his seat again.

    "*phew*. Those children must''ve picked that nderous paper up somewhere on the streets. Here sir, give me the paper. I''ll dispose of it," the guard offered, to which the man declined.

    "No thank you. I will dispose of this myself. Keep up the good work," said the purple-haired man as he walked away from the guard, leaving him confused, the guard then losing interest, beginning to doze off again.

    Back at the guild¡­

    "Hey, Core! The hell was that?! What was the point of that, you just blew our cover!" Xenia yelled as they entered back into the guild branch building, the receptionist confused as to what they''re talking about.

    "Haha, Core, I''m sorry, but did I miss something there?" Lance innocentlyughed, his friendly nature stopping him from getting mad.

    The entire group had something to say to Core, confused as to what happened.

    "Calm down guys, he got what he wanted," Reggie pointed out, which surprised Core.

    "Wow, you''re surprisingly perceptive Reg. That''s right," Core pulled out the 10 dol bill he obtained from the man, which dampened the group''s mood even more.

    "You¡­ Did all of that for 10 dol?" Xenia reacted, slouching her back over in a disappointed fashion.

    "No, it''s what''s on the 10 dol, isn''t it Core?" Rein deduced.

    "That''s right," he opened the closed bill, revealing a small, folded map.

    Core pulled it out and unfolded it, showing a map of the city with a marked building at Middlebowl, the southern street leading into the city.

    (Click here to view visual)

    "That man we were just talking to was our client. He wants us to meet him in this house out the southern gate of the city," Core exined, to which everyone''s mouths gaped open in amazement.

    "That''s the only ce in the city that the bubble doesn''t reach. You think it has anything to do with the meeting spot?" Reggie inquired.

    "It almost definitely does. Anyway, we should head there as soon as possible and meet with him," Rein answered, standing up from his seat beside Core, everyone following him.

    "Ah, so you guys found the client? Good luck, I''ll be waiting for your report!" The receptionist wished them as they left the building, Lance thanking him as he exited the door.

    They made their way down the city, exiting the southern gate and escaping the bubble that encircled the city. They entered a run-down-looking shack at the bottom of the city. The windows were broken, the wallpaper peeled off showing the brown powdery walls underneath.

    There, they saw the very same purple-haired man they had just met, sitting patiently at a table in the middle of the room. As he turned around to face them, his eyes lit with a glint of excitement that they came, ecstatically thanking them foring.

 Chapter 65 - Cursed King (1)

    "Thank you so much foring. My name is Lagurin, and I am indeed the one who made that request," the long, purple-haired man said as he stood up to bow to the group.

    "So what''s with the location? Was it really necessary for us to go out this far?" Core sat down to interrogate the man, ignoring his greeting and getting straight to the point.

    The rest of the group sat dotted around the room, the only one remaining standing was Lance, who thought it would be too disrespectful to sit down.

    "Yes¡­ As you can see by the state of these buildings, they have been abandoned years ago. The reason for this is that they are not in range¡­" Lagurin uttered, stopping an unfinished sentence.

    "In range of the cursed atmosphere in the city, I presume," Rein spoke out, which greatly surprised the man.

    "So you already know¡­ Truth be told, themission description was purposefully misleading. The people of Aquifa do not revere anyone but Emperor Naar, that still holds true. The King I spoke of was none other than the one producing this artificial atmosphere. His name is King and he''s a 7-year-old Siren," the man revealed to the group.

    "So he''s the one who''s being attacked?" Reggie asked, to which Lagurin got on all fours and prostrated to the group, begging pleading at them.

    "I''m sorry! That was aplete lie!" The man begged, to which Core softlyughed.

    "I figured that was the case. So, exin yourself. What''s with the overly deceptive message?" Core cross-examined him, the man sitting up straight and clearing his voice before beginning his exnation.

    "7 years ago, King was born without a Spring. I was friends with his parents, they were two Sirens who I grew up with. His father, the then and current mayor of the city, deeply cherished the boy and wanted him to grow to be a royal guard member. His mother, however, thought that it would be too dangerous for the boy to be a royal guard, considering hisck of Spring.

    Despite that minor difference of opinion, they were still a happy family. The baby Siren was growing healthy and strong, and he was an incredibly cheerful baby. I used to be the honorary uncle of the kid, taking care of him when the parents are spending their time away.

    That was when it happened. The beginning of the war. His parents immediately sensed that something was wrong with the baby. He was no longer smiling, and he was almost always crying. They tried everything, but nothing would revert the baby''s mood.

    However, despite the war, they noticed that the mood of the entire city had somewhat increased. That was when they learned about the type of Spring it was. In turn for his own happiness, he would bring happiness to those around him.

    The father''s desires became twisted, and he saw business opportunities in the situation. He could boost the cities economy greatly by doing this, bringing in tourists, and taking advantage of the war to advertise the city as a ce where you could forget about your worries, in this illusion of happiness at the cost of a kid''s sanity.

    Of course, his mother protested against the mayor''s actions and fought against it, which eventually got her killed. Her death was ruled an ident, and a funeral was held in the following days.

    Overflowing with greed, the mayor would abuse his child, lowering his sanity and happiness. As the child''s despair grew, the stronger his Spring would get, filling the mayor''s pockets evermore. Of course, none of the city knew about this, and they continued living in blissful ignorance. This continued, and I eventually learned about what was happening and immediately joined the municipal government, in hopes of getting closer to King.

    Though, as a Springless Siren, I found that I was unable to do anything by myself. I opted for the Ranger guild, but I soon found out that the Aquifan Rangers were also on the mayor''s payroll. I considered telling the guild receptionist, but I was afraid of word spreading around the town. I didn''t have anyone to confide in for help, and I couldn''t make guildmissions to anywhere outside of Aquifa, as it was against the rules of the guild. I was held at a standstill, and with the war raging on outside, I wasn''t able to seek help in nearby cities, as most of them were upied by Orthlys.

    There was onest city beside us that wasn''t upied: Draconica. I learned about a magician there who could get rid of any Spring, though at an incredibly high price. I somehow needed to take King to Draconica.

    That was when I heard about the program at Ranger Academy, where every year during the school term, they would eptmissions from all across the continent. Luckily, the process of submitting one was quite simple and I was able to send in my request. Of course, I still didn''t know if it would be approved, but evidently, it has," Lagurin stopped talking for a long moment, leaving an absence of sound in the shabby room they resided in.

    He took a deep breath and looked the group in the eyes, his hands shaking and his breath trembling as he closed his eyes and looked down again, bowing down to them, pleading through his shaken frame.

    "Please, help King escape to the magician in Draconica. That''s what his¡ª no, that''s what I wanted¡­" Lagurin sincerely requested, pouring his heart out for the group of young students in front of him.

    "This¡­ Is definitely not a B-rank request. This wouldn''t even ssify as S-rank. This would be a 10th prestigemission in the eyes of the guild. The hell were you thinking bringing students into this," Rein seriously scolded as he stood up from his seat against the window, watching the shadows of the buildings elongate as the sun moved across the sky.

    "I-I sincerely apologize¡­ I know that it is extremely selfish of me to do this, but I had no other options¡­ I couldn''t afford the S-rank cost, as I had to save money for the magician''s fee¡­" The man continued bowing down in repentance, Rein beginning tough slowly to himself, which shortly turned into a hysterical, twistedugh, making Lagurin stop in his actions.

    "Don''t apologize Lagurin. You did well. If it weren''t for your actions, it never would have brought me here¡­" He menacingly smiled as he outstretched his hand to the prostrating man.

    "We ept your request," he said to the man, whose eyes began glistening with tears, taking Rein''s hand in eptance.

    "Any objections?" Core turned around to the rest of the group who also had stern looks of determination on their faces, all of them shaking their heads in refutation,municating that they had no desire in abandoning the mission.

    "We need to move fast though. We should try and fulfill our objective as soon as possible, to avoid any unwanted guests making their appearances," Rein suggested, to which they followed him.

    As they entered the city again, the previously pleasant feeling they had now turned into sadness, filled with the desire to save the boy trapped in the jaws of materialism and greed.

    "Hey, Rein. You''re serious about this, right? Because I''m not ying around anymore. I will save that poor kid from these rotten adults," Lance''s earnest eyes were filled with determination, his aura radiating pure heroic energy as he walked alongside the white-haired man, who was filled with hatred and vengeance.

    "Yeah, I''m not gonna fuck this up," Rein spoke coldly, his gaze barren like an icy tundra, which quickly reverted back to normal.

    "I''ll be counting on your support in this, you ready Lance?"

    "You bet I am."

 Chapter 66 - Cursed King (2)

    "Here is the n. Since the mayor is not here today, it is the perfect opportunity to do this operation. I can bring a maximum of 3 of you inside, disguised as butlers, the rest of you need to begin preparation to exit the city as fast as possible," Lagurin informed them, to which they began dividing the group.

    "I think I should definitely be one of the ones who stay outside. I can quickly speed up the cart when everyone boards," ine exined, everyone nodding in agreement.

    "Sorry ine, but I really want to go inside. I won''t be there to protect you, so be careful," Lance seriously spoke, making ine slightly angry at his over protectivity.

    "Xenia and I''ll join ine then!" Core swiftly dered, giving Xenia no room to opine.

    "What?! But I wanted to go in!" She protested.

    Core walked past her towards the north exit, whispering something into her ear as he passed.

    "Tch, fine. We''ll prepare the cart, you three be careful," she followed Core and ine to the north gate, leaving Rein, Reggie, and Lance to go into the za.

    They entered the guild branch and got dressed in all ck suits, with white gloves and ck shoes. They also did their hair, slicked back, and gelled to glistening condition. Lagurin took them out and lead them into the za, getting past the guard at the front with rtive ease, telling him that they''re butlers the mayor hired.

    As they entered through one of the doors and exited into therge square in the middle of the manor, they found themselves walled in a series of buildings, a small field of grass within the windowless and doorless confines of the unroofed za.

    "Wow, those buildings really are confining," Reggie noticed.

    "That''s correct. The mayor bought out every building in this block and had it renovated. Every one of them is connected with a door from the inside to each other, and the mayor uses this entire za as a base of operations," Lagurin informed.

    "Um, sir? Where exactly is King? Why are we standing in the middle of a field?" Lance curiously inquired.

    "King¡­ Is right under us. The mayor had an underground dungeon built for him."

    The group recoiled in disgust, Rein silently gripping his folded arms in haste at the back of the group, not reacting like the two in front of him.

    "He almost neveres out of the dungeon, and silently stays holed up in there throughout his long, harsh days. He''s barely fed and spends most of his time curled up in the corner of the room. I''m sorry, but I can only allow 1 person to enter the dungeon at a time. That person will have to convince King toe out, which even I haven''t been able to do."

    "I''ll do it," Lance clenched his fist, a fierce scowl of righteous determination etched on his face.

    "Are you sure? What you see down there may be scarring. Maybe someone like you wouldn''t be suited for it¡­" Lagurin hesitantly spoke as the prejudice of looking at Lance''s righteous image came over him, which determined Lance even further.

    "If I want to change and better myself, I have to be able to ovee situations like this. Please let me go," he asked Lagurin, but at the same time asked his teammates, who both nodded.

    Rein thought Lance to be the most suited for this situation, using his overwhelming charm to convince King to emerge, so he allowed him to be the one to enter the dungeon.

    "Very well. I''ll open up the dungeon hatchet for one second, and you''ll quickly enter it. Once you''re there, try and make friends with him and bring him up to the surface. The other two fake butlers will pretend to do chores around the estate so as not to cause suspicion. Understood?"

    They all followed Lagurin''s n, Rein and Reggie walking around the estate with brooms in hand, avoiding suspicious looks from other workers in the mayor''s cab. Rein would often bump into the workers, insincerely apologizing afterward as the pompous workers would scoff and dust it off.

    "Psst! Rein, could you pay more attention to where you''re walking? I think you''ve bumped into every single worker in the building at this point," Reggie inconspicuously whispered to him, making Rein nervouslyugh and apologize.

    "These workers¡­ They know about what''s happening, huh?" Reggie continued the conversation while sweeping, Rein giving a nod of affirmation.

    "That''s right. Everyone here knows but chooses to keep silent," Rein spoke, unconsciously tightening the grip around the broom he held.

    "What are we gonna do with them after..? You think we can get an arrest warrant for them and the mayor?" Reggie despairingly asked, Rein staying silent to his question, Reggie understanding what the answer would be.

    "Probably not huh..? These guys would just get away with all they''ve done¡­" Reggie angrily spoke, Rein putting a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

    "Let''s just focus on saving King now. We''ll deal with all of that stuffter," Rein confidently spoke, reassuring Reggie.

    "Haha, did you take that opportunity to copy my Spring?" Reggie jokingly scoffed, trying to lighten the mood.

    "Heh, you underestimate me. I''ve had your Spring copied since the night of the volcano. Still haven''t had a chance to use it in battle though," Rein retorted, making Reggie slightly shiver, impressed and scared at the same time.

    "Dunno why but I feel creeped out now," Heughed. "So, what is my inverted Spring?"

    Their conversation continued, making sure to keep their voices quiet and continue to sweep, keeping attention off of them.

    Meanwhile, in the grassy field in the middle of the za, the dungeon hatch was opened by Lagurin, who used the mechanism in the mayor''s office to allow Lance entry.

    He told him that he would only keep it open for 1 second, so Lance would have to enter by then. When he was ready to leave, he would contact either Rein or Reggie on their tablet, and they would inform Lagurin.

    As the hatch slowly opened, Lance swiftly slipped through into the dark bunker, the hatch slowly closing after he entered. He briefly saw the rocky brick texture of the wall when the hatch opened, the sun lighting up the entrance for a few seconds.

    As he stood up after sliding in, seeing the light of a torch flickering around the corner of the hole. He mentally prepared himself, taking deep breaths and calming himself down. But through those deep breaths, he almost threw up, smelling the deep stench of dried blood through his innocent nostrils.

    The atmosphere down in the hatchet was nothing like the outside, almost as if some of the boy''s sadness was leaking out into the small confine he resided in.

    Lance reposed himself and turned the corner, seeing the most horrific sight he''d ever seen. A small, ck-haired boy sat curled up in the corner of a prison cage, shivering vigorously, ducking his head into the corner, not visible to Lance.

    He saw various torture weapons scattered across the room, some of them mounted on the walls and some stained with blood on the floor beside the boy. Needles, plyers, broken ss, and other sorts of despicable things were spread throughout the room, making Lance recoil in his stance, tears beginning to swell up in his eyes as he held back the forceful urge to throw up.

    He calmed down and fearfully approached the boy, entering through the open door of the cell. Lance was confused as to why the door was opened, but it seemed that whoever came down here knew that King would be too scared to cross through the door, so they saw no use in closing it.

    "H-hey?" He stopped in front of the trembling boy in the corner, who furrowed his face into the angle of the room.

    Lance thought that he was shaking out of severe fear, but he saw nothing in his eyes when the boy turned his face to him. It wasn''t fear, nor was it any other emotion. His barren eyes horrified Lance, as the boy trembled out of pure reflex.

    "Are you here to hurt me too?" The boy softly spoke, his expression not changing as he addressed the tall, brown-haired man in a butler suit that stood in front of him.

    Lance dropped on the floor as tears began flowing out of his eyes, gazing upon the beaten-up boy who was cut in every pore of his skin. His face was shed, and parts of his skin were burned, his fingernails growing in the sockets of the top of his fingers.

    "No¡­" Lance sternly spoke through his tears. "I''m here to save you, King."

 Chapter 67 - Cursed King (3)

    "Save¡­ me?" The boy stopped shivering and stared Lance in his teary eyes.

    Lance could feel the atmosphere in the room lighten as the boy stopped trembling, though his grey eyes remained silent and still.

    "How do you¡­ know my name?" He emotionlessly spoke, his quiet voice stumbling across the echoing room.

    "Your friend, Lagurin told me. He''s the one who sent us to save you," Lance began to lower his voice to the boy.

    "Lagurin? My friend¡­ Mom''s friend..." The boy uttered.

    Lance''s mouth gaped open, speechless, not knowing what to say. He snapped out of it and remembered what he came to do. He realized that he had to be extremely cautious about what he said around him, and he''d have to try and get him to open up before he could ask him to leave.

    "Hey King, is there anything you like doing? Anything that makes you happy?" Lance tried showing enthusiasm, but his voice was drowned by his shivering despair.

    "Happy? I don''t know how that feels. I like it when I''m not hurting. When it''s quiet and calm¡­" He informed Lance, who instantly sprung up.

    "Quiet huh? I love it when it''s calm too! When you can hear the sounds of the birds chirping, with a warm cup of draconic tea in hand. Doesn''t that sound interesting?" He gushed, trying to get King interested.

    "Birds..? Draconic tea..?" The boy curiously turned his head.

    "That''s right! Birds are amazing creatures who can fly in the wind and soar through the skies. Every person wishes to have that kind of freedom," Lance smilingly spoke as King sat there attentive listening.

    "Oh! And draconic tea is especially soothing! It has healing properties that calm the mind to absolute serenity! Ites from this ce called Draconica, directly north from here," that was when King''s interest piqued as he finally sat up from his curled position.

    "Draconica¡­" He uttered, his dead eyes widening.

    "That''s right! Do you know that name?" Lance enthusiastically asked.

    "Mom¡­ Wanted to take me to Draconica¡­ Lagurin said so¡­"

    "That''s right! Your mother wanted to go there!"

    "Is mom waiting there now..?"

    That was when Lance stopped talking, hearing what King just said. King didn''t know about what happened to his mother. He was probably too young when she was killed and thus didn''t remember a thing.

    "You''re mother¡­" Lance didn''t want to say anything after that.

    "Is she? Is mom there?" The boy eximed with excitement, yet somehow emotionless at the same time.

    "No¡­ Your mother¡­ Is not with us anymore," Lance decided against lying to the boy, as he thought it would cause furtherplications in the future, though he still tried making it as vague as possible.

    "Not with us? Does that mean she died?" The boy, still emotionless, asked Lance, who stayed silent at his question.

    "Hey, what did you mean..? Hey, what did you mean..? Hey, what did you mean..?"

    "Yes, she''s dead¡­" Lance reluctantly blurted out, the boy not flinching at all to his outburst.

    "Oh¡­ I see¡­" King looked back at the ground, the room''s silence growing as time passed, Lance unable to say a word.

    Suddenly, the boy''s dead eyes began blinking readily, a singr tear streaming down his cheek, his face still emotionless as he sat there, bewildered.

    "I''m¡­ So sorry¡­" Lance began weeping with the boy, hugging him tightly as he patted him on the head, King still showing no emotion as his eyes were overrun with tears.

    "Hey, King¡­" Lance pulled away.

    "I''ll take you to where your mother couldn''t. Let''s leave this ce together, and in Draconica we can have all the tea we want!"

    "Will there be birds..?"

    "Yes! We can look at all the birds we want!"

    "Will mom be... ''happy'' if we do?"

    "... We''re going to get rid of that curse, which will make you happy. Parents are happy when their kids are happy," Lance reassured.

    "But if we leave¡­ Dad won''t be happy¡­ They''ll hurt me again¡­" King began shivering again, recoiling into the corner of the room as he was when Lance entered.

    "Not if I have anything to say about it," Lance equipped his shield and activated his spring, extending his shield out with a near-imprable energy barrier.

    "My Spring was made for protecting people. If I fail in that, then what am I even good for?" Lanceughed, King''s eyes glistening in the orange light that Lance''s shield produced.

    King stopped shivering when he was behind Lance''s shield, giving him the courage to stand up from the corner.

    "Whaddya say? Should we open the hatch?" Lance asked onest time.

    "I want to¡­ I want to leave!" King sternly spoke, his voice beginning to gain emotion as Lance hastily took out his tablet to inform Rein and Reggie.

    As soon as they received the message, they ran over to Lagurin who was in the mayor''s office and told him to open the hatch. He opened it for 5 seconds then closed it immediately as to not catch any attention from the other workers. He found it weird that nobody had questioned it so far, and that the mayor had taken so many of his special agents with him. Nheless, he was happy with the opportunity.

    The three ran out to the grassy field and saw Lance holding the hand of a little boy, who was cut and bruised all over his body. Lagurin dropped down in front of King and hugged him as soon as he reached him, clearly happy to see him.

    "How''d you do it, kid?" Lagurin stood up and asked Lance.

    "I was just honest with him. After I told him about his mother, he began opening up to me," Lance exined to Lagurin, who then looked downwards at the ground in contempt.

    "So you told him, huh?" He smiled at the ground, which confused the group as to why he looked sad.

    "Hey¡­" King tugged on Lance''s shirt.

    "Yeah? What''s up?" He happily replied.

    "Is that a bird?"

    King pointed up into the air, before Lance could get a chance to look, Rein gasped and erected an earth wall as the group heard a loud ssh of water impact with the wall, deflecting to their sides like a parted tsunami.

    "Tsk tsk, take the boy to Draconica eh? Now that wouldn''t be good for us," the ''bird'' in the sky remarked as Rein released the earth wall, revealing the grey-haired young man Rein was very familiar with.

    "Luther! The hell are you doing here?!" Rein yelled, making the floating man drop on the ground, Lance putting up a shield to protect King.

    "Ohe on Rein, you know what I''m here for," Luther looked at the boy behind the shield as his smile disappeared, reced with a look of pity.

    "Hold up, what''s with all the bruises on the kid? Don''t tell me..." Luther stood there, semi-surprised and confused, then shaking it off and readying his ive.

    "Ah hell, I''m not here to question this shit. How ''bout you make this easy and gimme the kid?"

    "Of course we wont! I will protect him until the end! I will help him escape this nightmare!" Lance righteously proimed, strengthening the shield on the boy.

    "Lagurin, please get out of here. Lance, whatever you do, you can''t let him get his hands on King. I can''t stress this enough, if he gets his hands on him, it''s over. Don''t try and run either, he''ll catch you in an instant. You understand?" Rein thoroughly instructed him, stressing out the importance of his orders to the maximum.

    "I understand!"

 Chapter 68 - Cursed King (4)

    Luther twirled his ive over his head and charged at King and Lance, Rein jumping in front of him to block his attack. He crossed his swords over each other to collide with the stick of Luther''s ive, sending them both bouncing back, sliding across the grass.

    "Now, Reggie!" Rein yelled as he stopped sliding, Reggie appearing from behind Lance andunching a barrage of punches, which Luther reacted to and jumped back.

    "Pfft, were you even trying to hit me there?" Luther remarked as Reggie ran back to Lance, helping him protect King.

    Rein charged at Luther again and relentlessly attacked him, using some new sword techniques he conjured up while training with Clyde and Chloe. His attacks were able to make Luther go on the defensive for a moment, which gave Rein the opportunity to throw his sword at Luther, which he easily dodged.

    "Man, you guys are missing a lot," Luther spoke, unimpressed.

    Suddenly, he heard the sound of metal colliding as he looked back at the sword that flew past his head, seeing it flying straight back at him.

    "The hell? Nothing''s behind me, where''d it bounce off of?" Luther thought in his mind as he instinctively activated his intangibility, with the intention of jumping into the floor.

    "Oh no you don''t," Rein sliced the ground under Luther with both of his swords, causing a gaping hole to instantly appear under him, Lance and Reggie moving King out of the way as they stood at the edges of the za.

    "The hell''s that..?" Luther mumbled as hey eyes on King''s room, his view gaping at it.

    "You let your guard down," Rein used his free hand to palm Luther''s chest, deactivating his intangibility.

    The sword flying to Luther stabbed into his shoulder and stuck there. Rein used the opportunity to try and extend the metal of the sword, but he was unable to. Luther''s shoulder was too sturdy, so Rein couldn''t extend the sword through it. Rein retracted the earth under them and hopped back, Luther carelessly spitting out a clot of blood, cracking his neck to loosen his joints. He took the sword out from his shoulder, cleaned the blood off of it, and threw it back to Rein.

    "What''s this for?" Rein asked, confused as to why he threw the sword back at him.

    Something looked different in Luther''s eyes after, as if he was now not having fun, which Rein found to be out of character for him.

    "Hey, I''m seriously gonna need that kid now," Luther''s eyes turned red and his hair a golden yellow. Rein gasped and turned around before Luther even made an action.

    "Shit! Hey, watch out!" As he looked back, he saw Luther flying to the right of Lance, Rein instantly activating STO and running full speed at Luther, but he knew he wouldn''t make it in time.

    Luther was right on top of Lance, Reggie, and most importantly, King.

    "Fuck, I could really use memory flip right now¡­ If Luther touches King, that bitch will be one step closer to her goal. I can''t let that happen, no matter what!" Rein cried in his mind, as he saw Lance''s gaze stiffen, reacting to Luther''s attack.

    Lance extended his shield and parried against Luther, knocking him back for an extra split second, giving Rein enough time to swoop in and grab King, with the intention of escape.

    But before he could get away, Luther surrounded the za with clones, cornering Rein into a standstill in the middle of the grassy field. Two of the clones restrained Lance and Reggie, preventing them from talking or moving as they held their mouths against the wall.

    "Well? What do you intend to do now Rein?" Luther sternly asked, the usual innocent tone in his voice having disappeared.

    "Tch¡­" Rein continued to look for a point of exit, relentlessly darting his eyes around the area.

    "It''s no use. My clones have surrounded the areapletely. Now, hand over the kid."

    "That''s thest thing I''m doing," Rein remarked in desperation as he held the bewildered boy, who felt no fear in this situation.

    "You''ve got no other exits. Whatever you do, I''m taking his Spring... Ah, actually, I just thought of a way out for you. Kill the boy," Luther unamusedly suggested, which made Rein freeze up.

    "If you kill him here, another kid will take the curse and we''d have to go looking for it all over again. I can already see the look on your aunt''s face, she''d be livid with anger," he continued to provoke him.

    "Kill¡­ him?" When Rein uttered those words, he could see the sorrow in Lance''s eyes as he struggled through Luther''s restraints, screaming through the mouth on his hand, making muffled noises of a distressed man.

    "Thest thing you''d do is hand him over to me, right? If that''s the case, you should have no problem killing him. I even heard you telling your friend earlier to not let mey a finger on him, no matter what. Well? Where''s that resolve now?"

    Rein trembled as he set King down from his arms and stood there, staring at him, Rein''s red eyes filled with turmoil.

    "Will it really stop her from progressing..?"

    "My patience is running out here. I''m giving you a chance, if you don''t take it, then that''s on you," Luther''s voice continued in its serious tone, which changed after he saw King''s dungeon after Rein carved out the ground.

    Rein reluctantly summoned his swords as they trembled vigorously in his hands. Lance continued to struggle, his muffled cries increasing in volume as Rein''s swords were summoned. As Rein stared at his jittering swords, he could hear nothing in his head. It was clear, empty, no sign of Versys in sight. This made it easier to hear his own voice as he turmoiled over his predicament in his mind.

    "Why am I hesitating..?" He thought as he tightened his grip on his swords, still shaking from the nerves.

    "I''ve killed handfuls of people before this¡­ This boy¡­ should be no different. It''s all for the sole purpose of fulfilling my goal... so why am I hesitating? I need to do it¡­ I need to kill him¡­ I can''t let my aunt progress anymore¡­ This is part of my revenge¡­ My vindication¡­ That''s right¡­ No matter what, I have to do it," Rein turned his eyes off of his swords as he gripped them harder andid his eyes on King, who stood there, staring at Rein with a nk expression.

    "Are you going to kill me, mister?" King asked, which made Rein physically twitch.

    "It''s okay. My mom is already dead, and I heard that you go to a really great ce after you die. I want to meet mom¡­ So it''s okay if you kill me¡­ I don''t want to suffer anymore," the boy emotionlessly spoke to Rein, putting his small, bruised hand on Rein''s trembling swords.

    To Rein''s bewilderment, he felt liquid streaming out of his eyes and down his face as he continued looking at King, his vision being obscured by the strange, salty droplets pouring out of his eyes. His hair returned to normal, and his wet red eyes returned to a yellow hue, which reflected an orange light as the sun began to set. He dropped his swords and copsed on the ground.

    "I can''t do it¡­ I''m sorry sis¡­ I''d be just like them¡­" He struggled to speak as he wept through his breath, his tears dropping on the ground under him as rain began to fall, which poured down around them as the sun''s light was all but visible.

    He suddenly felt a presence approach in front of him as Luther dashed at him, putting his hand on King''s head, looking down at Rein in pity.

    "Maybe I went too far," he uttered as Lance began squirming even louder, King turning his head to face the grey-haired man whose hand rested on his head.

    "Will you be the one to do it, mister? Your grip feels the same as his," King imed, pointing at the white-haired boy on the ground in front of them.

    "Heh, dunno why but stealing a cursed Spring erases the user. Sorry kid, but I''ll make it painless, " Luther warmly smiled as Rein sniffled in front of them, powerless to stop him, Lance continuing to squirm loudly.

    "No! Please don''t do it!" Lagurin came charging through the entrance to the za, breathing heavily.

 Chapter 69 - Anguished Howl

    "Hm? Who are you?" Luther turned his head to face the long, purple-haired man that frantically ran through the door.

    "I¡­ I am his guardian!" The man boldly imed, which turned the weeping Rein, and the two men constrained against the wall in his direction.

    Luther turned his head curiously, then went into a thinking position.

    "You''re his guardian? So you''re the one who had ''em down in that dungeon? You''re the one who was torturing him?" Luther grilled him, to which he didn''t respond.

    "If you can''t even lie about that, I''d suggest you be quiet. I already know who this kid''s dad is. It''s that fat Siren guy who wears a shit ton of jewelry and ims to be the mayor of this town," Luther revealed, to which Lagurin''s pupils shrunk.

    "You¡­ you know him?" Lagurin uttered.

    "Yeah, that fat bastard met up with us earlier today. He was actually the one who told us about the kid and asked for arge sum of money for him. I know, this shits enough to make someone gag from disgust," Luther revealed, to which everyone, even Rein who was still on the ground look at Luther with shrunken pupils, speechless to his words.

    "No way¡­ He sold his own son¡­ To criminals..? Not only is he betraying his son, but he is also betraying his city¡­" Lagurin dropped down to his knees.

    "Yeah, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth too, but it is what it is. Though, seeing what he''s been doin'' here already''s really pissed me off. I''m not supposed to tell anyone about the client, but fuck it. The bastard was heading to Treaqst I heard. I''ll just drop that info there for now, you can do whatever you want with it," Luther said as he picked King up.

    "Wait! Don''t!"

    "It''s okay uncle Lagurin. This way, I get to see mom again," stated the boy, making Lagurin bawl out in tears.

    "I''m sorry King¡­ It''s my fault your mother died¡­ I was the one who told her about the magician in Draconica¡­ It''s because of me that she attempted to take you¡­ It''s all my fault¡­" He wept.

    "Thank you for telling that to mom," King''s voice entered the whimpering man, lifting his teary face to look at him.

    "Huh?" He reacted.

    "I don''t really know why, but I feel like if mom didn''t have any hope in saving me, something even worst would have happened to her. So thank you for giving my mom hope. And to you, Mr Lance," King turned around to face the constrained man who still struggled on the wall, shedding tears from his unconstrained eyes.

    "Thank you for giving me hope. I will be going now, leaving this hurtful ce. The only hope that I have left is that I can meet mom in the great ce," King spoke all of that, with no expression on his face, the curse that was afflicted on him making him unable to smile.

    Lance''s futile attempts came to an end when he heard King''s words, stopping his fury of rage. Instead, he silently wept as his tears flowed down Luther''s clone''s hand, which was stered on his mouth, making him unable to make a sound.

    "Hey, mister?" King looked up at Luther, who was still gripping the top of his head with his hand, standing there, letting the boy say his goodbyes.

    "What''s up? You ready to go now?"

    "Can I ask for one more thing? You are like a ''bird'' right? You were flying up in the sky. Can I fly too, just one time?"

    "..." Luther looked at the boy with his mouth gaped, then sternly turned his expression serious and lifted the boy off the ground and began floating up.

    They floated and floated, Luther piercing arge hole through the rainclouds, instilling a circr beam of orange light down on the za under him. They reached where the line separating the night and the day could be seen spanning across the orange sunset, filling the sky with a fiery hue. King''s eyes glistened on the horizon, the life that had previously been absent from his gaze returning as Luther stole away his Spring.

    For a few brief seconds, King was able to experience the world without a curse, filling his view with breathtaking colors as he gazed upon the world without any shackles. The group on the ground stared at the floating boy, noticing the boy''s eyes filled with tears as a genuine smile grew on his face, his body fading away into nothingness.

    After King was no longer visible, they could see a ball of darkness emanating in Luther''s hand as he looked down at the group and released all of his Springs, ridding Lance and Reggie of their restraints.

    As soon as Lance was free, he screamed at the top of his lungs to the flying man, telling him to bring the boy back, cursing him and crying at the same time. Luther simply ignored him and began flying eastward, the light of the sun fading away as the storm clouds returned over them, bringing down a flurry of rain with it.

    Lance''s previously hopeful eyes were now filled with hatred and despair as tears of rage washed over him. He angrily approached Rein, who sat, looking up at the sky in bewilderment. He grabbed Rein by the cor and brought him close to his face.

    "Why the fuck didn''t you do anything?! You just sat there crying like a bitch! You didn''t even try to stop him when he flew up!" His anger-filled eyes looked into Rein''s dead ones.

    "..."

    "Answer me!"

    "It was no use¡­ I failed when it mattered most. I didn''t have the resolve that I thought I did," Rein looked away from him in shame, Lance gritting his teeth in fury.

    Lance wound his arm back while holding Rein by the cor, then swiftly decked him across the face, sending him flying into the ground, sshing into the muddy surface. Rein didn''t even try blocking the swing, he simply let it happen.

    "The hell''s happening here?!" Core ran through the za door, the workers in the za running after him as he intruded.

    The Xenia and ine ran in swiftly after as theyid eyes upon the scene in front of them. The workers seemed unphased as if what was happening was normal to them.

    "Hey¡­ Why didn''t you do anything..?" The enraged Lance turned his head to the workers, who then remained silent, ignoring his question.

    "You like being silent huh?" Lance stomped over to the workers who ran in after Core, with the intention to swing at them, but he was promptly stopped by ine.

    "H-hey! What do you think you''re doing Lance? What happened here?" She held his hand as Core and Xenia ran over to Rein, whoy in the wet ground, wallowing in his despair.

    "Stay out of this ine," he pushed her away and turned around to face Lagurin, who was smiling, looking up to the sky.

    "The hell are you smiling for?!" He approached Lagurin and pulled him up by the cor to face him, who then closed his eyes in satisfaction.

    "He smiled before he went¡­ He was happy at the end¡­ That''s worth something, right?" Lagurin warmly smiled at Lance his eyes briefly regaining the tender gaze they had previously, then instantly reverted to an agonizing stare, throwing Lagurin back on the ground.

    "Damn it!" Lance dropped to the muddy grass under him as he held himself up in nk position, staring at the wet ground as the rain continued to fall.

    He looked up into the rain-filled sky, the droplets hitting his face directly as he painfully shook, letting out an anguished howl, echoing across the city.

 Chapter 70 - Point Of No Return (1)

    As the group reluctantly returned to the carriage, Core consoled theirmissioner, Lagurin, trying to make him feel better about the situation, and asked him if they could do anything for him. Lagurin, who was still grieving, was satisfied with their efforts and assured him that they would get their rewards, though Core didn''t ask.

    Rein, Reggie, and Lance changed out of their suits and changed back into their normal clothes. Core got back on the carriage with the group, the atmosphere being so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

    The air around Lance was significantly different from how it was when they came. He exuded a hateful, vengeful aura now, rather than a friendly, innocent one from before. His eyes lost the fire that they had from before as he sat at the back of the cart, lifelessly staring off at the city as they departed.

    Rein, who was sitting on top of the cart away from the group,y there with a bruise on his cheek that stung like no other. He was confused, in turmoil, and didn''t know how to feel about his actions. Once again, he was reminded of his weakness. He was scared of the results of his actions, the resolve that he''d been building up all these years being broken just like that. He was scared of letting his aunt have her way, but the thought of ending the life of an innocent child scared him even more. He didn''t know if what he was feeling was regret, shame, grief, or sadness.

    Nheless, Rein remembered what he did during his time sweeping with Reggie. He had bumped into every rotten official in the city, each one of them insulting him as he came in contact with them. He took out a strand of ck hair from his inventory then activated his System, inverting the power of the hair. He sat up and looked back at the city, outstretched his palm, and crushed it into a fist.

    After a few seconds, he received a wave of notifications on his System.

    [You have received 3500 exp!]

    [You have received 4200 exp!]

    [You have received 3600 exp!]

    And it kept going countless more times. In the end, he was able to gain 3 levels, bringing him up to level 122. He also obtained a new skill, as there were some water Spring users among them.

    [New Skill]

    Hydrokic Regeneration: The ability to regenerate using water. Can heal up to 50 health per second, depending on the water level the user is submerged in

    "Serves those dreadful pieces of shit right," Rein heard a voice in his head, who just recently came back.

    "Why weren''t you there¡­" Rein said in his head.

    "Sorry¡­ I can''t control when that happens. I just feel myself get wisped away, and I have no control over it, nor do I know why it happens. Anyway, was that a strand of Voron''s hair? You used his Spring to kill those guys? You set the trigger on them when you bumped into them right?" Versys replied, trying to cheer Rein up, whose emotions also affect his own.

    "That''s right¡­" He thought with negative enthusiasm. "Instead of attaching things together like Voron, I can de-attach joint parts of an entity that I hit with a blunt object, in this case, the broomstick. Of course, this wouldn''t work on stronger enemies like Luther, because they can resist the Spring''s power," Rein exined.

    "Right¡­ It''s good that they were punished properly¡­ It wouldn''t be right to let them get away with it. Either way, I noticed you copied a Spring before you left," Versys remarked.

    "Yeah, I guess it''lle in handy," Rein opened his hand and produced a me that twinkled in his palm, which persisted even through the rain pouring over them.

    "Now we have 3 elemental powers. It''ll be tough getting the others."

    "Yeah¡­ Plus, there''s still 1 person who hasn''t been dealt with. I''ll be sure to pay him a visit."

    Suddenly, Rein heard Core''s voice emerge from inside the cart. He sounded somewhat nervous as he tried breaking the ice, Rein listening in through the small cracks in the carriage roof.

    "Hey Lance¡­ If it''s not too much, can you describe the way he died..? You know, King," Core bluntly asked, which surprised the group.

    Lance didn''t answer.

    "I didn''t see his body at the scene. Did he fade away into nothingness perhaps?"

    "Tch, and what if he did? Why do you even need to know this," Lance scoffed, continuing to look at the city as they got further away, the group unable to see his face.

    "I thought so. What I''m about to say may surprise you, so get ready," Core warned, which made Lance turn his confused face towards him, Rein beginning to listen attentively.

    "We can still save him. He''s not dead," he imed, making the group look at him with jaw-dropped expressions, Lance''s slowly widening as he took in what Core said.

    "No way¡­ You''re kidding, right?" He held back the tears that were welling up in his eyes, seeing Core''s assured smile through his wet vision.

    "How do you know that Core? Cursed Springs can be saved after they''re captured?" Xenia inquired.

    "Well, most of the time, yes. Whenever they''re in the ''pure'' form, it''s just their unconscious souls trapped in the confines of the curse. If we use a certain item on it, their bodies will return to normal," Core looked up to the roof of the cart.

    "You hear that Rein? You made the right choice. If you had killed him with your own hands, the boy would have died and the curse would afflict another kid. This course of action yielded the best oue for us, though maybe you think otherwise," Core remarked, which didn''t quell any of Rein''s turmoils.

    He was unconsciously happy that King was alive, and that his actions produced that oue, but he still lingered over the thought of his aunt. His regret did not disappear, nor did his grief, nor did his shame, as ultimately, he failed. He allowed his aunt to progress further, which in no way did he see as a win.

    Rein stayed atop the cart the rest of the way through as the rain let up, shining the glimmering light of the moon down on thend. This allowed ine to sit atop the tigers and speed them up, enabling them to arrive at Almes at 7:30 PM sharp.

    They returned the carriage to Merle, who led them through the back door of his bar into the teleporter''s room. As they stepped on it, they shortly found themselves back at the Hasbin gulf, in the teleporters hub, one that lead to Almes, and the other to Zacrozir.

    "Well, that was a long day. Let''s check themission in and im our rewards," Core suggested.

    "Sounds good," ine sighed, warmly turning her gaze to Lance, whose expression lightened up, but the dark atmosphere that surrounded him lingered.

    To Rein, it seemed as though Lance''s view on the world shifted, permanently altering his psyche. He stood still, analyzing Lance as he walked away.

    "Hey, Rein! What are you doing standing there? Let''s get a move on," Xenia rushed, looking back at Rein who stood still in the room with the two teleporters, not wanting to step out into the glowing cavern of the Hasbin Gulf.

    "I''ve got something to take care of. I''ll be back soon. Xenia, give my share of the reward to Chloe," he said as he walked towards the Orthlys teleporter, Lance breaking away from the group to walk towards him.

    Rein turned to face him, seeing a vengeful scowl ridden on his face.

    "What do you want now? Want to punch me again? Go ahead, I''m not gonna stop you," Rein said, turning his cheek towards the tall man, pointing to it provokingly.

    "Let mee with you. This involves me too," Lance requested in a vindictive tone, which surprised Rein.

    "Heh, sure. Stand on the te," Reinughed to hide his surprise.

    "You do understand what this entails though right? If you apany me here, there will be no going back for you. Are you sure you''re ready for that?" Rein consulted, advising Lance, who resolutely stepped on the te.

    "I understand. I''m already past the point of no return¡­"

 Chapter 71 - Point Of No Return (2)

    As they stood on the te, they found themselves being transported to a dark hallway, where they could hear the footsteps of the bustling city above them. As they appeared in a tunnel under the central city of Orthlys, they found themselves heading up the stairs that lead into an alleyway, the door being hidden with a mysterious power.

    "Let''s head on the path to Treaq. If we hurry, we''ll be able to intercept him," Rein suggested, the two not making eye contact.

    "Hm," Lance sounded in affirmation, following Rein onto the road.

    They ran on the dark, dimly lit path in the cold autumn night. Rein found that Lance had somehow sped up since thest time he saw. He concluded that the trauma that he had experienced had most likely strengthened his Spring, as, unlike his System, Springs are based on emotional experiences as well as physical.

    Even with the boost of speed, Rein still felt he was too slow for his taste. He slowed down so that he was running side by side with Lance, then reached over to his shoulder, putting his hand on it.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Rein uttered, whispering ''Versys'' under his breath.

    Lance looked away and didn''t respond, Rein taking his hand off of his shoulder shortly after. The awkward interaction Rein had induced gave him the perfect chance to set Lance as a secondary contractor, giving him some of his speed stat so that they could hasten their arrival.

    "How about we run faster?" Rein said as he sped up to a formidable speed, Lance struggling to keep up.

    Suddenly, Lance felt the wind almost lift him off his feet as he began running faster, almost as if ine had used her Spring on him. He didn''t question it and began running on par with Rein as they came upon a small, dark forest ahead.

    Rein suddenly stopped and held his arm out, stopping Lance as well. Rein put a finger over his mouth, shushing quietly as the two began stealthily moving. Rein climbed up one of the trees and began jumping through them, Lance did the same afterward.

    They could vaguely make out 3 moving lights in the distance, and as they approached, they could see 3 horse-drawn carriages, all in a single file line. They stayed close and used the night to cloak their presence. They listened in to the fat Siren man riding inside the middle carriage, apanied by 2 women on either side of him.

    "Hahaha! I never need to work another day in my life! With all of that cash I got, I can live the rest of my lifevishly in Treaq, surrounded by booze, drugs, and women!" The fat manughed, the two women at each side of himughing alongside him.

    "Tch!" Lance groaned, readying himself to jump on the cart at a moment''s notice.

    Rein outstretched his arm in front of him, telling Lance to stop.

    "Let''s wait a little longer."

    As they continued listening further, the fat man began divulging his ns for the future while creepily teasing the two women beside him. Lance began to block out half the things he heard, getting more frustrated by the second.

    "That was the best deal I''ve ever made!" The fat man remarked, settling down.

    Thisment spiked Lance''s attention as he began listening attentively.

    "I got paid fat stacks of cash, and I got rid of that kid in the process. Ahh, what a good businessman I am. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could! And those idiots still in Aquifa don''t even benefit from the brats Spring anymore, HAHAHA!" He raspilyughed.

    Lance had enough of listening, getting ready to jump in. However, before he could, he noticed that Rein was gone from beside him, and when he looked back down, he saw him standing in front of the cart with his hair turned ck as he made a hole in the ground, catching the carriage in it.

    "What the hell was that?!" The fat man emerged from the toppled carriage, along with the 2 women.

    Rein lifted a pir underneath both women and allowed them to escape the hole, telling them to run away through the forest. Frightened, they both obliged and abandoned the man in the hole.

    "WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SKANKS, GET BACK HERE!" The man screamed, attracting the attention of the other carts.

    The one that was riding behind caught up to them, and the one in front turned around, 3 suited Siren bodyguards emerging from each of them. All 6 rushed into therge hole to protect him, ignoring Rein who was standing at the top.

    "Who¡­ Who are you?!" The fat man frantically panicked, looking at the night-haired man standing atop the ditch he was in.

    Enraged, Lance jumped into the hole with hate-filled eyes and took out his shield, heavily breathing as he gazed menacingly at the man.

    "There''s 2?! G-guards! You swore your loyalty to me, protect me with your lives!" Hemanded, to which the guards summoned their des, infusing each of them with water.

    "Hey Rein¡­ Let me take them. I want to savor this¡­" Lance hissed, Rein allowing him to fight all of them by himself.

    Rein assigned moderate recuperation to Lance for his secondary contractor skill, and as he did, the skill was greyed out, with the name [LANCE BOWMAN] written beside the skill.

    Lance activated his Spring, shimmering his shield in now red light, much bigger than what it was before. As Lance activated it, Rein could feel his strength increasing from just being around it, and he could see the looks on the guard''s faces, seeming as though they were weakened by an unknown source.

    Rein was confused as to why it boosted his strength and lowered that of the guards, so he checked his System to see if Lance''s Spring updated.

    "Lance Bowman: Creates a shield of aura when infused with a protective item. Its strength and refinement depend on the energy consumption of the user. When active, boosts the strength of those the user considers as allies, while lowering it for those he considers enemies. Does nothing for those who are neutral."

    Reinughed, the inverse of his Spring bing that much stronger.

    Lance charged forward with his shield as the water Spring users sliced at it, bouncing their attacks back as if they were attacking a wall of bedrock. Lance parried all 6 of their attacks at once, sending them all flying backward into the dirt, the fat man running back to stay behind them.

    They all stood up with scowls of anger on their faces, screaming in anger as they ran head-on towards Lance.

    Suddenly, the edges of Lance''s shield became sharpened as the guards stopped in their tracks.

    "H-huh?!"

    "He sharpened it?"

    "Screw that! I don''t give a shit, we have to defend the mayor!"

    They all continued running in unison, screaming at the top of their lungs. Suddenly, Lance threw his shield out to the side, connecting it with a strand of aura, holding the other end in his hand. The strand of aura acted as a string as he swung the sharpened shield,ing in contact with each of them in coteral from the side, slicing each guard''s head off at the same time.

    The blood sshed on Lance''s face, unphased, he wiped it off without batting an eye as he approached the mayor who wasying on the ground in terror. Lance gazed at him with a scornful re, instilling an inexplicable fear into the mayor''s heart.

    "Please! Please spare me! I''ll do anything! Money? Do you want money?! Take it, it''s all in the carriage over there!" He begged for his life, pleading as he bowed his head down to Lance, Rein dropping down into the hole and walking past the dead bodies of the guards.

    "You think we care about money? What a sad existence you must have," Lance mmed his shield into the ground in front of him, making him weep out of fear.

    "Do you know what you''ve done? Not only did you sell out your son, but you also killed your wife and betrayed your city. Just how low can you get?" Rein spoke in disgust.

    "Wha¡­ What do you guys want! How do you know all that! Don''t tell me you''re working with that crazy woma¡ª" Rein didn''t allow him to finish his sentence, kicking him in the mouth to stop his speech, breaking several of his teeth in the process.

    "Don''t mention that bitch in front of me, you understand? Of course we''re not with her. How about you start repenting for what you''ve done instead of barking around like a dog?" He took his shoe out of his mouth as the man persisted in his frightened state, beginning to apologize over and over again.

    "I''m so sorry¡­ How will I ever atone for what I''ve done¡­" The man cried, Lance and Rein not taking any pity on him.

    Suddenly, they saw him make a swift hand gesture, sending a streak of water slicing down towards Lance, who easily blocked it with his shield.

    "EEEK! I''m sorry!" He continued bowing down, having foolishly used his Spring to try and take them out while their guards were down.

    "You¡­ You''re even dumber than I thought. You don''t regret anything, do you? Those words are the most hollow things I''ve ever heard. You''d do it again in a heartbeat. You''re a sick motherfucker, the lowest of the low. The world would be better off without you¡­" Lance sharpened his shield once again and wound it up, swinging it at the mayor.

    The mayor closed his eyes and braced for impact, ready for his life to end. However, what he felt wasn''t life-ending. No, far from it. He screeched in pain, his arm havinge off in a bloody fury. As he looked at his severed arm, he barfed through his bloody, broken teeth.

    "You really are a fucking idiot!" Lanceughed in pleasure. "Did you really think I''d let you escape that easily? Sorry, but you''re getting a dose of your own medicine. I''m gonna pay you back for what you did to King¡­ Maybe at some point, you''ll regret your actions as all of your limbs are being cut off," Lance threatened as he continued to slowly cut each of the man''s limbs off one by one, to the point that he was on death''s door from blood loss.

    "Spare me¡­ Spare me¡­" The man had gone crazy, repeating words that made no sense.

    "Toote for that now. There''s no saving you. Maybe it''s time you repent for what you did?"

    "Repent¡­ Ha¡­ ha¡­ I''m dead either way¡­ I don''t regret a single thing I did¡­ You¡­ You''re the real monster¡­" The man struggled to speak, his words making Lance''s agitation grow.

    "A monster? It takes one to know one, though you''re 100 times worse than me. I would end it in a more painful way, but this is all I''ve got now," Lance drew his shield back and aimed it for the final blow, Rein stopping him before he impacted.

    "I''ve got this. I''ll make his death slow and painful," Rein stood in front of Lance and took a deep breath, then focused his eyes on the man.

    He snapped his fingers, causing the man''s entire body to ignite in searing mes, screaming in pain as the crackling fire burnt each pore of his skin.

    "PLEASE STOP! I''M SORRY! I REGRET IT! I''M SO SORRY KING!" The man pleaded, Rein scoffing at his meaningless struggles.

    "This is what you deserve, you worthless pile of shit. Now you can rot in the depths of hell," he pumped up the intensity, the man letting out one more scream before he went silent, his lifeless body being released from the mes as it was set down to wearily wither away in the hole.

    Lance dropped down on his knees and began crying, the adrenaline in his body wearing off as he calmed down.

    "Hahaha¡­ There''s no going back now¡­ I''m a murderer¡­ A full-fledged murderer¡­" Heughed hysterically to himself, covering his eyes with his arm as he teetered on the verge of insanity.

    Suddenly, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, taking his arm off of his eyes to see Rein''s face directly ahead.

    "You did well. That man knowingly sold out his son with the intention of killing him. Now tell me, is murdering a murder considered murder?" Rein asked Lance, who didn''t know how to answer.

    "Huh..?"

    "The answer is no. It''s justice. And it''s a Ranger''s duty to uphold justice. You did nothing wrong Lance."

    "Rein¡­" Lance continued crying as he hugged the white-haired man consoling him, his hair having changed back after he finished the job.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry for ming you¡­ I''m so sorry¡­ I was frustrated at my own weakness and I took it out on you¡­ The truth of the matter is, if you weren''t there, none of us would''ve been able to protect King. You''re truly amazing," Lance wailed on Rein''s shoulder, who rested there, feeling severely undeserving of his words.

    "No¡­ You''re wrong. I failed, and this is just my excuse to lighten my mistake. I''m not as amazing as you think," he thought in his mind as he lent a shoulder to the broken man in front of him.

 Chapter 72 - Meeting With The Principal (1)

    When the two rposed themselves, Rein noticed a notification on his System.

    Level: 122 ¡ú 123

    [New Skill Acquired] - Liquid Slots: Allows the System to store 2 Springs at once, allowing the wielder to switch between the two at will. (This does NOT allow the user to wield both Springs at once like STO, but it does make it so he can change between them individually.)

    (Skill list updated)

    To Rein''s surprise, the addition of the new skill filled the slot with the most recent other Spring, which was Chloe''s Spring. Rein was able to switch to it with ease, allowing him to use it to fill up the hole he caused, burying the dead bodies lying at the bottom.

    Lance noticed Rein switching Springs and asked him about it, seeing as how he was wielding the Econican royal Spring of fire. Not being able to hide it much longer, he told Lance that he can copy the opposite of some Springs as he copied the Springs of the water users from Aquifa. Amazed, Lanceplimented him on the power as Rein spoke modestly, telling him that it wasn''t all that special.

    Using his enhanced speed, Lance was able to keep up with Rein as they swiftly ran back to Zacrozir and made their way to the hidden door that lead to a tunnel under the city. They stepped on the teleportation te and appeared back at the Hasbin Gulf.

    When Lance walked off the te, he was met with a worried pink-haired girl standing in wait in front of the te.

    "Lance! You''re finally back! Why¡­ are you so bloody?" She asked as her voice softened, her growing concern evident in her reaction.

    "It''s nothing. I''m going to rest at the dorm," he coldly walked past her, ine quickly grabbing his sleeve as he left.

    "Wait! Tell me what happened¡­ Please¡­" She uttered as Lance turned around and stared at her with his barren eyes, making her face twitch in fear.

    Rein stood there, observing the scene as it unfolded.

    "Lance¡­ You''re scaring me¡­ What happened to you..?" She woefully spoke, a fearful tone developing in her voice.

    "I''m sorry, but it''s best if you didn''t know," he shrugged his arm away from her grip as he continued walking away into the glowing cave, leaving her standing there, alone.

    "Why¡­ Where did my Lance go..?" She cried, trembling in her stance as Rein walked beside her.

    "Give him some space for now. He''ll open up to you. At the end of the day, he loves you the most in the world," Rein reassured her as he continued walking, making his way to the school for his meeting with Julianne.

    Rein''s words made ine''s tears flow ever stronger as she stood there, crying as she felt her lover slip away into the depths of despair.

    Rein entered the school, bloody and muddy. He walked past some students from Hasbin academy, who were still in school due to club activities. Being the organizers of the event, they recognized him as the winner of the entrance tournament. They moved away from him in fear, seeing his menacing scowl as he made his way to the principal''s office with dried filth covering his body.

    When he entered the room, he saw Core and Clyde already waiting, standing in front of the principal''s desk, with the brown-haired principal sitting in amanding manner.

    "Well if it isn''t the man of the hour! By hour, I mean hourte," Julianne joked as Rein approached the desk, standing in the middle of the two already there.

    "Rein¡­ Why are you so filthy?" Clyde asked, concerned.

    "Oh, it was raining outside and I was getting battered around earlier. I got some blood and mud all over my clothes," he deceptively spun his words, looking at Core who pretended not to be listening.

    "Battered around you say? And who is strong enough to batter you around?" Julianne interrogated.

    "..."

    "Hahaha, I''m kidding. That''s not what I called you here for. You can give me your quest reportter. For now, I have something to discuss with the three of you," she said, getting right down to business as she wore a serious expression.

    "The three of us? What''s so special about us?" Core asked.

    "Hahaha, you should already know the answer to that, Core the Chessmaster," she thunderously eximed, surprising both Clyde and Rein. Core simplyughed.

    "Heh, I had a feeling you knew. Ever since the preliminary round," Core stated, which surprised the two beside him even more.

    "Since the preliminary? Even I didn''t know back then¡­" Rein spoke, impressed.

    "I know everything that goes on in this school. Now, the reason I brought you all here is that you''ve all met a certain individual that''s been causing trouble around the continent," she informed.

    "A certain individual?" Rein uttered, trying to think who she might be talking about. Suddenly, he dawned on the answer as his eyes developed a tinge of fear.

    "That''s right. Melina Alister, the aunt of myte friend, Leona Alister."

    As soon as the name was mentioned, the three standing in front of her grew a sense of fear in their eyes, Reins mouth gritting with anger as he thought of his aunt. He mmed his hands on the table and looked Julianne in the eyes with an intimidating expression.

    "What do you know about her¡­ And how do you know Leona''s real identity..." Rein threatened.

    "Wouldn''t you like to know, Rein Alister? You were both there when she died, in the city of Lifah, isn''t that right?" She looked at both Rein and Core, whose eyes widened as they heard her speak.

    "You know about that too?" Coreughed softly, trying to hide his unease.

    "Don''t underestimate the guild''s intelligence-gathering capabilities. Though the principal back then was a dumbass who never did his job, and always went out drinking and partying, he was definitely a capable man. Despite the war, he thoroughly investigated her sudden disappearance. Even to me, her best friend, she never mentioned where she lived or her realst name. Though she did mention she had a cute little brother, I assume that must''ve been you," Julianne exined.

    "And why are you calling me in for this? I have nothing to add to the situation," Rein spoke, slightly irritated.

    "Oh? Have you not visited Lifahtely? There have been some interesting developments in the crater," she said, which caught Rein''s attention.

    "Developments..?"

    "Lately, swarms of monsters have been gathering around the remains of the town. It''s identical to the situation around the Timeless Blitz'' grave in the Elven Forest."

    "You know about that too..? Oh yeah, I guess Voron did mention posting guildmissions to clear out the monsters," Rein recalled.

    "Anyways, do you know what these monsters want? Why are they gathering around the graves of my sister and my father?"

    "I was hoping you''d be able to answer that, being a practitioner of your father''s dual sword style. Though I suppose you didn''t inherit the time warp Spring, so it would''ve been unlikely for you to know something," Julianne thought out loud.

    "Wait, you haven''t exined one thing: How did you know about Checkmates'' involvement..?"

 Chapter 73 - Meeting With The Principal (2)

    "How did you know about Checkmate''s involvement? It wasn''t even reported in the news, nor was it ever leaked to the public," Core inquired, looking at Julianne with great suspicion.

    "Oh, I actually didn''t know about that until recently. You see we have wiretaps in the luxury room¡­"

    "Invasion of privacy. You''re spying on high school kids. I''m calling the authorities," Rein stated, unamused imitating Sahpri''s way of speech.

    "Wait wait wait! We turned them off okay? You don''t have to worry," she reassured, Rein breathing out in relief.

    "So if that''s the case, you know everything that happened afterward? How some nobles in Orthlys spun the story to trick the king into dering war?" Rein asked.

    "Yeah. And that brings me to the second reason I called you here. Melina Alister, it is to my understanding that she is your aunt?"

    "... Yes."

    "And both Core and Clyde here have met her?" Julianne re-iterated.

    "Yeah, I met her 6 years ago when we were finalizing our deal. She looked and acted like a normal woman on the outside, but I could feel the sheer malice leaking from the pores of her skin," Core informed.

    "And I met her briefly during ourst mission. I still do not understand why I was called over as well though. I have nothing to add to this conversation," Clydemented.

    Julianne stood up from her desk and walked over to therge window that oversaw the city, glimmering in the cavern with colorful lights. As she gazed out into the colorful city, she began pacing back and forth in front of the window, eventually stopping and turning around.

    "You were in Crypt before and after the war started, weren''t you Clyde?" Julianne asked sternly.

    "Huh? Yes, though I already told you about this¡­ I was in Crypt up until about a year after the war, but why are you asking?" Clyde began sweating slightly, feeling a little nervous recalling his past.

    "A few weeks before the attack on Lifah, we got word from an anonymous tip that Crypt was advancing through the Orhtlys region, setting up a base near the Econican border in wait to attack a vige. Over the next few days, we monitored the area and intercepted Crypt as they tried preparing for an attack.

    After that, we continued patrolling the area, and after a few days of silence, we lightened the patrol. Then, we heard about the attack. At first, we thought it was Crypt, but upon further investigation, we found out that they had nothing to do with it. Until recently, we didn''t know who had taken the job from them after we stopped their advances, but now I know that it was Checkmate.

    There must have been quite arge fuss within Crypt after the incident. The main problem is, we don''t know who gave us the anonymous tip. Clyde, do you remember when that happened? Do you know if anyone could''ve betrayed Crypt? Was it you?" Julianne posed a barrage of questions and revealed some key things, Rein''s eyes widening as he listened to Julianne''s info.

    "It¡­ was not me. If one person would do that within Crypt, it would be Galo, but I don''t believe that was made aware of the red squad''s advancements in the Orthlys region, so it couldn''t have been him. I was actually part of the group set up on the borders, and I remember the guild somehow catching on to our movements. Thinking back now, it''s scary to think that I could''ve been the one to attack Rein''s vige. Whoever made that anonymous tip has my deepest gratitude," Clyde eximed, letting out a sigh of relief.

    "Hey Core, you have a member of Crypt in your possession. Let him out so we can ''talk'' to him," Rein smiled, snapping Core out of the trance he was in.

    "Huh? Oh, yeah I have Riskel the Cardinal in custody¡­" Core looked distressed as if he didn''t want the group to question Riskel. He shook his head and released his unease, summoning D8 into the room with a marble from his pocket.

    Sheplied, summoning the sleeping man into the room, talking in his sleep as he rested soundly.

    "Hey! Wake the hell up!" Core yelled into his ear, which startled the man to consciousness.

    "Wah!!" He crawled to the back of the room and sat there, handcuffed.

    "I-It''s you! The battle isn''t over yet! Soldiers! Atta¡­ Huh¡­ HUH?!? WHY AM I IN HANDCUFFS?!! AND WHERE AM I?!" He freaked out loudly, jingling the chains connecting the handcuffs as he tried to brute force himself free.

    "Damn you''re loud. Listen, pretty boy, I''m gonna need you to tell us everything you know about the Lifah incident 6 years ago. Who sold out the red squads advances? Tell us everything you know," Juliannemanded, exuding her crushing aura on the man who was cowering in the corner.

    "The Auburn Dawn..? Ha¡­ Hahaha! I will not sell out my organization! I''d sooner die than betra¡ª"

    "Alright guys, strip him and burn his robe," Core threatened, making Riskel shriek out of fear.

    "EEK! No, please! Anything but that!" He hugged his robe with his binded arms, trying to protect it desperately.

    "Oh no! My hands are muddy! Man, I wish there was something nearby I could wipe it on¡­" Rein held out his muddy hand as he approached Riskel, who shivered in uncontroble fear.

    "O-okay, okay! I''ll talk, just please don''t touch my robe," he begged, making Rein smile and turn around, his job done.

    "Wow, he really is just a neat freak¡­ Maybe it was dumb luck I figured out his Spring¡­" Core thought to himself, dumbstruck by Riskel''s stupidity.

    "Well? Get on with it," Clyde hurried him, making Riskel recognize him.

    "Huh? Wait, aren''t you Clyde? I thought I recognized you before! How''ve things been?" Riskel conversed, for a moment, forgetting about the situation he was in.

    "Hurry up and talk, I''m losing my patience," Clyde threatened, tapping his feet in haste, making Riskel jolt in sudden fright, bowing down in apology.

    "I''m sorry!" He bowed, then sat up straight, coughing to begin his recount.

    "A little bit after the red squad''s blunder, there was a meeting held with all the Captains and Lieutenants of each squad. Red squad, blue squad, green squad, and the grandmaster all gathered to discuss what had just transpired.

    Immediately as the meeting began, master Roki med master Galo, who of course denied the false allegations. Master Roki continued insisting that master Galo was to me, but master Galo continued denying his baseless usations with facts and logic. This continued escting, master Roki eventually losing his cool, attacking master Galo.

    That was when the grandmaster interfered. They called out to both of them, making them stop immediately. The grandmaster hides their face and distorts their voice, so most in Crypt don''t know how they look or sound. I don''t even know if the three captains have seen their face.

    But anyways, the grandmaster imed that somebody outside of the group somehow knew about their ns ahead of time and cut them off. Who it was was still unknown, but the grandmaster suspected that it was a member of Checkmate, who then stole the job a few dayster¡­" Riskel finished his exnation.

    Everyone''s attention turned to Core, whose eyes couldn''t be made out under the shadow cast by his hair. They stood there staring, waiting for an exnation...

 Chapter 74 - I Challenge You To A Duel!

    "Hmmm, who could it have been? I might have to ask some of the members of checkmate, don''t I?" Coreughed nervously as everyone looked at him suspiciously.

    "Hey, Core¡­" Rein uttered, which made Core turn around and begin to walk out of the room.

    "Well, it''s been nice meeting with you principal Julianne! You can deal with Riskel however you see fit. See you guys!" He walked out of the room, nobody trying to stop him.

    "Do you think..?" Clyde looked at Rein and Julianne, both of them quietly thinking to themselves.

    "We shouldn''t jump to conclusions so quickly. Let''s investigate the matter some more and then get back to it," Julianne concluded as they heard Riskel coughing, trying to get their attention.

    "*ahem*. So, I presume you''ll be letting me go free now?" He spoke, Julianne beginning tough, thinking it was a joke.

    "You think we''d let you go free? You''re funny. Though I suppose you''ve earned the right to live after that. And your Spring could prove to be useful to us. Besides, we''ve been short on janitors in the school. Ahhh, a willing worker and I don''t even have to pay them!" Julianne rambled as Riskelined, unable to do anything. By himself, he was useless.

    "Wha! I am not willing! You''re just enving me! Crypt is going toe after me, and when they do, you''ll regret it!" He protested.

    "Haha, I bet they will. I won''t hold my breath though," she joked as sheughed to herself, Clyde and Rein began walking out of the room.

    "Hold on Rein. Clyde, you can leave, but I need to talk to Rein for just a little longer," she said as she then called out to Wace, who came and took Riskel, assigning him living quarters and his new ''job''.

    "Very well. I will inform the girls that you will bete Rein," Clyde remarked as he left the room.

    "Thanks, Clyde. I''ll see youter," he waved, then turned his head back to the principal, with who he was alone in the room.

    "Alright Rein, let''s get down to business. You''ve fought Luther, haven''t you?" She dropped the question, to which Rein''s eyebrows twitched, putting his guard up against the woman.

    "How¡­ How do you know that name?" He threatened as Julianneughed at his reaction.

    "Haha, no need to be so wary. Luther is¡­ my older brother," she revealed, running putting his guard down as he heard.

    "Your¡­ Brother?" Rein thought back to the first time he met Luther when he felt he recognized hismanding voice.

    It reminded him of the principal, and now that he''d associated them, he could see the connection.

    "So you''ve met him then..? How''s he been? Does he look like he''s doing well?" She asked.

    "Do you even know what he''s be? He works for my aunt now. He''s her right-hand man!" Rein yelled, to which Julianne wearily smiled.

    "I''m aware."

    "You''re aware and you haven''t done anything? How did you even let him get to that point?" Rein questioned, making Julianne clearly ufortable.

    "Tch, sorry. He looked healthy if that''s what you''re worried about. Don''t get it twisted though, next time I see him, I''m aiming for the neck," Rein told her as he turned around, assuming their meeting was over.

    "Onest thing¡­ You know something about his power, don''t you? He was always Springless, but then he suddenly developed several different Springs," Julianne demanded.

    "..."

    "If you know anything, I would suggest informing the guild. I don''t think it''s in your best interest to keep the information to yourself, especially considering how many lives could be saved using it," she said as Rein continued walking towards the exit, feeling turmoil in his heart as he remorsefully kept silent.

    "I don''t know anything."

    He made his way back to the dormitory, entered the elevator, and rose to the top floor. The crackling metal noises of the elevator battered against his ears, reminding him of Luther''s sound Spring. He held his head in slight pain as he arrived at the top floor, seeing a blonde, spiky-haired man standing in front of the elevator, waiting with a lollipop in his mouth and his hands in his pocket.

    "It''s you¡­ What are you doing on the luxury floor?" Rein asked the man he knew as Sho Anagi, the number 1 ranked student in the ss.

    "..." He walked past Rein and into the elevator, continuing to suck on his lollipop as he ignored him.

    "Hey, I''m talking to you here," Rein grabbed him by the shoulder, then suddenly felt a sharp sear on the palm of his hand, letting go promptly.

    "Don''t touch me you dirty pig. If you''re not gonna get off my ass about it, I was escorting the princess to her room. What''s a weakling like you doing up here?" the man scoffed as he took the lollipop out of his mouth and held it in his hand.

    "No way¡­ Is he¡­" Rein thought in his mind as he tried copying his Spring with ''On Sight'', a skill which allowed him to copy a Spring by looking at the user, as long as he knew what their Spring was.

    Suddenly, he felt the skill work, copying the inverse of the man''s Spring, making Rein step away in confusion.

    "Answer me you hog. I don''t like repeating myself," he impatiently asked.

    Suddenly, Rein smiled from ear to ear as he looked at the man smugly.

    "You escorted the princess? Well, personally I''m escorting myself," he pointed at his room, which was the same room Sho brought Chloe into.

    "You¡­" Sho put the lollipop back into his mouth.

    Rein slowly walked to the door and slowly reached for the door handle. As his hands made contact with it, he swiftly moved his head backward, dodging a flying kick from Sho.

    "The hell do you think you''re doing? Attacking a man minding his own business," Rein remarked teasingly.

    He walked away from the door and stood in the middle of the lobby, facing Sho in therge corridor.

    "I should be asking you that question. Just what the fuck do you think you''re doing entering the princess''s room, asshole?!"

    "What''s wrong? I just wanted to go into the room. What''s gotten you so worked up?" Rein provoked him as he reached back to the door handle, Sho promptly dashing towards him and grabbing his arm.

    "Let go of the handle or your handes off," Sho threatened as Rein smiled at him.

    Rein powered through his grip and continued holding the handle, pulling it down slightly. Suddenly, Sho''s grip tightened greatly as he took a deep breath.

    "I warned you," Sho remarked as Rein continued pressing down on the handle.

    "What the hell?!" Sho screamed as a wave of water exuded from his hand, sshing on Rein''s wrist, allowing him to escape his hold.

    "Wow, you''ve got really sweaty palms! Almost flooded the room. Now could you please let me get into my room?" Rein waved his wrist, shaking it from the pressure of Sho''s hand.

    He showed remarkable strength, Rein almost felt that his wrist was broken. Though, after he let go, Rein promptly recovered as he opened the room with a key, which greatly confused Sho.

    "Hold on¡­ Your room?"

    "Hm? Yeah, this is my room. What''s wrong with you? Trying to stop a man from entering his room. Seriously, who does that," Rein smacked his own head inughter as Sho stood there, dumbfounded.

    "You¡­ You live in the same room as the princess?! Who do you think you are!" Sho protested.

    "Me? I''m Rein Xilris. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Sho Anagi," he menacingly smiled at him, making Sho grow a slight scowl on his smooth face.

    "This is uneptable¡­"

    "What''s that? Couldn''t quite catch what you said¡­" Rein put his ears out, motioning that he should speak up.

    "Rein? Is that you?" A female voice came out of the room, footsteps approaching the door as the two men stared each other down.

    Chloe arrived at the door, seeing the scene unfolding before her.

    "Rein Xilris was it? Don''t get cocky you pissant. You don''t belong within 100 meters of the princess. I challenge you to a duel, tomorrow after ss. The winner will earn the right to stand by the princess. If you don''t ept, I''ll count myself as the winner," Sho proposed, to which Rein smiled, being given the chance to fight for the number 1 spot in the ss.

    "Sure. That spot is mine," he epted his challenge, the two looking at each other with fire in their eyes.

 Chapter 75 - Sorrowful Stress

    "R-Rein?! What spot is yours?!" Chloe blushed as Rein turned around, noticing her standing at the door.

    "Oh, hey Chloe. Are the girls back yet? I''m going in for a bath, you can deal with this guy here," Rein walked in, leaving Chloe bewildered at the door.

    "W-wait! Don''t be too loud, they''re asleep!" She called after him as he kept walking.

    She slouched over in discouragement as he walked away, then rposed herself to face Sho, standing in the lobby.

    "I''m sorry about that Sir Sho," She bowed. "Haha, what was that challenge thing about? Would it be possible to call it off? Maybe it was just a heat of the moment thing and you didn''t mean it¡­" Chloe nervouslyughed as Sho walked towards the elevator.

    "I''m sorry for inconveniencing you, princess, but I won''t be calling the challenge off. Be careful around that man. He has an unspeakable aura about him that is incredibly unnerving. I swear, I will protect you from him," he promised as he entered the elevator, Chloe continuing her bewildered stance at the threshold.

    She let out a sigh of fatigue and closed the door, walking back into the living room and flopping down on the couch. Because of the situation, she wasn''t able to talk to Rein as he arrived, and thinking back on it, she remembered that he was covered with dirt and blood from head to toe.

    She approached the bathroom door and entered the toilet area, calling out to him behind the half gate leading to the bath.

    "Hey, Rein?" Her words seem to have snapped him out of deep thought, as she heard the startled water sshing as he answered.

    "Yeah? You need something Chloe?" He answered, regaining his cool almost instantly.

    "Are you okay? You seemed kind of down earlier¡­ What happened on your mission?" She sat down, her back leaning against the door as she talked.

    "I''m down? Hahaha, what makes you think that? I''m the same as ever!" Reinughed to hide his stress as he rxed in the tub.

    "Don''t lie. It was obvious as soon as I saw you. Please, just tell me what happened. If I can lighten your worries even a little, then that would be enough for me," Chloe consoled.

    "..." Rein stayed quiet.

    "Rein?"

    "Enough for you, huh? And what if talking about it worsens my worries? Are you sure you''re not just consoling me out of selfish ego?" Rein scornfully said, slightly regretting his words as they came out of his mouth.

    "Huh?! No, you''re wrong! I just wanted to look out for you! I promise I won''t judge you! Somehow¡­ I just want to help you somehow¡­" Chloe defended herself.

    "Well stop. Sorry, but I don''t need your pity, princess. Just because your royalty, doesn''t mean you''re above everyone. How about thinking about my feelings for once," Rein continued spewing resentfulments, not being able to stop himself because of the turmoil in his heart.

    "How¡­" She sniffled, tears could be heard dropping on the ground. "How am I supposed to think about your feelings¡­ If you don''t tell me anything..?" She stood up and ran out the door, Rein not reacting to her actions.

    He stayed in the hot springs, wallowing in his despair as he regretted his words, a look of agony encroaching on his tired face as he covered it with his hand, drowning himself in regret.

    A few minutes passed. Rein was finally finished with his bath. He stood up and wore his pajamas, a grey pair of pajama pants, and a light blue shirt. He wore a towel on his neck as he exited the bathroom, drying his hair as he walked to his bedroom. On his way there, he noticed the entrance to the dorm room was slightly open.

    Confused, he went to close it, thinking that he could have left it open after his fight with Sho. However, he noticed something missing. There were only 2 pairs of shoes in front of the door, and his shoes were being cleaned in the washing machine. Only Emria and Saphri''s shoes were there.

    Distressed, he ran back into the room and checked Chloe''s bedroom. She wasn''t there. He ran to the training room, the balcony, the kitchen, and even checked Emria and Saphri''s room. Nothing.

    Chloe had left the room because of what he said to her. He rushed out of the room in his bare feet, leaving the door behind him wide open as he ran down the stairs, the elevator being too slow.

    "Hey, Versys! Is there any way to locate someone using the System?!" Rein thought to Versys, who was asleep.

    "*Yawn*... Why? Did someone disappear?" He sleepily asked.

    "It''s Chloe. I said some shit I shouldn''t have and she ran away. There''s no telling what could happen if the princess of Orthlys was seen alone. I need to find her," he thought as he ran outside the dormitory building and stood on the path in front of it, the dimly lit lights flickering at the top of the cavern, indicating that it was nighttime.

    "And what will you do when you find her? You think she''ll just ept your apology?" Versys asked.

    "..." Rein stopped in his tracks, remembering the things he said to her.

    He felt the regret continuing to pile in his heart, almost to the breaking point.

    "Well? What''ll you do? I doubt she''d just ept your apology after what you said. How will you deal with the situa¡ª"

    "I DON''T KNOW!" Rein panted as he screamed out loud, no longer just speaking in his mind.

    "I don''t know¡­ What''s the point in anything anymore? I''m so confused¡­ I just want to go back to my room and sleep, forgetting about everything that happened today¡­ Hey, Versys¡­ What should I do..?" He grabbed his head with both his hands, distressed as the turmoil overflowed in his body.

    "... She''s a secondary contractor, right? As long as she''s within 1 km of you, you should be able to track her down if you press on the contractor''s tab¡­" Versys brushed off Rein''s distress, trying to rid himself of the question that was posed to him.

    Rein grabbed his chest and grit his teeth in pain. He checked his stats, his health, his skills. Nothing could tell him what to do next. The only other time he''d felt this helpless was 6 years ago after his vige was attacked. The ordeal with King, the words that Luther imparted on him, his meeting with Julianne, and now this. He felt like everything he was fighting for in the past 6 years was a lie. He felt like his hatred was a lie.

    He opened the ''contractors'' tab with a sullied expression, then pressed on Chloe''s face, who he''d unconsciously connected to during the tournament after he sent Versys into her mind. As he opened her page, he saw a small, circr,pass-looking icon in the top corner of the menu. He tapped it, and sure enough, it began pointing in the direction of the girl.

    It lead him behind the dormitory, into the cluster of houses that held the principal''s home. As he approached between the houses, he could hear the faint noises of a weeping girl. Turning the corner, he saw Chloe sat down with her hands on her face, crying softly. Suddenly, Rein stepped back and hid behind a corner, seeing another man approaching.

    "Princess?" The man rushed over and went on his knees. "What''s wrong?! What happened?!"

 Chapter 76 - Waking Up Late

    It was Sho Anagi, the first seat of the ss and the man who challenged Rein to a fight. Unprepared, Rein turned back around and hid behind the corner, wanting to hear their conversation to get a gauge on the situation.

    "He¡­ He won''t talk to me¡­ After all this time¡­ He still doesn''t trust me¡­" She wept as Sho listened.

    "''He''? Do you mean that menace to society? Rein Xilris?" Sho furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists in anger.

    "It''s just¡­ I can''t do anything to help him¡­ He seemed so sad¡­" She continuously wiped her tears as they flowed down.

    Suddenly, Sho put his hand on hers and held it tightly, making her tears stop momentarily.

    "This pain that he''s inflicted on you, I''ll send it back at him ten-fold," Sho dered as Chloe looked at him wearily, shaking her head.

    "No¡­ Why are you both fighting..? It''s all pointless!" She protested as she closed her eyes shut, her tears getting caught on the ends of her golden blonde eyshes.

    Suddenly, Rein could hear a shuffle in clothing, as if two pieces of cloth dragged against each other. Sho had brought Chloe into his arms and embraced her.

    "It''s not pointless, princess. I''m fighting for 1 reason, and 1 reason only. It''s also the reason I came to this school in the first ce," Sho eximed as he reached to the back of her head and grabbed her horn, making her jump in shock.

    "M-my horn¡­" Rein heard Chloe say in an embarrassed tone.

    "Considering both our positions, this is the best course of action for both our countries. We were destined to be together. Winning this battle is only a way to get rid of all doubts. After I win, let''s get married, princess Chloe," Sho proposed.

    Rein took a deep breath, with the intention of standing up, turning the corner, and saying something. However, with nothing to say, he held his breath and departed from the scene.

    He arrived back at the dormitory and found Emria and Saphri both awake, standing outside of their room, awaiting the arrival of their older brother. He was still wearing his pajamas and wore no shoes on his feet as he entered. The girls didn''t ask any questions, they more or less understood the situation just by looking at his turmoiled face.

    Needingfort, Rein hugged them both, trying his hardest to hold back tears. The girls both patted his back as he trembled in their contact, no words being exchanged between them as they all went to bed.

    The next morning, Rein awoke at 9 AM, an hourte to ss. He missed the entirety of the mathematics portion of the day, which wasn''t a problem since he was already adept at it. He arrived at the school and checked inte, making his way to his homeroom ss. As soon as he opened the door, he sensed an object bulleting at him at mach speeds.

    In the nick of time, he was able to catch the object between his index and middle finger, stopping it millimeters in front of his eyes. He could see the glowing cigarette shimmering in between his fingers as he lobbed it back over to Zophie, who put it back into her mouth.

    "You''rete, but since you survived the penalty, I''ll let you off with a warning," she said as she went back to exining history on the board, everyone in the ss now terrified to arrivete.

    "Haha¡­ Thanks..?" Rein nervouslyughed, then let out a sigh of relief.

    He looked around the ssroom, seeing Core and Xenia taking and sharing diligent notes at the top of the ss. He continued scanning the ss, seeing Quint dozing off, Reggie scratching his head, and beside him, Lance and ine sitting next to each other, looking away from each other with an awkward atmosphere around them.

    As he looked at the S ss, he noticed the princess looking at him with the corner of her eye, then swiftly look away, turning her attention back to the teacher''s lesson. He then made eye contact with Sho Anagi, who frowned at him aggressively, Rein giving him a fabricated smile, then looking away. He subconsciously felt relieved that Clyde sat between Chloe and Sho as he made his way up the ss and took his seat.

    He opened his notebook and began taking notes, listening to the teacher''s surprisingly interesting lecture about the history of the continent.

    "During the dark ages of the Lomia continent, Springs didn''t exist. Each person had to work for power, it wasn''t something that some people were born with. Some people argue that the world would be better that way, weeding out true conviction through hard work rather than natural-born talent.

    But, in the end, people mysteriously began developing Springs, abilities granted by a higher power, something that has no exnation in the continent''s history. Different races began developing Springs that fit their archetype.

    Elves would manifest to magical Springs, Orcs would get strengthening Springs, Sirens would get water-based Springs, Dwarfs would get stamina-based Springs, and Humans would get entric Springs, and the list went on.

    However, somewhere along the line, most of these divisions between races became blurred, and most of them don''t exist anymore. This is also unexined, and researchers have been looking for the answer for years now. Of course, Sirens still wield the water Springs, and other exceptions also arise, but for the most part, diverse Springs were now universal to all races.

    Now the rise to power of the Econican Empire and the Kingdom of Orthlys¡­" Miss Zophia continued exining, Rein beginning to lose interest as she began talking about the monarchies.

    He already knew about them during his time reading when Leona wasn''t home. He knew everything from the different elements represented by the countries to the different Emperors and Empresses, Kings and Queens in the continent''s history.

    Eventually, as they powered through subject by subject, the ss was nearing its end. For some reason, Zophia stopped her lesson early and caught the ss''s attention. She coughed and relit a cigarette, puffing it out and beginning to speak.

    "Yeah, so Julianne told me to dismiss you guys a little early today. Apparently, there''s going to be a special match going on at noon," Zophia looked at the blonde-haired man sitting in the S ss front seat, then looked into the back of the ss at the uninterested Rein.

    "What? We''re stopping ss early for this? Since when did this be an official event?" Rein protested.

    "Stopining, or are you scared to lose in front of the entire campus? I put in an official duel request to the principal herself. She even assigned a reward for the winner. 50 points and 50000 Rol," as Sho said that, the entire ss was shocked, all of them looking at each other in amusement.

    "Haha, this is a joke, right?"

    "The number 1 vs the number 30? I think I know who my money''s on"

    "Damn right. I''m gonna enjoy watching that loser get his ass beat," remarked the man who triedmission starving Rein, Xenia, and Core.

    "And the loser?" Rein asked, wanting to make certain of the loser''s punishment, which some found weird as they hadn''t even thought of that.

    "Embarrassment? Shame? Are those not enough? I certainly don''t n on losing. I don''t even care about the prize. This is all for the sake of my future queen," Sho reached over to put his arm around Chloe, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone standing between them.

    "Let''s not get hasty here. You haven''t won yet," Clyde stopped him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he felt bad for Chloe, brushing his arm away and turning his angry scowl towards Rein, who was looking away in disinterest.

    "Tch, fine. I''ll beat him then assume my rightful spot," he said as he saw Rein walking out of the room, not listening to what he was saying.

    Rein marched with his hands in his pocket, looking at the ground as he walked in a mncholy fashion towards the arena. Before he could leave the school, he was stopped by a voice behind him. It was a familiar voice that called out to him.

    "Rein!"

    He twitched, then continued walking.

    "Wait!"

    The voice was getting closer, Rein began walking faster. As he was about to exit through the door, he felt something grab onto his hand. It was a familiar hand with a familiar pulse and a familiar shape. He instinctively retracted his hand away and stopped in front of the door, Chloe standing directly behind him.

    "Rein¡­" She said again. He took a deep breath, then put on a smile.

    "What''s up?" He happily remarked as he turned around to face her, his fabricated facade giving her a pitied expression which made Rein''s stomach turn.

    He couldn''t help but break character, letting a frown slip through his mask, then quickly recovering.

    "You''re¡­ What are you nning? You''re gonna do something during the match, aren''t you?" She asked, frowning at him.

    Rein turned his head away from her and grit his teeth as he heard her words. He thought that she was worried for Sho and came to make sure he wouldn''t try anything funny during the match. It made Rein angry, but at the same time, slightly sad.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not gonna do anything. Trust me. You don''t have to be scared of the oue," he walked out of the door, and as it was closing, he heard her say one more thing.

    "I''m rooting for you!" She remarked.

    One would think that this would revitalize someone, which it did for a brief moment. Then that happiness turned into dread as he continued walking without turning back.

 Chapter 77 - Unpleasant Plan

    With his mood dampened, he dragged his feet to the arena and went into the west waiting room, while Sho stayed in the eastern one. Since this was an official match, they had to wait for the principal to announce the beginning, and conversely wait for the stadium to fill up.

    Rein tightened theces around his shoes and stood up, facing the door to the arena. Suddenly, he heard a footstep enter the room behind him. He turned around, seeing a frowning Clyde standing at the threshold of the door.

    "H-hey! Clyde, shouldn''t we leave him alone before the fight?" Xenia''s voice could be heard from the outside, her hand on Clyde''s shoulder trying to drag him away.

    "Give me one second," he moved her hand away and approached Rein.

    "I''m not going to ask you what happened. I''m not going to ask you why your angry, or sad, or in turmoil. Why? Because none of it matters. Nothing gives you the right to treat someone like a homunculus without feelings," Clyde scolded Rein, who was looking away with a dead look in his eyes.

    "Hey sis, what are you doing outside the waiting room?" Quint approached, to which Xenia shushed and pointed inside the room, both of them peeking their heads in.

    "I know. I fucked up, and now, I''m going to atone for it. Don''t worry, you''ll be satisfied by the oue of the match," Rein reassured as Clyde looked at him, a shell of a man about to enter battle.

    "Hold on¡­" His eyes widening, he grabbed Rein by the wrist and lifted it up. "Where¡­ You were about to go in without weapon rings?!" He tightened his grip in anger, Rein softlyughing.

    "This is for the better. I''m gonna stop being selfish for once and do what''s best for the continent. You''re in the same ss as him, you should know who he is by now," he finally looked Clyde in the eyes, who then let go of his wrist, digesting what Rein just told him.

    "For the best? Don''t mess with me¡­ Anyone with half a brain can see what you''re really doing. You''re wallowing in the lowest point of self-pity, giving yourself an easy way out," Clyde clenched his fists.

    "You''re wrong, Clyde. What I''m doing is for the greater good of the continent. I''m swallowing my pride and¡ª" he was interrupted as Clyde held him by the cor, pinning him against the metal cage door that led to the arena.

    "And what about your goals?! Your ambitions? Was the reason you came to this academy¡­ To throw all your hard work away into a battle like this?!" Clyde yelled, this being the first time Rein had seen him get this angry.

    "You don''t get it¡­ This is for Chloe too¡­ I''m just giving her what she wants¡­"

    Clyde''s expression widened, then retracted into a cold, calm one. He let go of his cor and turned around.

    "You''re not the Rein I know. Right now, you''re nothing more than scum with no resolve. If you lose this battle, I''ve lost all respect for you," he walked away in a cold march, promptly followed by Xenia.

    Quint stayed standing at the threshold, looking at Rein, who was sitting, back faced to the metal cage door.

    "For Chloe''s sake, huh? Just know, I''m not epting any oue but a win from you, you hear?!" Quint tried onest time to pump him up, then followed Clyde and Xenia up into the stands.

    Rein sighed to himself then stood up, looking up and putting his ringless hand on his face.

    "You think I want to do this?" He thought to himself, Versys hearing the criesing from his heart.

    "Wee back to the Hasbin Gulf arena! It feels like just yesterday that we ended the entrance tournament for Ranger Academy! How''ve you Gulf Academy students adjusted to their addition to the school?

    Anyways, you''re in for a surprise today! The number 1 seated student from the ss of Rangers will be facing the 30th seat! The weakest one! Today, we have Sho Anagi vs Rein Xilris! Wait, wasn''t Rein the winner of the entrance tournament? Who cares! He''s at the bottom of the barrel now! Anyways, each person in the arena can now ce a bet on the screen that pops up in front of you, and I''ll keep track of each person!

    The odds are +500/-500 in favor of Sho! Once the match begins, betting will close, so you''d better start now! Now, let''s wee thepetitors!"

    The gates on each side of the arena opened, thepetitors walking out of their respective doors. They marched to the center of the arena and stared each other in the eyes, still standing about 5 meters apart.

    "Good afternoon students. I''m your acting principal, Julianne Starsage, and this will be the first exhibition match of the year. The rules are simple. Incapacitate your opponent without killing them. That''s all. If any of you two want to make an extra wager, nows the time," Julianne asked as Sho raised his hand.

    "I would like to propose something to my opponent. As you may know, I actually own a house in the town, and quite a big one at that. I''d like to put that on the line, and in return, I want Rein to wager his residency in the luxury dorm," Sho proposed.

    "Is this so you can live with Chloe? Why don''t you just ask her to live with you after you win?" Rein asked.

    "She¡­" Sho stopped talking and shook his head lightly. "That doesn''t matter right now. Do you ept the offer, Rein?"

    Rein stood there, thinking long and hard. Eventually, he came to a decision.

    "Sure, why not," he said, which made the crowd erupt.

    "That idiot!" Clyde punched the metal railings along with the audience seats in rage.

    "Calm down. Rein''s not going to lose," said a brown-haired man sitting under him.

    "Lance Bowman? And Reggie too¡­" Clyde calmed down slightly and looked at the two sitting in the seats under him.

    "Yeah Clyde, you should know better than anybody that Rein''s not losing," Reggie remarked.

    "I wouldn''t be so sure¡­" Quint intervened, pointing down at Rein''s hands.

    "No way¡­ He''s not wearing any rings?" Lance noticed, standing up in surprise.

    Chloe sat in the luxury seats near the top corner of the stands, along with Emria and Saphri. It was a reserved seat for luxury room residents.

    Saphri''s elf ears twitched as she heard that Rein epted the deal, and what Clyde said. She was the only one out of the three that heard about Rein''sck of weapons. She kept it to herself, not wanting to worry Chloe and Emria, but doing so made her worry grow exponentially.

