ã€ŠParticle God [LitRPG]ã€‹


 [V1;C1] 1Transmigration

    "All systems in check, we are ready to proceed."

    The very first observation, and advancement in technology, is one that we have the highest honour to witness.

    "The particle is travelling at 9c."

    The power generated is enough to power a million houses for 2 years. A significant amount consumed to this very moment for this experiment.

    "10 seconds before the collision."

    The lever was then released and a button was pushed. A few seconds later the particles collided. We saw in the control room how the collision point bent the light slightly, there was no heat generated and yet the light was wavy.

    A lot of cheering happened in the control room. The physicists have eye bags due to endless work just to see the fabric of reality bend without a third party manipulating it.

    "The simulations are correct!!"

    Cheering, their voices enveloped the whole control room, and their countless hours of study led them to finally see their hard work, evident by the heavy eyes in their sockets. The god particle. Everybody thought it was impossible, but not until today. The particle that could affect reality, which is often seen in fiction happened in their very eyes, this is a leap for the advancement of humanity.

    The moment they finished their experiment and when their cheers died down busy scribbling replaced the mood of the room, none stopped until they finally finished what essentially is a giant leap for mankind. After hours, the collider was empty but the interns remained to maintain the collider for future use.

    "Alright, Seth, are you going?"

    "Hm?" I hummed "Later, there are still some things to be checked."

    "Haha! Right! You''re still an intern, so don''t push yourself so much, as you are about to graduate."

    "Of course." I laughed.

    After that, Henry left me alone. I did a quick checkup on the collider checking if there are no problems. Then I saw one of the tubes open. I sighed, who''s careless enough to open this chamber?

    I checked if there was anything inside, these things are hypermagnetic! If you went inside her you''ll feel the pull within your blood. Nothing was inside but I caught a glimpse of something shiny. I went inside to grab it then, lights out.

    "h-huh!?"

    "W-what happened?!?"

    It was so fast that I didn''t even notice it. What happened? I tried to move but I felt no arms and no legs, not much of a head either nor a torso.

    Is that it? I speak to myself. Maybe it was just a dream, I just went inside the collider¡­ was it on? No way if it was on then the headlights would be red if it were.

    I contemplated my mistakes, I don''t know how long it was until a light suddenly graced me, what is that¡­ is that a sun?!

    Then it started rushing on me, Why is rushing to me like a meteorite? I tried to struggle just to remember I had nothing on me!

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Then the sun suddenly disappeared.

    [System primer]

    Uh, what?

    [Name the system type.]

    I''m not an engineer to know what kind of system this is nor a computer geek to know what kind of program this is. Nonetheless, I tried to interact after the nonexistent threat to my life was gone.

    Just as I thought the screen in front of me was the only thing that changed, a sudden headache decided to grace me, a ringing headache was first then tons of information followed. I felt heavy to the point of passing out but I didn''t.

    When my awareness was focused again I realised I am not human anymore. I am an entity, a collective group of energy forming a consciousness that is actively hooked in the fabric of reality. But that didn''t surprise me more than the idea of my death.

    It gave me a reality check that I was dead.

    Then I felt a tugging sensation in a certain direction. After that I was pulled like a ragdoll handled by a child, I can''t even scream like a guy who found a snake accidentally.

    As I was traversing in this endless abyss where I was placed, the scenery changed, from an abyss to endless stars to dust clouds in the universe to a planet.

    A specific planet is brimming with life.

    "Oh? Who''s this?"

    An ethereal voice reached me. A deep masculine voice reached to me.

    "Hello?"

    "Ah! A newborn god!"

    I felt multiple gazes placed on me, but I saw no eyes. But I feel that someone is watching me¡ªthe gazes from multiple beings.

    "Don''t put too much focus on the newborn god! This is a celebration! It''s been millennia since we have a natural-born God."

    Suddenly small dots of light ranging from multiple colours appeared in my sight. There were four of them in total. But I felt more than that.

    "Hello! Newborn! Have you decided on a name for yourself?"

    "Uhm¡­"

    I thought to myself, this is reality, isn''t it? And a newborn god? That''s crazy. Did I die on the job back at the collider?

    "a newborn god?" I asked.

    The gods paused for a moment and then confirmed.

    "Yes, a newborn god. You were made when residue energy became clumped together forming a consciousness."

    Oh, that confirms that I am a higher form of being.

    "Mmm¡­ "

    A name, a good name if I become a god¡­

    "Seems you''re having a hard time thinking of one for yourself. Before you think of a name for yourself, why let us introduce you to this universe?"

    It''s so hard to digest this information so I just said "Yes please" since I have no idea what to do in this world. Man, I was just an intern about to graduate, and now I''m here as a newborn god.

    "Okay, did you have the [Common System]?"

    "Common system?"

    "Yes." a female voice confirms "The common system is the usual [Status] that contains the user''s information, limited only to the user."

    "So¡­ there''s a [uncommon system]?"

    They seem excited that I''m asking questions. If the sudden glow of light and giddy movement isn''t an indicator.

    "Yes! However these are [Dedicated Systems], these systems are systems available only to the user."

    "How¡­ how do I see the system?" I asked.

    The gods were excited and I felt a tingle, something then popped up into my view, a blue rectangular, opaque box. ["Common System" is available, Accept? Y/N]

    I was about to accept but an extreme rejection happened inside of me and the blue box disappeared.

    "Huh?" The gods stopped being giddy when they felt the rejection of the system "What happened?"

    "My body rejected it somehow." I honestly answered.

    Then I felt animosity, I looked around, at the planet with 9 continents, the coloured blobs and the abyss beyond. I detected the origin of the animosity and it was the gods that were radiating it.

    "Looks like it managed to grab one of the primers before coming here."

    What does that mean?

    "Just kill it."

    What?

    Then I felt pain, this one I felt the threat of destruction. I started moving away but something was holding me.

    "Quick before it chooses what kind of system it has!"

    Why? Aren''t you excited to have a newborn God? Why are you killing a newborn god?! Don''t you have morality? When I''m being reduced to nothing a popup appears before me. The system primer once again.

    [System primer]

    [Choose the system type.]

    I focused on the orange box and then it expanded.

    [|...]

    I had to type what kind or type of system I wanted, so with what little consciousness I had I typed what I wanted.

    [Particle]

    Then an invasive feeling went in my mind and the shattering of my being stopped, but I was too weak to focus beyond what happened.

    ~

    [Congratulations! Particle System has been established.]

    [Congratulations! [Particle(Noun: Science, Physics)] has never been established before!]

    [Every Mortal blessed by -@-#&-@ is given harder quests, in return, they are given better rewards]

    [Particle system is now a property of @-#%@-, whoever uses this type of system will have to pay 10 Soul Points]

 [V1;C2]A New Beginning

    Vision started returning to me, however, instead of feeling like I''ve slept it felt like my consciousness paused, like a torpor. There was no grogginess, pain or any sign of abuse despite what happened to me. Those ¡®gods¡¯ whoever or whatever they are a piece of shit.

    Why would they do that?! I don''t even know them! Is it because of that system I rejected!? Assholes!

    Then an orange box floated next to me.

    [Designate a name.]

    Uh, right I was thinking of a name for myself when I suddenly got disintegrated. But yeah where am I? I looked around to find I was in a lush Forest, with a human body! With no clothes somehow.

    I checked myself and my surroundings, a newborn god does not need clothes that''s obvious, wait, can I make my clothes? I don''t have nuts dangling around obviously but reasoning that I''m in the form of a human I would naturally want clothing.

    For my dignity, I imagine the clothing I wore in the particle collider, lab gown, teal shirt brown pants and a comfortable set of black shoes...

    [Error, usage of soul energy is not permitted till sufficient information is given]

    Ugh. I have to think of a name, I''m a god now, accepting this is real because I got almost obliterated, I''ll name myself¡­ Hadro, yep Hadro. That''s good enough.

    [Hadro, God''s name established.]

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro

    Godhood: Lesser god(previously low minor)

    Soul Energy: 5 (0.01/year)

    Followers: none

    ~

    Oh, the interface is much simpler than the website the company uses back in my workplace. Anyways, I have 5 soul energies. I once again imagined having clothing, and it worked.

    It happened before my eyes and out of nowhere my body started having clothing. I rechecked my status.

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro

    Godhood: Lesser god(previously low minor)

    Soul energy:2(0.01/year)

    Followers: none

    ~

    I have two soul energy left, I''ll save that for now since if the generation is slow, I''ll have to figure out where I am. Walking about the lush forest I soon found myself in a village, it''s primitive at its best.

    The women check the straw roof while the children help, some women are only wearing strewn straws to cover their privates, and some just don''t use them on their breasts at all.

    With a bit of rustling, I looked behind me to see multiple rugged men. I was about to say hi when he ignored me like I wasn''t there, and then he walked through me like I was a ghost.

    Ah, they can''t see me.

    "Arkum! Any success in hunting?" a woman seemingly in her thirties speaks lovingly.

    The man shook his head, with a bit of frustration. "A [Scorn Wolf] stole our hunt."

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The woman ruffled her husband''s hair, "That''s fine" as she held his hand "We have gathered plenty of fruits, why not eat with us."

    The plenty she means is a meagre mug full of berries. I sighed, these people are living it badly according to my standards. I walked, continued forward and skipped this village.

    What I should do as a god is a question I would ask myself if not for the tons of information embedded in my head by the abyss.

    Simply, find a prophet, priest, or shaman that has faith in your name, then give them the system you have. I should''ve known better and reviewed the information. Gods could give other gods a system, however, they will become their slaves, as gods aren''t mortals.

    So those pieces of shit wanted a slave. I sighed out a sigh of relief. Thankfully they were impatient, well, whatever I began walking around.

    But I still was nowhere, so I flew. I flew up and saw that I was on a giant continent. After seeing the same village I saw earlier my gaze went further.

    There are no other advanced civilisations on this continent. Not because people don''t want to go here, but because the environment is too harsh. I sighed and floated down to the same village I woke up to.

    I looked around, I was giving myself a purpose rather than just lazing around. I could bless someone with an awakened system and give quests, what this village needs.

    "One¡­ Two¡­ three¡­"

    I looked over at a kid who was counting berries and writing on the floor with a stick. I know it''s a girl because she isn''t bald like the rest of the boys.

    "what''s next of three¡­"

    The writings on the ground are some sort of numbering texts as she identifies them shortly. She seems identifying what''s the best symbol for the next number more than trying to know what''s next after the number three. I could see she''s smarter than she looks.

    "Mari! It''s time to go home!"

    I guess she''s the perfect one to be blessed with, but before I get on my horses I should observe more.

    Looking around for a few days, I discover that there are three more people with the potential for my blessing. One of them is named Shaka. She knows how to quickly gather berries with minimum effort, knows routes that one wouldn''t take, and is efficient in trap-making as well. She has a little sister to take care of so that checks out.

    The other one is Kavo, he is a young boy, who mostly helps with his mother''s foraging, but he sometimes deviates and studies plants, one he is doing right now is rubbing a leaf on his elbow. When his elbow started having rashes he took a mental note of the plant and left, he did this multiple times till he got to a herb that looked like a peppermint.

    And lastly, Kasha, the sister of Shaka. Those names gosh, she is the same as Mari, trying to make a language of her own. But Mari was trying to make numbers while Kasha here was making an actual systematic language.

    I have two things in my mind, one is that Kasha should receive it more than the other four. Having literacy rates go up makes logistics easier. On the other hand, I want the boy, Kavo, to receive the first blessing. Since the boy knows how to differentiate herbs from poisonous to edible, if the need arises he could become a doctor.

    But, when it comes to time, making a language is harder to learn than learning how to differentiate, so while it''s early I rather have their literacy rise to the next generation to the other.

    I reached my hand out to the young child named Kasha.

    [Choose to bless Kasha with [Particle System]? Y/N]

    I mentally chose yes and the child was bathed in orange light. Her sister Shaka saw what happened and was shocked. Next was that I saw Kasha having two systems at once, one was dull grey and one was orange.

    [Give Kasha a skill or quest?]

    I mentally nodded and decided to give her a skill, a box appeared before me, like a keyboard and a white text box to type in. Since Kasha is probably a kid who''s trying to learn a language I''ll try to give her a good skill to learn languages.

    I typed [Lexicon] and hit enter but it was denied, and then all the memories of how to make a skill came to me, it''s on the same package when I was in the abyss, I sighed. Do I have to manually review all the knowledge given to me while I was there?

    I typed again [Lexicon F] I started with the F rank since it costs a single soul energy, more and it will cost more. After hitting enter I was given another textbox to write the description of the skill. I wrote it as a skill that makes the user quickly learn letters and better understand constructing words.

    "Kasha! What kind of God awakened you?"

    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­"

    "You don''t know? It''s okay! It''s okay! As long as it''s not an Evil god." Shaka''s face turned sad for a moment then brightened "Did the god send you any skill?"

    "Yes, it says [Lexicon F]" Kasha said, since the System is an entity it automatically becomes eligible to any person who has it, even if they are not literate.

    "What does it do?" Shaka excitedly asked

    "It makes me better at learning¡­ languages and letters."

    "Letters?"

    Kasha seems to know why god blessed her, but she still has no understanding of why she should be the one being blessed with a skill.

    Not even seconds later a [Quest] shows up in her orange system.

    [Quest!]

    [A road to literacy. (F)]

    Make a cohesive lettering system and spread it around the village. Spread it to at least up to 5 people.

    People taught: 0/5

    Reward: [Wikipedia F]

    Kasha reports all the things she had to her sister, Shaka gets excited and tells her village about it, and they are delighted at the news of a god blessing one of their members.

    I''m quite elated to see this, though they do not know what kind of god I am just yet, since I have created and established the [Particle System] I''m probably the god of particles.

    I snickered, that''s fine, that''s fine. I may have not seen the end of the project in my world, but I surely will here.

    While I was at it I checked my Status.

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro, God of Particle

    Godhood: Lesser God(Previously minor)

    Soul energy:0(0.01/y)

    Followers:1

    Skills created:

    [Lexicon F]

    [Wikipedia F]

    ~

    There''s something added to my status, Skills created huh, so I can create skills and give them to the people I bless. Well yeah, it''s on the package. I''ll just call it Abyssal info since that''s where I got it.

    Anyway, I looked at the girl I blessed and continued to observe the consequences of my actions.

 [V1;C3]Farza

    Soon, the word spread around the village, how a god blessed Kasha and her newfound system and her new skill.

    Meanwhile, I try to make sense of the abyss info I have. It entailed God''s degree of power, the laws of the world(Universal laws which are thermodynamics, the Law of conservation etc), system mechanics etc.

    I also learned that I was supposed to have a hundred soul energy but that was ripped to pieces the moment I got shredded by the other gods. A lot of it was used to make me whole again.

    Soul energy is very versatile, it can do a lot of things. From making intangible objects tangible, making beings, and even reviving someone from the dead(wow) but most importantly, to bless people.

    According to Abyssal info, the system is an entity, but it isn''t sapient or sentient, the best way it is described is an armour stand from a famous game about cubes with the end goal of killing a dragon from another dimension. Just a tool for us gods, but considered an entity by the world.

    I wanted to test things but I seem to have no more SE. Since it''s come down to that I decided to explore a bit more.

    There''s also this [Godly Domain] that was entailed in the abyssal info. I can create a land there separate from other dimensions and I could have my followers'' and worshipers'' souls come here once they die. The abyssal info also entails that there is hell, like the actual hell I think of, it''s out of the jurisdiction of gods to touch hell since it doesn''t belong to this world but plays a part in it.

    [Godly Domain] also has perks, like, that''s where all the offerings would go if my followers decided to offer something on an altar.

    I decided to open my Godly domain

    [100 Soul Energy is required to open Godly Domain]

    Fuck.

    "Sister! The quest probably means this!" Kasha showed a bunch of lettering on a clay tablet. It has 24 letters, not characters as each letter is required to spell a word.

    "Oh¡­ what¡­ what does this one mean?" Shaka pointed at a letter.

    "That''s an S! It makes the sound sss! Like a snake! sss!"

    "Oh¡­ it''s also the first letter of your name!" Kasha proudly said so.

    Shaka just smiled at her sister, she had seen her do everything on her behalf to finish the quest. I made the quest so a few people could become literate, and since Kasha is a child she might show those to her friends.

    And I was right for the most part, she only gets involved with Mari, and Kavo is always out on the hunt for herbs and fruits. Some children help their parents before they get to play.

    "Mari, what is this?"

    "That''s 6! Since it has 6 dots it''s six!"

    I also am annoyed by the fact that I don''t have much soul energy, I tried to reconvert the clothes I have back to soul energy but it didn''t allow me to, or rather, the conversion sucks. 3 SE for the clothes reconverted back will just be 1.2 SE. That''s not worth it.

    "Wow! Can numbers be spelt with letters?" Kasha asked curiously.

    "Maybe."

    Kasha tried to spell six on the lettering system she made but it was too long compared to Mari''s 6 dots.

    "Yeah, it''s too long."

    Mari''s numbering system consists of simple dots and lines, a dot is 1 and a line is 3. And beyond 10 is labelled with an O, like 100 is an O. A 1000 is OO. 1001 is O?.

    I''m so concerned about her numbering system since in the long run this will be used. I looked at the meagre clothing I have, a god should hold their modesty and dignity with value.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    I sighed and converted them back to a pitiful amount of 1.2 SE. And I blessed Mari with a skill, named [Mathematician F]. It''s F because of the description.

    [Mathematician F]

    The user is bestowed with a simple numerical system. From 1-0 and the knowledge of the arrangement. Reduces mental calculation time.

    ~

    The knowledge of arrangement is the chronological order of 1 to 10 up to thousands. Reducing mental calculation time just means Mari would think faster when numbers are involved.

    The initial reaction of Mari is quite cute, she jumped up when she saw that she was blessed with the system. And started running around telling her mom first.

    The fact another child gets blessed with an awakened system gives them joy. But the skill that I blessed Mari with still makes them confused.

    That same day, they made an altar made of mud and some wooden totems. I chuckled at their efforts but what made me happier was a system prompt.

    [Altar has been made in your name. SE production +0.01]

    Oh, it ramped up the production huh? It''s probably because of Mari and Kasha. I wanted to get all the scouted potentials to be blessed but I have to wait for now.

    Mari''s mother placed an offering, it was a pile of berries she had collected during the day, and it was all good quality. Once it was placed the berries disappeared into motes of orange light.

    [Offering received. Convert to ES?]

    There are about 23 pieces of berries so I converted 3 to become my Soul Energy.

    [3 Dark Berry converted to ES, 0.03SE+]

    That''s about how much I''ll generate for a year, nice. So if these people keep offering me something then I could get more SE, but I won''t get my hopes up, I have time on my side.

    I messed with the skill creation for a little bit and asked myself a question, can I like¡­ have my clock?

    [1st Year]

    Nice.

    I continued and waited for possible things to be noteworthy. Nothing happened as a few months have passed.

    I have a total of 0.82SE, the berries kept coming and Mari''s mother is not the only one offering. Once I hit 1SE I probably would give it to Shaka because she is good at trapping.

    I also looked at Mari and Kasha''s systems, the ones they had before I gave them an awakened one.

    ~

    Name: Kasha

    Species: Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles: [The first to be Blessed.]

    ~0~0~0~

    Str: 3

    Agi: 2

    Int: 5

    Spirit: 3

    Luck: 3

    Skills:

    [Lexicon F]

    [Gatherer F]

    ~

    Simple at its finest, and first to be blessed? I checked the title and it was because of me.

    [First to be Blessed]

    You''re the first to be blessed by Hadro, the God of particles. Skills used will have a 5% boost effect along with Hadro''s blessings.

    Oh. It''s not like she was the first to be blessed out of all things, she was just the first to be blessed by me.

    After a few weeks passed I finally converted enough fruits and occasional herbs to 1 SE. Since the village is financially troubled I decided to make sure they are fully self-sufficient.

    I scouted earlier and one of my findings included a woman in her thirties, named Farza. She has the collective knowledge of fruit and vegetables that she encountered in the forest, she has tried multiple times to grow them near the comforts of her home but they all couldn''t bear fruit before she could harvest one single fruit.

    It''s probably because the plant isn''t in any competition with other plants, I have seen this before I got here. In my previous world, my aunt had a garden, and she sometimes would give a snippet of information when she was gardening.

    She told me that for a plant to bear fruit, one should stress it. A single tomato plant in a pot would have no worries getting resources, but a tomato plant placed in a forest would that''s why they would bear so many fruits.

    I decided to give this woman a skill instead. A simple one she could use.

    ~

    Farza was looking at a singular plant she was taking care of, she thought it would bear fruit this time but nothing happened. She dug this Berry sapling out of its roots carefully before it bore fruit in the forest.

    She carefully placed it down near her home and tried to bear fruit on her own. It''s a commendable act since it would make life in the village easier.

    She had tried these little experiments for years, and the frustration she felt when the effort she gave bore no fruit. She was about to give up when a blessing fell upon her.

    [Hadro has blessed you with a skill!]

    [Accept Y/N]

    She was shocked, the god that had been blessing the children in the village had given her a blessing??

    She did not understand why the children exactly nor could she understand what a god would do at all but since she was blessed with a skill how could she not accept?

    She mentally said yes and a system prompt came up.

    [You have obtained the skill: [Botany F]]

    [Botany F]

    Could appraise any plant life, knowledge of plant life is easily digested and plant life problems could be easily identified.

    ~

    Farza immediately went into a state of meditation. She was given simplified knowledge about plants, she now understood why the berries don''t bore fruit!

    Farza realised that there are multitudes of factors, like how much sun a plant would get but most importantly is the soil it inhabits. One thing that Farza finally realised is that the plant she is trying to fruit is that it needs to be around similar plants.

    With her epiphany, Farza realized what to do, she placed multiple plants in the same ground and waited, checking the winds if would help the berry flower but would not fruit. It frustrated her so much.

    It took a while, the winds brushed past many, and the hunters hunted small animals and shared them with the village mostly given to the children since they needed them most. Farza watched as a few months later, the berry started boring fruit.

    "I did it!"

    She yelled in joy, the berry sapling she planted started producing fruits, although tiny. She caught the attention of a few people, and when they were about to ask what was wrong with Farza they saw the fruits on the Berry.

    Farza then explained how she was blessed by the gods. This made more people believe in my name.

    [Followers increased, SE production 0.09+]

    Now I can create 0.09 SE per year, nice.

 [V1;C4]A Tribute to give

    [Year 1]

    For 3 months, Farza has taught several women who take care of their houses how to plant. Thanks to that, their food source is now somewhat secure.

    All this time I also noticed some men and some of their chatter.

    "If women could harvest plants, could we men harvest animals?"

    "Maybe? Or we could be better at hunting."

    For the past three months, I studied this village carefully. The one who has it hardest is the men. Their hunts might not even actually succeed and the village relies more on the women''s harvested crops than a hunt.

    Though I''m not trying to segregate chores it''s just really a matter of my actions and how the village interprets them. I''m not putting anything in stone¡­ yet.

    Also, the reason why the hunts are not always successful is easy to tell. There is a god that governs dungeons in this world and there is a dungeon within the forest.

    Most monsters or beasts come from the dungeon, for example, the [Scorn Wolf] was born in the dungeon but later came out due to a phenomenon called [Overload] in which the dungeon amassed a lot of mana than it could use and had to spew it out somehow.

    Thanks to the phenomenon, the dungeon that seems to have eaten more than it can chew will start spewing out monsters, because of that the hunters will not hunt deep in the forest only at the outskirts making them unable to hunt something bigger than a hare.

    There''s a dungeon kilometre near the village, and it just spewed out a few sets of monsters, including the wolves. I already have amassed 16 SE after all these 3 months.

    Time to bless some people.

    I went to Kavo, and I blessed him with [Medicare F] the description of being knowledgeable about poisons and medicine, also a bit about medical care and gave him a quest to identify at least 2 types of poisons and turn them into useful medicine.

    Since they use some kind of herb for cough relief in the village, I thought that Kavo might lean on that knowledge and fulfil the quest.

    14 more SE.

    I went to Mari, and I gave her a simple quest. 5 questions, all about simple arithmetic.

    [Quest]

    5+5

    11+37

    23-86+12

    113-231

    123+138-128

    Answer all questions to get the reward.

    Reward: [Mathematician F+]

    Why did I choose this specifically? It''s because Mari needs more mental understanding of math. I plan to slowly expose her to arithmetic before the latter harder parts of the subject.

    Thanks to that promotion of skill I only have 9 SE left, to fully promote it to [E] rank it would''ve cost 10 SE. Next on my list, I headed to a Hunter, they''re skinny but they have high endurance, as expected of persistent hunters.

    So I decided to bless this one, but not with a skill but a quest. This time, I made sure he''d be in hardship but the reward would be worth it.

    ~

    Shavik was a Hunter in his thirties, his comrade was Arkum a Hunter of similar age. They''re thin due to the lack of meat, but their body remembers, and it helps in their hardship.

    Their usual hunt always starts with tracking an animal for hours, but thanks to monsters Shavik''s mood couldn''t go any lower. Thanks to those monsters, hunts are always failing.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    But luckily, the new god gave them a blessing and it was in the form of Farza, the woman who was blessed with knowledge about plants.

    The men, like Shavik, are just waiting, gods are entities beyond malevolence and benevolence. A mortal like Shavik couldn''t comprehend the motives of a God.

    Shavik sighed deeply and thought of things like how to hunt, he missed the taste of cooked meat and the joy of his family who ate it.

    With a bright orange light his world suddenly changed, and another panel was added to his status, an event he never expected to happen to him.

    [Quest]

    Hunt a furred or scaled animal, big or small, and offer it to Hadro.

    Reward: [Hunter instincts. F]

    A quest! He was blessed with a quest! Shavik''s body is trembling, not because he is anxious but because of anticipation.

    What kind of skill is Hunter''s instincts!? What does it do?! He wanted to scream but it seemed the others noticed his excitement, and he told them what he got.

    I was watching it all, Shavik was a good Hunter, second only to Arkum who thrust his spear straight and deadly. I chose Shavik because he seems to have more stamina than Arkum.

    If someone is going to persistently hunt an animal successfully it would be him. And I already placed in the quest description to hunt any animal, scaled or furred.

    I''m curious as to how much SE is an animal as well, I have yet to open my domain to place all the offerings they gave me and I don''t want any waste.

    Anyway, this event will be good for the village as well. I worry that the monsters spewed out by the dungeon will trouble the village.

    So I might as well prepare the people.

    "Arkum! Arkum!"

    Shavik ran to his friend, sweating. Arkum looked at his friend who came up to him. Arkum was helping his wife collect some berries since he was not out for a hunt.

    "I got a quest!"

    Arkum''s eyes widened as his brows jumped, that''s fantastic news. Another person was blessed by Hadro!

    "What did the god task you with?"

    "To hunt and offer!"

    "... Shavik, you don''t plan to invite me and help you hunt something grand, do you?"

    Shavik then turned his eyes away, a trait that Arkum knows best about his friend, he''ll always have his eyes to avoid contact with him when he is caught like a lying child.

    "Fine¡­ just let me help my family first."

    Arkum agreed to help Shavik hunt to finish the quest, unlike Arkum, Shavik had no family to take care of, not that he didn''t have any he had a child. But that child is already old enough to start his own house, and when starting a house, it means a family.

    And Shavik already helped his wife to pick up enough berries, that she had to offer some to the altar. Now that Shavik is free, he will take up some hours hunting some prey.

    "So, Shavik. What kind of prey are we going for?"

    "The Yellow-Tailed Deer."

    "Why that? You know how hard to hunt those are!"

    "We aren''t going to follow it, we''re going to make it bleed!"

    Today is Autumn so it''s not that hot anymore, they could make the Yellow deer bleed and follow it for hours, unlike summer when they had to constantly take breaks, losing the deer they have their eyes set on.

    But now it''s autumn, they could persistently follow the deer they wanted to hunt. After a few careful strutting, they finally saw a couple of Yellow Tailed Deer.

    "What''s your plan?" Arkum whispered.

    "I make one bleed, and follow it."

    Arkum and Shavik slowly approached, hunched and ready to stay still. A couple of times they stopped in their tracks, but once close enough, they prepared the spears.

    Raise, then throw!

    The initial target missed, but his spear hit a young deer instead, the spear tip went in, but it was only wood with a sharpened edge, sharpened by a rock. So it didn''t pierce neatly, it splintered and was stuck on the deer.

    It was on the deer''s side, near its front legs. The young deer ran but the stuck spear hindered it. What''s worse is that the deer hit a tree and the spear splintered and made its wound worse.

    It was bleeding profusely. Arkum couldn''t believe it, Shavik had hit the deer critically, even though he knew how unintentional it was and how lucky they were. Was this the gods'' plan?

    No matter what, they chased their wounded prey, minutes and minutes passed, and the large wound stopped bleeding but that single limb was still broken.

    Arkum and Shavik are nearing, excitement in their blood. They closed in like predators, excitement filling them that they forgot to be aware of their surroundings.

    It was only when Arkum pulled Shavik that they saw it. Scorn wolves, reddish fur that doesn''t belong in the forest, hot back that seems to make the surrounding wave, the deep sunken eyes with amber colour that strikes one''s soul.

    The [Scorn wolf], the dungeon had spewed this beast out of its caverns, one detail that Shavik doesn''t like because they keep stealing their hunts.

    The three wolves looked at the injured deer, but before they did they looked at the two hunters. Maybe it''s because of how the wolves'' skulls were shaped, but it just smiled.

    It laughed like a hyena, mocking the two hunters, knowing they wouldn''t do anything even if they took their hunt. Shavik saw the mocking act of the wolves, their dreaded smile touched his nerves.

    "Shavik, let''s leave, it''s not worth it."

    "No, Arkum. It''s been months ever since we''ve successfully got a hunt. I''m not giving it to these beasts!"

    Shavik grinds his teeth and takes another spear from his back, tied around his chest. He started rushing to the wolves who were still laughing like a hyena, now intensifying as Shavik got closer.

    "Aaargh!! Die you scum!!"

    Shavik trusted his spear to the nearest wolf just for the strike to be dodged. Three wolves just snickered, mocking his being.

    "Face me you scum!"

    In a fit of rage, Shavik kept thrusting his spear, only for the effort to be denied. The laughing became boisterous, the mocking now getting to his head.

    He raised his hand and with a herculean shout, he tried to throw his only weapon left, the only assurance of his defence. But that all stopped when he saw his friend charging.

    He leapt, Arkum, who thought this was a bad idea still decided to be with his friend, he had a child and a wife to worry about. But to lose his childhood friend because he chose to do nothing is a dreadful feeling.

    Shavik might be stupid sometimes, but that''s no reason to abandon him. The spear he held dug into the unsuspecting Scorn wolf.

    "Whimper¡ª"

    The wolf yelped in pain, it tried to shake Arkum off but to no avail, the spear even dug deeper. Which angered the wolf, the other wolves saw this and roared.

    Shavik''s toothy smile broadened as he attacked the wolf, thrusting his spear forward; the angry wolf tried to dodge but it was stabbed by the spear''s range.

    Its pointed tip stabbed its jaw, it tore and exposed the raw flesh, bleeding like an unwound faucet. This chance was not unseen, the wolf, unharmed from the attention given not by the two hunters, struck the moment Shavik''s back was exposed.

    Arkum saw this but was way too late. His body was not fast and agile like a wolf, he raised his spear, yanking it out from the wolf''s flesh much to its protest. And jumped towards the vulnerable wolf.

    The world seemed to slow down. It went from normal to the point he could see a mosquito''s wings flap.

    ''What is going on?!''

    An orange panel opened in front of him.

    [Hadro would bless you with a skill.]

    [Accept? Y/N]

 [V1;C5]The Spear of the VIllage

    [Hadro would like to bless you with a skill.]

    [Accept? Y/N]

    Arkum mentally said yes instantly as the panel appeared that it only blinked out. His reality again faced him with a challenge, the survival of his friend.

    The back of his friend who had stabbed a wolf, the wolf who took the opportunity to attack as his back is facing towards him.

    [Skill [Thrust F] obtained!]

    He immediately used the skill, his lacklustre spear was only a stick with a pointed edge, blazed with energy, he raised his arm, it was filled with power as he moved with one swift motion.

    [Thrust F] was activated, and his spear blazed through the wind, it whistled dangerously as it approached the skull of the wolf. Finding a point where it would collide as the wolf was moving forward.

    The spear found purchase at the crevice of the wolf''s skull. Digging in like a shovel and piercing like a knife. It dug its way through with enough force to pierce to the other side.

    The spear stuck out to the wolf, like a pole on dirt, the wolf slumped immediately as Arkum landed from his leap.

    "Arkum!"

    Arkum picked up the thrown spear, its sharpness gone and went along with Shavik in suppressing the other wolf. The wolf whose jaw was injured wasn''t able to put up a fight.

    Its composition of a dungeon monster was enough to put itself in danger, facing the two men out of instinct it did not relent. It raised its two paws with a pair of claws.

    Overextending and swinging, only to hit nothing but the air, Shavik and Arkum already know how to keep their distance when it comes to prey and overextending when the enemy has a spear is not a good thing.

    With both their spears ready to stab, the wolf messed up its position and got both spears embedded in its chest, one pierced on the surface level.

    The other pierced through its chest, cutting off an important piece to its survival, cutting off a major artery it started bleeding profusely.

    Arkum and Shavik''s blood was running, adrenaline in their veins, and their hands were shaking, when the wolf went limp the trembling became even greater and all the excitement caught up to their bodies.

    "We¡­ we did it!"

    The two hunters celebrated, but such a feeling is momentary, they were in the forest, and it would only take a moment till another predator smells and follows the blood.

    The two hunters started packing the hunt, including the deer who had bled to death. They took two animals in and started dragging them, using some vines as a makeshift rope.

    When they went back to the village, with monsters and a deer in tow they were shocked.

    ***

    I used 1SE to create the quest for Shavik and another 1SE for Arkum''s [Thrust F]

    All I have left is 7SE. I''m always curious if I make one rank [E] skill and the amount a single hunt amount of SE would give me. I watched as Shavik placed the deer on the altar.

    [Convert Yellow-Tailed Deer to SE?]

    I mentally said yes.

    [Yellow-Tailed Deer converted]

    [101SE+]

    Holy Moly! A single deer gave me that much! And this deer is a juvenile as well. I wonder how much an Adult would give?

    I shook my head, with this much SE I could build that [Godly Domain], and a single [D] rank skill or 10 rank [E] skills. Well, what a good catch, nice one Shavik.

    Shavik had his skill after completing his quest of offering his hunt. He started to wonder what [Hunter Instinct] was. It''s a small package.

    Higher situational awareness, tracking trace knowledge, and danger awareness for predators. Also, he won''t get lost no matter how far he goes. This might sound OP on paper but in reality, it''s very basic.

    Because it was nerfed, it was nerfed to its former description. What I originally placed was [Situational map], [Highlighted tracks], and [Danger ping], like, Shavik will actually get pinned when there''s a predator and what predator it is.

    But I have typed it as [F] rank so it lowered its effects. Nonetheless, it was a good skill and skills could be ranked up by quests or just repeatedly using it.

    I started thinking about what I should do again with my SE. I shouldn''t use it for skills above [F], I need to solidify the village''s comfort first.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Since they don''t have enough clothing and the next season would be winter, it would be extremely cold. I didn''t want to find out how they survived so I scouted the village.

    None, I found none who could be given a skill related to clothing. I scoured the Abyss Info I have and I am glad I could. I could give someone an epiphany or a vision.

    Why not give someone that, I could just have someone who could spin some spools¡­ fuck, this village is primitive.

    I sighed, I went to the villagers who were butchering the three wolves they caught. I''m curious, it seems one of the villagers has become my follower without even being blessed.

    Thanks to that I could look at their status.

    Name: Sahik

    Species:Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles:

    ~0~0~0~

    Str: 7

    Agi: 5

    Int: 5

    Spirit: 4

    Luck: 3

    Skills:

    [Butcher F]

    [Gatherer F]

    ~

    These villagers are either teenagers or adults, and this one is an adult in their thirties, how come their skills are still on F? I questioned that and the answer is quite obvious already.

    They''re having a hard time living and not only that, they don''t have enough resources to rank up their skills. The number of people who have an E rank in this crowd can''t pass over five.

    It''s the lack of resources.

    We can change that in the future.

    I decided to bless the butcher with a skill, [Dismantle F] since the pelt could also be used for clothing and to warm them up. The content of the skill is instinctual and it also corrects the user by making them feel as if they''re doing something erroneous.

    Now that they have bones they could make better spears, and it seems that they''re already doing that. I still can''t decide to who I could give an epiphany.

    I sighed and gave a quest to the butcher.

    [Quest]

    Tell the village who wants to be given a task.

    Reward: 1+ Spirit.

    I chose to up one stat of the Butcher because it''s the cheapest. And since one stat point is only needed to raise it it won''t be an actual loss.

    105SE is still a lot.

    After contemplating for a bit I decided to open my [Godly Realm], might as well open it since I won''t be doing a lot of things in this place other than float.

    When I opened the realm it pulled me in like a vacuum, the tug was so powerful I had no moment to resist.

    [Godly realm, Opened]

    [Error: Abyssal dimension opened instead]

    I was pulled into another dimension, this was a completely different place. The sky was bright and I don''t know if it was good or not but I could touch the flora, that''s not good.

    A giant Feline appeared out of nowhere, its slit eyes threatening as its paws release the claws in between them. I scuttled to hide, I felt like my chest was going to explode, what was going on?! I immediately left the Godly realm. I have no idea what was in there and I am not going to find out!

    [Abbysal Dimension was left without occupying territory]

    [Abbysal Dimension was closed]

    [Open Dimension? 50SE]

    Abbysal Dimension?! Are you telling me that I opened the Abbysal Dimension instead of a realm?! I can''t help but be annoyed, I just wasted SE on that!

    I sighed, not that I could take back all of those SE now, could I? I just need to formulate a plan to get myself land there. And Abbysal Dimension seems cheaper, yeah I''d open the Abbysal Dimension first.

    And it seems that the Abbysal Dimension seems dangerous, considering that the inhabitants of this world have monsters to fight I could say that I as well wouldn''t be able to escape such a burden.

    Now, do I have the power to leverage myself there? The system primer in my abyssal knowledge only tells me that System primer starts the Domain Subject of one''s power. I started the Particle System, so do I have power over particles?

    I tested it out and reached my hand in front of me, towards the dirt. I tried to move it out of my will.

    ¡ªwhoosh.

    Cmon. I concentrated harder. And somehow a small clutter of dirt moved, that''s me right? I did that, right? I immediately knocked myself out of delusion, that''s probably the wind.

    For now, I stopped joking around and sighed, I could probably wait for a few decades till the life in the village got better, have some blacksmith and have it create a machete or something.

    I looked at my status.

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro

    Godhood: Lesser god(previously minor)

    Soul energy:51 (0.37/year)

    Followers: 37

    Skills Created:

    A:

    B:

    C:

    D:

    E:

    F:

    [Lexicon]

    [Mathematician]

    [Dismantle]

    [Thrust]

    [Medicare]

    [Botany]

    [Wikipedia]

    [Hunter instinct]

    ~

    51? Wouldn''t it be 55SE? What the hell? I tried to find a plausible cause of my SE loss and the only time I ever have some semblance of using them is¡­

    I raised my arm in concentration, finding a specific pebble and with my mind I commanded every single particle inside it to move.

    It moved a few centimetres to the side. That''s when I checked my SE again, it dropped, it dropped. That means my powers rely on SE as well.

    Just to move a centimetre of the rock, costs 1 SE. What if I have to move more? And heavier at that? SE is my source of Skill creation and what seems to be my energy source as well.

    I started scouring the Abyssal info I had in hand, I checked what SE is good for. They are the resource of power, they can be found naturally in nature, including the universe. That would mean every mortal would have them.

    Mortal souls are created thanks to a conglomeration of resources both found in Reality and the Abyss. Cells have different resources to keep their chemistry going and rocks with different elements glued together with no function.

    Every single thing had a dormant state of energy in it, according to the Abyssal info mortals with sentience are categorized as ¡°Natural machines¡± these dormant energy are accessible only because of sentience. This energy is called spiritual energy

    An example of this is that there are living things that have spiritual energy but cannot use it such as animals, slugs, jellyfish, ants, etc. They''re living beings and yet they don''t have souls, why? Because sentience plays a part in it.

    A rock doesn''t have a soul what only lies on it is dormant energy. However, despite the dormant energy an object has it has a purpose. Abyss and Reality go hand in hand, like two servers pinging for a response Dormant Spiritual energy will not stay in one place.

    Eventually, the Dormant Spiritual Energy will start cycling, from Reality to the Abyss and so on, this creates a phenomenon where the object''s Dormant spiritual energy starts to stagnate in the Abyss and takes the form of whatever object it inhabits back in Reality.

    It''s like transferring data from one server to another. But this only happens in the Abyss in its natural form since the only place where energy becomes clumped together to form matter is only in Reality, it breaks down quite fast in the Abyss.

    It is possible for an object to contain no Dormant Spiritual Energy, though it would not appear in the Abyss. Gods, like I, are pure Spiritual Energy, since that was the case we could travel between reality and the Abyss.

    If we look at the Abyssal Dimension, it is just the history of the planet they stand on, it is the record of everything that has existed and is existing. Right now, the Feline I saw must have been extinct but since it was strong it must have cannibalized or eaten others to maintain its form. After all to maintain form in the abyss, one would need Spiritual energy.

    After all, according to the Abyssal Info, living things can be recorded to the abyss much faster if they''re alive, but one thing that stood out is that if a living being were to be much stronger like having a lot of Spiritual Energy, its copy in the Abyss will be occupied by itself.

    However, when it means stronger it means that it is the level of a demigod which is nigh impossible for a mortal to step in without outside help.

    When I looked inside the Abyssal Dimension it seemed that the recorded existence followed the rule of nature, the only difference is that the rule of the flesh doesn''t work there, you may bleed, but once you die you will turn into Pure Spiritual Energy that its inhabitants need if they wanted to.

    If I wanted to help my followers I needed a foothold in the Abyssal dimension, to that, with what I have is necessary to give.

 [V1;C6]Migrating tribe

    [Year 1]

    The village is thriving after the god named Hadro decided to bless their people. For one, they know that the God that blessed them has a certain dominion on a subject.

    However, ''Particle'' is something they did not know about, when observing the ones the god blessed, it seems to be random yet useful.

    It''s like God has overseen their needs and is helping them every step of the way. However, that doesn''t mean every single one of them would find the right step.

    "What does Medicare mean¡­."

    Kavo particularly could not understand, his young mind had set himself a goal. One to get a goal of getting a skill easily letting him know if plants are poisonous, but he got Medicare instead.

    [Medicare F]

    -Gives the user basic medical knowledge to tend and care for the sick and injured. Makes the user able to identify if one is expired, poisonous, and or medically beneficial.

    He doesn''t understand why the god named Hadro gave him a medical skill of all things, he doesn''t help the injured, he''s young and all he knows is how to identify poisonous plants.

    But when he looked at his quest, he couldn''t help but be more confused.

    [Quest]

    -identify at least 2 types of poisonous plants and procure them into medicine.

    Reward: [Medical Botany F]

    He had extensive knowledge of the entire edges side of the forest''s flora, from poisonous to edible. Is it possible to have poisonous plants to be medicinal?

    Asking that himself. Kavo was just a child, so this thought lingered the most, his mind was full of curiosity. Once Kavo had finished his trip at the edge of the forest he went back to the village.

    "Kavo! My son, what are you doing?"

    He lifted his head to see his father with a wounded arm come up to him. Thanks to the Medicare skill Kavo had properly applied medical care to his father''s wound.

    He was planning to have a better skill than this but it was for the better. Besides, what could go wrong with him having the skill?

    "I''m picking up plants!"

    "But those leaves, aren''t they poisonous?"

    "Mm! But my quest needs it! Don''t worry, I''ll be careful!"

    "Call your mother Kavo, it''s best that way."

    "No! Mom is picking up Fruits and Berries, I''m not going to bother her."

    "Kavo, at least be cautious. If the God who gave you this quest saw what you''re doing don''t you think he''ll take the quest away?"

    Kavo gasped, thinking carefully and then nodded. He would rather have the god help them than not. His ancestors have bestowed them stories about gods who''re only interested in either the beautiful or the talented, gods that have forsaken them.

    This God has blessed them and helped them, they still don''t know what kind of god they''re dealing with, but because it''s still helpful, they''re thankful, hence the altar.

    "I''ll wait¡­"

    "Good, that''s for the better."

    Kavo placed his makeshift basket on the floor of their mud house, woven by dried leaves from a palm tree. He started dividing the leaves and identifying them.

    ''This one is Kapa leaves and this one is Trithorn leaves.'' Kavo thought.

    He separated two different leaves, one with three spike-like edges on the leaves and the other is a long elongated leaf that is yellow-green.

    Kavo know the effects of the following leaves, the Kapa leaves will make one numb if you consume two to three worth of leaves while Trithorn would make you vomit, and the stories who ate them decades ago also say that Trithorn would make the victim have rapid heart rate as described by stories: "... It was like a song used by the women when building the mud houses with their husbands, a song while hitting the mud brick to shape them, a rapid drum. That''s how his chest sounded like¡­"

    Kavo wasn''t too keen to know if that was true, so he had to wait. He wanted to make this medicine as soon as possible.

    He looked at his father''s wounded arm, only if they had a bit more¡­ things to work on, maybe he could fully heal his father.

    In the end, his mother came back full of fruits and they ate together, Kavo prepared the mat they used as bedding, it was made of dried bark from a tree tied together by the dried leaves of a palm tree.

    Kavo sighed while he lay down near his family.

    "Kavo, my dear. What seems to be the problem that a young child like you seems to sigh so much?"

    A woman, seemingly in her mid-twenties, asked Kavo with a smile, it was dark but the moon was bright enough for Kavo to see her face.

    "Mm¡­ a god gave me a task."

    "Oh! A task for our young boy. Is it hard?"

    "... Yes"

    His mother just smiled at his troubles. "If you''re having a hard time and sometimes see the task beforehand as impossible, try again another day. Not every time you will find a solution to it."

    "Mom, do you think the god who gave me this task knows what I am doing?"

    "Surely, after all, almost everyone who was blessed in this village correlates exactly as they were doing."

    "Almost¡­?"

    "Yes¡­" She chuckles, looking at Kavo "Almost." as she patted his head. "You don''t have to overthink, My dear, you just have to find it, somewhere, but not today. Have some rest."

    Kavo nodded, he closed his eyes knowing he was near the comforts of his parents, sleep captured him and he drifted into slumber. With all of his senses numb, he was placed into a world of white, a room of nothing and a place of everything.

    Alone, there stands a man, unclear and vague. "So this is an epiphany, right¡­ '''' then Kavo was pulled out of it again, this time a dream, he tried deciding if it was a nightmare. He saw people crushing herbs and then heating them in water, he saw how they process leaves and how they become powder.

    He felt like he was having a moment where he knew everything, a moment of brilliance, an¡­ Epiphany! But it was way too short, he was pulled out. ''Just a little bit! A little bit more!'' he demanded.

    He then woke up, the sun''s shining rays blessing his face with warmth. He then sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. He remembered all of the things in that dream, he needed to test them out!

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ***

    That was fascinating, Kavo''s soul was pulled and placed towards him. Did he see me or was I overshadowed by the number of things behind me?

    Nonetheless, the SE expenditure was not a total loss. I manage to put images of my past life in his dreams. I want him to know about some medicinal procedures and how to process herbs properly.

    Hopefully, that would take away Kavo''s worries and he could achieve his ambitions, meanwhile, I also recreated my clothes, this time I have regained my sacrificed dignity.

    After that I floated up, I have seen them before and I want them along with my followers. I walked around the lands near the village. There are signs of irrigation and labour around the land, the reason being its unreasonable flat terrain.

    But mostly, this evidence is hard to notice. Thanks to erosion these tracks are almost gone. The dry part of the land is mostly unused because the village is focused on their survival. Only stories are told at night and children only play when they can.

    Though, even if the children do have time to play they won''t go far away from their village. So the lands aside from the forest are untouched.

    So when I floated up I could not help but express my joy, a tribe, or rather a migrating tribe was walking on this very same untouched land, however, their position was way too far.

    The other great news is that they have farm animals! A chicken, cow and bull! There''s one that looks like a pterodactyl but is covered with vibrant feathers. They also look very emaciated and are rationing their livestock.

    Great, I would rather have that livestock in good use.

    I went to the village hunters and tasked them to locate the migrating tribe and reach out to them. If the migrating tribe decided to settle near them it would be great.

    ***

    The god had given them another task, and this time it shook the whole village, their god conveyed its message through a task, a quest! They all scurried from side to side, even climbing a tree just to find the migrating tribe.

    Arkum who now has a pelt of the Scorn wolf wore it like a trophy, the head being the hood and the pelt surrounding his body.

    He is now the most famous hunter after Shavik. After obtaining [Hunter instinct F] started gaining more meat for the village.

    "Arkum! Over there!"

    The man at the top of the tree said after pointing in the direction of the plains, Arkum had to squint a bit to see moving objects far away.

    "Let''s go!"

    Four of the hunters who were given the quest immediately headed out in the migrating tribe''s direction. They were a bit excited, by the fact that their god wanted to seek out other tribes.

    Meanwhile, the Kryal Tribe is changing locations once again, that damn deity turned their heads and ravaged them, and the shaman who praised their name became worse.

    The shamans could not do a single thing about it. The deity reigned in their anger and showered it on the tribe. They were only late for a day when giving a sacrifice, and now they must pay for such a small thing.

    Silas was frustrated and indignant, they were sentenced to walk aimlessly forever as a punishment for only a small act. An unfair punishment laid by a haughty deity.

    Not even later on they saw figures, four figures. Running up to them, their kind! The moment they got close they already had a problem.

    The language barrier.

    They could not talk to each other but that was immediately solved. An old woman walked forward, her legs were thin and it seemed to be barely usable. However, her fleeting voice and accent spoke languages that two tribes could speak.

    "You speak our tongue!"

    "Yes¡­ when I was a child, my grandfather taught me this language, not knowing where to use it. I didn''t expect it to be used here."

    "You remembered that language?" Arkum spoke in surprise.

    "Of course I do! I''m not senile yet you disrespectful young''in!"

    "T-That''s not what I meant." Arkum was flustered

    Shavik seems to enjoy Arkum''s predicament but that wasn''t why they''re here. Their quest has yet to be satisfied.

    "Sorry to intrude in your conversation but what happened? Why is your tribe migrating?"

    The old woman looked at Shavik with her already worn-out sunken brows. She seems frustrated and angry. Indignant about her situation she rubs her legs.

    "The deity in our lands banished us and made us walk forever until we cannot do so." The old woman sighed "All because we made a sacrifice a second late. It was a disaster back in our settlement."

    "Wait, how long were you all walking?"

    "... For a few months."

    "Months?!" Shavik expressed worry.

    The hunters looked together, it seemed they were worried for fellow tribe members.

    "Why? Is the order of punishment still not over?"

    The old woman sighed "We have no idea that the deity has this much anger in it even though we have done what it pleases." her tone lies indignity.

    "Well¡­" Arkum hesitated, "We managed to come here because of our god."

    "Your god?" The old woman was about to scoff "Why? Does it need something from us?"

    "We have no idea either, he just gave us a quest to meet up with you."

    "Your god¡­ what kind is it?"

    her eyes are filled with a tiny ember of hope but the tyranny that she endured along with her tribe is deeply ingrained.

    Arkum looked at his fellow tribe members and back at the old woman, a bit of confusion evident in his voice.

    "We have no idea, he just helps us."

    "Why are you confused?"

    "Well¡­ we have been being helped, however, his messages are cryptic, two children in our tribe received a skill we have no idea how to use."

    "Your god¡­ isn''t benevolent or malevolent? Does it ask for any sacrifices?"

    "As of yet, it hadn''t asked us for any, we do give offerings in our altar."

    "This altar, was it asked of you?"

    "No, it was made after one of the children in our village had her System awakened."

    The old woman nodded, and she started relaying the message to her tribe''s people, some relief and some harbouring grudge. But they understood that a God and Deity are different. Deities are mana creatures that are powerful enough to alter reality at their disposal, whereas a God has reality as their tool from the start and can do more than a Deity ever could.

    "Can¡­ Can your god help us?"

    "I hope that''s why we were sent here."

    ***

    I tried to give them a blessing, however, the migrating tribe already had a different system, and there was only a little information within my Abyssal info.

    The system is given by a deity. Gods and deities are two different things. A deity is similar to a demigod, the only difference is that Gods are born gods from the start while someone or something has to work to become a deity.

    The problem with the migrating tribe is the deity, considering their worth to my followers I have to sever their ties from the deity somehow.

    If they migrated near my current tribe it would be great, I feel like building Rome, but whatever. I have checked where they came from and it isn''t good.

    They came from a marshland settlement, I could still see some people living there. If I go there I will need more SE, my current SE isn''t enough to give me protection.

    SE allows me to use power as a god and enough with it I could do something more, but I lack that right now, and I need more.

    I checked the marshland settlement from above, good enough as I saw the deity that was oppressing the remaining tribe members. They aren''t really happy there, the shamans became puppets and the people became livestock.

    The Deity, persay is a catfish and worm hybrid, or maybe just an eel. The body is very scaly and the whiskers are very long. Its face is very developed because I could tell its having fun by the looks of it.

    I went back to the tribe. I need more information. The hunters and the migrating tribe have finished talking and it seems that they''re walking to the settlement of my hunters.

    I need them to hunt me some animal, but if the migrating tribes are willing I will need some willing offering. Since the hunters finished their task I might as well give them a new one.

    Offer me a sacrifice, one for a raise in stats. I need the SE. Fast. Well, I didn''t write it as that but it''s close enough to the actual meaning.

    "Who are you?"

    I seemed to be lost in my thoughts when I was pulled back to reality when the Deity, raised itself and faced me. Oh, how big it was.

    "And why would I answer that?"

    "Tsk! You gods have always been arrogant!" with the whiskers down it seemed to have frowned "You always have your heads above the clouds. Now that I am a deity I could exact vengeance on you and your kind." it said with a hiss.

    "I don''t even know who you are."

    The moment that words left my mouth the Deity opened its mouth and decided to eat me. I clicked my tongue with that primal response, the Deity seemed to have a grudge against gods considering its animosity towards me.

    I immediately flew out of its mouth''s way, I immediately flew down near some trees.

    "You came near me, and attacked me for no reason, it would be fair if I attacked you back, no?"

    "Tsk! I dare you! I could sense that you''re just a new god in the making! Probably made from a few followers but that''s it!"

    The Deity scoffed with a malevolent hiss before launching towards me from the skies. When it was near enough I immediately flew to the side as it crashed near some trees.

    The Deity flew up, its face contorted in anger, I didn''t do anything but dodge away from its attacks. It was slow enough for me to dodge but not fast enough to hit me.

    "You abominable pest!" it bellowed.

    I could do anything at the moment, I have yet to receive my SE. I am completely on defence here, not that I mind, I can do this all day since I am not bound by the weakness of the flesh anymore.

    "Stop dodging!"

    I suddenly felt power rise within me, checking my status I saw my Se has been raised to 120. I had everything in the alter turn into SE since I have no use for an offering in its base form right now.

    I looked around and saw a secular rock with a sharp edge. With enough SE I made it float up.

    The Deity saw this and sneered, continuing to launch itself towards me, I then felt another surge of SE being poured on me. I then imagined a rail gun, expelling a bullet with a set of magnetic pulses.

    The Deity opened its maw, the semblance of a sea creature going to its prey. But I just stood there, imagining my first attack. Then the rock launched at high speed, like a bullet out of its gun but there was no sound.

    Just the piercing sound of rock through scale and flesh. As it split into pieces as it travelled at speeds it is not meant to travel.

    The supposed Deity landed and started crashing into the ground, only stopping its momentum in front of me.

    "I did it!"

    I laughed to myself as SE poured towards me. All the SE that the Deity was harvesting was now mine. After that, the Deity whose physical body is now dead is still in front of me.

    "This is a colossal waste if I leave it here."

    I flew to the village where the dead Deity was oppressing its followers, there''s a lot of them¡ªOh, I couldn''t help but feel bad some of them were unfortunately dead.

    The survivors, seemingly distraught, are having a hard time finding what to do. Their people suffered and seemed to be asking for guidance. Thinking that whatever they have done to garner the wrath of the heavens.

    I sighed, the people were piling up bodies to burn. Now that I''m near I could see the damage that deity did. It may seem not threatening at all but the humans here are against a deity. It''s more physical than a god is.

    "Oh, heavens! What did we even do to deserve this¡­!!"

    The intensity of the death is just saddening. I looked at my SE, and it''s about 4,620 even though this is a happy moment for me I couldn''t celebrate. The SE probably came from the people here.

    In the end, I gave them all a system, my system. The reactions were a mix of surprise and sorrow, I gave them a task directing them to where their old deity stood. Giving the damn fish back to these people is the best way to make it useful once again.

    "Wha- what?!" Some people screamed in anger "That Deity is dead?"

    Some in relief and some in confusion, but considering that the system that the deity had given disappeared and a new one was overtaken, the confusion didn''t last long.

    Soon after

    And to my surprise, they instead offered it to me. I gave them a new task. Eat the damn fish, do you even know that my villagers had to find food in the forest!? Take it for pete''s sake.

    The people seemed to like it a lot and they started sharing, nonetheless, there''s still a lot of fish in there.

    I wanted to inform the villagers but it''s quite far, oh yeah I could just task the villagers to inform the other tribe that the marshland village is now free from oppressive hands, or whiskers. Whatever.

 [V1;C7]Leadership

    [Year 1]

    Oh good, it seems that I have more followers on my hands now. The marshland tribe seems to like me, did you not learn a lesson from the deity? And now you are worshipping me?

    [SE production: 0.87/y]

    If you''re worshipping me please be presentable, I like my people with dignity. Though I understand why they''re like this, dignity would be a low priority for now.

    Back at the Village, the Migrating tribe has learned the situation of their home by being told via quest from my villagers, also the forest is named by the migrating villagers as the Demon Forest, while the river close to it is the Foreline River. The village has adopted the name Foreline as its name.

    Now, that the renewed Foreline Village has been officially named I would give them some respite, I could deal with the Deity because it has a strong connection with the Abyss like me, but when it comes to dealing with anything in Reality it becomes hard with me, I only exist in reality but I''m not tangible, yet.

    So when dealing with problems like the dungeon, the Villagers needed to be ready. I sent out a few quests to the hunters to train a few more hunters. In exchange, I made a new skill, [Hunter Pack. E] and [Hunter Aura. E+], the E+ is expensive, over 50SE just for that plus mark.

    Considering that rank D is over a 100SE, ranking up a skill is very costly. [Hunter Aura. E+] is a buff. Once hunters are close to each other their Str stat gets boosted by 0.5 for each member close together.

    [Hunter Pack. E] on the other hand, boosts this considerably, the skill allows the Hunters close together to be aware of their fellow hunters even if they''re out of sight, it also makes them aware of injuries to their pack, so by good decision-making, if their pack considerably gets injured they have a way to retreat.

    Foreline Village has over 120 population, but sadly that''s not enough to build an army, I don''t have expendables¡ªwhat am I even¡­ I held my head for a while, I don''t have the biological brain as a man anymore so I think very rationally here, pragmatic even. I need a little bit of empathy here.

    I sighed.

    Focus, focus yourself, Hadro. You aren''t human now you''re a god.

    I looked at the total number of people in the village, 120 and the Marshland village is over 42, dead bodies count up to 47. The previous population of the marshland counts up to 89, the migrating tribe was previously settled in the marshland village so in total it''s 161.

    Man, we need a governing system over here. But the population is still over a hundred, much less than the Marshland village.

    I decided to give them a task instead.

    ***

    Asmai has been living in the Foreline village for a week. The only one who could talk with the locals was the old lady who was over a century old. Nobody knew she would be able to speak the same language as the locals near this river.

    But then again, stories were passed down about how Deities ruled the plains and forced any sapient creature to do their bidding or just become their entertainment. Asmai had no confirmation of any of this to be true.

    But, he has suspicions that they might be true. There was one story, told by his late grandfather. There used to be a city, one where they were so advanced that men flew with no wings and dug deep like no mole. They are a power like no other.

    They lived in the plains, where the ground was flat. One day, as the advanced city was doing their usual business a Deity saw how rich and advanced they were. The Deity asked them to bow under him, worship and honour his name.

    They refused, of course, seeing the greedy look of the Deity, this got the Deity enraged and attacked the city, the inhabitants fought till they couldn''t anymore. The Deity fell at their hands but their city was left a ruin.

    The only ones left are the citizens of the city, not the technology they have because all the scholars and the warriors were killed in the process, and they were left to ruin.

    All that is left are the descendants who spoke stories of the city''s majesty. One that the descendants never experienced. There is no evidence of this city.

    But there is always one thing that is unique to its descendants. Their dark pupils absorb all light as if eternal darkness decided to swallow all light.

    Asmai looked at Arkum, then at a child native to the village. They all have dark hair and eyes, just like the old lady.

    Suddenly, all of their systems flashed up, Asmai had completely assimilated with their god, completely having faith in its name after it killed their oppressing Deity.

    Asmai looked at the quest that seemingly had everyone''s attention gathered.

    [Quest]

    [A road to leadership]

    ¨Cfind and vote for a chief worthy of leading your people. Do so by pointing out your choice.

    Reward: 1+ to Int

    ~

    ''Isn''t this simple?'' asked Asmai in his head, but if it is then it wouldn''t be made as a task for them. Though Asmai would question the god''s intention, he knows a mortal like him is incapable of understanding it.

    So he just decided to do what he was tasked for. He stood up and went towards the woman who had been of huge help ever since they came here.

    Asmai couldn''t help but admit that he liked her, though he doubted that she shared the same feeling. He went toward the woman who was hard at work, she only momentarily stopped gathering when she took a look at her system.

    "Shaka."

    Shaka, Kasha''s older sister, has led the tribe in the ways of the village, she also wasn''t shy in learning their language and way of life and even was happy when they taught her how to farm animals.

    "Asmai!"

    Shaka greeted him with a smile and he very much felt his heart flutter. He glanced at the basket she had filled with different kinds of fruits.

    He pointed at them and said a single word "Gathering?"

    Shaka understood what he meant and nodded, she then took out a stem, it had flowers in it and a few around it were berries. It is white-gold and it looks beautiful.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Shaka extended her hand, offering the flower to Asmai. Asmai froze for a moment, what does this mean? His gaze slowly lifted to Shaka, but he was only bombarded with a bright smile that he froze in place.

    Wasn''t his goal to vote for the chief of the village? He stiffly reached out and accepted the flower, Shaka''s cheeks flushed for a moment before she left.

    Asmai was left to stand like a stone.

    He changed his mind thinking of Shaka to be the chief, now he wants her to be his lover.

    ***

    I just saw that Asmai is one of the travelling tribes, it seems that he''s in love with Shaka and Shaka seems to be the same.

    Well, it doesn''t matter honestly, if they had a child the children born from that affair would speak two languages, and so on with the others. This will be a good thing since they will be united more.

    I need to connect the Marshland village to Foreline village sooner or later.

    Anyways. I experimented with the SE I have. According to the Abyss info, I could make weapons with it, the problem being that I need a lot to do so. Not only that it will also become a physical thing instead of only metaphysical, however, but the weapon would also be strong against the metaphysical and in reality.

    I could also enchant said item with SE or enchant things with SE overall. It also seems that my subject dominion (Particle) is much easier to control.

    I tried to, per se, make lightning, fire, water and other things. But it was expensive, very expensive. But, if I do it by its scientific cause like the particles explosively shaking to burn some oxygen in the air the same cost of SE isn''t that much expensive.

    When I cast lightning with SE it probably skips the other things like when vapour rubs each other to get some charge. It''s just immediate lightning, no cause just lightning, the effect.

    Anyhow, these experiments I conducted with SE are the preparation for my venture into the Abyssal Dimension. I have no idea how long I would be there so I would prepare for the Foreline village as much as possible.

    Oh, there we go. They have promoted a chief. It''s the old lady, she kind of complained that they''re making an old lady do work but eventually, she relented with their sincere pleas and reasoning.

    "Ha¡­ I''ll do what I can. Now, why did Hadro make this task¡ª"

    I gave her several quests, I would be gone for I only know how long.

    [Quest]

    ¨CGather a group to connect with the Marshland Village.

    Reward: spirit 1+

    ¨COrganize a group of hunters, prepare and lead for a hunt. Do this at least 5 times this year.

    Reward: [Leadership F]

    ¨CHelp Kasha, Kavo, and Mari to grow their understanding, and if possible help them spread their knowledge.

    Reward: [Leadership Aura F]

    ~

    With those, I set off towards the Abyssal Dimension. With 4,000 SE I''m confident that I have enough power to stay and claim territory.

    With 50 SE I opened up a gateway to the Abyssal Dimension, setting foot in the same forest I have entered the first time. It was lush as ever, the air fresh and the fauna active.

    The weapon I have in mind is a dagger, but considering the village''s circumstances, I would have no way of getting more income for SE to have a weapon to be made.

    So instead, I had one of them offer me some of the dried leaves. I made my rope according to my previous memory. It wasn''t a lot nor was it very long. But it''s long enough to make me some weapons.

    I thought something was wrong when my stomach rumbled. My stomach rumbled something that never happened in the Mortal Realm. I ignored it for the time being and moved forward.

    The fauna is quite the sight, a rabbit with the most jacked legs, a badger the size of a car, and the most goody one is the anteater that has goofy eyes.

    I am about to test my limits here, I looked around the ground and found a solidly flat rock, one that seems rigid and almost sharp on one edge. With my mind clear, I started manipulating the rock.

    My SE usage is 1 per second. I applied my touch to this rock, so I didn''t waste any. My target in sight was locked, and with thought the Rock was lifted in a burst of speed, leaving along with my influence with it. I only used three SEs for the job.

    The target was a mammal, it had black-orange fur, a monkey to be exact. The rock that was flying towards it at high speed collided with its neck. Needless to say, it killed it. After shattering the skin and spreading blood everywhere.

    [320 SE+]

    However, that did give me a prompt from my system. After my kill, however, the body started disappearing, or more like disintegrating because the body was slowly turning to dust, Peter Parker style.

    I wondered why, I tried scouring the Abyss info and nothing particular came up. Strange, I went to another animal, this one a snake, and it had the same treatment as the monkey.

    But before disintegrating I focused my entire brain power on observing this snake. The SE was absorbed from the snake into my body, then it started disintegrating.

    From this point, it''s quite easy to deduct a few things. The SE was taken from its body since it''s devoid of any soul energy that its metaphysical form cannot hold or rather it''s just the nature of the Abyssal Dimension, which I assume is the correct one in the former.

    I''m curious now. I killed another snake that was around and the moment SE filled me I also brought SE back to the snake. I observed what would happen but my expectations were correct. If I filled the snake with SE it wouldn''t disintegrate.

    My stomach rumbled again and I couldn''t help but sigh. I looked at the snake, my thoughts thinking about how it would look once it was cooked.

    I shook my head at this thought, why am I hungry right now?!

    I just sighed and with my power, I dismantled the snake in parts, since I didn''t have anything on me right now I just collected the bones and kept them in my pockets while the organs were kept in a leaf, some rhubarb I found and a splinter from tree bark was enough to store the snake organs.

    The meat now was next, with SE I created a fire in the palm of my hands. I made camp with what I had, some short branches I yanked from its tree and some vines.

    I started cooking, and the snake meat pierced through the branch. While doing this something hit me, this world isn''t like Earth, animals would avoid humans as much as possible but humans in this world are prey, and I AM imaged as a human.

    They would avoid me, right? Oh goodness, I hope I didn''t jinx myself. I watched as the snake meat got cooked in the skewer as its juices flowed down the makeshift bonfire I made.

    The bonfire is a-ok but the skewer isn''t, it''s from the branches I just yanked, and I couldn''t just use some particles and shoot them at the thing to make a perfect cut, ionising things is the last thing I want on materials that I would use.

    I looked at the shrunken snake meat, it was larger when I dismantled it but whatever, I dug in and it wasn''t that bad. It has the texture of fish while it tastes like chicken.

    After finishing my meal I looked around, since I would be in the same place as the mortal realm, topographically, I started flying, only to notice that I was losing SE.

    C''mon.

    I just decided that I would make a base here. The very same place as the camp. I went around and found some sharp rock, flinging it to the trees. It might make some noise, but I''ll take a gamble that the noises will deter any animals from coming here.

    Which I was wrong.

    A predatory gaze fell on me, two slit eyes and a flicking tongue. A giant constrictor snake with a pattern of brown and muddy yellow the size of a truck appeared in front of me like a chameleon removing its camouflage.

    "Oh¡­ Shit."

    I tried not to move but that''s a stupid idea, I ran away with all of my might and the boa seemed to understand what I was doing, I''m not in a good stance to throw something. I felt something hit my back and I went flying, trees brought down by my body.

    "Argh!!"

    I felt pain, a whirlwind sensation of pain, it felt like I''ve broken bones, no scratch that, I HAVE broken bones.

    "You fucking snake!"

    I used SE to heal myself, it''s expensive since I''m not averse to mending the body. I stood up wearily and looked at the snake whilst gritting my teeth.

    It was nowhere to be, the sound of leaves and branches snapping was alarming. My head snapped towards every sound although my sight was utterly useless as a tail whipped me as soon as my eyes landed on it.

    "Ugh!"

    My arms started flailing as I flew back from the sheer force of the hit. But not before I could glance at the giant snake. It was moving way too fast for its size!

    I healed my arms and gunned myself to the trees, hiding behind them always moving to one place or another. That snake launched me through several trees. I don''t think hiding behind one is a good idea but always moving to a new place is.

    I constantly ran, running away from the snake, but I kept hearing the rustling of the leaves. This is not good, While I was running I ducked down to grab a rock, just any rock would suffice.

    I looked at the snake, it was using the trees to blur its presence, but I have a general idea of where it is.

    I had the stone floating in my hand, then shot. The stone breezed through the wind, a couple of branches cracking then a ''pang''!

    I kept running, but the forest was silent. It was so much more silent than when I came here. Whilst running I took a glance behind me.

    The snake is bleeding from its side, the scale ruptured and was torn out of its skin and by its look it''s angry. I knew at this point that I was not going to be let go, so I grabbed as many rocks as I could on the dirt floor and started aiming.

    The snake lunged at me with the intent to coil around my body, I of course didn''t allow that. The damage I incurred against the giant snake was above its unblinking eyes. Just on its brow.

    I aimed for the already damaged part of the snake, but it was moving swiftly and sporadically, knowing my set of attacks it must''ve reacted like that.

    But you know, I''m eager to take you out.

    I just shot sporadically as it moved, making it hiss in pain and even stop for a moment after I shot out all of the stones I had in hand.

    However, it only did the same damage as the first rock I ever launched, just scratching its scales enough to bleed. The snake launched its tail and coiled on me. But now without shattering my left arm, I scream in pain.

    The snake aggressively coiled around me as soon as it got the chance, I cursed as it started constricting. I wanted to conserve as much SE as I could since coming here but it seems I needed to let go of that thought!

    With SE I cast lightning, for a second, the snake hissed and its constriction got tighter. I just said fuck it and continued using SE to fuel the lightning.

    The snake convulsed, I wasn''t particularly affected by the lightning, I used my SE for it.

    The snake had its grip softened and I took the chance as I landed on the ground, I grabbed the nearest rock and shot it to the head, where the previous injury was.

    It penetrated the skull of the creature, leading it to slump to the ground.

    [4,700 SE+]

    Isn''t that near the Deity''s SE range? Don''t tell me that this snake is the same or at least stronger than that of the catfish deity. I started giving the corpse my SE, I need to get as much as I can from this corpse.

    With further ado, I just started dismantling, like pulling the flesh off the bones keeping the bones clean of flesh, organs also separated and the bones stored in a singular place.

    I checked my SE for how much I have.

    SE: 3,220.

    Great, I came with more than I have and stayed with less. Whatever, thanks to the snake''s rampage the place is devoid of standing trees. I just decided to claim this land since it would be a hassle if I went somewhere else.

 [V1;C8]Aiden

    Dismantling the snake wasn''t that hard, the hard part is the damn animals around me, I can''t keep all of this loot for myself that would be naive.

    Especially when I''m just starting. So I grabbed the liver, heart and anything interesting from the snake''s body, took the ginormous skull and a few rib pieces then set off.

    I can''t build a base near the snake. What I do have right now are several pieces of meat, wrapped in plants. I''ll need more means to store things.

    Anyway, I started building the base. My current location is quite a distance from the corpse of the snake, it''s where most trees are destroyed thanks to the rampage of that beast.

    I started collecting the wood that was struck down and storing it in one place. After that task, I tried to flatten the land but the roots of those trees made it strong. So instead, I''ll just let it be.

    Before I claimed territory, I started lifting the earth. A place to put my foundation, the woods are also processed into planks, after a few more minutes of work I checked my SE.

    SE: 1,239

    This isn''t good. Processing things is expensive with my own power. I''ll need to hunt again but this time let''s be prepared and stop using only rocks.

    With the branches cut off from the processed wood, I started thinning them out, not able to believe that I had to start from the wood age.

    Anyways, wooden handles. I also took some rocks and processed them, with a triangular shape and jagged edges. Hopefully, that is enough when killing something.

    Hopefully, I could find some obsidian somewhere, those are sharp and much easier to process. I took a look at my SE.

    SE: 670.

    Oof.

    Carrying on, I looked around going for a hunt when I thought of the snake I hunted, I went back to its location to see some creatures feasting on it. There are a few things that made me interested though.

    Two groups of monkeys are fighting over food. Those are at the tail of the snake while the ones who were on the body are a Jaguar or a Leopard.

    The others are scavengers, like condors or some type of land mammal that I have no name for. I set my eyes on the monkeys, I''m on a hunt this time so I''ll just kill them without harvesting their meat.

    I created about 6 spears, most of them with rocks as blades only tied with strong vines. I aimed at the monkeys, even waiting for an advantageous position where I could hit multiple of them.

    There are 11 monkeys in total, 5 on one side and 6 on the other. I have no plans on taking them all on, only snowballing the fight.

    I aimed and when the conflict between two monkey groups ensued I fired. It struck one monkey, the spear pierced its back to its front chest and hit one more monkey as it struck its hips.

    I didn''t give them any respite. I aimed and shot again, the spear going for the head at the shocked monkeys that were not spaced out, hitting another monkey in the head and having collateral damage in the process.

    Down to 7 monkeys, when they got their shit together the monkeys started spreading apart and soon vanishing in the forest.

    [1,200 SE+]

    [1270 SE+]

    [2,010 SE+]

    [1,190 SE+]

    Nice I got 5,000+ SE from that one go. 6,280, in total if you add the remaining SE. I could go for more but I''m not going to push it, I went back to my camp and continued my work.

    ***

    [Year 6]

    The god has gone silent, but not without giving us tasks. Maybe it has seen what we need that it left us with such tasks.

    "Chief!"

    Imai looked to her left, thank god her eyesight wasn''t as bad as her aged legs. It has been six years. Six years since they came to Foreline village and back from Marshland village.

    She has helped the chosen children, Kavo, Mari and Kasha with all she could do. Despite those rewards she couldn''t help but feel pity, they were such a waste of her. She''s old, a century old, it was already rare for her to live this long.

    "Hello, Asmai."

    She mustered some voice out of her withered throat.

    "Chief¡­ you''re¡­"

    "Yes, I''m nearing my end."

    "You were a great chief. I''m pretty sure our ancestors will receive you with open arms."

    "Hopefully." She chuckled dryly.

    "Papa?"

    Imai''s gaze fell on the young boy who interrupted their moment, it was a kid, four years of age, with brown skin, and dark hair but brown eyes, one that he got from his father.

    "Ah, Chief this is Yaro."

    "I''m not the chief anymore."

    "Ah, sorry. It''s been a habit all those years. Just allow me to call you that."

    "Fine."

    Asmai lifted Yaro, up to his lap. He had proper clothing, unlike the village 4 years ago the Foreline village now had proper clothing, made from the fur of their Yaks, their fur grew in length like a woman''s, so it''s not so hard to tie them up to a cloth.

    "Go now, Asmai, it''s a good thing that the Foreline Village and our Marshland village have reconnected. But this is as far as I can go."

    "It was a shame, but rest well Chief."

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "That, I will do."

    Asmai ruefully smiled, he then placed a hand on his son''s head, ruffling it slightly. Both of them left the Chief''s mud house. Foreline Village has been in harmony ever since it connected with the Marshland Village.

    There were new jobs that came with the union, the Yak and Chicken farmers, and the Ikkin caretakers, the boost in food sources and resources made life easier in the Foreline village. The Marshland also provided different kinds of Food as well, but it''s not accessible to the Foreline village as seafood doesn''t last that long.

    The distance between the Foreline Village and the Marshland Village is quite far. They have to traverse the Farwide plains, get through the Zigzag Hills and pass through the Greenback Swamp to get to the Marshland Village.

    It''s quite far but thanks to that they have connected to their lost family or relatives. There''s a reason why Hadro wanted to be reconnected, they thought, they also decided to keep the Marshland village instead of migrating.

    Shaka was making traps, a simple hole in the ground covered by loose leaves, in the middle, a live-moving worm was tied in a string of Yak fur. The worm is moving, something that Shaka wants, it would be valuable bait for whatever comes in here will fall into the pit.

    "Shaka!"

    Shaka turned around, smiling as she saw her husband, she was just finishing her final touches on the trap. She got up and moved walking towards Asmai.

    "Setting traps?"

    Asmai asked, to which, Shaka nodded in affirmation. He held out a hand to help her, the unbalanced grounds were not to her liking.

    "Where is Yaro?"

    "Probably playing with the other kids."

    Shaka looked around, and sure enough, she saw them. She also saw her sister, Kasha, who is now 13 years old. Ever since she was given the skills she tried to understand more of them.

    It was two years ago that she finally completed her task and got her new skill. Kasha had taught a few kids in the process and their medium the loose dirt on the ground along with a stick.

    It wasn''t the best but the most cost-effective one, charcoal from wood would be a good material but she uses them sparingly, teaching the kids with drawings on the ground is much better than sparse charcoal.

    Even though she is limited, she still makes progress.

    "Kasha," Shaka called.

    "Hi, Sister." Kasha smiled as she was called.

    "How''s teaching others with our Language?"

    "It was easy, with games they learn fast."

    Kasha improvised, with limited tools, she instead used carving on pieces of wood, where she placed words such as the sun, tree, mother, father etc. it was easy to use and it lasted for much longer. With the wooden pieces, she played ¡®find the word¡¯ with the kids her age or younger, she would scream the word and the kid who found it first would win, a simple game.

    It''s a nice form of exercise.

    "Well, how''s your task?"

    "It''s already done, [Wikipedia] is better than I thought."

    "How so?"

    "It displays the description of words and what they mean, there are also synonyms, words that have the same or close meanings to the same word. Antonyms which are the exact opposite."

    "That''s useful, I guess that will help you do better?"

    Shaka tries to get involved in the things her sister likes, whilst she doesn''t understand much she at least tries to be a part of it.

    "It is!" Kasha raised her hands and chuckled.

    The sisters got into a small talk before they both went home together.

    ***

    It was a steady process. I flattened the land, dug with what I had and made a solid foundation. I don''t want my territory to be flimsy.

    I have to create a domain here. After creating a domain I would be able to do a lot of things, a portal to the Mortal Dimension and back to the Abyssal Dimension.

    Also, I forgot to mention, that my SE generation here is 0.87 per day. It''s better than in the Mortal Dimension. A small fraction of SE for my pocket.

    If my suspicions are correct I need to move fast, thankfully according to the abyssal info I could cushion the manpower, the thing I have in mind is a creature gods could create. They''re called an Astator but I''ll call them my Aidens since ya know, Aide.

    The log fell in place as I slotted it in the hole I dug, the moment it got in I started filling the crevices with the dirt I dug. It was an arduous process, thankfully I have particles as my power or else this work would be harder.

    I made a simple, but large bonfire, logs circled effectively in a circle

    It''s a structure of a bonfire, logs circled as much as they could and the empty spaces are filled with rocks. It has enough space for me to sprawl my legs and enough room to wiggle them around.

    Once I had my general space I started sending my SE, claiming my domain.

    [Domain claimed.]

    After the system prompted new information filled my noggin, I could now make my Aidens, the problem being, they''re 1,000 SE each. That''s at least one C-rank skill.

    Well, anywho, I wanted comfort for now. I felt like a slave working nonstop in this Abyssal Dimension, I was gone for 10 days! 10 days I say!

    Now I wonder what my followers are up to, I''m curious, really curious. But first. I checked around and made sure that there was a clearing for about 30 metres around my domain. I don''t want any sudden attacks away from my sight, I made it that large since animals in the abyss are huge.

    Since I applied my domain I just opened a gateway back to the Mortal Dimension. Oh, myself.

    I looked around and the town was bustling. What¡ªWHAT DID I MISS?!

    Yaro, Mari, and Shaka are 17 years old, one year away from their coming-of-age ceremony. A hundred mud houses were built for people and my altar has been changed, its design was better and wider.

    [All offerings turned to SE]

    [Claiming all SE]

    [107,091 SE+]

    My jaws hung wide, I earned more from offerings than hunting those things in the Abyssal Dimension, but, it took 10 years, 10.

    I was gone for 10 days I thought, only for the dilation to come hit hard. The Foreline villagers have proper clothing now unlike back in the day.

    They also started cultivating crops and herding animals. This is a good thing, I looked around, where''s the old lady? I sighed and decided to use the quest system for someone.

    "H-huh?!"

    [Quest]

    -explain what happened in the last 10 years, summarised. This quest can be finished with the help of others.

    Reward: spirit 1+

    ~

    "Hadro has returned!" The guy said, "Hadro has returned!" He repeated.

