《Tale of Family - Book 1 - WIP》 Chapter 0: Prologue Chapter 0: Prologue ??? There they were, hanging in the void of space, far, so far from any of the stars of what would be known, way later, as the milky way. Gods. Tens of them, Supreme ones, hundreds of their smaller cousins, thousands of the tiny ones and, in the centre floated Odyxes, the Last of the Firsts. He felt them around him. ¡°From the Epitome¡­ only Nihil is not here today.¡± He said in a soft voice. ¡°Because of the battle everlasting he wages against Oblivion. We pay our most profound respect to him, to the Rempart of Nothingness, that keep us safe even today, safe to do our work.¡± He added with, indeed, profound respect in his voice. My friend, I wish you could be here to work today, I¡¯m sorry. He thought while, around him, voices echoed. ¡°All hail the Rempart of Nothingness!¡± They were saying, paying homage powerfully. ¡°We¡¯ve waited long enough, and all that was needed is here. Let us start working.¡± And just as he was going to create something, another voice echoed. ¡°We¡¯ve waited long enough indeed.¡± The woman that spoke was not a god. No, she was¡­ something else. She wore a long emerald gown and a dragon was coiling around her, its tail around her left leg and its body around hers, until its head rested on the back of her right hand. ¡°And I heard the call of creation, I heard you were going to build something. So I¡¯m here, answering your vow.¡± She ended with a nod of her head and a smile on her face. ¡°Architect! Your presence honours us! Do you want to create another Marvel from our experiment?¡± Odyxes asked. ¡°Yes, Old One. To fence the Entropy itself, you¡¯ll need every last bit of talent you can, and I¡¯m curious what so many gods could create with my help. Start the Chant, brother, I¡¯ll dance with you until it¡¯s done.¡± She answered, Odyxes smiling at her, smiling because being called brother by the Architect was a great honour, even for a Supreme God. Smiling, too, because the Architect was always the key, the key for the greatest work ever done. She was there when the Great Labyrinth was created. She was there when the Seven Pillars where made. And she would be there, today, to help create was should be made today.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Odyxes took the Architect¡¯s hand and, all around them, Gods sang, Gods of wars, of Wisdom, of Fertility and of Luck, but also gods of ponds, of mountains and villages. Big or tiny, they were all together, uniting their force as it only had been done once before, when the Great Labyrinth was create and given to Nihil, as to gave him the best weapon against Oblivion, against the legions of Entropy. And in this space, baren and forsaken, a bubble appeared. In this bubble, a Sun, strong, resilient, yellow like molten gold. Planets were shaped, made to dance around it, moons, frozen worlds, gas giant and asteroid fields. And finally, the last sphere was shaped, for now just but a ball of molten rocks. But this was not the hard part, no, not with so many gods. The hard part started now. This solar system, held in a bubble, was cut of, from everything. A towering machine was assembled piece by piece and, each time a new gear was put, a God burned, with all its followers, humans, elves, dwarves, hetaxeark, vampire, sauriots, crovulge and other races, many others, their very soul destroyed by this fire, a sin so big in the eyes of all those ascended and, yet, the only way to save the universe. If what they did here didn¡¯t work, they would all die anyway. And so Gods were burning like torches, Odyxes and the Architect dancing on the tune of their voices and their cries. And suddenly it was done. The machine towering was made, and the new Solar System was protected in its cradle of godly power, protected from the Entropy, carrying with it the weight of innumerable worlds and lives. Odyxes was no more, burned or dissolved in the void, none had seen but the Architect, and she was sporting a bittersweet smile. From the tens of Supreme Gods, only a handful remained, tears on their cheeks but hope in their eyes, disappearing, going back home, the memory of what they had done etched in their mind, their very soul. She alone stood guard, the Architect, as never she had done before, looking at this Solar System as if it was her own newborn, seeing the dance of the planet, the move on their surface, made so, so quick by the flow of time the Machine was weaving. Soon, life would appear on one of those rocks, and their souls could hold the key, to salvation, to save this whole universe. Maybe¡­ Chapter 1 - After School End Chapter 1 New Brussels New Brussels. With its tall spear of glass and white steel, it was a peaceful city. ¡°Clic.Clac.Clic.Clac.¡± The old man was venting his stress on his pen, looking over the city through the panoramic window of his office, at the eighty-seventh floor of the USE HQ of Star Overdrive. They really changed this city¡­ He remembered when this place was nothing but a giant mess of buildings and streets. The architects and the city administration back then hadn¡¯t put too much attention and effort in making something whole and harmonious. Old buildings, mansion and such made by great architects of olds had been destroyed to put big chunky grey building at their place. He remembered this mess, sadness and sorrow clouding his thought. Of course, nearly everything had been destroyed during the European war of 2039, then rebuilt from the ground by the effort of the USE. New Brussels was way more gorgeous and practical than Old Brussels. Electrical train tracks flew over each road and shiny bridges connected skyscrapers together with, sometimes, multiple bridges crossing path to give birth to a Crossroad, with their big waterdrop-shaped inversed building hanging from them. Still, he missed the city of his youth. He missed his innocence, too. ¡°Clic.Clac.Clic.Clac.¡± His gaze fell on the holographic screen, on the report it was displaying. His back was aching. His joins too. I¡¯m old. He thought for the thousandth time. Too old for this. But the young ones aren''t ready, not yet. One more step, and I will finally be able to rest. This summer will be very short for some, very long for others. ¡°Status report over the Sleepers.¡± ¡°Right away sir.¡± Answered his secretary. New Brussels¡¯s Janssens Secondary school ¡°YES! Yes-yes-yes-yes-YES!¡± Silence followed. Oh fuck, I¡¯m making a fool of myself right? Her math teacher was indeed broadly smiling, nearly laughing at her display of joy. ¡°You were always an expressive one. I¡¯ll miss you, Zoe.¡± He said, sadness creeping on his smile. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, Teach¡¯ !¡± ¡°Do you already know what you want to do, now that you¡¯ve finished your secondary studies?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t really know, even though I¡¯ve been thinking about it since half a year ago. I didn¡¯t really think I would have succeeded in one go.¡± She answered, looking at the degree resting between her hands. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. ¡°Ah sorry. I asked my Uncle if he could come and pick me at school, I need to go. Thanks once again for all your work, sir. We¡¯ll see each other at the prom!¡± ¡°Sure, you can go.¡± He answered calmly. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, say to the next when they can enter.¡± ¡°Sure teach¡¯ !¡± She ran through the door and quickly said to the next one to go in, before rushing through the school corridors with her bag on her back and her degree in her hands. Soon enough she was going out by the main entrance, storming over the square the door opened upon. She swept over the place with a single gaze, quickly finding what she was searching. A grey-haired man making a sign at her from a car. Ah? Oh, he pulled out the big artillery. Thinking of it, it¡¯s a pretty important day in his opinion, right? The car was a very recent model, an electric race car that should never have been taken out of its racetrack. As she went toward him, other students'' gazes followed her and another group was looking at the car with googly eyes. ¡°How the fuck did you bring a Typhoon 6 on the civilian road system?¡± She asked once she reached the supercar. ¡°Ahahah! I¡¯m just that good, lassy!¡± He opened the left door, letting her in. ¡°I thought it would make you happy if I took it to drive you home.¡± She closed the door behind her. ¡±So?¡± He pointed toward her degree. ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded. I¡¯ve my SSSC!¡± ¡°Great, great! I knew you could do it! Let¡¯s bring you home, I¡¯m sure your parents will want to hear it!¡± He started driving. The City was big, the road larges. Lots of trees and green spaces had been created, making the whole place spacious and giving it a nice feel. I¡¯m happy it¡¯s not the same city as before. She thought, some of her history lessons wandering back in her head. ¡°So, how do you want to go home? Fast? Or¡­ faster?¡± He interrupted her train of thoughts. She smiled, as It wasn¡¯t the first time he asked her this question. You madman. ¡°Faster, of course. What is the point if you don¡¯t go fast?¡± She answered, as always. He ever asked this question only when he knew that the conditions were grouped for his overspeed to not be dangerous to anyone else. ¡°What is the point indeed. And, as always, don¡¯t talk about it to your mother, I don¡¯t want her to scold me, right?¡± His shoulder-long grey hair shone in the afternoon light as he winked at her. ¡°Of course, uncle.¡± *** She calmed her breath, toning down the excitation that had risen in her heart as they had rushed on the black roads between the white buildings. When everything was a blur and every part of yourself had to be focused on what you were doing to stay alive, that was the kind of thing that makes her feel alive. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± She screamed while she opened the door of her home. It was a house at the outskirt of New Brussels, one in thousands that were built for people that wanted to work in the city but didn¡¯t want to sacrifice their garden. ¡°We¡¯re in the living room!¡± Answered her mother. Did they take a day off? ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take off your shoes, uncle. You know how mom is.¡± ¡°Of course I know. She was already like that when we were kids.¡± He answered with a smug smile. The went through the entrance corridor directly to the living room were her mom and her dad were watching a Korean drama. Again. Urgh, how can they like that? ¡°Hi!¡± Her mom paused the show. ¡°Hi too, sweety. And hello to you too, brother.¡± She said in a mildly warm tone. ¡°Hello you two!¡± added her father with his usual joyous tone. It was no mystery in the family from whom she took the most between her mother and her father. ¡°Come, come, we¡¯ll drink something.¡± Said her mother, going to the dining room with her father just behind. The whole house was pretty clean, if far from empty. Her mom loved taking in new furniture all the time, packing the house to the brim. ¡°So, what news?¡± Asked her mom when the all sitting around the table. Zoe put her degree on it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve succeeded. I¡¯ve my SSSC.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God it¡¯s a relief, I really didn¡¯t think you would succeed in one go.¡± Answered her mother, a hand on her heart. Why is she always like that? Can¡¯t you praise me a bit? Zoe thought angrily. ¡°After all, you¡¯ll need a proper degree to gain money, it¡¯s not like everyone can gain money from videogame, right, brother?¡± She added in a venomous voice. I shouldn''t have asked Uncle to bring me home. She felt a bit guilty since the true reason he was here was to support her in front of her mom. If only she wasn¡¯t such a douchbag when talking about school and money. ¡°I couldn¡¯t know, sister. After all, I don¡¯t have a degree. I only have a villa, multiple holiday house and a helicopter with a personal pilot waiting for me at home, right?¡± He answered in a voice no less poisonous, but way colder. ¡°So, hm, mom, since I succeeded, I can go to Uncle¡¯s home during summer break, right? You promised.¡± Her uncle and her mom looked at each other, lightning striking as their gaze fought one another. ¡°Sure sweaty, you can go. I¡¯m very proud of you!¡± Her dad broke the rising tension as if it never had been there at all. ¡°Thanks dad! I¡¯ll go fetch my luggage!¡± She rushed out of the room to let her Mom and her Uncle fight without her being actually there. Her feelings were conflicted. She loved her mom but, since she started going to school, she had felt her mom growing more and more distant. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re going somewhere?¡± Asked her sister, Claire, poking her head through the door of her room. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve struck a deal with mom, I can go to Uncle till the end of summer break.¡± ¡°Lucky! How did you do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded to get my SSSC.¡± ¡°Oh? Congratulation onee-chan!¡± Claire jumped at Zoe¡¯s neck, hugging her. She¡¯s fucking strong, I always forget that. She gave the hug back and they stayed like that for a long minute. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll play at something the whole summer. That¡¯s why Uncle invited you, right? He as a new game or something to make you discover.¡± ¡°Of course. Go, try and guess what we will play!¡± As they talked, Claire was helping Zoe making her last luggage. ¡°No? ...Of course not. I don¡¯t play video games, how would you want me to know what you¡¯ll play together?¡± ¡°...I turned eighteen last month, right? Can¡¯t you give a guess? Any game you¡¯re forced to be that age to play?¡± ¡°...You¡¯ll start playing at¡­ Binding Fate? For real? Like, for real real?¡± The bewildered expression of her sister made Zoe laugh. ¡°Yes, for real real. Uncle said that he had kept an available Diving Pod just for me, he bought it a soon as he saw it for the time I would turn eighteen! Of course, he working for Star Overdrive helped quite a bit, too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Me neither! I¡¯m so excited!¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s Uncle that found the Pod, will you be part of his streams?¡± Ah? ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ think about it. I¡¯ll need to ask him that, I suppose.¡± ¡°Who knows, you may become rich just by playing videogame and streaming it after all. That would piss mom off a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. I don¡¯t know, for now I just want to play, I don¡¯t want to think about money or work.¡± She had finished packing up and gone back to the dining room. ¡°I¡¯m ready to leave!¡± She spouted while rushing through the door. ¡°Well well, that was quick.¡± Said her mother. She then saw Claire. ¡°Ah, of course. Your sister helped you, that¡¯s why. Well then, if you want to go so much, I¡¯ll not keep you here. One word before you leaves, however. Don¡¯t you forget the second part of our promise, right? I want you to expose your plans for the future to me before the end of summer break. Be it university or a job, you¡¯ll have something to present me, understood?¡± ¡°Yes mom, I know, I¡¯ll plan something during this summer break. Uncle will help me, right?¡± Zoe looked at her Uncle, eyes full of expectation. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help you, lassy.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know why, but it doesn¡¯t really comfort me.¡± The venom was back in her voice but, before her Uncle could retort, Zoe cut in it. ¡°Then let¡¯s go! Bye mom! Bye dad! See yah later Claire, stay sharp!¡± And she rushed back through the door she had come from not a minute ago, her Uncle following her while saying goodbye to the family. ??? The sky was this deep blue of a hot summer day, the blue that became nearly black when you looked at it long enough, the blue that made you remember that the Earth was but a mud ball spinning quickly in the infinity of the void, anchored to a sun that warmed her. Not that this girl knew that the planet was a sphere floating in space. Not that it was the Earth, too. She smiled at the window of somewhat clear glass, a luxury in her village, cooking scrambled eggs with forest mushrooms she picked up right this morning. The Calolapis was giving a good eat to the frying pan, a convenience that was as rare as clear glass by here. Magic sure is convenient. She was thirteen, fourteen maybe, with short hair tied in a bun and cut on the sides; bright-eyed, dressed like a young man, she was a true tomboy in essence. Her appearance, at least. The rest? Well, who knows? ¡°Mom, Dad, stop messing in your bed, breakfast is ready!¡± She said in a voice powerful enough to reach her parents in their room. ¡°Yeah yeah, don¡¯t scream like a goat!¡± Answered her mom with all the natural finesse of a steamroller. She¡¯s saying that to me? Ah! She set the table and cut the scrambled eggs into three parts, the biggest going for her mother, of course, and draw a clear and cold water at the pump that she put in a pitcher. In the meantime, her mom and dad had come down from their room. With their messy hair and their bags under their eyes, Dzive could see why they had made so much noise last night. Gross. ¡°Gogogo, eat while it¡¯s hot!¡± She ordered them. ¡°I need to go, Greypa asked me to come visit him today. See yah!¡± Taking her bag of food with her, she rushed outside through the door of the kitchen. The day was already hot. Chapter 2 - How I Met Your Father Chapter 2 New Brussels - Naelis residential complex ¡°I love this place SO MUCH!¡± She screamed in the main hall while raising her hand. They were alone in the lobby of the building, minus the receptionist, a beautiful young woman with long red hair. Ah, Uncle always loved red-haired peoples. She looked at her own long straw-gold hair. Mine aren¡¯t too bad either. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you that happy.¡± Said her uncle behind her. ¡°Clarissa, we¡¯ve luggage in the car, please take care of them.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Naelis.¡± Ah yes, master, I remember. Each time she went to her Uncle¡¯s she was surprised to find that the whole staff was calling him master, like some chief of martial art family in a chinese cultivation novel. Bah, Uncle is weird. Weird is good. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re relieved to be far from your mom at last.¡± A piece of guilt¡­ or was it regret? Whatever it was, his voice was a bit sad when he said this. ¡°She as always been obsessed with careers in the business world. As you know, we¡­ didn¡¯t get along very well. She thinks I¡¯m a slacker after all, some kind of parasite that leach on society. But entertainment is a noble career, and nothing forbid you to make money out of what you enjoy doing.¡± He added. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like a¡­ a dream.¡±Her gaze was a bit hazy, as if the idea was indeed strange. ¡°I know. But you¡¯re not concerned by that for now. Let¡¯s install you in your room and then why not go directly to the main course of this visite of yours?¡± ¡°Already? We¡¯ll go to Star Overdrive¡¯s Deep Dive building?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see, just come with me.¡± His smile was mysterious and mischievous. They took the private elevator at the end of the main lobby, greeting the few people that were passing by, minding their own business, and went directly to the last floor, the thirty-seventh one, the floor where her Uncle lived. Technically, the whole building was his, but he rented a big chunk of it. He called that his ¡°backup plan¡± in case he one day needed to stop playing at Binding Fate or, at least, to stop making money out of it. He only kept the two last floor for himself, making some sort of villa out of it. The private elevator opened on an entry hall with furniture to store shoes, coat and sweaters. No natural light came here since it was at the very centre of the building, so artificial lights were doing the job when someone presented themselves. Circular luminaire lined on the ceiling like little domes, creating a smooth blue light that succeeded being warm despite the colour it had. The walls, here, were white on purpose, as the luminaire was casting flicker of light on them just like the sun did on a riverbed. Overall, it gave quite a bizarre feeling, but also very likeable. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time you¡¯ve visited me, right? I¡¯ll give you a nickel tour, see if you remember anything.¡± He smiled, happy to show is home to a member of his family. After all, Zoe and her Uncle played every summer together, but it was from their respective home. She only remembers coming here once or twice, when she was little. ??? And¡­ I¡­ Have¡­ Finished! ¡°Pfui!¡± She had finally completed her choir for the morning. After going to Greypa¡¯s home, talking and goofing around with the old man, she came back home to tend the home and the garden. Her mom was out helping the Bramna family building their house since the guy hadn¡¯t finished before his wife got mysteriously pregnant. Dumbass, everyone knows you need to finish your home before getting someone pregnant. It was, in fact, one of her village tradition. That Bramna guy wasn¡¯t looked kindly by the villager because of that, yet her mom still helped him. There ought to be a good reason, mom doesn¡¯t do things for shit. Of course, her dad was out working too. One of their wells wasn¡¯t in a very good condition so he went to clean and fix it. But this afternoon, they won¡¯t work! Family time ahead! She thought, pumped up by the notion. She loved her family so, so much. New Brussels I forgot how awesome this place was. The entrance all gave way to a balcony overlooking both the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. In fact, there were not 3 separate places but one big room that changed style from left to right, with the kitchen at the left all in white, the dining room in the middle with its overhang balcony and its glass dome that let you look at the city while eating, and the living room with its cosy sofas surrounding the holographic projector. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Once more, the luminaire wasn¡¯t a simple light but, this time, it was even more beautiful. A hidden holo-projector was creating a miniature milky way floating under the ceiling and slowly spinning, illuminating the whole room in a soft radiance. ¡°Wow. I really forgot that?¡± ¡°Nah lassy, I installed it after the last time you passed by. Like it?¡± ¡°Yes, very much!¡± ¡°Then looked at that: Light the kitchen, please.¡± He said to no one in particular but, suddenly, stars fell from the galaxy and flew toward the kitchen, nestling into an empty light bulb and illuminating the kitchen. Tiny sun was filling casting their soft rays over the white kitchen, giving it the feel of an afternoon picnic. ¡°Cool right?¡± This place is really amazing. ??? ¡°Picnic! Picnic! Picnic!¡± Said Dzive, beating the table at the same rhythm. ¡°Yes yes, calm down will you, your mom will come in no time.¡± Answered her father with his warm smile and peaceful countenance. Her father was a tranquil man, so much that she really didn¡¯t know how he married her mother, who was always so hotheaded and full of energy. ¡°I never really asked you before but, how did you and mom finish together?¡± Her father looked at her, surprise flashing in his eyes, and opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Ahahah, you ask that to us now? Wait a bit, we¡¯ll talk about it once we¡¯re at the picnic spot!¡± She said with her indomitable voice. New Brussels ¡°And that¡¯s your room.¡± He opened the door and withdrew a step back to let the girl enter first. The doop gave way to a beautiful room. The walls were a soft blue and the ceiling was a dome in the middle of which a moon-like sphere was seemingly floating, diffusing its soothing radiance over the furniture. A large circular bay window was giving a direct view on the¡­ A garden? ¡°You¡¯ve a garden?¡± ¡°Well, yes? I mean, I¡¯ve a roof to use so I put a garden on it. It purifies water and works as a good insulator. Also, I like to have a bit of green. Your mother¡¯s love for a garden is the same as mine, after all.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s my¡­ my room?¡± ¡°Yup. I give it to you, use it as you please. I even made it soundproof for when you need a bit of, you know, privacy.¡± Is smile couldn¡¯t have been more perverted. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Ahahah, can¡¯t an old man laugh from time to time? So, you like it?¡± ¡°Very much, yes. Thank you Uncle!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing, you¡¯re family after all, and I can¡¯t let the only gamer of our new generation suffer your mom¡¯s temper after. By the way, you can open the window.¡± He demonstrated it right away. ¡°So you can go to the garden whenever you want.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Stop thanking me, lassy. Now, do you want to start playing at Binding Fate or not?¡± He added, already exiting the room. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then come with me. We¡¯ll do a quick test in the car to see if you¡¯ve studied enough to start playing.¡± ??? The sun was high in the sky, giving its all to heat the noon and bake everything, but Dzive and her parents had taken refuge under the shadows of the nearby forest. On a day like this, the chance to encounter an aggressive beast or a monster was practically void, but her mother still took her sword with her. ¡°Soooo? How did you meet?¡± She came back with her earlier question. ¡°You really can¡¯t wait, do you?¡± Retorted her mother in a playful voice. ¡°That part of her definitely come for you, my dear.¡± Her father used this occasion to take a dig at her mother. ¡°Meany.¡± She said before kissing him. Dzive smiled, seeing her parents happy always made her react this way. ¡°So, how I and your father met¡­ Well, you know that before a certain invader started growing in my belly¡­¡± She gently pinched the nose of Dzive. ¡°... I was an adventurer, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Answered the girl with enthusiasm. ¡°Then listen closely. One day that I was raiding a ruin alone, as always, I encountered something I thought was only a legend. A Corpse Sea.¡± ¡°You were adventuring behind the Old Guard, in the Dead Plain?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Dzive looked at her mother with yet another layer of reverence. She already knew her mother had been adventurer, but only madmen and women went behind the Old Guard. ¡°So this day, it happened I found a Corpse Sea. Of course, I ran. No one would battle such a thing alone. But just before I started retreating, I saw something: in the middle of the Corpse Sea, a group of humans was fighting for their lives. Fire was blossoming everywhere as their mage was trying to open a path for them, but nothing was doing. I couldn¡¯t let them like this, so I lowered my helmet, took my sword, and started carving a path through to undead. It took me a while and numerous kills to get to them. I helped them push the Corpse Sea back. Dried blood and rotten bodies were flying everywhere as we were slowly walking toward the Old Guard but, suddenly, the cleric of the group collapsed. The young boy couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he had given is all to keep his allies alive and thriving. Once the cleric was down..." She dodges a falling tree branch. "...we started losing people one after the other. Normal undead couldn¡¯t really do anything to full-plated knight, but sly monster using poison or undead knight with big swords took one of our knights from time to time. In the end, the defensive formation collapsed and we were overwhelmed. Just at this time, their mage begged me to save the cleric, tears in her eyes. Wounded and poisoned, tired by a long journey, I wasn¡¯t even sure I could save myself, but her tears moved me. So I took the cleric and punched right through the Corpse Sea. I really don¡¯t know how I did it. I was filled with an ardour I never had experienced before. I made it to the Old Guard, with the young cleric on my back. One thing brought another, and this young cleric and myself started adventuring together. I was twenty-four back then, if I remember correctly, and you were seventeen.¡± She said at her father. ¡°Three years later, this young cleric happened to give me a little gift and, when I discovered I was pregnant, we chose to settle down here, in Clarity. This young cleric was, of course, your father.¡± She smiled lovingly at her father before the kissed again.¡± ¡°So you were an adventurer too, dad?¡± ¡°Yes. An interesting part of my life, but I¡¯m way more adapted to the peaceful life of a village, taking care of my family.¡± He answered before messing with Dzive¡¯s hair affectionately. Chapter 3 - "RUN!" Chapter 3 New Brussels - In the Typhoon 6 - Zoe ¡°We¡¯ll start with the basics. System and world.¡± Said her Uncle. ¡°Right. Each player¡¯s avatar has three Main Stat, or Characteristics. Body represents the whole corporal nature of the avatar. Mind represents its logical function, and Soul represents its emotional function. Each Main Stat has at least three Sub-Stats. Strength, Agility and Constitution for the Body. Thinking Pace, Memory and Magical Affinity for the Mind. Faith, Resolve and Empathy for the Soul.¡± ¡°Good so far.¡± Commented her Uncle, keeping his eyes on the road but his ears focused on what she was saying. From here, the skyscrapers were truly majestic, each one surrounded by its own green park, giving the whole city centre a very spacious feel. ¡°As a player, you gain one Stats point at each level up, that you can invest freely between the three Main Stats. The Sub-Stats are derivated from the Main Stats through a calculation based on your class.¡± ¡°Ah, your race impact this calculation too, don¡¯t forget it.¡± He intervened as he was passing a pretty slow car. ¡°Of course, but since you can¡¯t choose a race other than human in character creation, what¡¯s the point of talking about races?¡± ¡°...Point taken, keep going.¡± Forest of Clarity - Dzive The post they had chosen for their picnic was a shadowy recess in the mountainside not far from the village, just at the other side of the tiny forest they had crossed. A small stream was flowing endlessly from the rock, fed by the summer melting of the ice cap, thus ice-cold. Her mother, who was carrying everything as always, rolled out a large blanket over the lush grass as her father was filling a pitcher with the water from the stream. Having nothing to do, Dzive started exploring the recess. What¡¯s this? She ran her hand over the rock and light started to faintly glow. New Brussels- Typhoon 6 - Zoe ¡°Players can at least have two classes, and can unlock new classes slots further on. A class give multiple advantages: Class Modifier, Expertises and Skills are the main ones. A class has 3 stages: Novice, Adept and Master. Boosting the grade of a class goes through the same conditions as making them Rank Up: You need to satisfy a number of specifics prerequisites.¡± ¡°Very good! We¡¯ve arrived, we¡¯ll continue this test after we¡¯re done with the paperwork.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± Her Uncle parked the car in front of the Star Overdrive building, a faint smile spreading on his face. Forest of Clarity - Dzive ¡°Run!¡± Screamed her mother in a powerful voice, enough to cover the clatter of battle. ¡°Wait for us at the Wishes¡¯ Shrine! GO!