    "Rein''s gonna win no problem! Right guys?" Emria asked the other two for encouragement but was met with faces of worry instead.

    "I¡­" Chloe stopped talking as she saw Rein nce at her with eyes of contempt, making her heart grow fearful.

    She gripped the railing harder as she heard the principal begin to countdown the beginning of the match.

    "Alright, now that the wagers have been finalized, it''s time to begin the match. 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­" the crowd joined into the countdown as Sho summoned his weapon.

    "1¡­ Fight!"

 Chapter 78 - The Flames Of Econ

    Sho summoned his weapon. A pair ofrge, ck steel nunchucks connected by an iron chain. He spun it around his head, Rein simply standing there as he heard the principal dere the beginning of the match.

    They stood there, staring at each other for a good 10 seconds before Sho spoke out.

    "Well? Are you going to summon your weapons?" Sho waited, not wanting to attack until it was a fair fight.

    "I don''t need weapons," Rein showed his hands, which had no weapon rings, making sure to hide them from the crowd.

    He could''ve entered the arena with the weapon rings and lost the match regardless, but he feared that his ego would take over and he would identally win. This ensured his loss before the fight even began.

    "Cocky aren''t we? Whatever, it doesn''t matter to me. This fight isn''t for honor or anything. It''s for 1 thing and 1 thing only," Sho braced his legs, then leaped towards Rein, who didn''t flinch.

    He swung his nunchucks at full force at Rein''s face, swatting his cheeks away with great power, making him bleed from his mouth. The crowd wowed in amazement as the hit connected. Rein felt and gauged his health dropping.

    Health: 2457/2490

    A full force strike to the face from his nunchucks did about 33 damage to him. He spat out a clot of blood and assumed dual sword stance as he pretended to wield them, putting up an illusion that he was wielding swords, to which Sho couldn''t see.

    "What the hell''s that stance? Are you trying to scare me or something?" Sho remarked as he flipped his nunchucks between hands.

    "Don''t mind me, you can keep attacking at your leisure," Rein said in a low voice so the audience wouldn''t hear him.

    "Hey Clyde, how''d he get those swords?" Xenia tugged on his shirt.

    "Swords? Don''t tell me he''s making illusions now?" Clyde said, Rein''s illusions not working on him.

    "You''re tellin'' me this is an illusion? Damn, the hell is this guy thinking! We can''t even tell Chloe since she''s sitting in that seat up there," Quint spoke, bummed out.

    "Rein¡­" Chloe uttered worriedly, Emria''s mood joining hers with a worried expression.

    Saphri continued listening in to the conversations of Clyde and the others, her eyebrows furrowing in nervousness, her red eyes focused on the match as she prayed for his victory, knowing the stakes.

    Sho resumed his attacks, with Rein showing signs of slow attempts to dodge, but ultimately being hit by Sho''s swift attacks. With each hit, he felt his health drop further and further, yet he still felt that it wasn''t fast enough. He began fighting back slightly, swinging his fist at him swiftly, which just barely missed their target.

    He was trying to force Sho to activate his Spring so that the battle would end earlier, and to make it believable, Rein ramped up his attacking speed slightly, some attacks now grazing Sho''s cheek as he struggled to retaliate.

    Rein was surprised. This was supposed to be the strongest student in the ss, and yet, Rein was outmaneuvering him easily without the use of his Spring. He wasn''t even trying, and he was somehow winning.

    "The hell¡­ You¡­ Are you really at the top of the ss?" Rein mocked him as he rolled his wrist around, loosening his joints as he connected a punch, sending Sho dragging his feet across the ground.

    "I have to admit, you''re stronger than I thought you''d be. Though, I don''t know what I was expecting from the winner of the entrance tournament," Sho chuckled, wiping away the vibrantly crimson blood that excreted from his smiling mouth.

    He held his nunchucks horizontally, eye level to his face. Suddenly, Rein could feel the temperature of the arena increase drastically, the audience members not feeling it because of the solid magic barrier surrounding the fighting stage. Visible mes could be seen highlighting Sho''s body, flickering into sparks of inferno that wisped into the air.

    Suddenly, Sho sted off his feet, leaving a pool of fire in his wake. Rein could barely track his movements, the fireing off of his feet propelling him to unspeakable velocities. Rein instinctively turned around and defended, crossing his arms over his face to block his elerated nunchuck attack.

    Even though he defended, he still felt a sharp pain where the attack connected, sending him flying backward, dragging his feet across the dirt to stop his eleration. As Rein uncrossed his arms, he felt them reverberating from the impact, unable to stop them from shaking. He felt a searing pain where the collision urred, seeing his skin slightly burned as he shook it off.

    Health: 2046/2490 (Burned!)

    311 damage was dealt to him in one strike, and the burning status effect was applied to him as the lingering sear of the attack persisted. Rein now remembered the reason he was ranked number 1. He even got a hint about it when he copied his Spring. The prince of Econica was an incredibly powerful Spring user.

    "Huh..? N-no way, is he the prince?" Xenia reacted.

    "The hells up with his name? Anagi is not the Econican royal family name!" Quint eximed.

    "It was most likely to hide his identity until he needed it to fulfill the reason he came to this school. Chloe and I already knew since we had battle strategies with principal Julianne, but we were sworn to secrecy along with the other students in ss S. His real name is Sho Econ, the 45th crown prince of Econica," Clyde exined as a fiery ze erupted from the arena, battering against the magic barrier with unfathomable force, testing the limits of the barriers grit.

    As the mes that covered the barrier dissipated, they could see that Sho was back on the offensive, Rein doing almost nothing to defend. He was continuously battered as he stood his ground, Sho using his enhanced speed to blitz around him, delivering swift strikes against his body as his health continued to drop.

    Health: 1735/2490 (Burned!)

    Health: 1424/2490 (Burned!)

    Health: 1113/2490 (Burned!)

    Health: 802/2490 (CRITICAL CONDITION!) (Burned!)

    Health: 491/2490 (CRITICAL CONDITION!) (Burned!)

    "Hey, Rein! What are you doing?! You''ll die if you don''t fight back soon!" Versys screamed in Rein''s head, making him jump back out of instinct, avoiding Sho''s next attack.

    "Heh¡­ I just need to get incapacitated¡­ Man, purposely losing is harder than I thought¡­" He thought to himself as his vision and hearing blurred, seeing the scruffy outlines of the crowd, hearing some of their excited screams.

    He looked ahead, blood flowing out of his mouth as he saw a zing blur slowly walking towards him, spinning me imbued nunchucks held in his hands, his heels excreting a trail of fire that followed him as he walked.

    He smiled to himself, epting the situation that he''d put himself in. Though suddenly, for a brief moment, he felt his consciousness slip away. It was only for a split second, but what he experienced felt nothing less than a dream.

    He awoke in the usual, white, hazy void that he was used to being in. He looked around, and once again, Versys was nowhere in sight. He heaved a breath and exhaled, looking down in discouragement, his eyes hollow and cold, lifeless as he couldn''t even cry. Suddenly, he saw a pair of familiar boots enter his sight as he continued looking down. They were brown boots that felt somehow nostalgic to him, filling him with a feeling offort. The world around him began glimmering, a wooden house forming, recing the white void as he looked up, his heart fluttering with excitement.

    "No way¡­ Is that really you, sis?"

 Chapter 79 - Relive

    "Sis! You''re back! What took you so long?" Eximed Rein with a happy smile on his face.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to wait up for me? Please don''t tell me you''ve been waiting at the door for the past hour," Leona was secretly happy to see her little brother''s eager face after a long day.

    "Sorry, I just got back from babysitting Emria, so I was just waiting here. Anyways, I made dinner! Seared wild boar and slime pudding."

    Something was wrong. Rein couldn''t control his own body, nor the things he said. It was like he was back in his infant body, viewing a rey of his memories in the first person. It was incredibly vivid, almost too vivid for his liking. He felt the urge to cry out into tears and jump into his sister''s arms, but no matter what he tried, his body wouldn''t move.

    He continued reliving his memories, but he couldn''t enjoy them. The looming anxiety of the attack was overriding his mind with worry. He heard himself ask about his aunt, then used her of killing his father, which Rein believed more and more by the day. She screamed at him and he apologized, then the silent streak that eventually lead to the vige''s attack began.

    "Hey Rein, why are you sweating so much?" Leona suddenly eximed after Rein apologized, Rein realizing a difference in events.

    However, his past self didn''t have time to react to Leona''s question as they heard a loud explosion that shook the ground and rattled the house. As he remembered, Leona sprung up and looked outside the window, analyzing the Econican soldier''s attire.

    Rein ran outside, consciously trying his hardest to stop his feet from moving forward, not wanting to step outside. Though in the end, he couldn''t stop himself. The next events yed out exactly how they did previously. He relived through it all. Rescuing Emria, Leona protecting him, running away from Leona''s final attack, his outrage against Core, and finally, the awakening of his System.

    Suddenly, Rein could feel control over his limbs as he came to his System, the emotion that he had been holding in as he witnessed these eventsing flowing out at once, tears flowing down his reddened eyes.

    He stood there, bewildered, on one hand, filled with anger, and on the other, sadness.

    "Aw shit, it''s a survivor. Not to mention it''s a kid. Hey, go kill ''em. We can''t have any witnesses."

    The soldiers who killed the vigers approached Rein, who was paralyzed in bewilderment as the soldier got up in his face. It was the first person he''d ever killed. He didn''t even remember his face.

    "Why¡­ What''s happening¡­ Why is this happening?" He uttered to the soldier in front of him, who looked at him with an annoyed and confused expression.

    "The hell are you on about brat? Whatever just die already," the soldier swung his sword on Rein''s shoulder, then retracted it as he couldn''t pierce through his skin as it contacted.

    "The hell?!" The soldier continued to sh at Rein, each time the sword bouncing off his durable body.

    Rein was surprised. He thought he had Emria''s Spring copied at that point, and he fully expected the soldiers sh to cut off his arm.

    "You still don''t get it, do you?" Rein heard a familiar voicee from behind the rubble behind him.

    "Core..?" Rein uttered as the soldier persisted in his attacks, the other soldiers approaching as they noticed his struggles.

    "Right now, you''re on the verge of giving up everything you''ve set out to do from this point forward. You feel the deep-rooted anger in your heart, don''t you?" Core''s words pierced into Rein''s heart like a cold dagger.

    "How¡­" Rein uttered, then grit his teeth in contempt. "You don''t get it¡­ What I''ve been working for over the past 6 years hasn''t been for shit¡­ I''ve decided to stop kidding myself. If the prince of Econica and the princess of Orthlys get married, the war would most likelye to an end, and the continent would regain peace," Rein stuttered as he spoke his hollow words, Core''s face, to which Rein wasn''t used to tilting his neck up to look in the eyes, was filled with distrust towards what Rein was saying.

    "This is for the best¡­"

    "To hell with that. What''ll happen after they get married? Yeah, the war might be over and things might go back to normal. But what about you? What about the princess? What about your aunt? You always go on about justice, but this isn''t justice. You can''t stop until everyst one of them has met their doom. Everyst one, including myself," Core spoke with a serious expression as Rein''s tears stopped flowing.

    "Follow your heart. Remember what you were fighting for. Rekindle your anger, and continue through this wretched dream," Core pointed at the soldier trying to kill Rein.

    At that moment, Rein had felt as though his conviction was renewed, suddenly moving at unthinkable speeds, cutting the soldier''s head off. At that moment, his resolve was set, making his decision.

    His System was the same strength as his future self, so he didn''t need Emria''s Spring to destroy the soldiers. As he remembered, prince Zane showed up after he defeated most of the soldiers.

    "Stop you barbarian! In the name of the king!" He suddenly heard as he turned to face the prince that appeared.

    However, as he did, he felt himself being transported, suddenly finding himself back in the arena in the Hasbin Gulf. Though, it was different. It was after the end of the entrance tournament when prince Zane appeared in front of Chloe.

    "Fine¡­ I''ll tell him that you won the tournament. I''ll be taking my leave now, but Chloe, I mean this when I tell you¡­ Be careful. And you, with the stupid metal thing on your face. If you do anything to my sister, it won''t be my father you have to worry about," he shrugged Rein''s hand off of him, then turned around to his knight and held on to his shoulder, then vanished into thin air.

    Rein felt another pulsation as he heard that, appearing in the vice principal''s office.

    "So you won the tournament and repelled the prince? Impressive Rein. You''ve fulfilled the terms of our deal. Do keep in mind that I''ll be monitoring you to make sure you don''t do anything weird to her highness. I expect you to take good care of her in my stead," the messy-haired bespectacled man told him, the one who gave him the wind Spring he used against Chloe.

    Yet again, another pulsation rang through his head as he awoke in his bed back at the dorm room, with Chloe electrocuting his feet to wake him.

    "Jeez, why''d you stay up sote the day before school?" Chloe was at the end of his bed as he sat up, putting her hand on her head in disappointment.

    Suddenly, Rein shuffled towards the end of his bed and put his arms around Chloe, pulling her close to him in a tight embrace as he cried on her shoulder.

    "Wha! H-hey, Rein..?" She blushed, then spoke in a concerned voice as she felt him cry over her shoulder, then began rubbing his back, trying to make him feel better.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I''m so sorry¡­"

    "It''s okay Rein. I forgive you. I''ll always forgive you. It was you who saved me from despair. It''s you who broke me out of my shell. It''s you who always makes me feel safe. I''m the happiest when I''m with you¡­"

    He felt her voice fade away into a loud cheering, his eyes opening to a bright, shimmering me that continued approaching him, the crowd around himing into focus as he heard their loud cheers.

    "Heh¡­ For fuck''s sake¡­"

 Chapter 80 - Getting Over The Barrier

    An enormous explosion of water detonated from where Rein stood, filling half the arena in an extinguishing liquid that sent Sho flying backward. Rein walked through the water, slowly approaching Sho, who was struggling, healing his wounds through his newly acquired skill as he marched.

    Health: 740/2490 (CRITICAL CONDITION!) (Regenerating¡­)

    Health: 989/2490 (Regenerating¡­)

    This continued until after 10 seconds, Rein was back at full health as drained the water down, spitting Sho out of the vortex as he relentlessly coughed on the ground, taking deep breaths as he recovered. Sho stood back up and reassumed his fighting stance, re-igniting his mes as he did.

    "What¡­ Was that? You''re¡­ You''re not a siren¡­" Sho puffed, trying to catch his breath.

    "Are you sure about that? Well, I guess you''d know since you''re the prince. Anyways, what do you say? Should we end this?" Rein yfully asked as he nced over in the direction of his friends, copying one of their Springs, then looking back at his opponent.

    "Heh¡­ I''d say it''s about time¡­" Sho smiled, his heat firing up as he went full power, Rein and him staring each other in the eyes.

    Suddenly, Sho burst out to Rein''s left, going for the nk on his opponent. However, to Sho''s surprise, Rein didn''t turn around. In fact, he ran to the spot he took off from, wound up his arm, and delivered an outstanding blow to the air. As soon as he did, Sho felt a painful impact connect with his face, sending him flying into the edge of the barrier.

    Struggling to get up, he saw Rein approaching him slowly, forcing him to rapidly stand up in a hurry.

    "This is the first time I''ve tried this one. It''s pretty good I guess," he said as he rolled his wrist, loosening it up as he got ready to strike again.

    Sho grunted, then began running around him once again, Rein sighing then approaching where Sho was resting, then winding his arm up for a punch.

    "I''m not letting you do the same thing twice!" Sho rushed in to attack Rein, who was still winding up his punch.

    However, as Sho got close enough to attack, Rein suddenly disappeared from his view, then appeared behind him in a blink of an eye. He was winding up another punch, this time, Sho standing his ground instead of dodging.

    "Even if I dodge, he''ll be able to hit me," he thought to himself. "I just have to stay calm and focus on blocking his attack," he grit his teeth, summoning a pair of ming phoenix wings that soared behind him, enveloping him in a shield of mes that protected him from the outside.

    An imprable defense that burned at upwards of 1500 degrees Celsius (about 2700 Fahrenheit). Just being near it would scorch most living things to death, and whoever would attempt to make an attack on it would be burnt to a crisp. Not only that, but the strength of the shield itself was stronger than steel, using the power of his Spring as a catalyst to the grit of the shield.

    But for some reason, Rein wouldn''t stop his attack. He didn''t even hesitate, he dipped his arm into the shield, somehow shattering through the imprable guard with a swing that shook the very foundations of the arena. He dug his fist into Sho''s face, punching him out of his haven, the mes magically dissipating into the air as the burnt smell lingered, the light that it provided the area following promptly.

    "Just who the hell do you think I am?" Rein uttered as Sho flew back into the wall, Rein''s fist releasing smoke as it left contact, sizzling in the quiet arena.

    "Thanks for the help. We couldn''t have him losing now," a faint voice was whispering from the top of the arena.

    "You don''t need to thank me, master. I will now return to my post in Bacaros. Let me know if you need anything else," an elegant, smooth voice could be heard along with it, a woman with glistening white hair.

    "Right. I''ll see youter,"

    "And we have a winner! Rein Xilris!!!"

    The crowd erupted into a roaring cheer, repeating Rein''s name over and over again in apuse. Rein found it strange. They were almost too happy about his win. Even though he was under the impression that most of them had bet on Sho, they seemed jubnt regardless.

    "Yeah! Take that you piece of shit!"

    "Go back and cry to your daddy! Maybe next time he''ll think twice before starting a war!"

    "I''m ashamed to be born in the same country you used to rule! You get what you deserve!"

    Rein could feel the pure hatred directed towards Sho from the crowd as he wearily awoke.

    "Heh¡­ I blew my only chance¡­" Sho uttered as the crowd''s words battered him.

    "Why though¡­ Why''d you even challenge me? If your goal was to marry Chloe and end the war, you should''veid low for a while longer and felt the ce out," Rein asked as he helped him up, giving him a shoulder to lean on out of pity.

    "So you already knew who I was when you epted. You were nning to lose in the beginning, weren''t you? What made you change your mind?" Sho uttered as he wrapped his arm around Rein''s shoulder.

    "To put it simply, I was being a moron before. A couple of annoying guys gave me some wake-up calls, and I finally decided to listen," Rein lead him into the nurse''s office on the bottom floor of the facilities in the arena, escaping the roaring crowd.

    As they entered, Rein noticed some notifications on his System.

    [New Skill!]

    [Experience Gained!]

    He decided to ignore them for now and check themter,ying the Econican prince on the nurse''s bed. As he did, Rein turned around with the intention to leave him to rest until he heard Sho say his name, turning his attention back to him.

    "The reason I was so hasty to challenge you¡­ It was jealousy," Sho spoke regretfully.

    "Jealousy?" Rein uttered, then put the dots together, increasing his pity for the prince.

    "When I was little, I always apanied my dad to his visits to Orthlys. Back then, my father was great friends with the King of Orthlys. They often went out drinking after their meetings, and I would be left in the Orthlys royal pce of Naji alone, which was why my dad always implored me not toe.

    That day, I was exploring the pce, when I saw her. I was about 8 years old when I first caught a glimpse of her. She was training in the gardens of the Orthlys royal pce along with a white-haired woman. Actually, you and the woman look very simr. Ever since that day, I constantly apanied my father to his meetings in Orthlys every single time, subconsciously looking for the girl I previously saw.

    Eventually, her father, the king, allowed me to meet with her and her instructor. The first thing the white-haired woman suggested we do was to have a friendly duel. The princess reacted jubntly to the idea, and I saw it as a way to show my stuff.

    She absolutely destroyed me. At that time, I had yet to develop a Spring, but yet, they bothplimented me on my skills with the nunchucks. After that day, we would duel about once a month, whenever I would apany my father. Of course, that ended when the war began.

    Throughout those long, 6 years, I longed to see her. That was when word got out. The princess of Orthlys was enrolling in Ranger Academy. I dropped everything and packed my stuff, running at full speed to the gulf, barely making it in time before the doors closed. She noticed me when I entered¡­ And I instantly noticed her. Though, we had to keep our mouths shut untilter.

    So when I heard that you were living with her¡­ I couldn''t contain my jealousy. I impulsively challenged you, without thinking of the consequences," Sho smiled wearily, putting his arm over his eyes in a regretful slouch.

    "I see¡­ You don''t give a damn about the war, you just used it as an excuse... You just love her, don''t you?," Rein spoke in a pitted tone, making Sho''s tears flow down his cheeks under his arm.

    "Yes¡­ I love her so much¡­ so much that it hurts¡­" He continued weeping as Rein stood over him, not leaving his side until he fell asleep out of exhaustion, then finally uttering his parting words to him as he left.

    "I''m sorry."

    As he exited the arena, he saw his friends standing near the entrance, all of them awaiting his arrival.

    "Well, if it isn''t the man of the hour!" Quint ran over to Rein and put his arm around his neck in a friendly motion as heughed, which brightened his mood after his interaction with Sho.

    "That was awesome Rein! Especially that line! ''Just who the hell do you think I am?''. You sounded just like Ka-" Xenia was interrupted by Core, who wasn''t with them when they were watching the match.

    "You really beat him without a weapon, huh? Man, I wish you didn''t use a weapon when you shed me over and over again back in the day," Core remarked, which made Rein''s face twitch looking at him, Core tilting his head to him in confusion.

    "Hm?" Core sounded.

    "Oh¡­ Nah, it''s nothing¡­" Rein stayed silent about what he dreamt.

    Quint let go of Rein as Lance pulled him away and put his arm around his neck, congratting Rein on his win.

    "I never doubted you buddy. Way to go!" Lance sounded unusually cheery, and it didn''t sound fake either.

    "Hey! You were just actin'' super unfriendly! What''s with the switch up?!" Quint pushed Lance off of Rein, growling at him.

    "Huh? You expect me to talk shit to my best friend? What kind of man would I be if I did that?" Lance fired back, he and Quint growling at each other as Rein freed himself from both their grips,ughing nervously.

    He approached Clyde and Reggie, who were standing in the back of the group, Clyde having his back turned.

    "Thanks for the help Reg. You really saved my ass back there," Rein tapped him on the shoulder, Reggie reacting, confused.

    "Help? Don''t tell me that was my Spring you were using?! Aww man, and I was just watching it so casually! I woulda studied it if I knew!" Reggie beat himself up for the missed opportunity as Rein patted him on the head,ughing to make him feel better.

    He continued past Reggie, reaching Clyde, who still had his back turned. Xenia came behind Rein and whispered something to him.

    "Go talk to him. He''s not gonna show it, but he''s really happy you won. And you''d better take the chance to apologize!" She punched him on the shoulder, shoving him in Clyde''s direction.

    "Ouch¡­ haha, don''t worry. I will," he assured.

    He approached Clyde and stopped a few feet behind him, staying silent. Suddenly, Clyde turned his face to Rein and looked him in the eye.

    "What happened? What made youe to your senses?" Clyde opened with those words.

    "Would you believe me if I said that it was because of you?" Rein asked jokingly.

    "Of course not. You didn''t even seem phased by my words. I am not going to fall for that trick," Clyde said.

    "I was definitely phased, dude. You mmed me against the metal door. Believe it or not, but I can actually feel pain too," Rein spoke as he stretched his shoulder, pretending that it still ached from his m.

    They both looked at each other, then burst intoughter, Rein seeing one of Clyde''s rareughing moments. After theughter dissipated, Clyde went in to hug Rein.

    "I''m happy your back to normal Rein. I was ready to cut your head off if you lost," he wittingly remarked, Rein, feeling slightly unsafe after he heard those words, butughed it off semi-casually.

    As they broke apart, Rein felt an impact on his lower back, turning around to see that Emria had jubntly mmed into him, smiling like a bright light that illuminated her surroundings.

    "Yay!! I knew you''d win Rein!" She excitingly eximed.

    "Haha, of course I would. You had faith in me too, right Saphri?" Rein happily smiled at Saphri, who was standing behind the exited Emria as she hugged her brother, looking at him with a slight look of sadness, seeming as though she was on the verge of tears.

    Rein pulled Saphri into their embrace and patted her on the head, making her break out into light tears, grabbing onto his shirt tightly as she wept.

    "Haha,e on. I''ve only seen you cry when you were incredibly upset, what''s the asion now?" Heforted her as she stayed silent in her tears, the rest of the group moving away from them as they parted ways, leaving Rein, Emria, and Saphri alone.

    "Are you okay now Saphri? Do you need another hug?" He teased, making her look away in embarrassment.

    "That won''t be necessary," she returned to her usual form of speech, slightly irritated.

    "If you say so," heughed. "So¡­ Where is she?"

    "She went back to the dorm. She''s probably waiting for you there," Emria informed him.

    "How''d she look when I won? Was she happy?" Rein asked, still ucent about the princess''s feelings.

    "We did not get a good glimpse of her face. She left as swiftly as she could," Saphri exined as Rein furrowed his eyebrows in uncertainty.

    "Well, I guess there''s only one way to find out then. Let''s head back to the dorm," Rein proposed, then began walking, the two not following after him.

    He looked at them with a bewildered face as they stood there.

    "You go in alone. We''ll wait out here," Emria waved.

    "Huh? I can''t just leave you two out in the city alone," Rein spoke worryingly.

    "Do not fret!" He heard a voicee from behind a hazel tree beside them, Core emerging after it.

    "I''m their appointed bodyguard when you''re not around! That old man''s paying me for it, so I might as well deliver!" Core enthusiastically eximed, having met up with Voron before arriving at Ranger Academy.

    "Were you listening in on us this entire time?" Rein pped his head in disappointment.

    "And what gave father the right to appoint someone as our bodyguards. Just because he''s my father, it does not mean he has authority over me," Saphri pouted.

    "Ahahaha, I think it does actually¡­" Rein spoke carefully as Saphri always got sensitive when they talked about Voron.

    "Anyways, I''m counting on you Core. Don''t let them out of your sight!" Rein asserted, his overprotective sideing out.

    "Yeah yeah, just hurry up. You shouldn''t keep a girl waiting," Core remarked as Reinughed softly, making his way to the dorm with his head held high.

 Chapter 81 - Fallen Princess

    As he walked up the stairs to the dorm room, he checked the notifications he had previously gotten on his system.

    [You have received 5000 exp!]

    Level 123

    Exp: 5400/210000

    Speed: 327.2 ¡ú 328.5

    Strength: 411.3 ¡ú 412.5

    Defense: 334.5 ¡ú 336.6

    Intellect: 301.4 ¡ú 301.8

    [New Passive Skill] - Fire Affinity: Resist

    [New Passive Skill] - Significant Regeneration ¡ú Extraordinary Regeneration

    "That''s a lot of exp for just a match¡­ What''s up with that?" Rein thought in his mind.

    "When you win a battle, I can recognize it through your feelings, and grant you some exp based on your opponent''s strength. You didn''t gain any exp during the preliminary matches because you were so confident, but you had to win without any weapons this time. You weren''t sure of yourself, so winning gave you more of a sense of aplishment, thus more exp," Versys exined.

    "I see. Maybe I should''ve fought him with my inventory filled too¡­ How can I handicap myself as much as possible¡­" Rein began thinking, Versys quickly trying to stop him from his reckless thoughts.

    He finally arrived at the top floor and stopped in front of the door of his room. He looked around the lobby, remembering the fight he had with sho in that exact spot. The red carpet still slightly wet from the residue, the nt in the corner of the foyer receiving its first sip of water in weeks.

    After idling around for a few seconds, he finally took a deep breath and opened the door, being met with a pleasant smelling breeze as he did. He saw Chloe''s red boots at the front entrance as he closed the door behind him. He could feel the wind hitting his face from the bedroom side of the room, and as he turned his head to it, only one door out of the three bedrooms was open.

    As he peeked in, he saw a girl sitting on the side of her bed, her golden hair flowing in the breezing gale provided by the window through the cavern''s venttion system. Her shimmering ck horn sparkled as the light of the cavern invaded the room, swinging her legs back and forth as they didn''t reach the ground off of the bed.

    Rein stood at the door in awe, staring at her with his yellow eyes widened. She eventually noticed him and turned around pleasantly, smiling as she saw him at the door.

    "Rein¡­"

    "Hey, Chloe. So, what''d you think? Was that the result you wanted?" Rein approached her and sat on the bed beside her, leaning forward on his arm propped-up on his knee.

    "Well, if it were up to me, you two wouldn''t have fought in the first ce. Still though¡­ I''m happy you won," Chloe remarked, Rein couldn''t help but crack a smile of relief.

    There was a pause of silence for a few seconds as they listened to the wind whistling in the room.

    "Hey, Rein¡­ You don''t hate me, do you?" She asked, those words making Rein''s heartache.

    "Huh..?" He reacted.

    "Haha¡­ I know it might be selfish of me to ask, but I can''t get it off my mind. The way you looked at me¡­ I can''t help but think¡ª"

    He grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace, hugging her tightly as he apologized.

    "I''m sorry Chloe¡­ There''s no excuse for the things I told you, and for the way I treated you. I got caught up in myself when you were only trying to look out for me. I''m so sorry," he expressed as he held her tightly, their chests pressing up against each other.

    "So you don''t hate me..? You really don''t hate me?" Tears began forming in her eyes as she gripped his shoulders.

    "I''m sorry for making you think that. I''m truly sorry," he continued as she sniffled, turning her face up as she looked him in the eyes.

    "It''s okay, Rein. I forgive you. I''ll always forgive you. It was you who saved me from despair. It''s you who broke me out of my shell. It''s you who always makes me feel safe. I''m the happiest when I''m with you¡­"

    Rein''s eyes lit up as he heard her say that, the same words she said in his dream. At this time, he had momentarily forgotten about his worries, his anger, his struggles. He was truly happy, akin to the times he used to spend with his sister. He held the back of her head, caressing her smooth, silky hair as they stared at each other, their faces slowly inching closer and closer.

    "Rein¡­ I¡ª"

    "BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!" They heard a loud voice intrude through the open window, which startled both of them, breaking away in embarrassment.

    Rein stood up and looked out the window, seeing a man with news articles running through the area under them, handing out the papers to everyone he passed.

    "BREAKING! BREAKING! Citizens,e get your news! Students, check your tablet devices!"

    Confused, Rein pulled his tablet out of his pocket and turned it on, Chloe standing up and peering beside his shoulder at his screen.

    "Press on the envelope icon. It should be in the top left over there," Chloe pointed, her face getting dangerously close to Rein''s.

    As they realized their position, they looked away from each other, Rein slightly blushing, Chloe''s face flushed red. Rein sighed and pressed on the mail envelope in the top left. An article popped up, taking up the entire screen with arge, red headline. Chloe''s eyes widened as she saw the words, her heart dropping to her stomach.

    "ORTHLYS ANNOUNCES THEIR NEW QUEEN. PREGNANT WITH KING FREDRIC''S BABY."

    "The hell..? A new queen? Does that mean the king''s nning¡ª" Rein suddenly stopped talking, his stomach jerking as he continued reading, his face overridden with pure terror and shock.

    "On the afternoon of tuesday November the 27th, king Fredric had announced his engagement to a noble woman of prestigious background. The current duchess of the family overseeing the Kanirah province, Melina Alister."

    A picture of the king and the woman was disyed on the screen. With sheer trembling anger, Rein cracked the tablet in his hand and dropped it on the ground.

    "That woman¡­" He hissed with pure, enthralling rage. "She''s gotten to the king¡­ Just what the hell does she think she''s doing?" His voice was radiating unbound fury as he nced over at Chloe, who looked as pale as a ghost, her mouth gaped as she broke out into a cold sweat.

    "No way¡­ It''s her..." Chloe stepped back in shock, then tripped clumsily, Rein catching her before she hit the ground.

    "Do you know¡­ that woman, Rein?" Chloe asked, terrified as her frightened eyes looked at Rein.

    "What? You know her Chloe?" Rein reacted in shock.

    "She¡­ She''s the one who killed mother¡­ It was her and another man¡­ They killed her in front of my eyes¡­" Chloe''s eyes swelled up in tears, the color fading as she recalled traumatic memories.

    Rein''s eyes were refilled with rage, hearing Chloe''s story as she grabbed onto his shirt after he caught her.

    "I need to show you something, Chloe," Rein uttered, picking her up and jumping out the window,nding on the ground then running out of the north tunnel that lead to the north end of the gulf.

    (click to see visual)

    Rein exited at full speed and ran towards the north, eventually stopping at a hill overlooking the ruins of a town. This was the first time Rein had seen it in recent years as well, and his stomach also turned as he saw the monster-infested crater that it had be.

    "Is this¡­ Your vige?"

    "That''s right. That''s also Leona''s grave. My aunt, the woman who married your father¡­ The woman pregnant with your father''s child¡­ she''s the one who caused this. She''s the one I''ve been after this entire time," Rein set her down on the ground and allowed her to observe the sad remains of a ghost town.

    "Are you serious..? She''s the one who attacked your vige? It''s because of her that Leona''s dead? And now she''s trying to use my father?" Chloe clenched her fist in anger as she gazed upon the monster-infested hole in the distance.

    "You''re serious, aren''t you?" Her voice grew a sense of conviction as she spoke, still trembling in unshakable anger and fear.

    "Dead serious," Rein assured.

    "I won''t forgive her¡­ I won''t let her manipte father¡­ I won''t let her get away with murdering my mother and my master¡­ Hey, Rein? You said you were after her, right? Let me join you," she turned around to face him, Rein seeing her make the most twisted face he had ever seen her make.

    She looked sad, angry, confused, and in shock all at the same time, yet her innocent face still shone in the cloudy rain, Rein not being able to take his eyes off her. He slowly approached her, looking down on the shorter girl with a frowning expression.

    "Are you sure? Are you ready to take on that kind of life? Are you prepared to end a life? Are you up to the task, princess?" Rein made sure.

    "It''s exactly because I''m the princess that I have to do this. But¡­ more than that¡­ it''s something I want to do. Please, just let me stand by your side, I''d be useless by myself¡­" She tugged on his shirt.

    "Useless?" He sounded.

    "Yes¡­ But with you Rein, I feel like I can do anything. I feel like I can attain any happiness, I feel safe, I feel confident. So, if it''s with you¡­ then I''m sure I can aplish my goals. And I''ll make sure you aplish yours, standing side by side," she poured her heart out as Rein grabbed the hand that tugged on his shirt and moved it away.

    "Heh, well if you say that, then how the hell am I going to refuse?" He swiftly pulled her in and approached his face to hers, putting his arms around her waist as their lips came into contact.

    They embraced each other, kissing as the rain continued battering against their connected lips, until they eventually broke away, Rein sticking his forehead against hers.

    "Wee to the party, my fallen princess."

 Chapter 82 - New Days

    The two snuck back into the gulf, Chloe drying their clothes off so nobody thinks they left without permission. They were able to sneak in, undetected within the jubnt crowds in the streets of the city, celebrating the news of a new queen. As they escaped the crowd and got back on the campus of the academy, Chloe looked back at the happy masses with a downcast expression, her heart aching as the citizens sung were being tricked by the malicious woman.

    "Don''t make that face, you''re way cuter when you''re smiling," Rein semi-jokingly spoke, trying to lighten the mood as the tensions grew, hisment making her blush slightly angirly.

    "H-hey! This isn''t the time to be saying those things!" She pouted as Reinughed, also trying to cheer himself up after the nket of anger that covered him prior.

    "There you two are!" They heard a voice from behind them, followed by a series of footsteps.

    They turned around, seeing Core and Clyde along with Emria and Saphri, all of them with stern expressions on their faces. Especially Core, it was almost like he had been petrified, Rein had never seen him in so much shock.

    "I met up with Core and the girls while searching for you¡­ Did you see the news, Rein?" Clyde asked, then noticed Chloe beside him, closing his mouth so as to not reveal more.

    "It''s okay. Chloe knows about her. My aunt has be the new queen," Rein stated as the group went silent.

    "Hold on, you two already knew?" Chloe asked curiously.

    "Ahaha, of course I would. She hired my group to attack Lifah. I knew who she was from the start," Core exined, Chloe making sense with his story.

    "I see¡­ I still haven''t forgiven you for that by the way," she threatened, exuding an aura that Core wasn''t expecting as he stayed silent.

    "I found out when I was transported with Xenia after the volcano mission. She recognized her when she saw the picture of her and the king, but luckily she did not put two and two together. Though she did ask me about it, I tried my best at lying," Clyde looked somewhat apologetic as he exined his side of the story.

    "Hey Rein¡­ We''re gonna be alright, right?" Emria emerged from behind the two guys, and asked Rein with a worried look on her face.

    Rein rubbed the top of her head with his hand, ruffling her green hair as he smiled softly at her.

    "Of course. This hasn''t changed anything. I''m not gonna let any harm befall you two," he reassured, reaching over to pat Saphri''s head.

    "We should probably cease our conversation on this matter. Someone''sing," Saphri heard footsteps from the distance.

    "Hey!! You guys!" They heard Xenia''s voice in the distance of the academy field as she ran full speed towards the group, stopping in a cold sweat as she arrived.

    "The prince! Chloe, it''s the prince!" Xenia gushed, making the group look at her in confusion.

    "What''s up? Something happen to Sho?" Rein asked.

    "No¡­" She regained her breath. "It''s Prince Zane. He''s here and he''s asking for you, Chloe," she exined as arge stress grew over the group.

    They ran frantically, following Xenia as she lead them to the teleporter, seeing arge crowd surrounding a spot outside of the teleporter grotto. As the group approached, they saw Quint being restrained by Reggie and Raxo in the middle of the circle, Reggie holding both his arms back and Raxo pushing him back from the front, trying to calm him down.

    On the other side, a drenched green haired man who hadn''t dried himself yet. Rein promptly activated System take-over, changing his hair and eye color so that he does not recognize him.

    "Hey, you orange mutt! What''s gotten into you?!" Raxo scolded as he struggled to free himself, wearing a face of disdain towards the prince.

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t make an exception this time," the prince sternly said to Quint, making him calm down slightly.

    "Make an exception for what?" Chloe intervened, walking into the center of the circle.

    "Chloe¡­ I''m sorry, I know I said you''d be allowed to stay¡­ But the situation has changed¡­" He grabbed her wrist and began dragging her, Rein once again stopping him by grabbing his wrist.

    The prince looked over at the man who grabbed his arm, suddenly feeling a pulse run through his head, almost as though he recognized him.

    "You¡­" He uttered.

    "Let go of her," he spoke threateningly, trying to get him to let go of her hand.

    "Are you¡­ The guy who had that metal on his face? The guy who won the tournament?" He asked.

    "Brother, please let go of my hand¡­" She said, making Zane grit his teeth, then let go regretfully.

    "What did father tell you? Why do I have to go back?" She consoled as his distressed face grew in intensity.

    "I can''t¡­ I can''t say anything out in the open. Is there somewhere private we can talk?" He asked, looking around the crowd of citizens observing the scene.

    "I think I can provide that for you since you''re such a useless prince," a blonde-haired man emerged, perched up atop a house beside them as he looked down on the group.

    "Sho?! What the hell are you doing here?! You''d better not get near my sister!" Zane summoned his scythe in a windy explosion as Sho''s hair blew upwards, looking at him, unamused.

    "You''re a bit toote to be saying that. I already took her hand in marriage,"

    "What?!" Zane reacted, to which Chloe firmly denied.

    "Haha, a light-hearted joke, that''s all," heughed, waving his arm to signal for everyone to follow him.

    Zane released a sigh of alleviation, then regretfully followed Sho as the rest of the group, including Chloe, went on ahead. They arrived at Sho''s base, arge 3 story home that was about half the height of the dormitory building.

 Chapter 83 - Believe In The You That Believes In Yourself

    The room they walked into was minimally decorated, an enormous looking no interior wall room with only a futon in the corner.

    "The hell''s up with this house? Where''s the kitchen? Where''s the bathroom?" Quint asked as he looked around.

    "All upstairs. I use this room as my bedroom. I like having space whilst I sleep," Sho exined as they all stared in bewilderment, as this much space was simply outrageous.

    "Well, this house isn''t even mine anymore. Rein¡ª" he was interrupted by a whack on the shoulder, Rein indicating him to stop speaking.

    "What are you talking about? This is your house," Rein eerily smiled at him as he didn''t want the others to know that he bet the dorm room.

    "O-oh, yeah, it''s totally my house, hahaha¡­" He feeblyughed as he tried covering up his words, the Econican prince not being a good actor.

    Saphri looked at Rein with furrowed eyebrows and a frowning expression as he covered for Sho, Rein not noticing the re she was giving him.

    "Enough. Chloe, you''reing with me. I''d suggest the rest of you leave as well," the prince demanded.

    "The rest of us? What''s that supposed to mean? The king didn''t order you toe get Chloe?" Xenia inquired.

    "Dude, we came here so you could exin yourself. Sit your ass down and start exinin''," Quint remarked angrily, not caring that he was speaking to the prince of Orthlys.

    "... The new queen, Stepmother¡­ She''s suggested to father that we deploy troops around this gulf and barricade it. I''m not sure whether he''ll agree or not, but in the case that he does, I don''t want her getting caught up in it. If the troops invade, she''d be vulnerable in the city, and¡ª"

    "Hold on there useless prince, slow down a little. This city is getting barricaded? But this is neither Orthlys nor Econican territory, and even if it was, there''s a temporary untold peace at the moment. Any way you look at it, it''s illogical," Sho intervened.

    "Are you even listening to yourself you idiot? You said it yourself¡­ This peace is only temporary¡­ That woman¡­ Something about her makes me shudder in fear. I have a bad feeling about it, and that''s why I''m here. I''m only telling you this for your own good, please just listen to me," he pleaded, bowing his head down to Chloe.

    "Zane¡­ I''m sorry, but I can''te back yet," she dered, making him raise his head in panic.

    "Huh?! Why? Why not?!" Zane asked, confused.

    "I''ve just recently found a new purpose in life," she subtly nced at Rein for a split second, nobody noticing but Rein, whose hair was still ck, his energy draining every second he maintained his transformation.

    "I''m not abandoning it to ept a fate that''s being forced upon me, a fate that I resent. No, instead, I''ll fight that fate, and make my own path. That''s what I''ve decided, and I''m not going to back down now," she spoke with great conviction as Zane stared at her, admiring her tenacity with hints of jealousy in his eyes.

    "I¡­ I see¡­ I wish I were as strong as you¡­" Zane uttered as he stood up in eptance, Chloe standing up after him.

    "You misunderstand, brother. I''m not strong. In fact, you''re much stronger than I am. However, this isn''t only my strength, but the strength of everyone I''ve decided to believe in. Those who also believe in me," Chloe eximed as Reinughed softly, standing up beside her.

    "Thank you for telling us about this prince Zane, you can put your faith in us. And if you can''t do that, then put your faith in your sister. If you don''t trust your sister, then you''ve no right to force her into anything. You do understand that, don''t you?" Rein stated.

    "Yes¡­ I leave Chloe in your care. That crazy principal is here too, so I guess I shouldn''t be too worried¡­" The prince uttered as he took his leave.

    They all said goodbye to the prince and saw him out the north tunnel, except Sho, who seemed to have a rivalry with him.

    The prince ran back through the north tunnel past the teleporters and emerged north of the gulf, as his knight, Artus was waiting for him up there to transport him back.

    However, as he emerged, he wasn''t only met with his knight, but an entire battalion of troops behind him, who seemed to be awaiting his arrival.

    "A-... Artus? What''s this..? This was supposed to be a personal visit to my sister¡­" Zane uttered in shock as he gazed upon the countless soldiers stretching across the horizon.

    "Step aside your highness. Anyone standing in my way in these situations is an enemy. For your own good, I''d suggest you back off and let us fulfill our orders," themander of the army, Artus, spoke in an authoritative manner, Zane taking a step back out of fright.

    "Believe in those who believe in you," Chloe''s words popped up into his mind as he stared at the overwhelming number of soldiers.

    "Hell, I''m not running away from this. Hey, Artus! Duel me, and if I win, you and your troops must back off!" Zane summoned his scythe and swung it in Artus'' direction with conviction, themanderughing as he heard the request, getting down off his horse.

    "This mission is a direct order from his and her majesty, so I can''t afford any risks topromise it. That being said, I ept your challenge," Artus unsheathed his greatsword,ughing softly with his raspy mature voice.

    "Excuse me? You just said you couldn''t afford any risks, yet you''re taking one right now," Zane retorted.

    "Haha, that''s right. This isn''t a risk. I''ve taught you next to everything you know, you have 0 chance at beating me," Artus scoffed, which upset Zane, swiftly taking off from his spot in a forceful gale and slicing at Artus, causing an explosion of air to erupt from the point of impact as his scythe collided with his greatsword.

    Their hair blew out in the wind as it dissipated, Zane suddenly noticing that Artus was holding a wooden branch rather than his greatsword. Artus pointed up with his free hand, causing Zane''s attention to be diverted to the aerial greatsword that spun above him.

    "I''m disappointed in you, your majesty. Rule number 1 ofbat: never let your guard down," suddenly, Artus disappeared from his position and appeared above Zane, catching his greatsword mid-air with one hand andnding on the prince in the other, pinning him to the ground as the battle came to an end.

 Chapter 84 - Settling The Ordeal

    Back in the gulf city, the group was preparing to leave Sho''s house, some of them going to takemissions, some of them going to battle strategies ss with the principal. Everyone left, and it was only Rein, Sho, and Chloe left.

    "You okay Sho? I didn''t hold back much, it''s impressive how fast you recovered," Reinplimented as Sho recalled something.

    "Yes, that nurse''s Spring is really powerful. Is she a student? I wanted to thank her, but she ran away as I woke up," Sho informed, wanting to know the identity of the one who healed him so quickly.

    "I don''t get hurt that often so I don''t really know her," Reinughed and went into thinking position as he felt Chloe and Sho stare at each other, Rein smiling, understanding the situation.

    "Heh, I guess I''ll leave you two alone for a bit to sort things out. I''m assuming you''re going out on amission after this Chloe? Too bad I can''t join you. I''ll be heading back to the dorm, see ya," Rein waved as he left the house, leaving Sho and Chloe alone to sort out their situation.

    As Rein left, his face turned stern as he faced the north exit. He put his hood up and ran through the crowd in the streets, running through to the tunnel as he talked to Versys.

    "You felt that? There''s a shit ton of people above us. Who knows what happened to Chloe''s bro," Rein thought in his head.

    "You''d better hurry, it''s about to get worse," Versys warned as Rein exited the tunnel, seeing the sight of thousands of Orthlys soldiers spread across the grass field.

    However, to his surprise, they were all retreating, riding back northeast. Scratching his head, he didn''t notice Zane anywhere in sight.

    "What the hell happened here..?" Rein uttered as he stared into the horizon.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "Forgive me, princess," Sho calmly apologized, bowing his head down to Chloe who stood there with a serious expression on her face.

    "It''s fine. I can see the merits to the prince and a princess of Econica and Orthlys getting married, so I don''t me you for what you did," Chloe spoke in a mellow tone.

    "No¡­ Those weren''t my intentions. I''m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but my intentions weren''t to put a stop to the war diplomatically," Sho admitted as he straightened his back, perking back up from the bow.

    "Then you¡­" Chloe stopped speaking and let him continue.

    "Yes¡­ Princess Chloe, I love you."

    Chloe stared at him in awe as he poured his heart out, him staring back at her as she showed a shocked reaction.

    "Though, I''m afraid it might be toote now, isn''t it?" Sho''s face washed over with disappointment as he spoke those words, Chloe''s expression changing to a sorry one.

    "Sho Econ¡­ Thank you for everything that you''ve done. I now see what kind of man you are. You''re caring, reliable, resolute, and you never give up. When I was crying, you did all you could tofort me. Even after ss, you escorted me back home. And back when we were kids, you would alwayse back for more after I kick your butt," she giggled as she spoke, Sho''s eyes glimmering with happiness.

    "Heh, so you still remember. But even with all that being said, I''m just not the one, am I?"

    "Yes. Despite all that, I''m sorry, but I fell for someone else. He''s mysterious, strong, and always does the unexpected, yet, he inspires me, makes me feel safe, and fills me with happiness all at once. I don''t know how it came to be, but I think I fell for him at first sight," she divulged as Sho sat down on his futon, leaning against the wall as he stared into the ceiling.

    "Yeah, he''s strong alright. I''m assuming you''re gonna try and keep it secret?" Sho predicted, to which she nodded.

    "How did you know?" She asked.

    "Haha, that''s just the kind of person you are. Considering all of those false rumors around you, I figured you didn''t want them to associate him with you. Though, I really think it''s unnecessary," Sho eximed.

    "Unnecessary? How''s that?" Chloe sounded.

    "That guy''s like a brick fucking wall. Do you think a little gossip would get to him? But ultimately, it''s up to you and him. If he''s the type of guy I think he is, he''d probably just grow from the shit they say. If he is that kind of guy, then I think you''re in good hands," Sho spoke as he put his knee up as an armrest for his arm.

    "Thank you¡­ I was just about to go out on amission with the rest of ss S, you''re free to join us if you''d like," Chloe invited him, to which he shook his head in negation.

    "Thanks for the offer, but I think I''m gonna rest up in here for a bit¡­ That nurse sure was good, but my stamina is still depleted. I''ll see you tomorrow though," Sho waved as Chloe left.

    He dropped his head down to his futon, putting his arm over his eyes as he did when he spoke with Rein after their fight. He smiled in eptance, sighing to himself.

    "Tough luck for me I guess."

    *************************************************************************************************************

    Later that night.

    "I''m back!" Chloe entered the dorm room after returning from hermission.

    "Wee back!" The two girls rushed out of the kitchen to meet her at the door, as soon as she saw them she pounced, hugging them tightly and snuggling her face against theirs.

    "Are you not tired? You should rejuvenate with a bath," Saphri suggested as her face was being mushed against Chloe''s.

    "Just seeing both your cute faces is enough to rejuvenate me!" Chloe gushed as she continued squeezing them, Emriaughing semi-happily and semi-nervously, while Saphri sighed, unamused.

    "Were you two cooking? Want me to help?" Chloe asked, seeing slight smudges of tomato sauce on their faces.

    As she asked that, the two jumped in their skin, knowing how abysmal her skills in the kitchen were.

    "Ahaha¡­ I think we''ll be good¡­" Emria slowly began walking backward.

    "Y-you should simply take a bath for now Chloe," Saphri suggested, the two bolting it back to the kitchen as she stood there, confused as to what just happened.

    She sighed and took off her shoes, getting a change of clothes ready for when she got out of the bath, wanting to get into somethingfortable.

    "Hm, I haven''t seen Rein yet¡­" She said as she was about to enter the bathroom.

    "He''s in the training room! He got us to seal it with soundproof pads earlier and told us not to interrupt him!" Emria shouted from the kitchen.

    "Though, he did say that if youe we should notify him. You could go and notify him yourself!" Saphri raised her voice as Chloe thanked them for telling her, putting her change of clothes in the bathroom then walking to the training room, which was closed by see-through sliding doors, which were no longer see-through as they were padded from the inside.

    She knocked on the door, then slid it open, seeing Rein cross-legged on the ground, his hair ck, his eyes closed as he breathed in a rhythm.

    She slowly closed the door behind her, sealing the room back in a soundproof barrier.

    "Oh, you''re back Chloe," Rein opened his eyes and greeted her, his hair turning back to normal.

    "Haha, so you noticed me. Sorry for interrupting you, I just wanted to let you know before I took a bath," sheughed as he stood up.

    "No worries, I was just meditating," he stretched out, having kept that position for hours without interruption.

    "Meditating?" She said in a curious voice.

    "Yeah, though I was thinking about you most of the time so it distracted me," he approached her, getting in very close proximity with her as he put his arm on the wall behind her.

    "Wha¡­ And how is that my fault?" She blushed, looking away from him.

    "You''re gonna have to apologize somehow, right?" He tilted her chin back to look him in the eyes, seeing her glistening purple eyes contrast against her bright red face, which amused him.

    "Rein¡­ I just came to tell you I''m back¡­" She faintly resisted, not actually putting up much of a fight.

    "Oh? Then why''d you close the door behind you when you entered? You know, the rooms soundproof. We could do whatever we want in here, nobody could hear us, and we wouldn''t hear them," he lifted his hand to her cheek as he caressed it gently, her finally giving in to his advances.

    She closed her eyes and got ready, waiting in great anticipation as she felt his hand smoothly embrace her cheek. However, she didn''t feel anything after a while. She peeked her eyes open, seeing Rein smiling at her tensed-up face, smugly looking at her as he removed his hand off of her cheek.

    "Well, thanks for letting me know you''re back! The girls should be finishing up dinner soon, so go get freshened up and join us!" Rein suddenly opened the door behind her, then patted her on the shoulder, walked to the living room, and sat down on the couch.

    She stood there, bewildered with a lingering blushed face as her lips trembled, small tears forming in the corner of her eyes out of disappointment, ring at him angrily as he sat at the couch, carefree.

    "You idiot!"

 Chapter 85 - Resuming Daily Life

    Chloe went in to take her bath, letting her stress melt away into the therapeutic waters. She exited the bath, wearing a baggy white shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. She saw the rest of them, Rein, Emria, and Saphri, sitting at the dinner table, waiting for her to finish.

    "Hey, you finally out? What were you thinking about in there?" Rein asked as they were waiting for her, making her blush and look away.

    "It''s none of your business," pouted as she sat beside Emria on the opposite side of the table to Rein.

    The girls looked at them with an air of confusion, then shrugged it off, too hungry to think. They began digging into the food, leaving no room for conversation as they all ate until they were stuffed, the girls bing drowsy as Rein escorted them to bed, saying goodnight to Chloe in the process.

    He tucked them in bed then made his way to his room, getting in his own bed for a good night''s rest. However, before he could properly attempt to fall asleep, he heard his door creak open, seeing Chloe standing there with a pillow and nket in hand.

    "Chloe? Why do you have a pillow and nket?" Rein whispered as she approached the side of his bed.

    "Well¡­ You don''t sleep with a nket for some reason¡­ So I had to bring one," she stuttered in her speech as the embarrassment shone through her voice, Rein still as confused as ever.

    "That''s not the issue here¡ª" Rein hastily spoke, interrupted by the wind caused by the spread-out nket that slowly floated down on him, Chloe setting her pillow beside his andying her head on it.

    "W-well, you said that I had to apologize somehow¡­ And since we didn''t have time earlier, I thought now would be a good time," she fidgeted as the nketnded on both of them, Rein quickly pulling it off of him as he wasn''t used to sleeping with one.

    "Haha¡­ You know that was a joke, right? I don''t think we should be doing this Chloe¡­" Rein slowly uttered, stopping mid-speech as he saw her trembling lips begging him to let her stay.

    "We don''t have to do anything. This is just to make it official, ok? To consolidate it, we just have to sleep together," she exined, which made Rein raise an eyebrow.

    "Consolidate? Isn''t that for getting married?"

    "Please Rein, just so my father won''t have an excuse to dismiss our rtionship. Really, we don''t have to do anything. I''ll be under this nket anyways, so you don''t have to worry," her face was lingering red as Rein scratched the back of his head, finally giving in.

    "Ah, what the hell," he set his head down on the pillow. "Just so you know, I just want you to know how hard it is for me to ''not do anything''. I don''t want to put you in difort, but I''ll try my hardest this one time," Rein turned his head the other way, not wanting to give in to temptation.

    "Rein¡­" She smiled as she closed her eyes, slowly fading away into a deep slumber, her hand emerging from under the nket to graze his back as she lost consciousness.

    Rein felt it, then reached his arm under his body, grabbing hold of her hand as he also fell asleep.

    The next morning, Chloe woke up, seeing her hand intertwined with Rein''s as she opened her eyes, blushing and swiftly moving it away, getting up off the bed in a hurry.

    "When did that happen..?" She thought to herself as she calmed down.

    "Rein!! Chloe!! Wake up, you need to go to school!" Emria said as she barged into Rein''s room, Chloe swiftly hiding her nket and pillow behind a cab as Emria looked into the room.

    "Chloe? What are you doing in Rein''s room?" Emria asked curiously.

    "O-oh! I was just¡­ Waking him up too!" She nervouslyughed.

    "Okay¡­ Then why are you in your pj''s?" She questioned.

    "I was¡­ On my way to get my clothes from the dryer in the bathroom! I passed by Rein''s room on the way, so I thought I might as well wake him up while I was here!" Chloe swiftly came up with a story, impressing even herself with her quick thinking.

    "Hmm¡­ Okay! Saphy''s making breakfast right now. Get Rein up and get changed!" She skipped back to the kitchen, Chloe letting out a huge sigh of relief as Emria left.

    "That was a good story you came up with. I''m impressed," Rein turned his head back around to face Chloe, who was still in shambles after the stress of the ordeal.

    "You were awake?! Why didn''t you say anything?!" She whisperingly yelled.

    "What did you want me to say? ''Yeah Emria, Chloe definitely did not sleep in my bedst night!''. Is that it?" Rein mocked as he got out of the bed.

    "Wha- whatever, just get dressed," Chloe walked out of the room to go get her change of clothes.

    Both of them got dressed and headed back to the kitchen table, where they had some of Saphri''s special elven pancakes.

    "These are sooo good! Teach me how to make them Saphy!" Chloe gushed as she chewed on the pancakes.

    "Ahaha¡­ I''m not so sure I''m suitable to be a teacher¡­ *especially since the student would be unteachable*," she remarked, saying the second half of her words under her breath, to which only Rein could hear.

    "Aww, that''s a bummer. I wish I was a better cook! I can''t let Rein cook for me in the future!" She blurted without thinking, Rein facepalming as the two girls curiously turned their heads to Chloe.

    "In the future?" Emria sounded.

    "O-oh! I mean the near future, obviously! I thought maybe I could learn to cook to make it easier on Rein and you two girls! Ahaha¡­" She once again expertly recovered from her blunder, the two girl''s curiosity dimming down as their question was answered.

    "I could teach you after school Chloe. We both won''t be doing anything after ss, right? Unless you''re going on amission," Rein proposed, to which Chloe sprung up in excitement.

    "Really! No, I''ll make sure not to take anymissions! I''m yours for the afternoon!" Her face froze as she realized what she said, frantically trying to exin that she didn''t mean it the way it sounded, everyone in the roomughing as they finished their breakfast.

 Chapter 86 - Class Event

    After they finished eating, they headed to ss together. They entered the school and arrived at the ssroom, both of them sitting on opposite sides of the room due to the gap in ss ranking between them.

    As Rein looked around, he noticed that Sho wasn''t present, which concerned him, thinking that he may have dropped out after what happened. Then, suddenly, Sho walked through the ssroom door and took his seat next to Clyde, Rein feeling slightly relieved as he saw him.

    However, there was one other person missing. The teacher. She wasn''t in the ss, and Rein didn''t see her on the way to school either. Nheless, just like Sho, she barged through the door.

    "*ahem* Listen up! We''re gonna be having exhibition matches instead of ss today! Everyone meet at the academy field!" Miss Zophia informed them as they all stood up in surprise.

    The ss made their way to the academy field and lined up from the top of the ss to the bottom on the outside of the field as they were told not to step on it, confused as to what they were doing.

    Suddenly, the ground began rumbling, arge trap door opening, parting the academy field in half, a ginormous white building emerging from the ground, covering the 200x120 meter long field. The building had several different entrances through the side, small metal doors that looked incredibly sturdy.

    Miss Zophia was standing on top of the building, cigarette in mouth and hands crossed as she looked at the students under her.

    "Listen up you wimps! Today, we''re having our very first Ranger Academy event! Yes, it will be graded and your performance will affect your overall standing in the ss.

    Our first event will be¡­ A tag team dodge ball tournament!" She eximed, which got the entire ss shocked, then riled up.

    "It''s random, but hey, I''ll take it!" Said n, the number 24 student in ss C.

    "Phew, I thought it was going to be fighting for a second," said Kai, the number 23 student in ss C.

    "Hold on guys! She said tag team! Don''t get too excited yet!" Stacey, the number 22 student from ss C, calmed them down.

    "You should listen to your ssmate down there! You students will not be deciding the teams. Neither will I actually. They''ve already been decided, based on your cement in the ss. Look at your tablets to see the ss cement chart," she exined, the students each taking out their tablets and checking the ranking.

    ss S:

    1. Sho Anagi (S+)

    2. Clyde Morioh (S+)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (S+)

    4. Derek Snyder

    5. Alyssa Osborne

    6. Eleanor Cherry

    ss A:

    7: Sid Magnus

    8: Tiarus Ilifiel

    9: Reggie Greybrewer

    10: ine Barkridge

    11: Lance Bowman

    12: William Curtis

    ss B:

    13: Quint Vossen

    14: Lamarr Shepherd

    15: Sano Sanraku

    16: Patricia Virvyre

    17: Elyon Orirel

    18: Tanaga Yugoyaki

    ss C:

    19: Ardryll Pabanise

    20: Aito Motoka

    21: Gilbert Cohen

    22: Stacey George

    23: Kai Bihorn

    24: n Waris

    ss D:

    25: Roger Bentely

    26: Candice Eilstina

    27: Mizubuki Daikuro

    28: Core (D-)

    29: Xenia Vossen (D-)

    30: Rein Xilris (D-)

    "The teams will be as such: the two numbers of both the team members must add up to 31. That should pair the strongest with the weakest as we go up the list in order," she informed.

    "So I''m with him, huh," Rein looked at his teammate, who was already looking at him with a smiling expression.

    "Well, this isn''t fair," Rein thought as he smiled sleazily to his teammate, waving his hand to signal that he knew that they were teammates.

    "Hold your Kindus tigers! How the fuck is this fair?! You have the number 1 student in the ss, and the guy who beat the number 1 student in the ss on the same team! Fuck your sorting system, this is bullshit!" Tanaga, the guy who caused trouble for Rein, Xenia, and Core when they were picking out amission, opined.

    "Argh, shut the hell up. You''re my teammate, right? Damn, this is gonna be a pain in the ass. I already hate your ass," Quint remarked, which made him turn his head in anger to him, clearly offended by what he said.

    "The hell''d you say to me? Do you know who I a¡ª"

    "Put a sock in it you two. I was getting to that. As for that team, since it''s been clearly shown that they are both incredibly powerful, we have a prize for any team that beats them. Normally, winning this tournament would award you 60 points and 60,000 rol. Second ce would be half of that, and third and fourth would be half of that.

    However, the team that beats Rein and Sho will be awarded double the first ce prize for just winning that match. So if that very same team goes on to win the tournament, they''d have won 180 points and 180,000 rol,"

    The ss erupted into cheers as they heard the rule, Rein distancing himself from the rest of the crowd before they injured him before the tournament even began.

    "There are 15 doors against the sides of this building, each one numbered. The door you go through should be equivalent to the higher rank person on your team, so for Sho and Rein, they''d go through door 1. Now, let''s stop screwing around and get this shit started. Everyone line in front of your doors," Miss Zophia puffed out a cloud of smoke as the students paired up and stood in front of their doors.

    Sho and Rein stood in wait in front of door number 1, anticipating it opening any second now. They looked to their left, seeing Clyde and Xenia bickering beside them, Rein afraid that they had to go against them first.

    "You think we''ll be against them first? That swordsman is a real tough one, fought him once during battle strategies," Sho conversed.

    "I guess we''ll just have to wait and see. I sure hope not though," Reinughed.

    After a few moments of waiting, the doors slowly began squeaking open, the glistening white interior of the building glistening on their eyes as they entered...

 Chapter 87 - Break The Ice

    They entered into therge, square, white room, its roof extending high up into a ss ceiling which the teacher stood on to spectate the matches. The floor was divided by a ck line, with 4 foam dodgeballs set up at an equal distance from each other along the strip. However, as the two looked around, they couldn''t see anyone else in the room but them. No opponents in sight.

    "Listen up! I''m going to exin the basic rules of dodgeball for any idiots in the ss.

    Rule 1, if you get hit with a dodge ball, you''re out and you have to stand along the wall until your teammate finishes or gets you back in.

    Rule 2, if you step over the line, you''re out.

    Rule 3, if your teammate catches the ball while you''re out, you maye back in, and whoever threw the ball is now out.

    Ruel 4, the use of Springs are permitted. You can try doing whatever you to those balls, but they''re not gonna break, trust me," she puffed out a cloud of smoke from her cigarette as she finished exining, one person raising their hand, who could be heard echoing across the building.

    "Um! If you get hit in the head, are you still in..?" He asked.

    "Huh? The hell, I know you''re all wimps, but are you serious? Of course not, if you get hit in the head, suck it up and sit down. You''re gonna be rangers dammit, if you can''t handle a foam ball, I suggest you quit right now," she answered, the question seeming to irritate her greatly.

    "Miss Zophia!" Sho raised his hand. "It would seem as though my teammate and I don''t have any opponents. What''s up with that?" Sho yelled out, catching Zophia''s attention.

    "Oh, you two get a by for the first round. We have 15 teams so it wasn''t even. And I don''t want a team toin about being against you two first, so I just gave you the freebie," she announced.

    Rein and Sho both looked at each other in bewilderment, the door to the next area suddenly opening, telling them to go over as they had already won the first round.

    "Ok then..?" They reluctantly crossed through the door, then sat down on the soft floor of the next room in wait for the tournament to start, holding out until the next team finished their matches.

    In the meanwhile, the two sat there awkwardly, not saying a word to each other, hearing the teacher count down, signaling the beginning of the first round. They could hear balls being thrown, impacting against the metal walls of the facilities, some voices echoing throughout the entire building as theyy there patiently.

    Suddenly, Sho broke the ice.

    "I don''t think I ever apologized for my actions Rein. I''m sorry for what I did, it was unbing of a prince," he expressed as Rein turned his head to him.

    "Oh, well as long as Chloe forgives you, I''ve got no issues¡­ Though speaking of Chloe forgiving someone¡­" Rein opened the ss list once again and saw who Chloe was paired up with.

    "Damn, well I hope her grudge against him doesn''t hinder their performance," he thought in his head, Sho sounding a confused gesture as Rein was thinking to himself.

    "I don''t know for sure, but I don''t think the princess harbors any negative feelings towards me, though I could just be delusional," Sho stated.

    "Oh, alright then. Then I''ve got no problem with it. Though, I am surprised you stayed after that, haha. I was expecting you to return to Econica or something," Rein mentioned.

    "Oh, yeah that. I was contemting it, but honestly, after what Zane said¡­ I couldn''t help but want to stay, just in case. I hope it''s okay with you, I know she''s rejected me already, but I also want to be here to protect her," Sho''s resolve shone through, Rein reacting in a confused manner.

    "Huh? Why would you need my permission to do that?" Rein asked, not knowing that he knew about his rtionship with her.

    "Oh, I haven''t told you already? She said that she''s fallen in love with you¡­ Hold on, did you not know that? Are you that dense?" Sho professed.

    "Wow, she said that? She''s grown a lot of guts¡­ Obviously, I knew, I was just surprised that she told you. Though, I don''t n on making it a secret," Rien exined as he stretched backward, his head sleeping on the soft floor.

    "Ok then¡­ Don''t worry, I won''t make any moves on her. Her safety is at the top of my priority, I won''t get distracted with anything else. If an official attack deration was made on Cornear in my absence, I think my dad can handle it."

    "Top of your priority, huh? I wonder what''s at the top of mine," Rein thought to himself, not being able to conjure up an image of his needs after what happened in Aquifa, his mind still jumbled in confusion.

    "Well, do you have a strategy for dodgeball? Anything in mind?" Sho asked.

    "Strategy? Haha. Nah dude, let''s just wing it," Rein sat up, scratching the back of his hair.

    "Are you serious? I didn''t peg you as that sort of guy. I thought you were the meticulous and careful type," Shoughed.

    "Yeah, when I need to be meticulous or careful, I am. We should have a guaranteed first ce if nothing goes wrong," Rein said as the teacher coughed to silence everyone, beginning to raise her voice as the sound of dodgeballs dissipated.

    "That''s the end of round 1! All the matches are over, the winning teams should go through the proceeding door when it opens," Miss Zophia announced, the other door in the room opened, revealing Rein and Sho''s opponents.

    Rein heard Quint''s voice from the other side, arguing vulgarly with his teammate, seeming as though they had just lost.

    "You fuckin idiot! Why the fuck didn''t you catch that!? Are you braindead or something?!" Tanaga chastised.

    "Huh?! How the fuck was I supposed to know it would ricochet?! Maybe if you didn''t get out in the first 10 seconds, we would''ve had a chance!" Quint retorted, raising his voice as he growled.

    "Ricochet? That must mean our opponent is¡­"

 Chapter 88 - Disorientating Dodgeball

    "Aww shit! Why are we against them next?!" The muscr brown-haired man entered through the door along with a navy-blue-haired girl.

    "Is that the Econican prince and the Rein guy? Haha, tough luck for us I guess," sheughed.

    It was Reggie and Stacey, who had just beaten Quint and Tanaga in the previous round. Rein thought about the matchup and realized how powerful Reggie''s Spring would be in dodgeball. Nheless, he didn''t feel worried, and stuck with his n of ''wing it''.

    "So you guys beat Quint then? Yea, don''t think beastifying will do you any good in this game. He''d just make himself a bigger target," Rein surmised.

    "Haha, it wasn''t too much of a challenge. I barely even broke a sweat," Reggie remarked.

    "I heard that you dick!" Quint retorted, hearing him from the other room.

    Reggie made a stiffened smile as he heard Quin''s yell,ughing nervously for badmouthing him.

    "Well, we''ve gotta get to our sides and wait for the teacher to announce the start. Here''s to a good game," Rein outstretched his hand to the navy-haired girl, who then began reaching in to shake it.

    Suddenly, Reggie stopped her hand from touching his.

    "Oh no you don''t. Don''t think you''re gonna pull a fast one on us Rein," Reggie affirmed as he pushed Rein away from her, not allowing him to copy her Spring.

    "Guess I can''t fool you then," Rein smiled as he got back to his side, joining Sho.

    "What''s up Reggie? Shouldn''t we shake his hand for good sportsmanship?" Stacey asked.

    "Oh, uh¡­ He doesn''t wash his hands. I know, dirty ass gu¡ª"

    "Hey, don''t go spewing bullshit. I can hear you," Rein interrupted him as he beganughing nervously, the teacher suddenly starting the announcement for the second round.

    "Alright, looks like you pussies are all set. K then, 3, 2, 1, start," she unenthusiastically announced.

    Rein and Sho took off at incredible speed to grab the balls as they began, managing to grab 2 each before running back, all of the balls in their possession. However, to their surprise, Reggie and Stacey didn''t move an inch. Instead, Stacey conjured up a ck circr figure that floated in the air, Reggie punching it continuously as Rein and Sho saw flicks of thrusts appearing in an array across their side of the arena.

    "The hell? What''s that Spring? Why was Reggie punching through it..? It shouldn''t be an issue right? Unless¡­" Suddenly, Rein came to a revtion.

    "Screw this, herees a fastball!" Sho began charging up a throw, imbuing the ball in a fiery ze.

    "Huh?! Wait, don''t throw it!" Rein stressed, however, it was toote.

    The ball was sent flying at sonic speeds, flickering in mes as it bulleted to the other side of the room. The two of them didn''t try to dodge though. The ball suddenly impacted onto solid air, then was sent bouncing back to the direction where it came from,ing straight for Sho, who had not time to react. Due to Rein''s preemptive sprint towards Sho, he was able to tackle him down so that he dodged the ball, which then bounced off the wall and back to Reggie''s side, who then picked it up.

    Rein and Sho both sprung up instantly.

    "The hell? What was that?" Sho sounded.

    "I''ll exinter. Just dodge for now!" Rein warned as Reggie threw the ball.

    However, he didn''t throw it at any of them, in fact, he threw it backward. Suddenly, the ball began ricocheting between different points in the air around Reggie, speeding up as it continued propelling through the air. Once it was at unseeable speeds, Reggie motioned to his teammate, making her open another ck wormhole.

    "Hey! They''re about to do that thing again! We can''t just sit here and let them, can we?" Sho panicked.

    "Hold these for a bit," Rein spoke, throwing the balls he was holding to Sho as he freed his own.

    He cracked his fingers and took a horse stance, readying himself. Reggie wound up his arm and punched through the portal, making arge smacking sound that echoed through the room, sending the ball flying at unimaginable speeds towards Rein.

    "You want to know how we''ll fight back? Well, this is how," Rein answered Sho as the ball impacted with him, sending him flying into the back wall of the room, the ball vigorously spinning in his hand, smoke rising from the friction.

    "You''re out, Reggie," Rein pointed at him with the ball in hand, Reggie bbergasted as to what just happened.

    "How the hell¡­ Well damn, guess it wasn''t strong enough. Thought we could beat you with a little bit of strategy, but you''ve got sheer power on your side. I guess I see why you weren''t worried," Reggie remarked as he walked over to the wall and sat down, eliminated from the game.

    "That was amazing¡­" Shoplimented, Rein smiling in his direction.

    "Thanks man. Now we''ve got one left. And I''m not holding back because you''re a girl," Rein turned his gaze to Stacey, who stood there amazed and terrified at the same time.

    "W-w-wait! Don''t throw it yet!" She begged, but it was toote.

    With Reggie gone, Rein could see no reason not to throw the ball, as the ricochet that was clouding their attacks before was now gone aswell. Despite saying that he wouldn''t hold back, he held back yet as to not injure his opponent but still threw the ball so that it would be uncatchable by the girl. Stacey panicked, putting up a wormhole in front of her.

    The propelling ball went through the wormhole, Rein continued smiling nheless. Suddenly, the ball reappeared above him, flying downwards at him at the same speed he threw it at. He had no time to react, the ball hitting him at the back of the neck, making his face nt downwards as it impacted.

    "Well shit, I guess the only shot that could eliminate me would be my own throw," he carelesslyughed as Sho facepalmed, Reggie celebrated, and Stacey not knowing what just happened.

    Rein walked to the wall in apparent shame and sat down to spectate the rest of the match, meticulously smiling as he was curious as to how Sho was going to beat her.

 Chapter 89 - Sho Off

    "Are you kidding me? You get out in the first round we y, and we''re supposed to be the top team? Give me a break," Sho dropped his head in shame.

    "What are you waiting for then? Let''s finish the match so we can move on," Rein pointed.

    "Oh? And how the hell do you suggest I do that?! Just how am I going to get her out might you exin?!" Sho raised his voice angrily, Rein subconsciouslyughing at hisedic rage, enjoying toying with him.

    "Huh? Didn''t you hear the teacher exin the rules? Just hit her with the ball, pretty simple," Rein''s eyes widened as he exined this simple fact to his teammate.

    "THAT''S NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU¡ª"

    As the two argued, Sho sensed a balling in his direction, swiftly dodging by moving his head backward as it whizzed past him. Sho turned his head to the direction the ball came from, seeing Stacey in a throwing motion.

    "Hahaha, you guys were just talking so I thought I could get you there¡­ Turns out you never let your guard down, do you?" She rubbed the back of her head out of uncertainty.

    "Hmph, that was a good attempt. Maybe if you threw it harder it would''ve hit me," he spoke, stopping the ball rolling back to her with his foot, two other balls in hand.

    All 4 balls were on Sho''s side now as he stood there, pondering his next move. He couldn''t throw the ball head-on, otherwise, it would just be deflected back down to him from above. As he thought more and more, he began to realize the minimal information he had on his enemy''s Spring, which helped him decide his next move.

    "Alright then, let''s test this out," Sho uttered as he wound his arm up once more.

    "Hm? So he''s going to throw it again? Interesting¡­" Rein thought as he continued analyzing the match.

    Again, Sho released the ball in a fiery fury, sending it flying towards his opponent. Suddenly, he began running around his side of the arena as the ball went through the wormhole, suddenlying flying back down at the point where it was released from Sho''s hand, in a downwards motion that made smoke arise as it impacted with the ground.

    "I see¡­ I think I''ve got this thing figured out¡­" Sho thought as he suddenly heard the loud tapping of ss above him, the teacher standing directly above them, looking down.

    "Hurry your asses up. Everyone else is already done their matches," she hastened.

    "My apologies Miss Zophia. Please watch my next move, I need you to referee this," he requested of her, his ask piquing her interest as she sat down to watch.

    Sho once again wound his arm up in a baseball pitch, making his opponent preemptively get ready with her Spring, summoning a lightless wormhole that transported objects through space. He once again threw it with all of his power, but this time, it wasn''t ming. Sho''s strength was average at best when his Spring wasn''t activated, so his throw wasn''t particrly impressive, certainly slow enough to catch.

    However, his opponent did not notice that fact and continued holding up her Spring in defense, the ball going through her ck hole as Sho nned. He raised his arm and opened his hand to the sky, the ball suddenly appearing above him, propelling downwards straight into his open hand.

    His opponent noticed what just happened, then put her hands on her head in panic.

    "Oh no!! Wait, that doesn''t count as¡ª"

    "It does. It was your Spring who touched itst, meaning that it was technically your throw I just caught. And catching a throw means the person who threw it is out, isn''t that right, Miss Zophia?" He looked up at his unamused teacher, cigarette in mouth as she puffed it out.

    "Yeah, whatever. Sho wins," she muttered as she held the cigarette between her fingers, Stacey dropping down to her knees out of nerves,ughing at her own carelessness.

    "I didn''t expect that! Clever, you used my own Spring against me," sheplimented.

    "It was nothing. After I figured out the gimmick, I just looked to the rules as my teammate over there told me to," Sho spoke as he set the balls back in the middle of the room, pointing to Rein with his thumb.

    "Good job man. I knew you could do it!" Rein patted him on the back, which irritated him even more.

    "Damn, you guys destroyed us. Fair y, put it there," Reggie outstretched his hand for a handshake to Sho, who then took it, scoffing a smile.

    "I hope we can shake hands now. I swear it''s clean by the way," Rein, once again, tried shaking hands with Stacey, incredibly curious as to what the inverse of her Spring would be.

    "Haha, it looks clean, so I believe you. Good game!" She shook his hand, Rein activating his System as soon as the two made contact.

    He received a notification on his System, a new entry in the Spring history.

    [New Spring!]

    User: Stacey George

    Original Effect: Allows the user to rip a hole through space, sending them in the perpendicr direction rtive to where the eleration began.

    Inverted Effect: Allows the user to rip a hole through time, sending any non-living object back in time depending on the speed at which it entered the hole.

    Rein''s eyes lit up when he felt the Spring manifest, ideas beginning to flow into his mind, then quickly putting them at the back of his mind as he returned back into reality. He let go of her hand and turned around to face the door, the teacher beginning her announcement of the end of the second round.

    "Alright, winners, go on through the door. Losers, you can go up those stairs that just appeared and join me on the roof. If I see any of you monkeying around up here though, I''m pushing you off myself," she threatened, the losers reluctantly going up the stairs to the roof.

    Rein and Sho stepped through to the next arena, this room''s shape being circr instead of square. He saw their next opponents walking through the door into the semi-final match room, a blonde-haired girl with a blue-haired boy. It was Chloe and Core.

 Chapter 90 - Hot Air-Balloon

    "You both made it through two rounds! That''s surprising, thought your chemistry would be garbage," Rein greeted them.

    "Don''t jump to conclusions my friend, we''ve worked together before. I think I earned at least some of her trust that one time," Core responded, recalling the time they fought together in the volcano.

    "Yeah, I hate to admit it, but his strategies are wless. I was honestly more worried about you two, but you seem to be fine," she pointed out.

    "Well, I wouldn''t say that we''re ''fine'', there are still things that this guy does that I don''t understand," Sho responded, no awkwardness seeming to linger between him and Chloe.

    Their conversation was cut short by the voice of the teacher, along with the other students spectating from the roof.

    "Right, everyone ready? Don''t care if you are or not, the semi-final round is about to start. Get your asses to your spots, whoever wins this goes to the finals," Zophia announced, the two teams getting on their sides before the match began.

    The teacher once again counted down to signify the beginning of the match, as soon as her count hit 0, Rein and Sho sted off for the balls. Rein managed to get 1 ball, while Sho wasn''t able to get any, Chloe sucking them in with her wind before he could even reach them.

    "Hey, Rein! Why aren''t you using your Spring man? Don''t think I''ve seen you use it a single time here, hell I''m not even sure what it is!" Sho asked, frustrated that he wasn''t able to retrieve any of the dodgeballs.

    "Don''t really feel like wasting my energy on this. We''ll win anyway, so don''t worry," Rein said as he got back to the back wall, Chloe controlling three of the balls at the same time, holding them around her with wind.

    "Shit, I just realized. How will we hit the princess? She could use the wind to divert the path of the ball, she''s practically un-beatable," Sho surmised, to which Rein slightly scoffed.

    "You really think that? Don''t you know what your own Spring is? Think about what happens when your Spring meets hers, and our win condition will be obvious to you," Rein advised, which irritated Sho, angry that he was being so cryptic.

    "Same strategy asst time. This circr arena is perfect as well, your wind can reach even further. If you can, use the lightning strikes to retrieve loose balls," Core whispered to his teammate, who nodded as she gazed sternly at her opponents.

    She suddenly sparked a jolt of lightning behind the balls, sending them flying at Rein and Sho. As the two went to dodge, they saw the ball ricochet in the middle of the air, another spark of lightning appearing as the ball flew mid-air. This time, it was headed straight for Rein.

    "Heh, so you''re trying to eliminate me first. Fine then," he stopped running then looked at Chloe, suddenly bulleting the ball he held in her direction, surprising her greatly, the incredibly fast ball not giving her enough time to react.

    As it elerated towards her, she had no means of averting it, as she was focusing too much of her energy on controlling the ball up ahead. She thought that it was over for her, Rein''s incredible power was not something that they factored in their strategies. However, as the ball was about to hit her, Core jumped in front of it and took it at full force to the face, seeming as though he reacted to Rein''s throw before he even threw it.

    "Be more careful. He had a ball in his hand, you needed to take that into ount. Don''t really need me in the game, might as well sac myself off," Core walked to the wall and sat down.

    The ball that Chloe was controlling on the other side lost it''s power and dropped down on the ground, along with the ball that bounced off of Core, both of them rolling into Rein and Sho''s possession.

    "Pick them up quickly before she retrieves them!" Rein ordered Sho, who then ran to one of the balls and picked it up, Rein running to the other one, anticipating her using her Spring to retrieve the loose balls.

    They now possessed two balls on each side of the arena, Rein telling Sho not to throw for a specific reason.

    "What do I do¡­ It''s 2 vs 1, and Rein looks like he has everything under control¡­ Should I send the rest of my balls and try to get one of them out? No¡­ They might catch it then. I should wait until they throw theirs¡­ But wait, that looks like it''s never gonna happen. Shoot, what do I do!" Her inner turmoil was visible to the rest in the room, suddenly turning her face cold as she calmed herself down.

    She red at her two opponents, both of them raising their guards as she did so.

    "Ah, whatever! Here Ie!" She yelled as she sent two balls at once, this time, both of them targeting Sho while keeping wary of the balls they wielded.

    "Now!" Rein yelled as Sho opened his mouth, releasing a methrower of furious mes at the elerating balls, overloading the lightning that apanied them, making them lose their power mid-air.

    As they bothnded on the ground on Rein and Sho''s side, Rein swooped in to grab both of them, their team now in control of all 4 balls. Now, it was the difficult part. Hitting the ever-elusive target, who could control the very atmosphere of the room.

    "You thought about what I told you? What does your Spring do when ites in contact with hers?" Rein reiterated.

    "When the two Springs meet?" Sho thought in his mind as Rein passed him one of his balls and assumed a throwing stance.

    "You''ll figure it out. On three, throw one of your balls. Throw yours to the very right of the room, one of mine is going on target, and the other is going to the left side. This will leave her no room to dodge horizontally, so she''ll have to go vertical. I think you''ll know what to do then," Rein exined as he released the balls out of his hands, giving Sho no room to react.

    They threw the three balls at incredible speed, Chloe was not sure that she could stop the immense power behind them with her Spring, and even if she diverts its course, there are still 2 others on either side of her. She decided not to risk getting hit and jump up in the air.

    Sho wasn''t exactly sure on what to do, so he threw hisst ball at the floating Chloe, who dodged even further up, flying up with her Spring as she left gusts of wind in her wake. Even in the air, usually the most vulnerable position one could have, Chloe could still easily dodge the balls thate flying at her.

    "Remember what I told you. Think about this," Rein advised onest time, his idea suddenly clicking in Sho''s head.

    "I see what you''re saying," Sho said as he took a deep breath, invoking a fierce fire that excreted through his pores, sending scorch of ming heat to the mass of air under Chloe''s feet, the balls getting caught up in this sparky inferno.

    "Just like a hot air balloon," Sho remarked as the balls began floating up into the ming tornado, the incredibly intense heat, and the pressure that it applied sending the balls flying at extravagant speeds as Chloe tried to quickly dodge.

    It was an incredibly close call, but, in the end, Chloe was grazed with one of the balls as she dropped back down to the ground in defeat.

 Chapter 91 - Dodgeball Finals (1)

    "Alright, the round''s over. Winners, get ready for the finals. Losers, get up to the roof ASAP," Zophia announced.

    Rein walked over to Chloe and outstretched a hand to help her up. She took his hand and smiled at him, standing up and dusting herself off.

    "Well, at least we got top 4. Good luck in the finals you two!" She waved as she stepped up the stairs to the roof, Core walking past them without saying a word.

    Rein stared at the two as they ascended the stairs, Sho snapping him out of his trance as he called his name, telling him that the door to the next room had opened.

    The two entered through the door into thergest room they had entered yet. It was the central room of the building, a vast, spacious room that had 2 doorsing into it. As they looked up, they could see the entire ss spectating, with the teacher sitting down in the middle.

    Rein instantly noticed who was missing from the roof. He looked back down at the other door that lead into the room, seeing a ck-haired man with a hazel-haired girl enter. It was team number two, who entered the building through the door right next to them, yet somehow ended up on the other side of the bracket.

    "Of course it''s you two," Xenia sighed as she saw them.

    "I told you it would be, did I not? You really thought they would be beaten?" Clydeughed as Xenia pouted.

    "Well, I wanted to make myself believe that someone beat them. Isn''t a little bit of bliss good sometimes?" She yfully scolded as Clydeughed, then turning his head to his two opponents.

    "Good luck you two. You''re going to need it in this match," Clyde remarked as he and Xenia walked over to their side.

    "Haha, I don''t doubt that. Though I always wee a challenge," Rein retorted as he and Sho got to their own sides of the room, the teacher coughing to get everyone''s attention.

    "Finally, we can get this shit done with. You''d better not take long, or I''lle down there myself. Sho and Rein vs Clyde and Xenia begins in 3, 2, 1, start," she unenthusiastically announced.

    As the countdown ended, it wasn''t even a fraction of a millisecond before Xenia made it to the center of the room to retrieve the dodge balls, kicking 2 back to her teammate and holding 2 in her own hands.

    "What incredible speed. Is it possible to be that fast?" Sho hesitated as he took a step forward, before he could even make it through his step, he stopped at the sight that he witnessed.

    "She''s not actually as fast as you think. It''s her teammate who can slow all other time, so it made her look faster than she actually is. Watch out, you''re going to need to go full power if you want to keep up," Rein advised as Sho listened attentively, nervously sweating as he smiled at his opponents, activating his Spring to enhance his speed.

    "Heh, I haven''t gotten out throughout this entire tournament. Hopefully, I can keep it that way," he fired himself up as the inferno burned an outline around his body.

    10 seconds passed of pacing back and forth, as Rein waited for Clyde''s Spring to refresh. When he felt that it was the time, he and Sho both put their guards to the maximum as they suddenly felt Xenia''s movements quicken, winding up and releasing her throw at unimaginable speed. There was quite literally no room to react to her throw, the two had to dodge in a direction and pray that it wasn''t the direction she threw it in. All 4 balls wereunched as Clyde supplied her with the others, all of them bouncing off of the back wall and instantly going back to Xenia.

    "Impressive, you managed to dodge them all. As expected from the favorites to win!" Xeniaplemented as the two took deep breaths after the lightspeed bullets that pierced space missed them.

    "Well damn, we can''t keep up like this. At this rate, every bounce will just go back to them and we''ll keep dodging until we''re hit," Shoined.

    "You''re right¡­ I have a n though. You might think it''s stupid, and I wouldn''t me you if you don''t ept. Just listen though, I only have 10 seconds to exin," Rein got closer to Sho and whispered his n, as Clyde walked up to Xenia, who was standing at the frontlines while he was in the back.

    "Aim for Sho first. Throw a ball at him without my Spring active so that he dodges, and as soon as he does, I will activate my Spring. He appears to be a slight bit slower than Rein, and once he is out, eliminating Rein should be slightly simpler," Clyde whispered, to which she slightly blushed.

    "O-okay, will do captain!" She stuttered as she saw her opponents conferring, then breaking away from each other, Sho wearing a slightly irritated expression.

    She thought it strange but ignored it as Clyde''s Spring refreshed. Xenia took a deep breath, then threw the ball before Clyde activated his Spring, to which Sho dodged to the right with his searing mes burning in front of him as he looked to the side. Xenia was perplexed by his unorthodox dodge, but thought nothing of it as Clyde activated his Spring, Sho being in a vulnerable position. She unloaded all of her balls at him as she saw the ball she threw first rolling back at her, allowing her to unload one more ball before Clyde''s Spring ran out.

    Their n worked. Both Clyde''s and Reins. Sho was hit directly with all 4 of the balls, causing jubtion to spark in the eyes of Xenia and Clyde. However, as they impacted him, they did not bounce back as intended. Instead, Sho''s forward-facing mes, at the cost of his in-game life, allowed him to redirect the ball''s trajectory so that it hit one of the sidewalls on his and Rein''s side of the arena, making all 4 of the balls end up on their side.

    "Sho''s out," Zophia announced as Clyde and Xenia''s faces were in awe, Rein smiling, and Sho wearing a nervous frown.

    As he walked to the wall to sit down, he said something to Rein.

    "You''d better know what you''re doing," he said as he sat down.

    "Don''t worry," he picked up 2 of the balls, the other 2 on the floor under his feet.

    "I''ve got this."

    It was now a 2 vs 1 situation against Rein, however, he controlled all 4 of the balls. Why was he so willing to sacrifice his teammate for possession of the balls? The thought crossed the minds of everyone who was watching. Yet, their curiosity grew as they pondered the situation.

    "Well, I''ve got no time to waste. Better start while you''re on cooldown," Rein stretched his arm backward in throwing motion as Xenia backed up slightly, getting in line with Clyde''s position.

    "Shit, I need 5 more seconds. But even then¡­ He controls all of the balls, and he could simply sit out the time slow. If only there was another way..." Clyde racked his brain, thinking back to all of the rules of the game, sifting through them in his head until he came to a revtion.

    "I know¡­"

 Chapter 92 - Dodgeball Finals (2)

    "Alright, I''ve got a n Xenia. Actually, it''s your n. You know, that one," he insinuated as Xenia wore a surprised expression.

    "Wha¡­ Really?"

    "Yes, now look alive! We just need to buy 5 seconds," he said as Rein threw the first ball.

    It whizzed past Clyde''s face, blowing his hair in the wind that it left in its wake, and bounced off the wall behind him,ing straight back to Rein.