    That naturally got the attention of the villagers, they started flocking to the guy I just gave a quest. Well, I could somewhat understand why this is happening, I''ve gone radio silent all those years and now I''ve come back all of a sudden.

    Oh well, I''d be relieved too if my relatives suddenly showed their presence after a long time of silence. But this time it''s different since I''m a god and all.

    "What has our god tasked you with?"

    "A summary of what happened after 10 years."

    Questions were thrown left and right, something that I found amusing, well at least the guy did his task. 10 years have passed.

    The chief that I assigned, Imai, has passed away, but not before she could teach someone to be a chief and also finish my quest given to her.

    There is now a proto-militia type of organisation in the village, the hunters are slowly losing their prestige as hunters since food is no problem anymore but rather they become the guardians of the village as the dungeon in the forest is starting to spew out more monsters than usual, it''s concerning.

    They also have connections to the marshland village, going there once every 3 months as the terrain isn''t favourable. I need to pay attention to that side as well since transport is going to be a real thing in the future.

    I started scouting, and the populace also bumped up to 200 but that''s barely enough. I just sighed, but that''s fine, since there aren''t a lot of people, specialising them in one job is going to be easy.

    Right now, people need to have their foundation built. I gave three healthy people some quest, to find some ores, copper to be exact.

    That''s the first metal humans ever used, copper is easy to find due to their features, rusty, orange or teal-like surface gives the perfect markers.

    I could project the images on their head so it would be easy for them at least, now they would need something to write on, I need them to make paper, and to do that a lot has to be done.

    I need to find pulp for paper making and metal for tools, and I need to impart knowledge. In general, magic is strong, but over-relying on something that goes away eventually is not ideal. If only one person knows how to make rope then when he dies rope making is over.

    I''m overthinking it. I need to take this slow, step by step.

    I sighed, too much work. I need assistants, I''m going to make my first Aiden, it''s pretty much needed at this point. Someone had to watch the Marshland village, someone had to scout, and someone had to give tasks.

    I only have one body and one mind, if I disperse I''m gone, I''m a collective of energy so dispersing my body is not a good idea.

    With my Soul Energy I started forming my first Aiden, the System I have, the particle system helps me with administrative tasks and SE storage and manipulation. It''s a hefty tool.

    But when it comes to things like making an Aiden, the abyssal information lacks any detail on how the system could help.

    So, I''m all alone in this task, I hope I don''t butcher my first Aiden as it is over 1,000 SE to make one. I shaped the energies, I had the time so I took it, forming the image into one I had imagined.

    I don''t want purity or holy as other described gods with their angels, I want mine to look competent but not overbearing. I want them to look smart and caring. One with wisdom oozing from their eyes.

    Isn''t it better if religion encourages science and righteousness instead of blind faith? I want my followers to be smart and endearing to others, In my previous life, all religions are twisted by their followers, but since I''m here, hopefully, that won''t happen.

    The shape of my Aiden is complete, I''m naming it, Lazarus. 170cm tall and lean. Shaped like a human but the most important detail that tells it''s my creation is the eyes. They''re orange and with the symbol of science, an atom logo.

    it was it''s finished I started infusing it with my energy, the energy that makes up myself. After a bit, it was done. However, it won''t open its eyes or move.

    "ugh¡­ What the heck¡­ Uhm¡­"

    I infused more SE into it thinking it would work, and then suddenly it started sucking my SE. My ten years'' worth of SE! It felt like a large piece of me was being sucked away!

    After a few minutes, it stopped absorbing SE and it blinked. Lazarus blinked since I created him in the image of a dignified man.

    "Creator!"

    Lazarus smiled as he called on me, I made him as close as to the image of the villagers, with brown skin, dark hair and of course, the only mark from me was the orange eyes.

    The reason why he could speak from the get-go is because of the memory that I imbued him with. All of my abilities are copied to Lazarus by a fraction.

    "Lazarus. That is your name."

    "I wholeheartedly accept my name."

    "And also¡­"

    I looked around, I already felt their presence, and I turned my head around to see the shocked looks of the villagers. Their gazes pointed at Lazarus. I sighed, all the SE were invested in Lazarus, I didn''t plan for Lazarus to be made with a material body. The remaining SE I have is only 10,000.

    I gave almost all of my SE to Lazarus. Fuck.

 [V1;C9]A Bit of Progress

    [Year 10]

    Lazarus, the first of his kind. He looks like a young healthy man. He appeared in an orange light that died slowly. Giving him such a dashing entrance that ever graced the mortal realm. I looked around and it seems that Lazarus is famous.

    "Woah¡­"

    Everyone looked at Lazarus, who had an orange pupil for his eyes. It wasn''t ember, it wasn''t blue or brown. But his eye colour is orange.

    "Oh my, Lazarus, it seems I forgot to give you clothes."

    "O-oh¡­ yeah this is embarrassing." Lazarus covered himself with a flustered face.

    The villagers didn''t just stand there though, they could see Lazarus so they helped him, giving him clothing to cover himself up.

    I seem to have given him too much SE, not of my own will. This is exactly what would happen if I made a weapon, it would materialise like Lazarus. Though at this time I do not intend to do so.

    I sighed, anyway, he''s still an Aiden, my Aiden. I created him for a purpose.

    "Lazarus."

    "Yes, creator?"

    "No, don''t call me creator, just call me anything but that."

    I want a proper, formal greeting rather than just a dull impersonal title like creator. If I got called creator by a sentient being fully capable of making decisions by itself I would rather be called by something else it does not sit right with me.

    Lazarus stared at me, for others, it would be staring in the air, the people whose gaze had landed on Lazarus it seemed like he was talking to a ghost.

    "Then, Father?" Lazarus spoke questioningly.

    "Hmm¡­" It''s not technically wrong, but it''s far better than being called Creator "Let''s go with that. Anyways, I have a task for you."

    "I will heed your command."

    "Check up with the village chief and record all the names, their abilities and what they could do. Then report back to me.¡°

    Scouting talents would be easier with the help of an Aiden, should I give Lazarus another Aiden for his tasks? I mean that would make things easier and I have the Marshland Village to attend to as well.

    "Your will, will be done."

    "No, no. Lazarus. You reply with ''Yes, Father.'' you''re my son so be one for me. Could you do that?"

    Lazarus scratched his cheek with a blush, then smiled and nodded. What a cute boy. Anyway, I created another Aiden and named him Magnus.

    "Magnus, that is your name."

    Now I did it right. It didn''t suck the SE out of me like a vacuum so the Aiden in front of me is only of the immaterial consciousness. An image of a man with the same features as Lazarus, an orange eye with an atomic symbol as its pupil.

    Well, the outer features differ from Lazarus. A young man, mostly transitioning from an adult but with sharp features. Magnus.

    "Thank you for¡ª"

    "I will be preferred and called with the honorific: father."

    "Thank you, Father," Magnus replied with his head tilted.

    "Anyways. Follow me." I flew towards the Marshland village. Magnus followed after.

    ***

    Lazarus looked around, he had basic instincts after becoming physically materialized. Sense of survival, sense of danger, sense of hunger, etc.

    He had been tasked to keep an eye on the villagers. So he has to abide.

    "Are you the creation of Hadro himself?"

    However, it is proving to be difficult as the villagers seem to be unable to do their own thing as they''re looking at him like an animal in a zoo. His eyes were simply alluring.

    "Yes, I have some tasks provided by Father, where''s the chief?"

    Lazarus was then led to the village chief''s mud house, Mari, and Kasha were particularly talking about how convenient it is to have a person who could directly talk to Hadro.

    "I wonder what more there is to math?! I''ve been stagnant for years!" Mari exclaimed.

    Mari was one of the first few which Hadro blessed with skill, and thanks to that she has progressed in the art of mathematics. However, addition, subtraction, division and multiplication are the only things she has ever known. Division and multiplication are ones she discovered by herself.

    It was helpful in the village actually, a pseudo-logistics was created thanks to her. A mud house solely for extra items was made since it''s all recorded, this was also thanks to Kasha, since she''s the one who created the lettering system they could record which is which and how many it is. All of the items in the mud house are recorded on a wooden tablet.

    Lazarus has been introduced to the village chief, the village chief is a tall stout man named Kal he was a Yak farmer before becoming chief. Just like Imai, he was chosen via democracy(voting).

    "Hello, Lazarus." Kal politely greeted

    "Greetings, Kal." Lazarus returned the greeting.

    "What has our Patron God tasked you with?"

    "It''s quite simple, I need to have all of the villagers'' names and their profession," Lazarus spoke with a smile.

    The two had chatted for a while, Kal invited Lazarus for a tour around the village, introducing them to each villager first-hand. It was an eventful trip to Lazarus. He learned a lot from the Villagers'' traditions and taboos, and he became a full-fledged citizen of the village after the tour.

    Lazarus was led to a mud house used by none, it''s quite old, evident by the cracks on the wall. The roof which was made of dried branches and leaves from a palm tree was due for maintenance as well.

    "I apologize for letting you stay at an old house, but this is the only place we could give you." Kal apologetically said.

    "It''s alright, we could make this better once there''s a sun above us."

    Kal nodded and excused himself, Lazarus planned to at least work in the village if he was going to stay, he was physically capable, and staying still would be fine but it would be shameful to do so.

    His father has been continuously working, so why wouldn''t he? He was about to enter the mud house when he started hearing footsteps. Someone in a hurry, running.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Wait!!!"

    Mari stopped right in front of Lazarus with sparkling eyes. She was enthusiastic as she could finally get an answer after years she had been asking.

    "Can I ask if there are more maths problems?"

    "What?"

    "I mean, does our god patron have more mathematical problems for me to solve? It''s been years since he gave me a task."

    Lazarus was a bit surprised about Mari¡¯s enthusiasm. However, he was curious as he is no different from a newborn.

    "I have not received any tasks to help you as of yet. Nor do I have any knowledge of any mathematical problems for you to solve. I''m sorry."

    "No, no it''s fine! I''ll just have to wait since our patron God is back, he''ll definitely remember these things!" Mari''s cheerful attitude seems to have leeched to Lazarus.

    "I''ll be sure to remind him if I get the chance," Lazarus replied with a smile.

    "That would be great! Thank you!" Mari smiled and then ran off.

    Lazarus was frozen in place, his gaze planted on Mari''s back as she ran off, what a peculiar mortal.

    ***

    The marshland village is a low populated land, the reason being that the previous deity was very harsh and cruel, though thankfully a majority of the village''s populace which are the children and elderly were saved by the Foreline village.

    The children came back to the family and the elderly settled down. Some even made new families for themselves.

    The Marshland village had a different set of cultures themselves. Their homes are huts, cone-shaped thanks to their peculiar structure. A straight stick in the middle and with a large weaved Yak fur placed atop it, the edges being tied down to the ground with a wooden pike.

    Their language vastly differs from the Foreline village as well. But that was changing, the migrating tribe learned the Foreline village''s language and added their own, and slang became apparent and overused that it became a part of Kasha''s [wikipedia] as a normal word.

    Overall, the children and some families that reconnected to the Marshland Village started speaking the Foreline language but thanks to the Migrating tribe going back to the marshland and being the ones to teach the language they never fully learned the precise pronunciation, hence the accent.

    "Wahie! Get''yer husband and have''d the offering ready!"

    It was bizarre. For me, it is very bizarre. I understand their language because I am a god, no further explanation. But for these people, they started adding Foreline language to their Marshland language giving it some words and accents that make sense to others but not to the progenitors of the language.

    The only one who spoke proper Foreline language was Imai, the old lady. These people have different tongues. Not that I blame them.

    After watching the people offer me a basket of fish I moved on, Magnus floating back to me from the report he finished. There are only 4 noteworthy to have my attention he placed unto.

    4 of them are fishermen, and since they''re fishing in shallow waters with spears, I decided to give them [{F} Fish Spearer] they have the best skill as well so they''ll make full use of this ability.

    What else am I supposed to do? I have Magnus who will oversee the village. I could leave this place and attend to matters that need my attention.

    First I compiled things that I must''ve forgotten. I could make my things given enough SE. I have a clock¡­ What else do I need?

    Well, considering that I wanted the name, the number of the populace and their abilities I added another screen to my system. I''ll call it the [Follower Panel.]

    When opened it will show the village names, if expanded the entire populace of that village will be shown, their names and their abilities and skills. I could expand the names as well to profiles, it includes their Systems and the information of course.

    This way I could check up on the Villagers who need a blessing, ah, since I''m at it I also placed a marker on the profile panel of the Villagers to indicate where they are. Making my life easy.

    After scouting the Marshland Village I went to find Magnus, it was easy as his location was always being relayed to me, like a radar after a pulse of sound was sent and returned.

    "Magnus."

    "Father?"

    "I assign you to be responsible for this Village, you have free reign to bless someone with a skill and in general will be the one who''ll report on the events relating to the Village."

    "Your will¡ª"

    "Ah, ah." I waved my hand "Just say, Yes Father."

    Magnus hesitated with his words first before complying "Then, Yes Father."

    "Well, I''ll be going now. If something dangerous comes up, inform me."

    I went back to the Foreline village, the sun painting the skies orange as it set for another day to rise. I searched for Lazarus and he seemed to be resting in a mud house. It seems to be an old one, I remember this mud house, this is the same mud house that Farza used.

    Though she seems to be¡­ ah, yes she seems nowhere to be found. I checked my Follower panel and Farza is nowhere there as well, rest in peace Farza.

    "Lazarus," I called.

    "Yes, Father?"

    "How was your time here? Did you finish the task I assigned you?¡±

    "I''m fine, the villagers are friendly and yes, I have finished my task."

    Lazarus'' job was scouting since I wouldn''t always be there in person to witness the villagers in action for their show of ability. I made an Aiden in which Lazarus was born.

    Lazarus smiled and waited for my response, why is he like this?

    "Is there something in your mind?"

    "Ah, yes. A villager asked if you could give her more mathematical questions."

    "Ah! Mari. Right, thank you for reminding me."

    "it is of no¡ª"

    "Lazarus. A simple ''you''re welcome'' is enough." I gently spoke.

    Lazarus nodded "You''re welcome, Father."

    I nodded in satisfaction, although our relationship is that of creation and creator I plan to make it that much more platonic. Lazarus was a piece of me therefore he is my child, families are not bound by flesh but by bond.

    "Alright, do whatever you want in your free time."

    "Really?" Lazarus seemed lost

    "...Of course" I just patted him on the head somehow. ¡°Is something plaguing your mind?¡±

    ¡°What do I do? I have no idea what to do in my spare time.¡±

    I smiled and gave him an Idea.¡±Theres plenty of work in the village Lazarus, learning them won''t hurt.¡±

    Lazarus nodded. ¡°Thank you, I think I have an idea what to do.¡±

    I went to the big three as I dubbed it. Mari, Kasha and Kavo. I first visited Mari who was good with numbers. To my surprise, of course, she discovered division and multiplication on her own. I guess I was gone for way too long.

    Especially since [Mathematician F] is just a passive skill that allows Mari to mentally solve problems faster. I checked her profile in my [Follower Panel]

    Name: Mari

    Species: Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles: [The first to be Blessed.]

    ~0~0~0~

    Str: 4

    Agi: 6

    Int: 22

    Spirit: 4

    Luck: 3

    Skills:

    [Mathematician -D]

    Rank [-D]?! She didn''t slack in doing mental calculations, what was she even calculating in all of those 10 years? She upgraded her rank for 2 whole ranks ignoring the sub-ranks. Her diligence is something to be rewarded, and since she''s asking for more things to solve, I decided to give her a full arithmetic subject to play on.

    I wanted to give her an introduction to Fractions, Place Values, Decimals, and Negative and Positive numbers. The only thing she lacked, however, was I can''t just give her something directly, that would be¡­ cheating. So I decided to round something up.

    ***

    Mari gave herself a mental problem, not by numbers directly but by a question. If there are 15 berries on a basket and were left out for 7 days, how many would be left?

    The answer is 15, none is taken out. Even though things like this are boring Mari finds it intriguing, counting numbers is easy, and adding or multiplying them is easy. So how come nobody ever really wanted to dig into how deep the mathematical rabbit hole is?

    When Mari was about to sleep, the awakened part of her system grew orange, an indication of a task being given. Mari was excited, it had been a while and now she was getting attention from their god patron, she wondered what new stuff would be given.

    With an enthusiastic squeal, Mari looked at her panel.

    [Quest]

    [Harder Arithmetics]

    -Offer Hadro a piece of mathematical question.

    Reward: [Learning Packet: Arithmetic.]

    [Basic Mathematic]

    -Answer the following question:

    2/4+5/4

    -42+77

    32.172+18.187

    11,847?2/4

    Reward: [Arithmetic F]

    [Learning Packet: Arithmetic.]

    Desc: a compilation of information about Arithmetic, for the user to understand the subject a panel is given breaking down the topics of arithmetic. Addition and subtraction, division and multiplication, fractions, decimals and place value.

    [Arithmeric F]

    Desc: Arithmetic problems are calculated faster.

    ~

    When Mari was finished reading the quest board on her screen she immediately squealed and ran around her mud house expressing her joy just to quickly go back inside, revealing how embarrassed she was.

    "Okay, okay."

    She looked around, trying to find an item to write on. The mud house isn''t that empty, with a roll of strewn leaves for bedding, and a wooden short table. And a strewn basket filled with miscellaneous items.

    Mari went to the basket, trying to find anything to write on. She took out a tiny piece of wood, something that only fits in her palm, however, its surface is wide enough to write something on.

    She scoured the basket once more, finding a stick, a dead stem connected to a long piece of leaf. She looked around for something to write on before having an idea that she placed the leaf back in the basket.

    She went to the nearest bonfire that the whole village has. It''s still running because some elders are talking about what to do for the next day.

    One of them noticed Mari and spoke up to her.

    "Mari! What are you doing here? The moon has already risen, why not go to sleep?*

    "I have something to do! Hadro had given me a task!"

    "A task?"

    That certainly got the attention of the elders, after all, it has been years since one was given a task.

    "Yep! Something about my skill!"

    They nodded and left her alone, they wouldn''t bother someone eager to finish their task. Mari grabbed a stick and pulled out a charcoal in the middle of the bonfire, pulling it out with a stick until it was out of its circle.

    She grabbed the charcoal and immediately started writing. She didn''t want the question to be simple, it would mean she thought of Hadro so lowly that he only needed basic questions to answer.

    Instead, she devised a question, one that kids would certainly come up with. A question that would go to hundreds of millions and a chain of multiplication and divisions, additions and subtractions.

    Mari doesn''t know what PEMDAS is, her answering method is calculating from left to right and whatever the answer comes out is the answer.

    She thought that the answer to this equation was already easily answered and that hers and Hadro''s would be the same.

    She stepped up to the altar and placed the piece of wood. Feeling that she got a great job she waited for the piece of wood to glow, only for the answer to her question to be answered.

    ***

    I kept watching Mari as she went ahead and made her question to finish her first in-line quest. I could see her smug, I only made that quest for her to get the learning packet.

    Learning packets, they''re a new thing I made so that I could give Mari the proper sequence like this in the piece of wood.

    It says 1,173,234+192,354¡Á19,102,353-1,173,255¡Â12,183,193. I answered the wood directly by carving in it. I used SE in the process but the look of surprise in Mari made me amused.

    I let her take the learning packet, the learning packet is a separate panel from the Quest panel in her system. Let''s call it a Learning Panel, I made this so her gaps in knowledge such as Pemdas could be solved.

    And I need a place for the Learning packet to go anyway.

    The moment the panel appeared on Mari''s screen she was howling in the joy that the elders near the fire reprimanded her. She went back to the mud house, lying down along with her parents on their strewn mats.

    I hummed, going to the other two on the list, next was Kavo.

 [V1;C10]New things

    Mari was now busy with her learning packet, she seemed intent on learning what she was just given, how diligent. My attention now falls on Kavo, our medical child. He finished the task I tasked him with and gained the skill [Medical Botany{F}]

    Thanks to that, in the last 10 years I was gone he managed to make a lot of contributions to the village, he is well-liked in the community as his Medicare helped a lot of people and the most helped ones are the hunters.

    The hunters have been hunting in the forest and sometimes accidents happen, a wound or a bite would present itself to Kavo, and thanks to Medicare and Medical botany none had perished due to infection or blood loss.

    I observed Kavo for the day, he seems to be doing well with his own set of herbs in his little garden. This garden had a lot of different herbs that Kavo had gathered in the past 10 years.

    Some are for headaches, colds, indigestion etc. Kavo''s Medicare and Medical Botany has reached rank E+. Not as high as Mari''s Mathematicians but unlike Mari''s Kavo needed resources the village lacked, so the fact that Kavo still managed to rank it up on his own is already amazing.

    I checked what else he needed, and it seems the only thing he is lacking are ingredients, if not a better way to deal with sickness and health, herbs aren''t the only things used in medicine, some animal parts too, though some of them are hoaxed some of them are used in medicine.

    If Kavo couldn''t get his materials then could I?

    I checked if I could create a panel with the function of acting as a store, and to my surprise, it worked. This revelation made me realise that I could support these people even better.

    I started planning how my store would go, a system store huh? Soul Energy is the power I needed, if I ever gave them a [Store Panel] then I need a proper economic system running within it, it might start small but it''s better than nothing.

    But before I went through the whole plan I made another Aiden, I named her Zoe.

    "Cr¡ª"

    "I prefer being called, Father."

    I had to repeat the process, well whatever, I tasked Zoe with reminding me of things and being the administrator of things in the Mortal Dimension while I''m gone, she would be the one deciding things.

    She had my decision-making, I imparted that part of me to her, I need her to make wise decisions as I''m going to depart to the Abyss dimension once again.

    Since I have claimed territory and made a Domain, I don''t have to put up another portal to open up so I can cross locations.

    Kavo needed materials to better his craft of medicine, and Kasha needed something to write on. My goal today is to embark on a journey in the abyss to make papers and find herbs.

    Since in the Abyss, I could touch things, unlike the Mortal realm I would be able to think with my own hands. I still have 7,000 SE to spare. I plan to be done in a few days. But of course, I left with a lot of quests for everyone.

    For a lot of quests, I''m not going to give any time limit since I don''t want them to be rushed. After that, I went to the Abyss.

    It was still the same, I went out and things haven''t changed much, in fact, it only seems like minutes have passed ever since I left.

    I needed paper, first I needed pulps, I went to the logs and branches that had been left over after my fight with the snake. I wanted to do it fast before the sun set so I shredded the branches with my power.

    I don''t mind using SE for now since it''s better if work has been done earlier than just saving SE altogether. Herbs and some medicinal parts of animals, now that I think of it, didn''t I take a liver from the snake I fought?

    I went to the stack of snake meat I stored in a makeshift storage made out of¡­ wide leaves. I opened it up and took out the chopped-up pieces of livers. How much of this to make it a material?

    Well, I should probably make the [Store panel] now and store all of this in there, now while I¡¯m at it, I''m going to make [Storage] as well for my personal use.

    Since I could customise these panels I give people I decided to make it much neater, the store icon is that of a shopping cart and the quest is that of an open scroll.

    The store panel is the same as any online shopping app, it has a picture of the item, the name and the price. I''m unsure whether I add stats like in RPG games but decided not to. Instead of stats I just added the effect of the item in the user, like a 1+ in intellect if equipped, etc.

    And the most important as well is a sell option, when they sell to me the whole thing will turn into immaterial and will give me all the SE it has. All the offering that was given to my name has the material and soul energy separated, only giving me the soul energy. But when it comes to this, the material and the energy are given to me.

    When someone decides to sell in the [Store Panel] it would give them 60% of the SE while I take the 40%, is it extortion? Nah, a Berry is 3SE if they receive 1.8 and I receive 1.2 they still have a lot compared to me. Though it would appear as [C] instead of SE.

    Anyways, the majority of the offerings I received for years are animals, all those converted surpassed hundreds of SE.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ***

    Everyone in the village is surprised. Each one of them had at least a single task, and one by one they started getting into work. However, the three people that Hadro gave a quest to are quite confused.

    "A red¡­ orange rock?"

    "Why us?"

    "Maybe there''s a hidden meaning?"

    There was a moment of silence, trying to understand such intentions. However, with all their brain power such intentions are never uncovered, for, after all, they are questioning the intentions of a god.

    In the end, the three stopped trying and prepared to embark, since coloured stones were needed they decided to go to the south, where the Red Mountain lay. As its name suggests, it is a red-coloured mountain, however, the red colouration is from the dirt itself, not some stones.

    But the idea of finding a red-teal rock in the mountain is a high probability to these three, they went there with dried meat and dried fruits as sustenance.

    Ready to finish their tasks.

    Back at the Foreline village, Lazarus woke up with a yawn, he stretched before getting up, since his task was to keep an eye on the villagers he might as well help them.

    Lazarus walked around the village, already determined to help around. Eyes would sometimes fall on Lazarus, it''s a bit uncomfortable and also the fact that he appeared in a flashy way will certainly make him a celebrity.

    Once he got to the mud house of the Chief he called out his name. "Chief Kal! I have something to talk about!" It was the morning so he lowered his voice.

    "Lazarus? What, is there something I could help you with?" Kal looked at Lazarus with eyes half closed.

    "I plan to work, Father allowed me to. So where do I find something to work on?"

    "Hmm¡­ are you sure?"

    "Yes!" Lazarus answered brightly. "I can''t just do nothing."

    "Hmm¡­" Kal thought for a moment, he has yet to find a significant problem that is plaguing the village. "Oh, how bout helping Flake from his Yak farm?"

    "Oh? What trouble does he have?"

    "It''s the Yak fur, as I explained, they grew a foot long after 3 months, thanks to this storing it is easy, however, the mould is a problem."

    "Ah! So I just need to find a way for the mould to stop?"

    "Pretty much."

    Kal stretched his body for a while before he led Lazarus to Flake. Flake is one of the Yak farmers, their meat and fur being the ones being farmed the most. However, the harvest of meat is only when the Yak is 4 years old. It takes 2 years for it to mature, and 2 more to build up its fat and nutrients to be suitable for consumption.

    "Hello, Chief. And the son of God."

    "Haha, just call me Lazarus." Lazarus let out a laugh.

    "Is that allowed?" Flake nervously spoke.

    "Why wouldn''t it be?"

    Flake nodded, if it wouldn''t label him in a bad eye to their god patron then he wouldn''t mind calling Lazarus by name, but doing it still garnered some hesitation and worry.

    "Well, then. Lazarus, why come here?"

    "He''s here because he wanted to do something," Kal interjected. "A job for himself."

    "Oh! Then yes, today is a good day for that. Since you wanted to do something, how about going to Haime?"

    "The Weaver?" asked Lazarus.

    "Yes, he needed someone''s help on weaving, since he is only one of the few who knows how to weave with the Yak fur."

    "Sure. I can do that much."

    "that would be helpful, oh and Lazarus, you haven''t eaten Yak meat before haven''t you?"

    The arrival of the migrating tribe introduced the village to salt, since the marshland is not that far from the sea they went there to take some of the seawater and dry it once they got back to their village.

    Though salt isn''t that common the tribe does what they can since they''re reconnected to the marshland village where they get the salt from, it''s only that once a few months they get this product so trade between the village still happens.

    Back at the Yak farm, the meat of yak becomes juicy once cooked with salt, the juices that are being taken out by the salt being absorbed by the fat of the yak is something akin to popularized cuisine.

    "No, not yet."

    "Then look forward to tomorrow," Flake said with a smile.

    Lazarus nodded before they embarked towards the so-called Weaver.

    ***

    I managed to make a functional Store system, the panel allows selling and buying. The best part of this is that I could recreate items with pure SE.

    If there is no Snake meat, I could recreate the snake meat with SE. Since the snake meat is only a pork chop in size it''s not that much SE, for example, a juvenile deer gives a hundred SE(Mortal realm) the snake meat would only cost 30 SE. Since size matters when it comes to SE consumption.

    Since it''s that way it''s not so hard to correct the value of items I have in hand, however, the only bottleneck for this idea is that I cannot recreate items I have not received yet. If a villager wants to buy spice but I haven''t encountered spice yet I cannot replicate it with SE, which is concerning.

    Anyhow, I went to the forest with the idea of taking as many plants in my hands, the moment I absorbed the SE contained by them the information about the material got absorbed by me.

    I at least circled my territory to make sure I hadn''t missed anything yet. I kept a low profile as much as I could since my purpose here was to grab as many herbs as I could.

    Though that doesn''t stop the possibility of animals coming in contact, I had to shoot rocks at them, it was a great deterrent. No matter, I achieved my goal of gathering herbs, some of their names, something I never knew existed.

    Nonetheless, it feels like an adventure, though I have to rush back, a day here is a year back in the mortal realm. Since a day is a single year I always check on the sun since it falling means I need to go back. I don''t want to hide again from the creatures of the night.

    Those ten days I stayed without proper shelter were a nightmare.

    I walked down a steep clearing, holding onto some trees as I descended. One thing I saw though is a peculiar plant. I checked if I have it already but no, it doesn''t come up on my storage or my store.

    Grabbing the thing and pulling it up, my excitement almost made me fall down the steep clearing. It''s potato! It''s a freaking potato! The most staple food the world has ever known!

    I quickly placed it in my storage. It was so handy having dimensional storage, though it was so expensive, apparently completely erasing time but keeping space just for 1 cubic meter of storage is enough to warrant 5,000 SE. It''s worth it though.

    I kept descending the steep terrain till I was on stable ground. Here I found a small patch of a pond. I ignored it and moved on, noticing my surroundings were vastly different.

    I know where my territory is since my energy is imbued in it, it feels like I have some unseen tether on my neck, I know where it was at all times. After weighing if it was worth it to continue or not I shrugged and kept going.

    Here there are new plants, though not that many. I collected some of it. Some trees with fruits, I have no idea if they''re safe so I cracked one open and left it for animals to eat. If they get eaten then it''s safe, if not it isn''t.

    Nonetheless, I kept things and kept them in my storage and made them available to my store. I need proper logistics, ugh. Well, no matter, I still have about 2,000 SE, it''s something I have to hold dear.

    As I traversed the continuously getting wetter terrain I decided to just grab what I could and dip out. I know a wet forest might lead to a river infested with crocodiles or alligators, what the hell are the differences?!

    In the end, I have to climb the steep clearing once again, it''s a bit of a challenge since here I can''t fly without using a single SE, but anyway, I''m having a fun time myself. It''s an adventure, how could I not?

    As I traversed the steep clearing I almost lost footing, but thanks to a nearby tree I managed to regain my balance. Once I got on top I continued walking back, I have a lot of items on me and I hope they''re useful.

    As I was traversing the forest to its uneven footing, I found myself tripping on a root. I grunted and looked at the thing I tripped on. It has a red beady fruit sitting on top of its smooth long leaves.

    "What the¡­"

    I pulled it out and the whole thing came out. Ginseng. It''s ginseng. I almost gagged that this thing has a lot of worth back on earth and here I just discovered it by accident?

    Hah, funny. I kept it, it has actual medical properties and a lot at that, so keeping it for now since it''s very valuable. I might sell it in the store or use it for other purposes.

    Walking along the entire forest till I reached my little abode, I settled down for a while, a few minutes to rest here might be something I needed.

 [V1;C11]Strength Within

    Paper is one of the most used materials on earth, every day, millions of trees are cut down to make paper. But how is such a thing possible? If millions of trees are cut down every day wouldn''t the earth be laid bare?

    Well, the answer to that is not really, millions are cut in every month, not days. And the reason there are a lot of papers is that a single tree could make you several notebooks. Not just one notebook.

    That''s a lot of paper, and the fact a lot of people don''t even use paper is just saddening. Papers are used arning, reading and especially logistics.

    I tried to find wood that was good enough for paper, I rested enough and I started moving again. There are a lot of woods in this forest but wherever I look it''s the same type of wood. Maybe I''m not looking at the right places.

    I scoured the north of my territory, there are some that I could use as a sample here. In each place, I go I take a small branch or at least some broken tree that fell over.

    Some herbs too whenever I see something new. A lot was discovered but the best discovery for me is the wild carrot. I like carrots, food from my childhood.

    I can''t wait to find some thyme, basil, and pepper too. Those spices and herbs are extremely coveted at these times. I continued my exploration, as I was about to store an item my storage rejected.

    My storage is full and I have to go back. Once I got back to my territory and emptied my storage I noticed that I lacked space.

    I think I''m going to linger longer for more than a day, I sighed for a bit and started to get working. With a thousand SE on my side, I dedicated that amount to expanding my land. Trees and plants got pushed aside as I went.

    But of course, that didn''t go unhindered. Animals avoided the noise but the beasts and semi-deity? No, they got attracted. It''s like a predator got allured by the scent of blood.

    The first one to show itself is a four-legged beast, it''s one and a half metres tall and three metres long. Its fur is white and brown in a horizontal manner. It looks like a possum, but the fact that it came here instead of avoiding means it''s far from the species of a possum.

    It sniffed its surroundings and stopped as soon as it saw me. It bared its teeth and whiskers were reared. The coat of its fur also started to stand up making it look enlarged from my perspective.

    Nice, a new type of meat. But I don''t plan on grabbing something I couldn''t store. I already have the snake meat that has lasted for a while now, I still haven''t finished it yet so I''ll just take its SE.

    I raised my wooden spear and prepared to propel it with my power. But the damn thing started to spit in my direction, I dodged but it made a mess behind me, so I propelled the spear between its eyes but it was faster than I thought.

    It dashed sideways, utilising its four limbs to run around instead of running away, this placed me in a disadvantageous position, trees surrounded me and my spears were made of wood. It won''t pierce trees without destroying them.

    The worst case is that I expend all of my spears, and then I''m done for. Fighting the snake is easier, If the dude was metres long I would''ve landed a hit even if it''s fast.

    The Possum is smarter than I thought, it became erratic, and its speed was incredible every time it moved it was a blur. Why won''t you just play like your animal counterpart? Just play dead already.

    The possum dashed as my back was turned around, but I didn''t go here unprepared. I felt my SE drop and I knew the forcefield I erected behind me was activated.

    The possum was stuck in the air, and I was confused why it could move in the air as if there was solid ground under its feet. I didn''t waste any time.

    Instead of shooting my spear I got close and personal and swung my spear. The possum jumped up, tucking its leg together as it spun in the air and when it landed it ran again.

    "This little¡­"

    I got information from that though, it''s vulnerable when it''s in the air because it doesn''t change trajectory whenever it''s airborne. I kept myself looking like I''m vulnerable.

    Now with a plan to take the possum down. I waited, its body moving in a blur as it circled me, it might expend all of its energy soon, but I''m not hopeful about that.

    My SE dropped and I turned around, the possum did it again, this is where I took my chance. I warded it off with the spear in my hand, it jumped just as the first time by tucking its legs.

    However, I was already prepared. Before it even made contact with the ground I already threw my spear, the spear went through its neck unhindered. I thought that was the end of it, but no.

    The possum decided to be an annoyance and when it hit the ground it zoomed away, crashing into multiple trees in the process. The biggest annoyance is that it crashed into my territory.

    The effort I placed into that place is now being trashed by a speedy rat. I can''t follow its movement at all and that''s what made it more annoying.

    After a few more minutes of struggling the rat stopped moving, blood was all over the place and my territory was ruined. What a fucking annoyance.

    This will take a while to fucking fix, and I have some paper to make as well. The rat started turning to SE, it gave me four thousand SE at least, replenishing my almost depleted SE. I sighed.

    I swear to god if I manage to jumpstart the civilization of the tribe to the iron sword era I could probably do more than now, but we''re not there yet. So helping them to survive for now is a must.

    I started fixing the territory, it would at least require another set of processed wood. Since my SE is replenished I decided to spoil myself and process the wood with my power.

    Hundreds of wood are processed in hours. I didn''t like that I had to stay another day here. It means two years had already passed in the mortal realm.

    I didn''t mind that much though, I gave them a lot of quests to pursue, I, on the other hand, had the quest to make paper.

    "WHICH I NEEDED FOR LOGISTICS!!!"

    I can''t help but yell frustratingly, paper was made when an Eastern guy used some wooden pulps and placed them in water. Before paper, they used parchment, the other was vellum, but those two needed animal hide! The village has other uses for that!

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I collected wood overnight, instead of resting I decided to stay and finish before going back to the mortal realm. I started processing the wood.

    And of course, I needed to pulp the wood for the paper. Too much work, too much work¡­

    ***

    [Year 11]

    Over half of the people in the village have finished a significant amount of their tasks. The ones benefiting the most are the hunters, in their much-needed disposition.

    It''s been half a year, and the monsters won''t stop roaming. Every single Hunter is needed to fight.

    "It''s becoming more and more dangerous," Arkum spoke as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

    "Don''t lose a single Hunter."

    Half a year. The number of monsters the dungeon had spurted had doubled. The hunters have been slowly whittling down their numbers to no avail.

    Arkum looked at the number of the hunters with him, a dozen. Out of a hundred people in the village, only a handful could be trained in hunting. They have defended the village a lot of times, and the number of monsters not even dipping down is a very concerning matter.

    The Scorn Wolves which possess red hide and tenacious grit are one of the few monsters spewed by the dungeon. One of the truly dangerous ones is the Scorn bears.

    Bears are already a tough nut to crack but a dungeon bear? Something that would make them kneel, Arkum''s friends got damaged by this bear, and of course, their number fell. Thankfully the Hunter survived but became a cripple.

    Not only that, but the cause of the crippled man''s fall is because of his spear, it didn''t pierce through at the right moment, it bent and broke. The sight of that made the men involved learn that they''re vulnerable to mortality and how fragile truly they are.

    However, that doesn''t stop them from coming back to such hard tasks. With new skills and renewed stats, they''re strong, a responsibility that was laid before them.

    Arkum looked at his status.

    Name: Arkum

    Species: Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles:

    ~0~0~0~

    Str: 15

    Agi: 10

    Int: 9

    Sprt: 9

    Lck: 7

    Skills:

    [Spear Hunter D-]

    [Hunter Aura E+]

    [Piercing Blow E]

    [Thrust E]

    ~

    Thanks to these skills the hunters could survive another day, also the tasks given by the patron God have proven to work wonders. Their stats have risen multiple times and have given them an advantage through their arduous times.

    A roar reverberated through the woods, birds chirped and flew away from the source, the thunderous pounding of the ground as if a herd was merged into one.

    Arkum and the other hunters stand up, today they have one mission, one task, and one quest to complete.

    [Quest]

    [Mastery of the spear]

    -Kill a Bear alone or serve a bear''s head with its organs as an offering.

    Reward: str 5+

    ~

    The sound stopped and the perpetrator presented itself. A fur slicked back and reddish, its eyes glowing yellow as it stared down the group of humans.

    Arkum stood his ground, the Scorn bear. This one has whittled their numbers as they whittled theirs. It is thrice the size of a normal human.

    It huffed steam as if its inside were at a constant boiling point, it roared. The noise almost stunned the men in front of it. Bloodlust emanates to the deepest of its bones, though, the keyword being almost is for a reason.

    The men had experience dealing with this beast. They weren''t stunned, only shocked. They have to deal with this for half a year already, something as being roared in your face is something trivial.

    Arkum had the Hunter aura, he possesses the best tool out of everyone in the group, as the description says of the skill: "Every Hunter available within the area will be boosted depending on the number of the hunters and every Hunter would be affected."

    And that will be the biggest sword at play and Arkum knows this. Once the bear started charging the group immediately moved around, spacing from each other.

    The bear got confused for a moment, but only for a moment. It started charging towards Arkum, no matter how dangerous this was Arkum did not falter.

    Instead, he waited, while his wooden spear was brandished he waited for the right time to strike. The bear rushed, fully showcasing its might. However, no matter how threatening it is, Arkum never backed down.

    Once it was closed enough, it raised its paw. Shavik pierced his spear through the bear''s back. It let out an indignant roar, but Arkum wouldn''t let it see through who gave it pain in the back.

    He moved forward, and with his only active skill, he thrust forward. [Thrust], he activated, a surge of energy filling his arms and imbuing his wooden spear.

    The bear sensed this surge of power suddenly emerging out of Arkum, and instead of letting it hit its head it immediately turned its whole body around.

    This caught Arkum off guard but didn''t make him falter, the swinging body of his enemy was there, unguarded and he wouldn''t miss up on the chance.

    Shavik backed up, letting the spear stick to the bear, good thing he didn''t only pack one spear or else he was out of the fight. The bear faced the other hunters, but that wasn''t a good decision either.

    Arkum''s [Thrust] was aimed at its hips, fighting a lot of bears and watching it get butchered was enough to give Arkum anatomical knowledge of the bear.

    The thrust of the spear hit, and not only that it dig deep it went and lodged itself between cartilage making the bear roar in agony.

    Instead of stopping the bear, it roared in rage, it went berserk. Without a care in the world, the bear launched itself towards Shavik.

    "Shavik!"

    One of the hunters yelled and activated one of his skills. He ran and bashed his entire body to the bear with minimum effect, however, that effort was enough.

    The bear got thrown off balance for its paws to miss, a glancing blow only landing on Shavik, one that didn''t impair his movement. As a gash was only enough to make him bleed.

    "Roar!"

    The bear''s attention now focuses on the assailants, its head turned and tried to lash out but it was too late for the bear. The hunters were more than organized in their assaults.

    When it turned its head around it let its neck bare for the others to attack. One man stabbed its neck, halting its turn around in the process, however, it didn''t damage anything vital.

    The other stab that came from another man finished it, as its stab was directly in the bear''s spine. It made the monster a cripple.

    The group of hunters stopped to catch their breaths, even though their labour was divided it didn''t stop them from being tired.

    They also have to bring the bear back to the village to be processed. Since this is the sixth bear, it''s Arkum''s time to take it and finish his quest.

    "Huff¡­ let''s rest and haul this back to our village."

    All of them agreed this was the 6th bear of the week, and they would be exhausted. However, they believe that their patron God is watching, and will give a solution in plain sight.

    It''s up to them to work for it.

    Kavo was treating an injured Hunter, a week ago more and more of them became apparent in his hut, so much so that they made a temporary shelter for it.

    Well, to call it a shelter might be an overstatement. It''s a shelter consisting of wooden stakes with dried palm leaves as roofing, though there aren''t any walls. It might as well be a temporary station.

    Kavo used this place a lot, and most of the time they were hunters who he had to attend to, but he never denied them, it gave him a chance to exert his skill and ability. At first, he wanted to find a way to discern fruits from being poisonous and edible.

    But now he understood why their Patron God decided to give him some medical skills, he was good at it. He was so good at discerning what to do with a wound and what to do with a broken bone.

    And he took pride in it.

    Right now the Hunter in front of him has a swelling wound. He looked at the man and asked.

    "Did you wash your wound?"

    "Yes, I did what you said."

    "Was the water boiled?"

    "I-I need it boiled?"

    "Yes, and when I mean boiled, I mean water that has been boiled and cooled down."

    "Oh."

    Kavo went ahead and pulled a jar filled with water, the jar is of clay, well, mud in their perspective. It''s fragile compared to modern jars. But for them, a jar is a luxury, most of the time they share jars.

    "Now, don''t move."

    Kavo had crushed some herbs after the integration of the migrating tribe. Thanks to yak fur he got some clothes which were helpful to his medical expenditure.

    The crushed herbs were placed in the middle of the cloth and tied close, making this pouch-like shape. He dipped the jar and let it sit for a while.

    When he pulled it out he went ahead and squeezed the cloth, letting the herb-infused water land on the wound of the Hunter.

    It hurts.

    "You can scream, just don''t move."

    Kavo is quite desensitised to such wounds, he had seen the worst in some but the most compelling reason why is because he needed to get used to it.

    A lot of hunters would go back wounded, and he is aware of why, the dungeon was spewing more and more monsters as months passed by.

    Moments later, when Kavo finished tending the wounded he saw a group come out of the forest with a Scorn Bear in tow.

    The village couldn''t cheer, most of them could see the gravity of the situation. If this keeps going the number of hunters will go down, and hunters are very skilful, it''s not just thrusting your spear it''s about patience, focus and flexibility.

    These traits are not learned in a single year. That''s why hunters are very valuable. The hunters gave the bear to the butcher, which they accepted. Bones, meat, hide, and organs.

    Everything except bones and organs was taken away, and the skull and organs were presented on the altar by Arkum. The offering glowed in an orange light before disappearing.

    "I feel like I''ve been given strength."

    Arkum finished his quest, his strength now greater, he hoped that this newfound power would be put to use for the village. He also wished that the monsters would at least stop coming.

    But that''s just wishful thinking.

 [V1;C12]System Update

    [Year 11 Month 2]

    Mari has been deeply interested in her learning packet, she has been indulging in it for months, though that ended sadly when the monsters started surging. She had to put herself in their shoes and had to help the wounded.

    Though, sadly. It''s the only thing she could do. She sometimes asks why God had gifted her a specific skill even though she already knew why. She was good at it and she was the best at it.

    But solving numbers could not help right now, she continued helping in a way she could instead. Since the number of monsters in the forest was increasing, the village had to stop foraging. They started cultivating berries but that was too long, way too long.

    They don''t eat every day so that''s an advantage in itself. Right now Mari has to tend several plants and help some farmers prepare food for the yak.

    And worst of all, winter. Winter is not so far. She could already feel the cold. Winter is their greatest killer. Their number always gets whittled down every time winter comes.

    It''s the very same reason why her mother was gone, the only reason she survived is that every adult in the village would gather as much tall grass as they could and bundle them up.

    There''s only so much work she could''ve done. She almost blamed Hadro for her sorrow. Good thing she didn''t, she was at least now better unlike when her mother passed away.

    Mari lifted a stack of leaves, neatly tied by another dried leaf. She huffed and wiped the sweat off her head. Thanks to the Yaks they no longer suffered the same in winter. The arrival of the other tribe was a blessing, they brought yaks, chicken and the Ikkins.

    Though their life was better, she still couldn''t help but have a bitter feeling, it was probably her mother''s time up when she passed away.

    Suddenly, footsteps could be heard. Mari was cautious while she was working, their life in the village stoned her of such ability. When she turned around she saw a dark-skinned young man with very familiar orange eyes.

    "Lazarus!"

    Mari''s eyes shone, she liked Lazarus. He was helpful to the village. The title of son of God isn''t a thing for him, he enjoys the company of others and is very compassionate.

    And all of that, he knows maths! She taught him maths and with that, they shared maths questions as exercises together.

    "Hello, Mari. I''m here to help."

    "Oh! Thank you!"

    "You''re welcome." Lazarus gently smiled.

    Lazarus helped Mari to carry some stalk up, thanks to his origin he could do so easily. Mari also carried some stalk with her but to a lesser degree.

    "So, Lazarus. Have you created another exercise with me?"

    "Yep, it''s on a piece of bark, you could get it back home later."

    "Sweet!" Mari laughed heartily.

    The two engaged in small talk while they worked, moving stalks back to the village to prepare for the harsh winter and against the beasts and monsters that roam the forest, meanwhile, Hadro continues his journey.

    As he scoured the Abyss he encountered something that reminded him of his past world.

    "W-wild rice!"

    Out of curiosity, he went northeast and he found a marshland, something that he didn''t expect. The marshland probably contained some dangerous animals so he didn''t dare explore further.

    But that changed once he saw the overly familiar rice stalk, though the rice he has is far from modern times as his rice is darker than usual.

    Though, thanks to that addition he could duplicate it through his system. The best case is that the rice is only 0.03 SE which is super cheap!

    "Haha! Nice! Going here is worth it!"

    But of course, he isn''t going to leave peacefully. An animal of old, where humanity has yet to evolve, an animal so ancient crawled and soil split as it went.

    Its teeth were crooked, and its savage snout displayed itself as it looked at its prey, a natural-born God. Naturally, Hadro noticed the wild animal. Its scales were rough, displaying its toughness by the number of scratches it had.

    Hadro naturally dashed away, running. However, that didn''t fix his predicament, he heard some galloping noise just to see the beast running after him.

    "WHAT THE HELL!"

    Hadro speculated that crocodiles don''t hunt on land, and yet the beast was hunting him, clearly set on his flesh. Hadro doesn''t want to confront the crocodile but he has heard of Gustave the croc who withstood a machine gun, he doesn''t want to stop here and shoot a tree at a fantasy animal while learning that the world he is in is unlike his previous life.

    He decided to just use SE to raise the ground to deter the galloping crocodile. But he still heard the gallops so he didn''t stop running, his heartbeat dropped when he heard the tiny wall of earth was blasted away by the crocodile.

    Hadro suddenly heard a roar-like noise out from the crocodile, it was a deep bellow that could be mistaken for a roar.

    Hadro was pretty sure this was different from the Deity he first fought, he was a hundred percent certain that if he threw a rock at an accelerated rate it would just bounce off its scale.

    However, he had a spear. A wooden spear.

    "Take this you prehistoric fossil!"

    He threw a spear at the crocodile, its initial launch velocity is not great, but thanks to Hadro''s concept of power ''particle'' he has domain over everything. So he accelerated the speed of the spearhead toward the crocodile.

    It soared through the air releasing a scream as it hit the beast it was destined to fall. The spear crashed, crunched and released a thunderclap but it didn''t stop the beast.

    It only made it angry, Hadro noticed that the scale it landed on was starting to change colour. It just bruised the tank and Hadro couldn''t be more anxious.

    He kept running, though not blindly, he started weaving through the trees to slow the crocodile down. The tactic worked as the beast''s speed slowed down as the terrain changed, though not enough to stop it.

    Hadro didn''t bother stopping the beast, he just continued running and weaving out of the marshland to the forest. He is not adverse to the biology of crocodiles but he is pretty sure that they aren''t made to hunt on land and are best only in water.

    He also believes that they don''t have a strong smell above the water, they aren''t meant to hunt on land after all.

    He continued running, and sure enough, the beast disappeared out of his worries. Once the beast was out of sight he finally found respite.

    Hadro knew he was still powerless, even though his Subject Domain which is Particles is strong and might even seem overpowered, would be useless without SE.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    He needs to save such resources. Anyway, Hadro went back to his Territory and spent his time there to finally do what he came to the Abyss for.

    First, he took the frame he had made earlier, properly setting it up to prepare for the next step.

    The next part was the easiest, shredding a total of 4 trees and with those, he collected a total of 3 tons worth of pulp. He made a frame with another set of wood and made a mesh made of bark as well.

    It was a tedious process but Hadro was fast, his hands and power coalesced with each other and the work that usually would be done in days was done in hours.

    He made paper in a matter of hours, he took out the paper from the frame and hung it to dry it out. It would take a while before making a proper sheet of paper.

    Hadro then went to create another tool, a charcoal pencil, just burning off the edge and characterising it enough for the item to be recreated.

    Hadro looked at the system, he still had a day left. It''s better to change the System interface for his followers to better determine their future.

    "I''ll call this¡­ User Status interface version 1.0"

    Right, Hadro noticed this earlier, the system looks exactly like his past life''s computer interface. It works exactly like it, but it''s more like a game interface than a computer, so it just works like it.

    Hadro cracked his neck, a lot of brain power would be placed on this one. He opened his system. It is time to properly make this system accessible.

    For it, to be accessible, he willed it to start with a blank slate. But there is something he didn''t know.

    "W-what!?"

    The system disappeared. Not the power of the system, but the interface only. He felt a slight disconnection from his followers.

    "Oh shit! I last an entire year here!!"

    He wanted to go back to the Material world, but doing that would be stupid, he has yet to finish his time here. Two days, two years. He had to make significant changes or else it would be all for nought.

    He started mingling with the blank slate, this was for his worshipers and followers. He made three small icons on the left side, no, he made it four. One for the settings icon.

    He planned to put a few things on the settings icon, he felt that it would be important later on.

    Hadro created an image of a heartbeat line inside of a circle, a status icon, once the icon was finished he began filling the intricacies.

    The status of the user displays strength, agility, intelligence, spirit, and luck. These might be the key components but Hadro begs to differ. Few things could encompass the true status of a person.

    He changed strength for might, agility to mobility, intelligence for cunning, and kept spirit and luck as it was. But he added endurance and recovery.

    Might, mobility, cunning, spirit, luck, endurance and recovery. 7 status checks, instead of putting them in numerical digits Hadro designed a better concept plan.

    He created a heptagon that is stacked 10 times, which is a numerical indicator of the human limit. If all indicators are at first and innermost heptagon it would be equated in 1 in numerical form like the first system.

    In the upper right corner, there are three buttons, 1st button is the human standard, 2nd button is the superhuman standard, 3rd would is the champion standard.

    There''s no fourth because it would mean they would be a deity, well, if the chance is given Hadro also added a hidden fourth button of a deity.

    The human standard has 1-10 stat points, the superhuman has 11-100, and the champion standard has 101-999. And the deity would be 1000 and above. Well, 1000 to 100,000.

    The Abyssal knowledge Hadro has considered the numerical unit for godhood would be 100,000 in stat points. It seems overpowered, but considering what Hadro can do, it''s not far-fetched.

    He''s not the smartest, biggest or strongest. He''s a god who is capable of destruction or creation, chaos and order. He''s more of a natural disaster or blessing from a technical point of view. He soon remembered that there were titles in the previous status interface of the users so he added a button on the upper left corner of the interface.

    This is a second page, it displays the documental status of the user. Hadro added the numerical digits of the user and the titles and he soon added another status identifier, traits and characteristics. Hadro made this so he would know if one has mutations or some type of magical characteristics. Anyways, the second page of the status is the person''s status in numerical and letter formation of data.

    Either way, he finished the first panel which is the Status icon. Next was the shopping icon, this one was the simplest yet most complicated in Hadro''s opinion.

    He made a catalogue, from food to learning packets, with a variety to choose from, one that is properly priced. Hadro also had to think of currency instead of just naming it SE.

    He just shrugged and had it named C for credit. 1SE is equal to 1 Credit, a very easy and convenient way of currency. Hadro finished with the store panel with the SE conversion system in the sell option of the store.

    The villagers would be able to buy and sell items in the store, but of course, Hadro knew of capitalism, he chuckled but shook it away. Hadro planned to tax anyone who wanted to sell and convert items into credit.

    However, he would only tax about 2% so the remaining would go to the seller. Anyways, after the shop was set up he began to have the quest tab.

    The quest interface is simple, it has a priority queue system and a tag system. The quest would be a rectangular tab as any quest game would have. The singular tab would contain the name and can be expanded, the quest name would be first and the next would be a priority status, which the user would be able to change. If the user wants to, the quest could be on the top. The tag system would entail the danger of the quest.

    The settings would be next after the quest interface. The settings were as simple as they could get. Fonts, interface design choice, interface colour with a colour wheel. After that, Hadro was done with the changes and immediately implemented them.

    He fully hoped nothing happened in the short few minutes he had recreated the user interface windows for his worshipers and followers.

    ***

    Has God abandoned us?

    Arkum fought off the monsters, their red-tinted skin displaying their rage for blood and flesh. Nonetheless, he couldn''t help but doubt his faith in the one who gave him power. He could still feel the power bestowed over him. The skill [Thrust] is still within him. He could still use it and his power remained the same!

    But that is just a matter of time, the system their god bestowed them has vanished and that created chaos within the village. Is this a test? Arkum couldn''t help but ask himself.

    -roar!

    The scorn bear roared. Arkum was one of the best defenders of the villages and has been left with the heaviest burdens. He held his spear, he could feel his spirit rise and embed with it, with the enemy forward he cocked his hand back, readying the spear.

    The bear launched, and beneath its feet dirt rose, clouding the air, the bear was running towards him, its fury representing its colour, it ran like a boulder falling downhill, it looked unstoppable, but not for Arkum, he only saw the bear like a giant hill before him, and he is climbing it, no, he WILL climb it, he will overcome it!

    His spear was dyed blue, the air around Arkum was no simple air, his aura changed as the bear got closer, his spirit was personified, it intensified to a point, and the spear that he held, felt like his own body, it felt like an extension.

    ¡®This! This is it!¡¯

    Arkum felt this sensation before but on a smaller scale, it was with Shavik and their hunt together to finish a quest. This. This is the thrill of soaring higher than his previous level. The spear and himself were coated with a blue hue. Power surging within Arkum. The bear was ultimately closer, it raised its paw with its momentum. If one was hit with this force the bear is exerting one would explode, and shatter. Arkum knows this, yet he isn''t afraid, he was expecting it.

    He shot his spear, and with his will, his body moved stronger than before, and the bluish hue rapidly coated his body and exploded outward, towards the bear, to the tip of his wooden spear. The bear seems to understand the meaning of the bluish hue. But it was too late. Everything was happening way too fast for the mortal eye to see, it was just simply too swift for the naked eye.

    Arkum¡¯s spear hit the bear¡¯s ribs just where the bear''s paw arm is attached. It was bloody, the bear¡¯s arm exploded like a popping bubble and its bits were flying, spraying the floor with blood and flesh. The power of the bear, Arkum set his gaze on his work, the power of the bear! His heart was racing, this is the power of the bear!

    He was no longer in the plane of mortals.

    Arkum has become a warrior, one beyond human standards, he has finally achieved and set foot in the realm of superhumans. Arkum shook his head if he doubted the god that had bestowed him power it was no different from betraying his trust.

    Arkum stepped forward. The battle against the bear isn''t over yet.

    <ul>

    <li>¡ã?¡ã?¡ã?</li>

    </ul>

    Arkum''s Info

    Name: Arkum

    Species: Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles:

    ~0~0~0~

    Str: 22

    Agi: 14

    Int: 10

    Spirit: 14

    Luck: 7

    Skills:

    [Spear Hunter D+]

    [Hunter Aura D]

    [Piercing Blow D+]

    [Thrust D]

    ***

    Shavik the forest, who is the same age as Arkum but isn''t on the same level as him, remembered their hunt, so he could just gain his skill [hunter instinct] he almost placed their lives in danger. He had to mature more! He told himself in deprecation.

    What would he do when his friend died that day because of his carelessness and impatience? He needed to learn more and become worthy of the skills they had worked for. [Hunter instincts] are still on the F rank, he knew that repeatedly doing something would raise its rank. Therefore, in this turmoil in which monsters are at an all-time high, he decided to raise its rank.

    By repeatedly relying on hunter instincts to gather experience and raise it to a degree, he would become worthy of this ability.

    ¡°Yip!¡±

    He heard the yelp of a fox, the fox, however, isn''t an ordinary fox. He has been trapped in its illusion, he has no idea how long it has been since he has fallen into its trap. He hears noises somewhere but in truth, nothing is in that area. He relied on his instinct, raising the obsidian knife he received back at the village.

    He scanned his surroundings, walking toward a tree, he had seen this tree multiple times now, and he was walking around in circles. He stopped and stood there for a second, how would he get out of such a predicament?

    The fox had ensnared him, he couldn''t go out, his instincts were of no use in this situation, he was on full alert, knowing the dangers in his surroundings. If he couldn''t get out of there¡­what about his family? He shook his head, his will would not falter.

    He sighed, why couldn''t he think of something else?

    Then, suddenly, he saw a black and white fur brush up his ankle, yet he didn''t attack, there was no danger, and he didn''t need to move, he felt that a piece of leaf brushed up his ankle, not some sort of fur. Then, he had a realisation.

    ¡®Don''t rely only on your eyes, it''s the eyes!¡¯

    Shavik closed his eyes, he felt the wind of the forest coil around him, his ears gave him wrong information, his ears were fooled, by his smell, and his sight. He soon further learned that the skin also sees! His ears heard the wind-up north, but his skin felt it in the south. He focused himself to a point.

    He threw away his sight and ears. He removes those senses till he becomes selfless.

    ¡°Yip!¡±

    The sound! But he didn''t hear by the ears, he felt the vibrations by the skin, it was strong off the south. He felt that the location there produced the sound stronger. With his new enlightenment, he ran towards that direction, the rustling of leaves was enough indicator of what to avoid.

    ¡°Yipp!!¡±

    The fox was distressed, and the human it trapped gained awareness of its surroundings. The scorn fox is weak by default. But it has a powerful weapon that cannot be touched, illusions. It traps the victim in a coat of illusions, making it run around in circles till it gets tired, starves then dies.

    But now? The hunter becomes hunted.

    The fox ran, its four legs running with all its might, but the human, the human kept running towards it. The human''s eyes were closed, yet they avoided every single obstacle as if a path was laid before him. The scorn fox breathed heavily, it had been running for hours.

    But the human didn''t relent, this was just another chore for him, the persistence of the human was poison for the Fox.

    With its legs heavy from running it laid down, snout open panting for air. It saw how the human avoided other predators, and other monsters as if it could see it.

    The human ran, it ran as if it was hunting the usual beast, the Fox felt scared, its instincts told it so.

    The illusion was no more, but the hunter did not open its eyes. It walked slowly, sweat covering it. The human stood before the fox and then opened its eyes.

    ¡°So this is what you look like.¡±

    It raised its obsidian knife and struck the helpless scorn fox.

 [V1;C13]Orc?

    [Year 11 Month 3]

    Kavo walked along the river, he found out that there are some rare herbs lying around the riverbed, he gathered them all and went back to the village to find out their effects. It was a good hemostatic agent when made into a paste.

    He was always there to help with hunter-related injuries, he was so good at taking care of injuries that the villagers gave him the title of [little healer]. The system for humans recognized this title as well, it has a soothing aura that boosts healing speed by 2% which may not be much but for the hunters it was.

    Thanks to his efforts the hunters constantly headed back to the forest to help fend off the monsters.

    And on this particular day¡­

    ¡°Arkum!¡±

    Kavo heard some villagers scream in fright, this got the curious Kavo to look, what he saw was gruesome and awesome at the same time, Arkum the head Hunter was carrying a scorn bear with one hand. ONE hand. Monsters are denser than their natural counterparts. So for Arkum to carry a scorn bear with one hand meant something happened.

    Which is obvious thanks to his bloody appearance.

    He immediately grabbed hemostasis pastes and ran to Arkum.

    ¡°Hunter Arkum! Do you feel any pain?¡± he asked worriedly.

    Arkum placed his gaze towards the young man and smiled, Kavo felt no emotions in his eyes other than joy, the joy of accomplishment. Arkum laid down the scorn bear, it was the largest bear that everyone had laid eyes upon.

    ¡°Don''t worry this isn''t my blood.¡±

    The bear had its entire left arm gone along with a gaping hole in its right chest, the injury is clean, with a circular cut on its chest. Kavo cannot believe his eyes, a mere man can''t do this! He looked at Arkum and asked.

    ¡°What is your status¡­?¡±

    ¡°I have reached everything beyond 10 except luck.¡±

    That was¡­ stunning to hear. Above 10! Arkum is no human anymore. Everything from strength to spirit. If all of those have reached the threshold of 10 then one would ascend above human limits! When Arkum told Kavo about his status with a calm breath everyone was stunned, Arkum had reached prestige like no other.

    But after that, Shavik came back as well, and this time the reactions were different, Shavik was holding a fox, a fox with a curious pattern. Then everybody realised what fox he was holding. A scorn fox is a fox that uses illusions to catch prey.

    It''s rarer than the bear, and so far, the only survivors of the Scorn fox are people who decided to stick together at once, the victims were thirsty and hungry and some were mere seconds away from death and all they hear is a ''yip''. This happened to gatherers a lot and foraging and trapping stopped altogether because of it.

    None of the villagers has ever managed to deal with the fox, not even once. It was such a nuisance that they couldn''t gather anything around the forest thanks to such a creature.

    But Shavik, not only Shavik was holding a scorn fox, he was holding it dead, something the villagers had wished for a lot.

    ¡°Ah, it was trouble catching this thing. I''ve been roaming the forests for hours.¡±

    ¡°Shavik!¡± Arkum yelled with a smile

    ¡°Arkum!¡± Shavik reciprocated the same energy.

    The two hunters were vastly different, but today they were the same, in prestige and respect the others will give.

    ¡°Is that a scorn fox? I almost got caught in its illusions if the others hadn''t helped me¡±

    ¡°Aye, i got caught in it, but thankfully I found a way to kill it¡±

    ¡°Hm? How?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± Shavik placed an index under his chin ¡° I followed it by instinct.¡±

    ¡°That''s very vague.¡±

    ¡°I swear that''s what happened.¡± Shavik shyly scratched his head.

    Kavo was astonished to find that the two were fine even after encountering two beasts leagues above the current hunters. Kavo saw that other hunters are looking at both with respect and admiration with a burning passion to reach their realm. Kavo could tell that they''ll be in danger more than often.

    Anyways, once Kavo confirmed there are no injuries that needed to be tended he came back to his office, well, seemingly since the place was given to him to tend specifically to the injured and, or sick.

    ***

    Mari was busy solving problems, her learning packet was so useful, it helped her elevate beyond her current understanding. She could already see practical uses for the subjects she has currently learned.

    One thing is to make a perfect circle, she is sure a circle is just a square with infinite sides. But she has no proof of this, but the mathematical equations she made. Inside a circle, she drew a square, then a polygon with more sides, and another and another. Till she physically cannot do it anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can do it!¡± cheered Lazarus.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ well whatever, I''m going for the accurate ruler rather than the circle, it has its uses but a ruler is better.¡±

    ¡°I agree, the previous scaling and measurement are quite¡­ inaccurate.¡±

    ¡°True, what was the term for the measurement again?¡± Mari asked.

    ¡°Metric system,¡± Lazarus answered. He had been imparted with knowledge due to the time he was created, he might as well give it to others whilst he can.

    ¡°Right, we can measure that by angles right?¡±

    Lazarus thought for a second, the knowledge he was given says that the metre was discovered by compiling angles by the people called French, something he knows from the memories of his father.

    "Yes, but that is going to be a long journey."

    Mari looked at the wooden items they had, it seemed that their tools were completely hard to work with, considering their durability. Bones are there as well, but even though they''re hard they''re so brittle as well.

    All of the problems in the village have the same problem as Mari''s, items that aren''t able to live long.

    "Hmm¡­ hey Lazarus."

    "Yes?"

    Lazarus perked up with a smile as he fixed the tool, it wasn''t calibrated with precision as their tools are yet to reach that level.

    "Can¡­ Can Hadro help us with this?"

    "He probably would, but I doubt he could now."

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Where is he anyway?"

    "To the other side."

    "Other side?" Mari curiously asked.

    "Yeah, where all spirits go when they die."

    "Oh¡­"

    Mari was fascinated, she could not comprehend the gods and their inner workings so she could only look at them with awe.

    "What is he¡­" Mari''s voice trailed off.

    "I don''t know¡­ as of yet." Lazarus answered "Soon we will know."

    As they are talking, outside, a new commotion is happening, the three men that were tasked to gather a rather rustic looking rock are unable to find use for them.

    However, they brought it back, for the sole reason that their god asked for it.

    "You''re telling me that Hadro wanted this¡­ rock?"

    "Yes¡­ we were reluctant at first not understanding why¡­ but¡­"

    They all looked at a craftswoman. This woman was making baskets, spears, ropes and fences. Her dexterity was a notch above the villagers. Just before the trio came back to their gathering journey Hadro gave her a quest,

    [Quest]

    [Blacksmithing]

    -Explore the ways of the metal. Grind the orange Rock and bury it in flames to harvest its pure form.

    Reward: [Blacksmith F]

    It was a strange quest once blurted out, but as of now she is the only one who knows of it, since the awakened System is off, not gone but off, and the only system they have right now is the Integrated system.

    "It''s fine, I know what to do with those stones,"

    Jenn spoke calmly, her hands filled with muscles and laid with veins showing her years of hard work.

    "You do?"

    One asked with genuine surprise.

    "Yes, before the Awakened system vanished I caught a glimpse of what it entailed. The rest¡­ will be trial and error."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Grind it, then burn it. Those are the only words I saw before the system vanished."

    "I see¡­"

    One of the stone gatherers looked at the basket filled with the orange stone and back at Jenn. He realised that this will take longer than it looks.

    "How about we gather more?"

    The other stone gatherers looked at the one particular man. He then continued the suggestion he has.

    "This would be trial and error, we''ve been taught that relying on Hadro is a good thing, however, he makes us acquire knowledge and make us start from scratch. We wouldn''t get an idea what to do with these stones until Jenn finds a way to do so."

    "So we have to gather till she finds a way?"

    "Yes."

    It was a simple suggestion, but they had to think it through. The three men gathered the orange stones in an unstable terrain from the Twin mountains in the opposite direction of the forest.

    It was manageable, but the number of stones they gathered was not much, and they had to do this back and forth.

    "It''s going to be hard¡­"

    "It''s better than the task being impossible. I am sure that Hadro had something in mind when he presented this task."

    Hadro didn''t babysit them they made them gather the knowledge for themselves, the God they have is more of a guide, a parent.

    "I wonder how fruitful this endeavour is, but I hope it benefits the village."

    Blacksmithing was now a thing for the village.

    In the early history of Earth, people only gathered rocks on the surface using natural tools such as wood and some mechanisms to crush these stones, then by using coal they burned it and melted it.

    For Jenn, who lacks this knowledge it was a matter of trial and error for the first step, the grind. Whilst Jenn was finding ways to grind the orange stone, a green-bodied individual was running from the forest.

    His body was bloodied and the only thing that accompanied him was a spear, with a metal tip. He ran with a bleeding body haggard and fatigued, but that didn''t stop him. His wounds were making him tired but he didn''t stop, he had to get out of this forest!

    A growl was heard behind him, the things were catching up, he had kept moving, making his wound open, and he had not given a single moment of rest.

    "Agh!"

    But he was unfortunate, his foot tripped from the root of a tree, making him tumble down but falling down on his stomach while his back is exposed is a death wish.

    He turned around, his spear lifted and pointed, and three Scorn wolves cornered the green-bodied man, before he could try to stand the wolves started to pounce, with his position he could not stab his spear.

    He could only curse.

    But before he could even blink a sonic boom was heard, a wooden spear cracking and a man stepping in. The green-bodied man looked at the man who had saved him.

    Brown skin, dark hair and eyes, he looked subtly aged like a man in his fifties, which betrayed his vigour as he moved like a teen with such energy.

    "Hm? An Orc?"

    Arkum stared at the defenceless green bodied man.

    ***

    I finished the UI for the new status system for my followers and hit apply, I wonder how they''ll react. It''s a much better Awakened System as they call it.

    I have the System, store, quest and settings panels, hopefully they''re illegible enough for the villagers. Well the store is open by now so the information should be easy to spread.

    With that in mind I headed out of the Dimension, I have over 10,000 SE. From killing and all that. The worries I have should ease after providing the new system I have created.

    And whilst I was making the new system interface it got me thinking, how is a system even doing all of this? I scoured my Abyssal Information and got an answer. Imagine bits of information in sub-atomic level working like that of a computer, with no heat, no lag and with 0 pings or 1, whichever is the fastest.

    It''s a four-dimensional computer if one could properly say, and it occurs in nature too if one sun explodes and is 500 billion years in age, for some reason. That age makes this universe older than that of Earth''s.

    After I walked out and appeared in front of the village I was quite shaken. The villagers, they''re with orcs, I¡­ what happened while I was gone? And how come the hunters are properly using metal tools? Isn''t the jump from wooden & bone tools to metal tools way too fast?

    "Father!"

    My gaze landed at the voice who called me. It was Lazarus, I floated up near him, my curiosity at its peak.

    "Lazarus, my son. Tell me what did I miss?"

    "Oh¡­ right before that¡­"

    I tilted my head and Lazarus looked at a distance, I followed his gaze just to see Mari, with a bulge in her belly. I have to blink multiple times to see it clearly.

    "I became a grandfather in just two years, Lazarus? Really? Couldn''t wait till I come back?"

    "Hahaha¡­ Well¡­"

    "Well, back to the topic, tell me what I missed,¡± Hadro glanced at Mari ¡°including your love life."

    ***

    [Year 11 Month 4]

    Arkum brought the Orc back to the village, his fellow hunters that came with him seemed curious, not hostile, curious. Orcs are known for their malicious nature in literature.

    But in this world, they''re people downgraded by other creatures as mere monsters for their traditions. Orcs were honourable warriors, they''re very reclusive as well.

    This made people assume they do freaky stuff, and most of these accusations came from, well, humans. The Ninth continent is close to the Eastern Isles, a conglomeration of islands that is a bridge towards the Ninth and 6th continent.

    The Orcs, through their history, were once abundant. But of course some nosy and greedy people couldn''t help but look at this as an opportunity. Orc bones and skin are used as materials in alchemy, bones being dense and rich in minerals.

    So they have no choice. They crossed the sea and reached the ninth continent despite knowing its dangers. The ninth continent is the dangerous land of them all by all accounts.

    All expeditions to explore the land all went to nothing as no ship came back, the orcs knew this but they did bet their extreme resilience to survive whatever the ninth continent threw at them. And they succeed.

    Making home to the ninth continent was the harshest days they had to endure, the beasts were as strong as monsters in the 6th continent and the isles whilst the monsters were as strong as a dungeon spawn 10 floors below.

    So that''s why¡­

    ¡°Humans¡­? In the ninth continent?¡±

    The orc was astonished, he never knew that humans actually existed in the Ninth continent till this very day.

    ¡°Hmm? You speak our tongue?¡± Arkum spoke curiously.

    ¡°Huh???¡±

    Confusion was evident in the orc¡¯s eyes. But he groaned soon after all, his injuries were getting the best of him. Arkum didn''t further question the Orc and instead took something out of his belt pouch. It was medicinal herbs and a bandage made back at the village.

    ¡°Do you know how to bandage?¡±

    The Orc asked which made Arkum blink his eyes, shock evident in his eyes.

    ¡°Bandage?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that.¡±

    The orc pointed at the bandage that Arkum was holding, Arkum nodded and he started patching him up.

    ¡°No, what I meant is, you know bandages? I thought this was new in our village.¡±

    The Orc was confused. ¡°Then why do you understand that I said it was a bandage?¡±

    Confusion, The orcs use bandages, this is a well-known fact to them, but the Foreline village just rediscovered bandages thanks to Hadro¡¯s blessing to Kavo. So how come, the orcs who had this technology first and Arkum who came from Foreline village speak the same language, the same word for the same object?

    Confusion settled first then stopped, The orc didn''t even bother to think deeply about it. Instead, he applied manners where it needed to be. Since the human in front of him doesn''t seem hostile, only curiosity.

    ¡°My name is Garuk Alhem, a warrior of the Alhem clan.¡±

    ¡°My name is Arkum, I live in the foreline village.¡±

    After Arkum¡¯s greeting and help, he helped the orc up. Putting a hand over his shoulder.

    "You¡­ smell funny,"

    Garuk said as he sniffed, he knew it came from Arkum''s underarm.

    "Funny? I smell normal, as everyone in my village."

    Garuk didn''t argue and instead walked along with the man. Looks like he needed to introduce some sort of lotion or paste to their village.

    Once Garuk went to his village along with Arkum and his fellow hunters a lot of the people were surprised. A large green man with tusks in his lower jaw and a muscular body comparable to hunters. And height comparable to trees.

    "Mom, he''s bald!"

    "Shush!"

    And a bald head.

    Nonetheless, the village was curious. What Garuk noted is that their houses are made of mud and a few tents made of leather. He was surprised at the lack of hygiene standards in the village. They seem to bathe in the nearby river, sure. But everyone smells! They lack herbal soaps or even lotions or pastes! Garuk couldn''t help but grimace, as an Orc, he knew that the biggest killers are diseases and they come along with bad hygiene.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡±

    Arkum asked as he settled him down in the clinic of Kavo.

    ¡°Monsters managed to get on my tribe. I was one of the defenders helping them flee.¡±

    ¡°I see, what are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°After I heal I¡¯ll go back and meet with them, by then I will repay this act of kindness.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it''s the best I could do.¡±

    ¡°I insist, I will definitely pay you back¡±

    And get some sort of hygiene in this village! Ugh!

    Kavo later came in and provided the needed sanitation for Garuk, at first he was surprised, Garuk even tensed up when he saw the young man. But ultimately Kavo was only curious. One thing Garuk noticed is that Kavo smelled like herbs and the smell was strong.

    Just like a herbalist.

    ¡°Can I ask something, Garuk?¡±

    Kavo asked something as he was the only one left in the tent. Arkum went back to his team of hunters as they went back to the forest, busy thinning out monsters.

    ¡°Sure. what is it?¡±

    ¡°Why is your spear¡­ shiny?¡±

    Garuk looked at his spear, it has a metallic tip, one that is crafted finely back on his tribe. Now that he thought about it, the hunters including Arkum have wooden spears with wooden or bone tips. He soon realised that this village doesn''t have metallic tools, something that could advance them for a bit.

    ¡°It¡¯s a metal called copper. I polished it. That''s why it''s shiny.¡±

    ¡°Copper?¡±

    ¡°Yes. a greenish or orange rock it was before being purified.¡±

    ¡°Orange?¡±

    ¡°Yes it''s an orange or greenish rock.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    That time, the village gained another source of knowledge.

 [V1;C14]The Rescue 1

    [Year 11 month 5th]

    Garuk finally had enough rest that his whole body healed, it was surprising for the hunters someone could heal their injuries like that is an envied constitution within the village.

    Kavo asked Arkum to lead Garuk to Jenn. The upcoming blacksmith. He introduced copper, the metal that she was supposed to grind.

    "So¡­ the way it is made, you grind it and then put it on a furnace."

    "Furnace?"

    Garuk was only saying what he knew about smithing, his knowledge was rudimentary at best. It''s summarized for all he knows. But for Jenn, it felt like an epiphany was being given to her. Garuk continued speaking about what he knew, some he said he was not sure about.

    ¡°So if I dug a hole in the ground and had it levelled where the heat of the coal would go through it would heat up enough for the rock to melt¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, however, I am not sure about some of the details. So I should help my tribe first so our smith could help you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ okay¡­"

    Jenn seems dejected, the reason why she even became an artisan is that she likes creating things, evidenced by the amount of effort she places into the stuff she creates.

    The fence has a lot of carvings, baskets with different kinds of weaves, and spears especially crafted to have the finest wooden or bone edge. She never felt alive trying to solve a problem, and especially seeing Garuk''s spear she was enchanted by the craftsmanship of that metal tip she couldn''t get her eyes away from it.

    "You said you''ll help your tribe first, but aren''t you alone?"

    Arkum spoke up, just back from his hunt and defence of the village. Garuk nodded as he clenched his hands.

    "Then, Do you need help?"

    Garuk was a bit perplexed by his offer but immediately rejected it.

    "No, no. Arkum you have a village to defend."

    "Garuk, my friend. The monster populace is rising, we are in this situation together. If you can''t help your tribe in time you may be in the worst of it all. So it''s better to move before it''s too late. Time is against us."

    Garuk listened carefully and couldn''t help but agree, that if the monster populace rose sharply he would not have any more chances to help his tribe and worse, he could become the last orc on this continent.

    "Then please, your help is deeply appreciated."

    Arkum nodded. "Let''s go, time is not on our side."

    Garuk nodded, the village imparted them with enough food and supplies, and three hunters were going to follow Garuk towards his tribe''s location. The location is quite near to the dungeons that produce the monsters, well on the other side of a mountain.

    That''s why they came fast, the three hunters Arkum allowed to come were just newly announced Hunters and they were not as strong as him but were skilled enough.

    Arkum and Garuk on their journey met monsters that they already met anyway, with a new edition of the Scorn Owl, it''s a quiet bird that attacks out of nowhere and its talons are very sharp.

    Thankfully, Garuk knows how to handle stealthy monsters and deals with them. Halfway they encountered something bigger, a Scorn Ox, a large body, two sturdy horns and well-built muscles on its four limbs.

    "Shit¡­ this is what I don''t want to see the most!"

    Surprisingly Arkum was the one who spoke, Garuk understood his apprehension. The Scorn Ox rushes like an arrow and when he said fast, he meant fast.

    Arkum immediately told all the other hunters to spread their positions, which they did with a rushed effort. The Ox rushed like a bullet aiming for one of the strongest hunters in the group.

    Arkum dodged to the left, somehow, managing to see through the Ox''s direction of assault. Once he properly set up his balance he immediately struck his spear towards the Ox just for its hard-toned muscles to act like armour.

    He couldn''t help but click his tongue and used a skill instead, his spear and arms coated with a bluish hue before blasting off to strike the Ox. It worked and it worked deeply.

    The spear blasted off the ox from the neck and the ox who was the recipient of this attack died, its neck suddenly disappearing within a flash.

    Garuk was more astonished and in awe the moment he saw Arkum''s display of power; for the record, an Orc is in no way weak. But that''s if you are comparing them to the other continents other than the ninth.

    An orc could trash everything in sight and no human could do anything about it, that standard changed the moment they moved to the ninth continent, and the tribe would suffer from the weakest animals.

    So for Arkum who killed a Scorn Ox, which was birthed out by the dungeon, a monster born, to be immediately killed was enough to gauge a feeling of worship from Garuk.

    But now is not the time.

    "Let''s go, friend. We have your tribe to save."

    Garuk nodded, he glanced at the other hunters looking at Arkum with awe. He nodded in approval. Arkum is the strongest Hunter he has ever seen.

    Once they got to their destination which was near a mountain, they were met with Orcs fighting and defending a wooden gate. Fighting multiple Scorn wolves and A few bears.

    The orc warriors were fighting alongside shamans. The group didn''t waste any time and ran towards the fighting group. Arkum dealt with the bears while he told the others to deal with the large group of wolves.

    Arkum held his ground against multiple bears, it was a sight to be held as the others dealt with the wolves first.

    The moment they were done with the wolves only a singular heavily wounded bear was left as Arkum struck it down with his might.

    "G-Garuk! W-who is this human?"

    One of the injured warriors asked.

    "He is Arkum, a friend I made while helping our brethren escape."

    Arkum regrouped with the others, only small injuries such as bruises and cuts were visible. Which is somehow slowly healing by themselves.

    This got the curiosity of the shamans, but they knew that they shouldn''t dawdle in the location where they could get attacked.