¡± The girl thus ran with all her strength, her legs engulfing the path like a starving man a charity meal. Tears were rolling on her cheeks, furrowing through the blood that had splattered her face. New Brussels - Star Overdrive building - Zoe The Star Overdrive building was already quite intimidating even though they were still in the process of building new floors. The pure white blank walls were giving it the feel of a gigantic monolith firmly anchored in the ground. As of now, the young woman was moving toward the entrance of said building, her Uncle walking beside her. They both were quiet, admiring the beautiful flower beds. Red tulips really are a good counterpoint to the white of the VDC. She smiled again. She loved colours and the work of them, be it in artworks or in reality. The glass panels of the door opened without a sound when they arrived before them, a slight fresh airstream blowing through them making hers and her Uncle¡¯s hair wave slightly. The words ¡®Virtual Dive Center¡¯ were written in soft blue letters over the entrance. Forest of Clarity - Dzive Without noticing, she had reached the trail leading to the Shrine. Noise of the battle between her parents and the.. the things had lessened until they had become inaudible. The girl, however, kept running, her footstep pushed by fear. VDC - Zoe ¡°Mademoiselle, what can I do for you?¡± A thirty-year-old man welcomed her as she was entering. He was standing behind one of the circular desks that filled the room, the only one occupied by a member of the personnel, Zoe realized. Only one? She looked left and right. I¡¯m the only customer? She tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s an off-peak time and we¡¯re in the middle of the week. It¡¯s nothing unusual. Besides, there¡¯s not an unlimited amount of capsule available and, as you can imagine, people tend to use their capsule, hence not being here.¡± Explained her Uncle, as if he had read her thoughts. ¡°We¡¯re here for a booking I made.¡± Said her Uncle to the clerk. ¡°A booking?¡± ¡°Yes, for my niece.¡± Her Uncle put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°And to what name has the booking be done?¡± ¡°Naelis, Luca Naelis.¡± ¡°Yes, let me check¡­¡± The clerk raised an eyebrow and gave the both of them quite the surprised look. ¡°Luca Naelis¡­ I¡¯ve already seen this file somewhere¡­¡± He paused for a moment before.. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Oh!¡± He quietly looked right and left before leaning toward them. In a whispering voice: ¡°Are you Luca Naelis?¡± He asked to her Uncle. ¡°Yes.¡± The interested party answered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the owner of¡­ of Argosphael?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Answered her Uncle again, this time with a slight frown of anger. ¡°Sorry sorry I forgot that divers disliked saying that they own an Avatar. So you¡¯re Argosphael? Could I have an autograph? My daughter is an absolute fan of you!¡± He kept trying to whisper bu his excitation made it hard for him to do so. Luca smiled. ¡°Of course, but can it wait for after we¡¯ve completed the paperwork, please? I really want my niece to access her capsule. ¡°Ah yes of course! So you¡¯re his niece? Lucky lass. Can I have your ID please?¡± ¡°Here.¡± She gave it to him, unable to suppress her smile. You¡¯ve a big career and all, mom, but you can¡¯t even make as much money as he did, and you¡¯re far from having his fame. She thought bitterly. ¡°Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience.¡± He took the ID and put it in a card reader before fiddling a bit with his holo-monitor. ¡°There you go! So, what do I do with the booking?¡± ¡°Full ownership transfer to her name, please.¡± Answered Luca. ¡°Right away.¡± A bit more fiddling. ¡°Perfect. Miss, you¡¯re now the sole owner of the First-class capsule n¡ã02, with a lease covered...for life¡­¡± He started turning green but recovered quickly. For life? She looked at her Uncle but he just softly smiled back at her. He¡¯s so nouveau rich sometimes, is he really more than sixty years old? She rolled her eyes and took her focus back on the clerk. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said. ¡°Is there anything more to do before I can go to my capsule?¡± ¡°Well, I need to explain some basic things about our service, even if you¡¯ve a renowned diver at your side.¡± He looked at Luca. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s protocol.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, just go ahead, I¡¯ll go buy something to drink and meet you at your capsule when you¡¯re ready.¡± And he was gone as soon as he said it, walking toward what Zoe thought was the elevator to the cafeteria. ¡°He and his avatar really don¡¯t look alike, but they¡¯ve both this¡­ crushing aura around them.¡± Said the clerk softly, talking to himself, just thinking aloud really. ¡°So, those basic things?¡± ¡°Ha yes, sorry. You¡¯re now the owner of a capsule. This whole building, including the cafeteria, the infirmary and, of course, your diving room, are opened around the clock each day of the week. We basically never close. In fact, in the last five years, we never stopped operating even for one day. This way, you can access your capsule whenever you want. However, you''re limited in the time you¡¯re authorized to dive. You can¡¯t dive more than sixteen hours a day, and never more than twenty hours in one session. This norm is implemented for health reasons. Good so far?¡± ¡°Yes, keep going please.¡± ¡°Of course. When diving, your body is monitored by a vast array of sensor. If your vital signs divert slightly from the norm, you¡¯re warned in-game. This case of warning encompasses basic vital needs like drinking, eating, going to the bathroom and the such. If your vital signs start diverting heavily, you¡¯ll be forcibly ejected from your dive and the medical team on watch will intervene. Those case encompass severe dehydration or malnutrition, or any striking sickness detected. Basically, you¡¯re way more likely to survive heart attack and the like when you¡¯re in a capsule than anywhere but a hospital bed, since your capsule is even more performant than those. Mind you, you¡¯ve full insurance covering medical fees if you¡¯re forcibly ejected from your capsule. Any questions?¡± ¡°No, everything was clear.¡± ¡°Great. Can I be of any further help¡­?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Could you take me to my capsule?¡± ¡°Ahahah, of course! At the start you¡¯ll maybe be a little be lost since the building is big but don¡¯t be nervous, you¡¯ll take the notch quite enough. Now if you would please follow me¡­?¡± Forest of Clarity - Dzive She collapsed, exhausted beyond words, breathing heavily. Sweat rolled over her forehead, dripping on her hands. In front of her stood the Shrine, a tiny stone pillar on which rested a circular tablet of the same material. Above this circular tablet was floating a tiny golden sphere, with tiny chains orbiting around it, each of them forming a closed circle. She remembered the scream of her mother, the blood of her father. On her knees, she put her hands against each other. With all the strength of despair, she made a wish. VDC - Zoe Wow. That¡¯s what it looks like? Other than the object throning in front of her the tiny pristine-white room was empty. Monobloc and devoid of edges or straight lines, it was giving the impression of being a hybrid of a coffin and an egg. She gave an interrogative look at Luca who, as he said, had been waiting for them in front of the room. ¡°You¡¯ll need to use your ID to open the capsule. Just put it there, in front of the sensor.¡± She was ready to do this but was stopped by her Uncle. ¡°Wait. One last question before you go in. What is a player in Binding Fate?¡± ¡°Lore-wise? From what I know, we¡¯re some kind of higher spirit summoned for another world. We create a contract with an NPC chosen for us by the system, and one of the big quests for a player is to fulfil the clauses as much as they can.¡± ¡°Good, go ahead, and keep in mind what¡¯ you¡¯ve dug from the internet. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Once more, she readied herself to open the capsule but, this time, it¡¯s the clerk that interrupted her. ¡°I know you¡¯ve made research before coming here, but I just want to remind you about two facts.¡± ¡°...Go ahead? I really want to get started you know¡­¡± She answered with a desponded voice. ¡°Sorry. To the point: There is a time difference between our world and the game¡¯s world. The time in-game goes five times faster than the time in reality, and by that I don¡¯t mean that the clock goes quicker. If you play for one IRL second, you literally play for five seconds in-game, you live those five seconds. This five-fold time dilatation as been implemented so things in-game move quicker and more opportunity to do things appear.¡± ¡°Ah yes, Uncle already told me about this. It¡¯s quite the prowess.¡± ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Don¡¯t they use this feature for their R&D and administrative department to free more time for their staff? ¡°This being said, you¡¯ll have two clocks in-game, one giving you the local time in-game, and one giving you the time IRL. That¡¯s all, you now dive.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Feeling suddenly a bit shy, she asked. ¡°So, I just need to lie down in this capsule, and I¡¯ll start diving right away?¡± ¡°Well, you need to confirm the dive but yes, in essence, that¡¯s all.¡± "Well then¡­ thanks for the explanation and the help.¡± ¡°Bah, that¡¯s my job, I was happy doing it.¡± He answered with a large smile. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s an honour meeting you and your Uncle, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become famous like him, miss.¡± And with those words, he withdrew. ¡°Quite the chatty fellow, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°He is eager to make a good job. I like him.¡± She answered. She looked at the capsule. ¡°What are you waiting? Go and dive.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She climbed into the capsule. We¡¯ll see if it¡¯s really as awesome as the footages Uncle stream¡­ It¡¯s been a long time that I didn¡¯t find a game really excitant or entertaining¡­ A large childish smile bloomed on her face as the capsule was closing on her. ¡°I¡¯ll go dive and wait for you in-game. Take your time in the character creator, I¡¯ve things to take care of anyway.¡± He said just before the capsule sealed shut. ¡°Yes!¡± Let¡¯s go! At the time, no one knew. Indeed, no one knew that this capsule lid closing was the very opening of one of the greatest legend of Binding fate, a legend exceeding all borders, a legend about family. Dzive - Whishes¡¯ Shrine Its step was shaking the ground and its roar fleeing the birds. That¡¯s when she saw it. The monster. But it wasn¡¯t it at which the girl was looking at. Oooh no, it was toward the severed arm in the mouth of the thing that her gaze was drawn to. On one of its finger, a tiny jewel was shining, mocking her. When she noticed it, despair took over. ¡°MOOOOOOM!!!¡± The scream was heartbreakingly sad, her mind entirely flooded by grief and sorrow. Nearly entirely. A tiny, so, so tiny flame was glowing too, growing with each passing moment, a flame of pure fury fed by her feelings of vengeance and injustice, by sadness, by the unfathomable void of the loss. ¡°WHY DON¡¯T YOU ANSWER!¡± She screamed at the shrine. ¡°I¡¯M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH ONLY ONCE AND LET ME KILL IT, I DON¡¯T WANT THE OTHERS TO DIE! HAVE MERCY, LET ME SURVIVE! AND, ABOVE ALL, I BEG YOU: LET ME AVENGE MY PARENTS!!!¡± Her voice was overflowing with anger, hatred and grief, as were her tears. After each sentence, she struck the ground with her now scraped tiny hands, covered by her own blood. In the heat of the moment, the crimson liquid had even been splatter over the golden sphere and the chain... Chapter 4 - Bonding is the Key Chapter 4 Zoe - Binding Fate - Character creation menu She was sitting on the floor, over the lush grass of a tiny meadow. Twenty meters away, it stopped abruptly, giving way to the bright blue sky. Ah. A floating island. Very traditional. Even if she looked serene, the young woman was shocked by the realism of her dive, a first for her. In the middle of the island throned the statue of a man and a woman holding a roman amphora together, an endless stream flowing peacefully from its bottleneck. The water then built up in basin at their feet, forming a tiny rivulet that ran through the grass before falling overboard. The two people were holding hands and smiling. They seemed happy. ¡°But why this setting in particular¡­?¡± She thought all aloud in a whisper. ¡°Because it¡¯s peaceful.¡± Eh? Zoe was startled, surprised that someone had answered her. She rose in a hurry all the while dusting her cloths. Someone then popped up in existence, a young man twenty years old, maybe a bit more. ¡°I startled you, I¡¯m sorry Mademoiselle, it wasn¡¯t my goal.¡± He bowed and took his hat off, a hat that wasn¡¯t there the second before. ¡°Delighted to meet you, I¡¯m called Hermes, I¡¯m the Artificial Intelligence dedicated to players interpersonal interactions.¡± He then threw his hat over his shoulder all the while smiling brightly to the young miss. What an oddball, she thought with the shadow of a smile, but he is extremely realistic. Wouldn¡¯t he have said that he was an AI, I would have thought he was a human operator of some kind. ¡°I¡¯m here to take charge of you during the tutorial and character creation phase. Please take good care of me.¡± Dzive - Wishes¡¯ Shrine She saw the fist of the monster coming toward her, filling her field of view like some kind of crashing asteroid. She could already see herself turned into a bloody pulp on the ground¡­ ¡°Tiuiuiuing!¡± A noise rang suddenly, like two wine glass struck against each other. The girl reopened her yes that fear had made her close. Between her and the creature, a barrier had sprung to life, its colour a translucid blood-like red. The monster¡¯s fist had shattered against this luminous rampart, and was now in a sorry state. Its fingers were crooked in every direction, you could even see numerous bones poking out of the flesh and piercing the skin. ¡°Contract Request detected. Valid Petitioner. Launching summoning process¡­ Warning! Threat detected. Returning relevant data to the source¡­Process underway¡­¡± Said the golden sphere with a monotonous voice. Zoe - Character Creation Menu ¡°I would want to start with a basic explanation of the system. Is that okay with you?¡± "Well¡­ could we skip that? I¡¯ve already done some research.¡± ¡°Of course. however, I just want to warn you: the pieces of information you¡¯ve found are in no way complete, because Binding Fate is a very complex game. Thus, not everything is documented, for once, and new systems and subtilities appear every day, for the other. Basically, the more you play, the more complex and numerous the systems you¡¯ll unlock and use. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks!¡± Dzive - Whishes¡¯ Shrine The ring-shaped chains had stopped rotating around their centre. They were now aligned on the same plan, creating a strange disk around the golden sphere. A bright light suddenly starts flowing from its upper part as it opened like a blooming flower. In front the slack-jawed girl, a figure was slowly being drawn. Zoe - CCM ¡°I¡¯ll now enter the Mirror Mode.¡± Hermes figure shimmered slightly, quickly becoming a perfect copy of Zoe¡¯s body and cloth. ¡°You can now modify any element of this mirror image as pleased. Your avatar will use the final product of this step. Please state a command.¡± ¡°...I just need to ask and this reflection will update itself?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The young woman starts thinking, unconsciously caressing her lips. ¡°Will I be able to modify my avatar after the end of this step?¡± ¡°Difficultly. Possibilities exist in-game, but don¡¯t count on them, they¡¯re few and far between. Some class can do it, so items, too.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She looked one more minute at her reflection. ¡°And is it possible to use something else than my own body as a base for my avatar?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, but it¡¯s not recommended.¡± ¡°Because of the Disharmony?¡± Silence stretched for a bit. ¡° Yes, because of the desynchronisation syndrome, indeed.¡±His voice was a bit cold. ¡°Ok. Well, let¡¯s start the work then! Make my hair grow forty more centimetres.¡± Fascinated, the young woman saw the hair of her doppelganger grow in fast motion. It was now falling in the curve of her back. Happy with the result, she kept editing her avatar this way, taking her time to fine-tune each detail. If you¡¯re gonna keep the same avatar, at least make it sexy¡­ She had finally finished the last details. The mirror image standing in front of her was now quite far away from her original body while still being generally the same. The avatar was 1,78m tall, eight centimetres taller than she really was, the added height put in her now longer legs. Her previously blond hair was now a compound of light blue and dark purple strands, creating a high contrast with her now white as jade skin. Only a small amount of changes had been made to her face, except for her eyes. She always loved stylish eyes. Their iris were now a bit larger, and they had the colour and the gleam of gold, with silver threads spreading from the borders of the pupils to the borders of the iris, like the spokes of a wheel. And now, maybe boys will stop looking thirty centimetres under my eyes as if my head was located there¡­ ¡°I must warn you: the length increase of the fingers, arms and legs and the decrease in chest circumference maybe be source of physical dissonance during a short time you will need to get used to them. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°No problemo!¡± ¡°Good. Do you want to proceed to the next step?¡± Affirmative nod of her head. ¡°You¡¯ve now three Main Stat Point (MSP) to distribute between your three main stats.¡± A menu came into existence in front of her. In its centre was displayed a triangle with a circle centred around each of its tips, and another one in its centre. The first three circles had a number four displayed in them, and each had a specific colour. The one at the bottom was emerald-green to represent the Body. The top left one was gold-yellow to represent the Soul, and the top right was sapphire-blue for the Mind. The central circle was grey, and had the number zero displayed in it. That would be my level, level zero¡­ of course. She looked at the menu for some time before she sat down on the grass once more. I did not really think about what type of avatar I would want to play¡­ A mighty wizard? An indomitable knight? An unparalleled cleric? That¡¯s three totally different builds and, from what I¡¯ve seen so far, there a motherfucking lot of different build and classes. Soul for faith if I want to heal or resolve if I want resistance to curse and the like¡­ Body, for obvious reasons, because strength, agility and more importantly constitution are never too much¡­ Mind, for magical affinity and logical thinking¡­ Uncertain, she dispatched her points. ¡°Oh? One in each stats? Interesting. Be careful what you¡¯re doing, playing balanced is difficult, if rewarding with the right catalysts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± She answered with a nod. ¡°Now there is one last thing you need to do. Please name your avatar.¡± ¡°A name? Well, let¡¯s name it the same as all my previous avatars eh. It will be ¨¦let.¡± The AI raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why this name, though?¡± He asked with curiosity. She looked at him and shrugged. ¡°Zeo in ancient greek mean life so, long ago, I used Gtranslation to search for a word meaning life in another language. ¨¦let is this word, in Hungarian. That¡¯s all.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°...Interesting. Now, the last step: Please choose between the three started class.¡± Another window popped up before her. - Militia - magic novice - Initiate ¡°Each of those class gives you basic insight toward the different gameplay of Binding Fate. I¡¯ll not be rude and I¡¯ll assume you can understand by yourself what each of them can do.¡± ¡°Thank you, I guess?¡± ...Hmmmmm¡­ HMMMMM¡­ Well, it¡¯s the first VRMMO I play, maybe I should start with something that as some survivability? ¡°Let¡¯s go for Militia.¡± ¡°Understood. Then I wish you an adventurous journey through this, miss. Goodbye.¡± And then, suddenly, he pushed her in the expense of sky where she started falling. What?! ¡°Whaaaaaa!¡± Hermes Phew, and another one done. She seems to have potential, I hope she¡¯ll be hooked by the game. We need talented players, players full of potential. His gaze was lost in the distance, contemplating the horizon. Thinking of potential, what is Argosphael doing right now? Making a mess out of things, surely, as always. And with his niece coming, he can¡¯t help but try and make a show to impress the world even more¡­ Could be interesting to know what his niece looks like, if she has even a tenth of his brilliance she¡¯ll be a blast. He smirked. Would it be too much asking her to be a bit more clam than him? He looked one last time at this place before disappearing, letting the island at its seclusion, unaware of the identity of the young player he just launched into this word. Dzive - Whishes¡¯ Shrine The figure unravelled more and more until it became visible, concrete, present. In front of the young girl, a beauty like she had never seen before had appeared. Arms crossed, her golden eyes were casting withering glares as her locks of hair fiercely fluttered in her back. Anger could be seen on her face as she was clenching her fists. She soon floated down, putting her feet on the ground, the sides of her white redingote falling at her side just like the strand of hair settling peacefully in her back. Dzive couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. She prostrated on the ground, sobs of joy overwhelming her. ¡°Thanks, thank you so, sob, so much, sob, you¡¯ve heard me!¡± She could no longer stop herself from crying, her self-control swept away by a wave of relief. Suddenly, all the chains left the Shrine and, as they grew, started dancing around Dzive and the young goddess that had appeared. A warm feeling was born in the heart of the young girl as she felt an ethereal tether being woven between her and the impressive and gorgeous goddess. An unknown voice echoed in her head. ¡°Do you agree to sign this pact with summoned ¨¦let?¡± If that meant receiving help from the goddess, the heart of the young girl was totally committed to it. ¡°Yes!¡± And her voice resonated with a power not unlike the one carried by her mother¡¯s when she had sacrificed herself. ¨¦let WTF?! He could at least have warned me before sending me flying like that no? She thought, arm crossed. After she had been falling for an indefinite amount of time, the space around her had begun darkening until it was entirely blocking her view. She then had had the feeling of slowing down and coming to a halt, starting floating right away. And where am I now? She tried to pierce through the shadowy veil surrounding her but¡­ Nothing to do, I can¡¯t see a thing¡­? Ah? Slowly, ever so slowly, the world was regaining some colours. Around her, she could start seeing trees and, between the leaves, the pink-orange hue of the evening sky. The world around her became totally concrete and she finally put her feet on the floor. Quickly, chains started spinning around her as a child no, a bit older? was prostrating herself at her feet. What¡¯s going on? Surprise and curiosity replaced anger in her eyes. A System Message then echoed in her head. ¡°Do you agree to sign this pact with summoner Dzive?¡± The was just being said that the girl raised her gaze and looked at ¨¦let, screaming ¡°Yes!¡± with a powerful voice. Blood, tears and snot were mixed on her face, but ¨¦let could see a flame of resolve burning in the pleading eyes of the girl, along with sadness and fury. This gaze dispelled any hesitation ¨¦let could have had in her heart. She forgot all her questions, all her reluctance and doubt as she whispered. ¡°Yes.¡± Reacting to her voice, the chains lashed at the two of them, making the girls crash against each other ¡°Contract established. Unit ¨¦let and Unit Dzive linked¡­ Warning! Critical threat detected! Priority orders received from the source¡­ Emotional state:check; Goal:check; Link integrity:satisfactory; Asking authorization¡­ rejected. Warning! Overriding Third Protocole. Asking authorization¡­ received. Building Contract Ability¡­¡± The chains disappeared, letting the fainted girl in ¨¦let¡¯s arms. What? And suddenly she saw it. A barrier stood between it and her, but it was still too close for her peace of mind. A demon, nearly five meters tall, was standing there, its right arm totally messed up. A sick desire was flickering in its eyes, like cancerous hunger, and she knew it was only waiting for the barrier to go down to swoop on her. Seeing this, she strengthened her grasp around the girl in a subconscious act of protection. Over its head floated title splatter with blood. Could be read -Raid Boss, Asiroth of the Four Sins(weakened)-. Wrath overwhelmed her once more. And what am I supposed to do now, eh?! No but, you know, encountering a Raid Boss thirty seconds after the first spawn it¡¯s a bit rough don¡¯t you think, in particular if I want to protect the kid! As if it had heard her, the soft system voice made another announcement. ¡°Diiig¡­ congratulation, you¡¯ve acquired the Special Capacity All-consuming Gaol¡­ Warning, major threat detected. Forced activation of All-consuming Gaol, target: Asiroth.¡± The barrier fell suddenly. The monster needed no more incentive and threw itself mouth first on its preys. That¡¯s it, I¡¯ll die. What will Uncle think of that? I¡¯ll never hear the end of it, he will mock me until he dies of old age! But right at the time everything seemed lost, when she had curled herself up around the girl to protect her with her own body, something happened. She heard the monster scream, a scream of pain and anger. She felt something grabbing it, tearing it apart into two pieces, sucking one of them into her, the other into the girl she was holding. Her head started spinning, a black veil covered her eyes and she had the feeling of an unending fall. And then¡­ nothing. ¡°Warning, overload All-consuming Gaol detected¡­¡± Said the soft voice, without anyone hearing her¡­ Interlude 1 - Search Interlude 1 Argosphael - Unknown location She as been connected for at least three hours, maybe even four, why can¡¯t I find her! The man was in his forties, his mixed black and silvery half-long hair dressed into a ponytail that whipped the air each time he took a sharp turn pacing the ground in his anxiety. ¡°All reports from Islanzadi are negatives. Same for the Necropolis, the Silver Tower, Pont¨¦naux and Galowsan.¡± Said a girl in the second half of her twenties, reading the symbols that were appearing one after the other on the scroll she was firmly holding. ¡°Tsss, where did she spawn?¡± He thought all aloud with a voice full or irritation. ¡°Hey. Looked at me.¡± Said the woman, her voice steadfast. Argosphael turned his head, looking at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. If your niece we¡¯re talking about. I may not have met her yet, but if she has only a tenth of the skills and luck you or your little brother have, she¡¯s surely perfectly fine right now. Fuck, with a tenth of that she¡¯s surely already butchering a legendary boss or another! So now you stop yourself and you take two seconds to think: compared to you, what¡¯s her skills and luck?¡± And he did indeed stop in his tracks, caressing his lips as he was thinking. Does his niece have the same tic when she¡¯s thinking? A smile was starting to bloom on the face of the middle-aged man, broadening as time passed. ¡°A lot more than me. Yes, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s already been dealing with a boss around this time, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡° He said, nodding his head with sincerity. ¡°Could be interesting to ask her which one she killed¡­¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Wait wait wait that was a joke you know right? No summoned could realistically deal with a boss right after their summon¡­ no? ¡°What you say is wise, I need to stop freaking out for nothing.¡± He look became resolute. ¡°Call all the recon team back, we¡¯ve lost enough resource for today. Anyway, with the chance she has, she surely spawned in a Bastion.¡± ¡°Copy. I¡¯ll redistribute the resources to reinforce the covering over the Dr¨¨messe Empire.¡± ¡°Good idea. Keeping an eye over Dr¨¨messse is never a bad idea. And we¡¯ll finally get back to work.¡± ¡°Ah? So we¡¯ve a target today?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll go to the twenty-seventh floor of the Infernal Tower. ¡±Ah, just that.¡± She said with a sarcastic voice. ¡°Well, third time¡¯s a charm, right? I¡¯ve created a whole new tactic, I¡¯m sure we can kill it this time!¡± ¡°Humpf¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t humpf me, I can assure you it¡¯ll work!¡± ¡°Welp, you¡¯ll need to convince me.¡± She said while rising from her chair. Seeing her grumbling but full of energy, Argosphael couldn¡¯t help himself and the outline of a smile appeared over his face. She had the same look when she was a child and she did not want me to see that she was excited. Some things don¡¯t change, it seems. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming, old man? Do you need a rollable walker?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming I¡¯m coming, you little impatient!¡± And he started walking after her, following Kira, the miss he made a contract with, nearly twenty years ago. Chapter 5 - Waking Under a Gentle Sun Chapter 5 Dzive She was sleeping in a warm embrace. Her head was softly resting against a voluminous chest, and she could feel her body going up and down at the pace of a slow breathing. Her arms were firmly wrapped around her mother¡¯s neck with its skin softer than silk, finding its maternal fragrance more than reassuring and, rocked by those sensations, she went back to sleep. Unconsciously, she tightened the grasp of her little arms. ¨¦let Through the window, leaves were casting dancing rays of sunlight over ¨¦let¡¯s face. Hhhm¡­ let me¡­ sleep¡­ a bit more¡­ ...mattress¡­ comfortable¡­ mattress¡­? Eyes still closed, the young woman frowned. Her mind still stuck in sleep¡¯s molasses, she still managed to open her eyelids in an effort of will. I don¡¯t recognize this ceiling¡­ She started laughing as soon as she understood what she just thought. My god, what a clich¨¦ Isekai sentence. That¡¯s when she finally noticed the tiny arms tightly wrapped around her neck. Awakened by the laugh, the girl batted her eyes as she was stretching a bit. In a sweet and soft voice, still full of sleep¡¯s remnants, she talked as she was yawning. ¡°Huaaaaa¡­ Mom¡­ ?¡± When her eyes crossed with the young woman¡¯s, her sleepy disposition was successively replaced by interrogation, fear, surprise and finally relief. She extricated herself from the young woman¡¯s arms and sat cross-legged on the bed, hands on her knees, giving her an acute sense of cuteness. ¡°You¡¯re the¡­ the goddess that descended to answer my call, right?¡± ¡°Goddess?¡± Answered ¨¦let in surprize, tilting her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re! Legends say that if you go to the forest Shrine and make a Wish with all your resolve, a divine would hear your request and step down from its heavenly palace if they agree to the prayer¡¯s request! My parents told me that and, as far as I know, they¡¯re always right! They were famous adventurer you know?¡± She said with excitement, and excitement that, however, disappeared quickly and giving way to gnawing anxiety. ¡°My parents¡­ my mom¡­¡± She glanced at her with a mix of hope and anxiety. ¡°You¡¯ve saved them¡­ right?¡± In front of the girl¡¯s emotions, ¨¦let was lost. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She gave her a negative nod. ¡°...no¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± The changes took a will to appear on the young girl¡¯s face, as if she had difficulties processing an idea to foreign. Her wide eyes started brimming with tears who then rolled like waterfall along her cheeks, and she started crying silently, collapsing like a puppet whose threads had been cut. Surprised, the young woman caught the young girl on the fly, taking her in her arms to try and soothe this overwhelming grief, lost in front of so much sorrow. ¡°Hush¡­ hush¡­¡± She didn¡¯t dare to say that everything was alright, fearing to lie to the girl. ¡°Dad¡­ Mom,sob, were are you¡­ Mom!¡± ¡°Hush, hush, me, I¡¯m right here, hush hush.¡± Reacting to her words, the young girl nestled on ¨¦let and buried her head in the young woman¡¯s chest, sobbing softly. They stayed like that a long time, the little one weeping as the young woman tried to reassure her, lovingly caressing her hair. He didn¡¯t lie to me¡­ that¡¯s unlike any other game I¡¯ve ever played, I¡¯ll really have difficulties keeping my emotions in check¡­ Well, that¡¯s not so bad, emotional commitment is a good way to live interesting things after all. *** ¡°Oh, seem¡¯s like yeh¡¯re awake lass!¡± An old man had softly pointed the tip of his nose through the half-closed door, only to open it fully when he had seen that the young woman was awake. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, back against a wall, leaning next to the window. Her hand that was, so far, gently caressing the hair of the young girl, rose toward her mouth to make a sign to the elderly man to be quiet. Her eyes went back down. The old man followed her gaze and saw that the little one was still sleeping. Whispering, ¨¦let said: ¡°She fell asleep crying in my arms, I think she really needs to rest. For her¡­ her parents¡­ do you know if they¡¯re still alive?¡± About this point, she was clueless. In the same voice, the old man answered. ¡°Ah well lil¡¯ miss, we were waiting for your awakening in hope yeh would be able to explain what¡¯d happened, yeh¡¯see? What¡¯s yeh¡¯re name again?¡± ¡°¨¦let.¡± He used the name multiple time while stroking his nose.¡±Let¡¯s see¡­ ¨¦let ¨¦let ¨¦let, ¨¦let ¡­ Nah, no idea. Yeh¡¯re not from around here, don¡¯t yeh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know where here is.¡± She answered with a vexed frown. ¡°Hhmm¡­¡± Even if the talking was done in whispers it still seemed to disturb the little one. She moved a bit to find again a comfy posture and her breathing settled down once more. Her face was slightly contorted as if she was going through a nightmare. ¡°Hush, hush, I¡¯m here¡­¡± Said the young woman with a tender face. The old man waited two more minutes, to be sure that the girl was once again in a deep sleep, before he answered the implied question of the young woman. ¡° Yeh¡¯re in Clarity, lil¡¯miss, the only village two days away in every direction.¡± He paused one second then followed with another sentence. ¡°What¡¯yeh thing about putting this kiddo in the bed and coming with me to talk a bit, eh?¡± She answered with a soft laugh quickly repressed. ¡°I say that if you¡¯re able to remove her from my neck, you¡¯re a true wizard.¡± ¡°Bah, then take her with you. I¡¯m an alchemist, not a wizard, and my old bones aren¡¯t made to stand for nothing.¡± He nodded at her, inviting her to follow him, what she did while taking the girl with her. The little one grumbled a bit while changing posture, but that was all. *** Soon enough they were sitting in the living room. A high number of shelves were covering the walls from top to bottom, full of jars, bottles, books, stones and devices of all kinds. ¨¦let was trying to look at everything at the same, attempting to understand what each object did, to see the content of each jar. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Yeh¡¯re a curious one neih? Never seen the workshop of a pharmacist-alchemist?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, no, I¡¯ve never seen one.¡± She answered while scratching her head.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, later, if you¡¯ve the time, yeh could maybe come and talk to this old husk of an alchemist. I love curious ones, and company. The little one yeh¡¯ve in your arms is one of them, actually, she comes her all the time when she¡¯s not bothering her parents¡­¡± He paused for one second, a pained expression on his face. ¡°So, what happened?¡± And so the young woman explained how she had been awaiting a worthy summoner in her own world, and how she finally saved the girl in her arms by accident. ¡°Welp, that¡¯s more or less what the tracks we¡¯ve found were telling us. So, yeh¡¯re a summoned, right? Never heard of that.¡± ¡°...What? For real?¡± She was surprised. Summoners and summoned were common knowledge in this world, if what her Uncle told her was right. ¡°Well, not about summoned exactly. Legends talk about how, in ancient time, you would be able to summon an angel or even a minor deity and how you would sign a contract with them, but it never occurred around her. However, I think you should be what those legends were talking about, after all you¡¯ve the bracelet to prove it.¡± ¡°The bracelet?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve not noticed yet? Look at your wrist, lass.¡± She looked at her wrist and there it was, like the old man told it. Its design was very simple, it was a coal-black metallic chain. I don¡¯t even feel it against my skin¡­ Uncle told me about this, but it¡¯s still surprising. the way she had arrived in this world had confused her a bit. Unlike other normal games, she wasn¡¯t relying on her gathered knowledge to move forward, since this place was way too realistic for her. She was just acting normally, as if it was real and not a game. The little one changed posture, letting go of ¨¦let¡¯s neck. ¡°And look at the Dzive, she has the same, on her other wrist. Oh? Dzive¡¯s her name? Pretty. ¡°Oh yes, they told me about that before I came here, it¡¯s the icon of our pact.¡± She thought all aloud. ¡°Seems about right with the legends. She gives yeh the ability to exist here and, in exchange, yeh must help her reach her goal, or something like that?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly what I¡¯ve been taught. It¡¯s the first time I do this so I¡¯m a bit lost.¡± She smiled apologetically. ¡°No problem, I can see yeh¡¯re pretty young, too. Well, at least your body is.¡± ¡°Ah yes, no, I am pretty young for the standard of my race.¡± He nodded, thinking. ¡°So¡­ what are the goal of this pact?¡± ¡°Wait a second, let me look at it.¡± She answered reflexively. Ok, first time opening a menu window, let¡¯s see how it work. And just as she was thinking that, semi-translucent text appeared in front of her. To open the menu window, touch your bracelet, say ¡°open menu¡± or think it. Oh, interesting. This window disappeared, replaced by another when she touched her bracelet. Inventory Contract Options Deconnexion Nice! ¡°What did you want to know, again?¡± ¡°Goals of your contract?¡± He answered with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Copy.¡± So how do I interact with the menu? Once again, as if answering her thought, a sentence appeared. Mental command? So if I think about my Contract¡­ Answering her thought, the Contract menu opened, making the other windows disappear. This menu was like a triptych, with the left panel displaying an image of Dzive with a short physical description. She is thirteen? No way, she so tiny. Under this part lay a column called -Contract Abilities-, where you could find two of them for now, Recall and All-consuming Gaol. The same was true for the right panel, with the difference that is was ¨¦let¡¯s and that another Ability lay there, Absolute Safeguard. Ah, there it is. The middle panels were displaying multiple interesting information, like the power of her Contract Link, or its harmony, respectively at one hundred and zero. And, of course¡­ ¡°Found it. If what I read is right, the goal of our contract is to avenge her parents, protect the village, become the strongest and to take care of her. Well, seems like I¡¯ve found an ambitious summoner, ah.¡± Become the strongest, am I in a shonen? She scoffed a bit at her own joke. The old man thought a second before answering. ¡°Indeed. She must have been traumatized by her parents¡¯ death... but it¡¯s a good contract, yeh must be happy.¡± ¡°A good contract?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I mean, the longer the contract, the longer you can stay here, right? Is your goal to be here, after all? Or you wouldn¡¯t have answered her call.¡± ¡°That''s¡­ quite accurate, in fact.¡± She said, agreeing with him. That the time Dzive choose to wake up for the second time Dzive She slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the old man. ¡°Greypa? Huaaaa¡­¡± She stretched while yawning. Her face, however, lost pretty quickly the light-heartedness of sleep. When she spoke again, it was with eyes serious like Death. ¡°My Dad and my Mom, they¡¯re dead, aren¡¯t they?¡± Greypa could only nod affirmatively with a pained expression. I thought too. They were already dead when the goddess saved me. But still¡­ I hoped¡­ She, however, put herself together quite quickly. Her gaze was once again filled with resolve. ¡°Greypa, do you know where the goddess is right no? I would like to thank her for saving me.¡± To this request, the old man made a peculiar expression, half-confusion half-fascination. ¡°Hey, little one, I¡¯m here you know?¡± The voice was familiar to the girl, as if from her mother. Dzive was startled and turned around, realizing she was sitting on said goddess. She even still caressing her hair! W-what? Why didn¡¯t I realize that directly?! She jumped, no, rushed really out of the gorgeous woman¡¯s embrace before making a curtsy. ¡°A thousand thanks to you for saving me, goddess. Without your timely action I would be dead by now, I¡¯m forever indebted to you. To gorgeous woman measured Dzive with a pensive smirk, before in turned into a smile. ¡°You know, Dzive, I¡¯ve a name. For now on, can you call me ¨¦let, please? It would make me happy.¡± She fondled Dzive¡¯s hair a bit while saying that. ¡°I can really call you that? ¡°Of course, no need to be all uptight around me, girl, I¡¯m here for you after all, we¡¯re linked.¡± And she pointed at their bracelet. Linked? She lowered her gaze and saw her own bracelet around her wrist. ¡°What? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember? You prayed so fervently for someone to save you, you¡¯re the one that called me to you¡­¡± Remember remember remember¡­ oh, yes! ¡°After you appeared at the Wishes¡¯ Shrine, I heard a voice asking me if I wanted to sign a contract with you. That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Indeed, but don¡¯t worry, I was asked the same question and answered yes too, I wasn¡¯t forced or anything.¡± Even if Dzive¡¯s worry was subconscious, fearing that she had inadvertently chained a goddess to herself, she noticeably relaxed. However, confused, she asked another question. ¡°But what does this contract mean, exactly?¡± The young woman chuckled softly before putting her eyes at the same height than Dzive¡¯s. ¡°That means that starting now, I¡¯m here to help you, little one.¡± And she fondled her hair once more. Chapter 6 - A walk and A Talk Chapter 6 ¨¦let This part of the talk now closed, ¨¦let proceeded to the next item. ¡°And now, what do we do?¡± ¡°Ah, a good question for sure. I suppose yeh will settle down in the little one¡¯s house. Well, only if it suits yeh, Dzive.¡± He said, talking to the concerned party. For me, at least, it would be ok. I like her so far¡­ The little one hesitated a moment before nodding affirmatively. ¡°Good. Dzive, yeh will help the new one to fit in our community? She doesn¡¯t really know a lot about our world it seems, so yeh¡¯ll need to explain everything she doesn¡¯t know or understand. I¡¯m counting on yeh, got that?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Exclaimed the young girl. She turned toward her contracted summon and clenched her fist. ¡±Ok, I¡¯ll do my best, I swear!¡± She has so much energy, she doesn¡¯t look impacted that much by her parent¡¯s death. ¨¦let¡¯s thought before thinking a bit more and changing her mind. No, that¡¯s not it. She is impacted, and a lot, but having a goal makes her able to move without collapsing. It¡¯s her own way to work on her grief. But how long will it keep her in one piece¡­ It¡¯s like a headlong rush, only sustainable in the short term. Still, this combativity¡­ I like her. ¡°Perfect. Then I¡¯ll count on you.¡± ¡°Come, we¡¯ll start by visiting your new home. You¡¯ll see, it¡¯s a nice place!¡± And Dzive took her hand, leading her toward the door. Before they went out, the old man told them with a strong voice: ¡°And think about visiting your neighbours, they¡¯re worried about yeh!¡± ¡°Understood grandpa.¡± Answered the young woman before being scolded by the little one. ¡°It¡¯s Greypa, not grandpa!¡± ¡°Ok ok, I get it¡­¡± She answered with an annoyed tone. Their voice started fading as the door closed, ending this conversation. Greypa What changes will this young woman bring with her around her, I wonder. He was looking at the closed door with a thoughtful face. I hope the other part of the legends is mere fairytale¡­ He rose up and went in the deepest and darkest depths of his house. The place was strange, not a cellar at all¡­ In fact, it didn¡¯t seem at its place here, as if it was a part of something else, something that wasn¡¯t a home nor a building. There, he opened a chest, taking out an old grimoire. It looked like a rag but, if you were paying attention, you could have seen old golden letters shining with tiny magic sparks. ...but you never know, best be prepared for the worst¡­ a magical wand entirely white floated out of the wall in front of him before the old man grasped it strongly. ...Ah, she¡¯ll see if I¡¯m a wizard or not, hahaha! A powerful light passed through his eyes. ¨¦let Still dragged by Dzive, the two girls were crossing the village. ¡°..and that¡¯s Bertrand¡¯s smithy, he is the one forging and fixing nearly all the villagers¡¯ tools. He¡¯s always very busy and he doesn¡¯t talk much, but he¡¯s kind and always let me watch him when he¡¯s working.¡± Actually, you could hear him hammering iron right now. This village seems prosperous, people are smiling and open-minded¡­ It¡¯s just like Grandma¡¯s house used to be¡­ Her smile was a mix of happiness and regret. Since they had left Greypa¡¯s house, My God, this name really is hilarious, Greypa, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s one of his grandkids that came with this name, Dzive had made the young woman follow her through the tour of the village. First, they had needed to take the little trail connecting Greypa¡¯s house, some distance away from the other buildings, and the village below. It was surrounded by an imposing wooden wall where one could see marks scattered here and there. Intrigued, ¨¦let had asked the young girl. ¡°It¡¯s the neighbouring beasts.¡± She answered. ¡°Beasts attack the village?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°It happens, yes, but it¡¯s quite uncommon. During winter, if they¡¯re starving, wolves can try to break in and steal livestock, but the guards deal with them quickly. Oh, of course, Greypa need to heal them afterwards, and last year Jack nearly lost an arm, but it can be worst.¡± ¡°Worst? Keep going, it¡¯s interesting and you¡¯re good at explaining things.¡± Said ¨¦let to encourage the girl. So they know what a level is¡­ Good, I¡¯ll not be a freak then. ¡° Well, sometimes it¡¯s a bear, and then it¡¯s a lot more dangerous since bears have generally a good level, and their racial abilities are quite frightening too. Comparing to wolves that may be numerous but are only around level five to fifteen, a level forty bear is a force to reckon, in particular when you know that the guards are around level twenty.¡± ¡°Yeah, a difference of twenty level doesn¡¯t mean the bear is just two times stronger, after all.¡± Because of the modifiers, yes, but not only. ¡°Oh, so you know what a level is? That¡¯s good, one less thing I¡¯ll need to teach you then.¡± ¡°Yes, levels, classes and the like exist in my world too.¡± If only in games. ¡°Thank you teach¡¯.¡± Answered the young woman with a smile. They kept going quietly up to the point were ¨¦let stopped in front of a mark. ¡°An animal didn¡¯t do that¡­¡± She said, pointing a trace way older than the others. ¡°...more like a sword, I think.¡± ¡°Yes. I heard a story about it, it would be because of an undead attack.¡± ¡°Zombies?¡± ¡°More likely skeletons.¡± Answered Dzive with a serious face. ¡°Why would you be attacked by skeletons?¡± Ah, how about peacefulness now? ¡°Because of the Dead Plains. I heard that, from time to time, tainted miasma are released by the Dead Plain and make the dead walk again. The undead is then drawn to all that is alive and, out of hatred, they want to kill them and make even more undead. That¡¯s what I heard, but it didn¡¯t happen since a long time ago, not when my parents were kids, at least. Are you coming or not?¡± She said, starting to walk again while grabbing ¨¦let¡¯s arm. ¡°Ok ok stop drawing me like that you will dislocate my shoulder!¡± Damn she¡¯s strong¡­ *** They finally arrived at the village gate. Two towers were overseeing it, with two archers on each observation platforms. On the ground level left and right of the door stood guards, spear in hands and chainmail over them. They tensed a second when the two girls but relaxed nearly directly when they identified them. The right guard came forward after recognizing the young girl. "Hi Dzive, happy to see that you¡¯re healthy. We were all very worried when Marchal brought you back unconscious to Greypa.¡± He raised eyes full of gratefulness toward the young woman. ¡±Thank you for saving her.¡± She answered with a simple nod of the head. He then brought his gaze back on Dzive but didn¡¯t speak directly, as if searching his words. ¡±...Look, for you parents¡­ I¡¯m sincerely sorry... we should have been there, fighting with them¡­¡± Sadness veiled the eyes of the little one as her gaze was losing itself in the distance. A tiny teardrop rolled on her cheek. She finally brought her gaze back on him. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, Milo. Stop spinning this idea in your head, the only thing you would have done by being there is dying, juste like Mom and Dad. I¡¯m happy that Catherine still has her dad.¡± She clenched her hand around ¨¦let¡¯s. ¡°The only one who could have saved me was ¨¦let, and she did it.¡± The guard gritted his teeth under the dry words of the young girl, before accepting their truth and relaxing a bit. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re surely right. Well, I¡¯ll not keep you busy aby longer. So you know, if you need anything, you can both count on The Guard.¡± ¡°Thanks Milo.¡± Dzive¡¯s sadness was soon enough replaced by cheerfulness. ¡±Well, it¡¯s not that I have something else to do, but I still need to give a tour to our newcomer, so we¡¯ll be on our way now.¡± She finished her last sentence with a smile as she was dragging ¨¦let behind her once again. ¡°Take care!¡± ¡°You too!¡± The gate wasn¡¯t directly giving way to buildings. In fact, contrary what the young woman had imagined, the village was quite spacious, with a lot of pasture, trees, fields and empty space covered in lush grass. The would need to walk a bit more before reaching the first houses. ¡°This Milo seems like a good guy.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the captain of the guard¡­ you know, he takes his work very seriously, you can that he feels guilty about what happened to my parents¡­ but I don¡¯t want him to be sad because of this.¡± She stopped walking and looked ¨¦let in the eyes. ¡°The motto of my parents was: Death is stall but life is hope. That¡¯s why they called me Dzive, in fact, because it means life in the old tong, to make me remember that whatever trials I need to undergo, as long as I¡¯m alive, I can keep going.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°They weren¡¯t the style wanting for me to wallow in my grief. One night, they said to me that the day they would die, the hoped that I would do a great feast where all my loved ones would be, to eat and drink and laugh together because we were still alive.¡± She took a resolute look. ¡°And I will do it, but not now. Because for now you¡¯re here and you need me and, for me to become stronger, I need you. When I¡¯m able to protect us, me, the village, even you, then I will do this feast.¡± Slight worries stained her resolve.¡± But for that, you need to stay with me, so please, don¡¯t give up on me, yes?¡± Wooohoooo, this girl is intense. She really is an npc? ¡°After a tirade like that, how do you want me to give up on you? And remember, we¡¯re linked you and me¡­¡± She showed her the bracelet.¡± ¡­so as long as you¡¯re here for me, I will be here for you.¡± She finished saying with a reassuring smile. At those words, the little one jumped on the young woman, strongly hugging her. ¡°Thanks! Then I¡¯ll always be here for you!¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± It¡¯s an npc it¡¯s an npc¡­ that¡¯s bullshit, she is not an npc, it¡¯s impossible. She¡¯s way too human¡­ I thin Uncle and I will need quite the talk¡­ And like that, hand in hand, the young girl and the young woman started walking again. Chapter 7 - peaceful times Chapter 7 Fruit trees were growing along the road, cherry trees, apple trees and pear trees for what the young woman could see. Other varieties as well, that she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Oh well, I say that I want to become stronger, but I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± It was the first time she talked since her lengthy tirade. ¡°You could start by taking a level or two, no?¡± It¡¯s a basic after all¡­ ¡°I know, but all the ways to make my level grow quickly are, well, dangerous, like fighting and exploring ruins or the like.¡± True, npc only have one life after all, they can¡¯t respawn like us¡­ wait, but she¡¯s a summoner, she ought to be different, right? What happens if she dies? The idea hit her like a speeding truck. Hey, system, what happens when a summoner dies? Fear had lightly veiled her mind. Ah yes, of course, Uncle told you about it! Girl, stop thinking with your guts and start thinking with your brain! She scolded herself Whatever¡­ nevertheless, at least half of your Shards, that¡¯s really steep. I guess that¡¯s the way the developers use to tell us, ¡®Keep your fucking summoner alive!¡¯... ¡°Something¡¯s not right Big Sis¡¯?¡± ¡°No, all green, don¡¯t worr¡­¡± Wait. ¡°What do you mean, Big Sis¡¯?¡± ¡°Weeeeeell, you¡¯ll stay with me from now on, no?¡± Affirmative nod. ¡°And you will live with me, no?¡± Another nod.¡± Soooo, we¡¯re a bit like family, right? And since you¡¯re definitively not my mom, I thought you could be my Big Sis¡¯, you know¡­?¡± The young girl blushed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re not ok with that?¡± Her eyes were begging the young woman. Ho, fuck it then. Anyway it¡¯s obvious that she needs a family right now¡­ And I wanted to play a terrible evil queen, it¡¯s dead¡­ She thought jokingly. ¡°Ahaha, agreed¡­ little Sis¡¯.¡± She said, bursting in laugh. ¡°Thank you.¡± Answered the young girl, fiddling. Suddenly, an idea popped in ¨¦let¡¯s head, something she wanted to do but was a bit embarrassing too. She gathered her courage¡­ ¡°However, you¡¯ll not call me Big Sis¡¯, you¡¯ll call me ¡®Onee-chan¡¯, understood?¡± ¡°Eeeh¡­ why?¡± ¡°Because I like it more that way, at it still means big sis, just in another language. And now I am the one blushing, why am I doing that, it¡¯s plainly dumb! ¡°Okay¡­ Onee-chan?¡± Kyaaa, it¡¯s so embarrassing! But she¡¯s soooooooo cute saying that! My god, Uncle will tease me to no ends¡­ or his heart will melt, fifty/fifty for each case¡­ ¡°Onee-chan¡­ It sounds great, I like it!¡± Phew, she likes it. ¡°So, why were you worried about now?¡± That¡¯s when the little girl took her Onee-chan by surprise with a question that felt like a rugby player doing a tackle from a blind spot. ¡°Ah well¡­¡± between the embarrassment and the surprize of this question, the young woman was left speechless for a second. She quickly pulled herself back together. ¡°Can you let me think about how I¡¯ll answer this question of yours?¡± ¡°Of course, but don¡¯t take too long, we¡¯ll arrive at the village soon now, and it will be difficult to talk then, at least until we¡¯re home. ¡°Understood.¡± One last confirmation is required¡­ System, what¡¯s de death penality and respawn condition of a player? Hard enough as a condition but that¡¯s what I expected seeing the way Uncle complains when he dies... She spoke again. ¡±How to say this¡­ Well, you see¡­ I can¡¯t die¡­¡± The little girl walked a few more steps beside ¨¦let before stopping violently, having finally integrated the words of her big sister. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. You see, when I take lethal damages, I¡¯m thrown back in my world, where I can regenerate my wounds in around two days of time. When I¡¯m finished, I can come back to you.¡± ¡°R-really? No. No, it¡¯s impossible, no one can do that!¡± Exclaimed the young girl. "Lying is bad you know?" ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still a goddess, no? What did you expect?¡± ¡°But¡­ but that¡¯s awesome!¡± Dzive seemed all thrilled. ¡°Yes, I know, but I¡¯ve kept the best part for last¡­¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°I dooon¡¯t know, since you didn¡¯t believe in me right away, I¡¯m not sure I should say iiiiit¡­¡± She said with teasing voice. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Oh, please-please-please!¡± ¡°Okay okay just stop hitting me it hurts!¡± ¡°...Sorry Onee-chan.¡± She said in a repentant tone. Mhooooooo, she is soooooo cute¡­ No! Endure it, you need to scold her a bit! ¡°I hope you are, hitting you loved Onee-chan like that and accusing her of lying.¡± She added with a falsely angered face. ¡°I promise to believe in you, so tell it please!¡± At least she promised, I¡¯ll deal with her violent tendencies later¡­ ¡°Well, that¡¯s the deal: Since we¡¯re linked, you¡¯re immortal too. Just like me, you can¡¯t really die, just be put aside for a time before being able to come back anew.¡± Her little sister frowned again, this time in an effort of understanding the idea, and her eyes lost themselves in the distance more and more as she was taking in all that this revelation implied. ¡°B-but that mean I can fight monsters and all!¡± A smile grew more and more on her face as she accepting the idea, a predatory smile. The girl is quite down to earth isn¡¯t she eh? ¡°Sure but keep in mind to one that will heal you is me, and it¡¯s not a pleasant process nor a free one so, if you could avoid dying, it would be great for both of us, okay?¡± ¡°Yes Onee-chan.¡± A gigantic smile was spread on her face. I bet you didn¡¯t listen at all did you? Bah, she will need to live it to understand it. ¡°However don¡¯t start shouting it from every rooftop. You already had a hard time accepting that I was immortal, you can imagine how the villagers would react if you were to tell them you¡¯re now immortal. They would lock me like a madwoman and keep an eye on you forever for you to not do anything reckless because of what they think is a delusion, okay?¡± ¡°Understood! Not a word to anyone, it¡¯s a promise Onee-chan!¡± I love this game. She thought, faintly blushing again. ¡°Can we start walking again? It¡¯s already the fourth time we stop after all, if we keep going like that it will be night when we will finish the village¡¯s tour.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s go.¡± Answered ¨¦let. ¡°Aaaaaah, but stop pulling me like that, at this rate you¡¯ll really dislocate my shoulder!¡± ¡°Ahahah!¡± The fruit trees echoed with the laugh of the little one and the curses of her goddess. *** ¡°Oh Dzive, happy to see that you¡¯re in good health!¡± As they reached the first house, a man hailed them. In on arm he had a baby not even one-year-old, and he was using the other to wave at them. ¡°Hello mister Anwic, I¡¯m also relieved to have survived!¡± She answered in an energetic voice. Mister Anwic wait for the two girls to get close before carrying on with the discussion. ¡°My deepest condolences for your parents. I¡¯m very sorry about what happened.¡± He had put his hand on Dzive¡¯s shoulder to express his support. ¡°Everyone is sorry about it. Don¡¯t worry about me, you know they would want me to keep going.¡± He nodded slightly, silently acknowledging her words. ¡°And who is the gorgeous miss at your side?¡± His tone was now energetic like Dzive¡¯s, if a bit perverted too. ¡°You know that you¡¯ll make Mistress Anwic made jealous if you talk like that, hmhmm?¡± ¡°Ah, she would have hanged me at least six times already if she was that sensitive, brat.¡± He answered in a tone full of confidence, a laughing spark in his eyes. ¡±I know I know. Sorry but I need to give a tour to our newest dweller, we can¡¯t stay.¡± She answered back in a falsely apologetic tone. ¡°That¡¯s perfect I was precisely going to Nana¡¯s temple, we will be able to make part of the trip together.¡± He retorted in a cunning voice. ¡°...What''s going on between you two?¡± ¨¦let¡¯s question was like felt like a hair in the soup. For a time, the only sounds that could be heard were the one coming from the village¡¯s life and from the baby in M.Anwic¡¯s arms, who was taking a particular liking to his father¡¯s beard. They finally pulled themselves back together, turning their head toward ¨¦let. ¡°Yes sorry, I forgot you were new. We¡¯ve not a lot of new inhabitant around here. But don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t blame you.¡± Said M.Anwic ¡°You see¡­¡± added Dzive. ¡°...I think that the only one ever that interrupt us when we¡¯re bullshitting like that is Mistress Anwic. We just like teasing the other, we¡¯ve the same humour sense in a way. It¡¯s like a verbal sparring match, if you want.¡± ¡°...Oh. Oooooh.¡± She looked at both of them with a very serious gaze. ¡±Well then keep going, my goal wasn¡¯t to interrupt you two.¡± ¡°Too late.¡± Ah fuck, I fucked with their momentum. The kept walking and talking, stopping from time to time to greet people that said hello to them, answering to their encouraging, grieving or relived words toward Dzive. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, why wouldn¡¯t you introduce you, young girl?¡± Asked M.Anwic to ¨¦let. Young girl? Who¡¯s a young girl? He¡¯s not even ten years older than me and he calls me young girl? She thought, indignant. ¡°Well, old man, We call ourselves ¨¦let but know it¡¯s a rare honour for someone like you to be able to call us that way, as we¡¯re normally called Lady your sacrosanct divine holiness.¡± She answered in a mocking tone. ¡°Oh? I think we¡¯ll be doing great together, Lady your sacrosanct divine holiness.¡± Had had difficulties not laughing has he was answering her. Suddenly, his face became a lot more solemn. ¡°More seriously, you¡¯re the one that saved the kid, right? I think you¡¯ve already heard it quite a lot, but I¡¯ll still say it: from the bottom of my heart, thank you.¡± His gaze was totally honest as he was saying those words while looking at her. After a bit more walking, they finally arrived at the temple. ¡°Well, this is where our paths separate, for today at least. I¡¯m looking forward to have another fighter with such a sharp tong, that will spice our verbal jousting quite a bit, so come visit us when you¡¯ve the time.¡± And he went away in the building, the baby still in his arms. It looks like a roman catholic church, with their heavy wall and tiny windows. ¡°Do you want to pay a visit to Nana, or are we going home right away?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home, I¡¯ll need to take a break in the other world soon, introductions can wait. Yep, if those windows say the truth, I¡¯m hungry and I need to go to the bathroom. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you only needed to go back when you were dying?¡± Asked Dzive with tears in her eyes. ¡°No no, that¡¯s when I¡¯m forced to go back, but I also need to rest from time to time. You see, coming her take quite a toll on me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll only be away for three or four hours at most, after that I¡¯ll come back, okay?¡± ¡°...Okay. But first, I show you our home, Onee-chan!¡± ¡°Of course little sister, go ahead.¡± *** Isn¡¯t this place like, really great? Thought ¨¦let in awe. Noticing the gaze of her Onee-chan, the little one couldn¡¯t help herself and stick out her chest as she was gloating. ¡°My home is great, right? It¡¯s mom that made it for dad as a wedding present!¡± Nani? Her shock had to have appeared on her face, because the young girl added. ¡°Yes, surprising isn¡¯t it? Normally, custom wants that the husband builds a house for his wife before the wedding can take place, but Mom and Dad had always been doing whatever they wanted.¡± She said proudly. That¡¯s great but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry little sister, I really need to go¡­¡± ¨¦let said with an apologetic tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you promised that you would come back, and I believe in you, remember? Go ahead, but don¡¯t take too much time, please. I really want you to be with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a promise then! I¡¯ll come back quickly!¡± She kissed Dzive¡¯s head and touched her bracelet to open the main menu. Deconnexion¡­ please, system? And she wasn¡¯t there anymore¡­ Chapter 8 - A Breath of Reality Chapter 8 Zoe - V.D.C. Her capsule opened slowly, letting in light flowing in. Blinded by the sudden influx, she put her hands in front of her eyes. ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°Easy now, let your body take its time to re-acclimate itself.¡± The feminine voice was soothing, if slightly teasing. ¡°It¡¯s always difficult to emerge from a dive the first few times, but you¡¯ll quickly adapt I¡¯m sure. Well, if you keep playing, that is.¡± ¡°...Who¡¯s there?¡± Asked Zoe in a slightly suspicious voice, surprised to have someone waiting for her. Her sight came back quickly and she was finally able to get up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m part of the staff.¡± Back against a wall, a woman was sitting on a chair that was seemingly coming out from the ground. Her long golden hair was tied in a ponytail that floated over her white blouse, and her blue eyes were scrutinizing Zoe who was coming out of the white sarcophagus. Her face would have been beautiful if not for the tiny burn marks scattered here and there, giving her more of a fierce look than a gorgeous one. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to meet you, I¡¯m Professor Liddell from the V.D.C¡­¡± She showed her badge.¡± but you can call me Lorina if you want.¡± Intrigued, Zoe looked at her before asking: ¡°Pleased to meet you too, but could I know why you¡¯re here, Professor¡­ Lorina?¡± As she was talking, she finished exiting her capsule. ¡°Of course. As by the log, this is your first dive. However, scans are giving back data that are quite peculiar for a first-time diver, so I was dispatched to watch over you as you were playing, to be sure that nothing happened and also to gather a bit more data to ensure your future dives are the safest possible. Okay that''s great but I really need to go to the toilet¡­ ¡°Could we continue this talk in two minutes?¡± ¡°Of course, anyway I¡¯ll need to keep monitoring you for at least five hours of dive¡­ You intend to play more today, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but I really need to go right now¡­¡± A bit embarrassed, she asked: ¡°...You wouldn¡¯t know were the toilets are, by any coincidence.¡± Professor Liddell made a compassionate smile before answering. ¡°Go to your left when exiting the room, then it will be the fourth right door. You can¡¯t miss it, it¡¯s the only one with a sign on it, the other doors open on diving room li¡­¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Interrupted Zoe. *** Her natural needs quickly satisfied, she returned to her room. Still sitting with her legs crossed, Lorina was waiting for the young woman to continue their discussion, but just as Zoe was about to speak¡­ ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± The gurgling of her belly was heard loud and clear in the room. ¡°Do you want us to speak around a meal?¡± Asked the professor to a deeply blushing Zoe. ¡°Yes please, that would be great.¡± I should have eaten at noon, it¡¯s four pm and of course I¡¯m starving, dumbass. She scolded herself before following Lorina, who quickly took both of them to a lounge. The room seemed to be able to accommodate at least sixty people, but only one was currently using it. Seeing them entering, the old man nodded at them before going back to eat his vol-au-vent. ¡°So, what do you want to eat?¡± Asked the professor. ¡°Well, what¡¯s on the menu?¡± Asked the young woman back. Lorina laughed slightly. ¡°Ahahah, yeah, I forgot that you were new. You¡¯ve a VIP capsule so you¡¯ve access to so other VIP features too, like this private lounge. Ask whatever you want and our private chef will cook it for you.¡± She said with a wink. Ah? Ok, let¡¯s go for something quick, simple and fortifying. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a simple plate of pasta with some cheese. I will eat balanced later¡­¡± And, seeing Lorina¡¯s shocked face, she couldn¡¯t help but add. ¡°...I really need something quick to cook and to eat, as I¡¯ve made the promise to not stay here longer than I need too. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°...Okay, I¡¯m going to order, settle down during the wait.¡± And she walked towards the counter. You could hear her mumbling in her beard about things like ¡°What a lack of culinary ambition¡± or ¡°These gamers, all the same.¡± Zoe chose a small alcove that was a bit recessed, just big enough for two people to feel comfortable. The antique wooden table, the red velvet and the patinated copper decorations gave a cosy air to the whole. A minute later, the professor came back. ¡°Our dishes are ordered, we will be served in about ten minutes.¡± Zoe relaxed slightly while smiling. Perfect, I will be able to stay in the timing that I announced to Dz¨©ve. ¡°Well, back to our electric sheep.¡± ¡°Yes, you said you found atypical values?¡± ¡°Nothing serious, nothing serious, they are not totally abnormal either. The surprising thing is that these types of data are usually recorded on players who have already done a lot of diving, not within Noobs, if you don¡¯t mind me using the term. I just came to check for peace of mind.¡± Oh, so there¡¯s really nothing to worry then. With this part of the conversation finished, they kept waiting silently for one or two minutes. It¡¯s starting to get awkward¡­ she didn¡¯t seem as shy as I was, but I must have been mistaken. Come on Zoe, find something to talk about¡­ ¡°So, why did the devs choose to use a contractual system for the player, lining them to an npc?¡± However, even before the professor could answer, a waiter interrupted them. He served the dish and said: ¡°Bon app¨¦tit, mesdames.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Answered Zoe, while Lorina only nodded. The young woman started eating¡­ Wow, is that''s really only cheese and pasta? What did the cook do, some voodoo? No, stop, stay focused! ¡°Well, let¡¯s see, how to answer this question¡­ You know that the summoners are the reasons, lore-wise, that the players have to come, or some would say, are able to come into the world of Binding Fate.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, for me that contract, that link is one of the things that make Binding Fate special.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ in a classical mmorpg, the player is there to reach the goals they put by themselves and, by doing so, we¡¯ve seen that a lot of players neglect or even despise opinions of the npcs around them. However, the npcs are the heart of binding fate, of any good rpg in my opinion. They are the ones giving life to the world and to weight to its stakes. The summon and the contract are tools to put a player and an npc in deep interaction, to push the player to invest themselves into the life of this npc and, through them, to invest themselves in the world. This game is not serving the player, the player is there to help an inhabitant." She took a sip of the drink she had asked the waiter for. "This strengthens the immersion of the player because they can discover how deep the npc¡¯s are and how rich interaction can be between them, in place of seeing only some quest givers, big bad or any other reductive views. This also gives a touch of realism to the game, and that help with the willing suspension of disbelief, while giving a great feeling of accomplishment when the player succeeds in doing something.¡± My head hurt, can¡¯t you go slower? Urgh¡­ ¡°However, understanding that being linked to an npc could turn down some people, we¡¯ve also created an AI whose job is solely to analyse the data we¡¯ve on the player and to pair them with a psychologically adapted npc. Our rate of successful pairing is around 99.97% if I remember well, or around three thousand cases on our ten million player base.¡± Zoe nodded, listening attentively to what the professor was saying as she was eating as quickly as she could, sometimes asking a question. *** With the meal finished, they quickly started going back to the young woman¡¯s capsule. As they were walking, she had used her phone to send a message. Curious, the professor had inquired the recipient. ¡°I¡¯m just texting my Uncle back, he was a little worried to not find me in-game but everything is all right. He has invited me to a restaurant tonight, to celebrate my first day playing Binding Fate.¡± As they entered Zoe¡¯s room, Lorina said softly: ¡°Familly¡­ yes, I know that.¡± Her smile was a strange mix of happiness and sorrow. Having finally reached her capsule, Zoe got into position as she talked. ¡°Do you want to eat together again? Your company is more than pleasant, I must say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see if I¡¯m available or not, but if so, why not? Talking with you is pleasing, indeed.¡± She answered with a smile. ¡°Thank you. See you later then, maybe after I¡¯ve finished this dive if you¡¯re still there.¡± ¡°Maybe. See you later.¡± And on those last words of Lorina, Zoe dived. Lorina When the capsule was completely sealed shut, when Zoe couldn¡¯t hear what happened around her anymore. ¡°So, she is the prospective future queen? How is she?¡± Nobody else was in there, yet a deep and low voice had resounded in it. ¡°She has¡­ potential. I like her.¡± ¡°Wow, she¡¯s that good? Isn¡¯t it only the third time you say that about someone? You¡¯re sure about this?¡± ¡°Yes. Just look and behold, she will be a true asset in the future.¡± ¡°If you say so. Who am I to challenge your judgment?¡± The voice seemed nearly sincere, but you could still dig some sarcasm from it. ¡°Do you want to make a bet?¡± A predatory smile had appeared on Lorina¡¯s face. ¡°...No, thanks¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. Stop wasting my time and go back to work.¡± Satisfaction could be seen in the professor¡¯s eyes. A second later, the voice had left. Only then Lorina sat down and start monitoring Zoe back. Interlude 2 - Foreshadowing Interlude 2 - Foreshadowing The circular canopy bed was spacious, no, huge would have been more fitting. The curtain surrounding it was blood-red, as light as a butterfly wing, nearly transparent. In the middle of same-coloured sheets, surrounded by black and white pillows, two shapes were spread resting, motionless. The first one was that of a lady, a ripe beauty whose face was distorted by nightmares. Her long blazing-red hair was spread over the cushions, creating an interesting contrast. The second shape was that of a young man, a teenager with soft skin and hair just like the ones of the lady. His face, too, was distorted. Near each other, they were holding hands so hard that they were white. The bed was in the middle of an immense room, floating over a sea of corpses, blood and bones. Countless putrid or bony hands were surrounding and supporting it firmly, fighting between themselves to ardently drink the purplish liquid flowing from it. Never satiated, they tried to get more, always more, creating an oily black smoke as they were feasting over the substance. This smoke was then accumulating under the archways of the ceiling, like a stormy sky reeking of death and decay, of the corruption of the body, the mind, the soul. In the shadows a creature moved irritatedly, exiting the room through the great door. With a broken voice, it softly talked to itself. ¡°Tss, another failure¡­ I¡¯m starting to fell the lack of ingredient¡­ I need to ask them to bring me more¡­even¡­ more, a lot more¡­¡± What it hadn¡¯t seen was that its last move had created a diminutive crack in the main vault. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Slowly but surely, the twisted smoke oozed through the rock, trying to get free. It wasn¡¯t the first time it tried, in the past it even had some minor success. It but all its strength, all its malevolence and hatred in its attempt to reach the surface, to no avail. Suddenly, the ground quaked. Marginally. Just enough to widen the crack. New quake, and the crack became a rift, the vitriolic miasma rushing madly through it. On a mountainside, a tiny hole appeared, letting the smoke spread. All around, snow went from pure white to sickened black¡­ Argosphael - Twenty-seventh level of the Infernal Tower ¡°What the fuck!¡± Exclaimed Kira, frustrated. All around her spread a ruined space, covered in grey ashes, like snowflakes falling from a dark sky. ¡°It looks like someone had beaten us to it¡­¡± Whispered Argosphael, thoughtful. ¡°...now the questions are: by how, and by who.¡± ¡°Nobody should have been able to do it! Us aside, who could be strong enough to fight this kind of boss with only two people?¡± ¡°Unless they¡¯ve fought in a normal fashion.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Who could have been able to pull a raid party like this now? How many people should they have used to win?¡± ¡°...No, indeed, it¡¯s very unlikely that anyone used so much manpower. Circumstances around the Kingdoms is too tense for anyone to be able to create a raid party like that, in particular for this boss¡­ So the only option left is¡­¡± ¡°...That someone battled it and won the way we also do it.¡± Said the woman. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Argosphael¡¯s gaze sharpened even more. ¡°...and this someone maybe still be here. We withdraw, now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± At those words, a runic circle appeared under Kira¡¯s food, growing large enough to cover both fighters. ¡°Emergency teleportation. Go!¡± They disappeared on the woman¡¯s go. A question, however, stayed in Argosphael as mind as he was going through the magic flux beside his summoner. But who could have killed Asiroth, this walking disaster? Chapter 9 - Absolute Fury Chapter 9 Her Onee-chan had already been gone for two hours, but the little girl did not worry because the beautiful young woman had made her a promise. While waiting for her, she had stayed home to tidy things up, preparing her big sister¡¯s room. Onee-chan¡¯s chest is a bit too big, she¡¯ll barely not fit into Mom¡¯s clothes. I¡¯ll just have to give everything to the neighbours and order a new batch of clothes from the old Derien¡­ I wonder if she could wear some of dad¡¯s stuff¡­ Someone knocked at the entrance, interrupting the train of thought of the little one. A smile appeared on her face when she opened the door. ¡°Hello Dzive.¡± A young boy, just about her age in fact, was standing in the doorway, two little girls of ten or eleven years hidden behind his back. ¡°We were just checking in to see if you were okay.¡± He said. ¡°Hello Antoine. That¡¯s nice of you.¡± She answered in a warm tone. ¡°I¡¯m fine, well, as fine as one can be in the circumstances we know.¡± She wanted to sound reassuring. ¡°We know that you were saved by a goddess, that she now lives with you and that you must be very busy for the moment, but we were still wondering if you were, by any chance, not free to come and pick mushrooms with us¡­?¡± The two twins agreed in unison, displaying their desire to be with Dz¨©ve. The girl thought about it for two seconds. She shouldn¡¯t be back for another two hours, and I¡¯m sure my mushroom omelette would please her¡­ She finally answered him. ¡°You know, she insisted on the fact that she wasn¡¯t a goddess, not exactly. But what I¡¯m sure about is that she¡¯s my Onee-chan.¡± She explained with a laugh. ¡±And she¡¯s not here for now, so even if I could prepare the house more, I think I can still go with you guys.¡± She smiled slightly, a bit of shyness hidden behind it. The young boy displayed a triumphant face when Dzive answered affirmatively. She quickly picked up a wicker basket before joining the group in front of her door. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Asked Antoine. ¡°We shall.¡± Answered Dzive with a nod of her head, amused by the wording used by the boy. She seemed happy to see her friend, to know that they cared about her. They wouldn¡¯t say it that way, but this was as much a trip to find mushrooms as it was an attempt to cheer her up, however clumsy it seemed to be. She was sad about her parents, yes, but she was happy too, about her friend, about her Onee-chan, about the village. Feel sad when you need, and be happy the rest of the time, that¡¯s what her parents had told her. For adventurers that had seen lots of their comrades dead, it was the only path they could take¡­ ??? - The Cradle The miasma rose in the sky, where it mixed with the clouds. Following the whims of the wind, it began to condense on the small dust in suspension. The droplets weighed down until they fell, creating a fine black rain. The majority of it fell on the Dead Plains, feeding the land of the undead of its vigour from beyond the grave. A small portion of the corrupted smoke managed to pass the Twin Peaks, let lose of this perverted downpour on the Wild Plains. All the animals, as well as the few humans unlucky enough to be caught in the turmoil, saw their flesh melt and rot, dying in excruciating suffering before rising again in search of fresh meat. And finally, a few drops fell into the forest surrounding Clarity¡­ Dz¨©ve They walked peacefully through the woods, picking the edible mushrooms that had sprouted here and there. An external observer might have been surprised to see that the two little girls were the ones who found the most mushrooms, but the two older children seemed accustomed to this situation. Morgane and Liliana are still as sharp as ever. Thought the girl with a smile. The twins moved with ease on the rough terrain, their black hair tied in braid swaying to the rhythm of their steps. Their movements had a little mysterious touch, hardly visible and surely not noticed by Dz¨©ve and Antoine or the people of the village. One seemed to move like a stream, the other like a flame. ??? Home of a forgotten battlefield, the forest had grown, over the bones and corpses, grave without burial for the numerous soldiers still dressed in their armour, pierced by the enemy and tarnished by time. For many years they had rested in peace, enjoying a deserved rest among the roots, sources of new lives. But now, the malevolent substance was twisting the branches of the trees, before seeping deep into the earth. The forest remained calm, without anything happening for a long time. But if someone had been there, if they had stretched they ears, they might have picked up a slight scratching sound from the ground¡­ Dz¨©ve They had been gone a short hour, and their baskets were now full of mushrooms. ¡°Very good, we can go home!¡± Antoine exclaimed joyfully, supported by the vigorous nodding of Morgana and those, quieter, of Liliana. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time, otherwise I won¡¯t be home when Onee-chan come back.¡± The young girl then spotted a flash of light, followed by the light noise of a bow whose rope had been released. She suddenly jumped on Antoine to get him down. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°AAAAH!¡± Dz¨©ve could not help screaming when the pain exploded in her right leg. Antoine and the twins, still in shock, watched arms dangling the arrow stuck in the girl¡¯s skin. Seeing them frozen, Dzive reacted. ¡°Run away NOW!¡± The scream brought them out of their trance, and the twins let go of their basket before starting to run. Rising, Antoine, however, was hesitant. ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°Go away¡­ Urgh, go get some help!¡± Doubt faded from the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Understood.¡±He answered, starting to run as fast as he could. Dz¨©ve was finally able to stand up, just in time to avoid a second shot. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she smothered a second cry of pain. Focus! Keep going or die! Her survival instinct was keeping her sharp as adrenaline set her blood on fire and reduced pain. She finally started running, not without dodging another shaky and poorly made shot. She was quickly covered with earth and bruises as she kept falling, but she always got up, as more and more arrows stimulated her to keep a steady pace. I¡¯m nearly out of stamina, I¡¯ve lost a lot of hp¡­ I need to make it to the door! She suddenly heard the heavy stride of several pursuers. Daring to look back, she saw monsters in black armour, skeletons with burning orbits, zombies of flesh and steel. Her eyes filled with despair as adrenaline gave her a new boost. Milo, captain of the guards The sun was slowly disappearing behind the high mountains, heralding the end of another peaceful day. As soon as the children returned, Milo would close the door, thus finishing his watch. ¡°Ah, at last!¡± He exclaimed as he saw the twins coming out of the woods, but¡­ No, something is wrong! He thought, seeing them running, noticing the expression of their faces. ¡°Alert!¡± Screamed Milo, ¡°Alert!¡± ¡°DingDingDingDing¡­¡± One of the sentries on the lookout started sounding the alarm as the other three were already readying arrow on their bow. As soon as they arrived at her level, the chief of the guards stopped the twins to ask them some questions, which they answered in turn. ¡°We got attacked!¡± cried Morgana. ¡°Someone shot an arrow at Antoine.¡± says Liliana. ¡°Dz¨©ve managed to protect him¡­¡± Continued strongly the first. ¡°...but she was hit in his place.¡± Calmly ended the second. Antoine then emerged from the forest. ¡°Someone, help!¡± You could feel despair washing his words. ¡°Dz¨©ve stayed behind...pfff...she¡¯s hurt...pfff.¡± He said, out of breath. He finally reached Milo¡¯s level. ¡°Pfff¡­¡± ¡°Catch your breath, calm down and speak clearly!¡± ¡°Pfff...pfff...She¡¯s a wound on her leg, she¡¯ll never make it here, you have to help her!¡± The other sentries had finally arrived, increasing their strength to about fifteen. ¡°Understood. Go home and take shelter. Danny, Thomas, Lionel and Roger with me! The others keep the door open, prepare to cover for us while we escort a civilian!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± They followed orders at a correct speed but were interrupted by a loud voice. ¡°CLOSE THE DOOR, NOW!¡± Dz¨©ve jumped out of the woods but missed her landing because of the arrow stuck in her leg. ¡°AAAAAH!¡± The arrow had once again sunk a little deeper into the wound, inflicting unbearable suffering on the girl. However, seeing Milo starting to approach, she forced herself to stand again.¡±CLOSE THE FUCKING DOOR! GO TO TAKE SHELTER, QUICK!¡± Under Dz¨©ve¡¯s imperious order, the guards began to retreat, all except Milo, who was still running towards her. He was quickly beside her, supporting her as she pestered him. ¡°But what are you doing, you idiot, go to safety, you will die!¡± ¡°No, I was not there for your parents¡­¡± His gaze was set aflame by his resolve ¡°...but you, I will not let you die! Dz¨©ve The doors were practically closed, leaving just enough room for one person at a time. They were going to make it! Dz¨©ve then looked behind her, and her eyes widened in fear. In a quarter of a second, she made her decision. She threw herself in front of Milo, preparing to take the sword on his sake. He screamed, trying to pull and protect her, but he had reacted late, too late. She closed her eyes, ready to be pierced. She heard the sound of the blade entering flesh, smelled the blood. The pain, however, was absent, as was the cold of steel. Huh? She reopened her eyes, the shock quickly replaced by tears in front of the horrible vision. ¨¦let was standing in front of her, impaled by the black sword that now came out of her back. Blood bloomed like a flower on her white garment as she made her stupefied and pain-filled eyes go from Dz¨©ve to Milo, looking at the skeleton knight who had attacked her and the other undead coming out of the woods. No! ¡°ONEEEE-CHAN!¡± The girl¡¯s scream of distress echoed between the rampart and the trees. ¨¦let A blade had pierced her heart and immeasurable pain had invaded her mind, quickly repressed by the system¡¯s assistance. ¡°Critical hit received, hp fell to 25% of maximum. Warning, summoner in critical condition, massive haemorrhage, badly damaged right leg. Warning, critical player status, massive haemorrhage, blood flow cut.¡± She saw the horde of undead pouring out from the woods. She saw Dz¨©ve¡¯s wounded leg, her eyes full of despair. She saw Milo¡¯s gaze, begging for forgiveness as he was dragging the struggling girl behind him, closing the door once he passed them. She heard the grieving voice of her summoner, her little sister, screaming at the guard to open the door to let her Onee-chan in¡­ Elet¡¯s eyes filled with fury, a nameless rage that should not have existed in this world. ¡°Ding...acquisition condition fulfilled¡­ Title -Absolute Fury- awarded. ¡± Echoed a voice in the young woman¡¯s mind. Under the shock, the archers who had not yet released any arrows saw their faces turn white. For a good reason, as they had seen the young woman take a step towards the fiery-eyed skeleton, impaling herself even more deeply on its sword. Reaching its hilt, she extended her arms towards the bare head covered by a lone iron helmet, wrapping her left hand around the nasal wall of the skull through the hollow eye sockets, tearing it apart, bones and steel alike. She then plunged her right hand into it and pulled out a small purple sphere that she crushed viciously in her fist. Like a puppet whose threads had been cut, the undead warrior collapsed into a heap of bones and armour. ¡°Acquisition condition fulfilled, generation of the ¡®Rage¡¯ ability¡­Warning! Unique Cond¡¯&!¡ì ¨¤$*%/.:= ¨´ $-¡ì! ¨¤) ¨´:*%/.. $¡¯ition fulfilled, evolving the ¡®Rage¡¯ ability into ERROR. Special requirements met, enabling ERROR.¡± The system¡¯s voice said once more in ¨¦let mind. The young woman, however, did not even seem to hear the announcements, consumed by fury as she was. With one hand, she grabbed the sword that was still piercing her heart, slowly pulling it with a soft hissing sound until it was fully out. She cleaned the blood that covered the blade, her own blood, in one fell swoop, pointing it at the tireless army while roaring a scream full of defiance in an inhuman voice. Even the dead, however fearless, retreated under the pressure¡­ Chapter 10 - The Birth of Malice Chapter 10 Dz¨©ve ¡°LET HER IN! PLEASE, LET HER IN!¡± Screamed Dzive, full of despair. Everyone, however, remained frozen, in particular the guards around the door, keeping their spears pointed straight at it. ¡°What is happening on the other side?¡± asked Milo, tense. ¡°S-she destroyed a s-skeleton knight! With her b-bare hands!¡± answered an archer with a trembling voice. ¡°What? But it¡¯s impo¡­¡± Milo was cut off in the middle of his sentence by a terrifying howl. Everyone¡¯s face turned white and some of the guards almost fainted just by hearing it. Antoine had wetted his pants in fear, and the twins had collapsed against each other in tears. I have to see what¡¯s going on! Thought the girl. She ran to the nearest ladder before grabbing the first rung. The arrow was still hurting her, but she finally had time to break the keg to temporarily avoid further injury. Climbing quickly while enduring the pain, she went to a shooting platform where three archers were already present. She expected them to make her life hard, but they did not stop her, and for good reason, they all had their eyes fixed on an ¨¦let who was defying the living dead with her sword. Her light and dark hair had turned to blood-red, and from where she was, the girl could see symbols of the same colour covering the hand of her Onee-chan holding the dark blade. ¨¦let then leaned forward while adding her second hand on the handle of the weapon. Slowly, she retreated her left foot while anchoring her right foot in the ground and, suddenly, she was seven meters away, the sword across a zombie knight now entirely dead. He collapsed, the evil glow of his gaze forever extinguished. She freed the corpse of her blade by sending it to crash against other undead, by the same circular motion she had used to clean it, while remaining well upright. It was at this moment that the undead archers reacted. Arrows began to rain, but the young woman did not care. She kept piercing the skeletons¡¯ head and the zombies¡¯ heart, looking like she was dancing under a shower of arrows that never reached her. They were pulverized one after another until the sword in the hands of the enraged young woman was but a piece of twisted metal, and even in this state she continued to fight, her voice oscillating between screams of rage and laughs of grim pleasure. She only stopped when none of the monsters who had wounded her little sister was alive anymore. The archers believed the threat had passed, the calm returning to the surroundings. However, ¨¦let had no time to rest, for out of the forest had appeared a bone golem at least five meters high. Like a wild beast, she immediately threw herself on it, the sword bursting in her hands as she crushed it against the monster¡¯s solid exoskeleton. Not willing to admit defeat, she relentlessly attacked it bare-handed, to no avail. Each blow crashed without any effect on this creature too big and too resistant, making it impossible for the young woman to reach the nuclei of the enemy as she had done for the other undead. Frustrated, she took a step back to position herself between the monster and the village, looking at it with a resolute air. Then, in the middle of the battlefield covered with bones, she raised her hand. The black lance of a zombie knight, still in good condition, flew toward her before gently settling against her palm. A powerful whirlpool then emerged from its tip. It feverishly sucked in the fine purple dust, the bones, flesh and metal without distinction. The result made the archers tremble but not Dz¨©ve, who remained surprisingly calm. A large dark-purple Halberd covered by rust-like blood-coloured spots now stood triumphantly erected toward the sky, held by her Onee-chan. Voices came from it, screaming, roaring and crying as an unhealthy red cloud swirled around it. She then jumped sharply towards the golem while lowering her weapon at a frightful speed, axe blade first. The fight was over in a second, the monster cut in half from shoulder to hip and then devoured by the halberd. Calm returned slowly as the young woman quietly collapsed, falling in a dust cloud. *** ¡°THE FIGHT IS OVER, OPEN THE DOOR NOW! GO HELP ¨¦LET, QUICK!¡± Suddenly, a form rushed towards the fainted young woman. Dz¨©ve stretched herself slightly before the anguish left her, recognizing Greypa. While treating ¨¦let, he turned his eyes to the other wounded who was about to descend from the watchtower. ¡°Stop moving, young lady, or your wound will get so bad I won¡¯t know how to treat it!