    "Damn, I missed," he remarked as he wound up the next ball.

    "I''m not missing this time, I guarantee it," he said as he threw his next ball.

    "Clyde, dodge it!" Xenia yelled as Clyde stood there, motionless.

    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. He tilted his head to a 45-degree angle as the ball bounced off of it, dazing him as he fell back. The ball flew up in the air as he regained hisposure, flying directly above into Rein''s side.

    "Xenia, focus! The n starts in 2 seconds!" He yelled, getting Xenia to stiffen up, then look back in front of her at the floating ball as it fell to the ground.

    Just before it hit the ground, Clyde activated his Spring just in time, slowing down time onest time before he was eliminated. Rein noticed this, but shrugged it off. He had all 4 balls in his possession anyways. He slowly walked over to the ball on the ground and reached down to pick it up. However, without warning, Xenia had suddenly disappeared from where she stood. Rein''s eyes widened as he grit his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows, blocking the hit that impacted him from behind with both hands.

    The attack ruptured Rein''s stance, sending him sliding across the ground at incredible speed. As he peered through his arms that were covering his vision as he blocked, he saw Xenia floating in a kick position as she slowlynded on the ground, on his side of the arena.

    "What the¡­ Did he just win..?" Sho uttered as he saw Rein drop down his guard, smiling proudly.

    "Hm, now this I wasn''t expecting¡­" The teacher remarked, finally seeming as though she was interested.

    "The winners are Clyde and Xenia, good job you two," she announced as the rest of the ss reacted in confusion.

    "Huh? But didn''t Xenia cross the line? How the hell did she win for that?" Quint asked, bewildered.

    "Look closely. Who was it really that stepped over the line?" Zophia made them second guess themselves as they took a closer look at Rein feet.

    His heel had just barely gone over the line after Xenia''s kick. He had slid back all the way to the other side of the arena before Xenia''s feet touched the ground, meaning that Rein had crossed over the line before Xenia had.

    "Heh, well yed. And you''re telling me you came up with it Xenia? Color me impressed," Reinplemented.

    "Hold on, how''d you know it was my n? You heard us?! Why didn''t you keep your guard up?!" She reacted, to which he justughed it off.

    Miss Zophia dropped down from the roof into the center of the room, then walked up to Xenia and held her hand out. Xenia reached in to shake her hand, to which she moved her hand away from.

    "Tch, I don''t want to shake your hand, who do you take me for? Just give me your tablet so I can give you the bounty reward," she scoffed as Xenia''s face turned red out of embarrassment, handing over her tablet.

    She walked over to Clyde, who was still sitting on the ground in a daze, and took his tablet as well, awarding them with the bounty prize for beating Rein and Sho. They both gained 180 points and 1.8 million rol.

    "Alright, the rest of you should get your prizes automatically. Just an FYI that anyone who ced under 4th ce gets nothing, so don''te crying to me. A list of the top-scoring teams should appear on your tablet momentarily. Also, ss rankings will be updated now so you can get a general feel of how you''re doing. Any points you gained through quests or localmissions will be taken into ount as well," Zophia exined as she handed Xenia and Clyde their tablets back.

    Suddenly, a screen appeared on their tablets, showing a list of the top 4 teams that ced in the event.

    1st ce, Team 2: Clyde Morioh and Xenia Vossen

    2nd ce, Team 1: Sho Anagi and Rein Alister

    3rd and 4th ce, Team 3: Chloe Orthlysia and Core / Team 10: ine Barkridge and Gilbert Cohen

    Rein walked back to Sho andughed at him nervously, to which Sho sighed and patted his shoulder.

    "Whatever, that was an impressive showing by our opponents, so I''m not even mad we lost," Sho deliberated.

    "I agree, they outdid themselves. Anyways, why does it still say yourst name''s Anagi? Guess you''re gonna go by that name in the school then?" Rein asked.

    "Yeah, I registered with that name and honestly it''s too much of a hassle to change it. I don''t really care either way though, I''m only here for 1 purpose," Sho stated as they felt their tablets buzz with the updated ss ranking...

    ss S:

    1. Clyde Morioh (S+) (255 points)

    2. Sho Anagi (S+) (105 points)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (S+) (90 points)

    4. Alyssa Osborne (75 points)

    5. Derek Snyder (30 points)

    6. Eleanor Cherry (30 points)

    ss A:

    7: ine Barkridge (100 points)

    8: Reggie Greybrewer (85 points)

    9: Lance Bowman (85 points)

    10:Tiarus Ilifiel (55 points)

    11: Sid Magnus (55 points)

    12: William Curtis (55 points)

    ss B:

    13: Sano Sanraku (60 points)

    14: Lamarr Shepherd (60 points)

    15: Quint Vossen (30 points)

    16: Patricia Virvyre (0 points)

    17: Elyon Orirel (0 points)

    18: Tanaga Yugoyaki (0 points)

    ss C:

    19: Kai Bihorn (40 points)

    20: n Waris (40 points)

    21: Gilbert Cohen (35 points)

    22: Stacey George (20 points)

    23: Aito Motoka (0 points)

    24: Ardryll Pabanise (0 points)

    ss D:

    25: Xenia Vossen (210 points)

    26: Rein Xilris (80 points)

    27: Core (30 points)

    28: Mizubuki Daikuro (D-) (10 points)

    29: Roger Bentely( D-) (10 points)

    30: Candice Eilstina (D-) (10 points)

 Chapter 93 - Cooking Into The Night

    "You guys still have 3 weeks until we have the advancement exams. Do your best to boost your points until then. Alright, ss is over. ss C, stay behind for battle strategies with your principal," Zophia announced as she motioned her way out of the establishment, all the students following her as they exited.

    When she made sure that everyone had left the premises, she signaled her hand, then the building sunk back into the ground, reced by a t field of bluegrass. The teacher waved as she left the campus, followed by a myriad of other students, except for those in ss C.

    "That was quite a good show we put on, isn''t that rightdy ine?" Gilbert called out to her as she was leaving, the two having been teammates who fell to Clyde and Xenia in the semi-finals.

    "Huh? I guess¡­ But ''Lady ine''?" She turned around in confusion as their conversation caught Lance''s attention, him and ine not having talked for 2 days now.

    "I am simply giving you the respect you deserve. Would it interest you if we continued this partnership? It seemed as though we had good chemistry, and we ced in 4th. We could, oh I don''t know, maybe grab a bite to eatter?" He asked as he approached her.

    "Oh¡­ I don''t know if that''s¡­" She stuttered as Gilbert touched her hand.

    "We should acquaint ourselves more," he insisted.

    Suddenly, he felt ine''s hand slip away from his grip, looking up to see a tall, brown-haired man pulling the pink-haired girl away.

    "Hands off kid. Touch her again and I''ll curb stomp you," he threatened as ine blushed, then turned angry.

    "L-Lance! Why are you being¡­" She stopped talking as Gilbert recoiled in fear.

    "Why you..! You menace!" Gilbert slowly stepped backward as Lance dragged ine away.

    As they furthered themselves, Lance wouldn''t let go of her. Suddenly, she shrugged away from his hold and looked at him angrily.

    "How about you leave ME alone!?" She desperately held back tears as she stormed off, Lance not reacting as she painfully spoke those words.

    The rest of the ss was watching the entire time, having turned around to witness the turn of events unfold. Lance stood there, nk-faced, then scratched the back of his head and sighed, joining the ss again as they walked back to the dorm, acting as if nothing happened.

    The rest of the ss also walked away from it as if nothing happened, Rein looking at Lance from the corner of his eye in concern.

    They all made it back to the dorm, different students simply putting their school things back in their rooms before heading out on a mission, some of them staying in their dorms to rx, and some staying in the dorms simply because they couldn''t do anything else, which was the situation Rein and the rest in ss D were facing. Rein made his way back to his room before Chloe and prepped therge kitchen along with Emria and Saprhi, waiting for Chloe to get home so he could teach her cooking.

    Meanwhile, at the bottom floor of the dorm building

    "Would you like to go on an S ss mission prince Sho? I found one that gives us a generous reward," Clyde proposed to the prince, who was passing by the dorm building on his way to his house.

    "Huh? Oh, right. Guess I should do a mission so I can stay in S+. Sure, I''lle," Sho epted.

    "Would you like toe with us, Chloe? It is a 2 person minimum mission, but it wouldn''t hurt having you there as well," Clyde asked as Chloe was on her way up to the three steps leading into the dorm building, stopping on the second step.

    "Haha, sorry guys, but I''m gonna have to pass today. You two have fun though," she apologetically spoke, bowing down slightly.

    "What!! If I were in your position, I would go on a quest every day! Ughhh, I have nothing to do¡­ I envy you," Xenia appeared, slouching on Chloe''s shoulders in boredom.

    "You could apany us if you''d like Xenia," Clyde extended the invitation.

    "Oh, I''d love to, but ss D only gets 1mission per week. That''s why I''m jealous of this girl here. What''s so important that you''re skipping out on a mission anyway?" She asked curiously as Chloeughed nervously.

    "Oh¡­ Haha, Rein''s gonna teach me to cook¡­" She stated as Xenia looked at her with a surprised expression, Clyde growing suspicious of Rein''s rtionship with the princess.

    "Seriously?! Can I join?! I''m a terrible cook! Your kitchen has extra room, right? Oh, how about we bring Quint too? He can''t cook for shit!" She pointed at Quint, who just happened to be walking behind her with Reggie, somehow knowing that he was there.

    "The fuck''d you say?! I can cook better than you!" Quint caused a ruckus at the entrance, the dormitory receptionistughing nervously at the intimidating scene that was unfolding.

    "The hell''s all this ruckus! Xenia? Quint? Princess Chloe?" Raxo yelled as she emerged from the elevator.

    "Oh Raxo! You''re shit at cooking too, aren''t you? We''re gonna have a cookingpetition, youe too," Xenia grabbed her arm along with Chloe as she dragged them up the stairs, followed by Quint.

    "What the?! I''m not shit at cookin''! I''ll show ya! Those girls taught me a thing or two already," Raxo imed proudly as she was being pulled.

    "H-hey guys! I never epted to this," Chloe internally wept as her date with Rein was ruined, her voice fading up the stairs, away from Clyde and Sho''s hearing range, Reggie also standing there, bewildered as to what just happened.

    "Let''s go Clyde," Sho turned his head away and began walking to themission room, Clyde''s expression turning into pity towards the prince as he followed.

    "You guys goin'' somewhere? Mind if I join? Looks like Quint and Lance are gonna be unavable today," Reggie asked the two, Clyde nodding to him as they followed Sho.

    Sho walked with a turmoiled expression as the two followed closely, Clyde beginning to catch on to the situation in his mind.

    *************************************************************************************************************

    "We''re here for the cookingpetition!" The group burst through the luxury rooms door and walked to the kitchen, seeing Rein, Emria, and Saphri sitting at the dinner table in wait.

    Rein perked up, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

    "I thought it was gonna be just Chloe¡­ How''d the rest of you join in?" He asked.

    "Ahaha¡­ Sorry Rein. I couldn''t do anything about it¡­" Chloe apologized as Reinughed.

    "No need to apologize. You guys said cooking contest? Man, that brings back memories," Reinughed as Emriaughed along with him.

    "Raxo, why are you here as well. Last time Emria and I cooked with you, you almost burned down the workshop," Saphri coldly exposed, Raxo''s face turning Red as she shushed her.

    "So, can any of you actually cook then?" Rein asked, Quint and Xenia raising their hands.

    "I can cook an egg. That''s pretty much it," Xenia eximed.

    "I''ve been practicingtely, think I''m prettypetent. I''m only here to shut my sis up," he stated.

    "Okay then. Since Chloe and Raxo can''t cook, I''ll give them a teammate. Emria, you go with Chloe and Saphri, with Raxo. Cook whatever you guys want, I''ll crown the winner in the end," he proimed as they all nodded in affirmation.

    What followed was a series of disasters as Rein tried his hardest to keep the room from burning down. As he had nned, Rein granted Chloe his ''Legendary Cook'' passive skill. Time passed, and Chloe began adeptly handling the kitchen equipment, developing a keen eye for ingredients, and knowledge of how to use them.

    In the end, all of them ending up helping each other as they jubntly cooked together into the night. They cooked, then all ate together in bliss, talking about their recent endeavors.

    "That battle-axe you made for me was awesome by the way Raxo! Can''t thank you enough!" Quint expressed as he stuffed his face.

    "N-no need to thank me! Just don''te askin'' me for any more favors!" She easily became flustered, not used to receiving gratitude, this being her way of saying you''re wee.

    "Speaking of¡­ Did you send it in Raxo? The device we coborated on?" Saphri asked, catching her attention.

    "Oh yeah! That thing was awesome! I have no idea how you guys made it, I was just happy to be there," Emriaughed as she gushed over whatever it was the two were talking about.

    "Right?! It was fuckin amazing! Couldn''t have done it without ya Saph. I sent the prototype to the Echopany in Naji, they should be getting back to me any day now," Raxo imed, as suddenly, her student tablet buzzed.

    She took it out from her pocket, then looked at the screen in amazement, pure awe in her face, then smiled at Quint.

    "I think I know what you can repay me with¡­"

 Chapter 94 - Invitation To Naji

    "Dear Raxo Tincer and Saphri Xilris,

    We are happy to inform you that your invention has been epted for the gadget fair in Naji! Pleasee to the city tomorrow, at 12 PM to attend the celebration and the award show. You may bring up to 3 escorts through the Ranger guild, and we will provide advance payment for them!

    We hope to see you there!"

    The message said, to which Saphri''s eyes lit up with joy.

    "Really?!" She eximed as she stood up from her seat in excitement, her eyes glittering with happiness.

    "Wow! That''s amazing Saphy! You can finally do what you''ve been wanting to do!" Emria gushed with her, to which she nodded happily.

    "And we can bring up to 3 escorts through a specific request with the guild. Don''t D ss students only get 1mission per week? Maybe specific requests can bypass the system," Raxo proposed, which got Rein thinking.

    "Yeah, I think you''re right... We can only do 1mission per week, but we can do an infinite number of local requests for the town. Since you two are civilians as well, it would most likely count as one of those," Rein thought out loud, which caused Xenia to insist oning.

    "Let mee! Let mee! Let mee!" She yelled as Raxo nodded in affirmation, already wanting her toe.

    "You''rein'' too Quint. This is to repay me for that battle axe I made for you," Raxo asserted, to which Quint reacted with a confused face.

    "Huh?? I thought you said I didn''t hafta pay you back! You''re goin'' back on your word!" He contended.

    "What?! Weren''t you just stressing about not being able to thank me enough?! Well, you can thank me with this. If ya don''t then it''s you who''s going back on your word!" She retorted, making him finally give in to the request.

    As Rein watched them fighting, he felt a tug on his sleeve, looking down to see Saphri holding his shirt.

    "You''lle too, right?" She asked, to which Reinughed.

    "Of course I will," he patted her head, making her light up in enthusiasm.

    "Thank you, Rien! I''ve got to tell father as well," she ran away in excitement and back to her room, using themunication device she set up with Voron to tell him about what had just happened.

    "Well shit! It''s tomorrow at 12 they said! We''d better get goin'' right now then! Naji is on the other side of the continent! Even if we use the teleporter to Zacrozir, it''ll still take us 6 hours to get there! No way we''re making it on time if we go tomorrow!" Raxo realized as Saphri came running out of her room, with a backpack packed full of supplies.

    "I am ready to depart at any moment," she stated, her excitement still present, but herposure regained.

    "Tch, guess I''m gonna have to sleep on the ride there. Damn, sleepin'' on a wood floor of a bumpy carriage isn''t gonna be so fun¡­" Quint dejectedly spoke as Xeniaughed.

    "No need to worry about that silly brother! Did you forget there was a guild branch in Zacrozir? And with all of this money I made, I can easily rent out a luxury carriage. Yes, I know, shower me with praise!" She arrogantlyughed as Quint remembered the guild branch in Zacrozir.

    "Oh right. Guess it won''t be that bad after all. Well, let''s get going then," he brushed the thought off as he and Raxo walked out of the room, followed by an angry Xenia.

    "Have fun guys! Chloe and I will hold down the fort while you''re gone!" Emria asserted.

    "Will you two be okay by yourselves?" Rein made sure before he departed.

    "We''ll be fine. You take care of Saphir while you''re out there, okay?" Chloe reassured.

    "Of course. You''ve got my gua''rein''tee," he joked as the two walked out of the room and followed the rest of the group to the quest center on campus.

    Raxo showed them the invitation sent to her by the Echopany and registered a request to take Rein Xilris, Xenia Vossen, and Quint Vossen as ranger escorts.

    Their request was approved, and they were given permission to leave the city. Wary of what urred outside the town earlier in the day, Rein worried that something may happen in the city of Zacrozir as they arrived, however, his worries were unwarranted as they arrived safely.

    (Click here to see visual of town)

    They made their way out from the alleyway that held the teleporter and into the bustling city, separated by arge river in between, that raged through the area, adding noise to the already noisy city. Xenia lead them to the guild branch, across the bridge and north of the city, where they greeted the receptionist.

    "Hey, olddy! Long time no see!" Xenia and the group entered the building, seeing an old woman at the counter, simply jubnt to see Xenia.

    "Is that you Xenia?! Oh my goodness¡­ They really cured you¡­" The woman had tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at Xenia.

    After a bit of catching up, the woman dried her tears and got back to her station.

    "The guild has a special transportation system, right? Can we use ranger credits to purchase their services?" She asked, to which the olddy nodded.

    "Yes, we''re in partnership with the Tigris foundation in Kindus. The vast city in the Savannah''s of the mid-ex-Econica region lies the headquarters of the most prosperous transportationpany in the continent, who use specially bred tigers for transportation business. Every guild branch has a teleporter that leads from there to here, and whenever a request is made, they call over the carriage through the teleporter. Here are the prices to rent them out for a day. Note, they can be very expensive," the olddy exined as she handed a piece of paper over to the group.

    Carriage Prices:

    Standard 1 person carriage - 40 Dol/24h or 4000 rol/24h

    Standard 2 person carriage - 60 Dol/24h or 6000 rol/24h

    Standard 3 person carriage - 80 Dol/24h or 8000 rol/24h

    Standard 4 person carriage - 100 Dol/24h or 10000 rol/24h

    Standard 8 person carriage - 180 Dol/24h or 18000 rol/24h

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comfortable 1 person carriage - 80 Dol/24h or 8000 rol/24h

    Comfortable 2 person carriage - 120 Dol/24h or 12000 rol/24h

    Comfortable 3 person carriage - 160 Dol/24h or 16000 rol/24h

    Comfortable 4 person carriage - 200 Dol/24h or 20000 rol/24h

    Comfortable 8 person carriage - 320 Dol/24h or 32000 rol/24h

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Luxurious 1 person carriage - 120 Dol/24h or 12000 rol/24h

    Luxurious 2 person carriage - 180 Dol/24h or 18000 rol/24h

    Luxurious 3 person carriage - 240 Dol/24h or 24000 rol/24h

    Luxurious 4 person carriage - 300 Dol/24h or 30000 rol/24h

    Luxurious 8 person carriage - 540 Dol/24h or 54000 rol/24h

    The group gazed upon luxurious carriage prices, their eyes twitching at the incredibly high numbers.

    "Ahaha¡­ So who said they were gonna pay again..?" Xenia desperatelyughed as she looked around at the group, who was looking at her with a nk face.

    "Argh! Fine! We''ll take an 8 person luxurious carriage! Rgghh, that''s like a third of my rol¡­" She cried as the rest of the groupughed at her misfortune.

 Chapter 95 - Arrival At Dawn

    The old guild receptionist requested an 8 person luxury tiger-drawn carriage through arge electronic box, with the Echopany logo, a golden wrench, which was also crested upon each of the weapon rings that the Rangers held.

    Being the leadingpany in technological developments, they have just begun making use of energy stones for remote activities andmunication. These were the same rocks that were used to light up rooms, and even the very same rocks that line up the caverns of the Hasbin gulf, simply radiating with pure energy. However, these resources were scarce, and not infinite, thus the price for each manufactured device from the Echopany was astronomically high, causing arge gap in quality of life between the wealthy and the middle ss.

    The upper ss could enjoyvish, automated lives, while the rest of the world had to work hard to simply put food on the table. The Echopany hired these same people to mine the rocks, which often involved delving into the very depths of the earth just for a single glimmer of these rocks. The working conditions and the risk involved to procure one of these were dreadful, and after thepany began procuring these radiant rocks, earthquakes and other natural disasters became moremonce in the continent, as if the earth was repulsing the idea of ridding it of this source of energy.

    Nevertheless, they didn''t stop mining, and many small towns around the capital city of Naji were forced to flee due tock of protection from the wrath of nature. An extremely dangerous process that many were not fans of, but were inrge demand from the rich. 1 stone could power an entire household of these electrical appliances that the Echopany produced.

    Naturally, thepany''s attention eventually turned to the Hasbin gulf, which was simply thriving in the stones dotted around the cavern. However, each of the guild grandmasters, including the current one, Julianne Starsage, defended the riches of the cavern, which were used in an eco-friendly manner to power these homes. Eventually, the Echopany and the Ranger guild came to an agreement, where the Echopany would still sell them the appliances and gadgets they produced, to further sales.

    "Interesting! So that''s why even the small dorm rooms have power! So those huge rocks are what provide it, huh? Yeah,e to think of it, I usually do see a glimmering rock in the middle of some buildings. So that''s what''s giving everything else energy?" Xenia asked as she took notes, listening to Saphri exin as they rid in the spacious carriage, drawn by 4 white Kindus tigers.

    Precisely. Though it ismon knowledge, I suppose I can give you a pass since you were borderlineatose for the past 6 years. This practice only becamemonce around 8 years ago, so it is understandable if you still do not know of it," Saphri affirmed.

    The two girls sat in the corner of the carriage, whispering to each other as Saphri exined more things about the mechanical world.

    "You said mining those rocks angered the earth, right? Isn''t that a problem..?" Xenia asked as Raxo joined them in the corner, Quint sleeping along the seats as they conversed, Rein faintly listening in on their conversation.

    "Yeah, it''s fucked up. Most of the time, they don''t even get any rocks. One gram of that stuff is worth a fuckin fortune, but the shit''s like impossible to find. You know how many people have tried chipping pieces of it off the Hasbin gulfs walls? More than I could count. Though, every time, a mysterious force stops them. Nobody knows what though," Raxo interjected, whispering as to not wake Quint, who was beginning to snore.

    "I guess that mysterious power wants to keep the bnce in the gulf, huh? Yeah those rocks can do cool things, but maybe we shouldn''t be extracting them from the ground¡­"

    "That''s right¡­ That''s why¡­"

    At that point, Rein''s mind began dozing off, his mind preupied with different things as he headed to the capital of Orthlys.

    For the past few days, Rein had been training his STO skill in the silent room in the dorm. Focusing on keeping it active for longer, he also tried training memory flip, which alwayssted for 1 minute. However, he found that he was able to keep memory flip active for longer than 1 minute, and as 2 minutes passed, he heard a notification on his system.

    [Skill Up!]

    Memory Flip+: Every (24 ¡ú 12) hours, allows you to copy a Spring from your inverse history for (60 ¡ú 600) seconds

    [Stats Up!]

    Intellect 301.4 ¡ú 305.8

    Using the knowledge that he had about doing various activities, he wondered if he could do the same with his skills, and his training came into fruition, though his System Take-Over has yet to upgrade.

    However, even more pressing matters clouded his thoughts. The royal pce, the royal guard, the king, his aunt¡­ Would they be there? Along with the protection of Saphri, Rein also epted this request to scout out the capital city.

    What would he do if he learned that she was in the pce? Would he wreck it? Bring it to the ground in a tremorous fury? Or what if she was somewhere in the city?

    He was worried as to how he would act if he gained that knowledge, yet his turmoiled worries didn''t stop his fatigue as his eyes closed, drifting into a deep sleep on the gently rocking carriage, as the gentle night breeze blew through the dimly lit area, caressing his white hair as he soundly slept.

    He awoke to a familiar white haze, a void that he had grown ustomed to. The inverse system, sitting crosslegged, waiting for his arrival. They talked to each other, easing each other''s pains as they conversed.

    Eventually, Rein woke up as he felt the carriagee to a stop, the slight orange hue arising over the horizon. He was the first to wake up out of the group, everyone else sprawled out over the soft carpet ground. Before waking them, he left the carriage and tied the tiger''s leash to a fence along the walls of the city. As he walked the tigers to the stable, he caught a glimpse of the city through the gate.

    It was the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen, as if it were a setting described in a book of fiction. Arge, metropolitan paradise, buildings made out of smooth metal, freshly paved roads, mysterious moving vehicles,rge skyscrapers, and buildings, all of which built along the cliffs that hung off the edge, withrge highways connecting it all to a central ind in the middle of the water. The centerpiece of the city, the Orthlys royal pce.

    His pupils grew in amazement as the sun rose over the glistening city, filling the reflections of the smooth chrome metal with orange light that hung in the visible air in rays of sunlight. However, through all of that, the pce that stood in the middle resonated a cruel aura that exuded all the way to Rein, which snapped him out of the trance he was just experiencing.

    He shook his head and tied the leash to the stable, petting the tigers before he re-entered the carriage, softly waking his colleagues up as his conscience filled with thoughts and ns.

 Chapter 96 - Naji, The Metropolitan City

    "Have we arrived?" Saphri spoke as she rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawning as her dark-blue hair stuck to her face.

    "Yeah, we''re here. Get your stuff ready. I''ll wake the rest up," Rein instructed as he went on to shake the rest of them, waking them each one by one.

    "Just 5 more minutes¡­" Raxo uttered as she curled back into the corner, Saprhi looking down at her, unamused.

    She squatted down and held her by the ear, waking her instantly in an outcry of pain.

    "Ow! Okay okay! I''m up already!" Sheined as she rubbed her eyes, Quint and Xenia also waking, getting their stuff ready.

    Ahead of the group, Rein and Saprhi exited the carriage and into the semi risen sun, which was enchanting their surroundings as Saphriy her eyes on the city.

    Her chest puffed up, her mouth gaped open as she looked at the metropolitan wondend.

    "Amazing, isn''t it?" Rein admired the view with her, but with a troubled air shrouding his expression.

    "Yes¡­ However, your aunt may be in there, right? That is the main reason you apanied me, is it not?" She asked, noticing the turmoiled aura surrounding him.

    "Huh? No, of course not," He denied.

    "It is alright Rein. I already knew. I did not get my hopes up, so you do not have to worry about me. You may do whatever you want," she coldly stated as she walked into the city, leaving Rein at the gate, even more turmoil growing within him.

    He quickly followed Saphri into the city, the rest of the group catching up with them as they looked around the bustling capital, walking on the sidewalk as the asional moving vehicle came passing by.

    They decided to make their way to the Naji Ranger guild branch to check in and notify the main branch that they''ve made it there and to fulfill the attendance requirement back at the academy.

    "Wee! You guys must be in town for the engineering fair happening in a couple of hours huh?" A red-brown-haired young man greeted them as they entered the branch.

    "Yep! We''re here aspany for those 2," Xenia pointed at Raxo and Saphri, who were standing at the back waiting for the Rangers to finish their business.

    "Ah, okay. Is that white-haired guy with you too?" He pointed to Rein, who was sitting beside Saphri and Raxo with his head down.

    "Yeah, his name''s Rein Xilris. He''s a Ranger too, so put him down for attendance," Quint exined.

    As they finished registering, the young man folded a folder, then tapped on the screen of a tablet, making a loud ding sound signifying the end of the registration process.

    "And with that, you''re done! Do you guys need anywhere to put your stuff away? There''s always the second floor of the guild if you want," the young man offered, to which the group respectfully declined.

    They all left the branch together and went to a restaurant to have breakfast, and n out their next moves. They stopped at a seafood restaurant in the shopping district and sat around the table.

    "So right now it''s 8 o''clock sharp, the award show starts in 4 hours. We have some time to explore the city at our leisure, but we should be at the Echopany building at least 1 hour and a half before the start of the event," Raxo exined as their food came.

    "That sounds like a n. Let''s finish our food and get to exploring! This is your hometown, so you lead the way Raxo!" Xenia excitedly eximed as they began eating.

    They finished their food after a few minutes, then began a tour of the capital city. Raxo took them around the capital as she drew up a rough map for their viewing pleasure.

    (click to see visual) (it won''t be there for the first 2 days of release, wait until it leaves the privilege chapters)

    She took them around the shopping district first, admiring the automated bakeries with conveyor belts of bread on showcase, the appliance stores lit up with colorful neon lights, and the entertainment district, which was filled with casinos, bars, and a y theatre.

    Amazement was the only word to describe how they felt as they saw these things, but at the same time, the cost of which these things have been powered weighed heavily on their awe-filled minds. The number of glow stones that had to have been mined to power these was incredible.

    After finishing the tour of the shopping district, they made their way to the residential district. Thevish houses, the pleasant smell, and the water sprinklers that fed the grasswns of the homes and caused the sunshine to reflect rainbows into their view, all of it was just what they''d expected.

    The houses wererge and modern, each with their own metal fences surrounding the front yards. Some houses even had a paved driveway, in which they kept these moving vehicles parked. Looking closer, the vehicles had small chunks of glow stones in each of their wheels which was what made them move.

    As they continued, Raxo suddenly stopped at one of the houses. It looked to be slightlyrger than the others, painted red and a tree growing out of the side of it, casting a breezy shade on the sunny road.

    "This is my house. Haha, get it? There''s a tree growing out of it because we''re elves. Sort of a weird way of being patriotic, ain''t it?" She softlyughed as the group admired therge, breathtaking home.

    "Looks like nobody''s home, so we shouldn''t waste any more time staring at it. Come on guys," she pulled them away from the house and into an unexpected part of town.

    It was almost like they crossed a line into another society, a clear divide in this side of the residential district. As they continued down, the houses began looking slightly deteriorated, with encampments and poor living conditions seeming to be more frequent, the houses no longerrge or decorated with a metal fence. Not even the nts would grow over theirwns, no sprinklers to water them, and no more pleasant smell.

    "What''s going on here? Slums in a ce like this?" Quint uttered as he entered an environment he was familiar with.

    "Yeah, I told you¡­ If this glow stone rock industry gets any bigger, the difference in living quality between the rich and even the middle ss will be insane. This is a perfect example," Raxo exined as they continued walking through the slums, people living in run-down homes and poor sanitary conditions.

    This wasn''t outside of the norm for a good portion of the continent, but in contrast to what they just experienced in the rest of the city, the inequality was appalling.

    "This is exactly why we must make mechanical power more essible," Saphri eximed as she stopped walking, the group stopping to look back at her.

    "What do you mean? How is that possible considering the rarity of these ores?" Xenia asked curiously.

    "An alternate power source. My mother¡­ It was one of the things she was researching before she died¡­ And Raxo and I¡­ We have almost perfected it¡­ We just need one more piece of the puzzle¡­" Saphri spoke seemingly calm, but upon closer inspection, she was trembling slightly, which only Rein noticed.

    "What are you talkin'' about? A new energy source?" Quint sounded, making Raxo look at him with an air of confusion?

    "What? Did we not tell you what we sent in for the mech fair? We, or should I say Saphri, made an energy-efficient source of power," she revealed, which widened the eyes of her friends in surprise.

 Chapter 97 - Power Source

    "Say what?" Xenia uttered, dumbfounded.

    "Yeah. Though it''s not perfect, we used Saph''s telekinesis in a controlled device that keeps perpetual motion, something which was thought to be impossible until now. Amazing, ain''t it?" Raxo exined as she patted Saphri''s head.

    "Do not sell yourself short Raxo. It would''ve been impossible to assemble without your help," Saphriplimented as Raxo rubbed her head in embarrassment, as usual, not knowing how to take gratitude.

    "Hold on, you''re telling me this thing you made can provide an infinite amount of power?" Rein intervened, looking at Saphri with a stern expression.

    "Well, yes and no. It is in some way simr to the glow stones. Each one can provide limitless energy, but in a certain radius and at a certain speed. Its only disadvantage is that it has to be connected with the object, which the glow stones do not have to be shackled by. That is the only piece of the puzzle we are missing," Saphri exined as Rein stared with a worried expression.

    "And what tole does it have on you? How much energy do you have to expend to just make one of these?" Rein asked, his worry growing further.

    "... That is not important. What''s important is my mother''s dream¡­" She dered as she averted her gaze from him.

    "Does Voron know about this? You told him about the invitation¡­ Did you tell him about the device?" Questioned, to which she stayed silent.

    There was a long pause, to which Raxo intervened byughing nervously.

    "Rein¡­ Don''t you think you''re bein'' a bit overprotective? What she''s done is nothing short of a miracle," she approached the two, trying to calm down the situation.

    Rein nced over at her, then grit his teeth, looking away as he began to walk back to the shopping district.

    "Right, we''d better head back now¡­ We wouldn''t want to bete," Raxo uttered as the rest of the group followed, Saphri taking onest nce at the slums before catching up, strengthening her resolve.

    Before arriving at the Echo building, they walked back to the guild branch, the atmosphere around them so thick that you could cut through it with a knife. Raxo and Saphri wanted to change into formal attire before heading into the convention. The two went upstairs to change while the Rangers waited on the ground floor.

    "Yo, Rein¡­" Quint uttered, getting Rein''s attention.

    "You think your little sis is being a little too reckless? She said this stuff tires her out, right?" He conferred with him, making Rein sigh out in worry.

    "Yeah, she has been acting kind of weirdtely too¡­ Maybe it''s all the fatigue getting to her¡­" Rein spoke, remembering the day he beat Sho, when she cried while hugging him.

    "Ain''t that a bad thing? Shouldn''t we do something about it?" Quint questioned in a concerned voice.

    "I''m thinking here man¡­ Don''t think I''m just gonna let her burn herself out¡­" He whispered to himself, inaudible to Quint as he stood there, confused.

    Xenia listened to their conversation and began to grit her teeth, despite wanting to support the 2 girls in their endeavors.

    After a moment of silence, the 2 girls emerged from the stairs in their formal dresses, Raxo wearing a velvet dress,ced with yellow ribbons that twirled around her waist. She also removed her cap and styled her long, red hair in curls.

    Saphri wore a light blue dress and white frills on her top, made of a shiny material that glittered in the light of the room. Her long, navy-blue hair was worn in twin tails.

    "Wow, you both look amazing!" Xenia instantly sprung up as they appeared, gushing over them as she got too close forfort.

    "Ahaha¡­ What do you boys think? Do I look mature now?" She posed, to which Quint scoffed.

    "Maybe to the untrained eye. Too bad I know your real personality. No elegance at all," he remarked, which earned him a hard punch in the face, which caused the 2 to start bickering.

    "How does my attire look, Rein?" Saphri asked as she walked in front of him.

    He smiled and let his worry go for a moment.

    "It looks cute. Fits you like a charm," he said joyfully, making her blush slightly in happiness.

    They made their way back to the Echopany building, the atmosphere beginning to lighten up. As they arrived, they found arge crowd of people upying the outside of the skyscraper. They all seemed to be scientists and engineers talking amongst themselves, the crowd seeming to extend into the building, whererge rows of chairs were set out in front of a stage, where the chosen inventions would be showcased.

    The front seats were numbered, which was where all the inventors would be sitting, Saphri and Raxo receiving their numbers. Rein, Quint, and Xenia would have to sit in the back seats and spectate the two being called up on stage.

    However, that wasn''t until ater time. For now, they walked around, observing other people''s inventions. They saw all sorts of different designs, but most of them made use of glow stone rocks to make them work, which put a sour taste in Saphri''s mouth. As they continued walking around, they were suddenly stopped by a voice from behind.

    "Raxo? Is that you?" A girl''s voice could be heard as they turned around, seeing a short-haired blonde girl shouting out to them.

    She was dressed in formal attire just like the two girls, with an elegant yellow dress.

    "Ba..?" Raxo uttered as she turned around to face the girl.

    "Wow! You actually came back. Did you get an invitation too?" She asked enthusiastically.

    "Huh? O-oh, yeah¡­" Raxo replied with an intimidated look on her face.

    "Well, that''s a surprise. I wouldn''t expect that of you," the girl arrogantlyughed, making Raxo look down at the ground with a discouraged expression.

    "We have so much catching up to do though! You can tell me all about your failures back at your parent''s house when youe visit!" She stated as Raxo looked up at her in confusion.

    "My parent''s house..?"

    "Oh? You don''t know yet? After your dad sent you away, he took me in as the heir to thepany. You never proved your worth anyways. Well, I look forward to seeing you there," she waved, walking away from the group, Raxo with a devastated look on her face.

 Chapter 98 - Engineering Fair

    "Who the hell was that? She made my fuckin skin crawl," Quint remarked after she left as Raxo grit her teeth.

    "Let''s go guys," she uttered as she continued walking, acting as though her interaction with the blond-haired girl never happened.

    The group followed promptly, continuing down therge bottom floor of the skyscraper. They eventually reached a ck-haired middle-aged man, dressed in an all-ck suit with a line of people going up to him just to greet him.

    As the man finished shaking hands with someone, he looked up and noticed the group, waving to them toe to him. Theyplied and greeted the man.

    "Ah! Hello there! You must be little miss Tincer, no? d to make your acquaintance! My name is Ginald, and I am the current head-manager of the Echopany, working directly under your father!" He outstretched his hand to shake it with her.

    "You''re the head manager? It''s nice to meet you as well. Will my father be attending the ceremony?" She asked as she shook his hand.

    "Oh no, unfortunately, your father is currently bedridden. Though, it''s a surprise you didn''t already know this," the man divulged, to which Raxo''s worried expression grew tenser.

    "No¡­ I wasn''t informed¡­"

    "Ah! And you must be miss Xilris! I''m a big fan of your fathers!" He outstretched his hand to Saphri.

    "You know my idiot father?" She asked as she shook his hand.

    "Ahaha¡­ I wouldn''t call him an idiot. If he''s an idiot, what does that make the rest of us?" The man nervouslyughed.

    "He is below us. We have some semnce of intelligence while hecks basicmon sense," Saprhi continued critiquing her dad''s negative qualities while the rest of the group listened, eventually being cut off by Ginald.

    "Well, it was nice meeting you lot! I''ve got to prepare the event now! You kids take care!" He ran off to the end of the hall and went backstage.

    "He seems like a nice guy. d dad didn''t fuck up again like he always does," Raxo remarked, to which some of the group nodded.

    Rein was looking at the interaction out of the corner of his eye, a look of concern washing over him.

    Suddenly, they heard the sound of a microphone being held, then tapped multiple times to test.

    "Wee one and all to the annual Naji engineering fair! We will be beginning the award show promptly, if everyone could take their seats, that would be wonderful!" The announcer stated, to which the crowd began moving to the seats, all of the engineers going to the front to sit on the numbered seats.

    Saphri and Raxo split off from the group to sit in those seats themselves, while the 3 Ranger students went to sit in some seats in the back. After a bit of waiting, they saw the man who called himself Ginald walk onto the stage, all the other lights turning off and a spotlight shining on him.

    "Good afternoon everybody! Or should I say high noon? Haha, I guess it doesn''t matter. My name is Ginald, and I am the current head-manager of the Echopany here in Naji! But I''m sure you guys already knew that, right?" He joked, the sound of seemingly artificialughter going with his remark.

    "You guys heard that? It''s called a ugh track''. Invented it myself," he boasted, invoking a realugh from the audience, not a hardyugh, but one of pity towards his meager efforts in getting people tough at his jokes.

    "Anyway, let''s get on with the showcases, shall we? First up, we have miss Reba Brids, with an invention inspired by the Orthlys royal family! I''ll let her have the stage," Ginald announced as Reba, the blonde girl that seemed to know Raxo, walked onto the stage with a cardboard box in hand.

    "Thank you Mr. Ginald. What he said was true, my invention was inspired by the Orthlys royal family Spring, the gift of wind," she stated as she cut the box open, revealing arge, circr cage with three des connected to a centerpiece in the middle.

    "Have you ever felt too hot in your home in the summertime? Well, I hear the royal family never has to worry about this! Though the one over in Econica does," she leaned in to whisper, which made the crowdugh harder than Ginaldsugh track.

    "Introducing my new invention. I call it a ''glow fan''. We already have those manual fans, where you wave them back and forth to produce a current of cold air. Well, no more of that! Simply put one in your home and sync it with your glow stone, and you''re set! Never worry about overheating again!

    I will be selling this under the Echopany, starting at 500 dol per unit! I hope to receive your support in the future," she bowed as the crowd began apuding loudly, cheering in satisfaction.

    Most of the crowd was made up of rich, influential folk, or investors that may find any opportunity to invest in a product. After each speech was over, Ginald would return to the stage and ask the audience for any backers. For Reba''s product, over 3 quarters of the crowd raised their hands. Rein assumed that the other 25 percent were merely spectators, or rangers havinge as bodyguards for others, just like them.

    "I guess some funding wouldn''t hurt them¡­ That basement down in the gulf is pretty run down," Rein thought in his mind, but then another thought suddenly crossed him.

    If they get to be recognized by thepany, it would be a near certainty that Saphri would have to move away from them to work at a professionalb. His worry folded over him, gritting his teeth, not wanting her to leave. It was selfish of him, but he wanted her where he could keep an eye on her. It was simple worry.

    The speeches continued on and on, but nothing came close to the first presentation. Nothing even grazed the magnitude of support that the glow fan and Reba Brid got. It was nearing the end of the line that made up the inventors, Raxo and Saphri''s names not having been called yet.

    Every time a person would finish their speech, Rein would clench his fist in hopes that the next name called wouldn''t be Saphri. However, as the numbered dwindled down, there was only 1 person left before the 2 girls, who sat patiently, awaiting their turns. As all other inventors finished their presentation, and the investors put their hands down, Ginald would walk on the stage for the final time, his next announcement being hisst. Rein had finally calmed himself down and somewhat came to terms with the situation, though he still didn''t like it. He was prepared for Ginald to announce Saphri''s name to present her and Raxo''s invention.

    "Well, that marks the end of this year''s engineering fair! And I''d say it was a huge sess! Such great young talent was found this year! I could hardly contain my excitement! Do stick around for the after-party! Talk to people and enjoy yourselves! Welp, till next year!" He dered as he left the mic stand and walked off the stage while the crowd gave a fierce apuse, Saphri, Raxo, and even Rein and the Rangers sitting there with their mouth''s gaped open, dumbfounded.

 Chapter 99 - Signs Of Unease

    Saphri nced over at Rein with a look of worry, the crowd standing up shortly after, blocking their line of sight of each other. The party began in full swing, a band emerging onto the stage to y smooth jazz music, food, and drink being brought out on carts to be enjoyed by the guests.

    Raxo stood up with the intention of talking to Ginald, asking him what happened, but was blocked by Reba, who stood in front of her.

    "Pfft! Hahaha! I don''t know what I was expecting out of you! You probably got that invitation by mistake! There''s no way someone like you would actually invent something! Hahaha!" She continuedughing as Raxo looked at her, clenching her fist.

    "Move over Ba¡­" She uttered.

    "Oh? Who do you think you''re talking to? Know your ¡ª" suddenly, Raxo saw her being pushed over by arge hand, bringing Reba to the ground, interrupting her haughty speech.

    "Let''s go. That Ginald guy is heading to the elevator as we speak," Quint hastened her as she stood, bbergasted.

    "Quint? The fuck''s wrong with you! You can''t just push someone down like that!" She scolded, to which he scoffed, then grabbed her wrist.

    "Don''t care. Let''s go already before it''s toote. Youe too kid," he nced over at Saphri, who was still sitting down, making her stand up and follow them in a hurry as Quint dragged Raxo away.

    "H-how dare you! Quint, was it? I''ll have you taken care of, you brute!" Reba threatened, her remarks not being heard by the group as they ran towards Ginald, who was waiting for the elevator toe down.

    "Mr. Ginald!" Raxo yelled, making him turn around curiously.

    "Ah! If it isn''t little miss Tincer! What''s up?" He greeted cheerfully as the group approached him.

    Rein and Xenia caught up as they made it to the man.

    "Why weren''t our names called? What were we invited here for?" She asked, making Ginald turn his head out of confusion.

    "Your names weren''t called, huh? What exactly did you invent?" He inquired.

    "It''s the perpetual motion device. Surely you received it, right?"

    "You¡­" His eyes widened for a split second, then returned to normal. "So it was you who invented that then? We actually brought it to our offices on the top floor! And I would like to personally have a meeting with whoever is responsible for making it! We have a special offer set up for them," he informed them, making their deted faces light up with jubtion.

    "Really?! When should we meet then?" Raxo enthusiastically asked.

    "Hmm, let''s see¡­ I''m only free from 5pm to 6pm¡­ Would that work for you?"

    "5 to 6..? No¡­ I''m actually visiting mom and dad at 5¡­ Do you have any other times free?" She discouragingly asked.

    "Unfortunately, that''s the only time free on my schedule¡­ Is there no way to postpone your appointment with your father¡ª I mean, with mister CEO?" Ginald posed, concerned.

    "My father has always been picky with appointments¡­ He won''t change it, and even if I asked him, I doubt he''d listen to me," she frowned as she spoke, feeling a tug on her dress as she looked behind her.

    "It is alright Raxo. I will take the meeting. You can trust me with this," Saphri sternly spoke as Raxo''s eyes lit up once again.

    "Really?! That''s perfect! Is that allowed, Mr. Ginald?"

    Ginald let out a light smirk, thenughed hardily.

    "That''spletely fine! As long as we have one of the inventors. Well, miss Xilris, I''ll see you at 5!" He waved as he entered the elevator, the door closing on his smiling face.

    "Well, that''s that then," Quint sighed in relief as they finished the conversation.

    "Thanks for that Quint. I don''t think we would''ve made it if it weren''t for you," Raxo smiled at him, catching him off guard, making him turn around, blushing slightly.

    "I-it was nothin''. The meeting''s in 2 hours, yeah? Let''s go eat something," he rushed outside, followed by everyone else.

    They went out looking around the town, then sat down to eat, Rein all the while feeling the area out for signs of his aunt.

    "By the time we finish eating it should be 5. I''ll be going to my parent''s house while Saph goes to meet with Mr. Ginald. We can decide on the groups when the timees then! You guys can order without me, I''m saving my appetite for mom''s home cooking," Raxo dered as the rest ordered their food and ate to their heart''s content, not having eaten in over 5 hours.

    After they finished, they walked outside the restaurant and into the middle of the street, which was surprisingly clear, with norge crowds or vehichles around.

    "Alright, how should we divide the groups?" Raxo asked as they all stretched, full after stuffing themselves with sustenance.

    "I''ll go with Saprhi. You two can apany Raxo to her house, if that''s okay with you guys," Rein proposed, to which Saprhi reacted with a surprised, yet happy face.

    "Sounds good to me. You''re probably the most suited to taking care of her. Well, we''d better get going then!" Xenia remarked as they waved to each other, Raxo, Xenia, and Quint walking away to the residential district.

    As the two finished waving them goodbye, they picked their stuff up, noticing that Xenia left her weapon ring behind.

    "It would seem Xenia has left her weapon ring here¡­ Not that I think she will need it, but it is funny how little attention she gives to things like this," Saphri said in an unamused tone as she picked up the ring and put it in her dress pocket.

    "Hey Saphri¡­ We shouldn''t go to that meeting," Rein stated, making Saprhi look at him with a confused face.

    "What?" She uttered.

    "Hey, guys! I think I left my weapon ring around here somewhere? I took it off¡­" Xenia returned, waving to them as she approached, but stopped talking as she caught on to the scene that was happening in front of her.

    "I may be selfish in saying this, but if you take whatever deal he has for you, you might have to move out of the Hasbin gulf. Considering the risk revolving around what you''re doing, you know how dangerous that would be, don''t you?" Rein exined, making her look down in discouragement.

    "I do not want to hear it from you, Rein. After what you did in your fight with the Econican prince¡­ You wagered our luxury dorm room without our consent, all the while with the intention of losing the battle¡­" She finally revealed, which made Rein recoil slightly.

    "So you know about that? Look, I''m sorry¡­ I don''t know how I can apologize about that¡­" He bowed down to her.

    "And what you did to Raxo when Quint was asking for a weapon¡­ It was like you manipted her mind. How could you?"

    "I understand¡­ but really, I''m worried. This is way too dangerous, and imagine how Emria would feel if you went away."

    "You''re being way too restrictive, Rein. Why did youe here in the first ce if not to cheer her on? To help her aplish her dreams?" Xenia interjected angrily.

    "What do you know? Do you really think it''s a good idea to let her continue this in a ce where I can''t see her? How could I face her father if something happened?" As he uttered those words, Saphri looked back up to him with a sad expression.

    "So this worry you harbor towards me¡­ It is only to appease my father then? It is only to keep Emria happy?" She sadly looked at him.

    "No, of course, it''s not. I''m genuinely worried, can''t you see that?"

    "If I was Emria, you would havee here out of love for her! You only came here for my father, and you''re only worrying about me to make sure Emria would not be sad! Not to mention that if received any sign of the royal family, you would drop everything and pursue it! You only care about what happens to me for your own good! You do not have any right to restrict me!"

    "No! Saphri I¡ª" he suddenly stopped talking, twitching his head behind him as his eyes widened.

    "Rein..? Don''t tell me what she said was true?" Xenia uttered.

    "It''s her¡­ She''s defenseless¡­" He whispered to himself, which both of the girls heard.

    "Who is? You should be directing all your attention to your little sister right now¡­" Xenia clenched her fist as she saw him looking away from them.

    "This is my chance¡­ Tch, but I can''t right now¡­ Don''t let your anger take over¡­" He held his head as Saphri tried her hardest to hold in her tears, despite already knowing about the ''real reason'' he came with them.

    Rein turned back around to apologize but was met with a swift p to the face. It didn''t hurt, which he found weird since it was Xenia who had pped him.

    "You can go after whatever ''other reason'' you had foring here¡­ I''ll take Saphri to the meeting. Maybe if you had your priorities straight from the beginning, you wouldn''t hurt the people important to you. Come on Saphri, let''s go. Raxo and Quint''ll understand," she sternly spoke as she grabbed Saphri''s small hand and walked away towards the Echo building, leaving Rein with his hand on his cheek, Saphri looking back at him with a worried expression as the two walked away.

    "No. Fuck priorities. I''ll do what I want," he uttered to himself as he put his hood on and turned around, jumping onto a building, then disappearing.

 Chapter 100 - The Tincer Family

    "Man, what''s taking Xenia so long? It''s not like her to bete," Quint scratched the back of his head as he and Raxo waited in front of her house.

    "The hell''s that girl doing? Leaving me alone with a guy! Now if I enter, mom and dad are gonna think he''s my boyfriend or something," Raxo thought, shaking her head back and forth.

    "Your parents really think that way? It''s fine, we''ll just clear up the misunderstanding," Quint stated as Raxo turned around in panic.

    "You heard that?! I-I mean, I didn''t mean it that way¡­ It''s just I don''t want my parents jumping to conclusions¡­ It''s not like I think it''s a bad thing¡­ You know what I''m sayin''?" She rambled, looking up to see Quint not paying attention, inspecting therge, wooden door.

    "What kind of wood is this? It''s much richer than zir wood. Were''s it fr¡ª" he was suddenly hit at the top of the head as Raxo angrily walked towards him, Quint yelling in pain.

    "The hell was that for?" He said, holding his punched head.

    "Nothing. We have no more time to waste. Let''s head inside already," she remarked, irritated as she knocked on the door.

    After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened, a grey-haired maid greeting them as they met.

    "Ah! Mydy! You''ve finallye to visit! And oh! Is that your¡ª"

    "No, Diana, he''s not my boyfriend," Raxo cut the excited maid off before she could finish her sentence.

    "Oh¡­" The maid deted in her jubtion, then re-ignited.

    "Nheless, it is great to see you again mydy. And it''s nice to meet you as well, mister..?"

    "Quint Vossen. Student at Ranger academy. I hope I''m not intruding, but I''ll be apanying miss Raxo Tincer this afternoon. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Quint bowed in courtesy, making Raxo look at him in a confused air.

    "The hell? I guess he can also act nice when he wants," she thought in her mind, impressed.

    "Oh, what a wonderful gentleman you are! Please take off your shoes and follow m¡ª" suddenly, a loud thud could be hearding from the top floor, as a loud panting sound came flurrying down the stairs, with sniffles being heard at the same time.

    "Is it true!? Is my little girl back?!" A red-haired middle-aged elf emerged from the corner of the entrance''s hallway, sniffling from a runny nose, his face as red as his hair.

    "Sir Alen! You mustn''t get out of bed!" Diana urged, holding him up as he nearly copsed.

    "My apologies Diana¡­ But I thought I heard her voice," he said as he hyperventted, closing his eyes so he couldn''t see who was at the entrance.

    "That''s your dad? Not what I expected that''s for sure. From how you talked about him, you made him sound like he was a nationwide threat," Quint whispered to Raxo, who was facepalming as her dad came into the fray.

    "Sorry about him¡­ He''s a little¡­ overbearing¡­" She exhaled in a discouraged tone, making Quint chuckle.

    "It looks like he really loves you though. Good for you," he smiled from ear to ear, making Raxo blush as she coughed loudly.

    "*Ahem*. Father?" As she said his name, his eyes flew open, his back straightened, and his head snapped to the entrance, almost as if he was pumped full of drugs.

    "Oh my¡­ I can hardly believe it¡­ My little girl is home!!" His legs regained vigor as he ran towards Raxo at full speed, his arms spread out for a hug.

    She held her hand out in front of her and stopped him from hugging her.

    "Dad, you''re sick. I don''t wanna catch whatever you''ve got. Though, I''m d to see you too," she warmly smiled at him, making tears flow from his eyes.

    "Oh, how long has it been¡­ Wee back Raxo¡­" He wept, then his eyes bolted to Quint, who stood there smiling genuinely at their reunion.

    "This man¡­ He seems to care for my daughter¡­ Are you perhaps¡ª"

    "No." Raxo and Quint answered simultaneously, making Alen heave a sigh of relief as his adrenaline also ran out, making him copse on the floor, his fever heating up.

    Diana, the maid, took Raxo''s father back to the living room, where she set the couch up as a bed so that the father and daughter could converse.

    "Is that who I think it is?" A mature, female voice could be heard from the kitchen as a well-figured blonde woman wearing an apron emerged.

    "Hi, mom! I missed you!" Raxo dashed to her mother and hugged her tightly, her mother hugging her back warmly.

    "Oh my! Hello there sweetie! I missed you too!" The two smiled at each other, making Quint scratch his head in confusion.

    "What the hell is up with this family..? She was having me thinking they were gonna be abusive parents or some shit. Not this happy go lucky family¡­" Quint thought with a severely confused look on his face.

    The family sat down on the couch as the maid brought the food out to the coffee table.

    "Oh, I hope you don''t mind eating here Quint dear¡­ We''d usually be sitting at the dinner table, but her father needs to be in afortable space for his fever," the mother, who Quint had just introduced himself to, apologized.

    "Oh, no need to apologize ma''am. I''mpletely fine here," he replied, making Raxo''s mother smile warmly at him.

    "Oh, you''re very lovely dear. Why don''t you date my daughter here? She may seem tough on the outside, but I assure you that she is very sweet once you get to know her," the mother proposed, making Raxo''s face turn as red as her father''s.

    "Don''t give him ideas na! I haven''t given him the pass yet!" The father coughed as he heard them talk, Raxo trying desperately to change the subject as Diana brought out thest of the food.

    Suddenly, they heard the door jerk open, the sound of heels stepping through the door as a familiar voice yelled out.

    "I''m home Mr. and Mrs. Tincer!"

    "That sounds like Ba. Have you two talked yet Raxo? She''s been so excited to see you again," her mom asked as Raxo gulped out of nerves.

    "Yes¡­ I''ve talked to her already..." She uttered as the blonde-haired girl entered the living room.

    "Oh my! Raxo! And your boyfriend''s with you too! It''s so good to see you! We didn''t get to finish our conversation earlier!" She put on a facade as soon as she entered, sitting on therge couch that revolved around the table with all the food in the middle.

    "Hello again Ba¡­" She greeted her discouragingly.

    "Ah! Mr. Tincer, you should be in bed! What brought you all the way out here?" She feigned concern as she saw Raxo''s dad.

    "Thank you for your concern Reba, but it was a necessary sacrifice to see my daughter as soon as possible. But never mind that now, let''s eat. Honey, if you will," he asked his wife, to which she got a te for him and began feeding him.

    The rest began eating as well after them, Quint staying silent as Raxo caught up with her parents,ughing as they ate her mother and Diana''s delicious food. Quint noticed that Reba was also staying silent, her artificial smile brimming as the family talked. She nced over at Quint, her smile growing sinister as Quint frowned at her. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and spoke.

    "I assume you both heard about what happened in the engineering fair?" Reba spoke out, catching the attention of the conversation, making Raxo grow an expression of unease.

    "Ah, yes. How did that go Raxo? I was honestly hoping I could see what you invented. So, wh¡ª" her father''s speech was interrupted.

    "Who cares about her! Listen to this, my glow fan got the support of every investor in the building! My product is going to be incredibly beneficial to thepany, isn''t that great Mr. Tincer?" Reba eximed excitedly, making Alen raise an eyebrow.

    "Yes¡­ That''s great, but I want to hear what my daughter invented. Anyways Raxo¡ª"

    "Oh!! And I got praised by Mr. Ginald himself! He said my product was amazing and that he''d offer me a full-time job! Of course, I would have been guaranteed a job anyways, considering how amaz¡ª"

    "Reba. Please be quiet," Alen looked at her with a gaze of irritation, making her shut her mouth, sweating profusely.

    She bit her lips in anger as Raxo''s dad asked her what she invented again, making Reba blow her lid.

    "I''ll tell you what happened during the fair! Her name was never called! She just sat there, twiddling her thumbs. She didn''t show any invention off!" Reba imed, inducing a look of surprise on the mother and father.

    "Raxo, is that true?" Alen asked out of pure concern.

    "Yes¡­ It''s true. However, I did invent something. A little girl and I did together. She''s amazing to say the least. Our invention was so good that we were reserved a meeting with Mr. Ginald at 5 pm. Of course, I had toe here while my partner went to the meeting," Raxo exined, making Reba recoil in her seat, with an envious expression.

    "You''re lying, right¡­ There''s no way you invented something better than mine¡­" Reba spoke out angrily.

    "The man just told you to shut up, so shut your mouth already," Quint threatened, beastifying his eyes to intimidate her, which did the trick, inducing a look of fear in Reba''s eyes.

    "Well? What''d you invent! I''m dying of excitement here! My sweet little girl finally invented something! Oh, how I''ve dreamt of the day!" Alen sat up fromying down.

    "A device of perpetual motion. In other words, an alternate energy source," as she said that, Alen and na''s eyes widened, mouth gaped open in shock.

    "No way¡­" As Alen uttered those two words, they felt a sudden tremor in the earth under them, the sound of ss shattering piercing their ears as they heard an explosion from the distance.

    "The hell was that?!" Quint sprung up in panic, followed by Raxo, both of them running outside in a hurry.

    What they saw made their hearts drop to their stomachs, their eyes gazing upon the sight of the tall skyscraper''s top floor.

    The shattered ss falling down from the Echo building''s highest floor, along with the smoke rising from inside the building terrified them as the rest of the family also ran outside. They suddenly felt another tremor, as a bright spark emerged from the inside of the building, confirming that it wasn''t an outside attack.

    "Oh my! What happened?" Raxo''s mother gasped.

    "My office! The hell is that Ginald doing?!" The sickly father yelled as he leaned on the threshold of the house.

    "Hey¡­ Isn''t Rein supposed to be up there..?"

 Chapter 101 - Meeting At The Echo Building

    Earlier¡­

    "Xenia wait¡­ Rein¡­ He looked like he was about to apologize¡­" Saphri stopped walking for a second as they reached the Echo building entrance.

    "Forget about him, Saph. He always does this. It was the same thing he did when he hurt Chloe. He''lle to his senses eventually. And anyway, it looked like he had something important to do. So everything should be fine, right?" Xenia proimed as Saphri looked down with a frowning expression, nodding gently.

    The two walked into the building and to the receptionist, who was now at the counter where the stage used to be, the event being officially over. They asked for permission to go up to the top floor of the building, which they were granted.

    They entered the elevator, which had its own dedicated glow stone hung up on the ceiling, acting like light, and power for the machine. They pressed the button for the top floor, making the elevator doors slowly close. A few momentster, the elevator was hoisted up by a sudden jerk, making them feel heavier for a moment. Then, they regained their weight as they arrived at the top floor, the silver elevator door beginning to slowly open as the sunlight from the outside hit their eyes.

    They exited the elevator, entering arge office room, all of the walls being ss that overlooked the bustling metropolitan city. The sunlight that grazed the room was stretched across the walls and ceiling as the sun set over the horizon.

    Behind therge, brown desk in the middle back of the room stood Ginald, looking out the window with his hands behind his back. He turned around to face the two girls, weing them warmly with a bright smile.

    "Wee! Right on time as well! I must say, that is a rare attribute for workers nowadays. Everyone''s always sote!" Ginald ranted, trying to make the twough, but was met with deadpan stares.

    "I assume you''re the Ranger apanying Miss Xilris? I assure you, there is no need for such overprotectiveness," Ginald said as he gestured for them to take a seat on the couch as he sat on the parallel one, face to face with them.

    "Oh, I''m sure there isn''t. However, I would like to stay here with her if it''s okay with you? My name is Xenia Vossen by the way," she sat down beside Saphri, facing the man with a desk in between them, 2 brown boxesying atop it.

    "Of course! No need for formalities Miss Vossen! And I trust little Miss Tincer is at her father''s home, yes?" He asked.

    "Yes, they should be eating dinner as we speak," Xenia informed.

    "Perfect. Let''s get straight to business then," he put his elbow on the table and leaned forward, his smile twisting slightly.

    "What is it you would like to offer us? I am open to virtually anything," Saphri began.

    She sat up straight with her hands on her knees, listening attentively with stiff posture, Xenia putting her hands on her shoulder to calm down her tenseness.

    "Virtually anything? Well, that''s perfect," he said as he reached over to one of the boxes, what he said confusing the two girls slightly.

    "First, I would like topliment you on this groundbreaking invention. I mean this when I say that this could be the future of the city, nay, the entire continent," Ginald said as he opened the box which held the egg-shaped device that Saphri created, which was still vibrating slightly as the inside of it moved perpetually.

    "Thank you. I am d you think so," Saphri bowed.

    "No, I mean, seriously! This is amazing! Not only would it provide us with a reliable, infinite source of power, but it is also cheap. That could be the solution to all of our problems¡­" Ginald held the device in his hands and inspected it closely.

    "Indeed. That was mine and Raxo''s focus when making these devices," Saphri exined.

    "Now you say you both made it, but in reality, it was mostly you, no? All little Miss Tincer did was assemble it. You were the one who came up with the idea of perpetual motion, am I wrong?" Ginald asked, wanting to confirm something.

    "I¡­ do not understand the question¡­" Saphri tilted her head in confusion.

    "What I mean is: this device is your Spring''s doing. Am I correct in assuming so?"

    "Yes¡­ In that sense, the keyponent of driving the device lies in my Spring," Saphri said carefully, raising an eyebrow.

    "Perfect. That''s good to know," he put the device back into the box, then looked back up at Saphri.

    "It is truly amazing¡­ But wouldn''t you say that it''s missing something? Something the glow stones have that this device does not?" Ginald asked.

    "Yes. Glow stone rocks can affect multiple objects at once with it''s enhanced range. Unfortunately, our device still has not figured out a way to increase its radius. It will only work with objects within 10 millimeters."

    "Yes, quite. Now, to get to my proposal. Or would it be more fitting to call it an order?" He snapped his fingers, metal screens suddenly dropping down over the windows, blocking out light from entering the room.

    Dim lights turned on from each corner of the room as Xenia sprung up and stood in front of Saphri.

    "The hell? What are you doing?!" Xenia yelled as she readied her greatsword, summoning it through her weapon ring.

    "No need to be rmed, miss, I am simply doing what is necessary to perfect this product," he put on a metal helmet, a glow stone propped up on the top of it as he began approaching the two girls.

    "Now then Miss Xilris, why don''t you put on this ve chain," he said as he grabbed Saphri by the arm.

    As soon as he did, Xenia wound up her arm and punched him on the side of the head, holding back a little as to not kill him. He was sent flying across the room, bumping into the metal screens as Xenia shielded Saprhi.

    "Hehe, impressive. In terms of power, I don''t think any machine couldpete," he stood up with a smile on his face, unphased by the sheer force that was just imparted upon him.

    "What¡­ That punch should''ve cracked your skull¡­ How the hell are you still able to stand?" Xenia posed as she stood there in pure shock.

    "Ah, it''s a little thing called a Spring, I''m sure you''ve heard of them before? Basically, I am able to fortify anything I touch to near invincibility, however, they be susceptible to mental attacks. Of course, that''s perfect for my line of work, since I can fortify any object, without the worry of it being destroyed mentally. That''s why this metal screen behind me didn''t break. There''s no escape either. Everything in this room has been fortified, so don''t even think about breaking out," he smiled maliciously as he slowly walked towards the 2 girls.

    Xenia sprung up at full speed, suddenly appearing behind him, dishing out a full-force swing of her greatsword at his neck. However, instead of slicing through, the sword simply bounced off. She scoffed, then ran back in front of Saphri, dashing towards the man again, dealing a full-frontal assault with a series of swings. The man sighed in a bored manner.

    "Didn''t I tell you it was useless? And don''t even try going for mental attacks, this helmet that I invented regtes my brain stability, so even that''s useless. Of course, the helmet''s been fortified as well," he exined as he stopped in front of the 2, Xenia still growling at him as she stood in front of Saphri, with her arms out as she protected her.

    "Shit! How do we beat this guy? He''s virtually invincible right now! If only we couldmunicate with someone from the outside, but I already checked, and the tablet''s not turning on in here. If only Rein was here¡­ He could invert¡­" That''s when the idea hit her.

    She could use her ring on him to invert his Spring, she just had to keep it in direct contact with him for 3 seconds, which was easier said than done. If it left contact for even a split second, the effect wouldn''t work.

    "Hm? What is that other ring on your finger? It looks just like..." Ginald''s eyes widened as he grabbed Xenia''s hand and inspected it, inducing fear in her heart.

    The man tapped the ring and looked at it curiously, Xenia beginning to breathe heavily as she felt her trauma build up. She was frightened that he would remove the ring, that the effect woulde undone somehow, even for a fraction of a second. She didn''t want to live through that again.

    "It looks very important to you¡­ What would happen if I were to break it?" He said, which made her shriek inside as hisrge hands held her thin wrist.

    "No! Get away from her!" Saprhi yelled, using her telekinesis to try and rip him away.

    However, to her dismay, her telekinesis was considered a physical ability and had nearly no effect on him. All it did was further anger him.

    "Tch, you brat. Your telekinesis has no effect on me. Just give up already!" He used his other arm to swat Saphri away, sending her dragging against the floor as she held her cheek in pain.

    Xenia gasped as he did, turning her face to the girl, anger building up through her body. However, she suddenly felt a crack in her elbow joint, a sharp pulsation of pain following her anger washed over her, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs in agony.

    "Well, since I don''t want to break that red ring just yet, I guess I''ll only break your arm for now," he cast her aside on the ground as she squirmed in pain, pulling out a second ve chain from his bag.

    "You could be a useful pawn as well, Xenia Vossen. I''m going to enjoy using you," heughed hardily as he put the chain around her neck connecting it with a ring that he wore on his finger.

    "No! Xenia! What have you done to her?!" Saphri shrieked as she got back up.

    "Oh nothing, I just bound her to this ve ring that I got from the Collins family in Treaq. Quite useful items I''d say. Your mother wasn''t very fond of them though, so we had to resort to other methods," Ginald imparted, to which Saphri''s breath was caught as she stood there with uncontroble fear.

    "My mother..? What do you¡­ What are you talking about..?" She uttered, her voice trembling like frigid ice.

    "Ah, whoops. Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. Well, no use in hiding it now I suppose," he said as he opened the second box that wasid on the table.

    What it held was a yellow glowing dust that lit up the center of the dimly lit room.

    "This was your mother''s invention. It''s called ''amplifying dust''. It heightens the range of effect on anything it touches. Even glow stones. If it was sprinkled on a hammer, the hammer would affect arger radius. If it were used on a sword, the sword would begin cutting more things. A simple item, is it not?" He smiled maliciously as he held the box up.

    "But how¡­ Mother is dead¡­ Her Spring is gone¡­ You shouldn''t be able to produce any more¡­" Saprhi imed fearfully as Ginald''s smile grew even more twisted.

    "Are you sure about that?" He held up a red ring, which looked exactly like the one Xenia and Raxo wore, but felt somehow different.

    Saphri could feel her mother''s aura exuding from it, giving her a nostalgic feeling, but making her feel sick at the same time. Her fear grew even further as she could barely contain her emotions, the man putting the box down and approaching her menacingly.

    "That idiot Voron never found out. It was quite funny actually, the way he agonized over it. Mr. Alen never did either. We had to hide it from him since he was friends with Voron."

    "You¡­ You monster¡­ How could you do that¡­" Saphri''s fear mixed with anger as she saw Xenia struggling to stand up from behind Ginald, holding her broken arm with her other hand.

    "I know you''re there, ve. You can''t sneak up on me," he snapped his finger, making Xenia stand up straight against her will.

    "Oh, I have a fun idea," Ginald thought out loud as he threw the ve chain to Xenia.

    "You put it on the girl yourself. Wouldn''t that be an interesting sight? Hahaha," Ginald ordered, to which she began moving against her will, trying her very hardest to resist.

    She slowly walked to the girl on the ground and knelt down, looking at her in her bright red eyes. Against her will, she lifted both of her hands, edging through the pain as she trembled her way to Saphri''s neck.

    "Yes, perfect. Just a little bit more," Ginald spectated, smiling through his teeth.

    The two girls continued to look at each other sternly, both of them furrowing their eyebrows as Xenia''s hand made contact with Saphri''s neck. Saphri shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, when suddenly, the entire room shook immensely, light shining through the metal windows as they saw a spark of fire fly through, shattering the fortress that Ginald had set up.

    "What the hell?!"

 Chapter 102 - Priority

    Earlier¡­

    "Saphri¡­ I really hope you''re okay¡­ You should be in good hands with Xenia, so I''m going to trust her. For now, I''m gonna look for that fucking bitch. I''ll apologize to youter," Rein thought to himself as he jumped across the buildings, concealing himself from the citizens as the sun set.

    When talking with Saphri a little earlier, he felt a familiar pulse of energy spark from the royal pce. He knew it was her, his aunt, along with who he could only assume to be the king of Orthlys, Fredric Orthlysia, Chloe''s father. He couldn''t feel Luther''s energy anywhere, but he could easily be masking it by some unknown means, so Rein didn''t put his guard down.

    He stood atop a building on the inner edges of the city, one that overlooked theke in which the castle was situated, all 5 road bridges that lead to the castle in view as well. At each entrance and exit between the castle ind, security guards would only let people in if they had a permit, so Rein couldn''t use the bridges to cross to the castle.

    Instead, he opted to use theke to conceal himself, using the water Spring he copied from Sho to make a small bubble in the water as he walked on the surprisingly shallowgoon floor. He could see all kinds of aquatic life as he walked through, from small schools of fishes torge salmon that swam across.

    He eventually reached the foot of the castle''s ind, to which he switched to the earth Spring, which he still had copied in his liquid slots. He made a tunnel into the basement of the castle, emerging into the catbs, with skeletonsying dead in prison cells. Nobody remained down there, the catbs seeming as though they haven''t been used in hundreds of years.

    Rein could feel his aunt''s presence above him as he snuck up the stairs, which lead to a small, abandoned narrow tunnel, with spider webs along the rocky edges of the dusty path. At the end of that rocky tunnel was a dusty wooden wall, which Rein began approaching as he squeezed through. As Rein put his hands on it, he could feel the space of therge room behind it, theck of echoing sounds in the spacious area. It wasplete silence and he could feel nobody''s presence in the room. He pushed the wooden wall, sliding it forward as he emerged into therge, circr room, with book-filled shelves filling the walls, extending to arge ss roof.

    It was the pce''s library, which he had no time to admire. He swiftly concealed himself once again and snuck into one of the halls connected with the library, in search of the whereabouts of his aunt. He saw maids and butlers bustling through the main hall as he hid on the top of the chandeliers, maneuvering across the small tforms near the ceiling.

    As he continued searching through the pce, he had yet to catch any sign of his aunt anywhere. However, that all changed as soon as he got on the pce roof, where there was arge terrace, with lush gardens. That was when he saw her, sitting across from a man on a table, with a teacup in hand.

    The two were surrounded by a wall of guards, all dressed in Orthlys royal armor, meaning that this was the new royal guard regimen, after the old earth one was banished. He could only assume the blonde-haired man she sat across was the king, the two smiling at each other as they enjoyed a nice cup of tea. His aunt''s smile did not fool Rein, however. He saw through the pleasant facade she erected and could feel the pure evil radiating from her body.

    Rein swiftly hid as to not be seen, all the while trying to calm himself down, as to not make any rash movements. He jumped onto a nearby tower without the notice of the guards and waited for an opening.

    "I''m so close¡­ I just need an opportunity," he waited patiently for the guard''s defenses to falter, to allow him to swiftly and cleanly swoop in and finish the job, without the need of breaking through their defenses.

    He needed the guards to look unfocused, yawn, sneeze, anything that would grant him an entry into the circle that they formed. After a while of patient waiting and observation, he suddenly felt one of the guards slip up, the helmet''s eye guard falling down on his face for a brief moment. This was Rein''s chance. He activated STO and got ready to jump in the split second that the guard was recovering. He saw the path he would take between the bewildered guard, and he couldn''t hold in his bloodlust anymore. However, he suddenly felt something reverberate in his mind.

    The voice of a girl in pain, crying his name desperately. It was a familiar voice that pierced through his conscience, making him forget everything he was about to do and turn around.

    He activated memory flip, allowing him to use Springs from his Spring history freely for 10 minutes. He took the fire Spring along with the inverse of Xenia''s Spring and jumped straight to the Echopany building''s top floor, using the enhanced physical prowess and the fire to boost him to bulleting speeds. The tremor that it caused as he left the ground shook the very foundations of the pce, alerting all of the guards, the king, and his aunt, as they looked upon the tower Rein was standing on previously, seeing a trail of smoke following the bulleting ball of fire in the sky.

    He must''ve jumped upwards to 700 meters in length as he flew through the atmosphere of the city. From the pce, all the way to the Echopany building, it was quite a miraculous feat.

    As his flurry of rage propelled him into the top floor, he could see that the windows of the building were affected by a Spring, which he was able to invert as he crashed into the wall, decimating the windows and the metal doors in a ming hurricane, causing tremors to be sent into the ground under them, the sound of an explosion echoing through the rest of the city.

    The wall he inverted was being boosted in physical fortification, while its mental defenses were diminished.

    However, when he inverted it, its mental fortification was increased, which waspletely useless for inanimate objects, and its physical fortification was diminished, allowing him to break through with ease.

    However, with the rage he felt boiling within him, he felt as though he could''ve broken through even without inverting the wall. His hair was still ck, his red eyes vibrating as mes burnt out of his mouth, trails of fire flowing out of his back, following him as he moved.

    "What the hell?!" Ginald shrieked as he saw the ming man glimmering in front of the orange sunset, his red eyes highlighted in a piercing glow.

    "Rein¡­" Saphri uttered, on the verge of tears.

    Rein didn''t say anything. He was ovee with anger at the scene he saw, making him instantly jump up, using Xenia''s inverted Spring, moving at untraceable speed, ramming a fire-infused kick into the man''s face, sending him flying into the back wall, denting it through the fortification.

    Ginald''s face was bloody, teeth falling out as the smoke cleared from his visage.

    "I-impossible! He hurt me through my fortification?!" He yelled as he spat out blood.

    Rein stood there menacingly, then took a look at the weary Xenia, trying her hardest to resist putting the ve chain on the girl under her, despite her blue, broken arm. Rein grabbed the chain around her neck and crushed it in his fist, freeing her from the bind. She instantly lost all power and copsed, falling into Rein''s arms as he picked the unconscious girl up, setting her down on the couch.

    "Thank you, Xenia," he uttered before hearing ruffling from behind him, the man having picked up a shard ss, pinning Saphri to the ground with the shard to her neck.

    "Hahaha!! You may be able to hurt me slightly, but it is nowhere near enough to kill me! Now surrender, or your precious little girl dies!" Heughed, then before he knew it, he felt a palm on his face, mming him into the back wall at light speeds.

    "I''m going to enjoy killing you, you fucking sicko. Nobody hurts my little sister and lives," he looked at him with his demon red eyes, instilling extreme fright into the man''s body.

    "Aahaha! And how are you going to do that?! Your full power strikes barely eve¡ª" he suddenly stopped talking, like a ball of spit was caught in his throat, halting his speech and making him sweat profusely.

    "What just happened..? My fortification¡­ It''s gone! What did you¡ª" once again, he abruptly stopped talking, this time as he spat out blood from a knee to the stomach, Rein letting go of his head as he dropped to the ground in pain.

    "How does that feel? You haven''t felt pain in a while, have you? Oh, that just makes this all the sweeter," Rein smiled maliciously at the squirming man, who looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

    "No, please¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­ Just please don''t hurt me¡­" He begged, to which Rein grabbed his arm.

    "Oh, what was it you did to Xenia? Care to remind me?" He asked, making the man choke on air in fear.

    Rein began twisting his arm slowly, Ginald screaming in pain as he felt the joints crack, slowly and painfully.

    "How about we do both hands? You know, buy one get one free," Reinughed as he grabbed his other hand and did the same thing with it, the pain being inflicted on him bringing him to the brink of consciousness, to which Rein stopped.

    "Oh no you don''t. You don''t get to fall asleep just yet. You''ve gotta answer for the shit you''ve done," Rein said as Saphri stood back up and walked in front of the man Rein was toying with and looked at him with a hateful re.

    "What did you do to my mother. Tell me everything you know before your pitiful lifees to an end," she threatened as Ginald hyperventted, a feeling of deep despair washing over him as she uttered those words.

    "Haah¡­ Haha¡­ If you''re going to kill me anyway, why would I tell you anything..? And even if you were to let me live, I would never do something against mydy''s will..!" He sternly stated through his pain, to which Reinughed.

    "You talk big for someone who was just groveling."

    "Rein, if you would, could you break his helmet, please? Also, release your inversion and invert my Spring for a brief moment," Saphri asked, to which Reinplied.

    He took the helmet off of Ginalds head and destroyed it, making Ginald''s tears flow even faster as he watched his most prized possession decimate. He suddenly felt his fortification return to him, however, that did him nothing in the situation he was in, his arms still broken, and his face still bloody.

    Though, without his helmet, he felt as though his mind was exposed, vulnerable, and could be taken control of with ease. Rein inverted Saphri''s Spring, turning it from physical control of objects, also known as telekinesis, to mental control, also known as psychokinesis.

    "You may not want to inform us through your own will, but that can easily be circumvented. The human mind is a fragile item," Saphri stated as she activated her inverted Spring, taking control of Ginald''s mind.

    "Now, tell me everything you know about my mother," shemanded, to which his eyes turned gray, losing all control of his mind, abiding by the girl''s orders, beginning to recount the story.

 Chapter 103 - The Days When My Mother Was There

    "Your mother, she used to work here, at the Echopany. During her time here, she met the CEO and his right-hand man, being your father. The two seemed to fall in love instantly, and they started a family together shortly after getting married. Back then, multi-race marriages had just been newly epted into thew in Orthlys after the King married a dragonborne.

    Nheless, they gave birth to a healthy half-elf girl, which was you. Your father took her back to the Elven Forest, which the CEO, Alen Tincer, had granted them so that they could raise their child. But around that time is when it happened.

    As you know, a mysterious book began appearing around the continent, written by a ''Albert E.. Nobody but the church of Silwin knew about its contents, but it wasn''t always like that. Those who managed to get their hands on the books and read them became targets, and your mother was one of them. One day, when you were about 4 years old, both of your parents were called back to Naji.

    The church forced Alen to request them back into the city, not knowing why. Alen greeted them as they arrived, and noticed their daughter wasn''t with them. That day, they made the right choice leaving you behind in the Elven Forest.

    I was sent in as a spy by mydy a few years prior and was a simple apprentice in the Echopany. I was also ecstatic to see them, particrly your mother. With her Spring, I knew it had the potential to be of great use to mydy, so when I heard that the churchmen took her and her husband away, I secretly followed them.

    That was when I saw it. They forced them into an underground bunker, 3 churchmen dressed in all white, and the married couple. I could only imagine that they heard about their possession of the mysterious book, and checked their memory for them. When finding nothing in Voron''s memory, they pushed him outside of the underground dungeon and shut the door on him.

    I saw him as he struggled, with tears in his eyes, banging on the door repeatedly, yelling at them to let him back in. He even pulled out a ck hammer and smacked the door with it repeatedly, but nothing worked. He eventually ran away to get help, yelling Alen''s name. As he left, I heard him mutter something under his breath.

    ''I''m not gonna let you die!'' he said. When I heard that, my heart dropped. The Spring that I''ve been going for is about to be killed, so I knew I had to do something about it. As I was trying to think of a way into the room, I heard the churchmen inside talking amongst themselves. When finding out about her Spring, the churchmen also didn''t want to waste it.

    As I also felt it to be a waste to get rid of her, so I called out to them through the door. They heard me, and my proposal, let me in, and we had discussions about the future of the woman, and that was when the churchmen invited me to Silwin, to further discuss the matter. Of course, we brought your mother with us, and by then, Alen and Voron had already thought her dead, but in reality, she was still alive. In Silwin, that was when I introduced them to my savior, my queen, my goddess. She proposed that we use a ve ring to bind her and rid her of free will, but they somehow didn''t work on her.

    That was when mydy deployed this mysterious gray-haired man. The aura he exuded was unlike anything I''d ever felt. To this day, I still have no clue what he did. The gray-haired man told us to exit the room that your mother was staying in, then emerged with a red ring in hand, and the woman dead on the ground.

    We took custody over the ring, and mydy granted it to me to keep watch over. I eventually climbed up in the ranks in thepany, and eventually gained the assets to begin producing my own products. I was able to infuse the ring''s power to different machines that I kept secret from thepany, and handed them over to mydy. Of course, to this end, I used thepanies assets, so this information could be detrimental to the entire state of the organization.

    These machines could produce a powder with the ring''s power imbued into them, and with time, I eventually became the general manager of thepany, earning Alen''s trust. Eventually, this led me to meeting you, and as soon as I saw that machine, I instantly knew what I had to do¡­" He stopped talking, the mind control over his eyes fading away as he re-awoke to his own conscience, despair beginning to loom over him as he realized what he had just said.

    "No¡­ I betrayed her¡­ I¡­ betrayed mydy¡­" Ginald began weeping facing his head to the ground.

    Saphri also copsed and began crying profusely, Rein''s scowl strengthening as he grabbed the man''s neck.

    "Thanks for that moron, you gave us some really valuable info. I already scanned through your mind as well and turns out that''s all you know. Guess this is the end for you then," Rein stated as he lifted him up by the cor.

    "Wait! No! Please don''t kill me! Please spare me!" He begged as Rein looked at him with a re of mercilessness.

    He suddenly jumped out of the building with Ginald in hand, using the fire under his feet to hover over theke, holding Ginald above it by the cor.

    "Let''s see how your fortification does against drowning. Even if you can swim, those broken arms aren''t gonna do you shit," Rein said, letting go of him, sending him plummeting into theke.

    "N-no! Someone! Save me! Mydy!" He shrieked as he fell.

    "Don''t worry, yourdy is joining you soon enough. In the depths of hell," Rein stated as he looked back at the pce, seeing his aunt in the distance looking in his direction, smirking at him devilishly.

    Beside her was the king, frantically panicking as he pointed at Rein, who assumed that he was ordering the royal guard to go arrest him.

    Rein scoffed, then turned back to the Echopany building. Hended back on the top floor, seeing Saphri still weeping into her arms, sensing a great sadness emanating from her small body.

    It was too much for her. The information she learned about her mother, what happened that day when her mother and her father left together, the fact that her mother saved her father when they scanned their minds, it was all too much to digest at once. She felt scared and confused and didn''t know what to do.

    Suddenly, she felt a hand rest on her head, then pull her closer, looking up to see a now white-haired boyforting her.

    "Rein¡­ Why¡­ Why did youe back..? After what I said... " She wept as she looked up at his yellow eyes.

    "What do you think? You think I can just abandon my little sis?" He said, which made her tears flow out even more.

    "B-but, you were right there¡­ You were on the cusp of aplishing your goal¡­ I felt it when Xenia inverted my Spring¡­ When I called out for you¡­ Why would you throw that away just for me? Are you stupid?" She tightened her grip on his shirt as she asked that question.

    "You''re the stupid one," heughed.

    "How many times have I told you? I''m not here for Emria. I''m not here for Voron. I''m here for you, Saphri. You''re my family, and you never turn your back on family," he tightened his hug on her as she cried into his chest, her weeps bing louder as the sun finished setting, covering the city inplete darkness.

    As Saphri continued to cry into Rein''s chest, heard the elevator ping as it arrived at the floor, Raxo and Quint hastily emerging in a panic, looking at the two on the ground, then letting out a sigh of relief. Quint, however, continued looking around, seeing Xeniaying on the couch, unconscious.

    The 2 rushed over to her side as Raxo frantically took off her inverse ring, returning her Spring back to normal. The same Spring she used to nurse Quint, which allowed her to heal any living thing to a certain extent, but any machine or system she touched would break. She used it to heal Xenia''s arm back to normal, her blue, dislocated arm returning to it''s usual position and color.

    Rein stood up after Saphri dried thest of her tears and lifted her up, sensing the presence of a crowd of heavily armored men at the bottom floor as he could feel the elevator rising, with more armored men inside.

    "We''re surrounded. I''m assuming those are the guards the kind sent after me¡­ If it were only Saphri and me, I could just jump out the window here. But it''s not¡­ How do we escape this?"

 Chapter 104 - Almost Captured

    "I''ve got it," Rein thought to himself as he came up with an idea to escape being found.

    "Raxo, you said your house has the big tree growing out of it, yeah?" He asked as he looked over to the dark horizon, which was filled with artificial lights, seeing the outline of therge tree towering over the rest of the buildings.

    "Yeah?" She affirmed in a confused tone.

    "Anyone home?" He made sure.

    "Mom should be in the backyard getting medicine for dad. We grow our own¡ª"

    "Perfect. On 3, everyone grab on onto a part of my exposed skin. Xenia too," hemanded as he propped Saphri down and picked up Raxo''s red inverse ring, which she had put on the ground so that she could heal Xenia.

    "1¡­" He counted, winding up his arm, getting ready to throw the ring.

    "H-hold on! You''re gonna throw it?! Why?!" Raxo frantically stood up in a panic.

    "2¡­" He released the ring from his hand, sending it flying through the sky, seeing it sparkle against the city lights, falling straight into the backyard of the Tincer estate.

    "Exposed skin you said? Man, that''s only your neck and hands, and I know damn well I''m not grabbing onto your hand," Quint remarked as he got ready to touch his neck along with Raxo, who was still confused.

    Saphri got ready to hold his hand as Rein shuffled over to Xenia, grabbing onto her arm as he closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the ring as he heard the elevator shaft approach, then start stopping as it reached their floor. Sweat began slowly creeping down his forehead as he heard the loud beep from the elevator, the doors beginning to open. Suddenly, he opened his eyes with great focus and shouted the number.

    "3!"

    "Freeze! In the name of the Ki¡ª¡­ Huh?" The leader of the guard group that came to arrest Rein stood there in confusion, scratching his head at the empty room.

    "Sir! There''s nobody here!" One of the other soldiers observed.

    "I can see that, dumbass. Hm, I could have sworn I heard somebody out here¡­ Men! Search every house and establishment in the city! This criminal who put his and her majesty in danger must be found and captured! A description of his appearance has been provided. Use it in your searches!" The leadermanded as the rest of the soldiers stiffened up, putting their hands on their foreheads in a salute.

    "Sir yes sir!"

    At the Tincer estate¡­

    "*sigh*, Darling''s been a little too excited ever since Raxo''s gotten back¡­ He''s worrying himself sick. Though, I can''t say I''m any different," Raxo''s mother talked to herself as she picked the medicinal herbs from their garden, her heart in turmoil as she worried about the safety of her daughter and her friends.

    Suddenly, she saw a shining red glow in the sky, falling straight down into a bush in the garden.

    "Hm? What''s that?" She inspected it closer as she saw its red glimmer through the bush.

    Then, 5 teenagers suddenly appeared out of nowhere into the bush, rustling around as theynded.

    Rein appeared,nding on his feet along with Saphri, who was holding his hand. Xenianded in her sleeping position as she was before, and Quint and Raxonded with their butts on the ground, Raxo coughing as she wasn''t expecting teleportation.

    "Holy shit! Did we just teleport through space?! Wow, it hurts less than I would''ve thought," she remarked in jubtion as she heard a cough under her.

    "Hey, Raxo¡­ Mind gettin'' off of me?" The muffled sound of Quint''s voice emerged from under her as she turned around to face him, her embarrassed face the same color as her hair.

    "What do you think you''re doin'' down there!" She instantly stood up and kicked him in the face, which she instantly regretted as she did it on an impulse.

    After the situation had died down, the group entered the house through the back door and exined the situation briefly to Raxo''s mother and the maid, Diana. Though Rein didn''t mention anything that Ginald recounted to Saphri, he did tell them about what he did to her and Xenia, and the fate that he had ultimately met. He did twist the story slightly to make it seem like he had no choice but to kill him so that the rest of the group would ept the story. At that point, Xenia had just barely started to regain consciousness, which allowed her to hear Rein''s altered story.

    As Rein finished the story, Saphri extended a request.

    "Ma''am, I would like to talk to Mr. Tincer in private. Would that be okay?" She sternly asked with maximum politeness, bowing down while doing so.

    "Saphri¡­" Rein looked at her sternly, which made her tense up slightly, then he sighed and smiled warmly, which made her smile with joy as well.

    "What''s up Saph? Got something important to ask him?" Raxo inquired, to which Saphri nodded earnestly.

    "Oh my, it looks like you''re serious, sweetie. Of course you can," Raxo''s mother allowed.

    Diana led Saphri up the stairs and into Alen''s room, who was lying down on his bed in a sickly sprawl. He didn''t even notice as the door opened and closed, never mind the little kid who entered.

    "Damn my luck¡­ Even in illness, I can''t catch a break¡­ Where''s Voron when you need ''em¡­" Alen muttered to himself as hey there on the bed.

    "*ahem*, Mr. Alen?" She interrupted the conversation he was having with himself, turning his attention to her as she stood at the door.

    "Huh?" His eyes widened as he saw Saphri on the door, reminding him of someone she resembled.