    They went inside the tribe''s settlement, and the group of hunters allowed entry. From the moment of their entry, Arkum could tell curious gazes towards them, the same as Garuk entered his village.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Wooden homes¡­"

    The first thing Arkum noticed was the sturdy wooden homes that the orcs had, for a moment he felt envious if the village had those types of housing they wouldn''t worry about any type of winds without their house breaking down.

    They followed Garuk towards the most decorated house there is, filled with trinkets and talismans, Garuk declared his name before entering.

    "I, Garuk Alhem, have come to talk to the Chief!"

    "Come in."

    A voice followed as he introduced himself. He was envious of such sturdy houses, if they had these wooden homes they would''ve endured more from nature¡¯s natural disasters. But he could only lament. Once he helps Garuk their tribe¡¯s smith would help them in the way of smithing. So he just couldn''t help but push away the thought of asking them to help with wooden houses too, for Arkum, it felt too greedy.

    Nonetheless, Garuk still saw the glimpse in his eyes, they might not be the same race but they were similar enough. In truth, Garuk felt the same. The tribe''s location seems dangerous and the more they stay here the more dangerous their positions would become. So he couldn''t help but wonder if Arkum¡¯s village was hospitable enough for them to stay.

    There would be no honours tarnished from that. It might raise his honour as being able to save his tribe from peril. Arkum¡¯s village might benefit from it more in fact. Garuk went to the most decorated wooden house. He was filled with trinkets and talismans, even totems.

    ¡°I, Garuk Alhem, wish to meet the tribe chief!¡±

    The curtains opened and an old orc came out, hunched and wise. He has a lot of ornaments on his body, from feathers to amulets. He looked at Garuk and nodded.

    ¡°Garuk, what brought you here¡­ with the humans?¡±

    ¡°I wish to have our tribesmen move along with them. This place is not safe anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes.¡± The chief was soft-spoken. ¡°We have no loyalty to the land anyway. It is best to move our people to a safe place. But¡­¡±

    Arkum watched as the chief pointed at another house, it had open windows and he could hear crying.

    ¡°Is it a newborn child?¡± Arkum asked

    The two talking orcs looked at Arkum, the one more surprised was Garuk. Once Garuk heard that question he looked at the chief for answers.

    ¡°Yes, it would be hard for the newborn and the woman. Hopefully, the stress would not fall on the two. Especially these dark times.¡± the chief spoke empathically.

    ¡°If we are going to transfer your people I suggest we do it with groups.¡±

    Arkum let out his opinion, the chief seemed to trust them enough as Garuk was the one who let them in. Whatever race Arkum is, it seems that the chief wouldn''t ignore his opinion.

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°First the weak, children, old and the pregnant. Next are the women, workers and then men. Lastly would be the warriors that Garuk spoke of.¡±

    The chief nodded. ¡°That is a good idea, however, we have a problem.¡±

    At that proclamation the group looked at the chief, Garuk¡¯s more looking forward to the reason, eager to leave this place filled with danger for his people. But the reason why made him more annoyed than angry.

    ¡°The Revus clan doesn¡¯t want to.¡±

    Garuk released an annoyed look, Arkum remembered that Garuk introduced himself as Alhem clan, he couldn''t help but think that those were merely roles so he raised a question.

    ¡°What are Clans?¡±

    "Ah¡­" Garuk coughed. "Clans are a group of relatives."

    "Clans are an entity like a family but more powerful and direct." The chief explained. "They have power and sway over the tribe."

    "Oh¡­ we don''t have that, so I hope you don''t mind me asking."

    "It is fine. But they also have something that you might not have."

    "And what that might be?" Arkum curiously asked.

    "Surnames. Did you notice that Garuk here had a surname, Alhem?" The chief asked and Arkum nodded. "Surnames are a symbol, it represents the family."

    "Ah¡­. If my name represents me, the surname represents the family. Is what you''re saying?"

    The chief nodded. Which made Arkum satisfied with this tidbit of knowledge. Anyway, the danger was still there and it seemed that moving would be a problem.

    "If we''re going to move¡­ why not just allow the ones who wanted to move?"

    "Go along with the willing?" The chief asked.

    "Yes. That would be most ideal, considering our situation."

    The chief nodded at the sound reasoning, however, the words that came out of the chief''s mouth made Arkum tense.

    "Hopefully, because the Revus Clan are the ones making our weapons it would be vital for them to come with us."

    It seems the problem is bigger than he thought. The chief seemed to notice Arkum''s expression, he looked at Garuk, asking for an explanation.

    "Arkum''s tribe asked us to have smiths impart knowledge to their village in the case of helping our tribe move to a safer location."

    "Hmm¡­ this would be difficult."

    "Why so?" Arkum asked.

    "The Revus clan are, as I said, a family of Smiths. They don''t want to leave this place because they found copper ores in here."

    The chief calmly explained. Arkum on the other hand, who was well versed in the talks of his village recognized the word ore.

    "By chance, is this ore an orange rock?"

    The chief looked at Arkum puzzlingly "Yes, it is an orange or greenish rock."

    "Ah, then we could convince them to move."

    When Garuk realized what he was saying he chimed in with his input.

    "Ah, yes I remember Arkum''s tribe having found an orange rock in the mountains."

    Once Garuk''s input was given the chief nodded, he seemed to have an idea of what to do in these hard times. Just as he was about to ask someone to call the heads of the clans a scream fell out.

    "SCORN GIANT!!"

    An orcish yell permeated the entire location of the tribe. Arkum was a bit intrigued by a new type of Scorn monster. But the Orcs seem to be filled with dread.

    "Fuck! A giant!"

    Garuk exclaimed with dread, the three hunters were confused along with Arkum. He seems to be asking for an explanation.

    "Scorn Giants are resilient to physical attacks, our shamans don''t have the energy to fend it off."

    "Do you necessarily need a shaman to deal with it?"

    "Yes! They might be resilient to physical damage but they''re not when it comes to magical damage!"

    "... You three, go help them go back to the village. Chief and Garuk. Please do try to convince the Revus clan. I''ll help fend the giant off."

    "But Arkum! That thing isn''t easy to take down!"

    "I don''t have to take it down, all I have to do is distract it. Killing it is a luxury."

    Arkum said confidently, he was not arrogant in a sense, but he believed that he could at least manage to divert the Giant''s wrath away from their tribe and then come back safe, not unharmed.

    "I should go now, those monsters wait for no one."

    Arkum dashed out, the wooden gates were being closed slowly but Arkum managed to slip out just by the nick of time. Garuk grimaced, he learned that Arkum was the strongest hunter in the foreline village, he couldn''t waste this chance he was given.

    ***

    Arkum faces the monster in front of the gate, and multiple shamans and Orc warriors try to fend off the monster, which is a giant humanoid creature with short legs and large forearms. It has leathery skin with a red hue as it was a part of the Scorn monsters that the dungeon spews.

    It raised its humongous large arm threatening to bash any living creature before it but was stopped as Arkum launched himself towards the monster with inhumane speed and threw a thrust of his wooden spear.

    ¡ªCrackle!

    The spear broke on impact, the Giant was flustered, surprised by Arkum''s sudden presence. The thrust seems to have little effect, but an effect nonetheless.

    "Human! Get out of there, it''s dangerous!"

    "I know! I need a spear, quickly!"

    Arkum dodged as the Giant brought down its might from its arms. The orcs similarly flustered knew better than to fight something they couldn''t match. One of the orcs, an injured one yelled, threw his spear towards Arkum, the spear had a metallic edge.

    ***

    Garuk and the chieftain went ahead and towards the Revus clan''s homes. There are 7 houses in total, all of them spacious and filled with heat.

    One of the furnaces was on and they were roaring with flames.

    "I, Garuk Alhem, wish to meet the head of the Revus clan!"

    "I, Yemiko Gasio, Wish to meet the head of the Revus clan!"

    Both the Chief and Garuk introduced themselves and made sure that they were heard. A young female orc came and welcomed the two older orcs.

    "Greetings Chief and the son of Alhem Clan, what brings you here today?"

    "We¡ª"

    "The humans behind us found a better deposit of ores other than the ores in this land."

    "..."

    Garuk was cut off by the chief and spoke with nothing but factual information that would make the Revus clan move. But the girl looked at them with an exasperated expression.

    "Chief, please¡ª"

    "Listen to their explanation and you''ll be convinced."

    She didn''t like to be cut off but she looked at the three young human hunters. Seemingly waiting for their explanation.

    "Our tribe has found an orange rock, a quest by our god and we are in dire need of knowledge how to use it."

    To that, she raised a brow. "Dire?"

    "The village only wields wooden spears, which often break."

    "... right¡­" She looked at the chief and Garuk. "Come with me inside, entail the same thing to my elders." she moved in.

    They all moved, the girl leading all of them into a particularly well-decorated wooden house. Clanging could be heard far away but now it was loud.

    The chief moved forward, not wasting any time as he faced the man in front of an anvil, hammering down a newly casted copper spear tip.

    Before the Chief could even speak out, the Smith Orc spoke up.

    "Copper is softer than iron, you know that? It''s easier to hammer down."

    "..."

    "I know I can''t keep being stubborn¡­ but I can''t let go of these materials you know?"

    The orc nonchalantly hammered the metallic piece.

    "Ivy!"

    "Yeah?"

    "Take the entire clan, tell Hamburt that he''s the new head."

    "W-what?! But patriarch!"

    "I don''t want to hear it."

    "But Patriarch! You¨C"

    "Did I stutter?"

    "..."

    "The moment we settled in this place I felt a connection like no other, to our Goddess Eden I felt that the call of the earth is strong here. I can''t let it go."

    The chief looked at the two relatives. The three young hunters seem confused.

    "I won''t accept it if you try to stay with me here either, Ivy." The smith orc left the spear tip and started fitting the staff it would be connected to. "Not a single clan member would be left. All of them out."

    "..."

    The three hunters took a good look at the smith orc, the light wasn''t good enough for their eyes to see, and the orc had saggy skin. He didn''t once turn his head around while they were talking so it seemed that he was healthy.

    "I''m returning to our goddess, as all living things return to the earth. So Ivy, don''t fight me on this."

    The young female orc ruefully nodded and left the wooden house. "Follow me" She said but before they did, the Smith called.

    "Ah wait."

    He finally turned around and handed one of the human hunters a spear.

    "Give it to who deserves it."

    Before turning around and starting to work on something different once again. The three left along the orcs, perplexed.

    "We have to give this to Arkum."

    It was time for them to evacuate the site completely.

 [V1;C15] The Rescue 2

    [Year 11 month 5th]

    Arkum was always thinking about why he was gifted with the ability to thrust with magical power. He thought that the god who bestowed it was worried about their passing and gave it in the heat of the moment.

    But, is it really? Because it was chosen so perfectly. He was good at thrusting his spear, he didn''t have access to the Awakened System at the moment but he could feel it.

    That [Thrust] has raised another rank. He felt it change too, he felt a swirling feeling within his chest, exactly at his heart. The energies swirled and condensed.

    As he was fighting the giant he dodged the unforeseen fist that was brought down on his previous position, it was fast, and only blurred colours could be seen.

    The feeling in his chest condensed more and then stopped at a point. Then it spread out in a matter of seconds, his bloodstreams were filled with this very same energy.

    He felt it fill his torso, legs, head and arms. With one precise look, he cocked back his spear, but this time it was not a simple thrust.

    The giant brought down its arms, both of them. But Arkum wasn''t worried, he felt the energy creep up his spear and somehow made it feel tougher.

    He looked at the giant head-on. Raised his spear and¡­

    ¡ªBOOM!

    Rocks flew out like shrapnel threatening to pierce and shred anything in their way. If a normal man were to receive this force they would be splattered like a stepped-on cockroach.

    But Arkum stood under the monster''s arms. He stood tall with his spear blocking the arms like he was carrying something heavy. Spider web-like cracks were under him signifying its weight.

    "Hup!"

    He pushed the giant''s arms away much to its surprise, and he dashed forward, swinging the spear towards the giant, its skin parting to a gash showing the damage he had incurred.

    The Giant''s skin seems thick but Arkum was shredding this protection like butter. Swing by swing, marks were showing on the Giant''s thick skin.

    Alas, when it was about to retreat, the Giant looked at Arkum one last time, his hands cocked back, his eyes glared at it like a hawk¡ª

    ¨CBoom!

    A giant hole was made in the Giant''s chest, its flesh was torn and eviscerated, scattered throughout the forest floor. Arkum looked at his hand, where he held the spear. He saw how the energy that filled it went back inside him and then the spear shattered to dust.

    "What¡­"

    Arkum beheld this power for the first time, he never felt livelier than when he was in his twenties. He felt the power, the heat, in his chest just where his heart lies.

    Just as Arkum was to bask in his newfound strength the silence was broken by the three hunters approaching him.

    "Arkum! That was awesome!"

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Arkum scratched the back of his head at the praise that he received. The three young hunters looked at him with reverence he had never seen before. Naturally, the Orcs behind him showed an explicit form of awe.

    "Are we ready to leave?"

    This got them out of their well-immersed feelings and answered with seriousness.

    "Yes! We discussed moving in small numbers but instead, we decided to go with all of them at once."

    Garuk explained.

    "Why?"

    "It seems that the situation is urgent, a shaman with his summon detected multiple Scorn Giants across the mountain, if we don''t hurry we will get caught up."

    The situation seems to dawn upon Arkum who developed a serious face, it seems time is against them.

    "Let''s get moving."

    "Uhm! Arkum!"

    One of the hunters gathered his attention, "This is for you I believe." He handed over the spear.

    When Arkum received the spear he was astonished, externally the spear didn''t look any different from the other spears. He could see the energies faintly residing on the item.

    "Who do I owe my thanks?"

    Arkum politely spoke, and his question was answered by Ivy.

    "He is the he¡ªprevious head of our clan."

    Ivy spoke solemnly. Arkum seemed to notice this and didn''t pursue it further. Instead, he looked at the amount of Orcs coming with them. There seem to be about¡­ 300 of them, divided among the young, old and pregnant.

    "This is going to be troublesome."

    "Is it?" Garuk asked.

    "I''ll stay in the rear, that way the monsters trying to pursue me won''t get near. What''s the plan for the front and sides?"

    "I''ll be at the front, I trust you with our back."

    Multiple Orcs agreed with Garuk''s words. After witnessing Arkum solo a giant their respect for him was at an all-time high. The Orcs started the headcount to make sure none was missing, making sure valuables were along with them, once checked they started moving to the outskirts of the forest as soon as possible.

    The Orcs marched forward guarded by the warriors, shamans and hunters. They moved forth to the forest a few hours away from their destination. The thread was not peaceful so far, especially when a large group was moving, it was like a herd for the picking.

    The worst part was that after they started moving, a scout came back and informed them of bad news.

    ¡°Scorn Yllamites! And¡­ and¡­ They¡¯re with Scourge mites!¡±

    There are three dungeons within the Demon forest, while this is unknown to the people who live in it, their monsters are well known, for their notoriety as a danger to sapient life. The Scorn series of monsters are the most common, especially seen on the outskirts of the forest.

    ¡°The-the Scourge mites are coming!¡±

    The ground started shaking with an intense rumbling that followed. The scourge mites are enormous and worse in the hundreds they¡¯re the size of a huge dog and possibly one of the cruellest to its prey.

    ¡°Tsk! There''s a lot of them.¡±

    One stated in horror, all must¡¯ve lost hope. However, there was one thing they didn''t have that they have now, and that is Arkum. Before the Scourge Mites could even close in he already dashed towards their location to bring in the fight with his spear brandished, his spear could take out the silhouettes of the Scourge Mites.

    Once Arkum was close enough he brought his spear forward with power enough to kill a Scorn giant ten times over, the wind pushed away in a shockwave as if a cannonball were fired towards the mites. To those watching it was surreal, the orcs watched as the mites disappeared so easily.

    To those who were close was thrown about, the mites scrambling like deers in the headlights. It was a sight to behold but those watching knew they could not afford to stall, they started moving once again by the given time by Arkum.

    ¡°The mites are everywhere¡­¡± Arkum muttered.

    The mites are very nimble, like grasshoppers with their specialized legs. Arkum was contemplating which next sequence of action he should take for the remaining scattered mites. He could take them on but he was only one.

    In the end, he decided to strategize. He would keep his distance and strike the air whenever a mite would get close, deterring them by the massive shockwave he produces in one direction. He knew it wasn''t so simple, this strategy would soon collapse but he knew that the orcs would be far before that happens.

    Arkum kept on throwing air volleys even if the mites were far, their legs were so strong that they covered distances instantly. The other hunters weren''t idle either, they saw what Arkum was doing and decided to help him, by making sure no mites got a single step closer to the Orcs.

    ¡°There''s still a lot of them¡­¡±

    They cannot force the Orcs to move faster, after all, the young, old and pregnant cannot be stressed enough. One mite eventually got closer, its strong leaps continuous and unbreakable. But not for the hunters, it''s not a matter if they can stop it, it''s a must.

    The hunter, with the idea to use the momentum of the mite against it, pointed his spear and prepared to intercept the mite, it was a good idea. However, the mite is stronger than he realized. The spear penetrated the Mite¡¯s chitin and it bled, however, it didn''t die. It thrashed around violently.

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    The hunter felt a bruise forming but he did not place his focus on the injury, but instead used his skill [Thrust] and plunged the spear deeper. But it turned out that it takes more than that to kill an insect. It continued thrashing, more violently.

    The Hunter kept his wits and tried other methods to kill the mite, the best he did is when he managed to stab it in the head did it went limp. He was already panting hard when it was finished.

    ¡°La¡¯el!¡±

    The other hunters screamed, and the young hunter stood up and went back to the group, he looked around, just to see that the mites were already gone for good, but the blood that they spread surely wasn''t a good thing. As it will attract monsters. And the worst part is the fight isn''t over yet.

    A huge 8-legged creature with whitish red skin and pale skinny legs was having a staredown with Arkum, a Scorn Yllamite...

 [V1;C16]The Rescue 3

    Arkum was facing off against the Yllamite, it was a grotesque monster, unlike the other scorn monsters that resemble animals the Yllamite was far off. A flesh ball with 8 appendages filled with veins and massive eyes above a mouth that would disappear if it closed its mouth. The Yllamite isn''t a soft monster either, being tough as the stone it could deflect most attacks.

    ¡°And you''re intelligent as well¡­ that''s a problem.¡±

    Arkum stared down the Yllamite, its massive eye looking down at Arkum. Their staredown only lasted a minute as the Yllamite''s appendage swept the floor Arkum previously stood on.

    The Yllamite is fast but Arkum is no slower. Before the attack could even hit he was already dodging. Though the attack seems concerning, the Yllamite was covered in energy, and its entire body is like the murky waters of the swamp for Arkum.

    Every sweep of its appendage would destroy boulders and its skin would be impenetrable. It knows this fact, it looked down at the human who, by instinct, it knows as prey looked back at it.

    It couldn''t help but feel its blood boil, such a weak prey dared to stare back at him. It felt that it was outrageous for the prey to fight back. It just swung its appendage towards it with killing intent.

    The prey dodged it effortlessly,

    !?

    And it struck back, sending it back to several trees, making the poor trees crash down with a snap. It felt a sharp pain in its body, surprise riding in its one large eye.

    It started glaring at the human that caused the pain, a prey with a stick.

    ***

    Arkum swiftly slashed his spear creating a gush of wind. The Yllamite who is aware of his strike used its appendage to block as swiftly as he moved.

    -clang!

    Arkum moved and the air roared, unable to keep him in place. He swung his spear, thrust it even, his speed is not something a mere mortal could do.

    The onlookers, observers, could not even clearly see Arkum''s image which was blurring from the speed he moved, the Yllamite which was his opponent was the only one who could go toe to toe with this speed.

    Everyone who was watching the battle was in awe.

    All of the human hunters have no understanding of what a Yllamite is, but the Orcs do, exactly one would think, a monster. They could at least tell what kind it was according to its name from the system they have. A [Scourge] monster will not leave any flesh behind once killed, [Scorn] Monsters will display one thing, contempt.

    The Orcs understand the trouble of hunting monsters, they have no animal counterparts so knowledge of how they reproduce is not known. Monsters that came out of the dungeon are not known to be fertile and able to reproduce so most of the time the monsters that are known to reproduce are met with extreme prejudice.

    Fighting a monster would make you forget things, and how hard to fight them, it would take three Orc warriors blessed by the goddess of Earth or 4 Orcs and 4 Orken mages to defeat a Yllamite, but that''s with losses.

    That¡¯s why they couldn''t help but express awe at Arkum who was matching the monster in both speed, agility and power!

    ¡ªWhoosh! Whoosh!

    The air split apart as the Yllamite''s appendages sliced through the air as it tried to reach for Arkum. But too bad Arkum is fast, and he isn''t going slower anytime soon.

    "Screech!"

    Arkum attacked as soon he saw an opening; he aimed his spear where the Yllamite stood but it disappeared as soon as he attacked. Leaving a cone-like shape on the ground opening into a crater.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He soon jumped away as soon as he felt danger, however, the assault wasn''t done yet. Multiple thin appendages followed which were dodged by a margin.

    "Don''t keep watching, Move!"

    One of the Orcs screamed, he was right with his words, staying in the same place was a risk in itself. After all, they''re within a forest filled with the most dangerous monsters.

    And they are moving slowly. Which is not good. After the scream of the Orc, they started moving, eager to get out of the Demon Forest.

    "Screech!"

    The Yllamite kept attacking, its attacks seemed harsher as it seemed frustrated. It had never met its match before, so now it was struggling with frustration.

    "Screech!"

    It voiced out, if it can''t defeat its prey with the usual tactics then it would with its magic.

    To Arkum''s surprise, the Yllamite backed off if it was the usual he would''ve hunted it down but he had a group to protect so he also backed off and ran back from a distance from the rest.

    Wary of the Yllamite that backed off, he kept an eye and made sure it didn''t do anything out of his sight. He momentarily stopped in his tracks as he felt it.

    The Yllamite climbed a tree to secure high ground and its eye was glued open. Its bloodshot eye stared at Arkum and he felt it.

    The heat suddenly rose in his stomach and energy around that area started getting erratic. Out of instinct he filled his spear with his energy and thrust it forward.

    ¡ªBOOM!

    Red light sparked and the surrounding area burst into flames. The trees cracked and split in half, the green grass burned and the air was hard to breathe.

    Arkum felt sweat run down his cheeks and cold down his spine. His spear was raised with his energy applied to it. If he didn''t block the way he did, the people behind him would''ve died.

    Arkum looked at the monster in front of him. He felt a tinge of fear. This monster is intelligent, this was solidified in his impression.

    He felt convinced that he shouldn''t let this monster live, or else it would bore grudges. Something that might bring harm to his family, and his village in the future.

    The Yllamite looked at Arkum with bloodshot eyes, just as Arkum was about to dash, another set of beams was shot at him. Arkum blocked with a spear only to be shot again.

    The Yllamite attacked with vigour, the beam of dangerous light kept basking Arkum with deadly energy, which he blocked with all of his might. The Yllamite watched as Arkum struggled, it elated him that the prey that it was struggling with was now struggling in front of it.

    It kept going, it wanted the thing that made it annoyed so much to suffer. Though, thankfully, since its focus was on Arkum the moving group was successfully gone from the site.

    ¡ªShing! Boom!

    Though, it did not know at the time. Arkum was now free from defending them. Arkum moved forward dodging to the left and then dashing forward.

    The beams that the Yllamite is using kept pouring out, it was raining red beams that were only for Arkum. But despite that, he managed to dodge and not a single block happened.

    The Yllamite had a sense of urgency, it kept pouring out the magic that it was born with and it forgot two things. Its eyes are starting to dry and its energy is starting to run out.

    When it noticed this it was already late. Arkum was at the bottom of the tree and his spear was already swinging.

    ¡ªCrackle!

    The tree''s base got destroyed and it started toppling over, the Yllamite in panic tried to jump over to the next tree. But something I didn''t expect to happen.

    ¡ªBoom!

    A strong gust of wind hit the Yllamite and threw itself off course, Arkum just thrust in the air and the energy he released made its way to the Yllamite.

    ¡ªthud!

    The Yllamite stumbled as the gust of strong wind hit it flat in the face, it was disoriented as it tried to regain its sense of balance. It did so within a second.

    Just as it whipped its head towards Arkum, it realized that the fight was getting dire, it was fighting Arkum and was learning strategies, but Arkum was doing the same, it realized that the beams it released were just the same as the gush of wind Arkum was doing. He was mimicking the beam. They were on par when it came to fighting. But Arkum was more older and experienced than a monster that came out a few months ago.

    The fight ended just like that. Arkum knew that the reason why the monster didn''t die when he hit it back then was because he aimed for the thick skin.

    ¡ªSquish!

    Now he aimed at the eye of the monster, piercing it thoroughly, but unable to pierce to the other side. Its skin is remarkably tough.

    After confirming that the Yllamite was dead he looked back, the Orc People had moved along and he was the only one remaining. He was about to run back and reunite with the group when he looked at the Corpse of the Yllamite.

    "hmm¡­"

    Maybe it''s by the whim of the world or other forces, but Arkum didn''t leave it behind. He lifted it and ran, then reconnected with the Orcs.

    They were at the edge of the forest when he reunited with them, they all seemed safe and sound. The hunters and warriors didn''t have problems when fighting against the Scorn Bears, causing no casualties.

    ***

    [Year 12]

    That''s what happened whilst I was gone huh, I went ahead and checked Arkum''s status with my Follower panel. And to my heavens did it surprise me?

    His Might is over 250+ and everything else is 100+ except for luck which was over 90+ It surprised me. This man is a demigod in the making!

    Well, I won¡¯t do anything about it they might need him soon as I felt the surge in rising monsters, and yes, it''s still rising. By it looks, Foreline Village might not make it if I didn''t do anything about it. I could make my Realm but a problem presented itself.

    I''m a lesser god. Above deities but below the standard of a god. A lesser. I could change that by converting 100 soul energies to soul points. By then I need a thousand SP to convert to a minor god, which I was supposed to start with, curse those other gods.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Lazarus.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Father?¡±

    ¡°Your love story. Let''s hear it.¡±

    Lazarus blushed. Ah, to embarrass your child, what a good feeling.

 [V1;C17] Ascension

    [Year 11 Month 4]

    Mari was asked to check the items in their inventory, while it''s still autumn, it''s better to prepare for winter. Winter lasts for 3 months and worse 5.

    She checked the items, from dried food, hunting tools, weapons and newly accounted-for minerals. She also took into account their newest invention, the fertiliser, well it''s nothing new, they just decided to stockpile for today.

    "fruits would go to waste if let be¡­ mm¡­ "

    Mari then looked beside her, there Lazarus smiled and returned her gaze.

    "Any ideas?"

    "Dry it, like the rest of the meat."

    "Hmm¡­"

    "Or powder it."

    "Powder?" Mari tilted her head in curiosity.

    Lazarus nodded, according to some imparted knowledge from his father, fruits could be dried, crushed and then powdered for later use. He explained this to Mari with an excited look.

    "Oh! So we could add it to water¡­ that sounds refreshing!" Mari cheerfully took notes.

    Lazarus looked at the back of her head, he noticed that her hair was getting longer before he noticed it he touched her hair and Mari, who didn''t notice flinched.

    "L-Lazarus?"

    Lazarus noticing what he did, coughed and removed his hands. "I just noticed your hair is getting longer."

    "Oh¡­! Well yes, it is!" Mari cheerfully said with a blush on her cheeks. "Don''t I look pretty?"

    "...Always."

    Silence prevailed for a minute, Lazarus didn''t know why he said that, but he knew it was a word he thought and processed before coming out of his mouth. It sounded like it was flirty for Mari who was now blushing.

    "Ah! I''m done checking things, I''ll go back now, see you later Lazarus!"

    Mari ran, her heart beating in a way she couldn''t understand. Lazarus stood there and looked at the warehouse. He shrugged and started cleaning up before leaving since he created this situation himself.

    Mari on the other hand, ran home to complain to her mother. Her mother was a bit baffled at how her daughter was acting but then, she became mischievous.

    "Mari¡­"

    "...?"

    "You''re in love!"

    "W-what!? I-I can''t have feelings for the son of our god!"

    "He wasn''t forbidden though?"

    "H-huh?!"

    "You just assumed that he was forbidden from a Union. I mean, you didn''t expect to fall didn''t you~"

    "M-mom!"

    "Aiya, go confess and stop being a coward. How long has it been since you started telling stories about your sweet Lazarus to me every time you go back home?"

    "Uh¡­ w-well¡­"

    "Every time you get home Mari, I will always hear how Lazarus is amazing, so go confess or I''ll ask Sanya from my friend and ask her to confess to him."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Ugh¡­."

    "I''m not joking!"

    "W-wait! I''m not prepared yet!"

    Mari was able to stop her mother from sabotaging her love life, though it didn''t stop there. Lazarus was tasked to handle this village and assign tasks related to handling their talents.

    So far, a few villagers had their Skills grow without the blessing of their patron God, though that made them more grateful as Lazarus himself was created by their patron God. He himself is viewed as a deity, a relic given by Hadro to the villagers, so she feels reluctant to do it.

    So she waited. Sometimes even blatantly avoiding Lazarus. Of course, that did no good for Mari, cause her mom called Sanya to seduce Lazarus.

    ¡°Wha- S-Sanya!?¡±

    ¡°Woopsie she¡¯s here, See you around Lazarus~¡±

    Sanya giggled and moved away as Mari was staring daggers. Lazarus stared at Mari and smiled a little. Some pieces of memories resurface once in a while. It was from his father, Hadro. The memories of a distant land, a place where of his father''s origin.

    ¡°What were you talking about?¡±

    Mari came into his view, she was so close that she was only arm''s length away. Lazarus looked at her carefully.

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    Lazarus placed a finger on his lips, his orange eyes looked at Mari with fondness. He knew a few things from the memories he seemed to have inherited, one of them being the push-and-pull method that was randomly slotted to his memory. He decided to put this into practice and what do you know, Mari became emotional.

    ***

    ¡°My memories huh?¡±

    Hadro muttered, he certainly did read about a book called Arts of Charisma and it entailed how to be a leader, to seduce, to persuade, etc. he didn''t know that the part of seducing would be the one slotted into Lazarus'' mind.

    ¡°The push and pull method only works if the recipient already has feelings for you.¡±

    ¡°That''s why I used it on Mari,¡± Lazarus shrugged ¡°She avoided me for a week and it felt lonely.¡±

    Hadro looked at Lazarus incredulously, this guy is only 2 years old¡­ he shook his head. In the end, Hadro created Lazarus as an adult not knowing he would materialize, if he wanted to be treated as an adult then he should treat him as one, despite knowing that he didn''t give him any childhood as he was an Aiden which are made to be slaves in the first place.

    In the end, Hadro shook his head, Lazarus was his son. He was a piece of him and that was it, Hadro didn''t desire to lord over Lazarus or the other Aidens he created. They were piece that were taken out of him therefore they were his children, he may command them but he will not lord over them.

    ¡°Anyways, Lazarus, I feel like you''re missing something from that story¡±

    Hadro nudged his chin towards the pregnant Mari.

    ¡°Ah yes, tradition said that before a man and a woman had a child they must be in a Union¡­ the groom must receive a bone necklace from his father while the bride must receive a bracelet from their mother. As you can see Father¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ when do I have to give it?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ let me ask the elders of the village.¡±

    Lazarus took to the elders to ask, Hadro already prepared the necklace in its corporeal form, using his "He''s hard at work huh?"

    Thanks to his Subject Domain ?Particle? he can easily manipulate anything, from the particle of bones to the wave of liquids. He easily made a necklace made of bones by using vines tied together with the Snake bones he killed earlier. Not so later, Lazarus returned to Hadro.

    ¡°We could do it now, the elders will only recite for good blessings, one to have good fertility but it seems that isn''t needed.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    With enough SE the necklace materialized in front of Lazarus. Lazarus was surprised but was able to recover quickly and picked up the necklace. It seems¡­ pristine. Lazarus¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Come, Father, see the ceremony!¡±

    The ceremony was simple, Lazarus and Mari were just given boiled water from the river mixed with herbs and some berries. Hadro was curious so of course he naturally looked into it. Especially when the wedding was his son.

    The necklace that Hadro gave Lazarus is held by Mari who was smiling bashfully after being teased by the villagers including her mother. The bracelet that is made from yak fur and ikkin teeth was held by Lazarus. The Ceremony started after an Elder told them to exchange items officially tying Lazarus and Mari together in a knot.

    Simple Hadro thought so and watched the wedding ceremony, it was soon accompanied by a small feast. If it was the village 12 years ago they would only celebrate by eating fruits and nuts that the groom and bride gathered, but now? The feast contained a variety of meat from the village or hunted by hunters. A gift for the newlyweds, the Orcs also gave gifts after learning that Lazarus was Hadro¡¯s son, they treated him with reverence.

    Need to check those Orcs later.

    The Orc''s gifts are simple. A furnished table to eat upon, their cuisine which is filled with soup that is made with a variety of herbs and vegetables. When the Orcs arrived at the Village they introduced a bunch of things to the village, sharing their culture. It was a boon for the village, especially for Mari, she learnt that the mages use simple mathematical formulas to perform magic. If Hadro was born in this world instead he would become an archmage.

    Anyway, the ceremony was over and the village had a feast. Hadro saw the immediate changes in the village. After the wedding and weeks later, some Orc farmers looked at the land and some of them were flabbergasted as they saw the land.

    ¡°There¡¯s traces of farming here.¡±

    One orc said as he surveyed the land.

    ¡°Are you sure? The village people don''t seem to know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, those aren''t erosion, those are irrigation channels.¡± he pointed near the river.

    ¡°Something happened here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, stories tell that a demigod tried to control the humans here but that was it, no context, just myth.¡± the other replied.

    The Orcs nodded and continued their work. Hadro contemplated, surely there is some forgotten history here. But it was too vague to understand, so he just set that aside and decided to continue with his worries first. The monsters in the Demon forest are multiplying, the spewing hasn¡¯t stopped yet. The only reason the village is safe is because of the newly acquired powerhouse called Arkum and the Orc warriors.

    ¡°Time to address the problem.¡±

    Hadro¡¯s status labelled him as a lesser god, instead of a minor which previously was. To go up he had to have 100 soul points, which was, in conversion 100 soul energies per point. He conveniently only has 10,000 SE in him right now. If he upgraded himself to a minor god, he would finally be able to do what he was supposed to.

    There are three types of energy in this world. Mana, Vim and Aura. depending on the energy the god chooses to manifest they could build their power system. Yes, that''s right, their own power system. So those who follow said god will become with the power system. The world has a standard power system on hand.

    Mana, Vim and Aura are all interconnected, for those diligent and tenacious can build their power system within their bodies. One could build and guide their own power the way they wanted to paint it. However, it is very hard without the system, like learning how to do cursive with your non-dominant hand or with guidance from a system thanks to a god¡¯s system, it is possible but extremely hard.

    Both aim for the same end goal, however, it would always end with the one with guidance finishing faster than the one without.

    Hadro looked at the amount of Soul Energies he had, he sighed and started releasing them, by the knowledge given by the abyss he started transforming. The benefits of the ascension would be good for his own and his believers, though he didn''t know what bad it would bring he just had to withstand it. The best he can.

 [V1;C18] The Quest of a lifetime

    Do gods even need to exist? They can''t do anything to us all simultaneously if we cursed their name together, yet they¡¯re feared? All they do is work like an overseer and act incomprehensible! There is no help coming from them!

    I question their existence because I observed that the gods don¡¯t want us to prosper, they wanted sheep, and they will do anything to make their flock ignorant. I stripped myself of the awakened system, I fear what I¡¯ll be after my death but if I had to choose, I will return to the earth as I was born from the gifts I was given.

    ©¤Excerpts from the Diary of an John Martin Heretic.

    It was midsummer, the port was bustling as new merchant ships arrived and delivered goods and services to the city nearby. New clothes, spices and items to be sold. Kaharim checked all of his cargo before letting go to a carriage, it''s mandatory over everything else. Can''t let a bad product go out of the market.

    ¡°Kaharim,¡± A young man called.

    ¡°Vahel, what is it?¡±

    ¡°A Letter came from the magistrate, here.¡± Vahel passed a scroll, tied by a red ribbon and a wax seal keeping it together.

    ¡°Thank you, your services are always fast and reliable,¡± Kaharim smirked.

    he tossed a gold coin towards the young man, who saluted with a smile before dragging himself somewhere else. For a merchant, information is his lifeline, he can''t afford to be the last to receive the news. Kaharim opened the letter anticipating neither good nor bad news. But what he saw truly shocked him.

    [Dear, all sailors.

    merchants, pirates, the navy, and everyone who owns a boat or ship. This is an opportunity given by the empire. All sea-faring people are being hired by the empire to cross the sea. Refer to your local magistrate to apply.]

    Kaharim raised a brow, the letter was an invitation, meaning he was not the only one who got this. But that''s not the subject that got his attention. Every sailor and sea monger was being invited by this letter, something that was not done until a hundred years ago when the maritime trade was formed.

    ¡®If every sea monger was being invited it could only mean one thing.¡¯

    The empire is exploring something beyond the sea.

    ¡®Wait¡­ don''t tell me!¡¯

    Kaharim became excited, something beyond the sea could only mean one thing. They would cross the harshest sea and go forth, to the Ninth. He immediately cancelled appointments and some were placed on hold, his secretary was baffled by his actions but his feet soon led him to the magistrate''s manor.

    If the exploration of the Ninth Continent was successful and he was the first to build a place for himself there he would be one of the richest merchants in history.

    ***

    It''s strange, I''m certain that I agreed to convert soul energy to a hundred soul points and decided to ascend. But then, I was pulled somewhere, one that I didn¡¯t expect to be but a place I didn''t want to be in.

    ¡°So you ascended.¡±

    The gods in front of me were clearer than the first time I''d been here, the one looking at me had the physique of a Greek god and looked lore-accurate to Zeus. Big muscles, a beard and a robe, doubt that he is wise though.

    He looked at me with an annoyed look, my gaze wandered around the place and I saw different gods, I had my doubts, a lot of them felt like natural-born gods, then I looked farther, a weak presence and a dying essence.

    Conceptual gods. Gods that aren''t naturally born but created through the image of their followers. They''re inferior to natural-born gods but stronger than deities and demigods.

    ¡°It seems that I did,¡± I replied nonchalantly

    Multiple gods with strong presences went in front of me and looked down on me, I wondered why there was animosity between us, but I''m not going to take that lying down, if you want hatred, I can reciprocate.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve bowed down and known your place.¡±

    ¡°What do you think when a false god was made powerful?¡±

    ¡°Do you think your followers would be safe?¡±

    I was so confused at this point, I hadn¡¯t done anything warranting this much animosity, even pulling my worshippers on this conversation, somehow I can''t take it, it''s like pulling my family into an argument unrelated to the topic.

    ¡°Pray tell, what have I done to be in this position of¡­ malevolence?¡±

    That somehow angered them more, I can''t help but be unfazed by such behaviour, I''m confused and I''m not going to cower in front of these assholes.

    ¡°You don''t know what you¡¯ve done?! Birth of a new god and their rise of power will tip over the balance we¡¯ve built for years!¡±

    His angered voice caused small lightning to occur, looking down on me with such a tone grated on my nerves. So what if the balance you¡¯ve created was going to be toppled? You should¡¯ve thought of it properly when I came here and my position in this hierarchy.

    ¡°You talk like a mortal.¡±

    I can''t help but sneer, their eyes looked at me with nothing but pure malice, I can''t help but say it over and over again but that''s all I see, there''s a god in the corner that seems uninterested, he¡¯s probably a major god, thankfully he feels nothing about this.

    Anyway, the talk with these gods went nowhere, it''s filled with nothing but trash talk. The moment I felt ¡®Complete¡¯ I immediately descended back to the home of my followers, which was the Ninth continent.

    [Year 20]

    Time passed way too fast. I hovered above the continent and saw what it truly was, the presence of the other gods was easily felt from here, they were on other continents and their influences were no joke.

    My true concern is from somewhere else. Multiple boats were trying to cross from the other continents and my continent. That''s not good, I have failed to oversee what happened for the last 8 years and I need to catch up. I don''t see the threat of the sailors reaching the ninth continent, the sea was harsher and the beasts lurking beneath were hungry, and even if they crossed, would they survive the monster season? Could they maintain their docks?

    I went back to the foreline village and saw how things were different, but the biggest change was probably Lazarus he wore Yak clothing of the highest quality and fox fur draped around his neck and his pants were easy to move. Now he has a tattoo, one that came from the orcs.

    ¡°Lazarus.¡±

    ¡°F-Father! What happened? You disappeared for years!¡±

    ¡°I Ascended to a higher realm, what happened?¡±

    Lazarus filled me in as usual, for the time I was gone the monsters soared high, and he had no choice but to fight back as well, he was taught the spear and from orcs, he was taught swordsmanship, however, the orcs swordsmanship are crude, due to their large physique he could only make use of a few techniques.

    Checking the core members of my main sponsored children I saw how they have changed, Mari became a mother and a better mathematician, and she has matured beyond belief, Kasha, and Kavo as well. They looked different as well. Kasha¡¯s Skills have expanded, she didn''t stay idle all these years, she studied philosophy which is something she discovered on her own and made a better lifestyle for her people.

    She also developed the skill [Natural Speaker] which makes her voice weigh with value, like reporters when they speak, it''s clear and loud for everyone to understand. Kavo has the most change, now he has a wife and he is way busier unlike anyone else. He learned how to fight because sometimes the monsters would be able to cross to the village, and his clinic was near the forest.

    He gained the title [Battle Medic] which was fitting.

    After I was done checking Foreline Village with Zoe I went to the Marshland Village to check on Magnus. He started telling me stories I missed from the time of my absence.

    In the eight years, they got bold, they built rafts which is in the earlier stages. And they sailed near the coasts. Their diet extended from small fishes and some frogs and crocs to completely large fishes that their rafts cannot store. They started developing better rafts and became bolder, now they reach the coasts of the sea and they fish a lot of good fish, now that I am a Minor god I can see things I previously couldn''t,

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I could see that these fishes are mana-dense, which means that these fishes have a lot of potential to nurture soul energy. I observed what happens when they eat the fish and it kind of surprised me.

    From the moment it was cooked in the flames to the mouth of the fishermen. I saw how the mana is absorbed and turned into soul energy, and it was bad, the absorption of the soul energy has a lot of waste coming out in the absorption process.

    ¡°Is this why only a few people could go beyond the demigod level?¡±

    Well, that was my observation too far, my most pressing problem right now is probably the manpower in foreline village. I swear if the monsters continued to attack and it wasn''t dealt with the foreline village would be forced to move, not when the orcs taught the villagers how to farm properly.

    In the past 8 years, the Orcs and Foreline villagers exchanged knowledge and helped one another. The farms created in Foreline village are successful, the orcs brought their seeds and saplings to cultivate and in years they feed the village.

    Thankfully as I left I gave the Aidens the right to exercise my power of blessing people, Lazarus did exactly that, his mission here is to scout for talent for me to bless, but it seems he blessed the people themselves when he had the chance.

    ¡°Father, would you like to take a look at my sons and daughter?¡±

    ¡°Three children in almost a decade, Lazarus you''re way too active.¡± I teased

    ¡°I-I can''t help it! My wife is way too demanding¡­¡±

    With that, I just burst out laughing, in my past life I never had children, but I did cadre to my cousins, that is the closest thing I have to taking care of children, I can''t help but look at my son proudly, it didn''t matter in my mind that I created him he was a part of me.

    ¡°Sure Lazarus, let me see my grandchildren.¡±

    Lazarus smiled shyly and led me to a wooden house, within 8 years the Orcs taught the Villagers carpentry, which gave them a better life, there were these cone tents from the marshland village but the wooden houses are better. I entered the house floating because I don''t need to stay on the ground anymore, floating costs no SE and it''s convenient to just float.

    Lazarus had three children, two sons and one young daughter. When I entered their house I couldn¡¯t help but notice the three heads in the wall, it''s the village tradition to commemorate hunts, but it was orcish that they made the head of the beasts they hunt into a trophy, I could recognize one but not the two.

    A Scorn giant, and the other two. The system portrays their name every time they get the kill, but I only need to send my intent and the system immediately tells me what they are.

    [Scourge Malifex]

    [Omniarc Kaputo]

    The Scourge Malifex is shaped like a doghead, however, there are 6 eyes and they''re beady they don''t have teeth, only sharp outlines as their skin and skeleton seem to merge on the teeth. The Omniarc Kaputo is like two claws combined to form a head like an excavator claw placed with three sharp claws and two were combined, I don''t see an eye on that thing.

    ¡°Father.¡±

    Lazarus called on me, my gaze went back to him and the three heads that seemed to look at me, which indicated they could see me.

    ¡°This is Moyo,¡± Lazarus reached for the oldest, ¡°This is Rei and this is Kaina¡± and he pointed at the last two.

    Kaina seems to be only two years old, though she was already walking, Lazarus would her, what a needy child. Oh, and they were looking at me. They can see me, which is¡­ surprising.

    ¡°How are you darlings,¡± I spoke to the three children.

    Kaina is filled with curiosity. The two were excited as well.

    ¡°G-grandpa!¡± Moyo said first.

    I guess he is excited, I chuckled and placed my feet on the ground, walked up to the 8-year-old boy and with enough SE I ruffled his hair. I did the same with the three children. We had a chat, but what interested me the most was when I asked them what they wanted to do when they grew up.

    ¡°I wanted to be like Dad!¡± Moyo declared.

    Lazarus became a warrior and a hunter, both in between. He has high prestige in the village, it was 7 years ago when he became like that. Moyo was 1 year old and Mari was introducing him to her friends. When suddenly a Scorn boar came rushing towards Mari and her friends.

    Fortunately, that time, Lazarus was on site so when he saw the boar rushing he ran like he never had done before and fought the boar barehandedly, the boar wasn''t a beast, it was a monster. He could¡¯ve been ripped to shreds but the boar was unfortunate to meet Lazarus with the dad power. It was beaten to a pulp.

    I guess with a hundred thousand SE he had the power of a thousand souls. He was strong as a demigod even in a base, unexercised, state. Now, Lazarus was a sleek and lean dad who could beat anyone who tried to ask for his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage.

    ¡°What a father¡¯s son.¡±

    Lazarus laughed, he ruffled his son¡¯s hair. He is a family man.

    For Rei, this got me interested.

    ¡°I want to explore the stars¡­¡± he was soft-spoken but not timid.

    ¡°Stars?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they''re pretty.¡±

    Hmm, I guess that''s a child''s curiosity, though I''m quite curious, so with a thought I gathered enough information with the follower''s panel, the Orcs seem to have converted to me, and thanks to that I learned that none of my followers had [Astronomy] as a skill. I looked at Rei and thought a bit.

    ¡°Would you like to know how?¡± I asked Rei and he tilted his head, ¡°Would you like how to explore the stars?¡±

    To that question, Rei¡¯s eyes twinkled and he nodded innocently. I smiled and gave him a blessing. [Astronomy{E}], it has the knowledge of star tracing, naming and other skills combined, but knowledge is mostly given here. At this point, my past life is just a reference, when I became a Minor god I became more tied to the laws of reality and the abyss I only need to refer to a specific law or a chemical process and my mind would produce the answer.

    All the knowledge I gave to Rei was such things, as star alignment, star luminosity etc. basically college degree stuff. Last was Kaina. I looked at the young girl and she looked at me, she raised her hands which surprised me, sorry Kaina, I¡¯m intangible.

    ¡°So darling, what do you want to be when you grow up?¡± I asked, just out of curiosity towards Kaina.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ dunno¡±

    A simple answer came out, I laughed a bit and turned my gaze towards Lazarus.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to Arkum and his hunters, but before that¡­ here.¡±

    I gave Lazarus a title, he¡¯s a demigod, so he would have a title demigod, but that isn''t enough. I gave him the title [Champion] the effects are simple he has [true damage] that I tailored. What is true damage? Simple as it sounds, if the enemy has a barrier it will be ignored, if the target is illusive, invisible or intangible? That doesn''t matter, the damage from being punched by a demigod will still feel like a punch from a demigod.

    Though the effect only delivers 10% true damage, it cost me 15,000 SE and it only gave Lazarus 10%, the system that delivers these is foolproof, so the creation of that effect for fifteen thousand is surely going to deliver a proper effect despite how downcast it looks.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ father?¡±

    ¡°Lazarus, the fight isn¡¯t over yet, correct? And it is getting worse.¡±

    I remember the boats that were sailing towards the ninth continent, I estimated that if they managed to cross the harsh waters, the monsters of the sea and the unending storms they would get here within a century minimum. I need to deal with the monster problem, and then make sure my followers won''t meet an end from those gods.

    The harsh waters of the ocean separating the Ninth from the rest of the continents are filled with reefs, whirlpools, giant monsters and beasts that devour everything. I''m pretty sure it will take a lot of ingenuity, manpower and resources for them to cross.

    ¡°So¡­ father¡­ what is your plan?¡±

    ¡°To make sure you all survive? A lot. Expect me to disappear from time to time.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Without a bye I disappeared from the spot, ascending to a Minor god gave me a lot of perks, I could finally make my power system that I could bestow to my followers¡­ no, scratch that, I''m giving it to the entire Ninth continent. I was gone for 8 years, to that time, the villagers managed to navigate the system and they exchanged a lot of things in the store.

    [Hadro]

    Status: Minor god

    Followers:580

    SE production: 700/y

    Aidens: Magnus, Zoe, Lazarus.

    First I looked at my status, Minor god, previously Lesser. Now that I am of higher form I am now more capable of other things. The first thing I would like to do is create my realm. Right now, with 8 years worth of collecting offerings and from the store cuts I got 160,000 (minus the 15,000) first and foremost I made 50 soul points.

    The reason why my realm failed to open the first time is that I am of lower ranking, the system saving me from the gods, thankfully, and the second reason is that I needed Soul Points, not Energy. Soul points are a full soul, the standardized measurement.

    With that, 50 soul points were spent and within my inner existence I imagined the form of my realm, there''s the typical heaven and hell which I doubt I would make. I checked, how much for time dilation, the conversion would be 1:100 or 1 day equals a hundred.

    That would cost an extra 100 SP, but I don''t mind I wanted more, so I added more conditions, but it turns out that it wasn''t that easy, every hundred days the soul points needed to be multiplied. From 100 to 300 to 900, in the end, 365 days is 950 soul points so my 160,000 Soul Energy became 55,000, is it a shame? Not really.

    Thought I had to maintain the quota of my realm, but it turns out I don''t have to, this realm is closed only to me and my followers. When deciding my realm, I referred to my past life. Heaven? Nah, impractical. Hell? There¡¯s one already, a realm shared by any god and deity.

    I checked what I wanted with this world.

    I was reborn as a god after dying in an unfortunate accident.

    A world of magic, where gods exist.

    I recalled my previous world, where lots of history was made. And one thing I have missed is the complete study of God particle. I want to see that if possible, so I made my life¡¯s purpose here to help these people. Since it''s like that it is easy to imagine what my Realm would look like.

    Rows and rows and columns and columns then stairs of multiple floors. I imagined a library, rows and rows of bookshelves and columns and columns filled with books, and not only that, mahogany desks lined up to an area and lastly, the reception desk. My Realm is a giant Library, the stories of my followers are all here what they learn and what has been learned in my past world would be here, and anything I learn would also be here.

    After making it I entered inside, the smell of wood from the books and shelves made me feel comfortable. I also added computers, if someone died, their soul would be brought here, and of course, they have two choices, either to reincarnate back in nature or to eternally rest, which is being absorbed by me. The choice of staying here existed the moment they went into my realm, so I didn''t add that choice because it was already chosen.

    After making my realm I stayed there for a while, the time dilation would be enough to make me think of something since I don''t have to maintain it. Countermeasures are what I need, from the colonizers coming from the other continents and the monster uprising.

    The power system, it''s time to make it. When I ascended I completely felt separated from mortal desires, I don''t know why those gods feel this and instead talk like them, however, I don''t see that as a bad thing, because they¡¯re making my job easier.

    I decided that the power system should be capable of both utility and assault. Devising one would be hard, however, as I looked around me, books that filled me made me realise that a Power System doesn''t need to be hard. A magical language should suffice, applications may vary, such as magic circles, talismans and wards.

    For that, I need a magical language. Latin, Greek and old English, theres a lot to reference from. But I don''t plan to use any of those, nor rune nor anything that refers to my past life. I will create a new magical language from scratch, you may think that I''m being stupid, but I can think of everything I''ve learned in particle physics within a second, I''m no human anymore.

    In a minute, it is all within a minute when I finished everything, from verbs, nouns and sentences, I made up a different language. After that, with all these letters and alphabets I wrote a book, a book of creation if I made the world, I described everything with every word I made up and then took a look.

    A book with the thickness of a thumb is in my hands, all I have to do is materialise this and give it to my followers.

    I went out of my realm, as of now, the only way to create magic is by skills I created. Now they could freely do so with this book, I hope it fills its purpose within my people.

    ***

    The monsters have stopped gaining numbers, but instead started coming in with more power, the village is in danger, yes. That''s why they plan on moving, but some don¡¯t want to, saying it''s a shame, which is true, the farmers have just started seeing the gains of their lands.

    So they put forward a proposal, to go inside and vanquish the problem for once and all.

    But as they do so they get a quest from their systems, from the god that had given them power.

    [Quest]

    ?One and Undivided?

    There are more tribes and there are more races in the continent than to meet the eye. Gather them all together and stand together, united as one under one banner.

    There were no rewards unlike the last, but this made them wonder, a quest with no rewards? There is probably more than to meet the eye.

    ¡°Saentel, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°We have a problem with the monsters, they may not be of quantity but they sure have risen in quality these days.¡± a man with a wise beard spoke.

    ¡°Then why send us to find the other tribes?¡±

    The council, as they call it consists of elders and thinkers from orcs and Foreline village itself. It was created a year ago as the populace of Foreline grew bigger. Naturally, decision-making and important roles were handed out by them.

    ¡°I see what''s happening¡± Kavo called out.

    ¡°You do?¡±

    Arkum asked to which Kavo nodded. ¡°If we ever try to solve the problem ourselves and dive deep in the forest, it would most likely be that we¡¯ll die, luckily the thing that Arkum had fought stayed in the forest, and we have yet to see more dangerous monsters.¡±

    ¡°So we should gather people up?¡±

    ¡°Probably, I doubt we¡¯re the only ones having the same problem.¡±

    Kavo continued to argue and place logic in their conversation, he was not the same young boy back then, but now he has the wisdom and wits of a seasoned man. He has a part in the council because he is one of only a few who has medical skills and expertise, his medical opinion is invaluable to the village.

    ¡°So, we gather strength and then solve the monster problem. Any objections?¡±

    None, none objected. And on that night, the time of the week when they give an offering to Hadro, a book appeared on the altar. It turned the village upside down.

 [V1;C19] Technological, Historical, and Magical. 1

    [Year 21]

    It''s been 2 decades, and Mari has wondered why math is something given to her, mathematicians have little practical uses in the village. From warehouse checks to logistical grunt work, it''s not much. But then, things changed. They needed proper measurements, thanks to Lazarus getting some miscellaneous memories from his father an accurate measurement called a meter was introduced.

    She discovered it by doing various techniques, nothing in the village could give an accurate measurement, so she used a stick and a string. She used berries, not the red or green juicy fruits, but the kernel berries, none worked, and then she looked at the sky.

    She observed how the sun went down and how it went up. She used the directions, using the same method of stick and string. She observed, marked the shadow and repeated. She repeatedly did measurements and did angles, in the process she gained the skill [Trigonomitrist] with the new skill, she instinctively could tell the angle degree.

    But she didn''t get complacent, she kept measuring and detailing them, with the help of her friend, Kasha, they made a detailed report of their findings, thanks to the introduction of the store in their awakened system, the supply of paper is not a problem.

    With the sun as her mark, she kept trying to find the proper angle, comparing the latest study to the last. Till finally.

    ¡°This is 23 degrees.¡±

    ¡°Is it the same?¡±

    ¡°Let me compare.¡±

    She placed down a stick placed a mark with charcoal and checked. In another study from last time, she placed the coordinates, moved a simple mechanism with a pointer pointing at the stick in the distance, recorded the location and then pointed the mechanism to another stick, and then marked the location.

    ¡°23 degrees again.¡±

    ¡°No mistake?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Mari¡¯s voice became weak and her hand became shaky.

    ¡°The marker of the sun up and sun down?¡±

    ¡°No mistakes either.¡±

    Mari and an assistant check their studies, the paper is full of triangular drawings and explanations. Mari and her assistant, named Kina, are having heart palpitations, this study has been ongoing for years. And now they have a proper unit they can refer to.

    ¡°It''s time to rest!¡±

    The moment Mari could expand this measurement the better the items the blacksmith could make, the simple mechanism which she made doesn''t have an official name is the most accurate thing she has set up, she realized that things could form better things and turn into a mechanism. She observed how spears and swords were made, or how the simple idea of moving bigger objects with smaller logs, but the best yet is what they use to sew the Yak fur.

    If she could learn all the mechanisms, she could improve their lives. And seemingly, their god seemed to have heard what she wished for.

    A week later a book appeared on the altar. And nobody could understand the language written inside it. That was the case until an event including 5 people gained a title.

    [Suilpo Speaker]

    The title was given to Mari as well, the other four were Lazarus, Kavo, Shavik and her daughter, Kaina. Out of curiosity, they opened the book

    Lorel hal saime na jikirin lainet

    [There was a lone boy name Lorel.]

    The book starts with a story about a young god named Lorel. In a moment of loneliness, he created the started all of creation which started with a bang like any myth would. The storybook was a story of myths starting from the creation of the world the Big Bang just how the universe of Earth was formed.

    It didn''t follow the scientific way, because Lorel created each creature with a creative design, for example: [The jellyfish likes to fly, that''s why they don''t have fins but a body made of slime to fly in the air, but alas, they''re too heavy.]

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Hadro added illustrations to add immersion for the reasons, after all, how could they imagine something they had not seen their entire lives? When the story started entailing humans Hadro didn''t make it too complicated, he described Lorel making them in his image, since his body is androgynous he made two, one for a masculine body and the other is a feminine, hence women and men.

    It moved forward, the time within the book moved forward, and the ones who could read the book took their time, it''s not time to decipher it yet. When the story is focused on the humans Hadro makes the story move just like Earth¡¯s development, detailing wars, culture, humour and tradition.

    Human history reached its intensity when the Cold, first and second world war was described alternately. Since the book has magic it added the concept of magic weapons, though just called weapons within the book.

    It entailed various weapons until it reached the climax at the end. When a nuclear weapon was dropped at a strategic waypoint, unlike Earth where they dropped the nuke on a country. When the readers reached the end it was already 2 weeks, that''s how thick the book is, and they managed to read to that point because they had a lot of time.

    ¡°We need to be like Kyora. Unite the tribes and become an empire, but we need to avoid their corruption.¡±

    ¡°Such a thing even exists, does it happen that much?¡±

    ¡°Corruption¡­why is that?¡±

    Kavo, Mari and Lazarus were reading the book, sometimes Mari would read the book to her Children, and it did interest the youth as there was an illustration along the words. But it still begged the question, what was the story for? Why did Hadro give them a book?

    ¡°Father told me to say a word, like [ilyen] and think of ice coming out of nowhere,¡± Lazarus spoke.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ what will that do?¡±

    ¡°Just try it, he says.¡±

    They all look together, Lazarus tilts his head and then with a sigh, he spoke ¡°[Ilyen]¡±

    Since Lazarus was the only one who could have a clear definition of ice thanks to bits of Hadro¡¯s memories. The ice that appeared after his words became solid, it was clear white-blue, the coldest of them all. The others were surprised by what happened, shock apparent on their faces.

    ¡°H-how?¡±

    ¡°Father told us it is the language of Suilpo, a language created by him for us.¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°Magic.¡±

    Confusion was apparent, the villagers had seen the orcs perform magic, through rituals and chants however, the chant was not that short. The shamans would do some sort of ritual, a ceremony, or the mages would chant a long set of words unknown to the villagers. The villagers were taught their orcish ways to use magic but it doesn''t seem to work. They cannot explain the meaning to them even though they speak the same language.

    In the end, only spearmanship and other techniques were taught.

    ¡°Father told me that we should spread this to the village.¡±

    ¡°If we have to teach this¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Kasha be the best one to give the title?¡±

    ¡°Father told me she¡¯s our best choice.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­? Then why¡­ I don''t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°He said that it took him a lot of power to materialize the book, now it''s up to us.¡±

    ¡°Up to what?¡±

    Lazarus shrugged at Mari¡¯s question, instead he brought up another idea that came from the book.

    ¡°Metres. The book entailed how it is found.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and my discovery was right!¡±

    Originally, Mari concluded that the use of a triangle with a similar length would give her an answer, but instead, it might be inaccurate. Although it already gave some answers after years of searching she decided to revise, but not completely forget the formula, but then, if she finished a new enlightened way to revise the meter it would be more accurate!

    [Gained the title [Scientist]]

    Mari looked at her new title, she couldn''t help but be delighted by such an event, it wouldn''t even have been possible 20 years ago! But now she feels like she has been achieving more than ever.

    When Mari compared the studies she made. The current comparison of her meter is 23 degrees by the eye marker from another landmark to another or 160 individual grains. Now she changed her mindset. Instead of using another landmark she instead decided the first thing she used, the sun.

    This time she will use the sun¡¯s morning rise and sun''s dawn locations as points of reference to make a meter, well this is her only theory, though she wants to complete it fast, Mari is still a mother, so it will take time to get her little project to finish.

    ***

    Hadro looked at them, it wasn¡¯t a lie when he said it took a lot of power to give them, however, that was not all, Kasha has been working as a teacher to the kids of the villagers. For every reason, she is a better candidate for them all.

    But here¡¯s the thing, she is happy as a teacher, her language comprehension is high and her spirit is above 80. If she has access to a magical language that makes her more powerful her spirit would randomly burst into power, after all, the book contains the power system that Hadro bestowed upon them.

    She would randomly jump up from a mortal to a demigod within a week, and power scaling without a foundation can lead to dire consequences. So she should take it slowly for her, she would not survive if Kasha as a vessel of her soul was weak and the soul became powerful, it would kill her instantly.

    ¡®Anyways¡¯

    Now that is done, I have to check with the other tribes. So far my only influence is on the Foreline Village if that continues then it would take at least a few centuries for them to unite everyone on the entire continent. The continent is as large as South America and Africa combined.

    And it already takes the villagers to travel between Foreline and Marshland a few months back and forth. I wanted to add a messenger function on the awakened system panels but there is a condition that people with spirit above 100 could use it. Theres only two people, nearing three in the entire foreline village, which is Arkum, Shavik and Lazarus.

    Hadro floated up and scoured the entire continent, several races were accounted and most of them were scattered. Elves, Lycanthropes, more orcs and humans. But what surprised Hadro the most were the half-dragons, the half-dragons are humanoid and they have scales prevailing on their bodies, they have these stubs on their backs which are assumed to be a place for their wings.

    Hadro closed to the half-dragons looking at them curiously.

    ¡°Who dares?!¡±

    Then he heard a low bellow, malice laced in its voice. Hadro glanced towards the location where he heard it, only to find a dragon, yes a dragon looking at him. He could feel its soul, he could confidently tell it was a deity.

    ¡°A god? What do you want in my territory?¡±

    The dragon was inside a burrow, it has a reddish-grey hue which could be mistaken for copper. Hadro didn''t notice it till the dragon actually moved, or rather he wasn''t paying any attention, even though he could''ve sensed its soul.

    ¡°Just checking. I was curious.¡±

    When the dragon bellowed Hadro noticed that the half-dragons©¤, here now referred to as Drakin, immediately bowed and shook, probably from fear. Anyways, these people seem to be a good addition of allies for Foreline village so he decided to have them if the dragon is just a nuisance to life.

    ¡°Really?¡± the dragon asked sceptic. ¡°If you had your curiosity sated, leave.¡±

    Well theres no turning that over, Hadro decided to be reasonable and was about to leave when one of the children barfed in front of the dragon, Hadro knew that child had been shaking in fear since earlier but didn''t know up to this extent!

    ¡°You ungrateful brat!¡± The dragon¡¯s throat glowed

    Hadro couldn''t ignore this.

 [V1;C20] Technological, Historical, and Magical. 2

    [Year 21 X month]

    I estimated that the exploration of people from other continents would be a century away, the estimation is quite generous. From the sea monsters, beasts, disasters, troubled waters? It might take longer, the technology to negate damage from the sea monsters would need to be equivalent to warships back on Earth to cross.

    But those were made of metals. And with human ingenuity or racial by now. I''m pretty sure a bit of war would put that idea to fruition. So by that happens, the entire Continent shall be united or my people will be the ones to suffer.

    Becoming a minor god has its uses, for one, thinking, or rather calculating, is instant If I still have a ¡®head¡¯. Also, some ambiguous info that came from the abyss became clear.

    It didn''t even take a minute for me to decide that this dragon would kill the child. Should I intervene? Should I turn a blind eye? One thing in my mind, I''m a god. I''m going to act like it.

    ***

    Before the dragon''s throat released all those flames his mouth suddenly shot and an oppressive feeling bore upon him.

    The dragon looked at the god that disturbed his actions and couldn''t help but be irritated.

    This pest¡ª

    But before he could continue and make another move against the god that disturbed him, an invasive feeling destroyed his eyes, and the next thing he knew he was gone.

    ***

    To kill a threat one must aim for the head, a certain god of thunder would know that. My Subject Domain which is Particles became more potent as my connection with reality became prominent as I raised my status.

    I could lift objects as a whole when I was a lesser god, now that I am a minor god I could rip apart objects and meld them back together.

    Crushing the dragon''s head was easy enough. Though my reserves of SE sank, it rapidly rose as the soul of the deity which is the dragon got absorbed by me.

    I will check my gains later, glancing at the Drakins they were confused, the mother of the child who puked when the dragon''s oppressive aura befell the place is comforting the child.

    I couldn''t help but look around in worry, would they accept my blessing? Or would their fear settle in and be forced to take it?

    Anyway, I had to take the chance. So I gave them a blessing and a quest. Also, I created an Aiden, close to the image of the Drakins to have a certain familiarity. They can be the messengers if I successfully bring them into my followers.

    I named her Allie, she acts as the overseer and is tasked with monitoring their talents and giving appropriate blessings in my name. There will be a time when I will hear the story of development from these people through her.

    Now that I finished with the Drakins I went somewhere else, I have a curiosity to satiate, are other sapient races in this continent under an oppressive deity? So far I have encountered tribes that are oppressed by their deity twice.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Once or twice is a coincidence but surely, a third is not.

    This time I went to the elves, they were dark-skinned some were lighter than others but ultimately brown. I found a hunting group and to my surprise they have dogs. Hunting dogs. Dogs aren''t natural on Earth they were bred to exist.

    So to see dogs exist on this continent is quite a surprise. After all, you¡¯ll need wolves for them to exist.

    ¡°Miriel, the monsters have decreased in numbers lately, haven''t they?¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    I watched their interactions, eager to see what elves were doing and capable of. The only time I ever heard of elves is in the trilogy Lord of the Rings.

    ¡°Josie, there are some tracks of Deers here.¡±

    A third voice chimed in. The one Miriel talked to turned her head and walked up to them, the third person pointing at a footprint covered by debris.

    ¡°It''s recent.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°We should get going, I don''t know if there are monsters here.¡±

    The trio whistled and their dogs went back to their sides, it seemed that the dogs were trained as well. I couldn''t help but be in awe, they''re a mix of a Belgian malinois and a bloodhound.

    The Trio continued their hunt, getting deeper into the forest. I scoured the surroundings and it seemed that they were getting closer to the monster territory. I wonder what they¡¯re aiming for. Isn''t it the deer?

    ¡°Kimi! There! There it is!¡±

    I have seen it from far away and what Josie pointed at was a [Omniarc Karn] a monster the size of a bull, its stature similar to that of a rhino and it has three horns, its body bluish and grey. It noticed the trio as steam started coming out of its nose.

    The trio seemed prepared and aimed their arrows, I could tell that they brought close-quarter weapons, but it seemed that they preferred to use conventional tactics to engage the monster, perhaps hit and run.

    The monster seems to hate the idea of being hit by arrows, as it starts charging towards the trio. The Karn was hundreds of metres away, it surprised me when it dashed and covered that distance by a second.

    I could tell that the trio seemed panicked as they didn''t prepare that much for this, I sighed. I wanted to know if there is a deity who has a firm grasp on the Elves, but it seems that I might incur another hatred from a deity. Well fuck it, I have a goal to achieve here and I can''t be considerate of a deity unless they''re kind, this is the only time I¡¯ll be considerate.

    Blessing the trio [Sharpshooter F], the reactions were intense. Their eyes widened and aimed their bows, I created the sharpshooter with the intention of intense accuracy and precision passive, with an active of hitting their intended target once.

    The information on how to use the skill seems to have been processed fast, as Kimi aimed for the eyes of the Karn and it shrieked. Huffing steam out of its nose it was in pain. They were delighted, but the fight wasn''t over yet. The dogs on standby were waiting for their turn, and Josie didn''t give the signal yet.

    She used her skill to aim at the Karn¡¯s nose, and it slumped the moment the arrow went inside its nose. It halted but the momentum it carried made it drag itself till it was dangerously close to the trio of elves.

    ¡°A blessing! We have a blessing!¡± Kimi Cheered.

    ¡°The gods have not abandoned us!¡± Josie cheered

    Gods? I couldn''t help but be more intrigued. I watched as they bled and butchered the Karn with skill and dragged the meat along with some organs that I found odd. Once the butchered pieces were carried they fed their dogs, cute.

    They all went home, excited about the news they brought. Their houses were wooden huts above tall and large trees, I can see the practicality of this architecture, considering there are monster trails beneath the trees in the house these elves made.

    The trio brought the meat they had hunted and shared it with the village, their populace bigger than Foreline village, with the addition of the orcs and the years I wasn''t there Foreline¡¯s populace grew up to a thousand, but the elves easily outnumbered them by another thousand.

    This village is just one of many and thanks to my ascension I could easily sense a thousand souls from a mile away. It was a community full of busybodies. Different roles were scattered from [Dog Trainers] to [Archers] and more.

    The elves also¡­ seem to have their birth rate in decline. Most of the elves I could see are over 500 years old, any elves below that are small in number. Well, I don''t see any problems in their community, but I still want to learn why the young elves were so excited that a god blessed them.

    At first, I went to one of the tree houses where the trio went, though I did not expect a scolding.

    ¡°You stupid child of mine! You hunted an Omniarc?! And to take our hunting dogs as well! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!¡±

    ¡°M-mother! But we¡¯re fine!¡±

    ¡°Fine because a god took notice of you! What do you think would happen if the generous god wasn''t there!?¡±

    I watched a scolding of a lifetime, didn''t know the elves would have parenting similar to Asian parenting, that ear pinch looks nasty. Anyway, I checked the location of the elves, and it seems to be far from the others, they¡¯re in a secluded part of the forest in a line of mountain ridges, above the Demon Forest. The only reason they''re far away because of the number of mountains.

    So far, I have checked the Drakins and the Elves, time to check the Lycanthropes, but before I do, I created an Aiden, as with the Drakins, I made it on the image of the Elves, his name would be Alexander.

 [V1;C21]Technological, Historical, and Magical. 3

    [Year 22]

    I checked the Lycanthropes, they¡¯re nearer to the Marshland Village as they reside inside a forest filled with natural resources and are also close to the sea. Their source of food mainly comes from vegetables and the other source of food they find within the forest.

    Unlike the forest the Foreline village resides in, the Lycanthropes¡¯ forest is relatively peaceful, a ridge separates the connection of the demon forest and their forest. I¡¯ll call the forest by its properties, that would be Vine Forest.

    Anyways, I studied how they live©¤ their lifestyle. Throughout my survey they were relatively normal, they followed their own set of cultures and traditions. They were relatively happy, and what I found in the middle of their village, a place of worship, even surprised me.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡±

    A mellow voice rang through my ears, it was a soft and gentle tone you would hear from an old retired lady. In the middle of the village, in the stump, I felt it, a deity.

    ¡°Hi¡­ You are¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don''t have a name, but these children call me Saega.¡±

    ¡°I see, I am Hadro, the god of Particles.¡±

    ¡°Ah! A god¡­ forgive my rudeness¡­¡±

    I chuckled, the voice sounded like a wisened-up lady enjoying her years. ¡°There aren''t any, so I don''t mind, care for a talk, Saega?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡±

    I talked with the deity she was a fairy and in her dying state, out of her chaotic nature, she helped the wandering Lycanthropes that she happened to pass by. When she was about to die she embedded herself in the very tree stump in the middle of the village, but the SE from their worship of Saega accumulated and she was reborn anew, as a deity of the village.

    Though, she was reborn out of their image, her chaotic nature was gone, and now was replaced by her current persona. I guess the villagers liked her that much.

    ¡°Wait, how long have you been this treestump?¡±

    ¡°About 60 years ago¡­¡±

    Ah, so she lived a thousand years as a fairy. And 60 years as a Tree stump Deity, how¡­ amusing. Oh well.

    ¡°I assume that the Lycanthropes are reclusive?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°That they only worship you alone?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ yes that might be the case¡­ they hate the deity that tormented them¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ is a God not any good?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­?¡± The stump buzzed ¡°A god¡­!¡±

    Suddenly she released small golden motes of light. It surprised me but she seems¡­ Delighted.

    ¡°May I ask what will you do with these children?¡±

    Looks like she is willing to speak for me, so naturally I took this opportunity. I told her about my meeting with the other gods, and the ships that I saw that planned to cross over and potentially take over the continent. Seaga hummed, she then suggested something I did not expect her to say.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Then can I go under your wings?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Bless me, give me the awakened system.¡±

    ¡°No, Saega I know that. But you know of the consequences, right?¡±

    ¡°The fact that you worry about me is enough to tell me about you.¡±

    I was a bit perplexed, but it seemed she was willing. The consequences of being under a system from another entity to another entity are nothing short of asking to become a slave to the other party. After ascending, I could comprehend the system, one thing I understood is that this entity is a tool for the soul of humans, what would happen, if we the gods, were to be bound by the system that bounds humans'' souls to us, entities?

    The answer is nothing short of being enslaved.

    ¡°Fine, I would do that¡­¡±

    Besides, it''s not like she¡¯ll only become a slave, the System reinforces a mortal¡¯s soul makes it firm and protects it to a certain extent from foreign attacks. She would get the same benefit, she could even ascend to a true god if she had enough SE.

    With that conscious thought, I gave Saega an offer with my system, which I could feel she accepted. Saega glowed a faint hue of purple before it subsided, of course, it didn''t go without any notice. The village was surrounding Saega, their faces filled with awe and wonder.

    Saega¡¯s tree stump suddenly cracked in the middle, silence prevailed in the crowd and I was in shock.

    ¡°Saega??¡± I asked

    ¡°I am fine.¡±

    Just then, a Wisp came out of the tree stump, I could feel, that Saega was the wisp. Saega floated around and the villagers looked at her with awe.

    ¡°Hadro, isn''t your purpose in this village to reunite the races?¡±

    ¡°Yes, is there a reason you brought this up?¡±

    ¡°If we stay in here, we will be overrun even if it takes another hundred years. It''s better to expose these beastmen to the bigger world, let them explore¡­¡±

    I could feel emotion thrive at the wisp, she paused for a moment but then, I felt her emotions as she was connected to me by the system. She felt sadness and sorrow, and with a wry voice, she continued.

    ¡°I lived for a thousand years, and now I am reborn twice. With a new view, I could only feel sad for these beastmen.¡±

    ¡°Beastmen¡­¡±

    Beastmen, she says, but the System tells me that they¡¯re lycanthropes.

    ¡°I see, that the system changed how they¡¯re called. Is this how you view these children?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after all, Lycanthropes generally means, wolf-man¡­ well or close to it, since these people generally have no clear distinction between wolf or cat, it better to use that word on them.¡±

    ¡°I see, the System does sort everything for you. If you don''t have a word for it, it¡¯ll just say beastmen for the sake of convenience, I assumed you have lived long?¡±

    ¡°Not as long as you.¡± I vaguely answered.

    ¡°Well, enough¡­¡± Saega paused for a second. ¡°You arranged the system to your liking?¡± she sounded fascinated.

    Saega bobbed up and down in curiosity before stopping, her wispy body then turned to the lycanthropes and with a solemn voice continued her sentence.

    ¡°Anyways, this will make things easier. What do I need to do?¡±

    I nodded, she seemed close to the Lycanthropes, and with her help, I¡¯ll be able to guide them better. Thanks to her I could do better things in a short amount of time. With I had given her the power to bless the Lycanthropes, I tasked her to bless them with the right skills, and if she didn''t know what to do she could ask me and I could guide her as well.

    ¡°Your realm is a massive library?¡± Saega exclaimed, amazed.

    ¡°Yes, don''t hesitate to come here if your knowledge is lacking.¡±

    With that, I left the Lycanthrope village, all Lycanthropes are concentrated in this single area, when I floated up, I saw no other Lycanthropes other than this very village. It is good that their birth rate is a bit steady, even if it''s over 1 baby per year.

    ***

    Lazarus walked with his youngest hand in hand. Kaina has a copy of a book in her hand, it''s the Book that appeared on the altar, after the people with the title [Suilpo Speaker] deciphered its contents Kaina they were able to read unhindered. And of course, they also learned the title, called the [History of Nuna].

    Kaina was fascinated by the illustrations, especially with the dinosaurs.

    ¡°You still have that book in your hands, Kaina.¡±

    ¡°I like it.¡± Comes with a simple answer.

    Lazarus smiled, his hands filled with callus, mostly on the knuckles as Lazarus developed a distinct fighting style against the monsters. Over the years he didn''t only punch the monsters brainlessly, he developed a style, a technique. He couldn''t help but smile wryly when he noticed his fists.

    ¡°Well, that''s a good thing. You''re like your mother the more I¡¯m with you¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Kaina spoke with her eyes shining.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re always with mom we couldn''t go out that much.¡± Lazarus lamented

    ¡°Well¡­ dad is always busy.¡± Kaina sullenly muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, today Kaina and Dad will be together¡­ okay?¡±

    Kaina smiled brightly, and Lazarus couldn''t help but smile as well. He may have had no childhood, but that doesn¡¯t mean he wouldn''t give his children any. To this day, he can ¡°remember¡± memories, not of his own. And one of those memories, a child with bright yellow hair could be seen laughing.

    Arm outstretched to hold the girls¡¯ hand. That''s what He remembered. The caring touches he gave to that child are similar to a parent giving the utmost care to their own. Lazarus used this memory as a reference, knowing it came from his father.

    ¡°So, what does Kaina want to do today?¡±

    ¡°I want to build a Koronausaur.¡±

    ¡°Eh, a Koronausaur? Isn''t that the big bad beast in the book?¡±

    Kaina nodded. ¡°It looks like a bigger Ikkin.¡±

    Lazarus laughed, he looked down at the book that she held and then thought of an idea, theres a passage in the book about ¡°pot making¡± something out of clay. Lazarus blinked for a few seconds, it was an idea, and now he had a plan.

    ¡°Kaina,¡± Lazarus called out warmly.

    ¡°Ye?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to build a Koronausaur?¡±

    Kaina noticing Lazarus¡¯ tone nodded enthusiastically. Lazarus laughed and then carried Kaina, seemingly going home.

    ¡°Dad?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, daddy will get busy for a while.¡±

 [V1;C22]Technological, Historical, and Magical. 4

    [Year 22]

    Pot making is one of the oldest crafts in humanity, it is used to store seeds, money, and beer. Foreline Village has a similar situation, they use pots to store stuff, and though low quality it is reliable. Lazarus asked where they got the clay, the only thing he needed were the tools. With clay, he could let his daughter go wild.

    When he thought of pot making he got reminded of clay. Which is the main material pot used to make, but there is another thing that needs clay. That would be bricks. Lazarus scoured the memories shared with him. The clay that is used in the pot making is of a specific type.

    Lazarus immediately set off and went to the nearest mountain, reddish dirt near of water source, he continued his search, killing monsters along the way.

    ¡°Lazarus, what are you doing?¡±

    Mari asked Lazarus. He¡¯s been around the mountain ridges lately, and this naturally got the others curious.

    ¡°It¡¯s for pot making.¡±

    ¡°Pot¡­ making? If you need the mud theres the river nearby.¡±

    ¡°No, the material I need is different.¡±

    Lazarus explained that this clay, specifically is needed to make more robust pots, and if they managed to find where this clay is located, he could make bricks. One that could make better houses.

    ¡°Why not allow us to help? It seems this material seems useful, considering our pots are weak because it''s made with river mud.¡±

    ¡°Monsters¡­ I would have you help me but it seems that circumstances don''t allow it.¡±

    Mari chuckled and patted Lazarus¡¯ hair, Lazarus looked at his wife with a gentle gaze.

    ¡°Well, I hope your endeavour is fruitful Lazarus.¡±

    Lazarus smiled brightly at Mari¡¯s words of encouragement. He continued his search with a newfound enthusiasm. He scoured a few hills and mountains and even came across a ravine with a waterfall.

    ¡°This place is great¡­ hmm?¡±

    Lazarus walked through the ravine, he saw how layers and layers of minerals formed through the walls, and in the process of doing so, he saw a rusty yet silverish stone in the bottom, just lurking enough to be seen.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that''s new¡­ ¡°

    Lazarus¡¯s curiosity is piqued he decides to come over and take a few samples, a few large rocks are placed in his leather bag, and after that, he continues to embark determined to finish his goal.

    The forest certainly has monsters, lately, they had reduced in quantity but have risen in quality, they''re stronger, faster and overall better. The warriors and hunters in the village are almost at the same level as pre-demigod Arkum, although not there yet, they could go toe to toe with a Scorn bear individually.