¡± He spoke in a normal tone, but everyone heard him clearly. As requested, the girl remained there, waiting to receive treatment. Meanwhile, the guards had opened the door and had positioned themselves around the old man to protect him in the event of another attack. To Dz¨©ve¡¯s astonishment, Greypa finished treating the young woman very quickly, arriving at the girl¡¯s side in a heartbeat. ¡°Is she all right?¡± she asked him, anxious. ¡°She is just asleep.¡± He replied in a disillusioned tone. ¡°But how is that possible, there was so much blood¡­ What about her wound?¡± ¡°Nada, niet, nothing. There is a hole on both sides of her clothes around her heart, but no wound at all.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be able to believe his own words. ¡°Well, enough about her, I have to take care of yeh too, I tell yeh.¡± She had cared so much about her big sister that she had momentarily forgotten the arrowhead stuck in her leg¡­ ¨¦let She slowly opened her eyes, fighting a violent headache. The system quickly came to her help to diminish the pain, clearing her mind. This time I recognize this ceiling. Indeed, she was once again laid in the bed of Greypa¡¯s guest room. Through the window, the daylight struggled to illuminate the room while the trees remained motionless outside, without the slightest breath of wind to make their leaves dance. Trying to move, ¨¦let felt a weight leaning on her. Dz¨©ve had fallen asleep at the bedside of her Onee-chan, her head lying on the belly of her big sister. Still weak, the young woman extended her hand to caress the girl¡¯s hair. But what am I doing here... I remember getting into an impossible rage and then...and then...nothing¡­ ¡°Ding, consciousness detected in the player, launch of pending operations.¡± The gentle female voice of the system did not take long to manifest itself, interrupting the thoughts of the young woman. ¡°Congratulations, you successfully fought the Fifth Regiment back from the dead, and shot down the Bone Golem born of the battlefield butchery!¡± ¡°You have successfully completed Act One of the First Chapter of your Bastion! Acquisition of the Quest -First Chapter, Act Two: The Restless Dead -. New development options have been opened. Adjusted reward: Level +15. Warning, all other rewards have been used by Malice¡¯s stabilisation. No Shards have been awarded.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve completely mastered your Militia class in just one fight! In addition, you alone killed a Boss of a level way higher than yours! Acquisition of the -Super Rookie- title.¡± ¡°You have reached the highest level of mastery for your Militia class and have met the requirements to make it evolve. To manage your classes, please open your Character Sheet.¡± ¡°Your overall level has increased by fifteen steps, you are now level fifteen and have fifteen points of Fundamental Characteristic to spend.¡± ¡°You have fulfilled the necessary conditions to acquire the innate Demonic Rage ability. To manage innate abilities, please open your Character Sheet.¡± ¡°Warning, due to object -Malice-, no loot was harvested post-combat.¡± ¡°Acquisition of The Linked Halberd, Malice.¡± ¡°To manage objects, please open your inventory.¡± ¡°You have acquired the Hast Weapons Skill.¡± The young woman had listened slack-jawed to the system making announcements one after the other, without really knowing the why and how. When it had finished, the silence seemed deafening to ¨¦let. Okay, well, since you¡¯re tired and the little girl¡¯s asleep, why don¡¯t you take a look at all this, dear Zoe? Anyway, I¡¯ll have to do it at some point or another, let¡¯s do it now¡­ She tried to reach the bracelet of her right wrist, in vain, the little one lying on it. Ah¡­ System, would you mind opening my character sheet? Without answering, the system did as requested. ¨¦let then found that this menu was almost identical to the one that Herm¨¨s had presented to her when she had created her character. However, a window was added to the right. On the left one was the triangle with the yellow, green and blue values, all at seven. The value at the centre of the triangle, however, now displayed in grey the value of fifteen. Above everything stood a small sentence. -Points to assign: 15- I knew it, the character sheet from character creation was a simplified one, this one look a lot more like the ones I¡¯ve seen in Uncle¡¯s and other streams. Wait. She looked once more and frowned. Why do I have seven in each Main Stat? She remembered accurately that they had been at five when she had created her character. What¡¯s going on? She searched a bit but, still unfamiliar with the menus, she didn¡¯t find anything about it. ...It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not happy, but it would be nice if I knew where those points came from... Oh well, let¡¯s put that at the back of my head for now, I¡¯ve other things to do. And so, about those points¡­ She looked at the number, fifteen, thinking of the ways she could split it but, remembering the words of Hermes, she distributed them in a balanced fashion. Just thinking about it, the theorycrafter heart of the young woman was filled with anticipation. She then focused on the right window. This one had only three boxes on it so far, the first one saying ¡®Militia, evolution available¡¯ the second ¡®Empty¡¯ and the third ¡®Level seventy-five to unlock¡¯. Yup, that¡¯s the two classes limit for low-level character indeed. Other empty boxes should appear as I play and found more or less exotic means to unlock them¡­ Having regained a bit of her strength, she pressed the box annotated ¡®Militia¡¯. The system¡¯s voice echoed in her ears. ¡°Congratulations, your Militia class is ready to evolve. Please choose one of the options offered by the menu. To choose, please open one of the available classes¡¯ previews and press -accept-. A short description of each class is provided in the class menu as a preview, just press them to access them.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Fighter Halberdier Aegis Berserkr I remember the colour-coded rarity system, quite classic but effective. She thought about it a second, remembering how it went exactly. It was something like Grey - Common; White - Uncommon; Green - Rare; Blue - Extraordinary; Yellow - Epic; and Orange - Legendary, if I don¡¯t make a mistake? She looked at her classes again. Wow. I¡¯ll maybe read the other classes but something tells me that I¡¯ll take the yellow one whatever the others give. In Binding Fate, like in a lot of other game, but not all, rarity was directly linked with power. I just absolutely don¡¯t understand why those are my evolutions paths. I mean, Halberdier? What the fuck? ...Keep going or you won¡¯t do anything, Zoe. Rarity: Uncommon Role: Tank, dps, light support. The role of Fighter is often the first step of people whose goal is physical combat, at a distance or in the fray. It is designed to provide good survivability, which makes it a popular starting point. Modifiers: Str(ength) * 1.5, Con(stitution) * 2.5, Agi(lity) * 1.5, T(hinking) P(ace) * 1.5, Res(olve) * 1.5 Bonus skills mastery: Armour Wearing (*2), Common Weapons Handling (*2), Shield Handling (*2), First Aid (*1.5), Archery (*1.5), Survival (*1.5). Basic Ability: Powerful Strike Traditional, if way better than what I¡¯ve right now for the modifiers and the bonus to skill mastery. She quickly made the count. So, if I took this, I would be at eighteen in strength, same in constitution, a whooping thirty in agility, and eighteen in TP and Res. Let¡¯s see what Halberdier is worth. Rarity: Rare Role: Dps, zone and crowd control, Anti-large. The Halberdier wields a powerful hast weapon, often a halberd, which allows them to inflict powerful blows to enemies much larger than themselves, or to clear large areas by sweeps. Impressive, this role is often filled by experienced guards. Difficult to use in a confined space, the mass and lever of a hast weapon makes it perilous to handle for inexperienced people. Modifier : Str* 4, Con * 3, Agi * 2, TP* 2, Vol * 3 Bonus skills mastery: Armour Wearing (*1.5), Handling Hast Weapons (*4). Basic Abilities: Sweep, Rupture Not bad, not bad at all. You really feel the specialization of this class, in particular this Handling Hast Weapons is really big. She thought, acknowledging the class¡¯ strength. But now, to the dessert. She was smiling. Rarity: Epic Role: Dps, Tank, Area Control, Priority Target Protection. The Aegis berserkers are part of the few true tanks of the battlefield. Feared and respected, they unleash their rage on their opponents while protecting key places or important people. Able to defend large areas, they are always in front of enemy blades in order to save their comrades. Modifier : For * 8, Con * 10, Agi * 4, TP * 4, Vol * 8 Bonus skills mastery: Advanced Armor Wearing (*2.5), Advanced Shield Handling (*4), Advanced Single Hand Weapons Handling (*2.5), Runic Tattoo Art (*2), Mithridatisation ( Sharp - Piercing - Mind Attack) Basic Abilities: Guardian Frenzy, Vital Link, Rampart of the Aegis Wohoho! As I thought, it¡¯s another level altogether! Look at those modifiers, it¡¯s insane! Without further ado, she pushed on the box labelled ¡®accept¡¯ in the right down corner of the class showcase sheet. In her character sheet, the word ¡®Militia¡¯ was replaced by ¡®Aegis Berserkr¡¯ ¡°Class ¡®Aegis Berserkr¡¯ acquired. Abilities Guardian Frenzy and Demonic Rage resonating. Starting integration. New ability acquired: Hell¡¯s Warden Wrath.¡± ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve acquired an Epic class before you reached level seventy-five! Acquisition of the title -In the footsteps of legends-.¡± Again? It¡¯s normally not so common to drop a title, really, what happened when I was out? She thought a bit and felt dumb. Oh. I should have checked my other rewards and titles before choosing my class¡­ not that I think that I would have chosen differently, but in the future this could lead to a big mistake. Theorycraft Zoe, remember to theorycraft! System, can you show me my titles please? As usual, the system didn¡¯t answer, favouring to directly execute the given order. Still on the same page, a highlighted arrow appeared, showing the name of her character. ...Aaah yes, I remember, okay. It read ¡®¨¦let of the Absolute Fury, Super rookie on the footsteps of legends¡¯. She pressed the three titles one after the other to display the description. The first two titles are really not bad, especially the bonus in Shards, but it is the third one that makes me dream, all the possibilities it opens, I am so looking forward to discover them! At that moment, the little girl moved her head a bit, starting to wake up. Damn, I still had things to check¡­ Well, too bad¡­ She made a reason for herself by seeing the bright side of things. Time to know what happened after my I was impaled. Dz¨©ve opened her eyes and her gaze grew full of tenderness for her Onee-chan. She tried to get up and throw herself on her big sister but fell heavily on her chair, repressing a cry of pain. ¡°Urgh!¡±¡¯ Greypa, who was actually entering the room, shouted loudly. ¡°I told yeh not to use your leg, yeh will reopen the wound, yeh idiot!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She replied, apologetic. ¡°Don¡¯t bit her nose too much, she was just happy to see me with my eyes open.¡± Interceded diplomatically the young woman, which startled the old healer. ¡°Yeh¡¯re already awake?¡± he said, surprised. ¡°For a while, yes, but I wanted to let her sleep. How long was I asleep?¡± ¡°A few hours, four, five at most.¡± He turned toward the young girl and said with an exasperated voice: ¡°Yeh see, I told yeh she was fine, yeh¡¯re the one who¡¯s hurt the most. Now would yeh like to go to bed and have your wound heal properly? I even put a bed in Elet¡¯s room!¡± He ended by pointing out said furniture. ¡°Yes, Greypa, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said, waddling on her chair before he helped her get to the bed. Meanwhile, the young woman got up and regained her sense of balance, oscillating a little on her feet. How did he bring this here on his own? ¡°And now, you rest! I¡¯m going to make supper with ¨¦let, behave yourself in the meantime. And here is a book to keep yeh busy.¡± He said by handing her a doorstopper titled -Important ingredient for any alchemist and how to obtain them (without dying)-, and which gave the impression of being very old. Oh my god, that¡¯s an old-fashioned book. I¡¯ve not seen one of those since¡­ Since Uncle brought one home I think. Looking at the book, the little one was like a cat having in front of a spot of light. ¡°Thank you Greypa!¡± She ended up saying before immersing herself in this collection of curiosity. When they were out of the room, the young woman spoke to the old man. ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to give a book like that to a girl like her? She might want to go looking for the ingredients described in it, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s okay because she¡¯s immortal, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¨¦let looked at him, puzzled. ¡°Surprised, huh?¡± There was a proud smile on his face. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Old stories speak about it, but I think I¡¯m the only one who still remembers them precisely enough...¡± His gaze was lost in the distance for a moment, before returning to the present situation. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not what we need to talk about right now.¡± By this time they had arrived in the kitchen. ¡°But this discussion is going to wait for me to have picked up what I need to prepare a proper meal.¡± He left the room, giving the young woman time to look around. The kitchen was spacious, with many windows with shutters still open. On one side was a sort of stove covered on top by a black stone. Acting as a lamp, a crystal was gently floating in the centre of the room, close to the ceiling, pouring a warm light on the central kitchen island just below it. This worktop was equipped with a battery of knives, a large cutting board and a sink quite close to a modern model. Yes, we are clearly more in the fantastic than in the medieval there. ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ve all that¡¯s needed to make a good, balanced meal!¡± Said the old man by laying down heavily a large piece of meat, a good bag of potato and some orphan vegetables, chickpeas and turnips mainly. ¡°That¡¯s good, you have the same notion of a balanced meal, it seems.¡± She replied, chuckling slightly, before she had a sudden realization. ¡°Is that like, meat from an animal?¡± She asked suspiciously. The old man looked at her, frowning. ¡°Were do yeh want to get meat but on livestock or wild beast?¡± Of course. I¡¯m the dumbass here. ¡°Forget it, it just surprised me. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± I don¡¯t think I ever eat meat from an animal, it¡¯s always tank-cultivated meat at home. ¡°Okay¡­ Would yeh peel the potatoes while I do the meat?¡± Argh, not the potatoes! ... No, you¡¯re a guest, make an effort! ¡°Okay.¡± She said, nodding her head. They began to cook. They worked a minute or two in silence, after which Greypa spoke. ¡°Do yeh remember what happened in your fight?¡± ¡°Not really. After the sword in the heart, it¡¯s the black hole.¡± ¡°I can imagine, seeing the state you were in, ahahah!¡± ¡°Stop teasing me, old man.¡± she told him. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± Thus, ¨¦let listened to the intimidating account of her exploits, the manner in which she had destroyed an armoured skeleton with her bare hands, the massacre of the undead group, the creation of the halberd, and finally the execution of the bone golem. Well, all of a sudden, my choices of evolutions no longer surprise me... And the potatoes were peeled, and the meat cut, and they were boiled in a great pot upon the stove, of which the black stone was a fire rock, a calolapis, a kind of magical pebble producing heat when it was put in contact with a source of Mana. ¡° Yeh can go back to your room, chat with the kid if you want. I¡¯ll take bowls with me on the way up, and we¡¯ll eat together in your room.¡± He said to her with a tired smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay downstairs to rest and watch the pot cooking.¡± He added. ¨¦let was a little surprised because, since the young woman had met him, it was the first time that Greypa really seemed like an old man. *** Back in the room, ¨¦let sat down at the little girl¡¯s bedside. Very excited, she approached the young woman with great enthusiasm. ¡°This book is great! Look, it talks about a lot of stuff, like Yggdrasil!¡± She said, showing her a print of the World Tree. ¡°According to this book, you can use its sap to create a potion that harmonizes the one who drinks it with nature. And with its leaves, you can make bandages that can heal almost any wounds! But I have better!¡± She added before turning more pages. ¡°This is the chapter with the dragons¡­¡± And so she went on for a while, showing things more extraordinary, each even more extraordinary than the previous one, before stopping and suddenly changing the subject. ¡°I would like to ger stronger.¡± She said in a tone full of resolve. ¡°But you already know that. What I would like to know is if you have any ideas that could help me.¡± Her gaze wandered on the cover of the book before she spoke again. ¡° If I had these legendary ingredients, achieving my goal would be a lot easier, but I don¡¯t have them, so I have to find another way.¡± ¨¦let answered softly: ¡°If you want to be stronger, you have to fight and to study, and I can help you, at least for the fighting part. I can help you figure out how to fight, plan strategies and implement tactics taking into account strengths and weaknesses of the involved parties. But for starters, you¡¯re gonna have to acquire a class. Unfortunately, after our lunch, I¡¯m going to have to go and rest for a while, probably all night, so we¡¯ll do this next time, when I come back, okay?¡± ¡°Are you going to leave me again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back, I promise. That¡¯s what I did earlier, right? And with very good timing, I think.¡± She said with a sufficient smile. The young girl thought for two seconds before turning a decisive glance to her big sister. ¡°I believe you.¡± She said, serious. ¡°Good.¡± ¨¦let answered with a smile, caressing the little girl¡¯s head. In the meantime, Greypa had arrived in the room with three bowls of steaming stew. They ate in silence, all exhausted by the harsh day, and when they had finished, the old man cleared the cutlery and the earthenware without a word, before disappearing like a shadow. The time had come. ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± ¡°Yes, but the next time I come, I will be able to stay longer. That too is promised.¡± They hugged one last time before the young woman opened the menu to disconnect. As she disappeared, Dzive kissed ¨¦let¡¯s cheek. Chapter 11 - Shy in a world and Bold in another Chapter 11 Zoe I would have liked to stay a will longer, she thought, caressing the cheek on which the young girl had placed her lips. After a second, she pressed the button to open the lid that was still locking her in. Getting up, she stretched her arms, sitting in her capsule. Lorina was still there, finishing checking something on her screens. ¡°Well, are you stopping already?¡± ¡°Unfortunately yes, I have an appointment this evening.¡± ¡°Yes, with your uncle, right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± In the meantime, she had recovered from her dive and stood up. ¡°Now excuse me, I have to get going. I¡¯ll come back later today.¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t keep you. Just one last thing, the next time you come, please ask for me at the front desk, I still have to watch you a little bit.¡± She said before she stopped to add. ¡°But I might not be available later today¡­Well, we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Understood. See you next time, Professor Liddell.¡± Said the young woman, shaking her head as she left the room. *** As she crossed the building, Zoe noticed that the V.D.C was becoming more active. She met one or two people in the corridors, greeting them and being politely greeted in return. It was around six pm, and the centre was finally getting a little more lively. Exiting through the glass doors, Zoe did not pay particular attention to the young woman with glasses who passed by. Only a tiny stray thought crossed her mind. Isn¡¯t she living in Uncle¡¯s building? But ti soo disappeared. Once more taking the path she had used earlier in today, she again enjoyed the view of the red carpet of flowers. Arriving at the exit of the area, she directly went to the parking lot where her Uncle was already waiting for her in a car, a Gold Supermotors this time, another rare piece of collection. He was nodding his head to the song¡¯s rhythm, his grey¡¯s hair swaying catching lights with the tiny lustre that gave a hint on their younger colour, the typical family gold-blond. Oh? He braided them when I was playing? She was really thinking about when he found the time to do it, but her Uncle had always been very careful about his hair. The young woman could not help smiling at him. ¡°Hello Uncle. So, how is your day so far?¡± She got into the car and hugged him, since from her point of view she hadn¡¯t seen him for more than a day. The time acceleration is really a strange thing. ¡°I would want to say that I¡¯m fine but since I searched you for nearly twenty hours straight I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± He answered with a faint smile. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault that I spawned in a no-com zone, right?¡± As they were talking, her Uncle had started to drive over the New Roosevelt Avenue while listening to his niece. ¡°That¡¯s also true, let¡¯s talk about this oddity around a pizza.¡± He said happily. ¡°A pizza? Oh, we¡¯re going to Gaspar¡¯s place!¡± ¡°Yes we are.¡± ¡°Nice! I¡¯ve not seen him in a long time, I miss his restaurant.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why we¡¯re going.¡± He answered with a cocky smile. Antoine The night had fallen for some time on Clarity and the guards were keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings, tensed by the events of the day. The full moon illuminated the darkness like a huge beacon in the night sky, giving more substance to the shadows. Draped in the dark, a figure tried to move discreetly with mixed success. Believing itself undetected, it stopped before its secret passage. It turned around one last time to check that it was not being followed, before being startled when it saw two small shadows behind itself. It soon recovered by being grateful to them. ¡±What are you doing here?¡± asked Antoine, whispering, for it was him. ¡°You are going to the Wishes¡¯ Shrine, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯re coming with you!¡± Replied the first of the two twins with emotion. Without even looking, Antoine knew it was Morgane.¡°We also want to be able to do something when another tragedy of the same kind as the one of this afternoon hits the village.¡± Calmly continued the other. And that should be Liliana. ¡°You want to be stronger so you can fight monsters!¡± Added the first with a fiery gaze. ¡°And to be able to help the ones suffering around us.¡± Calmly ended the second. Faced with their resolve, the young boy was unable to find arguments that could reason with them. In fact, he even perfectly understood their feelings, his presence here holding identical thoughts. He nodded his head to show his agreement toward the two of them accompanying him. Sneaking through a small crack in the wooden wall, the three youngsters were quickly outside, checking the surroundings before heading to the shrine. As they were gathering mushrooms earlier in the day, Dz¨©ve had explained to them that she had made a pact of mutual assistance with ¨¦let through the shrine of wishes, and the shock of the undead attack had caused the three young people to want to do the same, to be able to have someone to train them and make them capable. When they finally reached said place, Antoine knelt down and made a wish, mimicking what Dz¨©ve had described to him. Please have someone come for me, to protect me and teach me, as competent and kind as possible, please¡­ The chains orbiting the sphere aligned, becoming a disc. ¡°Valid summoner detected. No valid summons available, request pending.¡± Nothing else happened, and the chains resumed their dance around the golden object. Disappointed, the boy rose.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Morgane and Liliana ¡°Maybe Dz¨©ve was a special case, to have someone answer the call right away, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure a deity will come down for you!¡± said one of the twin sisters to comfort him. ¡°What my sister says makes a lot of sense. Be patient, maybe they watch before showing up.¡± Calmly added to the other. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± He seemed to get used to the idea, before going on. ¡°Come on.¡± And so the twins put themselves in the same position as Antoine before, side by side to make their wish. I want someone brave and powerful, to show me how to fight without rest and fear, so I can crush monsters and protect my sister! Thought Morgane. I want someone who is sharp and be intelligent, who can teach me how to thwart the plans of my enemies and support my allies, so I can kill monsters and protect my sister. Thought Liliana. The same thing happened for Antoine, without any more reactions, but the girls were already prepared for it. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home fast before someone realizes we¡¯re gone!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The twins answered with one voice. Clara ¡°S-s-so you¡¯re sure that¡¯s all I need to know to start playing?¡± Said the young woman in a trembling voice, cheeks slightly red. ¡°Perfectly Madame.¡± The person at the reception answered her. ¡°Then... Thank you so much for answering my questions, I am very grateful.¡± She bowed a little to show the sincerity of her feelings. ¡°This is my job, Madame.¡± Replied the young man at the reception, a little embarrassed by the behaviour of this client. ¡°Could I bore you with one last question?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Thank you. Could you show me the way to my capsule?¡± ¡°I can even take you there if you want.¡± He said nicely. ¡°No, the explanation alone will suit me very well!¡± she replied, panicking. The young man lost his words and remained frozen for a second, before pulling himself together and giving her the instructions she asked for. The young woman with glasses finally moved away, still red from discomfort. it... it didn¡¯t go too bad as a first conversation in... a while... no? She lost herself three times on the way but did not dare to ask the rare passerby for help, her shyness each time gaining the upper hand for sure. Ah, finally. She thought contemplating a capsule embedded in a wall that was filled with it. One could read the number 49498 above. My own capsule... Even though I feel a little guilty about using part of my parents'' rent for this¡­ No, you were told that it was effective to gain self-confidence and have social contacts, you need that! And besides it¡¯s not like other online games, I won¡¯t be able to hide behind a stoic avatar¡­ She thought by putting herself right. She opened the capsule and leaned into it after finally finding how to do it. Being a little afraid, she took the time to calm down before launching. I wonder if my usual roleplay is going to take over even then... I hope not, it would be so shameful... Just thinking about it, she blushed and, to stop this thought process, launched the dive¡­ Antoine They had gone back in the opposite direction, hurrying home to avoid punishment, but the lonely cloud hiding the moon at the moment did not make things any easier, as it was making the road very dark. Suddenly, a shape appeared a little further on the path. Damn, an adult! He turned toward the twins to consult them. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We make a detour through the woods to avoid them!¡± replied Morgane. ¡°Or we go to them and explain the situation, to minimise the potential damage that our misbehaviour could or will cause.¡± Liliana lucidly replied. They turned to each other, opposing their idea through a battle of looks. And now it¡¯s up to me. Thank you girls! It¡¯s always like them, the two of them opposing their ideas and me or Dzive needing to chose at the end! He thought, dissatisfied, before thinking two minutes and speaking again. ¡°We will do as Lilliana proposes, it is less risky than going through the forest.¡± Hearing this, the interested party smiled almost imperceptibly as Morgane made a long face. As a result of this decision, they openly advanced towards the adult standing before them. They slowly turned in their direction. ¡°Hu... sorry to be here, we know we¡¯re not supposed to go out at night, especially today, but¡­ I mean, sorry.¡± He said in his most falsely apologetic voice. The man did not answer them, he just stared at them. Something is wrong. He thought to himself. The cloud passing in front of the moon slipped away at this moment, letting the light flow again. Antoine could finally understand where his discomfort was coming from. The eyes of this man were rotten, like his flesh in many places. Blood and other less appetizing substances covered it, oozing from all his orifices. The took one step, only one, before a powerful light suddenly surrounded Antoine. Clara She had finished wringing out all possible information from Hermes and had created her character as well as dispatched her points, all in Mind. Anyway, I¡¯m going to play a magician, so¡­ Thought the young woman, shrugging her shoulders She then jumped from the top of the floating island, as the A.I. in a bad mood told her to do after the young woman¡¯s close interrogation. I wonder what face my summoner will have? I hope he will be cute¡­ She thought, blushing again. She soon stopped falling and began to materialize. A forest, at night, without any source of light except the moon, she remarked, interesting¡­ She had landed on the ground having after completing the materialization process. In front of her stood a young boy of thirteen, maybe fourteen years old, shocked and surprised. ¡°So yah¡¯re the one who summoned me, brat? Yah¡¯ve a cute face, I like you!¡± she said in a bold and cheerful voice. Aaaand shit, I just can¡¯t help it, huh? Well, too bad, we¡¯ll deal with it for now. She thought blushing inwardly. ¡°Do you agree to sign the contract with the native Antoine?¡± ¡°Of course I accept!¡± she replied in the same voice. Antoine He remained speechless while a tall young woman of almost a one hundred and ninety cm appeared from nowhere in front of him, her golden hair raised into a complex bun tied by numerous combs, trinkets and other charms. She spoke in a bold tone, but Antoine was too focused on the voice in his head to hear. ¡°Do you agree to sign the contract with the summoned Kailun Dolteri?¡± Euuh¡­ ¡°Yes?¡± Then, as Dz¨©ve had told him, chains appeared and surrounded the two parties concerned, sending them crashing against each other. Antoine blushed a little when his head was pressed against the belly of the tall woman. The ritual ended, it backed rapidly, his cheeks taking a nice cherry colour. ¡°Bahaha, don¡¯t be so shy, you look like a tomato!¡± The remark only aggravated the state of the already deeply blushing boy. He soon recovered, however. ¡°K-Kailun, an enemy is there, please help us!¡± ¡°A fight, already? Ah, consider it done, baby!