    "Uriel..?" He uttered as his vision came into focus, realizing that he had just addressed a little girl as his friend''s wife.

    "O-oh, sorry about that missy, I mistook you for someone," he apologized as he sat up in his bed.

    "No, it is alright. It is only natural you would mistake me for my mother," she stated, to which Alen retained a surprised face, tears beginning to flow out of his eyes.

    "No way¡­ You''re Saphri Xilris, aren''t you? Hahaha¡­ Thest time I saw you, you were this big," he held out his hands parallel to one another to indicate a size, which slightly annoyed Saprhi.

    "Yes, enough with the long-lost uncle charade. Everybody constantly says the same things upon a reunion. I have heard that very same line 19 times now," she stated as she took a seat beside his bed, her statement-making himugh as his tears continued flowing.

    "I never thought I would be talking to Voron again, much less his daughter¡­ It''s truly an honor," he bowed his head down to her in greeting.

    "There is no need to be so formal. I am not here on my father''s behalf, so you may treat me as an ordinary guest," she statedd.

    "No¡­ The first thing I should be doing¡­ Is apologizing¡­" Alen dejectedly spoke as he kept his head down.

    "Apologize?" Saphri sounded.

    "Yes. Your mother¡­ You probably already know the reason for her death¡­ She read the book forbidden by the church," Alen informed, to which Saphri nodded.

    "I¡­ Ignorantly led her, and nearly her husband to their deaths¡­ When the church told me to call them over, I never could have imagined what for¡­ What a fool I was¡­ Nothing I can do can atone for the mistake I made¡­" He continued bowing his head down as he sincerely apologized, Saphri setting a hand on his head to lift it up.

    "Do not apologize, sir. None of it was your fault. Nobody has ever had the authority to defy the church, not even King Fredric and Emperor Naar. Who knows what tragedies would have befallen your family had you not heeded their request. Therefore, I do not me you for any of it," Saphri spoke mercifully.

    "Yes¡­ That might be so¡­ But it doesn''t mean that I couldn''t have done something¡­ Something so that my dear friend would have faith in me¡­"

    "My father? If anything, it was his incapability to protect mother that we should be ming," Saphri remarked.

    "No¡­ Neither he nor I have forgiven me for what happened that day," he spoke regretfully.

    "My father may be an idiot, but he is not that stupid. I am positive that he has already forgiven you, even if he has not shown it. If it is anyone that he mes, then it is himself. It is in his nature to do so. The reason he has been avoiding all contact with you¡­ Has something to do with me," she informed, which made Alen raise an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Something to do with you?" He asked as he suddenly heard a loud knock on the front door, the sound reaching all the way to his room.

    "Who could that be at this hour?" Alen asked himself as he heard footsteps swiftly approaching his room.

    "Hey! What are you doing here old man?!" They heard Rein remark from the distance as Alen''s room door flew open, a ck-haired elf walking through.

    "V¡ª... Voron?" Alen uttered as he saw the familiar coffee-stained work robe.

    "Alen¡­"

 Chapter 105 - Mind Alteration

    "You have finally arrived, father," Saphri said as Voron entered the room, sweating and breathing heavily out of exhaustion.

    "Saphri, what do you think you''re doing here?! I thought I told you to nevere to the Orthlys capital! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you here?!" He ranted as Rein entered the room behind him and closed the door so that the rest of the group don''t listen in.

    "Calm down Voron, I''m here too. You know I wouldn''t let anything happen, right?" Rein tried calming Voron''s temper, which only made him turn his rage onto Rein.

    "And I''ve got a bone to pick with you too, kid! I told you to keep her away from Naji at all costs! Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten!" He scolded.

    "No, no, I remember," Rein said carelessly.

    "Well, that''s even worse! You knowingly disobeyed me?" He shouted angrily.

    "It''s good to see you again though. Even if Ii''s only been about 2 weeks," Rein cheerfully greeted him, which caught him off guard for a second.

    "Ah, yes! It''s good to see you both as well. And how''s Emria doi¡ª Wait! Don''t try distracting me. Tell me what you''re doing here, much less conversing with Alen!" He returned to his angry way of speech as more tears began running down Alen''s face.

    "I''m sorry Voron! It''s all my fault! I don''t expect you to ever forgive me for all the shit I''ve put you through, but please just let me apologize¡­ For everything," Alen bowed down as he sat in his bed, Voron sighing as he looked at him.

    "So it was you who brought them to the capital then, Alen?" Voron turned his attention to him.

    "It was all the doing of the Echopany, and on their behalf, I apologize! Also¡­ I have to apologize on my own behalf¡­ For what I did all those years ago," Alen regretfully spoke.

    "Look Alen¡­ How many times do I have to tell you, I''ve never med you for Uriel''s death. There are some things I still haven''t forgiven myself for, and that''s one of the reasons why I haven''t talked to you," Voron revealed.

    "Huh? If so, then that''s no excuse to ignore me for 8 years! I''ve been sending you letters every week you know!" Alen angrily stated.

    "I know! And it''s annoying, so stop! Look, I''ve chosen to follow the path Uriel''s left for me. I''ve no intention of getting myself or my daughter involved with the Echopany again," he eximed, which made Alen look downwards, dejected.

    "And that is why I told you about mying here, father. I wanted you toe and see my invention for yourself. But then, I learned something about mother¡­" She said as Rein motioned to walk out of the room to give the 3 space while they conversed.

    "Wait Rein¡­ Please stay. I would feel better with you here," she requested, to which he smiled, then stayed in the room and sat in a corner as Voron took a seat beside Saphri.

    "About your mother..?" Alen uttered in disbelief.

    "What¡­ I''ve already told you what happened to her though. What else is there to know?" Voron inquired curiously.

    "Something even you don''t know about, father."

    Saphri took out a red ring from her pocket and began exining what she had learned to her father and Alen. As she retold the story, her voice would begin shivering at certain parts, and her body would tremble, but then she would look over at Rein in the corner who continued to wear a smile on his face, which gave her the courage to continue talking.

    As she finished recounting the story, both Voron and Alen were in tears, weeping alongside each other.

    "No way¡­ This whole time, your mother¡­ She''s been used even after her death¡­" Voron clenched his fist in anger as he wept, Alen, doing the same thing.

    "I''m so sorry¡­ This is all my fault," Alen continued, to which Voron put a hand on his shoulder.

    "Don''t be. None of it was your fault in the slightest," he consoled as Rein sat in the corner watching the two men cry, Saphri sitting between them in difort.

    "Voron¡­ Saphri¡­ If there''s anything I or the Echopany could do for you, please don''t hesitate to ask. Us elves have to stick together, you know?" He proposed, to which Voron scoffed.

    "You know elves are friends with nature, right? I don''t think anything about what you do fits that mold," Voronughed through his tears, meaning to joke with him, but making him raise an eyebrow in confusion.

    "What are you talking about? We grow our own herbs in the garden, I grew a tree out of my house to provide fresher air in the neighborhood, and the house runs on sustainable, Echopany mined glow stones," Alen stated.

    "There it is! How many times do I have to tell you, that stuff isn''t sustainable! What happened to wanting to get rid of glow stones? Last I left you, you told me that you''re gonna stop the mining of these rocks," Voron imed.

    "What? Why would I want to do that? And what''s all that talk about it being unsustainable?"

    "Seriously? Did you hit your head or something? These glow stones are what hold our continent together. When you mine them, it causes immense natural disasters. You know how many people have moved from their homes because of that?" Voron revealed, to which Alen''s pupils shrunk, his face in a state of distraught.

    "No way¡­ But I thought¡ª!" Suddenly he grunted and held his head in pain, Voron springing up in concern.

    "Alen? What''s wrong?" He asked the heavy breathing man, who after a few seconds returned to normal as if nothing had just happened.

    "What''s up? Look''s like you''re about to say something," Alen said in a calm voice, contrary to the one he spoke with a few seconds prior.

    Rein stood up in confusion as he felt an ominous aura surround Alen as he held his head, then the aura disappeared suddenly.

    "We were just talking about the glow stones and how they''re a detriment to nature. Are you okay to continue, or should we let you rest?" Rein asked as Alen turned his head to him in the same confused look that he had given Voron earlier.

    "Detriment? What do you mean? They only do good things for society!" Alen stated, which surprised everyone in the room unpleasantly.

    "You forgot again?! This is the same thing that happened after Uriel died!" Voron yelled.

    "Calm down Voron. It doesn''t seem like he forgot of his own volition. Some weird power hovered over him when we told him that, and when it disappeared, his mind was altered somehow. There''s something off going on here," Rein exined as Voron calmed himself.

    "Well then, that''s a problem. You think you can get rid of it Rein?" Voron asked as Alen sat there, confused.

    "Yeah, but the power actually has to be active. Let me try something," Rein said as he looked Alen in the eyes.

    "Those glow stones, they destroy nature. Everything you''ve been working for is a lie. You''re being deceived. Countless people have been forced out of their homes, the cause being the mining of these stones," Rein said to Alen while staring at him, making him develop the same distraught face he had before.

    "No way¡­ All this time? But I thought¡ª!" Again he held his head in pain.

    "Now!" Rein thought as he activated STO, his eyes turning red and his hair ck.

    What he saw was the same as when he flew into the Echopany building earlier, when he saw that the walls were affected by a Spring. A red aura clouded Alen''s head as Rein observed, that being the reason his mind was being altered every time he gained information about the glow stones.

    Rein suddenly grabbed the top of Alen''s head, and activated warped touch, holding onto him for 3 seconds. At the same time, he copied the Spring that clouded him, registering it into his system. As he did that, he felt a sense of familiarity arrive into his unconscious, which piqued his interest but was interrupted by the effect of the Spring.

    Normal effect:

    Perfect control

    Allows the user to set a seed of mind alteration on any Springless life form just by looking them in the eye. This is perfect control, so it is impossible for the afflicted to somehow break through the mind control.

    Inverted effect:

    Perfect freedom

    Allows the user to rid the mind of any Springless life form afflicted with mind-altering effects by looking them in the eye. This is perfect freedom, so it is impossible for the afflicted to somehow negate this effect.

    "That''s one frightening ability¡­ It''s good to have, but I can just invert the effect on his mind here and negate it with warped touch," Rein said as he exhaled, causing Alen to snap out of his painful outbreak with tears in his eyes, as if he had just unlocked some hidden memories that had been locked away.

    "What have I done¡­ What have I been doing this entire time¡­" He wept as tears fell down his face, the mind alteration that had been set on him now gone.

    "What was that Rein? Your hair turned ck. Did you dye your hair while I was gone..?" Voron whispered, to which Rein wore a nk face at Voron''s ridiculous notion.

    "Does it look like I dyed my hair to you?" He replied, his hair turning back to normal.

 Chapter 106 - Business Deal

    "That should do it though. Looks like you had something erasing all your memories about the negative effects of glow stones. Well? What''ll you do now?" Rein asked as he sat back down in the corner.

    "What can I do¡­ If I stop production, then the entire continent will be in shambles¡­" Alen stressed.

    "This is exactly why I told you that we shouldn''t mine them. We''ve grown too reliant on energy. And now that it''se to this point, it''s toote for the world to return to normal," Voron informed, making Saphri raise her hand.

    "I believe I have the solution to your problems. However, I will just need proper funding, which was the reason I came to speak to you, Mr. Alen," Saphri dered as she caught the attention of the two elves.

    "Right¡­ You told me something about that¡­ The thing Uriel was researching before she died," Voron uttered as Saphri pulled out her perpetual motion device from her dress pocket.

    "Perpetual motion..? It''s the same as the glow stones then?" Alen inquired in fascination as he gazed upon the device, drawing simrities to the glow stones, who also provide power through vibration.

    "Yes, however, there was one problem that it had. It''s range. Unlike the glow stones, it could only affect objects in close proximity of it," Saphri exined, which made Alen and Vorone to a realization.

    "But with Uriel''s Spring¡­" Voron uttered.

    "You can fix that issue! Voron, your daughter is brilliant!" Alen celebrated, almost as if his sickness was cured.

    The two went on to discuss production for the product, calling Raxo into the room to talk with them. Voron acted as a mediator in the discussions.

    "Alright! I''ll give you guys all the funding you need. Our miners can work in the factories instead, I''m sure they''ll be ted to hear that they won''t have to mine anymore. I''ll have a factory built in the city as soon as possible! We''ll be d to wee yo¡ª" Alen''s rant was interrupted by a gruff voice.

    "Now hold your horses for just a moment. You know there''s a reason I''ve been able to leave her side for this long, right? It''s because this kid here is with her. I won''t be having her separate from him, you hear? She''s staying in the Hasbin gulf," Voron protested, to which Rein grew a pleasantly surprised face.

    Alen grew a downjected face, then Voron looked over at Saphri with the intention of apologizing to her.

    "Sorry Saphri, but you know I can''t¡ª"

    "I agree with you father. The factory should be in the Hasbin gulf," she remarked, which surprised everyone in the room, except for Raxo.

    "Yeah, it should. The machinery we used to actually manufacture this device alone was pretty damn remarkable. That''s why the gulf is the perfect ce. The big ass glow stones provide more than enough power to run it. At least as a first base, we should have it in the Hasbin gulf. Eventually, when we''ve produced more of these devices, we can start branching out," Raxo exined, to which Alen seemed to catch on.

    "Oh! I see. Well then, if that''s the case, I''ll have a factory-built there a soon as possible. Until then, please continue perfecting the device," Alen promised.

    "Really dad?! But are you sure you can do that? What about the workers?" Raxo asked, concerned.

    "Bah, don''t sweat the details. I''ll smooth it over with them. The real issue I''m seeing is how we''re going to be branching out. Wouldn''t these devices be impossible to make if it weren''t for Saphri?" Alen asked.

    "Yes, for them to work. However, I do not need to be there in the actual manufacturing process. As long as I have the finished product, there should not be any problems. All you would need to do is ship the devices to me, and I will do the rest," she eximed, again, Alen catching on quickly.

    "Ah, I see! So it wouldn''t even matter if we set up a factory in Naji, we could ship the finished products straight to the Hasbin gulf. Though, I do agree that our main one should be in the gulf," he concurred as they finished out the deal, Voron epting it.

    Eventually, Alen''s adrenaline died down and they had to leave the room so that he could rest. They all exited one by one, Saphri, then Raxo, then Rein, but as Voron was leaving, he heard Alen call out to him.

    "Voron!" He called.

    "Hm? What''s the matter?" Voron stopped at the threshold and looked back at Alen, who was sleepily looking at him in his bed.

    "I''m d I was able to talk to you again. Next time you visit Uriel''s funeral¡­ Tell her I said hi¡­" Alen requested as he fell asleep, Voronughing as he exited the room.

    "Of course, old friend."

    When the group rejoined in the living room, Voron introduced himself to everybody, Rein and Saphri noticing 2 kids sleeping on the couch where Xenia was previously. They looked familiar, and upon further inspection, they recognized them. They were the 2 kids they had saved from the ve rings during the Ranger Academy entrance tournament. They seem to have found their way to Voron safely, which put a smile on both Rein and Saphri''s faces.

    "You taking good care of those kids Voron?" Rein asked, concerned for their safety, knowing Voron''s capabilities as a guardian.

    "Hahaha! If anything, they''re the ones taking care of me! Criselor is one tough guy! When the two found me, I was actually being attacked by a gigantic slime. If it weren''t for him, I''d have been done for!" Heughed as he felt a punch on his arm, an angry Saphri looking up at him.

    "That is not something to be proud of. You should be more careful, father," she voiced, this being her way of expressing her worry.

    "So you''re Rein, Saphri, and Emria''s dad, huh? You look somehow less¡­ strict than I thought," Xenia sounded, Voron turning his attention to her with a gratuitous expression.

    "Ah, you must be¡­ Vossen, was it? I heard what happened earlier¡­ You have my deepest gratitude for protecting my daughter," Voron bowed, which made Xeniaugh nervously.

    "Oh, hahaha. No need to thank me. I¡­ Didn''t do much. Ultimately, it was him over there," she pointed to Rein.

    "Ah, I''ve been meaning to ask. What is your rtionship with him? Do you like him? I honestly expected him to be ady killer," Voron insinuated, to which Rein facepalmed.

    "O-oh, no sir¡­ I have nothing against him, he''s a great guy¡­ But I already like someone," she dered in the heat of the moment, forgetting that Quint was there as well.

    "Say what?! Sis, you can''t be serious," Quint panicked, Xenia putting her hands above her head in defense.

    "Oh yeah, how''s it going with Clyde? Made any progress?" Rein questioned.

    "Wha¡ª?! How did you know it was him¡­?" She uttered, her face turning red with embarrassment.

    "Clyde?! That fucking bastard¡­ Next I see him, we''re gonna have a little ''talk''," Quint threatened, making the rest of the roomugh, Xenia frantically telling him to stop his line of thinking.

    Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring, Raxo''s mother running to check who it was. She looked through the peephole, seeing a group of royal soldiers waiting in front.

    "Oh my, it''s a group of Orthlys soldiers," she informed as gasps emerged from the group.

    "Shit! Rein, go hide. They''re after you," Quint said frantically, Rein scoffing at his gesture.

    "No need. Open the door Miss Tincer," he instructed, to which she did.

    "Good evening Miss Tincer. I''m sure you and your husband have already noticed what has happened with the Echopany building. We are currently doing a search to find the culprit. Not that we suspect that he may be hiding in here, but may we do a quick sweep of the house?" The soldier''s requested respectfully.

    "Why of course. You may search the house as you please," she let them in, the 6 soldiers bowing down before walking into the house.

    As they entered the living room, they found an unusuallyrge group of people quietly talking around the couch, with 2 kids sleeping on it. They scanned each person and didn''t bat an eye at any one of them, making them move onto the next room in the house. They continued sweeping the house for any sign of the culprit, eventually turning up with nothing. They returned to the front door and apologized for the inconvenience, then left the house in a hurry.

    "Sir, even if we do find a young man with ck hair and red eyes, how will we know if he''s the culprit?" One of the soldiers asked as they left the Tincer estate.

    "Use your head, you idiot. There''s no way we''d know. But we still have to put them under temporary arrest and bring them in for questioning. Our isn''t to make judgments, only decisions."

    The soldiers ran to the next house and continued checking each house until they eventually reached thest, of course, never turning up with the culprit they''d hoped to find.

    "Anyways, I''ll be going now," Voron said as he picked up the 2 kids. "Take care of Saphri and Emria, Rein. And most of all, take care of yourself. I''ll talk to you when I find a solid enough lead," Voron said as he parted, both Saphri and Rein waving to him as he left through the front of the city, hopping back on his carriage and heading south west.

    "Well, I guess we should get going too then, huh? *yawn*, I am feeling pretty sleepy. Where''s Ba by the way?" Raxo asked as she picked up her bags, wearing them over her shirt as she switched out of the dress earlier.

    "Ah, she left a little bit earlier. She said she would be back soon. I wonder what''s taking her so long?" Raxo''s mother replied, invoking a suspicious feeling in everyone''s unconscious.

 Chapter 107 - The Way Of The Tree Spirit

    Meanwhile, in a room in the Orthlys royal pce.

    "What''s the meaning of this?! I said I have information about the Echopany attack! I know the guilty party!" The short-haired blonde girl yelled as a group of soldiers threw her into a room.

    "Quiet down dear. I heard you," a woman''s voice emerged from the inside of the room as the blonde girl turned around from her feeble attempts to break the door down.

    "Huh? Who the hell said that?!" She looked around, seeing a familiar white-haired woman sitting in the corner.

    "O-oh my goodness, are you her majesty the queen?! M-my apologies¡­" She bowed down, to which the white-haired womanughed.

    "No need to be so wary of me. You are Reba Brid if I''m not mistaken, yes?" The woman asked.

    "Y-yes ma''am!"

    "Very well Reba, I have something you can do for me¡­"

    Back at the Tincer estate, Rein and the group had just said their farewells to Raxo''s mother and maid and made their way back to the carriage. As soon as they entered, all of them flopped down and went to sleep,pletely exhausted from the events that transpired during the day. Rein whipped the cart into motion then went back into the carriage. He didn''t feel sleepy and wanted to reflect on the day''s events, so he climbed up to the roof of the carriage and slept as the breeze floated across his body, gazing upon the twinkling stars, deep in thought.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a tap as someonended on the top of the carriage, emerging from inside.

    "What''s up Xenia? You need something?" Rein asked without even looking up, somehow knowing it was her already.

    "What are you doing up here? You should get some sleep while you can," she advised as Rein rolled over, facing away from her.

    "Heh, I''ll be fine. Though, I guess you already slept for a while earlier, so it''d make sense why you''re not tired," Rein remarked as Xenia sat on the other side of the roof, also facing away from him.

    "Look¡­ I just wanted to apologize. You know, for hitting you and shit¡­ It was just, yourcency pissed me off. But as usual, when the moment came, you came through. Thanks for saving us," she spoke, making Rein sit up, scratching his head.

    "No need to thank me. I''d be damned if I let my sister, and my teammate suffer like that. That was some good thinking though! Unexpected by you," heughed, which pissed her off, but didn''t talk back.

    "I found it kinda strange too¡­ I''ve never really been that bright, and since I had the curse on me for the past 6 years of my life, I haven''t had any battle experience. But somehow, at the moment, I came up with that n to use that old guy''s orders to invert Saph''s Spring to call for someone. I even surprised myself," she remarked as she kicked her feet back and forth off the side of the carriage that rattled as it moved.

    Rein knew the reason for her confusion and her sudden increase in battle knowledge. It was a result of the intellect he gave her prior which allowed her to develop thoughts at that moment.

    "Anyways, that''s one thing out of the way. The second reason I came up here was to ask you something," she turned around to face him, who was still looking away into the starry horizon.

    "Ask away."

    "You killed the guy, right? And it wasn''t out of necessity. You threw him into theke. You told the others that he killed himself, but in reality, it was you, wasn''t it?" She asked, making him twitch slightly, then sigh.

    "So you were awake back then," Rein uttered as he turned around, sitting cross-legged towards her and staring her in the eyes with a still expression.

    "And? What of it? So what if I killed him? Surely you''re not gonna say I should''ve spared him?" Rein cross-examined her.

    "No. I just had to make sure that he was dead because If not, I would''ve gotten off this carriage and ran back to the city to kill him myself," she dered, Rein''s eyes widening in surprise, not expecting her to say that.

    "Well damn, I''ve got a newfound respect for you. Anyways, I''m gonna head down and sleep now. See you in the morning," Rein remarked as he stood up and stretched.

    "Just one more thing. About Core, we''re gonna be fighting with him in ss, yeah? Will we be okay? He''s helped me during lessons before, but I know nearly nothing about him. Do you have a n?" She stood up as well and stretched as Reinughed softly.

    "We''ll be fine. Don''t worry, even if it were just me, I could beat 75% of the ss at the same time. We''ve gotta get you up to the same ss as Clyde so you 2 can make some progress," Reinughed, making her blush angrily.

    "What the hell! How do you even know about that? Also, I don''t want to hear anything about progress from you! You and Chloe literally live together!" She retorted, Rein pointing to himself with a confused face.

    "Oh? But Chloe and I are already together."

    "What?!"

    "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll give Clyde a few nudges in the right direction. Well, see ya," Rien waved as he entered the close carriage and dropped down on the couch, instantly falling asleep.

    Xenia stayed on the roof for a while longer, her red face lingering as she thought about her future in Ranger Academy.

    As usual, Rein awoke to the white haze and met with Versys, who was waiting eagerly for him to arrive.

    "What''s up? Any news today?" Rein asked as he walked up to Versys, who always gave him the full System report at the end of each day.

    "Yeah, here''s the spiel.

    You gained 4 levels, bringing you from level 123 to 127

    You''re almost at the next level, you have 194000 EXP out of 250000

    Your speed went up to 337.9

    Your strength went up to 421.5

    Your defense went up to 344.4

    Your intellect went up to 311.6

    Your inventory limit is now 843.0 kg

    You got 2 new technical skills. The first one is ''Third Eye'': lets you use special vision to see if things are being affected by a Spring.

    The second one''s called ''Built Different'': Allows you to make an object, or yourself, indestructible for 2 seconds. Cooldown is based on the damage it absorbed.

    That''s pretty much it. All of this has been updated in your menu, so you can see it at any time," As Versys finished speaking, Rein barely had enough time to thank him before the carriage came to a sudden stop, waking Rein instantly.

    He sat up and looked out the window, seeing that they had arrived back at the Zacrozir guild branch and that everyone else was still asleep.

    "Not again," he thought, rolling his eyes, then proceeding to wake everyone one by one.

    The group woke up as slowly as the first time, checking the time to be 6 AM before getting up and checking the carriage back to the guild, thanking the guild receptionist before heading to the Hasbin gulf teleporter. Rein thought to use his newly acquired skill, third eye, to see if these teleporters were by-products of a Spring. Not to his surprise, they were, seeing a blue aura surrounded the pad.

    As everyone else went through the teleporter ahead of him, he ducked down and set his hand on the teleporter, copying the inverse of it into his system, being very careful not to invert the effect itself.

    Original effect:

    Allows the user to link 2 points which they have been to together with a space-altering wormhole that sends whoever steps on it to the other side, however, the user cannot use them. A maximum of 5 links can be made at 1 time.

    Inverted effect:

    Allows the user to link 2 points which they have been to together with a space-altering wormhole that only sends the user through. Nobody else is able to use it. A maximum of 5 links can be made at 1 time.

    "Interesting, so this time it didn''t invert the main effect itself, but the sub effects? I was looking forward to seeing what the opposite of teleportation was though. It was the same thing that happened with that red-haired guy from Crypt. Ah well, whatever. This''ll still be useful," he thought as he stood up and walked through the teleporter.

    Finally, he had returned to the Hasbin gulf as he saw the glimmering glow stones all over the walls, glimmering with radiating energy. He saw the academy in the distance and the dorm building as well, as he felt a sense of belonging in the town.

    The group made their way to the quest receptionist and turned in the quest, amassing their rewards.

 Chapter 108 - Meditation Room

    Each person received 10000 Rol and 20 points, Rein checking his tablet to see his ranking update.

    Rein Xilris

    Points: 125 (Rank 26 [D])

    Rol: 108000

    He ced the tablet back into his pocket and made his way back to the dormitory, waving the rest of the group goodbye as Xenia went to the principal''s house, and Raxo went to the Hasbin academy dorm. Quint went into the Ranger dormitory building with Rein and Saphri, then they broke away as Quint went to his and Reggie''s room.

    Rein and Saprhi continued up the stairs and up to their room as they quietly opened the door and entered. Chloe and Emria seemed to be asleep, so they did not want to make any unnecessary noise to wake them. As they took off their shoes, Rein heard Saphri yawn, not having gotten enough sleep the night before.

    "I am going to go back to bed now. I will do my best to not wake Emria," Saphri said as she headed to her and Emria''s room, Rein waving to her as he headed to the sound-isted room to exp farm.

    This room was an extra room that they didn''t know what to do with when they moved into the dorm, so Rein got Saphri to install some of the noise-reducing walls she had in her room back in the Elven Forest so that he could use it to test skills and level them.

    He had already used it to level his memory flip skill, allowing him now to use it for 10 minutes every 12 hours instead of 1 minute every 24 hours. Using meditation, he next steeled himself to leveling the efficiency of STO so that it would be on par with Luther''s.

    As he approached the room, he felt the sheer silence emerging from the space, which always amazed him, even back in the Elven forest, whenever he would enter the girls'' room. However, as he opened the door, he heard the faint sound of breathing, as if someone was sleeping in there. It was Chloe, who had set up a thin mattress in the room, and slept peacefully in the middle of the soundless room.

    "What the hell? What''s she doing in here?" Rein scratched his head as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

    He sat down on the ground and crossed his legs, watching her face as she breezily slept, waiting for her to wake up. He sighed as he stretched, eventually getting bored of watching her sleep, turning around, and beginning to train anyways. He sat with his back faced to her as he took a deep breath, turning his hair ck and eyes red as he felt his energy drain. He focused, trying to keep his energy from depleting as fast, furrowing his eyebrows.

    Energy: 1294/1305 (depleting at 0.9 energy per second)

    While stationary, the furthest he could lower the energy usage was to 0.9 energy per second, which would mean that he could keep it active for approximately 24 minutes while staying still, with no Springs active. However, as he began cycling through his Spring history using memory flip, he activated 5 springs at once. Fire and earth in one hand, wind and water in the other, all the while having Emria''s inverted spring active.

    Energy: 1253/1305 (depleting at 8.4 energy per second)

    As soon as he ramped up his Spring usage, he felt the energy consumption spike up, making him lose his focus briefly. As he regted himself, steadied his breathing, and grew ustomed to the Springs, he was able to reduce the energy usage by half.

    Energy: 1197/1305 (depleting at 4.2 energy per second)

    This would mean that while using 5 springs at once, he would be able to keep STO active for roughly 5 minutes. For some reason, his unconscious was telling him not to activate more than 5 Springs at once. Rein could feel some sort of ceiling over that number, an unseen barrier that he felt he couldn''t ovee. Yet, he still tried. As he continued cycling through his history, he decided to activate Xenia''s inverted Spring, enhancing his physical prowess exponentially.

    As soon as the 6th Spring was activated, he broke out into an instant cold sweat, feeling the energy being sucked right out of his body at unbelievable speed.

    Energy: 323/1305 (depleting at 874.2 energy per second) (CRITICAL CONDITION!)

    He instantly de-activated STO, panting heavily as he felt his vision weaken, his head beginning to feel light. He put his hands on his forehead, trying to stabilize his breathing as he wiped the cold sweat off his face. He finally regained hisposure, taking a deep breath before stopping his heavy panting, putting both of his arms behind him as he leaned back on them, staring up at the ceiling as he waited for his energy to regenerate.

    "You had enough of peeking at me Chloe?" Rein remarked as he felt a twitch in the futon behind him.

    The girl sat up, her bed head apparent as it poofed out, her sleepy face red with embarrassment.

    "I''m sorry! Forgive me! I didn''t mean to!" She spewed out apologies, Reinughing at her cute efforts.

    "No need to apologize. I was watching you while you slept for a while, so we''re even," he remarked, making her face turn even redder.

    "I didn''t want to interrupt you¡­ You looked so focused, so I thought I''d just watch," she fiddled with her hair, trying to ignore the thing Rein just said to keep herposure.

    "What are you doing in here to begin with? Was Emria snoring or something? I''ve never heard her snore though¡­" Rein thought.

    "No, she wasn''t snoring. I went to sleep in my own room, but when I woke up a few hours ago, I decided to go to sleep here," she recounted, Rein tilting his head in confusion.

    "Why would you do that? Your bed''s a lotfier than this thin cloth," Rein pointed out, to which Chloe ducked into her neck cor on her pajamas, hiding some of her red face.

    "Come on¡­ Read in between the lines, dummy. It''s because I missed you. I wanted you to be the first thing I saw when I woke up," she whispered into her cor, inducing a slight red highlight on Rein''s face.

    His surprised face didn''t hold for long as he lifted his hand to Chloe''s cheek, caressing it softly as he pulled her in, their lips interlocking, their bodies embracing in the noise-binding room.

    As their lips left each other''s contact, Rein continued caressing her hair as they kept their faces close together.

    "It''s only been one day. How much could you have possibly missed me?" He whispered into her ear, making her lift both her arms and put them around his neck.

    "Can I show you? I''ve been irritated every since our cooking date was interrupted. At least let me do this much," she responded as she went back in for another kiss, Rein returning it readily.

    Eventually, Rein broke away from the embrace, not wanting it to get too far, leaving Chloe pouting in an unsatisfied manner, but understanding his reservations about their rtionship.

    "Oh, don''t go looking at me like that. It''ll make it even harder to hold myself back," he remarked as he looked away from her, making her transition from a pout to a blush.

 Chapter 109 - Battle Strategies

    "Anyways, what''d you guys do in ss yesterday? Anything important I missed?" Rein asked as he stood up, trying to stop his legs from shaking as he still felt the effects of fatigue that using 6 Springs at once induced.

    "No, nothing you don''t already know I don''t think. We''re already at the end of the first week, so next week we have a written exam. Apparently, those give really good points," she exined as she tidied her hair.

    "Hm, okay. I''m gonna go freshen up. School starts in about an hour, so you should do the same," he walked out of the room and into the bathroom, where he took off his clothes and put them into the washing bin.

    He finished taking a bath, made breakfast for himself and Chloe, then they both headed off to the academy. It was Friday, thest day of the week, meaning that ss D would be having battle strategies with the principal.

    He greeted his ssmates at school as he sat at his seat and listened to the lecture, as usual, only really paying attention to history and geography, as some of the information given could help him when on quests.

    After ss ended, he, Xenia, Core, and the rest of ss D made their way to the academy field for battle strategies ss with principal Julianne.

    "Wee, students! This will be your first ss of battle strategies of your academic lives! Who''s excited?" She eximed, trying to fire them up, but failing miserably.

    "Tough bunch, huh? Well, I don''t think this ss will take too long. Of course, it only depends on how well you do," she imed, which finally caught the attention of the students.

    "How? You don''t know the length of your own ss?" Said Candice, who Rein previously exposed for being a fraud.

    "Ah, very you''re very narrow-minded, aren''t you?" The principalughed, which got on the girl''s nerves.

    "Just tell us already!" She yelled in anger.

    "She already told us. It depends on how well we do. Do well, and the ss will end earlier," Core remarked as to shut the girl up so they could begin with the ss.

    "I''m d at least one person was listening! Well, let me exin what you will be doing then," she turned around to face her back to them, revealing arge red button strapped to her back.

    "Press this button on my back and you win. Your hand has to make direct contact with it, so no throwing your weapon on it. All of you can work together, but only the person who presses it can leave. You don''t want to be thest one left, now do you?" She exined briefly, leaving the bottom 3 aside from Rein, Xenia, and Core slightly confused.

    "Wait, I don''t really ge¡ª"

    "Alright, begin!" She cut off the student who was about to ask a question, Xenia instantly taking off at full speed, trying to get behind the principal''s back.

    Rein stood there, thinking of a n, to which Core tapped him on the shoulder, whispering something into his ear.

    "You think you could get behind her on your own?" He asked.

    "Yeah, the problem is you though," he replied.

    Suddenly, he extended his arm out and told Rein to summon his swords, which he did.

    "Slice it off," he said, which gave Rein the idea Core was thinking of.

    "Ah, I think I follow," he said as he swung his sword down, slicing his arm off as blood gushed out, making the other 3 ss D members scream in fear and shock.

    "AHHH! WHAT THE FUCK?! HE JUST CUT OFF HIS ARM?!" Candice screamed as the other 2 boys looked at them with horror.

    "Oh?" The principal remarked as she continued to dodge Xenia''s quick rushes.

    Rein turned his gaze to the principal as he swiftly erupted towards her with Core''s arm in his hand, Xenia still pestering her from the side as she began to dodge both of them at once. Rein and Xenia got in position to sandwich her as Rein stood behind her and Xenia stood in front.

    However, before she could react, Rein threw Core''s arm at full speed towards her back, flying straight on target to the button. She was able to dodge just in the nick of time, jumping upwards and turning around as Core''s arm flew directly to Xenia, who showed a look of disgust on her face as she caught it, instantly throwing it back up into the air,pletely missing the principal.

    It whizzed straight past the principal''s face as it flew above her, Julianne giving it a nce before she looked back down, scouring for a ce tond. She looked for somewhere away from the students, so she wouldn''t be ambushed as shended. However, she felt something off. No matter where she looked, Rein was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, she felt the wind shift behind her, feeling someone''s presence appear out of nowhere.

    Rein caught Core''s arm above Julianne, who was still floating in the air, meaning that she couldn''t dodge.

    "Alley-oop," he uttered as he threw the disintegrating arm onto the button, the arm disappearing in the air and re-appearing on Core''s body as theynded.

    "Alright, Core can leave now. The rest of youe at me," she said as Rein stood there, not fatigued at all, Xenia breathing softly as she felt slightly fatigued.

    "What?! Excuse me, principal, but what just ha¡ª"

    "Begin!" She interrupted him again as Rein and Xenia resumed attacking her.

    Eventually, the two were able to break through her defenses, Xenia barely skimming the button before the principal dodged, leaving Rein and the 3 other ss D members left.

    "Holy shit you''re fast¡­" Xenia panted heavily as she sprawled out on the ground, Julianne dismissing her from ss as she just barely pressed the button.

    "I could say the same for you, Xenia. I wish you''d be that fast to wake up in the morning too!" She joked, not even a sign of fatigue on her.

    "Well, can I continue now?" Rein asked as he waited for her to allow them to attack her after Xenia pressed the button, no hint of fatigue on him either.

    "Go ahead," she said, Rien instantly jumping forward, going faster than he was previously.

    The other 3 in the ss were simply watching in awe, baffled by the show that they were witnessing. They couldn''t jump in. All they could do was stand there and watch.

    Eventually, Rein was able to catch Julianne off guard by using the earth Spring, still keeping the facade up of that being his Spring, as that was what he showed it to be during the entrance tournament and during the fight with Sho.

    He trapped her in a series of protruding pieces of rock that she intricately dodged, Rein ramping his speed up, using the earth under his feet to boost him forward, allowing him to press the button on her back.

    "Impressive! You pass, Rein Xilris," she announced, Rein retracting all the pieces of protruding earth before a long sigh as he walked away.

    "Hold the fuck up! I''m not putting up with this shit! The motherfucker chopped his arm off and got his friends to press it for him. How the fuck is that fair?" Candice freaked out.

    "Why would it not be fair? They used teamwork. Rein and Xenia were able to make up for Core''s weakness with their strengths. If that''s not battle strategies, then I don''t know what is," Julianne exined, Candice looking like she wanted to say something, suddenly being cut off by Julianne once again.

    "You have the rest of the day to press the button. If you don''t, I''ll subtract 10 points," Rein heard her exim as he walked away, making his way to themission room, where the rest were waiting for him.

    "Ourmission counter resets today, right? So we can take another one?" Xenia asked as Rein approached the front door.

    "Right. Are they in there? We need all 3 to take an S rank request," Rein stretched his limbs in front of the door to themission room.

    "Yeah. Clyde, Sho, and Chloe are in there. Core already went in to greet them," she answered, Rein, tightening his gloves as he opened the door, Clyde, Sho, and Chloe sitting on a circr table inside, waiting for their arrival.

 Chapter 110 - Haka, The Ghost Town (1)

    "Sup you two. So, how did your quest with Reggie go the other day?" Rein chatted with Clyde and Sho as he entered the room, sitting down at the circr table along the side of themission room together with the others.

    "..." They both stayed silent, Rein''s question clearly unnerving them, which piqued Rein''s suspicion.

    "They haven''t talked about it since they got back. Neither has Reggie," Chloe stated, Rein activating ''third eye'' to see if any of them were affected by a Spring.

    As he did, he saw nothing clouding over them, Reining to the conclusion that it was something that they simply didn''t want to talk about.

    "Well, anyways! Shall we look for amission to do?" Rein sprung up, quickly changing the subject, the two guys sighing breaths of relief as they stood up with him, inspecting the board for S rank missions.

    "Thank you, Rein," Clyde whispered under his breath as he passed Rein, who picked up on it.

    "Let''s see¡­ 4 S rank quests in total, huh?" Sho said to himself as he looked at the board.

    "One in Haka, one in Daster, one in Pathuless, and one in Tura," Xenia recited as the rest of the group got up to inspect them.

    "It looks like the most lucrative one is the one in Daster, and it''s the closest. Should we do that one?" Chloe turned to Rein, who was patiently waiting for something, not giving her answer a reply.

    "Let''s do the one in Haka," a voicemented, the group turning around to face Core.

    "Huh? Why? That''s the least rewarding one and It''s pretty far away. We can''t even use the teleporters to bring us closer," Sho listed, everyone else in the group nodding at his conclusions.

    "It''s fine. We''ll go with the Hakamission," Rein decided, the entire group raising an eyebrow at his sudden agreement with Core.

    "Are you sure? We''re going to use up our onlymission this week, so shouldn''t we go for the more lucrative one?" Xenia asked, still trying to figure why they chose that one.

    "Oh, I''m not sure. But Rein agreed, so I guess we''re going there now," Coreughed as the rest of the group looked at him with a straight face, then turned their gazes to Rein, the one who agreed to it.

    "H-hey guys, don''t look at me like that. C''mon, I''ve never been there before. Daster''s boring, everyone''s been there," Rein nervouslyughed as the group stared at him intently, then all of them sighing as they epted the situation.

    "Very well then. However, let''s read the request before epting," Clyde suggested as he flipped the paper over, reading what it said on the back.

    "8th prestige Rangers and above only!

    We''ve been experiencing mysterious disappearances throughout the vige over the past few weeks. We believe that it might be some sort of monster or apparition spiriting people away. We need the help of the guild in retrieving and defeating the threat!

    - Chief Akah"

    As they read the job description, they could feel the unnerve settling into their bodies.

    "This is a joke, right? G-ghosts don''t r-really exist¡­" Xenia asked, her voice shivering in uncontained fear.

    "It''s gotta be. There''s no way it''s really a ghost. Anyways, let''s start heading there. You guys agree to ept, right?" Rein hastened, all of the group nodding in affirmation, all except Xenia, who was still hesitant on the situation.

    The group gave the request to the receptionist, who epted it with a smile.

    "With pleasure! You seem to have the required number of S ss students, so this should be no problem. 75 points and 75 000 Rol will be awarded to each student participating. Since tomorrow is your day off, you may choose to take until the next school day to finish this request.

    Good luck!"

    The receptionist wished them as they exited the room, making their way to the north of the gulf to where the tunnel led out to a worn-out path under Lifah.

    (click to see visual) (won''t be here until my ban lifts)

    "Let''s stop at Kanirah first. There''s no guild branch in Tuwalmura or Haka, so we should register to the nearest one," Rein suggested, his actual motive being that he wanted to drive the group away from Lifah.

    "Sounds like a n. You guys up for a jog? We''ll make it there much faster if we run," Core dered, his suggestion confusing some of the group members.

    "Hold on, you want to run with us? You know each one of us is like, 10 times faster than you, right?" Xenia asserted, making Coreugh haughtily.

    "And that''s where you''re wrong, my fellow cursed vessel! Now, B1!" He yelled, a grey-haired boy, who looked to be the same age as Core in physical appearance, appearing out of nowhere, wearing all white clothes, kneeling down on 1 knee.

    "''Sup master. So, where are we going today?" He spoke unenthusiastically, blowing a piece of gum as it popped on his lips, licking it back into his mouth as he continued chewing.

    "To Kanirah, directly north from here. Full speed ahead, don''t lose to anyone here," hemanded as he hopped on the boy''s back, dering to the rest of the group that it would be a race.

    "Very well," in a sudden sh of light, the two zoomed forward at unspeakable speeds, spawning a colossal gust of wind from their departure.

    In mere moments, the 2 were out of sight, all that could be seen was a reflection of white light straying in the horizon.

    "Well, that was cheap. I guess we should get going too," Sho activated his mes and took off, followed by the rest of the group, except Rein, who stood behind, thinking about something Core said.

    "B1..? Is that the recement for the guy from back then?" He asked himself before beginning to run with the rest of the group, trying to test himself by not using any Springs to catch up.

    The group made it to Kanirah in record time, all of them, except for Sho, arriving at about the same time. For some reason, Sho had de-activated his Spring when he approached the city, meaning that he slowed down from the rest of the group.

    Rein could guess why he had done that but didn''t call him out on it out of consideration for his position. Now that they were all present, they entered the city using their Ranger ID''s, making their way to the guild branch so that they could register themselves under it, allowing them to take the quest properly.

    Rein had also seeded in his mission to sway the group away from Lifah.

    After they had registered, they resumed their race, this time, to Haka. However, instead of using the main road, Sho suggested that they go out on the field, as to not inconvenience pedestrians. Rein agreed with his line of reasoning, rmencing their ''race'' shortly after.

    Bringing fierce gusts wherever they passed, they arrived at Haka within the minute.

    It was a small, homely town in the middle of a vast, windy prairie. It appeared underdeveloped and poor, yet gave the sense of coziness andfort that subconsciously captivated the group''s senses.

    When Sho finally arrived after them, he found them waiting at the road leading into the town. As the group peered their gazes into the town, the previousforting aura that they felt turned to eariness that crept through their spine, making some of them shake with daunting unnerve.

    Rein, who stood there unphased, heaved a step ahead of the group, setting his foot into the borders of the vige, and continuing through fearlessly, followed by Clyde who also had a sense of fearlessness about him.

    The two stopped and turned around to look at the other 4 who stayed nted outside the city, their feet stationary like a tree.

    "Are you guys just gonna stand there all day or are youing in?" Rein scratched his head as he addressed his teammates.

    "*Ahem*,dies first, no?" Sho nervouslyughed, clearly showing fear through his reluctant actions.

    "Where the hell''d thate from? Aren''t men supposed to take the lead? You should go," Xenia quaked as she held onto Chloe''s shoulders.

    "H-how about we secure the perimeter of the city so we can see anyone being abducted. Y-you two can look inside without us," Chloe suggested apprehensively, the 3 of them beginning to back up slowly.

    "Come on you scaredy cats. Just go in already!" Core heaved a push as he swept them in, startling them greatly from behind as they continued standing still at the entrance.

    As they entered, they felt the sense of emptiness encasing the entire town, tumbleweeds rolling through the streets, the untended yellow grass around the road beginning to wither away in the weather. No life could be seen, all the windows of the houses shut tightly. To put it inly, it was a ghost town.

    "Ah hell, if you won''t move, I guess we''ll have to drag you. Here, grab on," Rein outstretched his arm to Chloe, who timidly took his hand, the fact that she wanted to hide their rtionship not popping up in her jittery mind.

    Rein dragged her into the empty town, feeling her hands cold sweat invade his.

    "H-hey, Clyde. Would you mind i-if I held yours¡­" Xenia uttered, more scared than embarrassed.

    "Of course. Grab on," he assured, holding out his hand behind his back as she grabbed onto it, the 2 following Rein and Chloe, leaving Core and Sho behind.

    "Do you need me to hold your hand too, prince?" Core joked, which angered Sho more than he was scared.

    "Hell no! I''ll go myself," he angrily stormed towards the group in front of him, leaving theughing Core to catch up.

 Chapter 111 - Haka, The Ghost Town (2)

    They shrewdly trekked through the dusty main road, the wind carrying clouds of dirt across the empty town''s alleyways, the sound of the breeze whistling into their ears in the dead silent vige.

    "This is pretty strange though¡­ You''d think we would''ve seen someone by now¡­" Rein remarked pensively as he felt out his surroundings.

    Since Core was the one who suggested this quest, he was expecting it to hold something important, or be afflicted by a cursed Spring. However, when he activated third eye, he couldn''t see anything affected by a Spring, making his suspicions go unanswered, confusing him slightly.

    "Something''sing," Clyde warned as he heard a faint, buzzing noise from the distance.

    Suddenly, a cloud of dust could be seen quickly approaching the city, the sound of fierce buzzing strengthening as it approached. As the cloud continued getting closer, 4 fuzzy silhouettes could be made out from inside the brown sand cloud.

    The outlines seemed to have human features, propped up on a weirdly shaped vibrating vehicle.

    "Haah! Looks like we have ourselves some unlucky visitors!" They heard a loud, raspy voice yell out from one of the outlines.

    "Fuck yeah. Looks like they''ve got some chicks with ''em too!" Another eximed.

    "This loot run is gonna be so fuckin good," another remarked as they stopped their vehicles at the front of the road leading into the vige.

    The vehicles they rode resembled the cars Rein saw back in Naji, but thinner, with a horse-like shape to them, propped up on 2 wheels instead of 4.

    "What are those things? They look very simr to bicycles," Clyde remarked as the 4 men stepped into the town.

    "They''re called glowcycles. Powered by glow stones, they propel you faster than any bicycle could. They''ve gotten really popr among gangs recently," Core exined.

    The 4 men approached the group, one of them standing in front of the rest, clearly their leader. They all wielded different steel objects, one of them a crowbar, one of them a pipe, one of them a chain, and the leader arge knife.

    "Well well well, what do we have here?" The leader shouted while holding his knife over his shoulder, the rest of his goons tapping their weapons on their hands.

    "Looks like a bunch of clueless kids, boss!"

    "Let''s get rid of them before we collect our due!"

    Suddenly, the 4 men saw a cheerful looking kid emerge from the group, addressing them in a friendly manner.

    "Why hello there gentlemen! Such nice weather we''re having today, isn''t it? Now, I''ve got a good deal for you," Core carelessly approached the leader, smiling at him vibrantly.

    "How abo¡ª" suddenly, Core''s words were cut off along with his head, the leader not sparing any moment to slice through his neck.

    Core''s body copsed, his head rolling on the ground in a still expression.

    "Anyone else wanna get friendly with me?!" The gang leader threatened, pointing his long, sharp knife at the rest of the group, who stood there with unamused faces.

    "What the hell? Boss! They don''t even look phased that one of their friends just died," one of the goons eximed in a panic, the bossughing at him arrogantly.

    "They''re just scared shitless. Trust me, I''ve dealt with this type before," he imed.

    "What do you want? And why are you in this vige?" Sho stepped up and asked, his fear seemingly gone.

    "Huh? You look familiar¡­ Well, it doesn''t matter. The vigers know what we''re here for, isn''t that right?" The man shouted as he looked around at the closed houses, indicating some semnce of a poption inside the homes.

    "Answer the question. What do you want? Are you the reason these vigers have been hiding themselves in these homes?" Clyde also stepped up, letting go of Xenia''s hand.

    "And what if we are? We wouldn''t tell you shit. Now step aside and let us get on with our business. Better yet, hand us those chicks if you don''t wanna get hurt," therge leadermanded, inducing a hardyugh from Rein, which perplexed the 4 man gang.

    "Then let''s make a bet. If you can beat this guy in a 1 on 1, we''ll step aside and hand these girls over. However, if you lose, you tell us everything you know. Deal?" Rein proposed as he nominated Clyde by tapping his shoulder.

    "Not sure I like how you just wagered us, but I guess it''s fine. Clyde''s not losing," Xenia stated as Clydeughed earnestly.

    "I will even do it unarmed. You may use your knife. Do you ept?"

    The gang members looked at each other in confusion, then burst out into simultaneousughter.

    "Fine. I ept. But once this ck-haired kid starts beggin'' for his life, you''d better keep your end of the deal," the leader readied his knife as Rein and the rest of the group took a few steps back.

    "Yeah yeah, stop talking out of your ass and fight already," Rein remarked as they stepped back.

    Clyde got into his unarmed position as he noticed a wide, mischievous smirk grow on the leader''s face, then begin tough out of his chest.

    "Did you really think we''d follow your shitty rules?! Boys, jump his ass!" The leadermanded, the other 3 men running in along with their leader, with the intention of ganging up on Clyde.

    They all gutted towards him, iling their weapons in aggression.

    "Hmph, pathetic," Clyde whispered under his breath.

    Suddenly, at untraceable speed, Clyde stole the chain from one of the goons and spun it around all 4 of the men, binding them all together in an unbreakable prison.

    "The hell?! What just happened?!" The leader yelled, getting no response from the group.

    "You just lost," Clyde informed as hended back in front of the man, the other end of the long chain in hand.

    "No fuckin way! Youid a trap beforehand you dirty fucking cheater!" The leader whined as he tried struggling himself free, Clyde tightening the chain, making them choke on their breath as they became squeezed together.

    "Well? You gonna hold up your end of the deal?" Core asked as he popped up in the leader''s vision, making him scream in horror.

    "WHA- WHAT THE FUCK?! I KILLED YOU!" His skin turned pale as the horrified expression persisted, the emotion concurring through the rest of his body.

    "Did you? Hm, I only remember you cutting my head off. When exactly did you kill me?" Core went into a thinking position, putting his hand on his chin as he looked up at the sky pensively.

    "We''re not ordinary people here. It''s your turn to talk. Tell us what you know, or you''re in for a world of pain," Rein crouched down, eye level to the, intimidating him with an icy re.

    "O-okay okay! We''re only half the reason these vigers are hiding! I swear! For the past week, they''ve been scared of this weird ghost!" The leader fearfully divulged.

    "Then why are you barging into the vige like this? And you''re half the reason? Are you preying on a defenless town?" Rein grabbed him by the cor, his gaze bing increasingly intimidating.

    "W-we just thought we could take advantage of the situation! I''m telling you, I don''t know anything else! Please don''t hurt me!" The boss begged.

    "Well, you''re useless to us then. The ocean is just north of here, let''s see if I can throw you all the way there," Rein said as he picked all 4 of them up by the chain and held them over his head as they all panicked.

    "Huh?! Please no! The ocean''s not for another 50 kilometers! We''re gonna die!"

    "That''s fine by me," his words made the 4 men freak out as he heaved, getting ready to throw.

    He activated STO, turning his hair ck and eyes red, all the while using Xenia''s inverted Spring along with Wace''s inverted Spring of wind, thatbination of Springs bringing him optimal throwing distance.

    He heaved his arm behind his head, stretching it as far as he could, then pumped all of his power into his right arm as he thrust it forward through the air, releasing the men propelling through the atmosphere, leaving their sight almost instantly as their screams faded into the sky.

    "Well, that''s them done with. Let''s find the vige chief and get more info about our quest," Rein dusted his hands off, rubbing them against each other as if he''d just taken out the trash.

    "Did you really have to throw them that hard? Seemed kinda overkill," Sho remarked as he put his hand up to his forehead to block out the sun while peering into the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of the flying men.

    "Bah, forget about them for now. Follow me, I know where the Chief''s house is," Core stated as he began walking into one of the alleyways, the unnerving feeling beginning to set in once again as the 2 girls held the hand of their respective partners.

    They followed Core through the shrewd alleyway leading to arge house situated on the outskirts of the town. It was the same as all the other homes, shut off from the outside world. It exuded an unsettling aura that etched into the bodies of the students, causing them to hesitate before approaching. Suddenly, they heard and noticed something shuffling in one of the windows, then abruptly stopped as the area went into silence again.

    "W-what was that?" Xenia uttered in fear.

    "Don''t worry about it. So, who wants to knock?" Core asked, trying to get someone else other than him to knock.

    "Sounds like you''re pretty worried about it yourself. Why don''t you knock?" Sho proposed, to which Coreughed.

    "What are you, crazy? I''m not gonna knock. But trust me, it''s safe," he said unconvincingly as Rein sighed and walked up to the wooden porch while still holding Chloe''s hand, stepping to the doormat.

    He knocked on the door 3 times and waited for an answer. Suddenly, the door swung open and a hand outstretched to grab his arm, pulling him in forcefully as he and Chloe were tugged inside.

    Xenia and Sho''s hairs began standing on edge as they saw the two get dragged in, both of them screaming internally.

    "Psst! Hurry up! Come in!" A soft voice called out from behind the door, the hand remained outside, motioning for the group to follow their 2 friends into the home.

    "Well, let''s go, Xenia," Clyde dragged the reluctant Xenia up to the front porch and entered the house.

    "W-wait! We''re not actually going in, right? Clyde?" She fearfully asked as Clyde continued dragging her with him, up the stairs and into the house.

    Sho continued standing there, the prince having a big weakness to ult things, scarred by his father pulling a prank on him at a young age.

    "Well? Don''t tell me you need me to hold your hand again, prince?" Coreughed, once again overriding Sho''s fear with anger.

    "How many times do I have to tell you, I''ll go alone," he stormed into the house, forgetting about his fear as Core followed him closely.

 Chapter 112 - Investigate! (1)

    "Shh!" A teenage girl put her index finger over her mouth in silence as she closed the door, removing all light from the room the group was dragged into.

    "What''s going on? Who are you?" Xenia whispered as their eyes began adapting to the darkness, a faint outline of a girl emerging.

    The shadowy silhouette of the girl suggested that she wore her hair in 2 long twin tails, with a small face and slim figure.

    "You guys must be the Rangers auntie hired. What do you think you''re doing wandering around the vige like that? Haven''t you heard the stories?" The girl softly whispered, with a scolding tone mixed into her speech.

    "We apologize about that. We just finished dealing with a rather unsavory band of men. They said that they oftene on their glowcycles. I assume you know who I''m speaking of," Clyde recounted, the girl gasping as she heard his story.

    "No way?! What do you mean you ''dealt'' with them? Do you know who they were?" The girl lost herposure, her voice beginning to leak through the whispers.

    "What''s wrong?" Sho interjected.

    "They''re part of an even bigger group from Marzell, the town across the border. If they find out what happened, they might attack!" She panicked frantically, beginning to hyperventte as Core set a hand on her shoulder.

    "Don''t worry, I already have people on the job. The gang should be split by the end of the day," he assured her.

    "Oh, okay. Then it''s fine," she took a deep breath, not questioning what Core had just said for some reason, making everyonee to the conclusion that she was an idiot.

    "A-anyways, where are the lights? Does this house not have a glow stone?" Chloe asked as she let go of Rein''s hand and stood up, trying to move on to a different subject.

    "No, none of the houses in town do. We use candles and campfires as light sources, but the lumberjacks in town haven''t left to gather firewood in ages, so we can''t light them. I have a candle here with me though," she set it down on the floor, to which Sho grabbed it.

    "I have a lighter with me. One second."

    Sho turned around while holding the candle and pinched the candle wick, lighting it on fire through his Spring, illuminating the room with a fiery glow.

    The home was significantly more well-kept than they expected. It had a smooth, spruce wood interior, with no bumps or splinters in sight. Though they felt it on their shoes, they were still surprised to see a red velvet-colored carpet along the floors, leading all the way to the interior of the home. The shoe rack near the front door held 2 pairs of shoes, one smaller, sky-blue pair along with arger brown pair.

    The fire also illuminated the girl who dragged them in, outlining her supple, fair pale skin. She had long, ck hair styled into a pair of twin tails that spilled over her shoulders. Her most striking feature, a pair ofrge, blue eyes, which pierced into Sho''s gaze as the light came on.

    "Wow, so you just carry around a lighter, huh? Are you some sort of delinquent? Do you smoke wee¡ª"

    "No, of course not. I just have this in case of emergencies," he exined as he pretended to slip something into his pockets, the rest of his ssmates knowing the ruse he had just pulled.

    "Hm, okay. Well, I guess I should take you to my auntie. You guys probably saw her looking through the window earlier," she led them up the stairs, Sho walking behind her with the candle in hand as they navigated the ill-illuminated house.

    As they reached the top of the stairs, they looked out into a series of rooms, only one of them having light emerging from it.

    "Auntie! The Rangers are here," the girl announced as she walked into the lit-up room, the group of Rangers walking in after her to see a woman who looks to be in her mid-30s, sitting on a chair, doing paperwork while keeping wary of the covered window.

    "Thank you for greeting them, Lillia. Good afternoon, my name is Lisbeth Akah. I apologize I couldn''t wee you to the vige myself, but I was just getting ready to go face those gang members, so I didn''t have time. I overheard your conversation with Lillia, and thank you for dealing with them. They''ve been causing trouble for us ever since these disappearances becamemonce," the ck-haired woman exined as she stood up from her seat, bowing down to the young group of Rangers that stood in her room.

    "It''s no biggie. We were just protecting ourselves anyway. But enough with the formalities, could you please exin your request?" Rein asked the woman bowing down, making her raise her head in a swift motion.

    "Of course, though I''m not sure what else I could add from what you read on the request board. Over the past week or 2, people have started mysteriously disappearing in town. We want you Rangers to investigate the incidents and find the cause," she exined as the group attentively listened.

    "And have youe up with anything from your own investigations? Do you have some sort of hypothesis?" Clyde added as the woman sat back down.

    "We weren''t able to investigate for long. The night of the first incident, my men and I were searching for clues, when more and more people began disappearing across the town. As the vige chief, I was forced to put the town on lockdown and halt the investigation."

    "And you want us to continue it for you?"

    "Yes¡­ it is unfortunate, but we''re forced to rely on Rangers for help, since none of the townspeople have useful Springs. Everyone who does moves out of the vige for better opportunities."

    "I see¡­ that is rather unfortunate," Clyde remarked.

    "So then you have no clues? No leads?" Sho asked as he set the candle down on a table and crossed his arms.

    "Well, we were able to figure out when the kidnappings are most active. That would be when the sun sets. Because of that, we''re inclined to believe that it''s the doing of a spirit or ghost," she informed, those words making Xenia and Sho twitch in fright.

    "Haha¡­ you don''t know that for sure though, right..?" Xenia nervouslyughed as she tugged onto Clyde''s sleeve.

    "We do. There has been 1 witness testimony that backs up that fact. Old man Gorg who lives just outside the vige said he saw a viger disappear in front of his eyes while he was watering his nts. He said that the viger was covered by a floating ck shadow, then suddenly vanished into thin air," Lisbeth retold the story as Rein went into deep thought.

    "Was he the only witness you could find? Nobody else saw someone vanish?" He asked, wanting to make sure.

    "Yes¡­ it seems that anyone that would have been a witness was also taken away. It''s a miracle that old man Gorg was able to escape."

    Rein sat down on the ground, crossing his legs as he entered thinking position.

    "I see¡­" Clyde thought out loud. "Do you have a list of lost people? That could help us with the investigation," Clyde requested, to which Lisbeth handed him a paper.

    "Here it is. A total of 24 people have been taken so far. We''ve already checked for patterns among the victims, but we weren''t able to find any. It seems the ghost attacks indiscriminately."

    Rein nced over at Core as he continued thinking, seeing him whistling softly to himself as he pretended not to care. Rein sighed, then stood up.

    "It should be safe to go outside now, right? We should go investigate while we have the chance. I think I''ve understood the gist of the case so far," Rein stated as he cracked his knuckles in preparation.

    "I concur. I think that we''re on the same page, Rein. Let''s go everyone," Clyde motioned as he followed after Rein.

    "Thank you for the information!" Chloe bowed down before following Rein and Clyde, Sho and Xenia also thanking them before continuing.

    "Are you gonna leave too shorty?" Lillia, the girl who dragged them in asked Core, who''s mind was drifting off into space.

    "Ah! My bad, I was dozing off. Yep, I''ll be going then," he said as he left in a hurry, stopping before he left the house to ce something in the living room, then running out to follow Rein.

    "Alright, we have about 2 hours before sunset. Where should we start?" Xenia asked, as if all her previous fear had simply disappeared.

    "Hm? What happened to being super scared?" Rein asked as the group went through the dark alleyway leading back to the main street.

    "You heard the woman! The ghost only appears at night, so there''s nothing to fea¡ª"

    Suddenly, she heard the sound of ruffling behind her, shrieking and instinctively jumping onto Clyde''s back.

    "Calm down, it was just a rat," Clyde pushed her away lightly from her tightly clinging to his back.

    "O-oh! I knew that, of course! I was just testing you Clyde! It looks like you pass!" Sheughed as Clyde palmed his face in embarrassment, the rest of the group nervouslyughing as they emerged onto the main road.

    "Alright, there''s one thing I want to check before we do anything else," Rein dered.

    "Hm? What is it?" Chloe inquired.

    "Clyde, it says the victim''s addresses on that paper, right?"

    "Yes? Though, I don''t see what good that will do us," he remarked as he handed Rein the paper.

    "Not much. It''ll just either confirm or deny my suspicion. After that, we can start investigating for real¡­"

 Chapter 113 - Investigate! (2)

    The group made their way to the first victim''s address, situated in the south east district of the town, a run-down townhouse in the middle of 2 other houses.

    "Alright, before we knock, I want you to read the addresses of the next 2 victims," Rein said as he handed the paper to Chloe.

    "Okay, let''s see¡­ number 1 is south east district house 15¡­ number 2 is south east district house 14¡­ and number 3 is south east district house 16¡­ wait, they''re all from this townhouseplex!" Chloe realized, which also surprised the rest of the group.

    "You''re right¡­ How did I miss that?" Clyde thought to himself as he inspected the paper again.

    "It''s not really a big deal. It just means that this ghost doesn''t like people seeing it. The 2 others were probably witnesses to the kidnapping, and were subsequently taken away as well. That fact half confirms my suspicion, but I still need more evidence," Rein exined as he knocked on the door of the first victim, no answer emerging.

    "Hey, are you sure someone''s home? We don''t know if they lived alone or not," Xenia said as nobody responded to the knocks.

    "No, I''m sure there''s someone home. You hear me, don''t you?!" Rein screamed into the house, receiving no answer back.

    Suddenly, Rein felt a gaze befall him from inside the house, making him smirk readily.

    "There you are," he uttered as he vanished into thin air, appearing on the inside of the house, making the man that was looking out at him shriek in fear.

    "AAAH! I''M SORRY! PLEASE DON''T TAKE ME AWAY!" The man curled up into a ball and cowered in fright.

    Rein sighed and ducked down to meet the man at eye level, activating his third eye to see if the man was afflicted by a Spring. To his surprise, he saw a ck cloud of smoke floating in circles above his head, making his eyes widen in shock. Though he wasn''t expecting it, it also confirmed part of his theory.

    "Stay still for a second," Rein said to the frightened man as he set his hand on his head, making him close his eyes, thinking he was about to be hurt.

    "Huh? What''s this? Why won''t it work?" Rein furrowed his eyebrows as he tried copying the inverse Spring of the ck cloud above the man''s head.

    To his dismay, it was of no use. Nothing happened. He even tried inverting it directly using warped touch, but again, nothing worked.

    "You don''t have a Spring, right?" Rein asked the man, who shook his head in affirmation.

    Rein then used his newly acquired Spring from Naji, which allowed him to rid the minds of Springless creatures from all states of affliction.

    "Alright, you should be safe from the roaming ghost now. You can freely go outside," Rein informed him as he took his hand off of his face.

    "Really!? What''d you do?" The man sat up in jubtion.

    "My Spring let''s me make people immune to ult creatures. Anyway, I''ve got some questions for you. What was your rtionship with the first victim?" Rein interrogated as he tightened his gloves, adjusting them as he stood back up.

    "She was my daughter¡­" the man said.

    "Hm. Do you know her general location when she was kidnapped?"

    "She was¡­ right outside, in front of the house. She was ying with the neighbours'' kids. I was listening to them while reading a book¡­ they wereughing, and talking happily. They yed until sunset, which was normal. They did that every day. But on that fateful day, I suddenly stopped hearing theirughter. I thought the sudden switch was weird, so I checked outside, and they were gone. The neighbours and I ran around the vige in search, and told the chief about it. That very same night, more abductions were reported, and the chief ordered a lockdown," the man exined as tears ran down his cheeks.

    "I see¡­ so they were inside the vige then¡­" Rein muttered to himself. "Well, thank you for your cooperation. My friends and I are Rangers, and we''re on the case as we speak. You can rest easy. We''ll find your daughter," Rein assured him as he opened his front door, emerging outside where the group was waiting for him, then closing the door behind him.

    "What happened? Did you learn something?" Chloe jumped up from sitting down in wait.

    "Yeah, I half confirmed my theory. I need a couple more samples to be sure," he informed as he began walking back to the main street.

    "What''d you find out? Did the man have some valuable information?" Sho inquired.

    "No, but he was afflicted by something. His mind was clouded," Rein revealed as the rest of the group, save Core, reacted suddenly.

    "Afflicted? Was it a Spring?" Clyde replied with a quick question.

    "I''m not exactly sure. It could''ve been a Spring, it could''ve been some sort of curse, or it could''ve just been that he was high on drugs. That''s why I need some other samples to confirm it," Rein stated.

    "Ok then, who should be the next sample? Should we go to another victim''s address?" Chloe questioned as she looked over the paper again.

    "No. That wouldn''t be much of a diverse sample group. We should go to a house that had nothing to do with the abductions. Like this one for example," Rein pointed to a random house on his right and turned to it, knocking on it''s door 3 times and waiting.

    "Ugh, why aren''t people answering? It''s still daytime, they shouldn''t be so scared," Xeniained.

    "I do not want to hear iting from you," Clyde teased, making her slightly angry as she red at him.

    Suddenly, they heard a squeaky creeking from the door as it opened ever so slightly, a timid voice emerging from behind it.

    "Wh- who are you people? What do you want from me?" The timid woman raised.

    "We''re Rangers hired by chief Akah. Could you cooperate with us for a few brief moments?" Rein kindly asked.

    "S-sure? What do you need?"

    Rein activated third eye, seeing the same ck cloud above the woman that he saw with the previous guy.

    "I knew it," he muttered under his breath.

    "Hm?" She queried.

    "Nothing. Say, do you have a Spring by any chance ma''am?"

    "Oh, yes I do. Though, it''s not very strong. I can make paint from my fingertips. See?" She held her hand out as it began dripping white paint onto the dirt ground.

    "I- I see¡­" Rein replied, a tone of pity in his voice as he tried his hardest not tough.

    "Do you need anything else?" The woman asked.

    "No ma''am. Thank you for your cooperation," he bowed down as the woman closed the door.

    "You saw it again, didn''t you? How the hell can you even tell?" Xenia grilled him.

    "Using the power of friendship. Anyway, that confirms that any ordinary civilian is also afflicted by this ''thing''," Rein concluded, feeling slightly bad that he couldn''t cancel the effect out because the woman had a Spring.

    "It also confirms that Springless civilians aren''t the only ones affected. Alright, now onto the final test," Rein began marching to the north of the town as the group followed him.

    "Hey Core, you''ve been really quiet so far. Aren''t you supposed to be smart? Do you have anything to say?" Chloe spoke out, still harboring distrust for the immortal man.

    "Huh? Nope, I''ve got nothing. Besides, Rein looks like he''s having fun cracking this mystery. Why would I try stealing that away?" Heughed, which irritated the rest.

    "Some help would be great actually¡­" Rein thought as he checked his charge on memory flip.

    "I figured out that I could divide up my 10 minutes of memory flip into 1 minute per use, so technically I can use memory flip 10 times, 1 minute each time. I''ve only got 4 minutes left, so 4 uses left. I''d better make ''em count," he thought to himself as they reached the northern edge of the town.

    "Yo, Rein? Have you tried seeing if we''re afflicted by this ''thing'' you were talking about?" Sho brought up, which reminded Rein.

    "Ah, right. I should probably do that."

    As he checked each person, he saw no ck cloud hovering over anyone''s head, they were all clear.

    "Nope, nothing. If I''m right about this, then I think I know why. We''re almost at the third person I want to test," Rein imed as he turned to the north exit of the town and continued walking.

    "Hold on, you''re going outside the vige? Why?" Xenia put forward as Clyde doubtlessly followed Rein.

    "I think I know why. The third person you want to test is old man Gorg, the man Chief Akah spoke of," Clyde theorized, to which Rein gave augh of affirmation.

    "If he''s also afflicted by this ''thing'', then we can get some pretty big info out of that. Same thing with if he isn''t. He''s also the only one who witnessed the incidents actually ur, so he''s a valuable source of information regardless," Rein exined as he saw the house not far from the border of town, with small patches of vegetables growing in thewn of the home.

    Suddenly, they saw a short, gray haired old man emerge from behind the house, hoe in hand as he wiped the sweat off his face.

    "It looks like the man is already outside. Saves us the trouble of knocking on his door," Sho remarked as they approached him.

    Rein activated his third eye from a distance, the expression of shock suddenly appearing on his face.

 Chapter 114 - Ghost Hunting Or Hunting Ghost? (1)

    "Hahaha, interesting. So he''s not afflicted? Just as I expected," Reinughed as the old man noticed them approaching.

    "Who are you kids? Don''t tell me you''re with that gang! Or worse, the ghost!" The old man panicked frantically as he pointed the sharp end of the hoe towards the group.

    "Calm down old man. We''re Rangers. We just need to ask you a couple questions about this ghost," Rein put out his arms in front of his body in a defensive motion.

    "Oh, okay. Ask away!" Old man Gorg enthusiastically eximed, the group growing confused as to why everyone was so gullible in this town.

    "So it''s true that you were watering these nts when you first saw the ghost, right?" Rein interviewed.

    "That''s right. Saw that son of a bitch snatch one of my old buddies up just over there. Couldn''t forget it even if I tried," the old man imed.

    "You say you saw the ghost, but did the ghost see you?"

    "You bet your ass it did! It came flyin'' straight at me! If it didn''t get scared of my pure muscles, I woulda been dead meat!" The old man imed while flexing his scrawny arms.

    "So it saw you, but vanished before it got to you? Alright, thanks for the information. Onest thing before we leave, do you have a Spring?" Rein asked as he was about to leave.

    "Nope. These nts are the products of purebor!"

    They finished up their conversation with the old man, courteously bowing down to him as they left back to the city.

    It was now 7 PM and the sun was beginning to set over the vast, visible horizon, filling the yellow prairies with a more rich color.

    "We''re running out of daylight for today. Let''s start preparing for our nighttime investigation," Rein proposed, the rest of the group nodding in affirmation as they stood in a circle to discuss their next steps.

    "Alright, so how are we gonna catch this ghost?" Xenia posed, to which Rein raised an eyebrow.

    "Catch the ghost? Hahaha, no. The ghost is gonna catch us," he imed, widening the eyes of the rest of the group in surprise.

    "What?! Are you insane? *ahem*, I mean, why would we do that?" Sho rebelled, his face turning red in embarrassment, trying to hide his fear.

    "I''m sane. This is the best way to find the ghost, and I think I can exploit its weakness," Rein informed as Clyde nodded in agreement.

    "But why? If we''re just gonna let it capture us, then what was the point of the investigation we just did?" Chloe asked in confusion.

    "Think about it. What did we learn from this investigation? We learned that the ghost will always capture witnesses, no matter what, correct?" Clyde recounted, to which the group nodded.

    "Yeah, because those kids from the first incident all got taken away at the same time. And the chief said that nobody''s seen it¡­ but wait, what about that old man?" Xenia thought out loud.

    "Exactly. That was a big anomaly in this case. The chief kept saying that the ghost took anyone it saw, yet there''s one person that managed to escape. Why do you suppose that is?" Rein asked, wanting to induce thought into the group.

    "I''m not sure¡­ but it must have something to do with the ''thing'' you were saying was afflicting people. You said the old man didn''t have it, so maybe that''s why he was able to escape?" Sho surmised, Rein and Clyde nodding as they heard his hypothesis.

    "Yeah, I think so too. So why does the man not have anything afflicting him? Why do we not have anything afflicting us? Why does the chief and her niece not have anything afflicting them? They all have one thing inmon."

    "The one thing they all have inmon¡­ is it that they all don''t live in the vige? I think the chief''s house might be just outside the border," Chloe concluded, Rein patting her on the head as a reward.

    "You got it. So those people can''t be hunted by the ghost. Now the next question that we need to answer is, how does one get afflicted? To test that, I need one person other than Core and Xenia to volunteer," Rein announced as Chloe embarrassingly pushed his hand off of her head.

    "Why are Core and I excluded?" Xenia posed.

    "Because if Core is captured, he''ll have no way to fight back, and if you''re caught, you have the ring on you, so the ghost might not even be able to capture you. It''s too dangerous to find out what would happen, so you''re out of the picture. Besides, there''s no way you''d willingly volunteer to be captured by the ghost anyways," Rein exined, his reasoning slightly angering her, but she couldn''t refute anything he said.

    "I''ll volunteer. I think I may know the trigger to get afflicted as well," Clyde raised his hand, Chloe and Sho heaving a sigh of relief simultaneously.

    "Right, the trigger to getting the affliction should have something to do with the ghosts hunts, and the radius of the vige. Meaning that to get the ghost to hunt you, you have to be in the vige when the ghost appears," Rein theorized.

    "Then I''ll stand in the vige while you guys stand outside. Once it appears, it will probably be safe for you guys toe in, since you don''t get the mark unless you''re in the vige when the hunt begins. I''ll distract it while you guys investigate the ghosts'' appearance and properties. After that, I''ll purposely let the ghost capture me to see where it would take me. Does that sound good?" Clyde proposed, gaining Reins nod of approval.

    "Wait, I don''t like it¡­ we don''t know what happens when the ghost actually captures you¡­" Xenia pointed out.

    "Yes, that is what I am going to find out," Clyde reiterated.

    "That''s the problem¡­ What if something happens to you? What if it hurts you¡­ or worse, what if it¡­" She didn''t finish her sentence, fearing that she would speak it into existence as she swallowed a ball of spit that had formed in her throat.

    "Hmph, I won''t die," Clyde assured.

    "What? How do you know?" She worryingly asked, putting her hand on his chest.

    "He won''t. Don''t worry, Clyde''s not gonna die," Core finally spoke out with utmost confidence, no doubt mixed into his voice.

    "Well there you go. You''ve got Core''s guarantee," Clydeughed as he walked into the vige, the sun finally finishing its descent into the horizon.

    "If Core''s wrong about this, I''ll kill you Clyde! Then I''ll kill him!" She yelled out, making Coreugh in a nervous sweat.

    "But if Core''s wrong, then Clyde would already be¡­ and Core''s immortal¡­ ah whatever, I''m just not gonna question it," Rein thought as he slouched down with a nk expression on his face.

    As total darkness nketed the vige, the loud crickets could be heard ringing throughout the starry night. Clyde stood a few feet in front of the group, who all stood behind him just outside the border of the vige.

    They patiently waited for the ghost to appear, Rein keeping third eye active the entire time, so that he could notify Clyde whenever he became afflicted.

    They waited, and waited, and waited quietly, until about 1 hour had passed.

    "I''m beginning to think that this ghost doesn''t exist," Sho imed as he stood up from his seat on the floor.

    "Just a little longer. I''m certain it will appear soon," Clyde assured as Sho yawned in boredom.

    "Yeah, sure thing. I never believed in ghosts anyway. I''m not scared either, see?" Sho took a step into the vige and stood beside Clyde.

    "Are you sure you want to do this? If it appears, you will also be marked," Clyde warned.

    "Yeah, it''s not gonna appear. And even if it does, it won''t be able to catch me," Sho boasted as he stood there fearlessly.

    "I wouldn''t be too sure about that. I heard some ghosts can teleport as much as they want within their domain. If it has its sights set on you, you won''t escape," Rein informed, which sent a chill down Sho''s spine.

    "You know, on second thought, maybe I should wait outside," he said as he turned around, seeing Rein''s expression change suddenly, his eyes widening in a shocked motion, his mouth opening as if he was about to say something, however Clyde and Sho heard nothing.

    "H-huh? What''s wrong? Why are you pping your gums without saying anything? Come on, you''re freaking me out here," he uttered as he tried waking back towards Rein, then bumping into an ominous invisible barrier.

    "Huh? What the hell is this? No way? Did it..?" A million thoughts ran through Sho''s head as he looked back into the vige, darting his eyes around as he searched for something.

    Clyde was still standing firm, unaware of what was happening, waiting for the warning from Rein, sternly staring into the center of the vige. Sho''s horrified eyes, along with his heavy breath continued darting around the vige, eventually his breath halting as his eyes also stopped on arge, shadowy figure.

    "Holy shit¡­ Clyde! Look out! It''s after you!" Sho yelled in a panic as the shadow pounced in Clyde''s direction, Sho jumping in and moving him out of the way before the shadow could capture him.

    "What?! But Rein didn''t say anything¡­ how did you know that it appeared?" Clyde asked as he tilted his head back in Reins direction, seeing him, Chloe, and Xenia pping their mouths as they punched an invisible barrier.

    "The ghost isted us in the town! We can''t hear them, and they can''t hear us! Neither can we cross the barrier!" Sho frantically exined as he and Clyde ran away.

    "No way¡­ it also istes..? But that''s impossible¡­ then *her* story wouldn''t make any sense¡­"

 Chapter 115 - Ghost Hunting Or Hunting Ghost? (2)

    "Shit, they can''t hear us! This is bad! I wasn''t expecting it to iste the town! And what''s worse, both Clyde and Sho are marked now," Rein thought out loud as Chloe and Xenia both attacked the barrier with all their might.

    "It''s no use, nothing works! This thing is indestructible!" Xenia yelled in desperation, breathing heavily after a barrage of kicks on the barrier.

    "My wind just gets nullified as soon as it touches the barrier. I can''t do anything!" Chloe imed.

    "I set up a teleportation path from the Spring I gained from the other teleportation panels, but it''s not working. I can''t teleport to them using that red-haired guy from Crypt''s Spring either. This barrier nullifies the effects of Springs... This is bad¡­" Rein thought as he heard Core give a suggestion.

    "Remember what the chief said? They went into the vige after they were notified of the ghost''s attack. If their house is outside the vige, there should be some sort of entrance, right?" Core hinted, making Rein also recall.

    "You''re right. Let''s go check out that area, there might be some sort of opening in the barrier," Rein said as he took off towards the chief''s home, Xenia and Chloe following closely behind him, leaving Core behind.

    As they ran around the barrier, they saw the chief''s homee into view, elerating towards it as Rein realized something when they got closer.

    "Why does it look like it''s inside the barrier¡­" he uttered.

    When they finally reached it, they found themselves unable to enter, the house being within the border of the vige.

    "Hey, Rein! Didn''t you say the chief''s house was outside the barrier? So why can''t we get in?" Xenia asked as she tried kicking the barrier here as well.

    Rein put his hand on his chin and thought about what this development could mean.

    "I guess we were just wrong then? The chief''s house is inside the barrier and that''s how they were able to go in and investigate when the first incident happened," Chloe concluded, Rein shaking his head in disagreement.

    "No, there''s definitely something wrong with this¡­ I was almost positive the chief''s home would be outside the vige¡­" Rein stated.

    "Why? What made you so sure?"

    "Well, ording to our investigation, our theory implies that whoever is inside the vige when the ghost appears, they gain an affliction, right?" Rein recounted, the 2 girls nodding in agreement.

    "So if the chief''s house is inside the barrier, both her and her niece should have an affliction as well. But they didn''t. That could mean 2 things. Either our theory has been wrong this entire time, and there''s another variable affecting people who be ''targets'', or the chief has been lying to us about something," Rein concluded as Core finally caught up to them.

    "The chief was lying to us? But why would she do that?" Xenia asked in confusion.

    "I don''t know, that''s why I''m more inclined to believe that our theory is just wrong. Though, I imagine Clyde''se up with the same train of thought as us and he''s heading this way as we speak. He''ll be surprised to see the chief''s home is in the vige and go in to investigate," Rein exined as the group turned their gazes towards the inside of the vige, seeing Clyde and Sho running towards the chiefs home as Rein expected.

    "Why''re weing here again? You said the chief''s lying to us or something?" Sho yelled after Clyde, who was roof hopping ahead of him, the shadowy creature still in pursuit of them.

    "Yes, either that or there''s an entrance to the barrier up ahead," Clyde exined as he noticed Rein and the rest of the group standing on the ground up ahead, waiting behind the chief''s house.

    "Why are they standing behind it? Go inside! Wait, it looks like they''re punching an invisible wall again¡­ could it be that the chief''s home is actually inside?" Clyde racked his brain as he approached the house, diving straight into the premises of the home, expecting to go straight through into it.

    However, he too mmed into an invisible barrier from his side, denying him entry to the chief''s home.

    "Huh?! Here too? Is this house isted as well? But that doesn''t make any sense!" Clyde''s train of thought was cut off as he heard Sho scream behind him, warning him of the approaching ghost, forcing him to jump off the invisible wall and continue running.

    "The hell? Did he m into a barrier from his side too?! Then there''s no doubt in my mind, the chief was lying. I don''t know why or how, but either her or her niece is behind this," Rein concluded as Chloe and Xenia''s eyes widened in shock.

    "No way¡­ then why would they hire Rangers to solve the mystery? That just doesn''t make sense," Chloe stated as Rein continued thinking.

    "There could be many reasons. Maybe they''re unaware of what they''re doing, maybe there''s another condition for the activation of the ghost, maybe they enjoy it, who knows. All we do know is that we have to stop them," Rein listed as he clenched his fist.

    "We can just wait for sunrise, right? Shouldn''t the ghost disappear after that?" Xenia inquired, Rein shaking his head.

    "That was probably another lie the chief fed us. There was likely never a condition on the time of day of the ghost appearances. Now that I think about it, there was something strange about what the old man told us. He was working on his crops while he saw someone being abducted. Why would he be working on his crops in the darkness of the night? And why were the vigers hiding even though it was daytime? It all points to the fact that the time of day doesn''t matter. So even if we wait for morning toe, it won''t matter," Rein theorized as his furrowed eyebrows tensed up, his teeth gritting in anger.

    "Shit, if only I could do something¡­ if only I could somehow make it into that house¡­" he set his palm on the barrier, suddenly feeling someone''s handnd on his shoulder.

    "I think now''s about time," Core muttered as his face approached Reins.

    "Core? The hell do you want? You''ve been damn near useless this entire time," Rein scolded as he saw Core reach for his pocket, taking out a small metal disk.

    It was a minuscule, circr object that glimmered under the moonlight, arge buttonying in the middle of the circle with the number 2 etched on it.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve got the situation under control. I can get 2 of us into the house," he imed, Rein''s eyes widening as he heard his absurd remark.

    "What are you talking about? I just told you, Springs don''t work."

    "I know. We don''t need a Spring. All we need is science," he remarked as he held the metallic disk up to his face, the entire group looking at him with bewildered expressions.

    "You two stay here and press this button when it turns green. Rein and I''ll go in," Core instructed as he set the button with the number 2 on it on the ground, still holding onto Rein''s shoulder.

    "Wait, what do you mea¡ª"

    Suddenly, Core pressed the button with the bottom of his shoe, him and Rein vanishing into thin air, leaving the button behind with Chloe and Xenia. The button lit up in a red glow, Core having told them to press it again if it turned green.

    "Wha¡­ where''d they go?" Xenia asked in a baffled tone.

    Suddenly, Chloe grit her teeth and ran towards the button, holding her arm out with the intention to press it, Xenia instantly reacting, managing to hold her back just in time before she pressed it.

    "Wow wow wow! What do you think you''re doing Chloe? He told us to only press it if it turns green!" Xenia recounted as Chloe struggled to escape her full nelson.

    "I don''t care what he said! Who knows where he just took Rein! I''m not waiting for this stupid button to turn green!" Chloe cried out as Xenia held her in confinement.

    "I''ve been meaning to ask, but why don''t you trust Core? He''s my ssmate, I don''t see anything untrustworthy about him, other than his ugly tattoos," Xenia posed while still holding Chloe.

    "Right¡­ you weren''t there when they exined it¡­ I don''t know if I''m allowed to say, but basically, he''s a bad guy¡­ I don''t know how Rein''s forgiven him, but I sure as hell haven''t," Chloe''s eyes welled up with anger.

    "And that''s why you want to press the button? Do you even know what will happen when you do? What if there was a reason Core told us not to press it until it turned green? I don''t know, but so far, he hasn''t done anything to make me super suspicious of him, though maybe I''m just an idiot. And Rein wouldn''t go down that easily even if it is something dangerous, you know that right? Have some faith in the man you love. Even if he''s in some trouble right now, he''ll be fine. Just like I know Clyde, who is trapped inside the barrier will be fine too," Xenia spoke to calm Chloe down as she felt her muscles ease up, Chloe taking a deep breath as Xenia released her.

    "Thank you for that¡­ I won''t act rashly. But¡­ When you said the man you loved, what did you mean?" She muttered with a blushing face, which made Xenia''s face also turn red as she spoke without thinking.

    "Ahaha¡­ you see¡­"

    Meanwhile, somewhere that looked familiar:

    Rein and Core suddenly appeared in the same position, in a clean, polished wooden home.

    "How the hell..? This is the chief''s home..!"

 Chapter 116 - The Core Truth (1)

    "Is this¡­ the chief''s house?" Rein muttered as they appeared in a familiar, dimly lit pitch ck room.

    "That''s right. Anyway, we''ve no time to waste. Nobody seems to be home so let''s look arou¡ª" suddenly, Core felt a cold de touch his neck as he felt a threatening aura appear behind him.??

    "You''re not going anywhere until you''ve exined yourself," Rein threatened, Coreughing yfully as he turned around.

    "Hahaha, what''s gotten into you? We''re inside the house, so who cares about my exnation. Let''s just go al¡ª"

    "I don''t give a shit about how we got in here. I know damn well you didn''t iste both of us together just so we could ''look around''. You know just as well as I do what I mean by ''exin''. Nobody can hear us here. Nobody can reach us here. So talk," Rein hurried him as he narrowed the gap between his sword and Core''s neck.

    "You''re talking about everything then?" Core''s voice turned serious as his light hearted expression also faded away.

    "Didn''t you say you forgave me? Why should I have to exin myself?"

    "Don''t y dumb. As if I actually fuckin'' forgave you, and you know that. I told you back then, in the Elven Forest. I''d get rid of your curse. Well, now I can. With one touch, I can send you to the afterlife for good. So you''d better exin yourself. Exin your actions from back then, up until now. Why''d you target my sister? Why''d you save Emria and I after? And everything else. You''re going to tell me everything," he threatened as his eyes turned red, piercing into Core''s consciousness.

    "Man, I knew deep down that you were lying to me, but it still made me happy when you said you did. I assume Emria was also lying then? Well, that is to be expected for filth like me," Core wallowed in self hatred, inducing no feeling of pity in Rein''s heart.

    "You''re right though, I did have the intention of telling you, even if you didn''t threaten me right now. So, I''ll tell you everything, though, you probably won''t believe it. First things first, I lied to you about my date of birth," Core revealed, Rein raising an eyebrow at his im.

    "What? You said you were 20 years old back then, which would make you 26 now¡­ so you were born in the year 1180, were you not?" Rein concluded, Core closing his eyes as he shook his head.

    "Wrong. Right now, it''s the year 1206. I was born in the year 1216, 10 years from now," he revealed, Rein''s eyes widening, his pupils shrinking as he heaved a breath of shock, the arm he was holding the sword beginning to shake.

    "Wh-what? Do you think this is a fuckin'' joke? Don''t lie to me¡­"

    "I''m not lying. I was sent to the year 1198 from the year 1232, 34 years back. I was 16 years old at the time, the same age as you when we first met," Core imed.

    "You think I''ll believe that? Time travel? Like hell I''ll believe something like that.. it''s impossible¡­" As Rein uttered those words, his eyes widened in realization.

    "You know it''s not. And if you don''t believe me, I''ve got proof," Core pointed to a device in the corner of the room, the one that he''d previously set up so that he could teleport from the outside to inside.

    "Huh? What''s so special about it? That''s just a regr Spring powered teleporter. I''ve seen you make one before."

    "Wrong. That''s the teleporter that brought us in here. It doesn''t use any Springs, thus able to teleport us in the barrier. And look what it''s being powered by," Core motioned as Rein approached the device while keeping his sword to Core''s neck, picking it up to see a familiar looking device lodged in the center of the teleporter.

    It was a refined, metal, egg shaped figure with a spiraling ball on the inside, Rein instantly recognizing it to be the perpetual motion device that was just recently invented by Saphri.

    "No way¡­" He uttered as he flipped the device around, seeing apany logo on the bottom.

    "SX Corp."

    Suddenly, Rein became light headed as he began connecting the dots, starting to believe what Core said.

    "What do you think SX stands for? That''s right. Voron''s daughter is a renowned inventor and engineer in the future. She gave me that teleporter, along with some other gadgets for my journey to the past," Core imed as Rein lowered his hand, releasing Core from the sword that was in his face.