    Lazarus was a bit comforted by the fact that he could leave the village and walk around in leisure focused on the task at hand. A few hours later, Lazarus was on unknown grounds, he at least marked a couple of trees with an obvious mark where he could return.

    He scoured the ground, checking if they were the clay he wanted to find, he gathered different types of soil, labelling them where he found them and differentiated them by type. By now he looked like an archaeologist looking for fossils.

    ¡°17 pouches filled¡­ alright time to head ho-¡±

    As Lazarus was finishing his count, the ground suddenly slid and Lazarus thought he was only losing his footing, till he started falling along the dirt that fell. He stumbled till he stopped abruptly.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Thankfully he doesn''t carry anything that could shatter, only flattened pouches on his leather bag. He groaned in frustration, the fall was unexpected. He never knew that the whole ground would just fall under him.

    He looked around wondering what was around him, thanks to his constitution, he was quick to recover from the fall, and the disorientation didn''t last long. Lazarus found himself in a cave, as he could only describe so.

    Lazarus was cautious, unknown territory was not a good place, especially when monsters were at their peak. His eyes darted around as he walked forward, minimizing the amount of noise he made.

    ©¤Grrrr¡­

    Lazarus halted his steps, he moved forward slowly. The growl was something he didn''t want to expect, but he did. In a confined space there is little to nowhere he could go. He rather not fight than confront whatever beast lay ahead.

    Lazarus took another step, and something unexpected appeared.

    [You Have Entered a dungeon]

    [Omniarc Dungeon has been alerted of your presence]

    Lazarus couldn''t help but take a gulp, a dungeon? Theres little to no information about any dungeon. Then a memory struck him, one that was not his. Dungeons and Dragons. If he could assume and use that as a reference then he could tell that this place was filled with danger.

    ¡°Raaah!!!¡±

    Lazarus was about to run away when a sudden roar took him by surprise, he felt the intensity that it momentarily stunned him.

    A large clawed hand reached towards Lazarus, in panic he swatted the hand with mana coating his whole arms. The hand momentarily stopped and instead clenched into a fist and moved forward.

    [Omniarc Grug]

    Lazarus looked at the monster, it was 3 metres tall and it had a weird constitution, four arms, no neck, just a face on its torso and legs extending like a grasshopper''s legs. And the very distinct characteristic of blue hue.

    "What the fuc¡ª"

    Lazarus moved, his instincts told him so, the moment he did he saw the place he was standing earlier was a wreck, the hand of the Grug embedded in it.

    ¡ªRoar!

    Several beads of sweat fell from Lazarus''s head, he raised his fist coated with mana, and the Grug lunged so fast Lazarus was barely able to see it. However, he was prepared.

    [Blast Impact]

    A simple skill he earned when he used his fists as weapons. It was an impact full moment back then when he single-handedly defeated a Scorn Ox mid-charge.

    The Grug, despite its size, dodged nearly instantaneously, the air aggressively pushed out of the way and the wall behind crumbled. Lazarus was left in disbelief but not disheartened.

    He used the skill again, on another arm and launched the punch as if triggering a gun. The Grug, more wary than it initially was, moved out of the way.

    But due to the limited size of the cave, the Grug soon hit a wall which stopped it in its tracks.

    [Whip Feet]

    Another skill came from Lazarus, aimed at the monster''s torso. The Grug barely moved away thanks to its awkward position, thanks to its last-second dodge it was grazed, a bruise soon showing on its bluish skin.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The Grug growled, its agitation evident as it prowled forward, Lazarus moved out of the way just in time as web-like cracks appeared where he previously stood.

    He needed to end this soon, he doesn''t know how long he has been outside but he was pretty sure the sun was on its way to set when he was about to go home.

    The fight continued, Lazarus and the Grug were evenly matched in speed, he couldn''t tell the same if it was the same with power.

    But surely, Lazarus is winning. However, when they''re fighting Lazarus doesn''t know he was slowly venturing inside the cave to avoid the Grug''s attacks.

    And before he knew it.

    He had entered the second floor of the dungeon.

    ***

    "Arkum, did you see Lazarus?" Mari asked worriedly. The sun has set and the moon has risen

    "We''re also looking for him. We noticed he''s been missing from the village since earlier." Arkum replied with the same worry. "He told the elders he''ll be gone to gather something."

    "Yes, that''s what I''ve been told as well earlier," Mari said her words on the verge of tears.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll try my best to find him. But now is a dangerous time." Arkum said with conviction.

    "Thank you, Elder Arkum¡­"

    Arkum has lived for over 50 years, yet he looks the same as he is in his thirties. The energy within him made his body age slower and even rejuvenate his ageing parts to their prime.

    Arkum is definitely one of the healthiest hunters in the entire Foreline Town. Since they had expanded thanks to the amount of Orcs. However, they are still lacking technologies. The best Arkum could do in the night is to light a torch, but the visibility is low and unreliable, even if Arkum''s eyesight is better than others.

    "Yes, Now Mari, go back to your children. It isn''t good for the mother of three to be stressed."

    "All right, I''ll follow your words."

    Mari and Arkum''s conversation ended there, and thanks to that Arkum went back to a nearby large tent, near the edges of the forest. There, several hunters and warriors were gathered.

    Adorned in armour made from the monsters they have killed, the Hunters and Warriors sat in a circular formation, in the middle lay a fire that illuminated the room.

    These groups of people are who Arkum, Shavik, Garuk and other Clan members had trained.

    "Is this everyone?" Arkum asked.

    "Yes," A nearby Orc answered. "All 16 above the 1st Tier."

    First tier, there are three tiers to their system, when Hadro recreated their status systems it displayed numerical numbers, now it contained not only numerical, but also visual.

    The first tier displayed the average a sapient would have. So being above the 1st tier means that they are nearing the 2nd tier, the superhuman. The third would be a demigod, which Arkum, Shavik and Lazarus had achieved.

    Garuk is also near the 3rd tier but for now, he stays at the second.

    "As all of you know, our Third Champion has disappeared trying to gather resources," Arkum said, solemnly.

    Champion is a word that came from the Book of Beginnings that Hadro had bestowed. It has multiple meanings but they believed a champion is a word closer to the ultimate. An Ultimate Warrior, an Ultimate Hunter, an Ultimate Spearman? That''s a champion in their dictionary.

    "What would we do?" another asked.

    "Today, we gathered here, we will make a plan for Lazarus''s rescue, this also doubles as a practice for everyone." Arkum stopped speaking, he let everyone swallow the words before continuing. "And we will be best prepared as we will enter enemy territory."

    "...Are we finally attacking back?"

    "Perhaps. But ultimately, our goal is to get Lazarus out. He''s the son of our god. We do not know what kind of wrath he will display if his son dies."

    Everyone became serious at that, everyone in the tent was grateful for being blessed by Hadro, he was a gift amongst all things, so they couldn''t think of him as wrathful.

    "So¡­ today we will conduct the planning."

    ***

    That night, Kavo checked every paper he had, they were rough and a bit brownish¡ªnothing like the white paper of the modern earth.

    In the paper is a list of illnesses, cures and medicines he had found useful, procedures and methods as well. But one particular characteristic he finds¡­ odd.

    He looked at his body and it felt light, there wasn''t any source of light in the room yet he could see clearly.

    "Okay¡­ one more time."

    Kavo controlled the energy within him, and with a single will an amount gathered in his eyes allowed him to focus and gather any minuscule amount of light, no matter how low the intensity and made him see in the dark.

    "Phew¡­"

    Kavo counted, he counted the seconds for how long he could evoke this phenomenon. It took him 40 seconds to do so. Last time, when he first discovered this he only lasted for 3 seconds before his eyes started to hurt.

    He has yet to apply any sort of practical applications for his findings, so all he does is record them.

    "Ugh¡­ "

    Then he felt heavy, after using those energies in his eyes he felt fatigued and exhausted. His body felt like he lifted multiple mud bricks at the same time. After letting out a few deep breaths, Kavo prepared a palm mat and laid down on it, his head resting on a tied Yak fur.

    As he closed his eyes slumber immediately took hold of him, but instead of dreams, everything felt rather vivid. He blinked, once, then twice, and then he appeared in a jungle made of books.

    Kavo looked around, calm and collected, he felt like he needed to panic but the place offered some sort of comfort that he couldn''t explain. He moved a bit, the wooden chair below him was very comfortable he didn''t want to leave. The scent of paper and books, the table in front of him.

    It felt very alien yet it''s so comforting.

    ¡°Kavo,¡± A gentle voice called out, Kavo looked at him and was bewildered. A tall white man with an orange hue looked at him with gentle eyes. ¡°Is the chair uncomfortable?¡±

    ¡°U-uh! N-no! It''s very comfortable!¡±

    Kavo replied in a panic, this was the first time he saw him clearly but he was pretty sure that the man in front of him was his patron god! Kavo was sure as he felt a connection the moment his eyes laid in front of him. Hadro only chuckled at his reaction as he sat opposite Kavo with two books at hand.

    ¡°Thinking of it, this isn''t the first time you¡¯ve been here haven''t you?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Back then, I gave you visions, an epiphany.¡±

    ¡°Oh! The thing about medicine!¡± Kavo reacted, surprised ¡°Thank you, I never managed to give my gratitude.¡±

    ¡°Haha, you already did relay your gratitude by giving those offerings. Now, now.¡± Hadro dropped the two books he had on the table. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you wanted to know about things. How about asking them here while you still have a chance.¡±

    Kavo took a moment, but when he processed the meaning of Hadro''s words his eyes widened, his heart thumping in anticipation, he had a million questions and all of them got stuck in his throat for a moment.

    ¡°Take it easy Kavo. Sort your thoughts.¡±

    Kavo coughed before taking a deep breath and calming down his turbulent mind, he once gathered and sorted the questions he wanted to be answered and voiced them out.

    ¡°The energies inside of us¡­no wait, the book of beginnings, what is it for?¡±

    ¡°It is a reference. A reflection of the world in a comprehensive way.¡±

    ¡°A reference?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the village has already been using words right? Like champion and ultimate.¡± Hadro answered calmly.

    ¡°Are all the words in there can be applied in everything use and do?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then the energy within me, in the warriors and hunters?¡± Kavo asked excitedly.

    ¡°That''s called mana, an energy that has existed for as long as species with intellect existed."

    Kavo started ruminating, digesting and theorising. How mana could be used and utilized. How it could help in his path to heal people, he would record it for future generations to come.

    ¡°Kavo, you have someone who would answer your questions here.¡±

    That startled Kavo, but then again, he looked at the man who helped him in the path most suited for him. But it felt wrong, using his god to just spew answers to his questions.

    ¡°Kavo¡­ I pulled you here to have your questions answered, so don''t feel guilty. As your god, it is my duty to guide you.¡± Hadro smiled.

    With that confirmation, Kavo¡¯s guilt waned down, Hadro¡¯s right, he need not to be guilty. Hadro is there to guide him and he needs to capitalize on this opportunity for the town, he is the only one who practices medics at a superior level and has yet to pass down his profession to someone.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Kavo and Hadro had a long conversation, most of it being related to health and medicine, and some of it being related to magic. Kavo digested everything, excited to learn from Hadro himself.

    ¡°So¡­ what is this place?¡± Kavo asked curiously

    ¡°This is my realm, a place of comfort once dead.¡±

    ¡°Eh? This is where we go once we die?¡±

    ¡°Yes, since you worship me like the rest of the town,¡± Hadro replied, his eyes looking down.

    ¡°So¡­ theres an afterlife?¡±

    ¡°No, everything gets reborn.¡±

    Kavo nodded, he went through a little bit of an internal crisis because of that answer but then shook his head, what was in front of him was more important than what could happen in the future.

    ¡°Um, may I ask what these books are for?¡±

    The first to tell them what books are is Lazarus, thanks to his shared memories with Hadro. He learned that books are just a compilation of papers intertwined together, when he learned this his ambition was to put every medical knowledge inside a book.

    ¡°These? These are mathematical books. Prepared for Mari.¡±

    ¡°Mari would come here too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as you can see she¡¯s on basic math, she has discovered every mathematical problem there is to discover in 2000 years. She¡¯s about to learn the concept of Aleph sooner or later.¡±

    Aleph? Kavo asked himself, Hadro noticing his curiosity smiled.

    ¡°What you''re studying is different from Mari but sooner it will be correlated.¡±

    ¡°Correlated? How?¡±

    Kavo was in disbelief, Mari was studying the concept of numbers, and Kavo was studying the concept of health and medicine. So how come their studies would correlate?

    ¡°The tools that I will tell you would need extreme precision in making, something Mari would know about.¡±

    ¡°The tools?¡±

    ¡°The precision.¡± Hadro clarified.

    Kavo nodded, earlier in his lessons, Hadro had specified the word precision or precise multiple times on the subject of medical procedures. Whilst Kavo was immersed in his one on one learning session, he suddenly remembered, something about Lazarus!

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Patron God?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you know about Lazarus?¡±

    ¡°That he is currently missing in the town? Yes.¡±

    ¡°T-then?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. It was unexpected that he got lost but he will surely be back.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, though it is annoying I cannot observe him.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    With that, Hadro smiled. He really can¡¯t divulge that Lazarus is inside a dungeon. He just discovered it himself as he followed Lazarus after noticing he wasn''t in the town. He never knew that the identifiers in the monsters they encountered were dungeons, who would''ve known?

    ¡°He is somewhere I cannot go in.¡±

    When Hadro tried going inside the dungeon, but the energies inside the dungeon rejected him with abhorrence, he was surprised by the reaction. But he didn''t pursue why, he just left after trying everything he could.

    One thing he learned though, even though it rejected him, Lazarus wasn''t treated the same. However, he is being treated with severe hatred. Hadro could sense his well-being and know that he was struggling but was pretty much alive.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Whatever you are thinking Kavo it wouldn''t happen. But keep this a secret. I want the warriors and hunters in your town to grow so they absolutely needed the rescue exercise.¡±

    ¡°They do?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ll grow the more they try to go inside the forest.¡±

    Hadro kept Kavo in small talk for a while before telling him his time was up. ¡°It seems you have to go back.¡±

    ¡°Would it be morning by then?¡±

    ¡°No, a year here is a day over there. So not much time has passed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ thank you for everything.¡± Kavo relayed his utmost gratitude

    Hadro smiled and then sent him back. Kavo was surprised to learn when he woke up that the moon was in the same place when he closed his eyes.

 [V1;C23]Survival 1

    [Year 22]

    How long has it been? Lazarus kept fighting the Grug, frustrated that he couldn''t see the day or night cycle he was familiar with. He just kept his body moving, the juice that kept him going was slowly depleting and yet the Grug still stood till the very end.

    Lazarus stood shakily, trying to catch his breath. He still held the bag that contained the samples. He held onto it stubbornly, his mind filled with the fact that he needed to find the suitable material to make pots, for his daughter to enjoy something.

    He continued, raising his body as if the tiredness was something temporary, he continued, upward, he knew he was underground and moving downward was not something good. He has been feeling this stingy sensation under his skin for a while, it''s more apparent when he uses the energy within him.

    So he decided it best to refrain from using skills for a while, only relying on his unique constitution. Without skills, he could still fight a Scorn Bear so he decided it would be fine for a time.

    The Grug he managed to kill after making him retreat deeper was now lying down lifeless. Through frustration and anger, he wanted to destroy this thing, however, that thought immediately went away when he noticed that the energy within the Grug went inside him, and some scattered away, being absorbed in the environment.

    Being able to see the energy scattering is something people with enough energy control in their eyes could only do but since Lazarus¡¯ unique birth(creation) he had this ability ever since the beginning.

    Arkum could see the same, after all, he had reached tier third, the realm of demigods. Thanks to their unique constitution, the energies with different attributes. Though they cannot differentiate it. Lazarus was thankful enough to have the ability to see them.

    Because the moment he looked down he could only see a dense amount of energy, and pulsed like waves coming from below and slowly ascending. If the situation were different he would¡¯ve taken the Grug back to Village and given it to Kavo to record its innards before dismantling it.

    So he only ascended, he could see the pulse from within the walls, and the wave was nearing, he thought it was only a wave of energy going upward so he didn''t particularly heed it any mind until the wave of energy brushed against him. He felt overwhelmed, his exhausted body absorbed the energy around him to make up for what was lacking.

    And it burned, he fell on the floor, his eyes turning white because of the pain. He felt like his entire life flashed before his eyes, only consisting of what Foreline is today and his family. When it stopped he felt like he was full, the burning sensation still lingering.

    He struggled, trying to stand up. He stayed kneeling breathing heavily for a while. Only changing after hearing a low growl, he looked around in wariness. Forcing his fatigued body to stand.

    His eyes darted around, looking for anything hostile. Then he felt something cold, he dashed sidewards, and just as he did a narrow gash appeared just as where he used to be. It may look underwhelming but considering that the gash was clean Lazarus was in disbelief. If he were there a moment ago he would¡¯ve been dead.

    Lazarus kept his eyes peeled, any visual information that gets filtered in his eyes for use, however, the dim and damp cave is the only thing that gets presented in front of him. He opened his eyes, darting around trying to find the aggressor but nothing could be seen. He felt the same premonition of danger and dashed on his side.

    As expected, another gash on the ground looked like it was done effortlessly as well, like a hot knife through butter. Lazarus''s eyes darted around the place but he couldn''t pinpoint the location of the monster. In the end, he ran for it, relying on his instincts and intuition alone to dodge the attacks of the invisible aggressor.

    Lazarus was reminded of the hunters. Shavik to be specific. A conversation he had when he was dealing with the Scorn Fox, Scorn Cicada, Scourge Polp, etc.

    ¡°When the enemy is not visible sense them the other way. Sight is not all there is.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°You have your ears, nose¡­and especially the skin.¡±

    Right, that conversation seems to have pointed out crucial things that Lazarus needs. However, where would he start? He doesn''t know how to sense with the skin, nose or ears. But¡­ he could use that¡­ the energy that fills his vision, but it''s pretty difficult.

    He could only see in motes of light sometimes a stream with no colours, but at this point? He has to try. He checked around, the motes of light spread across the walls, beneath him brighter.

    His eyes scurried around trying to identify the one attacking him, it was hard. The motes of light were not stationary.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The energy on the walls continued moving, but Lazarus tried to differentiate, his eyes looking for something different. A blur then passed his vision, he felt the same sensation and dashed away, this time his eyes caught something.

    But he wasn''t fast enough it disappeared after it left its attacks, Lazarus was frustrated but he kept going, his body was already tired of fighting the Grug, he couldn''t just go running now or it would tire him more later.

    By then he would have no means of defending himself.

    It will take a while, but he will surely figure out where the monster is.

    ***

    Arkum and Shavik are the two hunters in the villager with high prestige, Arkum the Mightiest Edge and Shavik, The Seeker of the Unforseen. Two with their titles, a culture they derived from the Book of Beginnings, they liked the idea that titles propose, mainly, the idea that it described what one can do.

    Shavik was out at the forefront. He ran in pace to his team, finding the traces of their comrade. A few hours back Shavik¡¯s team agreed to be the scout to do reconnaissance, they''re the most suitable as they can avoid monsters that would delude their senses.

    ¡°Hunter Shavik!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    They momentarily stopped in their tracks and viewed the surroundings for any traces of Lazarus, they did find Lazarus¡¯s marking in the trees but that wasn''t the reason why they stopped.

    The younger hunter pointed at the bulbous flesh in the distance, under it are a mass of tentacles that seems to be neverending. Shavik was about to command them to retreat, that mass of bulbous flesh was a new monster they had not encountered before.

    ¡°Alright everyone we¡¯re out¡±

    But as he was doing so he looked at his group just to find them mesmerized by the bulbous flesh, he looked at the bulbous flesh just to find it to have opened into an eye, directly looking at them, it has this hypnotizing pattern that repeatedly waves out in its surface. Shavik felt something call out to him, he was so allured that he almost forgot why he was here in the first place.

    He shook his head and took out a cloth to cover his eyes, but that didn''t end there, his ears heard this constant ringing that he couldn''t just shake off, it felt like someone was putting a knife to his mind directly the mental pain is immense he started bleeding out of his nose.

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    Shavik moaned, more concerned about his group than himself he let out his senses to see where they are just to learn that they are walking towards the monster like puppets. Shavik was planning to just go and inform his fellow hunters and warriors. But it seems that he couldn''t let this monster sit around.

    He took out his dagger. Made of obsidian, and rushed towards the bulbous flesh of a monster, it seems to have noticed his intent to kill it as the pain in his head became prominent the more he got closer, making him stagger for a bit, holding his head.

    He felt something ominous and dashed back to the left, just then a tentacle landed at the spot where he used to be, a mark on the ground going sideways could be seen. Shavik sighed deeply, his group was nearing the monster, if they took a direct hit it would be disastrous.

    Shavik went on the move, circling the monster, when he got a clear view he found out the name of the creature.

    [Scourge Eyemaw]

    Shavik cursed as he got closer, every time the ringing in his ear and the pain in his head got worse, though he wanted to kill it as soon as possible the way it hindered him was just annoying.

    Though it didn''t mean he would just stay still and let his group die, he grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in the direction of the monster, he moved away and the dirt got blocked by a tentacle, he repeated this a few more time till finally, he found a rock the size of his fist.

    Shavik moved a few metres away and aimed at the Eyemaw, with a clear conviction to end its life his throw moved at speeds impossible for the naked eye to detect, and the monster knowing the threat in front of it moved multiple tentacles to protect its position, it felt that if it blocked with a tentacle it will be destroyed without a trace.

    It was correct, Shavik threw the rock and it roared as it soared, the rock exploded on the wall of tentacles that the monster deployed, some of the tentacles got destroyed while the remaining were bleeding. In the same time frame, Shavik closed the distance and was in front of the Eyemaw.

    But it looks like the Eyemaw detected his presence as it widened its eyes to reveal patterns of unknown purpose, it became more aggressive as it started attacking in the same pattern. Shavik swore his head felt like it would explode while dodging the swift tentacles that tried to reach him.

    One tentacle tried attacking but Shavik was faster. Shavik¡¯s obsidian blade stabbed down the eye in the middle of the bulbous flesh. It went in with a disgusting sound. Shavik found it irritating and he slumped down on the spot, drops of blood went on the ground and Shavik noticed the wetness of his nose.

    Touching his nose he knew it was his blood. He stayed slumped on the ground for a while.

    His group of hunters eventually woke up from the illusion of the Eyemaw and saw Shavik near the monster they were shocked and in disbelief, running towards Shavik out of worry.

    ¡°Hunter! Hunter!¡±

    ¡°I am fine, just tired.¡±

    ¡°You fought the monster all on your own?¡± one asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m no weaker than my friend, just a little specialized.¡±

    Shavik coughed for a bit, blood spraying out. When his group of hunters saw that they were immediately carrying Shavik despite his protests, in the end, he couldn''t get up anymore and he indeed needed their help.

    ***

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    A night filled with worries, Mari has a hard time eating and focusing on her projects. But she didn''t neglect her kids. She stayed with them instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s true! Grandpa told me Papa is fine!¡± Kei said with conviction.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ Hadro?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Mari was a bit hesitant to accept the fact that their god patron was her children¡¯s grandfather, not because she viewed Hadro in a negative light, only because he was a god. So she doesn''t know if it is disrespectful to their god. But then again, the children told her that Hadro insisted on calling him grandpa so she couldn''t object but the feeling was still there.

    ¡°Well, if your grandpa says so¡­ then, okay¡­¡±

    Mari was dead worried, but all she could do right now is to trust the people around her. She believed that her husband would one day come back and affectionately embrace his family once again.

    ¡°Right, I can''t stay still like this.¡±

    Mari patted Kei¡¯s head with a sigh and walked to her notes-filled room. These days they''re transitioning from mud houses to wooden houses, and they have more rooms than previously before. Not to say that mudhouses are already out of commission, it''s just that they''re more fit to be used for warehouses. Since the mudbrick is a good insulator of cold.

    Mari had some ideas and projects. Right now she has a meter stick on her hand. Something she worked hard on, it''s a rough idea of it and she knew that this was inaccurate, a few beads of grains inaccurate from the actual meter.

    But it wasn''t so bad, she decided that they now had an accurate scale of measurement and it was time to distribute, this within the Village and see how good it was. After compiling her work in an organized set she went to her bedroom, where her children were. She prepared herself for slumber, then she was taken into a jungle of books.

    ¡°Mari, my daughter.¡±

    In front of her is her patron god.

 [V1;C24]Survival 2

    [Year 22]

    Lazarus fought, his knuckles bleeding despite the thick callus that had grown into it. His back steamed as every bit of energy in his body was expended. Yet, he continuously clung to the bag he had. This is the very item he believes is why he should keep moving.

    Exhausted, he sat down for a bit, in a position where he could immediately jump into action in case of a surprise attack. His eyes looked around, peeled and dried as the continuous energy used throughout his entire stay underground.

    Lazarus doesn''t know how long he has been stuck here. But he continued moving regardless. He knew counting time wouldn''t make him move forward. He sighed and stood up, thinking the time he rested was enough. Fortunately, when he was moving around he found puddles with clear water. As left with no choice he satiated his thirst with the water source.

    He walked for another few minutes, lucky that there weren''t any enemies on the way, as if his worries were heard. He saw a light in the distance. But before he dashed forward, he looked around, making sure not a single monster got a jump on him. With the confirmation, he started moving, albeit swiftly.

    Once his foot got outside, the pervasive feeling he had felt since he entered the dungeon was gone, his eyes were blinded by sunlight and felt its warmth. Lazarus felt his eyes wet as he finally felt the kiss of the sun upon his skin, he looked around and saw that the forest was damp.

    He walked up to a nearby wet dirt patch and used it to write in the trees, marking it. Lazarus travelled quite a distance till he finally saw another sign of life. It was a deer but it won''t get him out of the forest.

    He wandered, finding any signs of markings, any trails. Fortunately, he found one, but not one he would gladly expect. It is the hole where he disappeared, close to a marking. He looked down and grimaced, he didn''t want to go back down there for another round, never again.

    Lazarus glanced forward, he heard a stream and his parched throat was calling, he gulped dryly before slowly but surely moving forward towards the stream he heard. Once he got near the river he went ahead and drank large amounts, sparing no energy in the task.

    ¡°Huff¡­¡±

    ¡°Lazarus!¡±

    Then, he heard a familiar voice, one that brought him into this world, his Father Hadro. His eyes are filled with concern and worry but theres also another emotion there, a hint of surprise.

    ¡°Father? What¡­ what happened?¡±

    ¡°It seems it wasn''t long since you came out of that dungeon. Rest for a while and listen to what happened the past week.¡±

    ¡®Week?¡¯ Lazarus looked at Hadro incredulously, it has been a week and Lazarus has been ignorant of time. He couldn''t help but clench his hands at the thought of leaving his family for a week.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lazarus asked with anticipation.

    ***

    Shavik came back with his head ringing, he was sent to Kavo to check his condition though after he explained the situation.

    ¡°Eyemaw¡­ another creature to be wary of.¡± Arkum sighed.

    It''s been a while, but the creatures that tend to fool other senses were hunted by Shavik and his group of specialised hunters, now that the Eyemaw was introduced they have no idea how to counter such a creature. Especially since it managed to wear down Shavik.

    Arkum started to brainstorm with the other warriors and hunters, since the Eyemaw is an obstacle that only a third tier could only resist it would need Arkum to be first in the process, they could hunt the Eyemaw down one by one till theres none left but that''s extremely time-consuming.

    In the end, they patrolled areas that were confirmed that don''t have any Eyemaw sightings which are not that deep in the forest. Fortunately, they did avoid the Eyemaw, they figured it was because of its shape. As described by Shavik it looks like a bulbous plant with no form for movement.

    It might move thanks to its countless tentacles, but it would do slowly.

    ¡°Are there any clues with my husband?¡± Mari asked Shavik, now more calm.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve seen his marking in the trees. So we might find him soon enough, the moment I recover we might find him soon.¡± Shavik reassured.

    ¡°I trust that you do¡­¡±

    In Mari¡¯s words were trust and conviction. She trusted that two of their most powerful hunters would find her husband, after all the village was a place filled with close relationships, and they wouldn''t let one suffer. Now that it is a town the bond became stronger.

    Mari talked to Shavik for a while before bidding goodbye and visiting her friend, one of her kids these days tends to stay. Kasha was listening as Kaina formed the words on paper with her poor literature skills but to the best ability.

    ¡°Oh, so this is how it''s read¡­¡± Kasha mulled over.

    ¡°Hey, Kasha, having fun?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Kasha turned around, finally noticing her friend. ¡°Ah! Yes, I''m having fun with my niece.¡±

    Kasha smiled when the Book of Beginnings was given to the village and all 5 speakers didn''t include her she was sad, and although no explanation was given she didn''t complain, she did sulk but when it was tasked that she learn the Suilpo language she was excited. However, she did not understand why she had to learn it that way.

    ¡°Oh! Have you heard about my new study?¡±

    Mari asked Kasha, although Kasha specialised in phonetics of their language she didn''t fall back on other subjects, including Math as she doesn''t have a wide enough spectrum of available hobbies. And math was easily taught by Mari anyway what''s so hard about that?

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°No, not yet. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I found the most accurate measurement as of today''s date.¡±

    ¡°Length?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I''ll soon find an accurate weight measurement so wait for it.¡±

    Mari took some small talk with Kasha which they found enjoyable. Once in a while, they talk about the subject of magic and Kasha is intrigued because it is mentioned a lot in the Book of Beginnings.

    ¡°Aren''t the warriors and hunters using magic?¡±

    ¡°Are they?¡± Mari asked curiously

    ¡°Yes! Magic is described as altering reality and causing phenomena as long as we know the cause of the effect wanted. So if I wanted fire don''t we need something flammable and with that we could start a fire?¡± Kasha rambled enthusiastically

    ¡°I guess¡­ what is the word for [Fire] is Fumel, so if I knew how to start a fire. I could do it effortlessly. Wait no, Lazarus did that as well with [Ilyen] so I guess¡­ I have no idea. What could be the difference between knowing and not knowing the cause?¡±

    Mari and Kasha pondered for a while. For a few minutes they had their own theories and hypotheses but none conducted them as they were inside their homes. Mari went ahead and listed them on a piece of paper and went home with Kaina.

    Their one and most probable theory when it comes to casting magic with the Suilpo language is that the time to cast, from knowing how fire is born and not knowing, one could tell how fast it could be cast.

    Though, it is right, it was not the whole reason. Mari had no way of knowing this, but soon enough they would. As soon as she went home and got to bed her consciousness was pulled into a massive space, a large expanse filled with bookshelves.

    ¡°Mari, my Daughter.¡±

    Mari was shocked at first, looking at Hadro with a bewildered look, even rubbing her eyes. When the smiling man in front of her didn''t vanish she was stiff. She was sitting on a wooden chair at a wide mahogany table across Hadro.

    ¡°Don''t be so nervous.¡± Hadro chuckled.

    ¡°What am I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Doing here? I¡¯m here to answer questions to the best I can.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°You have questions, don''t you? Ones that you want to be answered.¡±

    Mari nodded, once she realised why she was here her heart drummed in anticipation, her reaction was no different from Kavo''s and Hadro couldn''t help but smile. Mari had tons of questions, but she organized them better. She started to think about which was more important and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Why do we study math?¡±

    Hadro was sure that she would question if there is a good measurement for weights but it seems she has thought deeper than she should be. Hadro looked down at his cusped hands before placing his gaze back at Mari.

    ¡°Let me tell you a story.¡± Hadro smiled. ¡°There was a man, he was primitive.¡±

    As Hadro was narrating he swooped his hand and motes of light gathered and formed an image of a man on top of the table, a caveman that Hadro imaged, with a swish of his hand three more individuals appeared.

    ¡°This is the age where language is yet to be used as a full form of communication. They grunt and moan, click and tick, but that is all about it, what they do is gestures.¡±

    The figures at the table started running, they seemed to be hunting as a boar appeared along with the figures at the table, running away from them. The chase continued and Mari watched with focus. When the figures chased the boar for what seemed to be hours they started dissecting it, stone tools at hand.

    ¡°They had a hearty meal, since the whole family was running along, the head of the family looked at his family.¡±

    The figures with the male looking at his family, counted the heads.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    Hadro asked Mari, Mari looked at the figures and back at Hadro confused.

    ¡°Alright, let me give you another scenario.¡±

    With a wave of his hand, another set of figures appeared on the table. This time, men are in well-dressed clothes, filled with patterns and symbols, Mari watched closely as she was interested.

    The figures were talking and the more they talked, the men in the background seemed to carry items, and the men who were talking counted them up, Mari was once again confused, Hadro smiled at this and gave Mari the answer.

    ¡°Mari, math has always been with us, the primitive men have always counted the head of his family. The tools they have. In the second scenario, the men exchanging items would always count what they exchanged. Don''t you think math is all around us?¡±

    Mari slowly nodded at Hadro¡¯s answer, she breathed in slowly and fell into deep thought, thinking that all her ideas were best shared now. It''s best to know if she will end in failure or not. Right, all of her ideas and projects are part of a bigger beginning.

    Mari released a sigh once again.

    ¡°Mari, you''re anxious right?¡± Asked Hadro.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mari

    ¡°Is it because of your husband?¡±

    Mari bit her lips slightly and nodded, her heart had been restless for a while, and she missed her husband who was in danger for a while.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive. I am certain.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn''t mean he¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Mari, being a pessimist won''t do you good, he might be exhausted but he is not in a bad shape.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Patron god, I just couldn''t help it.¡±

    Just because one has rational thinking doesn''t mean their hearts follow, Mari has always been emotional and she couldn''t help it even with the reassurance of others. Hadro smiled wryly and stood up, sitting beside Mari. placing a hand on her shoulder he gently caressed her.

    ¡°I too worry for my son.¡±

    Mari looked at Hadro in a daze, she gulped dryly before leaning closer to Hadro and sniffling her cries, she has been stressed lately, Hadro thought that by pulling her here and answering some of her questions would she be freed of such thoughts. But then again, human emotions are complicated.

    Hadro let her weep her woes till she stopped. crying, though now she felt embarrassed that she had to cry in front of her patron god.

    ¡°You don''t have to be embarrassed¡­¡± Hadro smiled gently then continued her trailed-off words. ¡°If I wasn''t your second father.¡±

    Mari was now flushed pink, Second father is the term the village used to identify the second family to which the bride or groom belongs and also the term ¡°Father in law doesn''t exist¡­ yet or never.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ I might tease my daughter about this¡­¡±

    ¡°P-Patron god¡­¡± Mari mumbled her face completely pink

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Hadro petted her head. ¡°As I am your patron god I am also your second father.¡±

    Mari nodded and Hadro went back to the topic they had been discussing earlier, now the question Mari had was where could she possibly use the knowledge she acquired, quest or knowledge packets bought from the store.

    ¡°Mari, have you considered why a ruler is such a significant invention?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it makes things precise, have you ever thought of intertwined tools that move as one?¡±

    With that Mari became visibly confused, then she shook her head waiting for Hadro to answer. Hadro using the same technique earlier waved his hand a figure appeared, it¡¯s a wheelbarrow. Another figure was pulling the wheelbarrow.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Hadro smiled before answering his own question. ¡°A wheelbarrow. It''s the same with your bags except it''s on a wheel and much larger and could carry heavier things.¡±

    ¡°Ohh¡­¡±

    ¡°It has three simple machines, and that is the wheel.¡± Hadro pointed at the wheel, the handle and the axle. ¡°Do you know what those three are?¡±

    ¡°Simple¡­ machines?¡±

    ¡°Yes, simple machines.¡± Hadro pointed at different parts of the wheelbarrow, ¡°Wheel, axle and lever. Those are simple machines. Now Mari, do you know why I present you with this?¡±

    Mari mulled for a minute before remembering Hadro¡¯s words earlier ¡°Precise¡­ Precision!¡±

    ¡°Yes, precision. For precision to happen you needed tools, one accurately done by math. Not only that, you can build houses with it too.¡±

    ¡°Houses?¡±

    ¡°Didn''t the orc who built the wooden houses seem good at making them? The floor is flat, the wall is steady and the roof houses you from the rain.¡±

    ¡°They tried to measure those with that specific wood right?¡±

    Mari recalled when they were transitioning into different housing, the Orc carpenters would use a plank of wood, called Kimdak, the tree from which the Kimdak was taken out always grows the same length. So, with a stubborn process, the Orcs managed to exactly divide the wood up to 5th of its whole length.

    Roughly, it is 40cm. The Kimdak as a tree is not tall, but it is wide. Thanks to its unique properties, every tree would grow exactly 4 metres, which is very noticeable by its consistency in height, so the Orcs took the Kimdak tree and divided it so that it could be held in one''s arms.

    ¡°The Kimdak¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°It''s not accurate, but currently it is the best measuring system the town has right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°It did its job as intended, correct?¡± Hadro looked at the contemplating expression of Mari. ¡°The meter you have created would be the best for the job of precise measuring. Now, I¡¯ll teach you everything that you need.¡±

    Mari was excited at the prospect of learning, she was learning high school mathematics and now she will learn engineering basics. Since science was not fully developed here, there would be no chemistry and electronics so Hadro just taught her basic engineering design and physics.

    Mari was intrigued by the subjects delved into, she knew about chemicals and electronics being unavailable as she asked but was sad she couldn''t delve into it so she instead went to learn the subjects only available at hand.

    And by tomorrow morning, Mari broke through the second tier.

 [V1;C25]Discovery leads to Innovation.

    [Year 22]

    What are tiers? Well, it is the widely accepted term for the stages of ascension. Well for mortals at least. This system only existed for the people in the ninth continent as Hadro was the only one who went out of his way to make a better status system for his followers.

    Each tier represents how far one has climbed, mentally or physically. One could be 100 in their Tier but in the low 10s when it comes to intellect. An example of this is Arkum as his system portrays might, mobility, and endurance above 100 but lower in cunning and spirit but is still a third tier.

    So, it won¡¯t be a surprise when someone¡¯s intellect reaches above the level of tier two and even breaks through the third tier.

    Mari woke up the next morning, feeling a bit off yet she felt complete. Her soul became denser, and a deeper shade than it started. In spirit, she resonated with what she learned, the better understanding of numbers became a foothold to reality. She saw everything completely.

    She looked at the morning sun, her youngest on her arms, and saw perfect lines that accompanied its glare. She looked at the walls of her home and saw the imperfect, incongruous. She can''t help but put the places she finds misaligned into scrutiny. She doesn''t find things perfect, rather she finds things geometrically crooked.

    However, her scrutiny of the misalignment was quick to vanish as all lines in her vision disappeared. Mari quickly checked her status and she saw that her spirit and cunning were above 100. She checked the numerical form and was shocked to see how far her status had gotten.

    __________________

    Name: Mari

    Characteristics and traits: None

    Titles: None

    ~0~0~0~

    Might: 8

    Mobility: 6

    Cunning: 112

    Spirit: 120

    Luck: 32

    Recovery:102

    _______________________

    She has breached the third tier, she never knew that being in the third tier seemed so different. She could think faster, well not that she could think slow, but she could think of mathematical formulas and solve them by the next second.

    She had practical problems solved instantly as they arrived. Her mind could think by fractions of a second and prolonged activity would only make her bored. Nonetheless, her mind was completely different.

    Before she got out of bed, which consisted of a rag laid on top of plucked grass, she kissed her youngest on the forehead, Kaina was still asleep soundly, Mari decided to get up and stretch before going out her home to be coated by the sun¡¯s warm embrace.

    She recalled the lessons she learned in her sleep, her purpose renewed as she dreamed, her ambition now higher than the skies that contained her. A magical tool, but first, she needed the help of a friend. But for now¡­ she decided to have breakfast.

    Mari continued her endeavours in the afternoon when the time was right. Heading towards Kasha her friend. Since she needed her vast logistical powers. The night Mari was taught in Hadro¡¯s realm she was taught various things. Her knowledge was ready to be tested and she was itching to use it.

    But her plans require a part that she thinks would be helpful for the village. She saw how the spears were crafted, she saw how they were made, after the copper was cast into the shape of a spear tip, the Orc that crafted it would ¡®bless¡¯ it by speaking to it for however long they wanted.

    Arkum¡¯s spear, which was given by a clan hed was blessed for 3 days. And to this day it hasn''t chipped or bent in any way. Since Mari has seen the process relates to ¡®speaking¡¯ if they bless a weapon by speaking in suilpo would it be stronger than Arkum¡¯s weapon?

    As Mari arrived at Kasha¡¯s doorstep, she was surprised to see Kasha prepared to head out with her eyes weary, it seemed she hadn''t slept much.

    ¡°K-Kasha?¡±

    ¡°I completed it! Mari, I did it!¡±

    Mari was confused but that immediately was replaced with an astonished and shocked look, Kasha displayed a carved totem out of wood and it was brimming with energy, she could see with her eye that the totem had the same properties as a blessed spear.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I have this theory after seeing how the spears get enchanted-¡±

    ¡°Enchanted! That''s what it''s called!¡± Mari exclaimed.

    ¡°Are you looking to enchant as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Mari exclaimed happily. ¡°I was here to enquire you about enchanting! However, you beat me to it you practically had enchanted! How long did that take?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Kasha?¡±

    ¡°The whole night¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°I found out that sincerity is the most important ingredient to enchant, it took me a whole night to know.¡±

    Mari was a bit flustered, but if it took her all night to learn that sincerity is the main ingredient in enchanting, how long exactly did it take for her to enchant the totem? Anyway, Mari was here to say something to Kasha and so, to its relevance to their conversation she relayed it to Kasha.

    ¡°Kasha, what if we enchant them with Suilpo?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What if we enchant the items we want while speaking with Suilpo? Won¡¯t it be much better?¡±

    Kasha, then as if a hidden key was unlocked, her mind became clear, and her mind became wild with imaginations of greater tools. Today marks their first study of magical tools and the start of magical engineering in earnest.

    Mari discussed with Kasha what to do with their finding, the priority was to confirm the theory of sincerity was the reason the Orc¡¯s enchantment was correct. They both finished their discussions at Kasha¡¯s house, and of course, she couldn''t concentrate so she had to rest for the day.

    Mari inquired about the Orc clan that makes their spear, or the weapons in general and asked in depth about their way of enchanting.

    ¡°Well, Mari, I can only say that our way of enchanting is to talk with the soul,¡± Mari asked an old smith ¡°We believe that if you talk with your soul, the weapon births life of its own.¡±

    ¡°I see, my friend found a way to enchant a totem, it seems she took inspiration the way the smiths enchanted their weapon.¡±

    ¡°Really? Yes, she found out that sincerity marks an important role, but it seems your explanation makes it more profound.¡±

    The Orc Smith talked with Mari, and the possibility of working together, she shared the idea of meter and its accuracy. The orc was more interested in accurate measuring than the other ideas so he was willing to partake in her project.

    The first project that Mari would finalise is the meter stick, so it would be permanent, and be a reference for all. She guided the Smith with her eyes as the best measuring tool she had.

    The next day Kasha was informed of all the things she needed by Mari. As soon as they were finished with the discussion, they went to the smith and asked to create the meter stick that Mari had requested. She needed the precise measurements first, then they would make the tools.

    ¡°Can I enchant it?¡± The Orc Smith asked.

    ¡°Oh, leave that to Kasha, she will test something.¡±

    ¡°Is she going to try to enchant?¡± The Orc asked, curious

    ¡°Yes, but not in our common language, but the Suilpo language.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the language our god bestowed upon us¡­ I see.¡±

    With that, the Orc Smith nodded in understanding and made the Meter stick itself. Well, he did not for free, ever since the Orcs Migrated with the Foreline village, they also added another cultural object, currency. Well, the Orcish currency is tusks, mostly by wolves because they are regulated by their population.

    But that eventually changed when a villager asked if it could be changed by using copper instead and the Orcs agreed, after seeing the mountain filled with Copper ore, they didn''t have to worry about their limited amount of Copper around.

    The way it is regulated is by a central group, both Humans and Orcs had a hand in it, thanks to this, the marshland village also adopted the metal currency, since it''s handier than bartering an entire sack of fruits or a basket of fish.

    Eventually, the meter stick made of copper was done thanks to Mari¡¯s guidance as she would correct the length every time she would see incongruities. There are two-meter sticks created, both made of copper. Once it cooled down, the women placed their theory to the test.

    Kasha sat down, and thanks to [Lexicon], she memorised a lot of words in the World of Beginnings. Thanks to that, she had no problem speaking in Suilpo without any guidance. Her words were complete sentences and a continuous flow, she spoke to the meter stick with focus as she imparted the words with deep sincerity.

    ¡°May I ask, Mari?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Poncho?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to build with a precise tool?¡±

    ¡°Our Patron God has taught me things, and one of them is mechanical tools.¡±

    ¡°Mechanical?¡±

    ¡°Yes, objects fixed together to make a more convenient tool.¡±

    Poncho was greatly interested in the world of Mechanical tools, eventually their conversation led to the possible tools that could be made with mechanics, Mari explained a lot of things but the technical was too much for Poncho, who only knows how to Smith, but he wasn''t discouraged and listened to Mari¡¯s explanations intently.

    ¡°The topic of Mechanics seems complex.¡±

    ¡°It is, but once understood is easier than it seems.¡±

    ¡°Every subject could be seen that way.¡±

    Mari nodded at Poncho¡¯s sentiment, he decided to learn under Mari¡¯s guidance next time as he was greatly interested in the topic of Mechanics. In a few hours, Kasha was done enchanting the meter stick. Curious, Mari decided to ask what enchantment she imparted unto the meter stick.

    ¡°Kasha, what enchantments did you place in that?¡±

    ¡°It''s mostly [indestructibility], better durability and the ability to survive any weather.¡±

    ¡°Ohh¡­ that''s great. That would last for a very long time!¡±

    Mari was quick to praise Kasha for amazing skill, now that their theory was proven to be correct. Mari placed down the two, meter sticks and discussed their future decisions with such a discovery, of course, they started writing everything down on paper.

    The very first decision that they made was how to make use of the newfound knowledge given to Mari, and Kasha suggested that Poncho heard and couldn''t deny the usefulness of it.

    A wheel, but not just any wheel, a waterwheel. A waterwheel powered by the river ultimately grinds their grains and metals. When Poncho heard of the idea he immediately shared it with the people of the town. Everyone was very supportive of this. However, they would need a few trial and error as they are going to work with wood.

    The waterwheel was finalized as their first big project, Mari and Kasha were being inquired about by the clan head, Ivy. She was the daughter of the previous head, the position being passed down to her as the last will of the previous head.

    ¡°I heard about the enchantment that you place in the meter stick¡­ new and accurate measurement given by our patron god?¡±

    ¡°Yes, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes,¡± Ivy coughed and looked at the two women. ¡°Kasha, I heard about the enchantment that you made using the language of our god, can I inquire you about this?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Do you plan to enchant by this method as well?¡±

    Ivy nodded. ¡°If I make a weapon, I want it with a touch from our god.¡±

    Mari nodded in understanding, ever since the book of the beginning was given to the town, one thing was apparent, for those chosen to understand it held the highest prestige. Everyone was thankful to their Patron god as they saw his actions as kindness. Using the quest in the system to help their kin.

    Even now, trying to bring everyone together around the continent. It is grand, maybe a bit naive if was said by a mortal. But it is the ambition of a god and whatever their Patron God does, they support it.

 [V1;C26]The elfs introduction.

    [Year 22]

    [Demon forest]

    Arkum was in a predicament, it had been 4 days since Lazarus disappeared and they were running out of time. But since their Patron god had informed them that Lazarus was still alive and probably still fighting how could he give up?

    The feelings were the same for the warriors and hunters, how could they leave a brother behind who is fighting for dear life? Life has proven to make it difficult for them. But only those who keep getting up after being kicked down are rewarded by life itself, the fruit, in the end, is not the reward, the struggle is.

    Arkum and Shavik worked in tandem, marking the forest, but that didn''t come without casualties, and since the qualities of monsters that come out of the dungeon are getting more and more dangerous, Kavo decided to come. It was met with opposition as he is the most valuable asset in the town.

    But Kavo insisted. With new powers he is willing to test, given by their Patron God. Thankfully, the decision to allow Kavo to come with the search proved beneficial.

    Kavo''s new skill is [Mend] it stitched and healed the flesh together and brought the broken bones back to their place and slowly healed them. It took hours to heal but it was better than nothing. Though too much use would get Kavo fatigued, it saved resources.

    Though Kavo advises not to move too much and eat a lot after casting the skill. He explained that the skill rearranges the bones and heals missing flesh but all in all, it accelerates the natural healing of the body so it still uses the resources of the body. So if they push themselves too much Kavo might not be able to control the self-inflicted damage.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    Arkum stared at a hole, it seemed fake, artificial. Like it was dug by hands but he knew better than to assume that Lazarus was ambushed.

    ¡°It isn''t made by any people. Probably¡­ it collapsed on its own.¡±

    ¡°Nature waiting for a victim?¡±

    They looked at a tree in front of him, a marking, in their search, this is the farthest tree that has a mark, no other tree has a mark other than this tree. They were at the end of the search.

    ¡°Could it possibly be¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­ look.¡± Arkum pointed his spear.

    They all looked, the hole has another hole barely poking through, it was overshadowed thanks to its location. They all understood at that moment.

    ¡°He went deeper,¡± Shavik commented. ¡°How would we get him out?¡±

    ¡°We don''t.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°That hole is like connected to those Monster spawns¡±

    The monster spawns are their term for the dungeons, unbeknownst to the term dungeon. The entries for the dungeons are caves, it looked like a normal cave as well. They discovered a few while searching and the only system prompt that appeared in front of them was:

    [Monster Spawns at 00:00]

    [Overloaded with Mana, expelling monsters]

    It appears for a second then fades within a second, as the message disappears they can only name the dungeon after the first few words. After all the two words are the only thing they could name it. The name of the dungeon did not pop up at all.

    ¡°Can he come out?¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Let''s believe he will.¡±

    They believed that setting camp near the hole was the best idea. But before they could do so, Arkum and Shavik felt a presence. Both heads looked in the same direction first before the others followed.

    What came out were dogs, grey and big enough just to be below Arkum¡¯s leg, they were big as Arkum is over 178cm. They were all alert Arkum foremost, but immediately their wariness was replaced with confusion as elves came out along with the dogs.

    ¡°W-we come in peace!¡±

    The humans within the group were confused, hunters and warriors alike. The Orcs, however, displayed a bit of wariness. It''s not that they know what elves are, their forefathers might, but they are of a newer generation. It''s just merely a racial trait that keeps them wary.

    The Elves that appeared also had this same reaction, wariness but not hostility. Thankfully though, is that the elves are speaking the same language as them. But with a different accent, so they could at least communicate.

    ¡°You all are?¡±

    ¡°I am Miriel!¡±

    Arkum looked at Miriel and pondered. ¡°What are your intentions?¡±

    ¡°Our Patron god had given us a quest to come here. We expected to meet people¡±

    The elf looked at the air for a moment, then Arkum and the rest of the party did the same as a quest pop-up appeared in front of them.

    [Connect with the Elven village]

    [Connect with the Human and Orc Village]

    Two separate quests appeared before them. This may sound like a distraction with the Humans and Orcs are on a rescue mission. But thankfully, the Quest is not urged to be complicated nor it is a high priority.

    ¡°I see the intention of our Patron God, however, we have a problem at the moment,¡± Arkum stated. ¡°My name is Arkum, a Hunter of the Foreline Villa-Town.¡±

    ¡°I see! My name is Al¡¯feth. The son of our village chief.¡±

    Arkum nodded, welcoming the Elf and his group.¡±I see, why won''t you come with us for a while, it seems it took you all quite a while to come here.¡±

    Roughly, there is Al¡¯feth and three more elves with him. All in all, there are four, two men and two women, one woman was looking at Arkum quite suspiciously. Alfeth noticed this and elbowed the woman.

    ¡°What? He looks good¡­¡±

    She aggressively whispered to Alfeth. But sadly, the Hunters have good hearing, so a few smirked and looked at Arkum. The elven woman saw their reaction and she hurriedly looked at Arkum to see his reaction, expecting him not to hear just for that expectation to be betrayed.

    ¡°I already have a family.¡± Arkum smiled and spoke respectfully.

    The elven woman blushed in embarrassment. The other woman beside her chuckled and introduced herself.

    ¡°Hello, I am Zein, an Archer of the Archwoods. This splendid woman,¡± she nudged at the girl blushing. ¡°Is Samira, and he is Liran.¡± she pointed at the last elf that hadn''t introduced himself.

    ¡°There would be a lot of introductions. However, they will handle that themselves.¡±

    Arkum looked around the people, and with that cue, everyone started introducing themselves, one by one they told their names, and while they were introducing themselves the others began setting up camp.

    They let out the jerkies and grabbed water near the river to drink. They also packed some dried fruits that they ate with joy. The elves shared their stories along with the humans and Orcs. they all had their fair share of stories to tell.

    The Elves told their story where their ancestors had to cross the sea but they were hit with a week of continuous storms, a week of monster attacks and a week of aggressive waters just to cross the land to make a settlement in these forests. Of course, the humans had told their stories that came from their forefathers, the city that was destroyed by a deity and the Orcs shared their story on how they crossed the sea similar to the elves.

    Kavo kept an interest in their stories, even buying a paper on the spot from their system store to record them.

    ¡°Wh-what was that?¡±

    An elf exclaimed in awe and disbelief, it was Liran, who saw what Kavo did in his peripheral. Kavo¡¯s eyebrows jumped, he forgot that the elves were new to the Awakened System given by Hadro.

    ¡°You see the second icon in your system?¡± Kavo asked.

    Liran opened his system and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That''s the store, that''s where paper is available.¡±

    He waved the paper in his hand, the method of his writing though is a charcoal ink he had brought. It wasn''t on the store but created back at their settlements. The reason for that is simple, Hadro placed the Learning packets in the store, The moment they started to purchase the learning packet of a sold item in the store it would become limited.

    A curious bunch bought the [Learning Packet: Charcoal Ink]  instead of the paper and now they could produce the Charcoal ink. Though it''s for the better, Hadro intentionally made the items expensive after learning that they might develop a reliance on the store.

    ¡°That is so convenient. I never knew you could just pay for paper¡­ that''s quite expensive.¡± Liran commented.

    ¡°You have paper in your settlement?¡± Kaso asked, curious.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Though, of lower quality.¡±

    ¡°Theres also of the learning packets. Try searching them.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ what do I?¡± looking at Kavo quizzically.

    ¡°They''re separated, or rather, categorized. Those icons on the top usually indicate what they are.¡±

    Liran nodded, and the other elves started fiddling with their systems, Kavo occasionally pointing out whenever they wanted to learn something. In the end, they got to the topic of what they would do with Lazarus¡¯ disappearance from the dungeon. However, after several discussions, the Elves decided to ask them a meaningful question.

    ¡°Our elders may have some knowledge about the dungeon, they might fulfil some information.¡±

    ¡°That''s a good suggestion.¡± Arkum nodded. ¡°Might as well know our settlements so we could travel to each other. Might have something to trade the store doesn''t.¡±

    Alfeth nodded, having friendly relations with another village would surely help them since the dungeon has stopped releasing weak monsters. They need to get every advantage they can get and having allies adds to that, though Orcs and Humans are the only sapient creatures these young elves had med in their century of life.

    The elders might have known something but it''s not like Alfeth and the other young elves know about it. With that, Arkum and a few humans decided to stay near the hole Lazarus is presumed to fall in. while the others escort the elves into their settlement.

    ¡°What are these by the way?¡± Kavo asked while petting a dog that was showing its belly.

    ¡°A dog.¡±

    Kavo discovers man''s best friend.

 [V1;C27]A Gods job is to Guide

    Shavik and Arkum were left behind in the temporary camp. Kavo was the one who escorted the elves back along with a group mix of Hunters and Warriors. The elves couldn''t help but chuckle at Kavo because he kept glancing at the dogs. Yes, they''re fluffy but they shouldn''t be distracted by that!

    ¡°Kavo, there is a dog back in our settlement that has just given birth to puppies, if we build a more desirable path between our settlements then maybe, you can have a puppy of your own.¡±

    Kavo wholeheartedly listened to every word, the words ¡°have a puppy of your own¡± really made him happy, and his family probably would like it. He nodded and continued walking, each to a different marked tree. Their journey isn''t that bad, most of the monsters are manageable by the group of warriors, though it is a shame they cannot grab the carcass back to the Village Kavo would at least keep some samples for himself in a satchel.

    It took them a few hours to walk back to their Home, once they did, the Elves looked at the wooden houses they had, with a significant clearing away from the forest.

    ¡°I smell something burning,¡± Alfeth commented.

    ¡°That''s the smiths. They''re probably making spear tips.¡±

    Alfeth nodded in understanding. It''s not like they don''t have a way to smelt their metals. Most of their arrow tips require skill to form. As they mostly eat what they can. From birds to monsters that look like beasts.

    The Elves were introduced around the Village. First was visiting the High chief that governs the land. The elves gave their greetings.

    ***

    A rodent passes by the shrubs, enticed by the smell of meat is what led it here. The rodent, which is a rat, sniffed with vigour. Its beady eyes glanced at a carcass, quite fresh. It ran towards the meat with few competitors, devouring chunks in a hearty bite.

    As it eats with vigour it hears other sounds, relating to its own Kin. the moment it saw fur same with itself it started eating greedily, instincts prevailed in its mind.

    ¡°Sreech-¡±

    As new rodents started coming in, be they monsters or just beasts. It screeched defending its part of the corpse. However, it didn''t notice the larger beast that had come.

    The rodents that saw the beast scattered, avoiding the maw that could very well swallow it whole. The beast chomped down on the carcass, each bite taking a large chunk out of it.

    It chewed its food, its irregular teeth visible. It''s no mere beast, as its body closely resembles that of a monster. Claws, sharp teeth, multiple eyes and of course the bluish hue on its fur.

    It kept eating till it finally had its fill. Strutting away where it intended to be, it sniffed the air, trying to catch some sort of scent. Then a few moments later it catches up to something.

    Something filled with energy, this time, a dense form of it, appetising for a monster that consumes both soul energy and meat. It dashed, its instincts flaring.

    ***

    The elders of the elves used to be a stubborn bunch. Those who lived for a thousand years at least, thankfully their offspring didn''t catch that attitude and after their passing, a new set of elders were to replace them.

    Since they mark their records in leaves, boiled and trimmed, they have recorded knowledge and stories of the ancient past.

    Since their forefathers were a prideful and stubborn bunch, they couldn''t believe that they were evil in every story, and the current elders censored this to children.

    But the fact that censoring things made them realise that they''re also slowly becoming their forefathers, they decided that at a specific range of age, they would be allowed to know the whole story.

    This has multiple results, one being the young adults becoming shocked and guilty that they came from the same bloodline and the second, is pure denial and rejection, saying they wouldn''t be the same and vow to do better.

    In the stories left by their forefathers, however, there lies a consistent foe. Humans, and Orcs. Since the elves of the ninth continent have passed a couple of generations in peace and the occasional violence of an overloaded dungeon, they don''t know if the humans and Orcs in their stories were ever actually the villains or not.

    And here lies the problem as well, they only brought descriptions, no images to refer to. So even if they do encounter one they will never be confirmed as to be one.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    So when Alfeth did encounter the entire Village of Foreline, the idea of Humans and Orcs being the enemy of elves just didn''t exist at all. No, it didn''t even cross his mind nor even exist in the first place.

    All he saw were people trying to live their lives, free of manipulation, extortion and deceit. Not that it existed in their settlement. The only problem with elves is their nagging to pick who to marry, both men and women.

    "What is the main profession here?"

    "A few, a Scholar, a Medic, a Warrior or a Hunter, A butcher since there''s a lot of meat lately, a farmer."

    "A medic¡­?"

    "That would be me."

    "You''re a medic? Yes, title-wise and main Skill."

    "Main skill, how high is your skill in¡­"

    "My [Medicare], which is my main skill, is over B+ right now. It''s high in the grading. Thankfully, I don''t need to only shut wounds, if I study living things and theorise how to heal them my Skill will get better."

    "Ah, it was taught to us elves that Skills in particular could gain experience as its holder."

    "Experience?"

    "Yes, you see there are these hidden attributes that the system doesn''t count. Experience is one of them, you experience how to heal? Your Skill would remember that experience and overall, would get better."

    Kavo fell into contemplation. He then asked an important question.

    "Repetition¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "Is that how actual Skills become one? If we repeatedly experience things it actualizes?"

    "Yes¡­ yes, that''s right." Alfeth answered with certainty

    "So if we just repeat our daily activity, with the same pattern. Would the Skill become better?"

    "No, it is taught to us that while you still gain Experience repeating the same action, one day this repeating action would become perfect, that there is no more experience to gain."

    "So the only way to gain Experience is to experience new things relating to the skill."

    "Yes, that would be right."

    "That confirms Kasha''s theory then¡­"

    Kavo and Alfeth had conversations within the chief''s house. It''s large enough for reception. While they were talking peacefully they would share stories and even delve into topics of their patron God.

    When it came to that topic, the story of elves when it came to Gods, was told. The gods that used to govern them abandoned them because they were not perfect, as told by their forefathers.

    Afraid of forever being abandoned, they started going after their perfection leading their forefathers to be exiled. There are no stories of what they did, only the effect of what they did.

    But then Kavo found repulsion to their god, the god was described to be such a bumhole that Kavo was astonished that they mourn the fact that they were abandoned. Though, Alfeth made it clear that he does not share the same sentiment as his forefathers.

    ¡°Your forefather¡¯s god is a tyrant.¡±

    ¡°It is, thankfully our new god is not the same, I felt warmth in his guidance.¡±

    ¡°Our patron god feels like a parent, one that teaches us out of our ignorance.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    ¡°I was an ignorant boy, all I did back then was to study plants and see which is which, then I was blessed by a skill, one that heals.¡± Kavo reminisced, ¡°That was the start of my passion. A physician, as Hadro called it.¡±

    ¡°You have met your patron God?¡± Alfeth asked, astonished and amused.

    ¡°Yes, twice, in my dreams. Taught me a lot of things I knew.¡±

    Alfeth was in disbelief, in stories of his forefathers, most of the time Gods would use proxies to tell their will. But for the god itself to present to him, even in a dream, is such an astonishing thing, why would a higher being ever go to the trouble of teaching a mortal? But Alfeth didn''t question it, he was just grateful to be within God¡¯s grace.

    Their conversation ran short as they reached the Foreline village. The elves would get some looks thanks to their unique trait, but the children were much more straightforward at pointing it out.

    ¡°This is my home, the Foreline Village. Let''s go to the Village chief.¡±

    The elves nodded and headed to the Village Chief¡¯s abode, but it was a small house and the largest place he had was the bonfire running behind the wooden house. It has two wooden benches. The wooden trunk was sliced in half so it could be accommodating.

    ¡°You came from Archwood?¡± Said the village chief. ¡°By your story, it is quite far.¡±

    Alfeth nodded. ¡°Yes, we came here to be introduced, our Elder might be more interested in going here though.¡±

    ¡°I see, While you''re here, might I interest you in some of our snacks?¡±

    ¡°It would be a pleasure.¡±

    The Village chief went back home and grabbed a few bars of pemmican, distributing it to the elves.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°It''s a snack most of us eat when we''re peckish.¡±

    The portion of the pemmican was small, fitting inside of one¡¯s fist. They all ate it in one go, it tastes like meat and a bit dry. Nonetheless, it was a nice snack to chew on.

    ¡°That won''t make you hungry for a while. Anyways, if your elder would take an interest in our Village I¡¯d like to introduce you to our people, the foundation of it today if you will.¡±

    The squad of elves followed the Village chief as he walked towards a few houses, one of the wooden buildings, larger than the rest. The noise of children was heard inside, they were all talking after following a word from another older voice of a woman.

    ¡°It seems she still teaching.¡±

    ¡°Who is?¡±

    ¡°Kasha, our Village Scholar. She is the inventor of our alphabet guided by our Patron God.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ our Patron god didn''t just give it?¡±

    ¡°No, he saw her potential and decided to guide her to it, not even long ago he gave us the book of beginnings.¡±

    ¡°The book of beginnings?¡± Alfeth was curious.

    ¡°It''s the language of magic bestowed upon us, Kasha has been learning it and is already seeing the possible benefits of other children learning it.¡±

    ¡°May I see this book?¡±

    ¡°Sure, let me grab it.¡±

    The Village chief went inside the wooden building, it had two rooms, one was used as a storage for books and scrolls and one for a classroom yet it was wide enough to accommodate a lot of children. The Village chief went to the storage room of texts and grabbed the book of beginnings after making his presence known to Kasha.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    The elves huddled together expectantly looking at the contents of the book to find themselves disappointed that they couldn''t read it, though they were fascinated by the illustrations inside.

    ¡°Do you think Elder Armin would find this fascinating?¡±

    ¡°He should¡­¡±

    Alfeth studied the illustrations inside, he was almost done skimming the book just by looking at the illustrations until he was at 3/4th of the book where it illustrated how yellow cloud in the rough shape of a mushroom. Then he realized, that the dots on the illustration are birds and those rough sketches below it are houses.

    ¡°...¡±

    Alfeth doesn''t know what he¡¯s looking at but he is sure that whatever it is, it''s an apocalypse.

    ¡°Let''s go back first.¡±

    Once they were done with their business, they thanked the village chief, said their goodbyes to Kavo and left the Village. However, they were unaware of the looming threat behind the trees.

 [V1;C28] An Unannounced Visit

    The lives of the elves are quite long, the longest known elf to ever exist was over 10,000 years old, be it a myth or a fable, there is no denying that elves live long. And thanks to that their ego or personality solidifies as their identity blooms. For that long of a time, some practice ancient arts, one that is passed down from their forefathers.

    Magic.

    The art of bending reality to their will, commanding air as if it were their tool and limb. One would practise magic for convenience, to ease tasks, but philosophy differed for the elves of the ninth continent. Depending on the magic they study, it would be the only magic they would use for the entirety of their lives.

    They concluded that magic is the echo of their soul, their purpose, their wants and their mind. So most of the time, their proficiency in one subject of magic is far more advanced than the others, solely because they practise magic to a specialisation.

    Armin, whose magical art is to see what''s beyond, to peek into the unknown, is once in the fog of what is called the future. The future is a hard thing to comprehend but one can predict, Armin''s art allows him to predict the future to a certain accuracy.

    But it would need information, from what is happening outside their village, factors like the dungeons, the count of animals that live within the forest. Countless pieces of information could make his art accurate.

    "Elder Armin, how is our village?"

    "Not good. A Blue creature would soon devour us all." Armin said with a weary tone.

    "Creature? Only one?"

    "Yes¡­ only one."

    Armin solemnly nodded, he was one of the elders who practised their art till it was grafted within their bones. Normally, elves would look young even when they were a hundred years old, but Armin was different, he already had white hair above his head and his forehead filled with wrinkles.

    A true elder in form, which is why the younger generation of elves always take advice from them. They share their wisdom and experience to the younger ones completely relying on their guidance.

    Armin closed his eyes for the umpteenth time, he saw everything clearly, houses made of wood burning down to ashes and the creature who stood on all fours roared and everything went upside down.

    He could only frown as he didn''t know when exactly would this happen, but the clarity of the vision and the brutality of the effect couldn''t help but make Armin worry.

    ***

    Hadro was in his realm, he was running low on soul energy so he would need to go back to the Abyss once again to refill it.

    But not yet, he realised the flaws of his rushed actions. The sudden update of the [Status] system was implemented to his followers. But today that''ll change, since he added a version of the system just below it, he could now indirectly tell the others about the change.

    He made changes, a comprehensive one something that would benefit him, his Aidens and his followers. Thankfully learning his lesson the first time, his followers and Aidens are going to have their systems while doing the update.

    Hadro considered his addition to the system, theres only so much advantage and guidance he could give to his followers so instead of a visual update to the system itself, he wanted to add a few things to his system diagnostics.

    He wanted to add a 3d model of the user¡¯s body but scratched it, he wanted to add something more substance, making a 3d model of the user''s body and applying colours that were damaged is certainly useful but if they get over-reliant on this?

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It was a no-go for Hadro, who wanted his followers to work for everything they had, however, he did add a couple of things to the numerical status of his system, adding things such as [Reflex], [Motor Nerve Reaction] etc. but before he finalized his update he paused.

    A ripple in the serene library occurred, shaking the otherwise motionless shelves of books. The ripple soon opened and Hadro narrowed his eyes as he cursed under his breath. A figure soon entered the library and watched with a curious gaze, she carried the air of regal and dignity and the eyes of arrogance.

    The entity slowly matched its gaze with Hadro''s, once they locked eyes the entity smirked Hadro just smiled with a hint of annoyance. One of the major gods that rule this world, is the Goddess of Light.

    "So¡­." The goddess looked around, "This is what your realm looks like." Then she looked at Hadro with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    [Jaheva has entered your realm.]

    "So¡­ you risked yourself coming here. Might as well give you a bit of hospitality." Hadro spat with obvious disdain, though his face remained unchanged.

    "How welcoming~" Jaheva with a mocking grin.

    "Unlike you and the others."

    Hadro answered bluntly. Nonetheless, he showed hospitality since Jaheva had the courtesy of not showing blatant hostility, standing up he went over and pulled a chair for Jaheva to sit. Jaheva true to her nature as a goddess showed her grace as her stride felt like she was floating instead of walking.

    Hadro sat down opposite her with an impassive face, it was clear he didn''t want to make this conversation long. Jaheva however, seems to be enjoying Hadro¡¯s plight her lips tugging up to a smile. She waved her hand and motes of light gathered to form a vertical disk they could view, multiple images started to show.

    "The humans of the 6th continent have started their endeavour, I doubt you could defend your pathetic followers."

    Jaheva¡¯s angelic words were like honey in one¡¯s ears, but they only served to irritate Hadro. He watched where Jaheva was going and hoped it wasn''t something stupid, entering one¡¯s [Godly Realm] is a death wish if the owner didn''t allow it.

    "Your followers still haven''t discovered magical powers yet¡­ hmm¡­ there''s a few¡ª" The disk was portraying the humans and orcs but then when she was skimming through a lot of them the disk showed Arkum and paused. "I see¡­"

    Hadro sneered and took control of the disk, going to the sixth continent, he started doing the same showing multiple people but only landing on one. A wizened man with a long grey beard and wrinkles all over his face.

    "Hmm¡­ there''s only one?"

    Hadro¡¯s scoff didn''t pass by Jaheva, she did not like how he toned it. Although she remained smiling her gaze became sharp and deadly. Though Hadro just smirked the entire time.

    ¡°I wonder, what the animosity is for at our first encounter, a baby god, and then an elder god being annoyed at the fact it didn''t fall to their system.¡±

    ¡°You must¡¯ve surmised already. A baby god with a system already cannot be taken. Then the fact that there are imaginary gods and gods under us.¡±

    Hadro nodded but he couldn''t care less about that simplification. So he stared at her and waited, her answer was something he wanted to hear. Jaheva frowned at this her forehead forming creases.

    ¡°A god could destroy the balance that we have created for aeons©¤¡±

    ¡°And create a new one.¡± Hadro chuckles, ¡°Acts like a mortal.¡± his piercing gaze is directed at Jaheva.

    ¡°Tsk. I could help you on this, so don''t dare antagonize me.¡±

    ¡°You can but I can¡¯t, don''t you think that''s childish?¡± Hadro¡¯s words were genuine.

    This made Jaheva mad, and the energy around them silenced, but Hadro continued to stare into her eyes, waiting for an answer. Jaheva was at his mercy, not the other way around, she behaved. Not that her pride would allow Hadro to think that way.

    ¡°I can help you avoid the wrath of the gods, to avoid an unnecessary slaughter of your followers.¡±

    ¡°What, be under you?¡±

    ¡°No, Soul Points.¡±

    Hadro¡¯s glare didn''t waver, Soul Points require 100 soul energy to form. It is a valuable resource for both man and god as his power relies on this, but man requires it to function, spiritually and mentally.

    Thinking about it Hadro laughed, she wanted him for something he also wanted. Soul Points are something Hadro needed to grow, to ascend, but if he started offering them to Jaheva it would mean that he was hindering his growth but helping hers.

    ¡°I wonder what made you think I would accept that.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever, you already antagonized me in my home long enough. I have things to prepare and finalize. You can leave.¡±

    Hadro raised his hand and Jaheva¡¯s eyes widened soon filled with rage as she got flung out of a portal that opened behind her. She didn''t have the chance to speak or retaliate. Hadro closed it fast as Jaheva left.

    Hadro needed to ascend soon, but his followers were low and the demand was high, but he was willing to play the long game. He¡¯s a god after all.

    ***

    The humans and orcs in Foreline suddenly became a sensation all felt similarly, a feeling of Malice that was suddenly thrown their way. Kavo was the first to react. Amassing all Warriors and Hunters to defend their home.

    ¡°Damnit, what is happening.¡±

    The ground shook, they thought it was an earthquake but then, another followed¡­ and another and another. It was like a stream of continuous earthquakes. It wasn''t long before the culprit showed itself.

    The Hunters and Warriors looked at the monstrosity with awe and fear. It was a giant lizard¡­ or well something similar to an ikkin. Except with feathers, they were dinosaurs with scales. Something that the Warriors are pretty sure is going to be tough.

    ¡°Can we even defeat that thing?¡±

    ¡°Not yet¡­¡±

    ¡°We''re only here to buy time.¡± One of the hunters spoke. ¡°Arkum is the only one capable of bringing that kind of beast down.¡±

    ¡°But aren''t they on a search?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ That''s why we stall.¡±

    The Hunters prayed to their patron god, the warriors wished a warrior''s death. And the monster is hungry.

 [V1;C29]The Decisive Battle of Survival 1

    [Year 22]

    [Foreline Village]

    The Battle hasn''t begun yet, the giant monster similar to an Ikkin is gigantic, its scales blue with toughness rarely seen in any other beasts that Hunters and Warriors alike have ever seen.

    The monster roared and a shockwave passed the air, shaking every Hunter and Warrior that was close. They were stunned and when they realised how powerful the monster was, dread washed over them.

    ¡°I wonder how long till we have to wait for Arkum, Kavo please step back! You''re one of our gods chosen, please go back.¡±

    Kavo didn''t argue, the Warriors and Hunters could handle it themselves, he had no business being in there anyway.

    The Monster stared at them, its slit eyes looking at them like prey. It bellowed and the presence it radiated felt so monstrous that they doubted they could even stall that thing. Without warning it pounced, the distance it gapped was wide. It was running way too fast for its size!

    Accompanying its dash was a roar deep from its maw, what soon followed was a massive condensed clump of fire unleashed towards the hunters and warriors who didn''t know how to react but to feel fear. But to their anguish, a transparent wall protected them, as the clump of fire hit the transparent wall, they felt their fear justified as fire spread with an explosion replacing the brightness of the sun.

    ¡°It''s Auntie Zoe!¡±

    The monster glared at what seemed to be empty air, scrutinising whatever it saw, at the same time relief washed through the Villagers as its attention was no longer on them.

    [Omniarc Valovasoar]

    Zoe looked down at the monster before her, it had the same appearance as a T-rex an animal long extinct in her father¡¯s memories. The monster was ready to fire off another attack, it''s through threatened another menacing glow and with no hesitation, fired it at Zoe.

    Since Zoe is in the sky, she merely moves out of the way to dodge it. The compressed ball of fire rushed with zeal and exploded in the sky, Zoe could feel that she was alone in this endeavour and sighed, her eyes were sleepy.

    Zoe reached her arm forward, the Valovasoar stopped in place, it felt the threat to its life and decided to roar, releasing its aura. Zoe scratched her head.

    ¡°What a pain¡­¡±

    There are three types of energy in this world that are converted from Soul energy. Mana, Aura and Vim. Mana is fuel to magic, Vim is the will of the mind and Aura is the force of the soul.

    If the Valovasoar had an aura it meant it was projecting its soul, its entire being rendering anything that tried to influence it useless. After all, to gain force one would need weight.

    Zoe squints at the Valovasoar, if it could use aura trying to use her power, the one Hadro had given would be useless. After all, one way to end the monster was to use its own body against it.

    Aura does a few things, including strengthening the link between Reality and Abyss. By doing this, instead of a few minutes of feedback or even hours, the feedback between the two dimensions became instant the moment the User used Aura, this means that the weight of their soul also increased, making their presence much heavier.

    Thanks to this, the Aura user will naturally influence their surroundings to some degree. Aura naturally spreads around making its presence known, this presence is not just for show, any intent that passes through Aura will be shredded, Zoe¡¯s intent to use the Valovasoar¡¯s body against it didn''t work because moving the particles within, Zoe had to intend it.

    Now the only way to combat an Aura user is by another Aura user, and to combat Aura, one must have a stronger Aura. because Aura naturally makes the user tougher as a side effect of the Link Strengthening it has.

    ''How tiring¡¯

    Zoe wants to return to being an overseer for the Foreline village, rather than dealing with something tiresome.

    The Valovasoar dashed forward, planning to ram itself against the shield that Zoe erected, Zoe didn''t allow it, using the pebbles in the ground to suddenly launch towards the monster violently, the moment of impact turned the pebbles into smaller pieces.

    The Valovasoar halted, it was stunned by the sudden attack. The moment it regained clarity it roared, sending waves of air that pushed the ground away. However, it did seem to accomplish its plan as it was close enough to shred Zoe¡¯s transparent shield.

    Zoe tried to find another way to stall the monster, but her eyes soon landed on the spare spears lying around near the village, she used her power to lift a dozen and shoot some towards the monster wanting to end it there.

    Unfortunately, the monster was tougher, despite the incomprehensible speed at which she launched the spears, they just bounced off or destroyed themselves upon contact with the monster¡¯s scales.

    The monster was now fully focusing on Zoe, it huffed, and despite its tough exterior, it was not exempt from feeling pain. Noticing the increasing annoyance of the creature some steam started to come out of its mouth.

    Zoe clicked her tongue ¡®How resilient¡¯ she thought. While she was fighting the monster the residents were struck with confusion.

    But that didn''t last long, the villagers led by the village chief led them out of the area. Mari¡¯s three kids watched as Zoe fought with the monster.

    ¡°Rei,¡± Mari inquired. ¡°Auntie Zoe? Who?¡±

    ¡°It''s the one I told you about! The one dad says who likes to laze around!¡±

    ¡°Zoe¡­?¡±

    Mari was confused for a moment, she had been working hard lately due to her husband¡¯s disappearance and didn''t know if she missed something important.

    ¡°Auntie Zoe doesn''t like moving; she just lays around.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Once she hears the explanation from Rei, Mari doesn''t know what to say or think anymore, but she''s grateful that thanks to Zoe they are safe.

    However, they are lost after seeing that one of their God''s summons is somehow struggling to fight a monster.

    With no warning, a lot of the villagers buckled, and the monster roared, blasting the air around at the speed of supersonics. The hunters only got rattled, but to those untrained in combat, it felt like someone shook them to the core, making their insides tremble mercilessly causing some to puke.

    ¡°We can''t stay here for long.¡± someone reasoned.

    ¡°We need Arkum.¡±

    That was a reasonable response to the situation. However, there is a problem. They cannot communicate whatsoever but others have plans, like Mari.

    She immediately opened her system and went to the [Shop] panel. She scoured every single bit of it and sure enough, she found a solution.

    ¡°There is this [Hummingbird messenger] in the shop, it''s expensive¡­¡±

    Everyone who had the SE scoured the shop and one soul decided to use it immediately, it was Ivy.

    ¡°What should I say?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Just say that the village is in danger, that would be enough for them to come back running.¡±

    Ivy spoke the same words to the hummingbird that was flying in front of her, soon it flew away after the message was conveyed.

    The hummingbird flew so fast that the others only saw it as a blur, Ivy was thankful that it was the case. If it is fast, hopefully, it will reach the recipient quickly.

    On the other side, once Arkum''s group made contact with the elves they said their goodbyes and promised continued visits they went their way, However, an elf went to the group.

    ¡°Please let me join you.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± Arkum was genuinely curious. It''s not like they won''t see each other again.

    ¡°An elder of ours told me to follow you, apparently he said that I would become of use to you.¡±

    Arkum blinked in confusion and started thinking, it''s not like they didn''t need help, monsters of strength roamed and they needed every single bit of power they could.

    ¡°Okay, what''s your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Relle, Relle Gracefall.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Relle. What can you do so we can integrate you into our group dynamic.¡±

    ¡°I am an Auror.¡±

    The group was a bit confused for a bit what Relle meant but that didn''t matter for the next second. A hummingbird went up to Arkum, they sensed it but since they felt no threat coming from it they didn''t do anything.

    [The village is in danger! Arkum! Shavik! Any of you come back immediately!]

    Arkum and Shavik glanced or faced each other, Arkum looked at Relle.

    ¡°Can you run fast?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can count on me for that.¡±

    Arkum and Shavik started running, as superhumans they were running so fast that even Relle was surprised by their speed.

    However, Relle still managed to catch up albeit lagging. Though Relle was catching his breath hard because the two superhumans were unbelievably swift.

    Though he wished they took a break, they crossed a mountain and it still isn''t stopping.

    ¡°Shavik, I''ll be first.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, go on.¡±

    ¡°Wait what¡ª¡±

    Relle didn''t have a chance to inquire, with no warning Arkum jumped high as a kite and vanished from their sight, Relle''s jaw was left hanging from what he saw.

    ¡®How could someone jump that high?! While not using magic no less!¡¯

    However, he didn''t daze for long since Shavik was still running with no rest. Once they got to the edge of the forest they finally saw what was happening.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    Relle knew that monster, it was in the written records of the archives. A Valovasoar, a monster that is unique only to the Omniarc dungeon.

    It was said that the last time this monster surfaced, half of the forest became ashes. That''s why Relle, despite only seeing it for the first time, felt fear. But when the monster roared he fully fell on the ground.

    ¡°Get up Relle, this is not a place we should linger.¡±

    Shavik helped Relle up despite his shaky legs. Putting Relle¡¯s hand over his shoulder, Shavik started moving around the monster. Being caught would spell certain death.