¡± Oh, by the gods, why is she talking to me like that? Did he think as he was more than a little embarrassed. His blushing had happily gone beyond the stage of an apple to reach that of a sunset. Chapter 12 - Long Talk with Uncle Chapter 12 Kailun Dolteri Kyyyaaaa! This roleplay is even more ashaming than when I just play online! But if I stop now I¡¯ll turn into a rag, and the boy told me a monster was threatening them, I have to go on like this! She turned around and saw it directly, standing like a moron in the middle of the road, feeling a threat from this woman without, however, its rotten brain being able to process the information. System, initiate combat mode. ¡°Combat mode activated, resource gauges and abilities displayed on the player¡¯s HUD.¡± Fourteen Mana Points (Mp)... it should be okay, this zombie seems to be low level and slow in addition, I¡¯ll just hit and run by keeping the kids safe. ¡°Alright, everyone behind me! And kids, yah listen good, capiche?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± they said together. ¡°I¡¯m gonna start by testing the water. Yah¡¯re going to stay behind me, watching my back and backing me up at the same time. This¡¯way I can gradually burn the motherfucker without him reachin'' us, understood?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± They said as one once again. I¡¯m just going to use the basic spell, we¡¯ll see how it will go¡­ During their conversation, the zombie had slowly begun to crawl towards them. They launched the operation, the little ones on the lookout for an enemy as Kailun prepared to use her first spell. So if I understand correctly, I can throw it just thinking of the name, so¡­ Firebead! A spark appeared in her right hand, between her thumb and index finger, becoming very quickly as big as a marble. The young woman took the projectile with her two fingers and threw it at the enemy, where it exploded slightly. A small number appeared above the damage zone, and the zombie¡¯s life bar was amputated by four Pv. Okay! 16 more Hp, four more like this and I¡¯ll be done with him. The operation went without incident, and soon only four unfortunate Hp remained to their opponent. ¡°There, he¡¯s almost dead, we¡¯ll soon be able to relax.¡± Suddenly, Morgane grabbed the dagger that was hanging next to Kailun and rushed at the monster, stabbing him in the heart with the blade. ¡°Ahah, die scum!¡± she exclaimed to the general surprise. ¡°You see that sis¡¯? I too can kill undead now!¡± She added, boasting in front of her twin sister. The zombie fell to his knees before starting to disappear into a fine dust. He left behind him only a small crystal that was planted on the knife held by the girl. The two objects then merge, to everyone¡¯s astonishment. That¡¯s stealing! I¡¯ll have to teach them a bit of respect! ¡°Congratulations, you and your teammates have successfully killed a level three zombie! You gained one Grey and six White Shards.¡± ¡°No loot was recovered due to the absorption of the loot by your weapon.¡± The young woman put this information in a corner of her head to focus on the more immediate problems. ¡°Well, kid? Think yah¡¯re a hero ¡®cause yah killed an enemy on the brink of death?¡± Kailun crossed her arms, pretending to be angry. That¡¯s when Morgane realized that she had messed up. She wanted to return the dagger to its owner, but¡­ ¡°Well, keep it, I don¡¯t need it and anyway it looks like you know how to use it better than me, huh? That way, when we meet another zombie, you can kill it all by yourself, since you know how to kill undead now, huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, sorry-sorry-sorry!¡± She said with a frightened look at the idea of having to fight alone. ¡°If yah¡¯re really sorry, next time yah¡¯ll do what I tell yah to do, and yah won¡¯t steal my kill, capiche?¡± ¡°Yes, sorry!¡± She looked genuinely apologetic so Kailun did not rebuke her further. ¡°As long as yah get it, that¡¯s enough. Come on, come on.¡± Morgane handed her the dagger again, but the young woman did not take it back. ¡°No, really, keep it there, it really doesn¡¯t help me. And you have guts, if I need help I¡¯ll count on you and your blade, understood? Just do what I ask.¡± ¡°Sure! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s get back on the road.¡± *** Kailun and the little troop met a few more zombies, all low-level, stupid and slow. She fought them in the same way as the first, from time to time letting Morgane go hand-to-hand, but with mixed results, as her blows were not as well placed as the first one. She must have been lucky back then. Kailun said to herself while supporting the energetic twin at a distance, launching her beads of fire to disorient the enemy, thus preventing him from succeeding in making a blow against Morgane. The other two watched these fights from behind the young woman, Antoine with fervour, Liliana with interest. They finally came out of the forest into open ground. They had no trouble reaching the main gate, Antoine¡¯s secret passage being too small for Kailun. However, the twins chose to go through it, afraid of being scolded by their parents. As they separated, Morgane had a happy smile painted on her face, and Liliana seemed to be in deep reflection. In front of the wall. ¡°The guards there, yeah, on the lookouts, yah can open the door?¡± asked the young woman in an imperious voice. He did not hesitate and soon one of the fighters opened the door up enough to let the two night howls in. Well, they didn¡¯t hang around to open it, they¡¯re not afraid of it being a ruse? Their behaviour surprised her. Once inside, the door quickly closed behind them. ¡°Well, boy?¡± asked Milo, looking at Antoine with furious eyes. ¡°Sorry sir.¡± He replied, truly ashamed. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that later,¡± he said, looking at Kailun. ¡°So you are the new summoned, Antoine¡¯s? It¡¯s late, you can stay at my house until tomorrow, it¡¯s not an hour to talk.¡± ¡°How do you know I¡¯m related to Antoine?¡± She exclaimed, surprised. ¡°Greypa warned us that you were coming and explained the situation a little bit. Thank you for protecting the little ones.¡± Ah, looks like he knows about the twins. My bet is that they¡¯re going to get it, the scolding they wanted to avoid. I wonder who is Greypa... ¡°Nothing, nothing, it¡¯s my job after all. But I wouldn¡¯t say no to a reward, ahahah!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk tomorrow, go to bed, you make me feel like you¡¯re in the same state as the zombies out there.¡± Indeed, Kailun had noticed the malus displayed below her resource bars for some time. It looks like the only way to get rid of this fatigue is to sleep in the game or to disconnect long enough. I didn¡¯t expect to spend most of my first few hours sleeping, but when you¡¯re in Rome, you do what the Romans do. ¡°Thanks for the lovely compliment, I¡¯m going to take the advice and go rest.¡± Greypa One more... Peace for two hundred years and now two in two days, that must not bode well¡­ Thought the old man on his way home after spending a good part of the night following the kids, protecting them from the shadows. I absolutely have to wake him up... A powerful determination burned in his eyes as he looked at the white wand. Since he had tried to retrieve it, it had not moved, hanging motionless in front of the wall from which Greypa had drawn it. Zoe They quickly arrived at the North Tower, one of the most prominent skyscrapers of whole New Brussels, in part because of the North Station buried under it, one of the main nodes of the railway net weaved through Belgium. It was perfectly representing the new style adopted when the city had been rebuilt, all in white with its touch of natural green, yellow, red and myriad of other colours that the plants and flowers had. Letting the Gold Supermotors in a private parking lot, they took a glass elevator to the third level of the tower, where the tiny Italian restaurant they wanted to go was located, unknown but from the neighbours. Each time Zoe went into one of the skyscrapers, even if it was the thousandth time, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the view. The centre of the tower was hollow, with waterfalls and hanging platforms full of grass, fruit trees and other nice thingies, like a modern take of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Bridge connected the platforms to one another and people could be seen strolling and taking walk on them. A gigantic glass dome and an array of mirrors kept the sunlight flowing in and, bathing everything in the warm rays of the summer afternoon. The air wasn¡¯t as hot as outside. It took only five minutes to the uncle and the niece to reach the restaurant. It was a tiny establishment nestled between two bigger stores, since the North Tower third level was a commercial district. As they were entering the place, Gaspar, the cook and owner, had warmly welcomed them. The more than sixty-year-old man seemed tired but pleased to see them. ¡°Sit down, sit down, how are you? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen you two around, particularly you Luca.¡± ¡°Work, I¡¯m afraid, lots of it.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Zoe could help giggling hearing her Uncle shamefully talking about work when he was, in fact, playing all the time. Well, it is his work, but still. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m happy to be there, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re the only one I know able to master the art of pizza making to such a degree!¡± Luca exclaimed. ¡°We are well, thank you for asking.¡± Zoe replied kindly. ¡°And Madame, how is she doing?¡± she added. ¡°All right, she¡¯s in the garden right now, but if you want I can call her, have a drink together!¡± ¡°We are here to eat, Gaspard.¡± She corrected. ¡°Now? The oven is not hot yet, you¡¯ll have to wait a bit. You know I only open at 7 pm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re in no hurry.¡± Luca reassured him. And so they sat down at the table while Gaspard served them refreshments. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to the news. So, this first game session? I got your text but there wasn¡¯t really a lot of details...¡± Zoe smiled and told him of her misadventures, the serene face of her Uncle becoming more and more disillusioned as the story progressed. The story was long enough to tell, Gaspard had even had time to bring them their Pizzas, wishing them a bon appetit. They began to eat in silence, before Zoe spoke again to ask something to her Uncle. ¡°It¡¯s a Bastion, right?¡± ¡°Seems so to me.¡± He answered, thoughtful. ¡°I really am a lucky bastard, ain''t I?¡± ¡°Ahahah, yes, that¡¯s true lassy.¡± ¡°Maybe you can explain a bit more about them then? I mean, I¡¯ve heard the general term, but I didn¡¯t find a lot of information on them on the internet.¡± ¡°True, Bastions are quite rare and their owner tends to keep them secret. Here¡¯s what I know, in summary. Now, where to start...¡± He thought a second while eating a pizza part. ¡°Ok, I know. But remember, it¡¯s a summary, each bastion are different, so I¡¯ll only talk about what they have in common. Got it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Perfect. So, Bastions¡­ For starters, Bastions are special instance played in Solo. You will not be able to access the outside world and group conversations outside your Bastion.¡± ¡°No kidding. I tried to contact you quite early on but I received an error about a sealed space or something, communication disrupted blablabla¡­ And, in truth, I didn¡¯t try again after that, I did not have the time with everything that was happening.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal, Bastions are meant to be very intense.¡± He took a big piece of pizza and ate it a bit before continuing. ¡°The second thing to know is that, as I said, Bastions are very rare things. To give you an idea, six people have already announced that they have conquered a Bastion, and we suspect that this is only half of those actually active, but it remains only twelve people out of a ten millions active players.¡± ¡°So the chances of arriving in a Bastion are so low¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why a Bastion is considered a Solo instance.¡± ¡°I guess the chances of two players being summoned in the same Bastion must be ridiculously small,¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°Yes, even if you can¡¯t think of it as impossible, it¡¯s so improbable it can be neglected.¡± He took a sip of homemade lemonade, freshly made by Gaspard¡¯s wife. ¡°Third: a Bastion is a mountain of loot, and in so many different ways. All quests are reserved for the only player present, as well as all the treasures, which are often not found elsewhere, and there are even opportunities to acquire unique or lost classes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already quite a lot.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not over. The Bastions are also endowed with a long special quest, divided into Chapters themselves divided into Acts. Each time a Chapter is completed, the player becomes the de facto leader of a piece of the Bastion, until the whole of it belongs to them. From that moment onward, the player is known as a King, a Queen or a Ruler, as they choose, because they have their own kingdom, the Bastion they conquered.¡± ¡°You can become a leader?¡± She asked surprisingly. ¡°Yes, with gameplay close to a management/strategy game. It¡¯s not bad for fans of the genre, but if you don¡¯t want to get bored with it you can delegate. I like it.¡± Ends up with a smile. ¡°I knew Binding Fate had a lot of content but complete management? I read you had some tiny part of it if you became the chief of a village or something, but at this level?¡± ¡°Well, like Bastions, it¡¯s quite rare to attain the full-fledged part of this system. I mean, you actually need to be the ruler of something bi, like a castle and its domain, at least more than a simple village, and that¡¯s not so easy.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a ruler too? A King?¡± ¡°No, not as big, just a fief, some mines, not big enough to have the full Ruler gameset available. I think that on the top ten only Gal¨¦ar and Falnelle have the full access, given their position... Oh, I was going to forget. As a Kingdom, a Bastion is practically impregnable.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As mentioned earlier, Bastions are Solo instances, among other things, because it is impossible to communicate or to have fluxes of people between them and the outside world, in any way. This effect is never due to the restriction of the system, it is always caused by an intradiegetic effect. When the player becomes the leader of the Bastion they gain full power on the...the barrier we will say... that prevents movement and communication. Hence the impenetrable side. Allies can pass without problems, but enemies remain blocked as if the Bastion were not open.¡± ¡°it seems a bit OP to me.¡± ¡°I have already attacked a Bastion, lass, and having lived it I can tell you that yes, it is OP.¡± ¡°You lost.¡± ¡°More of a stalemate in fact, but that¡¯s not the point.¡± He ended in a tie with something so powerful? How much behind is his stream compared to now? ¡°How powerful are you, Uncle? I mean, right now, not what you show in your streams?¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m not going to tell you now, it would be a spoil! Get out of your Bastion and you can see for yourself.¡± He said with a playful smile. ¡°But let¡¯s get back to the discussion. For now I would advise you to consolidate your power by making your character and invocator level up a bit, then begin immediately the second Act of your chapter. At least try to finish the first chapter before you try to explore the Bastion, you¡¯ll need it because you¡¯ll have access to development options for your starting village, Clarity, right? These developments will be vital in order to have a permanent base for Chapter Two onward, because starting then things may get complicated.¡± ¡°Understood¡± The young woman listened attentively and noted everything in her head. I¡¯m looking forward to it, I¡¯ve always loved management and strategy games. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all I know about Bastions, so we¡¯ll stop there. Now I have another question. You told me that you made your class evolve, what¡¯s its state right now?¡± The question asked, he took another sip of homemade lemonade. ¡°Ahahah, no-no-no, first you try to guess what¡¯s its rarity and focus.¡± She answered in the same playful tone he had used. ¡°You¡¯re really doing this to me lass? Okay, I¡¯ll try. Judging by your reaction, it should be something quite rare already. I would say blue¡­ and for the focus¡­¡± He looked at her with a focused gaze. ¡°Normally you like magic a lot, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s different in Binding Fate¡­ I would say a tank? Or maybe a close-quarter dps?¡± ¡°Not bad Uncle, not bad. My class is Yellow.¡± He was in the middle of drinking and nearly spat out everything. ¡°Ahahah, don¡¯t strangle yourself either!¡± He took a towel to wipe his mouth before speaking again. ¡°How did you get access to an epic class from the start?¡± ¡°Talent, Uncle, talent.¡± She replied with the same banter as her Uncle. ¡°Luck, above all.¡± He said but she retorted directly: ¡°Luck is a kind of talent too!¡± ¡°...Not entirely false. With a Yellow class, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s something very good around a warrior type?¡± ¡°I checked the stat and I think so too. I don¡¯t know by heart the average stats of an Epic class but I think the modifiers are slightly off-shart. Also, the abilities and mastery bonuses seem really good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± ¡°Aegis Berserkr.¡± ¡°...What? For real? AHAHAH!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh for two good minutes. ¡°What is so funny about it?¡± She asked once her Uncle had calmed down. ¡°Well, it¡¯s indeed a very good class, only, it¡¯s something most commonly found in the Dremesse Empire, a heck of an enemy of mine. I just think it¡¯s funny that you acquired one of their best class despite them being in conflict with me. But enough with the jokes. You do know how to play it? You¡¯ve found info on the internet?¡± ¡°Not enough for my taste. More and more it seems that what¡¯s rare in Binding Fate is not documented properly or at all on the wiki.¡± ¡°True, information is power so people tend to keep what they know for them or in their organization if it¡¯s not widely known. First of all, you¡¯ll need a very good shield. Your weapon will be one-handed, but it can be a rarity under your shield, because your Aegis is your main asset.¡± ¡°Ah well, about that¡­ You remember I told you I looted something from my fight with the undead platoon?¡± He simply nodded affirmatively. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a two-handed weapon.¡± ¡°What rarity?¡± ¡° Three question mark, and it¡¯s a linked weapon, too.¡± She grinned proudly. He just looked at her peacefully. ¡°It¡¯s very interesting. I somehow knew your debut wouldn¡¯t be normal, but I¡¯m starting to question my own luck when I hear all that you loot in a Bastion. No wonder it was a tie when I attacked one, if they¡¯re all like that.¡± ¡°Yeah. So about this shield, I think it¡¯s dead, no? I mean, linked weapons are often way more powerful than their normal counterpart, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. If you take their average power into account, I think using it and sacrificing a shield won¡¯t even affect your class performance, even if your shield should be your main concern.¡± ¡°That powerful? I knew looting a linked item was good, but to this extend?¡± ¡°As I say, lass, you¡¯re a lucky bastard.¡± ¡°Huhuhu that¡¯s a really nice feeling.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, you¡¯ll need to master your class if you want to succeed in conquering your Bastion. Rarity and Difficulty come together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡± She took a bit into a new pizza slice and enjoyed its taste. Nothing better than Gaspar¡¯s pizzas. ¡°So, what do I do with this class?¡± ¡°Good spirit. As far as I know, it¡¯s a protection and suppression class. Your three main abilities revolve around that. Rampart of the Aegis is a versatile ability that can either give a Breath shield to a target or create a fixed Breath shield somewhere around you. However, since you need an actual shield to use it, you¡¯ll be unable to cast it, so forget about it for now. Your second ability should be something around wrath or frenzy, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, Guardian Frenzy.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know the actual name, all of this are extrapolation based on my numerous fight against Aegis Berserkr. So guardian frenzy it is. That¡¯s your berserkr main ability. As for all berserkr, the more you¡¯re injured, the more powerful you are. Normally that¡¯s a glass canon ability but since your base class is a tank, it makes the Aegis berserkr really scary, and that¡¯s also why Aegis Berserkr are respected. They¡¯re the only berserkrs I¡¯ve seen that could stay calm even under the effect of their frenzy, which is normally another of the pitfall that this ability as. This, with their tankiness, makes them really good at protecting key targets, since people will be reluctant to actually wound the berserkr, and by so, to attack what they¡¯re protecting. But in my opinion, what makes them scary is their third ability.¡± ¡°Vital Link? It looked interesting but I did not have the time to check it.¡± ¡°Yes, this one. In my opinion, it¡¯s one of the most game-breaking ability out there for the low-tier class. Basically, you can choose one consentent target for your Vital Link and, as long as this target is within a certain distance of you, you can share your Hps however you want. You can transfer them both way, redirect them automatically, spread then evenly, whatever you name.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s why my class is so good at protecting someone. We can just take all the damage in their sake automatically, and use the lost health to empower oneself.¡± ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s a high-end Epic class for you. So, you remember what we said about your class and all?¡± ¡°Yes! Ohohoh I¡¯m so eager to try it! It sounds incredible!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s finish eating so you can go back to Binding Fate.¡± He said with a laughing smile, seeing the zeal is niece was displaying.¡± They finished eating while chatting casually, Zoe and her Uncle trading verbal shot all along in a casual mood. Their laughter resounded in the still empty guest room. Gaspard walked them to the door when they had finished their meal. ¡°Now let¡¯s head to the VDC!¡± ¡°I¡¯m always happy to see you like that.¡± He retorted before adding: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± *** Back to the VDC parking lot. ¡°See you tomorrow then Zoe? ¡°Yup! Thanks for the food and the news, you¡¯re the best!¡± She said, hugging him. ¡°I know.¡± He replied in a mischievous tone. ¡°Go to your capsule, I¡¯ve an appointment in five minutes. Let¡¯s eat and talk more tomorrow, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have things to say by then!¡± And he snuck away quickly. Let¡¯s dive again! She thought, walking in the white building with long excited strides. Legends of Iloy - 1 - Abedla?kas and Everflame Legends of Iloy - 1 - Abedla?kas and Everflame Once upon a time was a princess. She was the most beautiful princess that ever existed, as she had a skin like copper and smooth like silk, with dark long hair braided with always-blooming red flowers, Asters and Anemones, Orchids and hellebores and, of course, roses. She had chocolate lips and eyes like emeralds, long and nimble fingers, slender arms and unending legs. You could have tough that she was frail, brittle even, but all that had tried to subdue her, to conquer her and to crush her, she had crushed, conquered and subdued back, with her sword and her armour and her oh so powerful flame. Clad in fire, she was a princess, and a protector too, protector of her mother¡¯s and father¡¯s throne and kingdom, pride of each man and woman under her wings. Her name had been lost to time, but we know her as Everflame. She loved her people and was married to the kingdom, and they loved her back all the same. Where she walked, hope sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, where she fought monster fell like flies in a fire, where she wept all living shed tears with her. The kingdom was safe thanks to her, and this stayed eternally¡­ "Is that really true grandma? She was really the most beautiful princess ever?" "Ahahah, I don''t really know, legends are not really reliable. There is some part of truth in them, but remember those are very old tales. Maybe some of those things did not happen like that." "Okay. Keep going, please!" The grandmother smiled, and started telling this tale once more. Until one day, a prince presented himself at the door of her castle. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Unlike the other prince, he had callous hands and trained arms, scars were scattered all over his skin. He was tall, nearly as tall as she was, and his gaze at this glint that only experienced hunters had, and his short hair was tied in a bun. Wary, her hand on her sword hilt, she looked at him but, surprisingly, he didn¡¯t ask for her hand or anything. He knelt, one knee on the floor, his powerful hammerhead down in front of him. In a deep voice, he begged at the castle door, begged for help. His kingdom was assaulted by powerful fire beasts, monsters rolling down from the Surt, the long chain of volcanoes that threatened their land since time immemorial. He had heard of Everflame, the princess wilding fire, and begged her to help him save his people, his country. Touched by his display, Everflame went to her parents, asking them the Sunblade, the divine artefact that protected their kingdom. The king and the queen, however, refused, saying that she could not wield the artefact for another nation. Heartbroken, she said to the prince that she couldn¡¯t help him and he went back to his land. As he was going, Everflame asked him to send her letters, as she wanted to know how the conflict was evolving. Three months later, as she was celebrating her eighteen birthday, she received a letter. The defence of the prince land had yielded. People were killed, burned or eaten alive. Tears started to flow from her eyes as, even if those were not her people, they were people, and she couldn¡¯t stand suffering. The same night, as guards were relaxed from the party, she abused her identity as the princess and stole the Sunblade. The sword was stuck in a pitch-black rock, and only those worthy could wield it. When she put her hand on the hilt, the sword gave away, falling in her hand by its own will, as even if she was stealing it, she was taking it to save innocents. This night, over her castle, a magnificent firebird appeared. Those few who were looking saw that a tiny figure was ridding th back of the bird, seemingly holding a pure sun ray on one of its hands. The firebird talked with her in a soft voice, resonating with the sword that had given birth to him, talking about the secrets of fire, of the sun and the earth, of their beating hearts and how to let them flow around her. They kept talking as they were flying to save the prince and his country, and the blade kept telling her that the princess needed to save everyone. The prince, a great wizard and weapons-master, had been keeping the Great Bridge for two days and two nights, as people kept fleeing from the invaded land on the other side of the Lazy River, killing firebeast after fire beast. As dawn of the third day flooded the world with its light, giving despair in place of hope to those that wanted to live, another sun rose from the horizon. Covered in blood from head to toe, exhausted, bleeding and surrounded by corpses, Everflame looked at him and felt something moving in her heart, moved by his courage, his resolve. And so the sun fell, and the land was set on fire, and the firebeasts ran for their lives as the goddess of fire herself was burning them and fighting them. She saved the land, the kingdom, the people, everyone. At the end of the day, the prince had proposed a wedding. At the end of the night, she had accepted it. Her parent were furious, and ordered her to come back, but with the sunblade at her hip and the prince at her side, she feared nothing, and refused their order. She was banned from her birth kingdom, and it saddened her, and the people of her former kingdom, but with her lover to support her, she soon forget about this. They drove the beasts away, slowly taking back their land under the lead of Everflame. With each passing day she was becoming stronger and stronger, the sword teaching her more and more about fire, taking care of her and treating her like a queen. She and the prince were having a blissful life as everything worked out when they worked together. Finally, one day, they penetrated deep into the Surt and Everflame asked the other to back of, as she was the only one able to survive the fire of the earth. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. There, as the prince had told her, she encountered the king of the firebeast. A giant of liquid gold and steel, hitting a humongous anvil with a gigantic hammer. He saw her come in his lonely palace but didn¡¯t attack her, and she didn¡¯t attack him. He was forging something and she looked at him working, charmed by the way he moved. After each strike, sparks would fall everywhere and from them would appear firebeasts that rushed through the palace without looking once at the princess. Once he had finished his work, he ejected Everflame from his place, letting her in front of black rocks in the middle of the volcanoes. The prince and the princess talked about the incident, and they quickly came to realize that could the giant if they wanted peace to settle down. And so the prince created a plan to kill the giant. Each day, Everflame went to look the giant working, as he wasn¡¯t attacking her. Slowly, she got closer to him, until one they, he started talking with her. With single words at the start, then more and more. She discovered that he was lonely here, that someone at stolen something from him. As time passed, he grew fond of the human, teaching her how to forge and use her fire and, one day, Everflame said she was in love with him. The giant wavered and they talked and talked. His voice reminded the princess of someone, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint who. Finally, the giant lay his heart bare to her feet, as he was, too, in love with this human that could bend fire to her will. She took his heart and fled with it to her prince. She watch the giant dying, she felt his pain and sadness through the heart that she kept with her. She gave the giant¡¯s heart to her princess and, as he was taking it, she felt frost swallowing her. The prince had an evil grin on his face and he took back the poisoned needle he had used on his wife. She pried the giant¡¯s heart out of his hands and fell, curling up around it on the ground. She understood now. The voice of her blade, it was the daughter of the giant talking to her, hoping that the princess could save her dad. She felt now, the love that the giant had for herself. She fell now, in despair as she understood the prince had tricked her, as she understood that her heart was to the giant and his daughter, not to this evil princess. She died, curled around her blade and her heart, the two things that mattered the most to her. Too late, she was cold, only her own heart had a tiny flame left. Seeing this, the prince was overjoyed. Now, with the Sunblade, the divine artefact of his rival kingdom, with the Everflame, the heart of their princess, with Abeldla?kas heart, the giant of sun and earthfire, finally, he could create the most powerful artefact! He ripped her heart out of her body, melted the blade and burned the giant¡¯s heart, harvested his corpse and mixed all Together. In his brilliant madness, he forged something, a ring, a ring of pure gold and fire. For ten years he reigned by flame and terror, conquering all that stood, burning all that defied, torturing all that opposed. And one day, he died. Nobody knew what he died from, but his daughter, in her greed, took the ring and reigned at his place. She died, one year later, and since then, everyone that took the ring died in mysterious circumstances. More and more people talked about the curse, the curse of the unfound lovers that died from one another, of the Everflame and the giant that loved without knowing, that died without one another, f the princess and Abedla?kas that forged together, that lived together, that died from the other, of the evil prince that was their downfall. ¡°...That¡¯s all? What happened after that?