    "She did, huh?" Rein finally spoke in eptance, feeling a sense of pride and happiness, along with a feeling of fleeting sadness.

    "Did she invent the time machine too then? If so, then where is it right now," Rein asked with his head down as he continued staring at the device in his hand.

    "No. There was never a machine. If there was, I''d have already returned to the future, though I probably wouldn''t fit into the timeline anymore," Core informed as a mncholy gaze invaded his eyes.

    "No machine..? So how''d youe back?"

    "That was¡­ all thanks to your sister."

    When Core uttered those words, Rein''s heart dropped, speechless as he continued listening quietly.

    "First, let me clear something up. I lied when I told you about your father''s death. Or at least that it was my father that attacked him. It was the previous leader of checkmate, but I had no rtion to him. I didn''t even know the guy. By the time I hade back, the guy was already dead, and the group checkmate was in shambles. I knew what it would take to be the leader using some advice from a friend from the future, and I took over the group for my own good. I never saw your father do the technique your sister used that day. However, I''ve seen your sister do it twice now."

    "T¡­ twice?"

    "¡­" Core shuddered as he recalled his past, or his future rather.

    "Tell me what you mean by that¡­ what do you mean..? What¡­ do you mean?"

    "Do I have to spell it out for you? She used it in the future as well. And I was the only one to survive, again¡­"

    "My sister¡­ was alive in your future..? And she sacrificed herself again¡­ trying to kill you..?" Tears began forming in Rein''s eyes as anger welled up in Core''s trying his hardest to keep it under control.

    "No¡­" he growled in a raspy voice, holding back the rage building up in his throat.

    "She wasn''t trying to kill me, it was actually the opposite. Let me start from the beginning of their operation. ''Operation: Reset'' is what they called it.

    It all started in the very beginning, when I was born. The circumstances of my birth are actually unknown, but the farthest thing I could remember was the feeling of drowning, being unable to breath. I said my birth circumstances were unknown, but that''s actually a lie. I know what my parents did. They threw a baby into the Hasbin Gulf to escape their responsibilities.

    I drowned and was eaten by sea creatures countless times, for 4 years straight I was stuck at the bottom of the sea. The pressure of the water on top of me crushed my infant bones constantly. I don''t know how many times I wished it would be the final time. That one time, it would just magically end, and I would simply stay dead. But it never happened.

    Eventually, when I turned 4 years old under the water, I began trying to swim upwards. It was no use of course, my underdeveloped bones and my non-existent strength,bined with the pressure of the water didn''t allow me to go up. So I just pushed myself along the floor of the gulf.

    Eventually, I took my first breath of air in 4 long years, when I drifted into a tube of open air in the middle of the gulf. I dropped straight through and with tears of happiness forming in my eyes, my lungs filled with this refreshing substance, I fell to my death.

    Of course, I didn''t actually die. I sttered across the floor, people beginning to surround me with worried expressions. Of course they would, a 4 year old child just dropped from the ceiling and sttered across the ground. But I didn''t stay dead. I regenerated shortly after, and I sat there in the middle of the crowd, no clothes on, wearing a bewildered expression.

    That''s when they took me in. I was found by the grand mistress of the Ranger guild, along with her best friend. A brown haired old woman along with a white haired old woman.

    I moved in with the white haired woman, she introduced herself to me as Leona Alister. She taught me how to read, write, speak, and I very quickly became friends with her son. His name was the same as yours, Rein Alister.

    Several years passed, and I continued living with Leona and Rein, and met many different Rangers along the way. Some of them you know, and some of them you don''t.

    One day, on my 16th birthday, on my way back home from the academy, I was suddenly kidnapped by a strange man. He brought me to the surface, above the Hasnin Gulf, and he flew high into the sky and held me by my neck.

    He crushed my throat over and over again, relentlessly, as I felt him beginning to get frustrated. I can''t remember anything about that man, it was almost like my memory was wiped of him.

    Regardless, the man eventually gave up on trying to kill me and brought me to the Orthlys territory above Silwin, into thatrge facility we concluded was their base of operations.

    That was when I met her for the first time¡­"

 Chapter 117 - The Core Truth (2)

    "She was the most malicious force I''d ever met in my short life. I recognized her from the stories Leona told me, though I couldn''t get a good look at her. I don''t remember the words she said to me before the two threw me into one of 7 capsules that surrounded 1rger capsule in the middle of the room.

    Every other capsule had a ck light filling it, except for mine. After that point, I cked out. Whatever happened between then and when I awoke, I have no clue about.??

    But then, when I did re-awake, I saw something straight out of a nightmare. The capsule I was in was now floating high above the continent so I could see the entire thing within my view. But, it wasn''t the continent I knew.

    The metropolitan city of Naji, burned to the ground. The central city of Zacrozir, decimated with no trace. Aquifa, the city of sirens, sunken and flooded with water. All other cities, destroyed, dead bodies piled over each other across the vastndscape.

    I had no clue what just happened, it was almost like a curse had been unleashed upon the entire world¡­ but the truth was much scarier than that¡­"

    "What¡­ What in the living hell happened..?" Core uttered as he stuck his face to the edge of the ss capsule he was being held in, gazing upon the chaos-riddenndscape under him.

    "No way¡­ why is this ce floating above the continent? This is the ce that woman put me in¡­ why is it floating in the air..? Is this all my fault?" Core''s mind was in a scramble as he couldn''t hold his tears back, letting them drop on the ss that held him.

    "Heh, so the immortal one''s awake then? Perfect. He can watch as his beloved foster mother is sacrificed," Core heard a voice emerge from an elevated tform above him, looking up to see 2 white-haired women standing atop it.

    "L-Leona! What are you doing here? What happened to the continent?! And you''re¡­ Melina Alister?! Where''s everyone else?!" Core yelled, making the other white-haired woman startughing hysterically.

    "Oh this is too funny! It would seem Leona has already told you about me! I''m honored! Though, I can only imagine the despair that you must be feeling! To awaken after a long slumber and see such a sight? It must be a spectacrly hopeless sensation!" She eximed as Leona stood there with an angry expression, unable to do anything.

    "Shut up you bitch! You''re ugly as hell!" Core insulted, making the woman recoil in offense.

    "Wha! How dare you!"

    "Leona?! Why are you just standing there?! Do something! Teleport around her and kill her! And why isn''t Julianne here with you?! What about the Seeking de?! Or the Roaring Tiger?! Where''s the rest of the guild?!" Core panicked as he mmed his hand on the ss barrier.

    "They''re all dead¡­" Leona uttered to him, making his eyes widen and pupils shrink in utter despair.

    "What..?"

    "You didn''t hear her the first time, boy? Everyone''s dead. We 3 are the only ones left alive. Every other living being on this continent has been eradicated," the other white-haired woman imed.

    "And I''ve lost my Spring¡­ somehow, it was stolen away¡­" Leona informed.

    "Yes, thanks to Luther''s handiwork, Drevius'' annoying time hop Spring won''t be an issue anymore," the womanughed as she grabbed Leona by the hair, dragging her across the tform, making her stand on a nk extending to the middle capsule.

    "Why?! Why are you even doing this?! If your goal was to kill everyone, you''ve already aplished it! Why did you keep Leona alive?!" Core interrupted the woman''s actions, stopping her with her leg up as she readied herself to kick Leona into the middle capsule.

    The womanughed at Core''s remark, putting her foot down as herugh turned to rage, veins beginning to pop up on her forehead.

    "You are an idiot, child. Why would my goal be to kill everyone in the continent? What a shallow goal to have. I''m actually quite appalled that you suggested that. Here, I''ll educate you. The poption''s eradication was just a prerequisite. The real show begins after one gathers all 7 cursed Springs, 3 of the 4 special Springs, and kills all living beings. Only then will my goals be fulfilled," the woman proudly exined.

    "Kill all living beings? By my count, there''s still 3 of us alive," Core imed as he desperately continued to stall in vain.

    "You really are a moron. Your life doesn''t count you cursed mongrel. Of course, my life need not end since I am the master of this operation. And as for my niece here, she has a very special role¡­" She once again pulled Leona by the hair, making her squirm in pain.

    "Special role..?"

    "You need¡­ a female descendant of the Alister family as a catalyst and to act as a sacrifice for the inception of thepleted curse, don''t you?" Leona eximed, which surprised both Core and her aunt.

    "Oh? So you already knew? You knew about the curses and about my n all along? That is quite concerning to find out, but it hardly matters now. And if so, then you must know what happens when ites to fruition, yes?"

    "Of course I do¡­ but it''s not like I have the power to stop it anymore¡­ it''s pointless to resist the inevitable," Leona spoke with a hopeless expression, making her auntugh with her chest.

    "It seems you finally understand your situation! Oh, it''s good to have such an obedient niece! The total opposite of that devil child of a nephew! Good girl Leona!" Her aunt happily patted her on the head as Core looked at Leona with a dreadful expression, Leona noticing his gaze, subtly winking at him from the side.

    "Huh? She winked at me? Whenever she does that, it always means that she has the situation under control¡­ but what control does she have here? No Spring, no allies¡­ what hope is there in such a desperate position?!"

    "Well, it pains me to do this to my beloved niece, but down you go!" She said as she pushed Leona into therge capsule in the middle, dropping her into a ss cage in the center of all the other capsules, now eye level with Core.

    "I''ve no means to kill you myself up here, so I''ll let you die from the presence of the curses. As soon as a woman of the Alister family dies in these conditions, the curse will finally beplete!" Leona''s aunt furiouslyughed as she turned around and walked back through the nk and sat on therge couch that resided on therger floating tform, waiting for Leona''s slow death toe.

    "You have a n, don''t you Leona? Please, let me hear it," Core whispered to the capsule in the middle, the waning Leona replying weakly.

    "You''re not going to like it, but it''s our only option," she whispered back, Core sternly nodding at her words.

    He didn''t care what the n was at that point. The world was in shambles, everything he knew had been destroyed. Whatever Leona hade up with would have to do.

    "I''m going to use the curse," Leona stated, Core raising an eyebrow, but not reacting loudly so the other woman wouldn''t hear.

    "Use the curse? Melina Alister mentioned something about you knowing the oue¡­ but is that really true? And how will you use it if you''re the sacrifice?"

    "If my theory is correct, if I use the curse, you, Core, could fix everything that has happened so far¡­ and I won''t be the sacrifice, she will," Leona exined as Core''s confusion continued to grow.

    "She will? So you''re going to kill her? But how? You don''t have your Spring anymore."

    "I know. There''s no point in exining it to you right now. You don''t need to understand what''s about to happen. To put it simply, the technique I''m about to use doesn''t require a Spring. It''s a special Alister family technique. It is the same thing my father, the Timeless Blitz, used in the Elven forest 40 years ago. After that, my attack will not only kill my aunt, but it will also destroy everything else around me and bring this floating tform to the ground. You will be the only survivor Core," Leona exined, Core choking on his breath to stop himself from reacting with a loud voice.

    "The same attack the Timeless Blitz used?! But wouldn''t that kill you as well?! Are you going to leave me alone in this world..?" He cried, Leona warmly smiling at him.

    "I''m sorry kid¡­ this is quite literally the only way. Before I die, I''ll use the curse''s power to open a hole in time 34 years back. Saphri and I have already nned this. Once the hole opens, you are not to go through until you''re fully prepared. Go down to the Hasbin Gulf, in the SXpany building, we''ve prepared a safe with equipment inside of it. Take that equipment, along with a slip of paper that has ''Voron''s inter-dimensional ticket'' written on it.

    Once you have those,e back to the hole in time and go through. You will likely reappear 34 years in the past, at the very center of the continent, just north of Lifah. Once you arrive, the first thing you should do is bring the slip of paper you took with you to the Elven Forest. In the center of the forest, you will find the elves dwelling. There, you''ll find an old man living with his 4-year-old daughter. That daughter would be Saphri Xilris, and the old man would be Voron Xilris, the legendary mechanic. That slip was something he gave his daughter for her 3rd birthday. It was so if she ever time traveled, he could have proof with a replica of the slip.

    If you give him that slip, he''ll take you in. Tell him about your situation and befriend him, but don''t stay with him for too long. You still need to do something else. Back in that time, the Ranger guild had just lost contact with a mercenary agency that had just turned rogue. The guild used to work with them, but then they cut ties with them suddenly. Today, they''re known as the ''inexplicable mercenaries''. The same ones that were hired by my aunt to attack my father in the Elven forest. They were called ''Checkmate''. They had just lost their master, their most important piece at the hands of my father.

    We now know where they were hiding back then. In the northern Econican region, the town of Loyogo, in arge cavern near the shore of the gulf. Head there and be their new master.

    Once you do that, wait until the year 1200. That was when Crypt attacked my vige. You''re to intercept their mission and destroy their encampment directly northwest of the town using Checkmate''s power. After that, you can steal the request by talking to my aunt in Kanirah. She''d be d another mercenary group had taken the request instead of the useless Crypt, and will happily ept.

    Thenes your most important role. This will determine the future of the entire continent. You must fulfill this one task so that the future of mankind will be guaranteed," Leona''s voice became stern, furrowing her eyebrows as she stood up and assumed a fighting stance, which would be thest fighting stance she would ever assume.

    "And what''s that..? What''s my ultimate mission? What do I have to do to ensure the future of humanity?" Core eagerly asked as the worry in his heart began to overflow, the heavy burden ced on his teenage shoulders enough to kill anyone who wasn''t immortal.

    Summoning her swords, a white light began emanating around Leona as her hair blended in with the blinding glow, turning around to utter 5 final words to Core before the atmosphere became engulfed in a luminous sh.

    "Kill me. That is all."

 Chapter 118 - The Core Truth (3)

    "Well, you know the rest. I did just as she told me," Core finally finished retelling the story as Rein stood in the corner of the room with tear-filled eyes.

    "She¡­ told you to kill her? Why¡­ that idiot¡­"??

    "It''s obvious why. Melina Alister needs a sacrifice for the inception of thepleted curse. Now, she''s the only woman of Alister blood left in the continent. I still don''t know what the curse does, but Leona used its power to open a rift in time. If it has power of that magnitude, we can''t let it get into the wrong hands," Core exined as Rein grit his teeth.

    "What the hell was the future me doing?! There''s no way I would''ve let any of that stuff happen¡­" Rein yelled at Core, staring him in the eyes, Core not flinching at his words.

    "You''re in denial, Rein. I know you figured it out from the story. In the timeline I''m from, you and every other viger died in the Lifah incident. Leona was the only survivor, as outlined by your aunt''s orders," Core revealed, Rein''s breath getting caught in his throat from shock.

    "Impossible¡­ There''s no way Leona would allow that¡­ She''d sacrifice herself for everyone else''s sake¡­ She wouldn''t let all the other vigers die¡­"

    "I think you forget how lenient we were when we attacked. We didn''t kill anyone in the ambush. Now imagine if we aimed to kill all the vigers and destroy the town instead of aiming for the homes? The only survivor left would be the resilient 9th prestige Ranger. You''re underestimating the power of Crypt. They destroyed your home while both you and Leona were still in it, and in the rubble, you were found dead. At the same time, all the other vigers were being ughtered by the countless soldiers. Before Leona even realized the situation, the troops had already begun fleeing the scene, leaving her as the lone survivor in a blood-filled city," Core exined the story that Leona had told him in the future.

    "No way¡­ So my aunt''s orders said to kill everyone except for Leona..? But you said that you were only following orders back then¡­ You lied to me," Rein gripped his swords tightly as he began trembling.

    "I didn''t lie to you. I was telling the truth. I was only following orders. That was a job only I could do. And that job was given to me by none other than Leona Alister herself. I imagine your aunt sent in soldiers when she heard what had happened, and I imagine she wasn''t too happy to hear that you and Emria were the only survivors instead of Leona. But that was all ording to Leona''s n."

    Rein couldn''t stop himself from shaking, the fear and confusion in his heart growing exponentially as Core revealed to him the truth of the situation, the incident that he''d held a grudge over for the past 6 years.

    "So then why¡­ Why''d my aunt even order the attack? If she wanted Leona to live, then what was the point?" Rein asked.

    "You already forgot her main goal? She needed a way to instigate a war, otherwise, the cursed Springs wouldn''t appear. These Springs are by-products of the conflict spawned by the war."

    "But that doesn''t make any sense. If that''s the case, then why''d your curse appear in the year 1216? 16 years after the war began?"

    "Curses only appear 3 at a time. Once one disappears, the next one appears. Right now, Xenia is upying one of the slots, and so after the one in aquifa disappeared, another one reappeared here in Hakah. The 7th curse, my curse, only appears after all other curses have been purged.

    I''m not exactly sure about the exact details as to why it took so long, but I assume it had something to do with a series of suicides and abortions across the continent. From my understanding, from the year 1207 to the year 1216, some parents would mysteriously kill their newborn children inexplicably. There was also a rise in suicide, the ones that weren''t killed suffocated themselves as babies.

    That was due to the 7th curse, one that only appears once all the others have been captured. Each time a child was killed, another one would appear with a different cursed Spring under the title of the ''7th curse''. This continued happening for 9 years until it reached my parents. Unfortunately for them, my curse included immortality, so I never died. After that, the mysterious killings stopped, and I held the 7th curse as I drifted at the bottom of the sea," Core exined.

    "So that''s why then¡­ Haha¡­ hahaha¡­ hahahahahahahahaha¡­" Rein hystericallyughed as his tears dried off his eyes, a red glow appearing in his eyes he grew a twisted smile.

    "My role is pretty much over. If you want to kill me now, you can go ahead. Maybe, I''ll finally be able to apologize to this timeline''s Leona in the afterlife¡­ But who am I kidding? I''m going straight to hell," Core put his hands up in surrender as he saw Rein recall his swords back into his weapon rings.

    "I''d be aplete moron if I killed you now. The reason you set up this teleportation device in here is that you knew something like this would happen. The reason you told us to take the Hakamission is that you knew it had a curse in it. With this overwhelming proof, I have no choice but to ept your words as the truth. If that''s the case, then I can''t me you for what happened. The only thing left now is to look towards the future," Rein heaved a huge breath as he stretched as if a crushing weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.

    "You mean it this time..? I promise you can trust me¡­ I''ll do everything in my power to support you," Core promised as he extended his arm to Rein, who took it earnestly, finally forgiving him for the incident that happened 6 years ago.

    Meanwhile, outside the barrier¡­

    "So that''s it then¡­ Rein told you guys already?" Chloe confirmed as Xenia finished exining why she knew about her rtionship with Rein.

    "Well, he only told me directly. I don''t think anyone else that was with us knows. Why do you want to hide it in the first ce? I think it''s great!"

    Chloe looked down at the ground, an agonizing smile growing on her face.

    "If I were him, I wouldn''t want to be seen with me. I''m already being selfish enough, I don''t want to ruin his image while doing it¡­" She exined.

    "Chloe¡­"

    Suddenly, the 2 saw Rein and Core emerge from the chief''s home,ing out as they waved their hands to the two outside the barrier. Rein''s eyes looked slightly swollen, with light-red highlights under his eyes.

    "Rein!" Chloe jumped up from her seat and yelled out his name, despite knowing that he wouldn''t be able to hear her.

    "Alright, now that we''ve shown them that we''re safe, Chloe should calm down a bit. Lead the way Core. You know where the chief and her niece are hiding, right?" Rein said as he put his arm down after finishing waving, following Core back into the house.

    "Right. ording to the paper Leona and Saphri left me, there should be a long tunnel leading downwards under the chief''s home in Haka. We have to hurry though. I don''t know how urate this information is in this altered timeline, but an agent from your aunt''s side should bing to retrieve the cursed Spring soon," Core exined as the two looked around the living room for some sort of secret entrance.

    "An agent, huh? What is this curse? Though, I guess you wouldn''t know," Rein asked.

    "I don''t really know the details, but¡­ in my timeline, the captured vigers were never found after the incident. The Rangers from the future were toote to investigate this ce while the incident was actually happening, so your aunt got to it before they could. When they dide to investigate though, they saw that the chief''s home had been destroyed, and there was arge tunnel leading to a basement underneath. There should be some sort of mechanism in the living room. If we can''t find it, we can always destroy the house and go down like that, but I''d like to keep the scene of the crime intact if at all possible," Core described as he and Rein rummaged through the bookshelves.

    "They weren''t found? But I thought you told them to get captured because you knew it''d be safe," Rein retorted.

    "I do know. The future didn''t have you. Anything that happens can just be reversed using your Spring," Core eximed as Rein facepalmed on the inside.

    "... I''ll keep searching then. But hey, about the future¡­ you said there were some Rangers that I know.Who were they?" Rein inquired, the 2 talking to each other while searching.

    "Oh, you want to know about your ssmates? The only ones that you know that became Rangers¡­ out everyone you''ve befriended so far, only Quint, Reggie, Lance, and ine actually became Rangers. All of them were always really nice to me in the future, and whenever I saw them around the Ranger guild headquarters, we''d always talk to each other. It was kinda funny seeing them again in their teenage days. Lance is the same as he was when you first met him, now he''s kinda different. Quint actually surprised me the most. In the future, he''s this cool vignte who got the nickname ''the Roaring Tiger''. His goal was to save his sister, who was captured due to her cursed Spring. In the present, he''s just an angry loser. It kinda makes meugh," Core joked,ughing at his own remark as Rein stayed quiet, catching Core''s attention.

    "Hm? Looks like that isn''t what you meant then? You want to know about somebody else?"

    "Yeah¡­ Clyde was with Crypt, right..? So he was with the group who attacked my vige?"

    "Yes. ording to Leona, a ck-haired boy the same age as you killed you before destroying your house. He suddenly appeared in your home and ended your life while your guards were down. In my timeline, Clyde never left Crypt."

 Chapter 119 - Feeding Off Fear

    Rein grew a mncholy frown on his face as the image popped into his head, the fact that one of his close friends had killed him in a different timeline, he didn''t know how to react.

    "I heard the same guy also killed the Econican prince in battle during the war. He was then avenged by the Seeking de of Aj''ess. Clyde really was a monster in my timeline," Core added.??

    "Sho too then? And then Clyde was killed by the Seeking de? Considering the rtionship the two have in this world, thinking about that is just sad¡­"

    "Tell me about it. We''re roommates, and when he told me about his past one time before we went to sleep, it really sent chills down my spine. Though, I''m d that my actions at least helped set him on the right path," Core remarked.

    "And what about Chloe? What happened to her?" Rein inquired.

    "Oh¡­" Core responded in a dejected tone.

    "What''s wrong? What happened?"

    "..."

    Rein''s heart dropped to his stomach as he thought of the possibilities, something so awful that Core didn''t even want to say it out loud.

    "Then I''ve got one more thing to say to you, Core. Despite everything that''s happened, the grudge I''ve harbored over these 6 years and the emotions from that day won''t just disappear. However, I do understand the necessity of your actions, and if not for you, not only would I be dead, but some of my friends and cherished family wouldn''t be here today. And the princess¡­ I shudder to think about what could''ve happened. So for that, you have my thanks," Rein expressed his gratitude.

    "Stop¡­ Don''t praise me. I''m just a hopeless bastard who couldn''t save the woman who cared for him for 12 years. You''ve made more of an impact than I ever could," Core replied, Rein shaking his head.

    "Maybe so, but in the original timeline, I''m not even alive. It was only due to your actions that I was able to survive."

    "..." Core grew a worried expression as he rummaged, staying silent at Rein''s words.

    "What''s wrong?" Rein asked as he noticed his dejected face.

    "... Before she died, there was something she wanted me to tell you¡­" Core muttered quietly, Rein tilting his head as he could barely hear him.

    "Hm? I can''t hear you," Rein stated as he suddenly moved a book from its position, causing the entire bookshelf to shift over, revealing a woodendder that led to a long, downwards tunnel.

    "Well, I guess I found it. Let''s head down," he remarked as he hopped onto thedder and descended, entering a dark, rocky tunnel, dimly lit with faint torches that flickered in the soft, underground wind, with creaky, wooden stairs leading downwards into arge, rusty metal door.

    Core decided to keep what he had to say to himself, not feeling ready to tell Rein yet.

    "Before we move on, I just need you to promise to keep everything you heard from me a secret. I already took a huge risk telling you, I don''t want anybody else finding out," Core warned, Rein nodding in affirmation as the 2 continued down the stairs, carefully tip-toeing as to not make any creeks in the floorboards.

    A few minutes earlier, in the town¡­

    Clyde and Sho continued running from the dark, ghostly figure as the bright moonlight shimmered down onto the vige, giving the surroundings a blue hue. The two hopped from roof to roof, so far being able to outrun it without the use of their Springs.

    "I need time to think of a n¡­ Is there somewhere we could hide that the ghost would be unaware of?" Clyde racked his brain as he thought deeply about his situation, suddenlying to a revtion as he looked around the town.

    "Clyde? Is something wrong man?" Sho asked as Clyde suddenly took a sharp turn.

    "Follow me!" He yelled as he swiftly ran towards the west edge of the barrier, the same ce that the group had been waiting when the ghost first appeared.

    He kept running at full speed, charging headfirst towards the barrier, making Sho panic, thinking that he was about to crash.

    "H-hey! Clyde! We''re gonna crash into the barrier if you keep this up!" Sho yelled, Clyde not faltering in his charge.

    "No. We can go through," he yelled in an abnormally loud voice as he was milliseconds before impacting the barrier.

    Sho closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact, suddenly feeling the sounds around him be muffled and slowed, opening his eyes to a world of slowed time.

    "I can only keep this active for 5 seconds. Hurry and run into that alleyway! If I''m right about the ghost''s circumstance, we should be able to perplex it by disappearing from its sight, and make it look like we crossed through the barrier," Clyde imed, quickly dashing towards a dark alleyway behind them, Sho following him as they both ducked, not making a sound.

    The ghost stopped as the 2 disappeared from its sight, looking around in its area in apparent confusion.

    "As I thought, this ghost''s actions seem very human. We may be able to outsmart it in some ways if that''s the case¡­" Clyde whispered, Sho staring at the ghost in amazement.

    "So what now? You got a n? It''s not like we can fight it or anything. What should we do exactly?" Sho inquired.

    "The way I see it, we can''t obtain any more information about it, our only option is to purposely be captured," Clyde proposed, causing Sho to gulp his spit out of nerves.

    "I¡­ I''m sorry Clyde, I don''t know if I can bring myself to do that¡­ it''s just, ghosts and stuff is my only weakness¡­ and after what happened in thest mission, I don''t know if I want to activate it¡­" Sho apologetically whispered as he looked down at the ground in shame.

    "Raise your head prince Sho, it''s nothing to be ashamed of. I will be the one to get captured. You can simply study its movement habits from afar," Clyde reassured as he stood up, loosening his joints as he stretched.

    "Thank you," Sho uttered before Clyde jumped out of the hiding spot, Sho jumping up to a roof to observe.

    "I''m over here you slimy piece of shit! Come and get me!" Clyde taunted, catching the ghost''s attention as it instantly began rushing towards him, Clyde standing still so the ghost could capture him.

    It steadily dashed towards Clyde at incredible speed, its grimy, shadowy hands outstretched as they reached for the unflinching man. However, moments before the ghost made contact with Clyde, it suddenly took an incredibly sharp turn, rotating 90 degrees as it shifted its velocity upwards, dashing straight at Sho.

    At that moment, Sho froze up. Had he used his Spring, he could''ve easily dodged the ghost''s rush. But he didn''t. He stood there with a panicked stare as the ghost zoomed towards him, though the ghost wasn''t at the top of his fears. What he feared more was activating his Spring. As the ghost reached him, it swung its arms backward, Sho closing his eyes as he braced himself to be spirited away.

    However, he instead felt himself get carried off his feet in a swift motion, being sent flying into the ground as he felt someone on top of him.

    "Are you alright, Prince?" Clyde uttered as he got up from saving Sho.

    "Yeah, I''m fine¡­ sorry about that, I just can''t use it¡­"

    "I told you it''s alright. Go spectate in a hidden state. It would seem this ghost is more perceptive than I thought. It preys on fear," Clyde informed as Sho nodded at him for good luck, running away to a hiding spot as Clyde confronted the ghost once again.

    "So your form of sensory is the fear others feel then? I can see why you didn''t target me if that''s the case. In that first attack, I wasn''t your target either, was I? Neither was I your target during the chase. It makes sense why you wouldn''t target me though. I''m not scared of you in the slightest," Clydeughed smugly as he began approaching the ghost himself, confidently and fearlessly walking towards the shadowy figure as they both stood on the roof of a house.

    The ghost twitched as Clyde shortened the gap between them, beginning to slowly move backward, seemingly intimidated by the fearless Ranger, marching straight towards the apparition.

    "What''s wrong? Have you lost your nerve, ghost? Haha¡­ Hahahaha¡­ That''s right. You''re the one who fears me. I''ve almost forgotten the feeling¡­ This marvelous sensation¡­ of putting your opponent in despair!" Clyde menacinglyughed, as if he was being possessed by a demon, relentlessly intimidating the frightful ghost.

    Suddenly, Clyde dropped down to a knee in pain, holding his head as he struggled in difort.

    "Rgh!"

    His ears suddenly sprung a squeaking pulse that blocked out sound, his head feeling light as his vision dizzied for a brief moment, everything going back to normal shortly after.

    "What... was that feeling? What took me over just now¡­" Clyde uttered as his hand trembled, fear beginning to etch into his heart.

    However, that fear was not directed at the ghost, but at himself. He grew fearful as he recalled what he had said, afraid of the self he thought he got rid of to reappear.

    Regardless, it didn''t matter to the ghost. All it needed was one semnce of fear totch on to as it pounced at Clyde, surrounding it with its opaque ck smoke, Clyde disappearing as it dissipated away.

 Chapter 120 - Ghost Exposed

    Rein and Core suddenly heard a loud thump echo through the tunnel, emerging from behind therge, metal door under them. They looked at each other with gazes of understanding, then rushed down to the metal door, kicking it down in a swift punt, entering a small, dimly lit rocky room, arge shadow floating down from the ceiling, holding someone in its clutches.

    "Shit, it''s got Clyde. It looks like it''s headed straight down through the floors. That must be where the user is. That''s all we needed to know from the purposeful capture, we need to find a way to get him out of the ghost''s hold!" Core eximed as Rein hopped forward, trying to forcefully grab Clyde out of it.??

    However, instead of gripping him, his hands went through the apparition, and through Clyde, simr to the time Luther became intangible. The ghost continued descending slowly downwards, Rein unable to do anything to it.

    "Attacking the figure is no use! If we want to disrupt it, we have to attack the user directly!" Core yelled out, which instantly gave Rein an idea.

    "You said they were under us, right? Got it. Hold onto something," Rein affirmed as he took a deep breath, then opened his eyes sternly, lifting his foot off the ground, then powerfully mming it back down, causing a seismic rumbling with the cavern, the magnitude strong enough to cause damage to the house above them, which they heard through the floor as things fell on the ground.

    Suddenly, the ghost''s opacity began to wane, its power growing weaker as it became disorientated, allowing Rein to swoop in once again, this time able to grab Clyde out of its hold, the ghost vanishing into thin air shortly after.

    Clyde coughed as if he''d just been saved from drowning, opening his eyes to the unfamiliar dark room, seeing Rein and Core standing above him as he sat up.

    "What is going on? Thest thing I remember is the ghost capturing me¡­ Where am I now?" Clyde asked as he rubbed his head in dizziness.

    "We''re under the vige chief''s house, in the inner barrier that we couldn''t get into," Core exined.

    "We are, huh? How did we get in?" Clyde inquired.

    "Oh, we uh¡­" Core racked his brain for an excuse.

    "I made us a way in. I was able to make an entrance in the barrier. I had Chloe and Xenia wait outside just in case though," Rein described, Clyde affirming his response as he stood up.

    "Very well. What now? I don''t see any way to advance," Clyde remarked as he squinted around the dark, cramped cavern they were in.

    "Doesn''t matter. If they''re right under us, I can just do this," Rein snapped his fingers, hollowing out a wide diameter of the earth under them, opening a hole to a room under them lit with bright torches, the 3 dropping down into the opening.

    There, they saw the 2 women they had met upon their arrival present in the room. The teenage girl, Lillia, sitting on her knees with her eyes closed, her hands interlocked together, her face squeezed together in distress. The chief was standing beside her with her hands crossed, staring at the 3 as they dropped through the hole, her expression unflinching.

    "You all impressed me. I have no clue how you were able to enter the barrier unnoticed, but it doesn''t matter. Once you''re in Lillia''s domain, you''re as good as dead," the chief asserted, Rein sighing as he heard her ramble.

    "I really don''t care. Just tell me where the missing vigers are before I beat your ass," Rein replied in an annoyed fashion.

    "You''re toote. Lillia has already absorbed their life force and is feeding on it as we speak. You''re about to be next," sheughed.

    "So the girl needs life force to survive because of the curse¡­ Looks like a regr person without a Spring contributes for 10 days, and for every level on their Spring, it''s another 10 days. So that''s why she''s been kidnapping people, and I bet that''s why her aunt hired Rangers. For that sweet Spring power. Curious, it doesn''t say anything about a barrier in here," Rein scratched his chin as he seemed to recite the girl''s Spring, making the chief woman recoil in shock.

    "What! How did you know about Lillia''s curse?!"

    "Well, her Spring is lingering pretty heavily in the area, I''m almost chokin'' on it. So you''re the one who put the barrier up then? I assume you''re also the one forcing her to do this. You know, because she doesn''t seem to be doing it of her own will," Rein remarked as he approached, using on sight to copy the inverse of the chiefs Spring since he knew what it was.

    "She has the ability to put up a barrier and repel people away¡­ So the opposite of that would be¡­"

    Original effect: Erect a magical barrier that nullifies Springs and repels people away. It also istes whoever is on the inside.

    Inverted effect: Create a condensed point in space, causing a shift in gravitational momentum towards that point. The strength of the point may vary.

    "Answer me! Do you know something about this curse that began afflicting her?! She suddenly walked into my room one day and told me that she only had 10 days to live, and the only way to live beyond that was to absorb the life force of others. What happened to her!?" The panicking chief asked, seeming as though she was stalling for something.

    "Shut the hell up, you have no right to ask me for anything. Look, she still has a chance at going back without killing anybody. Just tell me where the bodies of the vigers are for fuck sake," Rein grabbed the chief by the cor and yelled in her face, the woman smirking smugly as he did.

    "The hell are youughing at?" Core voiced as he and Clyde stood behind Rein.

    "You fools! You''ve been breathing in Lillia''s cursed energy all this time! It''s only a matter of time before you drop dead," the womanughed hysterically, the 3 Rangers standing there, unamused as the woman''sughs began to fade away, her humor turning into dreadful fear.

    "Huh? How are you still standing..? Just what is your endurance?!"

    "Never thought Riskel''s Spring woulde in handy at a time like this. Maybe I''ll thank him next time I see him cleaning the academy halls," Rein thought as he tightened his grip on the chief''s cor, making her begin to choke slightly.

    "I won''t ask again. Where are the bodies," his eyes shed with a red re, lighting a fire of fear in the chief''s soul.

    "C-can you save Lillia..? She''s only your age¡­ She had her entire life ahead of her¡­ What else was I supposed to do..?" The woman pleaded, Rein tightening his grip yet again, causing the chief to cough, choking her more so.

    "I''m sorry¡­ The¡­ Bodies are¡­ behind that wall¡­" The chief weakly lifted her finger, pointing to the back wall of the room, Rein dropped her down on the ground as he activated STO, allowing him to use the earth Spring and Riskel''s Spring simultaneously.

    He activated another use of memory flip, now leaving him with only 2 more minutes, meaning 2 more uses. He swiped his hand at the back wall the chief pointed to, removing it, revealing arge dungeon-looking room, 24 bodies of vigersying there, lifeless.

    "I can still sense their souls. There''s still a chance to save them¡­ If I invert this girl''s Spring and have her make contact with each person, she should return their life spans. I just have to make sure not to make contact with her skin myself," Rein concluded as he thought inwardly, inverting the girl''s Spring through the heavy cursed energy in the air.

    Now, instead of taking lifespan upon activation of her Spring, which she had no control over, she would return lifespan upon touch. Rein, Core, and Clyde began transporting the 24 bodies one by one, making each one of the lifeless bodies touch the girl''s back. Each one that had their life spans return to them would rmence their breathing, their heart would start beating again and the warmth would return to their bodies.

    "W-wait! Don''t do all of them! She might die!" The chief frantically yelled.

    "Didn''t you say she had 10 days to live originally? Well, how long has it been since then? If your niece got this curse the way I think she did, it should''ve only been 7 days, meaning she still has 3 days to live," Core exined as he touched the final body with the girl, all of them finally regaining life.

    Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes, looking around to see a pile of sleeping bodies ahead of her, her aunt on the ground, and the 3 of the 4 Ranger boys that her aunt hired.

    "Wha-! What''s going on here?!" Auntie? What are you doing?!" The girl yelled, making her aunt drop her head in shame.

    "I''m sorry Lillia¡­ I couldn''t bear the thought of not fulfilling the promise I made to your parents¡­"

    "What are you talking about..? Exin to me what''s happening here!" She eximed in confusion.

    "Huh? But you were the one who told me you only had 10 days to live¡­ Don''t tell me you weren''t conscious that time too?!" The chief quickly stood up, then suddenly feeling something inside of her shatter as she dropped back down to the ground in pain.

    "What''s wrong? Are you feeling anemic?" Clyde asked as the chief held her chest in agony, breathing heavily.

    "The barrier¡­ It was destroyed¡­" She uttered, surprising Clyde, but not Rein and Core.

    "So he''s here then. He sure took his time," Rein remarked as he picked up the girl and jumped up the hole he created, heading up the stairs followed by Core and Clyde.

    "Tsk, what an annoying ass barrier. It took me 2 full swings to break it. Fuck, now my hand stings."

 Chapter 121 - Unexpected Hostage

    "The hell was that sound..?" Sho uttered as he looked around him, suddenly being able to hear Chloe and Xenia, who were sitting on the opposite side of the barrier.

    "The barrier''s gone! Does that mean they did it?" Xenia eximed as she ran into the town.??

    "No¡­ Look up there," Chloe pointed up to the moon, where a ck silhouette hung over the spherical light, a man with a waving scarf flying above them.

    "Did that man just destroy the barrier? But we hit it with everything we had¡­ How is that possible?" Sho uttered as the man dropped down to the ground, the shining moonlight, instead of casting a silhouette, was now outlining his features.

    He had ashy grey hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a long, flowing ck scarf, a ck jacket with 2 rectangr holes ced in a symmetrical fashion at the bottom of the coat, with a white undershirt. He wore baggy grey pants, with red anklets between his pants and his ck shoes. He also wore 3 red nes on his chest, revealed by his unbuttoned jacket, and along with his normal weapon ring, he wore 3 more red rings on his fingers.

    "Damn this ce is shabby. And it looks like a couple of Rangers already beat me to the punch. Can''t say I''m not impressed," the man scratched his head as Sho, Xenia, and Chloe arrived in front of him.

    "Who are you? And what do you want?!" Sho yelled as he saw the man picking wax out of his ear with a bored expression.

    "Wait, I''ve seen this guy before¡­" Xenia imed as she took a closer look at him.

    "You have? Where?" Sho asked.

    "I think¡­ I saw him up in the secret base Clyde and I were transported to a while back¡­ That''s right, he was with the woman!" As Xenia recalled the woman''s face, she finally made a connection, one that frightened her to her core.

    "No way¡­ Was that woman¡­ Did she be the queen?" Xenia thought as she broke out into a cold sweat.

    "So he''s a bad guy then? Shit, he seems extremely powerful too," Sho eximed as he summoned his nunchucks and got into battle position.

    The grey-haired man yawned in boredom, his unamused expression growing.

    "Look, I''m not looking to fight any of you weaklings. I''m just here for that curse, got it? Man, she said there wouldn''t be anyone else here. This just became so much more annoying," the manined, finally looking up to take a good look at the Rangers in front of him.

    "Hold on¡­ You''re the Econican prince, aren''t you? And no way! Is that the Orthlysian princess too? Wow, it''s been a while since I''ve seen you," the manughed as his expression grew humorous, Chloe turning her head in confusion at his words.

    "It''s been a while? I''ve never seen you before in my life," Chloe remarked, the man facepalming in reaction.

    "Come on, you forgot? And after you said those hurtful things to me? I wasn''t even hiding my face," he shook his head as Chloe''s pupils suddenly shrunk, her mouth opening in shock as her eyes widened.

    "You''re the one¡­ from that day¡­" She began trembling in terror as she feebly stepped back, beginning to hold herself to contain her fright.

    "You''re scared of me? You haven''t changed at all then. I thought you swore you''d kill me? What happened to that?" The man remarked as Chloe''s mind continued to dread, closing her eyes out of horror.

    Xenia clenched her fist, growing veins on her forehead out of anger, stepping in front of Chloe to defend her.

    "Who the hell do you think you are?! How about you stop being a little bitch and square up?! I''m not scared of you, I''ll beat your ass!" Xenia imed as she summoned her greatsword.

    "Who are you? A friend of the princess? And where''d you say you saw me? In the ''secret base''? Are you referring to *that* base? Thest time I was there was when I failed to capture that other cursed girl, the one with hazel-colored hair. Actually, you match her description pretty spot on," the man scratched his chin as he squinted his eyes towards Xenia, making him raise an eyebrow, then beginughing genuinely, putting his arms over his stomach as he couldn''t contain his innocentughter.

    "Oh wow, what a coincidence! It is you, isn''t it?! Perfect, now I can get 2 curses in 1 mission!" The grey-haired man gained a perk in his voice, yelling enthusiastically as he finally summoned his ive, beginning to slowly approach the 3 nonchntly, whistling in a carefree manner as he marched.

    "Luther!" He suddenly heard a familiar voice emerge from his right, turning his head to see Rein standing atop a home''s roof, with a ck-haired girl in his arms, 2 other Rangers standing beside him.

    "Holy crap..! It''s you, Rein! Man, I''ve been longing to see you! That wench should''ve said you''d be here! I''d havee in a sh!" Luther expressed his joy as he faced Rein with a delighted expression.

    "Cut the shit. I was expecting you toe, and this time, you''re gonna listen to what I have to say. No getting the jump on me this time you fucker," Rein set the girl down and red at Luther, who looked jubnt at Rein''s appearance.

    "I can tell you''ve gotten stronger! We''re gonna fight now, right? I''ve been itching for some action!" Luther warmed up, stretching his arms and legs as Reinughed slowly, shaking his head.

    "No, we''re not fighting. I''ve got the upper hand here. You see this girl? She''s the cursed Spring wielder you''re after," Rein imed as he grabbed the girl by the arm, summoning one of his swords as he put it up to her neck, taking her hostage.

    "R-Rein?! What are you doing?!" Chloe yelled out of her agitation, Rein ignoring her call as he unflinchingly kept the sword to her neck.

    "Hey! Keep the girl out of this Rein!" Sho angrily yelled, Rein turning his head to him, staring at him with his eyes widened, making Sho keep quiet.

    "What is the meaning of this Rein? Why are you taking the girl hostage?!" Clyde cross-examined.

    "Hey, dude..? This is going a bit too far¡­" Core remarked as he and Clyde approached Rein from behind to pull his arm back, away from the girl''s neck.

    "Stay out of this," Rein called as he burst a gust of wind from his back, sending Clyde and Core flying back, making themnd on a roof behind him, unable to advance as he kept up the current of air.

    Sho and Xenia also wore bewildered faces at Rein''s sudden action, now directing their attention to him. Lillia, the girl being held at the point of a de, had a nk expression as if she didn''t care that she was being held hostage.

    "Heh, are you tryin'' to threaten me or something? Force me to surrender because you''ve got leverage? Yeah right, you don''t have the balls to pull something like that off," Luther imed as he scoffed at Rein''s threat.

    "Wanna test it? If you don''t do what I say, this girl''s as good as dead, and you''re gonna have to look around for the curse again. Won''t that be a pain in the ass? And imagine how disappointed your mistress would be," Rein continued swaying the conversation in his favor, Luther scratching his head in thought, seeing Rein''s murderous eyes, different from the ones he saw in Aquifa.

    Even yet, Luther smiled devilishly, pointing to his side, straight at Xenia, who still had her attention on Rein.

    "Don''t get it twisted kid, you don''t have the upper hand in this situation at all. You''re not the only one who''s got a curse hostage. You can take the life of that girl, but as soon as you do, this hazel-haired girl''s curse is mine," Luther reversed the odds, leveling the conversation in terms of leverage.

    No, he didn''t level it. Hepletely shifted it in his favor. Either way, Rein would be losing a cursed Spring, and even more than that, a valuable ally. However, Rein''s expression didn''t falter. Not a single flinch at Luther''s words, sternly keeping hisposure as he summoned his other sword, gripping it in his right hand.

    "Sure, you can take Xenia''s curse," Rein eximed, hearing the gasps of shock from his teammates, even bewildering Luther, who once again scratched his head, this time in confusion rather than boredom.

    He lifted his left arm, bringing the sword up like his other one, this time passing up by the neck of the girl, all the way to his own neck, grazing the ck steel de on his own throat, drawing a small streak of blood that flowed down to his shirt.

    "But as soon as you do, I will cut my own head clean off."

 Chapter 122 - Unexpected Banishment

    As Rein uttered those words, he saw Luther''s eyes widen in astonishment, then furrow his eyebrows as he felt the oozing, menacing aura exude from Rein''s body.

    "You¡ª You wouldn''t¡­ You''re bluffing," Luther imed as a streak of sweat formed on his forehead, flowing down his cheek.??

    "Wanna try? Go ahead and steal her curse. That''ll just mean that I''ll thrust my swords through mine and this girl''s necks," Rein red at him with unwavering spirit, his words shaking Luther''s unconscious.

    "Heh¡­ I don''t care if you kill yourself. Go ahead, I''ll taking this girl''s curse now," Luther imed as he took a step towards Xenia, still keeping his face tilted to Rein, who began frowning.

    Luther''s uneasy expression grew as he took another step, Rein suddenly lodging the de deeper into his neck, making it gush out even more blood, forcing Luther to stop his advances and grit his teeth in an annoyed manner.

    "Have you made your decision then? You will listen to mymands, else the only person who could entertain you in a fight would be gone, just like that. Well? What''s it gonna be?"

    "You sick fuck¡­ But impressive, I have to say. Fine, I give up. The hell do you want from me?" Luther relented, putting his arms up in surrender as he relieved his agitated expression.

    "If you make one move out of line, I''m killing myself, you understand? You''d better not act up," Rein threatened as he moved the sword away from his and the girl''s throat, recalling them into his weapon ring as he stopped the gust of winding out of his back, picking the girl up again and jumping down to Luther.

    "First, answer this question: What happens to the person when you take a cursed Spring?" Rein interrogated.

    "You''ve seen it first hand. Unlike taking regr Springs, cursed Spring users disappear after being separated from their curse," Luther answered.

    "I see. So what happens if it''s not a cursed Spring anymore?" Rein questioned, Core and Clyde returning to the roof that Rein was previously standing on after being freed from the gale flurry that was holding them back.

    "The hell do you mean by that?"

    "Take it. Steal this girl''s Spring," Rein offered, the rest of the group startled by his proposition.

    "What?! Rein! You just said they disappear! Why the hell¡ª" Sho eximed, to which he was interrupted.

    "She''s dead in 3 days anyways. No point in waiting until she died," Rein retorted, Sho halting his speech as Rein said that.

    "Well? What are you waiting for? I told you to take her Spring," Rein hurried Luther, who also looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

    "Okay..? Could''ve sworn your intellect stat was higher than this though¡­" He muttered as he put his hand on the unflinching girl''s face, taking a breath before phasing his hand through her skull, pulling out a white ball of light.

    "Well, that''s strange. I took her Spring, but why the hell is it white? And why hasn''t she vanished? Coulda sworn this was the curse," Luther scratched his head as he gazed upon the white ball of glow in his hands, everyone else watching them with gaped expressions as Reinughed.

    "Alright, toss me the Spring," Reinmanded, Luther awe-stricken at Rein''s cunning maneuver.

    "Ahahaha! I see what you did now! Clever! Well shit, you got me this time. Here ya go," he threw the glowing white light to Rein, who caught it with his right hand.

    "Perfect. Now my final order to you. Fuck off. Go back to your mistress and tell her that I''ming for her," Reinmanded, his throat still bleeding from the cut he induced on himself.

    Luther sighed in eptance, hopping up into the air, picking his earwax in disappointment.

    "Yeah yeah, I''m going. But next time we meet, I''m not letting you get away. We''re fighting whether you like it or not, you understand? Hehehe¡­ Don''t forget that," Lutherughed with a twisted smile appearing on his face, his eyes growing an intimidating glow as he flew off, which slightly unnerved Rein, though he didn''t let it show.

    Luther flew away southbound, having finished his encounter with the group without even fighting. Rein heaved a sigh of relief as he felt the cut on his throat, wrapping it with a thin cloth to stop the bleeding, sitting down from exhaustion, the inverted cursed Spring in hand.

    "Rein! What were you thinking?! You could''ve died!" Chloe ran to him and knelt in front of him as she put her hands out to feel the cut on his throat, rubbing the cloth to reinforce it.

    "But I didn''t. That''s all that matters, right? And the girl''s curse is gone, so everything turned out okay in the end."

    "What did you even do? How did the girl not disappear?" Sho asked.

    "Stop calling me ''the girl''. My name is Lillia, get it right stoner," Lillia retorted in an angry manner, Sho startled by her remark.

    "S-stoner? I told you, I don''t smoke¡ª"

    "Whatever, I don''t care about you guys. Thanks for saving me or whatever, but I''m going back to check on auntie."

    "You do understand that she was the one behind everything here? She was forcing you to kidnap the vigers, and even tried to capture us as well," Rein informed, Lillia not epting his words as truth.

    "I''ll believe it when I hear it from her. I can tell that you''re lying just by loo¡ª"

    "It''s true Lillia. I was the one who forced you to do that," the vige chief emerged from the alleyway leading to her house, Lillia blinking repeatedly with a nk expression.

    "Wha¡­ What!? What do you mean auntie..? Haha¡­ you must''ve hit your head on something¡­ There''s no way you would¡ª" suddenly, she was interrupted by a series of abrupt cheers, the vigers finallying out of their homes, despite it being the dead of the night.

    "Finally! The ghost is gone! And it''s all thanks to the chief!" One of the vigers eximed excitedly.

    "Thank you chief! We owe you our lives!" They cheered as the group of Rangers looked around at them in severe confusion.

    "Where the hell did you get that notion from? The chief was the reason any of this happened in the first ce! " Xenia yelled to them, one viger replying.

    "We know! The chief was the reason behind the disappearance of the ghost! So she was the reason the ghost was vanquished! We''ve always believed in you chief!" The vigers began chanting the chief''s name, and as the chief was about to speak up to correct their mistake, Rein put his hand over her mouth.

    "Shut your mouth. Don''t say anything, let them keep believing that," he whispered intimidatingly to her, making her quicklyply out of fear.

    "Do you idiots just have blind devotion for your chief?! What the hell?! Think for yourself for once!" Xenia remarked, her words ignored by the vigers.

    "And you! The chief''s niece was the ghost! How dare you steal our children and loved ones from us?!" The vigers suddenly became angry towards Lillia, who they believed to be at fault for everything that was happening.

    Lillia developed a sad expression at her unjust treatment, gritting her teeth as she had no recollection of ever doing anything.

    "Do as I told you Lillia," Rein whispered to her, which made her bite her lip, an angry aura emerging around her.

    The vige began throwing items at Lillia out of hatred, Rein keeping the chief in check so that she wouldn''t say anything, the rest of Rein''s ssmates finding it difficult for them to watch. The vigers threw tomatoes, shoes, and rocks.

    "Get the hell out of our vige!"

    "We hate you!"

    "You took my daughter away!"

    The vigers continued insulting and throwing, each time an item would hit her, Rein''s ssmate''s expressions would worsen, the chief''s expression especially. Suddenly, Sho lost his temper, making a wall of fire that blocked all of the viger''s projectiles, the shock from his action halting the viger''s throws briefly.

    "Stop throwing things at her! You guys don''t know shit! She¡ª"

    "Sho!" Rein yelled with amanding voice, grabbing his shoulder as he interrupted his retort, making him stop talking as well.

    Sho released the wall of fire, his eyes closed as he held back his anger.

    "Is that the prince of Econica too?! Who let him into the vige?!"

    "Yeah! Chief, kick his ass out!"

    "Banish that little devil of a niece while you''re at it! We''re counting on you chief!"

    The vigers continued to rave as the chief was also reaching her limit, Rein ring at her so that she wouldn''t say anything.

    "Banish us. Banish us all along with your niece," Rein whispered, the chief reacting with a horrified expression.

    "Why are you doing this¡­"

    "You should be thankful that this is your punishment. I''m letting you off easy since nobody died. Now stop asking questions and do as your told. You''re to banish your niece, and live as this vige''s chief for the rest of your life, while deep down knowing about the pain you caused them. Live with that turmoil, and take the credit for the problem you caused. I wonder how much that''ll eat at you, the constant thought of guilt and pain. It''s a fitting punishment, wouldn''t you say?" Rein muttered to the chief, whose terrified eyes began trembling at the sight of him.

    The chief closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and with a shivering, rigid voice, she banished her niece and kicked the Rangers out of the vige, the same ones who saved her niece from her curse, and the same ones that covered for her mistake. She would go on to live the rest of her life with venomous guilt in her heart, chipping at her sanity slowly, day by day...

 Chapter 123 - Artifacts

    The group was told to leave the vige, Lillia being banished by her own aunt at the same time. They left the premises of the town, and as they did, loud, jubnt cheers could be heard from inside. Looks of unease were stered across all of the Ranger''s faces, except Rein, who felt satisfied with the oue of the mission.

    "Is D8 ready with that carriage yet, Core?" Rein asked, breaking theplete silence that was lingering over the group??

    "Yeah, she should be here any second now," as Core said that, D8 appeared in front of Core, kneeling down with a marble in hand.

    "I was able to procure a horse-drawn carriage if that is okay with you master," D8 informed.

    "That''s fine. We''re gonna sleep through the ride anyway, so we don''t need tigers. Thanks," Core said as he waved her off, disappearing from in front of the group as she threw the marble down, transforming it into arge, horse-drawn carriage.

    The group silently boarded the carriage, Rein whipping it into motion as he sat in the front, rxing as the refreshing wind breeze enchanted his face, his hair shifting as the air sifted through it. His neck wound was almost fully healed, suddenly gaining a notification on his System.

    [Level Up!]

    "Hold on Versys, you think you could allocate all of those stat values to speed?" Rein asked in his mind.

    "What do you mean? You know I can''t do that. Stat values are based on the actions you perform. I can''t assign stat values if you don''t meet the requirement," Versys answered as Rein lifted the sleeves of his pants, revealing a blue anklet on his leg.

    "You were asleep at the time, but Voron gave me this weird item in Naji. He found it atop a mountain in northern Econica. He gave it to me since he didn''t know what it was used for, so I tried it on. As soon as I did, I felt 10 times slower, and it started glowing," Rein showed Versys, who then unlocked another missing piece of his memory.

    "That thing¡­ I see... that''s an artifact, an ancient piece of clothing imbued with special powers to boost aptitude to a certain stat. I felt you were slower than usual, but I thought you were just slowing yourself down so the rest could keep up. Well then, you don''t need to ask me. Check your stats, they all should''ve gone into speed," Versys exined as Rein opened his menu.

    [Level Up!]

    Level: 127 ¡ú 130

    Health: 2610 ¡ú 2700 (Regenerated!)

    Energy: 1305 ¡ú 1350 (Recooperated!)

    Speed: 337.9 ¡ú 382.9 (Boosted!)

    Strength: 421.5

    Defense: 344.4

    Intellect: 311.6

    Memory Flip: Refreshed!

    "Health and Energy level up passively, so the artifact can''t re-allocate those. Also, instead of 10 stat points every level, the artifact boosts it to 15," Versys added as Rein thanked him for his assistance and let him go to sleep.

    "Well, that''s useful¡­ I wonder if there are any more artifacts around the continent. If Ie across something that may be one, I should scan it," Rein thought as he suddenly heard a loud stomp in the back of the cart as he propped up and looked through the curtain, seeing Xenia holding Lillia down as she struggled to jump off the cart.

    "Let me go! I need to go back and clear everything up!" She kicked around as Xenia pinned her down.

    "Calm down! It''s too dangerous to go back now!" Xenia imed as she tightened her grip on Lillia''s arm.

    "No! The vigers totally have the wrong idea! I need to go back!" She insisted as Rein sighed.

    "Sho, you handle this. I''m too tired to be dealing with this shit," Reinmanded, which irritated Sho.

    "You know, I am the prince here? You could maybe treat me like one," Sho retorted as Reinughed.

    "Last I checked, you still owe me? How about you start paying up a little," Rein remarked as he closed the curtain andy down on the bench at the front of the carriage, the one the driver would sit on.

    "Tch, fine. Hey, girl. What''s got you so pressed?" Sho inquired.

    "It''s a disaster! The vigers are being tricked!" Lillia yelled.

    "So what are you going to do when you get there? Tell them what actually happened? You had all the time to do so when we were still in the vige, so why not do it then?" Sho queried, Lillia scoffing at his question.

    "I just¡­"

    "I''ll tell you why, because you knew it wouldn''t solve anything," Sho answered his own question.

    "But auntie! She''s¡ª"

    "She''s the reason everything happened to begin with. Yes, I can''t say I like the oue either, but if you think about it logically, it''s the only way. You saw how riled up the vigers were, right? If we told them the truth, your aunt would''ve never been let back into the vige again. One of you had to take the fall, and since they blindly trust their chief, the only option was you," Sho described.

    "But¡­ She''s going to have to live with that guilt for the rest of her life¡­"

    "So what''ll you do when you tell the vigers the truth then?" Sho added.

    "I''lle straight back here! I promise!" Lillia asserted.

    "So the problem isn''t that you miss your aunt then? Do you just want the guilt wiped off your name?"

    "No! I want to free auntie," she eximed.

    "And then what? Either the vigers won''t believe you, or your aunt would also be forced out of the vige. I know damn well we''re not letting here with us, so she''d be left wandering the continent on foot, with no dol to her name, homeless," Sho spelled out, as Lillia heard that, she calmed down and tears began flowing down her eyes.

    "I-... I know that already¡­ I''m just¡­ Confused¡­" She wept as Xenia loosened her grip on her and helped her sit up, hugging her forfort.

    "Come on Sho, get a hint. She was just betrayed by her only family, her mind is in turmoil. Go easy on her man," Core teased, his words genuinely making Sho feel bad, which wasn''t Core''s intention.

    "Oh¡­ I see. I''ve never been good at reading the room," Sho stated.

    "W-well, don''t feel too bad¡­ It was an honest mistake," Core added, trying to make Sho feel better about himself.

    Amidst the confusion, Clyde stood up and went out to the front of the carriage, through the curtains, and saw Rein outstretched across the driver''s seat. As Rein noticed him, he sat up, making room for Clyde to sit down next to him.

    "So we were able to remove the curse without killing the user, huh? Do you still have the glowing ball with you?" Clyde inquired as Rein reached into his pocket, pretending to have it there as he summoned it from his inventory, taking the radiant cursed ball out into the open.

    "It''s right here. Sorry, I can''t tell you how I did it," Rein replied.

    "That''s fine. So, does that ball have the characteristics of the curse itself then? Will it die in 3 days?"

    "Yeah¡­ When that happens, another one will appear somewhere in the continent¡­" Rein stated, his system allowing him to see the inner clock on the item, a timer ticking down for when the item would expire.

    47:45:39

    47:45:38

    47:45:37

    The timer kept ticking down, a little under 48 hours being left. Rein thought about using the wormhole Spring he obtained from Stacey during the dodgeball event to reverse the time on it, but he feared that if he did, it would rbine with Lillia, making all of his negotiating with Luther go to waste.

    "Yo, Clyde. You think you could try using your Spring on this thing? Maybe it''ll slow down the time and extended it''s lifespan," Rein posed as Clyde nodded.

    "I''ll give it a try. Applying my Spring to that small of an area should be no issue."

    Clyde squinted his eyes and activated his Spring, suddenly feeling it nullify as it made contact with the glowing ball.

    "I felt it activate for a moment, but then I lost control of it¡­ I''ll try again."

    Clyde did the same thing again, focusing his energy on thepact ball of glowing light, this time, he couldn''t even feel his Spring activate on it.

    "It''s no use. I can''t do it," Clyde imed as Rein inspected the ball, his eyes widening as he saw the timer.

    4774:59:55

    4774:59:54

    4774:59:53

    The glowing ball suddenly gained a light purple glow, the timer extending itself to 4775 hours. Rein saw at the bottom of the item''s description, a phrase glowing in purple appeared.

    "Spring applied: Clyde Morioh"

    As Rein saw that, he came to the conclusion that Clyde''s Spring did work, and not only that, but itbined itself with the glowing ball, extending the timer a hundredfold.

    "It did work. You see that purple glow? Your Springbined with the ball," Rein eximed.

    "Oh? Then that would mean that instead of 48 hours, it should be 4800 hours remaining. That was the amount of power I meant to put in, and it would''ve onlysted for a few seconds ordinarily, but since it''sbined, It looks like it will stay forever. 4800 hours¡­ That is approximately 200 days," Clyde stated.

    "Right, we have 200 days until this thing expires, then, we have to worry about the enemy finding the curse before us. Our main focus now should be to protect Xenia, who is in possession of the only other curse on the continent," Rein expressed.

    "Don''t worry, as long as I''m around, no curses will be captured. You can count on that," Clyde asserted, making Reinugh softly.

    "Okay then lover boy, let''s go to sleep already. Sounds like the noise in there died down. I''m seriously getting tired¡­"

 Chapter 124 - The Irritated Prince

    Rein fell asleep at the front of the carriage, everyone else falling asleep in the carriage itself as Clyde left him the night prior. Rein felt the sunshine peel open his eyelids as he put his hand in front of his eyes to block the overwhelming glow of the morning daylight.

    "Man, my body feels heavier than usual¡­ Coulda swore I took that anklet off," Rein remarked as he sat up, feeling something soft on his chest.??

    He looked down as he sat up, seeing a ck horn on blonde hair snuggling to his chest.

    "This is starting to get repetitive¡­ How many times is she gonna sleep-sneak attack me?" Rein thought as he put his hands on her shoulders to shake her slightly, with the intention of waking her up.

    However, as he set his hands on her shoulders, he felt a slight quiver in her body. It wasn''t from the cold, nor was it a sickness. He could see the turmoiled expression on her sleeping face.

    "You¡­ You looked really scared when I showed up¡­ Scared of Luther. What''d that bastard do to you?" Rein thought as he gritted his teeth, eventually calming down andying back down, putting his hand on her head as he caressed the sleeping girl, her expression easing up as his hand brushed through her smooth, silky hair.

    The carriage had long sincee to a stop in front of the secret Hasbin Gulf tunnel that connected the south shore of the continent with the north end of the gulf. Rein took the time to meditate lightly, not too hard as to not wake up Chloe. He felt he made decent progress until eventually, Chloe was roused awake by his gentle touch, suddenly sitting up as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

    "Morning already..? Mmm," she stretched her body as she sat on top of Rein, which she hadn''t noticed yet, Rein staying silent as to not interrupt her peaceful awakening.

    "Hmm¡­ Hey guys, wake up¡­" She weakly said as she reached in front of her, her eyes still half asleep her palm came in contact with Rein''s face, suddenly realizing the position she was in.

    "Good morning. I think that''s the 3rd time I''ve watched you sleeping," Rein remarked as she swiftly hopped off of him in embarrassment.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I don''t know why I''m here¡­ I don''t remember falling asleep on top of you," she frantically exined, Rein once againughing at her desperate apologies.

    "It''s fine, calm down. It''s not like I didn''t enjoy it," he teased, which made her face turn bright red, Rein entering the carriage to wake the rest up as if nothing happened.

    "Just a little longer auntie¡­" Lillia, who was clinging onto Xenia, spoke in her sleep, her shuffling waking Xenia, Rein''s voice waking up everyone else.

    "Hey, Lillia¡­ Could you loosen your hold on me? I''m having trouble breathing here," Xeniaughed as she tried pushing the sleeping girl off of her, her cling being too strong to rip off without injury.

    "I''ve got this. I''ve grown adept at waking up sleeping idiots. Believe it or not, but the Econican emperor is azy sloth," Sho imed as he approached the ck-haired girl.

    He snapped his fingers, causing a spark of mes to flicker on Lillia''s arm, suddenly jolting her awake.

    "Ow! What the heck was that?! Was it you stoner boy?" She yelled as she instantly came to.

    "I''m not a stoner. And yes, it was me. Now let go of her and wake up," Sho ordered in a princely manner.

    "You could''ve given me a scar! How could you burn a young woman such as myself?! All your good for is smoking wee¡ª"

    "How many times do I have to say it, I don''t smoke. Besides, you already know that I was lying about the lighter," Sho disclosed as he grew a regretful expression on his face.

    "Huh? You were lying? Then how''d you light that candle?" She asked, her question making Sho''s mouth gape open in shock at her stupidity.

    "You''re kidding, right? You saw that wall of fire, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah, I did! That was so cool! I was meaning to ask you guys, is the Econican prince here? I heard he was really dreamy! I need to thank him for saving me with that wall of fire," she excitedly asked.

    "You''re looking at him here. This yellow-haired loser is the prince. Hey, show her some fire," Core nudged him, his remarks angering him greatly, but he was able to keep his cool to live up to the rumors Lillia heard.

    He opened his palm and produced a sparkling me, as he did, he saw Lillia''s face light up with amazement for a brief moment, then died down quickly.

    "Oh¡­ It was you¡­ Darn, I was hoping it would be that handsome ck-haired guy over there," Lillia remarked as she pointed at Clyde, Xenia blushing panickingly as she heard her remark.

    "Hurry the hell up in there! We''re going through the tunnel!" Rein called from the outside, interrupting the talk they were having inside the carriage, making them hurry outside as they followed Rein and Chloe into the tunnel.

    Core stayed behind and got D8 to retrieve the carriage before following the group down. They walked through the dimly lit tunnel, Sho keeping the fire in his palm active to serve as an extra source of light.

    "We''re gonna need to find a ce for Lillia to stay. If you want, you can stay in our dorm room. We''ve got more than enough space," Rein proposed.

    "Hell no! I hate you, you stupid demon ape," she insulted Rein, whoughed at her unique affront.

    "Haha¡­ I guess that''s to be expected¡­" Rein said in eptance.

    "Let me stay with him! He must have a huge house, right?" Lillia clung onto Clyde, Xenia freaking out again, Clyde not reacting to her advances.

    "H-hey! Clyde already lives with someone already! Tell her Core!" Xenia overreacted.

    "Yeah, I always feel Xenia giving me death stares of jealousy every morning I walk out of the dorm with Clyde. Unfortunately, our room won''t fit someone else," Core joked, Xenia epting, but getting angry at his response.

    "Besides, you cannot stay in our dorm rooms if you were not registered in our party upon entrance to the academy," Clyde shrugged Lillia off, causing her to pout angrily.

    "Fine, then let me live with her! He said you get jealous, so you don''t live in a dorm, do you?" Lillia moved her sights to Xenia, who had just scolded her, somehow having grown an attachment to her when they slept together.

    Lillia looked at Xenia with innocent eyes, her cute, puppy dog stare enough to melt anyone''s heart into doing her bidding.

    "What''s with this girl? First, she goes after Clyde, and now I''m about to start pampering her? She''s too dangerous¡­" Xenia thought as her face turned red towards the girl''s puppy dog eyes, trying her hardest to resist giving in to her gaze.

    "No, I don''t live in a dorm, but it''s not my house either. I can''t make the woman who''s letting me live with her take in another person. I''m sorry," she painfully rejected Lillia, who once again began pouting.

    "Then where can I go?"

    "Heh, I''m pretty sure our prince here lives in a pretty big house. Why not live with him for the time being?" Core suggested.

    "No way," Lillia and Sho both replied at the same time, both of them seeming to harbor a grudge against the other.

    "Come on Sho, you still owe me¡­" Rein stated again.

    "You said that yesterday!" Sho reacted.

    "Do you think that little gesture was enough to repay the debt you owe? Nope, it''s still building interest. You''d better hurry up and start paying me back before you go bankrupt," Reinughed, Sho''s annoyed expression growing.

    "Fine¡­ My house has 3 floors. I only use the first floor, you can use the 2 above me. We don''t need to interact at all, deal?" Sho proposed, to which Lillia thought long and hard.

    "Hmm¡­ On one condition. You have to pay for everything I ask for."

    "What?! Why the hell would I do that?"

    "Oh well, I guess I''ll just starve to death. I don''t have any money, so I can''t buy any food. Thank you, oh magnanimous prince," Lillia guilt-tripped Sho.

    " You don''t even live in Econica, so I''m not even your prince¡­ Ugh, fine, whatever, but you''re cooking then," Sho bartered, to which Lillia outstretched a hand.

    "Deal!" She said as the 2 shook hands, agreeing on their living conditions.

    "That took longer than it should''ve. Anyways, we''re here. Today''s our day off, so let''s go check our request in and then do whatever," Rein said as they exited the tunnel and emerged into the Hasbin gulf city, Lillia''s eyes sparkling at the jaw-dropping scenery.

    The group went to the guild and epted their rewards, 75 points, and 75 000 rol.

    Rein Xilris

    Points: 200 (Rank 26 [D])

    Rol: 183000

    Rein spent his days off meditating most of the time, the rest of the time was spent with Chloe and the girls as they lived happily together in the dorm. Time passed, hours turned into days, which turned into weeks, which eventually turned to a month. Rein continued teaming up with Core and Xenia, his fellow ss D ssmates, to do weekly quests, alternating between the other teammates depending on whoever was avable. Eventually, it came time for the monthly rank-up practical exams.

    "Listen up! Today will be your first practical exam! It''s been exactly a month since you''ve entered the academy, so you''d better be ready! By the end of the day, 3 of you will be expelled from Ranger academy."

 Chapter 125 - Practical Exams

    Rein was sitting in ss, as usual, that day when the teacher made the announcement. Rein had been waiting for this day ever since he entered the academy. It was finally his chance at ranking up from ss D, ridding himself of the 1 quest per week limitation. ss C was able to do 3 quests per week, allowing them to amass more rol and points. But more importantly, it allowed him to explore the continent more freely, with the excuse of taking these quests.

    Throughout the past month, Rein was meditating whenever he had time to do so, enabling him to level up some of his skills further.??

    Memory Flip ++: Every 1 hour, allows you to copy a Spring from your inverse history for 30 minutes

    Liquid Slots +: Allows the System to store 3 Springs at once, allowing the wielder to switch between the two at will. (This does NOT allow the user to wield both Springs at once like STO, but it does make it so he can change between them individually.)

    Built Different +: Allows you to make an object, or yourself, indestructible for 10 seconds. Cooldown is based on the damage it absorbed

    "Here are the final rankings:"

    ss S:

    1. Clyde Morioh (S+) (1350 points)

    2. Sho Anagi (S+) (950 points)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (S+) (900 points)

    4. Alyssa Osborne (750 points)

    5. Derek Snyder (600 points)

    6. Eleanor Cherry (600 points)

    ss A:

    7: Lance Bowman (800 points)

    8: Reggie Greybrewer (775 points)

    9: ine Barkridge (750 points)

    10:Tiarus Ilifiel (550 points)

    11: Sid Magnus (550 points)

    12: William Curtis (550 points)

    ss B:

    13: Quint Vossen (525 points)

    14: Lamarr Shepherd (475 points)

    15: Sano Sanraku (450 points)

    16: Patricia Virvyre (0 points)

    17: Elyon Orirel (0 points)

    18: Tanaga Yugoyaki (0 points)

    ss C:

    19: Kai Bihorn (430 points)

    20: n Waris (425 points)

    21: Stacey George (400 points)

    22: Gilbert Cohen (350 points)

    23: Aito Motoka (0 points)

    24: Ardryll Pabanise (0 points)

    ss D:

    25: Xenia Vossen (710 points)

    26: Rein Xilris (525 points)

    27: Core (490 points)

    28: Candice Eilstina (D-) (120 points)

    29: Roger Bentely( D-) (100 points)

    30: Mizubuki Daikuro (D-) (100 points)

    "I see a few of you dumbasses with 0 points. Mind exining?" Ms. Zophia scolded.

    "Hahaha, these other idiots haven''t realized that you don''t actually need to do anymissions! Even if you are in the bottom 3, as long as you don''t lose the advancement battle, you''re fine! I''ve just been chilling with my gang for the past month, nothing like you hard-working suckers," Tanagaughed as he put his legs up on his desk.

    "Fucking idiot," Quint remarked, catching Tanaga''s attention, angering him.

    "The hell''d you say?! I''ll kill your ass!" Tanaga stood up, along with 5 others to surround Quint, who didn''t bat an eye at their attempt to jump him.

    "Hey, you had 350 points, didn''t you? What are you doin'' hangin'' out with thesezy dweebs," Quint remarked to one the boys who surrounded him.

    "While I did gather points for my own ambitions of being withdy ine, I am still part of the Tanagang," the blue-haired man eximed proudly, the rest of the ss promptly bursting into intenseughter.

    "BAHAHAHAHA. ''TANAGANG?'' WHAT KIND OF BRAIN-DEAD NAME IS THAT?" Quint howled as he pped his chest out of amusement.

    The entire ss was wailing along with him, with the exception of Lance, making the group of 6 surrounding Quint quiver in embarrassment.

    "Well, why''d you go and say that Gilbert?! You embarrassed us all you moron!" Tanaga whispered loudly.

    "You were the one who came up with the name! I told you we should''ve named it the Gilgang!" Gilbert retorted.

    "That sounds even stupider!" Tanaga punched him on the head as they suddenly heard a loud cracke from the front of the room, the teacher having just bent a metal pipe in her rage.

    "Quiet down you fucking brats, or else this metal pipe will be bent over your heads next time," she threatened, the ss instantly ceasing theirughter as the gang returned to their seats in record time.

    As Gilbert passed behind Lance to get back to his seat, Lance whispered something to him, making his skin crawl in fear.

    "You¡ª! You menace!" Gilbert yelled at Lance, suddenly feeling a bullet whizz by his face, the teacher having spat out her cigarette with the intention of hitting Gilbert.

    "Shut the hell up. Next time, I won''t miss."

    "Yes ma''am¡­" Gilbert remarked feebly, putting his head down silently as he sat at his seat.

    "Anyway, now that you''ve all shut your mouths, I need you to get into your groups. If you''re in the top 3, group up with the other top 3s, if you''re in the bottom 3, group up with the other bottom 3s. After that, follow me to the academy arena. We have it all to ourselves today for our practical exam. Julianne is gonna be watching too, so don''t fuck up. I would say no pressure, but I don''t really give a shit about your mental state," she coldly remarked as she left the room, taking out another cigarette from her pack.

    The ss promptly stood up and grouped with the other 3 in their groups. Rein, Core, and Xenia formed a team and began walking down the stairs towards the exit of the ssroom. On the way, Rein inspected the rest of the teams with the corner of his eyes, noticing that Lance, Reggie, and ine still had an awkward air to them.

    Reggie hadn''t been acting normally since he returned from the S rank quest with Clyde and Sho, which further ented the awkwardness between ine and Lance, who were still fighting. He saw the group he was against, Gilbert Cohen, Aito Motoka, and Ardryll Pabanise. The only one he viewed as a potential threat was Gilbert, whom''s Spring he had already copied.

    Original Effect:

    When in battle, you are able to use your target''s attack stat instead of your own.

    Inverted Effect:

    When in battle, you are able to use your target''s defense stat instead of your own.

    While Gilbert could not see attack stats, he still could prove to be an issue if he used either Rein or Xenia''s attack stat in the battle. Even if Rein inverted his Spring, it would still be an issue if he used any of their defenses.

    Rein and his team followed after the teacher, as more and more of the ss grouped up and followed them, all of them making their way to the academy arena, where they saw the principal, vice-principal, and teacher all waiting at the main lobby.

    "Is that everybody? Perfect, then we may begin," Wace greeted as the whole ss gathered.

    "Alright! I''ll be introducing this month''s practical exam to you all! Um¡­. Zophie, you exin the rules!" Julianne announced, her request making Ms. Zophia bite down on her cigarette in annoyance.

    "You just said you''d do it you stupid bitch! Fuck, whatever. As I exined to you all, it''ll be simple 3 vs 3''s. Killing is evidently not allowed, knock out your opponents or make them surrender to win. There are a few other technicalities regarding the S+ and the D- group. Your positions are by no means safe, else the D- would''ve already been expelled. At the end of the exam, the students in ss D and ss S will fight amongst themselves. The D- will fight the other D''s, and the S+ will fight the S.

    The winner of those will be solidified as that position. What I''m saying is, if you''re in the bottom 3 of C and you lose once, you''ll drop down to D, and if you lose again in D, you could be getting expelled today," she exined, which the students already knew, but still made certain ones grow uneasy.

    "Alright, thank you for that Zophie! Now, let us begin the first match. ss D top 3 vs ss C bottom 3! Please make your way into the arena! The rest of you, go up to the stands and spectate," Julianne dered.

    Rein, Core, and Xenia got ready to enter the arena while the rest of the ss went up to the bleachers, the bottom 3 of ss C walking to the other side of the arena to enter and discuss their strategies.

    "I''ll win this for youdy ine!" Gilbert yelled before he left.

    "I know you don''t need me to tell you this, but please kick his ass. I''ll be waiting for you in ss S," Lance whispered to Rein before he went up the stairs to the bleachers.

    "Will do," Rein replied.

    Suddenly, they heard gasps of amazement emerge from the bleachers, the spectators seemingly in awe with what they saw in the arena.

    "Wow! How did they even do this?"

    "I don''t know, but if every battle is gonna be like this, I''m actually getting excited!"

    The voices of amazement continued as Rein, Core, and Xenia suddenly heard the door creak open, lifting itself to unveil what the arena had in store for them.

 Chapter 126 - Promotion

    "Ohohoho, now this is epic," Core remarked as he saw what was inside the arena.

    Instead of a t, barren stage to fight on, the arena was now a lush, green jungle, with croaking cicadas and buzzing insects within.??

    "You must be confused, huh? Well, I''m not going to exin it to you! The match will begin in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Start!" Julianne unexpectedly spoke out, announcing the beginning of the match with no further exnation.

    "Well, it''s not like this terrain is a problem or anything, but I''d rather end this match as soon as possible. Sorry to whoever set this up."

    Rein summoned one of his swords and held it with 2 hands, activating the inverse of Lance''s Spring.

    Original Effect: Creates a shield of aura when infused with a protective item. Its strength and refinement depend on the energy expenditure of the user. When active, boosts the strength of those the user considers as allies while lowering it for those the user considers enemies. Does nothing for those who are neutral.

    Inverted Effect: Creates an extension of aura when infused with an attacking weapon. Its strength and refinement depend on the energy expenditure of the user. When active, boosts the defense of those the user considers as allies while lowering it for those the user considers enemies. Does nothing for those who are neutral.

    Using this, Rein created a gargantuan beam of ck energy extending from his sword, dumping 30% of his energy into it. The shaded de of the sword radiated darkness as it appeared in the arena, eliminating light as it reached the top of the arena''s barrier in length.

    "Take a few steps back. And, uh, you guys might want to duck!" Rein warned his teammates and his enemies, to which theyplied, even his enemies doing what he said out of fear of the darkness-generating de.

    Rein heaved the sword in a mighty swing, cleanly chopping through all of the jungle trees that stood in his way, causing the very foundation of the arena to shake. All of the trees toppled simultaneously, causing an even louder tremor to ur within the arena''s barrier, the spectators unable to feel a thing.

    As the shaking resided and the smoke cleared out, all that was left was a field of fallen trees and tree trunks, the previously dense jungle now a clear, a hinderless battlefield.

    "Perfect. I''ll take the guy on the right, Xenia, you take the one on the left. Tap them lightly so you don''t kill them," Reinmanded, taking over Core''s job, which he didn''t appreciate, but let him get away with since it meant less work for him.

    "Roger that," sheplied as she took off to left nk, flying straight towards the unsuspecting boy cowering in fear.

    He put his arms up to his face in defense as she approached. She stopped right before reaching him, lightly chopped his neck, and knocked him out cold.

    "My guy''s down!" She eximed as she looked over at Rein, who had also done the same thing, putting a thumbs up as he looked back at her in affirmation.

    "Aito?! Ardryll?! Come on, members of the Gilgang can''t go down that easily!" Gilbert, who was standing in the middle of the 2 eximed, irritating Tanaga, who was in the audience.

    "It''s the Tanagan¡ª! You know what, never mind," Tanaga stopped his retort, afraid of beingughed at again.

    "It''s over Gilbert. Give up!" Xenia voiced.

    "Oh my¡­ Okay, I''ll raise the white g! Just as soon as you help me out of here! My leg''s gotten stuck under this trunk. I''m not injured, I just need someone to lift it," Gilbert begged.

    "Huh? Is that it? I don''t want to get violent on you, so okay. Give up as soon as I lift it though," she ordered as shended in front of the stuck man.

    Rein noticed her doing this, and frankly, he saw no harm in it. She would simply be releasing him from the binding on his leg. As Xenia reached for the log, Rein noticed something with his third eye. Gilbert had activated his Spring while touching the trunk Xenia was lifting, making him realize that he was able to activate it through derived touch, meaning if he was touching something the other person was directly touching, he could still activate his Spring.

    "Haha! Your strength is mine! You let your guard down, fool!" Gilbert sprung up with his fist clenched, thrusting it forward at Xenia, who was still holding the log of wood, meaning she was unable to react.

    "Wha!"

    However, instead of gaining super-strength, Gilbert suddenly copsed again, all of his bones feeling significantly weaker than usual. He began breathing heavily, immediately de-activating his Spring as it hindered him rather than helped him.

    "What the hell?! I could''ve sworn I was using your strength! You can lift that whole tree for fuck sake!" Gilbertined as Xenia set the tree down.

    "Oh, he must''ve used my curse''s strength¡­ Haha, forgot about that," she thought as she summoned her greatsword, pointing it at Gilbert sternly.

    "It''s over now."

    "And with that, Rein Xilris, Core, and Xenia Vossen advance to ss C! Congrattions you 3. And as for the other 3, better luck next time! Try not to get expelled," Julianne announced as the crowd began cheering in jubtion, everyone except the ''Tanagang''.

    "Ah for fuck sake! Gilbert just had to go and fuck it up! God damn it!" Tanaga raged.

    "Very well. Now that the first exam is done, could everyone please head back down to the foyer for the announcement of the next match?" Wace instructed, everyone following his words promptly as the ss met back up in the main lobby of the arena stadium.

    "Once again, congrattions to the 3 of you. That was a spectacr match to watch," Juliannemended as her greeting, along with Wace and Ms. Zophia following behind her.

    "Gotta say, I was also impressed. And I''m impressed that you managed to impress me. Good job," Ms. Zophia remarked, this being the first time any of the ss had heard her give praise.

    "Wow, you''ve never said that to me before. I guess our friendship doesn''t mean anything to you, huh?" Julianne teased, Zophia now ignoring her as she had adapted to the situation.

    "Nevertheless, let us continue. The second match will be between the top 3 from ss C and the bottom 3 from ss B. ss B, please go around to the other side of the arena to start. The rest of you can go back up to the bleachers," Wace outlined, once again, everyone following his orders promptly.

    Patricia Virvyre, Elyon Orirel, and Tanaga Yugoyaki all broke off as they made their way to the other side of the stadium, leaving Kai Bihorn, n Waris, and Stacey George at the other end. Rein was the first to ascend the stairs to the bleachers, feasting his eyes on the strange state of the stage.

    From the previous battle, Rein had left the stage barren, all of its trees cut down. However, it was now apletely different environment. He could sense the radiating heat from against the barrier, the sand on the floor blurring in a mirage of humidity. Tall cacti were dotted around the battlefield sparsely, with a couple of palm trees set to provide shade on each edge of the circr arena.

    To Rein''s surprise, the entire stage had morphed itself into a barren wilderness of heat, something which he had never seen before. The only ce on the continent with this sort of environment was northwest Econica, in the Draconica region where Chloe was from. The terrain was called ''a desert''.

    "Amazing¡­ It''s just like Draconica. Wow, I haven''t seen a desert like this in years¡­" Chloe''s eyes were glued to the biome of pale cream grains of sand, her eyes filled with a sense of happiness, with hints of loneliness stirred in.

    The doors opened, letting in thepetitors as their faces instantly dejecting, entering the scorching heat of the desert.

    "What is this ce?!" Screamed the panting Tanaga when faced with this hot weather.

    "I don''t think I can do this Tanaga¡­" Patriciained instantly.

    "Shut the hell up! We''re not losing to these maggots!" Tanaga eximed, their opponents overhearing them.

    "Maggots huh? I''ll show you who''s a maggot," n cracked his knuckles in anger, Kai promptly holding him back.

    "Chill out n, the match hasn''t started yet!" n frantically warned, Julianne reacting with a confused sound.

    "Hm? Did I not say start? Whoops. 3 2 1 go," she swiftly announced, giving thepetitors no time to summon their weapons or even ready their stances.

    "Shit, will I even be able to activate my Spring in these conditions? I''ll just have to wait and see," Tanaga thought as n came charging towards him weaponless.

    "Huh? H-hey! Wait! I''m not ready ye¡ª"

    Without warning, n punched Tanaga at full strength, instantly knocking him out as his 2 teammates jumped away rather than helping him.

    "Eek! Tanaga, are you okay?!" Elyon screamed as she rushed to the fallen man''s side.

    "You brute! How could you attack him when he wasn''t ready!" Patricia scolded.

    "I don''t give a shit if you''re not ready, nor do I give a shit that you''re both chicks! I''ll still beat your asses!" n angirly remarked, Kai hastily running to hold him back.

    "Wow there, calm down buddy. Hey, could you two just surrender? Your friend there needs medical attention," Kai suggested.

    "Well duh, we can''t fight without Tanaga. We give up."

    And just like that, the second match was over, Kai, n, and Stacey grasping a promotion to ss B.

 Chapter 127 - Practical Exam Conclusion

    Once again, the ss re-convened in the main lobby, where Julianne congratted the winning team and announced the next match. This time, it was the top 3 from ss B versus the top 3 from ss A. Quint Vossen, Lamarr Shepherd, and Sano Sanraku go up against Tiarus Ilifiel, Sid Magnus, and William Curtis. Again, each team went to their side of the arena, and the rest of the ss ascended the stairs to the bleachers.

    This time, the terrain they saw was the direct opposite to the previous one, a mellow white nket covering thend, theck of heat apparent by the frozen icicles dripping from the tall, Zir trees. It was a snowy frozen tundra.??

    The doors opened to the contestants, letting them into this freezing wondend as they instantly began shivering. Principal Julianne began the countdown as the contestants frigidly summoned their weapons.

    Quint was able to nullify the cold he felt by activating his Spring, growing fur along his body to warm him up. This gave him an advantage over the otherpetitors,ting him and his team a rather easy win. His opponents were formidable but stood no chance in the cold against a powered-up opponent immune to weather changes.

    Quint Vossen, Lamarr Shepherd, and Sano Sanraku were able to move up to ss A, the sses reconvening in the main lobby for the final rank-up match of the month. The top 3 from ss A versus the bottom 3 from ss S.

    Once again, the ss returned to the bleachers, this time seeing a bumpy, rocky wastnd with cracks and crevices across thendscape. Lance, Reggie, and ine entered the arena, facing down their opponents, Alyssa Osborne, Derek Snyder, and Eleanor Cherry, who all looked incredibly formidable, being a part of the powerful ss S.

    Julianne once again announced the beginning of the match as they instantly broke out into a speed frenzy, ine boosting the speed of her 2 teammates while Eleanor, who had a simr Spring, did the same for her teammates. Lance summoned his Spirit shield, all the while boosting his teammate''s attack stat as well.

    However, their opponents weren''t going to go down without a fight. Alyssa charged forward with her illusionary Spring, blurring her appearance, confounding opponents'' attempts to target. Reggie jumped around the arena and began punching in different ces, setting traps for whoever was unfortunate enough tond in them.

    Eventually, the battles were divided into 3 1 on 1''s. Lance vs Alyssa, Reggie vs Derek, and ine vs Eleanor. Lance felt himself being slightly pressured as his opponent''s movements disorientated him, not knowing where to attack, even though his speed was being enhanced by ine.

    Though, with a stroke of luck, his opponent was hit by one of Reggie''s traps, stopping her illusionary tactics for a brief moment, giving him a chance to retaliate. He was able to pin his opponent down with his extended shield, forcing her to surrender.

    Meanwhile, Reggie was having no problems dealing with his opponents, though his turmoiled mind made him hesitate in some of his attacks, hindering his ability to finish the battle against his elusive opponent. Eventually, though, he was finally able to squeak out the victory, exhausted from his performance.

    ine was the one having the most trouble. She was losing her battle considerably. Her opponent''s Spring allowed her to boost any stat that she wanted, meaning she could Spread it out through all of her stats, slightly power all of them at the same time. ine couldn''t keep up with thebination of power and endurance her opponent showed and was on the verge of losing before Lance joined the fight and shielded her, parrying his shield to send ine''s opponent flying back.

    With Lance''s enhanced speed, enhanced attack, and the defense provided by his shield, his pure power overrode Eleanor''s Spring,ting them the victory over ss S'' bottom 3.

    That marked the end of the rank-up battles, up next was the battles for D- and S+ to see who will be expelled, and who will earn the prestige point from S+.

    First, they revealed the new ss ranking, which showed up on each student''s tablet.

    ss S:

    1. Clyde Morioh (1350 points) (S+)

    2. Sho Anagi (950 points) (S+)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (900 points) (S+)

    4. Lance Bowman (800 points)

    5. Reggie Greybrewer (775 points)

    6. ine Barkridge (750 points)

    ss A:

    7: Alyssa Osborne (750 points)

    8: Derek Snyder (600 points)

    9: Eleanor Cherry (600 points)

    10:Quint Vossen (525 points)

    11: Lamarr Shepherd (475 points)

    12: Sano Sanraku (450 points)

    ss B:

    13: Tiarus Ilifiel (550 points)

    14: Sid Magnus (550 points)

    15: William Curtis (550 points)

    16: Kai Bihorn (430 points)

    17: n Waris (425 points)

    18: Stacey George (400 points)

    ss C:

    19: Xenia Vossen (710 points)

    20: Rein Xilris (525 points)

    21: Core (490 points)

    22:Patricia Virvyre (0 points)

    23: Elyon Orirel (0 points)

    24: Tanaga Yugoyaki (0 points)

    ss D:

    25: Gilbert Cohen (350 points)

    26: Candice Eilstina (120 points)

    27: Roger Bentely (100 points)

    28: Mizubuki Daikuro (100 points) (D-)

    29: Aito Motoka (0 points) ( D-)

    30: Ardryll Pabanise (0 points) ( D-)

    "Congrattions to Candice and Roger! You''ve escaped D- for now!" Julianne announced.