    ¡ªBoom

    The sudden loud explosive noise was familiar to Shavik, Relle however is not, so when he saw that Arkum fought the monster, it was amazing that he could go toe to toe with it.

    Arkum¡¯s every thrust of his spear created deafening shockwaves. But those strikes were not effective against the monster. It took it like a tank, it was unmoving like a mountain. One of the toughest opponents Arkum ever had.

    The Valovasoar roared, now its enemies doubling, it stared at Arkum judging his every move. Arkum did the same, after striking the monster away and some space was given, he took his time to study the monster as well.

    They started circling each other, not trying to give space. Arkum noticed that the monster had a strong presence, he could feel the bloodlust all over.

    He couldn''t understand what was happening, but whatever the monster had was affecting his psyche. It made him mad but he took control of his thoughts before it got out of control.

    With no warning the monster roared, Arkum handled the effects well, but he had to prepare to intercept the breath of fire that the Valovasoar would release.

    Arkum cocked his arm back with the spear, power soon filling his body directed to the spear itself. But somehow, something is interrupting his charge.

    The monster soon released its breath of fire and Arkum intercepted it with an [Explosive Thrust] which made the breath of fire spread outward.

    Everything happened so fast that everyone watching was confused about what was happening, only a few were able to comprehend what happened.

    Relle is one of the few spectators who understand what''s happening.

    ¡°This is not good.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Shavik chimed.

    ¡°The monster is releasing its power, it''s affecting Arkum.¡±

    Shavik''s face pointed towards Arkum. He certainly felt something from the monster but he couldn''t understand it though it was familiar.

    ¡°hmm¡­ is it because of Aura?¡± Shavik asked

    ¡°H-huh? Yes! Yes! It is, if you knew, how do you intend to deal with it?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea¡­ Do you?¡± Shavik asked.

    ¡°The only thing I know is how to project Aura, it helps counter the elusive.¡±

    ¡°Can you teach that to Arkum?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Aura is something inherent. If the person does not have the will then they could not project aura.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you?¡±

    Relle understood the question Shavik gave and its underlying meaning. He does not possess the strongest aura, but he does have it and having it is enough.

    ¡°I do have the will.¡± Relle nodded.

    ¡°How far?¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°How far are you willing? Don''t tell me you came here just because your elder told you to?¡±

    Yes, at first it was that. Their elders told them that the key to a better future was to connect with the humans that were sighted nearby.

    There was no reason to connect, in truth, Archwood in itself is self-sufficient. A connection outside would just be someone they knew, but is that it? Considering the history of his kin¡¯s history would that be the right choice?

    Relle looked at Arkum, the moment he heard something from that Hummingbird he immediately ran back and decided to put himself against the monster to protect them.

    Relle also glanced at Shavik, he might be staying on the sidelines but he could tell that the man was ready to take action once his friend needed it.

    But could he do the same? If his home were to be ravaged by a monster and an elder were to take it on, would he be able to fight in his stead once the elder fell? Relle realised how cowardly he was, he sought himself better but he couldn''t help but not step out of his comfort zone, if he needed to change stepping out of his comfort zone would be for the better.

    ¡°Listen, Shavik. Have you ever felt a change in you and cannot express it in words?¡±

    ¡°Yes, multiple times.¡± Shavik caressed his blindfold.

    ¡°Then remember the feeling, Aura represents oneself and your will. Every will has a source and you are one of them.

    Relle explained Aura just like his elders did. The knowledge that is better off is given to those who will benefit from it.

    ¡°The feeling of change within you is the same as starting to cycle energy. If you have the familiarity of cycling energy then that''s the first step to soon releasing it outwards.¡±

    ¡°That sounds so complicated.¡± Shavik couldn''t help but furrow his brow.

    ¡°In explaining yes, but doing it is easy. Have you cycled mana before?¡±

    ¡°No, I have not.¡±

    ¡°Then, let me help you with that.¡±

    Relle placed a hand behind Shavik, he willed his mana to move and although it was very transparent he felt his mana move.

    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I''m going to jumpstart your cycle. This is not a good idea but since you have already reached more than the base level of mortality then this action wouldn''t have many consequences¡­ I think.¡±

    ¡°... Do it.¡± despite reluctance, Shavik agreed to it.

    Relle was about to ask if he was sure but he heard an explosion, the monster was relentless against Arkum and Arkum seemed fine but it was obvious that he was making mistakes then and there. They don''t have that much time.

    Relle pushed his mana off to Shavik who flinched but didn''t overreact. It felt like a defibrillator trying to place proper rhythm to someone''s heart.

    Shavik''s mana pathways seem to be open and clear, it has evidence of usage since Relle¡¯s mana passed through it effortlessly.

    ¡°I understand now. This is what you meant with cycling energy.¡±

    ¡°W-wha? Yes?¡±

    Relle was in awe when Shavik started cycling his mana, it felt so natural for him.

    ¡°This is what I feel repeatedly when I use my senses. The power I felt a surge within me is this energy¡­ I need to cycle this for what reason?¡±

    ¡°I-It''s to balance power to your entire body.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    Shavik grabbed his daggers in both hands and stood, watching the battle between his friend and the monster, his mind unnaturally clear.

    Relle was questioning what he was planning to do but stayed quiet and watched. Shavik remembered Relle''s words trying to achieve Aura.

    Shavik knew Arkum had the [Hunter Aura]; he felt how it affected their teamwork when hunting. But that was it, [Hunter''s Aura] helped the hunters with teamwork.

    But that''s not the TRUE Aura. Aura is the transcendence of oneself, you are projecting will©¤ yourself outwards. The best way to project aura is to¡­

    ¡°Just be yourself.¡±

    Relle was at a loss for words, he was beyond shocked and in disbelief. Shavik¡¯s presence suddenly became heavier, aura coated Shavik like a layer of cloth floating like steam that would singe whoever touched it.

    Relle was shocked, he was beyond shocked and in disbelief. Shavik was coated with his aura, like steam emanating from its source, Aura coated Shavik in a brief layer.

    ¡°I understand now.¡±

    Shavik removed his blindfold. It was like a moment of self-understanding and reflection, doubting oneself will not gain you Aura.

    ¡°Oh, how I felt free.¡±

    To have Aura is to know thyself. Shavik finally understood himself, he did not doubt it. The reason why he relied more on instinct was not because he had more potential to hunt the unseen but rather, he wanted to admit that patience was not his best suit, it was a lie to himself.

    He wasn''t like his fellow hunters, deep down he was more of a disciplined animal, he¡¯d rather wait for minutes before pouncing on unsuspecting prey. An Ambush predator if you will, he was not weak, he was merely hiding his true capability.

    Relle wanted to ask what Shavik was doing when he noticed that Shavik¡¯s presence was no longer there, he looked around but was shocked to find that he disappeared out of nowhere.

    At the head of the battle between the monster and Arkum, where Arkum defended attacks that would cost a life felt himself struggling. The monster was taking its time like its attacks were released with calculation. All of a sudden, when Arkum felt vulnerable. The Monster opened its maw, Arkum prepared but noticed that its neck wasn''t glowing, it wasn''t going to release a breath of flame!

    Though, as if a fly passed by the monster noticed a presence but it was too late to react, the predator already released its fangs and gouged a wound on the Monster¡¯s most vulnerable part, his joints where flesh is more exposed. The monster did not continue with its roar but it bellowed in pain.

    Appearing out of nowhere, Shavik appeared a few feet away from the monster with obsidian daggers dripping with minuscule blood. Arkum saw him and surmised what he did when the monster suddenly fell as if its legs betrayed it. Though, in Shavik¡¯s mind he was glad he slashed at the right part, he just assumed that the monster would be more vulnerable at that part.

    ¡°Shavik?!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Arkum!¡±

    Then both hunters looked forward, Shavik vanished from his place and Arkum dashed away, soon flames started erupting everywhere in an explosion where they used to stand. The monster flailed its throat filled with more condensed clumps of fire.

    A stray landed where the villagers were taking shelter and thankfully a barrier appeared to intercept the breath of flame which exploded in impact.

    Arkum took this to advantage and ran forward the monster, the monster noticed Arkum''s intent and aimed its firepower towards him. But it felt a presence that was previously not there.

    Victory seemed so close to the hunters, Shavik was waiting for his time to strike and Arkum was persistent, going for a powerful strike of his spear planning to end it once and for all, but the monster was not done yet.

    It showed what it was capable of, showing great resistance. While it is injured, its legs wounded it raised its maw towards the sky and within an instant, empowered by Aura it released a deafening roar.

 [V1;C30]The Decisive Battle of Survival 2

    [Year 22]

    [Foreline Village, Demon Forests edge]

    The roar unleashed was comparable to a cataclysmic event, an unstoppable force of nature. Dust erupted, rocks flew, and in its core was a monster who destroyed everything with its roar, sparing no one.

    There was nothing that could have been done to stop it, it was akin to watching an erupting volcano in the vicinity of your home. Its roar at its height was deafening despite the distance and its lowest rumble one could feel.

    Unfortunately, some houses that were close enough were knocked down and were destroyed in the process, the sight gave a gloomy sight for the villagers.

    Arkum managed to brace for the attack a sliver of power coating him in the middle of the fight. Arkum thought of his friend if he even managed to get out unharmed but he has to worry for himself now. Despite being prepared for it, he was still not spared. He knelt and felt the blood running down his nose and soon spat out blood.

    The spectators watched in horror when the dust settled and saw Arkum with his knee on the ground with blood dripping from his nose and mouth. Despite the damage Arkum received he was far from relenting.

    With a spear in his hand, which he used as a crutch he held on for a moment, his ears were ringing he was waiting for it to slowly settle down, and his mind was numb from being nearby of the monster.

    Fortunately, his friend reappeared close to his side, lending a hand to help him up. When the ringing stopped and his mind eased he took a look at his friend and noticed the change.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It''s Aura.¡±

    ¡°What? But I have aura as well¡ª¡±

    ¡°It''s not like the skill you and some hunters have. This one is specialised. It represents me.¡±

    ¡°... I see.¡±

    Arkum saw how Shavik was less damaged from the roar of that monster, envy crept up within him, if he had that ability then he could probably stand up and fight for more.

    ¡°The monster has recovered.¡±

    Arkum looked back at the monster, Two bright slit eyes stared at the two hunters. It growled before its neck started to ominously glow.

    ¡°Ha¡­ it''s going for a breath of flame again.¡± Shavik quipped

    ¡°Hey,¡± Shavik turned to face Arkum. ¡°Teach me that.¡±

    ¡°It''s best if you feel it, you''ll learn fast that way.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arkum glanced at the monster, its neck was glowing eerily. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°What do you stand for? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°You don''t know the answer to that?¡± Shavik scoffed. ¡°I know that I am Shavik, a proud Hunter of the Foreline village! Arkum, what about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I am Arkum, a proud Hunter of the Village as well¡­!¡±

    ¡°Stop doubting yourself, my friend.¡±

    Shavik placed a hand behind Arkum. He remembered how Relle helped to jump-start his circulation of mana and decided to recreate it by feeling.

    ¡°Do not doubt yourself and believe who you are.¡±

    Arkum flinched when mana was sent to his body, he roughly knew what this feeling was, it was the same feeling that covered his body and spear.

    Arkum felt time slow down, the same thing when he first received a blessing from Hadro himself. He was drowned in self-reflection, what am I, who am I and what do I stand for?

    The questions sounded so simple, yet they reflected what he wanted to do in this world, it was not so simple as answering ¡®I am Arkum, I am a proud Hunter of the village and I stand to protect it¡¯, no.

    It was deeper than that. Arkum''s eyes locked on the monster that was charging its attack. It would soon fire and they would be embraced in a fire that would turn them to ashes.

    At this moment, Arkum looked at the eyes of the monster. Arkum could see why it was so dead set on trying to kill them. It was looking for prey and they interrupted, now it is trying to kill them because they are a threat.

    Arkum felt alive, the moment of self-reflection ended and he raised his spear, despite the pain he kept feeling he pushed forward.

    He briefly glanced at the villagers hiding from far away and he saw his wife, she was wrinkly and decrepit, and she lived far longer than normal.

    Arkum knew that if he didn''t end it here the monster would wipe everyone out. The light in his wife¡¯s eyes is dimming every second, he wants to spend a few more moments with her. Knowing she does not have that much left in the world unlike him where his skin does not age.

    As time soon moved normally, Arkum had his spear thrust forward every single being of him was poured towards that attack. The Valovasoar unleashed its flames unto Arkum¡¯s direction a lot of energy invested in it.

    The clump of fire was now in the clear shape of a sphere, however, its speed was so swift that none was able to discern its proper shape, it was like a miniature glowing sun by the intense radiance it gave. The moment it clashed with Arkum¡¯s spear, it was cleanly split in half, exploding at the moment of impact.

    The fire spread out, both went sidewards. One towards the forest and the other at the plains. The fire ravaged the trees of the forest like a sea of flames scorching the otherwise peaceful plains of its vegetation leaving nothing but tar and ashes.

    A subtle glow was coating Arkum and his spear. Shavik gave a savage grin at what he was witnessing. Arkum had always been strong all he needed was the realisation. This strength he always harboured is now reached, his highest potential that even if Shavik tried his best reaching would never bore fruit.

    The Valovasoar huffed and steam streamed out of its nose, it stood on both legs its unbelievable recovery speed showing by its already healed legs.

    Arkum moved, his movements nothing but a blur, leaving cracks on the ground where he left and setting the wind to the side creating a loud sound reminiscent of a thunderclap that threw Shavik off his feet. Arkum reached the monster in a blink of an eye, his hand ready to swipe his spear, the monster reacted early, turning its body and whipping Arkum off the ground with its tail.

    Arkum¡¯s spear blocked the attack from the monster sending him sliding backwards, the Monster did not relent as it attacked with a swift breath of flame which Arkum did not have the time to block, he dodged but it left him scorched smelling the subtly seared flesh.

    It burned his bear cape, his most prized trophy, but it did not matter, the monster tried to repeat the attack but he did not let it hit, the end of his spear struck its lower jaw sending the monster to look upwards and the breath of flame firing upwards instead.

    Arkum swiped his spear upon the monster, its edge dragging across its tough scales, although now there was a difference, it left a gash a small gash that was a sign of defiance against the monster¡¯s might.

    The monster did not like the development, it tried moving forward to bite Arkum and could tell that its maw was filled with heat. Arkum dashed backwards and whilst the monster was moving forward and him backwards he took the time to lightly thrust his spear.

    Leaving a gash upon the monster¡¯s maw itself but to Arkum¡¯s surprise it released an abrupt breath of flame towards his direction it wasn''t powerful but it did give him some burns that he did not like,

    Pain surged within his body but it did not stop him, Arkum cocked back his spear again power surging within him and released a powerful strike, the Valovasoar didn''t have time to change its posture quickly enough.

    With an unbelievable sight of defiance, Arkum struck the monster making it sway its head sidewards, a small object falling that followed after. Everyone watched as the monster looked back and one of its sharp teeth was gone from its maw. Arkum watched standing breathing heavily, However, Shavik knew that Arkum was on his last leg standing.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The monster swiped its tail, Arkum blocked with his spear but it snapped the spear in half and Arkum was sent flying away, Shavik out of his daze moved to intercept and catch Arkum who didn''t have any more strength to move.

    Cold sweat ran down Shavik¡¯s forehead, the friend that he thought infallible was now in his hands defenceless after fighting a monster. Their most powerful hunter was down and that could only mean one thing, their imminent demise.

    Soon, a towering shadow covered Shavik and his friend, he started to grit his teeth, feeling the scorching breath of the monster that he knew he couldn''t win against, and his head slowly lifted to meet the monster.

    It watched them, like a defenseless prey against a cruel predator. Shavik felt fear, though not for his life. Will the villagers, his people be able to run fast enough? Could he buy enough time for them to escape? Would everything they fought for end here?

    The monster just stood there, looming but not doing anything. Its body was already battered with multiple injuries, scales covered with dust and blood. Its maw was bleeding but still menacing and its eyes stared coldly.

    Then, the monster acted with no warning, roaring at the two hunters, its roar undeniably filled with frustration, Shavik¡¯s fear was palpable, cold sweat running down his back with him clutching his friend tightly. He waited for the inevitable doom, yet it didn''t come. He watched as the monster ran back to the forest.

    His fear, anxiousness and dread that kept plaguing him suddenly vanished as if it was never there, it then dawned on him. Shavik was being swallowed by the emotions of the monster because it had a stronger aura than him that affected his mind. However, it still left him confused, why did the monster retreat?

    He watched as the Valovasoar walked to the forest, it did not partake in its prey at all. What was its intention? Shavik¡¯s thoughts were pulled away once he heard coughs coming from Arkum which he held on the ground.

    ¡°A-Arkum!¡±

    His face was plastered with worry, However, Arkum¡¯s face was smiling with bloody teeth, he had accomplished what he wanted and that was enough. His eyes landed on the sharp tooth on the ground.

    Shavik followed Arkum¡¯s eyes and understood why he was smiling, he viewed knocking the monster¡¯s teeth off as an achievement. Shavik grinned he was glad it was over and the monster was not coming back.

    Shavik may have looked tough but when the outrageous roar was released from the Valovasoar his internal organs ruptured. He was nearby, he couldn''t have left unscathed.

    ¡°Shavik.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Let''s head back¡­ I wanted to eat some roasted meat and thank our god.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Let''s do that!¡±

    Shavik couldn''t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but he wouldn''t push it away, anything to relieve the stress that the entire village had felt would be welcome.

    Once it was confirmed that the monster had left, everyone went back to their respective houses, and everyone who could lend a hand helped rebuild those that were destroyed in the fight.

    After that, they threw a feast, as long as they could relieve everyone of their worries and raise spirits for the next day, they didn''t believe this was their last battle.

    The council, a smith, warrior, hunter, healer, farmer and artisan. Gathered together to discuss what should be done to better the village¡¯s defences.

    ¡°If it was us, we couldn''t have survived. Luckily Arkum came in our times of need.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but everything cannot be left to Arkum as we saw.¡±

    ¡°Yes, should we build walls?¡±

    ¡°That is a must, but remember that some of us forage in that forest.¡±

    ¡°Can we not take it to our existing farms?¡±

    ¡°We are still trying.¡±

    ¡°Our priority should be those walls.¡±

    Once it was decided, the core members of the Council started planning, they went ahead and had the Village walls be built for future safety reasons. Among the celebratory atmosphere, Arkum sat next to his wife, staring at the bonfire.

    ¡°My time is near, Arkum. Our child, Kamir has found his own Family. I have no regrets aside from leaving you.¡±

    Arkum placed his hand above his wife.

    ¡°Samir¡­ I''m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Everyone is, I''m just saying that you should be brave.¡±

    The contrast between Samir and Arkum¡¯s hands tells how far the two have come. Arkum is rough and callused yet still, it looks healthy comparable to someone in their twenties while Samir is wrinkled, old and frail.

    ¡°Arkum¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Don''t be afraid to find another woman, don''t let my passing get through you.¡±

    ¡°T-that''s easier said than done.¡±

    Samir smiled gently, ¡°I know, promise me that you''ll cry but you''ll move on, okay?¡±

    ¡°I will¡­¡±

    Arkum¡¯s eyes were already teary, Samir noticing this wiped the tears as they fell.

    ¡°This reminded me of our first meeting.¡±

    ¡°...?¡± Arkum looked incredulous.

    ¡°You cried in front of my father just to take my hand in union.¡±

    ¡°D-don''t remind me¡­!¡± Arkum felt embarrassed.

    Samir laughed and laid her head on Arkum¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Arkum¡­¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what I found about you that I love?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ is it?¡±

    ¡°You were always brave¡­ 30 years ago if I remember correctly. When the village didn''t have any food you took up arms first and went to the forest to hunt.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°When one of the hunters lagged behind you always stayed behind to protect them. When one of us is sick, you would always go to the forest to find herbs that our elders told us about, no matter how futile the situation.¡±

    ¡°Hearing this is¡­ embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Is it? Truly, you were always meant for greatness. The moment our patron God came your brightness couldn''t be hidden. Did you know how I felt when I saw you fly from the sky just to land on that monster?¡±

    ¡°The Valovasoar?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought was¡­ my saviour, my saviour! Look how he gracefully descended¡ª¡±

    ¡°S-Samir!¡±

    Samir laughed, she couldn''t help but tease her husband. Her eyes glanced at Arkum¡¯s hands, despite them being rough and calloused, they had not one bit changed, it was the same as years ago.

    It was already a miracle that she had lived for over half a century. When most of her ancestors were lucky to get past 30. Then she felt something, she looked at her husband.

    ¡°Can we go to sleep? I''m tired.¡±

    Arkum became solemn, his rueful smile appeared as if expecting it. Nonetheless, he followed what his wife wanted, they both stood up and they headed to their humble, expanded mud house.

    ¡°Oh, we used to sleep with grass¡­ Now we sleep in this luxury.¡±

    Arkum laid down the wooden mattress with yak fur sheets, he also laid down two small pillows. Arkum wanted to help Samir lay down but she did it herself.

    ¡°Come on.¡± she tapped the empty side waiting for Arkum.

    Arkum just wordlessly followed lying down next to Samir. Once they both lay down, Samir grabbed Arkum¡¯s hand and placed it over herself for a hug.

    Arkum leaned close and with the comfort of her husband being close, Samir soon closed her eyes.

    The next day, Arkum woefully opened his eyes and his sight was greeted with the back of the head of his wife. He turned her over pleading that what he expected shouldn''t happen.

    But Arkum knew better than doubt reality, his wife had her eyes closed like she was just taking a rest. Arkum felt his chest tighten and his eyes blurred, he placed a hand over Samir''s hand, his head over her shoulder.

    Quiet sniffles and sobs escaped Arkum''s mouth that day and it was early in the morning.

    Hadro didn''t miss such a sight, he came back after Arkum was defeated. Defending him and the others after Valovasoar took them both down.

    Without him, after Arkum propelled his spear and sent the Valovasoar¡¯s tooth away, he had to stand in front of them. The monster was more than a Deity, it had Aura in its purest form.

    It could see Hadro and even affect him with its Aura. But since Hadro was a god bypassing the Aura of the monster was manageable. Hadro wanted to kill the threat, however his budget only allowed him much.

    Zoe did everything to protect the village and it used his SE since Zoe can''t accumulate her own. Thankfully, the monster recognized that Hadro was a threat and left the village.

    Hadro couldn''t help but watch as Arkum lifted Samir and took her outside. The neighbours had expected that Samir didn''t have for long but now they couldn''t help but feel remorseful.

    ¡°She lived happily, Arkum.¡±

    Kavo, who was on site, said to Arkum. Kavo had some people bring a seed from the warehouses.

    ¡°She did, where''s Kamir? He needs to say goodbye to his mother.¡±

    Kamir, Arkum¡¯s only son. When opportunities arose a decade ago he took it. He became Kavo''s assistant who would help organise herbs and lists of diseases with Kasha and Mari.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll find him¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need, I''m here.¡± a stout tall man came into view, sweat lingered on his face, evidence of his rush towards Arkum.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± he looked at Samir with great sorrow.

    ¡°Say your goodbye Kamir, she will rest soon forever.¡±

    Kamir looked at his father before nodding, walking to Samir and holding her hand, he raised it to his face and bowed his head before letting out his cries.

    ¡°I am proud to be your son.¡± Kamir let out before letting go of his mother''s hand.

    Kavo and another assistant waited their time before calling out.

    ¡°Arkum, the burial ritual is done.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Arkum followed Kavo to the edge of the village and the edge of the forest. A bed of wood was stacked together, and Arkum settled Samir¡¯s body down above it.

    Word has already travelled, Samir¡¯s friends were few, not because she didn''t socialise but because most friends she had had already passed.

    People who knew Samir mourned, saying their farewells and imparting a gift, a small gift that they believe will assist the deceased in passing successfully.

    Some were carved wood, some were necklaces made out of bones. Nonetheless, it adorned Samir with gifts.

    Once the sun was high, Arkum did the honour and grabbed the seed given to him by Kavo and placed it inside her clothes.

    He took her body to a hole and placed her down carefully in a foetal position, which he soon used a shovel to bury her afterwards.

    Arkum¡¯s friends sent their condolences. The orcs found the humans of the Village custom of burying their dead along with a seed of a tree fascinating at first, though it soon replaced their original burying ritual.

    Hadro watched the ritual procession before going to his realm, Samir was the first follower to die with the realm up so Hadro was naturally curious.

    Once he stepped into the library he went to the desk where the cashier was seemingly at.

    There a soul was standing, baffled by the enormous library that surrounded her. Hadro with a gentle smile approached her, the soul saw him and curiosity gleamed in her eyes.

    ¡°Hello, Samir.¡±

    ¡°U-uh¡­ I''m supposed to be dead¡­¡±

    ¡°You already are.¡±

    I swirled my hand and the air swirled creating a circular mirror that displayed Samir¡¯s funeral.

    ¡°Arkum¡­ Kamir¡­¡± Samir placed both hands on her mouth.

    ¡°Your whole family has seen you off.¡±

    Samir was silent for a moment, she contemplated for a bit before asking a question.

    ¡°What happens now?¡±

    ¡°I''m glad you asked.¡±

    I raised both hands. Both present an option.

    ¡°One you can stay in the library as long as you like and then reincarnate. The other you reincarnate now, your soul will become another being, it may be a frog or a deer but on the other hand you will forget everything that happened here and start anew.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Samir looked around, endless books spanned her view. She was curious but ultimately shook her head.

    ¡°Is this the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°There is no Afterlife, dear. You will slowly decay here if not slowly wither out of existence.¡±

    The Abyss and Reality are a two-way connection, now that Samir¡¯s body has perished there is no longer anything making a record of Samir¡¯s existence in the Abyss. After the death of her mortal body made of flesh, her soul should''ve gone straight to the Abyss instead of my Realm. She would''ve become prey to the others in the abyss.

    ¡°I see¡­ then I will choose to reincarnate.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ farewell Samir.¡±

    Samir¡¯s soul swirled and became motes of light instead, shedding parts of her, her memories, her personality, her individuality was removed, and all that remained was pure essence.

    [Successfully reintegrate a soul in the Reincarnation cycle.]

    [Molted Soul Energy redirected to Hadro]

    [200SE]

    ¡°Goodbye Samir¡­¡±

    On the edge of the village, a cocoon hatched into a butterfly.

    ©¤0©¤0©¤0©¤0©¤0©¤0©¤

    Name: Arkum

    Species: Human

    God patron: Hadro

    Titles: [The Spear of the Village]

    ~0~0~0~

    Might: 140

    Mobility: 132

    Cunning: 117

    Recovery: 112

    Endurance: 102

    Spirit: 109

    Luck: 98

 [V1;C31]The Epilogue of the Greatest Campaign.

    [Year 22, month 6]

    [Foreline Village]

    That''s how Hadro recalled the events based on Zoe¡¯s words. Once he was finished recalling and telling Lazarus about past events, Hadro decided to place a bombshell on Lazarus.

    ¡°Lazarus, I will be ascending.¡±

    ¡°Now? I-I mean. Father, the last time you ascended a lot of time passed!¡±

    ¡°I know, I won''t be able to meddle with the others so before I go directly, I''ll have to leave with many of you with something to do. Zoe is lazy so I had been thinking but she has a good eye so work with her.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Zoe wouldn''t move unless she was forced to.¡±

    ¡°Just smack her in the head.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±

    ¡°That''s your sibling, Lazarus, just because you already have a family doesn''t make you any less than her brother.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ fine¡­ but Father, could you like¡­ Give me leverage against her just in case¡­?¡±

    With no warning, Lazarus felt something hit him in the forehead. Zoe suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°I can''t believe you''d be talking to me like a liability! Especially from you, father!¡±

    ¡°Don''t sass me, child, we both know how true my words can get.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Anyways! I''m here to tell you both that Foreline Villagers and Elven Settlement are going to connect.¡±

    ¡°So they''re already at it.¡±

    Hadro went back to the Village and had a quest of four along with Shavik to fetch Lazarus.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to conjure the necessary Soul Energy to become a [Minor God]. I''m in a hurry but I won''t leave until the Dungeon is done spewing out monsters.¡±

    I wanted to find a way to specifically make the Villagers become more stronger and focused on their desires. Then I had an idea.

    I scoured my near-perfect recall of my memory of the past and tried to find something I could use as a reference. My whole experience with role-playing games is solely DnD, but that''s in my high school days.

    I had to dig deeper into my memories, my younger days in the 90''s. Then it clicked, [Classes] [Jobs] [Attributes] it all went in my head the memories were a blur.

    It wasn''t that clear what game it was but that didn''t matter, I had a state of reference. Without further ado, I went to my realm where time is faster than Reality.

    I opened my unfinished update that I didn''t manage to pass thanks to a visit of a certain goddess, with a new motivation of a new update that will pass the system. I added the usual public information. Name, Patron god and Race. After that was the [Class] and [Job]

    I made a panel within the diagnostics, on the top right is where [Class] is shown, and under it is the [Skill Tree]. I made a blank panel and added a blank circle in the middle, I made multiple skills that can be learned by repetitive work. These skills are something everyone can learn despite differences.

    The skills are all connected to the middle circle by a thin line. The skills are also encapsulated inside a rectangular box. That changes colours depending on the proficiency of the User. after that I placed an outer circle to encapsulate these skills, the first layer being done.

    Theres not much to plan on, I added another set of skills on this layer, the skills now incorporate techniques. The second layer is skills that can be obtained if they are trained to a dedication. For example, an archer. You can hold and shoot a bow but to hit something is a skill learned with hard work.

    Everything on the second layer is achieved with hard work and technique, if they put their minds to it they can achieve anything that they want in this layer without buying it directly. After that, I made another circle that encompassed the two layers.

    The third layer is the realm of the impossible, skills attained by conditions such as [Traits] that include hyper flexibility, incredible reaction time, super memory, etc. There aren''t a lot of skills here since I don''t have that much knowledge in this area.

    Next was the fourth layer, it was the realm where magic acuity is needed. You know what, I added the condition that [Magic sense] is needed and is the starting point. This layer includes [Firebending], [Wind Slash], and [Ice Bolt], anything in this layer is magic-related.

    Once I was done with the fourth I started with the fifth. The fifth layer of skills is just plain Impossible to get. Not without conditions set. [Quantum mind], [Fire master], [Summoner of Blades] These skills would require specific attributes on a certain number, Traits, and skills on other layers. Just to achieve one skill on this layer.

    I placed in mind the usage of Vim and Aura as well. If I have to give an analogy for these three energies that Soul Energy converts to then Mana is helium, Aura is Gold and Vim is Astatine. Why this way? Mana is everywhere, Aura exists only on sentient beings, and Vim requires specific conditions to be used, why? Vim can bend reality¡¯s laws that''s why, some could say it''s superior to mana. The only beings who use Vim most of the time are gods, which should speak for itself.

    The Layers of skills are properly set apart, 1st and 2nd layers are skills that can be achieved maneless or not, oh, not to forget I added a 3rd layer since I separated the others from them anyway, I added the variant of these skills that uses mana.

    The former third layer was brought down, these are the realm of the impossible anyways so I made it so that it only appears to those with the specific [Traits] instead of just appearing on the skill tree, it''s quite useless when it can''t be accessed.

    For the fourth and fifth layers I reconsidered what use I have for them, without much thought I reconnected them to the new third layer and attached it as the superior version of variant skills I have for consistency.

    After that, I set the conditions of the skill progression, the skills must be raised from F to C for a liable progression for a promotion of the skill. But that is the bottom line, if the user wants a good Skill progression they would have to raise the rank of the skill to A before progressing to the next skill.

    This skill progression is evident in every skill in the [Skill Tree] but the fifth since it already has a lot of conditions to be achieved. Now that the [Skill Tree] progression I implemented that if they wanted to promote they also needed a skill token, what token? later.

    Now I added the purpose of [Class]. It''s simple, one chooses a class and everything related to that class will be highlighted on the skill tree.

    The class of [Blacksmith] would highlight [Hammering] [Eye Balling] [Metallurgy] in the first layer of the class. If they want to change class to a higher one like [Runic Blacksmith] then the skills [Runic inscription] [Critical focus] [Magical Forgery] are the ones highlighted.

    The class name will also appear on the blank circle in the middle of the skill tree. An indicator of what class they have chosen.

    Just as I was about to go to the next part of my update, that being [Job], I paused, I looked at the [Class], I had to give it a proper progression. [Class] would have a [Class Promotion] what does it do? A skill token or¡­ with a job.

    Now with the job, I don''t remember the specific use of this [Job] in video games but I have an idea. Why not just make it the quest panel? A different version of it?

    I gave it a go, another panel existed and I added it on the side, the function of the [Job] panel will include 2 weekly quests and 8 daily quests. The weekly quests are the hard quests while the daily quests are manageable ones, there will be no easy quests. It wouldn''t make them grow. Though to keep them motivated I guaranteed it would give them [C] for the shop.

    I didn''t only add Weekly and Daily quests, I also added [Contracts] like an actual job, what do the [Contracts] do? It gives them 5 different possible job contracts that they can choose and are related to their [Class] these [Contracts] offer Skill tokens, attribute points and sometimes C for the [Shop]. Lastly, the [Class Promotion], gives a quest that must be done by the user for class advancement.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I also had to change how the shop works, when I realised that they could over-rely on the shop I changed how it worked. Making it more expensive once the learning packet was bought. I removed the items that would boost some attributes of the shop the reason being that if they wanted enchanted items, they could already make it.

    Once I was done with the update I took my time flattening out the kinks and adding and removing things. The new system update was ready and I''m already looking forward to how the people of Foreline Village will take this.

    I looked at the amount of my SE.

    [Soul Energy: 20,652]

    It was not a lot, my previous ascension to a Low Minor god used a total of 100 soul points, 1 soul point being a total of 100 soul energy, to ascend to a Minor god I would need a total of 5,000 soul points, and I didn''t have enough soul energy right now.

    And there are a few ways to gain Soul Energy. I might have found a way, I looked over the land of the ninth continent and found one place that is quite far and concealed from most people.

    I felt the land surge in familiar energy, spurring it out every moment.

    [Leyline identified]

    [Add Gateway to Abyss Dimension?]

    [Integrate to Soul Energy production?]

    I chose immediately what I had to, integrating it into the addition of my Soul Energy Production.

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro

    Godhood: Low Minor God

    Soul energy: 20,652 (404.48/year)

    Followers: 1327

    [Skills Created(Expand)]

    My production of soul energy now has become 400, it used to be 14.23 per year, a testament to the number of my followers. It seems that the leyline had over 390.25 soul energy released in a year, that''s a lot.

    But that''s not enough, leylines are a gateway to the Abyss and Reality whatever stray SE that''s in the abyss gets spurred into Reality by Leylines in the core of the planet.

    I don''t dare go under the planet''s crust, it''s so saturated with SE that I might get integrated in there and wipe my existence.

    Without delay I set out, counting every single leyline in the ninth continent, there was not a lot but there was a significant amount that I could use. I integrated over 6 leylines with over 400 SE that could be added to me.

    Right now my SE production is over 1200 per year. It''ll take a little over 400 years to get me over 500,000 but then, I would''ve had over that much by the amount of tributes the village gives.

    If I wanted a faster way¡­ I scoured my abyss info and discovered that amid all the ways to earn SE, there''s another riskier way.

    If a dungeon''s core is offered in the name of a god, the master of that dungeon would be the god. A dungeon core was created by a god and I have no idea its purpose but looking at how a dungeon functions, it digs deep within the earth and uses its SE to spew monsters to defend its core¡­

    It''s a drill with its ecosystem. Thankfully, it doesn''t just get its monsters out of nothing, it needs a blueprint and there''s a place where they get that.

    I moved to the gateway to the abyss I established near the village and entered, my Guardian Aiden, Agni, who has guarded my territory in the Abyss, is still going strong. I created her after the creation of the first three Aidens.

    ¡°There''s not much whilst I was gone right?¡±

    ¡°Father, your absence didn''t make a difference.¡±

    I just laughed at her words. Well, time is slower here compared to reality. That''s why I''m on a time limit, I need to find a dungeon I can take, considering that the Omniarc dungeon has a monster that can use Aura, it''s best not to take on that. What I need is a weaker dungeon.

    ***

    The Drakins gathered fruits and laid them down the altar that they had made, watching it as it disappeared in motes of light and to the ethereal it went.

    ¡°Mushu, what does our new Patron god ask of us?¡±

    ¡°I-I have no idea.¡±

    It''s been almost a year, and the patron god has done nothing but let them live their lives. It is a welcome change, but the trauma, the memories of generations of oppression just doesn''t immediately go away. It is a dull paranoia that would scratch their heads once in a while telling them nothing had changed and that this peace is only temporary.

    Allie who was watching this couldn''t help but sympathize with them, she was given the authority to bless anything worthy of it. Though she wished that Hadro would visit, even for a while.

    For now, she decided to contact one of her fellow Aidens, knowing where to look because they are created by the same entity, connected by the same cause. Once she reached the village she was in awe and shock. People helping rebuild and the other are singing and dancing in the middle of a large bonfire.

    Once she reached Zoe she started asking.

    ¡°Zoe what happened here?¡±

    ¡°mh? ¡° Zoe opened one eye. ¡°Monster attacked us, why are you here instead of your designated village?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wanted to talk to father.¡±

    ¡°Right, he went to the Abyss to get more Soul Energy since he needed it for ascension.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ can you tell him that my village wanted something to do?¡±

    ¡°Don''t you have the jurisdiction for that?¡±

    ¡°I do but¡­¡±

    Seeing how worried Allie was Zoe just sighed softly and decided to call Lazarus.

    ¡°Lazarus! Come here!¡±

    Lazarus who was doing traditional dances with Kaina, stopped to briefly look at Zoe and Allie.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Doesn''t the village have that quest given by father?¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°Unity of the continent?¡±

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°Work with Allie here, the Drakins are bored©¤¡±

    ¡°They don''t know what to do¡± Allie interjected.

    ¡°Anyway©¤ They have nothing to do, so they need direction.¡±

    Lazarus finished the dance before settling his daughter down near the wooden benches where Mari was sitting. Kissing his wife on the forehead before giving his undivided attention to Zoe and Allie.

    ¡°We do have that quest. But we still lack people, Arkum and Shavik have their fights to deal with and something that can do both almost wipe them out.¡±

    ¡°That''s because you¡¯re not here.¡±

    ¡°Even then, ganging up on the Valovasoar is still going to be trouble. I fight close, by father and your story, my speed wouldn''t just match. I¡¯d be a burden in that fight.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, back to the discussion. When can we start connecting with the others?¡± Zoe groaned.

    ¡°We could spare a few hunters. To delegate some¡­ uhh the village chief©¤¡±

    Lazarus¡¯s head is starting to hurt. Reaching out to others will surely be hard with all the work they have to do. Traversing mountains, defending from beasts and monsters, food and camping logistics, its a headache to say the least.

    ¡°Should we give it a few years?¡±

    ¡°A few years, why?¡± the two girls were incredulous.

    ¡°I realised that our next generation is better at things that we have to struggle with. If it''s the next generation of this village then I guarantee that they might connect the continent.¡±

    ¡°Father is about to ascend, the last time he did it took almost a decade, how long do you think he will ascend this time?¡±

    Lazarus had considered it. Hadro¡¯s absence did not make a significant lasting impact. Somehow, the village still acted the same and continued with their lives. Although he couldn''t say the same if Hadro hadn''t come to the village at all. The Villagers of Foreline would be guaranteed death if he didn''t bless them with the skills they have now.

    Though, the reason Lazarus could say that Hadro¡¯s absence for eight years did not impact them that much is because Hadro''s blessings could be passed down to others. Mari¡¯s math and Shaka¡¯s Language are subjects taught to everyone in this village with the addition of the Book of Beginnings.

    The Village¡¯s survival is attributed to him, however, it was the people¡¯s hard work that took them far.

    Lazarus was about to reply when a bunch of elves suddenly came out of the forest with a young hunter leading them. Lazarus looked at his two sisters who nodded before leaving them.

    ¡°Farell, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I was patrolling in the outskirts of the forest when I saw the elves, they wanted to talk but I don''t speak for us.¡±

    ¡°Right, thank you, Farell.¡±

    Farrell nodded and left the elves to Lazarus. Lazarus noted that there were four elves with considerable physiques and a stern look with an older-looking elf in the middle with a gentle and aloof atmosphere.

    ¡°We don''t have that much but I hope you enjoy your stay, would you like to sit by the fire?¡±

    ¡°We should.¡±

    The four of them sat on an empty bench, where Lazarus sat on an adjacent bench.

    ¡°I heard that our patron god left a book?¡±

    ¡°The Book of Beginnings?¡±

    The old elf nodded. ¡°Ah I forgot, my name is Armin, I''m an Elder within our Village.¡±

    ¡°I''m Lazarus. A Hunter.¡±

    ¡°Well, right the book was the book of beginnings. Right? I''m curious to see it, may I?¡±

    ¡°Sure, wait for a moment.¡±

    Lazarus went to fetch the book of beginnings, it was given to Kasha since she was the only one not given the title of [Suilpo speaker]. Though she practically speaks it at this point since her skill [Lexicon] and [Wikipedia] recorded every single word she learnt.

    Lazarus went back a few minutes later holding the book of Beginnings, Armin looked at the book with awe and anticipation, he was itching to see it. Lazarus chuckled which didn''t go unnoticed by Armin.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°One of my friends had the same face as you, I could already see how it will continue.¡±

    Lazarus handed the book and left Armin in confusion, however, his vigour couldn''t be dowsed so easily. He opened the book and his smile faded away fast. His shoulder slumped and looking at Lazarus with a downcast look.

    ¡°You should''ve told me beforehand¡­ do you know anyone who could read this?¡±

    ¡°I can.¡±

    Armin then perked up, and Lazarus took note of how the Elf¡¯s ear perked up. The other elves just sat there. Some of them were offered juice and food and some happily accepted the offer.

    Lazarus on the other hand started reading the story to Armin, but before he did he told him that there was a translated copy already but then again, even if they spoke the same words the two had different lettering systems. By then, Lazarus had already foretold the story and Armin was in awe.

    ¡°This book was given without notice, he told us that the words should be used as a means of magical language.¡±

    Armin was listening but his focus wasn''t there. At the end of the story where humanity of all that his mind was truly concerned about.

    ¡°Armin?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I''m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Is something bothering you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ our patron god has given this book as a basis or foundation of your magical language. Right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But have you ever focused on the story itself?¡±

    Armin¡¯s words were solemn, as a diviner, he could peak unto the future of uncertainty and make decisions to avoid dangerous paths that they will walk in the future. What he saw in this book was no story, but a narrator retelling a concluded story.

    Lazarus smiled. ¡°Amazing isn''t it? That people have this capability.¡±

    Awe and trepidation marred Armin¡¯s face but soon was replaced with sorrow. ¡°How are you so certain?¡±

    ¡°I may have not introduced myself properly. I''m Lazarus, I¡¯m Hadro¡¯s son.¡±

    ¡°Our patron gods¡­?!¡±

    Armin was about to bow and give reverence, including the elves but before they could, Lazarus closed the book and spoke with a solemn tone.

    ¡°I''ve seen father¡¯s memories. What is in here could happen to us.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been preparing for a lot of things, one of them is ascending. I have no idea what ascending could do for him but one thing I¡¯m certain. It would be to prepare us for these.¡±

    Lazarus caressed the Book of Beginnings. When he said that he¡¯d seen his father¡¯s memories he wasn''t kidding. He learned in bits and pieces what a fascist government and an empire that deludes itself in honour can do.

    ¡°How do we avoid such an outcome?¡±

    For a diviner who sees a fragmented future, with no one to relate his plight. Knowing that no one could help him avoid tragedy for his people is a nightmare he didn''t want to see proceed in actuality.

    ¡°Have you seen the Task in the quest panel of your System?¡±

    Armin immediately checked, he¡¯d already worshipped Hadro as his god despite not being blessed, allowing him access to the Awakened System provided by the god. Once he checked the Quest panel he was stunned.

    ¡°To Unite the continent?¡±

    ¡°Yes. whatever harm coming our way, we needed the whole continent to band together.¡±

 [V1;C32] The Great Voyage.

    The Greatest war the continent has ever seen didn''t involve men, it was against nature that Thea reigns over, it consisted of thousands of warships that housed thousands of troops. According to survivors, the voyage towards the ninth continent has seen more deaths than there were wars in the Vayari continent for the last two decades.

    The numbers amounted to six digits.

    ©¤Accounts by the Royal Librarian in History, Zenok Paige

    [Year 1247, Imperial Calendar of Samar]

    ¡°It''s impossible to procure this much wood for this size.¡±

    ¡°Aw cmon, Carpenter! I am willing to pay you as much! Doesn''t your [Tree Whisperer] allow you to make them grow faster?¡±

    ¡°Just because I have that class doesn''t mean I can make the wood grow in a day.¡±

    The Carpenter laid down his axe and looked at the merchant, his head more tired than his body. The merchant has come unannounced and came to bargain, the worst part is that the Carpenter is sure that some of the merchant¡¯s skill is combating his willpower.

    ¡°I know that! With effort, I know that there will be a lot for us to do! But think about the rewards!¡± The Carpenter furrowed his brows. ¡°The ninth continent is just ahead of us! With its dangerous waters, we¡¯d need strong ships! And if people knew who¡¯s wood and who¡¯s work those ships are won''t they pay you a visit?¡±

    ¡°So, the waters are dangerous. Yet you want to grow the wood beyond what is natural making it naturally weak and aside from my contract of building the ship for you¡­ what are you trying to get here?¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that we could take the Ironwood©¤¡±

    ¡°Not the damn Ironwood discussion again.¡±

    The Carpenter is getting frustrated, the ironwood is very hard to grow, the climate and the soil being the main problem for him and it does not help that a single ironwood tree would grow for nearly 20 years before becoming tall and ready to be used.

    ¡°Wait, wait! We''re not going to suggest harvesting the existing ones.¡± The merchant quickly added.

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve bought saplings all over the continent.¡± the merchant pulled out a scroll out of his bag. ¡°Theres a total of hundred twenty of them, all my company is asking now is that you grow them till harvest and we¡¯ll pay you for it!¡±

    The Merchant¡¯s tone is persuasive, no matter how the Carpenter scrutinised his expression for falsehood, though he couldn''t help but sigh as he was led to this conversation.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ll just have to grow the sapling then I can deal with that. Let''s discuss the details later.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± The merchant gave a toothy smile. ¡°Pleasure to do business with you, John the Carpenter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± John Carpenter waved his hand away.

    Once the merchant left, probably drafted a contract. John went to organise his firewood, some to turn into charcoal and potash, then some for himself and his family. It was an honest day of work once he was done he went back inside his home and lay himself down on a rocking chair before opening the newspaper he paid a subscription to.

    A decade ago, an oracle was given to every single temple of the great six gods an event that shocked the entire continent. It is not every day that every single god would bestow an oracle. All of them have almost the same content as well.

    Jaheva the god of light said that there are new subjects to be enlightened on the ninth continent.

    Dehx the god of death and peace promised that the ninth continent be the promised land.

    Helion the god of earth and metal promised new resources hinting at riches.

    Lazil the warrior god promised countless battles waiting and honour that awaited those willing.

    Azul the goddess of flames and perseverance, the younger sister of Jaheva promised the strongest battles that would hone themselves,

    The Goddess of nature, Thea promised monsters and beasts unknown from their lands.

    It took months before the temples decided to annunciate the news, it was the talk of the whole continent for months, kings and nobles investing unto merchant ships and warlords making their way unto the ninth continent, something they had ignored for years.

    It was a land that promised riches.

    ***

    [Year 22]

    [The Abyss, The Ninth Continent]

    Hadro was prudent in the usage of his SE due to his plans to ascend, he refrained from using it unless he had to attack or block, there are three main dungeons that he knew where he stood. Most of them are surely capable of handling and dispatching him outright.

    That''s why he needed something else, a weaker dungeon, possibly a dungeon that has not yet burrowed itself into multiple floors. If that were the case then his endeavour would not be rewarded, a dungeon with multiple floors meant a guarded floor.

    Multiple biomes were crossed, swamps, and plains until he was met with a desert.

    ¡°Have I gone too far north?¡±

    The orientation of the ninth continent is similar to one of the old continents from Earth, that is Australia.

    The northern part of the continent is nothing but sand which soon meets a beach. In Reality, it would be filled with vegetation, mostly some mangroves and anything that can survive in salt water.

    But in the Abyss he had no idea. Hadro wished he could use some of his SE to fly but due to his goal chose to refrain from it.

    He groaned and chose to move back to familiar lands, this time he decided to go southeast, where even from his position, the largest mountain he had ever seen.

    ¡°In Reality, the top is gone but even so, it''s still there, the remnants of that thing.¡±

    Hadro could tell, the entire thing was a volcano. The mountain ridge that stretches to the west is similar to the one in Reality so it checks out.

    Now that he thought about it, if the top of the volcano is still there then why in Reality it isn''t? How far in between is a SE even going back and forth to record everything?

    Though not his final destination, he still had to traverse towards it so he could mark down the locations he had already been.

    ¡°Hiss!¡±

    With a flick of his wrist, a bone-shattering sound was made. He didn''t have to look where it happened, the only thing he acknowledged was the SE that added to his pile.

    [230SE+]

    Too few, he noted. He continued his march towards the Forest, it was serene as it was largely uneventful. Though it would be different if he had to count the Trek as one.

    That quickly changed when he heard hushed grunting and controlled noises. Hadro raised his hand and pointed in the direction immediately ready to kill any threat that went his way.

    However, he was left perplexed when he saw literal cavemen with spears with flint tips. The reaction of the cavemen carried from warily pointing their spears to trying to walk away slowly.

    Hadro was beyond shocked, how is a prehistoric species of humanity still alive in the Abyss? Out of the knowledge he was given, he started to reason, whilst the Abyss records everything it comes to a stop when the object in reality dies.

    A soul is the record of one''s history. It will stay with the object of record and will only go to the abyss once the object of record has ceased.

    It is possible that when these cavemen were still alive, they were very strong allowing them to live in the abyss with teamwork instead of dying and being lost in all of history in due time. A hint of curiosity flashed in Hadro''s eyes, the cavemen are an object of curiosity.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    The cavemen were careful in their approach, so Hadro decided to meet them portraying himself with no harm. He raised both hands and slowly approached.

    The cavemen, although apprehensive, didn''t attack, though one member moved forward with caution in his steps and once they were close enough Hadro realised that the cavemen, although filled with dirt from his feet, weren''t generally dirty or smelly.

    The cavemen whose spear was down examined Hadro touching his hair and then fiddling with his white coat.

    ¡°Good thing I didn''t have to wash that buddy.¡±

    The cavemen who are watching suddenly riled pointing at Hadro.

    ¡°Gatula tuk tuk?¡±

    The cavemen came with their language, as a god Hadro didn''t have the weakness of a language barrier because he could discern the intent in their words instead of words just being fed to his mind.

    The caveman asked, ¡°Is he lost?¡± with expressions, simple sounds, and gestures. Hadro was about to reply when they heard the roar of an unknown beast.

    The caveman flinched and the one near Hadro grabbed his wrist and they all ran somewhere. Hadro didn''t resist and followed them, he was led to the already nearby mountain where rocks and cliffs are what made it up.

    There, he was led to a cave which after crossing inside was closed by a large rock that they pushed. Inside there was a fire, Hadro worried that they were in danger of inhaling smoke.

    But it turned into needless worry when he saw some light brushing past small openings above the main entrance of the cave where the smoke undoubtedly exits.

    What surprised Hadro next was that children and women came to welcome the men. Judging by their situation, they were more well-off when Hadro first came across the villagers of Foreline.

    Animal hides were used to cover their bodies and glancing further in the cave a few more to make themselves warm. Hadro watched as the situation became more sullen when the children and women saw the men without a game.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Worry not, tomorrow we hunt big!¡±

    One of the men declared, that Hadro now assumed he was the leader. Wearing a stripe-patterned hide over his body his actions were seemingly taken seriously.

    Being surrounded by children made Hadro baffled, by his knowledge, the rules of Reality is followed by the abyss.

    Therefore, he is sure that these children are¡­ ''no way¡­ ¡® children from the abyss itself, they didn''t have any counterpart in reality. Hadro¡¯s eyes glanced at the men of the cavemen.

    ¡®They were never alive in Reality in the first place¡¯

    They were purely Abyss-born, a continuation of what used to be. It was bizarre, the Abyss abides by the same law as that of in reality it was thanks that these cavemen survived.

    Now looking closely, these cavemen are similar anatomy to modern humans, the difference is that they have thicker-looking skulls, dark skins and weary faces.

    The cavemen did their supposed business, someone tended to the fire and the children bothered their fathers with stories. While some were still staring at Hadro, some even touched his clothes.

    ¡°You, which tribe?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    Hadro sent the intended meaning of the word directly to the caveman; he wanted to make sure that they didn''t have any communication gap. Now he looked at him, this particular caveman is old.

    Hadro watched as the children started pulling at his arm. He sighed and lifted his arm slowly, the kid clung and now he was left with a giggling kid.

    The tribe of these cavemen didn''t seem particularly wary of Hadro. He was thankful for that. He placed down the kid and asked the same caveman.

    ¡°Hungry?¡±

    The old caveman gave a nod, before pushing the kids back to their mother''s.

    ¡°We are.¡±

    I nodded with a smile, I opened [Storage] and pulled out some snake meat. Which aroused bafflement at the cavemen. The [storage] function I had stored the blueprints or ¡°Material Record¡± courtesy of the function of the abyss.

    Thanks to that I didn''t have to acquire materials myself putting me in danger, but then again it uses my SE. Though, I believe that this endeavour is worth the cost.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    With a wave of a hand, the snake meat which is quite large in my hand was sliced into multiple pieces.

    ¡°Hungry?¡±

    The men of the tribe immediately started working and giving out plates, which were made of stone. I gave them the pieces of equal sizes, totalling 12 large steak-sized pieces.

    They all happily waited for their turn being given, one by one expressing their gratitude. They cooked it first in their bonfire which was continuously producing flames.

    ¡°Are you God?¡±

    The old caveman asked. ¡°One of many,¡± Hadro replied, there was nothing wrong with this answer. He is practically a god in body and soul.

    When the cavemen heard his answer they started bowing down in his presence. He waited for them to speak before he did something.

    ¡°We waited long.¡±

    The old man raised his head and turned it to one of the men, the man seemed to understand and stood up to retrieve something.

    ¡°Our God died, long ago.¡±

    It seems a lore is about to drop which Hadro is curious about. Once the man who was tasked to take something came back with a tablet with writings the old man spoke.

    ¡°He left something to us.¡±

    The stone tablet was filled with SE, it was so dense Hadro was momentarily confused why it was so. Then he remembered, anything is possible with SE so maybe the god that used to be here left something in this tablet.

    Hadro didn''t feel any malice in the tablet, as mentioned, anything is possible with SE and resurrection is not out of the picture. He placed his hand on top of the tablet and he was assaulted with memories of the unknown past.

    It was fragmented making it hard to make a complete picture of the events being shown. With memories, emotions and sounds being merged together.

    There was a man who was screaming, by the emotions, it was against another pantheon.

    ¡°We''ve made a deal! And this is how you repay us?! My people and my friends?!¡±

    The rage that man¡ª that god was feeling was contagious, fury started to affect Hadro''s psyche.

    ¡°Then with the last of me, I condemn you all!¡±

    That was basically the last piece of the comprehensible fragment before Hadro was looking at the people once again.

    [4000SE+]

    That amount of SE for that short memory? The SE in the tablet soon started vanishing, that was their old god? What was his name? Hadro wanted to know but he had an objective coming here.

    ¡°I See.¡±

    Before the entire SE vanished from the stone I restored it once again, the entire fragmented memory retaking its place. I may have lost some SE in the process.

    That God was a lore, a part of the ninth continent. It''s best to preserve this history till they learn more.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Hadro pursed his lips, that much SE would help him move forward but it would be stupid to remove a piece of missing history just for a few thousand SE. Hadro woefully sighed as he returned the tablet.

    ¡°I''d like you all to help me. So be at ease.¡±

    There was hesitance on the cavemen, ignorant on how to act further. Not wanting to offend or disrespect a god, however, upon seeing that Hadro had no irritation in his face they all sat down still lowering themselves.

    ¡°Cmon, the food is bound to be burned if some of you didn''t help.¡±

    Once the old man saw the gentle attitude of Hadro he decided to help with the food, the others soon followed after. Sharing the food with everyone bound to make them loosen up.

    Once they all ate the food Hadro had given, he started asking questions. With his objective, an obvious question to ask is to be related to a dungeon, but instead with a compulsion decided to ask about the god in the fragmented memory.

    ¡°Who is¡­ your previous god?¡±

    ¡°Akman.¡±

    ¡°What God¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don''t know, only name.¡±

    Hadro nodded. A god named Akman, it is obvious that he had his own pantheon until a war happened, a war against another with Jaheva involving it. Now that he thought it over, Jaheva and her pantheon didn''t even set foot on the ninth continent.

    If the fragment memory and Jaheva not even moving in the ninth continent are any indication of connection, the war didn''t end in a draw. It was a war with no winner with everyone being the loser.

    It was a speculation with the end, but with limited evidence to infer to then it was the most probable theory. But enough of that, Hadro''s curiosity is already sated. It''s time to continue with his objective.

    ¡°Have you seen a Dungeon?¡±

    I sent images when I said the dungeon to add context. The old man clearly thought about his answer intending to please Hadro with it, Hadro perceived the act as a way of not currying favour but rather like a son trying to get acknowledged by his father.

    ¡°Dungeon, inside Forest.¡±

    The old man answered with confidence, Hadro saw the unwavering self assurance of the old man, that''s a good thing, turns out the cavemen knew a place where he could find a dungeon.

    ¡®That''s saves time¡¯

    The tribe soon went to sleep, the sun already setting. A year has passed in Reality, Hadro counted, he needed to get out of Abyss in about 10 days, staying in the Abyss more than that shortens his time to work around his followers.

    Families slept in grass that they might have scavenged outside, one thing Hadro noticed is that the old man is particularly sleeping in much more bedding. They also wanted to add some grass for Hadro to sleep but he refused; he had this wooden mattress that he copied from the village to use.

    It wasn''t the best bed he had, but a particularly comfortable one. He had already resolved himself to remove all mortal thoughts but when the abyss makes him like a mortal man, he couldn''t help but indulge in it.

    Hours went by and Hadro was graced by the Abyssal record of the sun, warmth filled the cave and it was time to wake up, his eyes landed on the still burning fire being filled up with sticks.

    Hadro woke up whilst stretching his body, watching as the cavemen started to discuss places to hunt, either for fish in the nearby river or for more protein heavy animals of the forest. Nonetheless, it all stopped when Hadro woke up.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    He spoke as soon as he pulled out some chicken eggs from storage, using SE to materialise eggs. It''s going to be a productive day as it''s time to scout the dungeon location.

    Hadro counted the heads and decided that eggs weren''t going to be enough so he pulled out another snake meat which was now cut into thin ham slices. The tribe was expectant of Hadro but didn''t let themselves become useless in awe.

    They provided a stone slab that they placed on top of the bonfire. Knowing where this is going he gave the eggs to a woman along with the thin slices.

    ¡°Share it.¡±

    Hadro decided that it would be best to have the caveman who is clearly prehistory modern man under his wing, after this he¡¯d have to go under a conquest to get them all to guard his territory.

    He is sure that there will be a time where it is needed. After a while, everyone had their fill. Hadro had the old man guide him to the location of the suspected dungeon.

    They crossed several changing scenes, from hills to a running river they had to cross, till they had entered an obvious death zone.

    It was quiet for a forest, glancing at the old man whose accompanied by a few men, Hadro saw unease, not to the point of fear but rather to the still and eerie silence that permeated the forest.

    ¡°It seems that our journey ends here.¡±

    The old man looked at Hadro, worry plastered in his eyes.

    ¡°God, leaving?¡±

    ¡°No, I''m just going to check this area. Go home, you''ve travelled far.¡±

    The old man was reluctant, Hadro decided the moment he came back to the cave he would give him a name. The hunter-gatherer tribe will settle on his conquered domain and live there as farmers, the next generation will be more prosperous.

    ¡°Can''t follow?¡±

    ¡°No, dangerous.¡±

    The old man soon heeded Hadro¡¯s words, he was too old for this journey. He may be healthy but he is surely far from what he was able to do. Besides, Hadro¡¯s journey is towards a dungeon, a place with nothing but danger laced in it.

    The accompanied men soon escorted back the old man, thankfully, Hadro left a parting gift of more sliced snake meat in their cave. They will soon return to their life after he continues his quest.

    He marched forward, already feeling the unsettling silence of the forest, he couldn''t hear as much as a cricket noise, only the howling wind greeting him. The lands that they had to cross are familiar, Hadro mused, having a lot of time he started theorizing where he was.

    Considering he went to the south and this place is cold yet vegetation thrived means that they are near the southern ridge, which divides the southeastern great mountains from the rest of the continent.

    When Hadro scouted for different lives that are scattered in the continent, he also marked the land, there are two major ridges, the Northern ridge which separated the mainland from the sea and the Southern ridge which separated the great mountains from the mainland.

    The Great Mountains as Hadro called them, are four separate mountains, by comparison, Mount Everest is 9km tall, Hadro has yet to make an exact measurement, but the Great Mountains in his current location would make him crane his neck upwards just to see the peak, he wasn''t even near it yet.

    After a long walk, with the sun at its highest peak, Hadro decided to rest with his waterskin that he got from the Village. He knew that he was quite nearing his destination, the amount of SE concentrated in the area was vastly suffocating, no wonder monsters and beasts alike don''t come here.

    With his short rest ready to embark on the riskiest journey he ever had. He prepared spears complete with a metallic tip. Hadro does not plan to hold back, here his death is guaranteed and he has no idea if he could just revive.

    Moving forward, there is no longer grass growing, only dark soil and dying trees with no leaves in their branches. When he reached a certain point, Hadro realized that this dungeon was not as weak as he intended it to be.

    A monster of unknown form and name came after him, the System didn''t even offer a name for them it had two heads and limbs with no definite form that slithered over the other barely making a coherent form.

    Hadro was a bit intrigued but that didn''t last long, the monster pounced once it saw Hadro who didn''t hesitate to try and destroy the monster by just crushing its skulls. Which worked fine and killed it with not much of a sound.

    ¡°I caught it off guard.¡±

    [3,800 SE+]

    Hadro knew it, the monster was on the level of a deity. Most deities would have resisted his power and could have defended themselves against it but the instantaneous activation of Hadro¡¯s power meant they had no time to react.

    Hadro soon felt the ground rumble, he alerted the dungeon for sure. After that, he didn''t dally anymore and continued his journey with much more vigour. He ran in the direction with the thickest concentration of SE in the surroundings.

    [28 SE+]

    [14 SE+]

    [22 SE+]

    ¡­

    The concentration was so dense he was starting to passively gain some of it. This might affect the surroundings but Hadro whose origin is now a god did little to harm but more to benefit him instead.

    The SE started to flow in Hadro like a small whirlpool, he could now understand why the SE was starting to degrade the surroundings, it was removing history from the objects around it. SE in an area swirls around an epicentre, it enters from a point, where the history of the SE that entered conflicts with the existing ones destroying both in the process.

    Multiple monsters of different shapes and forms started to interrupt Hadro¡¯s advance. All unnatural and possibly a combination of existing and gone beasts from time untold. He crushed them with instantaneous activation of his ability.

    His advance from the forest of dead wood standing like a vast monolith from time lost, he found the intensity of the whirlpool the amount of SE being funnelled to him is now at three digits. The monsters became more alien with grotesque forms that Hadro had a hard time thinking where the head was.

    His first trouble came when he failed to kill a monster instantly, it suddenly became tough Hadro felt like squishing a softball into a steel ball. It became almost impossible to end it instantly, the grotesque form of the monster wriggled with its limbs of unknown number.

    Thankfully, Hadro still has his spear to use. With precision and speed, he launched the spear towards the monster. Though the monster''s speed allowed it to dodge the blitzing spear, it wasted no time rushing to Hadro with uncanny movements.

    The spear unnaturally bent its direction at an angle where it was impossible, going after the monster with undisturbed momentum as it was thrown. Unfortunately, its grotesque form meant that its shifting body had eyes everywhere.

    Hadro cursed as the monster dodged but was thrown away and off-balanced after the spear landed like a meteor beside it. And by some bad luck, he heard sounds coming closer from the direction of the assumed dungeon.

    Hadro sighed, this will be a lost cause. If he continued, death would be guaranteed. For today he decided to retreat. The monster with a roar of abnormality started to dash forward Hadro¡¯s location.

    ¡°This is causing me to lose Energy.¡±

    Instead of crushing the monster, it died horribly by being pulled out in several directions, it became a mess of writhing limbs and flesh after Hadro changed his tactic. Crushing the monster was an option he preferred because it ended swiftly, but pulling it apart was like tearing a textbook apart, no matter the resistance, though the cost was more than it was worth.

    Tearing something apart efficiently is not as easy as crushing a skull. Hadro could have torn the monster and it could still be alive. Like the monster, he faces now. He tore it apart on multiple pieces but it was still moving.

    ¡°Damnit.¡±

    Hadro retreated. This dungeon is much more powerful than he can handle. If that was the case then in Reality it would be much more worse. Monsters of unnatural design already make it hard for the Village to defend itself like recently.

    He didn''t spare any effort, using his power to dash out there as quickly as he could with the spear in hand. The monsters were eager to give chase but when the SE that funnels to Hadro goes down to two digits the monsters decided to stop pursuing.

    Thankfully, Hadro came out with information in hand, he knew how to look for a dungeon and how to identify one. The swirling amount of SE is a good giveaway.

    However, while that information is useful, his goal is still ongoing. He already wasted a day here, he was already fortunate to find a dungeon thanks to the local humans.

    Every time he spends in the abyss is not going to do him good. Especially with the lingering threat that will soon reach his followers.

    Hadro is lost about where to go, while he knows that he can go back to the Hunter-gatherer tribe, he still has time to go scout the surroundings.

    Maybe there''s something that the Hunter-gatherers missed. His feet started leading to a nearby hill since he knew what a dungeon''s effect was on its nearby surroundings. He at least has somewhere to start.

    The hill isn''t that high, but it allows him to see somewhere far all around except the ridge that blocks his view within the great mountains. He worked his eyes scouring the place like a perched eagle.

    His effort came to reward him, the dungeon he escaped from is quite large. The epicenter which the dungeon core is assumed is completely barren of every living thing. On another particular land, he could see obvious signs of a dungeon.

    Trees in a near-perfect circular manner are dead, bark exposed with nigh a single leaf attached to its branches. The dead trees stand out since the dead trees draw a perfect circle like a sphere on a canvas.

    Fortunately, it was quite close so it would hopefully take Hadro a few hours to traverse the forest towards it. He moved his feet and headed towards the dungeon but as he traversed the trees and got closer he heard noises that grabbed his attention.

    He was astonished as another set of anatomically similar humans waved their hands whilst making noises to grab Hadro¡¯s attention. He stopped in his tracks and waited for them to get close to him.

    Even though Hadro walked with clothing and they barely had some animal hide to cover themselves they didn''t hesitate to stop him, the dungeon was already ahead of him, and he could already see the dead trees near it.

    ¡°Stupid! Danger that way!¡±

    The tough-looking man with a spear with flint tips reprimanded Hadro. The others just huffed in annoyance. It seems that this is not the first time that they had to warn someone from going in this direction.

    Without even thinking twice, Hadro was grabbed by his wrist and got pulled, probably thinking of him as a weird child, though Hadro could clarify what he was, he didn''t. He was curious about this other tribe.

    So he allowed himself to be dragged to a cave with a steep ravine as its entrance. He couldn''t see the bottom thanks to its structure be was sure if something fell in it would have a hard time escaping. Further inside the ravine, Hadro saw a skeleton of an unknown animal.

    But on the right side of the ravine, an entrance to the cave where they entered. A fire near the entrance that let its smoke wander out the entrance of the cave. The man who had long stopped pulling Hadro turned around to face him.

    ¡°Why? Why go at Death Ring?¡±

    ¡°Death ring?¡±

    The man with furrowed brows scrutinised Hadro, he narrowed his eyes at him and Hadro felt like how his dad used to scold him, a fond memory but right now he had to address a problem rather than listen to someone scold him. Though it was his fault for following.

    Hadro looked around the cave, it wasn''t that big but not small either. His eyes soon glanced at two women sitting down, their bellies bulging. Hadro couldn''t help but notice how they were losing SE at the pace of a trickle.

    It was an amusing sight. Knowing that the previous encounter he had with cavemen allowed him to learn that most children now are pure Abyss spawns. Already forgotten by history but still recorded.

    The man in front of Hadro was not amused whatsoever, huffing with anger now. Hadro sighed and conjured the same snake meat. The inhabitants paused as they saw what he did. The man in front of him now was baffled jaws hanging open.

    ¡°I need to go to the death ring.¡±

    The moment he spoke, all admiration and awe stopped and they bowed, even with the pregnant women despite their pregnancy just to show reverence and respect.

    ¡°No, stop. Especially you two.¡±

    Hadro commanded them to ease, clearly, they were religious, just then he noticed a man in the back, he wasn''t old like the other tribe but looking at his ears, he was different. By his pointed ears, it was clear that the man was an elf.

    ¡°That, Karan.¡±

    The man noticed where Hadro was staring and offered his name. Right, Hadro forgot to ask for names.

    ¡°Karan?¡±

    The man nodded. ¡°From another tribe, he is family now.¡±

    It was hard to confirm if he was actually an elf, but unless sources and evidence told otherwise, Hadro had no reason not to believe that it was an elf. But there is a way, and hopefully, it proves his theory right.

    ¡°Karan.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What is your age?¡±

    ¡°16 winters¡±

    So the elf was a young boy, this proves nothing but it was a fun guess. When Hadro remembered, he wanted these tribes to be within his domain, Agni was the only one responsible for defending it and having some people there to help protect it would be a good idea.

    ¡°Right.¡± He looked at the man he assumed as leader of this tribe. ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°Kish-Kish.¡±

    ¡°Kish¡­ you wait for me, I have something to do.¡±

    After that, Hadro didn''t dally anymore and went out of the cave, he backtracked where he left off. Encountering mundane trees and thickets till he reached the once-familiar dead wood. However this time, he did not encounter grotesque monsters.

    Wolves with mould growing on their back is his first encounter, Hadro didn''t hesitate to kill these monsters, the nearby dungeon had already taken them in its arsenal and it would not do him good to see mindless minions spared.

    With a flick of his wrist, the monster''s skulls crushed instantaneously without resistance. He continued forth, onwards where he started funnelling SE unto his own. Soon, he reached the dungeon''s entrance, and the SE funnelling to him was still in the two digits.

    It means that this dungeon is quite recent but not new. Just as he wanted, Hadro entered, he immediately felt the full attention of the dungeon boring down upon him. It didn''t deter him however, he instead ran forward.

    The entrance and possibly the first floor of the dungeon were filled with a maze and laced with simple traps. Loose soil that will turn into a hole deadends that goes down to a massive hole, roots that are filled with poisonous tips.

    Those are easily navigated, except for the sudden turns with monsters hiding out of sight Hadro managed to traverse the dungeon till he was on the second floor. There his encounters with traps were less and more with monsters. The terrain involved wide rooms and some grass that goes up to knee height.

    Hadro didn''t even bother and ended the snakes that the tall grass hid, the attention of the dungeon became oppressive soon enough, in close inspection, which to Hadro is a blink of an eye, the snake seemed to contain magical attributes to it. It didn''t make Hadro think deeply about why the dungeon suddenly became vindictive.

    Hadro could see that the walls were now moving at a perceivable pace. Hadro stopped holding back and started moving, empowering his actions with SE. The dungeon in Reality is impossible to enter.

    Hadro didn''t bother learning why, especially in the Abyss he can do so. Now he had a theory. The dungeon portrayed in Reality is the dungeon in the Abyss. This might be an absurd theory, but knowing that SE is abundant underneath the earth it just might be possible.

    However, unlike the dungeons in Reality, dungeons in the Abyss are more aggressive. Why? It is probably the Link between the two. The time when an SE goes to the Abyss to make a record is unknown. Aura amplifies this, however, that only exists within sentient minds, and not a lot of people have access to Aura either.

    Souls also stay with their object of record, in Reality, and are faint in the Abyss until upon death when their souls are pulled into the Abyss fully. So the dungeon only reacts now simply because unlike with a mortal entering a dungeon, in reality, the object of record is moving in real-time, not without delay.

    Hadro moved with swiftness, his motion now a blur, the dungeon was closing itself at a rapid rate opening itself in other places. However, the resistance of the dungeon soon was for nought as Hadro finally landed on the third floor, which was very different from the last floor.

    A cave system connected by caverns illuminated by some bioluminescent moss or lichen. In the far depth of the cavern, Hadro saw the thing he was going after, a spherical gem in the ground. SE could be seen rhythmically pulsing out SE from beneath the surface which soon joined the swirling SE that orbits the dungeon core itself.

    With impatience, Hadro empowered himself with SE to try and rush towards the core. This proved to be a fatal mistake, the cavern housed some pools of water around it with stalagmites and stalactites. It made a perfect environment for small things to hide.

    Hadro in his rush, was bitten by a fish with mutated parts. Making him stumble for a few feet then soon roll on the ground ungracefully.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The fish bit down like a bear trap, it crunched his bone. In all of his time in this world. This was the first time he felt pain. Hadro groaned, his mind was placed in turmoil. Apparently, just because he was a god does not mean he is free from the pain itself.

    With a flick of his wrist, the fish¡¯s head collapsed in itself and its jaws were pried open letting Hadro see the damage done to himself. He was pretty sure he set up a shield that would automatically spring up once something fast tried to hit him.

    He didn''t wonder long enough to guess, his eyes set on the Dungeon core. With his power he stood up snapping the bones in place, even using magic to lessen his pain. He walked towards the Dungeon core his hand nearing it. The pulsing of the dungeon core became rapid, and Hadro felt the weight of the Core¡¯s presence.

    Its intentions were laid flat for him to feel as well. It was terror, hatred and rejection, all of it being blasted through his consciousness all at once. But those emotions could never stop him, with the intent to claim it, Hadro touched the Dungeon core and he was subjected to the experience of perceiving the world by how a dungeon perceives it.

    His mind shook a bit, turns out touching it was not enough for the core to be claimed. He washed it with his intent to claim, but the core did not submit till finally the core lashed out when Hadro pushed his system upon it.

    [Dungeon Core Claimed]

    [Processing]

    [Fragment of the God #^!#* acquired]

    [Proccessing my memories upon you]

    ¡°...!¡±

 [V1;C33] Odigosgraphy: The Greater Good.

    [Processing my memories upon you]

    Hadro¡¯s mind was suddenly pulled out of his current predicament. The dungeon disappeared and a world separate from what he knew was displayed¡ªa temple large and wide with people that came with the intent to worship an unknown god.

    Hadro watched intently, the memories were incomplete, like black splotches in a picture, it was hard to see the complete picture. However, one thing is certain. The memory being shown used to exist.

    Not long after staring at the people who came and went, Hadro¡¯s eyes traced a woman he found watching like a hawk. When his head and eyes turned to follow he noticed within his peripheral that someone was beside him.

    To his surprise, he dashed backwards to gain distance. The figure has no face, it was like a cutout of black paper was placed on its face. It was completely dark and empty like the void.

    ¡°One of my many memories.¡± It spoke

    Hadro couldn''t help but be wary, if he were a mortal he would be scared, his heartbeat skyrocketing. ¡®It¡¯ has the voice of a man and woman, with different voices stopping in different intonations that it felt like it were different voices stitched together. It was uncanny and unsettling by all that in creation.

    ¡°This used to be my world.¡±

    After speaking it pointed to a woman, it was the same woman that Hadro was watching. Hadro watched as she went to her room and pulled out a wooden sculpture which she placed on a wooden table.

    ¡°Sinners come in many forms.¡±

    Hadro¡¯s gaze went back to the figure, unsure where it was trying to get. He continued watching the woman, who now started worshipping the wooden figure. It was strange, the figure had no name nor story. But Hadro could see that it was gathering SE, albeit small in quantity.

    ¡°But the worst of them are those who know what they do is wrong and still do it, then soon ask for your forgiveness. Acting like they''re forgiven.¡±

    Hadro has no words to say, he no longer knows where this is going. He had to look back at the figure who was facing towards the woman, there was no emotion involved. The figure slowly faced Hadro.

    ¡°This knowledge you call the Abyss info, I will fix.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Hadro¡¯s eyes opened, it felt like a vivid dream from an inescapable nightmare. Hadro started gasping for breath, not long after, his head started to ache and some changes were happening.

    His system started portraying SE as Divinity and the knowledge about how a primer works became different. The primers didn''t come from a sun that was billions of years old.

    It came from a fragment. A fragment of existence, not from a singular entity. No, it was more complicated than that. Hadro pushed himself up, realising that the dungeon core was in his hand.

    Now it was docile and tame compared to how it was earlier. The entity that seems eager to see him disappear seems to have become a blank slate, he felt no hostility or any kind of emotions. It feels exactly like the system.

    Checking the system, Hadro seemed satisfied.

    [Status]

    Name: Hadro

    Godhood: Low Minor God

    Divine energy: 20,652 (438,404.48/day)

    Followers: 1327

    [Skills Created(Expand)]

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Even now, Hadro could feel the steady stream of SE that was pouring over him. The dungeon seems deep enough to the planet that it is gathering enough SE to reach his goal, however, it will take over two years to accumulate enough SE to gather 5,000 soul points.

    Thankfully, this dungeon was weaker than the others. Weak enough that he could reach the dungeon core with minimum damage. Whilst his objective is done he remembers the final words from his memory.

    He scoured his Abyss knowledge to see what changed. First and obviously, the system primer is a fragment, multiple gods of unknown origin cobbled up to make one primer. According to another fragment memory from the tribe he has met earlier, Jaheva and another pantheon fought, if Hadro¡¯s theory is correct, the reason they were hostile the moment Hadro got a system primer is because of the source it was made from. It explains a few things but does not excuse what they did to him.

    Now that he thinks about it. Is the reason they were going to invade the ninth continent because something could potentially awaken their old enemies?

    ¡°Aw, man¡­¡± Hadro didn''t like the implication.

    Hadro glanced at the dungeon core, he tried observing with the best of his perception to uncover traces of the ancient pantheon to recover what was left of them.

    But it gave no reaction or trace. Before Hadro could frustrate himself, he sighed instead. Hadro decided to focus on a more important matter, at least to him.

    He started by giving the dungeon more autonomy. Despite it being a blank slate, it still has a ¡°purpose¡± Despite no personality it has a reason to keep moving. Give it a few years this dungeon core probably would develop a personality and identity that he has no reason to give it any supervision.

    He even gave it some thought if he should place an Aiden to monitor it. But since the system is already attached to it, he could give the Dungeon a quick check despite being in different dimensions.

    So for now, he commanded the dungeon core to return to what it was doing, giving it some snippets of his memory for reference. But not without making it a pedestal for the core to settle.

    After that his way out became easier, there were no obstacles that got in his way.

    ¡°What was I supposed to do again? Ah right, those cavemen.¡±

    Without further ado, Hadro traced back where the second tribe was supposed to be. With an uneventful walk towards the home cave of the second tribe, he found himself almost unwelcome, when a woman threw a rock at his feet.

    He glanced at the rock and the woman and saw how fast her expression changed when she realised she had thrown it at Hadro. She bowed down immediately which Hadro dismissed.

    ¡°Is all of the tribe inside?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, God.¡±

    ¡°Good, let''s go in. I have a matter to discuss.¡±

    The woman stood up, but her head was looking down, a gesture of respect that this tribe practised. Once they all got inside Hadro was quite surprised at how they were all working.

    Men and women teach children different skills, he saw how they all thought different techniques from trades were probably long gone due to the advancement of technology. Once Hadro made his presence known, he looked at the woman who escorted him inside, he realised that this woman was younger and probably still single due to the odd amount of people there.

    The people immediately stopped what they were doing, the elf that he encountered earlier named Karan, was drawing on the walls with paint from crushed fruits and possibly the blood of animals.

    Though curious, he took advantage of the attention he had amassed. ¡°Everyone, are you willing to follow me?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a demand or command. It was a question with a promise, the tribe knowing he was a god immediately gave their answer. A cacophony of synchronous answers of agreement which was silenced by a single raised hand.

    ¡°Very well, if you know another tribe then tell them the word. We are all going to my home. In 3 days, We will depart.¡±

    Without another word, Hadro moved out of the cave and went to another location, without checking the situation inside the cave he had just left.

    ¡°To the land of God? His home?¡±

    ¡°Tell other tribes, we must!¡±

    Karan watched the joy permeate amongst his people, it was years ago that he was adopted into this tribe. Thanks to what his mother told him he could impart useful knowledge to them thanks to his paintings.

    Looking back at the walls filled with paintings, Karan felt the connection he made with them and smiled. Placing a hand on it in appreciation and places down his tools knowing what''s to come.

    Kish-kish, the head of the tribe, started arranging for men to travel to other places where other tribes were spotted. Some were their enemies but to deprive them of such a blessing would do their conscious no good.

    Hadro was already travelling to the site of the first cavemen that he met. There he was planning to do the same thing.

    ***

    [Year 23-24]

    [Foreline Village]

    Ever since the valovasoar attacked their village, a lot of changes were made. The village made an exponential effort to build a wooden wall. However, it was destroyed soon after and it was irreparable.

    So the council decided to make a better one, and countless papers were made for the logistics of the items that were needed. What they needed was a wall and a good one at that. So they referred to rocks, thankfully there is a mountain nearby that housed a lot of it.