¡± Asked the little girl. ¡°After that?¡± the old woman smiled In a forest, at the bottom of a river, something glistened. A young woman that fell on the river was started and soon recovered it. She put in on her finger¡­ ¡°And what happens next, you¡¯ll need to wait a bit to discover it! Now, to bed!¡± ¡°Ooooh. Okay. Goodnight!¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± The old woman looked through her window. What happens next¡­ I¡¯m curious to see it, too. Under her gaze, a city was extending in every direction, illuminated by an army of tiny light crystals. Chapter 13 - Is there something worse than an overprotective mother? Chapter 13 ??? The silhouette ran in the dark corridors of the fortress, anxious. ¡°Goodness, what did I do?¡± You could hear it swearing in its beard, its voice echoing up to the high vaults of the imposing rooms she was passing through. She finally arrived at the Grand Hall, with its sea of living dead and the bed floating on it. There! It had easily spotted the breach it was looking for, and for good reason since a gigantic maelstrom was centred on it, sucking up the gloomy miasm to inject it into the rift. Hell! It¡¯s of this size already? The shape seemed to panic. I hate doing this¡­ No, it is my duty! It pulled itself back together, before floating up to the eye of the oily smoke cyclone and extending its arms. The movements of the black gas slowed down until it stopped rushing into the breach, changing direction to move towards the shape, penetrating it through the opening of its hood. Argh! The suffering that flourished through its body did not prevent it from reaching out to the breach and pressing its palms against the rock. Slowly, very slowly, the rift closed. An eternity later, the miasma had become calm again, just like a sea of oil full of sharks. By the gods, I hope it didn¡¯t do too much damage! Uhr... The shadow then collapsed, exhausted, falling on the big bed like a puppet whose wires had been cut. Next to the young man and the beautiful lady, it fell deeply asleep. Zoe When the young woman asked after Professor Liddel, the young man at the reception told her that she was busy. Zoe had therefore not dawdled and had gone directly to place herself in her capsule. I hope that nothing happened during my absence, she thought anxiously before launching the dive. ¨¦let It must have been seven o''clock in the morning, eight-thirty Irl, when the young woman reconnected, choosing to reappear next to Dz¨©ve. The little girl was still in her bed with her eyes closed. ¨¦let moved the chair from her bedside to that of her prot¨¦g¨¦, sitting to watch her sleep until she woke up. A few minutes after she had arrived, she heard a slight noise coming from the door. Turning slowly, she saw Greypa sneaking his head through the gap, trying to find out if his young patient was still resting. Seeing that ¨¦let was present and that the little one was still recovering, he made a sign to the young woman, inviting her to come down. As quietly as possible, she got up and joined the old man, taking care not to make any noise when closing the door. Not wanting to risk waking the little one, they waited to be in the living room before starting to speak. ¡°So, how are you?¡± he asked, looking more than exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but you look like a dead fish left under the sun. Is something wrong?¡± she asked in return, serious. ¡°Something you can¡¯t do anything about, I¡¯m afraid, but thank you for your worries. It had been a long time since I had been called a dead fish, hahaha!¡± He replied, fatigue giving way to laughter. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, just say it, okay?¡± ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ve indeed something for you to do.¡± ¡°Tell.¡± ¡°During the night, Antoine and the twins, Morgane and Liliana, went to the altar of wishes alone. They almost died trying to get back to the village because zombies are still hanging around. Fortunately, Antoine received the blessing of a pact with a deity, like you with Dz¨©ve, and she pulled them out of the pinch they were in. I would like you to meet before you come here with Antoine. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Ding... Your Quest -Chapter One, Act Two: The Restless Dead- has been updated. The current objective is to meet the new summoned and bring her and her pledged back to Greypa.¡± ¨¦let had listened, astonished, to Greypa''s explanation while ignoring the announcement of the system. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s another one here beside me?¡± Greypa frowned before asking. ¡°Is that so amazing?¡± ¡°Oh yes, you can¡¯t understand how much¡­¡± she said. At this announcement, he seemed really anxious. ¡°Could this be a sign of something serious?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. A priori, no, but be on your guard anyway, you never know.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead, I¡¯ll tell Dz¨©ve that you¡¯re back and that she will be able to see you soon.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She walked to the door. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going.¡± She nodded her head before she went out and closed the door behind her. Greypa Brave girl, I pray that she is right and that it will not be anything worse than a few undead... I hope they¡¯ll get along well¡­ ¨¦let The young woman soon arrived at the entrance of the village, where she asked a guard where the newcomer was staying for the time being. ¡°She slept at Milo¡¯s.¡± Told her a spearman, a bit of fear in his eyes and a lot of respect in his voice. I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, given the show I did yesterday... She thought, vaguely remembering her anger. She followed the instructions of the guard, the villagers greeting her when she passed by, some thanking her also for having protected the village, others less open disappearing immediately after the greetings. Finally arrived at Milo¡¯s house, she knocked at the entrance. A girl came to open the door.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Yes?¡± She asked without recognising the person in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the young woman who slept here tonight, is she still here?¡± ¡°No, Dad left with her a little earlier, you just missed her¡­¡± She still seemed to have something to ask, but looked hesitant. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± asked ¨¦let. ¡°Who are you, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Ah? My name is ¨¦let, I am Dzive¡¯s summon, and you?¡± The teenager seemed surprised by the young woman¡¯s answer, taking a second before answering her. ¡° ... My name is Catherine, delighted to meet you, my lady.¡± She said before curtsying clumsily. ¡°Get up, you don¡¯t have to stop before me!¡± said ¨¦let, a little embarrassed. Oh my God, they¡¯re not all gonna treat me like I¡¯m some kind of nobleman, are they? ¡°Yes milady! But I still have chores to do, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll keep working, my lady!¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead. And you can stop calling me my lady, I¡¯m not any kind of noble!¡± she exclaimed with a smile. ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± *Mental Facepalm* It¡¯ll maybe be a little harder than expected¡­ *** Arriving at the house of Antoine¡¯s parents, she heard screaming through the door. ¡°NO, it¡¯s out of question!¡± ¡°The problem is, I don¡¯t care what you think¡­¡± ¡°Blam-blam-blam¡­¡± ¨¦let had knocked heavily on the door, both to make Herself heard over the scram and to try and interrupt the conversation. The dor was opened by a desperate-looking Milo. When he saw her, however, he seemed to find some hope. ¡°Ah, it is you? Maybe you can help me out.¡± He took her to the living room where two women were facing each other, one with brown hair, the other with gold hair. Between them, on the sideline, Antoine was pulling a head so long ¨¦let was scarred it would touch the floor. Upon arriving in the room, ¨¦let asked a question. ¡°What is happening here?¡± ¡°This woman is trying to push my little pumpkin to fight and¡­?¡± She frowned, unable to recognize the person she was talking to. ¡°Who are you?¡± She said in an aggressive tone. Milo reacted immediately. ¡°Be a little more polite, Nadine. It was this young woman who protected the village just yesterday.¡± His tone was firm but calm. ¡°Oh... so you are ¨¦let, forgive me, but I am a little nervous for the moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but could you finish answering my question, please?¡± ¡°Of course. So I was saying that this young woman is pushing my little sweetheart to fight, she has put funny ideas in his head, like becoming a magician and killing the living dead.¡± Her tone was much more respectful than before. ¡°Okay.¡± She said before turning to the golden-haired young woman. ¡°First of all, nice to meet you, my name is ¨¦let and I am the first summoned of this village. Could I know your name?¡± ¡°But of course gorgeous!¡± Replied golden-hair with a smile. ¡°My name is Kailun Dolteri, and you can stop bein¡¯ polite with me, it bothers me.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s get back to our case then. Antoine¡¯s mother accused you of, how can I say...yes, she accused you of perverting her child. Anything to say?¡± God, what a hen mother she is¡­ ¡°I¡¯m just saying that he¡¯s the one who called me and asked for the pact, I did not tell him to do anything. He¡¯s the one who wants to become stronger.¡± ¡°Impossible! My little chicken wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly, and he would be even less inclined to fight! What he wants is to become a cheesemaker, like me and his father, isn¡¯t that true my little heart?¡± She asked Antoine, who was cowering without saying a word. ¡°What if we listened to what he wanted to say?¡± She turned to the young boy. ¡°Antoine, what do you want?¡± He spoke after a brief hesitation. ¡°Well...it is true that I would like to be a cheesemaker¡­¡± ¡°Ahah!¡± exclaimed his mother. ¡°...but it¡¯s not a very useful role if the village gets destroyed, so I¡¯d like to learn how to fight first¡­¡± He blushes a little as he went on. ¡°... Besides, if so, I could be with Dz¨©ve¡­¡± The face of Antoine¡¯s mother had been getting whiter as the young man had finished his sentence. ¡°Ah, you see, not my fault.¡± Said Kailun, shrugging her shoulders and spreading her hands. ¡°No, it¡¯s the ideas of this¡­this scammer that got into his head! I refuse to let him fight, it is too dangerous, he could die!¡± Antoine¡¯s mother almost cried out. ¡°True, Nadine has a point, I cannot allow Antoine to put himself in danger.¡± Said Milo, annoyed but feeling obliged to support this opinion. ¡°Well, of course he¡¯s going to die, what¡¯s the problem?¡± asked the golden-haired woman. Only ¨¦let was not shocked by her sentence. The others looked at Kailun with empty eyes, trying to process the information. ¡°See, she doesn¡¯t care if you live or die!¡± Screamed Antoine¡¯s mother. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s not what I said. I would hate to see him die!¡± Replied the interested person just as strongly. Seeing Kailun and Antoine¡¯s mother ready to gut one another, ¨¦let struck the ground powerfully with Malice, who she had just invoked. The weapon¡¯s aura permeated the room, reducing everyone to silence. ¡°I think this is a classic case of mutual misunderstanding, let me explain.¡± ¡°E-explain? But there¡¯s nothing to explain, she publicly declared that my little lamb was going to die!¡± Nadine replied, almost as frightened as she was outraged. ¡°The tone, Nadine, the tone¡­¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± After the interruption, the young woman continued. ¡°In fact, you lack a piece of crucial information for you to understand each other.¡± ¡°Ah? Which one?¡± Asked Nadine with the most respectful voice she could muster. ¡°Well, since he made a pact, Antoine can no longer¡­ he can no longer die.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Milo. ¡°It¡¯s the same with Dz¨©ve and me. If at some point Antoine died, Kailun could raise him by sacrificing part of her strength, and he would return without sequel or anything.¡± Antoine¡¯s mother took some time to absorb the information. However¡­ "Impossible, I don¡¯t believe you!" She then turned to the head of the guards. "Milo, do something! She must be in cahoots with this woman!" Okay, I¡¯m getting sick of it. " You know what, I¡¯m here because Greypa asked me to bring back Antoine and the new girl, so you have two options. Either you come with us to the old man¡¯s, and he¡¯ll explain everything to you, or you stay here, but I¡¯m tired of your overprotective paranoia, Understood?" As she spoke, she raised her voice to the point of practically yelling at Nadine, the unhealthy aura of her weapon thickening with her voice. ¡°U-understood." Antoine¡¯s mother was now feeling very small. "I¡¯ll come with you then¡­" "All right! Done? Let¡¯s go!" It¡¯s that I have my little sister waiting for me, I don¡¯t want to waste any more of my time... *** Nadine remained silent while they went to Greypa, lest she upset ¨¦let even more, but it was for Antoine that the journey was the most painful. Caught between his mother and his summoner, he was fired on one side and then on the other without daring to say words, stakes of a silent battle between the two women. They finally arrived in front of the healer¡¯s house, entering silently after knocking on the door. "Ah, I mean, what took yeh so long?" ¡°Ding, quest successful. Please proceed with next step.¡± "Nadine took us so long¡­" ¨¦let replied with an annoyed voice while ignoring the system. Before Greypa could continue to speak, a form launched a surprise attack on ¨¦let, almost pinning the young woman against a wall. "¨¦let!" She threw herself on her Onee-chan to give her a hug, burying her head in her big sister¡¯s chest. "Easy, easy, I¡¯m glad to see you too, but don¡¯t crush me like that!" Well, I say that but it¡¯s not as painful as it was before. It¡¯s because my constitution stat as augmented through my class and Charac-points? She took the little one in her arms to return the feeling while burying, in turn, her head in Dz¨©ve¡¯s hair. Her hair smells so good¡­ The others were watching this scene, half-embarrassed and half-softened, not knowing where to put themselves. Greypa was the only one to stay totally indifferent. "Well, girls, how long do you think you¡¯ll be standing there? We don¡¯t just have the time to do that." "Wicked!" You are truly heartless!" They had both reacted at the same time, outraged by the old man¡¯s uncompromising attitude. Chapter 14 - The first step to become relevant Chapter 14 ¨¦let Everyone was now sitting at a large table in the living room. "What she told you is true, Antoine and Dz¨©ve are immortals." Nadine and Milo were even more shocked than the first time, with the information coming directly from Greypa, the oldest and most respected person in the village. "B-but how?" "This is part of their contract. The divine shares his or her immortality with the summoner for the duration of the contract." He waited a little while for her to speak, but Antoine¡¯s mother remained silent for a long time. She began to speak just as he was on the verge to starting again. "But¡­ but I still don¡¯t want Antoine to fight¡­" she said in a timid and imploring tone. ¡°I can totally understand, Nadine, but that choice is no longer in your hands since Antoine became a summoner. Now, if you would like to go home, it would make me happy. We need to discuss something serious, and I can¡¯t allow you to stay.¡± ¡°But¡­ Okay.¡± She got up and, before leaving, turned to her son. ¡°Antoine, I would like you to come home, but if you still decide to continue this¡­ this madness, be careful if you will. My little mother¡¯s heart would not stand it if something happened to you.¡± She then left, leaving behind a heavy silence. The young boy had his head down, ashamed to make his mother worry so much. Still as stoic, Greypa spoke again. ¡°Well, we¡¯re finally going to get started.¡± He displayed a map of the village and its surroundings on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to start with a brief overview for Kailun and then I¡¯m going to tell you about the current situation and what we can do about the various problems. Is that okay?¡± They all nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°Good.¡± He then summarized the events of the previous day. When he had finished. ¡°Now, the problem is that we still do not know why the dead rose. Besides, there¡¯s still a lot of them left wandering in the woods. They are much less powerful, but until they are eliminated, no villagers can leave the rampart. No more game, no more mushrooms, that sort of thing.¡± He took a serious look. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem yet, but it could become one starting in the winter, so we need to deal with it as quickly as possible. Luckily, I know where they are coming from.¡± On the map, he pointed to an area in the middle of the forest, not really that far from the village. ¡°In this place there is a death pit, a sort of corpse vein that periodically spits out undead, and it will continue until it has been purified. Worse, it will grow more and more. Think of it as a magical tumour that affects the earth... I can¡¯t even imagine what would happen if that corpse pit were to reach the village.¡± He looked up to his audience again. ¡°There are two main ways to solve the problem. First, ask a priest to go to the centre of the well and purge the amassed resentment, grudges and malice. The second way is to burn everything.¡± How does he know all this? Thought ¨¦let. ¡°The first option has the advantage of being simple to execute and not requiring too much preparation, labour and resources. However, that would put the priest in danger, the problem being that the only priest available here is Nana and that she is not immortal like you. The second option requires a certain preparation from an alchemical and material point of view, and will surely take more time.¡± ¡°Which one do we choose?¡± asked Kailun, not even thinking that they shouldn¡¯t get involved. After all, you¡¯re in an rpg to complete quests, right? ¡°So far, neither. Even if this problem worsens the more it¡¯s let alone, yeh¡¯ll first have to take a few levels and acquire more powerful classes, or even a class at all for some of yeh, if yeh want this to be something else than just suicide.¡± He turned his gaze to ¨¦let before adding: ¡°Well, at least three of yeh.¡± He then smiled slightly. ¡°The first step is to introduce yourself and announce what yeh would like to have as a class and the role yeh would like to play in your group. Who starts?¡± Kailun spoke, seeing that no one was taking the lead. ¡°For me, it will be a magician.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good enough to assess the flow of combat and do remote support where it¡¯s needed.¡± Greypa nodded, convinced by these arguments. ¡°And for me, it will be battle on the front line.¡± Said ¨¦let. ¡°I can imagine. Yeh already have a fighting class, right?¡± ¡°More or less, yes.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s just a matter of knowing what yeh want to do, both of you.¡± Said the old man to the two young. Antoine and Dz¨©ve took a thoughtful look, before the boy spoke. ¡°I confess I never really thought about it¡­¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t either¡­¡± Added the young girl. ¡°It¡¯s just as I imagined it¡­ Do yeh remember how to acquire a class?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Good. And yeh remember that you can change classes if you don¡¯t like the one you have?¡± Heads nodding. ¡°So it¡¯s simple, think a little bit and talk to each other about how yeh want to fight, in broad strokes. Then I will tell yeh what choices we have that go with what yeh have asked for, we agree?¡± ¡°¡±Yes¡±¡± they said together. *** The discussion took a long time and Greypa took advantage of it to rest. At the end of the discussion, Antoine knocked at his door to warn him, and the old man went down to hear the fruits of their reflection. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight on the front line.¡± Said the boy. ¡°I would rather support ¨¦let and Dz¨©ve, protect them from a distance.¡± ¡°Am I to conclude that yeh would like to do close combat, young lady?'' asked the old man. ¡°Yes, I want to fight alongside my Onee-chan.¡± She said with determination. The old healer began to caress his beard, thoughtful. ¡°Then I could offer yeh a fighting class. Milo can better inform yeh about the particular style yeh would like to use.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± She said, nodding her head.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And yeh, young man, I think yeh could go and see Nana, she will surely offer yeh something in line with your request. Priests are hella strong to support people from a distance, and besides we¡¯d have to ask Nana to put herself in danger no more, yeh could purify the pit yourself... But be warned, this is the kind of class that¡¯s hard to get, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Well, now that yeh¡¯ve chosen what yeh want to do, go ask the people concerned to become your instructor.¡± And so they all stood up together and went out the front door, saying goodbye to the old man. Greypa I don¡¯t seem to have lost my touch... well, time to fix the other problem. ¡°Get out of there, yeh two.¡± He said out loud, but nothing happened. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t discovered yeh, you little pests, show yourself or I¡¯m really going to get mad!¡± He said in a louder voice. Morgane and Liliana then came out of hiding quite sheepishly. ¡°What are yeh two doing here?¡± ¡°We just wanted to know what was going on, that¡¯s all!¡± Said Morgane. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all?¡± ¡°We had planned to retrieve information so that we could follow it¡­¡± ¡°... We just want to participate. At this pace Antoine and Dz¨©ve are going to let us behind!¡± Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. ¡°Yeh will die if yeh do this. Yeh¡¯re not strong enough to accompany them, yeh would just be dead weights, only good enough at putting obstacles in their way.¡± Taking the cold shower of reality, the two little ones seemed desperate. But... they will not give up, it is not in their nature... And then... damn it! I wasn¡¯t planning on doing this right now, but seeing the look on their face... ¡°I may have a solution, but it won¡¯t necessarily work and it will be hard, but if yeh¡¯re still up for it, I can offer it to yeh.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Both responded affirmatively, each in their own way. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t blame me if it¡¯s too difficult, huh? We¡¯ll start with¡­¡± ¨¦let The small group had gone separated way in the middle of the village, the first going to Milo¡¯s and the second to Nana¡¯s. ¡°Milady, do you still need something?¡± respectfully asked Catherine to ¨¦let when she presented herself again before her. ¡°We need to see your father.¡± Replied Dz¨©ve in place of her older sister, who felt embarrassed by the attitude of Milo¡¯s daughter. ¡°If he¡¯s not with you anymore and you haven¡¯t seen him at the front door he must be at the barracks, training with the rest of the guards who are not on duty.¡± ¡°Thank you, take care.¡± Said the girl before guiding her Onee-chan to the barracks. It was the first time the young woman had passed through this part of the village. They took a path along the lake, on which one could see boats of fishermen. After five or ten minutes, the two girls finally arrived at the ¡®barracks¡¯. Well, he¡¯s more of a fort than a barracks. She thought, doubtful. The building in question was perhaps twenty or twenty-five metres wide, with a stone wall six metres high and a moat three metres wide and nearly as deep. The gate was facing the river bordering the village, so they had to walk a little more to get there, following along the fort¡¯s rampart. Rectangular towers were integrated into the rampart at regular intervals, overhanging them by a good ten meters, and circular towers could also be seen, of the same size but erected inside the perimeter wall. ¡°Did you build this fort?¡± asked her Onee-chan. ¡°Hahaha, no, not at all! From what Greypa told me, it dates from before the construction of the village. It was even one of the reasons why the first people moved in, if I understood correctly.¡± She paused before continuing. ¡°I imagine they used it to protect themselves, but ever since we have the rampart around the village, it has become a storage place for our grain and smoked fish, among other things, and it is also used by the guards to store their equipment and train. They also keep the fort in good shape, in case we need it one day.¡± Oh? Did I stumble upon the legendary Chekhov¡¯s fortress? Thought the young woman with humour. When they were speaking they had arrived at the entrance of the fort. A massive drawbridge was lowered, no guard visible. ¡°s there no one to guard the door?¡± Asked ¨¦let. ¡°No, no need.¡± The girl shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Anyway, to get to the reserves you have to go through places where the guards are usually, so they check as the people pass by.¡± They passed through the first and second gate to be greeted by a second rampart and a third gate and then a fourth. Whoever built this place wasn¡¯t kidding about security. A small keep stood in the centre of the fortress, surrounded by six circular towers. Arriving in the main courtyard, they noticed that a small crowd had gathered around an open space. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked ¨¦let. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a show.¡± Said the girl, pulling her big sister¡¯s arm. They had no trouble finding a good place to observe the fight, as the small crowd had left a lot of space for the two fighters. At the centre of the circle was Milo, a training lance in his hands. He was facing a man with brown hair, a few years his junior, equipped with a training sword and a shield. ¡°Who is the other?¡± ¡°This is Jack, the best fighter in the village. He is level twenty-nine with a master-level swordsman class.¡± ¡°What about Milo?¡± ¡°He is level thirty-six with an adept-level guard class and a novice-level captain class .¡± ¡°And Jack is still the best fighter, while Milo is higher level?¡± ¡°Yes, because swordsman is a much better fighting class than guard. In addition, Milo must also devote time to management, stewardship and military manoeuvres, since he is a captain, so he has less time to train.¡± Ah, it seems that the classic ¡®The Chief is the Most Powerful¡¯ is not the standard in this game¡­ which is quite logical since it wants to be at least somewhat realistic. After all, a good fighter does not necessarily make a good leader and vice versa. ¡°Well, he¡¯s still the second-best fighter, eh.¡± Added the girl, seeming to read her sister¡¯s thoughts. Milo and Jack had finished warming up and seemed ready to start the fight. The swordsman drew his weapon and the guard held his spear firmly, the two warriors face to face. The crowd became silent, as if to let each of the opponents focus. For a brief moment, everything seemed calm, without a sound. Jack suddenly rushed on Milo, shield forward. The captain made a leap, passing over the swordsman while giving a blow of his spear, his weapon shining with a green glow. Jack took the airstrike by turning around to face Milo with his shield while braking his momentum, his feet leaving two long tracks in the ground. The captain landed loosely and both returned to their original positions. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s intense quite the intense fight.¡± Said ¨¦let, Dz¨©ve nodding back. ¡°Can you keep up with them?¡± One of the guards asked with surprise. ¡®¡®Yes.¡¯¡¯ They answered together. The guard stared at them for a second before shrugging and continuing to enjoy the show. Jack put Milo on the defensive, thanks to the energy blades he kept launching from his sword to the spearman, thus compensating his disadvantage of range against the captain¡¯s weapon. The fight continued for an indefinite time, until Milo made a mistake due to fatigue. Taking advantage of the opening, Jack manages to place a direct blow to the left arm of his captain, forcing him to let go of his spear. In an instant, his blade was on his opponent¡¯s neck. The crowd applauded the performance while Milo smiled at his opponent. They exchanged a few words, inaudible because of the ambient noise, before moving together towards the two girls. ¡°Aaah, welcome back to you two. So, that went well after all?¡± ¡°Well, Greypa was able to...reassure Nadine, if I may say so.¡± ¡°Great. She¡¯s not mean, but she¡¯s really overprotective of her family.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve noticed, yes.¡± added Dz¨©ve. ¡°¨¦let, this is Jack, he¡¯s our best fighter.¡± ¡°Delighted.¡± He said, shaking her hand. ¡°So what brings you here?¡± Asked Milo. ¡°We¡¯re here so the little one can acquire a class.¡± Answered the young woman. ¡°Ah? Already? We usually wait until they are fifteen before we start working with them on acquiring their first class.¡± ¡°I know, but I really need it, and Greypa agrees.¡± Dz¨©ve said. He raised his eyebrows while answering. ¡°Well, if Greypa agrees, it should be good. What kind of class do you want?¡± ¡°Something that would allow me to fight in tandem with ¨¦let.¡± ¡°And how does she fight?¡± he asked, turning to the woman concerned. ¡°Uh¡­ You know, I only fought once and my memories of that moment are a bit confusing, so¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He replied, doubtful. ¡°We should start by knowing how you fight and, believe my old experience, there are not thirty-six ways to do it. You¡¯ll have to fight someone.¡± She was taken by surprise by Milo¡¯s announcement. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes, otherwise Dzive might choose something that doesn¡¯t suit your style. So I know that you can always give up a class to take a new one, but it¡¯s a waste of time, it¡¯s way better to do the right thing as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay. Who am I fighting? You?¡± ¡°Why not me? I¡¯d like to see what you¡¯re capable of. The other guards don¡¯t stop talking how imposing you were fighting the undead, I¡¯m starting to become curious.¡± Jack suddenly said with a friendly smile. Milo took a look at ¨¦let. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Special Episode! - 10 - Arashi Akihiro (part 1) Special Episode! - 10 - Arashi Akihiro (part 1) The little fan ¡°Heeello Lady and Gentleman! Today in Special Episode, we¡¯ll be discussing quite the hot topic! As Binding Fate become more and more popular, so does the top players, and we¡¯ve received a lot of request from you all to do thorough search and explanations on those top player. But enough chit-chat, let¡¯s take a look at the person we¡¯ll discuss today. And mind you, those footages we are using are published for the very first time! Enjoy yourself!¡± ¡°Mom? Mooooom! What are you doing? It has begun!¡± Asked a boy from the couch. ¡°I¡¯m here I¡¯m here, I just finished making popcorn!¡± Answered the mom, rushing in the living room. ¡°So, who are they talking about today?¡± She asked, sitting on the couch next to her 10-years-old son. ¡°They didn¡¯t say, we need to guess¡­ it has started!¡± Exclaimed the little one joyfully. The Holo-projection had turned black and soft music was playing. Eyes riveted on the picture, the little boy wasn¡¯t making a noise. Suddenly, a tiny spark appeared in the centre of the darkness, pulsating like a heart. Each pulsation made it bigger as the soundtrack was growing in rhythm. The purple spark became a light, solidifying into a stone as bright as the day¡¯s orb. All around it, on a metallic frame, its energy started flowing in strange symmetrical shapes and the faint sound of battle started echoing all around. Among the noise, voices started to stand out, strange combat chatter just like in those war movies. Light of explosions and roars of beasts became more prominent. ¡°S-9 Section compromised! S-9 section comp-AARGH!¡± The camera seemingly zoomed out and the son-and-mom duo could finally see the entirety of what they were looking at. The bright stone was embedded in a flying metallic armour, long shiny wings extending left and right from it. ¡°It¡¯s Araki!¡± Exclaimed the little one once more, his eyes glimmering with pure wonder. The flying armour took a sharp turn and started rising in the sky, stopping over the S-9 Section of the wall. Wave after waves of abject creatures were ramming into the steel rampart, burned, electrocuted and dissolved by the numerous traps seemingly sowed everywhere. On the rampart itself, numerous soldiers could be seen, unleashing devastating spells or using the weapons laid here and there to bring death to the grotesque tide. ¡°It¡¯s a Tarasque.¡± Said a parchment-like voice deeply. ¡°You don¡¯t have the equipment to take it down, keep it distracted, I¡¯m launching the mountain-slayer to your position.¡± He added. ¡°Understood.¡± Answered the person in the armour in a metallic voice. The monster was nearly fifteen meters high, with barbed bit everywhere and gigantic steel tusk that were for now deeply penetrating the rampart, creating a still enlarging breach. ¡°Do move fast, please, I won¡¯t be able to keep fighting it with the wave-lightning.¡± It said before diving straight toward the monster¡¯s head, a long lightning-covered spear in its large hands. Sensing something amiss, the Tarask tried to pull its tusk off but the lightning-bolt-like armour crashed on its head way to quickly. Thunder echoed on the steel wall and lightning arcs flew everywhere as the spear dug in the monster¡¯s chitinous armour ¡°Tchh, not even a meter deep. How do you want me to fight a giant with stuff made to kill waves of tiny creatures!¡± It complained, pulling back its spear and flapping its wing powerfully to rise in the sky once more.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Stop bitching and keep fighting, ten seconds before delivery!¡± Said the man, probably dealing with another threat. ¡°Copy!¡± It turned its gaze back on the giant monster. ¡°Twelve Thunder!¡± Its metal wings suddenly split into twelve long metallic feathers, creating a formation around the Tarask. Without the support of its wing, the armour started falling but it violently thrust its spear toward the first feather. Just like that, the whole area was bathed in a blue unruly light, as the armour had morphed into lightning itself. In less than two seconds, the armour-become-lightning jumped several times between the twelve metallic feathers, letting long burn wounds on the monster¡¯s organic armour. Enraged, the Tarask flailed everywhere as numerous opening all over it started gushing a seemingly caustic fluid. The metal armour was knocked back on the sky, toward the rampart, covered by the green corrosive substance. ¡°Discharge!¡± Screamed the one in the armour.¡±Clac-clac-clac¡­!¡± Numerous banging sound echoed all around as the whole armour was falling into pieces, dismantled by power rivets. In the metallic rain, a female body could be seen, covered by a black tight suit. She started falling with the former pieces of her armour scattered all around in the air, the only thing left from it a harness made of some kind of black metal. ¡°Two seconds!¡± She looked at the Tarask, the monstrosity¡¯s gaze fixed on her. ¡°Oh no!¡± Exclaimed the child in front of this scene. He hadn¡¯t touched the popcorn his mother had made, nor, in fact, had the mother herself, the two of them too focused on the action. The Tarask opened new holes on the top of its head and, powerfully, spat a long pillar of corrosive liquid. ¡°One second!¡± Araki twisted her hands and the falling pieces of armour suddenly jumped in front of her, creating a shield that deflected the attack, but only for a second¡­ ¡°PANG!¡± echoed once more, creating a shockwave around her. The green pillar pierced the shield but, as soon as it did it, it froze in place, starting to crumble under its own weight quickly. A chilly aura started eating the space everywhere but on the rampart, tinier creature freezing in less than five seconds. And, over the battlefield, a new armour was hanging in the air. Nearly twice as big as the previous one, its four wings were constantly emitting an unnatural cold. The blue stone embedded in the chestplate was shining like the sun, working full time to sustain the whole magical suit with its chilly heartbeat. ¡°Finally!¡± Araki exclaimed, arming her left arm pile-bunker. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think corrosion was a sound choice to fight this thing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was corrosive too before you started attacking it, and I had already launched the slayer at that time! I¡¯ll prep another element once you¡¯ve fought it a bit more, I need more time to calculate countermeasure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to take it down in the meantime then, but let¡¯s not overdo it. Level 155 isn¡¯t something I can just shrug.¡± ¡°I know.¡± On her back, in the middle of the wings¡¯ attach system, another stone was shining in a toxic-green light. Araki started dogging the Tarask¡¯s ranged attack, her control over her wings quite exquisite. ¡°Let¡¯s slow it down at least.¡± She dove from the right with a sharp turn, her body taking some G¡¯s as the inertial dampener wasn¡¯t made to deal with such manoeuvre, not with a slayer-class armour. She crashed on the side of the monster, too quick for it to do anything more than moving one or two meters away, and the tip of the pile-bunker pierced its chitinous armour. Feeling the flesh under her weapon, Araki mercilessly pulled the trigger. ¡°BANG!¡± She was knocked back, destroying the now ice-covered monsters her wings had frozen during her dive, the ice load penetrating deeply into the Tarask¡¯s body. The monster screamed its pain as frost was starting to conquer its inner organs, bypassing all its protection. It tried to counter-attack but Araki dodged it easily, as the monster was already heavily slowed down by the pike in its side. ¡°It seems that ice was a good choice, it may be vulnerable to it.¡± ¡°Indeed! I¡¯ve finished superficial analysis, launching another package to switch your armour.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She took to the skies once more, taking support on the ground to jump. She could finally see how much damages her armour¡¯s ice was doing. ¡°Brother, I think that the ice¡¯s weakness of the Tarask isn¡¯t limited at it, the tinier ones are also heavily impacted.¡± ¡°Frost, of course. I have lightning, fire and acid but of course they¡¯re weak to ice. Note to self: ask Ilayne to add ice traps to the walls'' defences.¡± Araki couldn¡¯t help herself, she smiled hearing the scientist complaining. ¡°However, even knowing that¡­¡± She dodged another of the Tarask¡¯s ranged attack. ¡°...I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to hold them, I don¡¯t see an end to this swarm.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t seal the city.¡± ¡°Yes we will, once I¡¯ve killed this Tarask.¡± She answered with a domineering voice. ¡°...Yes Sister, as you say.¡± With another smile, she dove once more on the Tarask while firing tens of tiny frozen projectiles all around her, trying to help the soldiers on the wall. Special Episode! - 10 - Arashi Akihiro (part 2) Special Episode! - 10 - Arashi Akihiro (part 2) Araki ¡°ETA?¡± ¡°Still assembling. Eighty-four seconds¡± ¡°Copy.¡± As she waited for her new armour to come in, she kept harassing the monstrosity. ¡°It may be big and level one-hundred and fifty but, in the end, it¡¯s not that scary. It only as its defence and hp pool to shine but its attack power is only average seeing its size and level.¡± She stabbed it once more with her pile-bunker, slowing it even more. The Tarask suddenly stopped focusing on her and turned its head once more toward the rampart. ¡°Darn it, it¡¯s trying to pierce the damaged part once more. You see? That¡¯s what you get not focusing on the city and always staying in your laboratory! Why didn¡¯t you fix this place again?¡± ¡°Focus on the fight, you vip-FUCK! A Princess is approaching your position with her Knight.¡± ¡°I need to kill the Tarask to close the barrier, my ice isn¡¯t enough! ETA?¡± ¡°Fourteen seconds.¡± ¡°Start charging the other pillars, we¡¯ll overdrive the last one. If a Princess is showing, a Queen could be really near!¡± ¡°Copy!¡± She looked at the monster tearing down the metallic rampart¡­ And the screen faded to black. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Asked the young boy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know sweety.¡± Answered his mother. However, their question was quickly answered by the host. ¡°Lady and Gentleman, I can feel your disappointment from the studio but, as you know, In-game records can be tricky to come by and this was everything our cameraman could shoot before he was killed. However, I can say that Araki succeeded in her goal to kill the Tarask in time to close their Bastion. Now, a lot of you have figured out that this was indeed our beloved Japanese pro player superstar, and her avatar, Arashi Akihiro, nicknamed Deathsteel by Argosphael.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Indeed Michele.¡± Said the female host, taking the lead over her male coworker. ¡°This genius player started playing during the BD Second Wave along other well-known figures of the Ten Ultima like Sorell and Leon Richter. Since she started in the now open Bastion of the City of Steel, very little is known about her debut but, as anyone knowing what a bastion is could say, she received an insane amount of resources by clearing it, resources that are directly noticeable in her fighting style. Paired with the Summoner known as Meyers, nicknamed the mad scientist, she opened her Bastion to the world one year after her first connexion, bringing awe and wealth to the whole Borchen Kingdom. Like any other Ruler, Araki engage a lot in politic, but her most well-known achievement is the one that gave her another of her nickname, The Bugs Dam, as her city is the main base of operation against the bug swarm the made their home in the Pestilent lake not a hundred kilometres away from the Steel City.¡± ¡°This swarm¡­¡± The male host had taken the lead back. ¡°...Is also one of the main reasons she is so powerful. Bu constantly fighting an ever-adapting enemy, she harvested a lot of benefices. This, coupled with the seemingly infinite ores her city produce, created the playstyle she is using now: The Reassembling Armour. We didn¡¯t know a lot about it until she took the world by surprise and choose to take part in last year World Fate Tournament, where she demonstrated her overwhelming power in the Link Event and became the dark horse that won the third place by defeating Alika. Some even claim that she could have taken second place, if not for fighting Argosphael during the fourth round.¡± ¡°But it was there that she showed her shocking talent since very few Ultimas and Miracles took part in the Link event of the Fourth World Tournament. Her summoner, Meyer, demonstrated are truly marvellous ability to adapt to every situation with a nearly infinite amount of trinkets and gadget, each one of them able to counter and stall his enemies. By doing so, he was able to support Araki so to make her use her full potential.¡± ¡°Her true potential, the Reassembling Armour.¡± Added the male host, Michele. Images started playing in the air at his side in the studio set, depicting the fight between Argosphael and Araki. ¡°The principle behind The Reassembling Armour is very simple: Being able to change one''s gear extremely quickly during a fight to adapt and counter the enemy¡¯s moves in real-time. This is a common technique used by high lvel players. As everyone knows, due to game restriction, this can only be made with two or three sets of items, based on the mass and clutter of said items and the holding capacity of your spacial inventory. However, what araki does is much more than that. With his vehicle, the Mobile Workshop, a Legendary-grade piece of equipment, Meyer analyse, optimise and assemble the best armour possible for the current fight, delivering them to Araki as she use the pieces of the old armour to protect herself during the switch. It is hypothesized that nearly all of Araki¡¯s classes are optimized around wilding and using armour, seeing how she can manipulate and change pieces on the fly.¡± ¡°Of course, the limitation of said technique is the price, that¡¯s why, in Binding Fate itself, Meyer and Araki only use cheap components, easily discarded and replaced, like during the fight against the Tarask. However, this doesn¡¯t apply during World Tournament, as resources used during the events are given back at the end of said event, or between rounds if needed. This way, Meyer and Araki showed us of their trump cards, in particular during the fight against Alika and Vincent, where the Duo used what we know as Calypsean Lost Tech, weapons that are banned by the Wizard Tower in Binding Fate. That really makes one see how the Ultima ranking doesn''t forcibly imply fighting strength!¡± Just like that, the mother and son watched the show till its end, very focused on the hosts analyzing of Araki¡¯s and Meyer¡¯s power, beaming with smiles during fight scene or in-game interview¡­ Chapter 15 - In search of a good class Chapter 15 ¨¦let Dz¨©ve¡¯s eyes sparkled as she watched Jack and ¨¦let face each other. ¡°You have your own weapon or shall I give you a training blade?¡± asked the swordsman. ¡°I already have a weapon, but I have to check something. Can you give me a minute?¡± ¡°Go ahead, it¡¯s a slow day.¡± He answered, easy-going. It¡¯s time to check my halberd¡¯s stats¡­ She quickly opened her inventory and found directly what she was looking for. System, ca you show me the statistics on my weapon, please? A window opened, giving her the requested information, for which the young woman had a pronounced reaction. ...Dafuck? Malice: Halberd-type linked weapon. Type: ? Cursed+ ? slashing, piercing or bludgeoning in accordance with the head used. You can choose to deal lethal or non-lethal damage. Malevolent voices: Each entity killed with Malice see its mind and soul sealed in the halberd, giving it at least a malevolence charge to the weapon. The power of Malice and each of its abilities grow in accordance with the number of malevolence charges. The user can burn a chosen number of charges to enhance Malice for a limited time. Those charges can¡¯t be recovered in any way. Charges stored: 204 Implosion: The user waves its weapon, unleashing a wide-zone pull CC and damaging nearby foes. Apply the Pain debuff to the targets. Stamina cost based on the number of targets. Explosion: The user strikes an area, unleashing a wide-zone knockback CC and damaging nearby foes. Apply the Pain debuff to the targets. Stamina cost based on the number of targets. Spiteful Cloud: Condition: standing still. Effet: Passive effect buffed, and the user can now move the cloud zone at will in a set radius around the user. Stamina cost based on the power of the ability. Sealed Sealed Sealed I knew that linked items were powerful, but not so much! No wonder no one disclosed the stats of their linked items to the world, they¡¯re so advantageous to have! But¡­ isn¡¯t this weapon like, something fitting an evil protagonist? I mean, every last one of those abilities has an evil name! ...Bah, Don''t look a gift horse in the mouth they say, right? After all, tools aren¡¯t evil, people are. While I¡¯m at it, can you show me my stats, system? Body: 13 Mind: 13 Soul: 13 Why the fuck are those at 13? System, where do the extra points come from? ¡°The extra points come from a side effect of your All-consuming Gaol.¡± What do you mean? ¡°Alert, ability overloaded, unable to further verify details.¡± Tch¡­ Well, too bad. Well, I¡¯ve a good weapon, and I can choose to not inflict severe damage with it, that¡¯s already a thing... But maybe I should ask one or two questions before I start fighting. ¡°Okay, I have a weapon I can use for training.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± Jack asked. ¡°A halberd.¡± ¡°Hard to use but very interesting. Come on, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Wait, could you answer a question first?¡± ¡°Go ahead, shoot.¡± ¡°How many Health Points do you have?¡± ¡°Ah, I have twenty-four in my body stats and with my class modifier, that gives me nine hundred and sixty Hp.'' At least he won¡¯t collapse at first? I already have so much Hp... ¡°I warn you, it could be very messy, it¡¯s the first time I use my abilities.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here for this. Go get your weapon.¡± The crowd that had attended the previous fight was now watching the swordsman and the young woman facing each other. How did I get my halberd out of my inventory earlier? She asked herself. The answer came directly to her because, in response to her thought, an unhealthy red cloud oozed from her fingers to materialize her weapon in her hand. The silence had once again engulfed the surroundings, for a different reason this time. The guards were looking at the halberd with surprised eyes, and Jack¡¯s face was a little pale. Only Dz¨©ve remained calm, even smiling at how cool her Onee-chan was. Now that I can get a better look at it, it¡¯s true that my weapon is impressive. A slight mist was now slowly circling around ¨¦let as one could hear whispers emanating from the halberd. ¡°Are you sure you can use this weapon for training?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can make it do non-lethal damage.¡± ¡°You reassure me.¡± He regained his fighting spirit by putting himself back on guard. ¡°Whenever you want.¡± He added. ¡°Okay.¡± Taking her weapon with two hands, she lowered it to point it at her opponent. It¡¯s really light...is it because of my strength or is it intrinsic to linked items? No, if it were my strength, I would still have been unbalanced by the movement I just made, the laws of Newton and all that¡­ Okay, move on...let¡¯s start with...Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She brandishes her halberd towards the sky, as described in the ability description. Implosion! A powerful suction force then spread outward within a two-meter radius, clearly missing the swordsman. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked, seeing the aura of an ability without feeling the effects. ¡°I am doing tests.¡± So for now, the area is not that big...I guess I¡¯ll have to kill a lot of monsters to add charges of Malevolent voices if I want to increase its power¡­ ¡°Careful, here I come!¡± She exclaimed after a few seconds of reflection. Explosion! She lowered her weapon at lightning speed, using the hammerhead to try and hit Jack. The latter answered by raising his shield, from which emanated a beautiful golden colour that formed a protective extension covering him entirely. He¡¯s pretty slow though, isn¡¯t he? In a blink of eye, her halberd crashed against the luminous rampart. The shockwave that followed the collision sent ¨¦let flying several meters away, the young woman managed to receive herself properly in extremis. A heavy cloud of dust clogged the vision, but it fell away early enough, revealing an interesting scene¡­ ¡°Kof-kof¡­¡± ¡±What happened?¡± ¡°Everyone is okay?¡± Almost all the guards were on the ground, getting up and looking left and right, checking that no one was injured. To everyone¡¯s astonishment, the worst that happened was a loss of consciousness here and there. Even more bizarre, Dz¨©ve was still standing, absolutely unaffected by the shockwave. Ah, no, her hair is a bit unkept from the wind. What a joke, is it because she is considered an ally by the system, that¡¯s why she is not affected? I thought I read something like this in the description of Explosion¡­ Jack was now on the ground next to the wall, a long and wide track extending between him and his opponent as if a giant ball had been rubbed on the dirt. His shield lay not far from him, a large hole pierced it through and through, of the same shape as the hammerhead of the young woman¡¯s halberd, the steel shredded like paper. Oh shit, I hope he¡¯s okay! She thought as she ran towards him. Arriving at his side, she took his pulse. Everything is fine, he seems to be alive and breathing properly... In fact, it looks like he just passed out¡­ ¡°Is he okay?¡± asked Milo, going toward them. ¡°Yeah, looks like it. But I can¡¯t really tell you if I broke anything...¡± ¡°I already knew you were powerful, but it still surprised me.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too. I didn¡¯t expect to bring him down in one shot, especially after my first attempt failed.¡± ¡°Was that a normal strike?¡± ¡°No, an ability.¡± He whistled to show his admiration before continuing. ¡°Pretty powerful, right?¡± ¡°Certainly¡­¡± ¡°On the other hand, for the level of understanding of your style, apart from saying that you hit very hard, it didn¡¯t help us much.¡± He said, sighing. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She bowed her head, blushing, a little shameful. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve fought consciously, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s normal for this kind of thing to happen. It¡¯s just that usually rookies are less powerful¡­¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She said for the second time, lowering her head even more. ¡°No big deal, no big deal. Lionel! Danny! Take Jack to the break room, let him recover a little..¡± ¡°¡±Yes Captain!¡±¡± They gently lifted the fallen man together, lest he has something broken, and took him with caution to the nearest circular tower. ¡°Well, I will fight you, but I tried not to get me down, if you will. I remind you that the goal is not to win, but to see how you fight, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t lower her head any more, but if she could, she would have. They put themselves on guard and fought like that for several minutes, the young lady refraining from carrying too powerful blows. The session ended¡­ First Observation: time slow down around me when I¡¯m in combat¡­ She realized that after a few tens of seconds. The world seemed to be going in slow motion, her own movements having a normal speed from her point of view. Milo was dripping with sweat just to avoid the young woman¡¯s blows, her supernatural rapidity putting him to a hard test. ¡°I don¡¯t know, pfff... how you do, pfff... to handle a halberd this way, but it¡¯s pretty effective, pfff¡­¡± He was trying to recover his breath. When he had recovered, he began to speak again while walking towards the girl. ¡°That said, you are full of opening. You may be fast, but your movements are wide and not very coordinated. Right now it¡¯s not a problem because of your speed, but eventually you¡¯ll become a walking target. Now I know what the little one needs to complete you.¡± He ended up with a smile. They had reached the place were Dz¨©ve had watched them fight all along. ¡°So you liked your Onee-chan¡¯s show kicking Milo¡¯s ass?¡± ¡°Yes, it was great!¡± ¡°Ding¡­ +2 to the Link Harmony.¡± She ignored the system announcement for the moment, focusing on the discussion. ¡°Humf, don¡¯t brag too much either, you¡¯re going to have to train seriously if you want to go down this path.¡± Whoa, looks like I hurt his feelings. ¡°It was a joke, it was a joke!¡± ¡°I hope so. Well, let¡¯s get back to business.¡± ¡°You know which class I should try to acquire?¡± Asked Dz¨©ve. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a class called -Guardian-, which focuses on the use of the shield, disarming and managing enemies on the front line. With this, you will be able to cover ¨¦let¡¯s blind spots while she goes wild. Is that okay?¡± The little girl seemed to think for a minute, before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll have faith in your judgment and try it for a while.¡± ¡°All right, so here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. For you to become a Guardian, we¡¯re going to have to¡­¡± Kailun They had quickly arrived at Nana¡¯s lair, the roman-catholic-style church. Upon entering through the main gate, Kailun was surprised. Indeed, the interior was different from what she expected. The large room was circular, with ten arcades, eight of which were overhung by statues. The dim light seemed to come from the small pool in the centre of the room. Everything was calm, no one was visible. However, they had hardly advanced that a woman appeared from the opposite door. ¡°Hello Nana.¡± Said the young boy, respectful. ¡°Hello Antoine and¡­ Kailun, if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± ¡°Yep. Nice to meet you¡­ Nana?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you can call me that, but my real name is Nadiane.¡± Kailun lifted her thumb to show that she had understood. Nana then proceeded. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡± Antoine seemed hesitant, so Kailun took the hand. ¡°We¡¯re here to find a class for the kid. Greypa said you could help us.¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± Nadiane seemed genuinely surprised. It was Antoine who answered her. ¡°I want to be able to support Dz¨©ve when she fights, but I¡¯m too scared, I don¡¯t want to fight directly on the frontline¡­¡± He seemed a bit shameful, but he quickly recovered. ¡°...and Greypa told me that the best way to do that is to become a priest¡­¡± He left his sentence on hold. ¡°Oh, I understand now.¡± However, she seemed a little troubled. ¡°But you know, it¡¯s not easy to become a priest, it¡¯s a vocation¡­ Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°If it allows me to help Dz¨©ve... and ¨¦let and all the others, of course... then yes, I am sure.¡± He replied, determined. ¡°So the principle is simple. Choose one of the eight gods and pray, pray until you feel the divine warmth filling your soul. It¡¯s simple, but difficult.¡±She said, swiping the statues with a move of her hand. ¡°But which god should I choose?¡± he asked, a bit lost. ¡°If it is for the battle that you intend to devote yourself, pray to the warrior to support the blades of your allies, their armour and prevent the weapons of your adversaries from harming them. Or pray to the healer if you want to heal them, sustain their vigour and ease their pain. It¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He began to reflect, making his gaze pass from the statue of the healer, with his vials, needles and doctor¡¯s costume, to the warrior, clad in a powerful full armour, her hands placed on her zweih?nder. After careful reflection, he approached the healer and knelt down, clasping his hands together to beg the deity to grant him his graces. Ooooh, he¡¯s really cute like that... I hope he will succeed, it would be sad if not¡­ She was interrupted in her thoughts by Nana who had approached her quietly. ¡°It is said that you are a deity who came down from heaven to help Antoine, is that true?¡± She seemed doubtful, understandably given her status as a priestess. ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Kailun shrugged. ¡°It must look like that, but at least I don¡¯t see myself as a goddess, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking for.¡± Nana seemed troubled by this answer. ¡°But then, what are you?¡± ¡°Human, like you. But... not quite. I think we could be described as guardian angels...or contract devils, sometimes.¡± It seemed to have cleared up the ideas of the priestess. ¡°If you are guardian angels, what gods do you serve?¡±
  1. And a surprise question, one!
¡°How do you explain this¡­ Some of us serve gods, who have no names or that we cannot pronounce, other gods that do not exist here. Me? I serve no one. I¡¯m free.¡± Nana nodded her head. You could see that she had understood the concept while having trouble accepting it. An Angel who doesn¡¯t serve as a god? Weird¡­ ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t know the gods you revere. A little explanation, perhaps?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Back on more familiar ground, Nadiane had regained her poise. ¡°The one for whom Antoine prays is called the Healer. He watches over the sick and prevents the spread of epidemics. He is the patron god of midwives, doctors, wise woman, apothecary, that kind of profession. He is in a relationship with the Warrior, there, in the opposite alcove.¡± She showed her the statue of the woman in armour. ¡°She brings courage and honour to the fighters, ensures that their blades strike the enemies and that they are protected from their own. She oversees conflicts and wars. She is the patron god of all who fights.¡± She then turned to show Kailun two more statues. ¡°The second couple is formed by the Elder, guardian of knowledge, aged, ancient and venerable things, and by the Lady who encourages the ardour of youth, adventure and the joys of life.¡± The old one had a disdainful port but sparkling eyes and a slight smile. The young lady was clad in a dress and held out her hand, as if inviting her partner to dance. Nadiane turned around again. ¡°The third couple is the Blacksmith and the Weaver. They are both bearers of creation, but the Blacksmith embraces the material world and concrete things while the weaver is more focused on dreams, illusions and imagination. She is also the patron god of the Magicians.¡± The blacksmith had his eyes fixed on his anvil, a hammer in one hand and an iron bar in his other. Opposite, the weaver seemed to be working on a loom, her blindfolded eyes turned towards the sky. She took a little breath before starting back. ¡°Finally, there is the couple of the Shepherdess and the Reaper. The first represents birth, fertility, life and the beginning, the second death, rest and the end.¡± The reaper had a typical representation of Death, with its scythe, skeletal body and empty orbits. The shepherdess had a shepherd¡¯s staff in her hands and looked at her companion with both sweetness and sadness. It¡¯s very functional as a belief system... Nana had spoken in a soft voice to avoid disturbing Antoine. ¡°How long will it take him?¡± Asked Kailun curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Several hours, at least. Come with me, let¡¯s have some tea.¡± Kailun put her thumb up and followed the priestess. They passed through the door just opposite the entrance, entering a corridor with alcoves dedicated to some minor gods. They then passed through a room dedicated to the care of the sick before arriving in a small lounge, where they drank tea and talked about things and others, and time passed¡­