    "What? How?" Candice said in her artificial nice voice.

    "Well, luckily for you, some fuckin idiots that dropped down into ss D had 0 points. So they dropped to D-, taking your ce," Ms. Zophia exined, Mizubuki raising his hand in protest.

    "Roger and I have the same amount of points! Why is he above me in the ranking!" Heined.

    "Hm, true. Rock paper scissors real quick. Winner gets 10 points," Juliannemanded, to which the 2 put their fists up, agreeing on a best of 1.

    Roger came out with the victory after throwing scissors.

    "There we go. Roger now has 110 points. Any otherints?" Julianne asked as she saw Gilber raise his hand.

    "I refuse to fight my friends! Aito and Andryll were supposed to be on my team!" Gilbert stated.

    "Well, too bad. They chose to ck off and now they''re paying for it. It''s now either your expulsion or theirs."

    Gilbert grit his teeth as Julianne announced the next battle, pitting him against his fellow gang members. Once again, the stage transformed and the battle ensued Gilbert and his team emerging victorious for the expulsion battle, allowing Candice, Roger, and himself to stay in the academy, the other 3 getting expelled on the spot.

    With that out of the way finally came the battle for S+. Clyde Morioh, Sho Anagi, and Chloe Orthlysia vs Lance Bowman, Reggie Greybrewer, and ine Barkridge.

    The door opened on its contestants for the final time that day, revealing a muddy, dirty wend, riddled with patches of brown water and thick swamp trees.

    "Looks like you guys got the short end of the stick ss S! Sorry, stage changes are randomized," Julianne apologized as they looked less than enthusiastic to battle in this dirty environment.

    Regardless, Julianne counted them down, and the match officially began. Lance''s team employed the same strength/speed buff strategy, where ine would buff their speed and Lance would buff their attack.

    Unluckily for them, Clyde, Sho, and Chloe had already seen that strategy and devised a countern, using Chloe''s wind in conjunction with Sho''s fire to strengthen the furiosity of the mes. Chloe created a typhoon of wind which Sho mixed in with his mes, ultimately forming a zing swirling fury that rippled through the battlefield.

    Due to the muddy terrain, it was difficult for the opposing team to dodge effectively and jump in with a counterattack. With the fire tornado strategy, they were able to send off powerful attacks without the need of maneuvering the battlefield. This also countered the buffs Lance and ine gave, as they weren''t able to effectively use them when faced with barrages of ring whirlwinds.

    The battle didn''tst for long, for when they eventually broke through the blinding projectiles, they found themselves faced with Clyde''s Seeking de, which they were unable to avoid. Clyde, Sho, and Chloe were able to solidify their spots in S+, while Lance, Reggie, and ine stayed in ss S.

    "And that marks the end of this month''s practical exam! The new finalized rankings should appear on your tablets soon. ss is dismissed, so you''re free for the rest of the day!"

    Rein felt a notification on his Ranger tablet, opening it to see a list of the new ss ranking.

    ss S:

    1. Clyde Morioh (0 points) (S+)

    2. Sho Anagi (0 points) (S+)

    3. Chloe Orthlysia (0 points) (S+)

    4. Lance Bowman (0 points)

    5. Reggie Greybrewer (0 points)

    6. ine Barkridge (0 points)

    ss A:

    7: Alyssa Osborne (0 points)

    8: Derek Snyder (0 points)

    9: Eleanor Cherry (0 points)

    10:Quint Vossen (0 points)

    11: Lamarr Shepherd (0 points)

    12: Sano Sanraku (0 points)

    ss B:

    13: Tiarus Ilifiel (0 points)

    14: Sid Magnus (0 points)

    15: William Curtis (0 points)

    16: Kai Bihorn (0 points)

    17: n Waris (0 points)

    18: Stacey George (0 points)

    ss C:

    19: Xenia Vossen (0 points)

    20: Rein Xilris (0 points)

    21: Core (0 points)

    22:Patricia Virvyre (0 points)

    23: Elyon Orirel (0 points)

    24: Tanaga Yugoyaki (0 points)

    ss D:

    25: Gilbert Cohen (0 points) (D-)

    26: Candice Eilstina (0 points) (D-)

    27: Roger Bentely (0 points) (D-)

    He also received a notification for his monthly rol. Since he ended in ss C, he received 50000 rol that month.

    Rein Xilris

    Points: 0 (Rank 20 [C])

    Rol: 233000

 Chapter 128 - Self Blame

    "Woo! That was stressful. Finally, I can rx a little. How about it Reg, wanna join us for the celebration?" Quint stretched as he exited the arena.

    "Sorry bro, but not today. I''m gonna go chill out in our room," Reggie dejectedly said.??

    "Dude, you''ve been holed up in our room for the past 3 weeks now. Can you just tell me what happened?"

    Reggie began acting this way ever since he got back from a mission with Clyde and Sho. Sho was also acting weirdly, and to that day refused to use his Spring out in the open. Something happened during that mission in Ardulum that the 3 had chosen not to talk about.

    "Reggie, I don''t believe it''s healthy to keep it bottled up. Maybe it''s time we told Quint about what happened¡ª"

    "Don''t. Please, just let this die with the 3 of us," Reggie interrupted as he turned away from the group and began walking back to the dorm, Quint reaching out to him to stop him.

    Suddenly, Quint''s arm was held by Core, who seemed to have some sort of inclination of what happened to him.

    "Let him go. He''ll get over it soon," Core stated.

    "He''s had 3 weeks to get over it. He''s gonna tell me what happened whether he likes it or not!" Quint shrugged Core''s hand away and followed Reggie when he was suddenly stopped by Rein''s voice.

    "Seriously Quint, don''t."

    "Tch, fine. But if he doesn''t tell me within the next week, I''m forcing his hand," Quint scoffed as he suddenly heard another loud voice emerge from the dorm''s direction.

    "Yoooo! Looks like none of you got expelled! I was expecting Quint to go, but oh well," a red-haired elf emerged from the dorm building, holding a cardboard box, followed by a young green-haired girl holding a cardboard box behind her.

    "The hell do you mean you expected me to go?! I wasn''t even at risk of expulsion!" Quint reacted, making Raxough, her previous remark being a joke.

    "What are you guys doing? Transporting things from the basement?" Rein asked.

    "Yep! The Echopany just finished building the new establishment for Saphy. We''re moving everything there to make it easier on her," Emria exined.

    "Yeah, hopefully, she feels better soon. Tell her to take all the time she wants to recover," Raxo spoke with concern as Rein nodded.

    "She''s been saying she wants to get back to work for some days now, but the mental strain on her hasn''t worn off," Rein exined as Chloe intervened in the conversation.

    "Don''t worry though, as long as I''m watching over her, I won''t let her work until she''s 100 percent!" Chloe guaranteed, making Emriaugh happily.

    "You guys are going to celebrate, right? As soon as we finish these off, we''ll get Saph and head over to join you. Gulf Grill, as usual, right?" Raxo made sure.

    "Nah, today we''re going over to the prince''s house. He wants us to try his girl''s cooking for some reason. Says it''s really good," Quint informed, Sho jumping in to correct Quint.

    "She''s not ''my girl'', we were just forced to live together. And I never said I wanted you lot to try her dishes, she just wanted to treat all of you. Though, I think it''s just an excuse to get Clyde to eat her food," Sho pointed to Clyde, which irked Xenia. "She used up a quarter of my money for this feast, so you''d better show up. She even bought vintage Aquifan truffles. You have no idea how expensive those are," Sho stated as he put his head down in regret.

    "I''m humbled by the gesture, but I''m actually allergic to truffles," Clyde informed.

    "U-um, in that case, I could cook for you instead..." Xenia suggested, Clyde shaking his head at her offer.

    "No thank you. I may be resistant to poison, but I can only take so much," he joked.

    "Hey! That was just straight-up mean!"

    "It''s fine though, she hasn''t added the truffles yet. I''ll go over and tell her not to add them. If you guys cane by at 3 PM, that would be good," Sho ran off to his house, leaving Rein, Chloe, Clyde, Quint, Xenia, and Core together.

    "Well, we have some free time on our hands. What should we do?" Rein queried to the group as Lance suddenly appeared.

    "Hey, have you guys seen ine around anywhere? I need to tell her something," he inquired as he panted out of fatigue, running around the campus in search for her.

    "You need to tell her something, huh? Well, I haven''t seen her anywhere. What are you gonna tell her anyway?" Rein replied.

    "She looked really guilty after we won our first match, and even after we lost in the ss S battle. I think she was ming herself because she was losing against her opponent. Knowing her, she''d me herself and push herself way too hard. I just need to tell her not to worry about it," Lance revealed.

    "Are you an idiot then? You said it yourself, she''s gonna push herself too hard. And how do you do that? Come on, think Lance, think!"

    "Oh no¡­ She probably took a¡­"

    The group hastily made their way to the quest room, asking the receptionist if a pink-haired girl had taken any requests recently.

    "Oh, yes, are you her party? She took an S ss monster extermination quest on the outskirts of Stogue, right beside the gulf. She said that her party was waiting for her and took the request. If you want, I can mark you dow¡ª"

    Without letting the receptionist finish, Lance ran out of the quest room and dashed to the eastern tunnel that led out near the town of Stogue. Rein and the rest followed him out of worry.

    "That idiot¡­ She''s trying to take on an S-ss monster on her own¡­ Please¡­ Please be okay¡­" Lance prayed as he finally emerged to the surface, seeing the Orthlys harbor town of Stogue in the distance to his right.

    "ine!! Can you hear me!!" He screamed with all of his might, running into the entric field ahead, which was filled with 7-foot tall des of grass, almost like a forest.

    "Lance?! Is that you?!" He heard a voice reply from somewhere within the grassy field.

    "ine! Where are you?!"

    "Lance¡­ Help me¡­"

    "Lance! Move over for a second! I''ll slice through that grass with one swing," Reinmanded as he summoned one of his swords, using the same technique he used to cut down the jungle during his practical exam.

    This time, he activated STO and used the wind Spring in conjunction with the swing, infusing his de with a slicing gale that beamed ahead of his swing, clearing out arge chunk of the tall grass.

    Over in the distance, they saw a medium-sized spherical hole in the ground, the head of an oversized gori poking through, with its arms up, wound in a catapult motion as it readied to m down on an unconscious girl in the ditch.

    "NO!!"

    Using Rein''s shared speed stat, Lance took off at near light speeds, putting his shield in front of ine, whose dislocated bodyy unconscious on the ground under him. The gori''s powerful attack bounced off of Lance''s shield, but not withoutpletely decimating it. Lance threw the shield handle away and ducked down to ine, hugging her tightly, using his body to protect against the gori''s next attack.

    The gori wound his arms up for another attack, Lance closing his eyes to brace for impact. However, before he could swing, the gori''s eyes suddenly gushed out blood, making it scream in pain as it held its blinded eyes. Clyde appeared in front of them, along with the rest of the group, Rein tapping Lance on the shoulder to get his attention.

    "Follow me! The others will take care of the monster. We''ve gotta get ine medical attention as soon as possible!" He instructed, Lance nodding his head as he lifted the girl, following Rein out of the crater, into a different patch of long grass, one that Rein''s de didn''t reach.

    There, they were hidden. Lance set ine''s broken body on the soft dirt floor, all of her joints bent in the opposite direction.

    "She''s alive, but barely¡­" Rein informed as he moved his ear to her mouth, hearing her faintly breathing as Lance sat there with a distraught expression.

    "What can you do¡­ Please¡­ I don''t care if you have to sacrifice me, just please do something to save her!" Lance begged.

    "I don''t need to sacrifice you. What I''m about to do saved me when I was on the brink of death too," Rein put his hand on her forehead and whispered Versys under his breath, making ine a secondary contractor.

    "Shit, I really didn''t want to give significant regeneration out so early¡­ That''ll make things harder in the future, but I''ve got no choice right now, do I? Should I prioritize a life dying in front of me over my goals..?"

    Suddenly, Rein pped himself and steeled his resolve, taking a deep breath and assigning significant regeneration to ine. Instantly, her joints began re-attaching themselves, cracks and pops being heard as her limbs returned to their original positions.

    Meanwhile, back at the gori.

    "Hey, Clyde! Why didn''t you just slice its damn neck off! You had the chance when you went for it''s eyes!" Quint scolded as he summoned his battle axe.

    "Trust me, I tried, but my de simply bounced off. This monster is not ordinary. We''re going to need to find its weak spot, and focus all our attacks there. Core, can you stand back and analyze the foe for us?" Clyde requested.

    "Sure thing, just be careful," Core replied.

    "Will do. Are you all ready?!" Clyde yelled in motivation, the rest yelling after him in affirmation.

    "Yeah!"

 Chapter 129 - Too Much Firepower

    "Alright, her life shouldn''t be in any more danger. Take her down to the Ranger dorm basement, you should find a red-haired girl there. I''ve fixed her life-threatening injuries, and she''ll be able to finish the healing process off," Rein instructed as he stood up, dusting his clothes off from the dirt.

    "Will she wake up..? Will I be able to speak with her again..?" Lance hesitantly asked as Rein smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.??

    "You will. Now go, I need to go back and help the others," Rein eximed as tears began flowing down Lance''s face.

    "Thank you¡­ I don''t know what you did, but thank you¡­" Lance picked ine up and ran back towards the Hasbiin gulf, while Rein turned his head to where the fighting was happening.

    "Fuck¡­ Why did I do that?"

    Meanwhile, back in the fight against the gargantuan gori.

    While Clyde, Chloe, Quint, and Xenia fended the monster off, Core sat back and analyzed its weak points.

    "Clyde was able to damage its eyes and wasn''t able to damage its skin¡­ So all skin is off the table in terms of weak spots. So the only other ces would be the mouth, the nose, and the but¡ª, never mind, just the mouth or nose. Since the mouth is arger target, we need to create an opening and deal damage to it through its mouth, but since it keeps moving around, that''ll be difficult to do¡­" Core thought as he was suddenly struck with a n.

    "Hey, Quint! You think you could keep it stationary with your full beastification? You just need to stop it''s movements for a split second," Core called.

    "Yeah, I think so. This thing''s strong, but that don''t mean shit to me!" Quint answered while dodging the gori''s attacks, fully transforming himself into the tiger-looking creature with his Spring.

    "You 3 get ready! I''ve got a n," Coremanded to the other 3 as Quint''s body shed with the over-sized gori''s swing, binding both his and the gori''s movements in a struggle of power.

    "We''re gonna attack its mouth now! Princess, st it open with wind! Try and shock it with some lightning if that doesn''t work!"

    "I can jolt it briefly, but it''ll only keep its mouth open for half a second!" Chloe warned.

    "That''s fine. As soon as its mouth is open, Clyde''s gonna slow down time," Core exined as Chloeplied, attacking the monster''s gritted mouth with a st of an electric gale.

    The furious wind blew the gori''s lip ps up, revealing its dirty, brown teeth. The jolt of lightning afterward served to jitter the gori''s teeth, giving a centimeter of an opening, Clyde instantly slowing down time as opened.

    "Now Xenia! Lodge your greatsword between his teeth and pry his mouth open!"

    Xenia jumped up and threw her greatsword with incredible precision, the dending exactly between the gori''s top and bottom teeth. She grabbed onto the hilt of the sword, and with all her might, she pulled downwards, breaching the gori''s mouth like a crowbar peeling a door open.

    "Got it! Hurry though, his breath smells like shit!" She eximed.

    "Now both of you! Princess, pump it full of air and electricity! Clyde, you focus on keeping the time slowed!"

    While Clyde tried his hardest, pushing himself to keep time slowed, even while including 3 other people into the mix. Chloe went into maximum output, infusing her sword with a swirl of bolting lightning, her surroundings beginning to crackle in the air pressure, as well as the lightning''s presence.

    She sent the ball of whirling lightning into the gori''s mouth, Clyde not being able to hold the time slow for any longer, letting it go as the electric whirlwind made its way through the gori''s body.

    Suddenly, the gori''s actions halted as its body spazzed out, the raging thunderstorm tearing up its organs from the inside, eventually making the gori drop dead on the ground.

    "Looks like that did it. And to think ine was going to fight that thing by herself? Maybe the future her could do it, but right now it''d be impossible," Core thought in his head as he inspected the gori''s body.

    "Damn, my fuckin''s arm stings. That gori was strong as hell, I could barely keep him contained for a second," Quintined.

    "Thank you for the support, Core. Your strategizing skills are much better than mine," Clydeplimented as Core turned to him with a ttered expression.

    "Ehehe, oh stop it, you''re making me blush!" He joked as he suddenly saw Chloe''s eyes widen, her face ridden with shock.

    "Watch out you 2! It''s not dead!" She warned, but it was toote.

    Clyde''s Spring was still on cooldown, and the gori''s arm was already wound up for a swing. The 2 had no time to dodge, and a full-force attack from the gori could seriously injure, or kill someone. The rest were also toote to react, Xenia trying to jump in before the arm made contact. Clyde closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact as Core jumped in front of him, trying to soften the attack with his immortal body.

    However, a swift sh swung through the gori''s propelling arm, sending it flying almost as if it were made of butter. A ck-haired Rein appeared before them, with two powered-up swords in his hands. They were imbued with fire and wind and extended with the inverse of Lance''s Spring.

    "Rein? H-how did you¡­" Clyde uttered as he opened his previously shed eyes, Rein tilting his head back, giving them a smile before returning his focus to the gori.

    The gori let out an excruciating shriek and became enraged, setting its target on the calm, ck-haired man that appeared before it. Once again, it wound its remaining arm for a wide swing, but before it could even lift it up, Rein had disappeared from its sight, reappearing in the air in front of its face, heaving his sword through the gori''s neck, sending it flying off into the grassy field.

    "Incredible¡­ We barely beat it with all of usbined¡­" Chloe uttered, everyone in the group quickly realizing the divide in power between them and Rein.

    Rein de-activated STO and returned his hair and eye colors as he looked at the rest of their faces, who were staring at him in awe.

    "What''s wrong? Something on my face?" He asked, scratching his cheek with his index finger.

    "N-no¡­ It''s just, you beat that thing so effortlessly¡­" Xenia answered, stuttering in her words as she was now nervous talking to someone that powerful.

    "Oh that. Well, if it wasn''t focused on these 2, I wouldn''t have gotten the jump on it," Rein exined.

    "Nah man, we also got the jump on it when it was attacking Lance''s girl¡­ But we weren''t even able to prate its skin. You destroyed it so effortlessly," Quint added as Rein had just realized that he''d screwed up.

    "Shit, did I go too far? I didn''t know they couldn''t cut its skin¡­ I need toe up with an excuse¡­" He thought frantically.

    "My attack weakened its defenses from the inside and softened its skin. That''s probably what happened," Chloemented, Rein suddenlytching on to her reasoning.

    "Yep, that''s what happened. Anyways, let''s head down and check on ine. Sho might also be looking for us. We''d better hurry up," Rein hastened as he wanted to change the subject, jogging back to the tunnel leading back to the gulf.

    The group reluctantly followed as they epted Chloe''s words to be the truth. Rein exined that he was able to heal ine''s wounds, which further surprised the group, who saw the shape she was in when Lance carried her away. They didn''t question it however and continued down the tunnel until they reached the city.

    "I told Lance to take her to the dorm basement, so let''s check there first," Rein stated as the group made their way to the Ranger dorm, heading down the stairs as the elevator would be too cramped.

    There, they saw ine sleeping on the couch in the back of the workshop, Raxo sitting by the couch while Emria had her sleeves rolled up, bringing her a bucket of water. Sitting in the waiting area behind the counter were Lance and Sho, thetter noticing them as they walked into the shop.

    "Ah, you''re finally here," Sho remarked.

    "Sho? Why''re you here? Aren''t you supposed to be helping Lillia?" Core inquired.

    "The food''s pretty much ready anyways, also she was starting to piss me off so I left. While I was looking for you guys, I ran into Lance rushing to get to the dorm, so I followed him out of concern. Also, I figured you guys would show up if I stayed here," Sho exined.

    "I told you to mind your own business, princey boy. How about you fuck off back to your half invaded country," Lance jabbed, his remark angering Chloe, making her step up to defend Sho.

    Sho held his hand out and stopped Chloe from advancing, seeming as though he took no offense to thement.

    "It''s okay princess. Besides, it''s not like he''s wrong. However, I do not take shame in that fact. My father is the greatest king in the history of this continent. Against the overwhelming Orthlysian force, only he would''ve been able to stop it. It''s a miracle that Econica still even exists," Sho proudly eximed, Lance scoffing at his remark once again.

    "Only because your dad sent an assassin on the queen. If that never happened, Orthlys wouldn''t have stopped their forces, and crushed Econica under their hee¡ª"

    "Lance," Rein interrupted Lance''s speech, suddenly teleporting in front of the sitting man, grabbing him by the cor, and lifting him up.

    "One more word and I''ll fucking kill you," Rein''s red paralyzing gaze pierced into Lance''s eyes, instantly making him shut his mouth in fear.

 Chapter 130 - After Party

    "Sorry¡­ I don''t know what the hell I was saying¡­ ine would''ve already killed me if she heard me say that."

    "Trust me, if I didn''t know you weren''t thinking straight, your dead corpse would''ve been across the floor. Don''t say things you know jack shit about," Rein warned as he set the apologetic Lance down, the look of sincere remorse wrinkled on his face as he turned to Sho and bowed.

    "You said you followed me out of concern. Thank you. And I''m sorry for what I said about Econica," Lance repented.

    "It''s fine. I hear it all the time, so I''ve grown thick skin to it. It doesn''t affect me anymore," Sho replied coolly.

    "And to you too Chloe, I mentioned something about an assassin on the queen¡­ I know she was your mother, so I apologize for that as well," Lance once again bowed to the royals in the room, this time to the Orthlys princess.

    Chloe simply looked at him with a nk expression, then turned around and went back up the stairs, ignoring his apology as a look of unease began creeping onto her face, which only Rein noticed.

    "I''ll be waiting at Sho''s house. Don''t be too long," Chloe coldly remarked as Xenia ran after her frantically.

    "Let mee with you," she joined her as they both went up the stairs, leaving only the male Rangers in the basement of the dorm.

    "Phew, that should finish her treatment. She should be up in about an hour, fit as a fiddle. She''s free to rest here if you want," Raxo emerged from the back, wiping her face with a cloth, Emria standing behind her.

    "Thank you for everything Miss Tincer and Emria. It''s alright though, I''ll take her up to my room. She can restfortably there," Lance suggested.

    "Hmmm¡­ Since you''re her boyfriend, I''ll allow it, but you''d better not do anything to an unconscious girl! Seriously, don''t," Raxo eximed.

    "Of course. I wouldn''t dream of it," Lance bowed as he walked over to the girl resting on the couch and picked her up, walking back past Rein and the others.

    "Bowman, once she awakes, you''re free to join us in celebration at my house. The chef may have made a little too much food anyways," Sho invited him as he stepped up the stairs.

    "Thanks for the offer prince. I''ll ask her if she''s in the mood when she wakes up," Lance replied, still feeling apologetic for what he said to Sho, bowing down onest time before heading up the stairs.

    "For goody-two-shoes turned asshole, he can still be polite when he wants, huh?" Quint said in a low voice, so Lance wouldn''t hear him.

    "Oh, hello there Lance. What happened to Miss ine?" A blue-haired elf girl asked Lance as he reached the top of the stairs from the basement to the top floor.

    "Saphri? Oh, she was just injured. Your brother patched her up for me though, so she''s fine now. That guy is something else, you know that?"

    "Oh, I am fully aware. Give Miss ine my best regards when she awakes," Saphri waved as she headed down to the basement, Rein and the others having heard their conversation.

    "Hello everyone. I saw Chloe and Xenia heading to the party from the window and I got worried you might have forgotten about me, so I descended," Saphri greeted as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

    "You were just talking to Lance, right? How do you know him? Ande to think of it, he called you Emria earlier didn''t he? Did you two have a run-in with him or something?" Rein inquired.

    "Yep, when we put in a request at the guild for material gathering, they helped us with it. Raxo wasn''t there though, she''s a real ve driver!" Emria eximed as Raxo her hand on Emria''s head and scruffed it.

    "Ratting me out to your big brother, huh? Well, you 2 are my assistants after all. And you never told me you put a request into the guild! Where the hell did you get the funds from?" Raxo asked as worry grew in her heart.

    "From the club''s budget, naturally. Where else?" Saphri responded as Raxo slouched her head down in disappointment.

    "I knew we were a bit too low on fundsst month¡­" She grunted, Reinughing innocently at her misery.

    "I think we should make haste and catch up with those 2 girls. The food might be getting cold by now," Clyde advised, the rest of the groupplying as they all went up the stairs, marching their way to Sho''s home as the glow stones along the cavern began to dim slightly, the sun beginning to set on the surface.

    They all entered Sho''s home, and they, more specifically Clyde, was met with a jumping tackle from Lillia, who was sitting in front of the door waiting to pounce.

    "Wee home darling!" She yelled as she flew through the air, Sho suddenly catching her by the cor mid-flight, before impacting with the unsuspecting Clyde.

    "I told you not to tackle him when hees you fucking moron," Sho lost his temper instantly, Lillia also forming an irritated expression as he stopped her from hugging Clyde.

    "Leave me alone you smokey pothead! It''s not like I''m hurting anyone!" She angrily eximed.

    "You were about to tackle a man by jumping into him headfirst! For fuck sake, do you not have a brain in there?" Sho exploded, Lillia''s eyes beginning to water up as Sho set her down, this time pouncing at someone who was already in the room.

    "Xenia!!! Sho yelled at me! Beat him up!" She cried as she buried her face into Xenia''s chest.

    "Maybe you went a little too far Sho," Xenia said while winking, putting a thumbs up to him.

    "Nice save!" She telepathically thanked him, Sho somehow receiving her message.

    "I was only doing what was right," he telepathically replied as he crossed his arms and smiled.

    Once the scene was done with, the group took off their shoes and looked into therge, still empty room, which only had onerge kitchen in a corner and a futon in another. This was where Sho lived, the floor above that being where Lillia moved into.

    However, residing in the center of the room was a sparkling table set with exquisite foods, catching the eyes of the entire group as they looked around the room, Chloe and Xenia already sitting on floor pillows around it.

    The table had all kinds of foods, ranging from gigantic mountains of rice, to humongous Pathuless Turkeys that were baked whole. Others included a roasted boar, slime pudding of every element, rows and rows of vintage steaks, and veggie dishes along the edges of the long, oval-shaped table.

    "Don''t worry Clyde, I''ve reserved a seat at the top of the table for you here! You even get the special king-sized pillow!" Lillia presented as she sat on top of it to save the seat, Sho kicking her off in annoyance.

    "That''s my seat and my pillow¡­ Don''t go offering other people''s property," he scolded as he dropped down to the pillow and sat cross-legged.

    "Huh?! But my pillow is right here and Xenia is on the other side! If you''re sitting here, how will I sit beside Clyde?!" Lillia cried out.

    "Not my problem," Sho retorted as Clyde sat down one seat over from her, right beside Xenia, who was also beside Lillia.

    "Fine then, I''ll just sit beside him from the other side. Xenia''ll be close enough to feed me anyways," Lillia regrettingly stood up with the intention of moving beside Clyde, then Quint suddenly swooping in to upy the seat.

    "Wha! Grrr¡­" She angrily whacked Quint with her pillow for having stolen the only seat beside Clyde.

    "Ow! What the hell was that!" Quint shrieked as he turned around, seeing Lillia storming off back to her original seat.

    "I''m not gonna feed you by the way," Xenia sighed as Lilli took back her seat next to her, which made her startining solemnly.

    The rest of the seats quickly filled up around the dinner table, none of them beginning to eat before Sho gave an opening speech.

    "I wee you all to our first practical exam after party! It is with great pride that I invite you all here today to celebrate this. All of us were able to either win their advancement battles or defend their spots! Well done to all, and here''s to more future parties!" Sho lifted his ss, which was full of a non-alcoholic drink, and toasted it to the sky, everyone else following in his example.

    "Cheers!"

    Meanwhile, in Lance''s room¡­

    "..." Lance stared at the sleeping ine with a saddened expression, reliving the memories he had with her since childhood, and how the 2 used to be before that fateful day where everything changed.

    The day his entire outlook on life shifted, from rainbows and sunshine to rainstorms and darkness. The day he swore to save the suffering boy and the day he killed the bastard who made him suffer and exploited his son''s demise.

    From then, he began to focus himself on getting stronger so he could protect the most important person in his life, with no more sympathy for any other living beings, as for the first time in his life, he had seen the dark underbelly of the collective unconscious.

    But he now realized that this approach was wrong. Instead of cutting himself off to be stronger, he should have cherished the moments he spent with her. There was no changing the emotions he felt that day, but he had now learned to grow from them and to not take the life of a loved one for granted.

    "ine¡­ Please wake up¡­" He uttered, suddenly hearing a shuffle in his bedsheets, a soft cough as ine wearily opened her eyes.

    "Lance¡­?"

 Chapter 131 - Next Objective: Secure The Prince

    "ine, You''re awake!" Lance jumped out of his seat in excitement.

    "Where¡­ Am I?" She uttered as her eyes scanned around the room.

    "You''re in my room. Are you okay? Does your body feel okay?" Lance asked in concern.

    "I''m¡­ I''m fine¡­ What happened..?" She said as she rubbed her head and sat up.

    Without answering her question, Lance broke out into tears and pulled her into an embrace, hugging her tightly.

    "I''m so d you''re okay¡­ You have no idea how worried I was," Lance wept.

    "Why am I in your room? Just what happened to me?"

    "You¡­ Almost died. But thankfully, Rein was there to heal you up. I owe that guy the world¡­" Lance exined as ine wore a troubled expression, the confusion about Lance still lingering in her heart.

    "Why did youe for me?" She asked.

    "What do you mean?"

    "I thought that you didn''t want to interact with me. I thought you wanted to leave me out of your ''revenge'', and your sudden change in personality. What''s with you?" She remarked, taking her pent-up anger out.

    "Oh¡­ I never meant to¡ª"

    "I don''t care what you meant to do! Your actions, your way of speech, your attitude¡­ They''re not the Lance I know¡­ Not the Lance I grew to love¡­" She voiced, her eyes beginning to well up with tears as she looked away from Lance.

    "ine¡­"

    "You made me feel like an idiot¡­ And idiot for ever loving you¡­ I thought you grew to hate me¡­ So why..? Why did youe looking for me..?"

    "Let''s get one thing clear. No matter what happens, ine, I love you. Nothing has ever changed that. The way that I treated you for the past month, the way that I''ve been acting¡­ I''m sorry for it all¡­ Right now, all I want is to be by your side again,ughing and adventuring. I want to view the world from a different perspective than I do now¡­ And that''s only possible with you," Lance confessed as he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her back around, her face glowing a bright crimson red as the tears that dripped down reflected.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have gone off on my own¡­ and thank you foring back for me¡­ I love you, Lance¡­"

    *********************************************************************************************************

    "Man, this is some good ass food! Mypliments to the chef!" Quint eximed in pure bliss, briefly catching his breath before digging back in.

    "I don''t need yourpliments, you seat stealing monkey¡­" Lillia muttered inaudibly under her breath.

    "Hm? You say something?" Quint popped his head back up, talking while his face was stuffed with food.

    "Don''t talk with food in your mouth you pig!"

    The group broke out into a fit ofughter, carried by the light atmosphere that quickly invaded the room, which left as quickly as it came.

    "I don''t like being the one to bring down the mood, but we should discuss our next moves. The Orthlys government has been pretty quiet over this past month, which is leading me to think that they''re nning for something big. Princess, have you heard anything from Zane?" Sho interjected as theughter came to a stop.

    "No, I haven''t heard from him sincest he visited. I''m worried something may have happened to him¡­" She said in a concerned voice.

    "I''m sure he''s fine. But knowing that idiot, he''s probably just sucking up to his father and forgot to give us any info. I knew he''d be useless to rely on," Sho bit his lip in anger.

    "Wow Sho, you''ve gone all war prince mode on us. What brought this on?" Rein joked lightheartedly.

    "Rein, please, this isn''t a joke. We may be facing the resumption of the war," Sho sternly replied, Rein putting his drink down, his smile disappearing from his face.

    "I''m aware."

    "Zane is the prince right Chloe? Your brother? I remember him from when he showed up in Lifah, and when he showed up in the preliminary tournament. He was staring at me for a little bit for some reason. Maybe he recognized me?" Emria hypothesized.

    "No, he never saw you that day. That day, the guy was driven by pure emotion. He didn''t even give Rein the benefit of the doubt, despite him only being a small child. I always found that weird about the guy," Core surmised.

    "Regardless, I think our next move should be to get in contact with Zane and learn information about the government''s movements" Sho suggested, Rein shaking his head in negation at his n.

    "That''s a pretty stupid idea," Rein imed, which slightly angered Sho.

    "Wha? And why''s that?"

    "Come on, the entire thing relies on the fact that the prince would give us that info. Have you forgotten the difference in your positions? He''s the prince of Orthlys while you''re the prince of Econica. Why would he tell you government secrets? He only gave us a warning of what''s toest time, and it''s not like his warning even came true. To put it simply, there are too many holes in that n," Rein picked it apart, Sho''s n being too unreliable for his taste.

    "I don''t believe that he was trying to deceive usst time. He seemed genuinely worried for the princess''s safety, and he would not havee all the way here to give us false information that wouldn''t even benefit him," Clyde concluded, Rein nodding his head in agreement.

    "Yes, he wasn''t trying to deceive us, you''re right about that. So then why did his warning nevere to pass? If his warning was honest and genuine, then what exactly happened? Chloe, you said he hasn''t contacted you in the past month. Is that unnatural for him to do?" Rein interrogated, asking the girl who sat right next to him.

    "Yeah, usually he sends me letters at least once a week when he''s away. I think this may be the longest I''ve gone without any contact with him. But as Sho said, he''s probably not in any danger. He''s stronger than me after all," Chloe stated, Rein closing his eyes as he was about to say something that would put worry into everyone''s hearts.

    "No, Chloe, I''m fairly certain your brother''s been kidnapped and silenced," he imed, which widened the eyes of everyone in the room, and dropped Chloe''s heart.

    "Wha¡ª What do you mean? Why?"

    "It''s the only logical exnation. Why would he feed us false information like that? The only exnation is that he was also fed false information. He was set up, made to believe that Orthlys would attack the gulf. That was all a ruse to lure him out of the capital, where they could safely detain him. This is backed up by the fact that I sensed a battalion of soldiers above the gulf when the prince left, but when I got up there, they were all riding off in the distance, away from the gulf," Rein informed.

    "And why is that strange? The prince was leaving, so he was riding away with his troops," Quint asked curiously.

    "Well, everyone that was there saw it. When he walked into the preliminary arena to try and get Chloe back to the capital. How did he depart that day? Was it by horse?" Rein said, trying to make the group think back.

    "No, if I remember correctly, he grabbed onto his knight''s shoulder and vanished into thin air," Clyde recalled.

    "That''s right. So then why would he be riding back? And with such arge army as well?"

    "Maybe his knight wasn''t with him? It seemed like his visit was off the book, so maybe he came by himself?" Quint thought, Rein shaking his head in negation once again.

    "He said it himself. He said that his knight was waiting for him above the gulf, so we can rule that possibility out. I grew a little skeptical about the situation that day, but I put it at the back of my mind. Now that Chloe said that he hasn''t contacted her since his visit, I''m almost certain that something happened to him that day," Rein said as Chloe''s worried expression worsened, grabbing onto Rein''s cor in desperation.

    "What do we do! If he''s in trouble, we can''t just sit here! We have to help him somehow!" She panicked as she yelled in Rein''s face.

    "Calm down. We don''t even know where they''ve taken him yet. But if there''s one thing I''m certain of, the Queen is definitely behind this," Rein concluded, Chloe''s rage growing.

    "The Queen again¡­ I''m going to make her pay¡­" Chloe let go of Rein''s shirt and clenched her fist.

    "But it''s as the princess said. What do we do? There must be a reason they locked him up, right? If that''s the case, we should rescue him," Sho deduced.

    "Right. Our next objective should be to rescue Prince Zane from the Orthlys government''s clutches. As to how we do it, I may already have a few leads¡­"

 Chapter 132 - Shared Strength (1)

    "We can go over it tomorrow. We have the day off, so we''re free to takemissions thatst the entire day," Rein said as he leaned back on his arms, resting his back from sitting forward. "There''s still quite a bit of food left, but I don''t know about you guys, but I''ve kinda lost my appetite," he stretched his neck, the rest of the group looking down in agreement.

    "Yeah, it''s gettingte anyways. And it looks like Lance and ine never showed up too," Core remarked as he stood up and stretched.

    Everyone else followed in his actions, standing up and spreading their limbs from the delicious meal they had.

    "Hey! You guys are just gonna leave without finishing? What''s wrong with you?" Lilliained.

    "We weren''t gonna finish it anyways," Rein stated as he rubbed his head. "Just put the rest in your fridge or something, I''m sure Sho could heat it up whenever he wanted," he suggested while walking towards the door, yawning on his way out.

    Everyone followed him on his way out, eventually leaving Sho and Li alone in the house. Sho heaved a sigh of relief as he flopped backwards onto the floor.

    "What should we do with all this food?" He queried, ncing over at Lillia.

    "Dunno, figure something out," she coldly replied, standing up from her seat and heading up the stairs.

    "Hey. I''ve been thinking, but we kinda just forced you toe with us that day," he sat up to look at her as she stopped halfway up the stairs to look back at him. "Is there anything you want to do for yourself? Any goals?"

    "I don''t really care about that stuff. As long as I can livefortably that''s all I need."

    "You know this won''tst forever, right? With no education, what are you going to do after I return to Econica?"

    "I''ll just marry a sessful man and live with him instead. Now does that answer your question?" She said swiftly, wanting to end the conversation as she continued up the stairs, not waiting for Sho''s response.

    Sho had a pitied expression to him as he continued staring at the stairs, feeling slightly bad for the girl, not knowing what it felt like to not have a goal in his heart.

    *****************************************************************************************

    Back at the dorm, Rein and the 3 other girls finally returned to their rooms, Emria and Saphri immediately heading for their bedroom, without even getting changed.

    Their eyes on the way to the room were waning in, opening and shutting, their eyelids feeling heavy with their tired bodies. They both flopped down on their beds and instantly went to sleep, Rein closing the door on them, then seeing Chloe head to her own bedroom to check out for the night, her mind in pieces at the news she''d just heard.

    "Good night Rein, I''ll see you in the morning," she waved as she set foot on the threshold to her room.

    "Hold up," Rein set a hand on her shoulder, turning her around and stopping her from entering. "We need to talk. Can Ie in for a bit? I promise it won''t take long," he asked in a serious tone, Chloe furrowing her eyebrows, nodding as they entered the room and closed the door.

    Rein walked over to Chloe''s bed and sat down, springing up from the bouncy mattress. Chloe sat down by his side, making him feel the springy mattress bounce up slightly after the lighter girl sat down after him.

    "So, I lied to you. I don''t have anything to ask," he revealed, making Chloe raise an eyebrow, then blush frantically, reading too far into what Rein said.

    "H-hey, wait. I don''t think this is a good time to be doing this kind of thing¡­" She said, flustered as she stared at Rein''s white hair, which shone off the moonlight that invaded the room, his yellow eyes glimmering like stars in the night sky.

    "No, it''s nothing like that," Rein continued with his stern, serious expression. "I don''t have anything to ask you, but you have something to ask me, don''t you?"

    "Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion, Rein setting his hand on hers, which was on the bed, holding it tightly as he spoke to her.

    "After we left Hakah, you started looking very giddy, and for the past 3 weeks, I''ve felt that you''ve been keeping something pent up," he stared deeply into her soul. "So, out with it. What''s got you so afraid?" He ced his other hand on her cheek as she suddenly began trembling, lifting her hand to her cheek as she held his hand tightly.

    "That man that appeared. I think you called him Luther¡­ He''s the man¡­" As she continued with her story, her uncontroble shivering grew exponentially, to the point where she stopped talking, choking on her own words as the trauma reyed through her head.

    Rein pulled her in closer and put her face to his chest, covering her in a feeling of security, calming her nerves to help her speak.

    "It''s fine. Calm down," he consoled as he brushed her smooth, silky blonde hair. "I''m here now, so there''s nothing to worry about," he reassured, her agitated state tranquilizing as she took a deep breath, her small hands resting on his chest.

    "He''s the one who killed mother¡­ I''m sure of it¡­" She finally revealed, Rein''s eyes widening in shock, which Chloe couldn''t see as she had her face buried into his chest.

    However, he didn''t let the surprise linger for too long so that his heart wouldn''t start beating faster. He did this so that Chloe wouldn''t feel his own insecurity when it came to Luther, and thus feel more at ease.

    "I see. So he''s the one then?" He said with a voice of confidence, continuing to exude an unphased aura, to make Chloe feel that she could rely on him.

    "Did you know him before..? How did you already know his name?" Chloe''s shivering gradually restarted, her voice bing frigid, almost as if she''d just finished crying.

    Rein now rubbed her back softly to calm her down.

 Chapter 133 - Shared Strength (2)

    "I met him during the mission in the volcano," he revealed as he brought his legs up to the bed, encasing Chloe between them. "He was actually the one who yed that ear-piercing noise that sent us into the volcano. I met himter on in the mission after I split off from Quint and Clyde," he stated as he continued doing what he was doing before, rubbing her back softly.

    "So then, when we saw you appear from the hole that led to the surface, you had actually just finished fighting with him?" She fearfully asked, Rein nodding at her question, even though she couldn''t see it.

    "Yeah. And I kicked his ass," he lied through his teeth, though he only did it to make Chloe feel safer, pulling her off of his chest so he could see her face. "He''s my aunt''s right-hand man¡­ So if he''s the one who killed your mother, then the entire operation was actually my aunt''s doing," Rein clenched his fist internally, rage building up in his unconscious, though he didn''t show it.

    "Her again¡­" Chloe dejectedly spoke, fear and anger mixed into her quaking voice.

    "Yeah¡­ It feels like she''s behind everything that''s happened, like she''s orchestrating everything. It''s like this is one big puppet show for her, and she''s pulling the strings," Rein grit his teeth, looking away from Chloe''s face as he showed signs of unease growing on his expression. "It really pisses me off. Which is why I won''t let her get away with it. Nothing she''s done will go unanswered. And that feeling should fuel your convection as well," Rein split the hair that was spilling onto her face with the back of his hand, revealing herrge, purple eyes, which were damp with tears.

    "But I''m not strong like you Rein¡­ You can only have that confidence if you''re as strong as you are¡­" She wiped her tears. "I know that I didn''t weaken the gori that much today¡­ That was a lie I told the others. You''re just that strong, right? You''re unbelievably strong that you were able to effortlessly swat away an enemy all 5 of us had trouble even knocking down¡­ It''s only because of that strength that you can be so confident¡­" She wept, sniffing as tears finally escaped her sleepy eyelids, beginning to flow down her face.

    "Maybe your right," he admitted, using the back of his index finger to lift the tears from her cheeks. "But this strength isn''t only mine. It''s your strength too. Whatever your goals are, if you''re not strong enough to fulfill them yourself, I''ll be there for you. And of course, I expect you to do the same if I run into the same issue," he said, his words making her pause, with a reaction of shock, then a warm smile of happiness, her heart fluttering out of jubtion.

    "Thank you¡­" Sheughed warmly, the shimmering moonlight refracting off her falling tears.

    Rein heaved a heavy sigh and brought his legs down from the bed. He stood up and stretched widely, then took a step towards the exit when he suddenly felt something warm grab onto his hand. He looked back, seeing Chloe''s red face with an outstretched arm, her small, fragile feeling hand grabbing onto his.

    "You''re not gonna leave me after that¡­ Right?" She frightfully asked, Rein feeling a slight tremble on the hand that held his own, sighing, giving in to her request.

    "I thought you said that now wasn''t the right time?"

    "I know¡­ But please? I don''t know if I can fall asleep like this¡­"

    "You''re really selfish, you know that?"

    The next day¡­

    "So, what''s our next move? You said you might have a lead, didn''t you, Rein?" Sho nced over at him after they grouped up in the gulf grill restaurant.

    Rein, Chloe, Quint, Clyde, Core, and Xenia all sat at an 8 person table, the Sho standing up instead of taking his seat, who was takingmand in this conversation.

    "I did. Based on the direction I saw the soldiers heading in, It''s safe to assume that they took him to an area east of the gulf," Rein spread out a map onto the table, ttening it out as he ran his hand across it. "If I can get within a 1-kilometer radius of him, I''ll be able to track him down," Rein said, pulling out an erasable marker, beginning to circle possible locations for the prince''s location.

    (click here to view visual)

    "Here are the 3 cities we need to check out. Of course, there''s also the possibility of him being held somewhere outside of these cities, but even then the possibility is incredibly slim, and we can ask townspeople if there has been any Orthlys soldier activity in the area," Rein exined, tapping the map with the back of the marker.

    "Pathuless, Alh, and Alwaaq? Why those 3?" Xenia inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn''t we also check out Zacrozir and Sahdahwar? Or maybe even Stogue?" Xenia pointed to each of the aforementioned cities, Rein shaking his head.

    "No, those are cities I''ve been to over the past month, and I would''ve noticed if I sensed him nearby. We should check only the cities that I haven''t visited," he described, rolling the map back up and returning it to his inventory when it was out of everyone else''s sight.

    "Ok, let''s go check if there are anymissions from those cities," Chloe hastily stood up and turned around, Rein suddenly holding the back of her shirt, pulling her back.

    "Hold on there. We''re still waiting for someone here," he said as he brought her back to her seat. "I get that you''re feeling restless, but just hold off for a little longer," he said as he tapped her shoulder, calming her down.

    "And besides, herees the food we ordered. We should fuel up before heading out," Core remarked as he saw the waiter emerge with their orders of seafood.

    The group went on to eat their meals, sitting there in wait for whoever they expected to show up. After a few minutes, they all finished their meals and stood up.

 Chapter 134 - Rash Movements

    "Looks like he''s a no-show. What should we do?" Xenia posed as she looked around the group, Rein entering a thinking pose, Quint suddenly storming off to the exit of the restaurant.

    "Hey, where are you going?" Rein asked.

    "I''m gonna drag that guy out of his fuckin'' hobbit hole. He''sin'' with us whether he likes it or not," Quint swore, opening the door and storming his way out of the restaurant, but suddenly stopping as he stared at the outside wall of the building.

    "Bruh¡­ You''re here? Why didn''t you just walk in?" Quint said with hints of anger in his voice.

    "Sorry, you guys were eating and I didn''t want to interrupt. I hope you''ll forgive me," he coldly replied, the sad expression still stered on his face.

    "O-oh¡­ That''s fine I guess¡­" Quint''s anger was dissipated as he scratched the back of his head, a look of confusion now entering his frame.

    "Ah good, you''re here," Rein followed Quint in exiting the restaurant, seeing Reggie leaning against the restaurant wall.

    "Hello, Rein. And everyone else too. What''s the mission today?" He emotionlessly asked, his eyes as dead as a fish out of water.

    "Dunno. Let''s go check, shall we?" Rein answered enthusiastically, ignoring Reggie''s gloomy mannerisms.

    The group headed for the quest room, which was, of course, open 24 hours 7 days a week, as it was not exclusively for the academy, but this was the main branch of the guild, so regr Rangers would often show up as well.

    They scanned the quest board, looking for any quests that took ce in any of the 3 cities that Rein outlined. Since they were still Ranger academy students, they didn''t have the freedom to travel wherever they wanted. If they went off track, their Ranger tablets would begin to sh a red light, telling them to turn back. If they did notply, they would be instantly disconnected from Ranger academy, effectively being expelled.

    At the same time, if the tablet is disconnected from a student for more than 5 minutes, the tablet shuts off, and the student is expelled. This almost happened to Rein and Chloe when they went to see the Lifah remains. They went out just far enough to where they wouldn''t be expelled, any further and they would''ve been found out.

    Of course, the exception would be sleeping, but even then, the device gives off slight pulses, sensing whether or not the owner is still in the area. If it senses nothing, it eventually shuts off and expels the student. In conclusion, the students have very restricted freedom within the school. Once they ept a mission, a route is given to them, which they must follow, and that city bes avable to them.

    However, once they graduate, that restriction is removed, and they be able to travel freely using their Ranger license.

    "Hmm¡­ I don''t see any of the cities we need¡­" Xenia remarked as she squinted while looking at the board, moving her head between each paper to carefully scan each one.

    "I don''t care if I get expelled then, my brother''s safety is more important," once again, Chloe rashly moved, Rein doing the same thing by pulling her back.

    "Why are you so worked up today? Calm down and rely on me. I have a n," he assured as Chloe settled down, sternly nodding to him as he pointed at one of themissions on the board.

    "We''ll take this one. It''s a 6 person A rank request," Rein dered.

    "But that one goes to Aj''ess. Why would we go there..?" Quint inquired.

    "Look at Aj''ess'' location on the map. It''s the eastmost city in Orthlys, being located on a small ind in the east Orthlys ocean," Rein opened the map once again and pointed at the ind of Aj''ess. "To get there, you have to go from Pathuless port and take a ferry to the ind. If that''s the case, the route we''d be given would directly intersect 2 of the cities we want to investigate," he took out another marker and drew a red line through the route to Aj''ess.

    (Click here to see visuals)

    "Wow, we''d directly pass through Alh and Pathuless on our way there. Good thinking Rein," Shoplimented, nodding his head in satisfaction.

    "But this is a 6 person mission, and there are 8 people here. It looks like my presence wasn''t needed¡­ I''m going back¡ª" Reggie dejectedly began walking out of the room, and as Quint was about to drag him back, Rein beat him to it and put his hand on his shirt cor.

    "Oh no you don''t. If it''s okay with you guys, I''ll be picking the party for this mission. And my first pick is you, Reggie Greybrewer," Rein dered, catching Sho off guard, who wanted to be the leader of this mission as the retrieval of the prince meant a great deal to him.

    However, he kept his gripes to himself and allowed Rein to take charge, fully aware of his power and capability to lead this mission.

    "So that cuts the rest of my choice size to 3. Reggie and I so far, Chloe is a priority too¡­" Rein thought as he decided who will be apanying him.

    "Can Ie as well? If we''re ultimately going to end up in Aj''ess, I would like to be there as it is my home," Clyde requested, Rein remembering that Clyde was from Aj''ess, and agreeing to add him to the party.

    "Alright, now that Clyde''s onboard, we have the required amount of A+ ss students¡­" Rein thought, Sho raising his hand promptly.

    "Sho? You want toe too?" Rein lifted from his thought, Sho shaking his head in negation.

    "I''m fine. I''ll leave this to you. In the meanwhile, I''ll try and contact the Econican intelligence division and see what kind of information they have," Sho eximed,

    "Can I stay back too? I''d be dead weight if I came and I''d probably be more useful trying to get Checkmate to investigate from here rather than go out there myself," Core requested.

    "Ok then, it''s decided. The team will be me, Reggie, Chloe, Clyde, Xenia, and Quint. We''ll be heading to the eastward ind of Aj''ess, but we''ll be investigating the cities we cross along the way. Is everyone ready?"

    "Yeah!"

    The group approached the counter and gave themission paper to the receptionist, who approved of the party taking it. She suggested for the team to take the teleporter to Zacrozir, but they declined and opted to rent out a carriage from there. They all pitched in for a luxury 8 person tiger-drawn carriage, which could barely fit in the tunnel leading up to the surface. They were finally on their way to Aj''ess.

    Since the carriage was tiger drawn, it would only take the group 3 hours to reach the edge of the continent. Rein sat in the front driver''s seat, Chloe sitting beside him as the rest sat in the back of the luxury carriage, which was lined with cushions and velvet cloth. Despite the speed that they were going at, the ride there was surprisingly smooth, the Kindus tigers adept at mitigating the bumpiness of the roads.

    As the wind blew through Rein and Chloe''s hair, she rested her troubled head on his shoulder, no words exchanged between the 2 as they rode the continent.

    While that was happening, the rest inside of the carriage were having a conversation, Xenia asking Clyde about Aj''ess.

    "Aj''ess is your home, right Clyde? It was where the Seeking de brought you after he saved you from Crypt?" She asked, shuffling next to him in the wide carriage space.

    "That''s correct. Daisuke Morioh, the Seeking de lives on the outskirts of Aj''ess ind. He was the one who trained me with a tachi, and is the strongest man I''ve ever met," Clyde exined, Xenia fascinated by his im.

    "Wow, he must be insanely powerful then. You said that while you were in Crypt, you were sent to assassinate him? Did someone want him gone?" She inquired.

    "There are many people who want the Seeking de gone. He is one of the most powerful men on the continent, and some would have an easier time going about their affairs without him around," Clyde described, Xenia tilting her head in confusion.

    "Hm? Why''s that? Is he some sort of vignte that fights crime or something?" She asked.

    "No, not exactly. But he is one of the few 13th prestige Rangers," he revealed, which turned Quint''s attention along with the uninterested Reggie, Xenia''s eyes lighting up as she heard that, being the Ranger fanatic that she was.

    "What!?! No way! He''s one of the 13th prestiges?! Along with principal Julianne, there are 4 of them in total around the continent! Principal Julianne is the only one who''s made it to the public though, the rest are a mystery!" She kept gushing, almost as if smoke was pumping out of her nose out of excitement. "And you''re telling me the legendary Seeking de is one of them?! I didn''t even know he was a Ranger!" She yelled as Quint had his mouth gaped open at Clyde''s revtion, Reggie''s eyes also widening.

    "Could you guys keep it down in there? You''re agitating the tigers!" Rein yelled from the front of the carriage, making Xenia quickly put her hands over her mouth to shut herself up, then promptly sat back down with a guilty look on her face.

    "So, just how strong is he?" Quint approached Clyde and whispered.

    "Well, do you remember what Rein did to that gori we fought? Imagine the gori was still at full strength. Using about 10 percent of his power, master could decimate the gori with no trace."

 Chapter 135 - Sail The Grand Line!

    "Huh?!" Xenia whisper-yelled, her eyes widening in more amazement. "Rein said that the gori was weakened when he did what he did. You''re telling me the Seeking de can do that using only a tenth of his power? And the gori is at full strength?" Xenia confirmed, Clyde nodding his head in affirmation.

    "That''s amazing¡­ Do you think you could get him to teach us some things?" She requested.

    "If he''s home, then maybe. Though, he''s rarely home these days, what with the state of the continent," Clyde informed, Xenia''s posture growing dejected.

    The smooth carriage continued through the road from Stogue, eventually passing through Sahdahwar, which Rien briefly stopped at to scan it one more time just in case, then boarded again and continued through when he found nothing.

    They eventually made it to an intersection in the road, one that led to Alwaaq, the city in the south-east corner of Orthlys, and the other that lead to Alh, which was their designated route.

    Rein stopped at the intersection and looked out onto the other road, staring at it intently as Chloe lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at the path with him.

    "What''s wrong?" She asked Rein, who shook his head.

    "Nothing. Let''s continue," he whipped the cart into motion again, a suspicious feeling lingering over him as they passed by the intersection.

    A little bitter, Rein heard his name being called from inside the carriage.

    "Rein! We have a question!" He heard Xenia''s voice emerge, peeking his head in to see what they wanted.

    "What''s up?"

    "We were just wondering the details of the quest. We kinda just took it without even looking," she asked, which reminded Rein, taking the paper out of his inventory and reading its details.

    As Rein scanned through the paper, no clear reaction emerged from his eyes, throwing it down to Xenia and Clyde, who were sitting down.

    "Apparently a goblin lord was spotted roaming the ind. ording to the description, it hasn''t acted yet, but they''re hiring Rangers to take it out before it''s able to cause any damage. A pretty simple request," Rein summarized as he headed back to the front seat of the carriage.

    "A goblin lord..?" Reggie turned his attention to Clyde, who was now holding the paper, who turned his head to Reggie with a worried look.

    Reggie swiftly averted his gaze, as did Clyde, wanting to avoid any unnecessary conversation.

    They eventually made it to Alh, Rein emerging from the carriage to scan the small vige, not feeling any sign of the prince in the area. They continued down the road until they made it to the agricultural town of Pathuless.

    Upon entrance to the city, wide, vast rice fields could be seen stretching out across the ins. Large, red barn houses were dotted around each patch of crops, with different vegetables and food growing along the other sides of the farnds. As they continued down the path, the crops disappeared, and what reced it was even vaster open grassynd, cylinders of hay bales appearing frequently throughout these pastures.

    There were cows, horses, andmb on one side, another side containing chickens and pasture-raised slime, which was specifically farmed for edible purposes. There were ample other species of animals, but the main ones were the aforementioned.

    The group marveled at the awe-inspiring environment, finally reaching the gate of the city, entering it to find an ordinary-looking town, with street vendors and farmers selling their freshly procured produce.

    As they rid the carriage through the wide main road, Rein tried feeling out the surroundings of the town, exiting the carriage and hopping around the town to examine the entire thing. Once again, he felt no sign of the prince around the town. He hopped back to the carriage and told everyone about his findings, a look of discouragement growing on their faces.

    "Don''t worry though. This narrows it down. Now we know where the prince is. Let''s y that goblin lord and make our way back," Rein dered, all of them nodding in agreement as they drove the carriage to cities guild branch, parking it there as they headed to the port of the city to catch a ferry to Aj''ess.

    They waited for a while, and after about 10 minutes, a ferry arrived and let them on, along with some other tourists and civilians who were also going to Aj''ess. They stood on the glow stone powered boat and stared out into the glistening sea, refracting the bright sr rays.

    "Hey, have you guys ever wondered what would happen if you sailed far away? Like, way past the edges of the map?" Xenia posed, the question catching everyone''s attention. "That was all I thought about while I was in the hospital. About sailing away from the continent and escaping the curse that was on me. I thought I could find some othernd out there and my curse would magically disappear. I was pretty stupid, huh?" Sheughed as she continued pondering, nkly staring into the ocean''s horizon, seeing nothing but saltwater as long as the eye could see.

    "That''s quite charming. I can tell you, it''s not stupid at all," Clydeughed, making her blush slightly as she continued staring into the sea.

    "I think we''ve all thought about that at least once in our lives, but nobody''s ever actually tried it," Chloe joined in, standing beside her as they both looked out into the blue body of water.

    "There are legends about what lies beyond though. An unbound ne of existence that doesn''t abide by thews of this world. I read about it once when I was a kid," Rein eximed, his story fascinating everyone.

    "Is that true?" Xenia asked excitedly.

    "Hell if I know. When you be a full Ranger, how about you check it out yourself?" Rein suggested, his words instilling hope into her heart.

    "You''re right! I''ll do that! And you''reing with me Quint!" She put her arm around his neck and pointed out into the unknown sea. "We''re gonna sail through the mysterious grand line, and find the one p¡ª"

    "Stop draggin'' me into this, sis! If you wanna sail to your death, bring someone more willing!" Quintined as he pushed himself away from her grip, everyone except Reggieughing.

    After the scene died down, Reggie, who was sitting at the front of the ship, staring forward lifted his head and pointed outwards.

    "I see the ind. We''re almost there."

 Chapter 136 - Ajess Island

    The ferrynded on the port of Aj''ess, everyone disembarking from the ship onto the wooden dock. Clyde pointed in a direction, which was where the city was and began leading the way, the group following his lead as they walked through the vast, lush green field, the wind blowing through the grass, forming waves in the des of green. The weather was slightly cloudy, but the blue sky was clearly visible.

    It was an incredibly freeing feeling walking through the path, the calm atmosphere and the soft breeze enchanting their senses as they walked through the eastern ind.

    They eventually arrived at the city, which was filled with Japanese-style buildings, small, litter-free streets in between all of the buildings.

    "We should head over to the town center. Since this request was issued by the city, we should be able to get some information about it through the receptionist," Clyde suggested, pointing to a tall, wide temple-looking building in the back of the city.

    They made their way there and entered the town center, the walls lined with white paper walls, and rich wood floors and ceiling, with fancy glowing chandeliers dangling down. They were made out of a glowing mineral, but not glow stones, which were incredibly rare and powerful.

    They talked to the receptionist, who gave them information about the goblin lord''s sightings. She gave them a map of the ind, with 3 different red markings on different points of the ind.

    (Click here to see visual)

    They thanked the receptionist and took the paper, walking outside of the town hall to further analyze the paper.

    "Wow, these different sighting points are pretty far away from each other. And this was all in the past 2 days?" Quint remarked, looking over Clyde''s shoulder to see the map.

    "Either the bastards fast, or there''s multiple, which would be a pretty big problem. We should nip this at the bud as fast as possible," Rein brainstormed. "Let''s split into 3 groups and investigate each point. I''ll go with Reggie. Clyde and Quint, you 2 can go together. Chloe and Xenia, you 2 go together," he assigned, pointing at each of them to group them up.

    "If you see the goblin lord, don''t fight it. We don''t know how strong it is and I''d rather not take any unnecessary risks. Just inform us on your Ranger tablets and emit a signal which we can follow," Rein ordered.

    "Is there any reason why you want toe with me?" Reggie posed, Rein smirking at him.

    "So we can chat along the way," he answered.

    "Sorry man, I''m not really in the mood to¡ª"

    Rein suddenly put his arm around Reggie''s neck and dragged him away, waving at the other 4 he left behind.

    "Well, see you guyster! Stay safe!" He said as he and Reggie left the city and headed for their point on the map.

    As they got out of sight from the other 2, Rein let go of Reggie and began walking normally, his smile disappearing from his face.

    "Tell me what''s wrong," Rein said sternly, putting his hands into his pockets as he walked.

    "..." Reggie stayed silent.

    "Talk already. I''m not gonna pity you because you''re sulking and shit. I know you wouldn''t tell Quint no matter how much he asked you," Reinmanded, his voice raising with slight anger.

    "..." Once again, Reggie said nothing at Rein''s words, ignoring them as if he had said nothing.

    "Let me guess, a girl dumped you, you failed the mission, someone kicked your balls¡­" Rein listed a few things, Reggie giving no reaction to anything he said.

    "Not it huh? Well then¡­ Does it have something to do with goblins?" Rein smiled as he said that, Reggie''s body twitching as he heard Rein, looking up at him with a gaze of unbelievability.

    "How did you¡­" Reggie uttered, his eyes widened.

    "I didn''t, but now I do. I noticed you seemed a little keener on doing the mission when I mentioned the goblin lord. And I can probably guess some things that happened while you were doing that mission with Sho and Clyde," Rein stated, making Reggie look down in despair.

    "..." Reggie stayed silent again, the cold wind rustling his brown hair as they stopped in the middle of the grassy field.

    "Tell me what''s on your mind. You can trust me," Rein consoled, putting his hand on Reggie''s shoulder.

    "I don''t know what to do man¡­ This might be the same goblin lord as before¡­" Reggie shivered, induced by his agitation and by the cold wind that blew.

    "The same one? Reggie, what do you mean?" Rein calmly asked.

    "That day, Clyde, Prince Sho, and I all took an S ss mission to an Econican mining vige called Ardulum. They''re known for their glow stone mining, and the Echopanies main source of power is mined from there.

    The mining of glow stones has been known to cause natural disasters, and Ardulum was no exception. However, the civilians who still live there have grown used to the small earthquakes that ur from time to time, and they don''t mind it.

    The mission, however, outlined that a dragon, one of the rarest creatures on the continent, appeared out of nowhere above the city, then disappeared somewhere into the nearby mountains. That was what we were called to do. To y the dragon.

    We arrived at the vige and greeted some of the vigers. We got acquainted with one of the vige mythical experts, a youngdy in herte teens. She was our guide and lead us to the dragon''s cave.

    However, when we arrived, it wasn''t only a dragon we found, but also a tribe of goblins, who had somehow tamed the dragon and taken control of it. We 3 were able to kill the hordes of goblins that attacked us and directly confronted the goblin lord, who was the one controlling the dragon.

    But he was much stronger than we expected. With hisbined power and that of the dragons, we were brought to our knees. He took the woman we were with and flew off on the dragon, but not before attacking the vige, using the dragon to burn it to the ground¡­"

 Chapter 137 - Facade Of Rocks

    "When we got back to the vige to fight the dragon off, we did everything we could to save the young woman that guided us, and save the vige. However, when Sho used his me Spring, the vigers instantly turned on him, believing the notion that he was the one controlling the dragon that was attacking them.

    They began attacking him, and drove us out of the vige, giving the dragon and the goblin lord a chance to slip away with the girl. I still don''t know why the goblin lord fled, he could''ve taken us out. Clyde theorized that it was because we''d already killed all of his allies, so he was taking the chance to flee and repopte¡­"

    As Rein heard him say that, his stomach churned, a feeling of anger and disgust washing over him.

    "Repopte..? So that means¡­"

    "Yes¡­"

    "And this girl, you fell in love with her, didn''t you?" Rein confirmed, Reggie''s pained gaze growing as he squinted his eyes, nodding painfully at Rein''s question.

    "I see. I understand then. But don''t worry, it might not be toote," Rein encouraged, Reggie looking up at him, confused.

    "What do you mean? It''s already been a month since then¡­"

    "Well, if this is the same goblin lord you encountered, then why hasn''t he already found a new home? Why hasn''t he repopted already?" Rein posed, invoking thought into Reggie. "Goblin lords are almost never seen wandering in the wild, that''s usually the subordinate''s job. Something must''ve happened," Rein exined, a newfound hope appearing in Reggie.

    "You''re right¡­ But that''s only if this is the same goblin lord¡­" He said dejectedly, his puffed-up chest deting after realizing that.

    "I doubt it''s different. Goblin lords are extremely rare, and usually only appear once per century. This is almost definitely the same one," Rein spelled out, once again instilling hope into Reggie''s body.

    "Really? Are you sure?" Reggie asked, not wanting to get his hopes up.

    "Heh, who the hell do you think I am? You think I''d give false information?" Reinughed as he set a hand on Reggie''s shoulder.

    "Thank you... for telling me that¡­" Reggie finally looked Rein in the eyes. "Let''s go find this goblin," Reggie eximed, greatly encouraged.

    They continued down to the goblin''s sighting point, finally arriving in the area that he was seen. They looked around, seeing no goblin lord in sight. However, as they continued investigating the area for clues, Reggie found arge footprint molded into a patch of mud between the grass.

    "This goblin lord definitely came to the ind on the dragon. Judging by the fact that this is the first sighting point, and it''s the western edge of the ind, I''m almost certain that the dragon should''ve beennded here too," Rein concluded as he stood up from inspecting the goblins footprint, looking around to see if there were any more signs left behind.

    About 10 meters west of the footprint, Rein found a charred patch of grass, with arge, lizard-like footprint beside it.

    "Jackpot. This is definitely where hended the dragon. And if that''s the case, then it has to be around here somewhere," Rein imed, Reggie no understanding what he meant.

    "Why''s that? Couldn''t he have moved the dragon somewhere else?" Reggie posed, Rein negatively shaking his head.

    "No, then the monster sightings would''ve included a dragon in the reports. Judging by the fact that nobody saw this dragon, it''s safe to say that it was hidden somewhere upon entrance to the ind. This goblin is actually pretty smart," Rein described.

    "So then if that''s the case, do you think the dragon was hidden at the shore? Wait, no, that wouldn''t really make sense because then it would be in in sight," Reggie put his hand over his chin, thinking to himself.

    "No, you may be on to something. Shores usually have groves and caves one can hide in. If he''s hidden along the shores, it must be in one of those groves. Let''s go check it out," Rein jumped up and jogged to the western shore of the ind, stopping at the cliff that was gazing out into the ocean of crashing waves along the sandy beach under them.

    They hopped down the cliffed wall and walked along the sand, which was outlining the rocky cliff of the elevated ind, looking for clear footprints that would''ve been left by the 2 big-footed creatures. However, they saw no evident footprints at their nces.

    "I don''t see anything¡­ Maybe I was wrong¡­" Reggie stated as Rein suddenly saw something, pointing to a seemingly innocent patch of sand.

    "That sand was recently altered. It''s clear someone was trying to hide footprints there," Rein remarked as he ducked down to inspect it, Reggie amazed by his deduction.

    "How did you know that? I couldn''t tell at all," Reggie said in awe.

    "You were looking for actual footprints this entire time, which was a mistake. I was analyzing and looking the pattern of the ripples of sand on this beach," Rein pointed to where they came from, Reggie now seeing the small patterns that were in the undisturbed patches of sand. "This patch of sand clearly deviated from that pattern, meaning that it was altered very recently. Sand usually takes back its form after being altered very quickly, so the fact that this is still here means that it was recent," Rein concluded, standing up and looking ahead, following the path of disrupted sands.

    After following it for a while, Rein suddenly stopped abruptly, Reggie stopping behind him, confused.

    "Found it," Rein imed, stopping at a random point at the beach.

    "Where?" Reggie asked.

    "Come on, you weren''t looking at the patterns? Look closely this time," Rein instructed as Reggie squinted his eyes, looking back at the way they came from, then forward to where Rein was looking, trying to see if he could point out any differences in terrain.

    Suddenly, he noticed something in the cliff along the shore. The rock formation seemed disturbed at the point that Rein stopped.

    "It''s the cliff, isn''t it? The goblin must''ve hidden the grove with rocks," Reggie realized, Rein nodding in affirmation.

    "That''s right. And that means that behind this wall of rocks lies a dragon and a goblin lord. Are you ready?" Rein asked as he put his hand on the rocky cliff, feeling a hollow cave behind the facade of rocks...

 Chapter 138 - Monster Hunter

    "Yeah, let me just notify everyone. I don''t think we can take it alone," Reggie took out his Ranger tablet and notified everyone of their position, Rein scoffing at him.

    "We''ll be fine," he remarked as he suddenly closed his fist at the rocks in front of him, crushing them into dust as the gaping mouth of a cave appeared before them.

    "Wait, I''m eager to kill this thing too, but Sho, Clyde, and mebined couldn''t even beat it," Reggie warned, Rein ignoring his alert and entering the deep cavern.

    Reggie reluctantly followed the fearless Rein, who carelessly whistled nonchntly as they walked through the dark cave, lit only by the spark of fire Rein held on his hand, his whistles echoing through the cave in a reverberating symphony.

    "H-hey, maybe you shouldn''t be whistling carelessly¡­" Reggie suggested.

    "Hm?" Rein turned his eyes to him while still whistling, having not heard what he said.

    "N-nevermind¡­"

    As they ventured deeper into the cave, they suddenly turned the corner, seeing an intimidating, blue-scaled, sleeping dragon, with a long, shiny horn protruding from its head, and arge, dark blue goblin sharpening his enormous scimitar as he sat along the dragon''s side.

    "That''s him¡­ That''s the motherfucker who stole Marsa¡­" Reggie clenched his fist in anger as he whispered to Rein, peeking out from the corner.

    His eyes continued darting around therge chamber in the cavern, perceptively analyzing the room, noticing that the girl, Marsa, was nowhere to be seen.

    "See? The girl isn''t here. The goblin lord must''ve been wandering around the continent, searching for her. When hended in Aj''ess, the dragon was most likely exhausted, so he took him here to rest," Rein theorized in a loud voice as he walked around the corner and towards the enemies, alerting the goblin lord as he stood up angrily.

    "Who goes there!" In goblin tongue, the deep, grumbling voice of the goblin lord bounced off the walls of the cave, Rein unphased by his intimidating disy.

    "Right here. I''ve got a few questions for you tubby," Rein pointed to the overweight goblin lord, talking to him in goblinnguage, which he''d known since he was a kid.

    Reggie couldn''t understand what the 2 were saying, he idly stood there, watching Rein confront the goblin.

    "Hm?! A human who speaks goblin? What do you want?!" The goblin lord angrily yelled.

    "Stop yelling, nobody wants to see your ugly ass mouth," Rein insulted, which angered the goblin lord, but Rein gave him no chance to retort. "I need you to tell me what you did with the girl you kidnapped," Rein asked, the goblin lord raising an eyebrow, then his anger bursting out at Rein.

    "How do you know about that!?"

    "Just tell me. You''re gonna die soon anyways," Rein stated impatiently, making the goblin lordugh hardily.

    "You tiny human! You must be crazy to think that. Everyone I''ve faced has been squashed beneath my feet. What makes you think you will be any different?" The goblin lorded remarked as he put his weapon over his shoulder and tapped on the dragon''s snout, waking it up into a raging roar.

    The dragon shook the very foundation of the cave, causing ruptures throughout to bring spikes of earth down from the ceiling, the rocks on the ground levitating in vibration. Rein''s hair blew in the dragon''s bellow, squinting his eyes as he felt the dragon''s salivae on his face.

    "You ever heard of a toothbrush you overgrown lizard?" Rain said as he closed his nose, once again unphased by the intimidating dragon. "Anyways, I''m gonna kill you now. It''s good to know that the girl is safe," Rein rolled his shoulders and stretched his legs.

    "Big words from such a small human," the goblinughed.

    "Did you find anything out about Marsa?" Reggie asked the prepping Rein.

    "Huh? Oh yeah, she''s fine. Looks like the goblin lord lost her somewhere along the way when they were flying and has been looking for her ever since. Dunno what she did to him to make him so mad, but hey, at least she''s safe," Rein assured as he suddenly sensed the goblin lord charge him with his scimitar, Rein summoning his swords and blocking his swing with one hand.

    "Go out to the entrance and lead the others in here when they arrive. I''ll take care of this guy," Rein ordered Reggie while defending against the goblin lord''s attack.

    "Are you sure? Can you hold out for that long?" Reggie made sure.

    "You don''t have to worry about me. Just go," Rein threw the goblin lord off of him as Reggie nodded, running back to the entrance of the cavern on Rein''s orders.

    "Are you an idiot, human? You''ve just sent away your only ally. You''re dead meat!" The goblin lord happily eximed.

    Rein''s smile faded away as he activated STO, a ck shade encroaching over his white hair, his yellow eyes shining red as he gripped both his swords.

    "Guess I''ll take out the dragon first then," he said, teleporting in front of the angered lizard.

    The dragon let out a furious breath of fire, Rein walking through it, unaffected. He motioned one of his swords forward and pointed it through the fire, directly into the dragon''s mouth. A ball of water began forming at the tip of the sword, steam beginning to rise in the fiery inferno. Rein pumped the water st through the dragon''s breath.

    This immediately extinguished the dragon''s breath, making it go into an outcry of pain. Suddenly, he felt the presence of the goblin lord peering over him, turning around instinctively to effortlessly block his attack, the ground under Rein breaking from the impact, the goblin lord''s eyes widening in surprise.

    "What?! How did you¡ª!" The goblin lord''s attack was knocked away, giving the dragon time to recover as it also swung at Rein.

    Without turning around, Rein jumped forward towards the goblin lord he sent flying away, leaving the essence of his earth Spring where he took off, dozens of spikes of earth suddenly protruding from the ground, stabbing into the neck and body of the dragon as Rein dashed towards the goblin lord...

 Chapter 139 - Dragon Slayer

    Reggie swiftly arrived at the entrance of the cave, looking around the beach to see if the others hade in sight. He waited at the entrance of the cave for a while, eventually seeing Clyde and Quint appear from the left side of the beach.

    "Yooo! We''re here!" Quint waved as they arrived, but upon seeing Reggie alone, he put his hands down and calmed his enthusiasm.

    "Hey guys, thanks foring so quickly," Reggie greeted, making Clyde and Quint raise an eyebrow in confusion.

    "You''re¡­ Feeling better?" Clyde asked with an inclination in his voice.

    "I''m not 100 percent myself yet¡­ But I''m definitely feeling better," Reggie told as Quint smiled warmly, outstretching a closed fist in front of him.

    "I''m guessin'' Rein had something to do with it. That guy really is something, huh?" Quint sighed a breath of relief, once again feeling thankful to Rein, who made his close friend feel better.

    "Yeah, I''m d to be back Quint. And sorry for the way I acted before," Reggie bumped fists with Quint, Clyde smiling at their formal reunion.

    They heard the sounds of footsteps emerging from their left, seeing Chloe and Xenia running along the shore in their direction.

    "Heeeey!" Xenia waved as the 2 stopped in front of the group, breathing heavily in fatigue as they put their hands on their knees, leaning down to catch their breaths.

    "Where''s Rein?" Chloe posed to Reggie, who pointed to the inside of the cave.

    "We need to get in there right this second. Clyde, it''s the same goblin lord we fought in Ardulum," Reggie informed, to which Clyde''s eyes widened, his calm face turning to shock.

    "Does that mean¡­ Was Marsa with him?" Clyde posed, trying to talk carefully to Reggie about the sensitive subject.

    "No, apparently she somehow escaped, and the goblin lord was flying around the continent searching for her on the dragon," Reggie described, turning around and sternly facing the cave. "But we need to go in and help Rein. He''s holding the goblin and the dragon off at the same time right now," Reggie furrowed his eyebrows and ran into the cavern, everyone running after him.

    "Are these monsters strong? They must be if they''ve got you worried about Rein," Xenia queried as they sprinted through the dark cavern, Clyde and Reggie nodding at her question.

    "Incredibly strong. The goblin lord alone was able to bring Sho, Reggie, and me to our knees," Clyde revealed, unease beginning to grow within the rest of the group.

    "Hold up, how? It''s just a goblin, there''s no way it should''ve been able to beat all 3 of you," Quint added as they ran.

    "No, it was simr to therge gori we fought yesterday. It had an ability that made it incredibly powerful," Clyde exined. "The gori''s ability was iron skin. We were not able to break through points of its skin because of it, and as a result, we almost lost. This goblin lord however¡­" Clyde stopped talking, Reggie continuing what he was about to say.

    "The goblin lord had the ability to halt the use of all other Springs in the area. That''s the reason it was able to beat us," Reggie disclosed, the group gasping at his words.

    "But if that''s the case, how could you leave Rein to fight it alone?! Didn''t you tell him about the ability?!" Chloe interjected, worried about Rein''sck of Spring.

    "I told him, but he wouldn''t listen! He kept telling me to go get you guys, I couldn''t do anything butply. I''m sorry," Reggie apologized earnestly, Chloe gritting her teeth and speeding up, using the wind to boost her movements as her worry grew, running ahead of the group at super speeds.

    "We should hurry as well. We can discuss this matterter," Clyde suggested, the group nodding and beginning to sprint down the cave.

    They eventually made it to a turn in the cave, seeing a light blue glow emerging from the other corner, Reggie recognizing it as the boss room.

    "It''s in here! Just around this corner," he stated, repeating a prayer of safety for Rein in his head.

    "Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay¡­" He kept saying, his unrest stretching as he heard no sounds from the room.

    As the group turned the corner, they saw Chloe, standing in the middle of the room with an astonished expression, her mouth gaped open at what she saw.

    She saw the body of thergest goblin she''d ever seen, lifeless on the floor, its head decapitated, seeming as though it rolled away from its disconnected body. Alongside that, she saw the body of an enormous dragon lying dead on the ground, its scales losing their color as its energy faded away. Its body had several holes into them, through the neck and stomach, punctured fully through the cadaver.

    However, sitting atop the dragon''s lifeless remains was a white-haired boy, his knee up to his face as he rested his arm on it, his other leg dangling down from therge lizard''s corpse.

    "Hey guys. You''re a bitte," Rein greeted them with a smile as he put his hand up and waved his palm.

    "The hell? What happened here?" Quint spoke as he gazed upon the sight, Rein hopping down from the dragon''s body, seemingly uninjured.

    "These 2 wouldn''t die for some reason, so I had to kill them. You know how it goes," Reinughed, everyone not understanding the nonsensical statement he just made.

    "But¡­ How''d you win..? Reggie and Clyde said that the goblin can disable Springs¡­" Chloe asked, still in awe.

    "Oh, that. I just inverted the goblin''s Spring before he could use it on me. The rest was pretty simple honestly," he revealed.

    "Of course, that''s not actually what happened," Rein thought in his head. "The goblin''s power had no effect on me since my system isn''t a Spring," he subconsciouslyughed.

    Reggie walked over to the goblins dead body and stared at it with a gaze of hatred, turning back around with a stern expression, looking Rein in the eyes with a glimpse of determination.

    "Thank you, Rein. You''ve given me newfound hope. I will find Marsa and bring her back to her vige, that is my goal as a Ranger."

 Chapter 140 - The Seeking Blades Home

    They exited the cavern and returned to the Aj''ess city building, where they informed them that the goblin lord had been vanquished. They were thanked and the city informed the Ranger guild.

    The group exited the building and stood in the middle of the town, stretching their limbs from the day of running around.

    "We have about an hour till the next ferryes. Do you guys want to do something in the meantime?" Rein asked.

    "Can we go visit Clyde''s house? Maybe the Seeking de will be there!" Xenia suggested.

    "You okay with that Clyde?" Rein made sure.

    "Yes, that''s fine. We can go see if master is home, and I have spare keys we can use to enter," Clyde agreed.

    "Alright then, lead the way!" Xenia eximed enthusiastically.

    Clyde led them on a path east of the city, taking them to the eastern end of the ind. The environment was the same as everywhere else when they first began, but slowly became rockier,rge formations of boulders appearing in the fields of grass.

    Some of the rocks looked to be cleanly cut in half or diced up into smooth cuts of stone. It looked to be the training ground of the seeking de.

    In the midst of the rocky green terrain, they found a small, humble home, built in Japanese style. Nobody seemed to be home as they approached, Clyde reaching into his pockets and taking out a wooden key.

    "Unfortunately, it would seem as though he isn''t back," Clyde stated as he opened the door. "Pleasee in and make yourselvesfortable. I''ll make some tea," Clyde greeted them, putting his arm into the house in a weing gesture.

    They walked into the small home, the warmth of the house giving a cramped, yet cozy atmosphere that they all felt. The house only had 3 rooms. The main room, which was abined kitchen and living room, a small bathroom, and a tiny bedroom, which Clyde and the Seeking de both shared.

    They all sat at the kotatsu in the middle of the room, warming themselves up from the chilly weather outside. It was December after all. The winter season, though Rein couldn''t feel it due to his cold resist. Clyde prepared tea and served everyone at the table, sitting down alongside them, but avoiding putting his legs under the kotatsu to leave space for everyone else.

    They quietly drank tea in theforting atmosphere, feeling their worries melt away for a brief moment. All except Chloe, who had a lingering uneasy expression on her face, one that was incredibly difficult to notice.

    "So, monsters with Springs are appearing now, huh?" Quint said with a questioning tone, bringing it back to therge gori and the goblin.

    "Looks like it. Do you know the cause Rein?" Reggie asked as Rein was sipping his tea.

    "No clue," he replied as he put his cup down on the table, swallowing his sip of tea before speaking again. "I''m assuming it has something to do with the unrest in the continent, probably caused by the curses," Rein theorized, which made Xenia grow a dejected expression.

    "Speaking of curses, is that curse I used my Spring on still doing well?" Clyde inquired.

    "Yep. There''s still 170 days to go on it, so at least we''ve stalled for that long. That''s why within those days, we should find a way to fight back. And that all starts with rescuing Chloe''s brother," Rein exined as he took another sip of tea.

    "Do you really know for sure that he''s in Alwaaq? Are you a hundred percent sure?" Chloe added with an inquisitive tone.

    "Yes. On our way, I sensed something from there. That''s why I stopped at the intersection. I''m sure he''s there, Chloe. And don''t worry, he''s alive," Rein assured, Chloe finally smiling and breathing a sigh of relief.

    Xenia''s dejected expression lingered yet, seeming as though she was out of the conversation, deep in thought as her eyes trembled in sorrow.

    "Sis? What''s wrong?" Quint tapped her on the shoulder, which snapped her out of her trance.

    "O-oh! Nothing!" She eximed, bumping her knee to the bottom of the kotatsu, burning her slightly.

    She instinctively flew her leg out from under the kotatsu and held it in pain.

    "Ow ow ow¡­" She repeated as a tear of difort appeared in her eyes.

    "What''s on your mind? We have got another 30 minutes to talk," Clyde consoled, everyone else staying silent, waiting for her to talk.

    "You''ve been looking down ever since I mentioned the curses. What''s up? Are you worried because you also hold one?" Rein interjected.

    She sat up, straightening her back as she put her closed hands on her knees, looking at Rein with an earnestly serious gaze.

    "Please tell me everything you know about these curses. I think I deserve to know considering I''ve had this thing for half of my life," she requested, putting her head down out of courtesy.

    "Alright," Reinplied, which surprised her, making her raise her head in confusion.

    "Huh?" She uttered quickly, not expecting that answer.

    "I said sure, I''ll tell you," Rein repeated.

    "But¡­ Isn''t it supposed to be a secret..?" She asked, making sure he wasn''t making a mistake.

    "No, not really. I just need you to tell me one thing first though," Rein put down his cup of tea and crossed his arms, leaning on the wall behind him. "If you could get rid of the curse right now, simr to what Lillia did, would you do it?" Rein posed, the question stunning her, making her think to herself deeply.

    Rein waited for an answer, a suspenseful silence befalling the group as they all sat there, expected Xenia to respond. However, it never came. She kept silent, not knowing what to say to his question.

    "So you don''t know? That means that you see some merit in keeping your curse right now," Rein interrupted her thought, and cut the silence off. "Alright, that''s all I wanted to know. I''ll tell you everything I know now. But I should warn you, my knowledge is limited as well, so I won''t be able to answer all of your questions¡­"

 Chapter 141 - Questions About The Curse (1)

    Xenia nodded sternly, then took a deep breath, opening her mouth to ask her questions.

    "First, I want to know," she paused for a moment, looking down in contemtion, then looked back up at Rein. "Why are those people trying to collect curses? And who is it exactly that''s after them?" She posed, Rein smiling at her question.

    "That''s 2 questions, so I''ll answer 1 at a time," heughed.

    "Oh, whoops," she rubbed the back of her head apologetically.

    "So you want to know why they''re trying to collect all 7 curses?" Rein made sure, Xenia nodding to confirm. "Basically, they''re harnessing their power to form the pleted curse''," Rein revealed, Xenia, along with everyone in the room''s eyes widened at his words.

    "Completed curse? What does that do? What does it mean?" Xenia questioned.

    "That, I don''t know. But one thing I do know is that thispleted curse has iprehensible power, but it''s not without its sacrifices," Rein informed.

    "Sacrifices? What sacrifices?" She pondered.

    "Most likely the curses themselves, no?" Clyde interjected.

    "That''s part of it. But if that''s all it took to gain power of that magnitude, that would be much too easy," Rein shook his head.

    "Then what''s the sacrifice?" Chloe queried.

    "I''m sorry, but that I can''t tell you," Rein bowed his head down over the table, expecting everyone, especially Xenia to be angry at his secretive statement.

    "Understood. If you can''t tell us, then it''s fine," she pardoned, Reinughing at her carefree attitude.

    "Thanks for understanding," he raised his head, then reassumed a serious appearance. "Now, onto your next question. Who is it that''s after you. Well that, you should already know by now. You and Clyde saw herst month after you 2 teleported away somewhere," Rein reminded her, recalling back to that time.

    "Oh, that white-haired woman. I knew it¡­ So then the queen is the one after us¡­" She gritted her teeth, Clyde putting a hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

    "Wow, you made the connection," Rein remarked, remembering the intellect stat that he shared with herst month. "That''s right. The Queen of Orthlys is the one who''s after all the curses."

    "Melina Alister¡­ She said that was her name, didn''t she Clyde?" Xenia posed.

    "..." Clyde closed his eyes, then nced over at Rein, who nodded at him. "That''s correct. Her name was Melina Alister, the duchess of Kanirah, as well as the current Queen of Orthlys. Though now, she goes by the name Melina Orthlysia," Clyde unraveled.

    "Alister¡­ And the duchess of Kanirah. She must''ve been the heir after the Timeless Blitz died then," Xenia concluded, her extensive knowledge on Ranger historying into y.

    "Shit, for real? So she''s the Timeless Blitz''s sister? There''s no way¡­" Quint uttered in disbelief.

    "It is true. When Xenia mentioned his name, she confirmed it, calling Drevius Alister her ''older brother''," Clyde revealed, Quint''s expression bing distraught.

    "No way¡­ I used to look up to him¡­ There''s no way the hero, Drevius Alister is¡ª"

    "Quint," Rein interrupted him, his eyes widening at the orange-haired male sitting beside him. "Drevius Alister has nothing to do with this, understand? I''d better not hear you doubt him again," Rein threatened as a red glow appeared in his eyes out of anger, stiffening Quint in ce.

    Silence befell them, Reggie, who was sitting and listening quietly, eventually broke the awkward pause.

    "Well? What happened next then? After she said that he was her brother, did that woman do anything else?" Reggie posed to Xenia and Clyde.

    "Hmm, after that, she ordered her troops to kill us if I recall correctly," Clyde put his fingers on his chin in thought.

    "And then we both¡­" Xenia continued recalling the events of that day, her speech stopping as her face slowly began turning red, her mouth wriggling in embarrassment. "N-nothing happened after that! Right, Clyde?" She eximed.

    "Hm? Oh, I believe not. I had all but epted my death, and you almost broke my hand from how tight you were holding it," heughed, Xenia freezing up at his words, one side of her frozen in embarrassment, and the other jubnt that he remembered.

    "Th-that wasn''t necessary to mention!" She yelled at him.

    "Haha, I suppose not. However, it''s strange. At that time, I had epted that I would die, and yet when I look back at it, I don''t view it as a bad memory," a smile appeared on his face. "No, it''s actually the opposite. I''m quite fond of that memory. Is it the same for you?" Clyde curiously asked Xenia, innocently wanting to know the answer.

    "A-anyways, moving on!" She changed the subject, her heart about to burst from fluster. "My next question. This one doesn''t really rte to the curse, but something just came to my mind. How did you swap ces with us that day?" She turned her face back to Rein, who was sitting back, waiting for her next question.

    "Oh, that. I think Clyde could tell you," Rein pointed to him, who was reacted in a slightly shocked manner.

    "You don''t mind?" Clyde made sure.

    "Nope. You know how it worked, right? Go ahead and tell her," Rein gave the go-ahead, Clyde nodding at his words.

    "Very well. Basically, when a certain condition is met, Rein can swap positions with those wielding that red ring on your finger. I do not know why, but it seems to be the case," Clyde exined. "Since our hands were interlocked, when we fulfilled the conditions, we were both teleported," he concluded.

    "Condition? Then what was the condition?" She posed.

    "To say Rein''s name. That was the condition. I said it back then, which allowed him to swap ces with us," Clyde informed, leaving out some crucial information purposely.

    "Oh. Why''d you randomly say his name back then?" Sheughed earnestly, Clyde looking at Rein with a gaze of trust, Rein smiling at him and nodding.

    "Rein Xilris," Xenia tried activating it, but nothing happened. "Huh? Nothing happened," she said in disappointment.

    "It''ll only work if I want it to. You can''t just teleport me without my consent," Rein made the excuse, Xenia epting it as it made sense.