    Orcs and humans alike who cannot fight worked tirelessly to carry the stones of specific size and form through wagons pulled by Ikkins. Their labour bore fruit to a giant 4-meter wall. Although they had protection against monsters, this made them vulnerable once invaded inside.

    With the help of the elves, some humans and Orcs were trained to handle a bow. Made from sinew and wood from Archwood.

    ¡°The archers seem more useful at hunting, if we had that back then it would save a lot of trouble.¡± quipped Arkum.

    ¡°True, but I guess now that we lived through the time of archery is only thanks to our patron god.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Arkum became a quasi-noble with his status within the village, everyone revered him along with Shavik. However, he was not the only one to have this status, Kavo, Mari and Kasha were all revered.

    ¡°The Village changed so much in two decades, didn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± replied by Shavik. ¡°Back then we only had homes, now we have schools, communal bakery, laundry, canteens and farms. If I tell this to my old self I wouldn''t have believed it.¡±

    ¡°Haha! You are not wrong in that.¡±

    The two reminisced on their past, Arkum lost his wife and Shavik¡¯s wife soon followed. They were too old to live their natural lifespans. With Kavo¡¯s care they may have lived longer but to go against nature is not their culture.

    ¡°Arkum.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°The time for hunters is no more.¡±

    Shavik watched as the farmers fed their yaks, ikkins and chickens with fodder. They watched as grains were stored in pots and sealed for storage. They watched as people gathered in the bakery to bake bread and have dinner or lunch.

    ¡°We no longer had to hunt. Isn''t this what we wished for years ago?¡±

    Arkum smiled and with contentment, watching how their village struggle to become self-sufficient will always fill him with joy.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°What''s the right word for defenders?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Arkum asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°I''m sure we will form another group, but instead of hunters or warriors¡­ it would be another fitting word.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ defender¡­? I have no idea. Besides, what''s the use of asking me with words? Ask Kasha instead.¡±

    ¡°Ah right, knowing you, you wouldn''t be able to think about words.¡±

    ¡°Hah?¡±

    Shavik snickered. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, it''s going to be time soon. I have to teach Rei with the spear.¡±

    Arkum stood up and brushed any dust clinging to him. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ with my family.¡±

    Shavik¡¯s family consists of his son and his children, which he enjoys the company of and would sometimes teach his ways of fighting. Arkum shrugged and walked off ¡°See you next time then.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ***

    The time spent by Hadro in the Abyss could almost be the third year in Reality. He wanted to waste no more time and led the cavemen which he called the Nefuti people to his domain, there he would teach them how to fish, hunt, farm and everything else to further assert his authority over the land.

    Will he be crowned king? No, he will assign a leader in his standard who will run the Abbyssal society, he could have called it Soul Society but that is probably trademarked.

    He waited in the first Nefuti cave which he was brought unto, upon his arrival he told the same thing as he did to the second Nefuti people. His settlement is probably in a dangerous spot, but truthfully, everywhere here is dangerous.

    He gave three days which would probably add over three years of absence over Reality, he had yet to apply the new system update because he wanted to recheck it if he could add anything meaningful.

    If he could, he wanted to give advantage to his followers as much as he could. He could keep giving skills to them, but that would be naive and a waste of resources when they could work for it and make a proper foundation for those skills.

    Out of nowhere, Hadro felt a presence that would shake him from his thoughts. Hadro looked forward and saw a strange blur in the woods, it soon moved until it got close enough to see that it was a giant snake.

    ¡°Why are snakes so abundant in this continent?¡±

    It lunged at him, but not before hitting a solid transparent wall disorienting itself. Hadro finished it just by crushing its head.

    ¡°Oh right, I have to give them some sort of herd animal.¡±

    The SE©¤divinity©¤ energy by the snake was not needed so instead of letting it disperse he just let it become meat. Since the creatures of this world are sensitive to will itself then the purpose for which he killed the snake will be followed©¤ as meat to be consumed.

    He placed the corpse of the animal in his storage, and despite its purpose of carrying schematics of what was placed in there, its original purpose of storing things never changed. He waited for a while, days passed and flesh was eaten, and the third-day mark had risen.

    First, he visited the first Nefuti people he had met, what used to be only two digits people became three,

    ¡°You all are here indeed.¡±

    ¡°All for god©¤¡±

    ¡°Hadro is my name.¡±

    ¡°For Hadro!¡±

    All bowed, men, women and children. Which Hadro swiftly dismissed. ¡°Right, stay put for a while. We will go unto the promised land.¡±

    They did as Hadro commanded, and although some were still coming from far away he had to act fast. If left alone they will be victims of predators. Without further ado, he rushed, to the second cave of the Nefuti he had met. There he could already see the amount of people that gathered.

    But what''s more surprising is the pointed ears of some that had gathered. They were carrying clay tablets. He moved around till he saw Kish-kish which he approached.

    ¡°Oh god©¤¡±

    ¡°My name is Hadro.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Hadro!¡±

    Hadro pursed his lips but didn''t comment on it. ¡°We will leave now unto the land I promised.¡± When Kish-Kish heard this, he screamed ¡®It is time!¡¯ and a lot of them started rallying, eager to follow Hadro.

    Hadro watched them as they moved. A society is judged by how it treats the vulnerable. Old, young and women. All cuddled in the centre of the march while those who can fight are at the edge laying a weary eye for danger.

    Hadro smiled, even though these people are broken into groups they seem to understand how to do something right. Until a rock was shattered by his transparent barrier, he looked towards the direction of the aggression unamused.

    He saw a couple of men, with patterns draped on their bodies point at Hadro. ¡°You are a fake god!¡±

    Kish-Kish fumed with anger at the audacity of the man. Hadro however, just raised his hand towards Kish-Kish, to calm him down and tell him that he will be handling it. He just used his hand to move the aggressive men out of the group separating them.

    When they saw his ability the lot who was sceptical of Kish-kish¡¯s words stopped being doubtful, instead they started showing reverence.

    ¡°You have no reason to attack me, nor follow us if you believed me fake. Now scram.¡±

    Hadro sent the bodies of those violent people away like flicking a piece of dirt off his body, he didn''t mean to kill them so they were just sent far away, if it was painless is another story.

    Without delay, Hadro continued forward. The rest followed and in a few hours thanks to our pace, we met the other group, which bore faces of surprise when they saw the faces of the other group.

    ¡°Let us go.¡±

    Soon, the other group followed, bringing whatever they thought valuable. Since their destination was full of danger, Hadro called for Agni. even though their destination is far they are connected by soul.

    Since Hadro could feel Agni¡¯s location instinctually, then surely she could too. Hadro slowed his pace which allowed Agni and his group to meet at a more favourable spot. Though that seems to be taken as a foolish decision, multiple people were stalking Hadro¡¯s group.

    Their intention is clear, laced with malice. Soon enough a stone randomly flew through the group and hit a child out of everyone. The mother was distressed her cries were immediately heard.

    Hadro turned around now in fury. With a stomp of his foot the ground raised and fell like waves of the ocean, everything on its path was razed not even trees remained standing. What was heard were screams of terror before being silenced abruptly.

    ¡°Damn animals.¡±

    Hadro muttered, but those near him heard clearly. He stopped to walk towards the injured child, a young boy was bleeding in his head, if the young boy died then he would just disappear into motes of energy. Hadro used his divinity to heal the boy back to health.

    ¡°Can you carry him?¡± He asked the mother.

    ¡°Y-yes!¡± she answered with gratefulness seeping out of her voice.

    Hadro nodded and continued their march. A few minutes later he finally met up with Agnni. Agni was provided with the same power as Hadro possesses so her enemies were not that much of a match to her, however, her powers are not for her use alone.

    Now she had to protect the rear of the Nefuti group. Which she didn''t question, once they entered the more dangerous part of the forest this proved to be a wise decision. Large predators like titan snakes were much more easily fended off by Hadro at the front.

    Though a few fainted when they saw the predator of the titan snakes, it was a giant spider. Despite being a god himself, Hadro could not help but pause when he saw the spider lunge out of the trees and drag a giant snake that disappeared within the trees.

    Nonetheless, they continued and finally, the comfort of home reached Hadro, the place where everyone could finally be. It was at the end of the forest where a few trees remain, near a river and a rift in reality that is closed.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Without any warning, every tree from a few hectares was uprooted, separated from its roots and debranched. It was all gathered in a single place to store, once that was done the plains were for everyone to see.

    I was about to tell them to build their houses, but they were more on a hunter-gatherer lifestyle before. So without further ado, I went to the Foreline village to gather some knowledge.

    ***

    [Year 27]

    [Foreline Village]

    Pots were passed, with marks on the top to identify the items carried inside. ¡°This one is cloudberries.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I''ve heard of cloudberries in foreline, they are so delicious, especially when they are turned into juice!¡± an elf said excitedly as he listed down the pot and its contents.

    ¡°Same, I once tasted it when someone in foreline used it as a sauce when cooking meat. It was sweet and tender I tell you.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I could buy one, Hope I have enough C for it.¡±

    Two elves chattered as they passed the goods with careful hands, each came from a different village. From Foreline to Marshland caravans come and go, the best thing was, instead of bartering they were using [C] as the currency.

    The currency in the [Shop] panel seems to be the best currency for them to universally use. It has a value already determined for them to just refer to. Besides, Hadro made sure that they didn''t rely on the shop as well. If they used the shop, depending on whether they were selling or buying, the price of the item would either increase or decrease.

    This means the value of an item does not stay the same, and this goes to everyone who has access to Hadro¡¯s system. They are all subject to the price fluctuations of the item itself, even if they didn''t buy or sell, that''s why everyone could neither buy too much nor sell too much.

    ¡°All foreline goods are accounted for!¡±

    Hadro was amazed by what he saw, last time he was here they were struggling to defend against monsters. But now it seems like they have enough leeway to make some trade with each other. He thanked his past self for thinking about the best way to make the [Shop] balanced not to invoke overreliance.

    He also noted how a feature also gave way to a form of measuring value, as he kept the [Shop] in mind to take the schematic of an object or item and appropriately price it if it didn''t exist in the shop before.

    Hadro watched as the Elven caravan moved towards a gravel road that was visible even high up in the forest. Hadro watched amazed as the road seemed wide enough for two caravans to move alongside each other. They managed to make a road to move from one settlement to another.

    Then again, Archwood and Foreline are closer together than Foreline and Marshland, but that doesn''t mean Marshland is completely gone out of the picture, and that is how Hadro watched as geomancer elves were moving rocks out of the mountain.

    ¡°We''re still two metres off, go dig up and place the support!¡±

    What surprised Hadro the most was how Mari was the one leading the project. Geomancer elves taking bits and pieces off a mountain, and orcs and humans were responsible for moving logistics towards the site.

    Hadro watched in interest as Mari used papers, which were made in Foreline itself, with calculations, from what Hadro could understand, the mountain that they were digging through would shorten the travel distance from Foreline to Marshland. Turns out they were making a tunnel in this mountain, not a mining station.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Mari lifted a Yak horn which she blew into.¡±Alright, break time!¡±

    Once the materials were set down the workers went to a temporary canteen building where their meals were given. Ranging from bread, stew, rice(which is popular with the elves), stir-fried meat and dessert which consists of fruits and some custard if they¡¯re lucky.

    Hadro somehow felt himself hungry. Then he remembered, the Altar was always turning all the tributes to him into SE. now that he has a steady supply of SE he wouldn''t need to turn every tribute into SE, would he?

    Hadro¡¯s greed seeped out a little bit and he went to Foreline Village in case he forgot the reason he was there, he went up to people with the skills he needed and copied their knowledge before going to the alter and changing the intent of how he received the SE.

    And wouldn''t you know it, in the afternoon, they started their tribute. Since the Altar is small only a few items could be placed above it. Hadro was amused as he watched what he was sure were cooks themselves cooking the most favourite dish within Foreline itself.

    Stir-fried meat under Yak tallow, with fried rice cooked in flower oil, and something like a proto pasta using flour and egg from their chicken, experimental since the ratio is still not balanced, which is dressed in juicy cloud berries they are cultivating and finally, a dessert made from buttermilk from Yaks and custard from easily available fruits.

    ¡®These villagers are creative¡¯ thought Hadro.

    When the tribute disappeared from the altar, Hadro went to his Realm and saw the tribute on the large desk, he immediately dug in. Even though none of the tribute was going to be spoiled he simply relished them.

    ¡°Oh shit, Zoe deserves some of these¡­ and also Magnus. Bah! All of them deserve some of these.¡±

    Hadro sliced the food in portions and sent them to the Aidens, Lazarus excluded (this man got to eat this cuisine every day), who was, out of this picture, happy to receive them. Though he didn''t linger any longer, he immediately went back to the Abyss.

    However, it appeared that he disappeared and reappeared in a second. A day in Reality is barely an hour here.

    ¡°As this is your promised land, I promised you all. You will never have to starve for days on end you may struggle but ultimately you will not suffer any torment.¡±

    Within a second Hadro bestowed them all with the knowledge I took from the village and like zealots kneeled and bowed their heads unto the ground, Hadro sighed, with their collective will, Hadro could feel their gratefulness at full blast.

    He sighed and began creating a few tools, from axes to sickles made from metal and placed them down in an area. With his mind, he could tell that the Nefuti were now all his followers, with a thought he scanned their heads and memories. And pointed forward, his finger landing on an old man.

    ¡°You are now the leader of this settlement. Distribute the roles and work to everyone.¡±

    The old man dug his head down to the ground, Hadro wanted to sigh but he just took the gesture lightly. He remembered that the system update had yet to pass and he had to worry about the damn ascending period where he is nothing but a sitting duck. Within this period he would not be able to move at all nor do any interference.

    So before he went and ascended he had to make sure to cover as many holes as much as possible, in case something leaked or in this case, shook the integrity of the community of his followers then it would be accounted for and dealt with accordingly.

    He watched as the Old man stood up and looked around the people. Hadro thought it over if he should give him some help by another form of moderator to an admin but went against it, instead, he let it naturally happen to see how far they could get.

    Hadro¡¯s eyes landed on Agni. She was alone in protecting the whole growing settlement and could not protect everyone alone. Without hesitation, Hadro created eleven more Aidens, Agni was wide-eyed at what she saw.

    ¡°Father?¡±

    ¡°I cannot allow you to take the burden of protecting them alone.¡±

    When Hadro had his memory¡­ fixed by the dead god presumably, he realised that the Abyss is supposed to be one by one(1:1) record of reality with a time dilation, it is not supposed to turn into SE whenever he killed a record of an animal.

    His Abyssal knowledge was misleading from the start. Hadro was suspicious of how the creation of the system even managed to come to fruition but he had a suspicion that it was because of the outer gods. And the sun he saw when he came here was the last bit of retaliation to whomever they fought.

    To mislead any newborn god they ever had managed to put their grasp on. His eyes landed on the eleven new Aidens that stood before him.

    ¡°Welcome, my children. I hope my intent was clear after your creation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Father.¡±

    Unlike the first time, the newly born Aidens did not call Hadro but instead, they called him father. It pleased him that his power as a god was becoming solidified once he tuned himself to the mindset.

    With a thought, Agni and all eleven Aidens bore wings behind their backs, enabling them to fly. He doubts that the only threat is on land, so with this, he wishes that they could protect themselves from above after that naming was due.

    ¡°You will be Mikhael,¡±

    Hadro pointed to the far right to the left and recited their names. Paul, Gaby, Lorraine, Leonel, Gazzo, Reno, Xavier, Desmond, Asmond, and Yumi. they all have a unified purpose, Protect the Nefuti settlement. After vocalising their purpose, Hadro left the Abyss and went to the Village. A few days have passed in the minutes he was in the abyss but it''s hardly a week so nothing major had happened.

    But that''s not what he was for. He immediately went to his Realm where he started to write a book. One thing Hadro realised when his memory was ¡®fixed¡¯ by that old god is how many memories he had were suppressed.

    Like the time his father went to a church to pray to a god he didn''t have faith in solely because expenses weren''t enough for his mother¡¯s treatment, how he remembers having a pet hamster that didn''t have a peaceful death (it escaped through the vents and starved there). He remembered how he almost drowned in a lake because he thought he could swim and so forth.

    One thing that gave Hadro a realisation is that no subject out there is without a book. From the most complicated of sciences to the most absurd German fable. There is always a book to discuss it. It would be stupid for Hadro to just leave his followers in a practice of tribute and prayers of thanks.

    No, Hadro is pretty sure, that in Earth¡¯s humanity, prehistoric or historic times, most of their advancement was related to religion. Not just comfort, art, war, and tradition could exist without religion. From the disagreement of faith to the most agreeable treaties included a form of faith.

    And what does religion have? A record, a book of their preaches of beliefs and ideals. Hadro could not leave to ascend for who knows how long without giving them a guideline©¤a direction.

    One of the best guidelines for humanity is the Ten Commandments, which undoubtedly isn''t followed a lot. So instead of copying the ten Hadro just pick the suitable ones. And named it the Six Tenets.

    Copying the last six, he didn''t want to let his followers see worshipping other gods as a sin, not because he is an eccentric, but because he was sure that shortly some of them would convert not by will, but by force also he does not have a day of Sabbath.

    But that was not only it, he had to give them a story to follow, some that indicated a lesson. After all, fiction doesn''t appear to exist at this time of the year so everything that he will scribe will be taken seriously. The Book of Beginnings was taken as a sign of the future how do the people of Foreline even think about this new book?

    What Hadro decided on however is to highlight, Bravery, Courage, Integrity, Community, Compassion and Love. with six total parts, of course, these stories are sometimes real to absurd, some of which are taken out of actual history. How Spartans defended a position with three hundred men against hundreds of thousands of Persians was described as bravery.

    Hadro labelled his book, ¡®Odigosgraphy: The Greater Good¡¯ he praised himself with the work, some taken out of history that never happened in this world but some story made from his mind, then he started reading it to double check and his ease of mind. Then he realised, why did he only add good things? With a new chapter, he added, Depravity and Degeneracy. Hadro¡¯s reason for this was simple, if people could only see the right, how could they realise what is wrong?

    ~0~0~0~0~0~

    Numeric Status:

    [Name]:

    [Class]:

    [Attribute points]:

    Might©¤

    Strength:

    Constitution:

    Dexterity:

    Cunning©¤

    Intellect:

    Perception:

    Charisma:

    Mobility©¤

    Proprioception:

    Agility:

    Reflex:

    Recovery©¤

    Tolerance:

    Cooldown:

    Vitality:

    Endurance©¤

    Resilience:

    Tenacity:

    Resistance:

    Spirit:

    Luck:

    [Traits&Characteristics]

    [Titles & Achievement]

    ~0~0~0~0~0~

    After one last check the book and the System updates he forgotten to add, he released it for his followers the book soon materializing upon the altar.

    ***

    The Drakins were descendants of the dragonic bloodline, generation after generation they told the story about the golden dragon that descended to mate with his lover, what race the lover was is not specified. The curiosity of the others to know was soon huffed out after their tyrant deity ruled over them.

    The Drakins went onwards with their life, Allie could see that the trauma was soon waning after a few years, and she wished it would be gone soon. So they could connect with Foreline soon without their anxious mind.

    However, what soon greeted the Drakin village that Allie could not be prepared for were humans from the northern forest of the Southern Ridge. Hundreds and hundreds of humans were relocating themselves.

    ¡°We beg you, help us!¡±

    The Chief of the Drakins and the Oldest Chief of the humans met each other. It served a good however, she could see the concern in the Drakin tribe and their goodwill.

    The Drakin Tribe is not rich, but its resources are abundant. Ever since the death of the Drakin¡¯s Tyrants death. They didn''t have to offer exorbitant amounts of tribute and they can finally use it for themselves. Chief Drakin looked at the human, all the Drakin had ever done in its life was to think for the village, so in this situation, he was new.

    However, there was a problem with the language. Though, he didn''t need it to see that the human was begging. The chief stood up and kneeled in front of the human lifting his shoulders.

    ¡°We will help you.¡±

    The Drakin placed a hand on his chest. The Human didn''t understand, however, he knew the Drakin before him was sincere and with hope, he felt that they would help them. Though, Allie was confused, how did Hadro manage to miss this group of humans?

 [V2;C34] Prelude before the Ascent

    Prelude before the Ascent

    [Year 27]

    [Foreline Village]

    Hadro watched as the book materialised on the Altar a villager soon pointed out after they saw the changes in their system. They took it with reverence because it came from their Patron god.

    Of course, they didn''t immediately read it, some were absorbed in understanding the changes in the System first before taking a look at the book. However once the changes were digested, the expansion of seven Attributes, they set their eyes on the book.

    Since the orcs and humans alike, in the newest generation could read somewhat, they could potentially have copies of the book for everyone to see. Though, the Odigosgraphy fell unto Kasha¡¯s lap first than anyone else, after all, a god¡¯s chosen has more priority than the common folk.

    She indulged herself, happy to be able to read it first. She sat down at the many seats at the communal bakery to have some snacks while she read the book. Besides everyone there is curious about the book as well.

    ¡°Odigosgraphy¡­ it''s not written in suilpo, so it''s meant to be for everyone who could read.¡± Kasha muttered.

    She opened the book; the first part was a sentence and numbered words.

    Those who follow me in my name, live under my name, shall bow down to all six of my tenets and live it in your heart.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall honour your mother and father</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall not steal</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall not commit adultery</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall not murder</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall love your neighbour</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Thou shall not covet anything from your neighbour</li>

    </ul>

    Those that know but do not follow, will see that I will not look on your way.

    Kasha gulped, she wondered what the rest of the book entailed. Her eyes traced everything word for word. She read the first part, Bravery and Courage, how she read three hundred men defended against hundreds of thousands of men. The second part is about integrity, How a merchant refuses riches because he already has everything he wants.

    About community, where men and women huddled together around children in the most chilling frost. About Compassion and Love, how a man went into war and left behind his dog which the dog waited in the same place it waited, till it died missing its owner.

    In the end, Kasha was going through several emotions just reading the book. It served as lessons everyone could learn from and a reference that could be used in their society. To make it better and a more collective society.

    Kasha moved the book''s pages till she landed on the part of Depravity and Degeneracy. There were no illustrations, just words. But it made Kasha almost puke.

    ¡°H-how? How could a human being?¡±

    She closed the book in a hurry, her face showing unease and concern. However, her finger was still stuck on the most recent page she opened. She wanted to forget the words she wanted to forget the putrid imaginations her mind had conjured but it wouldn''t let her.

    As a woman who lives in a tight and neat community, she saw how Yaks were butchered, chickens were butchered. Even Ikkins on some occasions and yet, she couldn''t handle the words on a book?

    Maybe it was because of those memories of butchers that gave fuel to her imagination, that she could picture it. Instead of those animals, she saw humans in their steed instead. Kasha took a deep breath and continued reading, she managed to toughen her mind against the tales of the book.

    However, she could no longer take it when she saw that in the lowest point of humanity written on words, not even that she could think, in the most damnable ways of punishment, could she handle the story of a mother selling her young child for pleasure at the sight of money, the worst part is that every thought of the child was scribed in that book.

    She threw the book on the ground and tears started falling from her eyes, the people who were watching her were confused about her behaviour, some looking at the book and her. A few tried to comfort Kasha as they picked Odigosgraphy and laid it on the table.

    ¡°Why¡­ it''s cruel¡­ too cruel.¡±

    Kasha was distressed. She was escorted back to her home, where she still lives with her family. The few people who had seen what happened to Kasha didn''t even dare open the book despite their curiosity. So they handled it to someone who might be able to read to the end of the book.

    Kavo felt the responsibility like a block of rock on his back. He can''t help but gulp at the task. Everyone in the village knew each other, so news travelled fast. Kavo can read well since he needed to write down his knowledge as well as keep track of his supplies. So paperwork is necessary.

    He shook his head and started the task, his eyes fell on the contents of the book, and he had the same reaction as Kasha finding wonders in the tales written in Odigosgraphy. Until he reached the first chapter of Depravity, his brows furrowed and his mood turned sour.

    He could imagine the wounds portrayed in detail that soon he had to look away from the book as well to relax his mind. He inhaled and exhaled deeply contemplating if he should move on. Placing his hand back on the right page, he continued and just a few pages later he had to close the book again.

    He stood up and started walking in circles, trying to ease his mind of the words that assaulted his mind and wished for them to disappear from his understanding.

    ¡°Evil¡­ thats what it is¡­¡±

    Kavo whipped back his hair and took a deep breath, finally sitting himself down to continue reading with a more clear mind. He read through different stories of people giving in to pleasure of many kinds.

    Be it in the form of gluttony, lust, sloth, greed, pride or even the envy of one¡¯s possession. The story that was told last was not even as depraved as the book described it. A madman who accidentally killed his son in a fit of rage and held him as he felt his life fade away, as a result of his anger.

    Kavo finally placed the book down, not even getting to the part of Degeneracy, he didn''t dare to do so. He took the book, he didn''t know which mind shall be plagued by the tales of which no hero will come, of stories with no lesson but suffering. He placed the book down back at the side of the altar and spoke to the ones guarding it.

    Kavo, in his second decade in life, has two children that have wishes to follow the same path as him. He imagined those stories with him and his children and rage and hopelessness overcame him. When he came home after visiting Kasha who was in no condition to speak to others, he went and hugged his twin toddlers who had not even passed their first decade affectionately.

    Hadro watched how Odigosgraphy managed to make two of his followers affect their minds, he sighed, it was necessary, to show them the good sight of humanity would only show expectations they would not be able to handle once broken.

    They may see fights of epic proportions but they will never see the reasons why, no matter how absurd it is. He had to show it to them, he couldn¡¯t let them only expect the good in people. Especially in a few decades from now, he was sure something bad would happen.

    The ravenous waters and its most dangerous monsters are not a blockade that the races of the other continents have to submit to. It was the same back on Earth, despite the danger, that did not stop people from travelling around the world.

    Hadro sighed, maybe reading Odigosgraphy was traumatizing for the two chosen, Hadro noted that they are having trouble concentrating sometimes, which is valuable for the two as Kasha enchants items while Kavo is a primitive doctor.

    Though, it seems Kavo is taking it better than Kasha. Hadro decided he had to visit Kasha in a dream after this. His thoughts were paused when Allie called him.

    ¡°What is it, Allie?¡±

    The Drakin Aiden floated next to Hadro. ¡°There is a new group of humans that came to the Drakin land.¡±

    Hadro was visibly perplexed by the news. He immediately went to the Drakin land, which he compared was near the Southern ridge where snow is almost perpetual. Upon reaching the destination, he saw humans being aided and fed by Drakins.

    Hadro swore he looked everywhere for sentient life and was confused about how he missed a few living things, he was about to ascend he shouldn''t worry about these things. Yet here he is, he sighed with a hint of frustration.

    ¡°Allie, Help me find something around the Southern ridge. If my guess is right, then go near dungeons.¡±

    Allie nodded at Hadro¡¯s instructions and both wandered around the Southern Ridge, the biggest piece of connected mountains in the whole ninth continent even visible from inhabitants of Foreline, dividing the Great Mountains from the rest of the continent.

    In their search, Hadro¡¯s suspicion was right. At least three dungeon entrances had suspicions of activity, assuming from what''s left of it. Hadro could tell they took advantage of dungeons by their location, no right mind would be next to a murder hole without a plan.

    The Drakin Village became populated with migrating humans, it was evident that some of them were preyed on because some prayed to some unknown God, with desperate voices asking for guidance.

    Hadro took into account the Drakin Village''s proximity to the southern ridge and the great mountains deeming it that their village was in a very dangerous location.

    ¡°Allie.¡±

    ¡°Yes?

    ¡°Can you protect these people if need be like Zoe did?¡±

    Hadro asked his tone serious, Allie on the other hand nodded. ¡°Yes, yes I would.¡± she may not have lived the same lives as these Drakins but it would not be a surprise that watching them made her attached.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll ascend soon so don''t hesitate to use the energy on reserves.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Whilst leaving, Hadro stopped on his tracks once he and Allie heard a roar in the distance. Above the Great Mountains, a silhouette soared with its presence screaming danger, Hadro sighed.

    He floated in the sky, appearing as if the very air itself was his platform. The air in which soon bloated and burst revealing a red shimmering dragon of enormous size.

    Its slitted eyes bore down on Hadro, its wings flapping making gusts of wind split ways. Its gaze intense, throat heated and the fury under seeping.

    ¡°My son hasn''t reported to me for years. Care to explain why I can''t feel his presence anymore?¡±

    A feminine voice rang in Hadro¡¯s head. ¡°He¡¯s probably dead,¡± he replied honestly.

    The Dragon¡¯s slitted eyes opened slowly wide enough till a snap in its head was heard and her menacing gaze slowly lowered from Hadro to the Drakin Village.

    The dragon menacingly stared at Hadro, she then dived down the cloud where Hadro followed just as fast. Hadro watched as her destination was the village of Drakins, Hadro didn''t want to stop the beast but with her throat gathering heat he had no choice.

    Hadro raised his hand on the dragon¡¯s side and with a command the dragon was blasted out of its destination which it promptly landed on the side of the hill ungracefully.

    ¡°To confidently answer me you damn god! You killed him didn''t you?!¡±

    The dragon looked at Hadro with contempt, Hadro didn''t react much, he only killed a single dragon. He probed to be as strong as a deity, though to think that would be this dragon¡¯s son would be slim but the fact that she knew where the Drakin village is nails the suspicion on point.

    ¡°Maybe I did, I only killed a singular dragon all my time of existence here.¡±

    The Dragon growled before opening its jaws and letting out flames, Hadro dodged it and didn''t rely on his transparent shield. Not that it wasn''t reliable, he was sure the dragon flames would shred it. He pointed down and the dragon followed, slamming its entire body to the ground.

    Hadro has doubts that he should kill the dragon, its existence might have some weight around that mountain and killing it might have some unknown consequences. The Dragon with its Aura escaped Hadro¡¯s power and was staring at him with hatred.

    ¡°Let''s not do this, I didn''t know that tyrant was your son.¡±

    ¡°Tyrant or not he was my son!¡±

    The Dragon, sure enough, let out another dragonic flame but this time it was not any ordinary flame, it shot out like a light and everything it touched became scorched, naturally this got Hadro dodging.

    He has to visit the Great Mountains and see what could be in there. The Dragon went on a rampage, its flames even reached the skies like a beam of light, making clouds disappear. Hadro sighed contemplating whether he should kill the Dragon or not.

    Once The Dragon stopped spewing fire, it dashed with its wings towards Hadro, its speed faster than it showed before. Hadro disappeared from his spot, seeing the dragon¡¯s jaw was where he was before.

    He brought his palm down and the Dragon slammed onto the ground once again. The air around simultaneously goes down to the ground creating pressure upon the dragon.

    ¡°Just stop this madness.¡±

    ¡°Madness? You call this Madness? If I have killed your son would you even spare me?¡±

    ¡°Do you even know your son?! He drove an entire species like servants that don''t need to eat! If my son was like that I would''ve killed him myself!¡± Hadro spoke with fury, trying to place reason on the dragon.

    The Dragon soon stopped fighting against Hadro¡¯s power which promptly stopped as soon as he realised she¡¯d given up.

    ¡°He was the last of my critter!¡±

    He could hear the sorrow the Dragon was relaying.

    ¡°All of them soon died one by one to a©¤a damn GOD! You- you bastard! You ate his body didn''t you!?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t.¡± Hadro sincerely spoke. ¡°His energy is enough for me to take.¡±

    The Dragon looked Hadro eye to eye, she was still spewing emotions that seemed to burst out at any second but she didn''t, she spread her wings and flew back to the Great Mountains. Allie soon went beside Hadro and spoke sheepishly.

    ¡°Was that okay?¡±

    ¡°To let her go?¡± Hadro chuckled. ¡°She was trying to place the blame on me Allie, she has bigger issues to fix.¡±

    Hadro was about to leave when he stopped, remembering something. ¡°Also, be prepared to take her on lest something happen.¡±

    Allie was shocked by my words, placing a massive burden on her by taking on a dragon. Hadro admitted that the Dragon was not going all out if she had, more destruction and chaos would''ve happened. It wouldn''t have ended in a tussle like what happened, despite her grief she was still holding onto reason.

    But Hadro cannot be bothered to always check on the dragon, he had to ascend unto a Minor God and time was limited.

    ¡°I''m going. Make sure to work with Lazarus to connect the Drakins with Foreline.¡±

    Waiting for the Nefuti people to gather and having them travel close to the gateway that Hadro opened accumulated him enough energy to ascend into a Minor god twice. He couldn''t even imagine the amount to ascend into a High Minor God.

    Hadro went to his Realm, prepared to start ascending until intuition told him it was a bad idea and an overall rejection of his being.

    ¡°I can''t ascend here?¡±

    There was only one place he could ascend either in Reality or the Abyss. He wished that he could choose the easiest option and went to Foreline Village, till he met the same rejection, Hadro pursed his lips, this was a hard option to take.

    He will miss many things, but he didn''t argue with his intuition lest he invoked some kind of injury he didn''t know possible. He entered the Abyss in a moment finding that the Aidens had managed to kill a few beasts most of them being giant snakes and large wild cats.

    The Nefuti in the past few hours have managed to build a simple totem of worship, a flat altar in which they sacrificed a small game. Hadro was glad they were doing well and hoped it would always be like that.

    ¡°Agni.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Guard me.¡±

    Hadro didn''t provide any more explanation. He gathered the right amount of energy to convert into a soul point and condensed it absorbing it into his being. Soon enough his consciousness started to lose and he felt like he was in a deep slumber.

    ***

    [Year 27]

    [Foreline Village]

    Arkum parried a thrust from a spear following a metallic noise, Rei pulled his spear back and continued his attack, his footwork was incredible that he didn''t have to think where to land his feet and he still stood stable.

    Rei moved with fluidity his moves were comparable to dancing Arkum couldn''t help but admire such talent. He placed it upon himself despite his flaws to train the young boy which he found fun as the boy stared at him with focus and determination to win.

    Soon enough, with all the fluid movements, Rei used his spear to rely on as he started breathing heavily, ¡°Gramps¡­ ha¡­ I''m tired.¡± the young boy stated simply.

    Arkum nodded, ¡°Go ahead and rest, I¡¯ll always be here so come when you want to.¡± Arkum knew Rei, when Rei saw Arkum fight the Valovasoar he started to pest him about teaching him about the spear, since then, Rei hasn''t missed a day where he trained.

    Arkum felt pride whenever he saw the young man become more tone over their time training together, though, he was quite worried when the time when he had to prove himself in a rite of passage. Would everything he taught the boy be enough? That''s where he shook his head, he had to give the boy some trust.

    Feeling peckish himself, Arkum decided to head to the nearest bakery, he at least wanted to get some meat pie since he heard that today would be the 3rd day of the week. He craved that pie since last week once he tasted it.

    ¡°Apparently, the book our patron god has is quite disturbing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I''ve heard that Kasha was unable to think properly for a while because of it.¡±

    ¡°Even Kavo is subjected to it, I''m scared to read it now once they allow us access.¡±

    Though, while sitting there for a snack, he heard some gossip from the others unintentionally, he couldn''t help it his senses were stronger and sharper than the normal man, he couldn''t help but listen to the topic however.

    A new scripture appeared on the altar, a blessing that is sure to help them from their patron god. Arkum let an ear open whilst he snacked on the pie, he was curious about the new scripture but he couldn''t read. Time didn''t allow him to learn solely because the village needed more bodies that could move.

    Now seems to be a good time however, the Council was planning something and till then, he wanted to learn how to read since the time allowed it. Once he finished his snack he headed towards his son¡¯s home. Kamir was at Kavo¡¯s doing some research work with him.

    ¡°Hello, Father.¡± Lofir greeted Arkum.

    Arkum nodded, Lofir was Kamir¡¯s wife, and they decided to have two children, which were twins a rare chance to happen so it''s mostly celebrated as a sign of good fortune.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Lofir. Kamir¡¯s with Kavo again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is, the twins are also excited to see you here father.¡±

    ¡°True, though I''m here to bother you Lofir, I wanted to learn how to read.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Is it because of the new scripture?¡± Lofir asked with her eyes gleaming.

    Arkum nodded with a smile. ¡°Exactly, I''m curious what was written.¡±

    Out of nowhere, two boys came into the room and saw Arkum the two boys promptly pointed at him with a howl of awe before rushing towards him without a care in the world that Arkum had to lean forward and catch one of them before they hit the ground.

    ¡°Luff, I told you to be careful.¡± Arkum gently admonished.

    ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Grappa!¡±

    Arkum just smiled however, he had his separate home in the village, but since it was only occupied by him it didn''t feel like home anymore since it was lonely, Arkum felt like he was going to be depressed if he stayed there and Kamir was perceptive so he was asked to live with them.

    ¡°Yes yes.¡± Arkum scooped the two together carrying both at each arm, the toddlers were a curious bunch but quite clumsy so they were not introduced to Medicare by Kamir since he feared that the two would somehow destroy something of worth.

    The twins hugged their elder and soon started squishing him on the shoulder. Arkum let them be and faced Lofir to continue the conversation.

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can teach you that much. But I won''t be here on the 5th day and 6th day, is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lofir, I''m just glad you can settle some time for me.¡±

    Arkum let down the two kids, he came here to inform Lofir if he could be taught so he had to come back lest Rei thought he left him in the training grounds. The twins were adamant about making him stay though which got them a scolding from their mother.

    He had to finish the training with Rei, who was learning how to attack properly. Last week Arkum taught him how to defend so surely, with the speed he is learning he probably has already learned the skill.

    Arkum was astonished by the new update of the system, it didn''t go into detail but he could at least where he was lacking.

    [Name]: Arkum

    [Class]: Spear Master

    [Attribute points]: 0

    Might©¤ 210

    Strength: 227

    Constitution: 210

    Dexterity: 215

    Cunning©¤  127

    Intellect: 190

    Perception:187

    Charisma: 127

    Mobility©¤  187

    Proprioception: 187

    Agility: 188

    Reflex: 194

    Recovery©¤ 120

    Tolerance: 200

    Cooldown: 132

    Vitality: 120

    Endurance©¤ 192

    Resilience:192

    Tenacity: 197

    Resistance:199

    Spirit: 150

    Luck: 140

    [Traits&Characteristics]

    ©¤ [Hawk''s eye]

    [Titles & Achievement]

    ©¤ [The Spear of the Village]

    ©¤ [Persistent Hunter]

    He stared at the new system interface that used to be very simple back then, but now it was getting specifics and the rules of advancement changed, Arkum felt a little pride at how he had grown. His wide array of skills soon compiled down to a few skills all under the [Class] tab.

    He wondered what the others looked like but that would be rude to ask. So he just shrugged and went back to the training grounds to see Rei already there. A little smile reached his cheeks, he was excited at the prospect of another spear master for the village.

    Later that day Kasha met Arkum on their way to the communal kitchen where breakfast was being served early in the morning to feed a large part of the village. Orcs, humans and staying elves go here to have breakfast.

    ¡°Hello, Kasha how¡¯s teaching?¡±

    ¡°It was satisfying, I feel so useful.¡±

    They sat down together, Kasha came alone whilst Arkum came with the twins. The twins were at least behaving so Arkum was relieved. Whilst they were eating breakfast (it was an omelette with a tangy reddish sauce that the villagers call Atsum and bread with a berry filling)  Arkum remembered about Kasha reading the new scripture.

    But since she cried whilst reading it he didn''t want to tread on her bad memories, so he carefully chose his next words,

    ¡°Kasha, what do you think of the new scripture?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ Odigosgraphy?¡±

    Kasha chewed on her egg before answering, Kasha remembered the last two parts but instead of wallowing in bad emotions, she gave an honest comment about it.

    ¡°It was¡­ insightful. There are lessons to be learned from it.¡±

    ¡°I see, I wanted to read it but I''m still learning how.¡±

    ¡°Oh©¤¡± Kasha remembered that the Odigosgraphy was held back from being copied down and distributed solely because of the last two parts of the book, the Council has yet to decide how to approach the book without disrespecting their Patron God. ¡°Maybe I can read it for you? Then after you learned some words you can read them for yourself.¡±

    Arkum dwelled at the idea, he can''t read that much yet but reading it for him by someone isn''t bad either.

    ¡°I can read it for grappa!¡± one of the twins, Yuff cheerfully volunteered.

    Kasha remembered the details of the book and shook her head. ¡°Not yet for you Yuff.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Yuff asked dejected.

    ¡°Because some parts of the book aren''t for kids,¡± Kasha spoke with no room for negotiation.

    Kasha is a teacher and she knows her students well, Yuff as part of the Language class was Kasha¡¯s student and she knew how curious these little critters could get. Often trying to mimic what adults do and sometimes hurting themselves in the process.

    ¡°Some of them aren''t for kids?¡± Arkum asked curiously.

    Kasha shrank back a bit before nodding, nervously trying to explain it only for the adults to understand, after all, they weren''t alone here. ¡°The books don''t only have good stories.¡±

    Arkum nodded in understanding, there must be some reason why their Patron God would add such a thing, ever since his first blessing upon the village, it had a purpose not to lead them astray.

    One of them was in front of him now, Kasha was blessed and she took on the task of educating the children of the village.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll bother you when you''re free to read the book¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The whole ate in silence thereafter, Arkum led his grandchildren home to rest or learn from him as well. The children both admire Arkum and their father Kamir, Kamir is a diligent worker who took it upon himself to learn Kavo¡¯s way of Medicare so he could help Arkum.

    It was admirable, Arkum is thankful for the way his son and Yuff were showing interest in the way of Medicare same with Luff, however, Luff is also interested in Arkum¡¯s spear mastery. So his interest is conflicted between the two. Being a Physician and a Spearman would require time and effort.

    Luff wanted to do both and Kamir was aware of this, Arkum didn''t bother to interfere because he knew that Kamir was finding a way for Luff to have his way.

    Though out of nowhere, in the morning morrow, all elites of the Village were gathered, from the forges of the orcs to the greatest spearman of the humans.

    ¡°Today is the day that the Council of Foreline and Elders of Archwood, will now proceed and tell you all about The Great Campaign, for our Patron God¡¯s task for us. To become One and undivided¡±

 [V2;C35] The Great Campaign 1

    [Year 27-28]

    Foreline Village, Council Hall

    ¡°Today is the day that the Council of Foreline and Elders of Archwood, will now proceed and tell you all about The Great Campaign, for our Patron God¡¯s task for us. To become One and undivided¡±

    Murmurs ran rampant to the hall, the discussion being the greatest task given by their Patron God. Armin, one of the few elders of the Elven village learned that fanaticism would lead to destruction, one example would be his ancestors who through their written history, felt ashamed of what they did.

    But the records of their actions serve not as a path to repeated but as a lesson to be learned. Armin waited for the others to stop chattering and once the hall went silent he raised his voice.

    ¡°Our Patron God did not ask of us to be violent, in fact, in all the time he had reached us with his divine presence, he only did it to connect us. In my humble opinion, this task is to do the same. To reach out to others in the land we are fortunate to walk to and have us shake hands together in harmony.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Elder. One of our Chosen people, Mari. advised us about the specifics. The Land we reside in is vast. It will surely take long for us to reach its end so we need every help we can get.¡±

    Everyone in the hall is well educated, they can read and write, be it Foreline or Archwood alphabets which are learned by all known scholars. However, one argument popped up during the hearing.

    ¡°The monster that Arkum fought is still on the loose, how can we avoid deadly expeditions?¡±

    This garnered agreeing voices which the council and elders allowed to simmer, waiting for them to conclude. It was a reasonable thought, Armin was even sure that Hadro would see it stupid not to make a plan.

    Soon they stopped and waited for the two administrative bodies to answer.

    ¡°We were ruminating, trying to find an answer to that. Our warriors and hunters once spread thin could not protect everyone. Especially without a body like Arkum to protect us will only spell certain doom. However!¡±

    Armin propped a book on a table. Showing it to everyone present.

    ¡°Our patron god has given us guidance!¡±

    Once Armin did so, everyone was more pronounced in their surprise, they didn''t know what the book entailed, after all, only speculations were spreading around by rumours. Kasha and Kavo became unfocused for a while when reading the book. So people also have some doubts about the book.

    Fortunately, Armin as an elder knew how to proceed with his words and approach the people, to further ease them and give way to agreement.

    ¡°Whilst the word surrounding this scripture of our Patron god sounds unapproachable, we have our reader Counsel Kavo to describe it for you.¡±

    Kavo nodded. Kavo described the book once called, he described it as a scripture filled with stories filled with lessons. However, he struggled trying to finish Odigosgraphy which met some suspicion from the elites.

    ¡°...The last stories¡­ however,¡± Kavo sighed, ¡°Shows more than a story, it opened my eyes reading it. But unlike the other stories, it is best if you read it for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Kavo.¡±

    Kavo sat down and Armin continued to present his idea, all of the council members and the elites of Foreline and Archwood must come to an agreement, so they could reach out far despite the lingering danger of the Valovasoar, they had to slowly take the risk.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read Odigosgraphy,¡± Armin started ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to practice among us, a way to give birth to protectors for our villages.¡±

    The crowd were listening, and invested in the topic.

    ¡°The Spartan regime!¡±

    After that, profound changes happened within the three settlements, the first one would be their unification under a single banner. A banner they called Eldoria, derived from the archaic elvish word eldori meaning tight, cramped, or united, commonly used expression when someone is close.

    Foreline, Marshland and Archwood all went under change under the guidance of Elder Armin, one of them is having the Temple of Hadro. A monumental tablet with all six tenets behind his Altar and elvish architecture.

    After Hadro¡¯s temple was built, Elder Armin had a discussion with the fellow elders of Archwood and Foreline, Marshland being left out because they didn''t have a proper administrative body, and reconstructed the Council.

    Consul of the Administration, Arms of defence, Medic of Medicines, Managers of logistics, Grazier of Agriculture. Creating five departments with their respective heads. All working together under the banner of Eldoria.

    Though that is not the biggest change, the biggest change was around Hadro¡¯s newest Status System update. Around this, [Class] became the focus, old skills were gone, replaced by newer skills that old skills or multiple fell into.

    Thanks to this, the Head of Arms by Elder Armin¡¯s guidance, created the organisation of Alpine, inspired by Spartan Traditions. Whilst it is initially safe in Foreline, Archwood or Marshland, the world is still a hazardous place for anything that lives.

    Naturally, the head of Arms must be led by someone who knows how to fight and use group tactics. Since Spartan traditions inspire Alpine, they can''t just have groups fought by brute force. No, even Spartans use tactics that are meticulous and straightforward.

    But for that to happen, a chain of command had to form, an organisation cannot work if its limbs work separately without a purpose. Alpine created its rankings, Alvon, a word derived from archaic elvish, is the general of the organisation, it''s one of many that will lead Alpine. The next in rank is the Acsien or officer in archaic elvish, they are responsible for delegating tasks the one making sure of paperwork within the organisation, The Captain, only higher ranking than the initiates, are leader chosen by an Acsien. Lastly, the lowest rank is Initiates.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Multiple people became Alvons at the inception of Alpine, the two were Arkum and Shavik with a majority vote the last one was Garuk, the Orc who''s best suited for group coordination despite the only Tier 2 of both Alvons.

    But their enemies are not humans nor any other sapients, their enemy is the wild and the monsters that emerge, and to gain proper experience they experimented, their structure true to their reference material. And in the end¡­

    3 years later.

    [Year 30]

    Alpine Headquarters, Foreline Village.

    Arkum started writing on paper, he was still rough around the edges when it came to his handwriting but it is legible, a much-needed skill of an Alvon. He reminisced about his first time writing he had to go and get a [contract] to get some attribute points to use in his cunning to at least learn faster.

    Though, now it seems more stupid than it was then. Arkum sensed someone near his office door and waited till they knocked.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Alvon Arkum.¡± the officer Saluted.

    ¡°Greetings, Acsien Lofin, anything that brought you here today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mages from Archwood have reported a rising quantity of mana primarily near the dungeons.¡± Lofin handed papers to Arkum.

    Arkum¡¯s brows creased as he read the documents, the overload had passed eight years ago, the last time the peak of an overload happened within dungeons. Arkum took a peek at his spear just displayed on an open stand.

    He sometimes fiddles with his spear unknowingly, the monster that placed him in such a ragged state was still on the loose and had not been sighted since its last attack.

    ¡°Keep the information at bay, we¡¯re still in the process of an important mission.¡±

    ¡°As you will.¡± The officer saluted

    Arkum dismissed him with a nod and the officer left his office. Arkum is now filing for support to the Managers since he needed resources for his men. The Great Campaign was moved forward as the next mission assigned to Alpine.

    From Archwood to Marshland, they are starting to conjure much-needed resources, food, water storage, maintenance materials, papers, ink, etc. Cartographers, physicians and Artisans are innovating new things just for this Campaign to start.

    The moment Arkum had the paper request and all the materials demanded. Arkum folded the paper and placed it in an envelope. Calling to an Initiate standing by outside.

    ¡°Yes, Alvon?¡±

    ¡°Get this to the mailing service.¡±

    Arkum handed the envelope to the initiate and did as asked without a word, saluted and moved out of Arkum¡¯s office. Arkum didn''t stay in the room either, he took his spear out of its display and left the room, he felt it was a bit suffocating to always stay there.

    Arkum moved to the hall, the initiate standing by his door office saluted once he saw Arkum. Arkum nodded. Arkum didn''t dismiss the initiate as it was engraved in the initiate to follow his orders to the T, their whole regime moulding the initiates to be obedient. Only the captains with the capability to rule could replace the Officers and soon the Alvons.

    But not today, the Organization is young and so are its members. Maybe soon, a new Alvon could rise the ranks and make Alpine better. Arkum walked down the halls, passing by multiple facilities, including the large road that Alpine uses to train its Initiates.

    Arkum glanced at the Officer jogging along the Initiates who were matching with rhythm and nodded to himself. The structure of Alpine is similar to Spartan customs, though theres some additions.

    Right now, the officer that trains the initiates is Arkum¡¯s officer, the Initiates can choose who Alvon they choose to follow, after all, every Alvon are different, Shavik is responsible for reconnaissance, Garuk is a good coordinator and Arkum himself is a heavy fighter.

    Each of their characteristics somehow leaked into the very structure of Alpine, they''re Alpine warriors all right, but the Alvons used to train the officers and somehow that system of training was passed down from the officers to the initiates.

    The Alpine at least have some basic form of training, mostly physical training in the morning and academic in the night, to whatever the Initiates choose.

    Arkum reached the training area, in there, two Officers under Arkum¡¯s command stood in attention as he entered. They stood with spears on their side and with attention.

    ¡°Are you two ready?¡± Arkum asked the two.

    ¡°Always!¡±

    Arkum nodded at their answer, he took pride from his officers. On the left was Officer Khalid and the other was Officer Jhin. both looked tough and ready only awaiting Arkum¡¯s words.

    ¡°Raise your spears, today I¡¯m going to make your [Fancy Feet] at rank B.¡±

    The two officers gripped their spears tightly, their faces set in determination. There would be no ceremonial gestures here; Arkum¡¯s sole intention was to test and elevate their skills.

    Without warning, Arkum materialized in front of Jhin, his presence as silent as a whisper. Jhin, however, was ready. As Arkum swung the blunt shaft of his spear toward him, Jhin sprang backwards, his feet moving with precision, though he kept his gaze fixed on Arkum.

    Arkum advanced swiftly, his attack relentless. Khalid, not content to be a passive observer, lunged at Arkum with lethal intent. His spear shot forward with deadly accuracy. But Arkum¡¯s reaction was swift and fluid. He evaded Khalid¡¯s thrust, pulling back and letting the spear sail harmlessly in front of him.

    Khalid realized his mistake too late. Arkum seized Khalid¡¯s spear with ease, pulling it with a sudden jerk. Despite Khalid¡¯s desperate grip and his efforts to wrench it back, he was yanked off balance. As Khalid was pulled, Arkum¡¯s knee collided with his stomach, sending him reeling.

    Jhin attempted to intervene, swiping his spear at Arkum, but his efforts were in vain. Arkum leaned back, his body angled flat as he raised his knee to strike Khalid at the same moment earlier, leaving Jhin¡¯s strike ineffective.

    With Khalid incapacitated, Arkum turned his full attention to Jhin. Jhin fought to keep Arkum at bay, thrusting his spear with calculated precision whenever Arkum drew near. He stepped backwards cautiously, maintaining his footing and aiming his strikes.

    In a brief glance, In careful observation, Arkum¡¯s eyes quickly looked at Jhin¡¯s feet where he suddenly showed a moment of aggression, Arkum pushed forward, Jhin showed momentary hesitation thinking twice about where he stood which caused him to thrust his spear in panic response, Arkum deftly sidestepped, allowing Jhin¡¯s spear to overshoot. With a swift, precise strike, Arkum landed a blow to Jhin¡¯s liver.

    Jhin crumpled to the ground, snarling in pain. Arkum looked over the two defeated officers, a smirk playing on his lips.

    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, boys.¡±

    The training of the Officers along with the initiates must continue, they shall not be caught in moments of hesitation, they shall always be ready no matter the occasion, and they shall not be caught unaware. Arkum would drill it to these officers even if he had to break their bones.

    In a few more months, The Great Campaign will begin. They cannot have an officer hesitate let alone the initiates, monsters don''t hesitate, disasters don''t hesitate, nothing will stop for their convenience. Alpine must be tough for the people it serves.

    A few months pass. Arkum, Shavik and Garuk are sitting at a round table, Shavik points at a map over the edge of it, the land is called the Through Plains, a place that is yet to be charted by the cartographers.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen this place, the problem here is the hawks. They''re so fast the only thing we could do was always hide in trees.¡± Shavik pointed out.

    ¡°Multiple places they''re spotted right?¡± Garuk asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Shavik said with a nod. ¡°According to our observation, they¡¯ve been preying on anything in the plains and anything they spot on a mountain.¡±

    ¡°Are they going to be trouble for us?¡±

    ¡°Slightly, they always pick the weakest of the litter.¡±

    Garuk snorted, he seemed slightly disgusted by the Hawks, probably because of the work that would fall in their hands if someone died, he didn''t want someone to die on him.

    ¡°Should we ask the Managers to find us supply us barriers?¡±

    ¡°Well, we could, but it was paused for the time being,¡± Shavik said exasperated.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re making a new department.¡±

    Garuk then remembered the news, that a new department was going to be made so the Managers of logistics could stop being overburdened with queues of materials. The new Department is the Artisans, the one who is now going to be burdened with the creation of materials.

    ¡°Right¡­. ¡° Garuk looked at Arkum who has stayed silent all this time.

    ¡°We¡¯ve thinned out the monsters from here to here.¡± Arkum pointed at the map. ¡°Thanks to some Physicians trying to use monster body parts. We¡¯ve at least determined a few monsters that could be kept.¡±

    Arkum pointed to another place on the map. ¡°Though, my initiates have reported me of a giant lizard.¡±

    This caught Garuk and Shavik¡¯s attention, Arkum¡¯s spear was made from the tooth of the monster, it was incredibly perceptive and sensitive to magic that it was the most legendary weapon ever conceived in existence by the blacksmiths.

    Garuk and Shavik tried reading Arkum¡¯s emotions only to find nothing, though a hint of excitement could be discerned.

    ¡°We can establish supply routes here and here.¡±

    Arkum continued reading his report and added suggestions to future activities, opinions and papers were shared, and the moon soon passed over their heads the room only illuminated by a candle.

    ¡°Theres a lot going on isn''t it?¡± Shavik offhandedly said.

    ¡°True, I''ve even heard about the magic tower Archwood is planning to make,¡± Arkum replied.

    ¡°Wait, a magic tower?¡± Garuk asked in surprise.

    ¡°a magic tower.¡± Shavik parroted whilst nodding, ¡°Kasha has been overworking as I''ve heard.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been diving deep into the elvish history.¡±

    ¡°Well, that''s good news. Anyways. Let''s wake up early tomorrow,¡± Arkum reminded them.

    The two groaned at the reminder. Nonetheless, they followed and stood up from their seats, as friends who were familiar with each other they did not need to salute, although they nodded and left.

 [V2;C36] Cultural Enrichment

    Eldoria, Foreline village.

    [Year 30]

    Kavo was starting to get annoyed; he was running low on supplies, and there needed to be more people to go around the Managers; the logistics department needed help acquiring materials, and their operations were not that small.

    ¡°With a population of ten thousand, I guess that''s reasonable.¡±

    Kavo wrote rushed on a piece of paper; he was mindful of its durability, which is a shadow to the paper of the System store. Kavo was sure there would be more needed but as of yet, productions are slow but improving over the years.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Kavo cursed as a gash appeared that pierced the paper he wrote on; thankfully, it was at the end of his words that it didn''t matter if he sent it as is, though he still had to write an apology below for why that is.

    Kavo used a towel to wipe the ink stains on the paper, the quill was placed down and Kavo soon sent the message. He was one of the high-ranking Council members and as of the current situation of their discovery of new lands, a lot of things were happening.

    Many new plants they haven¡¯t recorded before, animals that they have not yet seen, and new possible locations for resources. Many things that both the Consuls and Managers are having trouble keeping track of.

    Despite the workload being lessened after the creation of a new department of Artisans. It is obvious that not every demand is met, the Logistics department still has to take care of whatever the Artisans are making and deliver it to whoever wants it.

    Anyways, Logistics is a department that handles both Hands and Materials; Kavo was already discussing this problem to make this system efficient; even after consulting with Mari, it seems that traffic in delivering needs will always occur.

    ¡°This won¡¯t be good.¡±

    If they¡¯re going to travel far, then the only solution would be one. To build supply anchors where personnel would live for a long time. Kavo thought of the implications and the only one he could think of was their people spreading thin. The beasts of the continent are powerful, compared to a human, orc or elf. Alone they wouldn''t stand a chance.

    ¡°Whatever gets pushed forward in the meeting.¡±

    ***

    In the Drakin Village, multiple humans and Drakins were having the times of their lives. Over the years they had time to rebuild families. The humans shared what they could with their saviours, spreading their culture.

    The widespread item that everybody liked was two things, beer and cigarettes. The beer was straightforward enough, an item for social activities that everybody likes to share. The cigarette, however, was different and it made the users more calm. The cigarette was simply none other than marijuana.

    An item that humans like to take whenever they are injured. The humans learned that marijuana as a herb has the effect of calming them down. Whenever they go to the dungeon and exploit whatever resources there are, they often get injured, their best remedy is smoking marijuana.

    Though, other than a remedy for the injured, it also has a social function, one of them is that it is a rite of passage, elders allowing the new adult after turning of age and allowing him to smoke with his elders.

    That social function bled to the Drakins; they were introduced to the social function and naturally became part of it. The only difference is that they¡¯re more tolerant of the herb than humans who already have a significant amount of tolerance to it.

    One of the new adult Drakin, who¡¯d reached the age named Zerkian, went inside a tent, white smoke slowly rising above the small opening above the tent.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come, Zerkian.¡± an old man spoke, his features wizened over the years with a pipe on hand, smoke swirling up a small opening. ¡°Come and sit with us.¡±

    Roughly, there are four other older men with two youngsters from both races. Zerkian sat down near the youngsters in the circle which scooted over to give him space.

    One of them looked like he was flying in the clouds. Zerkian doesn''t understand why but a tap on his shoulder from an elder holding a tube up to him.

    ¡°Just inhale, not too much or else you''ll cough.¡±

    Zerkian nodded, placed his mouth on the tube, and inhaled; he heard bubbling inside the object before he pulled out, and he coughed a bit; smoke came out as each cough was released.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± The elder pointed to the youth beside him and Zerkian passed it.

    Zerkian slowly understood what others said about the smoke, the elders called the herb chunk, and every time the smoking object, a bong, was passed to him, he felt lightheaded, which felt amazing.

    ¡°Kid, you''re too overstimulated. Rest and breathe some actual air.¡± an elder pointed to Zerkian.

    Zerkian felt incredulous. He isn''t overstimulated! He looked around to find that he was the only one left in the circle. Some of the adults had already left, and new ones filled in.

    The young adults in the circle are already gone. All were replaced by adults who were smoking leisurely.

    ¡°Okay¡­ ¡° in the end, Zerkian agreed with the human adult.

    He went out with clarity, but he still couldn''t make straight and proper conditions. The human followed him out and pulled him to sit in a stub.

    ¡°Stay there till you feel clear.¡± The human cautioned.

    Zerkian nodded and the human left. Zerkian soon felt his head clear, the marijuana out of his system. Now he felt dry.

    ***

    Shavik was watching the nearby monsters crawl around the plains. He could tell that one of them could rival an Officer in their ranks.

    He couldn''t help but sigh. The monsters here are strong, and the route they plan to take requires clearing these monsters out.

    ¡°Renz.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alvon?¡± Renz Saluted.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Garuk?¡±

    ¡°Alvon Garuk is at the far east of operations,¡± answered Renz.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ our forces are spread thin¡­¡± Shavik noted. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that monster. Go ahead and have some initiates clear the supply path.¡±

    Shavik vanished where he stood, Renz noted how Shavik vanished as if his eyes refused to see him. This conscious denial of Shavik''s existence made his head hurt involuntarily, so instead of lingering, he went and delivered Shavik¡¯s orders.

    His feet lead him to the camp of the initiates. He went and gathered the leaders to a single place and started to brief them on their mission with a map.

    Shavik, on the other hand, reappeared next to the monster; it was a giant bear with scales instead of fur. It was weird to look at but judging its appearance is why not he¡¯s there for.

    He swung his obsidian blade, its sharp edge nicked the scales of the creature. It let out a roar that shook Shavik¡¯s inside.

    He felt disappointed at how weak it was. He felt something much more dangerous than that before. A few years back he remembered.

    The creature swung its claws at Shavik, and he responded by dodging, swerving his body like it was liquid until he reached the creature''s legs, which got promptly sliced; its tendons cut made it a sitting duck.

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    The creature was mad but Shavik didn''t want to drag this fight for long, his obsidian blade soon digging its way to the creature¡¯s brain and letting it slump to the ground.

    ¡°Sheesh¡­ what am I now?¡± He checked his status. ¡°Oh an A rank. Since when was this?¡±

    Shavik was checking his status and found some attributes he could spend, but that was for later. He could vaguely sense the initiates under him already making a marked road.

    Until then, he heard a roar that shook his core. His head and body quickly turned around to prepare his body for an encounter.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡®I haven''t even felt its presence!¡¯

    Like a soaring roar, something launched towards Shavik, something he didn''t expect, and thankfully, he was prepared for.

    It flew like a hawk and probably is. He raised his obsidian blade, and he felt a clang as if two metallic objects clashed.

    What Shavik did not expect was the weight of the attack. He got sent flying a few metres back; he spread his aura around him, making his visage elusive. He soon crashed into a tree, and thankfully, the damage to himself was minimal.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    The creature that attacked him didn''t continue, it chose to take the monster he took down first and left with it.

    ¡°Ah¡­ animals¡­¡±

    It chose to steal Shavik¡¯s game. He didn''t try to pursue it, the monster corpse that was stolen wasn''t his priority. They were no longer starving to fight for a corpse that badly.

    What was on his mind right now was to make sure that thing didn''t haunt his initiates. The threat of airborne monsters is quite worrying.

    ¡°Ha¡­ this is going to be annoying.¡±

    Meanwhile, in the northern parts of unexplored lands, Arkum found himself looking at a vast lake.

    ¡°It''s freshwater.¡± Officer Khalid noted.

    ¡°That''s good to hear. Let''s have a camp here. I¡¯ll be on the lookout.¡±

    Arkum and his team were lucky to find a lake, not only that, it seems the vast body of water is there amongst the desert that surrounds it. There''s little vegetation in the north.

    Only a few were edible, but on the advice of the Medics, they were to take a sample each and send it to them for research.

    ¡°Alvon!¡± one of his Officers screamed in terror.

    Arkum dashed to their location, his motions were only a blur. He saw in the middle of the lake a giant serpent looking down on them. The pressure it emits invokes a primal fear.

    ¡°Go take everyone, retreat,¡± Arkum ordered.

    ¡°A Human?!¡±

    Arkum felt the pressure get heavier. The Officer buckled on his knees while Arkum felt heavy.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    Arkum whispered as he could tell that the monster in front of them wasn''t normal. The serpent hisses and Arkum could tell it has the intent to attack.

    However, before it could even lunge. He felt another presence. Arkum knew who this belonged to, and he smiled.

    ¡°Hello, Arkum. This expedition is taking longer than it should be. Why not take your officers away and I''ll take care of the Deity.¡±

    Arkum''s heart jumped; he had learned a few years ago that some monsters could reach the level of a deity if they kept devouring monsters stronger than Lazarus himself.

    It was nigh impossible to reach the level of a Deity the normal way. Arkum left Lazarus after carrying the officer by the shoulder.

    Lazarus wasn''t supposed to be here; he should''ve been in the South, but as things played out. He felt an energy up here in the north where Arkum is supposed to be.

    Maybe as an Aiden made of flesh, his body is beyond the normal. Lazarus was born as a full adult after all, that''s beyond normal.

    ¡°You! You have the scent of a god!¡±

    ¡°Why do all deities act like this? I mean, Father encountered a few, and none of them were reasonable. Well, I mean, he almost saw one, but it was oppressive towards a species.¡±

    ¡°Who wouldn''t hate a god that was born with power!? Whilst we crawl here to gain a bit more!?¡±

    ¡°Sheesh, it''s all about the motivations, pal. Your motive for being strong is selfish. That''s why even if you''re reincarnated you¡¯ll never be a god.¡± Lazarus retorted.

    This angered the serpent, it hissed and water gathered in its mouth. Lazarus moved, dashing away with a spear in hand. The water soon shot out, it moved with speed as if it was pressurised.

    Lazarus aptly dodged; his movements were efficient, only moving enough for the water jet to miss. Lazarus soon stepped to the water, mana gaining towards his foot allowing him to walk above the surface.

    ¡°You fool!¡±

    Water jumped up around Lazarus. However, he only swung his spare, and the water burst away from him. He didn''t stay idle; he moved forward the serpent, which now started moving around the vast lake.

    The serpent moved in the lake seamlessly, it was fast like a torpedo. Lazarus matched its speed, aura seeping out of his skin. Lazarus caught up with the Deity; he swung his spear in a straight line, and a gash in the water appeared.

    The deity squirmed and went deeper into the lake. Lazarus knew that a weapon with Aura would undoubtedly cause some damage to the Deity¡¯s soul, lest the deity defended with aura as well.

    Though it''s not like it''s permanent. At that level, the deity could fix and mend their soul, unlike a mortal.

    ¡°This lake is dangerous.¡± Lazarus sighed.

    He walked off the surface of the lake to dry land, though it''s not like they couldn''t take advantage of it. But then, allowing the deity to live forth with that grudge against a god wouldn''t be good.

    ¡°Yeah, now that I think of it. Why do deities hate gods? I''ve never heard the reason for that¡­ ¡°

    In the end, Lazarus shrugged. It''s dangerous to pursue the serpent for now since it''s at the bottom of the lake. Fighting it where it''s stronger would only spell suicide.

    In the end, Lazarus had to go back.

    ***

    Mari was sleeping on the cold hard floor, and she and her little study group had decided that it was a good idea to look beyond the stars a few years ago.

    Thanks to that there''s this continuous study of a new celestial being other than the moon that circulates the sun.

    She slowly opened her eyes and Mari found that his eldest son was looking down at her with an impassive gaze.

    ¡°Rei? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Father tasked me to give this to you.¡±

    Rei handed Mari two wrapped leaves. ¡°He told me to tell you that they are good for headaches. He had Uncle Kavo to make them.¡±

    ¡°How thoughtful of him¡­ How are you Rei?¡± Mari pocketed the leaves whilst scanning his son.

    Rei had grown up from a teen after all those years. He already had a lean body ready for any type of combat.

    ¡°I''m okay, the campaign seems like it''s going to take longer¡­ I mean Gramps¡ª Alvon Arkum is doing his best to push to the north.¡±

    ¡°It seems that your connection with us allowed some leeway.¡± Mari caressed Rei¡¯s head.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I mean, Father literally is hunting every single monster that comes out of the dungeons after the mages suspected another overload.¡±

    ¡°Your father is very reliable. Though take your time, I''m sure you¡¯ll be at his level soon.¡± Mari smiled softly.

    Rei looked his mother in the eye. ¡°I won''t disappoint you,¡± he stated calmly.

    ¡°I''m not placing my expectations, Rei. But I will hold on to your word.¡±

    After that, Rei left Mari on her own. Mari couldn''t help but look at Rei with pride, he seemed to have adopted the lifestyle of Alpine to heart.

    Every single one of her children had been her pride; Moyo was learning under the tutelage of a Medic, and Kaina was learning directly from Kasha herself.

    Though she feels lonely whenever they''re away she is happy by her given purpose by her god. ¡°Oh yeah, I have to finish this.¡± Mari realised that there were some unfinished projects by the Consuls. A mechanical project.

    ¡°Sheesh, what are they even trying to make me do?¡±

    Mari sighed, she looked at an abomination of something. She swears that another branch should be made for research because the administration shouldn''t even be doing this!

    She grumbled, but she continued on her task; she felt that the thing she was making was something of purpose.

    ***

    The Nefuti people watched as their god became an embryo of energy, they watched in awe and admiration. But those gazes could only be prolonged for long.

    The Aidens, as they are called, guarded them with power. Something Argon wishes he had; he remembered that this was the promised land God had saved for them.

    And he could see that abundant land where they were taught how to grow their food, slowly and surely. Argon sometimes felt like this was a dream, a dream where they were already in the afterlife.

    But truthfully, he didn''t believe in the afterlife. He preferred to live in the present and in this present, he felt grateful towards the god.

    He felt energy swell within him, a comforting and affectionate feeling encompassed his being. His eyes slowly landed towards the embryo of energy in the distance.

    It felt like their god was watching him, he feared not. Knowing that the presence of the god within him made him powerful.

    ***

    Shavik was now annoyed, how many times had he crossed that damned hawk? It had swept down countless times towards him and clashed with his blade, but it hadn''t had enough.

    ¡°Screech!¡±

    A vein bulged out of Shavik¡¯s head. ¡°Bugger off!¡± Shavik coated his Obsidian dagger with his aura and swiped the air out of nowhere.

    It was just a blur to others, but when Shavik raised his blade, a clash resounded and a sound resembling thunder.

    The Officers hiding in the thick, tall trees watched in awe as Shavik dealt with a monster they couldn''t even follow. They were told to stay put within the trees because it would be hard to save them once they tried going out, said Shavik.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Shavik contemplated whether it was worth it to bring this carcass of a monster back for research. It was a chameleon that could perfectly blend in its surroundings and even resemble the texture of the surface it stood on; it had a needle in its tongue along with a glue-like substance that dries fast once exposed to air, its size of an infant Yak.

    Shavik was sure this monster is valuable for research, maybe the initiates could have some sort of cloak with the same properties?

    Shaka is trying to enchant items to have the same abilities as monsters slain these days. Maybe she would be able to? Thought Shavik as he raised his blade again for another clash.

    ¡°Damn bird.¡±

    He wanted to find a way to finally remove this nuisance, it''s a hindrance to both him and the campaign. No ordinary being could fight it as well, so he started trying to find resources which he could use against the bird.

    His senses could not catch up with the hawk''s speed at all. He could only sense its incoming direction, where he could predict where it would hit.

    He raised his dagger again, but this time, no clash resounded. Shavik¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he leaned his body back, soon feeling the wind lightly brush against him.

    ¡°This bird¡­¡±

    Shavik could feel his anger rising, which he quickly quelled down. Being angry would make him lose his head easily. But the hawk is not making it easy for him.

    He looked at his skills; his class even tried using his attribute points, but he found that unless he was in a bottleneck, it was a waste to use those attribute points.

    Right now, despite his potential being lower than Arkum''s, Shavik knows he learns faster than him in general. What could be the only resource he could use?

    Shavik felt the dagger in his hand. He was aware he¡¯s been holding it for a while now. Then he realised he still had something he hadn''t tried.

    He had imbued the obsidian blade with his aura to prevent it from shattering despite its brittle nature. But that''s not the only thing Aura could do, isn''t it? Shavik felt the hawk incoming.

    He had to try it now, lest the bird learn and try to pick off the weaker members of Alpine. Instead of imbuing the dagger with his aura, he instead imbued all of his senses with aura; he concentrated his Aura on his ears, nose, skin, mouth and even eyes. He removed the blindfold from his eyes.

    He watched as the hawk descended at a speed he could comprehend.

    ¡°Hahaha! So this is how you look!¡±

    Shavik raised his dagger once again. He was ready to pounce this time.

    ***

    Arkum led the initiates away from the lake, it was a shame they couldn''t take advantage of the natural resource. Thankfully there are some natural springs here that they could use.

    With a base set up, Arkum placed down a map. He was confused about what to do first when he was elected as an Alvon of Alpine, but thanks to Elder Armin guiding him, he became a man responsible for other lives.

    ¡°Right, there must be a reason for all of this. Isn''t it, Hadro?¡± Arkum sent a silent prayer in his heart.

    Over the course of three years, Arkum has grown as much. From a boy who watched his father barely eat anything so he could eat, to a prepubescent boy asking for the love of a woman, to a father who vowed to feed the hungry, to a man whose name is known as the Spear of the Village.

    Arkum sighed and decided to place a pin in the map, soon placing a circular stamp on their current location. The stamp soon lit up and vanished by burning itself without burning the map itself.

    No matter how many times Arkum sees it, he will forever be amazed by the complications of magic. He heard Kasha was the one who made that as well.

    Arkum reminisced as he remembered the kid was still small back then, now grown into a woman who leads a whole group of enchanters and magicians.

    Suddenly he felt the ''phone¡¯ vibrate on his table, where he kept the map down. He reached for the object, a square object that he had to open to be used.

    A short slim antenna emerged as he opened the box, a voice soon going through the device.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Arkum spoke.

    It was their method of communication; after the Valovasoar attacked their village, they tried finding a way to make sure their strongest was always reached.

    [Arkum! Hello! This is Lazarus speaking.]

    ¡°Hello, Lazarus. How may I help you?¡±

    [Oh, I just called to tell you something.]

    Arkum raised a brow when Lazarus paused whilst speaking.

    [I found sightings of the Trix in your area.]

    Arkum remained quiet, he couldn''t help but caress his spear that was just at the side of his seat.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Arkum had felt it back then when Shavik tried letting him feel Aura to awaken him. It was just a fluke; his emotions got the best of him, and his Aura responded to that.

    But he never fully manifested it afterwards. He could now after intense training. He found that Aura is different for each person. Shavik could vanish from sight with his Aura, and a few Aurors in the elven village could eat something that isn''t written down in their system.

    However, when Arkum can finally release his Aura, he finally learns of it. Aura possesses one''s true nature; it''s your identity manifested.

    And truly? Arkum felt hunger for battle. He caressed his spear once more.

    ¡°Thank you, Lazarus.¡±

    [As long as I help you.]

    By then, Lazarus would soon go back to the village. Despite having Lazarus¡¯s siblings on board for protection, they could only do so much.

    Arkum rose once again if he had the chance. He would go back to that lake and take down that deity¡­ but then, that would be too suicidal.

 [V2;C37]The Rise of Champions

    Eldoria, The Through Plains

    [Year 30]

    Shavik imbued specific parts of his body, concentrating aura towards them. His ears could hear the chirping of birds he knew were from hundreds of kilometres away.

    His nose could smell a fruit''s sweet fragrance if he concentrated on one. His eyes could see clarity he had never seen before, he could discern the difference between different bugs crawling in the grass.

    His skin could feel presences that weren''t even near. And now, he felt the impending dive of a hawk ready to kill him, he raised his obsidian dagger. It''s razor-edge glistening.

    The hawk got near, and Shavik could comprehend its speed; he swung the dagger with a surgeon¡¯s precision.

    ¡°Screech!¡±

    It screeched with pain, the wind barely disturbed the ground below as it passed by. Shavik smiled in triumph, blood trailed along his blade.

    He looked up, looking at the hawk, watching its razor-sharp talons glisten with a sharpness that could behead him if she ever got caught.

    ¡°If only you were on the ground!¡±

    Suddenly, mana burst out of the hawk, and its speed rose; Shavik¡¯s eyes twitched as he started to put effort again trying to track the Hawk.

    The hawk disappeared from the skies and Shavik leaned backward, feeling the imminent danger. What he saw was a giant blur as the Hawk¡¯s claw passed by him.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Shavik felt frustrated, his enlightenment on using aura was soon countered after the creature used mana. Was it unfair? It is. Though he smiled at the hawk. It was a challenge he never had before.

    First the Fox, then the bulbous creature, now this hawk. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Shavik felt that if he fought this creature, he would find himself at new heights, maybe not at the same height as his friend, Arkum.

    Shavik swung his blade with precision once again, he felt flesh against his dagger as it was severed from bone. One of the Hawk''s talons fell on the ground still attached to its blade. Shavik couldn''t help but admire its natural sharpness.

    He heard the Hawks screech again, but this time it did not attack. It vanished from above, and he did not feel any attacks coming from everywhere. He surveyed the sky just to find a dot slowly fading away from the distance at incredible speed, the hawk retreated

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Shavik felt surreal at his triumph. He looked down at the talon of the monster. He remembered that Arkum fashioned the tooth of the monster he broke off as a spearhead; he got an idea of what to use the talons for.

    ***

    Arkum caressed his spear, the vast lake under his gaze. He knew that the deity was still there under its depths; he knew that trying to fight it was a certain death wish.

    Arkum sighed. He felt the pressure back then, the deity felt like a being he should not look upon. It was too powerful for a man like him.

    But¡­ it seems like it wasn''t unreachable. It was a status he was sure he could attain. Arkum clenched his hand and opened his palm.

    Right, he wasn''t the weak prepubescent boy back then. Though, in his fifties, most of the people back in the village would choose to settle down at this age, he, on the other hand, is still fighting.

    Though, would this thought make him stop fighting? No, his beloved land, where his beloved wife is buried, needs to be kept safe. The lovely sapling that is growing thanks to her back at Foreline that she nourished is now growing strong.

    He will not die till that oak tree has grown so he can be buried next to her, ready to nourish its roots once more upon his death.

    He held the shaft of the spear in his hand and sighed. He turned his body around to face away from the lake, but before he did, a tendril of water shot forward at inhuman speeds towards Arkum''s body like a whip.

    Arkum didn''t waste any energy at his movement; it was a graceful swipe of his spear, and the tendril didn''t even move to touch him.

    Sooner or later, the pressure bore down on him, and a large serpent surfaced from the lake¡¯s water.

    ¡°You''re with that bastard!¡±

    The serpent yelled as multiple tendrils shot out. Arkum¡¯s eyes widened; they attacked him unprovoked now twice; what was with these deities?

    Arkum started twisting his spear. Left and right, he swung his spear with precision and speed; not even a drop of water caught his clothes.

    Arkum wanted to make sure this confrontation didn''t happen again; this deity attacked him only because it surmised that he was the ally of Lazarus.

    Which he was, he wouldn''t deny that. Lazarus is young but he could act like a friend. Arkum swung his spear multiple times at a speed incomprehensible to normal humans.

    He didn''t dare let a single tendril get to him; he was alone here, and if that Deity got him, he would perish.

    ¡°Tenacious bastard¡­ ¡°

    The serpent growled. Arkum was sure that the serpent wasn''t doing this out of nowhere, he was sure it would get something out of this.

    ¡°Why would you even want to fight me? I do not understand.¡±

    Arkum spoke as he swung his spear, destroying a water tendril going after him.

    ¡°What does a god''s slave need to know?¡± The serpent flicked its tongue. ¡°You''re going to die anyway.¡±

    Arkum could not get a read towards the serpent''s features. It is a different animal; after all, he couldn''t innately read its emotions, unlike his kin.

    ¡°You aren''t afraid that our god would seek retribution?¡±

    ¡°Hah! I couldn''t feel the presence of your god here! You think I don''t know that he¡¯s weaker than me?¡±

    The serpent hissed in laughter.

    ¡°Enough of this!¡±

    The serpent slithered across the surface of the water, swift and strong, till it created a tidal wave that soon led towards Arkum. Arkum, who saw what the Serpent was doing, dashed away, but before he could, the speed of the serpent stopped him as it appeared behind him.

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    The tidal wave crashed, and the serpent struck Arkum with its tail towards the waters; Arkum barely blocked the strike as he was sent flying towards the water.

    Arkum knew that being near the waters was enough danger, yet he couldn''t do anything in this situation. The serpent is determined to kill him.

    Even though the situation was bleak, something else came up. A roar resounded beyond the woods which made the serpent turn its head around.

    ¡°W-what?! What is the King of Lizards doing here!?¡±

    Arkum, who regained his ground, saw an unbelievable sight. the Valovasoar was charging towards the serpent with its maw churning.

    ***

    Mari and Shaka were sitting at a table in the communal bakery. Both women had a tired complexion, both bearing haggard faces.

    ¡°I think that going to different places at once is getting tiring.¡± Shaka sighed as she bit down her sandwich.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I agree. If only there is an easier way to handle this.¡±

    Mari groaned, both women were on a project, one of their own and one from the consul themselves. They had requested just recently to find solutions to problems that they had never seen before, thus compelled them to do it.

    ¡°I just finished with the celestial bodies¡­ wait!¡± Mari looked at Shaka. ¡°Don''t you think that Lazarus has a solution for this?¡±

    That promptly raised a brow from Shaka. ¡°How? We have problems moving things from one place to another. We also have to teach others while we''re at it. How the hell does Lazarus have a solution for that?¡±

    Mari rolled her eyes for Shaka to see which led to Shaka scoffing.

    ¡°Obviously we ask,¡± Mari stated.

    Shaka shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Where¡¯s Lazarus anyways?¡±

    ¡°He was sent somewhere in the North for something. He¡¯ll be back soon since he was only told to take a look.¡±

    Shaka and Mari finished their snack and went back to their shared office somewhere in the village. Right now, Mari was taking in the geometry of some wood, and she was making sure she got the dimensions right.