    "I see. Well, my next questio¡ª"

    "Let''s save it. The boat''s almost here now. We should get going¡­"

 Chapter 142 - Questions About The Curse (2)

    They left Clyde and his master''s home and headed towards the port, their ferry about to arrive. They arrived and boarded the boat, taking them back to the maind as the sun began to set over the unknown horizon of the ocean beyond.

    The water was filled with an orange hue, giving the surroundings a fiery glow as the oceanic breeze blew into their faces, a salty, yet pleasant smell invading their nostrils.

    "Looks like we''re the only ones on the boat this time," Rein remarked as the group stood around in the front deck. "If you have any more questions, feel free to ask," he said to Xenia.

    "I do actually have one more question¡­" She turned around from looking out into the ocean.

    "What is it?"

    "How did this cursee to be? Why did I live 10 years of my life normally?" Xenia asked sternly.

    "Oh, you don''t know? It was a by-product of the war. I don''t know why, but the conflict spawned 6 cursed Springs. You just happened to end up with one of them," Rein exined, which made Xenia tilt her head in confusion.

    "6? I thought there was 7?" She sounded.

    "The 7th Curse only appears after the first 6 have disappeared. The queen is currently in possession of 4 of them. Yours and Lillia''s are the only ones left before the 7th one appears," Reine exined.

    "What about Core? He has one too, doesn''t he?"

    "O-oh," Rein recalled, beginning to sweat nervously as he didn''t have an excuse ready. "His curse is uh¡­ A little special! It''s called the ''zero curse''. It acts as a curse but doesn''t at the same time. I can''t really exin it," Rein bullshitted, scratching his cheek to make it seem like he was thinking.

    "Okay, so as long as I don''t get captured we''ll be fine, right? Then you guys can count on me!" She assured, flexing her arms proudly.

    "Yeah yeah, if it wasn''t for Rein and Clyde, you''d have been captured for ages now," Quint remarked, to which she whacked him on the head.

    "Anyways, that guy that showed up in Hakah, he seemed really strong," Xenia changed the subject.

    "Yes. Though Rein was able to expertly bargain the curse away this time, I don''t think the same trick will work twice," Clyde added.

    "I agree," Reinplied. "Sorry for using you as a bargaining chip though Xenia," heughed apologetically.

    "It''s fine. It seemed like you knew what you were doing, so I didn''t question it," she pardoned.

    As the sun finally finished setting over the horizon, the shipnded at the Pathuless port, where the group took back their tiger-drawn carriages and rid their way back to the gulf. This time, Rein sat on top of the carriage and stared up at the sky, while the rest of the group sat inside the carriage, Clyde taking the driver''s seat at the front.

    "Rein, do you have something against sitting inside carriages?" Clyde yelled to him from the front seat, the carriage being isted so nobody inside could really hear them.

    "Not really. I just like feeling the wind when I travel," he replied as he suddenly heard someone climbing up the side of the carriage.

    It was Quint and Reggie, who both sat atop the carriage beside Rein, seeming as though they had questions for him.

    "What''s up you two?" Rein asked.

    "Nothin'' really. The 2 girls inside the carriage were talking, so we just thought we''d get out of their way and get some air," Quint answered while Reggie smiled and stared into the sky.

    "You sure? Seems like you 2 have something to say," Rein pressed on, making Quint finally admit it.

    "Nothing gets past you, huh? I have a question for you and Clyde," Quint gave in.

    "For me as well?" Clyde said from the driver''s seat.

    "Alright then, ask away," Rein allowed.

    "Why did you both lie to my sister back there?" Quint posed, Reggie also sitting up to listen to the conversation.

    Clyde''s body twitched after hearing that, the sweat of guilt beginning to flow down his face.

    "What do you mean? I told her the truth and nothing but the truth," Rein imed, Reggie shaking his head in denial.

    "No, you told us yourself. Your real name isn''t Rein Xilris. Xenia wasn''t there at the time though, so she doesn''t know," Reggie reminded.

    "If the trigger for that thing you did really was to say your real name, then Clyde must know it already. You might''ve not lied directly to her face, but you did deceive her," Quint imed.

    "Okay, and?"

    Rein remarked in response to Quint''s allegations, making him slightly recoil.

    "N-nothing really¡­" Reggie uttered. "It''s not really that big of a deal," he admitted while scratching his head, Quint not saying anything in response as Reggie apologized.

    "Then drop it. If it doesn''t matter, why even bring it up?" Rein went back to staring at the sky, Quint interrupting him as he did so.

    "Sorry Rein, but the issue isn''t if it matters or not," he said, his eyes downcast with a gloomy look on his face. "I trust you. You always deliver, and you''re the most reliable person I know," he added. "But when you''re deceivin'' someone like that, it puts to question how much of the truth you''re actually tellin'' us."

    Quint stood up and looked out to Clyde under him, sitting at the front seat, the lead in hand connected to the bits on the mouths of the tigers.

    "And you Clyde¡­ I hate to admit it, but my sis seems to trust you blindly. You''re a great guy and I''m happy she''s spendin'' so much time with you," Quint looked at the ck-haired man with a trusting gaze. "But please man, don''t go lyin'' to her at your own convenience. She''s easily fooled, and I don''t want her heartbroken," Quint asked as a pained look grew on his face.

    Clyde didn''t know how to react. His face was a mixture of shock and guilt as he looked up at Quint, who then turned around and walked back to the rear of the carriage.

    "That''s all. Thanks for listenin''."

    He climbed down the carriage and went back in, followed by Reggie.

 Chapter 143 - An Enemy You Cant See

    [Gargantuan Gori Vanquished!]

    [Dragon of the Beyond Vanquished!]

    [Goblin Lord Vanquished!]

    Exp +224 000!

    [Level Up!]

    134 ¡ú 135

    Exp: 133 000 / 350 000

    Health: 2820 ¡ú 2850

    Energy: 1410 ¡ú 1425

    Speed: 400.1 ¡ú 403.2

    Strength: 431.5 ¡ú 434.6

    Defense: 354.4 ¡ú 359.4

    Intellect: 321.6 ¡ú 324.1

    [New Skills!]

    Gargantuan Gori leveled your skill [Built Different] to the next level!

    Built Different ++: Allows you to make an object, or yourself, indestructible for 20 seconds. Cooldown is based on the damage it absorbed

    Dragon of the Beyond gave you a new passive skill!

    [Miasma Immunity]

    Goblin Lord gave you a new skill!

    Cancel Out: Instead of inverting their Spring by touch, this allows the user to cancel the Spring out entirely, making the affected unable to use it for a period of time. This also stops the use of the inverted Spring by the user, so be careful!

    ************************************************

    Rein smirked as he saw the upgrades he received.

    "These''ll be incredibly useful. Not to mention that goblin lord was wearing this glowing orange belt," Rein took it out of his inventory and got Versys to analyze it.

    "That''s another artifact. This time, it buffs defense. If you want to boost your defense gains, wear that next time," Versys informed.

    "What happens if I wear this one and the speed one at the same time? Will I get 15 on speed and defense whenever I level up, or will it divide between them?" Rein inquired.

    "Hold on¡­ Let me think¡­" Versys tried to recall, eventually, something popping up to his head, which was also Rein''s head.

    "Ah, here it is. So these artifacts are called ''power items''. They have 2 effects. They allocate all of the stat gains to 1 stat, and after that, add a t stat boost of 5 every level. So if you wear them both at the same time, all of your stats would be concentrated on defense and speed, yes, but you would also gain a bonus of 5 points per stat," Versys exined.

    "So if I wear both of them at the same time, I''d be getting 10 extra stat points every time I level up?" Rein restated, wanting to make sure he understood correctly.

    "That''s right, but only for speed and defense. I don''t really know what happens if you collect all 4 power items, but I can tell you that it would marginally boost your growth," Versys added as Rein imagined him reading a book in his head. "But don''t forget, these power itemse at a cost. While you''re wearing them, your power in that stat gets cut to a tenth, so be careful," he reminded him as Rein smiled at the thought ofpleting them.

    "Yeah, that might be fun. I might actually have to try in missions then," Rein was giddy at the thought of a challenge when suddenly, he felt the carriagee to a sudden halt, exiting out of his menu and peering out to the front, where Clyde had just summoned his weapon.

    The tigers were purring at something in front of them, Clyde instincts triggered by an unknown entity.

    "What''s wrong Clyde? Why''d you sto¡ª"

    "Don''te out here!" Clyde yelled as Xenia was about to poke her head out of the cart, Rein dropping down to Clyde promptly.

    "What happened? I don''t feel anything," Rein inquired.

    "Hey! Can you hear me? What''s happening out there!" Chloe yelled out from the inside, noting out after Clyde''s order.

    "Just do as I say! If you leave the cart, I cannot guarantee your safety!" Clyde warned.

    Suddenly, Rein felt his senses twitch, feeling somebody watching them from somewhere, with murderous intent.

    "What is this Clyde?" Rein asked as he looked around.

    "It''s Crypt, Roki''s red squad. ''The Sight Killer'' is what they call them. They''re high-ranking in the group, and have been sent to get rid of us," Clyde revealed.

    "Then why do I sense the presence of 2 people?"

    "The Sight Killer is 2 people. The first person''s Spring allows him to kill anyone he looks at for 1 minute straight. However, if they look back at him, the timer resets. The second one is what makes them so dangerous. He has the ability to hijack the eyesight of unintelligent living creatures. Every wild animal and insect in this forest has most likely been hijacked by them, and they''re using their eyesight to spy on us. There is no blindspot anywhere," Clyde exined.

    "Well, that''s not good. No wonder you didn''t want the others toe out. But wait, why don''t we just go in?" Rein suggested.

    "No, we shouldn''t risk letting a hijacked insect into the carriage. It''s been about 30 seconds since they''ve begun looking at us¡­" Clyde said, gritting his teeth in anger as he slowed time and looked around, wanting to extend the 30 seconds for as long as possible.

    "So we''re pretty much dead then?" Rein asked calmly, yawning as soon as he posed the question.

    Clyde''s Spring ran out, and he was panting heavily.

    "Tch, I wasn''t expecting this¡­" Clyde closed his eyes in eptance, only 20 seconds remaining until the Spring would take effect.

    "Huh?! What do you mean you''re dead?!" They heard Chloe''s voice from inside.

    "Clyde?! Rein?! What''s happening out there?" Xenia frantically yelled after them.

    "Answer us!" Reggie followed.

    "I''m sorry¡­ Please just don''t open the carriage. Stay inside, it''s for your own good," Clyde dejectedly told them, making their hearts drop to their stomachs, tears beginning to form in their eyes.

    "What are you talking about! Please, talk to us!" Xenia''s trembling voice rang.

    "I''m sorry, they''re most likely after the curse. Stay inside the cart, and you should be fine. As long as you''re safe, it''s all that matters," Clyde uttered as he sat down in eptance, Rein still standing up, silently.

    "Rein! Do something! I know you''ve got something in mind!" Chloemanded, still hope in her heart.

    "Heh, yeah I know. I just wanted to see how Clyde would act," Reinughed as if he had the situation under control, making Clyde turn around and look at him with widened eyes.

    "What do you mean?! There''s only 10 seconds left and counting!" Clyde frantically spoke, a light of hope ignited as he looked at Rein.

    "I know. You''re a good guy Clyde. I think I''ve confirmed that now," Rein imparted before he vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 144 - No More Eyesight

    30 seconds earlier, somewhere underground in the fortress¡­

    "Heh, we''ve got em trapped. This is the guy Galo was having a hard time with? Pfft," one of the Sight Killersughed.

    "Haha, as long as we work together, we''re unstoppable. These unsuspecting losers are in for a big surprise!" The other eximed as they hid in a dimly lit hole under the ground of the forest.

    One of the Sight Killers had the ability to highjack the sight of any non-intelligent living beings and give that eyesight to any intelligent life form that he wanted. In conjunction with his partner, who had the ability to kill by sight, this was a perfectbination. As long as he looked at the person for 1 minute without being noticed, that person would die.

    "Haha, look at them squirming around! This is fuckin hrious!" Oneughed.

    "I can''t see them since I gave you all the eyesight, but I bet it''s funny as fuck!" They simultaneously chuckled at Clyde''s efforts to find them.

    "The white-haired dude doesn''t look phased at all though. What do you think his problem is?"

    "Meh, ignore him. He''s probably just scared shitless that he doesn''t know what to do," he remarked to his friend, making them burst out into another fit ofughter.

    "Who''s scared shitless exactly?" They heard a strange, calm voice emerge from the hole they were in, making them jump up from shock.

    "Wh- Wha?! How did you get in here! I swear you were just standing over ther¡ª"

    Suddenly, Rein flew his leg into the man''s face, blowing his head off instantly with no hesitation.

    "Sorry, no time to talk," Rein said as he put his leg down after kicking the man into the afterlife.

    His partner suddenly shrieked in fear, cowering in the corner of the hole from the white-haired boy, whose yellow eyes glowed in the darkness of the hole.

    "Y- you monster!" He screamed in horror.

    "You''re the one who can hijack sight then? Hm, your ability might be useful," Rein approached him, outreaching his arm to his face.

    "St- stay away! I''m warning you! Master Roki won''t let you get away with this!" The man tried threatening, Rein ignoring his words and continuing ahead.

    Rein set his hand on the mans face and copied his inverted Spring.

    [Inverse Copied!]

    Original Effect: Allows the user to hijack the eyesight of any creature weaker than them.

    Inverted Effect: Allows the user to hijack the hearing of any creature weaker than them.

    "Oh? So it''s not only for unintelligent creatures but for anything weaker than you?" Reinughed. "That was just a lie because you''re so weak, right?" Rein exposed him.

    "Wha¡­ How did you know that! I was going to take that secret to the grave!" The man fearfully stated, his voice trembling as Rein''s grip tightened on his face.

    "Aw, and you were so close. If you had kept it for a few seconds longer, you would''ve taken it to the grave," Rein chuckled maliciously.

    "What do you mea¡ª"

    Rein clenched the hand he had on the man''s face, crushing it like a grape, ayer of fire engulfing his palm and arm so no blood would stter on him.

    "Sheesh, these guys were pathetic. But I did get some nice Springs from them," Rein sighed as he teleported back to Clyde using the Spring he obtained from the teleporting devices, which allowed him to set up a path of warping that only he could use.

    "I''m back. I dealt with our visitors, so we should be fine to continue now," Rein waved as he returned, Clyde staring at him in awe, his eyes widened and his mouth gaping in amazement.

    "Incredible¡­" Clyde uttered, the curtain from the carriage suddenly opening, revealing the 2 girls who were glued to it with worry.

    "You''re both okay..?" Xenia asked with tears in her eyes.

    "Somehow¡­ It''s all thanks to Rein though," Clyde replied, wiping the sweat forming on his forehead away.

    Chloe suddenly flung forward and put her arms around Rein, forcefully hugging him out of relief.

    "Thank goodness¡­ I had no doubt that you''d live," she said as her chest pressed up against his, a breath of reliefing out of her mouth as she said that.

    "Haha, then why''s your heart beating so hard? It''s okay to feel relieved," Rein patted her on the head, Chloe instantly pulling away from him in embarrassment, slightly annoyed at his remarks.

    Quint looked at the scene unfolding with the corner of his eye, jealousy building in his heart as he saw what was happening.

    "Thank god they''re alright, right Quint?" Reggie sat back down beside Quint after his tense fuss, Quint not responding to Reggie''s question. "Quint?" Reggie sounded again, this time catching his attention.

    "Huh? O-oh, yeah. Rein is awesome, so I expected nothing less. That guy is so inspirational¡­" Quint said as he turned his head away from the scene, a look of loneliness invading his eyes.

    "I get what you''re going through man¡­ The guy you respect the most, and the girl you like. You know she likes him, and you can''t help but root for him, right?" Reggie consoled, Quint scratching his head, not knowing what to say.

    "I''ve never felt like this before. It''s really confusing, you know?" Quint uttered as he scoffed to himself,ughing at his situation.

    "Don''t worry dude, you''ve got a shoulder to lean on in me," Reggie reassured.

    "No thanks, I''m not into dudes. Besides, you''re one to talk after keeping everything pent up for 3 fuckin weeks," Quint retorted, Reggie guiltilyughing as the 2 girls entered the carriage again.

    Rein looked at Quint with a troubled expression, then hopped back up to the roof of the carriage.

    Clyde whipped the cart back into motion, the sound of crickets now beginning to fill the night as they rid through the small forest south of Alh.

    "So Clyde, have you thought about what Quint said to you?" Rein sparked a conversation.

    "Yes¡­" Clyde replied, staying silent right after.

    "And? What do you make of it?" Rein pressed, being able to feel Clyde''s frown without even seeing it.

    "It evidently pained me to do. And I will most definitely not lie to her at my own leisure. However, that lie was necessary," Clyde answered as the carriage went over a bump in the road, which was mitigated by the tiger''s expert riding.

    "You prioritized the promise you had to me, huh?" Rein sounded.

    "That''s correct. You knew that this situation would arise, didn''t you?" Clyde interrogated, Reinughing at his usation.

    "Haha, what do you mean?"

    "You told me to tell her about it. That put me in a situation where it would be impossible to avoid telling a lie. You wanted to see how I would act in that situation. Isn''t that right?" Clyde deduced.

    "Heh, you caught me. And in the end, you chose to prioritize me over her. Why''s that? Is it because you view me in a better light than her?"

    "No, it is because I made the promise to you much earlier than I met her. That''s all there is to it," Clyde imed.

    "That simple, huh? You really are a good guy," Rein said again, which caught Clyde''s attention.

    "That''s the second time you''ve said that. Was there something that made you doubt my values or my honor?" Clyde posed, Rein thinking back to what Core told him about the future.

    "N-nah¡­ It''s nothing really. Just an observation I made," Rein stuttered as he spoke,ughing to hide his choppy speech. "So then, what do you think of her?" Rein asked.

    "Of Xenia? What do you mean by that? I think she''s a wonderful person, with a strong sense of justice and tenacity," Clyde answered, Rein cackling at his response.

    "That''s not what I meant. Surely you''ve noticed how she acts towards you," Rein stated, Clyde freezing up at Rein''s sudden question.

    "..."

    "So you have then? Are you ying dumb on purpose? Or do you just not see her the same way?"

    "I''m not someone who should be in that kind of rtionship¡­" Clyde uttered. "I appreciate how she feels about me, it truly is an honor, however, I do not deserve any of it, and I wish she would stop. For her own sake," Clyde painfully acknowledged.

    "I see. So you chose not to see it, and let her toil away in her own feelings?" Rein remarked, irking Clyde in a wound of guilt.

    "Y-yes¡­ I believe that is the best way to avoid any development."

    "Hm, maybe so. That might be the most efficient way. But just know that what you''re doing will eventually hurt her more than you ever wanted," Rein remarked as he took a deep breath, loosening his muscles as he stared into the pitch-ck night sky. "And if ites to that, then you''d be nothing more than scum. Just keep that in mind."

 Chapter 145 - Pulsation To Tomorrow

    They arrived back at the Hasbin gulf before the clock struck midnight. Before they did anything, they revisited the guild quest room and turned in their quest, amassing their rewards.

    55 points and 55 000 rol

    Rein Xilris

    Points: 55 (Rank 19 [C])

    Rol: 1 855 000

    He also checked up on the skills he received from killing those 2 guys, along with the experience.

    Exp +92 000!

    Level: 135

    Exp: 225 000 / 350 000

    [New Skill!]

    Blind Immunity

    "Huh, it looks like I only gained 1 ability this time. What''s up with that Versys?" Rein thought.

    "Looks like their skillsbined into that one. Since they both had sight-based Springs, they fused into one skill after you killed them together. This skill will give you super eyes, so you won''t be affected by bright lights, or by blinding spells. You can even look directly at the sun if you want!" Versys stated, exining more than what Rein asked him for.

    The group exited the quest room and stood in a circle together.

    "So then, what''s our next move?" Xenia asked as she stretched her arms. "Do we wait for a request to pop up in Alwaaq?" She queried.

    "I''d rather not wait that long though¡­" The restless Chloe eximed, turning to Rein, as she always did when in doubt. "Do you have an idea Rein?"

    "Yes, I do," Rein said while nodding to her. "Why wait for a quest when we could put in our own request?" Rein posed to the group, which lit an idea into all of their brains as well.

    "You are right. We are Rangers, albeit students, but this is still a matter of utmost importance," Clyde agreed.

    "Yeah, so if there isn''t already a request, then we should just put one in ourselves. But can we even do that as students?" Reggie asked.

    "We may not be able to, but someone else can," Rein hinted.

    "Hey, why don''t we do what Raxo and your little sis did back when we went to Naji?" Quint proposed, Rein nodding at him with a smile on his face.

    "Exactly. Good thinking man," Reinplimented, Quint looking away in embarrassment. "Well, let''s head to the dorm and get some rest for today. I''ll ask Emria to put the escort request in tomorrow," Rein suggested as they all began walking towards the dorm building, with the exception of Xenia, who broke off from the group since she still lived with the principal.

    As Rein and Chloe entered the room, they suddenly heard a loud explosion emerge from Emria and Saphri''s room. Panicked, they both rushed into their room, seeing a ck cloud of smoke emerging from the corner of the room, with 2 girls hugged up against 1 girl.

    "*cough* *cough*. Oh! Look, Rein and Chloe are back!" Emria pointed as the smoke dissipated, Rein and Chloe standing at the threshold with bewildered expressions, a gaping hole in the wall appearing from the explosion.

    "Hey, Raxo¡­ Mind exining what just happened?" Chloe asked with an angered look, Raxo recoiling in nerves as she began sweating coldly.

    "Ah¡­ Ahahaha¡­ There was kind of a chemical leakage in the basement, so we had to move our experiment to up here¡­" She exined, bowing her head in an apologetic manner. "Sorry¡­"

    Chloe sighed and put a hand on her face in disappointment, facepalming at the absurdity of what just happened.

    "You''re lucky Emria has that Spring¡­ Because if there was even one scratch on their cute little faces¡­" Chloe summoned her sword with thunderous fury, her eyes closed with a soul-piercing smile of death stered on her face, making Raxo turn as white as a ghost as she ran back and hid behind Emria.

    "Haha, calm down Chloe," Rein chuckled as he put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down. "The next time you 3 want to do an experiment up here though, do it in the soundproof room. We don''t want to wake anyone up with this noise," Rein calmly asked.

    "You are not mad, Rein?" Saphri tilted her head in confusion.

    "Yeah, we blew a hole in the wall, and even part of the window¡­ That must be expensive to fix since this is the luxury room¡­" Emria dejectedly said, an ashamed expression on her visage.

    "I''ll pay for the repairs! It''s the least I can do!" Raxo continuously bowed down, Rein stopping her, telling her to raise her head.

    "It''s fine. I can repair it for free," Rein imed, telling them all to move out of the way as he stood in front of therge hole in the wall.

    He took a deep breath and activated STO and memory flip, taking the Spring of wind and the time reverse Spring he obtained from one of his ssmates during the dodgeball tournament. He used both Springs at the same time, forming a wormhole in front of where he outstretched his hand, right in the middle of the incision in the wall. He used the wind to raise all of the fallen debris around it, and flew them all into the wormhole at the same time, suddenly reappearing with a wall that looked as good as new.

    "Wow! That was cool!" Emria gushed as she inspected the wall.

    "Very cool indeed," Saphri enthusiastically nodded after her, both of their lit-up eyes feeling the wall''s sturdiness.

    "Wha! How''d you do that! Did you just reverse time on that wall?!" Raxo freaked out, Rein nodding.

    "Yeah? What''s got you so pressed?"

    "Amazing¡­ You think you could do that to all of my failed machines? Maybe I can start from scratch," Raxo requested, Rein nervouslyughing as he turned her down.

    "Hahaha¡­ That might be a job for another person. Good luck though!" Rein rejected her request, making her slightly downcast. "But it''s perfect that you''re here Raxo. Since you technically owe me one now, can you do me a favor tomorrow?" Rein asked.

    "Huh? A request? What do you mean?"

    "Juste up to our room tomorrow morning. I''ll give you the details then," Rein proposed, Raxo epting and leaving the room.

    "So then¡­" Chloe turned her head to Emria and Saphri, a scolding expression on her face. "What were you 2 doing up at this hour?"

    "O-oh, it wasn''t¡­"

    "We were just¡­"

    The 2 fiddled around guiltily, Chloe eventually sighing, letting out her anger as she hugged them both.

    "You know I can''t stay mad at you," she smiled. "I was just worried you''d get hurt. Sorry for getting angry girls," she tightly snuggled them, Emriaughing and Saphri smiling at Chloe''s merciful nature.

    "Why are you the one apologizing now?" Rein palmed his face. "Anyways, let''s head to bed already. It''s getting prettyte," Rein said as he walked out of the room and towards the bathhouse.

    He went in to wash himself off from the long day, then exiting and heading off to bed.

    The next day, Sunday December 31st of the year 1206, thest day of the year. It was a day off since it was Sunday, and once again, Rein took the opportunity to oversleep without a nket, not even shivering at the cold that was beginning to set into the continent.

    "Rein, wake up. Raxo''s at the door," Chloe announced as she peeked her head into his room, Rein springing up instantly as he heard her voice.

    "Let her in," he said, now wide awake.

    In the meantime, Rein got changed out of his sleep attire, and into a more casual look, which wasn''t his usual adventuring outfit. He wore a simple ck shirt and slim white pants, which were much morefortable than they looked.

    He walked out to the living room, where he saw Chloe and Raxo sitting on the couch.

    "Emria and Sahpri! Come here for a second!" Rein yelled across the dorm room, reaching the 2 girls'' ears as they emerged from their rooms and attended the meeting the 3 were having.

    "Yeah Rein? Did you need something from us?" Emria curiously asked, looking at Raxo and Chloe in the process.

    "Yes, I do. You''re gonna being with us on this next mission Emria," Rein informed, which lit a fire of excitement in her eyes.

    "Really?! No way!" Emria reacted.

    "Yes way. In fact, you''re gonna be the one to put in the request. Just like how Saphri didst time," Rein exined as the 2 girls sat down on one of the couches.

    "Yeah, since there aren''t anymissions to take us to Alwaaq currently, which is where my brother is, we''re gonna need your help to get there," Chloe exined, which got Emria even more thrilled.

    "And that means the reason you wanted Raxo to do you a favor was so that she could take care of me while you 3 are away, is that correct?" Saphri inquired.

    "Well, yes that''s part of it. But there''s also something else," Rein revealed, which caught Saphri and Raxo''s attention. "I need you 2 to work with Core on something¡­"

 Chapter 146 - Infiltration Plan

    "Hm? And what is it you want us to do?" Raxo raised an eyebrow.

    "He''ll exin it to you. Core also called Voron here, so he''ll be visiting in the meanwhile. He should be on his way to the gulf as we speak," Rein exined.

    "Father ising? It must be something of great importance," Saphri deduced.

    "It is, and sorry I won''t be able to be there. Just promise me that you won''t get too angry at your dad," Rein apologized while patting Saphri''s head.

    "Hmph, I can make no promises," she coldly remarked. "However, I will do my best," she added with a smile on her face, Rein smiling back at her as he took his hand off of her head.

    "Alright, we should get going now. Let''s go you 2," Rein stood up and began walking towards the door.

    "Aw, but I wanted to see gramps before we left!" Emria grumbled, not having seen Voron since they left the house a month and a half ago.

    "Sorry, but we really do need to leave as soon as possible," Rein apologized. "We only have today to pull this excursion off. It''s unfortunate, but we''re just gonna miss Voron," Rein stated as Chloe followed him to the door.

    "Okay¡­ Fine. Bye Saphy! Bye Raxo! I''ll see you guys soon!" Emria enthusiastically waived as she, Rein, and Chloe exited the door, Rein and Chloe also waiving with her.

    "Have a safe trip," Saphri wished them, the door closing as they heard her say that.

    They descended the stairs of the dorm building, passing by their friends on the way down from the top floor, greeting them all as they left their rooms for the morning.

    "You tell them what I told you, Rein?" He heard Core ask as they passed by the boy''s floor.

    "Yeah, and your guys are escorting Voron here, right?" Rein replied, Core putting a thumbs up to his question, which he faintly saw as he descended.

    "Yep! The old man should be here in about an hour."

    "Hey, Rein? Why aren''t we getting anyone else to join us? I was hoping that funny guy Quint would join, or that grumpy guy Clyde," Emria posed.

    "Only 3 people can apany someone on an escort request at one time," Rein exined.

    "Oh, so the 4th one is gonna be Xenia then, right?" Emria asked excitedly.

    "Nah, not this time," Rein said as they reached the ground floor and exited the dorm building. "We''ve got someone else for this request."

    The 3 made their way to the quest room and entered inside, seeing a spiky-haired blonde prince sitting at one of the waiting tables.

    "Oh! We have sparky spiky fire man!" Emria pointed, to which Sho irked, an angered expression being hidden in his face.

    "I''ll have you know that I''m a prince¡­" He said while his eyebrow twitched out of irritation. "You can either refer to me as ''Prince Sho'', or just ''Sho''," he kindly corrected, to which Emriaughed.

    "Well alright, sparky¡ª Oh, I mean, Sho."

    "Thanks foring. What made you change your mind fromst time?" Rein posed.

    "It turns out the Econican Intelligence Division is busy at the moment, so there was no use trying to get through to them," Sho revealed. "And I would be damned if I miss out on getting that idiot to owe me," heughed.

    "Really, thank you for helping us Sho. On behalf of my brother, and on my own behalf, we''re in your debt," Chloe bowed down, which flustered Sho, frantically motioning to her to put her head up.

    "Please don''t bow to me, princess. I don''t deserve any of this goodwill."

    "Haha, sure you do," Rein put a hand on his shoulder and walked him to the receptionist counter.

    He motioned for Emria to join them.

    "Hello, what can I help you guys with today?" The receptionist asked with a smile on her face.

    "Um!" Emria sounded, drawing the receptionist''s attention to her. "My name is Emria Xilris, and I would like to put in an escort request to uh¡­ Alwaaq. And I would like these 3 toe with me if that''s okay!"

    "Certainly! I will just need the request fee and we''ll be all set!" The receptionist said, which made Emria''s heart drop as she turned to Rein.

    "I don''t have any money Rein!" She whispered, making him chuckle.

    "I''ll be the one paying, Ms. Receptionist," Rein intervened, making a confused look grow on the receptionist''s face.

    "Huh? Okay..? But you do know that this will be your reward, right? There''s no point if you''re the one who pays," the receptionist warns.

    "I''m aware. Please go through with the payment regardless," Rein confirmed, the receptionist reluctantly submitting the request and giving the group their designated route.

    [-150 000 rol]

    [1 705 000 rol remaining]

    "Okay then! You''re all set! You are now permitted to travel to Alwaaq and escort miss Emria Xilris. Your reward will be 50 000 rol each and 50 points. Good luck, and be safe!"

    The receptionist then went on to ask them if they wanted a tiger drawn carriage, to which they declined, opting to run there to arrive faster. Once again, they exited through the eastern tunnel of the Hasbin gulf, emerging at a point south of Stogue.

    Rein picked Emria up into his arms and began running towards Alwaaq, following the roads there as to stay on route. Since he was wearing the defense artifact, he got Emria to activate her Spring while she held on to him to make up for the lost defense. Also, since he wore the speed artifact, it allowed Chloe and Sho to be able to keep up with him, Sho using the fire to propel him, and Chloe using a mixture of wind and lightning.

    After running through Sahdahwar, then running through the rocky terrain north-east of the city, they arrived at the intersection where Rein stopped the carriagest time, stopping there again as he gazed out to the city in the corner.

    "Why are we stopping here?" Sho asked as he breathed heavily out of exhaustion. "Are you taking a breather?" Sho posed while he himself was taking a breather.

    "No¡­" Rein squinted his eyes, yet nkly stared into the horizon.

    "Do you feel something again?" Chloe walked to his side, Rein looking at her for a brief moment, then looking back.

    "Yeah. Some incredibly strong individuals are guarding this ce. And they weren''t there thest time," Rein eximed.

    "Then¡­ Were they recently stationed from yesterday night to this morning?" Chloe queried.

    "It seems like it. The queen must''ve heard about our actions yesterday and bolstered the defense around the city," Rein theorized, Chloe beginning to tremble in anger and confusion once again.

    "Why¡­ What''s father doing at a time like this¡­" She clenched her fist, Emria reaching over to her shoulder from Rein''s arms.

    "It''s okay Chloe. We''re gonna save him. Rein promises, right?" Emria looked back at Rein, who scoffed, closing his eyes in confidence.

    "Damn straight. Now let''s continue," Rein remarked as they resumed their run to the city.

    "We should stop about a kilometer before we reach the city so we don''t alert them. Though, if the queen is already aware of our ns, they will probably be expecting us anyways," Sho devised, Rein nodding as they continued running at supersonic speeds.

    "You''re right. We need to fool the guards to enter the city. Just leave that part to me though," Rein assured, having a n in mind.

    They eventually stopped once the small city was in sight, halting their advances once they made it to arge boulder just west of the town. Rein set Emria down as they hid behind it, Chloe and Sho leaning against it to catch their breath. Rein was not tired at all, unphased by therge distance they just ran, despite having the anklet of speed worn.

    "Alright, here''s the n. I''m going to disguise our faces with an illusion and we''re going to enter from the front," Rein illustrated, Sho asking him a question as he continued his heavy breathing.

    "Why¡­ Though¡­ Couldn''t we just¡­ Sneak through the back..?" He asked, pausing between every word to respire.

    "That would be exponentially harder. Our first problem is that we have Emria with us, so it''ll be much more difficult to sneak her through than usual," Rien listed. "Our second problem is that we''re unfamiliar with the area, and one mistake in scouting the area could be fatal," he continued. "The third and final issue would be that those strong individuals I spoke of are most likely surveying any blind spots, so it would be impossible to get past them unnoticed," he finished exining, Sho nodding his head at his words.

    "I see¡­ So despite being the main entry point, the front gate is most likely the least guarded¡­ That is pretty ironic," Shoughed.

    "Yeah, we should invade from where they least expect us. Now, let''s begin¡­"

 Chapter 147 - No Time To Be Complacent

    At the front gates of the small city of Alwaaq, 2 ordinary Orthlys soldiers stood guard, yawning at the boredom they felt, having to stand sentry, checking everyone''s ID before letting them into the town.

    "Man, do we really have to do this¡­ I''m pretty sure we''d notice if a kid with white hair walked through¡­" One of the guardsined.

    "Chin up and stopining man! We have to do this, or those 3 devils will kill us," the other guard scolded.

    "I know¡­" The other guard dejectedly said, putting his head down in sadness. "I was just letting some of my pent-up boredom out¡­" The guard groaned as he suddenly saw 4 individuals approaching the front gate on the main path.

    "Halt! State your business and hand over your identification!" The guards straightened their stances, tapping the ends of their spears on the ground under them as a show of power.

    "Ugh, no white-haired kid again¡­" One of the guards murmured under their breath as he looked at the 4 who approached.

    A brown-haired boy with brown eyes led the group, followed by 2 ck-haired girls, both of them with green eyes. At the back of the group stood a blue-haired man with spiky ends on his hair.

    "Hello, good guards! My friends and I are traveling gourmets, and we heard about the positively spectacr cooking in this city," the brown-haired man introduced himself. "If you would like our IDs, here you are," he took out an ID from his pocket, along with everyone else in the group, giving the guards 4 IDs in total.

    "Hmm¡­ Your names are¡­ Kyle Paul, Becky Easton, Kristen George, and Colton Ried..? Those are certainly¡­ Unusual¡­" The guard remarked as he read the names out loud, inspecting the IDs closer.

    "Haha, we get that a lot. entric names for an entric bunch!" The brown-haired manughed as the guards sighed, cringing slightly, then giving them the IDs back.

    "Well, everything seems fine. Wee to Alwaaq city," the guards let them pass, going back into their usual stance as the 4 entered the city.

    "Seriously though, who names their kid Kyle?"

    The group of ''gourmets'' walked to the center of the city and found an inn they chose to stay at, making that their base for the time being. The brown-haired boy let go of their disguise, removing the illusion he ced upon them. He heaved a sigh of relief as he sat down on one of the beds in the inn.

    "Well, that went as well as I could''ve hoped," Rein remarked.

    "My heart was beating really hard! I''m d they couldn''t hear it," Emria added.

    "What now? Do you feel Zane''s presence?" Sho posed, Rein entering a stern expression, nodding to answer Sho''s question.

    Chloe left out a breath of ease, letting out the stress that she was carrying about her brother''s whereabouts.

    "Do you know his exact location?" Chloe questioned, Rein shaking his head in negation.

    "I know his general location in this 1-kilometer radius. He''s to the east end of the city, that''s all I know," Rein informed.

    "Hmm, so he''s on the opposite side of the city then¡­ And that''s also where you sensed those powerful people correct?" Sho theorized, Rein nodding his head. "Do you know how many of them there are?"

    "I believe there are 3, but their power rivals an entire army," Rein revealed. "They''re patrolling the outer walls of the city, so we should try and avoid those areas if we can."

    "So then? What''s our next move?" Chloe put forward to Rein.

    "Our main goal here is obvious. Rescue the prince at all costs," Rein restated, standing up from the bed. "We know nothing about our area right now. Let''s go and explore the eastern ends of the town and try and gather some intel," Rein suggested, everyone following in his lead.

    "Ummm, what should I do, Rien?" Emria asked as the other 3 walked to the door.

    "Huh? Youe too obviously," Reinughed.

    "Wow, really? I thought you would say it''s too dangerous or something," Emria remarked with a surprised expression.

    "Well, the safest ce is with me. If you''re in my sight, then your safety is guaranteed," he remarked as Emria skipped to their side, walking alongside them as they exited the inn.

    Rein turned his hair ck and put a hood up, while Chloe and Sho also put their hoods up as to not get recognized as the princess and prince.

    They made their way to the eastern end of the city, the least popted end. The shopping and entertainment districts were at the western end of the city, all that was at the eastern end was a barren-looking church and a graveyard.

    They made sure to stay a good distance away from the outer wall of the city, avoiding the powerful patrolling mercenaries around the walls.

    "It''s just a church and a graveyard here¡­ Are you sure this is where he was taken?" Sho asked.

    "I''m positive. He''s definitely here," Rein assured.

    "If Rein says he''s here, then he is!" Emria eximed, Shoughing nervously, but understanding her blind trust in him.

    "But the church is right beside that wall. If we get close to it, we''ll be seen, right?" Chloe thought out loud.

    "Yeah, since he''s most likely around in that area, it''s probably under heavy surveince. Though, it seems like we''re safe to get this close at least," Rein imed, pointing down on the point ofnd the group stood on.

    "Rein, I may have an idea¡­" Sho professed, catching Rein''s attention.

    "Oh? Let me hear it¡­"

    A littleter, on the outskirts of the city walls¡­

    "Tch, those 2 gave me the shittiest job¡­" The man on top of the wallined. "They get to just hang out inside the fuckin church, while I have to do all of the heavy lifting," he paced back and forth with an annoyed expression on his face, circling the top of the walls.

    The man appeared to be in his mid-20s, wearing a sleeveless ck shirt, with light pink hair and a rough face.

    He suddenly noticed someone walking on the green grass under him, on the outside of the city walls.

    "Hey! Who the hell are you?!" He jumped down from the enormous wall,nding effortlessly for a fall of that height.

    He touched down in front of the man he saw under him, seeing his spiky-blonde hair and red eyes.

    "Ah, my mistake. I''m actually an artist and I was just circling this town for inspiration for my next piece. Sorry to trouble you, sir," Sho bowed, the pink-haired man scratching his head in confusion.

    "The hell..? Well, make it quick bud. I have no time for this shit," the man remarked as he turned back around, walking towards the wall.

    "Hold on sir! I would like to ask you a question about this city''s architecture," Sho stalled.

    "Huh? The hell would I know about architecture," the man interposed, turning back around to face Sho.

    "Well, you were walking on top of those walls were you not? Could you please describe the view for me?"

    The pink-haired man raised an eyebrow, a confused look growing on his face.

    "Well, I guess the view is pretty nice from up there¡­" He imed. "It''s really the only thing that makes this job semi-enjoyable," he chatted.

    "Oh, yes! Have there been any moments of note since you began guarding the walls? Something that stands out to you perhaps?" Sho continued stalling, the man falling deeper into his trap.

    "Now that you mention it, I started guarding before sunrise. The view over the ocean as the sun came up was pretty damn cool," he proimed, Sho feigning interest at his words.

    "Yes, yes. Tell me more," Sho continued.

    "Well, it was a deep, fiery ora¡ª" suddenly, the man''s face twitched as he stopped talking, then suddenly snapping his head back towards the wall.

    "The hell?! I feel somebody in the church!" He eximed, getting ready to jump through the wall.

    As he motioned himself towards the wall, Sho let out a scoff of annoyance, activating his Spring and propelling himself at the man, excreting fire from the back of his hand as he palmed the back of the man''s head, mming it into the ground. However, Sho suddenly heard the man growling, resisting his fire-boosted hand as he turned his angered face around.

    "You set me up you son of a bitch!" He yelled, suddenly turning his body into a spinning drill that carved through the ground, all the way to the wall, causing Sho to let go of the man.

    He drilled through the wall of the city, then drilled through the back wall of the church, turning back into a human as he entered the small church''s main area. He saw a Rein, who still had STO active, along with Emria and Chloe entering the wooden trapdoor hatch in the corner of the church.

    "Oh no, you don''t!" The man rushed towards the 3, turning his hand into a drill at full speed.

    However, the forward drill was stopped by a streak of fire that protected the 3, Sho covering his arms with mes as he held the drill down.

    "You 3 continue! I''ll take care of this guy!" He yelled, Chloe, wearing a worried expression, not wanting to leave.

    "Understood. We''ll leave this guy to you," Rein agreed, grabbing the reluctant Chloe by the arm and pulling her down the trapdoor with him, Emria already having gone through earlier.

 Chapter 148 - Spiral Tunnel

    "H-hey, wait! Shouldn''t we help him?" Chloe shrugged her arm away as they got underground.

    "Chloe, we don''t have time. There are 2 other enemies guarding your brother, and you''re gonna need me to take them out," Rein calmly exined.

    "..." Chloe grit her teeth as they left Sho behind, Rein and Emria continuing through, forcing Chloe to run after them.

    "I know it''s hard, but it had to be done. We just have to put our faith in Sho," Rein consoled. "He''s stronger than he looks. If anyone can do it, it''s him," he praised, which put Chloe''s mind at ease as they descended the stairs.

    They were rocky, stone stairs in an ominously ced tunnel, though surprisingly, it was well lit, with torches of fire lined on the sides of the walls as they descended.

    The echoes of their footsteps rang through the tunnel as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rein being in the front, followed by Emria, who was standing in the middle of him and Chloe. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a long, wide, well-lit tunnel that they stopped to look at.

    However, the silence was broken as Emria reached the bottom of the stairs behind Rein, stepping on a pressure-ted stone, releasing a barrage of arrows from a contraption behind the walls.

    "Emria! Watch out!" Chloe yelled from behind her.

    Emria quickly reacted and activated her Spring, the arrows that would''ve otherwise pierced her body now bouncing off of her defense-enhanced skin.

    "*phew*, that was a close one!" Emriaughed as she sighed from relief.

    "Be extra careful from now on. This tunnel looks like it''s a long one," Rein warned as they all continued through.

    As the 3 calmed down, they wandered through the hall, often having to turn around a corner, which they did with extreme caution.

    "What is this ce..? Some sort of dungeon underneath the church?" Chloe whispered.

    "No¡­" Rein said, putting 2 fingers on his chin in a thinking motion. "This hall¡­ It''s spiraling," Rein imed, which made the 2 behind him raise an eyebrow in confusion.

    "What do you mean?" Emria inquired.

    "Look," Rein pointed forward. "Every turn we''ve taken has been a right turn. And every turn that halls get shorter by about 4 feet," Rein exined as they passed the right turn, looking ahead to see another right turn in front of them.

    "I see," Chloe sounded. "What does that tell us?" She posed.

    "It means that when we reach the center, there''s either going to be a dead-end, or something''s gonna be there waiting for us," Rein broke down, making Chloe gulp a ball of spit forming in her mouth out of nerves.

    They continued walking through the spiraling halls of the mysterious catbs, nothing of interest happening until they reached the end of the spiral, where they saw another trap door at the end of the hall.

    "Another hatch..?" Chloe remarked with a confused tone in her voice.

    "I knew it," Rein imed, ducking down and putting his palm on the ground.

    "You knew what, Rein?" Emria ducked down with him and tried imitating him by putting her palm on the ground, but couldn''t feel anything.

    "The ground under us¡­ We''ve been walking on a hollow cavern," Rein revealed, which widened the other 2''s eyes in surprise.

    "A cavern along that entire hallway?! There''s no way¡­" Chloe reacted.

    "Wow, this thing must be as big as the Hasbin Gulf..." Emria whisper shouted as Rein''s nose suddenly twitched, the feeling of a cool breeze enchanting his nose.

    "Do you 2 feel that?" Rein stood up and looked around as the 2 girls tried feeling what he spoke of.

    "Yeah¡­ It feels like a stream of wind¡­" Chloe uttered, her eyes suddenly widening in jubtion. "My brother''s wind!" She eximed, Rein putting a hand on her mouth, telling her to be quiet.

    "Don''t be too loud. Those other 2 I was talking about are right under us," Rein warned, removing his hand from her mouth. "They''re guarding your brother''s cell down there."

    "Wait, where''s the current of winding from?" Emria inquired.

    "There has to be a venttion system somewhere, right?" Chloe added.

    "Yeah, and that vent most likely leads directly to your brother. Let''s look around," Rein suggested as the 3 stood up and looked around the tunnel, making sure to stay close to the trap door.

    "Oh, found it!" Emria whispered loudly, Chloe and Rein shuffling over to her standing in front of a metal rectangr vent.

    It was about the same size as the bricks and the inside was all made of the surrounding bs of stone. The vents tunnel lead downwards on an incline, all of them still feeling the slight breeze that was rising through the streamed shaft.

    "Perfect. Emria, you can sneak in through there," Rein stated, Emria putting her stiffened hand up to her face inpliance, giving a soldiers solute.

    "Ai ai captain!" She agreed. "But wait, then what about the 2 of you?" She put her hand down to ask.

    Rein ducked down to the nearby trap door and lifted it slightly, allowing them to peek through into the vast cavern that they stood above.

    They were awe-stricken as it came into view, a familiar feeling washing over them as they gazed into the cavern. The roof, which is what they were standing on, was just like the Hasbin Gulf, filled with glow stone rocks that also lined the vast, city-sized cavern''s walls.

    At the bottom, standing on the floor of the cavern was 2 women, one of them sitting down in front of a rectangr opening in the wall, and the other standing in guard. The one sitting had blue hair, an uninterested gaze stered on her face. The one standing bright yellow hair, which contrasted against the glow of the stones in the cavern.

    "Wow¡­ Amazing¡­" Emria whispered as her eyes sparkled. "It''s just like the Hasbin Gulf''s cave, but empty¡­" She remarked.

    "You see that opening in the wall where that blue-haired girl is sitting? Through there is the hallway to Prince Zane''s jail cell," Rein exined to Chloe, who now had her sights set.

    "Okay¡­ I see what you mean," she added as Rien closed the hatch so that they could talk freely.

    "While you sneak through that vent and enter the Prince''s cell, Chloe and I will be fighting the 2 guards," Rein exined while sitting on his feet, still knelt down towards the hatch under him. "This''ll allow you to pick his locks and get him out of there undisturbed. You think you''re up to it?" Rein posed, Emria nodding sternly.

    "Yeah. I''ve been practicing my lockpicking skills with Saphy. I''m better than her, except when she cheats and uses her Spring," Emria boasted, to which Reinughed and patted her on the head.

    "We''re counting on you, Emria. Isn''t that right?" Rein nced at Chloe, who was looking at Emria with a worried expression, moving in to embrace the girl before they parted.

    "Be safe, okay? Don''t do anything reckless," Chloe brushed Emria''s hair through her fingers, who wasughing happily.

    "You worry too much, Chloe. I''ll be fine!" She said as Chloe let go of her.

    All of them nodded at each other, Emria squeezing through the vent as Rein and Chloe opened the hatch to the cavern, finally alerting the 2 guards.

    "Hm, it would seem like we have a couple of visitors," the standing one observed as Rein and Chloe dropped down from the ceiling, breaking their fall with a gust of wind that graced them from below.

    "*zzz* *zzz*" the blue-haired one slept uninterrupted, the yellow-haired one stomping her legs to get her to wake up.

    "Hey! Wake up, Emma!" The yellow-haired one yelled, startling the one she called Emma awake.

    "Huh..? What happened¡­" She uttered as she rubbed her eyes awake and stood up, revealing her all blue clothes.

    The yellow-haired one also wore all blue clothes, though they were different shades of blue, and different styles of clothing.

    "We have intruder," the yellow-haired woman summoned her weapon, a beautifully decorated ck steel rapier, with edges of gilded sapphire outlining the hilt, and pointed it towards Rein and Chloe.

    "Geez, couldn''t you take care of them yourself Shuna?" The blue-haired one named Emma yawned, summoning her weapon, which was a reinforced slingshot, a metal band acting as the connector between the 2 ends.

    "Don''t be ridiculous. Even I would struggle against opponents like these¡­" Shuna uttered. "Especially the girl¡­ Her Spring feels incredibly powerful," she continued rambling, Rein eventually cutting them off by coughing.

    "Excuse medies, sorry to cut your chatter short, but would you by any chance hand over the prince you have back there?" Rein yelled across the cavern.

    "So then you are the one we were warned about¡­ White hair¡­" Shuna observed.

    "Looks like it matches the description the grandmaster gave us perfectly. I''m not gonna bother asking Jona how he let them in. That idiot''s got drills for brains," Emma primed her slingshot with a shiny rock and aimed it at Rein.

    "Wow there, watch where you''re pointing that thing!" Rein put his arms out in front of him in innocence. "You 2 are a part of Crypt then? Officers in the blue squadron I''m guessing," Rein voiced, Shuna suddenly appearing in front of him, stabbing forward.

    Rein summoned his sword at a slower speed than he usually would and blocked her attack just in the nick of time, both of them stuck in a struggle of des.

    "That''s none of your business, ggard!"

 Chapter 149 - The Orthlysian Princes Revelation

    "Someones here..?" The wistful and battered prince of Orthlys perked up from his wistful rest on his prison cell floor, walking his tattered royal clothes to the iron bars that held him in istion, peeking out to the glowing cavern.

    His eyes widened as he saw his half-sister out there, fighting the 2 guards that were posted at his cell. However, the shock did not stop. In the same cavern, fighting side by side to her was a familiar white-haired boy, the sight of him making the zephyr prince lose breath for a brief moment.

    "No¡­ Way¡­ That''s..." He uttered, suddenly hearing a metal-sounding tap emerge from his ceiling, making him turn around and look up at the vent that was set up there.

    Suddenly, the vent opened, and a green-haired girl dropping down in a dusty fit, coughing as shended on the cell floor.

    "*cough* *cough*. Oww¡­ I probably should''ve Sprung that one¡­" She rubbed the back of her head as she stood up, Zane staring at her in confusion.

    "A little girl..?" Zane raised his chain-bound hands to his head and scratched it in confusion. "What are you doing here?" He posed to the girl, who was tapping the dust away from her attire.

    The girl raised her head up to see the prince, then smiled arrogantly.

    "I''m the one who''s gonna save you!" Sheughed, pointing to herself with pride.

    "You''re gonna¡­ Save me?" He uttered in shock.

    "Sure am!" She eximed, assured. "Let me see those cuffs. I''ll get them off in no time," she put her hand out and extended her arm to the prince, who ced his wrist bindings in her palm.

    She pulled out 2 thin rods of metal and began fiddling with them, hoisting them into the keyhole between his handcuffs.

    She extended her tongue out of her mouth in diligence as she worked on the lock, fiddling with them intently as the prince continued looking at her with a sense of confusion.

    "Eh, these are moreplicated than I thought! This may take some time," she apologized.

    "???" Zane kept a bewildered expression as she continued struggling with the lock on his cuffs.

    Eventually, she broke away from the lock picks and let out a huge sigh, unsessful in removing the bindings.

    "Ugh, what idiot made these locks! They make no sense!" Sheined as she leaned backward in defeat.

    "If you couldn''t unlock them, wouldn''t that make them good locks?" Zane interjected.

    "I guess you''re right¡­ But hey, could you not just blow them off with some epic wind st or something!" She suggested with fire in her eyes.

    "If I could''ve done that, I wouldn''t be stuck here," he replied, unamused.

    "Whaaaat?! I thought Chloe said you were stronger than her. I guess that was just her being modest," the girl thought out loud.

    "So you know my sister then," Zane remarked.

    "Oh yeah. But you 2 look nothing alike. I like your hair color though! Green, just like me!" She held her hair out in twin tails, showing it off.

    Suddenly, Zane''s eyes grew in realization, recalling the time he appeared in the academy stadium at the end of the Ranger academy entrance tournament.

    "Wait¡­ Are you that girl from back then..? The one that was sitting in the stands..?" Zane asked, his eyes still widened in shock.

    "Hm? Oh yeah, you were staring at me for some reason. I always thought you were just a creep," sheughed, Zane instantly springing up and looking at her closely.

    "Your name, what is your name?!" He whispers screamed at her.

    "Huh? It''s Emria, why?" She informed, her words instantly making his eyes water, overflowing with tears.

    "Wow! You''re crying now? There there, I''ll get those cuffs off," Emria patted him on the back as he wept, making him shake his head.

    "I knew you were alive¡­" He said, making her stop rubbing his back.

    "What?" Emria asked coldly.

    "That day¡­ When I didn''t see your body in that pile of corpses¡­ I knew you had survived¡­" His shivering voice imed, his words making all expression wash away from Emria''s face, leaving an emotionless face staring at the crying prince.

    "So then it''s like I thought. You are my brother, aren''t you?" Emria dropped in an ice-cold voice, sending shivers down Zane''s spine.

    His expression and body stood frozen for a brief moment, then took a trembling breath as they resumed, nodding his head affirmatively.

    "Your name is Emria Yaku¡­ Isn''t it? My mother¡­ She often told me that if she had a girl, she would''ve named her Emria¡­" Zane exined through his tears.

    "I see. So then, my mother was the queen of Orthlys before Chloe''s mother. She was banished after she had an ''affair'' with one of the royal guards, and as a result, the royal guard was also banished," Emria recounted in a monotone voice, her previously perky, enthusiastic nature disappearing.

    "No¡­ That''s wrong," Zane imed.

    "I know. My¡ª no... Our mother would never do that," Emria reiterated as Zane wiped his tears away.

    "She didn''t have an affair with anybody, and definitely not with an earthen royal guard¡­ She was¡­ Raped by an unknown nobleman¡­" Zane eximed, Emria not giving a reaction to his words.

    "So that''s it¡­ Ever since I''ve started piecing together mine and mother''s past, I''ve found that to be the most usible thing that happened. And that same man, my ''father'', if I can even call him that, is still atrge," Emria stated, a fit of unseen anger welling up in her''s and Zane''s eyes.

    "Yes¡­ He framed Lieutenant Wace, a high-ranking member of the royal guard, and nobody suspected a thing," Zane grit his teeth. "Except for me¡­ I saw him¡­ In the act¡­" He imed, his fists clenched to the extreme.

    "I''m so sorry¡­ I tried speaking out, but nobody believed me. I didn''t see his face, so I couldn''t give any proof¡­ But it definitely was not Wace. I know that for a fact."

 Chapter 150 - Sho Vs Jona (1)

    "It''s okay, you don''t need to apologize to me. How could I harbor anything towards you if I wasn''t even born at the time?" Emria consoled the distressed prince.

    "But then¡­ Mother died that day¡­ And she was killed¡­" Zane''s clenched fist began trembling vigorously. "It was those Econican mercenaries! That white-haired boy and the ck-haired woman who saved him," the prince imed, to which Emria sighed.

    "Haha, you still haven''t figured it out?" She asked as she reassumed her cheerful personality.

    "What do you mean? That same boy is fighting alongside Chloe right now!" The ignorant prince imed.

    "No no no, you''ve got it all wrong!" Emria wagged her finger. "That white-haired boy was actually defending the town that day!" She informed, to which Zane recoiled in disbelief.

    "What are you talking about?! I literally saw him ughtering our soldiers!" He eximed.

    "Those soldiers were big meanies. They were the ones who killed mom, not Rein," she asserted, the prince in bewildered incredulity.

    "B-but¡­"

    "Just believe me for now! I''m supposed to be your half-sister too! Geez, we don''t have time for this," Emriained, her personality shift just now beginning to register with Zane. "Give me your handcuffs. I''ll get them off for real this time," Emria ordered, to which heplied.

    *A few minutes earlier, on the surface¡­*

    "You! You tricked me you son of a bitch!" The pink-haired man pointed angrily at Sho, who had previously distracted him from guarding the church.

    "Do you realize what you''ve been guarding? You''ve been keeping the prince of Orthlys in solitary confinement. That is an act of high treason!" Sho replied in a hostile manner.

    The barren left side of the city was only home to a church and a cemetery, with no poption within a 200-meter radius of the sight. The rigid surface made for a difficult battleground, but nothing that Sho wasn''t used to.

    "What do you care? Ain''t ya the prince of Econica? You got that fire Spring, so what''s it matter to you?" The man used, to which Sho twitched, thenughed mysteriously.

    "So you saw it then," he uttered, a sudden sh of fire appearing on the tails of his body, enhancing all of his physical prowess. "You''re right. For me, what your doing isn''t wrong because of politics. I simply want to rescue an old friend of mine. Not to mention that he''s the brother of someone very important to me," Sho assumed battle stance, summoning his nunchucks and holding them by both ends, stretching the chain that held them together in front of his face.

    "Heh, fair enough. The name''s Jona. Not to be rude or anything, but despite you being the prince of Econica, I still don''t know your name," Jona eximed, Sho not taking any offense to hisment.

    "My name is Sho Econ. This battle will be a quick one," he said, ramping up the ferocity of the mes that encased his body.

    Without hesitation, Sho jumped forward at the defenseless man, and with untraceable speeds, delivered a torpedo kick into Jona''s face, a flurry of mes following onto his visage. However, Sho suddenly retracted his foot, feeling a sharp-pointed object poking into his heel.

    As the mes subsided from Jona''s face, it came into Sho''s view. A ck shining drill had reced where the pink-haired man''s head used to be.

    "Get ready, Sho Econ!" He yelled, transforming his arms into drills as well, then rushing towards Sho at incredible speeds, faster than what Sho thought was possible for a normal human.

    Sho veiled himself in his crimson wings of fire, blocking Jona''s forward drill attack. However, before he knew it, his zing wings had all but dissipated, leaving his bewildered expression vulnerable to the charge of the drill man.

    At thest moment, Sho used the mes still on his feet to propel him to the right, outside of the church that they were still standing in. Jona, however, was still able to clip Sho''s left shoulder with the drill, making it gush out with blood, Sho losing sens of his left arm.

    "Tch," Sho grunted as hended outside of the church, holding his left arm in pain.

    "What''s wrong? You thought my Spring was just drills, huh?" Jonaughed hysterically, Sho getting his teeth as he analyzed the situation.

    "Your drills¡­ They can nullify Springs..?" Sho deduced, to which Jona grinned.

    "Bingo! These are Spring drills, specialized to drill through Spring powers. Without them, that torpedo kick of yours would''ve flown my head off!"

    "Shit¡­ This is going to be harder than I thought," Sho said in his head. "Though I guess Rein did warn me. Each one of these guys has the power of an army, and this guy''s no different," Sho surmised.

    "What are you thinkin'' to yourself there?" Jona prepared his drills once again and bent his legs, with the intention of lunging forward like before. "This next one''s gonna be for trickin'' me! You can''t take advantage of my gullible nature and get away with it!"

    Jona took off towards Sho, who instinctively activated his Spring and dodged, Jona''s attack drilling through the floor he stood on instead of him.

    "You can run, but you can''t hide!"

    Jona lunged forward again, and Sho dodged again, continuously making holes in the ground from where Sho dodged from. As he avoided Jona''s attacks, Sho racked his brain for a strategy, a weakness he could use to his advantage.

    "Think Sho, think! Use your surroundings, your environment to your advantage! What about thisnd could you use to your advantage!" Sho screamed in his head as he darted his eyes around the area, his eyesnding on the cemetery.

    He suddenly shook his head, not wanting to defile the graves of the dead. His eyesnded on the church again, to which an idea popped into his head. He smirked and stopped moving.

    "Oh no, I''m running out of energy!" Sho imed with the worst acting that''d ever been seen.

    "Ha! Thanks for telling me, idiot!" Jona lunged forward, believing Sho''s words.

    "Alright, I enticed him. If I''m right about this, keeping this up should give me the advantage¡­"

 Chapter 151 - Sho Vs Jona (2)

    Sho continued dodging Jona''s attacks, making several craters throughout thendscape in and around the church. Despite iming that he was running out of energy, Jona was still having just as much difficultynding an attack on the Econican prince.

    "Tch, stop dodging!" Jona yelled as he mmed his drill into the ground yet again.

    Sho began breathing heavily, in a show of terrible acting, clearly faking his fatigued state.

    "Hah, you''re breathing pretty hard there! Let''s see you dodge this!" Jona lunged forward at him one more time, Sho standing at the center of the church, which had most of its walls broken, being held up by only its corner foundation.

    As Jona propelled towards him, Sho gave off a calcted smirk, scoffing at the idiocy of his opponent. Sho jumped up from where he was standing, propelling upwards with a stream of fire, which Jona was hit by as he came under him. This caused Jona''s drill to once again dig through the floor in the center of the church, while the fire not hurting him much as he formed a Spring negating drill on his head again.

    Jona furiously pulled his arm out of the ground and stared at the floating prince above him, who while holding his left shoulder, removed his hand off of it for a brief moment to wave at Jona, who grew a confused expression.

    "Huh?!" Jona outcried as the ground began rumbling under him, the very foundations of the floor of the area bing unstable.

    Suddenly, the entire terrain copsed from under Jona, shattering like a piece of broken ss, crumbling down into the spiral maze that was underneath. Clouds of dust and rubble covered the hole in the ground, a messy flurry of broken stones and dirt filling the insides of the maze.

    Sho continued hovering above the hole for a while longer, floating there in silence, waiting for something to happen.

    "Get up! I know that''s not all you''ve got!" Sho yelled into the hole, suddenly feeling another tremor arise from the earth, even he, who was floating, could feel the pressure of the power emanating.

    A loud, hystericalugh could be heard from inside the rubble, the clouds of dust finally clearing as Sho saw Jona standing on a pile of debris in the hole.

    "You''re gonna regret saying that," Jona remarked with a wide smile on his face, theughter clearly having emanated from him.

    Jona''s skin suddenly turned a shade of light pink, the pressure he was exuding being multiplied exponentially.

    "This is my full power! Have fun fighting me now!" He yelled as he suddenly jumped up to Sho''s position, arriving at his spot in the air at untraceable speeds.

    Sho could barely react, dodging to the left at the veryst second, a distressed look on his face.

    "Oh no you don''t!" Jona remarked as he suddenly flung his leg backward, hitting Sho on his right arm this time with an incredibly powerful kick, fracturing the bone in his right arm.

    Sho let out a pained grunt just like before, Jona smirking as he turning his foot into a drill, causing it to grind against Sho''s arm in friction, Sho, unable to defend against it using his Spring, which was being nullified.

    Before his arm fell off, Sho was able to use the fire on his feet to propel himself away,nding on the rubble under him, both of his arms now unusable.

    "Heh, impressive. You managed to survive an attack while I''m in this form," Jonaplimented, used to finishing his opponents off fast after he transformed.

    Sho was now genuinely breathing heavily, the fatigue and pain weighing down on his body immensely, his mind beginning to haze due to the blood loss.

    "Looks like you''re gettin'' tipsy there. You wanna take a nap?" Jonaughed, readying his drill one more time. "I''ll give you a nap! A nice and long one!" Jona ran across the mountains of debris, heading straight towards the dazed prince.

    However, when all hope seemed lost, when defeat was almost certain, Sho scoffed augh, lifting his leg up and mming it down on the ground under him in an explosion of inferno, once again causing the foundations of the maze under them to shake, almost like an earthquake.

    "The hell?!" Jona stopped in the middle of his dash, beginning to lose his bnce as the floor began falling under him, seeing the view of a glowing cavern right under them.

    A little bit earlier, inside the cave¡­

    There was a sudden rumbling above them that they heard, causing the cavern to shake slightly. This was when Sho and Jona toppled the firstyer of floor above.

    "What in the world is that moron Jona doing?!" Shuna yelled as it interrupted the staredown between her and the 2 who justnded in front of them.

    "Just ignore it Shuna. We need to take care of these guys first," Emma walked to the yellow-haired woman''s side and readied her slingshot, Shuna taking a deep breath to calm down.

    "You''re right, I''m sorry," Shuna apologized, then sternly stared at Rein. "You did well to block that attack. I''m impressed. I was not expecting you to be so powerful. You certainly don''t seem it," Shunaplimented, to which Reinughed.

    "Ohe on, you''re making me blush," he answered yfully, Chloe giving him a smack on the head.

    "I don''t think that was meant to be apliment, idiot," she angrily scolded, Rein rubbing the back of his head with his sword.

    "Haha, anyways, we''re gonna need the prince you''re holding back there," Rein stood up straight after bending down from Chloe''s blow. "Dunno what kind of game you''re ying by holding him hostage, but you know that this crime could be punishable by death, right? If the king finds out about your involvement, he''ll have your heads," Rein exined.

    After Rein said that, the 2 women looked at each other in confusion, tilting their heads at each other, then looked back at Rein.

    "Does it look like we care?"

 Chapter 152 - The Sky Is Falling

    Rein and Chloe looked at them in bewilderment, blinking nkly at them, confused at their previous im.

    "Huh?" Rein sounded to the 2 women.

    "You heard us. We do not care," she reaffirmed. "There can be a 100 million Dol bounty on our heads and we still would not care. If we get hired to do a job, we do it to our utmost," Shuna proimed proudly, puffing out her chest.

    Emma nodded firmly behind her, agreeing with what she''d said wholeheartedly.

    A wide grin appeared on Rein''s face, making him chuckle to himself, having made a connection or their affiliation.

    "And that''s how Crypt does things, right?" He outburst, the 2 women''s eyes widening in shock as they heard his promation, their mouths gaped open.

    "How did you¡­" Shuna uttered in disbelief, Emma scoffing at Rein''s remark.

    "So you''ve encountered us before then. See, we''re with the blue squad, so we''re not informed what the green or reds do," she added.

    With a smirk on his face, Rein fiddled with the swords in his hand, flipping them upwards as he caught them back in battle position.

    "I''m assuming you won''t say who hired you? Though, it''s fine. I already know," Reinughed as Chloe also readied herself again.

    "It would make things much easier if we got a confession from them though. Then we''d have all the proof we need," Chloe asserted, Rein, shaking his head in negation.

    "Nah, even if we got them to say it, it would be useless. Let''s just beat them up and save big bro."

    Rein hopped forward with incredible speed, extending the ground under him to elerate, though his movements were significantly slower than usual due to the anklet artifact he wore.

    He crossed his swords over each other and collided with Shuna''s rapier, which stabbed through the 2 swords to block his attack. Rein slid his swords across her de and propelled his own forward, leaving her open to an attack. However, Rein suddenly felt a metal ball bulleting towards him, interrupting his attack as he had to dodge.

    He was very careful not to even be grazed by any attacks, as any slight scratch could multiply itself tenfold due to his hindered defenses.

    Emma, who had shot the previous bullet through her slingshot, charged up for her next attack while Shuna pressured Rein through closebat, leaving him little room to dodge. As the bullet flew towards Rein, a sudden gust of wind walled him off, blocking the zipping metal ball that was aimed at Rein.

    "I''ve got your back Rein. Or front. Whichever one you need," Chloe arrived in front of him, along with a gale of electricity.

    "Thanks," he nodded as he reassumed focus on the one in front of him.

    He shed his swords forwards and sent her flying back, to which he lifted his arms, causing 4 walls to rise around the woman, encasing her in an earthen barrier. Rein then ced his hand on the ground under him and changed his Spring, going to the water Spring he obtained from Sho, filling the capsule of ground with gallons of liquid.

    He held the capsule walls down, feeling ruptures on the inside of the earth walls he erected. The drowning woman on the inside was rumbling the ground, and managed to break through the walls that encased her, emerging the wet ruins of the creation with a fearsome aura that surrounded her, her entire body jittering in vibration.

    "I see, so that''s your Spring," Rein remarked, the woman who he was fighting unable to answer, her mind in a jittery mess.

    Chloe retreated back to Rein''s side, breathing slightly heavily as their 2 opponents also regrouped.

    "Wow, you forced Shuna to activate her Spring? Impressive!" Emmaplimented.

    "He did not force me, I simply wanted to," in a robotic, vibrating voice, Shuna retorted to her partner.

    Rein raised his eyebrows in surprise, impressed that she was still able to talk in that state. It must''ve taken intense mental training to be able to calm the mind in such a state.

    "Well, I guess I should get serious too," Emma smirked as she suddenly put her thumb and middle fingers together, readying them to snap together.

    However, before she could do anything, a sudden tremor was heard from above them, the entirety of the cave beginning to shake vigorously as the ceiling began to descend in a crumbling fashion.

    They all grew fearful expressions as they looked up, panicking as the top of the cavern came falling down on them.

    "Chloe!" Rein yelled, putt his hand out to her, which she took hold of.

    Rein pulled her in close and dug them into a small hole, covering the top over them with a thickyer of earth. The hole was incredibly cramped, barelyrge enough to fit the 2 of them, causing their bodies to be pressed up against each other.

    "H-hey! Couldn''t you have made the hole bigger?!" Chloe screamed as she tried to get her voice over the ear beating sounds of the tremors.

    "Sorry, can''t hear you!" Rein innocently replied, screaming as well, though he could hear her since he had sound resistance.

    The regenerating tremors above them persisted for another 40 seconds, in which time the hole they were in shook around like a buzzing fly, causing their bodies to run against each other in the friction of the trembling earth.

    As the sound and trembling dissipated, Rein punched a hole upwards back to the surface, where he emerged onto a pile of rubble, pulling Chloe up with him. They looked out onto the messy cavern, filled with broken stones and cracked architecture, then looked up into the sky that was shining down on them, the roof of the cavern, along with the maze and the ground above them havingpletely decimated, forming a revine.

    "Those were some noises you were making though. I''ve never heard those from you," Reinughed, looking back at Chloe as her face turned bright red, her mouth trembling as her embarrassment exploded.

    "Y-you could hear that?!"

 Chapter 153 - Gullible

    From above, they heard the sound of burning mes, looking up to see Sho floating down on a cloud of fire, with 2 broken arms. Hended beside the 2 and sat down in fatigue, his legs giving out from overuse and energy loss.

    "Sho? What happened to you?" Chloe worryingly asked.

    "It''s nothing major. Just a couple of bruises," he imed.

    "Bruises? Can you even move?!" Chloe scolded, making Sho look away in shame.

    Rein looked down at Sho with a nk stare, then rolled his neck, loosening the joints.

    "Chloe, take Sho to somewhere safe," Reinmanded as he looked away from the 2, re-asserting his gaze forward.

    "Wh-why..? Are they still..?" Chloe uttered, to which Rein nodded.

    "I-impossible¡­ Nobody should''ve been able to survive that¡­" Sho asserted in disbelief.

    Rein took a deep breath, then put his swords back into his weapon rings.

    "Just leave them to me. I''ll defeat them and make sure your brother and Emria are safe," Rein promised, to which Sho rejected, protesting against him.

    "There''s no way we''d let you fight them alone! That''d be suicid¡ª"

    "No, Sho. Let''s trust him," Chloe decided, picking up the crippled prince of mes.

    "What?! Princess, have you lost your mind?" Sho yelled.

    "Maybe. But I think Rein can do it," she gazed at Rein with an ingenuous smile, Rein grinning a smile of gratitude back at her. "Good luck. Make sure youe back to me, understand?" Chloe sternly ordered, Rein sounding an affirmative breath, closing his eyes certainly.

    Chloe jumped up to the surface, boosting herself and Sho up using the power of wind as they made it to the ground above.

    As they left, Rein heard the rubble crackling in front of him, seeing a hand emerge from the messy ruins, the hand promptly turning into a drill as it dug the rest of the body out.

    A loud breath, almost like they were stuck underwater, was let out as the pink-haired man emerged, pulling up the 2 other women that were also stuck with him. The 2 women were conscious, coughing from the dust that still lingered above.

    "What the hell was that?! That fire prince has a lot to ex¡ª" Jona looked around, eventually stopping his speech as his eyes stopped on Rein, scratching his head in confusion.

    "Hm? Where did your girlfriend go?" Emma asked Rein, who didn''t reply, still stretching his arms and legs.

    "It seems like he means to fight all 3 of us alone, despite not being able to defeat 1 of us in battle. I don''t understand this man''s way of thinking¡­" Shuna concluded as she dusted off her blue clothes.

    Suddenly, Rein let out a loud grunt of satisfaction, finishing his stretches, then reaching down to his ankles. He removed the 2 blue, glowing anklets that were set on his legs, then set them into his inventory. He then sat back up and unbuckled an ufortable-looking belt that was around his waist, one that wasn''t holding up any pants. He also set the brown, glowing belt into his inventory, then resumed his stretches.

    "Man, that feels so much better," Rein yelled with a wide grin from ear to ear stered on his face. "Well then, shall we get started?" He eximed as he summoned his dual swords one more time, readying his battle position confidently.

    "Haha! You really are a fuckin idiot," Jonaughed as he turned his hands into drills. "Fine, I guess I''ll drill you up instead of that prince," he settled.

    "What a foolish way for you to die," Shuna readied her rapier and sighed. "But very well then. If this is the way you want to go, then I''ve got no objections."

    "I don''t really understand it, but okay. Though, I kind of wanted to y with that wind princess a little bit more," Emma yfullyughed, mocking the strength of her opponent in the process.

    Suddenly, Jona and Shuna rushed forwards, Jona activating his drills into maximum output, and Shuna jittering her rapier vigorously, pointing it at Rein in an undodgeable fury. Emma followed behind the 2, sending out a bolting bullet of metal at Rein, who simply stood there, unphased.

    "You''re dead!" Jona roared, thrusting his drill straight into Rein''s chest, gallons of blood spewing out from the impact.

    "Hehehe¡­ HAHAHAHA!" Jonaughed as he took the drill out from his chest, hearing squirms of pain. "That''ll do it. Now, do you know your ¡ª" Jona''s voice stopped as soon as heid eyes on the body in front of him, his pupils shrinking in fear, and his body beginning to tremble in horror.

    "Jona¡­ Why¡­" The yellow-haired woman standing in front of him had a drill sized hole in her chest, her mouth spewing blood as she dropped dead on the ground.

    "Shuna?! Shuna!" Jona picked her up in his arms, her scarlet red blood still on his hands. "Why¡­" Jona''s tears fell on the corpse in his arms.

    He let out an excruciating scream, echoing through the entire city in an agonizing reverb. Emma stared at the scene unfolding in front of her in terror, feeling like there was a stone stuck in her throat, unable to move an inch.

    "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Jona wept intensely, hugging Shuna''s cadaver. "I coulda swore that I was attacking the kid¡­ SO WHAT HAPPENED?!"

    "Jona¡­ How could you¡­" Emma uttered in disbelief, Jona looking back at her innocently.

    "Wait, no¡­ I didn''t mean for this to¡ª" as Jona looked at Emma, he suddenly saw a ck de shove through her throat, her eyes losing life as she also flopped to the ground, seeing a ck-haired man standing behind her, an intimidating red gaze in his eyes.

    "You''re really susceptible to illusions, huh?" Rein eximed as he approached Jona. "You shoul''ve trained your mind, you gullible brick," Rein kicked Jona in the stomach, making him spit out blood.

    "H-how¡­ Did you¡­" Jona struggled.

    "Shhh¡­" Rein put his finger on his mouth. "You''re now going to tell me everything, got it?"

 Chapter 154 - Confronting Your Past

    "Rein, I got him out! He said he can help yo¡ª" Emria eximed as she and Zane exited the cell, seeing the hallway that lead out to the cavern blocked by a pile of rubble.

    "So that''s what that loud sound was¡­" Zane put his hand on the rubble.

    "Oh¡­" Emria said discouragingly. "Will we need to find another way out?" She inquired.

    "No, I''ve got this. Stand back," Zanemanded.

    Emria walked back and stood a safe distance away from Zane, who was taking deep, steady breaths, closing his eyes, entering a serene state of mind. He then opened his eyes suddenly and put his hands out, releasing a burst of raging wind at the pile of rubble blocking their way. This sent the rubble flying away, carving out arge hole in the entrance of the hallway, allowing them to escape through it.

    As Zane calmed down, he heard pping emerging from behind him, Emria apuding him for his showing.

    "That was cool!" She eximed enthusiastically. "But if you''re that powerful, why didn''t you just bust yourself out?" She curiously asked.

    "Those handcuffs had Spring weakening properties," he exined as he walked out into the sunlight of the roofless cave. "That''s why I was only able to send small gusts of wind through the vents," he said as he put his hand on his forehead, blocking the beaming light of the bright sun, which he had missed for weeks.

    "I think Rein''s on top of the rubble," Emria joined him outside. "You promised you''d keep your cool, right?" Emria made sure, to which Zane nodded as he picked her up and jumped out from the hole onto theyer of broken stones and dirt.

    As Zane set Emria down, he looked out into the vast cavern seeing a ck-haired man standing in the distance, with the corpses of 3 others resting scattered around him. The ck hair he saw suddenly changed to white as Emria ran towards it.

    "Rein!" She yelled, catching his attention, turning around in aughing mood.

    "Hey, looks like you got big bro out of there," Rein remarked as Emria rushed in to hug him.

    "Yep, I helped big bro escape," she repeated, to which Reinughed, finding it funny that she also called him ''big bro''.

    Rein''sugh faded away as he looked back up, adopting a stern expression as his eyesnded on Zane, who was walking towards the 2 reluctantly. As the 2 gazed at each other, no words were exchanged for a while, simply staring at one another intently.

    "So then, it was you under that metal mask back then," Zane broke the silence, no motion being made by either of them. "And you can change your hair color it seems. So, you''ve been right under my nose this entire time¡­" He continued, Rein not reacting to any of the words he said.

    The silence grew again, a long, nervewracking pause in the conversation, to which Emria was listening intently. Once again, Zane grit his teeth, then broke the silence, beginning to lose his cool in the situation.

    "You''re just gonna stay silent again?! Exin yourself!" He cried out, again, Rein staying silent.

    Zane''s hands began trembling further as he diverted his gaze off of Rein, looking down at the ground in contempt. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, and in a painful deliberation, he spoke.

    "I''m sorry¡­"

    Those words finally induced a reaction in Rein, making him raise his eyebrow in surprise.

    "So then, Emria told you the truth?" Rein finally spoke, Zane looking back up and nodding in affirmation.

    "Yes, mostly¡­"

    "So you know that it wasn''t me, right? And you know the true culprit behind this case, don''t you?" Rein assured.

    "Yes¡­"

    "Good. Then let''s go meet up with Chloe," Rein directed as he jumped up to the surface, holding Emria in his arms as Zane followed.

    As theynded in the cemetery on the outskirts of the crater, they saw Chloe, along with the Econican prince, who was resting on the ground, his arms broken. She sat there with a look of worry stered across her visage, which was reced with an expression of jubtion as the 3 emerged from inside the hole, immediately perking up and running to hug her brother.

    "Brother! I''m so d you''re okay¡­" She cried, Zane hugging her back, smiling warmly.

    "Thanks for worrying about me Chloe. And I formally thank all of you for saving me," as Zane broke away from the hug, he bowed his head down to Rein and Emria in gratitude, then walked over to Sho''s side.

    "Heh, it looks like your face is as smug as ever, bagpipe," Sho snarked wearily as Zane walked to his side.

    "I could say the same to you, arson," he retorted, smiling at him. "But really though, thank you, Sho Econ," Zane bowed down, to which Sho blushed and looked away.

    "Y-you know I''m not good at taking gratitude, you bastard," he feebly grunted as the rest of the groupughed.

    "Look! You made Sho go all tsundere mode," Emria pointed out whileughing, furthering the helpless man''s anger.

    However, theirughter was cut short by a sudden sound to their side, a voice that yelled out to them in hostility.

    "Freeze! In the name of the King!" An army of soldiers suddenly appeared in front of them, beginning to encroach around the group to surround them.

    The leader of the army, a muscr ck-haired man with scars on his face, emerged from the crowd, holding his one-handed great sword out intimidatingly.

    "Artus!" Zane growled as he readied himself for battle, staring intensely at his former knight.

    Artus shook his head in disappointment as if the prince had done something he shouldn''t have.

    "Your actions truly sadden me, your highness. And you as well my princess," Artus expressed, his eyes closed firmly. "You could have peacefully remained in custody, and I wouldn''t have to do this," he opened his eyes and released a wave of intimidation from his sheer aura, making everyone but Rein sweat nervously.. "However, now, you''ve forced my hand. I apologize for what''s about to happen¡­"

 Chapter 155 - Met Conditions

    Rein suddenly stepped forward, standing in front of Chloe and Zane, staring intently into the prince''s former knight. The knight stared back keenly, furrowing his eyebrows at the seemingly familiar boy that stood in front of him. Suddenly, shock covered his face as he recalled.

    "You! You''re the boy from that day!" He eximed, pointing his sword at Rein in reaction.

    "I sure am. Time hasn''t treated you well, royal knight," Rein insulted. "Are those grey hairs I see?" Heughed, the knight ignoring his remarks.

    "My prince and princess, how could you be coborating with this criminal?!" Artus yelled, losing his cool as he also noticed the other person lying on the floor behind them. "And is that¡­ The prince of Econica as well!? What sort of treacherous endeavors are you 2 plotting?!" He used.

    "That''s very funnying from you, Artus. You were meant to be my brother''s guard and most trusted knight. But his trust was repaid with a knife in the back," Chloe remarked angrily, Artus giving no reaction to her words, seeming as though he had already steeled himself to the fact that he''d betrayed Zane.

    "Artus, I don''t know what kind of things my father and step-mother are nning, or if my father is even involved," Zane stepped forward in front of Rein, taking responsibility for the situation. "But my eyes have been open. If they keep doing things that will hurt the overall well-being of the continent, then I have no choice but to oppose them," Zane dered, his im enraging Artus, along with the rest of the army.

    "Your highness¡­ You insolent fool! You mustn''t oppose the nation! And it seems that I must teach you that myself," Artus angrily roared, throwing his sword above the group, then suddenly appearing above them, catching his sword mid-air as he propelled downwards in shing form.

    Suddenly, Rein''s senses twitched, a condition that he''d been waiting for having been met. Without any hesitation, Rein swiftly pulled each person into his arms, along with Sho who was on the ground, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes in focus.

    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing?!" Zane screamed at Rein, who was holding him immobile. "We can''t dodge like this!" He pointed at the imminent, falling knight that was threatening them from above, Rein not letting his screams distract him.

    He suddenly opened his eyes fiercely, letting out a powerful grunt as he locked on to the target, all of them promptly vanishing into thin air, Artus recoiling in surprise as hended on the now empty ground under him.

    "They vanished?! Soldiers, in which direction did they go?!" Artus looked around him to his soldiers, each one of them having the same bewildered expression as thest, none of them having a single inkling as to where the group disappeared to. "This is uneptable! How could we have failed a mission like this!"

    ***************************************************************

    Somewhere unknown in the continent¡­

    The same day that Rein and the group went to save Zane, Clyde and Xenia also took amission, one that took them to the Lakeside town of Tura in the ex-Econican region.

    Themission outlined the need for support from 2 B rank Rangers. While Xenia was not B rank, Clyde was S rank, which more than made up for theck of ranks in the party.

    The mission was a mental one, one that required a high level of deductive reasoning. It followed a series of faulty trades made with a market in the city that sold used goods for the needy. The market would take donated goods at a certain price, and resell them to the people in need at a discounted price.

    However, this phnthropic business was being taken advantage of by a certain unknown party, one that would sell fake, counterfeit items as the real thing and pass them off as the real thing.

    That was all the mission was detailing, and Clyde and Xenia had just arrived at the town of Tura to begin their investigation.

    Xenia sighed a breath of relief as the town came into view, letting out some of the fatigue she had after they hadn''t bought a carriage and opted to walk there instead.

    "Ahh, we''re finally here¡­ Who knew walking could be so tiring," she dejectedly remarked, putting her head down in fatigue as she continued to walk by Clyde''s side, who was seemingly unaffected by the long hike.

    "It was you who insisted that we take the ''scenic route''," Clyde retorted. "You have only yourself to me," he said, making Xenia''s dejected motion grow even wearier.

    "I knoooww," She sighed longly. "I just thought it would be fun if the 2 of us went on a walk," she blushed, Clyde trying his best to resist looking at her face.

    Suddenly, Clyde recalled what Rein had told him on their way back from Aj''ess. That if he purposefully ignored Xenia''s feelings, it would onlye back to hurt him, and her in the end. Eventually, he shook off the thought, Xenia raising her eyebrow as to why he was shaking his head furiously.

    "Clyde?" She sounded, snapping him back into reality.

    "O-oh, yes. I''m okay," he replied, thinking of something to talk about to change the subject as they approached the cities entrance. "Uhh- um¡­ How about that ring on your finger, Xenia? Have you been feeling anything of note thus far? You have been wearing it for a month after all," he expertly changed the flow of the conversation, making her raise her hand up to her face and look at the ring closely.

    "Hm? This thing? No, not really," she said with an inclined tone to her voice. "Even when it gets a little loose or when it loses contact with my finger for a bit, I still feel its effects. All in all, I give it 5 stars out of 5!" She eximed in satisfaction, proudly showing it off to Clyde, both of them staring at it intently as they stood at the front gate of the city of Tura.

    However, interrupting their peaceful stroll was the sudden appearance of a group of 5 people, Rein being the main party among them as they mysteriously and abruptlynded between the 2.

 Chapter 156 - The Misty Lakeside City, Tura

    A soft rustle emerged as theynded from their teleportation, all of them, with the exception of Rein,nding on their bottoms.

    "Yo. Sorry to interrupt your date," Rein greeted casually as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

    "Wh-wha?! How did you get here?!" Xenia yelled out as she jumped back in surprise, to which Reinughed innocently.

    "Haha, thanks for looking at that ring for so long. It gave us the perfect opportunity to escape," Rein pointed to the ring on her finger, to which she tilted her head in confusion while staring at the ring, then remembered that he''d done the same thing before.

    "I wish you''d given us a warni¡ª" Xenia scoffed, her speech suddenly interrupted as she saw the group he came with, with Sho lying there, half-dead on the ground. "Oh my goodness! What happened to Sho?" She asked in concern.

    "It looks like both his arms are broken¡­" Clyde analyzed, ducking down to the immobile prince. "The foe you were facing must have been incredibly powerful," Clyde surmised as he stood back up.

    "We really need to get him in stable condition as soon as possible," Chloe asserted as she got up on her feet.

    "Right, we''re currently at the gates of Tura. There should be a suitable hospital within the city," Clyde informed, to which the group nodded, opening the gates of the city as Rein carried Sho on his back.

    As the gates slowly inched open, so did the sunlight that was being blocked by the wall they stood under, as they entered the quiet, serene, and peacefulkeside town of Tura. As they looked around the enchanting atmosphere, many shops and buildings of note could be seen in the scenic town, yet it didn''t feel noisy or busy. In fact, it was the opposite. The town exuded a sense of calmness, which is contrary to what arge city such as this would normally exude.

    Perhaps the source of that tranquility was to their left, a breathtakingly beautifulke, the clear water that formed ripples through the wind, and the soft crashes of the minuscule waves caressing the edges of the shore,posing a soothing melody that rung through everybody''s senses.

    But all of that would have to wait. At that moment, their entrance caused quite a stir within the not-so-dense crowds in the city square. With no time to enjoy the cities pleasantries, they wandered around the grounds, asking the townsfolk for directions to a hospital or a medical institute. Eventually, they were pointed towards a small inn in the southwest end of the city, by theke.

    Without hesitation, the group made their way there, arriving at the small, cozy-lookingkeside inn. They knocked on the old-looking wooden door, not even 3 secondster did someone answer, an earnest-looking young man who met them with a smile.

    "Granny! We have visitors!" He yelled back into the building.

    The man weed the group into the inn and they all sat in the main lobby as Rein carried Sho to one of the rooms, shortly followed by an old woman, one that looked quite healthy for her age. Her hair was fully grey, with wrinkled skin, however, her posture suggested that she was 20 years younger than she was, as she entered the room with several medical tools.

    "Well, it looks like my patient today is our very own prince Sho Econ," the old woman remarked as she set her tools down and faced Sho, who had just awoken from his unconscious state, along with Rein who was sitting beside his bed.

    "Yes¡­" Sho wearily uttered with a look of shame creased into his face. "If you have any problem with treating me, please do not force yourself," he apologized with grace, a guilty pitch to his weak voice.

    "Please, raise your head, your highness. I''ve nothing against you or your father, his majesty the Emperor," the old woman smiled at him warmly, to which he raised his head. "I''m sorry, you must be his friend, right?" The woman turned her gaze to Rein.

    "Oh, I guess you want me to leave the room," Rein stood up and walked towards the door. "Take good care of him," Rein remarked as he stepped out of the room, leaving Sho with a sense of fulfillment as Rein prayed for his wellbeing.

    As he walked back through the clean, well-kept hallways of the inn, he eventually made it back to the main lobby, where he saw Emria, Chloe, and Zane all sitting there, with Xenia and Clyde nowhere to be seen.

    Rein darted his eyes around the room, then looked at the others with a glint of confusion.

    "Did the other 2 go to fulfill their request?" Rein posed, havinge to that conclusion after looking around the room.

    "Yeah, they left just a little bit ago. Is Sho okay?" Chloe queried in worry as Emria and Zane stayed silent, with troubled expressions written on both of their faces.

    "Yeah, Sho''s fine. He actually just woke up," Rein assured as Chloe gave a sigh of relief, Rein finally noticing the turmoiled looks on the 2 green-haired people in the room. "What''s up you 2? Got something to say?" Rein brought up, which surprised the both of them, snapping them out of a trance.

    "O-oh¡­ No, it''s nothing¡ª" Emria feigned as she was interrupted by Zane.

    "Rein Xilris, right? We haven''t really been introduced yet. I''d like to talk," he proposed, standing up from his seat and looking at Rein in the eyes.

    "Sure thing. Sorry Chloe, Emria, but we''ll be going somewhere else for a bit," Rein informed.

    "No¡­ Actually, I want the 2 of them to hear this," Zane put down as he turned his head to the girls still sitting down, then back to the counter, where the young man who greeted them sat.

    "Sir, would it be okay if we used one of the unupied rooms?" Sho requested, to which the man nodded.

    "Of course. And free of charge too!"

    "Oh no, I couldn''t possibly," Rein insisted, to which the man shook his head.

    "I couldn''t possibly charge someone for temporarily using a room, especially upstanding people like yourselves. Please, take the offer¡­"

 Chapter 157 - Discussion With Siblings

    The 4 entered one of the rooms in the inn. It was a regr-looking room, fairly small with a bed and a coat rack. There were also 2 chairs in the corner of the room, one of which Rein sat on, and the other, Zane. Chloe and Emria sat on the medium-sized bed in the middle of the room, readying themselves to attentively listen.

    "So, was there a reason you wanted Emria and Chloe toe too?" Rein brought up before they began any discussion. "If you wanted to talk to me privately, this isn''t very effective," he jokinglyughed.

    "The truth is, I wanted both of them to hear what I have to say," Zane informed, to which Rein raised an eyebrow.

    "Both of them? But you only just met Emria¡­" Rein uttered as Zane looked down in unease, followed by the same motion from Emria, who was stiffly sat straight next to Chloe.

    "First, I want to formally apologize for what happened 6 years ago," Zane lowered his head even further than it was before. "If I understand correctly, it was actually the Orthlys soldiers who attacked the town and framed Econica. As the future ruler of thend you were born in, I apologize to you and the people of Lifah," he sincerely poured his heart out, trembling as he awaited a response from Rein.

    "Back then, I was the one who wasn''t thinking straight, and had I taken the time to exin the situation, a lot of things could''ve been avoided¡­" Rein said, to which Zane shook his head.

    "No. Artus has been in partnership with the attackers all along. He was the one who manipted me into giving a statement, and also the one who was feeding me lies. Anything you''d have told me back then, I wouldn''t have believed it," Zane stated, to which Rein wore a wrinkled expression, but let out a sigh of serenity, calming himself down as his face remolded into a tranquil state.

    "Ok then. What next?" Rein said.

    "..." Zane looked at him with a gaze of apologetess, then also sighed. "Next is¡ª"

    "Wait," Emria interrupted, making Zane go silent, along with Rein, their attention turning to her. "Let me tell them," Emria insisted, to which Zane furrowed his eyebrows in seriousness, then nodded sternly.

    "Tell them? Is it something I need to know too?" Chloe brought up, to which Emria nodded.

    "Yes. Both of you need to hear this," she assured. "Hey, Rein. You remember my mother, right?" She asked.

    "Of course. Granny Yaku was always friendly to me and treated everyone with kindness. I could never forget her," Rein remarked.

    "Yes, my mother really was amazing. So do you think she would ever have an affair with a man other than the one she loved?" Emria unexpectedly asked, startling Rein and Chloe as the question caught them off guard.

    "Huh? But, I don''t even know your father¡­ And you said that granny Yaku never talked about it either," Rein voiced, a confused hint in his voice as Chloe also sat there, bewildered.

    "... You remember how my mother looked when she came to the vige, right?"

    "Yeah? A green-haired woman suddenly appeared from the northeast part of the continent. She looked tired and was pregnant. Leona took her to the vige and we helped her out, and eventually, she gave birth to you, Emria," Rein recalled, to which Emria nodded, and Chloe''s face suddenly dawned to a realization.

    "W-wait¡­ That story¡­" Chloe uttered in disbelief, Zane looking away in guilt.

    "That''s right, Chloe. It sounds familiar, doesn''t it?" Emria''s usually joyful voice was nowpletely drowned out by a serious one.

    "The reason my mother was brought over from Draconica¡­ Was because the previous queen had an affair with a royal guard¡­" Chloe began to recollect her thoughts, and as she spoke, Rein began making the connections. "Brother, that was your mother¡­ and considering the timing, was she also your mother?" Chloe asked Emria, as the question was posed, the air in the room dampened as Rein broke out into a cold sweat.

    Emria nodded with her eyes closed in sincerity, Zane sitting in his seat quietly.

    "Yes. I''m the illegitimate child of the queen from 10 years ago. My mother was also Prince Zane''s mother, making him my older brother," she revealed, widening Rein''s eyes in shock, though he had already made the connection before she had said it.

    The gaped mouths and shocked expressions lingered in the room for an elongated period, the silence weighing down on Emria and Zane, making them grow nervous. After Rein had collected his thoughts, he closed his mouth a released yet another breath of relief.

    "I see. That is a pretty important revtion," Rein said out loud, to which Emria and Zane propped their heads to him in attentiveness.

    "You''re not mad?" Emria asked, making Rein break out intoughter.

    "Why would I be mad?" He asked while chuckling, his humor making Chloe also lighten up, then scoff lightly.

    "Yeah, this means that we''re sisters! Very distantly, but still!" Chloe hugged her, to which Emria happily giggled.

    "We don''t actually share a single drop of blood, but okay!" Emria happily agreed to her statement as Zane scoffed, then noticed Rein looking at him, smiling, slightly confusing him.

    "Well, anyways, if that''s the case, there''s a clear discrepancy in these series of events," Rein broke eye contact with Zane, then spoke.

    "Yeah. Some things don''t add up," Chloe resumed a serious expression as she and Emria broke away from their hug.

    "Firstly, the reason your anger was ented that day, Zane. It was because you saw your mother among the dead bodies, is that correct?" Rein posed, to which Zane affirmed.

    "I see.. Well, I can''t me you," Rein remarked as he put his fingers on his chin in a thinking position. "Secondly, the story the king gave to banish the royal guard along with the queen, that also seems to be aplete lie¡­"

 Chapter 158 - Gather

    "A lie? What do you mean by that? My father deceived his people?" Chloe outspoke as Rein made the im.

    "Well, maybe saying the king himself lied isn''t right. He was most likely made to believe a false scenario, one set up by the true culprit," Rein exined, to which Zane nodded his head.

    "Yes¡­ It definitely was not the royal guard, that''s for certain," he concurred.

    "Right, because if it was, I would''ve had an earth-based Spring," Emria added.

    "I see¡­ But then, who''s the culprit? Don''t tell me it''s her again¡­" Chloe uttered, with rage welling up in her voice.

    "It most likely is. And it was for the same reason that she got rid of your mother. She wanted to take the throne for herself, but she didn''t know that the king already had another child in anothernd," Rein exined. "So when Emria''s mother was banished, and he brought your mother over from Draconica, that was not in my aunt''s n," Rein described.

    With that, the atmosphere of the room dampened as Chloe''s hatred grew, and Emria''s saddened expression lingered.

    "Hold on, you said your aunt? I thought you looked like her¡­" Zane pointed out, reminding Rein that he hadn''t told him yet.

    "Oh, yeah. There''s no point in hiding it from you. Yes, Melina Alister is my aunt. My name is Rein Alister," Rein revealed, to which Zane was speechless, with a gaped expression as he looked at Rein.

    "Calm down. My name and my family mean nothing now. Melina Alister is my enemy, and that''s all there is to it," Rein calmly spoke, the calmest he''d ever been when talking about his aunt.

    "You make it sound so simple¡­ But is that really the case?" Zane asked, Rein instantly responding, with no hesitation.

    "Yes. It''s that simple."

    There was a moment of silence in the room when Emria finally spoke out, with a question for Rein.

    "Hey, Rein. I know you probably don''t know the answer to this, but why do you think your aunt became the queen? Was that her final goal in starting this war, or is there more?" Emria posed, which evoked thought in both Zane and Chloe.

    "Yeah, that''s right. I''ve been wondering about that," Chloe joined in. "If her ultimate goal was to be queen, she would''ve stopped there, right? So why is she continuing?" She posed as Rein stood from his seat.

    "Again, that''s simple," Rein remarked as he began walking towards the door. "It''s because bing queen is just a prerequisite," he dropped as he opened the door and walked out, leaving everyone in the room bewildered as they followed him outside, the sun beginning to set over the horizon on this long day.

    "Wait, what do you mean by that?" Zane asked as he caught of to him.

    "Not too sure myself. It''s just obvious that bing queen isn''t her end goal," Rein exined, which didn''t satisfy Zane.

    "Hey, wait a minute, you know more about this don''t yo¡ª"

    "Brother," Chloe interrupted him. "Don''t pry into it. If Rein withheld that information, it was for a good reason," she stated, her blinding trust for Rein eminent.

    The group walked back to Sho''s room, through the main lobby and down the hall, thest room at the end of the corridor. As they entered the room, they saw the conscious Sho sitting up on the bed, reading a book without a care in the world, with the olddy, who was his doctor, nowhere to be seen.

    "Yo. You''re looking as healthy as ever," Rein said as he held his hand up in greeting.

    "Yes, I''m feeling well now. Even the doctor said all I needed was a bit of rest after she treated me," Sho greeted back, moving his arms around, stretching them as they were no longer broken.

    "Great. You think you''ve got enough energy to get back to Almes?" Rein posed, which made the other 3 behind him perk up.

    "To Almes? Why? Are we going back home now?" Emria questioned, everyone else also wanting to know the answer.

    "Yeah. Think you can make it back, Sho?" Rein asked again, to which Sho nodded affirmatively.

    "Yeah, pretty easily too. We can leave whenever."

    "Perfect," Rein swung his arm in a forward motion as he exited the room, indicating for the group to follow him.

    They walked out into the orangend under the sunset sky, emerging from out of the city, out to the front gate of the town.

    "Alright, directly northeast from here is Almes. Chloe, you hold Emria," Reinmanded, which perplexed the stretching girl, interrupting her warm-up.

    "Me? What about you?" Chloe posed with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m staying here for now and helping Clyde and Xenia with their quest," Rein revealed. "I want everyone gathered at the gulf as soon as possible. I want to hold a meeting, a very important one. So I want you guys to go on ahead first. I''ll join you tomorrow after we''re done with the quest," he ordered them, which made Emria uneasy, frowning at him with a lonely expression, which Rein noticed.

    "Heh, don''t look at me like that Emria. It''s only for half a day," Rein patted her on the head, which didn''t get rid of the turmoiled expression she wore.

    "It''s not that¡­" She furrowed her eyebrows at him, which made him turn his head in confusion.

    She let out a sigh, then shook her head.

    "Nevermind. Juste home quick, k? Saphy might also be getting lonely," Emria instructed, making Rein chuckle.

    "Sure thing. But I think Chloe here will be the most lonely of all," Rein joked, making the girl blush profusely, and making Zane look at the 2 with a suspicious eye, his brotherly senses tingling for some unknown reason.

    "Anyways, we''ll be going now. Help Clyde and Xenia and get back here," Sho faithfully remarked as they all departed, Rein waving at them as they ran into the distance, his smile fading away as they were out of sight.

    "Now then, let''s make this quick¡­"

 Chapter 159 - Sudden Shiver

    Xenia and Clyde had just exited the second-hand market, the one outlined by the request, both of them, but especially Xenia, having a dejected expression on their faces. She let out a downcast sigh, her head dropping down as she discouragedly spoke.

    "We really have to wait for the next morning to bust this guy, huh?" She wallowed in her boredom out loud, hoping that Clyde would say something to lift her spirits, or that he had a n to solve their dilemma.

    "Yes. And even then, it''s not a guarantee that we will even catch the culprit," his words dampened her mood even further, to which he was oblivious. "This quest may take well over a day tople¡ª"

    "Okay okay! I get it!" She interrupted in a hasty manner, wanting to live in ignorant bliss as she let out another grunt. "Why did we even take this quest¡­"

    "Again, it was your idea," Clyde remarked, which angered her, but as she was about to retort, they heard familiarughter approaching them.

    "Seems like you 2 are having some trouble, huh?"

    "Rein! Listen to this, Clyde says this mission''s gonna take us longer than a day!" Xeniained to Rein, to which heughed again, scoffing at her remark.

    "No way. That''s way too long," Rein brushed her im away. "Let me help you guys. We''ll be home by tomorrow morning," Rein guaranteed, to which Xenia''s face lit up with jubtion.

    "What about Chloe and the others? And I assume you seeded in your mission to save her brother?" Clyde posed, to which Rein nodded.

    "Yeah. And the 4 of them left for the gulf. I want everyone to gather there for tomorrow. I''ve got something important to tell everyone," Rein answered, which piqued Clyde and Xenia''s interest.

    "What is it? You can tell us now, no?" Xenia impatiently rushed.

    "No no, everyone has to be gathered. Besides, why should I spoil the surprise?" Rein teased, which slightly annoyed Xenia, as well as Clyde, though he didn''t let it show.

    "Anyhow, if you''re going to help us with our quest, we should brief you on our situation," Clyde returned to the subject at hand. "It''s toote to continue for today, we should get a couple of rooms and then talk," he suggested, to which Rein concurred, pointing to the inn that nursed Sho to health.

    "They''ve got some nice rooms in there, and the staff''s especially friendly. I''ll pay, so let''s go," Rein began walking towards the inn, leaving Clyde and Xenia standing in front of the market from the request.

    "Well, we should follow him," Clyde started towards the inn when he suddenly felt a tug on the back of his sleeve. "Hm?" He turned around to see the hazel-haired girl pulling him back with a distressed look on her face, not saying anything as he stopped in his tracks.

    "What''s wrong?" Clyde furrowed his eyebrows and asked sternly.

    Xenia''s face trembled slightly as the diforted look lingered on her face, her grip on Clyde''s shirt tightening, her skin as pale as a ghost. Rein stopped in front of the inn''s entrance and looked back at the 2, seeing the scene unfold from a distance, watching it carefully with a concerned gaze.

    "What''s got you so troubled?" Clyde attentive asked in a gentle tone of voice.

    "I-I don''t know¡­ It''s just that I suddenly¡­ Started trembling¡­" She uttered in a shaky voice, her shivering continuing as she crumpled Clyde''s shirt.

    Clyde felt her trembling bolster, bing more agitated as time went on. He suddenly felt the urge to hold the girl in his arms andfort her, his hands beginning to move on their own as they approached Xenia''s face, about to caress her head to support her and to pull her closer so she could lean on him. However, his approaching arm suddenly stopped in its tracks, and it fell back down to Clyde''s side, not moving an inch from where it started.

    "Let''s get to the inn. If you''re feeling tired, you can rest there," he coldly remarked as he began walking in Rein''s direction, her, now coldly sweating hand, still grabbed onto his shirt.

    Her chest expanded as she took a breath in shock, a distraught, lonely expression appearing on her face as Clyde walked away. It was quickly reced with a mncholy stare into the ground as she ced her hand on her heart in pain. Rein, with a concerned eye, looked at the scene unfolding, waiting at the entrance to the inn for the 2 to arrive. As they did, however, Rein opened the door for them and let them past.

    "Sorry we took so long Rein," Clyde apologized as he passed Rein through the door, Rein giving him a nk stare as he entered the inn, then furrowed his eyebrows at the shivering Xenia who was closely following Clyde.

    He kept the concern at the back of his head as he followed the 2, Clyde having Xenia sit down while Rein booked the rooms.

    The young man at the counter once again offered him to stay for free, however, Rein politely declined, opting to meet him halfway and pay for 2 discounted rooms. One for Rein and Clyde, and the other for Xenia.

    Rein approached the 2 in the seats with both room keys, handing one to Clyde.

    "That''s Xenia''s room. Take her there and let her rest. Meet me back in our room after you''re done," Rein ordered, to which Clyde nodded, then suddenly feeling Xenia''s shivering cease as she released her hand from his apparel.

    "Huh? I''m fine now?" Xenia closed and opened her fist in confusion, not knowing what had just happened to her.

    "Xenia? You''re okay now?" Rein asked in concern, Clyde still looking away from the girl as she returned to her senses.

    "Yeah, I''m good now," she nodded in confirmation, turning her head to Clyde. "Thanks for letting me hold on to you, Clyde," she bowed down, which Clyde gave no reaction to.

    "It was no issue. Since you are recovered, you should join us in our discussion¡­"

 Chapter 160 - Ill Take Care Of It

    The group entered one of the rooms, and Clyde exined the situation to Rein, with Xenia listening in.

    "To put it simply, there''s a thief who''s stealing from the second-hand market," Clyde informed.

    "A thief huh? Doesn''t sound like a hard case to crack," Rein remarked.

    "Yes, I thought so too at first¡­ but apparently his methods are far moreplicated than we thought," Clyde said, which piqued Rein''s interest.

    "How so?"

    "How the second-hand store works is that you turn in your unused goods for a certain amount of money, and the market gives them away to the needy," Clyde began exining. "This person uses their Spring to disguise some items as real and sells them to the store. It''s impossible to tell real from fake, and he sends a different person each time," he finished his retelling of the situation as Rein took in all of the information.

    "I see¡­ That is pretty troubling," Rein thought out loud. "For anyone except me, of course," he added, which lit a smile in both Clyde and Xenia''s faces.

    "Really? You think you can catch it in the act tomorrow?" Xenia proactively jumped up, Rein smiling and nodding in affirmation. "That''s what I''m talking about! Thanks, Rein," she cheered.

    "I would expect nothing less. We''d be in trouble if it weren''t for you," Clydeplimented, putting his hand on Rein''s shoulder in a gratuitous gesture.

    "You guys can head back to the gulf if you want. I''ll be fine on my own here," Rein offered, which excited Xenia once again.

    "Really!? You''d do that?!" She asked in a surprised tone.

    "Yeah. No offense, but there''s really no point in you guys being here," Rein remarked. "To be honest, you''d kinda get in my way," he jokinglyughed, however, there was some seriousness to his words.

    "I know you said no offense, but that kinda pissed me off," Xenia stated with a bewildered smile. "But okay, if that''s how it is, I''m going back home!" Xenia eximed.

    The group exited the inn, and Rein walked the 2 to the path to Almes, which held the teleporter that instantly lead back to the Hasbin gulf. Xenia readied her supplies, and was ready to depart, standing on the path as she waited for Clyde.

    "Hurry up, Clyde!" She yelled, to which Clyde looked down in shame.

    "I think I''ll stay with Rein," Clyde said, which instantly brought Xenia''s mood down, overriding her excitement with loneliness and sorrow.

    "Huh..? Why..?" She uttered.

    "Well, this is ourmission. It wouldn''t be right if we just left it all to Rein," he ufortably spoke.

    "..."

    "I''m sorry Xenia, but I''ll be stayi¡ª"

    "Fine. Stay then. Like I care," she coldly cut him off, gazing at him with an icy re as she turned around and began walking on the path.

    "..." Clyde stood there, speechless as he watched her leave, gritting his teeth painfully, Rein shaking his head beside him.

    Suddenly, he felt a forceful punch ram him on the side of the head, making him fly down to the ground swiftly. The grass shuffled as he impacted between it, the sound of the impact making Xenia turn back around. Clyde looked up, seeing Rein''s clenched fist floating where his head used to be, with an angered expression on his face. Rein reached down to Clyde and lifted him by the cor.

    "Doesn''t this scene feel familiar? Remember when you did this to me?" Rein spoke as he held Clyde up to his face.

    "..." Clyde stayed silent with his teeth grit.

    "You''re going with her whether you like it or not."

    "It''s okay Rein. If he doesn''t want toe, he doesn''t have to. I can defend myself," Xenia interjected, defending Clyde, which bewildered him.

    "That may be true, but what if you start feeling anemic again?" Rein reminded, which made Xenia go silent, having no retort. "Clyde, you''re going and that''s final, you understand?" Rein let go of his cor, dropping him back on the ground as he coughed to regain his breath, Xenia rushing to his side to check if he''s okay.

    "The roads are dangerous at night. Both of you be careful," Rein left them with those words as he entered back into the city, getting out of sight from the 2 standing outside the gate of the town.

    "Are you okay Clyde? Can you breathe okay?" She made sure with a concerned gaze in her eyes as Clyde ran his fingers on his neck, still coughing slightly from the tight hold Rein had him in.

    "I''m fine¡­" He said, followed by another cough.

    "Oh, thank goodness¡­" She let out a sigh of relief.

    Clyde looked at the worried girl with a confused and guilty expression, feeling bad for the words he said to her earlier.

    "Well, we should get going," she helped him up, clearly no grudge held against him, which further perplexed Clyde, though he didn''t know how to react in that situation.

    The 2 began their way to the Almes teleporter, with a slightly awkward air between them as they walked into the darkness of the night.

    Rein returned to the room he booked and checked in for the night, flopping down on his bed from an extremely tiresome day.

    "Menu," he uttered, which, as usual, opened his system menu.

    He checked the skills and experience he received from the 3 guards that he defeated in front of Zane''s cell.

    [1 New Skill!]

    "Huh? One skill? But I killed 3 of them?" Rein thought, to which Versys chimed in.

    "It looks like all 3 killsbined to form 1 skill. Even I didn''t know that could happen," Versys exined as Rein checked what the skill was.

    Mystic Skill - Sharpened Attacks [I]: Attacks have a small chance to ignore armor and buffs gained from Springs afflicted on the opponent. If this effect activates, the enemy''s defense is also halved

    "Holy shit, now that''s a good skill.. And it has a [I] beside it, so it can probably level up. Interesting¡­"

 Chapter 161 - Intertwined Fates

    [Level Up!]

    Level: 135 ¡ú 140

    Exp: 325 000/ 400 000

    Health: 2850 ¡ú 3000

    Energy: 1425 ¡ú 1500

    Speed: 403.2 ¡ú 422.5

    Strength: 434.6 ¡ú 453.9

    Defense: 359.4 ¡ú 370.1

    Intellect: 324.1¡ú342.3

    [Skills]

    (Passives)

    Significant Regeneration (Health)

    Significant Recuperation (Energy)

    Cold Affinity: Resist

    Demonic Affinity: Resist

    Slime Affinity: Resist

    Earth Affinity: Resist

    Sound Affinity: Resist

    Expert cksmith

    Legendary Cook

    Miasma Immunity

    Blind Immunity

    (Technical)

    On Sight: Allows you to copy the Spring of someone by simply looking at them, as long as you know what it is.

    Warped Touch: Enables you to flip the Springs of other people by touching them for 3 seconds.

    Spring Absorbtion: Taking the life of a Spring user grants the System a new skill based on the Spring

    Memory Flip ++: Every 1 hour, allows you to copy a Spring from your inverse history for 30 minutes

    System Take-Over: Buffs your stats and skills based on your level. Shreds through energy at an rming rate

    Hydrokic Regeneration: The ability to regenerate using water. Can heal up to 10% health per second, depending on the water level the user is submerged in

    Liquid Slots +: Allows the System to store 3 Springs at once, allowing the wielder to switch between the two at will. (This does NOT allow the user to wield both Springs at once like STO, but it does make it so he can change between them individually.)

    Third Eye: Lets you use special vision to see if things are being affected by a Spring. Affected items or organisms will be highlighted.

    Built Different ++: Allows you to make an object, or yourself, indestructible for 20 seconds. Cooldown is based on the damage it absorbed

    Cancel Out: Instead of inverting their Spring by touch, this allows the user to cancel the Spring out entirely, making the affected unable to use it for a period of time. This also stops the use of the inverted Spring by the user, so be careful!

    Mystic Skills:

    Sharpened Attacks [I]: Attacks have a small chance to ignore armor and buffs gained from Springs afflicted on the opponent. If this effect activates, the enemy''s defense is also halved [NEW!]

    *****************************

    Rein closed his menu, regretting that he was forced to remove his artifacts when he fought against the 3 guards as he would''ve benefitted from the buffs much more, however, he put it behind him as he tried to get some sleep.

    As hey there in bed, he felt his eyelids be heavier, until they were eventually too heavy to keep open, drifting him off into a deep sleep. Once again, he awoke to his unconscious, in a pitch white space. However, it felt different this time. The usual,fortable and familiar air to his dream world couldn''t be felt. Instead, all he felt was a heavy burden ced on his shoulders, the atmosphere of the area so crushing he felt as if he was going to suffocate, despite this only being a world in his mind.

    It felt so real, more so than his usual chats with Versys. But at the same time, it felt surreal, hazy and white, as if it would fade away into his unconscious even if he blinked. He suddenly saw 3 other people appear in the space, all of them stood in a circle, facing a point in the middle, Rein also being part of the circle.

    The beings looked to be 2 women and a man, who were all entranced by something in the center of the world. As Rein inspected their faces further, starting from the woman to his northwest, he felt a sense of familiarity with each of them. It was the same for the woman directly to his north. However, the man to his northeast, he knew him especially.

    It was Luther, the same man he had encountered several times before, and the man with simr power to him.

    Rein''s instincts kicked in, his brain telling his body to be ready for battle, his emotions riled up as he saw the man. However, no matter how much his brain told his body to move, it wouldn''t budge. His face and his body were all fixated on one point, the same ce where the other 3 were looking.

    Luther''s face and body, along with the 2 other women, were still, emotionless, entranced by something, which Rein''s senses were also drawn to. All 4 of them were standing in the white vacuum, waiting for something to happen.

    Suddenly, a ck fog began to form in the center of the circle formed by the 4, an undefined figure appearing in the center, which seemed to be what the 4 were waiting for. The sound of rugged crackling made its way into the space, the fog rising high, and enveloping the titanium-colored void with a veil of pitch darkness, the undefined figure still present in the center.

    "Your fates will soon intertwine¡­" A raspy, echoing voice suddenly uttered, the gravity of the dream multiplying tenfold as the voice boomed throughout.

    "Ready yourselves for what''s toe¡­ Or you will be veiled by evesting darkness¡­"

    ***********************************

    Rein suddenly woke up in a cold sweat, jolting awake as he breathed heavily, his entire body shaking for a reason unbeknownst to him. He looked at his shaking palm with horror, then wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he attempted to calm down.

    He had no clue what had just happened. For the life of him, he couldn''t remember the dream he just had, almost as if there had been a nk in his memory.

    After a few minutes of steady breathing, he was able to calm his nerves and emerge from bed, feeling as though a heavy burden had just been ced on his chest, which he couldn''t shake off no matter how much he tried.

    He checked out of the inn and made his way to the second-hand market, where he introduced himself as the recement for Clyde and Xenia. After surveying the store for a while, and using Third Eye to check any donors whoe in to see if their items had been tampered with, he eventually found the culprit....

 Chapter 162 - Surprise Upon Return

    "Thank you so much for finding the thief," the store owner bowed to Rein. "Here, take this for your troubles," the man took out a glowing red armband, Rein instantly recognizing what it was.

    "Are you sure? You''re already giving out a reward to my friends who took themission," Rein hesitated to take it, but the store owner insisted, cing it into Rein''s hand before going back into the store.

    Rein looked at the item with a smile, then got Versys to appraise it, confirming his theory about the item. It was an attack artifact, one that would cut his attack by a tenth, but drastically increase his bonus when he leveled up.

    "Might as well put it on now," he thought, strapping the armband around his elbow area, instantly feeling a depletion in his attacking power. "I should also put the other 2 artifacts on too in that case," he concluded, taking them out of his inventory, strapping the yellow belt to his waist and the blue anklets to his ankles.

    His stats now looked like this:

    Speed: 42.25

    Strength: 45.39

    Defense: 37.01

    He felt his confidence drop as he looked at his stats,ughing at the pathetically low numbers.

    "Well, that''s not good. I''ve gotta make use of my skills and Springs topensate for those stat losses," he thought to himself, which excited him somewhat, the idea of having to use more strategy to win battles giving him a breath of fresh air.

    With everything finished, he finally set his sights on returning to the Hasbin Gulf, and with everybody gathered, he could finally hold the meeting he''d been waiting to hold. Using the self teleportation Spring he got from the teleport pads in the gulf, and the waypoint he set for himself before he left, he could arrive back at his dorm room instantly, despite his drastic speed drop.

    He finally bid the town of Tura farewell and used the teleportation Spring, evoking a red magic circle under him that encased his entire body in a crimson glow, suddenly feeling the matter of his body dpile for a brief moment, then rpile elsewhere, the exact ce being his room within his luxury dorm suite.

    "I''m back girls!" He yelled into the room as he appeared, hearing his voice echo back to him. "Hm? That''s weird, am I so weak with these artifacts that I can''t sense people around me anymore?" He thought as he walked to the door and set his hands on the handle, where his heart suddenly dropped, his eyes widening as the breath was sucked out of his body in shock.

    He threw the door open andid his eyes upon a room he was familiar with. Rather, it used to be a room he was familiar with. The couches were ravaged, the walls and floors cut up, the entire room was in shambles. Furniture was destroyed, tes and cupboards broken in the kitchen, all of the doors disassembled.

    He was speechless, his mouth gaped open as his eyes scanned the ruined room. The worry in his heart grew and grew as he made more out of the situation, concluding that there had been some sort of fight, going by the sh marks on the walls. He thoroughly checked each room and investigated the area, finding nothing of note, and nobody in sight. As he returned to the living room again, he looked back at his own room, which was seemingly untouched.

    Finally, he decided to leave the room and rush down the stairs, with hopes of someone being around who could tell him the situation. But as he left the room, the entire dorm building itself had been disheveled, the same way his room was. Though his senses were weakened, he could still feel out his surroundings. They were barren, the entire building had been abandoned.

    "Shit¡­ What the hell happened¡­" He uttered to himself as he reached the ground floor.

    He then remembered the basement, the workshop where Raxo, Saphri, and Emria often work. He thought that maybe some of the residents of the dorm would''ve taken refuge down there, a small hope lingered in his heart. However, as he descended, the same familiar state was applicable to the workshop, everything dismantled as if someone made it a point to destroy everything.

    He scoffed to himself in anger, then ran back up the stairs, and rushed out of the dorm building. However, what he had seen was even more horrifying than what was inside. He hadn''t taken the time to gaze out of any windows so far, so he had no clue what to expect.

    The previously bustling town he hade to call home was no more, all of the buildings he was used to seeing towering over the busy streets now crumbled to the ground, mountains of mes piled upon the buildings dotted around the city, creating a clumping cloud of smoke that lingered in the ceiling of the cavern, cutting off most light being emitted from the glowing stones.

    Along the rubble-filled streets were countless bodies buried under the fallen buildings, some of them with sh wounds resting on top. The corpses of numerous citizens, most of which Rein recognized, were all lifelessly sprawled across the ravaged city.

    Rein''s breath shivered, his body shuddering in anger as he approached the scene in front of him. He noticed something. There were other bodies along with the citizens. The corpses of men in Econican armor, the same as that day 6 years ago. He felt his stomach regurgitate, his mind going into severe turmoil as memories came flowing back, making him copse to his knees in pain.

    "Not again¡­" His cold, rigid, yet fiery enraged voice uttered. "These aren''t Econican soldiers¡­ So that was your n you stupid bitch¡­"

    Overrun with anger, he grabbed onto the artifacts he ced on his body and pulled on them, with the intention of removing them, this being no time to tie himself down with debuffs. However, as he tried taking them off, he felt them stick onto his skin, as if they''d been locked on to him, with no way of removing them.

    "What the hell¡­"

 Chapter 163 - Disparity

    "I can''t take them off..?" Rein''s heart dropped as he tugged on the artifacts. "What the hell''s happening, Versys?" Rein asked his system, who was just as confused as him.

    "No clue, partner," Versys shrugged. "But it looks like they''ve directly connected to your energy. Taking them off isn''t going to be easy, at least without killing you," he concluded after performing an appraisal.

    "Fuck this¡­ Just my luck, as soon as tragedy strikes these fucking artifacts decide to have minds of their own," Rein monologued in anger. "I can''t even inverse this shit¡­"

    "Yeah, it doesn''t look good. Along with your stats, your perceptive abilities have also been greatly reduced due to the interference with your energy. Sorry, Rein, that''s all I know," Versys apologized..

    As Rein stood in the remains of the Hasbin Gulf, he felt a sense of helplessness. A sense that he was very familiar with. He felt blind, weak, and most of all, anger. However, there was 1 feeling missing from within him, an emotion he was closely familiar with. Fear.

    Despite his greatly depleted stats and perception, he relentlessly pulled through and continued his search through the city, though as it stood, the situation was dire and bleak. He checked around the rubble for any signs of life, but he found none, the hanging air of death hovering over the entire cavern.

    "I can barely cover any ground with this speed¡­" He thought, cursing the artifacts that were now stuck onto him.

    After thoroughly scanning the entire residential area of the city, he stood at the path towards the academy, seeing the field, the main building, and the future Echopany building that was being used by Saphri and Raxo in shambles.

    "I couldn''t find the bodies of any Rangers¡­ Either they''re in here, or they managed to escape," Rein concluded. "Even Chloe and the others couldn''t defend against this¡­ Just how strong were their forces?" He clenched his fists as the thoughts ran through his head, slight bits of fear starting to find their way into his heart as he entered the academy grounds.

    Though he was confident that his friends were able to escape, he had to confirm it with his own 2 eyes. He thoroughly swept the remaining parts of the main school building, running through the ghostly abandoned halls.

    He found nothing within the main building, so he made his way to the academy field, where he performed another thorough search of the area, once againing up with nothing. He moved on to the academy arena, which was rtively untouchedpared to the other areas. As expected, he found nothing in the arena, and finally moved on to the final building, thest one he hadn''t checked. The future Echopany building.

    This 2 story building was in worst shape than any other building on the academy grounds. Though it still stood, all of the windows were broken, the walls on the outside were cracked, and the inside was a mess from what Rein could make out from staring at it from outside.

    Though his sense of perception was dimmed, he somehow felt unnerved as he took a step into the establishment. The quiet, straining area was killing him in suspense, and though theck of light was eliminated by his skill, he could still feel the dark atmosphere as he checked between the rubble in the building.

    The mechanical wondend that was this building had now all been brought to ruin, the inventions and contraptions disassembled, thrown in a mess across the floor. As he finished scanning the first floor, he found nothing out of ce, almost tripping over the disheveled junk on the floor as he reluctantly made his way to the stairs in the corner of therge room. He took a deep breath, raised his foot, and ced it on one of the steps on the stairs, lifting the rest of his body upwards as he continued up the flight.

    His steps were shaky, though they continued up the stairs at a constant pace. That was until he reached the top, where all breath left his body, and the life in his eyes was sucked straight out of his soul. His constant steps came to a gradual halt as he stared at the scene in front of him, mouth gasped open with widened eyes, crushing despair flooding his soul.

    "V-... Voron..?" He uttered, a single tear flowing down his left eye as his mind was still in disbelief.

    After a long, grueling pause on the stairs, his trembling steps finally resumed, entering the second floor of the building, which was the workshop floor. Scattered across the floors were countless engineering tools, wrenches, and screwdrivers, nails and hammers, drills and welds all filling the floor of the dreadful room.

    At the back was the source of Rein''s despair, the body of Voron, the man who had taken care of him for 6 years, the man who he grew to view as his father figure, lifelesslyying against the wall directly opposite to the stairs in a sitting position. His hands and arms were dropped to his sides, veiled with a red liquid, his mouth splurged with the very same substance, his coffee-stained white coat now stained with a crimson tinge, the origin point of the blood being a wound to the heart.

    As Rein unwillingly approached the body, heughed in disbelief, though the evidence in front of him should''ve been enough to convince him beyond a shadow of a doubt.

    "C''mon¡­ You''re kidding, right old man..?" Rein painfullyughed to himself as another tear excreted from his right eye. "Wake up Voron¡­ It''s the joke''s gotten stale now," his shaky voice uttered, still trying to deceive himself, trying to live in a world of delusion.

    "Please¡­ Wake up¡­" With the feeling of helpless disparity encroaching into his body, Rein copsed to his knees and began weeping, beginning to relive a feeling that he wasn''t very familiar with, tears overflowing from his eyes by Voron''s still body.

    Suddenly, Rein felt a twitch in the body in front of him, seeing him wearily open his eyes, his breathing starting up, though it was incredibly weak.

    "Re¡­in..?"

 Chapter 164 - The Whereabouts Of Fate

    Rein''s eyes suddenly lit up with a glowing hope, a worried, yet ecstatic smile forming on his face, feeling the faint signs of life emerge from Voron.

    "You''re alive!" Rein said with relief.

    "Re...in¡­" He uttered once again.

    "You shouldn''t talk! We need to get you to a medic as soon as possible," Rein ordered in concern, beginning to think. "There''s probably somewhere in Stogue¡­" He thought out loud.

    "Lis...ten to me boy¡­ My parting gift to you¡­ The secret of your power¡­" Voron struggled to speak, suddenly beginning to cough out blood.

    "P-parting gift..? Why are you talking like¡­"

    "Sorry kid, but¡­ I''m not going to make it¡­" He spoke, making Rein''s heart drop to his stomach. "But¡­ I think an old man like me is fine with going out this way¡­ I''ve got friends and family who''ll keep me in their thoughts¡­" His weary voice was bing weaker and weaker as the conversation went on. "And I''ve got you, Rein¡­ Someone who I can entrust my will to¡­"

    "No way¡­ You can''t die¡­ You''ve gotta live Voron, you''re the only one who can live out your will!" Rein''s tears restarted, his words making Voronugh through his pain.

    "I don''t think that''s gonna be possible, kid¡­" He uttered, coughing promptly after, blood beginning to gush from his wounds.

    "Please! Just don''t talk!" Rein leaned forward and put his hand on his wound, trying in vain to stop some of the bleedings, his efforts futile as his lukewarm blood covered Rein''s hands.

    "Listen¡­ You know about the truth¡­ With Core, right..?" Voron posed as he raised his hand to Rein''s face, clinging on to his final breaths of life.

    "What''s that matter right now?! Just, please¡­ I don''t want to lose anyone else¡­" Rein''s body began vigorously shaking as he took his foster father''s hand.

    "Shit¡­ I''m starting to feel my consciousness slip away¡­" He uttered as the life in his eyes dimmed, the glow that previously inhabited it bing dull and gray. "All of my findings from the past 2 months¡­ I''ve imparted on to him¡­ The attackers took him and Saphri away¡­ Find them¡­" Voron''s strength was beginning to leave his body, which would be shortly followed by his waning soul, which desperately clung onto its final moments.

    "Don''t die¡­ Stay with me¡­ Please¡­" Rein''s distressed cries now turned into small, weak weeps.

    He began to regret his past actions. If only he had never assigned Significant Regeneration to ine. If only he had used his head, if only he hadn''t given in to his emotion. All of these regrets resurfaced at once, killing his spiritpletely, his current weakness not helping him in the situation.

    "Rein¡­ You''re the hope of the continent¡­ Of the world¡­ Live out your destiny¡­ Do what you must¡­ To save¡­ everyone¡­" With hisst ounce of strength, he grazed his hand with Rein''s eyes, catching his tears as they fell down his cheeks, his arm suddenly flopping back down to him as he lost all of his strength, and his final breath exited his body, the sound of the puff reverberating in Rein''s ears.

    Though Voron had caught his tears, it made little difference. Rein cried until he could not anymore. He didn''t know what to do. Maybe if he still had his power, maybe if he had someone to confide in, maybe then he would have done something else. But as of that moment, all Rein knew to do was to cry, and cry he did. His wails of pain echoed through the dark, dead silent cavern, the body of his caretaker under him, resting in peace, entrusting the fate of the world to whom it trusted most.

    After an unknown time of pained outcries, Rein''s tears ran dry, and all that was left was an empty boy, his mind empty, his body still as clear water. Suddenly, the boy picked up the body of the lifeless old man sleeping under him and stood up, passionlessly walking out of the building into the dead silent town, the fires having burnt out since he''d previously explored.

    The dissipation of the fires also dispersed some of the smoke clouds that blocked out the light of the glow stones, giving way to a mncholy blue hue that nketed the surface of the surroundings, giving a chilling, ghostly air to the previously lively city.

    Rein set Voron''s body down on a patch of ground next to the building, then raised his hand, swiping it sideways, creating a small, human-sized hole, about 6 feet in depth, and 3 feet width. He picked up Voron''s body once again, and gently set it in the trench, the downcast cerulean glow now encircling his body in Rein''s view, to which Rein stood up emotionlessly, and stood in front of the burial, staring at it with a nk, yet pained expression, emitting the emotion of sorrow from his every pore.

    He uttered his final words to the man, words that he would live by for the remainder of his life. These words became his principles of life, he lived to fulfill these words. He steeled his resolve and epted his fate, then swiped his hand once again, closing the hole, and turning his body away from the grave, and walking away into the world, with a renewed hunger for vengeance, one so fresh he had almost forgotten the feeling.

    "I''ming for you, bitch¡­ And don''t think you''re gonna have a painless death¡­" Though his body seethed with anger, his mind was tranquil, and his expression was still.

    [Ultimate Skill Acquired]

    He left the Hasbin Gulf and emerged in Orthlys, and looked around the very familiar scenery, the light of the moon providing a simr blue hue to the one he felt in the gulf. He squashed his regrets from this ce, seeing the clearing in the long grass ahead of him, the same ce where he gave ine Significant Regeneration. He coldly turned his head away and set his sights on the nearest city to the gulf.. One of Orthlys'' major port cities, Stogue.

 Chapter 165 - A Strange Feeling

    The previous day¡­

    Clyde and Xenia were on their way back to the Hasbin gulf, opting to take the teleporter at Almes for a swifter arrival. After Rein had taken on their request, he ordered them to head back to the gulf and wait for him there, for a meeting that he was nning.

    An awkward air lingered between the 2 as they walked, Xenia trying to get her mind off of it by kicking a pebble in front of her as she stepped. They continued like that until about halfway to the teleporter, when Clyde coughed, breaking the silence.

    "Look, Xenia¡­ I apologize for what I said and how I acted," Clyde put his head down in shame, which startled the girl, frantically waving her hands in front of her in embarrassment.

    "Oh, no no no! You don''t need to apologize!" She panicked, regaining herposure with a warm smile. "You were in the right after all. Normally, we shouldn''t put our work on someone else. But since it was Rein, I felt we''d really get in the way if we stayed, so I thought it''d be better if we left. But it was really cool that you wanted to stay back and help him!" She turned her head to him with admiration, Clyde turning his face away as their eyes met, with a shocked expression on his face.

    "Still¡­ That doesn''t change the fact that my actions may have hurt you, despite it not being my intent," he came out with while averting his gaze, which made Xenia open her mouth in astoundment, thenugh innocently, beginning to walk with her head up to the sky.

    "Thanks for worrying about me, but really, I''m fine. Still though¡­" She furrowed her eyebrows, then ran in front of Clyde, looking at him with a stern expression. "I have something to tell you, Clyde," she stopped him in his tracks, standing in front of him, forcing him to look at her.

    "Wh-what is it?" He nervously asked, knowing what she was about to say.

    She took a deep, calming breath, then began fiddling with her hair, small patches of red appearing on her cheek, Clyde noticing it, which confirmed his theory. His mind began turning, trying to think of a way out of the situation. He was thinking of any way to change the subject, anything that would avert the course that the conversation was taking.

    "U-um¡­ Clyde, I¡­"

    He closed his eyes, bracing himself to hear what she had to say, his pained expression indicative of his inner struggle, not wanting to hurt her, yet not wanting to reciprocate her feelings, deeming himself unworthy of love.

    Suddenly, through his closed eyes, he heard something copse on the ground infront of him, making him instantly open his eyes in worry. He looked down to see Xenia, who was red in the face, curled up on the floor under him.

    "Xenia!? What happened?!" He instantly crouched down and held her up in his arms, feeling her forehead for a temperature. "She''s¡­ Not burning up at all? What is this..?" He asked himself in confusion, Xenia breathing heavily under him.

    He suddenly felt her tug on his vest, then utter something in a quiet voice.

    "The gulf¡­ Go to the gulf¡­" She uttered.

    Clyde nodded his head, thinking that she wanted to go to the gulf to rest, or for medical attention. But the truth was far worse than what he thought. She knew something Clyde didn''t.

    Clyde lifted her up, then ran full speed towards Almes, activating his Spring to boost his speed further as he sprinted through the trail. He made it to Almes within 5 minutes, and without any hesitation, ran through the bar that Rein''s acquaintance ran, no questions asked, and went to the back room with the teleporter.

    "Come on¡­" He impatiently tapped his foot on the teleporter under him, trying to make it go by faster.

    It eventually enveloped the 2 in azure light and transported them back to the teleporter pad in the Hasbin gulf.

    As Clyde emerged and gazed upon the city, he let out a sigh of relief and looked back down at Xenia, who was in his arms.

    "We''re here now," he told her, making her turn her head out into the peaceful cave city. "It looks like everyone''s still awake, thankfully. I''ll take you to Raxo for treatment," Clyde said as he stepped out of the small grove where the teleporter was, Xenia immediately grabbing onto his cor in distress, her breathing speeding up exponentially.

    "Above¡­ Us¡­" As she said that, Clyde heard a booming, reverberating explosion that rung dread into his ear, his pupils shrinking in distraught as he turned his head to where the sound came from.

    From the center of the cave, arge, circr hole was made from the ceiling of the cavern, causing mountains of water to flood through from the gulf above. Panic began roaring through the city as people fled their homes, Clyde looking over the destruction from the small hill on which the teleporter was on. After the cavern floor was flooded with seawater, the pumping waterfall from above suddenly stopped, causing the cavern to grow silent for a short period of time, all of the panic dying down in ce of visible confusion at the sudden stoppage. However, what flooded through that hole next was something much worse than water.

    A loud war chant could be heard roaring from above, interrupting the short moment of silence they were experiencing. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers wearing Econican armor flooded through the incision, all of themnding unscathed, then instantly running into the city with hostility, shing and cutting through any civilians in their path.

    "Wha¡­ What''s happening..?" Clyde stepped back in terror as he felt Xenia tug on his shirt once again.

    "Back¡­ through¡­ the teleporter¡­ Warn Rein¡­" She told him, to which he looked down at her in bewilderment, terror still written on his face as he fearfully nodded and ran back towards the teleporter.

    However, he was suddenly interrupted as azure light filled the very teleporter he''d just entered, a man wearing all green garments appearing through it.

    "Sorry kid, but you''re not going back¡­"

 Chapter 166 - Step Ahead

    "Sorry kid, but you''re not going back," said the man who had just appeared through the teleporter, a man wearing all green garments, and someone who Clyde recognized instantly.

    As the man appeared, he held out his hands downwards and crushed his open palm into a fist, crumbling the teleportation pad under him, rendering it useless.

    "Galo?! What are you doing here?!" Clyde stepped back from him, to which Galo sighed and scratched the back of his head.

    "My bad. I''m too tired to talk right now. Just hand over the girl quietly so I can get this shit over with," he held out his hand and waved it towards himself, motioning for Clyde to hand Xenia over.

    Clyde furrowed his eyebrows and grit his teeth, tightening his hold on Xenia, and taking a step backward. He grunted, then slowed down time and ran away, jumping into the water-filled city and running away from Galo the green.

    "Guess it won''t be that easy," Galo sighed, then carelessly began walking after Clyde, clearly not putting any effort into this job.

    Clyde ran between the houses and buildings, fitting himself through the narrow alleyways, the water on the ground going up to his ankle, which slightly slowed down his sprinting speed.

    "The dorm¡­ I must get to the dorm¡­" He thought to himself as he suddenly ran into Quint, who was conversely running towards the teleporter, the 2 almost bumping into each other.

    "Clyde?! The hell are you doing running to the dorm?" Quint yelled, then noticed his sister passed out in his arms, an expression of deep worry invading his face. "The fuck?! What happened to her?!" He yelled over the sound of explosions and screams, the 2 of them standing between a hidden alleyway between buildings, out of sight of the enemies.

    "I''ve no clue¡­ That is why I must head towards the dorm and ask Raxo to heal her," Clyde imed, to which Quint scoffed in anger.

    "Are you a fuckin idiot?! All of their forces are focused on the dorm and the academy! The princess, Raxo, and the rest are stuck there right now. I was the only one who wasn''t there at the time of the attack, so I''m headin'' to the teleporter to warn you and Rein," Quint exined, then began looking around. "Speakin'' of him, did he note with you?! Fuck, then why didn''t you¡ª"

    "The teleporter is broken, Quint. Galo the green destroyed it¡­" Clyde informed, to which Quint''s heart dropped to his stomach. "Rein stayed behind in Tura toplete ourmission. He asked Xenia and I to go back to the gulf ahead of him¡­" He continued, beginning to clench his fist in anger as he recounted the story.

    "Well, that''s really a shame¡­" They heard a yful and arrogant voice emerge from somewhere, cutting through the sound of loud, painful screams and explosions, followed by a loud thud.

    Suddenly, a smiling red-haired man appeared between Quint and Clyde, standing on his ginormous hammer as he stared Clyde in the face.

    "Roki?!" Clyde barely reacted in time, jumping backward, away from the danger that had just appeared.

    "Hehe, not just me this time," he snapped his finger to signal something, suddenly, the buildings that surrounded them and covered their position crumbled to the ground, an entire battalion of soldiers surrounding them with hostile intent.

    "Shit¡­ I didn''t even notice," Quint took out his battle axe and readied himself as he looked around at the soldiers in Econican armor.

    "*sigh*, So you already got to him then, Red Reaper," Galo came floating from above on a tform of gold.

    "Damn right. And I''m not as much as a pussy as you," Roki retorted, then looked back at Clyde. "There''s nowhere to run, Clyde. Everyone in the city is dyin'' here anyways, so hand the girl over already," he ordered as he got off of his hammer and stepped into the water.

    Suddenly, Roki sensed a murderous intent behind him, turning around to see a morphed beast swinging a battle axe at him from behind, the animal seething with anger.

    "Like hell we''d just hand her over¡­" Quint growled, to which Rokiughed in amusement.

    "I was hopin'' you''d say that," a twisted smile grew on his face, an opposite expression growing on Galo''s.

    "I wasn''t. Man, this is gonna be a pain," he stretched his neck as he descended into the circle and dropped down into the circle, facing Clyde while Roki faced Quint. "So then, what''s your n, Clyde? Are you going to fight me with the girl in your arms?"

    "..." Clyde racked his brain intensely, trying to think of a way out of the situation as Roki and Quint began their brawl, the circle of soldiers still surrounding them, cutting off his only escape route.

    Meanwhile, at the dorms¡­

    "Chloe! Father is still at the research facility! Please, we must go save him!" Saphri implored the princess, who was holed up in their luxury room.

    "Yes¡­" Chloe stood up and headed for the windows, leaving Saphri and Emria behind in the room.

    "Where are you going, Chloe?" Emria asked, standing up after her with a concerned look.

    "We need to get to Rein¡­ My brother and prince Sho are with mister Voron at the research facility right now, so they should be fine. Our top priority should be to escape," Chloe exined as she scanned the outside through the windows, trying to find a route to one of the teleporters.

    Saphri furrowed her eyebrows and nodded sternly at the princess, affirming her n of action with a sound ofpliance, Emria also agreeing to the n.

    "If that''s the case, we should check outside in the halls as well. I do not hear any footsteps within the building itself," Saphri went to reach of the door, but as she did, the door creaked open, and a swift stab of a rapier came through, Saphri closing her eyes as she saw the attack.

    She heard the sound of metal ng, then opened her eyes to see Chloe standing in front of her, blocking the attack as she barely reacted.

    "Heh, that was some good reaction speed," the voice of a woman could be heard from outside the door.

    The 2 swords broke off, both of the girls jumping backward, Chloe picking up Saphri and cing her back into the room, then looking up to get a good look at the woman''s face. Chloe''s expression was rid of sudden shock and disbelief at what she saw, her mouth gaped open and her mind filled with confusion.

    "You''re the same one from Alwaaq¡­" She eximed, making the womanugh.

    "Haha, so you were the one who fought our clones then? No, I doubt it was you who was able to beat them so effortlessly. Those clones were just as powerful as us after all," the woman imed as she walked through the door, the light shining on her bright yellow hair, and her silver rapier.

    "But how¡­ I saw him kill you¡­" Chloe uttered, her eyes trembling at the sight.

    "Well, this time it''s the real deal. And as long as you''re not the one who beat our clones, I should have no trouble eliminating you¡­"

 Chapter 167 - Perplexing Behavior

    "Girls, get inside Rein''s room, and don''te out," Chloe demanded as she stood her ground against the opponent.

    Emria and Saphri both nodded, then scurried into Rein''s bedroom, shutting the door behind them, then finding a ce to peek from under the door.

    "Heh, I guess you''ve seen my Spring already, so there''s no point in hiding it. Ready yourself, princess of Orthlys!"

    Emria and Saphri heard a loud ng from the outside of Rein''s room, the fight between the 2 women had begun in full. They heard countless shes flurry back and forth between them, stabs and cuts across the walls of the room.

    "Saphy, we need to get in contact with Rein somehow. Is there anything we can do?" Emria asked, Saphri shaking her head, both of them as bewildered as each other.

    "If we could somehow get to Raxo or Xenia, then I could borrow one of their rings and contact him. However, that does not seem possible currently¡­"

    Meanwhile, on the school campus¡­

    "Everyone, please remain calm! The academy is the safest ce right now, we''ve got all of the students guarding the perimeters!" Wace eximed to the citizens in the main lobby of the academy, all of them having fled there to take shelter.

    "Mister Vice Principal! It looks like there''s a fight brewing in the center of the city, and Quint''s been caught up in it. An entire battalion of soldiers have gathered," Sho, who was guarding the front informed.

    "What?! They surrounded Quint? But why?" Wace questioned, which lead Reggie, who was guarding the right-wing, to interject.

    "No, it looks like Clyde and Xenia came back! They must be after her cursed Spring!" Reggie concluded, which rose a concerned expression on Wace''s face.

    "Sir, we have to go help them!" Sho eximed as he realized what was happening.

    "No, prince Sho. You are to stay here and guard these civilians," Wace ordered, to which Sho clenched his teeth, his eyes giving off a look of worry.

    "But¡ª"

    "Let him go! We don''t want that terrorist protecting us!" One of the civilians in the lobby outspoke in rage.

    "Yeah! His country''s men attacked our home! Why should we still wee his presence?!" Another added.

    "Huh? No, you''re wrong¡­ They''re not¡ª"

    "Your people killed my daughter before my own eyes¡­ I won''t ever forgive you¡­" An enraged civilian, a middle aged man, stood up with a shard of ss in hand and charged at Sho with murderous intent.

    Wace suddenly stomped his foot, causing an earth prison to appear around the charging man, containing him inside.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Wace yelled in anger as Sho stood there, taken aback by what was unfolding.

    "LET ME GO! I''M GOING TO MURDER THAT SHITTY PRINCE!" The man yelled out as the rest of the civillians also watched the scene unfolding with widened eyes.

    "Surely you don''t believe that those are really Econican soldiers, do you?!" Wace defended Sho, which surprised him further, Wace being the former royal guard for Orthlys.

    "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU FORGOTTEN RELIC OF A FAMILY! NO WONDER YOU WERE EXILED FROM YOUR TITLES, TRAITORS!" The man seethingly yelled, riling up the rest of the civilians in protest.

    "Yeah! Why are we letting ourselves be protected by these guys?!" One civilianplied.

    "All who are able to fight, stand up! Let''s defend our city together, starting with these 2 in front of us!" One chanted, followed by a loud shout of affirmation as all of the capable stood, leaving only the elderly and children behind, along with some parents who opted to stay behind.

    They all charged towards Wace and Sho, the prince of Econica starting to itch backwards in fear, not wanting to fight back against the innocent, yet ignorant civillians.

    Finally, the patience of one of the people among the group snapped, a young woman who knew the prince well.

    "STOP!!!" She yelled with conviction, her scream echoing loudly in the vast lobby of the prestigious academy, the ear-piercing wave striking through to the civilian''s heads, making them all turn around in her direction.

    "L- Lillia..?" Sho uttered in confusion, looking at the ck haired girl standing in the crowd, seething with anger.

    "Where do you people get off talking like you know everything?! Huh?! This man is protecting your sorry asses, and the first thing you think of is to ughter him?! What''s wrong with you?!" She eximed with rage, turning the civiins anger towards her.

    "Huh?! And who the hell are you, bitch?!"

    "Ah, you must be Econican. So because this dipshit is pretending to protect us, we should just fall in line?"

    "To hell with that! This evil son of a bitch is dying by my hand!"

    The fury of the civillians radiated bright with pure hate and anger.

    "Fine, we''ll kill you first then! To make you an example to those Econican soldiers out there!"

    They all charged back to Lillia, who began trembling in fear as they approached, holding her arms up to her face in defense. Her actions confused her greatly. Why did she speak out? Had she just stayed quiet, she could have avoided this trouble all together. Her course of action went directly against her values, yet she didn''t regret it.

    Just before the angered civillians reached her, a bolt of fire struck through the crowd, picking Lillia up and transporting her away from the civillians, into the back end of the lobby. It was the Econican prince himself, who was now struggling to keep his own anger in check.

    "You people truly are beyond helping. Trying to attack a defenseless girl?" Sho''s heat radiated intensely, putting Lillia down as he approached the group of rebellious citizens.

    All of them were intimidated by his sudden transformation, beginning to itch backwards in fear of his zing radiance. Suddenly, Sho''s eyes widened in shock as he jumped back to the front of the lobby frantically, extending out zing phoenix wings of imprable defense towards the front, a ginormous drill suddenly appearing against it.

    The sparks from the impact of the fire and the friction of the drill were blocked by Reggie and Wace, who walled off the projectiles from hitting the citizens.

    "Give me a fucking break," Wace groaned, then took his sses off and put them in his chest pocket, then raised his arm up.

    Suddenly, arge, circr dome encased all of the civilians and blocked their attacks, confining them all in the lobby, and not allowing them to attack Sho or him, and protecting them all from the iing battle.

    Sho''s wings eventually dissipated as the attacks disengaged, aughing man appearing from the smoke of the fiery sh.

    "Interesting! You saw my attacking, huh? So you''re one of the guys my clone fought," a pink-haired man eximed proudly as he walked along the path to the school, cracking his fingers with a wide grin on his face.

    "This day just keeps getting worse and worse¡­" Sho groaned in vexation.

    "So you''re the Econican prince then? Ain''t no way you''re the guy who bodied all 3 of us. You''ll be light work then," the confident man imed, his words making Sho chuckle slightly. "What''re youughing at?"

    "Oh no, it''s nothing. It''s only that I''ve already fought you before, while you''ve never fought me.. The advantage is mine, Jona."

 Chapter 168 - Inevitable Struggle

    Meanwhile, at the temporary Echopany research facility, east of the academy, Zane, Voron, Raxo, and Core were all holed up inside. Zane hade to the research facility upon Core''s request, though he never expected anything like this to happen.

    The fighting was beginning to fiercen, as Zane was beginning to lose his patience, finally getting up and running outside.

    "Hold on there, prince. Where do you think you''re going?" Core stopped him before he left.

    "I need to get to my sister and protect her! Why are we just holed up in here?!" Zane protested, his worry for his sibling, Emria included, evident on his face.

    "Don''t you see the battalion that''s waiting for us outside? Why do you think they haven''t just sunk this entire building down? They''re waiting for us to exit so they can strike," Core exined, which made the green-haired prince bite his lip, trying his hardest to stay calm.

    "That being said, Raxo, do you have your red ring with you?" Core turned around and asked, to which she shook her head.

    "Nah, I left it behind in the basement of the dorm. Why?" She informed, to which Core scoffed in annoyance.

    "Tch, that was our only other way out. Well, there''s always that¡­"

    As Core said that, D8 suddenly appeared from a marble on Core''s person, kneeling down to him as she spoke in worry.

    "Please, master, do not think like that. I directly object to that course of action," she eximed as Core stood up and walked past Zane, in the direction of the front door.

    "Stand down, D8. And that goes for the rest of Checkmate. Nobody is to interfere with this, understand?" Core said while reaching for the door handle.

    "But!¡ª" She raised her head, being interrupted by a loud,pelling demanding out of Core''s still underdeveloped voice.

    "This is an order! I will not be swayed on this matter!" Hemanded, a small period of silence following his yell.

    "I¡ª I understand¡­" D8 put her head back down and returned to the marble.

    Core took a deep breath, when he suddenly felt a hand ced on his shoulder.

    "What''s the n?" Voron, who was intently watching the scene unfold asked.

    "I''m almost positive these guys are after me. And if that''s the case, then we could use me as bait to help the others escape," Core stated, Voron giving no reaction.

    "And you think that n''s gonna work? Really?" Voron asked him, Core''s trying to hide his uneasy expression.

    "It''s our only chance¡­"

    Meanwhile, back at the center of the city¡­

    The battle between Quint and Roki continued raging, Roki beginning to toy with him as Quint grew exhausted and fatigued. Clyde continued dodging Galo''s attacks, while trying to think of an escape method from their situation.

    "Hahaha! You just don''t give up, do you, beast boy?" Roki hystericallyughed as he continued ying with Quint.

    "And you too, Clyde. Just hand her over already," Galo sighed as Clyde and Quint both heaved heavy breaths.

    Suddenly, they felt an immense pressuree upon them, almost as if the air doubled in density. From the hole in the top of the cavern, they saw a grey-haired man descending, one that Clyde recognized.

    "That''s¡­" Clyde''s eyes trembled as he saw him descending, Galo and Roki also looking up at the man.

    "Tch, the fun''s over I guess," Roki scoffed.

    "Finally, I can take a break," Galo sighed.

    "Well, well, well¡­ What do we have here?" Luther sounded as hended in the middle of the circle, crossing his arms as he looked at Clyde, then at Roki and Galo. "Wow, you 2 really are useless, huh? You were supposed to get this over with 5 minutes ago. At this rate, he''s gonnae back you know?" He remarked whileughing, his words irritating the 2 Crypt leaders, though they didn''t show it.

    "We apologize," Galo reluctantly said, while Roki just silently scoffed.

    "Meh, it''s fine. It just makes more work for me," Luther unfolded his hands then looked back at Clyde, who readied himself.

    However, Clyde didn''t have a chance to even react. Luther instantly appeared in front of him and flicked his forehead, sending him flying back into the ground, forming a trail of ruin from where he was dragged. In the attack, Luther also took hold of Xenia''s arm with his other hand, stealing her from Clyde''s grip.

    "That''s 1. Rein should have the other 1, right? We''ll just wait for him toe to us then," Luther concluded as he began flying again.

    "Actually, some of my goons told me that there''s a second curse in the city," Roki informed in an unamused voice,

    "Hm?" Luther reacted with a raised eyebrow as he scanned around the city, his eyesnding on a blue-haired boy in the northeast of the city. "I see¡­ Interesting¡­" A twisted smile appeared on his face.

    "HEY! GIVE HER BACK!" Quint growled at Luther, who turned his eyes to him for a brief moment, then ignored him afterward.

    "Roki, Galo. Inform all forces to drop everything and capture that second curse. This is Crypt''s chance to redeem itself, understand?" Luther ordered, to which the 2 unwillinglyplied, the both of them clearly having a deep-rooted dislike for Luther.

    "Fine, whatever," Galo hopped back on his golden tform, and Roki thwacked his hammer again, teleporting on Galo''s tform with him as they began floating up to inform the other troops.

    Luther flew back up through the hole he came through, carrying Xenia away from her brother, who was still stuck on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, Quint felt his cor being tugged, a gust of air waving past him as Clyde appeared before him, his eyes red and his face wrinkled with anger.

    "Wings¡­ Quint, if you''re a true beast... SHOW ME WINGS!" He passionately and desperately yelled into Quint''s face, instilling a power within him that he didn''t know he had.

    Clyde''s words resonated deep within his core as both of their desperation and angerbined, making the building blocks of miracles.. Quint''s Spring had evolved then and there.

 Chapter 169 - Prologue To The End (1)

    2 wings suddenly grew out of Quint''s back, creating a gale of wind in their wake as brown feathers fluttered through the air. Therge, long wings spread around Clyde and Quint, giving them the miraculous hope to reach the unreachable.

    "Now, fly!" Clyde passionately yelled once again.

    Quint began pping his wings as he picked Clyde up and held him facing upwards, the movement of the wings causing a vengeful gust, which alerted the soldiers that were walking away from the 2, also alerting Galo and Roki, who turned around in a panic.

    "The fuck?! Hey, after them you green bastard! Don''t let ''em catch up with Luther!" Roki tapped Galo on the shoulder, who tried his hardest to ignore his red-hairedrade. "What are you doing? Turn around!" Roki continued.

    "Our top priority is the second curse. Don''t get preupied," he replied, his answer greatly irritating Roki.

    As Quint and Clyde began lifting off from the ground, Roki grit his teeth and took out his hammer again, opting to catch up with them himself using his sound-based Spring. However, as Clyde noticed Roki swinging his hammer, he whispered something to Quint.

    "Break the sound barrier," he said, to which Quint put his Spring on maximum output,bined with Clyde''s Spring, and exploded off the ground as Roki''s hammer thwacked.

    The sonic boom made from their departure could be heard across the entire cavern, the impact of the sound so severe that it broke most of the still in-tact windows, shattering them into a million pieces as the Rangers flew through the very same hole that the invaders had used to get in.

    As the 2 flew away, the hole closed back up, and the water refilled the empty space in the gulf above.

    "They¡­ Outsped sound?"

    "That doesn''t matter right now, Roki," Galo refocused him, then flew above the battlefield. "All troops, drop what you''re doing and head to the northeastern corner of the cavern! This is an order from the top!" Galo announced with amanding voice that carried through the death filled atmosphere of the cavern, the reserved man having a surprisingly powerful voice.

    Chloe and Shuna broke off from their fight as they heard themand, Shuna putting her rapier back into her weapon ring then taking off.

    "That''s the end of our battle then, princess. Imend you forsting this long," she waved, then jumped out of one of the windows, then dashed to the northeast of the cavern, leaving the ruined room and the exhausted princess.

    Chloe dropped to her knees and returned her sword to her weapon ring, then held her arm in pain as she looked around the room. She heard Rein''s room door from behind her open, then came Emria and Saphri rushing to her side, with worried expressions riddled on their faces.

    "Are you okay, Chloe?" Emria fretted as Saphri inspected her wounds.

    "I''m okay¡­ We need to get to the northeast¡­ and help them," she uttered while regaining her breath, then struggling to stand as she set her sights for the door.

    The fight between Jona and Sho was also interrupted as Jona retracted his drills and sighed in boredom, then faced the east since they were already in the north.

    "Guess that''s it then. Honestly, you kinda disappointed me, Sho Econ," Jona left him with those words and took off, the threat upon the civilians finally gone.

    Sho, pantingboriously, deactivated his Spring and dissipated the fire around him, causing his wounds to be apparent as he bled from his arms and legs, feeling the wounds from earlier in the day affect hisbat prowess.

    Wace brought down the dome of earth he had on the civilians, who all stood there dumbfounded, most of their anger dissipated after seeing the fight unfold through the small cracks in the dome that Wace provided.

    Lillia quickly rushed to Sho with worry, who was waddling in weakness, about to fall over. Reggie walked to his side and put Sho''s arm around his shoulders, helping him up.

    "You should''ve let me help you, dumbass," Reggie scoffed, to which Sho apologized.

    "Sorry¡­ I guess my pride got in the way this time."

    Wace created a pedestal for him to stand on and faced the group of civillians with a furrowed expression.

    "Listen up! The enemy forces are all concentrated in 1 ce now! Take the west exit and find refuge in Econica!" Wacemanded, to which the civilians took issue,ining about having to go to Econica.

    Wace stomped his foot again, this time with more vigor and furioustiy than ever before.

    "For those who have a problem with this course of action, stay here and I''ll kill you myself because you''d be as good as dead anyway. If not then get a move on!" He yelled with great conviction, scaring the civilians straight as they all stood up and scurried to the western exit, the tunnel leading up to the Econican region above.

    "Lillia, you should go with them¡­" Sho uttered, to which she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Why?" She asked, with her question dumbfounding Sho.

    "W-well because it''s dangerous down here? Why else?" Sho responded with a question.

    "And it''s not dangerous up there? I''d think it''s safer down here, with you guys than up there by myself. And you''re not the boss of me anyways," she replied in a smart, and condescending tone, which made Sho drop his face down in annoyance.

    "Fine, whatever. Just stay close to me," he gave up, his eyebrow twitching in irritation as Wace joined them.

    "We should head to the research facility at once. I may be able to get in contact withdy Julianne with one of the power-boosting devices on my tablet. Though our top priority should be protecting our students, Raxo and Core," Wace''s words were responsible, dignified, and calm despite their situation.

    "Pfft, you guys need all of these people just to capture little old me, huh? Well then, color me ttered...."

 Chapter 170 - Prologue To The End (2)

    The entire battalion of enemies converged to surround Core and Voron in front of the research facility, as well as prince Zane, who came rushing outside after them.

    "My my, this is an unpleasant surprise. I wasn''t expecting the entire Orthlysian army, along with 2 generals of Crypt to gang up on me," Core shrugged yfully as Zane reacted to his words.

    "Orthlysian army..? You don''t mean¡­"

    "Yep, the same schtick that we had to put up with 6 years ago. They''re trying to frame Econica," Core surmised, making Zane shake his head in denial.

    "Cease your baseless usations! My father would never do something like this!" He imed, defending his father and his homnd.

    "Is it really baseless though? They did the same thing 6 years ago, and don''t tell me you don''t recognize some of these soldiers in the crowd," Core pointed out, to which Zane twitched, the eptance finally dawning on him.

    "Enough chatter. You''reing with us, kid," Galo interrupted their conversation, descending down on them with his arms crossed.

    "Alrighty. I''ll let you have me," Core put his arms up, making Chloe and Sho, who had just arrived on the scene gasp in shock, along with the others they were with.

    "Oh? Is this a trick?" Galo asked as he raised his eyebrow.

    "Oh no, I assure you it''s not. But I have one condition," Core added. "Once you get me, you and your army have to leave the gulf without hurting anyone else," he proposed, the entire army growing silent as tensions rose between them.

    "Hmm, it''s a tempting offer. But a rather stupid one, don''t you think?" Galo remarked, making Core''s smile fade away, turning into a slight frown. "While our top priority is to capture you, it should be a fairly easy task. So I see no reason topromise our second priority, which is to ughter the poption. You understand?" He continued as Sho and Chloe tried to act, but being stopped by Roki, who guarded the armies rear.

    "I see. So you have no intention of letting us escape then? Or do you just have a soft spot for Clyde?" Core spoke, urking Galo.

    "They''d already escaped. I saw no reason to waste our time pursuing them," Galo excused his actions.

    "Whatever. Master Galo, let''s capture this brat already," Jona stepped forward and turned his arms into drills, Zane jumping in front of the 2 in defense.

    Core suddenly bit his lip, trying to think of one final n to escape the predicament. However, he suddenly heard Voron whisper behind him.

    "I''ve seen your resolve, Core. Now, let me show you mine," he uttered, making Core turn around in confusion, Voron suddenly taking him into a chokehold and pointing a knife to his neck, making the entire army halt as Galo raised his arm in signal.

    "What do you think you''re doing?" Galo asked Voron, to which heughed.

    "Don''t take another step, or this kid''s life ends, you hear?!" Voron yelled, turning everyone''s attention to him, including Saphri and Emria, who were with Chloe.

    "Father..?" Saphri uttered in confusion.

    "Wait¡­ But Core''s immortal. Grandpa should know that though," Emria''s perplexed voice whispered.

    "H-hey! Old man, the hell do you think you''re doing?!" Core struggled, also oblivious to what was happening.

    "I''ll give you the boy on the same condition that he gave you. Let everyone else go, or else," Voron threatened as he closed the knife near Core''s neck.

    "Hahaha, you''re a funny old man. I can see the passive nature in your eyes. You''re bluffing. You could never end someone''s life," Galo called his bluff, making Voron suddenly lodge the knife into Core''s neck, blood beginning to gush.

    "Are you sure about that?" He reiterated, Galo recoiling in shock, bbergasted.

    "You senile heathen! This is not honorable in the slightest!" Shuna, who was fighting Chloe, remarked.

    "Damn, you think you''re the self-sacrificing type? Heh, you''re only sacrificing that kid right now," Jonaughed.

    Galo scoffed, clenched his fist, then raised his hand again.

    "All troops, stand down! Let everyone else escape! We can pursue them after they leave the gulf!" Galomanded, making Roki riot in anger.

    "ARE YOU FUCKIN'' KIDDING ME YOU GRASSY BITCH?! HELL NO, I AIN''T LISTENING TO YOU," he rampaged.

    "Roki! Remember who put me in charge! Are you going to go against the grandmaster?!" Galo yelled after him, making Roki halt in his movements, paralyzing him. "Everyone, follow my orders! You''re not to hurt any of them until they''ve left the gulf!"

    All of Voron''s allies quivered with uncertainty, dumbfounded by this turn of events.

    "Escape..? Are we just supposed to run..?" Sho uttered as his widened eyes stared at the vast army in front of him.

    "It seems that''s the only choice we have¡­" Wace put his hand on Sho''s shoulder, making him close his eyes in reluctance, beginning to step towards the east exit, along with Lillia and Reggie.

    As they passed by Chloe, Sho stopped and looked at her and the 2 girls.

    "Come on¡­ Let''s go¡­" He uttered to them as the stood there in shock.

    Sho stood and stared at them with a pained expression for a few seconds, then turned his head and continued up the tunnel.

    "Prince Zane and Miss Tincer, please go. Their patience is bound to grow weary," Voron uttered, making the 2 reluctantly flee, passing by Chloe as well on their way out, Zane trying his hardest not to act in an overprotective manner.

    "Come on you 3, we don''t have all day," Galo rushed them.

    "What¡­ Do you¡­" Saphri trembled with her head down. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU''RE DOING, FATHER?!" She yelled with tears in her eyes, snapping Chloe out of her trance.

    "I''m sorry, sweety. But this is the only way to ensure everyone''s safe," he apologized, bowing his head down in remorse.

    "Are you an idiot?! Everyone is safe?! What about yourself, you imbecile?!" She continued crying as Galo sighed with impatience.

    "I''ll give you 10 seconds to leave. After that, I won''t be held responsible for what happens," Galo remarked, putting his open hand up in the air, and beginning to count down with his fingers.

    "Saphri¡­ Let''s go," Chloe picked her up and began walking to the east tunnel, Saphri struggling as tears flew out of her eyes, reaching back over Chloe''s shoulder for her father.

    Emria stayed staring at Voron with a still, emotionless expression, Voron noticing it and smiling warmly at her, with a gaze thatmunicated Voron''s thoughts clearly to her. ''Take care of everyone'', is what she understood from him, making her furrow her eyebrows and nod sternly, turning around and following Chloe and Saphri, who was still crying. A single tear fell down Emria''s cheek as she walked away. Chloe and Saphri were already through the tunnel, and Emria was about to join them. But as she was at the threshold to the tunnel, she heard Roki yelling.

    "And that''s 10!" He happily screamed, charging at Emria with his hammer wound up.

    "No! Don''t!" Voron yelled out as Roki''s hammer mmed down on the little girl, his actions even surprising the army of men.

    However, as the smoke cleared from around them, they saw Roki struggling to push his hammer down as the blow didn''t even dent the girl.

    "The hell are you made of?!" He shouted as the girl''s face came into view, turning her gaze at him.

    Her re sent shivers down Roki''s spine, making him recoil and twitch in fear, releasing Emria from the hammer blow and letting her up the tunnel, joining Chloe and Saphri.

 Chapter 171 - Prologue To The End (3)

    As everyone escaped from the cavern, Voron picked Core up and bolted into the research facility behind him, his sudden action catching Galo off guard.

    "Tch, everyone, go after the escapees! Roki,e with me," he ordered, everyone in the armyplying as they ran up the tunnel to pursue the group who escaped.

    "Yeah yeah, stop bossin'' me around," Roki followed Galo into the research facility in pursuit of Voron and Core.

    "Hey, old man! What''s the big idea?!" Core yelled as they reached the second floor, to which Voron set him on the ground.

    "Sit still for a second," he said as he strapped Core with a metal brace that went around his chest.

    Core instantly recognized what it was. It was a Springless teleporter, the same one from the future.

    "What the?! I''m sure I used up myst one¡­" Core uttered, then came to a realization, looking up at Voron in amazement. "No way¡­ Did you..?" He asked, to which Voron nodded.

    "I was able to reverse engineer a prototype just in time. I''ve no clue where this will take you, there''s no destination set. But at least you''ll escape," he stated.

    "Wait, you only have 1? In that case, you use it! I''m immortal, I can survive whatever these guys throw at me," Core implored as Voron tightened the strap, Core struggling to undo it as Voron''s hand hovered over the button.

    "It''s you who they''re after. And before you go, I have some knowledge I have to impart to you. It''s all in this book. Find Rein, and tell him everything," Voron instructed as he slotted a notebook between the strap.

    "Hold up! Wait! I haven''t epted this yet! Don''t disobey me!" Core continued struggling.

    "Sorry kid, but this is how the cookie crumbles. You don''t always get what you want," Voronughed as his hand itch closer towards the button on the strap.

    "Wait! D8! Come out! Stop him!" Core ordered, to which nothing happened as D8 also agreed with Voron''s choice.

    For the first time, she''d disobeyed her master''s order, and without a moment to react, Voron pressed the button, and like that, Core vanished.

    "What the?! Where''d the kid just go?!" Roki, who''d just arrived at the second floor eximed, beginning to seeth with anger.

    "Heh, you''re toote. Looks like we came out on top this time," Voron provokinglyughed, making veins pop out of Roki''s head as Galo swiftly passed Roki, approaching Voron.

    "I don''t usually get this pissed off. But when someone tricks me and thinks they can get away with it," Galo lifted his hair off of his eyes, revealing a sinister green glow. "That''s when I show no mercy."

    *****************************************************************

    As Rein arrived at Stogue, the sun was beginning to set on another day. He stood in the middle of the city and tried feeling out his environment, though all he felt were the footsteps of the people around him, along with the bustling chatter of the crowds around him.

    "Did those army guyse to search your housest night too?" He heard a conversation among the crowd that caught his ear.

    "Yeah, they searched every house thoroughly. Apparently there are wanted fugitives from the attack on the Hasbin gulf. Though I don''t see why anyone would shelter Econican scum," the other person in the conversation.

    "Econica, huh? I thought we were at peace with them for now. Just goes to show that you can''t trust any one of those weasels. I saw some of their pictures on the wanted board, and I''m pretty sure their prince was one of them."

    "For real? That was the prince of Econica? Damn, the emperor must really be a coward if he sent his son to do his dirty work¡­"

    The conversation continued. It was one that would have usually angered Rein, and ordinarily, he would''ve intervened. However, he felt nothing at their nderous words and walked away to find the wanted board, which was posted on the news bulletin in the town center.

    As he gazed upon the bulletin board with his emotionless, death-filled eyes, he saw pictures of all of his friends, with the exception of 1. Chloe was missing, which made sense to him since she would''ve been instantly recognized as the princess of Orthlys.

    He saw Clyde, Quint, Reggie, Sho, Raxo, and even Emria and Saphri. Zane was also missing for the same reason as Chloe. He noticed one other person missing, one that he expected to be there. Xenia was nowhere to be seen. This lead him to believe that she''d been captured during the attack, making him unconsciously clench his fist in anger, though his face remained still. As he stared at the board, he heard a voice talk to him as someone stood beside him.

    "You interested in some of these kids too?" The tall, raspy-voiced red-haired man asked as he stood beside Rein.

    Rein wasn''t a short person. He was 6 foot 1, with a decently chiseled body. However, the man who stood beside him about 3 inches taller than him, with a simr build, but an older-looking face, with spots of hair growing out of his chin, indicating that he had newly shaved his beard. The man had spiky red hair and wore a long, brown trench coat that reached his feet, with ck boots and pants.

    "Interested?" Rein sounded in confusion, making the man put his hands up andugh in defense.

    "Wait wait, that''s not how I meant it! Don''t report me to the authorities, please," he begged as Rein simply looked at the man, unamused. "It''s just that, these kids are painted as the attackers, right? Don''t you think they''re a little young to be pulling off somerge-scale terrorism?" The man posed, to which Rein looked back at the pictures, not responding to the man''s question.

    "Heh, you see it too, right? That kid''s name, ''Greybrewer''. That''s the martial arts family from Orthlys. And way up in the east too. No way that kid''s Econican, though most of the poption would have no clue," the man surmised, his deduction impressing Rein as he turned back at him.

    "You''re right," Rein yed along. "What''s your name, sir?"

 Chapter 172 - Yusuke The Shrouded Man

    "My name? Don''t you know it''s rude to ask without giving your name first?" The man replied.

    "Rein Xilris," he said, knowing that he wasn''t on the wanted list, therefore there was no need to hide his name.

    "Rein, huh? Nice to meet you kid. The name''s Yusuke, I''m from far east Orthlys," the man put his hand out for a handshake.

    Rein took hold of his hand and shook it.

    "Wanna head to a cafe? It''ll be my treat," The man named Yusuke offered, to which Rein epted.

    Yusuke lead Rein into the entertainment district of town, and into arge, overcrowded bar. Rein stood outside and stared at the bar, unamused.

    "This is what you call a cafe?" Rein sounded as Yusuke was about to head in.

    "Hey,e on! I haven''t had a beer all day, cut me some ck. I can order you something non-alcoholic," he pleaded, happily entering the bar as Rein reluctantly followed.

    The lively man cave, which smelled like sweat and seawater, filled Rein''s senses. Songs were being sung by some groups, while other groups of menughed loudly, while some were arm wrestling in the corner of the pub. In general, it was an environment that Rein wasn''t very familiar with, apart from the few times he entered the local bar in Lifah to deliver barley from the local farmers.

    "I''ve already reserved that seat for 2 in the back corner. Let''s take a seat while the waitresses to get our order," Yusuke outlined.

    The 2 took their seats in the corner, and Yusuke instantly gotfortable, leaning back into thefortable red couch, and putting his feet on the table. Rein satfortably as well as he leaned back into his seat and rested his head.

    "So, tell me about what you saw in the gulf," Yusuke said, which made Rein''s eye dart to his smiling face.

    "You think I went down there?" Rein tried ying it off, which made Yusukeugh.

    "You think I didn''t notice that tablet in your pocket? You''re a student there, right? And you''re a Ranger at that," Yusuke deducted, his observational skills once again impressing Rein.

    "Fine, looks like you caught me," Rein relented as the man was too cunning to deceive. "It was ruin. There were no signs of life, the school was destroyed, and the entire town," Rein gave him a quick summary.

    "Huh?! Even the school?!" The man brought his feet off the table and eximed in surprise, bringing his face closer to Rein''s.

    Rein could smell his breath, which smelled better than he''d thought, though it had a small tinge of beer in it, which lead Rein to believe that he''d been lying about not having drunk all day.

    "Yes, even the school," Rein reinstated.

    "You''re kidding¡­ Someone actually beat that monster in a fight?" Yusuke uttered in amazement.

    "That monster? Are you talking about our principal?"

    "Yeah! Hard to believe she''d lose to anyone."

    Rein lifted his eyebrow at him, wondering why he revered principal Julianne so much, then remembered that she was the only known 13th prestige Ranger, so no wonder she''d be well admired.

    "Actually, she and my homeroom teacher had just left that morning to do a 13th prestige mission in Draconica. It looks like this attack was nned with that in mind," Rein informed, which made Yusuke sigh a breath of relief.

    "Wow, thank god. If that woman had lost against them, then what hope would we have?" He scratched the back of his head, then suddenly wore a serious expression. "So these guys nned the attack while she was gone, huh? So, how did you escape, Rein?" Yusuke asked.

    "I was also absent when the attack happened," Rein replied.

    "Oh, you were? Maybe they nned the attack around you then?" Yusuke joked, however, Rein didn''t take it as a joke.

    His heart began to ache as he realized that that theory was most likely the reality of the situation, and began ming himself for sending his friends back before him. Of course, he let none of this show on his face and remained silent as Yusukeughed at his own joke.

    "I want to hear what you think, Mr. Yusuke. What do you think they were after?" Rein posed, which made Yusuke stopughing and go into a pensive pose.

    "Hmm¡­ What they were after¡­" Yusuke continued thinking, then a provocative, mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Maybe, it was for those cursed Springs the gulf was harboring," he lowered his voice as he spoke, Rein''s face slowly growing shocked as Yusuke''s arrogant smile lingered.

    "How do you¡ª"

    "Wee to the Stogue Bear Den, what would you like to order today?" A beautiful waitress in a maid dress stood at their table, one who drew the eyes of the rest of the men at the establishment.

    She had short brown hair, was well endowed, and had a pretty smiling face.

    "Ah, she''s the main reason I wanted toe here," Yusuke pointed out to Rein, which disappointed him, bringing his opinion of the man back down.

    "Sir? Is there something in particr you would like?" The girl asked again, to which Yusuke turned back to her with a smiling face.

    "Ah yes, of course! I''d like¡­ You, please," Yusuke winked, to which the girlughed.

    "Oh, really? Well sir, would you like toe to the back room then?" She asked.

    "Yes ma''am!"

    "Oh, and what about this boy? He doesn''t look like he''s old enough..." She said as she looked at Rein, who sat there, dumbfounded at the situation, the same as the other customers who were burning with jealousy at the same time.

    "Yeah, the kid''s with me. Don''t worry, he''s fairly experienced for his age," Yusuke grabbed Rein by the arm and pulled him up from his seat.

    "I see! Follow me then," she began walking to the back room, followed by Yusuke, who was dragging Rein behind him, who was wearing an emotionless expression the entire time.

    As they reached the back room, the maid woman closed the door and locked it behind them, a dim light in the corner providing them with their only source of sight, except Rein could see everything thanks to his skill.

    He saw the woman slowly take off her maid dress in a provocative manner, smiling at both of them. As Rein was about to speak up about his qualms with the situation, he saw that the woman was wearing a business suit under the dress. Yusuke quietly sat on the chair in the back of the room, tapping the seat beside him as he got Rein to also sit down.

    "So, what would you like to know?" The woman asked the 2 as she dropped her maid act and took out a cigarette.

    "Hey, first gimme a cig. You know you can''t just puff one out in front of me without getting me jealous," Yusukeined, to which the woman scoffed and threw him one of her cigarettes and her lighter.

    Yusuke put the cigarette in his mouth and lit the butt, puffing it out in front of Rein''s face, who saw a notification pop up on his System as he inhaled the fumes.

    Poison Resist: Pending¡­

    Rein dismissed the notification then sighed.

    "Care to exin what''s happening?" He inquired, which caught Yusuke''s attention.

    "Oh, yeah I still haven''t exined, have I?" He said while the cigarette was still in his mouth, taking it out before introducing the woman.. "This here is Kasia Starsage, Julianne''s little sister."

 Chapter 173 - Kasia Starsage

    Rein looked at the brown-haired woman with a nk expression, not reacting to the revtion that Yusuke had just told him.

    "Hey, aren''t you gonna act surprised?" Yusuke asked, somewhat disappointed at hisx reaction.

    "Why would I be surprised? Now that I look at her, the 2 look pretty simr," Rein pointed out.

    "Stop wasting my time already you deadbeat. Just tell me what you want so I can get you outta my hair," she puffed on her cigarette as she insulted Yusuke.

    "Haha, sorry. You see Rein, she pretty much owns the under-belly of this entire area and it''s surroundings. Anyone who enters and leaves, she knows about. She probably expected our visit too," Yusuke exined as he heard Kasia tapping her feet in impatience. "Oh, sorry sorry," he panicking turned around and apologized.

    "Just get to the point already. I assume you want to ask me about the refugees that came here after the attack?" Kasia deduced.

    "Bingo. And also, if you could tell me the whereabouts of your sister, that would be cool too¡ª"

    "I ain''t telling you where my sis is you idiot," she bit down on her cigarette, which made Yusuke shriek inwardly and recoil backward. "But as for the refugees, I heard a couple of students passed by here, but left as soon as they came. Looks like they were being pursued by some strong soldiers too. To be honest, I don''t know where they went afterward, all I know is that they left through the north exit," she said as she threw the crushed cigarette into the trash can in the corner of the dimly lit room, then held her hand out to Yusuke, indicating the need for another one.

    "Could you tell me anything about them? Their descriptions, maybe?" Rein interjected, which made Kasia nce over at him with a pensive sound, then stare at him for a while. "Um¡­ Excuse me miss, is there something on my face?" Rein asked in confusion.

    "Hey, kid. Earlier you said I looked like my sister. How the hell can you see my features in this dark?" She asked, which made Rein freeze up slightly, the thought of his night visionpletely having slipped his mind. "And the way you''re acting, you can see through this dark, can''t you?" She deduced.

    "Ohh! Nice catch, little sis!" Yusuke remarked, making her re at him with murderous intent, shriveling him back into his corner.

    "Yeah. I can see through this dark. I was just born with really good eyesight. It''s not my Spring or anything though," he lied, though his heartbeat didn''t increase, nor did any physical change ur in his body to indicate his untruthful statement.

    "..." Kasia continued to stare at him, looking him directly in his yellow eyes, devoid of life, as dark as the room they were in. "Alright then. I wasn''t using you or anything, I just found that a bit weird," she stated as she put her new cigarette in her mouth and lit it.

    "Descriptions, huh? If I remember correctly, it was 2 boys and 1 girl. The girl had ck hair and blue eyes. One of the boys had yellow hair, and the other had brown hair," she revealed. "I know the 2 boys are on the wanted list, but I don''t think the girl''s there," she added.

    Rein instantly knew who she was talking about. It was Reggie, Sho, and Lillia, who seemed to have passed through Stogue on their escape from the gulf.

    "And you said they went up north, right? Thank you. I''ll be on my way now," Rein headed for the door and put his hand on the handle when he was suddenly stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

    "Hey, wait a minute kid. There''s still more I''ve got to ask her," Yusuke said, to which Rein raised an eyebrow.

    "So what? Ask her then. I don''t need to be here," he answered, to which Yusuke grabbed his own chest and squeezed on it in seeming pain.

    "Oh, how cold can you get? I''m here to help you, got it? Just wait for me for a bit longer," he pleaded, to which Rein reluctantly agreed, remembered the debuffs given to him by the artifacts.

    It would be a great help having someone else in his party during his search, as he wasn''t as powerful as before. And Yusuke seemed to be incredibly powerful from what Rein could gather from seeing his Spring when the 2 shook hands earlier.

    Original effect:

    Any sharp object affected by this Spring will cut through anything, no matter how hard.

    Inverted effect:

    Any sharp object affected by this Spring, no matter how sharp, will not cut through anything, no matter how hard.

    Though the inverted effect was virtually useless, Rein was impressed by the ability of the original effect, which weighed on him in the decision to stay with Yusuke.

    "Make it quick Yusuke. I don''t have much more time," Kasia rushed him, to which he turned around and looked at her sincerely.

    "Look. I want you toe with us. We could use your strength," Yusuke requested, to which Kasia took a long sigh.

    "I knew you''d ask. The answer is no. If you find my sis, I''m sure she''d be happy to join you, and she''s much stronger than me," Kasia refused, which didn''t make Yusuke give up.

    "Please, the continent is about to face its biggest obstacle yet. We need all the help we can get," he continued begging, his expression bing more desperate as the conversation went on.

    "I hate persistent guys. I already told you, I wouldn''t be that much of a help. I''m better off staying here and protecting my city than being some side character on your adventure," she said, then took the cigarette out of her mouth and looked at the ground with a sad expression. "Just look at what happened when my sister left. Everything went to hell," she said, which made Yusuke wear a pitied and sorry expression.

    "I see. Alright then. We''ll be on our way," Yusuke followed Rein to the door.

    "Wait. Since the Ranger guild is in shambles, I can arrange a carriage for the 2 of you.. It''s the least I could do."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!