    The consul came across some problems across the North. Remnants of the dungeons decided to propagate themselves there.

    One of the common ones is the Scorn foxes, which could potentially disrupt their supply chain, so they need to be dealt with accordingly.

    There''s already a group ready to deal with it anytime but there''s only a few of them. Besides, the supply management teams are not equipped to deal with the foxes.

    ¡°What''s the last enchantment best for this?¡± Shaka murmured.

    ¡°I''m going to create the circuit,¡± Mari exclaimed.

    Mari and Shaka were once experimenting with enchantments, and by sheer sleep-deprived thought, Mari added mana circuits to the object she was enchanting.

    It works best for an item with multiple parts that should be managed for a while, although everything they make is made to last for a long time.

    Mari had already decided on the best item to use, a simple bracelet. Since mana is sensitive to intent and gets stronger with its given purpose. Mari¡¯s magic circuits would strengthen any enchantment given by others.

    ¡°Alright, place your enchantments, Shaka.¡±

    Shaka nodded and started chanting, clasping the bracelet in her hand and with sincere words the bracelet was engraved with a purpose strengthened by Mari¡¯s magic circuits.

    After a while, Shaka succeeded in making the enchantment.

    ¡°Phew¡­ now only a few of these.¡± Shaka wiped a sweat out of her forehead.

    Mari handed multiple bracelets to Shaka, she was already doing the other''s whilst Shaka was enchanting one. Also, Shaka took a long on the first one for a reason.

    The first bracelet has an intended group effect. Everyone inside the intended area will be affected; the other bracelets also had the effect but on a smaller scale.

    The reason for this is that when together, the effect becomes stronger. The best way to counter the Scorn Fox''s elusive nature is to make sure that its effects never get to the victim''s head in the first place.

    ¡°Seems that everyone is working diligently.¡± A voice from the doorway spoke.

    ¡°Lazarus!¡± Mari excitedly squeezed.

    She ran up to Lazarus to hug him. Lazarus returned the hug and nodded to Shaka as a greeting.

    ¡°I was just here to check up on both of you. Is there anything you both needed?¡±

    Mari then remembered her discussion with Shaka earlier.

    ¡°Yeah! Yeah! Do you know how to solve our problem?¡±

    Lazarus tilted his head. ¡°Sure?¡±

    ¡°So, we have to teach students and disciples, but we also have to work, is there a solution for that?¡±

    When Mari asked, Shaka was already listening fully. Lazarus thought for a minute, browsing Hadro''s leakage of memory towards him.

    Lazarus saw an old man who kept yelling at Hadro himself. Anger welled up within Lazarus when he saw this, but he browsed deeper to see the context and realized that there was no actual reason for the old man to yell at Hadro.

    He did his work, and he double-checked to make sure it was right. In the end, the old man just yelled at Hadro to relieve stress. None of the old man''s words were even criticism. It was just a mix of insults and berating words.

    Lazarus skipped and tried browsing more. His anger wouldn''t be needed here; the memory was related to the answer he was finding; in the end, he found the answer: an Academy.

    A place where teachers could teach and work, whilst also working on their projects. It''s an organization that fits what Mari and Shaka best.

    ¡°Yeah, there is.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The two women were interested in the answer.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s an Academy.¡±

    ¡°Academy?¡±

    ¡°Like Alpine. Students there gather to learn and, once old enough, will become assistants to the professors to help with their work, and once their duty is done, they graduate.¡±

    Mari and Shaka looked at each other.

    ¡°Also, they have all the facilities there, from a clinic, chemistry lab, history¡­ uh¡­¡±

    Lazarus tried to recall when suddenly all the memories of Hadro that Lazarus was trying to browse vanished. He was initially confused at first, but then he felt Hadro''s connection with him strengthen, and all the memories instead became knowledge.

    There are no unnecessary memories of other people, just the technical words and images that would help Lazarus find what he wants.

    ¡°Oh, culture, maths, philosophy, ethics and more. Wow, that''s a lot of subjects. There''s also Physical education, which I guess delves into exercises, physical fitness and cultural dances. That''s amazing.¡±

    The more the two women heard about the Academy the more they got excited. Mari leaned closely towards Lazarus.

    ¡°How could we¡ª¡±

    Lazarus smoothly gave a smooch to Mari''s lips which got Mari embarrassed as she leaned backwards. Shaka looked away in second-hand embarrassment.

    ¡°H-how do we e-establish an Academy?¡± Mari sheepishly asked.

    ¡°Ah, right. I guess there¡¯s building planning too,¡± Lazarus placed a finger under his chin. ¡°Well, that needs to be planned. Besides, we have the best mathematician here!¡±

    ***

    Garuk was the one responsible for exploring the south; his coordination proved useful in its hilly structure.

    The South was filled with lots of monsters instead of strong ones unlike the Through Plains and the North. Because, unlike the two Cardinal directions, the south isn''t migrated by dungeon monsters.

    And it seems that there aren''t a lot of monsters here, to begin with. Garuk sighed, he knew that he was voted to become an Alvon for his leadership and not his strength.

    If they were following old traditional orcish customs, then he would just be an officer, not an Alvon. After all, he wasn''t strong. He may be able to live long thanks to him being a second tier, but he was sure in a few decades, there would be someone who would replace him, someone much better.

    He sighed once again; Garuk watched as the initiates built a wooden wall around their camp; this would be one of their supply anchors.

    Garuk went inside his tent and placed a sticker on the map; it soon pulsed with mana before settling down.

    ¡°Oh, beyond this will be dangerous territory. I wish we had some tamed birds for lookout.¡±

    Garuk soon started planning with his officers for their next course of action. The next reconnaissance would probably come in after a while.

    Garuk made sure that the time they were out would not be wasted.

    ¡°It seems that most of the tasks are done,¡± Garuk spoke out loud, he knew that his two officers would hear it.

    One of his officers was a human whilst the other was a prepubescent elf(he was in his hundreds). The two officers shared glances at each other, deciding that it was best to stay quiet.

    ¡°Then it''s time to train.¡±

    The sour faces of his two Officers made Garuk amused, though, in the end, they couldn''t refuse him. After all, one of Alpine''s goals is to ¡®strive to be better¡¯. Training is one of them.

    Garuk stood up; he had a spear in hand as he walked out of the tent and towards an open clearing; his two Officers followed him out.

    As he was about to instruct his Officers, Garuk lifted his head to look at a hill, his Officers promptly followed his gaze.

    ¡°I hear screeching.¡± One of his Officers noted.

    ¡°Go prepare for a fight.¡±

    Garuk instructed and the two Officers saluted and started ringing up the Initiates. The screeching seemed like a bad omen; not even a few minutes later, the initiates were ready for battle; they raised their spears and had an enchanted helmet each.

    They waited for the eventual attack; the hill beyond them was filled with trees, so it was hard to discern anything moving about. It was soon that they found three of their reconnaissance members running for their lives. One is injured and nursing their arm.

    ¡°Formations!¡± Garuk yelled and the initiates moved to make a wall of flesh outside the walls.

    They soon found what the recon team was escaping from. It was a crocodilian lizard the length of a tree and the size of a boulder.

    ¡°Alvon?¡±

    Garuk was prepared to take on leagues of monsters with prepared formations, but if it''s just one singular strong monster then it would be different.

    The monster appearing out of nowhere was unexpected, however, the lives of initiates aren''t strong enough to hold out that monster.

    Even at this distance, Garuk could tell that the monster could be wiped out.

    ¡°Fall back! Defend the walls!¡±

    He roared his command with haste. He soon went forward as the initiates started falling back from formation. Garuk knew he wasn''t strong enough, he was only tier 2, an inhuman from Foreline standards.

    Garuk took a deep breath, the Officers watched with worry as the initiates. The recon team soon passed by and the monster was only getting closer.

    Garuk got a glimpse of its name. [Ferocious Croc], or more likely its label. But that barely matters. He had men to protect behind him and knowing the monster he would kill barely matters.

    ¡°RAAAHHHHH!!!!¡±

    Garuk thrusts his spear with precision, all of his mana gathering at one spot. He planned to use the monster''s momentum against it, and somehow, it worked.

    The spear''s tip exploded with power and the monster¡¯s scales crumbled under his might. The crocodile bellowed and reared back from pain.

    ¡°All of you monsters are careless.¡±

    Garuk however, soon felt an indescribable weight placed upon his shoulders. It was the killing intent of the crocodile that made him buckle.

    ¡°We really need a classification for these monsters.¡±

    Garuk stood up after he cycled his mana. He felt the weight prickle under his skin like needles, an initiate would die from this, but he wasn''t one; he was their leader, an Alvon. He shall stand up to that title.

    Garuk toughed out the killing intent the Ferocious Croc was sending. The slitted eyes of the monster soon stopped, and it bellowed once more, the weight on Garuk''s shoulders becoming heavier.

    Yet, Garuk didn''t care. He gathered mana upon the tip of his spear as he spread it out. He activated a skill again, and he struck. The tip of the spear goes deeper, this time towards the monster¡¯s snout.

    The monster bellowed, shaking its snout left and right to take Garuk off. Garuk however, took this chance to drive his spear deeper upon the monster.

    He held it tightly; the moment the monster stopped shaking, he pulled it out abruptly, and he dashed to the monster, jumping toward its head. It was a stupid decision that should never be replicated.

    However, Garuk knew that every living being would die once their head was destroyed. So with that knowledge, he jumped and struck at the monster between its eyes to deliver a killing blow.

    The monster reacted way too late. It may have tried to move its whole body away, but the distance it covered was barely an inch before Garuk drove his spear into its brain.

    Garuk was sweating; he felt something fall from his eyes; he touched it with his hand just to see that it was blood. The blood was from his eyes. Garuk was confused for a moment before he realised that the monster concentrated its killing intent towards him like a weapon.

    ¡°What a deadly skill¡­¡±

    Garuk knelt at the top of the monster, taking heavy breaths. He heard footsteps nearing and he knew it was his officers.

    ¡°Helt go and have someone butcher this monster up.¡±

    He glanced in their direction before pausing as he saw that it was the recon team. Two of them had dried-up tears on their faces. Garuk wondered why, but there were only three of them instead of four. He realised what would''ve happened.

    ¡°Alvon Garuk¡­ please, we need to recover the dead¡­ ¡°

    Garuk nodded; it was a belief in the village that the dead would suffer in the afterlife if they weren''t buried properly.

    ¡°Cut up the monster, we search for the missing person immediately.¡±

    ¡°No, no, Alvon.¡± one of the Recon team shook their heads. His name was Fitch ¡°Our dead is inside the monster. We saw Ren get swallowed.¡±

    Garuk¡¯s heart dropped, it was their first casualty caused by monsters by the recent events. In the end, Garuk sighed and had the monster butchered.

    His shoulders felt heavier as they recovered the body of the recon team inside the monster. The man¡¯s body was torn in half, and his innards were scattered inside the stomach of the monster.

    Garuk took a deep breath, and his officer Helt placed a hand over his shoulder. He looked at him; his human officer, along with his elven officer, was looking at him with worry.

    ¡°Alvon, it is not your fault that he died. Please do not blame yourself.¡±

    Garuk closed his eyes, despite knowing that the death of his men wasn''t his fault and it was because of circumstance. Garuk still felt it was because of his leadership.

    ¡°I know,¡± Garuk replied simply.

    Yet, Garuk repeated the words of Elder Armin in his head. ''In leadership, everything is your fault. Do not find excuses, find ways to make your leadership better. We cannot mend what is done, but we can make it better for others.¡¯

    Garuk remembered Elder Armin saying this with a pained look, so he didn''t refute it, despite the unfairness it placed on the leader. The elder is probably thousands of years old since he looked older despite some elves being over half a millennia old, and they still looked young.

    Now he saw why the elder had a pained face, he hadn''t personally known Ren but he met the man, he was an optimist if he saw one. Then he was gone just like that, Garuk didn''t know that lifting a pen was heavier than lifting his spear when writing a report.

 [V2;C38] The Rise of Champions 2

    Eldoria, The northern Lake

    [Year 30]

    Part 1

    ¡°What even is that, Mari?¡± Shaka asked.

    Kavo was interested as well, this was asked by the administration. Something that would ease their burden by removing more hands-on scribing.

    ¡°A Mechanical writer and a Mechanical Press, I call it.¡±

    Mari proudly presented her creation, it was an abomination she had trial and error creating. Well- mostly for the typewriter but for the mechanical press? It was easy.

    ¡°This is how it works!¡±

    Mari placed a paper in the mechanical writer. She started typing down by pressing the buttons with the corresponding letters and Kavo watched in utter joy as he understood what it does.

    ¡°i-its beautiful!¡± Kavo watched in amazement, his eyes shining.

    ¡°I''m telling that to your wife.¡± Shaka snickered.

    ¡°At least! I have a wife! A spouse, Shaka.¡± Came the immediate retort from Kavo.

    Shaka grumbled before staying quiet. Once Mari had the demonstrations finished, she went to a pile of papers and gave them the drawing of the mechanical machines.

    ¡°These are the dimensions and how they''re fixed together. I already have it all written down.¡±

    ¡°That''s amazing.¡± Kavo took the paper that had the drawings of the mechanical writer.

    ¡°This will undoubtedly remove a lot of burden from the Consuls.¡±

    ¡°What does the press do?¡± Shaka asked, her eyes still on the press.

    ¡°Oh, that! Wait a second.¡±

    Mari dipped ink into a circle plate, Kavo raised a brow at what she did, probably thinking how that''s a waste of ink. Mari started to spin a crank, which made the circle plate spin, whilst a rolling pin started to spread the ink.

    After the circle plate was fully covered in ink, Mari then grabbed a handle in the back of the plate which she pushed to a bunch of letters down below the plate.

    Kavo and Shaka were still confused about the whole process but soon understood once Mari pressed a paper down to those letters, and it came out with a uniform article.

    ¡°What?! That will revolutionize everything!¡±

    Kavo understood how significant the creations were. Shaka was also in awe as she knew how easy books were going to be to produce.

    ¡°Right!? At least we don''t have to scribe it all down anymore!¡± Shaka screeched.

    ¡°I know right?! I don''t have to write every single assignment for my students anymore if I have this writer!¡± Kavo cackled.

    Mari looked impassively upon the two overworked people and was about to say something when she felt a head lean on her shoulder.

    ¡°Hey, Mari,¡± Lazarus called affectionately.

    ¡°Lazarus!¡±

    ¡°Uh oh, the two lovers are here, better scoot.¡±

    Kavo immediately dashed away, still holding the schematics for the machines. Shaka dashed away from the door with a thumbs-up before disappearing.

    Mari felt heat coming from her face; it was only one time when she humoured Lazarus a kiss in her workplace, and everyone started thinking whenever Lazarus came, Mari would have a lovey-dovey time with him, every time!

    ¡°So¡­ Lazarus, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Can''t I see you? I just visited Rei, Moyo and Kaina.¡±

    ¡°O-oh! I see. Then¡­ Do you want to go out? I''m sure the bakery has some meat pie.¡±

    ¡°The pie I want¡­¡± Lazarus pounced, his arms wrapping around Mari''s waist ¡°... Is you.¡± he leaned in and nibbled Mari''s ear to her surprise.

    ¡°L-Lazarus!¡± Mari yelled.

    Smack!

    ***

    Arkum and the Valovasoar looked each other in the eyes before focusing on the deity. The serpent glared at the two beings near it.

    The serpent let out a guttural roar, water from the lake surging out of its place, rushed to the serpent, like a magnet, but the Valovasoar shot a ball of flame towards the waters, making it sizzle and then explode into steam.

    ¡°Th-This feeble creature!¡±

    The serpent found its mistake, thinking it was only going to confront Arkum. It tried going back to the waters, but Arkum immediately thrust his spear, the blade of the spear connected to the wide body of the serpent.

    The energy delivered made it reel to the side; the Valovasoar took its chance and released a point-blank ball of flame towards its scales.

    The serpent hissed, it slithered abruptly, coiling around and hitting everything around it. Arkum was slammed backwards but he soon charged again.

    The spear in his hand gets empowered with mana as he strikes the coiling body of the serpent. It did nothing but a nick on the serpent''s scales, proving the toughness of deities.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    It wasn''t all; the mana raging around the serpent proved to be a tough defence for it as well. Considering its mana was denser than any living being around it, Arkum couldn''t push back against it at all.

    However, it was different when he was not alone. The Valovasoar roared at the serpent making it hiss at the intensity it let out.

    The epicentre of its roar pushed away dirt and deafened whoever was close to it. The Valovasoar glared at the deity as it halted its movements.

    ¡°Damn you, you beast!¡±

    The serpent hissed, more water surged from the lake but was stopped by a ball of fire sizzling it to steam.

    The serpent hissed in frustration; it had two enemies at once, and they were strong.

    The bridges between Tier 3 and Tier 4 are far apart. The deity had only reached tier four recently after devouring multiple tier 3 monsters.

    The Valovasoar''s mouth was glowing and the air waved around it. It was clear it was good for another attack. The serpent knew that taking on these two would certainly wound it beyond repair.

    Even with its fast natural regeneration, it knew it wouldn''t be able to take care of its territory if something strong were to attack it if let these two team up on it like this.

    Though, it''s not like the serpent could do anything about it, a ball of fire erupted between the serpent and the lake. The scorching floor was glowing red.

    Arkum soon reached the serpent, he was smiling like a maniac as he swung his spear coated with aura. It pierced through, and the serpent''s scale was crushed as the spear pierced through, rendering its flesh.

    The serpent hissed in pain, it coiled up rapidly, its speed smashing everything that collided with it. The Valovasoar shot a ball of flame under it, and the soil and rocks melted, scorching the serpent.

    It stopped coiling and hissed weakly. Arkum struck once again; this time, his attack pierced to the other side of the snake, creating a hole the size of a bear''s head.

    The Serpent hissed and lashed out erratically. The Valovasoar tried firing a ball of flame but was sent flying away after the serpent lashed its tail everywhere, desperate enough to go back to the waters that it scorched its scales, crossing the molten floor between itself and the lake.

    Arkum, however, didn''t allow it to go back; he pierced the spear on its tail as it was crossing the molten ground. Pinning it down in place.

    It hissed, it writhed around the molten ground, it was being cooked alive. It tried calling the water of the lake but a ball of flame evaporated the surging waters. Another ball of flame soon hit the serpent''s face, which stunned it momentarily.

    The last thing it saw was a human running up to its body and striking its eyes with the spear before everything went black.

    ***

    A Drakin led a group of humans in the woods, their scaled bodies more tolerant of the harsh nature. The group was tasked to bring back a beast as a rite of passage.

    The Drakin, Zerkian was tasked to bring them along.

    ¡°Ga''dahn don''t go too far from the group.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ga¡¯dahn replied sheepishly. This has been the fifth time.

    Jean, a girl who was always on Ga''dahn''s ear sighed. She pulled him close like an owner worried about her pet.

    Zerkian watched with a curious eye but still focused on his task. The group soon found a boar, it was as wide as two tables and higher than two spears.

    Zerkian felt nostalgic as he saw the boar. He was sure their breeding season ended, and by the looks of it, this one was a male, so all was good to hunt this one.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡± one of the three humans looked at the boar with fear and awe.

    His name is Kars, he has been fiddling with his spear since earlier. It seems he is more nervous than the rest.

    Zerkian brought out a horn. ¡°Everyone ready?¡±

    Ga''dahn and Jean glanced at Zerkian with a nod; Zerkian looked at Kars, who gave a reluctant nod.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Zerkian blew on the horn, it created a loud screeching noise that caught the attention of the boar.

    The boar turned its body around to face the group of young adults. Steam rushing out of its nostrils. Kars gulped loudly as he saw the beast''s fear and apprehension evident in his eyes.

    Zerkian couldn''t blame him for the apprehension, he felt the same thing when he looked at the boar once. Zerkian patted Kars in the back which made the young man flinch.

    ¡°One thing I learned from a wise man. Do you know the difference between a coward and the brave?¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Kars was confused, but he tried thinking of the answer. In the end decided to just ask for the answer. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The coward runs away from his fear, the brave faces it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Kars remained quiet. Ruminating about Zerkian¡¯s words.

    ¡°Kars, I felt the same fear once. It''s best to face it, I swear on my name.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Kars looked at the rearing boar, the trio prepared to take it down. Jean raised her palms, activating a skill a ball of mana gathered on her hand and soon burst into flames.

    ¡°Alright. Attack when you''re ready.¡± Zerkian announced.

    Zerkian remained on the lookout for the boar; he was there to supervise the trio, and he''d do it dutifully.

    Zerkian moved away from the area; he used his innate power over the wind and dashed away. Taking a cautious look at his surroundings, making sure that the trio wouldn''t be disturbed in their hunt.

    Kars looked at the boar with shaky hands, he has to be brave! He isn''t a coward! He repeated into his head like a mantra. Ga''dahn moved forward, raising his spear and pointing at the boar.

    The boar screeched, its warning signs ignored; it soon launched itself towards the trio with a powerful dash, its tusks pointed to pierce.

    Kars breath became shaky but he held his spear up, sweat sliding down his cheeks. Jean let her fireball soar into the air; it hit the boar''s face, blinding it temporarily. It''s momentum carried; unstoppable.

    ¡°Screech!¡±

    Ga''dahn buckled, his knees screaming as the boar launched itself towards him, his spear creaking as its tip dug into the boar¡¯s skin, not penetrating more than its skin.

    ¡°ugh¡­!¡±

    Ga''dahn slid back, his feet digging a trail on the ground. He held his ground; the boar carried momentum that crashed into him, slowing him down.

    Once Ga''dahn halted, Kars took this opportunity to strike the boar in the eye. Which did land, granting a pained screech from the boar.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Ga''dahn yelled at Kars.

    Kars didn''t manage to pull away before the boar swung its head left and right, trying to shake the spear off its face. Kars was sent flying back, the tusk hitting him in his belly, sending him reeling on the ground.

    The boar continued its assault, using one eye to look around, its head filled with nothing but primal rage. Mana accumulated over its four limbs, an instinctive move.

    ¡°What¡ª!?¡±

    Zerkian''s eyes widened, and he immediately dashed forward; the boar shouldn''t be able to use mana unless it''s already teetering at the edge of monsterhood.

    The boar dashed, it was fast, way too fast for Zerkian to ever catch up. However, what Zerkian didn''t expect was Kars to materialize at the side of the boar and drop a kick to the spear that he stuck at its eye socket.

    The spear stuck out the boar''s left jaw, the blade protruding out; somehow, it didn''t hit the brain. The boar let out a soft pained screech before aiming its head to Kars.

    He was trembling, his face was filled with conflicted fear and joy. That moment Zerkian realised what the young man was feeling. It was ''thrill¡¯. The young man was trembling because he was itching to fight!

    Zerkian watched in awe as the young man instinctively had mana coat his arms and punched the boar at its side sending it scooting a few meters back. The sound of bone being broken under flesh resounded.

    Kars didn''t give time for the boar to recover; he dashed to the boar¡¯s head, stepped on its tusk and yanked the spear out of its head that pierced through its jaw.

    The boar was reeling in pain, blood flowing out of its wound like a faucet; Kars had a manic smile; he got to stance and pierced the boar¡¯s noggin, mana empowering him.

    The spear dug into the boar''s skull, piercing its brain, and the beast slumped to the ground. Kars was breathing rugged as he stood over the boar. He had blood dripping down his nose.

    Ga''dahn watched in awe and admiration as Kars, a man who was thinner than him, somehow had more bloodlust than an experienced Hunter. Jean watched in awe and shock, she''d never seen this much bloodlust before than her father.

    Zerkian walked up to Kars; he didn''t try to touch the young man; it seemed he was still unstable from the bloodlust he was exuding.

    ¡°Kars?¡±

    Kars slowly looked at Zerkian, breathing heavily. Kars blinked and he got off the boar''s head.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡­ I didn''t know what came over me. I-It felt good to fight like that I¡ª¡±

    Ga¡¯dahn wrapped his arms around Kars¡¯ shoulder with a hearty laugh. It rang so loud that Zerkian and Jean winced; Kars had to cover his ear.

    ¡°Don''t feel bad Kars! You''re a warrior through and through! My tribe would surely adopt you if you give them a chance! Say, why not come under our family? Your name shall be Kar''dahn!¡±

    Zerkian glanced at Ga¡¯dahn, multiple tribes came in waves years ago and had now integrated with the Drakin. They live as a large and singular community but some tribe traditions didn''t leave.

    Ga''dahn and Jean are a Garlushan, a tribe that values warriors and mages, often relying on them to dive dungeons. Kars, on the other hand, was from a tribe filled with ritualistic shamans, the Irkifi.

    While the Irkifi were filled with shamans, they also had their warriors. Though not as extreme as Garlushans, which would impose an extreme regime of exercise on their warriors.

    Kars smiled and refused Ga''dahn''s offer, he did not want to live like a Garlushan.

    ¡°Let''s get home, you''re the champion of this hunt, Kars.¡± Zerkian placed a hand on Kars shoulder tapping it.

    Ga''dahn laughed heartily again, gaining him a slap from Jean. Zerkian and Ga''dahn (Who insisted) carried the boar with effort back to their growing village.

    ***

    [Rei]

    Rei thrust his spear, and the air whooshes, making him frown; he refrained from using mana because, according to the Alvons, using mana whilst practising their handling on spears makes them complacent.

    Rei didn''t understand, so in his own time, he practised. What he learned was simple: there is no challenge when using mana when practising. He felt the spear weightless; every move of him was powerful, but that''s it. There was no flow, no fluidity, only brute force.

    Whilst using mana to empower himself is awesome, he never used them whilst training again. Besides, mana control is one of the most basic skills out there.

    He was already done with that, what''s left there for Rei to master was the remaining skills recommended to his class, [Junior Spearman].

    All that''s left for him to master or even push to its limits is [Thrust Caliber] under the [Spearman] category of class. The skill is simple, whenever Rei would apply mana to his spear, he would release it, empowering his spear and shooting a shockwave the shape of his spear forward.

    The problem is that true mastery of this skill requires doing all of that in chronological order with small pauses in between. Arkum does it on the fly instinctively, so he can''t describe the feeling to Rei.

    But Rei, who looks up to Arkum wanted to master this skill. The steps of the [Thrust Caliber] seem simple on paper, but each step is a conscious step.

    Arkum does it almost instantly like he didn''t even consider the steps. Rei managed to take his mastery to the point of activation in only half a second, but to him, that wasn''t enough.

    He wanted the skill to be like Arkum¡¯s, a simple thought of activation, where it felt natural.

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    Rei cursed under his breath before swinging his spear again, a small trace of mana highlighting the edge of his spear.

    ¡°Uh oh, even if you''re old enough, Rei. You shouldn''t just curse.¡±

    Rei turned around quickly; he knew who this voice belonged to. He saw Lazarus walking up to him with a spear on his back.

    ¡°D-dad? What are you¡­¡±

    Lazarus walked up to Rei and ruffled his sweat-ridden hair.

    ¡°I''m here to visit you before going to the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we''re trying to gauge how far we could dive before giving it to the Arms of Defence for training.¡±

    Lazarus mused, looking at his son with amusement. There''s fondness in his eyes.

    ¡°Well, one thing you should know, Rei, once we determine the safety of our project, then you can go all out against monsters you can take.¡±

    Lazarus took the spear off his back and took a few steps backwards. He aimed the spear towards his son. ¡°Why won''t we have a spar whilst I''m here?¡±

    Rei¡¯s orange eyes flared as he held his spear tightly before moving to a stance. ¡°Sure, Dad.¡±

    Lazarus smirked, he felt joy and pride looking at his son. Lazarus, being the realm of demigod made from Hadro¡¯s energy himself, didn''t have any trouble mastering the spear over the years; that would be different for his son.

    But despite that, Lazarus knew that Rei was a prodigy amongst all of his peers. Lazarus knew how the system provided by his father worked.

    The simpler the skill, the harder it is to reach its absolute mastery. Lazarus does not know the purpose of this but it goes along the lines of ¡®fearing the man who has practised a single kick thousands of times than a man who knows how to kick thousands of ways¡¯

    Understanding the reasoning made Lazarus want more for his son, who is obsessed with a singular skill. Lazarus knew that if Rei ever reached the mastery he wanted, he would be stronger than Arkum.

    ***

    [The Nefuti]

    The Nefuti people asked the Aidens what to do for their god, but so far, the Aidens have not answered.

    They have been protecting them so far. But one thing is clear, their god has told them to live, so his command is for them to obey.

    A few days have passed since their god entered the cocoon of energy. And the tribe has found themselves living in houses provided by the most vibrant Aiden.

    Agni has taught the Nefuti people how to use tools and how to dig the land to farm and has shared the wonderful snake meat for them to feast upon.

    It''s only been three days, but it seems that the future of the Nefuti people has been bright.

    ¡°I worry for them,¡± Mikhael commented, his eyes looking down at the Nefuti people, helping each other, arguing or laughing.

    ¡°Why so?¡± Agni spoke to her little brother. ¡°despite our location, everything seems fine.¡±

    ¡°That is one concern, but not my main one.¡± Mikhael shook his head. ¡°It''s the fact that we''re here that I''m worried.¡±

    Agni tilted her head, slightly confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Isn''t Father¡¯s ultimate goal is to guide them, and watch them grow?¡± Mikhael pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, that''s it and we mirror that goal.¡± Agni urged Mikhael to get to the point.

    ¡°All I''m saying is, is our presence going to hinder their growth? Their potential?¡± Mikhael asked in a worried tone.

    Agni and the earlier-born Aidens could parse fragmented memories of their father, Hadro. But now, they couldn''t anymore; something happened after Hadro went into a metamorphosis.

    Although, before he did, Mikhael saw some fragments. ¡°The presence of someone could be a motivator, Mikhael.¡± Agni smiled.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I don''t have a glance at the future Father is building, but truth be told. We''re within it, as with the people he took under his wing.¡±

    Michael had confusion plastered on his face, and Agni chuckled. ¡°All I''m saying is that our presence isn''t holding them back. Look at the Nefuti.¡±

    Agni looked ahead, Mikhael followed her gaze and they both gazed at the Nefuti who was working along the day. Agni pointed at a man on the side living near others.

    He was crippled, his leg was bitten by a snake and had to be amputated. Normally, men who became useless were only fed enough to survive. But now, the man could help by foraging for fruits and vegetables.

    ¡°There''s no shame in such a thing.¡± Mikhael looked at Agni, his eyes demanding an explanation. Agni sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not sad, depressed or even annoyed at what he¡¯s doing. Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­. ¡° Mikhael looked at the man again. ¡°Because he could work?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s one part. But most importantly he has a purpose.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Father¡­ told me once, a society is judged by how they treat the vulnerable.¡± Agni paused, letting Mikhael digest her words.

    ¡°People will always view those who do not work as useless and will always think that the elderly are the only ones who can have these privileges.

    But in truth, Mikhael. There''s no more degrading to a person than them knowing they''re useless. Father¡¯s edict allowed them to change their views, even if they''d just known him for a week.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Mikhael''s eyes locked on the man''s figure a little bit more, and then he looked at Agni again. His eyes urged her to finish what she meant.

    ¡°What I''m saying is, our presence does not hinder their growth. We help it grow, that''s our ultimate goal.¡±

    Mikhael''s brows furrowed and he sighed and walked away. Agni didn''t stop him despite his attitude was being rude. ¡°Is this why Father doesn''t like Aidens being born with a complete ego? Hm¡­¡±

    ***

    [Drakins]

    Allie had never been nervous more than ever. She looked up at the Great Mountains, and she could see the dragon mourning. Allie knows she could get killed like an insect if she were ever to annoy the dragon.

    But there was a gnawing feeling inside her; it only got stronger the more she tried to ignore it. In the end, she sighed and decided to fly up the plateau in the middle of the Great mountains.

    There, the dragon rested; she felt its presence waning. In a depressive state. The dragon raised its head, looking down at the Aiden.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°U-uhm¡­ I came here because¡­ ¡°

    ¡°If you''re here to kill me, this is a bad way to show it.¡±

    Allie, flinched and shook her head. ¡°N-no! No! I was here because¡­ I can''t ignore it¡­¡±

    The dragon huffed flames coming out of its nostrils. It was amused looking down at Allie. ¡°Ignore what?¡±

    ¡°I-I don''t know! I just felt¡­ uncomfortable. The moment you attacked Father I couldn''t help but you''re mourning.¡±

    The dragon growled for a second before laying down again, it incurred that the Aiden had no ill intentions.

    ¡°Every single one of my children is dead, that''s why.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°It does not help they were a prideful bunch. I taught them everything I know. Magic and spots to migrate.¡±

    Allie fell silent; she sat down in front of the dragon, eager to listen to its story.

    ¡°A dragon is rare, I know that much, my descendants in the other continents¡­ I couldn''t feel their presence anymore.¡±

    The dragon entailed how it missed its descendants, its siblings and friends. It spoke in sorrow how, one by one, he no longer felt any draconic presence.

    It soon spoke about its adventures, its accomplishments and achievements, and its breakthrough magic as it used mana fluently.

    ¡°... It was frustrating. I tried creating a clone once, and the next thing I knew, whilst focusing my flesh to multiply and grow its own body, a hundred years had passed. Yet the only trait it had was my useless pride and not my knowledge. I couldn''t even replicate what that Monkey did with its hairs.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have lived long,¡± Allie commented.

    ¡°Yes, sometimes years would just pass by. I stopped counting after I turned a few thousand years.¡±

    ¡°You must''ve seen historical things happen.¡±

    ¡°That I did.¡± The dragon shifted itself into a more comfortable position, facing Allie. ¡°I''ve seen the last city of humans on this continent. I forgot the name, but the god of creation¡¯s last city of worship was destroyed after being killed by its children.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It was thousands of years ago¡­ but in the wake of that battle, was remnants of the god of creation''s last creation. The dungeons.¡±

    ¡°W-w-wait!? But dungeons are aggressive! Everything that comes out of it is monsters!¡±

    The dragon looked down at Allie and wagged its tail to the other side.

    ¡°Yes, after all, the dungeon core is the fragment of that God; one could assume that core is his pure will and if it creates monsters, then¡­ hmm, it would be bad to assume that only monsters could come out of dungeons, right?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°I''m sure there are treasures down there, too; the god of creation encompasses both treasure and traps.¡±

    Allie nodded, it''s true. Most monsters that Foreline could get their hands on are used with a purpose. The monsters having the mind of only killing anything sapient is just the hard way of getting those materials.

    There is always something good to get out of those monsters. Allie couldn''t deny that; a shame she couldn''t go inside the dungeon and look.

    ¡°Do you know why the dungeon doesn''t allow us entry?¡± Allie asked offhandedly.

    The dragon huffed and considered Allie¡¯s question. ¡°I have no idea. Whatever happened between the war between the God of creation and its children which created that.¡±

    Allie furrowed her brows; it was a shame she couldn''t know the truth about the dungeon more, but at least she could now see the dragon in better shape.

    ¡°Did you come here because you''re worried?¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ maybe?¡±

    The dragon chuckled, amused by Allie. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Eh- uh¡­¡± Allie didn''t know how to react to gratitude. Especially from a creature whose the power of a deity.

    ¡°If I were a few thousand years younger I would''ve concluded that your worry is pity and your attitude is insolence. I guess being soft isn''t a weakness.¡±

    Allie remained silent at the Dragons¡¯ comment.

    ¡°Can you keep visiting me for a while?¡±

    The dragon asked for Company; Allie looked up at the dragon and nodded. ¡°Sure, I don''t have that much to do anyway.¡±

    The dragon expressed its gratitude by nodding; since she got what she wanted, Allie flew away back to the Drakin village.

    The humans of the Drakin Village have six tribes, the Garlushan, Irkifi, Fauthili, Aamuka, Sahangili and Raamont. The tribes, out of gratitude for the Drakins, decided to adopt their way of life without letting go of their cultures.

    Their cultures, however, blended. One thing is the Smoking rotation which welcomes a young man to the ranks of adulthood. The other was currying favour from the Drakin.

    The Drakin didn''t view the humans differently; they viewed them as a fellow, but the humans didn''t view it the same way. The Drakin was their benefactor, so having a Drakin as a spouse is viewed with the highest honour.

    In the last three years, there have been at least six couples that managed to have a child, which is half Drakin and half-human, though there''s no difference, visually and talent.

    But having someone''s family from a tribe with a Drakin is akin to raising their prestige. The Drakin were a bit befuddled by this way of life at first, but when they adopted the way humans think, they thought of this as natural.

    Though, thanks to that way of thinking, they developed more close familial bonds. Through the process of socializing with the humans, Drakin has regained a sense of purpose and greater kinship, almost forgetting the time of oppression from their Guardian Dragon.

    ¡°Zerkian, how was your first guiding experience?¡±

    Zerkian raised a brow, it was his older brother, Delaskan. He was bigger and lean, also better with a spear.

    ¡°I''m good, Delaskan, some strange kids then and there but everything else is good.¡±

    Delaskan laughed, patting Zerkian on his back. ¡°Good to hear! Anything that would make our kin strong is always welcome!¡±

    ¡°Right, what the matter? There''s a reason you came all the way here, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Delaskan''s eyes brightened after remembering something. ¡°Right! Listen, Zerkian. The elders had a message from the Guardian our Patron God.¡±

    Zerkian¡¯s eyes widened; a message from a Guardian was a significant thing; after all, their Patron God was their benefactor and someone who let his kin know the word freedom.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zerkian Asked with seriousness.

    His demeanour was mirrored by Delaskan, his tone shifting from cheery to serious tone. ¡°We will meet with our Patron God''s other followers. So be ready to seek beyond the Long Mountains.¡±

    Zerkian gulped; the long mountains were a ridge continuing from the ocean to the south and the north; it was a long barrier between the plains and the Great Mountains.

    ¡°We''ve never ventured beyond the Long Mountains,¡± Zerkian muttered a tad absentmindedly.

    ¡°And soon, We will!¡± Delaskan laughed heartily.

    Zerkian winced. ¡°You enjoy those Garlushan company so much you''re becoming like them.¡± he rubbed his ears.

    The response earned another laugh from Delaskan. ¡°Hah! We have to live along them humans anyways! Besides! Their training speaks with me!¡±

    Zerkian pursed his lip, right, Delaskan had a big build, his shoulders wide and chest much more developed, his thighs as wide as his head and his calves robust. This man has been training with the Garlushans so much his body developed like theirs.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Brother, I¡¯d be there when we travel beyond the Long mountains.¡±

 [V2;C39] To tie loose ends

    [Year 30]

    [Arkum]

    Arkum watched as the Valovasoar huffed steam out of its nostrils. It stared at him, he was tired and he didn''t want to fight the monster.

    However, whatever worries he had were not met. The Valovasoar went up the serpent and started devouring it. Arkum couldn''t do anything about it; if the monster wanted the corpse of the Deity, he could barely do anything against it.

    Right now, he is weakened, he isn''t at his full strength. The Valovasoar looked at Arkum again and tilted its head. Arkum¡¯s heart started beating again, he anticipated what it would do.

    The Valovasoar placed its gaze back to the corpse and tore a chunk out of it; Arkum was confused by this behaviour but even more so when the Valovasoar threw the chunk in front of him.

    He was lying down near the Serpent''s head, the ground that once was boiling already cooled down, but not enough that he could freely walk through it.

    Arkum gazed at the meat and back at the Monster. Its slit eyes eagerly watch Arkum.

    ''Does it want me to eat it?¡¯

    Arkum looked at the piece of meat; it was raw, something he was not eager to eat or even place in his mouth. He pursed his lips and looked at the Valovasoar, he saw how its mouth was glaring hot.

    He gulped dryly and did what the monster belatedly wanted, he used his spear to cut a small part of the raw meat presented to him and, with a reluctant gaze and sweat dripping down his forehead, took a bite and slowly chewed, just to appease the monster staring at him.

    The Valovasoar tilted its head and looked intently at Arkum. It visually gulped, and Arkum took a deep sigh; he didn''t like how the monster was smarter than it looked; even though he did not like the taste, he gulped audibly and grimaced as the raw flesh flushed his throat.

    That seemed to satisfy the monster and went back to eating a part of the serpent, its jaws taking chunks after chunks in each bite.

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±

    Arkum just rested atop the serpent''s head, he couldn''t call his Officers via the flare he had on his belt. If their lives were endangered because of this monster, then he would be an incompetent Alvon; Alpine does not need an incompetent leader.

    After a while of waiting, Arkum watched as the monster finally took its last chunk of meat; seemingly satisfied after a loud swallow, it licked its lips, taking a cautious look at its surroundings before leaving.

    Arkum let out a sigh of relief before taking a long stick with a string tether on his hip, he pointed it upwards and pulled the string, which prompted a wisp to fly high in the sky.

    Not even half an hour later, two of his Officers came up to him with shock and awe plastered on his face.

    ¡°Alvon! A-Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I am, don''t worry.¡±

    His Officers were looking at the serpent, their eyes wide. They were looking at Arkum with awe and admiration, to kill a deity is a monumental feat. What would happen if it were to spread in the village that Arkum has defeated a deity? Especially if his officers think he was alone?

    ¡°I didn''t kill it alone.¡± Arkum simply said.

    ¡°huh?¡± Khalid is confused. ¡°Did Alvon Shavik take a visit? Or was it Lazarus?¡±

    ¡°Neither.¡± Arkum pointed at the part of the Serpent where the Valovasoar feasted. ¡°The Valovasoar has been spotted here.¡±

    The two officers realized what he was implying, both having a more serious face.

    ¡°Don''t worry, we won''t be meeting it, anytime soon,¡± Arkum said a tad bit tiredly.

    The two Officers nodded and helped Arkum get back to the camp, at least now, they could use the Lake as a water source.

    Once Arkum had gone back to his camp, a comfortable bed had presented him, a weaved bed with dried leaves covered with a yak fur blanket.

    He first checked his status.

    [Name]: Arkum

    [Class]: Spear Master

    [Attribute points]: 6

    Might©¤ 217

    Strength: 237

    Constitution: 217

    Dexterity: 222

    Cunning©¤ 132

    Intellect: 197

    Perception:192

    Charisma: 132

    Mobility©¤ 194

    Proprioception: 194

    Agility: 194

    Reflex: 198

    Recovery©¤ 128

    Tolerance: 200

    Cooldown: 142

    Vitality: 128

    Endurance©¤201

    Resilience:200

    Tenacity: 203

    Resistance:201

    Spirit: 159

    Luck: 140

    [Traits&Characteristics]

    ©¤ [Hawk''s eye]

    ©¤ [Battlelust]

    ©¤ [???]

    [Titles & Achievement]

    ©¤ [The Spear of the Village]

    ©¤ [Persistent Hunter]

    ©¤ [Deity Slayer]

    Arkum had new traits and titles; by the looks of it, he had grown stronger from the last time. Though he was quite confused, there was a trait that didn''t tell its nature.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Arkum questioned while scratching his head.

    He couldn''t get more information by tapping the trait, but since it didn''t have any harmful effects on his body that he knew of, he just let it be.

    He was already stressed enough. ¡°Oof, I sometimes wish I could just retire like an elder¡­ I''m already half a century years old¡­¡± Arkum sighed.

    But would he do so? Arkum clenched his hand and grinned, no. He liked the thrill of fighting, he felt something shift within him, his soul. It agreed with his sentiment, making him chuckle.

    He remembered how it felt to strike true with his spear, for his aura to move like liquid and solidify like stone, to burst like fire towards the serpent.

    He couldn''t forget that feeling, it was exhilarating. Anyways, once he had rested he would have to go back and do his report.

    ¡°Ugh, can''t the officers just do that¡­¡±

    Arkum complained but he soon fell asleep.

    ***

    [Mari]

    Mari fell asleep quickly; she slept next to Kaina with an embrace; she had distanced herself from Lazarus after some uncontrolled moment of passion.

    Nonetheless, what she expected to be a dream turned out to be more lucid than she initially thought.

    ¡°What¡­ where¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mari.¡±

    Mari jumped out of her skin and turned to see the familiar presence that was their Patron God. Mari calmed down after that.

    Hadro walked up to her and ruffled her hair; Mari could tell that he was wearing a soft smile.

    ¡°You''ve been active with Lazarus.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ uhm!¡± Mari quickly stuttered, flustered by what Hadro said.

    Hadro just laughed heartily, it was a soft laugh that didn''t annoy Mari. Hadro looked around; it was a blank and shifting space that was Mari¡¯s conscious mind trying to dream.

    ¡°I guess I should say what I am here for.¡±

    Hadro flicked his finger, and the scenery transitioned to his realm; the library shifted out of nowhere, and Hadro sat down on a chair.

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡± Mari prodded the subject.

    ¡°How much math have you learned?¡±

    ¡°W-well aside from your teachings, I have found ways to observe the orbit of celestial bodies.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Hadro''s eyes shifted; he parsed through Mari¡¯s memories within a second. Hadro couldn''t help but smile at her advancements, but some things were missing.

    ¡°Mari, it seems that your math is still disconnected from the world.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Have you thought of things being true without proof?¡±

    ¡°... What do you mean?¡± Mari asked.

    ¡°It''s quite late, but today we can go on with our lessons without stopping. Last time, you couldn''t comprehend much, but today¡­ I will make sure you will wake up anew.¡±

    Hadro conjured a whiteboard just behind him, where he wrote ¡°axioms¡± for Mari to see.

    ¡°Do you know what an axiom is?¡±

    Mari parsed her memories when she found no recollections, she shook her head.

    ¡°An axiom is a truth without needing proof.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Hadro went on to write down axioms, one of them being the postulates, the first postulate, two points could make a straight line, the second postulate and so on.

    ¡°That¡­.¡± Mari was quite confused.

    The first thing Hadro did wrong was that he taught Mari basic mathematics without aligning her with the philosophy of mathematics.

    Hadro remembered math as a place of stress, not because it was hard but because his professors made it hard. Hadro had a room full of reflection for the past 3 years he was incubating.

    He knew that math and philosophy were quite aligned. After all, math is the language of the universe. To see this, one would need a special mind; no common mind would pierce through the veil that is the universe.

    Hadro had realized the importance of philosophy through one''s mind. How it moulds them to look through the world. And so, he continues to add more, stating Euclid''s 5th postulate.

    Mari looked at the 5th postulate and the drawing beside it. ¡°This¡­ looks parallel.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Hadro chuckled; he then added together that each angle inside the line intersects is less than the product of two right angles. ¡°If so, prove it.¡±

    ¡°T-Thats¡­!¡± Mari looked at the drawing and the two angles; one is written as 89 degrees, and the other is a complete 89.98 degrees. ¡°It''s hard¡­¡±

    If the learning packet that she had learned from was true, then in geometry, she assumed that soon this would be a triangle. However, the length it will go to is just unimaginable. How much would the line need to stretch for it to meet?

    ¡°For two lines to meet, then, the lines need to stretch indefinitely. It is impossible to see this through.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Mari answered confidently.

    Hadro looked at Mari with a proud gaze, she was right. Euclid''s fifth postulate did not seem intuitive, countless mathematicians tried to disprove or even outright remove the fifth postulate.

    However, none of them succeeded. Some even just reiterated the fifth postulate. But it is also thanks to Euclid''s fifth postulate that other forms of geometry were discovered, or attributed to.

    Hadro flicked his finger and the drawing of the lines with an intersecting line moved out of the board like a holographic image. Mari intently watched.

    ¡°You''re right, did it feel that way?¡± Hadro asked as he pointed to a direction, where then, the two lines stretched infinitely until they touched a few hundred meters away from them.

    Mari nodded; her eyes, which had awoken with a geometric sight, could tell intuitively that Euclid''s fifth postulate was correct without needing any proof or speculation.

    ¡°Did you know that this isn''t the only solution for this?¡±

    Hadro soon recalled the stretched lines, and he added a new space to inhibit the lines, a sphere. It was obvious, the lines that Hadro recalled stretched once again to loop around the sphere.

    ¡°This is also geometry.¡±

    Mari watched intently, her eyes stuck to the images that Hadro was making her see. He made the lines wrap around the sphere and the lines intersected.

    ¡°Spherical geometry.¡±

    Hadro soon changed the sphere to a disk, the Poincar¨¦ disk, and he displayed infinite lines to Mari.

    ¡°Hyperbolic Geometry.¡±

    Hadro took a look towards Mari, her mind was turning gears. Some of these mathematical theorems are something that has been continuously developed over two thousand years.

    And Mari is going to have it for free. Her eyes were looking intently at the geometry Hadro drawn upon the air. Though, not exactly free, if Hadro crammed this information in her mind there''s a possibility she¡¯ll die.

    So she still had to work for it. ¡°Mari,¡± Hadro called Mari who was ruminating deeply. ¡°What do you know about math?¡±

    Mari contemplated her answer; it was given to her when she was a child, and carefully she unfurled what to do with the knowledge of numbers; throughout her adulthood, she had contemplated this question: why did the responsibility fall on her lap? To quantify all things?

    ¡°Math¡­ math is everything I can quantify.¡±

    ¡°Is that how you feel?¡±

    Mari paused and stood still where she was. She opened her mouth, and Hadro anticipated her answer. ¡°I see the relevance of math through where we stand. Anything could be quantified with math, therefore¡­ Math is the world.¡±

    Hadro grinned widely. Mari was close, but she needed to be pushed closer. Despite the advancement of technology of Foreline, from glasswork, metallurgy and medicine. Mari has fallen back quite a bit because of Hadro¡¯s bias; he looked through the lens of a student of a 21st-century student, and thanks to that, he instilled a 21st-century mindset in Mari; it was a mistake he will no longer make again.

    ¡°Math is the language of the universe.¡± Hadro spoke solemnly. ¡°This sphere is a pure ball of white flame.¡±

    Hadro raised his index finger; Mari listened intently, and she watched intently. At the tip of Hadro¡¯s finger, a transparent sphere formed, which soon became a pure sphere of white light.

    ¡°20 centimetres is the radius of this sphere.¡±

    Mari watched in awe at the precision and accuracy of his measurement. The sphere was the most perfect shape she had ever witnessed.

    ¡°Now that we have identified the radius of the sphere, let''s identify its surface area. A equals to four, pi, r squared (A=4¦Ðr2)

    Since we know that the radius of the sphere is 20cm, then we could go for (A=4¦Ð(0.2)2

    What we get is A=4¦Ð(0.16) and it would become A=0.5027m2

    Now we try and get the temperature; this sphere is made of pure white flame; therefore, we could use the Stefans law¡­ ¡°

    Mari listened intently, she could not understand a lot of words Hadro said, from watts, denominators, Kelvin and even Celsius, even Root. It felt like she was listening to another language she had never heard before.

    ¡°Let''s take away every other factor, what we''re left with is this.¡± Hadro presented a ball, a perfect sphere glowing white. ¡°This is it. Four hundred fifty-six kilowatts of pure power.¡±

    Mari looked with utter awe, can math be used this way? Hadro and Mari locked eyes with each other.

    ¡°You can learn this power, Mari; it is in your hands,¡± Hadro spoke with utter confidence for Mari.

    Mari felt a tightness in her chest. Is it because her patron God, her father-in-law, believes in her so much? Soon, Mari felt something drip down her nose; she tasted copper, and she blinked a few times.

    ¡°Too much information¡­¡± Hadro removed the sphere on top of his finger, sighing in disappointment. ¡°I guess this is where we stop.¡±

    ¡°N-no wait! I-I have questions!¡±

    The world started to blur and Mari felt disappointment and urgency. She had questions to ask, questions to be answered. But to her dismay, Hadro only smiled.

    ¡°Every answer to your question Mari, you can find it.¡±

    The world fell apart, the library vanished like a wisp of smoke and Mari felt her head pounding. She wanted to learn more, the measurements, the exact dimensions, she knew so little it felt like she learned the wrong things first.

    She held her head for the amount of pain she was feeling. She looked at the crack of the window, and she saw the sun starting to rise.

    -0-0-0-0-

    [Learning Packet]

    Geometric Rules

    -Sum of angles of triangles

    -Parallel postulate

    -Straight line¡­.

    -0-0-0-0-

    ¡°... All of the answers¡­ huh¡­¡±

    ***

    [Shaka]

    Shaka started another day with eagerness, she was about to have a breakthrough, thanks to Mari making the Mechanical writer. She could have an easy time writing down her thoughts.

    Thankfully, her help through the process allowed the ink on the machine to never dry and automatically replaced through a lengthy process.

    This will be useful for the processing of the Academy that Mari, Kavo and Shaka are planning for. She has to give a lengthy explanation along with proof this will be useful to the Council.

    However, she had a feeling that she would be given a permit because she and her friends were chosen as their Patron God. To have the benefits¡­

    Her fingers tapped on the keys of the writer; she provided the reason for having a mass education through a teacher and its importance.

    Soon her office door received a knock. She absentmindedly replied, ¡°Come in.¡± and a tall, stout elf came in with papers.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shaka, I''d rather have my name called.¡±

    Shaka replied sternly. ¡°Shaka, these are the papers about the overlay synthesis theorem; I hope it''s exactly how you see it.¡±

    Shaka didn''t stop writing before she had all of her ideas down; she looked up and took the papers from the elf. She scrutinized the papers in her hand ¡°Eren¡­ your theory is nice. I hope to see your theory at work soon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Shaka.¡± Eren''s face brightened with the praise. ¡°How long have you been in your office?¡±

    Shaka raised a brow at the question; she thought of it and answered, ¡°Since the sun has risen, why?¡±

    ¡°Shaka, the sun is already high. Have you eaten yet?¡± Eren said with a worried face. ¡°I know the bakery had some Yak Bun; if you want, I could get you one?¡±

    Shaka drooled at the thought of Yak bun, bread filled with beef filling is delicious. ¡°No, I just finished my work, let''s go get one.¡± Shaka stored the paper and neatly cleaned up her office.

    After that, She followed Eren out of the office; it was at the Enchanters Hall, where enchanters of all races do the work provided by the consuls.

    Once they reached the bakery, Shaka drooled at the smell of bread, and her steps became more excited. Eren sighed, and he hastened his stride to match with Shaka.

    ¡°Yak bun¡­!¡± Shaka squealed; thankfully, there weren''t any lines, though even if she was of high standing, granting her priority in any lane, she would always choose to stand in line. She wasn''t a cripple; she wasn''t in any haste, and there were no emergencies, so she felt that she didn''t have any right to cut lanes.

    After they had ordered what they wanted and paid with system currency, they found an empty seat and ate there.

    Shaka ate with childish eagerness; she savoured the bread along with the beef filling. Eren smiled at that sight, eating his part as well.

    Shaka looked at Eren who ate slowly. ¡°Are you going to eat that?¡± she pointed at his Yak bun.

    Eren sighed, smiling ¡°Go on.¡± Shaka didn''t waste any time and grabbed the bun and ate it all up like a vacuum.

    Shaka was eating eagerly, though once she was finished, she noticed Eren clenching his fists, his eyes looking down in a nervous gaze.

    Shaka wondered what was wrong with Eren

    Eren seems to have felt her gaze and unclenched his hand, he kept his smile. Shaka¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What''s up with you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just have some things in mind.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it''s something you should just keep to yourself?¡±

    ¡°For now¡­ yes, maybe later I''d be brave enough to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shaka hummed.

    After they had their snacks, they went back to the enchanters¡¯ Hall. Shaka went back to finishing her reasoning Paper. Her paper would be preserved in the future to be referred to as the ¡®Akademiar Thabir¡¯.

    ***

    [Lazarus]

    After waking up, Lazarus finally had to go back to his duty. One was protecting the Village, and the other was to help the Consul for expansion.

    Some reports were made by the Magus Association, made up of mage elves and humans, that there were dungeons that needed exploring.

    Since Lazarus was the only one who went into a dungeon and survived, they figured that sending him was the best idea. Which is, though, Lazarus is still reluctant to do so.

    He had this distorted perception of monsters in the dungeon as something so strong it could kill him in mere seconds. Truthfully, Lazarus is strong enough to dive alone, but since his exploration of the dungeon was random, he never really had the chance to let go of that perception.

    Though, thanks to this perception, Lazarus has survived by never underestimating monsters.

    He pushed his body up from the sleeping mat after stretching, he went up to his loving wife, Mari, just to find her awake and her nose bleeding.

    ¡°M-Mari?¡±

    He felt alarmed at first, then he felt his father¡¯s energy. It was the same energy as Hadro, he didn''t doubt it.

    ¡°I''m fine Lazarus¡­ just¡­ ¡°

    Mari licked her dry lips and tasted the blood, she looked at Lazarus, who wasted no time to grab a cloth to wipe away the blood.

    ¡°I feel my Father¡¯s energy in you, what happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ he, he went to my dream and taught me things¡­! Q-quickly, Lazarus! I have to write everything down before I forget!¡±

    Mari pushed Lazarus away, crawling from the mat to a nightstand; she opened its drawers to grab a worn-down notebook and grabbed an ink bottle and quill.

    She opened the notebook, trying to find space, but her actions were futile as she found out that her notebook had been filled a long time ago; she clicked her tongue and started drawing borders and using what was left of space to write down everything.

    ¡°The fifth postulate¡­ Stefan law¡­ ¡°

    Mari muttered she was jotting down her notes wherever she could. Lazarus was a bit worried, but when Mari finally settled in, she squealed and looked at Lazarus with a happy smile.

    ¡°The Academy, Lazarus¡­ soon I''ll be able to focus on the gift our god has given me.¡±

    Lazarus saw no madness in her eyes but joy, it was someone who found purpose in life rekindled much more fiercer and brighter. Lazarus couldn''t help but smile.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    However, their happy moment together was interrupted by the stir of a sleeping child. Kaina stretched and yawned before sitting up and looking at her two parents.

    ¡°Hi dad¡­ mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Good morning, sweetheart.¡± Reply from the two.

    ***

    [Shavik]

    Shavik whistled in joy, though he couldn''t whistle so the sounds he made sounded like he was blowing air, he had a weapon that could finally add to his own.

    An obsidian dagger, and a talon dagger, both that came from excellent backgrounds. When Shavik was handed the obsidian dagger by Ivy, the Orc Smith, he couldn''t help but be fascinated by it.

    It didn''t reflect his image and it also presented a sharpness that he never knew before. Now he had this talon of that Hawk which undoubtedly the same tier as him, 3rd tier the tier of the Champions.

    ¡°I wonder what Ivy can do with you.¡±

    Shavik spoke particularly to no one, his mind over the talon that he sent back to the foreline village. Hopefully, the supply roads they made wouldn¡¯t encounter any complications.

    ¡°A-Alvon!¡±

    A voice called upon him out of the tent, Shavik stood up from his mat to receive whoever called him. His tent''s walls open abruptly, showing a man who¡¯s ridden in sweat and fear.

    Shavik couldn''t help but ask in worry, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°T-There''s a new monster we haven''t seen before!¡±

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Shavik said with no hesitation.

    The man was part of the recon group, an initiate trained in investigation and intel gathering. Shavik wholeheartedly believed what they said.

    The initiate ran towards the unexplored woods where the recon mission had been issued; they had already traversed the hills and mountains where the hawk had terrorized them earlier, so it surely wasn''t the hawk that was bothering them.

    Once they got to the location, Shavik was surprised to see a bloodbath: two initiates fighting with their life on the line with their captain, along with two initiates brutally injured.

    ¡°Initiate, go and fetch the wounded.¡±

    Shavik clenched his obsidian blade, he vanished where he once stood. The monster who was attacking the recon group seemed amused as if playing with its food.

    Shavik appeared just right behind it; he swung his blade, trying to strike it from the spine. But as if the creature had eyes behind its back it jumped away at speeds incomprehensible to the naked eye.

    Shavik was exempt from this, he saw how the creature landed metres away from where it stood earlier. Baring its fangs. Thankfully, it was away from the injured initiates.

    ¡°A-Alvon!¡± Screamed the captain, relieved.

    ¡°Go and take the injured, now.¡±

    Shavik just issued an order, the Captain did not hesitate and moved with swiftness. Shavik''s eyes did not move away from the creature, who was staring him down as well.

    The creature had black stripes over its orange fur; it had the same feline traits as other cats in the Demonic forest. However, the difference between that forest and this one is clear. This feline stood larger than any feline he had faced.

    [Emperor Tiger]

    Shavik learned of its name from the system, ¡®how truly marvellous.¡¯ he couldn''t help but think to himself. Another creature to test his strength. Shavik inched his feet forward.

    The tiger warily watched Shavik¡¯s movements, its eyes never leaving him. It bared its fangs, ready to pounce at any moment.

    Shavik¡¯s aura flickered a hint of excitement seeping through his blade. Shavik dashed, vanishing through the unseen, but to his surprise, the Tiger roared, and Shavik was stunned into place.

    ¡°What the¡ª!¡±

    Shavik was unveiled before the Tiger, his form fully seen. The tiger raised its paw and swung to him with its claws bare and sharp.

    Shavik tried blocking with his blade but he was too late. He was hit and he felt something sharp dig through his shoulder and sent him flying to a nearby tree.

    The tree crackled and bent through the force that it received, it soon fell with its majestic height that was built upon decades of nourishment.

    Shavik groaned from the pain as he stood up nigh instantly despite the agony he felt from his ribs. He was bleeding from his shoulder, back and front. It left three large gashes that seemed would kill an unfortunate man.

    However, Shavik is no ordinary man. The gash only sundered his skin and his flesh remained intact like steel.

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    His eyes landed back at the tiger, who was now charging at him at incredible speeds; Shavik spat blood out of his mouth before he dashed forward with his dagger. Once both arms reach the tiger pounced, its claws ready to grasp and its fangs ready to dig in flesh.

    Shavik however, ducked low enough and used his momentum to slide down the pouncing monster, he used his dagger to strike and dig its sharp blade upon the monster''s fur and flesh. He held tight as it soon hit bone and changed the direction of his motion.

    He flipped through the Tiger¡¯s back and landed on top of it, dagger still in hand. The Tiger sensing the man on its back was alarmed, it didn''t even get the chance to process its pain after being stabbed, it soon started shaking itself violently, trying to shake off Shavik.

    However, Shavik remained strong. He held to the tiger¡¯s fur tightly, and his legs pressed to the Tiger¡¯s back for dear life. The tiger roared in pain and launched itself into a tree, trying to slam his back.

    Shavik cursed as he unwillingly let go to avoid being slammed into a tree. He landed quite a distance from the tiger, who slammed itself at the tree nonetheless but soon stood up clear and ready.

    The tiger growled lowly as it bared its fangs to Shavik, both were bleeding but it''s clear which one had the worse injury. The Emperor Tiger is bleeding from its belly, and each breath, drops of blood spill out of its nose.

    Shavik had a large gash wound on his shoulder, but he could still manoeuvre. The Tiger was smart enough to assess itself for its injuries. If the battle continued, it would die.

    There were two options for the Tiger, to run away or to continue fighting, of course, a monster elevated from being an animal, instincts will remain. But the tiger developed its ego long ago; its pride would be wounded to run away from a feeble monkey.

    The tiger roared again, and Shavik was better prepared this time; he took the blaring roar, and his body shook, but he never paused. The Tiger pounced once again. This time, it was better prepared; it pounced low, two rear legs rooted to the ground.

    Shavik assessed the monster¡¯s attack, it pounced low as if to counter his slide back then, Shavik found it laughable, it countered him straightforwardly but that was it, it only prepared itself for one move.

    Shavik vanished from where he stood and the tiger found itself pouncing nothing. The Tiger soon felt killing intent behind it and turned around to roar, but when it let out its roar, it found no victim.

    Sharp pain soon filled its rear leg, it tried moving to look at whatever hurt it, just to find its rear leg not functioning. It stumbled and let out a feeble growl, it swiped its claws at nothing. Panicking wherever the attack is possibly coming from.

    ¡°Try and take this you beast!¡±

    The tiger soon felt something clench its flesh, it felt pain and growled, but it could do nothing as Shavik lifted the tiger itself, exposing its belly to the sky.

    The tiger shook and writhed as it was lifted, growling and hissing at Shavik, but soon felt limp as Shavik brought it down to his knee. Enhanced by Aura, its spine cracked and crumbled under the force Shavik placed on his knee.

    The tiger growled in pain, its chest heaving up and down; the gash on its belly was close to its chest and was bleeding profusely. The stab Shavik had made was deep and the Tiger was losing consciousness.

    ¡°Farewell,¡± Shavik spoke, a hint of respect on his voice before he plunged the dagger down the Tiger¡¯s noggin.

 [V2;C40] Churning thoughts

    [The year 1250, Imperial Calendar of Samar]

    The Emperor pinched the bridge of his nose out of frustration, this is the sixth expedition to the ninth continent. Every kingdom and empire has been trying to reach the Golden Goose, the ninth continent.

    The nobles invested a large amount just to get a piece of the ninth continent. And those sly hogs made him lead the expedition, placing the burden on the imperial family and removing them from any blame.

    The Emperor, Cassius, clicked his tongue. Thankfully, the magic tower and the church are cooperating even if reluctantly.

    The two had been at each other''s throats for as long as he can remember. However, when the gods gave the oracle, every church stated interest in the ninth continent.

    That view changed, and now every magic tower and church resembled each other. Cassius was sure it was because of the new ingredients they''d encounter on the new continent or probably to gain rights to every dungeon.

    Whatever it is, the development was useful to him. Those mages had their forces to enchant the ships and create weapons against those vile monsters that roamed the sea.

    Their enchantments also help with the weather of the seas surrounding the continent. During the last expedition they knew little, but they did know how dangerous the seas of the ninth continent were.

    The expedition was an eye-opener, large sea monsters, abrupt weather, sea anomalies. A lot of those ships vanished, eaten by the sea.

    ¡°Now that has lessened¡­ but¡­¡±

    Cassius looked at a report with a furrowed brow, ¡®a mysterious monster ate a ship whole¡¯, it says. The newest ships are by no means normal ships; if Cassius turned those ships into warships, then he could''ve conquered every kingdom and Empire with shores.

    But somehow, a monster ate that ship? The ninth continent is becoming more trouble than it is worth, that was his assessment.

    He was so tempted to just stop this madness, but aside from the nobles, The Holy Nation also invested in those ships, pushing the responsibility upon him to lead them to the ninth continent.

    ¡°This better be worth it¡­¡±

    Cassius soon stamped the paper with his seal. He had to make sure this went through; after all, he, as the Emperor and a father, had the duty to pave the way for the succession of his son.

    Denying what the nobles, mages and the church wanted would quickly shake his position.

    ***

    [Hadro]

    Three years were all it took to finally know what I had done wrong and the ways I could fix it.

    Imagine this. Why have geniuses been popping up more frequently back on Earth since the inception of Rome? The people who governed and provided many changes and discoveries that were still used till the common era?

    Simple really, they had time in their hands and their philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle''s schools of thought have been repeatedly mentioned without letting students comprehend.

    At some point, the 21st century just became one giant quiz of enumeration of information. Not comprehension, I blame the Prussian form of education for this, and the rest of the world for following it.

    That''s why right now, I am going to push for the Academy that Kavo, Shaka and Mari wanted to push forward.

    Education must be treated as a delicate process, not a business. With my innate mind, I could think and process information a thousand times faster than mortals.

    At this point, my thought process and motivation is to make sure that the ninth continent, every inch of it, falls to my followers for the sole reason that I don''t want anyone from the other continents to lay claim to it as nations of Earth did back to Antarctica.

    And I could only notch that up to the advancement of technology, ideology and philosophy of my followers. Though I wanted to condemn the Drakins smoking marijuana I decided not to.

    It is their culture, removing it from their social activities removes a part of their identity, the tribes and themselves.

    My eyes soon were set on Armin, who was reading Odigosgraphy at a leisurely pace; this man is one of my very faithful followers.

    Elves of the ninth continent had always thought of themselves as sinners before I arrived. They had always believed they came from the lineage of sinners who did atrocities that made the gods they used to worship abandon them.

    Not that I blame them, learning from their records, their ancestors, whom I speculated lived from a hundred thousand years ago, did something very bad, ranging from slavery to sacrificial rituals of no purpose.

    Anyways, Armin was done reading Odigosgraphy and laid down the book on a table. He stretched and grabbed the book again to lay it down on a nearby shelf before going to bed.

    I wanted to have a chat with this man for a while. I had no plans of making a church for myself, but I did want to have the same essence of a church.

    It may not look like it, but the state of Eldoria right now is melded with its religion. This stemmed from me; therefore, it should steer in the direction where fanaticism wouldn''t root.

    In a way, Theology is going to be a main subject. This is why I fully support the Academy the trio wanted.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Once Armin fell asleep, I immediately pulled his soul to me. It was easy since he is my follower and he is spiritually connected to me.

    ¡°Hello, Armin.¡±

    ¡°H-Hadro?¡± My name rolled off Armin''s tongue.

    I could feel Armin was confused, befuddled and curious about his situation, but once he saw me, I saw how much veneration he held for me, and he started crying, feeling how much of an honour it is to meet with me.

    ¡°I-I, your loyal servant, is delighted to meet you like this!¡± Armin struggled to keep himself straight, he was shaking. He felt very happy to see his Patron God.

    ¡°Enough of that Armin, I''m here to speak with you. I don''t want you to be a boot licker every time you''re here with me.¡±

    Whilst I wanted Armin to look at me on equal grounds, that would just be impossible and a bad example. I''m not the only god up here and certainly, most gods are egotistical.

    And truthfully, I''m no different.

    ¡°Armin, I have a great goal. You could already see that. So won''t you listen to what I say?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Anything for our Patron God!¡± Armin spoke with fiery eyes, I could tell it was fanaticism.

    At that moment, I slapped Armin, his head tilted with force and he stared blankly with wide eyes and in confusion. He looked back at me, his words coming out slurring with befuddlement.

    ¡°Armin, as someone who valued their history, you know fanaticism isn''t good,¡± I spoke solemnly.

    ¡°I a-apologize, I-I didn''t mean to appear that way to you,¡± Armin spoke with shame.

    ¡°Don''t worry, let''s push that aside. I''m glad that you are eager to meet me and my tasks, but please don''t lose yourself over it.¡±

    Armin nodded, composing himself better. ¡°What would you assign to me? My lord.¡±

    Hadro raised a brow but didn''t comment on it. Instead, he decided to get to the point.

    ¡°In every society, there''s a law. Armin, you know where this conversation is going to go aren''t you?¡±

    Armin nodded; the mention of the law meant that he would have to assist in its make-up, while there were no written rules in Eldoria aside from unwritten rules and Hadro¡¯s tenets.

    ¡°No man is perfect, therefore no man could judge the other. This will be the use of Law, the basis to judge a mortal fairly.¡±

    ¡°I see, is it upon my role to take the laws you made?¡±

    ¡°No, you will have to create it. I have already made my own, which is those six tenets. What I will do, however, is to guide you to laws to institute.¡±

    ¡°May I ask? May I ask why laws, exactly?¡± I lifted a brow, and Armin clarified, ¡°You can just give us laws, and we¡¯ll follow them; why is there a need for us to write our own.¡±

    ¡°Armin, a mortal''s law is for mortals, my law is those tenets. I no longer have any more laws to bestow upon my followers, your people. I have already given the laws they shall follow in my name, these laws that I ask of you are the laws they follow in the name of Eldoria.¡±

    Armin supported his chin with his finger, his eyes remained thoughtful as he digested my words. Finally, he looked at me.

    ¡°How do I start?¡±

    ***

    [Rei]

    Rei was soon called to service, he had to defend a supply anchor near the lake, where Arkum took down a large serpent. He rode a carriage pulled by Ikkins; once they moved out of the woods, Rei was in awe and disbelief.

    Right where they were, he could already see the enormous serpent. Its enormous visage demanded awe from those who could not imagine defeating such a creature but it also invoked respect and worship to whoever defeated it.

    ¡°Gramps¡­ defeated that?¡±

    It was unbelievable how far Arkum had become. Could he even reach that far? Rei involuntarily clenched his fist, despite him and Arkum being worlds apart, he couldn''t help but feel competitive.

    Rei believed himself only quite young, he knew he could do more if he pushed himself, for his people, to prove himself to his parents, to make them proud.

    The supply carriage soon halted and Rei held the reins of the Ikkin he rides. They had arrived at their destination; Rei noted that multiple initiates were creating walls with the wood from nearby trees and making tents within.

    Rei identified the nearby commander''s tent, and he went in to announce his arrival. Even though announcing one¡¯s arrival is usually the Captain or Officer¡¯s job.

    Rei is a special case, as the son of Lazarus, their God''s son. He has become of special importance, despite being an initiate, he had the influence of an Officer.

    ¡°Initiate Rei, reporting for duty.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Initiate Rei. We''ve been waiting for you.¡± Who greeted Rei was Officer Khalid who was smiling as he received Rei. ¡°Alvon Arkum has a job for you.¡±

    Rei blinked in a daze. ¡°For me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alvon Arkum had been unable to go forward; the northern parts of the continent seem to be filled with extreme weather and intense exposure to the sun. The monsters there had tough exteriors, and he needs you to clear a way for us.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Rei nodded. ¡°Though, is it only me?¡±

    ¡°Quite, out of all he teaches, you are the only one who could rival the power of his spear.¡±

    Rei clenched his fist; he knew that Khalid was only reciting his assessment from the Alvons. But truthfully that made him swell with pride.

    ¡°The other one who¡¯s going with you would be me.¡±

    ¡°I understand, when do we embark?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, for now. Rest and Ask for objectives around the Anchor.¡± Khalid waved dismissively.

    ¡°Understood, Officer!¡± Rei saluted before walking out.

    ***

    [Lazarus]

    After his assignment over the [Scorn] Dungeon, he steeled his nerves. Undoubtedly, he could die if he made a mistake inside; the big problem, too, is that he had to lead a team.

    A dungeon is unpredictable solely because Hadro could not explore it. Which gives them a big disadvantage in scouting. Not that Lazarus will make Hadro scout; he knew his father would do it, but that would be undignified of his stature.

    Lazarus looked behind him for a headcount. Three Spearmen, two mages two physicians, and two physicians are there to inspect possible materials to use for medicinal purposes.

    After he confirmed the party, he called them all, ¡°Time to embark! Make sure not to stray!¡±

    Actions of affirmation were given and Lazarus turned around to enter the confirmed entrance of the dungeon. It looked like a giant rabbit hole that they needed to enter.

    Once they went down the steep entryway, one of the mages provided light with a source of fire. Lazarus could see just fine in the dark but not the others.

    ¡°This place seems so tame, I wish I saw how the time of Strife looked like.¡± One of their spearmen, Khalil spoke.

    ¡°Don''t, I heard there were giant bugs then.¡± one of the mages, Safir, responded in disgust.

    ¡°Focus,¡± Lazarus said sternly.

    The two chatting looked forward, seemingly ashamed to be caught talking. Lazarus looked forward, holding his spear with keen attention.

    Once they got deep enough, they were surprised by fork after fork on the road and most of the time, the monsters they caught were rodents such as [Scorn mole], [Scorn Rat], or [Scorn Snake], which is the first they have encountered.

    However, there was a clear difference when they killed monsters on the surface against those inside a dungeon.

    ¡°This one had mana stone too.¡± one of the physicians announced as she opened up one of the monsters.

    ¡°How many does that make, Kirian?¡± one of the physicians spoke.

    ¡°7th, which is all of them.¡± A reply came from Kirian.

    Lazarus couldn''t help but think of it as amazing. One thing Lazarus learned from the magicology of the elves is that mana stones are a ''battery¡¯ that contains mana.

    The best part about them is that they sometimes contained attuned mana, fire mana or water mana. Which mages usually use to fuel spells or enchantments.

    Other than that, Lazarus knew nothing. However, by the giddy looks of the mages he has in his party, it is a good thing. After all, ever since the mages were introduced in the village, the village did whatever it could to provide for their research.

    Since then, once in a while, when they found a groundbreaking discovery in magical terms, they would share it with the village, naming it the ¡°Hadro''s Honor¡±, which isn''t denied by his father.

    ¡°Collect samples so we could leave. Mage Safir, I hope our location is recorded.¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± Safir answered confidently.

    ¡°Alright, we have more time to explore. Let''s get going.¡±

    Once the decision was made Lazarus and his party continued forward. Soon, however, they were shocked by the scene they saw.

    Large dense forest with trees that twist unnaturally, a forest with leaves so unique it felt like it was someone''s drawing, flowers with unique petals and colours. It was an underground ecosystem.

    Lazarus couldn''t help but look with awe; there were gems attached to the ceiling, which were filled with vines, glowing bright enough for them to see the whole underground without a need for light.

    ¡°W-what? This is a dungeon?¡± The physician, Figor, muttered.

    Lazarus couldn''t help but agree with the way Figor was befuddled. How could an underground ecosystem exist with its unique fauna?

    ¡°The amount we could research! T-The amount!¡± Yuma, the mage, strained to speak.

    ¡°Don''t be too focused on the surroundings! There are still monsters here!¡± Lazarus admonished them, breaking them off from their stupor.

    The party soon regained sense but Lazarus could still see some of their eyes wandering off to admire a plant or a tree. They have yet to encounter a monster that could be a threat to them and Lazarus is not eager to find out what.

    ¡°Okay, let''s secure the entry to the dungeon. I guess it''s best if we secure this tunnel for future incursions. Start marking the trees.¡±

    The spearmen get to their job, marking trees and mages, adding their signature mana upon the mark to make them stand out; upon finishing their task, the party went forward, two spearmen at the front and two at the rear.

    ¡°Oh, I can''t wait to study this.¡± Safir couldn''t help but mutter with a grin.

    ¡°Same,¡± quipped Yuma. ¡°They''re so different from the surface,¡± Yuma spoke with a squeal.

    Lazarus didn''t admonish them; they were near the exit of the dungeon, where they entered that the only ones who needed to focus the most were him and his fellow spearmen.

    Once they reached the exit, they went to the encampment nearby. Lazarus wrote his report before giving it to the nearby Officer.

    ¡°How''s the Dungeon dive?¡± The officer asked in excitement.

    ¡°Want to hear my opinion?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°If my guess is right, we can make a settlement within the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°What would that mean for us?¡± The Officer asked curiously.

    ¡°It means we could get magical supplies consistently, and it would mean we could defend an overload much better.¡±

    The Officer contemplated the depth of Lazarus¡¯s opinion and found it fascinating. ¡°I will relay today''s report immediately.¡±

    Lazarus nodded, saluted then left.

    ***

    A/N: Sorry for the late chapter, I honestly forgot which direction I''m going to take because I didn''t write it down xd

 [V2;C41] The Basin

    [Year 31]

    [North of the Demon Forest]

    Once the northern region was secured, multiple sources of resources were examined for potential exploitation, mostly by medics. Kavo wanted in, too, but was busy with their little project of an Academy. On the other hand, after the whole northern region was surveyed it was revealed that it was a massive desert.

    Despite that, it wasn''t devoid of life, the Lake where a Supply Anchor is stationed served as an oasis for desert life. Besides that, further to the western desert was a ridge, a tall mountainous area that separated the desert from further west.

    ¡°Do you think theres more desert on the other side?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but considering that we needed to explore there I sure hope not.¡±

    ¡°Can we just make a tunnel through this?¡±

    ¡°What? Are you going to shoulder the cost?¡±

    ¡°By the tenets, no.¡±

    One regular conversation would start by observing the ridge; they potentially could dig a tunnel through the ridge like what they did for Marshland, but this further north was too far to supply materials.

    That''s why the main plan for the exploration was to find a ravine between the ridges or to have the ridge, at some point, be low enough so they could find entry. An exploration team was sent in by Officer Jhin under Alvon Arkum to find a way over the ridge.

    The team consisted of four initiates, two of which were under Shavik, who served as reconnaissance for the team, two who were under Arkum and a captain under Garuk, along with two archer elves.

    The team moved along the ridge, the landscape placing their footing at a disadvantage; for a while, they managed to find a rift between the mountains and one of their reconnaissance members spotted a woman at its edges.

    What he remarked, however, was¡­ ¡°Are those¡­ dog ears?¡±

    One of the recon initiates blinked, even brushing his eyes as he looked at the woman, the two looked at each other briefly before putting away their spears on their backs and approaching the woman.

    The woman¡¯s ears perked up and she jumped in a stance, looking where the two initiates were. The two initiates raised their hands and spoke.

    ¡°We came in peace.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The initiates, however, came across a problem, a language barrier, something they hadn''t encountered for a while due to acculturation also blending the Foreline, Marshland and Archwood. A decade is enough to shape multiple languages together.

    However, in this part, they cannot communicate with the woman due to her completely different language. It was so different they could not even use broken words to communicate. The two initiates struggled to communicate with the woman, who was looking at them incredulously.

    The woman looked at the two and above their heads and her face turned into confusion.

    ¡°We need to report this, a new race is here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let''s go back and say goodbye to her.¡±

    ¡°How do we gain connection again, though?¡±

    ¡°Do one of us need to stay here?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The woman looked at the two of them with curiosity; once the decision was made, one of the initiates approached the woman with his hands up, showing he was of no threat. He wanted to introduce himself, so he used crude gestures.

    ¡°Me¡± he pointed to himself, ¡°Karsor¡±

    ¡°...¡± The woman was silent for a few moments, but when she realized what he was doing he said ¡®ah¡¯ in understanding and pointed at herself. ¡°Nina¡±

    Karsor sighed in relief and had his hand forward to shake Nina¡¯s, Nina¡¯s looked at his hand for a moment, confusion plastered in her face. When Karsor realized he wouldn''t have his hand shaken he just nodded.

    He looked behind him to see that his other initiate was already gone, ready to report their findings. He stood awkwardly beside the woman, who was scanning him carefully. Soon, both eyes locked each other and Nina spoke.

    ¡°Nina.¡± she pointed at herself. ¡°Village¡±, she pointed further at the ravine.

    Karsor pursed his lips and nodded. He didn''t understand the second word, but he could tell that she was pointing somewhere, not at something. He found it amusing that her language felt more like she was singing than speaking.

    Her voice seemed more mellifluous; Karsor somehow felt embarrassed with his speaking; it sounded guttural compared to her language.

    Though he didn''t linger at the thought for long, he tried communicating more with Nina as much as he could. Showed his spear, the first aid kit in his bag, and ration before Nina ultimately invited Karsor back to her village.

    ¡°Come!¡± she said, holding Karsor''s arm ¡°Village, Come!¡±

    At this point, both had displayed they had neither ill intent. Going wherever Nina is inviting Karsor would be a good idea as it would let him know the civilization that they have to invite within their fold.

    Karsor nodded at Nina and walked along her; they walked over the small river that entered the ravine; it was a small ravine that didn''t threaten their footing.

    However, Karsor could see the difference between him and Nina; Nina didn''t wear any shoes; she only had her bare feet, which were identical to a wolf''s rear leg.

    ¡°That''s amazing.¡± Karsor couldn''t help but remark.

    Karsor was trained in traversing harsh footing, as it was a part of their regime back at Alpine. However, his heart couldn''t help but sink whenever the ground would move whenever he stepped over it.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He sighed, and he finally got to their destination; it was a large village, as far as Karsor could tell. It, however, consisted of multitudes of ranches and vineyards.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Karsor couldn''t help but look in awe.

    The lycanthrope settlement was self-sufficient, and protected by the ridge and mountains; they weren''t subjected to the same monstrous invasion of the dungeons.

    Suddenly, an old man walked up to Nina with an angry demeanour.

    ¡°Nina! Who is this?!¡± one Lycanthrope asked Nina, who looked at Karsor and his spear with wariness.

    ¡°they''re people beyond the mountains!¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?! From beyond!? Didn''t your mother tell you enough that everything from beyond is a monster?!¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Karsor was watching the argument break down when the old man glared at him. Karsor wasn''t sure how to act.

    ¡°What do you want with our Village? Hm? What do you want, outsider?!¡±

    Karsor couldn''t understand a word, all he did was tilt his head and purse his lips. When the old man realised that words didn''t go through Karsor he glared harder.

    ¡°Don''t judge him too much, he had something to offer us! Uh¡­ Karsor!¡± Nina called to Karsor which prompted him to look at her. ¡°Uh¡­ bandage! Bandage!¡± Nina spoke with a bit of an accent.

    ¡°Bandage?¡±

    Karsor reached for his bag and pulled it out of his bag. Showing it to the old man.

    ¡°See, Chief? They''re here for something other than the old text says they would.¡±

    ¡°Quiet, child. You''ve already done too much by leading it here.¡±

    ¡°They mean no harm Chief!¡± Nina pleaded in a soft tone.

    ¡°Whatever they mean it always leads to no good!¡± The old man yelled at Nina''s face.

    Karsor, along with a few Lycanthropes, were watching this with awkwardness. Karsor didn''t know what to do at this point. He was expecting to be received like a guest and at least have some conversation no matter the medium.

    But instead, he got a first-row seat for a scolding. Was it pleasant? Definitely not, Karsor would rather deal with first-contact communication than this.

    The Old man¡¯s gaze soon went back to Karsor; he barely flinched, which caused the old man to somehow misinterpret his lack of reaction as a reaffirmation that he is a monster inside.

    ¡°Now now.¡±

    A voice interrupted them. To Karsor that seemed to be a random voice he had never heard before, but to the Lycanthropes, it was the voice of their guardian deity, the wisp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too rude to our guest.¡±

    ¡°G-guest? Does that mean that this thing isn''t a monster?¡±

    ¡°That''s too rude¡­¡± The Wisp said disappointedly.

    ¡°I-I apologize¡±

    ¡°My lord has instructed me to help with your contact with Eldoria and, ultimately, in its integration. Please cooperate, Roko¡¯tan, this is for the betterment of your kin.¡±

    When the old man heard his guardian deity¡¯s words, he couldn''t help but shut his mouth, if his guardian deity had a lord, who was he to deny if it meant the decision was for his kin?

    ¡°I will.¡± was his response.

    ***

    [Eldoria]

    [Council meeting]

    Kavo cleared his throat, not one bit of nervousness was on his face. Rather it''s more like he couldn''t wait for him to finish his suggestion of an Academy.

    ¡°... The herbs are yet to be identified, but we have found several herbs to be identical to the one in the Demon Forest.¡± The Medic Assigned at Garuk¡¯s end finished his report.

    The consul, who was sitting above an elevated seat with multiple papers shuffling in and out, looked up after scribing on a paper and an assistant taking it.

    ¡°Since all reports had been conducted within the week, anything else for the Consuls to consider?¡± The Consul said a bit tired.

    That''s where Kavo raised his hands and the Consul nodded his way in acknowledgement. The entire Council¡¯s gaze fell upon him.

    ¡°After careful consideration, we found a problem with our current method of education. After some research and consultations with Lazarus, I propose an organisation in which all modes of learning will be given priority.¡±

    Kavo handed the paper he had prepared to the assistant that went up to him, once the papers were handed to the Consul, he started reviewing all of it in silence.

    ¡°I see, this seems to be an investment.¡± The consul commented. ¡°Ultimately, I see the promise of this organisation you have in mind. I will have every resource you need ready. Also, can you send the summarised points of the Academy to other members?¡±

    ¡°That will be done, Consul.¡±

    ¡°Any more that should be under my concern?¡± a moment of silence passes. ¡°Then that would be all.¡±

    Once the dismissal was given, all council members stood up and left. Kavo felt like the council where they sat in a circular amphitheatre was far from his memory and gone; it still felt new that they now had a proper arrangement of seats.

    Kavo sighed solemnly before leaving his seat and moving along to the exit. As his steps took him along the office where he did his research and took care of patients he had an unexpected encounter.

    It was Ivy, the local blacksmith and part of the Artisan. ¡°How can I help you today?¡±

    ¡°Oh-¡± Ivy looked at Kavo. ¡°It''s not me; it''s my helper; he was working on this new material dug at the Bronze Mountain. He hammered it down and it blew up on his arm.¡±

    ¡°His arm?¡± Kavo was taken aback.

    Kavo soon moved to the medical wards where all patients are tended, there he saw an orc who had his entire right arm mangled, bits of flesh hanging by a slim tether of flesh. Kavo couldn''t help but click his tongue at the grotesque sight.

    The Orc was kept from bleeding by a tourniquet that was tightly wrapped around his arm. The man was repeatedly murmuring about his arm.

    ¡°We have no choice but to amputate,¡± Kavo remarked.

    ¡°No! No! No! Everything but my arm, please!¡± The wounded Orc pleaded. ¡°Blacksmithing is all I''ve known, I don''t know what to do after my arm is gone, restore my arm please!¡±

    Kavo pursed his lips and he responded carefully. ¡°We can''t restore something like this.¡± He replied truthfully. ¡°Cutting off your arm isn''t going to be the end. Mari and Kasha have some experimental projects that could potentially help you.¡± He spoke softly.

    The Orc was just staring at Kavo, sweat filling his forehead. He breathed heavily, unable to let go or either believe him. He was unsure of the decision to make; Kavo could tell that this man could at least be talked out of it; some Orc would surely kill themselves over this.

    ¡°I think they''re called prosthetics, it could help you I guarantee it.¡±

    The orc looked conflicted; it seemed that he wasn''t reluctant anymore but rather thinking about how much he would lose after breaking off his arm.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Sir, the only thing I would say to you is to trust us.¡± Kavo sighed softly. ¡°Prosthetics are meant to be the replacement for missing limbs, that''s what I know about their project and I''m helping with it. Trust me, a missing arm isn''t the end,¡± he said softly.

    The Orc felt ashamed of his situation, but nobody could blame him for what happened to him. He was working with new materials, it wasn''t his fault that it blew up.

    ¡°Okay¡­ save me Medic.¡± The Orc spoke quietly, his tone had defeat laced within it.

    Kavo soon grabbed some anaesthetic from a drawer; it was some dried leafy herbs that he dropped over some hot water in a cup. Once a few minutes passed, he gave it to the orc to drink, which made him pass out a few moments later.

    ¡°Thank you, Medic,¡± Ivy said to Kavo.

    ¡°It is my duty,¡± he simply replied.

    ***

    There were certain times Shaka had felt she was at the cusp of a breakthrough, like a word at the edge of her tongue, unable to be grasped.

    Just like now, with her knowledge of Suipo she should have been able to mark down her will over an enchantment and yet¡­

    ¡°How is it, Kasha?¡± Mari asked her eyes over the perfect replica of a hand.

    ¡°Still inert.¡± came the disappointed reply from Mari ¡°It''s frustrating, every enchantment works perfectly, yet I can''t seem to make it move, what am I missing?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should miss a limb for it to work.¡± a jest came from Mari.

    Kasha looked at Mari unamused, he sighed and continued working with the enchantments. Her words bore weight upon the prosthetic; each instruction she had labelled had been already checked.

    ¡°Maybe it needs to be permanent? Like writing it down.¡±

    ¡°We already made an experiment with that, it has no technical difference.¡±

    ¡°True but wouldn''t that mean it would be easier to see what''s wrong with it?¡±

    Kasha let the thought simmer for a moment. Yes, it could be easier, but it didn''t seem like it was hard in the first place. She had no problems perusing the enchantment in her mind.

    Still, the idea was not without merit; it should have been easier for her to see the problem if she had written it down. She left the prosthetic back at its resting place and went to grab a paper; with her quill, she wrote everything down.

    It was all commands to move each finger, all connected to a user. Kasha took a step back to review her enchantments. Mari, who was at the same place, decided to see the enchantment for herself as well.

    ¡°I see nothing wrong here.¡± Mari judged.

    ¡°So it seems¡± Kasha narrowed her eyes and was on the verge of giving up.

    Whilst they were reviewing the enchantments, a knock was heard at the door. ¡°Come in¡± came from Mari and the one who entered was Kavo. Kasha looked at her friend and asked.

    ¡°How''s the day?¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s arm got ripped off after working with a new material.¡±

    ¡°Ew¡­¡± came from Kasha.

    ¡°Right, how¡¯s the prosthetic?¡±

    Kasha sighed in frustration, ¡°It''s hard to make it work.¡± Kasha connected her mind and individually moved a finger. ¡°I can move this but it feels like I¡¯m manually moving a lever if not moving a finger.¡±

    Kavo tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Kasha, an arm isn''t supposed to be manual work.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Kasha groaned. ¡°How do I fix this?¡±

    Kavo moved closer to Kasha and looked at the paper with her enchantments. ¡°I see.¡± He scanned the words on paper with his finger and immediately knew what was wrong.

    ¡°Moving your hands isn''t supposed to be this difficult¡­¡± He started writing on the paper. ¡°Try this.¡±

    Kasha reviewed the suggestions Kavo made. ¡°But this feels like¡­ an entire mechanism, if one moves everything moves.¡±

    Kavo locked eyes with Kasha and raised his hand; he slowly moved his index, his middle, his ring and his pinky and nodded. ¡°It seems it is.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Kasha sighed and started rewriting her enchantments.

    She soon finished her entire enchantment from scratch, completely different from the first one. She couldn''t argue against Kavo, who studies everything about a living thing, or rather the body of every sapient race of Eldoria.

    ¡°What about this, Kavo?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ try it?¡± Kavo suggested.

    Kasha had to enchant the prosthetic once again, the two who were doing nothing on the sidelines just watched. As they were watching Kasha do her work, a student came by and handed Mari a piece of paper.

    ¡°News?¡± Kavo asked, curious.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mari replied reading the paper. ¡°Oh, they found another race.¡±

    Mari dropped the word as if it was a joke. Kavo looked at her incredulously, and she handed the paper to Kavo to find out she wasn''t joking. A race between mountains just above the Demon Forest.

    ¡°They have dog ears?!¡± Kavo practically yelled.

    ¡°It''s done,¡± Kasha growled. She felt irritated from using so much brain power. Kavo flinched as she glanced at Kasha. ¡°Let''s try it.¡±

    Kavo placed down the piece of paper, feeling annoyed at Mari, who was snickering at him.

    ¡°Alright, let''s see.¡±

    Kasha prodded the enchantments prompting them to work. Though thankfully they had some results this time. She involuntarily clenched her arm which caused the prosthetic to move exactly like hers.

    Kavo watched in awe as the prosthetic also mirrored Kasha''s hand twitching when it was idle.

    ¡°This¡­ what changes did you also add?¡± Kavo asked.

    ¡°I just¡­ added to ''Follow what the mind tells¡¯ it to do.¡±

    ¡°I guess that makes a world of difference,¡± Kavo remarked. ¡°Though, it seems that it''s quite limited in movement.¡±

    ¡°Isn''t that good enough?¡± Mari spoke. ¡°it does exactly what a hand does except for the grip. Isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°True. What is it made of?¡± Kavo inquired.

    ¡°Bronze for the softer parts and everything else, the new metal they think is Iron,¡± Mari replied.

    Kavo nodded, and he soon looked back at Kasha. ¡°How''s your head?¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I think this is a subject worth of study, you''ll be involved in this.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Da¨C why not one of my students?¡±

    The room fell into silence; Kasha was also busy with some projects of hers and teaching her students.

    ¡°We really need to get the Academy built.¡±

 [V2;C42] To the Prideful

    Arkum, art by me(Ohtep)

    ***

    [Eldoria]

    [Archwood, The Great Archives. Armin]

    It has been a while since Armin has written down multiple laws. He had completed two papers worth of them, but all still fell under the Law of Order; it was out of the Six Laws.

    Once he was done and exhausted he went back to sleep, where he was brought back to Hadro who was waiting for him.

    ¡°Hello, Armin. Anything you need to be guided on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much my Lord.¡± Armin closed his mouth and opened it again and hesitated, he considered the weight of his action but ultimately spoke out of curiosity. ¡°My Lord, why do we need laws?¡±

    Hadro raised a brow and Armin added more content to his words. ¡°I mean, why do we need to be reigned in with such laws? Why would laws even start?¡±

    ¡°Philosophical aren''t we?¡± Hadro chuckled. ¡°Well, Armin. What''s the difference between a man and a rat?¡±

    The question flustered Armin. He could see plenty of answers, but only a few were ultimately right.

    ¡°A rat could feel, think, do routines and even grasp with its hands. So how come, despite the physical differences between us, it couldn''t achieve the same thing?¡±

    Armin deliberated the answer, formulating upon his mind and he soon spoke, unsure, ¡°Is that we can think better?¡±

    ¡°Armin, thinking is subjective. One could think of food, of the weather, of love, of running. But what exactly makes us better on the matter of thinking?¡±

    Armin contemplated, he knew animals are different from sapient beings such as himself, but how different? Of course not with the obvious answer of having four legs or with a snout or perking ears.

    Armin then saw the answer, someone like him could make mistakes, apologize and even repent. Someone like him could build, fail, lament. Someone like him could look at a mirror and say, ¡®That''s me¡¯

    ¡°We can reflect.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    ¡°B-but where does that fall within laws?¡± Armin questioned, seemingly the answer was too near for him to grasp.

    ¡°Question this yourself Armin, would the law exist if man and animal cannot be distinguished?¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­¡± Armin let the words be digested slowly, why would the law even exist?

    Why shouldn''t the law exist? Is it because men are infallible in the face of desire? Are they such uncontrollable creatures that they place a leash upon themselves to contain this desire?

    Armin felt disgusted by this scenario. He couldn''t help but be reminded of the last two subjects of Odigosgraphy. He saw the idea''s merit, he already saw the answer, and now he truly understands its meaning.

    Without rules, men and animals are no different. No matter the circumstances, no matter the ease of life, a man would ultimately succumb to his instincts.

    Inequality has always, and will always be a part of any society. This cannot be destroyed as long as there is a community.

    Armin could see that the law is placed due to its consequences and procedures to make everyone in the same place as equal as possible.

    Not all man are animals, but the few that thrases around like one will ultimately influence others since they are the loudest and meanest which will eventually place them on a pedestal where others can see what they could do without consequences.

    And not counting people''s curiosity, it is inherited within all to observe and see, agree or disagree. Information can be passed on whether it is wrong or not. If there''s no law, then a man who claims to be a god cannot be told he is wrong.

    Ultimately, law is the enactment of order over a man to one another, to place consequences, and to see eye to eye.

    ¡°I''m too old for this¡­¡± Armin sighed.

    ¡°Don''t mind that you''re only 873 years old.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Let''s continue, if you have questions let''s get them answered.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    ***

    Arkum could tell that he was almost finished with his part. The northern part is mainly a large desert, and its vast emptiness is easy to survey.

    The only hard part is the navigation and resources, water had to be packed in large quantities every time for scouting and the monsters did not make it any easier.

    Thick carapace or chitin is hard to penetrate against the common initiate and they have to rely on an Officer nearby or flip the beast over to have a chance, flipping it over is already hard enough.

    Arkum sighed as he checked reports from multiple parties, looking down at a map to mark it with a figure.

    ¡°Monsters here and there. Avoidable¡­ possible resources here¡­¡±

    As he marked the map, he made sure to take occasional updates over his communicator back at Foreline village. This is all recorded at Alpine HQ by an Officer, adding new information as soon as he sends it.

    Arkum sat down at a chair and leaned back, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. He took a deep breath trying to relax himself. His eyes felt a little bit heavy, it was getting harder and harder to get tired now that he was stronger.

    Back then, in his thirties, he would have a hard time going out for long periods. Now it felt like it would take him running up and down a mountain several times without stopping before he felt tired.

    He could fight a thousand monsters but that would just feel like an exercise, like a run in a park. Arkum relaxed his tense muscles, he could feel the heightened sensitivity he had.

    Right now, he could feel vibrations on the ground, from his leather footwear, through the chair he was sitting down, and all the footsteps of the initiates and captains in the camp.

    He opened his eyes slightly, looking at the ceiling of the tent.

    ¡°A few more minutes and I''ll get up,¡± Arkum spoke particularly to no one.

    ¡°What? Really?¡±

    Arkum jumped up from his chair, his body tense from the momentary scare. He looked at the voice of the perpetrator, he knew who it was.

    ¡°Why, in Hadro¡¯s name, are you doing here?¡± Arkum accusingly growled.

    ¡°Hey, I heard you were doing your part faster than us,¡± Shavik smirked.

    Arkum sighed as he sat back down, Shavik grabbed an extra chair for himself as he faced Arkum, finding his flustered face fun.

    ¡°So?¡± Arkum prodded.

    ¡°Right, in my area there are a lot of tough monsters and beasts, I might need your help sooner than later since Lazarus is busy back home and Garuk also needs our help.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. But does that require your presence here?¡± Arkum questioned, scratching his head.

    ¡°No, I''m here because of this.¡± Shavik laid down a letter that Arkum took.

    Arkum soon opened the letter and started reading it. The more lines he skimmed the more his expressions changed. ¡°Another race?¡± he asked dumbfounded.

    ¡°Yeah, that''s another population to consider,¡± Shavik yawned.

    Arkum placed down the letter and he looked at Shavik, he noticed his scar over his shoulder and he couldn''t help but ask.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Shavik followed his gaze and tapped on his shoulder letting out a laugh. ¡°Why of course, a win against a tough beast!¡±

    Arkum couldn''t help but feel pride and competitiveness against Shavik after hearing those words. ¡°What kind?¡±

    ¡°An Emperor Tiger, the king of its land. It took me wits to take it down, I tell ya.¡± Shavik bragged about his fight against the beast, and Arkum listened till the end of his tale.

    ¡°Ha! You have nothing against mine! I fought a serpent!¡±

    ¡°I''ve heard of that! I heard you took it down along with the blue monster! Along with the Valovasoar!¡± Shavik pointed at Arkum with an accusatory look.

    ¡°Hey! That doesn''t mean I didn''t contribute to taking it down!¡±

    The two chattered for a while before an Office entered Arkum¡¯s tent with a flustered face after seeing Shavik.

    ¡°Alvon.¡± The Office saluted.

    Arkum nodded and had the paper given to him, once his eyes laid on the letters he couldn''t help but feel delighted, smiling too.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Shavik asked, curious.

    ¡°A new organization, new delivery systems and the possibility of Kavo being deployed in the front lines!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Shavik had to snatch the paper away from Arkum and read it before believing it. ¡°Whose station though.¡±

    The two friends looked at each other. Arkum started smiling as soon as Shavik did.

    ¡°Garuk.¡±

    ¡°Min¡ª yes, It''s Garuk¡±

    ¡°... Shavik?¡±

    ¡°No-No it''s nothing.¡±

    ***

    [The Abyss, The efuti Settlement]

    Mikhael watched as the Nefuti moved with purpose, Gaby, who was given the knowledge, taught the Nefuti people to make tents and how to start farming on their own. It''s been a few days and everyone seems to have their residence.

    Wooden houses were erected everywhere, Mikhael looked to his right, a canal was being dug. He knew these people weren''t stupid because they were picking up what Gaby taught them as fast as anyone with intelligence would.

    Mikhael soon walked away, his steps leading him to the converging cocoon of energy, he felt warmth and comfort. He felt Hadro touch his mind and he walked away towards the part of the forest.

    ¡°Hey, Mikhael.¡± One of the Aidens greeted Mikhael.

    Mikhael looked towards Paul. ¡°Hello, Paul. Going here because you felt the same thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, since you''re here I¡¯ll go back. Take care alright?¡±

    Mikhael nodded, he watched as Paul walked away. Once he was out of sight, Mikhael felt the presence he was here for. A giant feline growled at Mikhael, he turned his head at the giant feline.

    Mikhael gazed at the feline with underwhelmed emotions, his face was impassive even as soon the feline lunged at him with killing intent. All Mikhael did was swipe his spear vertically and the Feline, carried by its momentum, fell to the ground in two pieces.

    Mikhael looked at the corpse indifferently, his thoughts were that it would serve some purpose to the Nefuti at least. Mikhael let go of his spear, his power let it float beside him. Now that his hands were free he took each part of the corpse on his hands, gripping them firmly and walked back to the settlement with a trail of blood behind him.

    His footsteps neared a man, who seemingly was sighing as he carried pieces of wood for fire. Mikhael approached the Nefuti which looked at him with awe and reverence.

    ¡°Go and take this for storage. I''ll take the piece of wood for you.¡±

    The man tried to speak back, but looking at Mikhael¡¯s indifferent face seemed to have made him do as he said. The man with a gulp placed down the firewood he was carrying, he took Mikhael¡¯s hunted beasts with him, smearing blood on his hands.

    Mikhael soon reached for the firewood when his gaze landed on his arms which were filled with blood, he stared at his palms for a second before willing the blood off his hands and taking the firewood.

    He trailed behind the man who was anxiously waiting for Mikhael. Once they reached the storage room, Mikhael saw Paul talking with the Nefuti with a smiling face. Paul soon noticed Mikhael and he waved at him.

    Mikhael nodded, the man in front of him passed the corpse to a butcher which was now being processed into big chunks of meat.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The man said before bowing and taking the firewood Mikhael carried.

    Mikhael watched with an impassive face as the man walked away, without him noticing Paul was already beside him.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Paul asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°I killed the beast that approached the settlement earlier, I brought its corpse because I thought it¡¯s of use©¤¡±

    Paul raised a hand before sighing heavily. ¡°Brother, you talk so blandly, you know that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Mikhael.¡± Paul sighed as he placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°The way you talk is so monotone! The mortals will get scared of you!¡± Paul chuckled.

    Mikhael gazed downwards, he contemplated how to change that but came to the conclusion he was born that way. He sighed and looked at Mikhael impassively. ¡°Can''t help it.¡± before turning around and walking away.

    Paul looked at Mikhael and pursed his lips, worried about his brother. ¡°Oh, Father, what do I do with Mikhael.¡±

    Paul moved away, back to the Nefuti People, he went back to the stump he was sitting on in front of the children and some adults. He wrote some alphabets which the kids were eagerly looking at.

 [V2;C43]Can I be as Strong as You?

    [The Abyss]

    Mikhael stood, watching in the outskirts of the settlement, his gaze landing on the trees basked in moonlight. The settlement was filled with snores and dozing people. But Mikhael stood steadfast, watching with his spear for any threats that may come.

    His eyes were like that of a predator, it scoured its surroundings with great alertness. Soon he couldn''t help but notice footsteps gradually getting closer, his head was still facing the forest between the clearing.

    ¡°Yes, brother?¡± Mikhael spoke first.

    Paul let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re still here? You were supposed to rest at night, you know?¡±

    Mikhael briefly glanced at Paul. His worried face made Mikhael ponder for a bit. ¡°I¡¯ve volunteered,¡± he replied after some thought.

    Paul let out another sigh, Mikhael was sure that Paul felt frustrated, though he wasn''t sure why. Paul soon sat down beside Mikhael, Mikhael looked at Paul with some confusion before facing forward again.

    ¡°I talked to Father,¡± Paul muttered. ¡°I asked how we were made and he told me, we are born inheriting his traits.¡±

    Mikhael wondered why he was being told this story, but he didn''t interrupt; he knew it would be rude. Paul looked at Mikhael with narrow eyes. ¡°I asked what trait I have, and he told me it''s to wonder and the urge to share. I could see that, then I asked about yours. You wanna know?¡±

    Mikhael looked at Paul who now wore a grin, it was Mikhael¡¯s turn to sigh, he was curious about what his story told but couldn''t stop himself from just standing, so in acknowledgement he nodded slightly.

    Paul smiled and continued. ¡°Pride and empathy.¡±

    Mikhael looked at him with confusion. ¡°Pride and Empathy?¡± he murmured, shaking his head. Mikhael barely felt anything but duty, a duty given to him by his father.

    ¡°Surprisingly, I believe stubbornness is there too,¡± Paul remarked with a chuckle.

    The forest beyond Mikhael¡¯s sight swayed. Some fireflies were buzzing around, giving some light to the otherwise dark, tall trees. When Paul realized that his brother wouldn''t budge from his position, he shrugged and stood up.

    ¡°Stay safe, Mikhael.¡±

    ¡°I will, Paul.¡±

    He turned his heels and walked away. ¡°Some Tributes were given by the people of Foreline, delicious chicken stew I say.¡±

    Mikhael¡¯s eyes twitched and he looked behind him, Paul was already walking away with a laugh.

    ¡°That¡­ ¡° Mikhael felt helpless as he knew his favourite dish would not be left for him.

    After a while, Mikhael, out of character ran towards the high hill where Tributes to his father were given. He slowed his pace when he neared the location.

    Mikhael took his footsteps to a nearby large building, a shed, made of wood, he clasped the door and opened it to see a long table. It was surprisingly clean like it was cleaned recently. At the edge of the table where food was placed on wooden plates, sat a woman with a grin.

    ¡°Hey, brother. Took you a while.¡± Yumi spoke with a grin.

    ¡°Yumi? Sister, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Paul asked me to tell him your reaction.¡± she giggled.

    Mikhael realised that his expression was a clear look of confusion. He coughed, covering his mouth before relaxing his face. Yumi giggled more.

    ¡°You really are expressive,¡± Yumi spoke teasingly as she stood from her seat.

    ¡°Sister, please stop teasing me,¡± Mikhael said exasperated, walking up to her.

    ¡°Sure sure.¡± Yumi patted his head. ¡°Make sure to enjoy your meal. Though, next time I try to eat with someone, it''ll feel more filling.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Mikhael couldn''t help but grumble about how he was treated, he gently pushed Yumi¡¯s hand away and narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Or do you want to eat with me?¡± Yumi grinned.

    ¡°While we''re Father''s creation, I am pretty sure we can still get fat.¡± Mikhael retorted.

    Yumi was so stunned by Mikhael¡¯s reply that she stood still for a second whilst he already sat at the table with a smug look, taking a bowl of stew and taking a leisurely sip.

    Yumi huffed and left the shed quite annoyed, Mikhael found it amusing but the moment her feet went out of the shed, Mikhael realised that he should''ve stopped her. It indeed got lonely.

    Meanwhile, Paul held a spear, taking station from the other side of the settlement. He whistled a merry tune whilst he was looking out for any dangers ahead.

    Particularly, thanks to Hadro¡¯s ascension to a Minor God, the energy he was amassing seems like a tasty treat for the dwellers of the Abyss, who see energy as food.

    And days that seem to pass by, beasts that lingered in the Abyss seem to find Hadro¡¯s cocoon of energy as a worthy risk. The Aidens had fended them off with ease though, some beasts and monsters were starting to come in droves and some even those that were not around the area.

    Paul coughed as he inhaled some dust, snorting as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. It''s been getting colder, he noticed. Maybe winter is coming closer day by day.

    Paul wondered what day Hadro would hatch out the cocoon to a higher realm. Paul could tell that his father could do more than just merely move objects.

    Paul intuitively felt he could do more, like creating an object. Paul moved his hand without much thought, his intent simply wanting to create a lace.

    He couldn''t help but be fascinated as a small cloth appeared before him, draining him some energy.

    Paul clutched the object at hand and opened his palm, letting the object disperse back to energy.

    He soon heard rustling behind him and Paul turned around, Yumi walked towards him, her face seemingly annoyed. ¡°What happened, Sister?¡±

    ¡°Oh nothing, Mikhael did have some reaction.¡± Yumi sighed, ¡°He did appreciate it though, thank you for taking up my post for a while.¡±

    Paul smiled, ¡°It''s nothing much, I know you like to take your time with food.¡± Yumi smiled whilst putting her hands behind her back, Paul smiled at her reaction.  ¡°Say you didn''t try to ask Mikhael to eat together after you ate your fill, did you?¡±

    ¡°Wha- no! Go, just go!¡± Yumi pushed Paul away taking up his station as Paul shrugged.

    Paul wanted to see how Mikhael was doing, his curiosity leading him to the shed with eager footsteps. Though when he got there the dishes were already set and cleaned. Paul in disbelief knew that his brother would be training after all this, so all he could do was sigh.

    ¡°Really¡­¡±

    ¡°Really, what?¡± came out some voice behind him.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Paul flinched, startled. ¡°Lorraine, don''t do that!¡±

    Lorraine shrugged and walked inside the shed, ¡°aww they ate it all¡­¡± she said in a monotone voice before turning one eighty and leaving the shed immediately.

    Paul watched her leave with a look of bewilderment. Just when he was about to speak, Agni burst in to announce her arrival, which startled Paul again. ¡°They ate it all, argh!¡± she said before she flew away.

    ¡°They''re all gluttonous¡­¡± Paul laughed quietly before moving towards a space.

    His steps were an announcement, each step closing in could be heard by those who were aware of their surroundings. Mikhael, who was training his spear, could be seen in the clearing.

    Mikhael soon glanced at Paul who was swiftly approaching, lowering his spear. Sweat glistened as it fell down his body.

    ¡°Hello, Paul.¡± Mikhael Greeted.

    Paul seems to be used to Mikhael¡¯s seemingly indifferent greeting, he knew his brother was just this way. However, he was concerned for his future, despite their origin.

    ¡°Hey.¡±Paul returned the greeting.

    After both acknowledging each other, Mikhael continued as if nothing happened. Paul sighed, he couldn''t help but do so, out of his every sibling in the abyss he is the less sociable.

    Mikhael wouldn''t talk unless necessary, like an efficient machine, not that he has done something wrong, but this will surely affect his relationship with the mortals.

    Especially when he is already viewed with reference and fear, unlike the others which is mostly reverence.

    ¡°Say, Mikhael. Interested to spar?¡± Paul asked Mikhael with a smile.

    Mikhael stopped his hands for a second before nodding towards Paul. ¡°I see why not.¡±

    Paul smiled and opened his hand outwardly, the spear that clung to his back fluidly flew towards his hand. Mikhael tilted his head at the sight of skill but just shrugged.

    ¡°Any rules?¡± Mikhael asked, his expression still impassive.

    ¡°same rules as a normal spar.¡±

    Mikhael nodded and he pointed his spear towards Paul. His eyes focused, treating the spar as if it''s his last fight.

    Paul raised his spear lightly, leaving him exposed like a fool. Mikhael didn''t take the bait, he knew what kind of guard Paul was showing.

    Mikhael however, was the one to make the opening move, he struck his spear forward easily like an extension of his body. The delivery of the strike wasn''t fully committed.

    Mikhael knew his action was decisive as Paul easily parried his spear, which led to Mikhael bearing the burden of the butt of Paul''s spear as it spun to his jaw.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Paul took a step back.

    Mikhael groaned with no complaint, he stood in his stance again ready to face Paul, both clashed spears with no killing intent, sparks flew but in the end, they were both tired of exercised bodies.

    The two sat down with sweat-riddled bodies before Paul looked at Mikhael, ¡°Ya know, are you interested in anything other than a spear?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you ask?¡± Mikhael asked curiously.

    ¡°Nothing, I think you¡¯ll be good with other weapons too, it''s clear You¡¯re with the upper hand this whole spar.¡±

    Paul noticed Mikhael¡¯s actions, he was holding back the entire time, not to say he was going all out, but Paul did his best, Mikhael on the other hand. He was efficient, like an optimised machine.

    Paul could only counter but sometimes, his counters were what Mikhael expected, making Paul fall into traps Mikhael gave.

    ¡°I don''t know, Maybe I would try a sword, though the reach isn''t far¡­¡± Mikhael murmured, carefully thinking about it.

    Paul stood up with a smile, dusting his pants, ¡°I''m going to rest, see you later brother.¡±

    Mikhael gazed at Paul, pulling him out of his thoughts and nodded in acknowledgement. But before Paul could even make a step, the two felt killing intent coming from the woods, which prompted both to be in an alert stance.

    What came out from the shadows of the trees was a silhouette of a man, Mikhael looked bewildered, what gave that killing intent? The man who was covered with a robe in a hood looked at them with golden eyes, a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.

    Paul felt unease creep up his spine, however, he took the first action, ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, the man was not a Nefuti or any humans outside. The man¡­ felt familiar, similar to them.

    Instead of answering Paul, the man simply said, ¡°Found you.¡± whilst looking in the direction where Hadro is located. Paul and Mikhael were on their guard, clearly, this man didn''t belong here.

    ¡°You two are in the way,¡±

    The robed man said, behind the two within an instant.

 [V2;C44] And today, The Aiden of War is born

    Urrel took a cigarette out of a pack and placed it loosely on his mouth, he grunted as he flicked his finger, getting his magic to work. He sighed, relieved as the cigarette was lit, slumping without care on his chair.

    His most trusted servant watched with mixed emotions as he watched his master slump in his seat.

    ¡°Mero, any news?¡± Urrel asked.

    Mero cleared his throat, answering Urrel''s questions without falsehood. ¡°New ships have been made nothing new, though there was an intriguing one, saying that dwarves have created an airship to travel.¡±

    ¡°Airship? Don''t they know that winds are not the only threat to airborne crafts?¡± Urrel muttered.

    Mero paused for a bit, waiting for Urrel to finish his mutterings. ¡°Anyways, what''s more?¡±

    ¡°Some rumours say that Elves are also preparing something, but that''s not confirmed.¡±

    Urrel blinked first before laughing. ¡°Those leaf eaters? Damn, I should''ve known those isolationists would''ve done something.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, I''m pretty sure those are just rumours. After all, the interest towards the ninth continent is all about glory and riches.¡±

    ¡°And what, those Isolationists don''t want that?¡± Urrel scoffed, taking a puff of smoke. ¡°Those elves wanted control over magic, Mero. If they''re going there then there is surely something they need to hide from us, or whatever their excuse is going to be.¡±

    Urrel took the cigarette off his lips before putting it out on his ashtray. ¡°When is the meeting starting?¡± Urrel asked.

    ¡°About 30 minutes from now on,¡± Mero answered.

    Urrel let out a groan, his hands urged to get another cigarette and smoke it till it''s nothing but the tip. With his willpower, he refrained from doing so.

    Mero wanted to sigh but couldn''t, instead, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Urrel, ¡°Your majesty, some perfume.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, it''s one of those that hurts your nose¡± Urrel looked at the perfume with disdain.

    Nonetheless, Urrel used it anyway, spraying around his neck. ¡°Damn this. Who''s the one confirmed coming?¡±

    ¡°The Duke of Lerroux, the Duke of Prorarch, the Count of Serrough and each of them will bring at least 2 vassals.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Urrel stood up fixing his attire and pulling out the creases.

    He sighed as he started walking, taking the robe off the stand as he passed by and wearing it. He looked regal as any Royal, he was elegant and graceful a perfect display for the head of nobility.

    Urrel walked the halls with dignity, some annoyance seeping through his steps. Once he reached the meeting room, a Knight was guarding the entrance. The Knight was about to announce Urrel''s entrance but instead, he stopped the Knight.

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The Knight asked, his tone confused.

    ¡°Hush.¡± Urrel simply replied as he kicked the door open.

    He found the reactions of the nobles amusing, the dukes and their vassals had a surprised face. Urrel felt satisfied with his antics, smiling as he sat down.

    ¡°Your majesty, we''ve come to an agreement.¡± The Duke of Lerroux spoke first after composing himself. ¡°We stand a united front towards the Ninth continent, to be first against the others. Your will is our command.¡±

    Urrel couldn''t help but purse his lips and narrow his eyes as he nodded. They''re giving him full command to ensure that any mistakes would be blamed on him, ''not bad,¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°I see that we''re all united in this endeavour,¡± Urrel smiled. ¡°Then I will entrust all of it to Count Serrough. Goodbye.¡±

    Urrel stood up and left. The Nobles in the meeting room were left aghast at his immediate decision and quick dismissal.

    ¡°Y-your majesty! T-This needs more careful planning!¡± Count Serrough reasoned, almost pleading.

    ¡°That''s why I''m trusting it to you, the loyal servant of Fargos!¡± Urrel snickered before merrily walking away.

    The nobility was left in a befuddled state. They wouldn''t think of their king doing such an irresponsible move. The Duke of Lerroux snapped his head towards the Count; he was visibly fuming.

    He visibly was conveying in his eyes to pass the responsibility towards him or the Duke of Prorarch but both knew what would happen if they disregarded the King''s word.

    The Count was left stressed and indignant. His only contribution to the table was his resources, unlike the two dukes who are very talented in things.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Urrel left the meeting room with a satisfied smile, the two dukes were vying for the position of leadership. Of course, as far as the hierarchy goes the Count has to follow the command of those higher ranking than him.

    But in this case, he has the word of the king, the only thing that the dukes cannot disregard. The Count could only look at the two annoyed dukes at the meeting table.

    ¡°N-Now, now. I am sure his majesty has a plan¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course he does.¡± The Duke of Prorarch grumbled.

    The Duke of Lerroux couldn''t help but chuckle and lean back in his seat, he couldn''t say he saw this coming. The monarch of Fargos is not ambitious, cruel or a schemer, but when something bothers him and the country¡¯s way of life.

    Those things become nothing, it is recognized by other countries around Fargos that Urrel is a man not to be underestimated, even if the kingdom of Fargos is smaller than any country out there, with Urrel¡¯s mind he can and will defend his hometown.

    ¡°This isn''t productive, let''s start planning our course of action.¡± the Duke of Lerroux interjected.

    The Duke of Prorarch growled but ultimately shut his mouth, clearly they all had their own agendas. One wanted the glory of being the first to the Ninth Continent, one wanted the resource there and the other wanted the land entirely.

    The Count wiped the sweat off his forehead with his napkin. ¡°Anyways¡­¡± Since the leadership is passed down to the Count he didn''t dally any longer and had one of his vassals spread a map over the table.

    There he pointed at a place where theres a mark saying ¡®here be dragons¡¯ and the Count pointed at it. ¡°It''s not clear yet but¡­¡± He dragged his finger across the landmark of waters ¡°This sea differs from all known seas, the Harshwaters has two routes that are alright to cross.¡±

    That piqued the two Duke¡¯s attention along with their vassals. ¡°How did you acquire that information?¡± asked the Duke of Lerroux with a raised brow.

    ¡°The natives of the Scattered Isles.¡± The count answered

    ¡°Aren''t those natives of the Scattered Isles mostly Orcs? How did you communicate with those numbskulls?¡± The duke of Prorarch asked, sceptic.

    ¡°One of my vassals has been trading with them, have you heard of the fugu flakes? That''s where it comes from.¡± The Count explained.

    ¡°Those things that we add on sandwiches that have a nutty flavour?¡± The Duke of Lerroux mused.

    ¡°Yes, those, the thing popular in high-end cuisine, we procure it there from the locals.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, alright enough of these trivia¡¯s what are those routes, count.¡± The Duke of Prorarch scoffed.

    ¡°Right, it''s not today, but the routes appear at specific times.¡± The two Dukes listened with Intruige. ¡°One appears when theres a solar eclipse over the sea that connects the Isles with the Ninth continent.¡± The Dukes understand an eclipse is very rare and the last one happened 47 years ago. ¡°The other is when a full moon rises and a clear sky, a lengthy route will appear but it''s the most common one could get.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is the form of this route?¡± The Duke of Prorarch asked with curiosity. ¡°You''re making me imagine a road in the sea, Count.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The Moonlight has some glow over the night, the locals say there are fishes that eats the moonlight and a road of total darkness will appear in the sea. Thats the route we¡¯re going for.¡±

    ¡°That seems suspicious count.¡± The Duke of Prorarch accusingly pointed at the Count. ¡°If it was true there was no way that our vessels had not found this earlier!¡±

    The count felt a sweat fall down his cheek. ¡°We have tested this with the locals, maybe a proof will suffice?¡± The Count looked at one of his Vassals, who nodded and had one servant bring a large chest to the table.

    ¡°What''s this?¡± The Duke of Lerroux asked calmly, a hint of suspicion in his tone.

    The arrival of a chest containing the unknown and possibly from the Ninth continent¡¯s seas made the vassals around the table tense. Of course, they were looking at the Count with suspicion but didn''t act, yet.

    The Count coughed and the chest was opened slowly by a servant. Of course, everyone anticipated what was inside, some Vassals with swords placed their hand on their hilt. Fortunately, no fight ensued as what the chest contained was a large mana stone.

    ¡°What¡­¡± the Duke of Lerroux was confused. ¡°Why is a mana stone here?¡±

    ¡°This is not a mana stone, Duke.¡± The count said calmly.¡±This is a mana core.¡±

    The Vassals went back to a tense mood, a mana core can only be found within monsters and beasts. A mana core is no larger than a small bead or a bean, what they have here is the size of a leather ball that peasants use to play.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± the Duke of Prorarch stood up slamming his hand on the table along the way. ¡°Theres no way that a simple route gave you a chance to kill one of those beasts below waters!¡±

    The Duke of Prorarch may seem to be irrational, but the Duke of Lerroux agrees with him, several ships from different countries have ventured towards the ninth continent waters to find themselves unsuccessful in even slaying a common beast from those seas and yet the Count came here with a mana core so large?

    ¡°The thing is¡­ We didn''t hunt this, the locals of the Scattered Isles did.¡±

    The Duke of Prorarch narrowed his eyes. ¡°I do hope you had a good look?¡±

    The count nodded, ¡°Yes, it''s not something we can replicate, however.¡±

    ¡°Pray tell, why?¡±

    ¡°They¡­ carried harpoons and dived the seas of the ninth continent. We just bought the core. They could hunt them because the route could be created thanks to a prey fish, the fish is their indicator if there is a monster or beast nearby, it also can grow up to the size of a common carriage, this core here, is the core of that fish.¡±

    The two Dukes went silent for a moment, The Duke of Prorach could see that assigning the Count for the position wasn''t a bad idea, other than the fact that he now held the spotlight thanks to the king. The Duke of Lerroux could also tell the same, however, he was already thinking of a way to play his cards right.

    The Duke of Lerroux was the first to speak up. ¡°Then I guess the Count is more than worthy to be in charge of the situation, isn''t?¡± he glanced at the Duke of Prorarch who glared at him momentarily.

    The Duke of Prorarch only nodded in response.

    ***

    Mikhael swiped his spear immediately towards the unknown man, it was clear he wasn''t here for any kind of peace or connection with the Nefuti. He knew that this unknown man meant harm.

    However, his attack was disregarded, the man just swiping away Mikhael¡¯s spear with his bear arm. Paul didn''t just stand idle, he lunged and thrust his spear which was dodged easily with a sidestep.

    ¡°Pests.¡± he spat with disdain.

    He raised his arm soon glowing gold, Mikhael could tell that this attack was lethal, and he reached out to pull Paul away just as the man brought down his arm with terrifying speed. Mikhael wanted to fight back but he soon felt something pierce his stomach.

    He looked down to see an arm stuck to his abdomen, he was in pain and flustered. He looked up to see the man in front of him. His movement was fast, Mikhael couldn''t even see it. The man pulled his arm away and blood flowed like a fountain, he felt blood rush up his mouth and Mikhael fell to his knees.

    ¡°Mikhael!¡± Paul shouted in rage, He swung his spear towards the assailant but he couldn''t even as much touch the hem of his robes.

    Mikhael couldn''t help but look in utter helplessness as Paul soon was cleaved in two, Paul¡¯s eyes widened as he fell to the ground. Mikhael watched Paul bleed out with nothing but despair eating him.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The man clicked his tongue and disappeared, Mikhael looked down at Paul who was still noticeably breathing, Paul¡¯s eyes looked at Mikhael. ¡°Don''t blame yourself, yeah?¡± before all the life in his eyes vanished.

    Mikhael¡¯s emotions swelled, rage, helplessness and hopelessness. He tried to move his body, but he couldn''t muster an action much less a shudder. He breathed. Despite the hole in his chest, he refused to die.

    He gritted his teeth with rage and looked in the direction where his father was, Mikhael knew that if the man reached him, knowing with his speed, it would spell the end for everyone. His brothers and sisters.

    Mikhael raged, ¡°AHH!¡± he commanded his legs to move, his will reached everything around him, a spark igniting within his body. Mikhael watched as his brother turned into motes of light and got absorbed into himself.

    He struggled, screaming as his legs moved, he soon felt his father¡¯s touch, his mind could feel that his Father, Hadro, was not in the best condition either. But despite that, he felt some assistance in him.

    Then all of a sudden, his father abruptly cut his connection, as if the ties had been cut, as if the connection between his father and Him didn''t exist. Mikhael stood up, and he stood up with rage.

    ¡­

    ¡°There you are.¡± The man glared at the cocoon of energy and without hesitation, plunged his empowered arm of light. The cocoon letting out a shattered crack.

 [V2;C45] The Aftermath

    A crack resounded around the cocoon of energy, similar to cracking glass; within seconds, a familiar figure popped out; Hadro dropped down in an incomplete form, his body nothing but a mass of energy struggling to take shape.

    ¡°Die!¡± the hooded man said, his hand thrusting forward with killing intent.

    However, as his hand struck forward, he found himself slowing down to a halt; it felt like he was stuck in tar. His efforts are all in vain no matter how much he tries.

    He gritted his teeth looking at Hadro, who was still gathering his form. The man tried to move, exerting his body he hadn''t before. His opponent is a god; a delay in his actions would lead to his death, and his mission would fail.

    ¡°I guess the fauna and flora of the ninth continent aren''t hostile enough if one of that woman''s creations manages to land here.¡±

    Hadro spoke calmly, an undertone of anger seeping through. His incomplete form soon mended, and his ascension was interrupted; despite that, he felt more powerful than before, the system considered him as an [Incomplete Minor God]; he had a foot on the threshold of a Minor God.

    ¡°D-Damn!-¡±

    Hadro clenched his fist, applying tremendous force over the Astator, but before he could, a spark of light pulled Hadro somewhere; it was within his Realm, a place filled with books.

    Hadro''s eyes glanced at a beautiful woman with softly glowing golden hair and eyes. She was smiling but Hadro could tell it wasn''t genuine.

    ¡°So it was you,¡± he said through gritted teeth.

    Jaheva soon smiled, showing her teeth. ¡°Of course,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You should''ve accepted my offer when you had the chance. Now that you''ve halfway ascended I can finally feel your insignificant presence.¡±

    Jaheva raised her palm, and Hadro already felt her intent; he tried rejecting her out of his realm, but she stood her ground and barely moved an inch.

    Jaheva just smirked; Hadro felt killing intent and dashed sideways. He couldn''t even see it; her attacks toppled bookshelves and made a mess of his realm.

    Hadro couldn''t help but feel his blood boil; those books were knowledge his followers had accumulated for years. He snapped back to Jaheva, she intruded to his Realm back then but never came to the ninth continent.

    Hadro smiled after realizing it. Jaheva entered his realm since it was the only thing she could physically reach.

    ¡°Smiling as if your situation isn''t bad?¡± Jaheva spoke sweetly.

    She raised her hand and twirled her wrist; multiple spears and lances formed made of light and were aimed directly at Hadro.

    ¡°Really?¡± Hadro asked incredulously.

    Jaheva had a questioning look before she twitched her wrist, all weapons made of light launched at a speed incomprehensible. Jaheva''s brows soon furrowed at the sight in front of her.

    All weapons made of light stopped completely at a certain distance from Hadro. He waved his hand away and the weapons scattered into motes of light.

    Jaheva didn''t stop there, she formed a cone with a swirling dent that goes up to the bottom. She shot it with extreme speed with a spin; sadly, her efforts amounted to nothing.

    ¡°Using tools made by mortals? Really?¡± Hadro asked mockingly.

    He soon raised his hand and closed it with force. Jaheva soon felt pressure applied to her body. It would''ve been easy to defend against it, but the problem came from the one using it.

    Jaheva stared at Hadro who was still clenching his fist.

    ¡°You say words as if you''re above mortals, yet you keep using what''s theirs.¡± Hadro scoffed. ¡°You truly think like a mortal.¡±

    Jaheva was now the one looking at Hadro with gritted teeth. She soon smirked as she looked at the rows of bookshelves around her, she gathered her energy and soon blasted it outwards.

    Hadro tried to contain the blast but he wasn''t powerful enough to do so. The blast was strong enough that it launched rows after rows of bookshelves, destroying them to mere splinters.

    In the middle of it all, Jaheva stood her ground with a vein popping out of her forehead. Hadro, who tried to defend against the attack earlier, was lying down on a bunch of destroyed bookshelves. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Is this attack too mortal for you?¡± she scoffed.

    She expected Hadro to feel fear after that attack. A smile couldn''t help but creep up her face, but all he did was stand up with a smirk.

    ¡°You''re feeling the rejection on your skin now, isn''t it?¡± he spoke with utter fury.

    Jaheva stood in a daze for a moment before her smile dropped and it was replaced with a serious face. Right now, she is inside the realm of another God; she is completely cut off from her source of energy.

    In truth, she should''ve been at the mercy of Hadro; she should''ve been able to kill him, too, in a short amount of time. After all, she is the goddess of light.

    Yet¡­ ¡°You''re so similar to him!¡± She yelled with nothing but anger.

    ¡°To who exactly? The god of creation?¡± Hadro surmised. ¡°If so, then vanish that thought.¡±

    Hadro raised his palm towards Jaheva, particles of light soon glowed around her but what she didn''t expect was her power to turn against her.

    The particles of light shoved her with power, her body crashing through multiple bookshelves. She groaned as she floated a few feet up in the air.

    ¡°You think you can afford to waste that much energy by floating?¡± Hadro raised his palm again.

    However, before Hadro could even unleash another attack, multiple bullets made of light rained down from every direction.

    It was instantaneous at the same speed of light. However, the attack was all for nought as it all stopped at a certain distance from Hadro.

    ¡°The only similarity I have from the god of creation, is I hold the same domain everything is created upon. Like your light.¡±

    A pulse of energy from Hadro¡¯s palm emerged; light filled the wrecked library, followed by an immense amount of force.

    Where Jaheva was floating became an empty space as she was launched away, like a leaf through a storm. In the area where Hadro¡¯s hand was pointed, several bookshelves were filled with holes similar to a hornet''s nest.

    His realm was now nothing but a wreckage, filled with debris and splints. Where Jaheva lay, her silhouette was distorted.

    The amount of energy she used to defend against the attack was way too much for its level. Jaheva couldn''t help but look at Hadro with gritted teeth.

    ¡°This isn''t over¡­¡± she let herself get rejected from Hadro¡¯s realm, vanishing with a quick flash of light.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Hadro didn''t waste any time and went back to the Abyss, already worried about his children.

    ***

    The robed man breathed heavily; despite the god being lower in rank, he still could feel the difference. It was clear, like heaven and earth.

    If he, Gus, ever tried to fight Hadro he would die in mere instance. A single thought would be enough to vanquish him.

    ¡°My job is done here¡­ ¡°

    Gus looked down, he should''ve felt happy, but he couldn''t help but feel helpless instead. How much more should he work for the goddess? Just because she found her soul worthy?

    Gus stepped back, eager to leave, but when he turned around, all he saw was the Astator from earlier.

    He was staring at him with murderous intent but oddly, he was outwardly calm. It was like a brewing kettle, ready to release its steam once it was poured.

    Despite only encountering the god earlier for seconds, the damage he did was significant. Gus wanted to leave so he only ought to do what he needed.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± but before he could speak, a spear materialized before him and aimed at his head; Gus could only shove his head sideways to avoid it.

    The problem with this is that he had no balance in the position he was in, the Astator he was facing was fast, faster than he could think.

    Gus dashed backwards, he could already feel the strain in his body moving at light speed.

    ¡°Let''s talk for a bit. Yeah?¡± Gus, however, doesn''t show how troubled he is. Opting to smile as he was facing the astator.

    The Astator lowered his spear, still staring at him. Gus thought it was his chance to speak so he did.

    ¡°That God of yours surely had your soul turned into an astator too yeah? How bout I help you become free?¡± Gus spoke confidently.

    He knew that most Astators are made from the souls of any mortals, also latching their identity within. It is forceful; most gods use it to turn others into their minions, some would retain their free will, but they cannot deny a god''s orders.

    They basically become slaves, Gus is one of them. He believed killing Michael''s brother, Paul, was certainly freeing him.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Mikhael opened his mouth, Gus was positive that Mikhael would accept, making things easy. ¡°I am an Aiden.¡±

    Before Gus could even speak, he felt a strong pull; it was powerful, undeniable. In an instant, he was in front of Mikhael. He jabbed his spear towards his heart.

    Gus dodged, empowering his arms, countering Michael''s attack. But before his arms, which is as fast as Gus could formulate a thought. Gus was dragged away by the same unknown force.

    He was dragged upon the ground without any way to fight back. At the end of it, his left torso was sanded down and Gus was bleeding.

    He breathed heavily as he stood up groggily. He gritted his teeth as he watched Mikhael from a distance.

    Mikhael was just standing there staring at Gus, though once he raised his feet and stepped forward, Mikhael materialized in front of Gus.

    Gus, out of instinct, raised both of his arms for a high guard when he felt a foot land on his solar plexus. He coughed as he landed back on the ground, snarling as he tried to recover from the pain.

    ¡°I am Mikhael, Hadro''s son. Through me, you shall know war.¡±

    Mikhael raised his spear as if carrying a fragile item. The spear floated up, its tip corrected itself and aimed at Gus; Gus tried to crawl away, intending to dash at the speed of light if need be.

    But before he could formulate the thought, the spear was brought down upon him, like a missile that landed. It created an explosion by its speed leaving a crater in its wake.

    Mikhael looked at the ground with apathy, he couldn''t help but feel empty. If he only had this power earlier, could he save his brother?

    The crater before him had traces of blood, and after a few seconds, a few motes of energy flowed to him. What should he even feel in this situation? Should he feel happy he became stronger?

    He felt a familiar presence enter abruptly, one he knew well. As the entity came into being his connection soon lit up, reconnecting the severed tether.

    Mikhael tilted his head to the side to find his Father, looking at him with worry.

    ¡°F-Father I¡­¡± Mikhael''s voice wavered. His body was dusty and his face was dry. Hadro looked at Mikhael and walked closer. ¡°P-Paul he¡­¡±

    ¡°My son, it isn''t your fault.¡±

    Mikhael finally felt the emotion he was holding back soar through, he felt his eyes moisten. Hadro held his son in an embrace, placing a hand over his head.

    ¡°Why¡­ Why would they do this? What have we done so wrong?¡± Mikhael asked between sobs. He held onto Hadro shaking.

    Hadro couldn''t help but caress Mikhael''s head as he hid his eyes over his shoulder. He felt his children, around him, Agni and everyone else.

    He knew Mikhael did the best in his situation, the fight didn''t even last half a minute. It was so fast that the others could barely respond, let alone react.

    Right now, thanks to Paul''s death, Mikhael has his own Skill. Something that most of the time is created with time but today was forced out of necessity.

    ¡°Rest, Mikhael. We have work to do.¡± Hadro patted his head one last time before letting go.

    Naturally, Hadro was angry. He has expected foul play from the other gods, but only in the form of harm from the material world, not in the abyss.

    But now he learned they would go so far, he had to do something about it. Naturally, making Aidens would shave off something from himself.

    But once Paul died his essence got absorbed by Mikhael, it helped him actualize his skill. But what if it was absorbed by the Astator? What then?

    Hadro is incomplete, all the soul points he invested are gone, scattered around as he was forcefully pulled to his realm.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    He chose to ascend at this time due to the time frame he had. Within a century, surely the people from the other continents would be able to find a way to traverse the ninth continent.

    By then he could guide the Council of Eldoria better as he already fully ascended. But now, he was pulled out of it, he didn''t know exactly how long the ascension is but that''s not what he is wary of.

    They could come in again and sabotage his ascension. What then? Hadro had to work better on his defenses, it wouldn''t do good to make Mikhael his sole soldier protecting the whole settlement.

    For now, he had to make allies.

 [V2;C46] To Rise Through Grit

    Flies soar through the air. The heaps of decaying flesh become too enticing, and with it, the flies propagate. The carcasses don''t only have the flies as their sole consumer; there is also a lizard.

    With resignation, it ate some corpses, a part that was less decayed than the others, its blue scale shimmered despite being stained by the blood of the corpses. The larger kin of his has rampaged here, the [Overload] of the dungeon rose and made the existence of his felt like needles at the back of its skull, forcing it to leave.

    As it continued with its meal, it encountered a snake, trying to swallow some dismantled limb, The two reptiles took notice of each other''s presence quite quickly, but the Lizard was quicker.

    As the seething desire to have a proper meal, it went and struck first. It opened its mouth first and had its maw clamp on the snake upon its vulnerability. It savoured the raw and flesh blood, its fresh flesh.

    After devouring its fresh meal, it looked at the mountains of carcasses and decided that it had enough.

    ***

    [Year 32]

    Hadro wished that he could rely on his children to protect him and the Nefuti people. It''s clear that despite his being able to garner the memories of the Eldorians he cannot use it to lessen the gap in experience.

    He cannot afford another disruption in his ascension, he already surmised that the invasion of the Ninth continent would take about a century, but that was uncertain now. Innovation is made in adversity will lead to development.

    Hadro was sure that Jaheva and her faith were already making progress and all of it was significant, so he had to make sure that he could do everything to prepare the Eldorians. As they call themselves now, they haven''t connected with the Drakins and the humans as of yet.

    How many years has it been? Thought Hadro, he checked the panels of his system, and it was the 32nd year, he started his ascent in the 27th year. He was interrupted after five years of ascension.

    That was a bad thing, he needed to ascend but first¡­

    Hadro jumped up, soaring to the sky within seconds. Remembering what he did on his Realm he sent singular particles outwards in many directions possible. It all came back not even a second later.

    Once he landed back on the ground, he stepped forward with incredible speed. He weaved through the dense forests and stopped in front of a large feline, it was the same feline he had met after he entered the Abyss back then.

    It looked at Hadro with Alarm, whilst it was grooming itself it felt something touch its body but then a man suddenly appeared in front of him, how could it not be alarmed?

    Hadro raised his hand ¡°Now don''t be rash.¡± he smiled, though it wasn''t the kind that would reach his eyes. ¡°You''re the level of a deity, I''m here to make a simple proposal.¡±

    Hadro didn''t bother to placate the Feline, it was a deity, and at that point, it could simply understand the intent that he carried through his words. The deity immediately rose in speed, clearly fearing Hadro.

    ¡°Y-You''re¡­¡±

    ¡°A god, yes.¡±

    Its mind started to shift gears in thought, after a while, the Feline Deity spoke. ¡°W-what do you want.¡±

    ¡°You see, I wanted protection for my children and followers. Can you be a part of that?¡±

    Hadro still had the same smile, the Feline deity scanned him a bit longer before speaking. ¡°What do I get out of this?¡±

    Hadro beamed for a moment. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    The Feline deity looked confused for a moment and stuttered. ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°My, I¡¯m not here for a negotiation you know? I''m here for a mutually beneficial offer. I ask for your protection of my children and my followers in my absence, I will give you what you want! You are free to refuse.¡±

    The Feline Deity stood still, ruminating over Hadro¡¯s words. There was no reason to accept this then yet again, he was on the most dangerous continent to ever live he had done nothing but survive here.

    Dragons, Wyrms, giant Serpents, beings multiple metres tall, it was gruelling to survive here. Now that the Feline Deity had fully digested that Hadro was there to make alliances then he relaxed.

    ¡°This seems to be worth my time, can I think about it?¡±

    ¡°That''s nice to hear,¡± Hadro nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡±

    Then Hadro vanished with a small gush of wind, and the Feline Deity sighed. After a while, Hadro had done the same, going to every single Deity he could find within his immediate vicinity, offering them the same as he did with the Feline Deity.

    Of course, he has more things to do other than find willing bodyguards, so he goes back to the Overworld, the Material existence. But before he went back to the Nefuti settlement, he glanced at his palm and then reached forward.

    There was a spark and Hadro managed to grasp something, something he knew he wouldn''t be able to grasp before. But before he could get a hold and enact his intent it vanished and he just swung at the empty air.

    ¡°Huh¡±

    He hummed, not disappointed at the outcome, he was sabotaged during his ascent to a Minor god, previously a Low Minor God, and now he was an Incomplete Minor God. he had seen a glimpse of what he was able to do, what he could do.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    One of them is to freely step into the Material and Abyssal dimension whenever he wants, of course, it costs some Soul Energy, but that''s barely a concern now. He sighed and went back to the settlement.

    He saw some people comforting his children, Mikhael was looking down sitting on some stump. Hadro made sure not to read the minds of his children out of respect, however, none of that was needed when it was clear what he was feeling.

    He walked towards Mikhael and placed a hand over his shoulder, his son looked up and even he was surprised about the speed he displayed.

    ¡°My son, know that I do not blame you for anything. Please stop blaming yourself.¡± Hadro knelt down. ¡°Mentally beating yourself down is pointless, help them instead. I am sure Paul will be proud of you if do that.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You think so?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Hadro knew that their age of existence was short but that cant be helped, Astators, or in this case, Aidens, are made with sentient souls, mostly taking their maturity and experience in life to make them.

    Hadro did not do that, instead, he took pieces of himself and made the Aidens instead, every piece that he took from himself made the Aidens oblivious of many things like Love, Lazarus as an example, learned love on his own.

    It''s just the life experiences Hadro had in that particular fragment he used to make the Aidens were used, the memories numbed down not to affect their current existence. A failsafe of sorts, not to give the Aidens an identity crisis.

    That''s why it initially felt wrong to have them call him ¡®Creator¡¯, Father was more suited.

    ¡°Father, w-what can I do?¡± Mikhael stammered. His voice seemed so lost. He looked at his Father, hoping he could give him purpose.

    ¡°My Son, you have the power.¡±  Hadro looked him in the eye. ¡°Use it to make a difference. You see these people?¡± he nudged at the Nefuti. ¡°They cannot defend themselves from this world filled with monsters. Help them, teach them.¡±

    Hadro placed a hand on Mikhael¡¯s head and ruffled his hair before turning toward the gateway, Mikhael watched him leave, staring at his back. Then Mikhael stood, he was convinced of his purpose.

    He was Mikhael, the Aiden of War.

    ***

    ¡°Eren what is that?¡± Kasha asked while putting the cup in her mouth.

    ¡°It''s just some Cosa seeds, I eat it because it makes me feel alive,¡± Eren replied, eating some roasted seeds one at a time.

    Kasha raised a brow, clearly interested in what Eren had. ¡°Can I try?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Eren shrugged nonchalantly, showing the paper bag to Kasha.

    Kasha took some Cosa seeds, they were roasted seeds, it was many times larger than a kernel, brown, and had a rough texture. Nonetheless, she placed it in her mouth and began chewing.

    It was rough but crunchy and somehow, delicious. Kasha lit up as she chewed on the seed, she had to take a few more from the paper bag and eat some that Eren had to pull away his hand.

    ¡°Hey©¤!¡±

    ¡°Don''t take too much.¡± Eren shook his head. ¡°Even if I have to only eat four or eight at a time.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± as she chewed another seed.

    Then the feeling struck her, her heart started racing and her pupils dilated. She sat down for a moment in silence.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Eren looked at her with concern. ¡°Are you okay, Kasha?¡±

    Kasha now felt restless, she felt more awake than ever ¡°W-What was that seed, Eren?!¡±

    ¡°I-It was Cosa seed as I said.¡± Eren looked uneasy but then realized that the Cosa seed had affected her and gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Feeling alive? That''s exactly why I choose to eat these seeds.¡±

    Kasha felt so restless that she stood up and left the Bakery and went back to her office. Eren hummed and followed her back.

    Meanwhile, in the north, Arkum was finalizing his expeditions. Going further north leads to a coastal plateau that contains a beautiful view of the ocean if one ignores the car-sized birds that prey on other animals.

    ¡°This looks beautiful.¡± Officer Jhin said in a daze

    ¡°It is if we don''t get attacked every five minutes¡± Arkum grumbled.¡±How¡¯s Khalid doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re doing great, Alvon,¡± Jhin answered succinctly.

    Arkum nodded, his hand caressing his spear firmly. He had been in this place, supervising as the initiates built a Supply Anchor within the favourable area. The Scholars from Kasha¡¯s tutelage have been recording a lot of things. Weather, geographical area and many more.

    However, it seems that these areas are more dangerous than he imagined, without him he was sure that multiple initiates had already been snatched up. It was only thanks to Kasha¡¯s continuous improvement of enchantments that they could have supplied caravans continuously supply materials from the Home village to these farther parts.

    Arkum scratched his scalp, he missed his grandkids, how long was he in the expedition anyway? It seems that there are no other sentient species here so there are no allies to be made, so for now his focus is only one thing.

    ¡°I''m here, Alvon,¡±

    Jhin turned around to see Rei, holding a spear. Jhin didn''t personally know the boy, however, it''s no secret that he was the Kin of man and their Patron God. Jhin slightly felt reverence for the boy.

    Despite being trained by the same person, Rei had grown stronger exponentially, if they were to spar Jhin was sure he wouldn''t lose only because of his experience. However, he didn''t get discouraged just because of that.

    He knew that Rei had worked hard, harder than anyone he knew, even Khalid who was his fellow Officer. So losing to Rei is not something he would mull over, he would be proud to say he had spared with him.

    Arkum turned around and looked at Rei, he smirked for a bit. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been training both of you for a while,¡± Arkum said, glancing at both studying their structure very well. ¡°How about both of you spar?¡±

    None of the two looked alarmed, In fact, since it was brought up. The two had been eager to prove themselves to their mentor.

    ¡°I concur.¡±

    ¡°I Agree.¡±

    Arkum smiled, he scratched his chin with stubble and was fascinated. He knew the two well. Though Jhin was later than others, he was still a hunter back then. Whilst he didn''t know any kind of Martial arts to fight against men and monsters back then.

    He learned quickly, in fact, Arkum thought that he was at a disadvantage, Rei had been training ever since he had seen him swing a spear. It was not fair to say that Rei had been obsessed with the idea of catching up to Arkum.

    However, that didn''t mean he believed that Jhin would lose easily. He wouldn''t be an officer if the only thing he can do is write things down on paper. That would be foolish to assume so.

    ¡°Alright let''s go to an open area!¡± Arkum walked first and the rest simply followed.

    On Shavik¡¯s end, there were more jungles, hills and rivers flowing than he could count. Not that he hated it. He was concealed from anything that not even the extraordinary could perceive.

    Why was he using his Aura abilities? It was not his intent, he was simply hiding from his Officers as a game of extreme hide and seek. Though, he was not the one hiding.

    He stepped on a branch and it didn''t even break he simply stepped unto it and moved forward, he could barely smell the locations of his Officers. However, that didn''t mean that he was completely clueless about their location.

    He stepped towards the running river, its current was strong, and stepping there would easily displace his location from the others. Yet he feels someone¡¯s presence within the river.

    Were they submerged underwater? No, that would be too obvious. Shavik walked on the rocks protruding above the waters and used them to cross the river until he was on a specific rock formation.

    He reached his hand and unto the air, his hand felt something then twitched.

    ¡°Acsien Sazan, You are to be on messenger duty starting today and next week.¡±

    The Officer looked at Shavik and Saluted. He was standing behind the rocks against the current, hiding where stood. Whilst also using a skill that would conceal his presence. However, that was not enough to hide from Shavik.

    Sazan asked for this game to commence, simply because it was a form of training. He wasn''t even mad about the punishment, it was something he asked for. He then jumped out of the water and into dry land, soon vanishing within sight.

    Though not out of Shavik¡¯s senses though. He was gradually fading in the distance when it came to Shavik¡¯s senses.

    Shavik sighed and went back to the last Supply Anchor point. Here on out, they have officially reached the farthest, and now they must scale a mountain. He has heard of the news of Arkum¡¯s endeavour.

    He had finished the expedition above the north. Shavik had also finished his and all that was left was Garuk. Shavik has yet to hear of his mission being completed. Their goal, for now, was to explore until a helpless setback stopped them.

    For Shavik, this had come, a giant mountain stretching from side to side as if stopping him from crossing at all came to make sure he couldn''t cross. Well, if he was crossing alone then he could.

    But the mission isn''t for him alone, it was for his initiates and officers too. He can''t put them in danger because he wants some fun for himself. He had to go back to the headquarters and discuss it with his fellow Alvons.

    ***

    ¡°Alvon, please relay your orders!¡±

    Garuk gritted his teeth as looked at the giant in front of him. Its scales shimmered blue thanks to the daylight, reflective as it may seem, it was still large the size of a two-story building, with jaws that could snap alloys.

    It roared and Garuk stood his ground. ¡°Go! Report that another monster from Omniarc has arrived!¡±

    The captain hesitantly stepped back, then turned around, he ran like his life depended on it. Garuk wasn''t alone, he was with his officers. Carrying a spear that was enchanted by Kasha herself.

    ¡°Let''s make sure this thing doesn''t get to the Supply Anchor!¡± Garuk roared and his officers groaned in approval.

    [Omniarc Acheloura]

 [V2;C48] Acheloura

    Garuk gritted his teeth as the new foe entered his midst. Behind him, his three officers¡ªSaleb, Kauran, and Gozan¡ªstood ready, their spears held firmly in hand.

    The creature before him moved on four legs, its form resembling a lizard, but its structure was anything but ordinary. Its scales gleamed with a bluish hue, a colour unmistakably tied to the monsters of the Omniarc dungeon.

    Garuk held his ground, every muscle coiled in anticipation of an attack. The Acheloura let out a bellowing roar before charging straight at him and his officers.

    ¡°Scatter!¡± Garuk barked.

    Without hesitation, his officers sprang into action, fanning out in different directions as the Acheloura thundered toward them. Garuk braced himself, standing firm as the monstrous beast bore down on him.

    In the heartbeat before impact, Garuk felt a spark ignite within him. The creature collided with him, its gaping jaws revealing rows of serrated teeth. With a swift, practised motion, Garuk jammed his spear between its jaws, holding them open and preventing the creature from biting down.

    The Acheloura''s slitted eyes narrowed, glinting with cunning as it assessed the situation. It quickly noted that Garuk¡¯s officers were closing in without a word. With Garuk still pinned in its jaws, the beast thrashed its body, whipping its powerful tail toward the advancing soldiers.

    Saleb was the first to feel the brunt of the attack. The Acheloura''s tail struck like a whip, sending him skidding backwards even as he managed to block the blow with his spear. The beast twisted sharply, using its momentum to lash out in the opposite direction, catching Gozan with equal force and hurling him to the ground.

    Kauran was kept at bay if he were to engage he would meet Garuk on the way, it wasn''t wise to attack at that angle.

    Kauran tried to attack from another angle, coordinating with his fellow Officers but just like them, the Achelaura had the same intellect in those eyes, it prevented them from closing at all.

    Whilst it was keeping track of everything around it, Garuk tried to maintain the same position, he held his spear to prevent the monster from biting down on him, however, He was also being dragged.

    The fight was going along the monster¡¯s tune. Suddenly, Garuk felt the heat from the monster''s breath. ¡°No way¡­!¡± Garuk had no choice but to abandon his spear in the monster¡¯s maw as he dashed backwards.

    What came next was flames ejecting out of the Acheloura¡¯s breath. Garuk gritted his teeth, now he didn''t have a weapon. The Acheloura shook its body like a dog, there was a sizzling liquid that resembled lava in its mouth even after it closed.

    ¡°Do you require my spear, Alvon?¡± Kauran offered.

    ¡°Right, give it to me then go back to the Supply Anchor and get one yourself,¡± Garuk took the offer.

    ¡°Yes, Alvon.¡± Kauran saluted and dashed away in haste.

    The Acheloura bellowed and dashed forward as well. ¡°Careful, that thing is cunning,¡± Garuk warned his Officers. That was enough said as the Officers scattered and fanned out and Garuk dashed toward the monster as well.

    Garuk preemptively used his skills, using [Thrust] and making the monster dodge, Saleb closed in on the side after it dodged using its momentum to strike, and the Acheloura with its cunning gaze, twisted its body.

    The Acheloura¡¯s jaws went ahead for Saleb¡¯s side making him abandon his intent to strike and block instead, whilst in the same motion, the Acheloura swiped its tail towards Garuk and made him block the attack.

    That was a mistake as the Acheloura lifted its head to lift Saleb up whilst making Garuk skid away. That was ample time for the Acheloura to spit out its flaming breath and catch Saleb on fire.

    Saleb¡¯s whole upper body caught on fire but that didn''t mean he just allowed the attack to strike him. He pulled out his dagger on his waist and struck the Acheloura on its jaw, directly where its joint is connected.

    Saleb soon hit the ground, a thick hot liquid similar to lava coating his upper body, unmoving. The Acheloura roared and Gozan and Garuk were left shocked by the death of one of their officers.

    Garuk gritted his teeth in anger, he rushed forward while the monster was still disoriented, the monster took note of his rush and fired the same fiery liquid at him he dodged to the left as the Acheloura spat at his right not knowing that the Acheloura was aiming for that.

    Garuk was soon hit by a large tail on his side sending him flying to a nearby tree with enough force to make it fall, Garuk spat blood and felt pain as he breathed, he fought against the pain and slowly stood up to see Gozan fighting the Acheloura alone.

    Garuk groaned as he stood up and started running, the pain was killing him but to fight is more important. However, before he could catch up with his spear in tow, Kauran moved forward and tried slashing at the monster with his spear.

    Kauran¡¯s attack was met with tough scales and a valiant effort, he was then soon struck away by the same tail that moved like a whip. Leaving Kauran soaring through the air with blood splattering off of him.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Garuk gritted his teeth getting close enough to swing at the monster, the monster took note of his presence and whipped its tail however, Garuk saw it coming, so he struck his spear on the monster¡¯s tail which made it roar.

    He pulled off his spear and continued leapt at the monster¡¯s back the Acheloura thrashed around trying to get Garuk off its back, however, Garuk had a strong grip and he never let go.

    Frustrated, the Acheloura spun around, it spun around whilst spewing that sizzling liquid off its mouth to keep Garuk¡¯s officers at bay. Fortunately, Garuk is strong enough to hold on but he was just a strong Orc, he still got dizzy.

    After a while, Garuk went flying, disoriented and much worse because of his injury, he lay sprawled on the ground. Kauran ran up to him to assess his injuries.

    ¡°Are you alright, Alvon?¡±

    ¡°Run¡­ Away with Gozan¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I cant do that, Alvon.¡± Kauran stammered.

    ¡°Acsien, Listen to me,¡± Garuk spoke, looking at the disoriented monster slowly regaining composure.

    ¡°I can''t abandon you, Alvon¡­!¡± Kauran gritted his teeth.

    Gozan on the other side of the Acheloura had his entire left arm drizzled with the sizzling liquid from the Acheloura. He was standing with blood dripping from his head.

    ¡°You have to take Gozan out with you. That''s an Order.¡±

    Kauran gritted his teeth, conflict arose from his face before standing up and dashing towards Gozan.

    ¡°L-Let me fight, Kauran,¡± Gozan spoke in a weak voice.

    ¡°Alvon ordered us to flee.¡±

    ¡°I-I don''t want to be remembered as a coward.¡±

    ¡°Orders are absolute.¡± Kauran reasoned.

    Kauran placed Gozan¡¯s hand over his shoulder and started getting him away from the scene. Slowly, Garuk stood up spear in hand, he faced the Acheloura who was eyeing him after dizziness passed away.

    Garuk stared down the monster, his eyes locked on it, in his peripheral he saw the body of his officer, Saleb. Then his gaze was filled with hatred. The monster seemingly knowing what made him angry bellowed mockingly.

    Garuk stood with his spear ready to strike, the Acheloura moved slowly, it was savouring its triumph over its prey. Garuk gave it no satisfaction and only had a determined gaze.

    The monster was fast, each move was a blur to the untrained eye, its speed contrasting its size. Garuk stood still, he was going to die, he knew it. But before that happened, he was worried about his surviving officers.

    He wouldn''t mind dying today, he knew that his friends would avenge him. Besides, he didn''t plan to die without fighting back. He will surely give this monster some injury it wouldn''t be able to heal.

    Just as the Acheloura was about to dash towards Garuk, its head snapped sideways before a ball of flame struck its side. Garuk was left astonished at the side as the Acheloura was sent flying a few metres away.

    Garuk looked at the perpetrator, it was a huge monster, it was all familiar to him who it was, the missing tooth explained it all. The Valovasoar. It briefly looked at Garuk which made him freeze in his spot before its eyes set once again at the Acheloura.

    The Acheloura stood up as it glared at the Valovasoar with hatred in its eyes. The Valovasoar roared, sending dust away in its path. The Acheloura responded with a roar of its own. The Valovasoar huffed, it seemed mockingly to Garuk¡¯s eyes.

    The Valovasoar looked at Garuk once again before looking back at the Acheloura. Garuk was stunned at first but then he finally got the message, it was letting him go.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Garuk exclaimed, it was clear that both monsters were cunning, something he had never seen before.

    Garuk shook his head, he focused on getting out of that situation first. His aim is now different, if he wasn''t going to die today, then he would live till tomorrow. He ran away as fast as he could.

    The Valovasoar growled, its eyes all over the Acheloura. The two had a staredown for a moment, their maws both sizzling with hot air both ready to pounce and wring each other''s throat.

    However, it seems that the Valovasoar was the only one who committed to the act as the Acheloura spat its sizzling spit all over the ground and dashed away. The Valovasoar wasn''t going to let the lizard off completely.

    The Valovasoar ran after the lizard, towards a denser forest, weaving through large and tall trees. At some point, the Valovasoar lost vision against the monster. The Valovasoar knew what it was doing and was not going to play the same game.

    It opened its maw aiming at the ground and shot the ball of flames, upon impact the fire spread outward, turning every single tree in the vicinity into ashes and those farther away in scorching flames.

    The Acheloura was blasted away and crashed into a few trees before it landed with a whimper. It glared at the Valovasoar before dashing away again. The Valovasoar stopped giving chase.

    It already made its warning loud and clear and the Valovasoar felt satisfaction, it''s the only one allowed to mess with those people.

    ***

    Karsor was the official delegation for the Lycanthropes sent by Alpine. The Council has found the Lycanthropes to be a valuable ally, not because they offer great military benefits but rather because they can bring new farming techniques and populace.

    Of Course, if they become a part of Eldoria they are subject to the education and laws of Eldoria that Armin has yet to implement, on the other hand, Hadro was next to Saega looking down at the Lycanthrope teaching Karsor their language.

    ¡°Thankfully, I managed to de-escalate the situation then. The Lycanthropes were too secure in the heights of the mountains surrounding their village.¡± Saega spoke wistfully.

    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Hadro responded.

    ¡°Don''t be, I only did what must be done.¡±

    ¡°Nonetheless, those mountain walls made them too lax, they have to be integrated into Eldoria somehow. They, alone, cannot defend themselves from the impending invasion.¡±

    ¡°That is proceeding neatly, My lord. Though, May I ask, what brought you here early?¡±

    ¡°There was an intervention by one of the gods, I¡¯m here for a little preparation. Say, do you know any one of the Lycanthropes that deserves a skill?¡±

    Saega bobbed up and down in her wisp form and moved towards a Lycanthrope, Hadro followed her towards a young Lycanthrope boy.

    ¡°His name is Ptia¡¯san, of the San clan.¡± Saega introduced. ¡°He¡¯s always wanted to see the outside world like her sister, the only thing is, their martial art, Tali, is hard and he had always fallen behind training, However, one thing he was good with¡­¡±

    Hadro continued watching the boy, Ptia was using a short wooden stick with alternating etched lines, using it to measure whatever he was doing. Hadro could tell what he was making.

    ¡°He¡¯s making a handheld drill.¡±

    It was a manual hand-held drill, Hadro couldn''t believe it, the whole thing was made of wood except for the end which was made out of a bone of unknown origin.

    ¡°I see that he¡¯s a tinkerer. Though his lack of tools would pull him back.¡±

    Saega nodded, ¡°I knew you would see his talent, my lord.¡±

    Hadro didn''t speak any longer, he extended his hand and bestowed a skill to the child, of course, the skill was ranked F and after awakening his system Hadro left a Learning packet and then went for the next one.

    For a few hours, he did the same, he found talents all over Marshland, Archwood, Foreline and lastly, Jiatatousil, the Drakin settlement with the humans have called. He had blessed multiple humans along with Drakins too.

    Before he went back to the abyss he looked in a certain direction, towards the mountain, ¡°Why is she there¡­¡± Hadro shook his head. ¡°Never mind, if it makes the dragon our ally it''ll be better.¡±

    Hadro turned around and went back to Foreline, where the gate way is.